Fun set of Box Dollars

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Jinx86
Jinx86 Posts: 3,729 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
Coin club member handed me these last night at our meeting and said he has never had them open. I tried while there but they were stuck! Took them home with me and added a few drops of oil in the seem to try and loosen them up. It might have help, but still needed to use a rubber coated pliers to open them. Here are some quick images before cleaning the residue out.

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Comments

  • superpsychmd
    superpsychmd Posts: 1,329 ✭✭✭
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    Are any for sale? They look cool
  • MadMarty
    MadMarty Posts: 16,697 ✭✭✭
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    Box or Opium dollars are very cool, and not cheap!!
    It is not exactly cheating, I prefer to consider it creative problem solving!!!

  • CaptHenway
    CaptHenway Posts: 34,175 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Originally posted by: MadMarty

    Box or Opium dollars are very cool, and not cheap!!




    Not opium dollars. Them's picture holders!



    Back when I was working in the shop we one time bought in a batch of 50 or more average circulated Columbian halves in an old leather purse that were horribly scummy with green slime. I couldn't do anything with them as they were, so I threw them in a jar of acetone and let them soak for a few days.



    When I opened the jar to rinse them off under the hot water tap, I noticed that one of them was leaking something. Poked around on the rims until I found the pivot point and opened it up to find the melted remains of a picture and its cellulose(?) cover.
    Professional Numismatist, Retired. 55 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner of the PNG's 2026 Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • Flatwoods
    Flatwoods Posts: 4,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I really must acquire one of those. It's been on the list for a while.

    Unfortunately the list just keeps getting longer.
  • Jinx86
    Jinx86 Posts: 3,729 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    These ones are not for sale. He picked them up a few hours ago. My wife however saw me working on these and was intrigued and now wants me to get her one.
  • BillJones
    BillJones Posts: 35,938 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I've owned this one for years. It's interesting that your examples prove that these pieces were for pictures, not opium.


    imageimage


    I have also seen pictures of Columbian half dollars that have been turned into box coins.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • superpsychmd
    superpsychmd Posts: 1,329 ✭✭✭
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    Aw too bad. Maybe I will have to check eBay
  • 291fifth
    291fifth Posts: 25,218 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    As others have said, those are for photos. There is nothing wrong with that. They are still interesting.
    All glory is fleeting.
  • HoledandCreative
    HoledandCreative Posts: 2,890 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Several years ago, on eBay, I came in 2nd for a box Trade Dollar dated 78-CC. I think I bid around $300, don't remember for sure.
  • ricko
    ricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I have a large British cent that is hollowed out... found it quite by accident...no hinge....Cheers, RickO
  • grip
    grip Posts: 9,962 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Fun read..
  • thebeav
    thebeav Posts: 4,118 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    No wonder I just got sick when I smoked what I found inside mine.......
    My Ebay Coin Store

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