Hey all, I'm in the process of trying to identify a number of coins in the family collection and I'm not as bad as I thought with identification. But I'm coming across some tokens or stamped coins I can't identify. And I've already received some help here so... I guess I'll try again. This one is marked: Front: India & China Plantation Tea Company (around the edge)... with the word 'trademark' under the elephant Back: To be presented at Dublin or Kingstown (around the edge)... One Quarter Pound (in the center).. And 'Ardill Leeds' (to which I assume is a name or a name and a place). Here are some scans. Thanks in advance if you wanna help. If not... let it drop.
Thanks! I guess you guys know the sources but I'm pretty stumped on a few of these.. I have three more in particular where I think I can put a good guess on the country but no clue about anything else to do with it. And yes, it is pretty cool. I'm coming across a lot of mislabeled coins on gramps part but I think someone probably got into the box over the years snooping around.
The tea check is probably a "good-for" token to be presented at the locations listed for a 1/4 pound of tea. Tea was typically packaged in 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1 lb. packages for sale by retailers. I'm not familiar with the company but I have a small collection of tokens issued by the Stiner company of New York in the mid to late 1800s marked with these denominations. Bruce
Thats what I kind of figured. It's amazing to me that people stamped their own tokens like this. Its probably common but I think its pretty cool. I have another penny. US penny that has a Lincoln head but its not the modern day variety. I misplaced it or I would take pics. I'm sure it will turn up but... the reason I mention it... is because its stamped 'O.S. Woods'... Did companys stamp actual money as well?
I have a few more that I can't identify. The first two are foreign. I'm not going to even try and guess. The one just looks like its badly stamped but the condition is also mangled. I really appreciate this help.
These are the other 2. The first is an 1825 quarter. I just want to know if the stamp is significant. The second is a Ben Franklin Half Dollar 1953. But the tone is very gold. I can't find a camera angle that does it justice. Also, I'm not sure if this is significant... but he has sets of all different uncirculated coins between 1953 and 1955 (i think). But this Franklin was with the sets.
Yes. Counter-stamped coins are quite an interesting phenomenon, especially from 19th century merchants. Q. David Bowers - nominally "the dean of U.S. numismatics" for his many books and magazine and newspaper columns - wrote an entire book about just one doctor whose counter-stamps circulated widely around the northeast, "The Waterford Water Cure." The Krause Standard Catalog of United States Tokens 1790-1900 by Russell Rulau also offers many examples. "Mavericks" (untraced) are also common, counterstamped coins whose issuers cannot be found in advertising of the time. I have two, both "mavericks."
I can't read the inscription on the 1825 Large Cent from the picture pest. Is it just random letters or an actual word or name? I would like to see the Lincoln Cent with the "O.S. Woods" stamp on it. To answer your question; Yes, companies did quite commonly stamp their names on circulating coins for advertising purposes in the 1800s but the practice is very rare today. Once in a great while you'll find a contemporary coin counterstamped by a business, but it's unusual. Here's two examples from my collection. The first is hard to read but was issued by Zeiden's Pharmacy in Louisville, KY. Bruce
The quarter backside is easier. It says 'ASTSER' and on the front it looks like the same thing. But its an x pattern that says 'CASTSE'.. So 'CASTSER'? No clue what that is. I think I put the O.S.Woods back in a book. I had taken it to an auction house four years back to have a resident coin guy look at it. He breifly talked about stamps and told me that he had no idea what O.S.W meant. And, then... offered me money for it lol. I figured it might be worth something because that blindly offering money for something you don't know about doesn't fly with me. I just hung onto it because research took me nowhere. Those coins are nice. The sears stamp resembles my OS in font and size. I also have a buffalo nickel with a single 'v' stamp on the head. Was it not a federal crime to counterstamp on money then? I would love to find something I like modern day to be stamped on an older coin. God. I have so many questions I don't know where to start.
I don't think it was illegal to counterstamp coins back then pest. In England and France it was, so counterstampers put their message on each others coins which apparently circulated in both countries. The prolific English issuer "Pear's Soap" is estimated to have stamped nearly a quarter of a million coins...nearly all French...and put them into circulation. Meanwhile in France, "Le Picotin Aperitif" stamps are known on mostly English and Italian coins. A clever way to avoid breaking their laws but still getting the message out. As far as to your counterstamp goes, without a clear, readable stamp it would be impossible to attribute it to anyone. Apparently, it's someone's last name or part of a company name. One suggestion. Is there any possibility the stamp reads "Cast Steel"? This was a phrase sometimes used by tool makers and others and is often seen counterstamped on their issues. If you're interested in modern counterstamps on older coins, I have a few with my personal stamps on them that I've used over the years to trade with other collectors. I'd be glad to send you one, no charge. Send me a private message ("conservation") with an address I could send it to and I'll get one to you. Bruce
Sorry I didn't see this right away. Dad had a knee replacement and I'm really busy. I'm going to try and find that o.s. woods stamp when I head back to my house. If you wanted to trade if you liked it, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I've talked with my mom about this coin collection and she wants to get rid of some of the more odd items. They belong in the hands of someone that can fully appreciate them. Its like when someone trades me something NYYankees. No matter how small, I love it. I have rooms filled with autographed everything, to stadium seats from all eras and bleacher seats.. stadium relics... everything you could think of... and i know how it feels to get something you're searching for.
I'm sorry. Been running around like a nut. Here are the scans for the o.s. woods token. I couldn't attatch them in a conversation. Let me know if you know anything about it
The "O.S. Woods" isn't listed in my references and probably couldn't be attributed to any particular person because of the common last name. A nice clear counterstamp though. Sorry, I don't know anything about token. Bruce
