@Creg said:
Does the “Omaha” label bring much premium?
It didn’t in my case. I bought it for just under Greysheet retail on eBay.
Newbie collector of type and circulated Peace dollars, photographer of places and animals, player of instruments and builder of amplifiers, espresso industry professional, and a person distracted by shiny objects. https://mycollect.com/Rule556/sets
Good morning, and welcome to February 13th. (Yikes! Friday the Thirteenth! LOL)
Today we move into the dimes. Because we're working on a Dansco 7070 lineup, the earliest dime is the...
Capped Bust Dime Variety II (1828-37).
I say you could post an earlier Capped Bust (large size) dime if you want to. Those don't fit in the physical album due to their larger diameter, but we're working on a virtual album here, right?
Now. let's see what I have. Hmm... there isn't one in my current slabbed collection. I have a holed example in my "holey" 19th century type set, but do I have a photo of that? Hmm. Let's see...
Aha. Yes, I do. Looks like it has a hole from an old square nail. Those are always mildly interesting.
I have had problem-free examples in the past, of course, but have no pictures of any of them. If I was to guess what my former "best of type" example was, I'd imagine it was no better than VF.
A local detecting buddy of mine once dug (and later sold me) a nice 1820 with the STATESOFAMERICA variety. Alas, no pics of that one survive.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
I found this one at an Early American Coppers convention years ago.
And here is the large size type, which does not fit in the Dansco album hole.
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 ... ?
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you. https://www.donahuenumismatics.com/.
Good morning, welcome to February 14th, and happy Valentine’s Day.
Today we move on to the Liberty Seated Dime Stars (1838-60).
I see no reason you couldn’t also post an 1837-38 No Stars dime if you wanted to. I’ve never understood why the 7070 album omits the No Stars half dimes and dimes, unless it was a matter of space?
Can’t recall what my past “best of type” example was. Maybe MS63.
This is my most recent example of the type. I just traded it away. As a Type collector, one should probably do common dates in better grades. With this one, I had it the other way ‘round: a better date in common grade. Despite the modest grade, it was a nice coin.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
So just like yesterday, the host of this OP is inviting the previous/initial design of today’s Seated Type Dime, here’s my 1837 “No Stars”, along with my regular holding:
Steve
A day without fine wine and working on your coin collection is like a day without sunshine!!!
This is the type that got me to start making albums and is tied with half dimes for being my favorite. The below coins all reside in that album and I've uploaded one from each decade.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you. https://www.donahuenumismatics.com/.
@lordmarcovan said:
I once collected Seated and Barber dime love tokens by host coin date.
Those are some awesome love tokens. I have an 1891 that I'll post along with that type.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
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Before we transition from Saturday’s type to Sunday’s type, here is one of each.
This is a matched pair of love token “twins” that managed to stay together for more than a century and a half. I suspect they must have been used in earrings. Note the identical engravings.
1842 with stars
1855 with arrows
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
.WARNING!!!! Before you look at this coin, especially in-hand, you MUST put on a pair of sunglasses! Otherwise you might go blind from the bright light, lol.
Yes, it’s been dipped. But apparently it was done gently enough to still merit a CAC sticker! “Out the window” with originality!
On the serious side, while “knowledgeable” collectors want toned coins that demonstrate “originality”, I have found over the years that there’s a large minority of collectors that desire blast white silver coins, even from the 19th Century. How do I know this? From the spirited auction bidding on high grade blast white highly lustrous coins with a CAC sticker! Admittedly, not for everyone, but it’s desired by more collectors than one would think!
Steve
A day without fine wine and working on your coin collection is like a day without sunshine!!!
@winesteven said:
.WARNING!!!! Before you look at this coin, especially in-hand, you MUST put on a pair of sunglasses! Otherwise you might go blind from the bright light, lol.
Yes, it’s been dipped. But apparently it was done gently enough to still merit a CAC sticker! “Out the window” with originality!
On the serious side, while “knowledgeable” collectors want toned coins that demonstrate “originality”, I have found over the years that there’s a large minority of collectors that desire blast white silver coins, even from the 19th Century. How do I know this? From the spirited auction bidding on high grade blast white highly lustrous coins with a CAC sticker! Admittedly, not for everyone, but it’s desired by more collectors than one would think!
Steve
That’s a beauty! I like them, toned and white, they all are beautiful to me…
If I remember, I assume that Monday is the later seated dimes, I’ve got one with beautiful color to post when the time arrives…
@winesteven said:
On the serious side, while “knowledgeable” collectors want toned coins that demonstrate “originality”, I have found over the years that there’s a large minority of collectors that desire blast white silver coins, even from the 19th Century. How do I know this? From the spirited auction bidding on high grade blast white highly lustrous coins with a CAC sticker! Admittedly, not for everyone, but it’s desired by more collectors than one would think!
That’s a beauty. I for one happen to like my BU and proof coins (especially Gems like that) to be untoned- or only very lightly toned.
It is only on circulated stuff XF and under that I prefer them “crusty”, with contrasting grey toning (the “CircCam” look).
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
I'm loving that this thread is up to 10 pages now.
Here's my collection of the type, all raw in the album.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you. https://www.donahuenumismatics.com/.
I hope y'all will find this post interesting, and not a digression from the main theme.
Back around 2008, I avidly collected love tokens done on dimes. These are just some of the ones on post-1860 Legend Obverse Seated dimes. By no means all of the ones I had. This was back in my flatbed scanner imaging era, so the pics aren't the greatest.
1861 - "RWS" - all three of my initials in the proper sequence, plus a marsh scene (I live in the Marshes of Glynn in GA). I couldn't pull the BIN trigger on this one fast enough, when I saw it on eBay. Also, that morning, a stork had flown across the road in front of me on my commute. An omen, perhaps.
1863 - Clothing stud mount. An ugly piece, but on a better-date host coin. Definitely scarce as a love token.
1872 - "JWD" with geometric design and stork in well-executed marsh scene with flying birds in sky. I surmise all these storks on love tokens denoted baby christening gifts.
1873 arrows - Pictorial of a single masted schooner sailing left in seascape with waves and birds. Relatively simple artwork. Though I would have paid a premium for it as a pictorial, it wasn't that expensive, as I recall.
1875 (example #1) - "Will" and two-masted schooner sailing right over textured waves. While the obverse and reverse were toned differently, the difference was not as pronounced as it is in these poor scans. (All of these were imaged in my flatbed scanner era.)
1876 (example #1) - "Papa" in fancy script below landscape with church scene. A very nice scenic pictorial, despite some wear. I was lucky enough to pick it up quite cheaply, too. This 1876 "Papa" piece pairs nicely with the 1887 "Mama" Statue of Liberty pictorial below.
1876 (example #2)- "OVER THE GARDEN WALL / " R (G?) E. C.", (fox? cat?) leaping over stone wall in pursuit of another animal whose tail can be seen, dog chasing bird below. A great pictorial piece.
1876 (example #3) -Victorian "penny-farthing" (high wheel) bicycle in landscape with foliage and cattail plant in foreground, bird in sky.
1877 - "ELB" in inverted horseshoe, with flourishes and border. These "horseshoe" pieces were almost certainly used as "good luck" talismans.
1879 - Key date. Rare; exceedingly so as a love token. "A" and "J" in monogram with ornamental border. This not only had a high grade host coin, but is likely one of only a tiny handful of surviving love tokens on 1879 dimes. Unfortunately I never got good photos of this piece, so we'll have to rely on low-quality scans.
1880 (example 1) - Key date. Rare, especially as a love token. "C", "I" (or "J"), & "L" in monogram with ornamental border.
I cherrypicked this piece in a bulk lot for only $7.50! Not long before that, I had bought a different one (below) for about $125.00. I resold the $125.00 example at cost, and kept the lucky cherrypick. Apparently the owner of the source bulk lot of dime love tokens didn't think to check it for key date coins!
1880 (example 2) - Another key date 1880 dime. This is the one I had paid $125.00 for. The one above was the one I cherrypicked for only $7.50. I kept the cherrypicked one and resold this one at cost, later.
1881 - Key date. Rare, especially as a love token. "A", "H", and "W" in monogram, with flourishes. While the key date 1879, 1880 and 1881 dimes had relatively tiny mintages and were struck only at Philadelphia, it was the "golden age" of love token engraving, which lasted from about the mid-1870s until the end of the century. As such, a fair number of these key-date coins got made into love tokens, unlike the earlier key dates from the 1840s. However, when you're talking about such a tiny mintage like the 24,000 struck in 1881, that's not a very big number to begin with. I was fortunate to add an 1881 to the collection.
1882 -"E" and "L" through "C" in small monogram, below horse's head.
1883 (example 1) - "PETE" on fence, with chick hatching from egg below. This was a superb pictorial, and one of my more admired pieces. Like the "stork" pictorials, this "chick and egg" theme was almost certainly engraved as a christening gift.
1883 (example 2)- "Charley" in script above ornamental diagonal band, landscape with sunrise behind a mountain lake.
1884 - "J.J.T." above river scene with boats and the Brooklyn Bridge. A nice companion to the 1887 "Statue of Liberty" piece below. Both this and the coin below date within a year of the dedication of the New York City landmarks they portray.
1885 - "WJH" in banner across inverted horseshoe. Another "lucky horseshoe" piece.
1886 -"P. L." below lighthouse and seascape, with partial ornamental border and scroll above. I have a pet theory that the incredibly intricate engraving here was done in advance by one craftsman, then the initials were added later (perhaps at a fair or similar venue) by a less-competent engraver. Note the spur projecting from the curve of the "P", which appears to have been the result of a slipped tool. Contrast that seemingly sloppy work with the exquisite craftsmanship on the rest of the engraving.
1887 - "MA-MA" with Statue of Liberty scene and rope border. Like the "Brooklyn Bridge" piece above, the host coin dates to within a year of the opening of the New York City landmark. Though the work is simple, it is effective, making this topical love token a very special pictorial. In addition to being one of a pair of "NYC landmark" pieces I had, this 1887 "Mama" could also be paired with the 1876 "Papa" church scenic above. Ex-Heritage Long Beach Tokens & Medals Auction #110, Lot 29116, 09/2008.
1888 - "Ivy De" or "Joy De"(?) in script, with parachute (!) and ornamental border. Initially I was surprised to see a parachute shown on a love token whose host coin was struck 15 years before the Wright Brother's first airplane flight, but it turns out parachutes have a much longer history than powered aircraft, and date back at least as far as the Renaissance. It's uncertain what is dangling from this one, but it looks like it could be a little stick-figure man hanging on for dear life!
1890 (example 1) - "Jennie" in cursive script above ornamental diagonal band, sunburst above, seascape/beach scene with curiously slanted buildings, sailboat, and birds below. Note this coin's amazingly similar "twin" below, which came to light unexpectedly.
1890 (example 2) - NOT MY COIN. Note the eerie similarities between this coin and my example above! Same design, same name, but obviously different engravers at work. This bizarre coincidental "twin" to my piece was posted on the forums by CU member @abitofthisabitofthat when I posted the one above. From the looks of it, his was done by a more skilled artisan than my example was.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
Here's one last love token before I cease that little diversion. I overlooked this one yesterday, when were still doing the 1853-55 Arrows at Date dimes.
This was an interesting pictorial depicting 19th century tinsmithing tools. I called it "Ten Cents for the Tinsmith".
This interesting piece was rather modestly priced for a pictorial love token, and I suspect I only got to it because it was listed only in the eBay Seated dimes category. Had the seller also listed it under the love token category, somebody else would have probably snapped it up first.
OK, I'm done with the love token dimes for now. Resume normal business.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
From the looks of it, his was done by a more skilled artisan than my example was.
I think that your craftsman was better. On the second, the borders are stamped, as are the sun’s rays, and cross-hatching on the roof. He used a letter stencil, or the minims are punched, at least.
Comments
MS 66
MS66FS with photos courtesy of @robec
Top 10 Cal Fractional Type Set
successful BST with Ankurj, BigAl, Bullsitter, CommemKing, DCW(7), DesertMoon, Downtown1974, Elmerfusterpuck, Joelewis, Mach1ne, Minuteman810430, Modcrewman, Nankraut, Nederveit2, Philographer(5), Proofcollection, Realgator, Silverpop, SurfinxHI, TomB and Yorkshireman(3)
PCGS MS 68 Pop 3/1
Mr_Spud
It didn’t in my case. I bought it for just under Greysheet retail on eBay.
Newbie collector of type and circulated Peace dollars, photographer of places and animals, player of instruments and builder of amplifiers, espresso industry professional, and a person distracted by shiny objects. https://mycollect.com/Rule556/sets
Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
Good morning, and welcome to February 13th. (Yikes! Friday the Thirteenth! LOL)
Today we move into the dimes. Because we're working on a Dansco 7070 lineup, the earliest dime is the...
Capped Bust Dime Variety II (1828-37).
I say you could post an earlier Capped Bust (large size) dime if you want to. Those don't fit in the physical album due to their larger diameter, but we're working on a virtual album here, right?
Now. let's see what I have. Hmm... there isn't one in my current slabbed collection. I have a holed example in my "holey" 19th century type set, but do I have a photo of that? Hmm. Let's see...
Aha. Yes, I do. Looks like it has a hole from an old square nail. Those are always mildly interesting.
I have had problem-free examples in the past, of course, but have no pictures of any of them. If I was to guess what my former "best of type" example was, I'd imagine it was no better than VF.
A local detecting buddy of mine once dug (and later sold me) a nice 1820 with the STATESOFAMERICA variety. Alas, no pics of that one survive.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
Since our OP host invited the Type 1’s to join the Dansco 7070 Type 2 Capped Bust Dimes for today, here’s one of each:
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
MS63 CAC from PAN
Top 10 Cal Fractional Type Set
successful BST with Ankurj, BigAl, Bullsitter, CommemKing, DCW(7), DesertMoon, Downtown1974, Elmerfusterpuck, Joelewis, Mach1ne, Minuteman810430, Modcrewman, Nankraut, Nederveit2, Philographer(5), Proofcollection, Realgator, Silverpop, SurfinxHI, TomB and Yorkshireman(3)
Casual collector slowly building a collection....
Mr_Spud
Your consistency of beautiful AU58 examples is stunning !!! congratulations
Top 10 Cal Fractional Type Set
successful BST with Ankurj, BigAl, Bullsitter, CommemKing, DCW(7), DesertMoon, Downtown1974, Elmerfusterpuck, Joelewis, Mach1ne, Minuteman810430, Modcrewman, Nankraut, Nederveit2, Philographer(5), Proofcollection, Realgator, Silverpop, SurfinxHI, TomB and Yorkshireman(3)
I found this one at an Early American Coppers convention years ago.
And here is the large size type, which does not fit in the Dansco album hole.
From the album... ex-PCGS30...
Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
I only have a Type 1
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
@robec That is one hell of a type 1.
Agreed! ⭐️😍
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
Happy to post again! This is one from the album:
And the album itself:
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1106661/date-set-album-for-capped-bust-dimes#latest
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you.
https://www.donahuenumismatics.com/.
Good morning, welcome to February 14th, and happy Valentine’s Day.
Today we move on to the Liberty Seated Dime Stars (1838-60).
I see no reason you couldn’t also post an 1837-38 No Stars dime if you wanted to. I’ve never understood why the 7070 album omits the No Stars half dimes and dimes, unless it was a matter of space?
Can’t recall what my past “best of type” example was. Maybe MS63.
This is my most recent example of the type. I just traded it away. As a Type collector, one should probably do common dates in better grades. With this one, I had it the other way ‘round: a better date in common grade. Despite the modest grade, it was a nice coin.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
MS65 from NEN
Top 10 Cal Fractional Type Set
successful BST with Ankurj, BigAl, Bullsitter, CommemKing, DCW(7), DesertMoon, Downtown1974, Elmerfusterpuck, Joelewis, Mach1ne, Minuteman810430, Modcrewman, Nankraut, Nederveit2, Philographer(5), Proofcollection, Realgator, Silverpop, SurfinxHI, TomB and Yorkshireman(3)
So just like yesterday, the host of this OP is inviting the previous/initial design of today’s Seated Type Dime, here’s my 1837 “No Stars”, along with my regular holding:
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
Casual collector slowly building a collection....
CAC POP 1/3, F-103, R-4
End Systemic Elitism - It Takes All of Us
ANA LM, LSCC, EAC, FUN
Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
.
Mr_Spud
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
This is the type that got me to start making albums and is tied with half dimes for being my favorite. The below coins all reside in that album and I've uploaded one from each decade.
And this was the first post about that album. I reread it every so often because of the comments.
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1066141/i-made-my-own-album-for-seated-liberty-dimes#latest
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you.
https://www.donahuenumismatics.com/.
I once collected Seated and Barber dime love tokens by host coin date.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
Those are some awesome love tokens. I have an 1891 that I'll post along with that type.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you.
https://www.donahuenumismatics.com/.
Before we transition from Saturday’s type to Sunday’s type, here is one of each.
This is a matched pair of love token “twins” that managed to stay together for more than a century and a half. I suspect they must have been used in earrings. Note the identical engravings.
1842 with stars
1855 with arrows
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
Good morning. It is Sunday the 15th.
Today we cover the Liberty Seated Dime with Arrows (1853-55).
Here is an 1853 PCGS AU53 I used to have. I can’t recall if this was my previous “best of type”, or if I owned an MS62-63 at one point.
Here are some more love tokens, on Arrows type dimes.
1853 host coin
1854 host coin
1855 host coin. This last one you saw in the post above, with its 1842 “twin” coin.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
AU 58+ (CAC)
.WARNING!!!! Before you look at this coin, especially in-hand, you MUST put on a pair of sunglasses! Otherwise you might go blind from the bright light, lol.
Yes, it’s been dipped. But apparently it was done gently enough to still merit a CAC sticker! “Out the window” with originality!
On the serious side, while “knowledgeable” collectors want toned coins that demonstrate “originality”, I have found over the years that there’s a large minority of collectors that desire blast white silver coins, even from the 19th Century. How do I know this? From the spirited auction bidding on high grade blast white highly lustrous coins with a CAC sticker! Admittedly, not for everyone, but it’s desired by more collectors than one would think!
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
That’s a beauty! I like them, toned and white, they all are beautiful to me…
If I remember, I assume that Monday is the later seated dimes, I’ve got one with beautiful color to post when the time arrives…
My YouTube Channel
Casual collector slowly building a collection....
That’s a beauty. I for one happen to like my BU and proof coins (especially Gems like that) to be untoned- or only very lightly toned.
It is only on circulated stuff XF and under that I prefer them “crusty”, with contrasting grey toning (the “CircCam” look).
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
Mr_Spud
outstanding !!
Top 10 Cal Fractional Type Set
successful BST with Ankurj, BigAl, Bullsitter, CommemKing, DCW(7), DesertMoon, Downtown1974, Elmerfusterpuck, Joelewis, Mach1ne, Minuteman810430, Modcrewman, Nankraut, Nederveit2, Philographer(5), Proofcollection, Realgator, Silverpop, SurfinxHI, TomB and Yorkshireman(3)
CAC POP 4/14, F-108a, R-5
End Systemic Elitism - It Takes All of Us
ANA LM, LSCC, EAC, FUN
Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
I'm loving that this thread is up to 10 pages now.
Here's my collection of the type, all raw in the album.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you.
https://www.donahuenumismatics.com/.
Good morning. It is Monday the 16th. Today we move on to our next type, which is the...
Liberty Seated Dime, Legend Obverse (1860-91).
Here is the one in my primary collection. It has never been to CAC on my watch. (I've never made a CAC submission on any of my US coins.)
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
I hope y'all will find this post interesting, and not a digression from the main theme.
Back around 2008, I avidly collected love tokens done on dimes. These are just some of the ones on post-1860 Legend Obverse Seated dimes. By no means all of the ones I had. This was back in my flatbed scanner imaging era, so the pics aren't the greatest.
1861 - "RWS" - all three of my initials in the proper sequence, plus a marsh scene (I live in the Marshes of Glynn in GA). I couldn't pull the BIN trigger on this one fast enough, when I saw it on eBay. Also, that morning, a stork had flown across the road in front of me on my commute. An omen, perhaps.
1863 - Clothing stud mount. An ugly piece, but on a better-date host coin. Definitely scarce as a love token.
1872 - "JWD" with geometric design and stork in well-executed marsh scene with flying birds in sky. I surmise all these storks on love tokens denoted baby christening gifts.
1873 arrows - Pictorial of a single masted schooner sailing left in seascape with waves and birds. Relatively simple artwork. Though I would have paid a premium for it as a pictorial, it wasn't that expensive, as I recall.
1875 (example #1) - "Will" and two-masted schooner sailing right over textured waves. While the obverse and reverse were toned differently, the difference was not as pronounced as it is in these poor scans. (All of these were imaged in my flatbed scanner era.)
1875 (example #2) -Victorian firefighter's hose carriage, name (undecipherable) engraved below
1876 (example #1) - "Papa" in fancy script below landscape with church scene. A very nice scenic pictorial, despite some wear. I was lucky enough to pick it up quite cheaply, too. This 1876 "Papa" piece pairs nicely with the 1887 "Mama" Statue of Liberty pictorial below.
1876 (example #2)- "OVER THE GARDEN WALL / " R (G?) E. C.", (fox? cat?) leaping over stone wall in pursuit of another animal whose tail can be seen, dog chasing bird below. A great pictorial piece.
1876 (example #3) -Victorian "penny-farthing" (high wheel) bicycle in landscape with foliage and cattail plant in foreground, bird in sky.
1877 - "ELB" in inverted horseshoe, with flourishes and border. These "horseshoe" pieces were almost certainly used as "good luck" talismans.
1879 - Key date. Rare; exceedingly so as a love token. "A" and "J" in monogram with ornamental border. This not only had a high grade host coin, but is likely one of only a tiny handful of surviving love tokens on 1879 dimes. Unfortunately I never got good photos of this piece, so we'll have to rely on low-quality scans.
1880 (example 1) - Key date. Rare, especially as a love token. "C", "I" (or "J"), & "L" in monogram with ornamental border.
I cherrypicked this piece in a bulk lot for only $7.50! Not long before that, I had bought a different one (below) for about $125.00. I resold the $125.00 example at cost, and kept the lucky cherrypick. Apparently the owner of the source bulk lot of dime love tokens didn't think to check it for key date coins!
1880 (example 2) - Another key date 1880 dime. This is the one I had paid $125.00 for. The one above was the one I cherrypicked for only $7.50. I kept the cherrypicked one and resold this one at cost, later.
1881 - Key date. Rare, especially as a love token. "A", "H", and "W" in monogram, with flourishes. While the key date 1879, 1880 and 1881 dimes had relatively tiny mintages and were struck only at Philadelphia, it was the "golden age" of love token engraving, which lasted from about the mid-1870s until the end of the century. As such, a fair number of these key-date coins got made into love tokens, unlike the earlier key dates from the 1840s. However, when you're talking about such a tiny mintage like the 24,000 struck in 1881, that's not a very big number to begin with. I was fortunate to add an 1881 to the collection.
1882 -"E" and "L" through "C" in small monogram, below horse's head.
1883 (example 1) - "PETE" on fence, with chick hatching from egg below. This was a superb pictorial, and one of my more admired pieces. Like the "stork" pictorials, this "chick and egg" theme was almost certainly engraved as a christening gift.
1883 (example 2)- "Charley" in script above ornamental diagonal band, landscape with sunrise behind a mountain lake.
1884 - "J.J.T." above river scene with boats and the Brooklyn Bridge. A nice companion to the 1887 "Statue of Liberty" piece below. Both this and the coin below date within a year of the dedication of the New York City landmarks they portray.
1885 - "WJH" in banner across inverted horseshoe. Another "lucky horseshoe" piece.
1886 -"P. L." below lighthouse and seascape, with partial ornamental border and scroll above. I have a pet theory that the incredibly intricate engraving here was done in advance by one craftsman, then the initials were added later (perhaps at a fair or similar venue) by a less-competent engraver. Note the spur projecting from the curve of the "P", which appears to have been the result of a slipped tool. Contrast that seemingly sloppy work with the exquisite craftsmanship on the rest of the engraving.
1887 - "MA-MA" with Statue of Liberty scene and rope border. Like the "Brooklyn Bridge" piece above, the host coin dates to within a year of the opening of the New York City landmark. Though the work is simple, it is effective, making this topical love token a very special pictorial. In addition to being one of a pair of "NYC landmark" pieces I had, this 1887 "Mama" could also be paired with the 1876 "Papa" church scenic above. Ex-Heritage Long Beach Tokens & Medals Auction #110, Lot 29116, 09/2008.
1888 - "Ivy De" or "Joy De"(?) in script, with parachute (!) and ornamental border. Initially I was surprised to see a parachute shown on a love token whose host coin was struck 15 years before the Wright Brother's first airplane flight, but it turns out parachutes have a much longer history than powered aircraft, and date back at least as far as the Renaissance. It's uncertain what is dangling from this one, but it looks like it could be a little stick-figure man hanging on for dear life!
1890 (example 1) - "Jennie" in cursive script above ornamental diagonal band, sunburst above, seascape/beach scene with curiously slanted buildings, sailboat, and birds below. Note this coin's amazingly similar "twin" below, which came to light unexpectedly.
1890 (example 2) - NOT MY COIN. Note the eerie similarities between this coin and my example above! Same design, same name, but obviously different engravers at work. This bizarre coincidental "twin" to my piece was posted on the forums by CU member @abitofthisabitofthat when I posted the one above. From the looks of it, his was done by a more skilled artisan than my example was.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
Here's one last love token before I cease that little diversion. I overlooked this one yesterday, when were still doing the 1853-55 Arrows at Date dimes.
This was an interesting pictorial depicting 19th century tinsmithing tools. I called it "Ten Cents for the Tinsmith".
This interesting piece was rather modestly priced for a pictorial love token, and I suspect I only got to it because it was listed only in the eBay Seated dimes category. Had the seller also listed it under the love token category, somebody else would have probably snapped it up first.
OK, I'm done with the love token dimes for now. Resume normal business.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
@ lordmarcovan demurred:
I think that your craftsman was better. On the second, the borders are stamped, as are the sun’s rays, and cross-hatching on the roof. He used a letter stencil, or the minims are punched, at least.
Edited for clarity.