"Spooky Moon Face": Unusual pictorial love token engraving on 1862 Seated Liberty half dime

"Spooky Moon Face": Unusual pictorial love token engraving on 1862 Seated Liberty half dime



Larger obverse photo
Larger reverse photo

Host Coin: 1862 USA half dime.
Obverse: Seated Liberty design, unaltered.
Reverse: strange, round face with "F G D" initials and ornamental garland above, decorative carving to left and right.

Ex- "acsb-rich", eBay, 11/13/2015.

I had this piece in my eBay watchlist for a while. The weird face on it was both repellent and fascinating at the same time. One wonders what that was all about? Could it be a representation of the moon? The lettering and ornamentation were obviously done by a competent engraver, which makes the primitive aspect of the carved face all the more baffling.

Over time, I eventually decided to make an offer on it, both because I didn't yet have a Seated half dime for my love token type set, and also just... because. It is certainly odd, unusual, and unique.

I just had to have it. Can't really explain why, except it seemed perfect for an "oddball" collection like mine.

Though now sold, this was once part of my "Oddball Set" of exonumia.