Here is a little oddity I picked up today a 1862 penny (Victorian) with a interesting counterstrik over the queens portrait, any ideas greatfully recieved LOL 2 23 1856 De Orc :kewl:
Looks like a souvenir of a specific date, 23 Feb 1856, of a person of modest means. As it's obviously postdated, maybe it commemorates a birthday or anniversary. I have a wonderful Series 1869 $1 USN with a blue postmark "Oglesby / 15 Jun 1870 / Illinois" that I paid a pittence for because of the "damage". I think it's a wedding present. Whatever it is, it's marvelous.
Yep thats what I think it is as well, but the odd thing is the date! That is not how we write the date over here, if it had been done by a Brit it would have read 23 2 1856 But I think it is a great addition to my collection, bit of a mystery LOL De Orc
Whatever it may or may not be, it's not listed in Gavin Scott's `British Countermarks on Copper and Bronze Coins'. If it were a Brit countermark, the likelyhoods are that they would have conformed to the style/ fashion of the time for notating dates. That is, `23 FEB 1856'. Looks like that one was done by a 'merkin for some reason or 'nother. There's no practical way of telling as to the when or the why. That data appears to be lost to all but speculation.
Quite agree Ian just a nice addition to the collection, have lots of ideas on it LOL it might turn in to a nice little conversation piece De Orc
That was my exact idea also - the date is very likely done by an American because of the format. A pocket piece of some kind. Poke around in Google and see if there is any relevence to the date, otherwise it is probably a personal piece.
