Joseph H. Merriam Eagle press
MrTea
Posts: 56 ✭✭✭
I was just given an Eagle Press embossing press, and it seems that the people who know the most about presses are coin collectors, since they seem to be associated with advertising tokens. I’m trying to find information about embossing presses in general, and the Eagle Press in particular (which seems to be a little famous), but ther isn’t much out there. What can you tell me about rarity, general value, or anything else you may know on the subject?
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Comments
Merriam made his presses in the shape of various animals. It was obviously a distinctive way to get them to standout among the competition. The Salamander Press is famous because he depicted it on a rare and famous Civil War token.
One of the other members on this board posted these photos of a salamander press.
I have a lion press that I bought some years ago in an auction.
Welcome to the CU forums @MrTea.
The link below cites The Numismatist, Vol. XVIII, No. 2.
http://norcalseals.weebly.com/merriam-eagle-press-1865.html
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@BillJones
Your toad press is also mentioned in the above link.
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Thought this was interesting, “Merriam Medal with eagle”
Thank you both for your input. Good stuff.
Very nice press! Thank you for sharing it here.
Perhaps @DCW knows more.
Yes, very nice! This is one of the rarest of his presses. I have seen a handful. There would have been a seal under the eagle's breast that would have been used to emboss documents. It appears that yours is gone with time and age. Surviving examples seem to all come out of the Baltimore area, but it was referred to as the "BOSTON EAGLE."
Go figure
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Here is the Salamander press, which was the subject of his famous Civil War token:
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Whimsical seal presses and other office equipment were especially popular in Britain.
A small merchant or bank bought a seal die and holder from Merriam or others, then embossed his own paper letters when they were ready for mailing. That imitated the custom embossed and watermarked stationary used by large, prestigious firms. A few of these are scattered in US Mint archives.
I have one with my corporate seal.....custom made.
bob
Although the 1905 article lists his birth and death dates as unknown, I looked them up in 2014 and found:
Joseph Henry Merriam
birth: 30 Sep 1832, Lowell, MA
dated medals in Boston: 1850 - 1864 (age 18-32)
marriage: 16 Jun 1869 (age 36), to Julie Ann Elenora Cross (age 18), Providence, RI
death: 26 Sep 1871 (age 38), Providence, RI
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/922536/does-anyone-know-any-details-on-the-death-of-boston-die-sinker-joseph-merriam
We also discussed the business location in a thread last October.
Brattle Square, Boston no longer exists and is the current location of the new City Hall Plaza, Government Center.
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1006880/civil-war-token-merriam-co-seals-boston-ma-115d-3b
6 Merriam toads
More on the provenance of @sealcollector's "Boston Eagle Press":
http://norcalseals.weebly.com/merriam--co-eagle-seal-and-other-research.html
And as @sealcollector has noted, that toad is not a salamander or frog.
(on norcalseals web page)
Salamanders would be shocked to see this.
1. Merriam called it a "Toad Embossing Press" in his advertisements.
2. Salamanders and frogs don't have bumps on their skin like that (some lizards do, though).
3. What might look like a long tail below the rear foot on the rare reverse of the "GOOD FOR A SCENT" token is really the edge of the second lily pad.