Added Another Blacksmith Copper Tonite ~~Wood 23, truly a hand made coin!

ambro51

. The Blacksmith coppers have many twists and turns, and is an exceptionally complicated series. This piece, Wood 23 is fairly common with an estimated survivors about 500. The coin seems to be one of the keys to understanding the series as the die crack behind the bust evolves and the die loses nearly all detail, as it becomes muled with hand cut eagle reverse and the last use of the disintegrating Peck HTT die. This piece is in possibly the earliest die state. None are known from an uncracked die. With a Pedigree including the "owner" of the series Warren Baker and Ernie Everingham. Grade is an opinion and a science with the Blacksmiths. Some were made to look worn but this variety was not. It can be graded by detail and surface and I'm going to call this one VF-EF. Good detail points are the dentils and eye. I I think this coin bears a resemblance to the Vermont Baby Head

DorkGirl

LindeDad

Did these come south of the border?

ambro51

Yes these and related Canadian tokens have been found metal detecting in Maine, Vermont and even New Jersey before railroads any areas accessible easily by water were essentially connected. This piece was known as "The Blacksmiths Halfpenny" by the earliest collectors of the late 19 century who began to appreciate and catalog them. This piece evolves through eight distinct stages, as the die crack, a hairline connecting chips, widens to the extent it's apparent that the die must have been held together with a band off steel. ~~ what REALLY caught my eye on this Coin is the fully formed crisp unworn dentils.

ambro51

The coin arrived and I done some new photos. Really an intriguing coin showing a handmade flavor that exceeds the Vermonts. Weight is only 4.7 grams and the metal cannot fill the rear figures arm. This is the earliest die stats known though the cataloger of the series have thoughtfully provided a slot for an uncracked variety should one ever come to light. .

Unknown

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ambro51

I don't know but it's a very light chocolate brown, mine are a tad reflective

ricko

Very interesting...was not aware of these coins....thanks, Cheers, RickO

ambro51

The entire series slipped into collectors eyes during the last half of the 19th century when a few auction catalogs listed and described some individual pieces. The main and still fundamental work on the series was done by Howland Wood in 1910. It's all online and printed out is just about the BEST reference available. I've joined a Yahoo Group and the access to archive files is invaluable......research manuscripts, auction catalog pages...some quite obscure, research from the Canadian side, photo files. The Bank of Canads has possibly the best collection which is all online. ~~~~~~~~you know I float on this kind if stuff, obscure rarities with intense pockets of research interest. This has kept me well occupied for a month or so, I've printed out gobs of material, joined a specialist group, bought 7 coins and spent about 300$ on all this, not including 20$ for printer ink. . Woods 1910 Book