Unusual Engraved 'Presentation' Trade Dollar
TLeverage
Posts: 259 ✭✭✭
Recently appeared on the Bay:
Unusual to see a Trade with a side completely ground down and used as a form of semi-professional memento. I've seen domestic countermarks, love tokens, and many potty dollars, but this is certainly odd to me.
1
Comments
I wonder what Joseph did to merit such a shoddy "compliment?" Or -- maybe it originally accompanied something more substantial and the coin was merely a label.
Would be interesting to find out the story behind this piece.
Complete Set of Chopmarked Trade Dollars
Carson City Silver Dollars Complete 1870-1893http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase.aspx?sc=2722"
Very interesting!
Nice, and very unusual.
A "Smith Swanz & Co." is mentioned in the Recorder-Tribune from Holton, Kansas on page 6 of Thursday, October 24, 1895. Wonder if this coin is from the same company.
An Edwin Swanz, Raymond Smith, and Joseph Drescher were simultaneously Commissioners of Deeds in Buffalo, NY in 1920:
https://books.google.com/books?id=wPNHAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=joseph+drescher+swanz&source=bl&ots=MLSUmqL8Pb&sig=ukrrDR7ImjxsYetSOnjqCDwTlZ4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiy-aOsvOvTAhUIwYMKHUVoCBQQ6AEIKDAB#v=onepage&q=joseph drescher swanz&f=true
Neat item. Who wants to bet there's also one out there in a very high end collection that reads "From Trade Dollar Nut to Trade Dollar Nut"
The coin seems to be a family piece, originating from a small town about 70 miles outside of Buffalo, NY, which lends support to the Edwin Swanz/Raymond Smith possibility. Perhaps a law partnership, given their court connections and the formatting of 'Smith and Swanz', making a small gift to a fellow court member or valued client?
Wonderful calligraphy!
Would be very cool if the coin was recent and not a piece from the past.
Interesting piece.... obviously a professional presentation... likely for some special occasion or service. Cheers RickO
Well, I'll have to disagree on the "professional" moniker if it refers to quality. The engraving is uneven and not properly centered. Letter spacing is sloppy. Lines are unevenly spaced and the bottom line is crooked and also tilted with respect to the others. This was a "quick and dirty" job, hence my original comment about it being a demeaning token for the recipient.
The lettering style was commonplace in 19th and early 20th century - until use of powered gravers became widespread. While we, today, might think of the engraving as "professional" it is actually ordinary for that time period.
But, it remains a very interesting item and a great conversation/speculation piece. Maybe someone here can uncover the full story? If so it should be published. (I'll volunteer to proof-read it, too.)
Neat engraved piece.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
It could have been made as a "payment" for a lawsuit where the jury awarded the plaintiff one dollar in damages.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television