More like the 8 reales was chopmarked and then the piece went to India, right?
It's possible either way, but given that we've got pretty heavy reciprocal damage from the chops combined with a counterstamp that was heavy enough to obliterate all the host details, I'd imagine it was more likely that it was chopped afterward. Would have expected that reciprocal damage to get erased with the counterstamp.
I've never seen another example of this host with chops, so there's not a lot to compare it to.
More like the 8 reales was chopmarked and then the piece went to India, right?
It's possible either way, but given that we've got pretty heavy reciprocal damage from the chops combined with a counterstamp that was heavy enough to obliterate all the host details, I'd imagine it was more likely that it was chopped afterward. Would have expected that reciprocal damage to get erased with the counterstamp.
I've never seen another example of this host with chops, so there's not a lot to compare it to.
I only see one spot of heavy reciprocal damage, on the Pagoda, which is a relatively high point of the design. Therefore, in one of the deeper recesses of the die, so (in a scenario where the countermarks were applied before the piece went to India) less likely to be flattened by the strike. Is there another area of reciprocal damage I'm missing?
FWIW, the thing that first made me think that it was an 8 reales that got chopped was the apparent partial obliteration of the chops. But I suppose lightly impressed chops could have a similar look. I guess the deciding factor will be the displaced metal surrounding the chops. Were those areas flattened by another strike, or do the ridges remain?
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Guatemala Type IV Counterstamp on Bolivia 8 Soles 1834.
Same design as Type III but struck in the same place on each side using a double-sided device, as opposed to double-countermarking. The double-sided device looked very similar to the one shown below (but it is not it!!!)
Type III Counterstamp issued by decree of 31 October 1840, instituted December to early 1841.
The Guatemalan authorities decided to adopt this double counterstamp to distinguish it from the previous ones, since during the invasion of General Morazan and the capture of the capital of Guatemala on March 18, 1840, some of the mint punches were lost (stolen?) and could be used by counterfeiters.
Comments
It's possible either way, but given that we've got pretty heavy reciprocal damage from the chops combined with a counterstamp that was heavy enough to obliterate all the host details, I'd imagine it was more likely that it was chopped afterward. Would have expected that reciprocal damage to get erased with the counterstamp.
I've never seen another example of this host with chops, so there's not a lot to compare it to.
I only see one spot of heavy reciprocal damage, on the Pagoda, which is a relatively high point of the design. Therefore, in one of the deeper recesses of the die, so (in a scenario where the countermarks were applied before the piece went to India) less likely to be flattened by the strike. Is there another area of reciprocal damage I'm missing?
FWIW, the thing that first made me think that it was an 8 reales that got chopped was the apparent partial obliteration of the chops. But I suppose lightly impressed chops could have a similar look. I guess the deciding factor will be the displaced metal surrounding the chops. Were those areas flattened by another strike, or do the ridges remain?
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Countermark of Tournai, castle tower, host coin 1499 Holland stuiver III-271b
US coin, sure, but this one is so weird I had to share it.
Phil Arnold
Director of Photography, GreatCollections
greatcollections.com
Guatemala Type IV Counterstamp on Bolivia 8 Soles 1834.
Same design as Type III but struck in the same place on each side using a double-sided device, as opposed to double-countermarking. The double-sided device looked very similar to the one shown below (but it is not it!!!)
Type III Counterstamp issued by decree of 31 October 1840, instituted December to early 1841.
The Guatemalan authorities decided to adopt this double counterstamp to distinguish it from the previous ones, since during the invasion of General Morazan and the capture of the capital of Guatemala on March 18, 1840, some of the mint punches were lost (stolen?) and could be used by counterfeiters.
Fac quod debes, fiat quod fiet