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Love Token Set Draft

lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,198 ✭✭✭✭✭
Many of you know I've been a "holey" coin collector since the millennium. In the course of buying holed coins for my famous Holey Coin Vest, I've come across some interesting love tokens (19th century folk art hand engraved on coins).

Some of the engraving on these is stellar, and many of these little hand-engraved curiosities are real works of art. Back in the late 1800s, there were probably engravers set up at fairs and expositions who would do the work, but in today's world, the skill is less common, and is perhaps limited to a few people who do it by hand anymore, like maybe a few jewelers, or those who engrave currency plates.

I've long been toying with the idea of attempting a date set of Seated Liberty dimes with love token reverses, and in January of 2008 I decided to take my few accumulated pieces and start such a set. The Seated Liberty dime, particularly its Legend Obverse subtype of 1860-1891, seems to be the most common host coin for love token engraving, with the gold dollar close behind.

Many of these coins were christening gifts for newborn babies, or gifts from one sweetheart to another, which is no doubt where the "love token" term originated. Women kept them on charm bracelets and men probably kept them on their watch chains. The practice began many centuries ago, and continued into the 20th century, but love tokens' heyday seems to have come during the high point of the Victorian era, in the late 19th century.

Here's what I'll be looking for in a love token Seated dime:

1. A readable date on the host coin, since I am collecting them by date. My collecting is simplified since I don't need date and mintmark combinations. In most cases the mintmark on the coin was planed off with the rest of the reverse prior to engraving, anyway. Condition in the traditional numismatic sense is irrelevant, as long as the piece (particularly the engraving artwork) is in good condition with nice eye appeal. For example, cleaning, artificial toning, and other traditional coin no-nos are a moot point with these, obviously. After all, they've already been holed and tooled (albeit attractively so).

2. I want ONE tidy hole, at or near the top. Many folks prefer to collect unholed pieces, or looped pieces. I want "holeys", not unholed pieces, but I want holeys with a good hole position, preferably at the top of the obverse. I don't really want multiple-holed pieces or pieces where the hole goes through the date or is off to one side. I might accept some pieces with mounts or loops attached but I would prefer a tidy hole. (Loops and mounts are rather delicate and prone to break off, for one thing). I don't want pinbacks, interesting though they are. (They're more commonly found on the larger coins, anyway.) I might have to rethink these criteria in view of some of the scarcer dates, though, and take those however I can find 'em.

3. The better the engraving and the more interesting the subject, the more valuable the love token, to me as well as everyone else. Collectors seem to prize "scenics" most of all. These are pieces with miniature landscapes, buildings, and so on, engraved onto the coin. Flowers, birds, and animals, ships and trains, musical instruments, and other pictorial elements are a big plus. Sometimes just a fancy border or geometric design can be impressive, though, when one considers how much detailed hand work went into these pieces.

The wonderful thing about collecting these is that one can collect them as coins AND as one-of-a-kind miniature masterpieces of a lost art.

That makes them a wonderful sort of "two in one" collectible. And they pack a lot of bang for the budget, too, considering how relatively inexpensive most are.

The numbers in parentheses at the end of each line are the combined production of ALL mints during that particular year, excluding proofs. Obviously the number of coins that got made into love tokens is a tiny fraction thereof, and survivors even fewer, but adding up the mintages will help me judge the relative rarity of coins from a particular year. Another advantage to collecting Seated dimes this way is that since I am collecting coins that have had their mintmarks removed, I need not concern myself with finding rarer branch mint coins like some of the Carson City issues. Some of the years where dimes were produced in small quantities at Philadelphia only (especially 1844, 1846, 1879, 1880, and 1881) will prove challenging enough, however.




LORD MARCOVAN LOVE TOKENS: a date set of "holey" Seated dimes with love token engraving

Last updated 8/1/08

image 1837 (682,500)
image 1838 (2,398,534)
image 1839 (2,376,115)
image 1840 (2,534,000)
image 1841 (3,630,000)
image1842 Old English "A" w/wreath, part of matched pair w/1855. Ex-Paul Zebiak (aka "zebiak-maritime.intl", eBay), 04/2008. (3,907,500)
image 1843 (1,520,000)
image 1844 (72,500)
image1845 "X" in ornamental border. Ex-Charles Rickard (wcsdeals.com), 07/2008. (1,985,000)
image 1846 (31,300)
image 1847 (245,000)
image 1848 (451,500)
image 1849 (1,139,000)
image 1850 (2,441,500)
image 1851 (1,426,500)
image 1852 (1,935,000)
image1853 "HI" or "HJ" monogram in ornamental border. Ex-Howard Lanza (eBay, aka "eztoken"), 05/2008. (13,273,010)
image 1854 (6,240,000)
image1855 Old English "A" w/wreath, part of matched pair w/1842. Ex-Paul Zebiak (aka "zebiak-maritime.intl", eBay), 04/2008. (2,075,000)
image1856 Fancy "WH" or "HW" monogram & border. Ex-Andrew Cowen (aka "mrcrest", eBay), 03/2008. (7,030,000)
image1857 Old English "T" with ornamental border. Ex-Jack Fultz, (eBay, "rarecoinsgallery"), 05/2008. (7,120,000)
image1858 "G? P", with flourishes and ornamental border. Ex-Charles Rickard (wcsdeals.com), 07/2008. (1,890,000)
image 1859 (970,000)
image 1860 (786,000)
image 1861 (2,055,500)
image 1862 (1,027,750)
image 1863 (171,500)
image 1864 (241,000)
image 1865 (185,000)
image 1866 (143,000)
image 1867 (146,000)
image 1868 (724,000)
image 1869 (706,000)
image 1870 (520,500) - purchase pending, 8/5/08
image1871 "Dio" in Old English letters, w/flourishes & border. Ex-Len Mormino (aka "lkrarecoins"), 03/2008. (1,246,850)
image 1872 (2,620,980)
image1873 "Minnie" in script, w/flourishes & border. Ex-Jack Fultz (aka "rarecoinsgallery", eBay), 04/2008. (4,431,891)
image 1874 "JOW" monogram with fancy border and rays. (3,190,117)
image1875 "FPC" monogram with fancy border. Ex-Charles Rickard (wcsdeals.com), 07/2008. (24,065,000)
image1876 "CSR"(?) in fancy script monogram, w/fancy ornamental border around edge. Ex-Holey Coin Vest, prior to 2006. (30,150,000)
image1877 "YSM" (YSH?) in fancy monogram, w/ornamental border around edge. Ex-Andy Howard (aka "engraved"), 03/2008. (17,350,000)
image 1878 (1,877,200)
image 1879 (14,000)
image 1880 (36,000)
image 1881 (24,000)
image1882 "EAC" in fancy script w/long-stalked plant at right. Ex-Andy Howard (aka "engraved"), 03/2008. (3,910,000)
image1883 "AFS" in fancy Roman capital monogram, w/border. Ex-Holey Coin Vest, prior to 2006. (7,674,673)
image1884 "M.N.H" in fancy Roman capitals, w/garlands & border. Ex-J.T. Stanton collection, 03/2008. (3,930,474)
image 1885 (2,576,187)
image1886 "Fred" in script w/flourishes above and leafy garland below. Ex-Jack Fultz (aka "rarecoinsgallery", eBay), 04/2008. (6,583,208)
image1887 "GG" entertwined in fancy Victorian monogram. Ex-Bill Kalinoski (aka "Blackhawk"), 07/2008. (15,737,679)
image1888 "MEH" in fancy script. Ex-Jeff Sam (aka "StrikeOutXXX"), 01/2008. (7,215,655)
image1889 "FHI" or "FHJ" in script w/flourishes & fancy borders. Ex-Jack Fultz (aka "rarecoinsgallery", eBay), 04/2008. (8,352,678)
image1890 "SPL" (SPI?) monogram, high grade host coin. Ex-Robert Johnson (aka "oscarsaab", eBay), 3/08. (11,334,027)
image1891 "CEB" script initials, w/flourishes. Ex-Andrew Cowen (aka "mrcrest", eBay), 04/2008. (23,046,116)




MY OTHER COLLECTIONS:

Lord Marcovan Roman Imperials. Begun March, 2007. A portrait set of Roman Imperial coins from Augustus to Zeno. My core collection of the moment.
The Victoria Hope Collection. Begun September, 2001. A type set of 1901 British Empire coins with Queen Victoria's portrait. (Still adding pictures).
The Holey Coin Vest & Holey Gold Hat. Begun Fall, 2000. Holed world and US coins from ancient times to 1900. (No page yet- need pictures for the coins).
Digger's Diary: The "Keeper" Coins Album. Begun Fall, 1992. All of my noteworthy coins found with a metal detector. (Under construction- a long project).




Prices paid

LT01/1837
LT02/1838
LT03/1839
LT04/1840
LT05/1841
LT06/1842/26.53
LT07/1843
LT08/1844
LT09/1845/29.67
LT10/1846
LT11/1847
LT12/1848
LT13/1849
LT14/1850
LT15/1851
LT16/1852
LT17/1853/10.99
LT18/1854/15.00
LT19/1855/26.53
LT20/1856/18.27
LT21/1857/9.99
LT22/1858/29.67
LT23/1859
LT24/1860
LT25/1861
LT26/1862
LT27/1863
LT28/1864
LT29/1865
LT30/1866
LT31/1867
LT32/1868
LT33/1869
LT34/1870/32.50
LT35/1871/12.00
LT36/1872
LT37/1873/10.46
LT38/1874/25.71
LT39/1875/29.67
LT40/1876/16.00
LT41/1877/15.00
LT42/1878/13.65
LT43/1879
LT44/1880
LT45/1881
LT46/1882/15.00
LT47/1883/15.00
LT48/1884/12.99
LT49/1885
LT50/1886/18.46
LT51/1887/12.00
LT52/1888/12.00
LT53/1889/18.99
LT54/1890/9.99
LT55/1891/10.99




Combined mintage statistics by year

(1837) 682,500 = 682,500
(1838-O) 406,034 + (1838) 1,992,500 = 2,398,534
(1839) 1,053,115 + (1839-O) 1,323,000 = 2,376,115
(1840 no drapery) 981,500 + (1840-O) 1,175,000 + (1840 w/drapery) 377,500 = 2,534,000
(1841) 1,622,500 + (1841-O) 2,007,500 = 3,630,000
(1842) 1,887,500 + (1842-O) 2,020,000 = 3,907,500
(1843) 1,370,000 + (1843-O) 150,000 = 1,520,000
(1844) 72,500 = 72,500
(1845) 1,755,000 + (1845-O) 230,000 = 1,985,000
(1846) 31,300 = 31,300
(1847) 245,000 = 245,000
(1848) 451,500 = 451,500
(1849) 839,000 + (1849-O) 300,000 = 1,139,000
(1850) 1,931,500 + (1850-O) 510,000 = 2,441,500
(1851) 1,026,500 + (1851-O) 400,000 = 1,426,500
(1852) 1,535,500 + (1852-O) 430,000 = 1,935,000
(1853 no arrows) 95,000 + (1853 w/arrows) 12,078,010 + (1853-O) 1,100,000 = 13,273,010
(1854) 4,470,000 + (1854-O) 1,770,000 = 6,240,000
(1855) 2,075,000 = 2,075,000
(1856) 5,780,000 + (1856-O) 1,180,000 + (1856-S) 70,000 = 7,030,000
(1857) 5,580,000 + (1857-O) 1,540,000 = 7,120,000
(1858) 1,540,000 + (1858-O) 290,000 + (1858-S) 60,000 = 1,890,000
(1859) 430,000 + (1859-O) 480,000 + (1859-S) 60,000 = 970,000
(1860-S w/stars) 140,000 + (1860 w/legend) 606,000 + (1860-O) 40,000 = 786,000
(1861) 1,883,000 + (1861-S) 172,500 = 2,055,500
(1862) 847,000 + (1862-S) 180,750 = 1,027,750
(1863) 14,000 + (1863-S) 157,500 = 171,500
(1864) 11,000 + (1864-S) 230,000 = 241,000
(1865) 10,000 + (1865-S) 175,000 = 185,000
(1866) 8,000 + (1866-S) 135,000 = 143,000
(1867) 6,000 + (1867-S) 140,000 = 146,000
(1868) 464,000 + (1868-S) 260,000 = 724,000
(1869) 256,000 + (1869-S) 450,000 = 706,000
(1870) 470,500 + (1870-S) 50,000 = 520,500
(1871) 906,750 + (1871-S) 320,000 + (1871-CC) 20,100 = 1,246,850
(1872) 2,395,500 + (1872-S) 190,000 + (1872-CC) 35,480 = 2,620,980
(1873 no arrows) 1,568,000 + (1873-CC No Arrows) 12,400 + (1873 w/arrows) 2,377,700 + (1873-S) 455,000 + (1873-CC) 18,791 = 4,431,891
(1874) 2,939,300 + (1874-S) 240,000 + (1874-CC) 10,817 = 3,190,117
(1875) 10,350,000 + (1875-S) 9,070,000 + (1875-CC) 4,645,000 = 24,065,000
(1876) 11,460,000 + (1876-S) 10,420,000 + (1876-CC) 8,270,000 = 30,150,000
(1877) 7,310,000 + (1877-S) 2,340,000 + (1877-CC) 7,700,000 = 17,350,000
(1878) 1,677,200 + (1878-CC) 200,000 = 1,877,200
(1879) 14,000 = 14,000
(1880) 36,000 = 36,000
(1881) 24,000 = 24,000
(1882) 3,910,000 = 3,910,000
(1883) 7,674,673 = 7,674,673
(1884) 3,365,505 + (1884-S) 564,969 = 3,930,474
(1885) 2,532,497 + (1885-S) 43,690 = 2,576,187
(1886) 6,376,684 + (1886-S) 206,524 = 6,583,208
(1887) 11,283,229 + (1887-S) 4,454,450 = 15,737,679
(1888) 5,495,655 + (1888-S) 1,720,000 = 7,215,655
(1889) 7,380,000 + (1889-S) 972,678 = 8,352,678
(1890) 9,910,951 + (1890-S) 1,423,076 = 11,334,027
(1891) 15,310,000 + (1891-O) 4,540,000 + (1891-S) 3,196,116 = 23,046,116





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