Sorry if I posted in the wrong forum. Wasn't sure. So I should post these in the paper currency forum it seems. Numismatic = Coins, Paper Money, Exonumia, (Numismatist) Exonumia = Tokens, Medals, Badges, Ribbons, Etc. (Exonumist) Notaphily = Paper Money, (Notaphile/Notaphiliac). Scripophily = Stock certificates, (Scripophilist, Scripophilac) Medals have a clear distinction from tokens in that there is no monetary value on the item, nor any intent to be used as money. (Medalists) Exonumists are attentive to not only the history behind the items but the shapes, and what types of items they are.
I just picked up a small collection of Irish political counterstamps on eBay. These date to the Troubles era (1969 / 1998) during probably the worst years of the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. The conflict between the Catholic (Nationalists) and Protestant (Loyalists) sides dates back seven or eight hundred years, but the nearly 30 years of the Troubles is the most violent and prolonged period in the sad history of the country. It's not only about religion, but about loyalty as well. The Loyalist's goal is for Northern Ireland to remain as part of the UK, while Nationalists wish to reunite the independent Republic of Ireland with Northern Ireland and make her independent of Britain under Catholic rule. Counterstamping of both Irish and English coins with political messages was very commonly done by both sides, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s. I've researched, cataloged, and collected these pieces for a number of years now and have nearly 200 examples in my collection. These two examples are from the small group I acquired from the UK. The "UDA / UVF/ 1690" is struck on a 1963 Eire (Ireland) Florin. Both the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) and the UDA (Ulster Defence Association) are Loyalist paramilitaries. Though separate organizations, they're very closely aligned. While both have committed extreme acts of violence, the UDA many times claimed responsibility for not only their atrocities, but for those of the UVF as well. The UVF liked to claim that they were mostly a political entity in the style of the Nationalist's organization, Sinn Fein. They weren't. The date 1690 struck over the coin's date is a major point of celebration for Loyalists. It's the year that the Battle of the Boyne was fought. That victory solidified Protestant rule in Britain. The second coin, stamped "Sons of KAI / WOG" is a slogan I've never seen before. KAI, meaning "Kill all Irish," was a violent Protestant young gang that operated as one of the Tartan gangs in Rathcoole, Co. Antrim in the 1970s. They were Loyalists, but also equal opportunity thugs who would attack or intimidate Catholics if they saw fit to. The Sons of KAI is a modern Irish flute band with ties to the gang from the 70s. I don't know when it as initially organized, but it did disband at some point prior to 2006. When they regrouped that year, some of the new members had ties to the old Rathcoole KAI. "Wog" is a derogatory term for an Irish person. Thanks for looking. I post more later if anyone shows interest in then. Bruce
View attachment 512928 View attachment 512932 I received this as a Fathers Day gift from my children and grand children. I think my wife helped out as well.
Just picked this little guy up - seller's pics, and their write-up: "In 1959, Albert Collis created a transfer die of the original die used to strike the undated (1792) "Washington Born Virginia" Medals. Using the copy die, Collis struck the following examples, all uniface (mintages in parentheses): Platinum (1) Lead (1) Gold (7) Silver (22) Copper (5,019) Once the restriking was completed, Collis donated the die to the American Numismatic Association, where it resides today. An original coin in this condition would bring over $30,000!"
What a history(!) - thanks for sharing Bruce. It's interesting, as well, to see the different ways the letters and numbers are incorporated into the design of each coin.
No book here, Frank, but I had an article published in TAMS journal last year about a part of it I call the Belfast Collection...about 30 examples I acquired several years ago from a man in Belfast. The census information that I've been gathering for years was also put on their website, but not published in the journal. I've really never met or heard of anyone else who collects these, but I'm sure there are some out there. Would love to meet them and share information. This issues are extremely difficult to research. Bruce
Picked up on Friday 5 buffalo's Picked up 10 of the 12, only was blinded by the beauty and got two duplicates.
Here's another one of my Irish political counterstamps. I consider it one of the most interesting pieces I've seen because of the story it tells. The "You Are Now Entering Free Derry" is an unusual stamp on a 1965 Churchill Crown. As with nearly all Nationalist issues, this slogan appears on an English coin, and is struck over the monarch's portrait with the intent of defacing it. Very few Nationalist pieces are struck on Eire coins. I bought this several years ago from a man in Co. Dublin, who told me that he acquired it at a coin fair in 1989. It's very likely that this example is unique. "Free Derry" was a self-declared autonomous area of Derry that existed from 1969 until 1972. It encompassed the Bogside and Creggan neighborhoods of the city, and was controlled by Nationalist paramilitaries, including the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and other armed citizen militias. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (police) and British army units rarely ventured into the neighborhoods, and when they did, only when heavily armed and in substantial numbers. The impasse was broken on July 31, 1972 when large numbers of British troops with armor and helicopter support entered the neighborhoods. The slogan "You Are Now Entering Free Derry" appeared on the gable end of a house at the corner of Lecky Rd. and Fahan St. in the Bogside in January, 1969 only a few days before the insurrection began. Bruce
Bruce: Excellent narrative that you included with the token. I wish more people would do the research like this, rather than just present a picture. It makes the whole purchase much more enjoyable.