A nice pin-back/love token for Realone; how the heck was this host coin chosen??

keets

After last week's Love Token thread by Realone I happened to be looking at some on eBay and came across this one that I paid for after it closed this evening. I initially noticed it because of the fancy rim engraving, but the "W" looks sort of modern: perhaps someone can give an approximate date for the engraving based on that. I also thought it odd that the obverse was chosen to be engraved and when I looked at the reverse pin-back I couldn't believe that it was what it is, an 1856 large S/small S!!

How is it that someone randomly chooses a variety like that?? Judging by the reverse alone the host coin was at least an XF so some non-collector turned a really collectible coin into a novelty item.

Al H.

sparky64

Amazing! Random good/bad luck I guess. Nice find.

RichieURich

No doubt, if undamaged and uncleaned that coin is at least $7,000 in today's market.

CaptHenway

Could have been in the 1875-1900 period. According to reliable writers a lot of the pre-Civil War silver that got hoarded during the War returned to circulation starting in the mid-1870's. This piece could have been saved in high grade just by chance and then chosen by the engraver just by chance. Or maybe he liked it because it was an old one.

Neat style. Have not seen one like that before.

TD

DUIGUY

Good Eye indeed!!

magikbilly

Hey Keets,

I don't know anything about these, but I peek in on threads. That W coin seems quite unusual. I wonder if there is symbolism at work - perhaps a meaning. The shark teeth/wave thing is unusual to me. Maybe because it seems out of any context I search for some meaning.
At first glance I wondered if two people made this as there seems to be two levels of craftsmanship here. Perhaps one worked making the "blanks" with masc or fem edging details. Then perhaps another person to add the initial.

Eric

keets

any idea about the age of the font?? it seems sort of Modern to me as opposed to the fanciful scroll work usually seen on these.

MrEureka

Very cool. Now, go complete the rest of the set.

jonathanb

I don't see anything about the style of the W that makes me doubt the Captain's 1875-1900 estimate.

CaptHenway

<< <i>Hey Keets,

I don't know anything about these, but I peek in on threads. That W coin seems quite unusual. I wonder if there is symbolism at work - perhaps a meaning. The shark teeth/wave thing is unusual to me. Maybe because it seems out of any context I search for some meaning.
At first glance I wondered if two people made this as there seems to be two levels of craftsmanship here. Perhaps one worked making the "blanks" with masc or fem edging details. Then perhaps another person to add the initial.

Eric >>



I have seen one or two "blank" love tokens wherein one side was smoothed down and a fancy border engraved, but no interior design. I imagine that the carvers would have used their down time between county fairs or whatever to prep a number of blanks of various denominations so that when a customer said they wanted a "Bertie" or whatever for their sweetheart the carver could finish the interior while the customer waited.

The whale(?) or whatever teeth are very unusual, but I would bet that it is within the 1875-1900 range, or no more than five years outside it.

DUIGUY

one for comparison sake,host is 1887.

magikbilly

<< <i>

<< <i>Hey Keets,

I don't know anything about these, but I peek in on threads. That W coin seems quite unusual. I wonder if there is symbolism at work - perhaps a meaning. The shark teeth/wave thing is unusual to me. Maybe because it seems out of any context I search for some meaning.
At first glance I wondered if two people made this as there seems to be two levels of craftsmanship here. Perhaps one worked making the "blanks" with masc or fem edging details. Then perhaps another person to add the initial.

Eric >>



I have seen one or two "blank" love tokens wherein one side was smoothed down and a fancy border engraved, but no interior design. I imagine that the carvers would have used their down time between county fairs or whatever to prep a number of blanks of various denominations so that when a customer said they wanted a "Bertie" or whatever for their sweetheart the carver could finish the interior while the customer waited.

The whale(?) or whatever teeth are very unusual, but I would bet that it is within the 1875-1900 range, or no more than five years outside it. >>



Hello CaptHenway


Thanks for the information. Agree about the age of the engraving - forgot to mention my estimate which is in this area. Without my glasses on it looks Masonic or some such, this design.

Best wishes,
Eric

Coinosaurus

Oh my. That is really cool.

Billet7

Ouch...such a rare coin. I would have bought this had I seen it.

WoodenJefferson

I was immediately drawn to the art deco style triangle used in the early 1900's.

What are the characteristics of Art Deco style?

Art Deco influenced all designs of the period, from automobiles to homes to skyscrapers to clothing. And jewelry, of course. Geometrics play a big part in the Art Deco look -- circles, triangles, squares and rectangles, often woven together to create intricate designs.

magikbilly

I don't see a triangle, or any Deco, even with retrospect. "Archaic Nouveau" or some such IMHO Not really even that - not organic enough either.

Best wishes,
Eric

Your icon still freaks me out. It appeared in a nightmare of mine, only it was the size of a small cat and had crab eyes on 2 foot stalks.

keets

sooooooooooo.........................where is the Real-one?

CaptHenway

The whale(?) teeth made me think nautical. The Waterman Steamship Corporation used a pennant that had a W within a horizontal diamond:

linky

but it was not founded until 1919. Unless Mr. Waterman used a similar design earlier, this is not likely to be his work.

Unknown

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