Does any know what a "Smith type re-engraving" means?
Mark
Posts: 3,548 ✭✭✭✭✭
I was glancing at various dealer's websites when I found a reference on the Early Cents/Chris Victor-McCawley website to a large cent with a "Smith type re-engraving." Here is the link. The large cent is certainly re-engraved, but I have never heard of this phrase before; does anyone know anything about this type of re-engraving?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Mark
0
Comments
-Paul
linky
For information about Smith, the counterfeiter, he is mentioned in Walter Breen's Encyclopedia
of United States Half Cents 1793 - 1857, on page 80 along with an image of a 1793 Large Cent
reputed to be a "Smith Counterfeit". The book refers to him as "Smith of Ann Street" in N.Y. City
were he altered half cents, large cents & an not yet identified 1804 dollar. It is believed he altered
coins around the middle of the 1860's and specialized on 1793 issues often using 1794 planchets.
Writer Jim Neiswinter wrote an article for the American Numismatic Society Magazine for the
Summer 2008 issue, Vol.7, number 2. The article relates to the Joseph N. T. Levick plate of 1793
cents provided by Sylvester Sage Crosby. Upon closer examination it was determined that three of
these coins had been altered, most likely by a person known as a very capable counterfeiter who
reengraved low grade 1793 and 1794 cents into high grade 1793 Large Cents. He was known as
William D. Smith ( Smith of Ann St. ) who was an engraver who worked at 1 Ann St. in N.Y. City
in the 1850s and early 1860s. The article had images of the three altered coins. The Levick Plate
Coin Illustration was produced in three different versions, the last being without the three altered
coins.
The Walter J. Husak Collection sale catalog of February 15, 2008, Lot # 2008, page 19 has a reference
to Smith having altered 1794 cents by filing them down and reengraving them by hand to make copies of
1793 S-9 cents. It states he was a New York City jeweler that may have produced 50- 200 copies, each
slightly different. There are no images of these pieces.
The Dan Holmes Collection of Early Date Large Cents Part I, September 6, 2009 , lot # 21, page 39 has
an example of a 1793 S-6 Large Cent using a previously unknown obv. die mated with the rev. die used
to make S-5, 6, 7, & NC-5 coins. Described as an engraving done with remarkable skill, there is a large
image of the coin.
As you have noted there are occasional appearances of "Smith", or "Smith Like" examples appearing at
dealers websites and auction houses. The "Smith Like" pieces are those not able to be attributed to a Smith
piece with certainty and may not be of the quality of a true Smith work.
I believe the Smithsonian has some examples of his pieces.
Collectors have collected these altered pieces and they do have some value.
Here are some Smith & not quite Smith pieces.
R.I.P. Bear
Thank you so much for the extensive information. I greatly appreciate it because I had no idea of the details you provided!
Lance.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>LoveMyLiberty---Nice examples of Smith re-engraved coins. Is the last coin in your pics slabbed? What grade was it given? >>
It wasn't graded as far as I know, at least I hope it wasn't.
Look at this site
R.I.P. Bear