Thread: Civil War era steamship counterstamp

I just picked up this rare steamship counterstamp on eBay a week or so ago and thought some of you would be interested in seeing it. These stamps have been known for years, but it was always thought to be a rare female issued stamp for obvious reasons. I decided to research it back in 2008 and found it was actually issued by the owners of a stern-wheel steamship christened the "Jennie Hubbs". She was built at the shipyard of David Gibson & Co. of Cincinnati in 1863 and was used to carry general freight and foodstuffs up and down the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers during the Civil War and for several years after. She was siezed soon after launch by Union forces suspected of trading with the Confederacy, but was released for lack of evidence. In Nov., 1866 she sank at the falls of the Ohio River near Clarksville, IN, but was raised and rebuilt at New Albany. Shortly after, she sank again on the Mississippi River below Cairo,IL. Again she was refurbished and put back in service but was renamed "Empire". Her short life finally ended when she was caught in a riverbank cave-in near Natchez, MS in December, 1868 and scrapped. She lost a cargo of sugar and molasses bound for Cincinnati.

There are six examples of the counterstamp documented, including mine. All examples are on coins dated between 1862 and 1867 which fits perfectly with her history. This is a decent example of this historic counterstamp. Comments are welcomed and as always, thanks for looking.

Bruce

Great research and a fantastic find. Thanks for sharing.

Great thread. Fun stuff.

Thanks for your comments guys.

Bruce

This coin needs to be mounted in a shadow box with a photo of the ship and an explanation of the history of the ship.

-thecointrader

Bruce, That's a great story to go with that C/S. It's pretty interesting that it sank 3 different times...in your research did it mention what caused her to go down? I bet on the third go around when they changed the name they were hoping for a different fate!

Cool token,and great history. Thanks for sharing it.

Awesome post!

Originally Posted by USMoneylover

Bruce, That's a great story to go with that C/S. It's pretty interesting that it sank 3 different times...in your research did it mention what caused her to go down? I bet on the third go around when they changed the name they were hoping for a different fate!

It wasn't unusual for these ships to sink because of sand bars, submerged logs, overloading, poor maintenance, etc. Hunter. I felt the same way, they probably thought a name change would improve their luck. I don't know what caused her to sink the first two times, but the riverbank cave-in put her down for the last time.

Bruce

Originally Posted by thecointrader

This coin needs to be mounted in a shadow box with a photo of the ship and an explanation of the history of the ship.

-thecointrader

Not a bad idea cointrader. I wouldn't mount the coin in the shadowbox though, just a nice clear enlarged picture with it's history.

Bruce

Absolutely fantastic work Bruce. I always enjoy reading your threads and the history you bring to this forum. Thank you.

Thank you Chris, it's always good to hear from you.

Bruce