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1860 Robert Lovett, Jr. merchant card struck in silver! A new purchase...

DCWDCW Posts: 7,464 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

1860 R. Lovett, Jr. Engraver & Die Sinker. 200 So. 5th St, Philadelphia. 19mm, Silver. Miller PA- 355, PCGS MS62

The storecards of Robert Lovett, Jr. have fascinated me for a long time, mainly because they share the obverse hub of liberty with the famed and controversial "Confederate Cent" pattern by the same die sinker.
I knew of this piece in copper, copper- nickel, and brass. I have never seen or even heard about an example in silver until now. I picked this one up in a recent Heritage auction. It is quite beautiful in hand, more steel grey than the True views but colorful as the piece is tilted under strong lighting.
I have scoured quite a few historical auction catalogs, but Ive yet to find an example besides this one. Is this token unlisted in silver? Anyone have a copy of Miller handy?

Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."

Comments

  • TreashuntTreashunt Posts: 6,747 ✭✭✭✭✭

    nice pick up

    Frank

    BHNC #203

  • Picker1954Picker1954 Posts: 183 ✭✭✭

    In Rulau it shows PA-355 to be copper-nickel.

  • The_Dinosaur_ManThe_Dinosaur_Man Posts: 997 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Awesome piece!

    Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
    Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you.
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  • WeissWeiss Posts: 9,942 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Beautiful!

    We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
    --Severian the Lame
  • NewEnglandRaritiesNewEnglandRarities Posts: 1,138 ✭✭✭✭

    That is a very difficult piece to find, congrats on that one. Ive looked for one of these for awhile for a customer and no luck! Rumor has it that there are a couple, but I agree, that's the first Ive seen!! Way to go!

    New England Rarities...Dealer In Colonial Coinage and Americana
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,356 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nice!

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • tokenprotokenpro Posts: 884 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Miller does not list this variety in silver. I seem to recall a previous offering some time ago - Presidential seems the obvious source but you would have found that possible listing in the Portal. Kirtley maybe?

    Okay, after typing that I took the easy route and went to the Lovett Whisperer's web site and found a silver example right up front (no surprise there). Long time friend David Baldwin has this to say about the Jr. silver storecard:

    "One of the rarest of Robert Lovett Jr's works. This piece is from Steve Hayden's Sale #33, ex Henry South Collection from Bowers and Merena March 1985. Joe Levine sold an example in his 1995 sale and commented in his description "several other silver pieces are known, but this is the first to appear at auction in a considerable time." One other example sold in a Bowers and Auction in November, 1999. I would like to establish a rarity for this piece so anyone knowing of any other examples please contact me.
    I currently know of 3 silver examples of this token, including the one above (December 23, 2012)"

    For a fascinating time, explore Dave's web site: rlovettjr.blogspot.com/

  • calgolddivercalgolddiver Posts: 1,499 ✭✭✭✭✭

    outstanding !!

    Top 25 Type Set 1792 to present

    Top 10 Cal Fractional Type Set

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  • lovettcollectorlovettcollector Posts: 10 ✭

    The silver examples are very scarce, congrats on obtaining this one. You mentioned copper, brass, and copper nickle but there are also white metal examples and they seem to be as rare as the silver examples.

  • MeltdownMeltdown Posts: 8,862 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Beautiful. B)

    Click on this link to see my ebay listings.

  • DCWDCW Posts: 7,464 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Great info added from @tokenpro and @lovettcollector. Thank you.
    I have not, however, been able to locate a silver token offered in Steve Hayden's archives. I will have to look at the Henry South Collection from Bowers. Does my example look like one of the three seen as mentioned at the Lovett website?

    Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
    "Coin collecting for outcasts..."

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,353 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @DCW said:
    1860 R. Lovett, Jr. Engraver & Die Sinker. 200 So. 5th St, Philadelphia. 19mm, Silver. Miller PA- 355, PCGS MS62

    Amazing piece Den! What a great pick up for your collection :+1:

    Private Mint News | 2010 Lincoln Reverse Finalists
  • lovettcollectorlovettcollector Posts: 10 ✭

    Here are the sales records I have for the silver examples DCW. Bowers and Merena 1985, prooflike AU ; PCAC Auction 59 1995, toned unc. ; Steve Hayden Sale #33 2010, ex Bowers and Merena sale (this is my example) ; Hayden Auction #42 2015, unc. ; NGC AU55 on eBay 2015 ; 2017 Heritage, NGC MS62 ; NGC MS62 on eBay 2019 ; NNC MS62 on eBay 2019, and your example. I don't have images so can't tell you if one of these is yours. And I assume some of these were the same piece. If I were to guess I would say no more than 10 struck - anyone's guess how many survive. Oh, a Bowers and Merena sale in 1999 had seven of these in different metals, one silver.
    Your challenge now is to find a white metal example. These do appear to be just as rare.

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