The style of the letters makes me think it is a Betts fantasy. We did a nice thread on them a while back. TD
Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Author "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," due out late 2025.
<< <i>The style of the letters makes me think it is a Betts fantasy. We did a nice thread on them a while back. TD >>
There are similar counterstamps of confederation-era coins and early large cents, though generally with serrated rather than beaded borders. They all look like they've circulated long after counterstamping, so I doubt that Betts had annything to do with them. There also aren't any listed in the Betts items the ANS has in their searchable listings.
If I want to pull some information out of... umm... thin air, I'd guess that these are Canadian and are somehow similar to "Blacksmith" tokens. But you see how confident I am about that.
I am just going by the style of the lettering, very spindly with exaggerated serifs. Look at the S on this piece and on the LIBER NATUS piece in the other thread. Couldn't prove my theory if my life depended on it, but I have a strong hunch I am correct. TD
Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Author "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," due out late 2025.
Comments
<< <i>What kind of mark is that "MS" it looks raised so must have been sunk into the die? >>
my guess is that they removed metal around the letters to get that
raised look... then buffed smooth.
how ironic the two letters stand for mint state in the coin world ;-)
<< <i>
<< <i>What kind of mark is that "MS" it looks raised so must have been sunk into the die? >>
my guess is that they removed metal around the letters to get that
raised look... then buffed smooth. >>
Maybe. Whatever it is, there is definately a market for this kind of weird stuff.
TD
They call me "Pack the Ripper"
<< <i>The style of the letters makes me think it is a Betts fantasy. We did a nice thread on them a while back.
TD >>
There are similar counterstamps of confederation-era coins and early large cents, though generally with serrated rather than beaded borders. They all look like they've circulated long after counterstamping, so I doubt that Betts had annything to do with them. There also aren't any listed in the Betts items the ANS has in their searchable listings.
If I want to pull some information out of... umm... thin air, I'd guess that these are Canadian and are somehow similar to "Blacksmith" tokens. But you see how confident I am about that.
Ed. S.
(EJS)
Couldn't prove my theory if my life depended on it, but I have a strong hunch I am correct.
TD