SC$ themed Exonumia: a very nice counterstamp.
Maywood
Posts: 2,860 ✭✭✭✭✭
I noticed this piece a while back, followed it but dropped out pre-auction when it exceeded what I thought was reasonable. The host coin is a very nice 1898 Morgan Dollar and the counterstamp is from the 1909 Hendrik Hudson Daalder designs by Thomas Elder, used for HK-371 through HK-374. I had never seen a counterstamp using these dies, which brings me to wondering who struck this piece, when and how many others might have been done. I have done a little sleuth-work and come up with a sort of "provenance" for the dies which might help, but the real help will come from @CaptHenway(Tom Delorey) since he is the default expert on the Elder issues and apparently also once owned the dies in question.
I expect the good Cap'n to enter the thread in due time to correct my assumptions!! 
Robert Bashlow came into possession of the dies for HK-371 through HK-374, though who knows when, and at the time of his death in 1979 they were being held by August C. Frank Company. Tom Delorey purchased them in auction. After that I have not been able to learn of a subsequent owner, if in fact they were resold. Since Robert Bashlow had made a number of different restrikes in the early 1970's I would suspect him as the one responsible for this piece. The quality is quite good, the counterstamp is well centered and fully impressed.
If anyone can help sort this out or has other counterstamps using these dies please respond and tell us what you know. Picture, also, they would be great.
Maywood
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin
Comments
There are several known, with various combinations of Elder dies and host coins. Neat piece!
Will look at tomorrow
My best guess is that this was done by Bashlow, but I don't know that. I think I know who has the dies now, and I am checking with him.
TD
Thanks, @CaptHenway, I figured you would be the man with the answer. Any information you have would be nice to know. If you'd rather not post that here please PM.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin
OK, here goes. I sold my entire collection to Leon Hendrickson in 1984, including all of the dies that I owned (but not the Brian Boru Obverse hub). Leon held them for a long time, but after he passed everything was broken up. The two pairs of small Henry Hudson dollar dies went to an unknown party, and then to a friend of mine. He later sold one pair.
So, there are vintage overstrikes made by Elder (I own one on a Honduras Centavo) as listed by him in his auction catalogues); modern overstrikes in various formats that I would bet strong money were made by Bashlow; and pieces that hypothetically could have been made by Hendrickson (not likely, but he did own a mint for silver bullion pieces); or by the post-Hendrickson owner of both pairs of dies; or by the person my friend sold one die pair to. My friend has not struck any modern restrikes.
I would really want to see this piece in hand to make a better guess as to when it was made.
TD
Fwiw, the same specimen was sold by Stacks in 2010 and by Goldberg in 2006.
Thank you. Leon was still around then (iirc) so probably Bashlow.
nice looking piece
Thanks for the provenance @CaptHenway and @jonathanb you keep good records!!
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin