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 Replies: 17 / Views: 2,015 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
756 Posts |
Here is one of my more unique coins. this is a 1793 chain cent. its the sheldon-3 variety which is the America type. Rarity 3- means this is the most common chain variety. what makes this coin special is a counterstamp on the obverse that is traceable to a specific time and location. the counterstamp is the hallmark of goldsmith and jeweler Richard Cutler. Mr. Cutler lived and worked in Newhaven Connecticut till his death in 1810. around the year 1800 Richard partnered with his sons, Richard, Jr. and William, to form Richard Cutler & Sons. This new company used a different stamp. Cutler was prolific enough that some of his work is currently housed in the Smithsonian Institute. one day I hope to find a bowl or a spoon or something to pair with this coin. Obverse:  Reverse:  The stamp:  Information from a book on New England smiths:  This coin has an entry in the Brunk book:  A list of known smiths and their hallmarks:  This coin was in a PCGS holder. I took it out of the holder because I wanted to touch it. I find the real and tangible connection to the past to be very compelling. additionally this coin isn't valuable based on condition. I like to tell people that you could play hockey with this coin without impacting its financial value.  Some biographical info on Richard Cutler: Married Hannah Howell on 29 July 1767 in New Haven Buried in New Haven Working in New Haven in 1760. Erected a shop at Church and Chapel Sts, known for more than a century as Cutler's Corner Notice in Connecticut Courant (May 6, 1763) Hartford: "last Saturday evening was brought to town and committed to Gaol (where he rested till Yesterday Morning) and then was conducted to New Haven Gaol. There to wait for his trial, the person who lately broke open and robbed the shop of Mr. Richard Cutler, Goldsmith, in New Haven." He was a partner from 1800 to 1810 with Richard and William Cutler in New Haven as RICHARD CUTLER & SONS |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11896 Posts |
 Really interesting. Thanks for sharing. Do you know why the coin has what appears to be a scalloped edge? It looks like it was done by hammering the reverse. Some large cents were used to shape pies or pie crusts. Was this item perhaps once used as a utilitarian every day implement? Looks remarkably well preserved inside the edges. All significant details of the design are distinctly visible which cannot be said of the vast majority of chain cents one comes across. The color and surfaces are outstanding. IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.com |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
756 Posts |
i dont know the reason for the scalloping for certain.
what I think is going on is that this was used to test tools or techniques by cutler. I like to imagine that it was used to train the kids. scalloped edges were quite common around the time this would have happened.
another theory is that it was being used as a business card or store card and the edge treatment was done to fancy up the coin. I find this less likely. if they were making store card out of coins I would expect to see more survivors.
i thing PCGS severely undergraded the details on this coin. I have seen coins graded by them in the fine and low vf range that have less meat.
Edited by CarrsCoins
09/03/2022 1:59 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
735 Posts |
Interesting read & very neat coin
I've been collecting for a couple years... Favorite Coin's are Standing Liberty quarters, Working on my type set | Coffee, Corvettes, Coins & the CCF what could be better? |
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Valued Member
Canada
363 Posts |
I always like a good story attached to a coin and yours fit the bill. Remarkable to think that it was through many hands since Cutler pushed it across the counter for the first time in his shop all those years ago...and here we are still talking about it today, now that's a story!
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Moderator
 United States
34424 Posts |
Quote:
additionally this coin isn't valuable based on condition. I'd like to gently push back on this assertion as even chain cents in their basal state seem to carry some value. When I was working on my large cent collection, a chain cent was one of the few that I never quite managed to pick up. I agree that this is a great example. Thx for posting! "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
756 Posts |
i guess what I'm trying to say is that the type and history are where they value lies with this coin. playing hockey with it is a bit excessive, but if it picked up a big staple scratch I dont think the price point would change one bit. you scratch a PL morgan and a ton of the value evaporates. this one I can hand to my sticky fingered nephew, the kid could drop it and it wouldnt be a big deal.
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Moderator
United States
34424 Posts |
Yes 100% agree with that @carr!
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
Edited by thq
09/03/2022 3:25 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3848 Posts |
That is amazing!! Fantastic coin, and the history attached to the counterstamp is incredible. Thank you for sharing.
Suffering from bust half fever. Want to learn how to attribute early half dollars by die variety? Click Here: http://goccf.com/t/434955Shoot me a PM if you are looking to sell bust halves. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
756 Posts |
@thq - thats pretty interesting. its an E. Cutler, so not the exact same stamp. I wonder if there is a family connection. in the listing they say the piece is from boston. I guess I have something new to research. thanks!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
Silversmithing went through many generations in several families. Two well known ones were the Batemans in England and the Moultons in Newburyport. The earlier the piece the more it's worth. And if the maker is Revere the sky's the limit.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Pillar of the Community
United States
753 Posts |
This is a fascinating coin--thanks so much for sharing it and the story behind it. What a treasure you have!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2362 Posts |
Thanks for sharing this interesting story. The coin is fascinating.
Member ANA and EAC "You got to lose to know how to win". Dream On by Aerosmith |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4416 Posts |
@ CarrsCoins .... Great coin and story to match! Having long collected silversmith counterstamps, hallmarks and retail marks, myself, I've typically sought to find silver go-alongs, bearing matching stamps; most often, spoons. Have you looked for such a mate for this piece? I thoroughly concur with cracking pieces like this out of mundane slabs; especially so, ones that state the obvious - Damage! It's akin to labeling a driver's license as "human being." These TPG'ers sure show their ignorance when it comes to slabbing counterstamps. You may be right about the damage coming from experimenting with a tool. Consider that the stamp, itself is very well-centered upon Lady Liberty, while the major rim damage is confined to the reverse. Quite possibly, this coin may have long ago been mounted or encased? Just a thought .... Fun to speculate, methinks. BTW, I heartily concur with you about this piece being under-graded. Great chain! Edited by ExoGuy
09/04/2022 4:22 pm
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Replies: 17 / Views: 2,015 |
Posted 09/03/2022 1:40 pm
