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<p>[QUOTE="non_cents, post: 2572973, member: 30970"]Hi all, it's been a while since I've posted around here. College has been my primary focus these past 3 years, so much of my collecting has been on-hold. That being said, I was able to acquire an exceedingly rare numismatic item recently, the Washington Success Token (small size). Honestly, not much is known about this coin. On the front it depicts a portrait of George Washington along with his name, and on the reverse it depicts the all-seeing eye, surrounded by the phrase "Success to the United States".</p><p><br /></p><p>Numismatic historians disagree on the origin if this coin. Some say it was made to celebrate the 2nd inauguration of George Washington and was produced sometime in the mid 1790s. Others believe the item to be a gambling token from the late 1800s. From my (nowhere near professional) research on the item, I believe the former theory is more accurate, and for a few reasons.</p><p><br /></p><p>1) The all-seeing eye motif was present on other US colonial coins around this time, such as the Nova Constellatio and Vermont "Stella Quarta Decima" copper pieces, which were produced in the mid to late 1780s. (Photos from <a href="https://www.whitman.com/RedBook/images/strike/300/300-Nova_1783_SmUS_W1865_o.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.whitman.com/RedBook/images/strike/300/300-Nova_1783_SmUS_W1865_o.jpg" rel="nofollow">https://www.whitman.com/RedBook/images/strike/300/300-Nova_1783_SmUS_W1865_o.jpg</a>, <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Stella14.jpg/250px-Stella14.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Stella14.jpg/250px-Stella14.jpg" rel="nofollow">https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Stella14.jpg/250px-Stella14.jpg</a>)</p><p>[ATTACH]556793[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]556795[/ATTACH]</p><p>2) The reverse depicts 15 stars, likely to represent 15 states. At the time of George Washington's 2nd inauguration in 1793, 15 states were officially part of the Union (the 15th, Kentucky, was admitted in 1792).</p><p><br /></p><p>3) The coin is listed in the book "Coins, Medals, and Seals, Ancient and Modern" which was published in 1861. This puts into question that the coin is a "late 1800s" gambling token, though maybe it is still a gambling token but was minted in the early or mid 1800s. Book source: <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=730LAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&dq=washington+success+medal+small&source=bl&ots=gQsexybVWG&sig=orCCPd0-I25l-kj4f3X7sP7bQ78&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNrp6PubHQAhUH9mMKHWdADZk4ChDoAQgyMAY#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://books.google.com/books?id=730LAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&dq=washington+success+medal+small&source=bl&ots=gQsexybVWG&sig=orCCPd0-I25l-kj4f3X7sP7bQ78&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNrp6PubHQAhUH9mMKHWdADZk4ChDoAQgyMAY#v=onepage&q&f=false" rel="nofollow">https://books.google.com/books?id=730LAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&dq=washington success medal small&source=bl&ots=gQsexybVWG&sig=orCCPd0-I25l-kj4f3X7sP7bQ78&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNrp6PubHQAhUH9mMKHWdADZk4ChDoAQgyMAY#v=onepage&q&f=false</a>)</p><p><br /></p><p>4) A metal detectorist, whose location is listed as Southern Connecticut, recovered a Large Size Washington Success Token on a dig. If the coin were minted in mid 1800s, I would suspect a few to be recovered in more western states as well. Obviously this isn't a particularly strong point, but it is interesting that the one I've seen recovered from the ground was found in an area that was DEFINITELY occupied as a state during the year where it is hypothesized to have been produced. (Thread found here: <a href="http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/showthread.php?16761-One-of-my-arest-finds-to-date-George-Washington-Success-Token" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/showthread.php?16761-One-of-my-arest-finds-to-date-George-Washington-Success-Token" rel="nofollow">http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/showthread.php?16761-One-of-my-arest-finds-to-date-George-Washington-Success-Token</a>!)</p><p><br /></p><p>5) According to the Notre Dame webpage on the coin, Michael Hodder states this about the coin: "The dating of these has recently been questioned. We note that in the McCoy sale (1864), the piece in lot 2360 was said to have been made for Washington's Second Inaugural and was "long known in Mr. Colburn's Collection." This suggests to the present cataloguer that the traditional dating of the Success Tokens, 1792-1795, is probably fairly accurate." (<a href="http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/WashSUCCESS.intro.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/WashSUCCESS.intro.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/WashSUCCESS.intro.html</a>)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>So information about it certainly exists, though it rarely goes beyond physical description of the coin. Still, I find the prospect of it being from the 1790s exceptionally cool, and it is a very intriguing and coveted piece regardless of its origin. I'd grade it high F to low VF, based on wear and light oxidation.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]556800[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="non_cents, post: 2572973, member: 30970"]Hi all, it's been a while since I've posted around here. College has been my primary focus these past 3 years, so much of my collecting has been on-hold. That being said, I was able to acquire an exceedingly rare numismatic item recently, the Washington Success Token (small size). Honestly, not much is known about this coin. On the front it depicts a portrait of George Washington along with his name, and on the reverse it depicts the all-seeing eye, surrounded by the phrase "Success to the United States". Numismatic historians disagree on the origin if this coin. Some say it was made to celebrate the 2nd inauguration of George Washington and was produced sometime in the mid 1790s. Others believe the item to be a gambling token from the late 1800s. From my (nowhere near professional) research on the item, I believe the former theory is more accurate, and for a few reasons. 1) The all-seeing eye motif was present on other US colonial coins around this time, such as the Nova Constellatio and Vermont "Stella Quarta Decima" copper pieces, which were produced in the mid to late 1780s. (Photos from [url]https://www.whitman.com/RedBook/images/strike/300/300-Nova_1783_SmUS_W1865_o.jpg[/url], [url]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Stella14.jpg/250px-Stella14.jpg[/url]) [ATTACH]556793[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]556795[/ATTACH] 2) The reverse depicts 15 stars, likely to represent 15 states. At the time of George Washington's 2nd inauguration in 1793, 15 states were officially part of the Union (the 15th, Kentucky, was admitted in 1792). 3) The coin is listed in the book "Coins, Medals, and Seals, Ancient and Modern" which was published in 1861. This puts into question that the coin is a "late 1800s" gambling token, though maybe it is still a gambling token but was minted in the early or mid 1800s. Book source: [URL='https://books.google.com/books?id=730LAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&dq=washington+success+medal+small&source=bl&ots=gQsexybVWG&sig=orCCPd0-I25l-kj4f3X7sP7bQ78&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNrp6PubHQAhUH9mMKHWdADZk4ChDoAQgyMAY#v=onepage&q&f=false']https://books.google.com/books?id=730LAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&dq=washington success medal small&source=bl&ots=gQsexybVWG&sig=orCCPd0-I25l-kj4f3X7sP7bQ78&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNrp6PubHQAhUH9mMKHWdADZk4ChDoAQgyMAY#v=onepage&q&f=false[/URL]) 4) A metal detectorist, whose location is listed as Southern Connecticut, recovered a Large Size Washington Success Token on a dig. If the coin were minted in mid 1800s, I would suspect a few to be recovered in more western states as well. Obviously this isn't a particularly strong point, but it is interesting that the one I've seen recovered from the ground was found in an area that was DEFINITELY occupied as a state during the year where it is hypothesized to have been produced. (Thread found here: [url]http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/showthread.php?16761-One-of-my-arest-finds-to-date-George-Washington-Success-Token[/url]!) 5) According to the Notre Dame webpage on the coin, Michael Hodder states this about the coin: "The dating of these has recently been questioned. We note that in the McCoy sale (1864), the piece in lot 2360 was said to have been made for Washington's Second Inaugural and was "long known in Mr. Colburn's Collection." This suggests to the present cataloguer that the traditional dating of the Success Tokens, 1792-1795, is probably fairly accurate." ([url]http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/WashSUCCESS.intro.html[/url]) So information about it certainly exists, though it rarely goes beyond physical description of the coin. Still, I find the prospect of it being from the 1790s exceptionally cool, and it is a very intriguing and coveted piece regardless of its origin. I'd grade it high F to low VF, based on wear and light oxidation. [ATTACH=full]556800[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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