TRIVIA - Countermarked & counterstruck

Clinker · 01-29-2007, 01:49 PM

You know many countries created "Trade Dollars" for use in Tibet, China, and other parts of the Orient. You know many of these coins, including the USA's "Trade Dollar", were chop marked by a local political official, merchant or banker to certify that the coin was indeed of the proper weight and assay for use in the territory or province.

You know during the revolutionary periods of Mexico many mints were seized by Iturbe, Carranza, Hildago, Zapata and others. To further the cause of freedom, they counteredmarked and counterstruck many coins with freedom symbols on them.

You know some countries counterstruck and/or countermarked their coins, instead of debasing the intrinsic metal value of their coinage during inflationary times.

In 1923 one such country was Costa Rica. Instead of debasing their new coins, they corraled older silver coins, redated them by counterstamping them on the obverse with the date in the center of a circle and, on the reverse, the denomination in the center of a circle.

They reclaimed the following 25 centavo silver coins and changed them into 50 centavos coins. The circles on both sides measure 11mm in diameter.

50 Centavos:
Old GW minted 25 centavos coins (KM#106).
Changed to 50 centavos coins (KM#156).
Old GW minted 25 centavos coins (KM#127.1).
Changed to 50 centavos coins (KM#157).
Old GW minted 25 centavos coins (KM#127.2).
Changed to 50 centavos coins (KM#158).
Old Heaton Mint 25 centavos coins (KM#130).
Changed to 50 centavos coins (KM#159).
Old JB minted 1/4 Peso coins (KM#103).
Changed to 50 centavos coins (KM#154).
Old GW minted 25 centavos coins (KM#105).
Changed to 50 centavos coins (KM#155)..

Click here to see KM#158
www.worldcoingallery.com/countries/coin.php?image=nmc2/46-158&desc=Costa%20Rica%20km158%2050%20Centimos%20(1 923)%20counterstamped%20127

Click here to see KM#159
www.worldcoingallery.com/countries/coin.php?image=img12/46-159&desc=Costa%20Rica%20km159%2050%20Centimos%20(1 923)%20counterstamped%20130

Un Colon:

They reclaimed the following 50 centavos coins and changed them to UN COLON coins. The circles on both sides of these are 14 mm diameter.

Old GW minted 50 centavos coins (KM#112).
Changed to UN COLON coins (KM#162
Old GCR minted 50 centavos coins (KM#150).
Changed to UN COLON coins (KM#165).
OLD GW minted 50 centavos coins ((KM#124).
Changed to UN COLON coins (KM#163)..
Old JCV, GCR, and CY minted 50 centavois coins (KM#143).
Changed to UN COLON coins (KM#164).
Click here to see KM#163::
http://www.worldcoingallery.com/coun...rstamped%20124
Clinker

Aidan Work · 01-29-2007, 03:37 PM

Clinker,that is very interesting.Don't forget that the British were cutting & counterstamping Spanish American,French,Brazilian,& Portuguese coins for thair colonies in the West Indies at the end of the 18th Century & into the first 20 years of the 19th Century.

Aidan.

Clinker · 01-29-2007, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aidan Work

Clinker,that is very interesting.Don't forget that the British were cutting & counterstamping Spanish American,French,Brazilian,& Portuguese coins for thair colonies in the West Indies at the end of the 18th Century & into the first 20 years of the 19th Century.

Aidan.

Yes, you're right Aden....PLUS many countries counterstamped and/or counterstruck the Spanish milled dollars as if they were planchets...

Clinker

Just Carl · 01-29-2007, 07:57 PM

Just one more item for me to print out.
I'm starting to think it would be easier for me to pay Clinker to write a book and then not have to spend so much time, paper and ink carteidges printing out all his stories.

Clinker · 01-30-2007, 10:35 AM

Just Carl....

Thanks for the encouragement.

Clinker

Treashunt · 01-30-2007, 01:59 PM

Clinker:
Great info, as usual.

satootoko · 01-30-2007, 02:18 PM

When the Japanese demonetized their silver One Yen & Trade Dollar coins (a decision later rescinded) they counterstamped them with the word "GIN" ("silver") in a circle. The primary mint in Osaka stamped the mark to the left of the denomination on the reverse, and the Tokyo branch mint stamped it to the right of the denomination. The mark is considerably larger than the typical "chop", and it's upright orientation and standard position also distinguish it from chopmarks, which can be anywhere on the coin, and in a random orientation.

Silver yen with, and without the counterstamp, and with and without chopmarks, are all common, but Trade Dollars generally have the GIN mark, chop marks, or both.

The counterstamped coins were shipped to Taiwan in bulk as silver bullion, while the counterstamp was intended to bar their re-importation to Japan. Several years later the coins were re-monetized.

Clinker · 01-31-2007, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by satootoko

When the Japanese demonetized their silver One Yen & Trade Dollar coins (a decision later rescinded) they counterstamped them with the word "GIN" ("silver") in a circle. The primary mint in Osaka stamped the mark to the left of the denomination on the reverse, and the Tokyo branch mint stamped it to the right of the denomination. The mark is considerably larger than the typical "chop", and it's upright orientation and standard position also distinguish it from chopmarks, which can be anywhere on the coin, and in a random orientation.

Silver yen with, and without the counterstamp, and with and without chopmarks, are all common, but Trade Dollars generally have the GIN mark, chop marks, or both.

The counterstamped coins were shipped to Taiwan in bulk as silver bullion, while the counterstamp was intended to bar their re-importation to Japan. Several years later the coins were re-monetized.

satootoko...

Thanks for this great additional information.

Clinker

JBK · 02-04-2007, 10:22 PM

And don't forget merchant, advertising, and politicall counterstamps applied by companies or individuals. As a matter if fact, I counterstamped almost 1500 coins this weekend that are headed for the Indian casinos in Connecticut in a couple weeks. (I hope to have 2500 done by then). I sent 1600 through the slot machines last weekend and I want to get another 2500 down there to keep them company. I also left 2500 counterstamped coins in Las Vegas last Thanksgiving week.

I do keep track of numbers, but I haven't added them up. The total number of coins I have whacked in the last couple years must be heading toward 10,000 pretty quickly.

Clinker · 02-05-2007, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBK

And don't forget merchant, advertising, and politicall counterstamps applied by companies or individuals. As a matter if fact, I counterstamped almost 1500 coins this weekend that are headed for the Indian casinos in Connecticut in a couple weeks. (I hope to have 2500 done by then). I sent 1600 through the slot machines last weekend and I want to get another 2500 down there to keep them company. I also left 2500 counterstamped coins in Las Vegas last Thanksgiving week.

I do keep track of numbers, but I haven't added them up. The total number of coins I have whacked in the last couple years must be heading toward 10,000 pretty quickly.

JBK...

Maybe some day, you'll be as famous (?notorious) as H.O.B. in Canada!

Clinker

gxseries · 02-05-2007, 11:44 AM

You should have included a new trivia about overstrikes. Now that's going to be a fun post where I have some interesting coins to talk about.

Clinker · 02-05-2007, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gxseries

You should have included a new trivia about overstrikes. Now that's going to be a fun post where I have some interesting coins to talk about.

gxseries....

you don't have to wait for me to post a trivia on "overstrikes"...you can post a thread on them with photoes anytime....

Clinker

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