Hi all! I just joined cointalk! I am a metal detector, dirt fisher, treasure hunter whatever you want to call it! LOL I have started learning so much about coins because of starting this hobby. I'd like to share with you a recent find: It's an 1817 Large Cent with a "PHILAD" counterstamp. I live in Philadelphia (assuming that's what it stands for) and these coins were minted here. BUT, who does it belong to? Any ideas??
Tres cool. I have to wonder what they were advertising; one would think people of the time knew the city existed.
Ha! Yes, I found my first Large cent (1850) very early on. I have only been MD for 5 months. I found this one a few weeks later. I am psyched..but also maybe not glad I started so strong because I haven't found much in the last 3 weekends @SuperDave: Right? I mean, I think this was the only city they were minted in so it seems redundant! I should just say it's Ben Franklin's..his name is slapped on just about everything here LOL! Should I write @BRandM or will he see he's been tagged?
Perhaps it was an early 19th century equivalent of writing "wheresgeorge.com" on a $1 bill. Maybe somewhere there's one that says both "Philad." and "Trenton".
Nice to see you here on CT, Mr.Frip. Yes, PHILAD is an old abbreviation for Philadelphia. Another is PHILADA. The name is too long to stamp on a coin, so we get these shortened versions. Unless there's some other stamp on the coin or it has a distinctive style in some way, It's nearly impossible to attribute these types of counterstamps. Though cities or addresses weren't often included with the merchants name, you do see them occasionally. Gunsmiths, blacksmiths, tin workers and other metal craftsmen are the most likely to mark their wares with such a stamp. If you could post a picture, I'd like to take a look at it. I've attached a picture of one I have in my collection. A great MD find, by the way. Thanks for showing it to us. Bruce
