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Broadstruck
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I picked this reverse copper uni-face strike of a Dewitt unlisted 32mm diameter 1892 Grover Cleveland Presidential Campaign token up a few months ago deemed by the seller as a re-strike. Most likely as to the seller it just couldn't be a period strike as looks full blown red proof like superb gem struck yesterday. Re-strike just didn't make sense as I noticed the lack of details on the lawn which are present on the finished die. Upon arrival I saw that the lawn details for the north face of the White House had never been completed along with some hard lines under the lawn which still needed to be polished out. Below is a white metal example of the 1888 Grover Cleveland GC-1888-55 white metal which first featured this reverse and a 1892 lower graded white metal example from the recent John Ford sale. As you can see the 1888 die was not re-cut as many of the architectural details are quite different between the two. On the 1892 white metal and the copper uni-face you can see the same re-cutting on the 8 in the date. I feel this is a Spalsher trial strike of a unfinished a unfinished die... Would ya'll agree?
1845 Hamilton & White, Chicago, Illinois, Miller Ill-12, 27mm Diameter, Copper.
Hamilton & White were dealers in Dry Goods, Groceries, and Produce located at 139 Lake Street in Chicago and in business from 1844 throughout the late 1850's. The obverse of this popular pictorial token featured a prairie schooner drawn by two horses as a whip is being cracked. The obverse script stated "Going To 139 Lake Street Chicago Illinois" with "Hamilton & White dealers in Dry Goods, Groceries, Produce 1845" on the reverse. If this wasn't dated 1845 it would fall within the end of the Hard Times tokens era which ended in 1844. Dated 1845 it's one of the earliest U.S. Merchant tokens and the first coin, token, or medal to ever have been stuck with the city name Chicago on it which was incorporated in 1837 and had a population of just 12,000 at time of issue. This token was first listed in Charles Ira Bushnell's 1858 An Arrangement of the Tradesmen's Cards, Political Tokens, Election Medals, etc. Alfred H. Satterlee already considered it extremely rare in 1862. Benjamin Wright called stated "this is the rarest of all early available Illinois tokens" which is the same phrase Russell Rulau adapted for all his publications up to 2004. These are all about AG-VF condition with only about a dozen of survivors known. Well centered but crudely struck in low relief on thick 27mm Large cent diameter copper planchets which had been pitted prior to striking. All are missing at least 1/3 of the rim and some script script as the hammer die was uneven or misaligned. Many of the survivors show signs of pitting and lamination striations as issued and have also been damaged such as scratched, bent, holed, double holed, cleaned, dipped, and recolored. The example seen here is one of the finest extant and provenance wise was formally in Julian Liedman's collection of which I've included the 1986 at a B&M/PCAC sale plates which I matched this to after purchase.
1845 Hamilton & White, Chicago, Illinois, Miller Ill-12, 27mm Diameter, Copper.
Hamilton & White were dealers in Dry Goods, Groceries, and Produce located at 139 Lake Street in Chicago and in business from 1844 throughout the late 1850's. The obverse of this popular pictorial token featured a prairie schooner drawn by two horses as a whip is being cracked. The obverse script stated "Going To 139 Lake Street Chicago Illinois" with "Hamilton & White dealers in Dry Goods, Groceries, Produce 1845" on the reverse. If this wasn't dated 1845 it would fall within the end of the Hard Times tokens era which ended in 1844. Dated 1845 it's one of the earliest U.S. Merchant tokens and the first coin, token, or medal to ever have been stuck with the city name Chicago on it which was incorporated in 1837 and had a population of just 12,000 at time of issue. This token was first listed in Charles Ira Bushnell's 1858 An Arrangement of the Tradesmen's Cards, Political Tokens, Election Medals, etc. Alfred H. Satterlee already considered it extremely rare in 1862. Benjamin Wright called stated "this is the rarest of all early available Illinois tokens" which is the same phrase Russell Rulau adapted for all his publications up to 2004. These are all about AG-VF condition with only about a dozen of survivors known. Well centered but crudely struck in low relief on thick 27mm Large cent diameter copper planchets which had been pitted prior to striking. All are missing at least 1/3 of the rim and some script script as the hammer die was uneven or misaligned. Many of the survivors show signs of pitting and lamination striations as issued and have also been damaged such as scratched, bent, holed, double holed, cleaned, dipped, and recolored. The example seen here is one of the finest extant and provenance wise was formally in Julian Liedman's collection of which I've included the 1986 at a B&M/PCAC sale plates which I matched this to after purchase.
To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
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