Home U.S. Coin Forum

Are patterns considered exonumia?

ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited January 3, 2017 4:01PM in U.S. Coin Forum

In the general categories of coins and exonumia, where do patterns fit?

Tagged:

Comments

  • pruebaspruebas Posts: 4,301 ✭✭✭✭✭

    They are coins (or at least proposed coins).

  • OverdateOverdate Posts: 6,902 ✭✭✭✭✭

    According to Wikipedia, "The words exonumist and exonumia were coined in July 1960 by Russell Rulau, a recognized authority and author on the subject, and accepted by Webster's dictionary in 1965."

    Merriam-Webster.com defines exonumia as "numismatic items (as tokens, medals, or scrip) other than coins and paper money."

    Whether a pattern is considered a coin may depend upon whether it has status as legal tender. In other words, could you spend one? If not, patterns may very well be (strictly speaking) exonumia, although most numismatists probably consider them to be coins.

    My Adolph A. Weinman signature :)

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    They are considered along with other official products of the US Mints. Privately made "patterns" or "prototypes" are exonoumia unless they can be shown to have official sanction.

  • pruebaspruebas Posts: 4,301 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @RogerB said:
    They are considered along with other official products of the US Mints. Privately made "patterns" or "prototypes" are exonoumia unless they can be shown to have official sanction.

    This doesn't make sense. US Mint medals are official products of the US Mint, but they are considered exonumia.

    Also, privately made "patterns" are not really patterns at all. They are fantasies by definition.

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @pruebas said:

    @RogerB said:
    They are considered along with other official products of the US Mints. Privately made "patterns" or "prototypes" are exonoumia unless they can be shown to have official sanction.

    This doesn't make sense. US Mint medals are official products of the US Mint, but they are considered exonumia.

    Also, privately made "patterns" are not really patterns at all. They are fantasies by definition.

    True. But medals are not coins or coin-like, except..... well, there are so many exceptions maybe there isn't a rule. Some privately made items are legitimate, officially-sanctioned experiments -- note the 1911-1912 Buffalo nickel electrotypes made at the request of the Secretary of Treasury.

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 3, 2017 4:27PM

    @pruebas said:

    @RogerB said:
    They are considered along with other official products of the US Mints. Privately made "patterns" or "prototypes" are exonoumia unless they can be shown to have official sanction.

    This doesn't make sense. US Mint medals are official products of the US Mint, but they are considered exonumia.

    Also, privately made "patterns" are not really patterns at all. They are fantasies by definition.

    Pure medals (intended to be medals) shouldn't be included as coins.

    There are many privately made patterns that are officially sanctioned by the Mint and not fantasies. Many of these are privately made using Mint provided dies though some use privately made dies as well. Many of them are cataloged in Pollock and a few in Judd. One example is the 1942 glass cent pattern by the Blue Ridge Glass Company .

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If a piece has official sanction, then it can't be a "fantasy."

  • CascadeChrisCascadeChris Posts: 2,512 ✭✭✭✭✭

    So which category would you ascribe to the glass pattern cents recently discussed @RWB?

    The more you VAM..
  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    They were officially sanctioned and used dies provided by the US Mint. That clearly makes all of the 1942 pattern and experimental pieces part of the legitimate series - not fantasy pieces or exonumia.

  • jonathanbjonathanb Posts: 3,411 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm having a hard time coming up with a case where the answer to the question would affect anything.

    eBay has patterns and exonumia in different categories.

    I'm pretty sure that I've submitted a pattern or two on a "tokens and medals" submission to a TPG, and had them graded (as patterns) without comment that they should have been on a "US Coins" submission instead.

  • MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 32,123 ✭✭✭✭✭

    For paperwork or auctions the divisions can serve those running the show.

    Officially, I'd place coin patterns and trials made for or by the gub'mint as not exonumia due to their coin relationship.

    Medal patterns & trials -> exonumia.

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file