Counter-stamp IHC - "left hand" - Contemporary?
Manorcourtman
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Anyone ever seen this counter-stamp before? Does it appear contemporary? I am intrigued and looking for any insight anyone could provide!
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Definitely modern. That sharp an image on that worn of a coin is not 1865 vintage.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
Looks like the Red hand of Ulster
https://drtomstours.com/index.php/2023/06/20/the-red-hand-of-ulster/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hand_of_Ulster
More from Wiki.
How ?
Relevant
Which means connected to, or pertinent to the matter at hand.
Realize this. I am not providing someones punch line they thought was relevant !
Let’s see the wear pattern on the reverse.
Red Hand of Ulster is right hand and no label.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
Most Fenian symbiology has the red hand being the left hand but not all.
The bottom has right.
If not related to Ulster, I'd bet the counterstamp was added on some August 13th.
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It is very deeply impressed and has been on the coin for a very long time. It could have some connection with Ulster as there were large numbers of Irish in the US by the time of the civil war (including my own ancestors).
Good. That shows that the coin circulated for a long time after the back was pushed out.
Vintage.
Nope! Check out the reverse.
I appreciate the comments. I thought it was contemporary or close but had no idea what the hand meant. Thanks @ELVIS1 for a very neat and plausible explanation!
Most likely contemporary. But for an 1865 Cent that could probably take it into the 1920s or '30s.
Many well known counterstamps occur on host coins with a wide range of dates. Certain 1850s era counterstamps are often found on 1780s and 1790s reales. Some counterstampers supposedly preferred older, nearly slick host coins so as to better showcase the counterstamp.
No idea what the hand represents, but a cool counterstamp.
I’m guessing brothel token …
Which you thought was so important that you didn't initially show it?
The reverse does suggest it circulated for a time after the stamp. However the obverse also indicates that it circulated before the stamp. I still do not see it as "contemporary" but a more "modern" 20th century addition.
If struck against a hard object, most of that reverse flattening in the center is due to the strike of the punch. The smoothing around the edges of the flat spot indicate some circulation afterwards. However it still seems to me that the vast majority of the visible wear occurred before the counterstamp. Look how low the rims are worn and yet there assists to be only minor wear on the C/S edges even though it is on a high point of the coin.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
Typically a deep punch like this will leave the coin slightly concave on the punched side and slightly convex on the other side. The concave obverse wore down heavily on the rim, while the rim on the convex reverse was somewhat protected. This coin circulated after it was punched.
I am calling the punch “vintage,” as in “old.” Not necessarily 1865, but probably more than 100 years ago.