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Message:: [QUOTE="lordmarcovan, post: 2779187, member: 10461"]1880Key date. Rare, especially as a love token. "C", "I" (or "J"), & "L" in monogram with ornamental border. I cherrypicked this piece in a bulk lot for only $7.50! Not long before that, I had bought <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/media/love-token-on-key-date-1880-seated-dime.6661/full?d=1498422515" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/media/love-token-on-key-date-1880-seated-dime.6661/full?d=1498422515">a different one</a> for about $125.00. I resold the $125.00 example at cost, and kept the lucky cherrypick. Both were remarkably similar in grade. Both ex-eBay. Total mintage: 36,000 (struck at Philadelphia only).<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/Love%20Token%20Set/LT44c-1880.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> 1881Key date.  Rare, especially as a love token."A", "H", and "W" in monogram, with flourishes. Ex-"Minerscoin" (Collectors Universe).  While the key date 1879, 1880 and 1881 dimes had relatively tiny mintages and were struck only at Philadelphia, it was the "golden age" of love token engraving, which lasted from about the mid-1870s until the end of the century.   As such, a fair number of these key-date coins got made into love tokens, unlike the earlier key dates from the 1840s.  However, when you're talking about such a tiny mintage like the 24,000 struck in 1881, that's not a very big number to begin with.  I was fortunate to add an 1881 to this set!Total mintage: 24,000 (struck at Philadelphia only).<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/Love%20Token%20Set/LT45-1881.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> 1882"E" and "L" through "C" in small monogram, below horse's head. Ex-"engraved" (Collectors Universe). Total mintage: 3,910,000 (struck at Philadelphia only).<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/Love%20Token%20Set/LT46-1882.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> 1883"PETE" on fence, with chick hatching from egg below. Ex-eBay.  This was a superb pictorial, and one of my more admired pieces.  Like the "stork" pictorials, this "chick and egg" theme was almost certainly engraved as a christening gift.Total mintage: 7,674,673 (struck at Philadelphia only).<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/Love%20Token%20Set/LT47d-1883.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> 1884"J.J.T." above river scene with boats and the Brooklyn Bridge. A nice companion to the 1887 "Statue of Liberty" piece below. Both this and the coin below date within a year of the dedication of the New York City landmarks they portray. Ex-eBay, 2011. Total mintages: 3,930,474.<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/Love%20Token%20Set/LT48c-1884b-edit.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> 1885"WJH" in banner across inverted horseshoe. Ex-"love-tokens" (eBay).  Another "lucky horseshoe" piece.Total mintages: 2,576,187.<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/Love%20Token%20Set/LT49b-1885-edit.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> 1886"P. L." below lighthouse and seascape, with partial ornamental border and scroll above.  Ex-"rarecoinsgallery" (eBay).  I have a pet theory that the incredibly intricate engraving here was done in advance by one craftsman, then the initials were added later (perhaps at a fair or similar venue) by a less-competent engraver.  Note the spur projecting from the curve of the "P", which appears to have been the result of a slipped tool.  Contrast that seemingly sloppy work with the exquisite craftsmanship on the rest of the engraving.Total mintages: 6,583,208.<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/Love%20Token%20Set/LT50b-1886b-edit.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> 1887"MA-MA" with Statue of Liberty scene and rope border. Like the "Brooklyn Bridge" piece above, the host coin dates to within a year of the opening of the New York City landmark. Though the work is simple, it is effective, making this topical love token a very special pictorial.  In addition to being one of a pair of "NYC landmark" pieces I had, this 1887 "Mama" could also be paired with the 1876 "Papa" church scenic above.  Ex-Heritage Long Beach Tokens & Medals Auction #110, Lot 29116, 09/2008. Total mintages: 15,737,679.<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/Love%20Token%20Set/LT51b-1887.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> 1888"Ivy De" or "Joy De"(?) in script, with parachute (!) and ornamental border. Ex-"engraved" (Collectors Universe).  Andy, whose username was "engraved" on Collectors Universe, was my love token mentor.  He always seemed to have the most interesting pieces.  This wonderfully whimsical piece was one of many I bought from him.  Initially I was surprised to see a parachute shown on a love token whose host coin was struck 15 years before the Wright Brother's first airplane flight, but it turns out <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute#Early_Renaissance" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute#Early_Renaissance" rel="nofollow">parachutes</a> have a much longer history than powered aircraft, and date back at least as far as the Renaissance.  It's uncertain what is dangling from this one, but it looks like it could be a little stick-figure man hanging on for dear life!  Total mintages: 7,215,655.<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/Love%20Token%20Set/LT52-1888.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> 1889"FHI" or "FHJ" in script with flourishes and fancy borders. Very intricate. Ex-"rarecoinsgallery" (eBay), 04/2008. Total mintages: 8,352,678.<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/Love%20Token%20Set/LT53-1889.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]

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