~ Copper 4 Christmas ~

Broadstruck · December 24, 2019 2:12PM

1841 HT-64/Low-68 Bentonian Currency "Mint Drop" Hard Times Token

One of the tougher so called Rarity-3 "Mint Drop" varieties as I've only seen 7 in the last 15 years at CH AU or above. Of that most are problematic as John Ford's was smothered, Eric Newman's cleaned re-toned, and the Dice & Hicks example is oddly stained. Although a bit knocky this has better surfaces conditions than the others mentioned above. A nice issue free MS63RB once hammered $1.600.00 in a Steve Hayden auction. This is actually a duel dated 1841/1837 mule struck with the obverse die of a 1841 "Not One Cent" HT-58/Low-69 obverse die and a 1837 HT-61/Low-37 Mint Drop reverse die. The reverse of these 1841 Bentonian Currency tokens since the mule die was semi exhausted is always weakly struck and never show full center veining in all the leaves of the wreath. So although I already have 2 nice problem free examples when I saw this on a website for sale reasonably priced it became my Copper 4 Christmas *<[:{)

Haze and scuffs on slab.

koynekwest · December 24, 2019 2:22PM

Zoins · December 24, 2019 2:28PM

@Broadstruck Looks like a very nice piece!

Can you provide some background on what "Bentonian Currency" and "Mint Drop" mean? I've always been curious!

Broadstruck · December 24, 2019 2:48PM

@Zoins said:
@Broadstruck Looks like a very nice piece!

Can you provide some background on what "Bentonian Currency" and "Mint Drop" mean? I've always been curious!

I did a write up years ago and posted it here, yet just can not find it even with doing a goggle search.

Here's a tid bit on the Bentonian Currency Mint Drop satirical hard times tokens.

Mint drop under other circumstances a type of mint candy was a nickname for the new lighter-weight gold coins introduced by the Act of June 28, 1834 which was sponsored by Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri a hard-money advocate nicknamed Old Bullion. Gold coins of heavier weight had not been seen in circulation since 1820. After 1834, much to the displeasure of anti-Jackson Whigs who wanted inflation and cheap money gold coins replaced some paper money in circulation.

coinbuf · December 24, 2019 3:43PM

Some Christmas colors for you.

Jimnight · December 24, 2019 3:54PM

I'm not into copper that much.

Desert Moon · December 24, 2019 3:54PM

A variety of Cu tokens from the Hard Times Collection, Happy Holidays everyone!

Zoins · December 24, 2019 3:58PM

1886 Springfield Massachusetts 250th Anniversary So-Called Dollar - HK-608

This one is raw but there are only 7 certified ATS with none at PCGS.

MWallace · December 24, 2019 4:00PM

PCGS MS65BN CAC

david3142 · December 24, 2019 5:09PM

This one is mostly green:

This obverse is half green, half red:

So is this one (one side of each):

DCW · December 24, 2019 6:02PM

Muling of Merriam's Lincoln die with Bolen's Washington die, copper PCGS MS65RB from the William Spohn Baker Collection

bolivarshagnasty · December 24, 2019 6:22PM

skier07 · December 24, 2019 6:56PM

PCGS/CAC 55

1Mike1 · December 24, 2019 7:14PM

coinsarefun · December 24, 2019 7:16PM

@spacehayduke I love the Dundee Halfpenny. If/when you tire of it please let me know.

Flatwoods · December 24, 2019 7:25PM

CWT1863 · December 24, 2019 8:41PM

Happy Holidays! Here are a few:

Zoins · December 24, 2019 9:59PM

Those are great @CWT1863 ! I've been following CWTs more and I've become very interested in tracing provenance. I was wondering for the QDB provenance coins are in the QDB Reference Collection holders? If not, how are the provenance for those traced given he has such a large collection. I just picked up some of QDB's Lincoln Wide Awakes tokens which were and still are raw.

CWT1863 · December 24, 2019 10:11PM

@Zoins Yes, the slabbed ones are in the QDB Reference Collection holders. Some of them I acquired directly from Dave while others I have gotten from Steve Hayden. The first one I posted above (6A/269a) is raw but the provenance was listed when I purchased it from Steve. I know that Dave has consigned parts of his collection to Steve so it is likely that this one might be from that group. From what I can tell Dave has kept great records for his collection and has kept note of the provenance for each item. Congrats on the Lincoln Wide Awake tokens. I have been wanting to get one of those for awhile now.