Let's see your exonumia!

I got this today 1962 .999 silver thought it wad pretty cool piece even if I don't know anything about it. I'm guessing this falls under the exonumia category.

 

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Yep, it fits right in!

 

1891 700th anniversary of Bern.

 

Love it! Very appropriate for this being the anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg.

 

I like your Borden's tag, Circus. I don't think Borden's is still in business. I don't recall seeing the brand for quite a few years, but maybe just not in my neck of the woods. I never heard of Gail Borden either. I'll have to do a quick Google search on him and find out what he did to become the "The Father of the Modern Dairy Industry."

Bruce

 

Bordens is still in business at least in East Texas

 

I didn't think it was possible to OD on Folgers, Bill. I'm a heavy, long-time user though, so I only get a little twitchy.

I didn't mean to make it a blanket statement. Some collectors, like yourself, obviously don't consider them tokens. Others do, including Russ Rulau, who lists many counterstamps in his variety of references on tokens. I believe Steve Hayden is of a like mind. Not so sure about Brunk's feelings on this.

Circulating coins, whether counterstamped or not, have obvious value and are accepted in commerce. I think the difference, to me at least, is once a coin is stamped, the stamp becomes the main focus. In that regard, it becomes a token because the issuer intends to convey a message to someone for some reason (political, advertising, personal, etc.). With some exceptions, the substrate it's stamped on (coin, token, tag,) is of lesser importance. Of course it can increase the value of the piece, but that's a different issue.

Obviously, a coin is always a coin physically, no matter what you do to it. Calling it a token just changes the coin's "name."

You got me thinking, Bill. I'm going out to see if I can actually OD on coffee. Probably go to Dunkin Donuts and tell them to keep them coming and see what happens.

Cheers,
Bruce

 

A nice one, dwhiz! Another locomotive for your collection.

Bruce

 

I see a lot of these when I search eBay/UK, Paddy. There certainly are legitimate ones around, but also modern reproductions on old coins. I'm not exactly sure how to tell the difference, but they just don't "look" right. Not a very scientific analysis, I'm afraid, but I have very little experience with these.

Bruce

 

Bruce wrote ..... "Circulating coins, whether counterstamped or not, have obvious value and are accepted in commerce. I think the difference, to me at least, is once a coin is stamped, the stamp becomes the main focus. In that regard, it becomes a token because the issuer intends to convey a message to someone for some reason (political, advertising, personal, etc.). With some exceptions, the substrate it's stamped on (coin, token, tag,) is of lesser importance."

Good Morning, Bruce, my Folger friend. Go easy on those donuts!

I know I'm in the minority when it comes to the views of the big guns on this coin/token issue as regards counterstamps. Rich Hartzog is also in the "token camp." I recall once reading something he wrote on the subject that sounded quite opinionated.

From my humble perspective, this all boils down to one's point of view, more so than the object, itself. Does a tattoo define the person? It can tell us something about the wearer, just as a counterstamp tells us about the coin. Simply stated, I'm of the opinion that the coin/token issue isn't an either/or situation. A coin is a coin, is a coin, as I see it. Its importance depends entirely on the perspective of the holder, the user. It reflects, rather than embodies whatever attributes can be ascribed; this, akin to a tattoo.

I surely don't have a problem with someone calling attention to the token use of a coin or, for that matter, the monetary use of a token. Yet, this seems to be more of an issue for many collectors than it is for me. I'd liken this issue to those collectors who cringe when one refers to a cent as a penny. A rose by any other name, my friend ...

Time for a refill ... Folgers. Happy 4th !!!

 

Yes - I can imagine they would be fairly easy to fake. They looked OK to me and I left a bid - probably wont find out til monday if I won them. If I get them I will post picks here for all your learned opinions!

 

Collecting exonumia is an act of peaceful secession-from mainstream numismatics.

 

It sure is.

 

I did a bit of poking around on the "Votes For Women" counterstamps, Paddy, and came up with a seller on eBay / UK you might want to check into. The man clearly states that he stamps his own examples, and gives good advice about avoiding fakes. I don't know how to post a link, but if you search the auction number (351753924012) it will come up.

One statement he makes isn't necessarily correct, however. While wear patterns on both coin and stamp are important diagnostics for dating a counterstamp, a worn coin showing a stamp with less wear isn't necessarily a fake. Old, well circulated coins were often chosen by issuers because their advertisement or message wouldn't be obscured by the coin's design elements. An 1820s coin, for example, may have been stamped in 1850, so there would be a big difference in wear patterns.

Bruce

 

You're very elegant, longnine. Well said!

Bruce

 

I don't stress over coin/token or cent/penny terms either, Bill. Collectors call them what they will, and that's fine with me.

BTW, I never did find out if I could OD on coffee. You can OD on donuts though...jelly that is.

Happy 4th to you and everyone else here. Have a safe and enjoyable day.

Bruce

 

Thanks for thaat Bruce - an interesting listing.

The point about relative wear is well made - we had Victorian pennies, mostly well worn, in circulation until 1971 when we decimalised. Most Votes for Women counterstamping would have been carried out in the early 20th century using whatever coins came to hand, many of which would already be pretty flat. The two I saw were on 1860s pennies, so this all fits.

Worryingly the listing you pointed me to is strikingly similar to the two coins I saw - I now hope I don't win the lot!

Paddy

 

Art round bar producers getting milage out of old dies and slow sellers! LCS got a number of assorted Error rounds in his last order. since I all ready had one of the normal rounds I thought that I would pick up one of the errors.

 

Do error art rounds bring a premium? I've seen some for sale but passed figuring a private mint could make errors on demand if they thought they could profit. Just asking not implying