this came in to a local shop and I'd like to make an offer on it. I thought I had the right reference books to look it up but I don't. Anybody able to help me out?
I'm guessing that it is probably a "one-of-a-kind" so it is probably only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Chris
GENL PIKE on 1854 Arrows Seated Liberty Dime Brunk listed as P-493 General Pike was a steamship that operated out of Cincinnati Ohio 1856-1861
It appears to be the same font. Interesting! Have you tried making an offer to the dealer that you feel comfortable with. It never hurts to try as long as you're not insulting anyone. Chris
Well, try to meet him somewhere in the middle. How many of the counterstamped half dollars have you seen? Chris
Friend found some good info and sent me the link. Excellent 1858-O seated half with the GENL PIKE counterstamp! Only two pieces -- both on seated dimes -- are listed in Brunk (P-493). I’m aware of at least 4 other coins with this mark (one on a seated quarter, two on seated half dollars, and this one). All are very desirable steamboat pieces with a couple of recent trades in the $500.00 - $600.00 range. This 1858-O half dollar is a very original example and has a well struck countermark (not always the case with GENL PIKE marks). It’s a great addition to any collection, offered here at no reserve. My research shows there were at least 4 vessels called the General Pike. (The Wooldridge Steamboat List shows 8 vessels with the name General Pike!) The original General Pike was the first steamboat to ascend the Mississippi River above the mouth of the Ohio and reach St. Louis (around 1818). It was built on the model of a barge with her cabin on the lower deck, barely showing above the bulwarks. A low-pressure steam engine was often inadequate against the current and had to be assisted with shoulder poles. Later, Charles Dickens was aboard the General Pike while traveling across America in the early 1840s and collecting stories for his book "American Notes for General Circulation" -- the vessel he rode was likely launched about 1835. A New York Times article reported the Genl. Pike sank as a total loss on Sept. 23, 1853 but we really don't know which General went down. Another vessel named Genl. Pike was constructed at Cincinnati, OH for the exclusive accommodation of passengers, operating 1856 - 1861 (it is during this period the c/s coins were likely issued). Its fate is not known, but a final Genl. Pike steamer was launched in 1876 (a stern-wheeler) and carried the mail. She sank January 1, 1891 after colliding with a coal barge. Here are new pics of both sides of the one I just got.
I would assume the two pictures of the dime are from different coins. If they are the same coin then it is counterstamped on a counterfeit because there is no 1854 S dime.
In response to previous replies and to set the narrative straight, I thought I'd post pics of my four GEN'L PIKE c/s's. All but the quarter are O-mint host coins. There's a dime, a quarter, a half and a dollar; still seeking a half dime, I am! The dollar bears an S.B. EUNICE c/s that looks like a silversmith or watchmaker hallmark. While I could find no craftsmen by that name, I did find that there was a "Steam Boat Eunice" operating concurrent to when the Gen'l Pike ran those rivers. I've yet to make any close connection between the two vessels. I did locate an image of a cool broadside, a contemporary ad for the Gen'l Pike, pic attached ....
I agree .... two different dimes. No S-mint is likely. While it's true that there were a number of steamers named the GENERAL PIKE in operation during the 1800's, this issue must have emanated from the specific boat that operated between the years 1856-61. First, consider that the decade of the 1850's was the heyday of the counterstamp fad. Second, consider the date range of known, stamped coins. IMHO, the dual stamp on the dollar helps further solidify this attribution. Below is pictured a list of classified ads from the Louisville Daily Courier, dated 5-10-1859. Note that the top ad in the listing refers to the steamer, GEN. PIKE, and the bottom listing is for the packet, EUNICE. Note that passage and cargo for both steamers was then being booked by the same agent, Moorhead & Co. Also, this bolsters the attribution of the S.B. EUNICE c/s as that of "Steam Boat Eunice."
Except there is only one coin pictured with the counterstamp running across the center of the coin (which would cause that flattened area running across the center of that S mint dime.) If it is a second dime then there are two images missing, the counterstamped obv of the S mint dime, and rev of the 1854 dime. Of course since those images were posted three years ago I guess we will never see them.
