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Message:: [QUOTE="BRandM, post: 1892624, member: 22729"][ATTACH=full]322746[/ATTACH] This is a nice clear counterstamp I picked up the other day for a sweet price. It's presently unlisted and unattributed but I think I may have found the issuer.  There was a blacksmith named J.G. Zipf who lived in St. Mary's, WV and appeared in the 1880 U.S. census. He was born in 1856 so he might be a bit young to have stamped this coin.  I also came across another - or the same - J.G. Zipf who had a blacksmith shop in either Woodsfield or Laings, Monroe County, OH probably in the 1870s. My thought was that it was either the same man or more likely his father. Since St. Mary's and Woodsfield/Laings are only about fifty miles apart, it's a real possibility. In any case, I've contacted the Monroe County Historical Society to see if they have any information relating to Zipf. Apparently, a number of years ago a reader of the Monroe County Beacon sent an old picture of Zipf's shop to the paper in the event they wanted to publish it. Whether they ever did or not I'm not sure. I  contacted the paper but they told me that their archives are sketchy and are difficult to search. In the original letter the contributor also mentioned that they were going to send a copy of the picture to the historical society. I hope they did. I'll let you know if I find out anything else about this guy. Bruce[/QUOTE]