Let's see your exonumia!

1894 California HK 245 a So Called Dollar Mid Winter Expo Fantastic in hand Very busy coin...

 

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Interesting Token

 

I have had this token for a while but learnt something interesting about it last night. I was watching a food documentary, which had a short section on Charles Dickens and his early life. Turns out as a youngster he worked at "Warren's Blacking Company" in London, turning in 11 hour days with only one day off per year - Christmas for which they were not paid. This set him on his social pioneering path and probably inspired some of his characters - particularly Scrooge.
Warren's Blacking unofficial farthing token, mid 19th century:

 

Some background information on alipi'i collecting (Native Hawaiian word alipi'i means "step").

https://thehawaiiananumismatist.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/pihi.jpg

One must collect each planchet size and each metal composition with the same design element(s) to form a "step" or alipi'i series.

To complete the series, one must seek specimens that were cannibalized from completed original issued sets.

This is a very destructive type of collecting as complete original issued sets must be/have been broken-up to obtain "step" specimens.

Here is an example alipi'i set. (note: the platinum specimen is next to impossible to obtain and is missing in this set)





This set is just one example. Six completed Franklin Mint sets had to be broken-up. Medal identifiers are from Hawaiian Money Standard Catalog by Medcalf & Russell.

This "step" series can also be replicated for the remaining 49 states.

 

It's a cool token with a clever ad.

 

These were run over by a steam engine today

 

I wasn’t interested in this medal until I looked at the reverse I don’t know the full story on it yet but I like it.

 

I'd a had to pay a small premium for that one.
Nice

 

Hey Bruce .... Here are the two c/s's that you were unable to view.

The H. WING / ROCHESTER c/s is a discovery piece, with none others having been listed as yet. Horace Wing was a "Last Maker" or "Boot Tree Maker." These were wooden forms, used by cordwainers or shoe makers. As Horace disappeared from the Rochester directories in 1844, apparently having moved to the Buffalo area, this c/s is a Hard Times issue (1832-44).



Brunk listed but one G.W. ZAHM c/s, and this is a second one. Godfried W. Zahm was a watch and clock maker in Lancaster, PA between 1838-1890's. He also sold jewelry and spectacles. I once owned one of his son's CWT's, being S.H. Zahm. I suspect that this issue dates into the 1850's, but they could be earlier.

 

Thanks, Bill. I like both of them, but especially the one on the Spanish coin. They're a great platform for counterstamps.

Bruce

 

I posted this counterstamp a week or so ago, and with the help of two CTrs (ExoMan and JBK) I was able to pretty much nail down an attribution. Thanks, guys. Your help is much appreciated.

The cross on the coin is what's known as a saltire, or X-shaped cross. It's commonly known as the Cross of St. Andrew's, because when Andrew the Apostle (the patron saint of Scotland) was crucified by the Romans in 60 A.D. he was tied to one in place of the standard shape. This would speak to it being Scottish in origin, but there's another possibility.

The saltire also has connections to St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Although commonly used in Ireland for centuries, it's current form only came to the forefront in 1783 with the founding of the Order of Saint Patrick, a chivalric order. This then also suggests the stamp may be Irish.

The figure is likely either a representation of St. Patrick or St. Andrew. The maker was not highly skilled, so the figure is probably "generic" in nature as it doesn't resemble either one. It's basically a stick-figure in robes.

Because of the positioning of the stamp heavily struck over the bust of King George lll, it's almost certainly a protest coin. Very little different than the IRA, UVF, etc. stamps of the modern day.

My feeling is that it's origin is Irish rather than Scottish. While both countries had significant rebellions against English rule going back centuries, the Irish were more likely than the Scottish to express their rage in this manner. I know of no expression like this where it's origin can be definitively traced to Scotland. There are many, many examples of Irish protest coins, however.

Thanks again to everyone who helped me with this attribution.

Bruce

 

Hey Bruce ... I somehow guessed you'd want this piece to have Irish roots!

As for me, I'm inclined to suspect it's more to do with Scotland, given its similarity to the Lothian conder token below; this, which may have inspired its creation, perhaps? That said, you've admittedly a knack for pegging things Irish!

 

Well, my wife is Irish after all, so I'm pretty good at it, Bill <LOL>

Bruce