An 1857 Quarter With An A. Lincoln Counterstamp

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

Author	Replies: 10 / Views: 447
ExoGuy Pillar of the Community United States 4415 Posts	Posted 02/12/2026 03:23 am As happens many a morning to me, this old geyser awoke with visions of counterstamps dancing in my head. It's February 12, I thought, Abe Lincoln's birthday, so why not post a pair of A. LINCOLN counterstamps on the CCF? While I've been unable to make any historical connection for these counterstamps to Abe, I can't rule out that possibility, either. Since Abe wasn't a Freemason, a tradesman and didn't hold any patents, it's unlikely that these pieces were his issue. Still, flights of fancy tend to be commonplace for many of us collectors ... Some years following my acquisition of the 1857 quarter, I acquired an 1837 Canadian token that bears a matching A. LINCOLN counterstamp. Note the letter size, spacing and serifs on the two pieces. Consider that the variable force used to apply a punch can distort the appearance of a stamping. Given my awareness that many Canadian tokens (being a cent's worth of copper) freely circulated in the New England states prior to the Civil War, this second specimen prompted me to renew my effort to attribute this stamp. I ultimately did come up with a better prospect than Honest Abe. One Alexander Lincoln (no middle initial) was a metal worker. He exhibited his product at the 1844 Mechanic's Fair, held in Boston, Massachusetts. It was an ornamental, pyramid, cooking stove that was purported to be airtight. His name appeared in the 1848 Boston City Directory, listed at 8 Market Square. In addition to stoves, Alexander produced tinware products. Now, if only I could find a surviving tinware artifact from Boston that bears a matching A. LINCOLN mark, I'd have a proof-positive attribution! Report this Post to the Staff

smat45 Pillar of the Community United States 2330 Posts	Posted 02/12/2026 04:29 am Nice write-up! Quote: Now, if only I could find a surviving tinware artifact from Boston that bears a matching A. LINCOLN mark, I'd have a proof-positive attribution! That would be so cool! Good luck! smat Report this Post to the Staff
ExoGuy Pillar of the Community United States 4415 Posts	Posted 02/12/2026 08:22 am Thanks for the kindly reply and well-wishes, SMAT. I've managed to match many hundreds of c/s's like this one over the years. Internet access has much facilitated my attribution efforts over the past twenty years. My hopes on this one are slim though because the metal products were likely low-cost tin. Antique oblects made of steel, iron and silver are far better survivors. Thus, matching the markings on guns. tools, instruments, jewelry, brass products, etc. offer better percentages of success. Report this Post to the Staff
HondoB Bedrock of the Community United States 24894 Posts	Posted 02/12/2026 09:03 am Very interesting counterstamps, ExoGuy! There may be some of A. Lincoln's wares stashed away in some obscure museum up in New England. It will be a tough attribution for sure! Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 187582 Posts	Posted 02/12/2026 10:02 am Interesting examples and thank you for sharing! Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
Pmint1 Valued Member United States 465 Posts	Posted 02/12/2026 10:22 am That is fascinating. Were counter stamps ever used in political campaigns? Report this Post to the Staff
mrwiskers Pillar of the Community United States 1780 Posts	Posted 02/12/2026 11:36 am ExoGuy ... I agree with your assessment of the counterstamps. The font , spacing & letter size seems to be identical on both coins ... direction & force of strike can certainly slightly alter features of the stamp... ...when trying to identify & date hand struck Spanish cobs, one must consider such distortions when trying to match die designs ... ...to my eyes, both coins appear to have been struck with the same punch... ...really neat finds & hope you can unravel the mystery ... Report this Post to the Staff
Errers and Varietys Bedrock of the Community United States 73607 Posts	Posted 02/12/2026 8:57 pm Great write up and coin! Thank you for posting. Errers and Varietys. Report this Post to the Staff
ExoGuy Pillar of the Community United States 4415 Posts	Posted 02/12/2026 10:41 pm Quote: Were counter stamps ever used in political campaigns? @Pmint1 ... Offhand, I'm unable to cite any early c/s's that were specifically created for political campaigns. That said, there are some c/s's that point to political movements at large. Notable among them is the VOTE THE LAND FREE issue which addressed westward expansion. Another issue, MY (star), was quite likely an abolitionist issue that referred to the North Star as a path to freedom for slaves. It's noteworthy that a few dozen or more of both issues today survive. In comparison to most c/s's, this amounts to a significant number. Consider that, of the now more than 3,000 c/s's in my collection, just over 2,000 of them today survive in numbers of 20 pieces or less. Edited by ExoGuy 02/12/2026 10:43 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Dearborn Moderator United States 94699 Posts	Posted 02/13/2026 7:52 pm quite interesting. I hope you find what you are looking for. Collecting since 1972. Learning from then on "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin 7070 type set coin count: 51/76 Uncirculated American Silver Eagles My American Silver Eagle Proof Collection Sacagawea Dollars Innovation Dollars Eisenhower-Dollars Kennedy-Half Dollars Washington-Quarters Roosevelt-Dimes Buffalo-Nickels 1938-2005 Jefferson-Nickels Lincoln-Cents Report this Post to the Staff
MrPink2018 Pillar of the Community United States 2459 Posts	Posted 02/14/2026 7:14 pm how cool that is, nice piece of history. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 10 / Views: 447

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

All Forums Category: US Coins and Currency Forums Forum: US Classic and Colonial Coins

The First Dollar, your premier source for bullion and rare coins. See our bullion list on the site and the coin inventory on ebay.

Silver Gold Bull US is the United States leading bullion dealer. We deliver gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, silver bars and precious metals to your door. Order today!

View Last 100 New Topics

Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum

It took 0.41 seconds to rattle this change.