Hi All, I assume this is a Navy stamp, but was wondering if there was more significance than just PMD? Thanks.
Likely real but cleaned. Service men often carried a coin with them counter stamped as good luck pieces. Aviators carried them for sure and often times with their dog tag numbers on them in case the tags got lost so they could still be identified.
It very well could be a government inspector's stamp, Del. The owner may have worked for a contractor that manufactured something for the Navy. If that's the case, he probably had an additional stamp with his initials or a number or symbol that would identify him, or his department. These pieces are interesting but are notorious difficult to identify. Bruce
Thanks Bruce! My initial thoughts were that the stamp might have been propaganda based on Pearl Harbor.
I have a mercury dime with that same exact counter stamp! The one I have, looks like the person 'double' stamped it in the neck area on the coin. Yours is the only one I have found like mine.
Thanks for the nice welcoming! So what does the 'double' counterstamp mean compared to a single? I just figured the first stamp didn't give enough of impression. Any info would be appreciated as I just found this among some coins I have in storage for years.
Counterstamp coins are considered damaged by most collectors. So double damage doesn’t give any increase in value. Some collectors save them, I have a few. P.S. More members will see a coin when you start a new thread for each coin in question. This thread started in 2018 but you’re ok since it’s relevant to the original post. Larry
While counterstamped coins are damage to a coin, there is also a market for collectors of these items. I have a number of them with my collection.
Many people on this site consider ANY coin in less than mint state and entombed in plastic as less than desirable. They talk about rarity and number their "rare" coins in mintages of hundreds of thousands made. Counter stamped coins and tokens were made in mintages of hundreds with the common ones having a thousand examples remaining. I prefer tokens and counter stamps. Do I care that others don't? Nope, each to his own. I'll gladly replace their "damaged" coin with the same date and mintmark undamaged if I have it. I don't want marks on key dates and I'm not offering to do transactions. I have followed my policy for decades with no regrets. I've been collecting since 1958.
I have a 1938 dime, bearing the same stamp. While I did log this coin-c/s into my database, I've not taken a pic of it as yet, nor do I recall seriously trying to research it. Researching these 20th century stampings, more often than not, tends to be quite frustrating. This is why I much focus on the earlier 19th century marks. This c/s might well be a cutlery mark. I'll follow up on this thought and do some digging. If I can nail it down, I'll let y'all know .... Meanwhile, Happy New Year!
I saw an anchor counter stamped three times (both sides) on a three cent nickel at my local coin club auction. I did not win when I dropped out at five dollars and bids kept coming. It did not have the u s with the anchor.
I had one similar on a Buffalo nickel with multiple anchors in multiple places but sold it. Many have historical significance, especially when dog tag numbers appear on larger coins. Many were one of a kind and therefore unique. Each to their own in collecting interests. Research on ones with dog tag numbers can be fascinating but more important might be reunifying these with family members of deceased service members. Once they get lost after someone passes, the look on a family members face once they are brought back to them could be the best thing a person could do.