So like many collectors I've accumulated a bunch of odds and ends that most people would consider junk, including a few pieces of the nostalgic Americana known as "Lucky Pennies," or aluminum-encased coins. They were basically advertising exonumia. Banks of New Jersey (1962D)... Frank Dawson Ford Service (1963D)... Most of the ones I've come across use cents from the 50's and 60's, although I don't remember ever having any as a kiddo - maybe they weren't so much a West Coast thing? Sometimes the idea gets resurrected. Here's a 2002 FUN show memento with a blue horseshoe encasement, although this one makes me chuckle. On all the older pieces I've seen, the encasement is is also in coin alignment. This one is in medal alignment, and therefore the coin and encasement are opposed on the reverse. It's like, REALLY GUYS? You're FUN for crying out loud - how did you make that mistake?? This one is the Penny Man, Earl Fankhauser... Earl WHO? Well, after a bit of digging I discovered that Earl Fankhauser was the most famous peddler of Lucky Pennies. I searched his name on eBay and I found a seller auctioning a TAMS Journal of 1995, dedicated to Fankhauser's work, with a starting bid of $5. So I thought, "Ok, for five bucks I'll take a quick glance down that rabbit hole." Apparently TAMS journals aren't as popular as hotcakes since I won at opening bid, but I have to say I did find the journal mildly interesting. It traces the emigration of Fankhauser's parents from Germany, his early life and marriage, the hardships of the Great Depression, and his eventual success as a factory worker and salesman. It also describes how encased coins are made, and ends with an extensive catalog of Fankhauser's Lucky Pennies (not all of them are US cents). Here' a sample... The journal was written by his grandson-in-law, Bryan Ryker, who did a yeoman's job of compiling the history and catalog. Fankhauser had his pennies made by the Osborne Coinage Company, and when that company went belly up, all the dies and records were destroyed. Ryker had to hunt down as many types as he could for the catalog without the aid of any records, so it's probably not complete. There's an entire website dedicated to encased coins here, which just goes to prove that coin junkies will collect anything. An article on that site about Fankhauser can be found here. Finally, I'll leave you with the piece de resistance of my collection. Needless to say, encased coins are popular with coin shops and numismatists as calling cards. Here's one that Fankhauser had made for David Bowers... Post 'em if you've got 'em.
I don’t collect these personally, but I found these in an accumulation of foreign coins that I bought recently.
I don't possess any, but love the article and information. Thanks for the post. Old people can learn new things. LOL
Cliff Mishler has been collecting this type of exonumia his entire life so one mans junk must surely be another's treasure.
Thanks for your thread. I really like your 1959 'The Penny Man' Fankhauser. I just found out about Earl F. this past year, pretty cool stuff.
At 77mm, this one is way too large to be "encased" by anything except perhaps concrete. It is a lucky penny however and one with an interesting reverse. Not your typical "Betsy Ross" souvenir piece. Z
