Isn't this just too cheap?

tradedollarnut

Neat Item

SethChandler

Cool coin, yes it does seem cheap. I'm sure MrE would have some interesting comments.

RYK

Neat design, interesting token. As far as whether or not it is too cheap, I guess I would want to know how many of them are out there. OT, I generally avoid ebay auctioneers who use "L@@K" in their descriptions.

MrEureka

Careful. These have been seriously restruck over the years. I don't know the diagnostics offhand.

Rampage

I have three tokens with this same designs. However, as Mr. E says, I am pretty sure they are restrikes. Don't know what they are worth, but they are cool just the same. Wish I knew more about them.

nwcs

Looks like it was minted in Mexico.

Gemini

These are still available from the Mint as far as I know.
I bought mine in 1972 for a $1.50 I would think this medal should be sold slabbed as mentioned these are reproduced in quantity with no word of copy on them.

According to the Mint Catalog of Medals issued for public sale it is listed as medal #622 in the Mint catalog.

Here is some history behind the issuing of the medal:

On January 23,1837 Mint Director R.M.Patterson reported from Philadelphia to President Andrew Jackson:
"On the 23rd of March last (1836), the first steam coinge in America was executed at this Mint and the performance of the press, in which the power of the lever is substituted for that of the screw, has answered all our expectations. Since that time copper coins have been struck by this press, and it has lately been used with success for coining half dollars. The workman are now engaged in making other steam presses; and as these are completed, the coining by human hand will be abandoned, and the work that can be executed in the Mint will be greatly increased."

The die work in the catalog is attributed to Anthony C. Paquet although the seller states that the dies were executed by Gobrecht.

Rittenhouse

<< <i>Careful. These have been seriously restruck over the years. I don't know the diagnostics offhand. >>



The "original" originals are dated Feb. 22 1836. The steam press was scheduled to go into service on Washington's Birthday and a limited number of tokens were struck for collectors and dignitaries on a screw press. However, the press wasn't ready. The die was recut with the March 23 date when the press was finally ready. These will always show traces of the Feb 22 underneath.

Both the Feb 22 and March 23 pieces were struck on large cent planchets and will have surfaces similar to LCs.

Some March 23 overdate pieces were restruck for collectors from the original dies thru the late 1850s. I've seen some of these "restrikes" with a bronzed, mahogany red patina.

The Feb 22 and March 23 overdate pieces are the only "originals". All later restrikes (1860 on) have a normal date with no undertype.

The Feb 22 pieces are considerably rarer than the March 23 ones - I'd guess less than 80 pcs for Feb 22 and maybe 200 for the March 23 overdate. Most of these are in the hands of copper and token collectors.

$1300 is a bit salty for a nice unc overdate IMHO. Very salty if it's a "modern repro". Tho' I'd happily pay that for a Feb 22; it took me 2 yrs to find a low XF.

prooflike

This is what makes this site neat & useful, somebody will have the answers!