1814 US large cent fancy chop marks.

coin4sale

Hello fellow numismatists. HAPPY PASSOVER AND EASTER. Came across this interestiing early US copper. I count 6 chops, and at least 4 different on obverse, and 1 on reverse. Have examinded tbousands of large cents but dont recall ever finding these punch marks. Are these private markings or are they sovereign marks. Any one?

ricko

I consider all of them PMD and none are traditional chop marks. Cheers, RickO

Meltdown

Some long ago kid with a leather punch kit and a mallet?

kaz

I agree, look like several decorative punches, but not actual "chop marks."

Sonorandesertrat

Those are not chop marks. The coin has post-mint damage that greatly reduces the value of the coin

OriginalDan

I think what everyone (so far) is saying is that these aren’t trade chop marks of Chinese origin.

coin4sale

term "chop mark" loosely interpreted

Counterstamp or Countermarked is probably better terminology.

Looks similar to this counter mark which i believe is West Indies

@Sonorandesertrat said:

kaz

I think the marks are interesting and give the coin a unique "flavor." It's a neat piece. Who knows what was intended by their application? These little mysteries make the hobby fun.

JimW

Agree with all the above comments - I also noted the 'arc' above the portrait, which seems to lend additional credibility to someone just 'messing around'; although I'd be interested if others have a different view of that specific mark.

DDR

Coin4sale: Why do you say that particular chopmark is from the West Indies? I have heard that those starburst-type chopmarks come from the West Indies, or Caribbean or Latin America, but I have never heard an explanation of why those marks are linked to that region.

Sonorandesertrat

Silver and gold were countermarked frequently, to indicate that the coin had the correct weight. Most of the circulating coinage in the Caribbean (and Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys) was minted at one of Spain's colonial mints. Many of these coins were cut up to make change (this is where the 'two bit' phrase comes from), and countermarks were commonly added by small shops (silversmiths, jewelers) who also specialized in adapting foreign coinage for local use. Regarding starburst countermarks on counterstamped coins that circulated in the Caribbean, see Pridmore's book.

There was no need to add a chopmark to a cent piece at that time--the coin was not valuable enough. Occasionally, large cents were punched with the name of a business (as advertising)--these coins do have value to some collectors (including me). Almost any countermarked Classic Head large cent will be worth considerably less than an unpunched coin, however. Coins that have punch marks that do not seem to have any recognizable purpose (other than playing around) tend to be valued as culls.