Newp original racketeer nickel/Love token

toyz4geo

This is out of my wheelhouse but I just couldn't pass it up. Original 1883 Liberty Racketeer nickel WITH reeding. Gold plated years ago then someone made a love token out of it. Has solder on the rim where it probably had a ring to wear as a necklace. Boy, I wish this thing could talk.

clarkbar04

You would probably hear a lot of screaming as a result of the engraving and cut rims.

pretty cool though, in all seriousness!

Smudge

I like it. For some reason I really like love tokens. I love gold dollar love tokens. I bought a type 3 years ago and will never part with it. Can't explain why.

CaptHenway

Way cool, but it must have been gilt AFTER the engraving, which makes me wonder if it was actually a "racketeer nickel" to begin with?
TD

toyz4geo

@CaptHenway said:
Way cool, but it must have been gilt AFTER the engraving, which makes me wonder if it was actually a "racketeer nickel" to begin with?
TD

Didn't notice that. Interesting it has the reeding though. Maybe some cheap guy made it to give to his girlfriend and wanted her to think it was a $5 Gold piece.

messydesk

If it could talk, it would say, "Some guy tried to pass me off as gold to his wife. You should have heard her when she found out the truth."

Racketeer love tokens: the cubic zirconia of the 1880s.

CaptHenway

I suppose that it could have been an original racketeer nickel that was pulled from circulation as a "fake," then engraved and re-gilt, but I don't know how you could prove that. I still like the piece.

CascadeChris

Neat. I've seen one before. From @messydesk I believe iirc

Yacorie1

I guess I could google it to figure it out but how do you date a racketeer nickel or love token? Couldn’t they be getting made still?

Timbuk3

Cool !!!

JBK

@Yacorie1 said:
I guess I could google it to figure it out but how do you date a racketeer nickel or love token? Couldn’t they be getting made still?

Yes, in theory. You have to be careful, and look at all the information to weigh its originality: wear, patina, style of engraving (for a love token), etc.

Some companies still plate 1883 nickels with gold to sell as novelties, but those are clearly not vintage as the underlying coin is well worn (real racketeer nickels would have been plated when the coins were new and had no wear).

As for love tokens, the style of engraving (hand cut/chiseled) is still practice today by some, but most engraving is done by machines, and the difference is obvious.

ricko

That is interesting... I had not seen a gilted racketeer nickel love token before... Interesting that the edge is reeded... Cheers, RickO

halfhunter

I can see it now . . . Dude gives this to his girlfriend claiming its a $5 love token just for her. She marries him and a few years later the thin gold plating starts wearing off so she conks his cheap ass on the head with a cast iron frying pan . . .

Yacorie1

@JBK said:

@Yacorie1 said:
I guess I could google it to figure it out but how do you date a racketeer nickel or love token? Couldn’t they be getting made still?

Yes, in theory. You have to be careful, and look at all the information to weigh its originality: wear, patina, style of engraving (for a love token), etc.

Some companies still plate 1883 nickels with gold to sell as novelties, but those are clearly not vintage as the underlying coin is well worn (real racketeer nickels would have been plated when the coins were new and had no wear).

As for love tokens, the style of engraving (hand cut/chiseled) is still practice today by some, but most engraving is done by machines, and the difference is obvious.

Thank you. I’ll have to dig out the love tokens I have and see what they look like

messydesk

@CascadeChris said:
Neat. I've seen one before. From @messydesk I believe iirc

That would be this bad boy I shot about 9 years ago.