Antique shop owners find rare Lincoln coin

boimre1972

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MANKATO, MN (KARE) -- President's Day had a special meaning at an antique shop in Minnesota. A rare presidential coin got a great deal of attention.

"I've always had an interest a fascination with Abraham Lincoln," says Bryce Stensall. It's no coincidence that Stensall also resembles the nation's 16th president. A costume historical interpreter, he'll make the rounds in town sharing Lincoln's story.

KARE happened to run into him at the antique warehouse owned by Rob and Christine Winter. Christine says, "Anything that walks in the door if people want to sell it, we'll look at it and buy."

In a short three years they've had amassed quite a collection of stuff. From buckets of political buttons to an entire wall dedicated to political shirts including a spot for Gary Hart for President. It's typical for the Winters to buy buckets full of stuff.

Sellers look to earn a quick buck, and the couple pay and look over the stuff in more detail at a later time and occasionally they find something that's relatively rare and unexpected. Rob says, "It's like the Pawn Stars, you never know what's going to walk through the door."

Last fall, they found a presidential coin tucked away in the bottom of a box of costume jewelry. It's dated 1860 and on one side is the portrait of a beardless President Lincoln and on the other his Vice President Hannibal Hamlin. Rob says, "When people actually can touch that kind of piece of history it just sends tingles up your spine, Abe Lincoln could have actually passed this thing out."

The thinking is it was once used much like campaign buttons are used today and 152 years later, Rob says, "It's very exciting it's also very humbling I knew that I get to hold it in my hand."

It's a piece of history an acting president can really appreciate.

Broadstruck

Not a Coin... As it's a Ferrotype Campaign Medal Button with a hollow brass frame.

Not rare in that condition as the frame is beat and worth no more the $300 +/- as in AU/BU it's a $800 +/- item.

thebeav

I had one of these about 25 years ago and sold it then for 200 beans......

Pistareen

That's a slightly better variety as 1860 Lincoln/Hamlin ferrotypes go, but the condition would make that a hard sell in my case. Broadstruck pegged the value correctly.

MonteCarlo

I came in here fully expecting to read about how an antique store owner found a "rare" 1943 steel cent in one of their newly acquired cabinets.