Any Counterstamp Collectors Out There?

What do you thinks she's worth? I'll tell you what I paid later.... I've heard that RUDOLPH's go for a lot.

 

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Only the cents, and a few nickels, that I get from roll searches. Most are Kennedy, state outlines, Masonic, Shriners etc. Coolest is a skull counterstamped on a nickel.

 

... Do you wanna post some pics? :bow: I'm intrigued by that skull nickel.

 

My most recent:

1811
O-108



more as I find the pictures

 

another Bustie:

1824

O-101

 

Last one, for now:

1833

O-103a

 

Nice! I think I like that WARD the most, but all 3 look great!

 

T/Y

I have others [not Busties] but no pictures.

 

Do you know the value of them?

 

Your "Rudolph" has a pretty wide range of prices Pi man. Sometimes you can get them for $100, other times 2 or 3 hundred or more. This one is the most common and inexpensive of the Gold Rush era issues. There's probably 50 or more of these documented, which in the counterstamp "world" makes them common. All known examples are struck on either dimes or quarters. BTW, J.F. Rudolph was a druggist from Philadelphia who relocated to Nevada City, CA in the 1850's. Nice example. Thanks for showing it. -- Bruce

 

Thanks BR. It's cool to think about where the coin has been.

I've always wondered, what was the point in counterstamping? For a druggist, wouldn't it make him be caught quicker?

 

Oh and I paid melt ($1.80) for it.

 

I don't know what you mean by "caught quicker" Pi man. There were a lot of legitimate apothecaries or druggists in those days but their "science" was pretty crude. There were also many quacks out there who simply called themselves doctors who had little or no training. The market wasn't regulated then like today so they usually got away with their "medicine" and "cures". If by some miracle their medicine actually cured something they were golden. If it didn't, then the patient was told he didn't take the right dose or didn't take it correctly. Again, golden. The point of counterstamping, at least in this case, was to advertise his store. Being a small town, everyone would know who Rudolph was without having an address. As a matter of fact, in his print ads he also called himself Rudolf with no initials. You did real well Pi man at $1.80. I have one in my collection that I paid about $100 for and I thought I did well. Congrats on your great pickup.--- Bruce

 

Lol... I interpreted druggist as drug lord. I realize now it means someone like a doctor. Thank you for all your help!

 

yes.

oy!

 

Yes.... LOL

 

Count me in as a counterstamp collector. Even though this one is kind of ratty looking, I had to pay dearly to get it. I forget the exact amount, but it was a little north of 2Gs.

 

Wow - that is committment!

I'll bet old man Schiller never dreamed his make-shift token would ever be worth that much.

 

cw:

wow, it must be extremely scarce!

 

They are rare Frank but the real value lies in the story behind the token. J.B. Schiller was a New Orleans businessman...an importer as well as the proprietor of the Sazerac Coffee House in the city. During the Union siege of New Orleans in the spring of 1862 he issued these "10 Cent" Indian Head tokens as well as paper scrip in the denominations of 25 and 50 Cents as a form of Hard Times currency. His issues are one of the very few southern Civil War tokens known. They are also considered 'siege money" which just adds to their value. There are only 8 examples known, all on 1860 Indian Head Cents as the OP's is. BTW, the city finally fell to Union forces on May 1, 1862. Great story = great value.

Bruce