Okay, newbie question time. What is "counter-stamped"?

Russ

I was crusing Two Cent pieces and came across this. It says counter-stamped EC Hatch-ZI71. Is that similar to chopmarking? Does it add any value to the coin? Or just coolness?

Russ, NCNE

airplanenut

Coolness, Russ.

It is basically an initial/company name stamped onto a coin...

I think it got the name because the coins were "marked" specifically for use at that store (like a gift certificate). They marked circulating coins if they couldn't afford to make their own tokens.

Back to my paper...

Jeremy

BlueCole

Yup. I *cough, cough* know someone who stamped his buiness name & phone number on dollar bills to promote his business. Cheap B*stard, huh?

B.

Edit: Russ, that's what the Heiress is holding in ther ANACS slab--a 1864 2 center.

B.

Russ

Clearly, the Heiress is a collector of sophisticated and intelligent taste.

Russ, NCNE

keets

........you guys have it all wrong. sheesh!!!!!!! "counterstamped" is a term frequently used by individuals who are cracking a coin out for submission. i do believe it was once called "doing-the-one-footed-heel-stomp" but it's practitioners shortened the phase. they also learned that it resulted in less damage to the coin, though there are the infrequent smashed fingers when the hammer slips!!!

al h.

abuell

The E.C. Hatch counterstamp is known on both small cents and two cent pieces. See: Gregory G. Brunk, American and Canadian Countermarked Coins (World Exonumia Press, 1987), page 86 where it is listed as counterstamp Brunk # 18700.

dorkkarl

such a counterstamp BOTH adds value & detracts.

in the general, overall coin market, it detracts, being viewed as damage. ie. anacs would net-grade that puppy as ag-2.

but there is an extremely narrow group of specialists who would buy this, including i believe q. david bowers. heck, i'd buy that coin myself, but it would be spreading out my interests too much. you need some of stack's old auction catalogs to get a good feel for this kind of stuff (i have some - extremely interesting reading).

bottom-line: 10 bucks is w/out question a bargain for that coin IF you think counterstamps like this are going to be an ongoing interest for ya.

K S

its4real

I have a rather nice fine large cent - an 1848 - that is "counter-stamped" with the initials " W C " on the reverse.
Anyone have any info on this one?

MadMarty

Don't forgit, a lot of darkside/lightside coins are counter stamped for use in other countries. Central America comes to mind. In the 1800s Central America had one coinage and was counter stamped for use in a certain country. I have a few gold escudos minted in Guatamala and counter stamped for use in Costa Rica. There are also some US coinage that has been counterstamped for use in Central America... Just my dos centavos worth

BillJones

Counterstamps are markings that are placed on coins for various reasons. They are often done by private concerns or individuals to advertise a business, but governments have also used them to give a foreign coin their official stamp of approval.

I'm not much of counterstamp collector, but I have attached two interesting examples.

"Free" in a large cent that is counterstamped, "Vote the land free." These pieces were used as an inexpensive campaign token for the anti-slavery Free Soil Party, which ran Martin Van Buren for president in 1848.

"LittleFool" is a Spanish milled dollar that was counterstamped with a small bust of King George III. Here the British converted a Spanish coin into emergincy British currency. It's been referred to as "a coin with the head of a fool on the neck of an ass."

lathmach

Counterstamps of names of people and businesses that are known to be contemporary, bring a premium when selling a coin.
Odd letters, numbers and unknown names are considered damage and greatly detract from the value.

Ray

airplanenut

Mike,

It's the infamous potty penny with the Water Closet counterstamp VERY RARE and VALUABLE!!!

RotatedRainbows

I wonder if this piece was stamped to advertise the waffle house????????????

abuell

The RLS in punch appears that it might be a silversmith's mark.

shirohniichan

Cool "Little Fool," Bill.

BillJones

Hi Shirohniichan!

Unfornately I don't own "littlefool." I saw it at a show; bid on it on Ebay; but did not win it. I did keep the picture however.

"Free" does belong to me. I collect 19th century presidential campaign medalets and tokens. It's really neat area. The only problem is that even the most common pieces are scarce by coin standards, and it's a life long search.

shirohniichan

The "Little Fool" coin is really interesting from a historical standpoint. Apparently the Brits were having problems with coin hoarding, debasing, etc. I think the whole saying was "To make good money pass, they stamped the head of a fool on the neck of an ass" (i.e. George III's head on Charles IV's neck).

dorkkarl

HEY, rotated rainbows!!! is that bust half for sale???

K S

Conder101

A dollar of Span
for five shillings to pass
Stamp the head of a fool
On the neck of an Ass


Chopmark- a mark placed on a coin to indicate an approval of genuineness or to guarantee the fineness.

Countermark- a mark or symbol used to offically revalue a coin or to mark it as being acceptable for circulation in a particular area. the stamped Spanish dollars would be an example of a countermark.

Counterstamp- punching on a coin used for advertising purposes, random letters or simply to test punches such as a testing of a silversmiths punch.

Many people use the term counterstamp for both counterstamp and countermark, sometimes for chopmarked as well.

RotatedRainbows

HEY, rotated rainbows!!! is that bust half for sale???

I wish it was but it was sold as part of a Bust Half only sale around '94 or'95 (I have the catalog around here some place) where (if I remember correctly) it realized 4k-5k. This is the first time I have posted a picture of a coin I do not own.