Counterstamped Coins

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Mojavedave, Oct 2, 2013.

  1. Mojavedave

    Mojavedave Senior Member

    I know that older coins were counterstamped to assure others that the coin was real and a guarantee by the stamp. My question is why do people of today counterstamp coins. I have a wheat cent stamped with a Z and a 1973 Jefferson stamped with a 5. Do people actually collect these counterstamped coins ?

    Dave
     
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  3. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    They most definitely do Dave. Another hobby niche...........:)
     
  4. Circus

    Circus Tokens Only !! TEC#4981

    [​IMG]
    To carry on a long tradition, and it may open somebody's interest in collecting.:D
     
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  5. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator


    There was a bit more to it than that. Typically a coin was countermarked/counterstamped to indicate either a change in its face value, or an acceptance of that coin at a declared value, often less but sometimes more than its face value, by a govt., country, or entity other than the one that issued the coin to begin with.

    Today it is done as more of a whim by private individuals, or by a company trying to advertise. Though for the most part companies stopped doing that a few decades ago.
     
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  6. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    Often because someone just got a new set of punches and they cant wait to try them out. A coin often makes a convenient test object.

    The older counterstamps that can be traced to a particular issuer, yes. Anonymous letters or symbols, old or modern, usually not.
     
  7. vlaha

    vlaha Respect. The. Hat.

    Except for chop marks.
     
  8. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Yeah, kinda sorta. But chop marks aren't really countermarks, not in the sense that they are usually thought of.
     
  9. Michelle Crosby

    Michelle Crosby New Member

    Is there any way to research counterstamped/marked coins? We have one we are curious about. 1941 quarter, marked with P35, then another P on the head of George Washington....
     
  10. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    Start a new thread with pictures, there is a regular poster here who specializes in counterstamped coins.

    Just based on your description we'll probably never know.
     
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  11. ron_c

    ron_c Well-Known Member

    Or to raise money, such as the Stone Mountain Counterstamped half dollars.
     
  12. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

    what happened to Bruce's thread about counterstamps?
     
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