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United States: bronze Civil War token, "Our Little Monitor" type, 1863
lordmarcovan
Posts: 43,198 ✭✭✭✭✭
United States: bronze Civil War token, "Our Little Monitor" type, 1863
(The absolutely wretched slab images below were borrowed from the NGC cert page, until I get a chance to make another set.)
Obverse: Monitor type ironclad warship sailing left over waves, US flag on stern, guns firing forward from turret.
Reverse: Date within wreath (laurel sprig at left, oak at right), anchor above, crossed cannons and three cannonballs below.
Fuld 237/423a. NGC MS65 BN, cert. #3184777-012. Ex-"friscomint1793" (eBay), 3/13/14.
As a child, I built model kits of the epic Civil War adversaries USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (aka "Merrimack"). Numismatically, I wanted one of these "Monitor" tokens and in the spring of 2014 I had actually purchased a nice colorful one graded NGC MS63 BN, but the seller told me it had been stolen from their inventory at a show. I got a refund, of course, but was a bit disappointed. However, Collectors Universe member "Broadstruck", who has advised me on token matters before, pointed out this one. It is actually graded two points higher than the one I'd bought before, and with the Best Offer feature on eBay, I ended up getting it for significantly less than the previous MS63 I'd bought! Furthermore, I got it for less than half what it had sold for in the 2010 Stacks-Bowers Baltimore sale! So needless to say, I was very pleased, and owe Broadstruck a debt of gratitude.
Miscellaneous links:
Larger image
NGC cert verification page
Stacks-Bowers auction archive (2010 Baltimore Sale, Lot #21, realized $345.00)
Wikipedia links:
Civil War token
USS Monitor
Battle of Hampton Road
When posted here, this coin was part of my "Eclectic Box of 20" collection.
(The absolutely wretched slab images below were borrowed from the NGC cert page, until I get a chance to make another set.)
Obverse: Monitor type ironclad warship sailing left over waves, US flag on stern, guns firing forward from turret.
Reverse: Date within wreath (laurel sprig at left, oak at right), anchor above, crossed cannons and three cannonballs below.
Fuld 237/423a. NGC MS65 BN, cert. #3184777-012. Ex-"friscomint1793" (eBay), 3/13/14.
As a child, I built model kits of the epic Civil War adversaries USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (aka "Merrimack"). Numismatically, I wanted one of these "Monitor" tokens and in the spring of 2014 I had actually purchased a nice colorful one graded NGC MS63 BN, but the seller told me it had been stolen from their inventory at a show. I got a refund, of course, but was a bit disappointed. However, Collectors Universe member "Broadstruck", who has advised me on token matters before, pointed out this one. It is actually graded two points higher than the one I'd bought before, and with the Best Offer feature on eBay, I ended up getting it for significantly less than the previous MS63 I'd bought! Furthermore, I got it for less than half what it had sold for in the 2010 Stacks-Bowers Baltimore sale! So needless to say, I was very pleased, and owe Broadstruck a debt of gratitude.
Miscellaneous links:
Larger image
NGC cert verification page
Stacks-Bowers auction archive (2010 Baltimore Sale, Lot #21, realized $345.00)
Wikipedia links:
Civil War token
USS Monitor
Battle of Hampton Road
When posted here, this coin was part of my "Eclectic Box of 20" collection.
0
Comments
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
Eye appeal based on the photos, it's pretty close.
Of course the two extra grade points on the slab label and the 61 bucks less on the invoice were nice.
Steve
All in all I am pleased, and very pleased for the money, I think.
I like your new AV' too. Can you share any info on it?
- Jim
<< <i>I like your new AV' too. Can you share any info on it? >>
The new avatar (just paid for- woohoo!) is coming from SmEagle1795, he of the mindblowing collection of ancients.
So it would seem one of his "cheaper" castoffs will become one of my top pieces.
Here is an excerpt from the Harlan J. Berk sale catalog (Buy-Or-Bid Sale #186, Lot 90):
And a bit of history:
<< <i>Although the attribution of this issue has been debated, it seems likely that it was struck by Perseus to pay Cretan mercenaries, who would have been familiar with Rhodian issues, in the Third Macedonian War against the Romans (see R. Ashton, NC 1988, pp. 29-30) >>
I guess the amount listed in the HJB catalog was an estimate. I paid more than that, but not a lot more. SmEagle1795 sold it to me at his cost, and for a good bit below what he'd been asking for it on the Darkside BST, which I thought mighty kind of him. I think the coin was worth his original asking price, actually. I did some comparison shopping on VCoins and saw only one that came close. And it wasn't Mint State or as nicely toned as this one. Plus it was priced at a thousand. Pounds. So 1600 bucks or so, in other words. I got this one for a tad less than half that. Maybe it's crass of me to even discuss all of this, but suffice it to say, I thought it was a sweetheart deal and am very grateful to SE1795 for it.
The token on the other hand would still be in the top 10. Very hard to beat that one. Color, design, history...it's got a lot going for it in such a small package.
Positive BST: WhiteThunder (x2), Ajaan, onefasttalon, mirabela, Wizard1, cucamongacoin, mccardguy1
Negative BST: NONE!
- Jim
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
<< <i>Here ya go lordmarcovan it sold for $345.00 at Stack's 2010
Lordy, looks like he got at a much lower price four years later. Congrats.
Keep an open mind, or get financially repressed -Zoltan Pozsar
<< <i>Here ya go lordmarcovan it sold for $345.00 at Stack's 2010
Wow! I got it for a little less than half that much!
Nice to get a lucky break every once in a while.
Oh, and I like those pix better. Thanks again!