Post your chopmarked/counter stamped coins!

Yes, Bruce, that Flanagan CWT is the one. I'm wondering if it will remain listed as a CWT though; could be earlier than 1861.

I just acquired another Wood's Minstrel silver token as a "companion" piece for my Wood's counterstamps that are on Spanish 2 Reale pieces.

My best buys on counterstamps have been at shows. Prices realized in the Stack's and Heritage auctions, particularly for the pedigreed pieces, have set a very high mark ... IMHO, too high. There's no way that the average collector can keep pace with prices paid by those deep-pocket guys - in effect, the market-makers. I do suspect that prices realized at the major auction houses will settle in time.

The HOUCK'S PANACEA pieces were generally selling for over $1,000, each, a few years back. Prices tend to now be about half that amount. While these are among the "classics" as counterstamps go, and fairly plentiful in number when compared to most issuers, there are some collectors who "hoard" or "intensely focus" on these. I call it the "Orphan Annie Effect" - akin to the phenomenon of the hoarding of 1844 dimes. Collectors with sufficiently deep pockets have, over the years, been able to lasso large numbers of scarcer, rare date coins, like 1856 Flying Eagle Cents and 1893-S Morgans. In comparison to counterstamped coins, any issuer as such, those "rare date coins" are extremely plentiful and relatively common in the marketplace. As I see it, the values for counterstamps can easily be driven by this "Orphan Annie Effect." The supply is ever so limited that demand can easily be leveraged. I suspect that this effect is sometimes at play. Then too, there are increasing numbers of us counterstamp researchers it seems. I've learned to be more patient, backed off on bidding too high to acquire desired pieces. I continually tell myself that, in time, a similar specimen may come my way, and that often is the case - sometimes, years later!

 

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As you, I've always felt, until recently, that there were some big players in the market who drove up the price of counterstamps simply because they could afford to pay inflated prices. Although that's still in play, I think the collector base has broadened recently for whatever reason. I find, generally, higher prices being paid for all types, even generics.

I get most of mine from eBay where bargains can still be had, but stay away from Heritage and other big houses for the reasons you note. I also find interesting pieces at shows...Hayden, Latter, Cunningham, etc...but not in great numbers. In any case, the days of "bargain basement prices" for counterstamps is fading fast.

The Houck's issues are interesting for the reasons you mention. I bought one in 2005 from Charlotte and Dave Gale for $250, apparently, a good price for the time and even today. Maybe your "Orphan-Annie Effect" is in play here because, as you mention, this issue is relatively common. A great classic but not hard to come across a decent example.

Bruce

 

This is the first counterstamp I ever owned, or for that matter, had ever seen. My father had it in his collection. He told me he picked it up somewhere in the 1940s but never knew who D.S. & Co. was. It's been in my collection since 1976 and at some point I decided I was going to try to attribute it. I found that it was issued by an Auburn, ME boot and shoe manufacturer named Dingley, Strout & Co. They manufactured footwear for the Union Army during the Civil War and were in business for many years after. I was so excited in finding the issuer, as much for me as for my father, that I've been researching counterstamps ever since. I've enjoyed the challenge immensely and have never looked back. This one's for you Dad!

Bruce

 

I'd not before seen this one, Bruce. Logo punches with the town are ones that I find to be extremely desirable. In your case, the personal connection is icing on the cake. While my Dad wasn't a collector, he gave me two, old coins that sparked my interest in the hobby, precipitating my discovery of a coin catalog at the local library back in the 1950's.

Many of the shoemaker stamps tend to be a curved logo of sorts, like yours. My suspicion is that these cordwainers or leather workers may have intentionally used this design so as to cut across the grain of the leather and not so much weaken the area when applied.

Here's a counterstamped quarter that I've long suspected to be a Maine issue:



The Davistown Museum collection in Maine has listed a razee plane, used by ship builders. It bears the mark of a C.A. Spear, along with a Masonic symbol. I wrote to them some years ago, hoping I could see if it was a match. Sadly, I never received even a courtesy reply. I was hoping to send them some counterstamp pics, pertaining to Maine toolmakers that would spice up their illustrations.

While I suspect that Spear's first name was Charles, I've been as yet unable to confirm it. I found that one Charles Adrian Spear married a Harriet Murdock in Hallowell, Maine in 1856. He may have been from Gardiner, born in 1831. He appears to have worked in Warren, Maine and possibly later worked in Boston and Sommerville, Mass. I have yet to see another example of this stamp. I suspect that it may have been a personal, pocket piece; this, akin to a Masonic penny.

 

That's a nice Masonic piece, and most certainly unique. I have a number of them myself plus other fraternal organization issues...I.O.O.F., B.P.O.E., G.A.R., etc. The Masonic ones are, by far, the most interesting with many variations.

I've had the same unfortunate experience as you when contacting various sources in search of information. Many don't even have the courtesy to respond, even if it's just to say "No, we can't help you". It only takes a few seconds to do so but many don't. On the other hand, some can't do enough for you. I'm a little surprised that Davistown didn't return your "call" as their mission is right in line with what you were attempting to do. Go figure!

Apparently, Brunk doesn't list your counterstamp either in his book or in the 2013 draft for the new edition. If you want me to report it to him I'll do so. I correspond with him on a regular basis.

Bruce

 

Sure, Bruce, feel free to report it. I contributed to both his earlier editions. I was unaware that he working on a new one. I also contributed to the Rulau works, but he used only a smidgen of the info I sent. Rulau's volume was ever so large though. I've long thought that Krause should return to printing the merchant books by era: Early Merchants; Hard Times; Merchant/Pre-CW; Civil War; Trade Era; and, Gay Nineties.

 

Yes, Rulau's book was really long. The last I spoke to him, Brunk had completed the U.S. and Canadian sections only for his new edition...600 pages worth. It sounds like a thousand pages or so when completed.

Bruce

 

A few more, 1st 1679 Utrecht 6 stuivers C/S for United Provinces of Netherlands


Mexico, Zamora 1/8 real C/S for Zacatecas KM#L81


1640 French Sou de Quinze C/S for Canada

 

Nice counterstamps H8! I especially like the Zamora issue. Greg Brunk lists four major varieties of Zamora counterstamps and designates yours as V-4. He knows of about 50 examples on an 1/8 Real and a few on other Mexican coins.

I don't have any Mexican issues in my collection but there are a lot of interesting varieties. Some day I may add a few, but at this point, don't know enough about them to "get my feet wet". Thanks for the post.

Bruce

 

I've sent a message to Rich that perhaps Greg might contact me. I can give him info on hundreds of counterstamps, if interested. Here's one that was listed in the previous edition but not fully identified:



Hiram Allen Balch was born in Madison, Ohio in 1824. He moved to Joliet in 1849 and married there in 1850. An itinerant photographer, he traveled throughout Kentucky and Tennessee in 1859, thereafter living successively in Cairo, Memphis and Arkansas. He settled in Memphis during the war and until 1869, operating a photographic gallery there; and, subsequently another gallery in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In later years, he worked for the U.S. Census Bureau in Washington, D.C. (see "Genealogy of the Balch Families in America", 1897)

I find listings for nine examples of Hiram's counterstamp, the latest of which is dated 1857. So, it seems that these can be dated to 1857-58, after which he left Joliet. Hiram's travels are explained by the fact that he was an agent for the Charter Oak Life Insurance Company; listed as such by the Illinois State Journal, 1851-60. Like many contemporary issuers of counterstamps it seems, Hiram pursued more than one career.

Craig's Daguerriean Registry simply lists Hiram as H.A. BALCH and mentions his moving to Chicago in 1855. If he did then "move" to Chicago, the later dated, counterstamped coins suggest that he afterwards returned to Joliet for a time. Interestingly, Craig lists three other daguerreians named Balch in New England and NY City, respectively; these perhaps, relatives who fostered his interest in photography.

 

Here's the latest info Brunk has to be included in the next edition. BTW, if he doesn't contact you through Hartzog let me know and I'll give you Greg's e-mail address.

Bruce

 

I practice zen coin collecting. I buy without knowing all that I do not know. In that vein, I picked this up for a song today.

 

That's a good find, H8! The J. YOUS pieces are more plentiful than Rulau's 2004 catalog listings suggest, and the curved stamp is the one most often seen. While Yous is one of the more obtainable, early gunsmiths, his counterstamps are still rare. Like the silversmiths, druggists and certain other occupations, gunsmiths are quite popular among collectors.

In his later years, Yous principally worked as a machinist. Yous seemed to take special care in the placement or positioning of his counterstamps; this, akin to Dr. G.G. Wilkins. It's as if Lady Liberty is announcing him, his mark. Also, Yous utilized a "stop" or period after his name which was then not an uncommon practice but by no means typical.

Here's an example of his straight mark that was once enameled:

 

Hi Bruce. According to a Hartzog posting I read, Greg Brunk doesn't do email. If you have an address, I'd much appreciate it.

 

He does email but his service is very bad. He often doesn't receive messages and has trouble responding to them. As a result, he doesn't advertise his address. I suppose I should ask him first to be sure it's OK to give it out or, if you want, P/M me your address and I'll send it to him.

Bruce

 

Nice addition H8! There are a few examples of his firearms online that clearly show his stamp if you're interested in taking a look. They exactly match those seen on coins. Just search "Images" under his name and you should find them.

The latest on Yous seems to be that the one example, two now, of the mark in a serrated rectangle was issued earlier by someone else...perhaps a relative. The one example is on a 1798 Large Cent and the newest documented piece is on an undated Large Cent. Although Yous did stamp very early Large Cents, the serrated style is very much unlike a gunsmith mark, or for that matter, a machinist's.

Bruce

 

I didn't think I could go wrong for $2

 

That's a great find for two dollars H8. I don't recall what I paid for my example, but it was a lot more than that.

Bruce

 

This is the only one that I have.

 

The greatest collections have started with one, rooman9. While that's a likely unattributable maverick you have there, it's always fun to ponder the origin of a counterstamped coin like this. I still have the first counterstamped coin that I acquired, back in the 1970's. The reverse of an 1859 Indian cent was planed down to receive the counterstamp ...
It surely aroused my curiosity!