An interesting counterstamp, part deux
Billet7
Posts: 4,923 ✭✭✭
I picked up this coin a while back, and after researching it for a little while, came up with the following information:
I also found a vintage ad from a newspaper on ebay...had to have it along with the coin!
I haven't yet found the right knife for my archive, but will soon add at least one to my collection of curiosoties. Anyway without further ado...the info:
Agustus Vignos, Novelty Cutlery Company of Canton, Ohio. A veteran of the civil war, holding the rank of Major, he was short of stature and huge of ideas. He lost an arm during the battle of Gettysberg, a fact he played upon hugely in his company advertising. After the war, he was postmaster of Canton, but then he moved into knives... With a huge idea about how to market the new fangled picture handled pocketknives.
Now these things were easy to make, once celluloid was developed in 1872 by John Wesley Hyatt. The stuff was amazing, and there was so much entreprenuers could do with it. Especially since it could be made crystal clear. In Canton, Ohio, the brothers Landis found that they could put any image on paper and under clear celluloid and use it as a pocket knife handle. Eureka, as we used to say back in the day. They licensed the process to a couple of local men, Dr. Stuart Carnes who owned Canton Cutlery Company, and our Major Vignos, who started up Novelty Cutlery company. By all accounts, the two firms got along honorably and well.
But Major Vignos did more than just stick any picture or writing on a scrap of paper in a knife cell sandwich and peddle it. He took the idea to a massive step forward in knife marketing. He sold nationally, then internationally, directly to the buyers. No middle men, no wholesalers. The process of making those kinda knives was a bit more complicated. But selling straight from the factory to the customer saved him oodles of money. But the paperwork was bogging him down, so he took the great idea to yet another step: Local sales agents.
The Major's advertising began to shift from peddling knives to presenting business oppurtunies to others. Young boys, young men, older guys needing a second job answered those ads and became knife salesmen. Armed with a catalog and when he made enough money to afford them, samples as well, the sales force hit the road, hit the local businesses, hit friends and relatives. Anyone could own a personalized knife of their very own design! There were thousands of those agents, using a standized order form, and knowing just exactly how to get the right photos or whatever was needed for the customer's order. The agents took their commission off the top and so in effect, cost Novelty Cutlery Company nothing.
Major Vignos was a success, and expanded his business by making knives for other companies, like advertising specialty houses. Also, 'Novelty' became a branch of Vignos' Canton Knife Company in 1989. The Landis patent protected him and Dr. Carnes until it ran out in about 1912, but by that time, they had a huge headstart. But other knife companies did start turning out picture knives as soon as they could. Aerial Cutlery Company, Golden Rule, Lackawanna and Wabash Cutlery Company. Many thousands were made. The great idea really did have legs.
August Vignos died in 1925, control of his company passing to son Alfred. But the 'new idea' of picture knives was not new any longer, and we all know how fickle the public-- especially we knife buying public, can be. Add to that the increased competition of the several firms making the picture knives. But Novelty Cutlery managed to hold on until 1948 before it finally ceased doing business. (AllAboutPocketKnives.com)
Some pics of knives and various tang stamps:
Article written by a decendant of Vignos.null
Additional info regarding Agustus Vignos and the Novelty Knife Co.
I also found a vintage ad from a newspaper on ebay...had to have it along with the coin!
I haven't yet found the right knife for my archive, but will soon add at least one to my collection of curiosoties. Anyway without further ado...the info:
Agustus Vignos, Novelty Cutlery Company of Canton, Ohio. A veteran of the civil war, holding the rank of Major, he was short of stature and huge of ideas. He lost an arm during the battle of Gettysberg, a fact he played upon hugely in his company advertising. After the war, he was postmaster of Canton, but then he moved into knives... With a huge idea about how to market the new fangled picture handled pocketknives.
Now these things were easy to make, once celluloid was developed in 1872 by John Wesley Hyatt. The stuff was amazing, and there was so much entreprenuers could do with it. Especially since it could be made crystal clear. In Canton, Ohio, the brothers Landis found that they could put any image on paper and under clear celluloid and use it as a pocket knife handle. Eureka, as we used to say back in the day. They licensed the process to a couple of local men, Dr. Stuart Carnes who owned Canton Cutlery Company, and our Major Vignos, who started up Novelty Cutlery company. By all accounts, the two firms got along honorably and well.
But Major Vignos did more than just stick any picture or writing on a scrap of paper in a knife cell sandwich and peddle it. He took the idea to a massive step forward in knife marketing. He sold nationally, then internationally, directly to the buyers. No middle men, no wholesalers. The process of making those kinda knives was a bit more complicated. But selling straight from the factory to the customer saved him oodles of money. But the paperwork was bogging him down, so he took the great idea to yet another step: Local sales agents.
The Major's advertising began to shift from peddling knives to presenting business oppurtunies to others. Young boys, young men, older guys needing a second job answered those ads and became knife salesmen. Armed with a catalog and when he made enough money to afford them, samples as well, the sales force hit the road, hit the local businesses, hit friends and relatives. Anyone could own a personalized knife of their very own design! There were thousands of those agents, using a standized order form, and knowing just exactly how to get the right photos or whatever was needed for the customer's order. The agents took their commission off the top and so in effect, cost Novelty Cutlery Company nothing.
Major Vignos was a success, and expanded his business by making knives for other companies, like advertising specialty houses. Also, 'Novelty' became a branch of Vignos' Canton Knife Company in 1989. The Landis patent protected him and Dr. Carnes until it ran out in about 1912, but by that time, they had a huge headstart. But other knife companies did start turning out picture knives as soon as they could. Aerial Cutlery Company, Golden Rule, Lackawanna and Wabash Cutlery Company. Many thousands were made. The great idea really did have legs.
August Vignos died in 1925, control of his company passing to son Alfred. But the 'new idea' of picture knives was not new any longer, and we all know how fickle the public-- especially we knife buying public, can be. Add to that the increased competition of the several firms making the picture knives. But Novelty Cutlery managed to hold on until 1948 before it finally ceased doing business. (AllAboutPocketKnives.com)
Some pics of knives and various tang stamps:
Article written by a decendant of Vignos.null
Additional info regarding Agustus Vignos and the Novelty Knife Co.
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This is great stuff.
Now to make a display.
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
Fascinating history, and well illustrated! Be sure to post the knife when you find one.
Thanks for the interesting post!
TD
<< <i>That's pretty amazing. >>
<< <i>So any idea why the counterstamped coin? Is there more coins like this? Somebody in the knife shop horsing around? >>
It's possibly a test punch. It could be that there are a few floating around, but it's just as likely that this one is unique.
This stamp appears on a late dated coin (1911) and this particular punch was one of the earlier punches used on the knives. As far as my research can tell me, the stamp was used on knives from 1878 or so to late 1880's. In the 1890's another stamp was being used, which incorporates a triangle surrounding the "Vignos, Canton. O." Since the stamp is carried by a 1911 dated coin, during a time the stamp was NOT being used on the knives, it leads me to believe that this was not a test punch, but was either for advertising or was someone just messing around in the knife shop.
If one were to find many of these coins, I would think it was intended for advertising, but since that doesn't appear to be the case...it's probably just someone messing around. Course it could be that someone found an old punch in the shop and ran a test punch to see if it was still usable...I really don't know, it's just conjecture at this point.
Thanks everyone for being interested in my coin. I like it too. I think history is great, and when I can incorporate history and coins it's even better.