Discussion about the 1814 50c counterstamped with P's mystery specimen.
Realone
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See below for the fascinating discussion.
TY
2
Realone
Posts: 18,519 ✭✭✭✭✭
Comments
I've never heard or seen a US Mint pattern with a merchant counterstamp but I have run into the following:
1814 Platinum Half Dollar with Counterstamped Reverse "P"
This is a US Mint issue in platinum.
2001 Bessie Coleman Private Pattern Counterstamped with Daniel Carr Moonlight Mint Die
This one is a Daniel Carr prototype dollar featuring Bessie Coleman counterstamped with his 2013 Moonlight Mint die.
While not a US Mint issue, even finding a Carr counterstamped prototype dollar is rare.
If I had to guess I’d say there has to be some large cent patterns out there that fit the bill.
Merchant c/s, no. Don’t recall any Mint c/s other than the platinum half.
When I was working at Numismatics, Ltd. in Beverly Hills,
and we bought that large Pattern deal, the 1814 was in
the deal.
I actually sat down one day and counted them.
Please don't ask me how they were punched into the
surfaces - I wasn't there at the time (nor in the 1890's)
but I do know they were punched into the coin after the
coin was struck, not before, during, or on the planchet.
I have always wondered why that "P" punch is missing its bottom serifs?
Never heard of one, but, obviously, I think that one is pretty cool.
Specializing in 1854 and 1855 large FE patterns
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One of my most memorable hobby experiences was examining this coin in-hand some years ago at an auction lot viewing.
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
Was it ever determined if that specific P punch was ever used on other US Coins, Tokens or counterstamps?