An 1816 Large Cent With Specific History Attached To It .

That is really cool! Thanks for sharing!

Great research and history...well done as always Exoguy

Excellent research ExoGuy, as usual and interesting back history as well, glad you were able to put it all together and acquire the counterstamped coin for your collection.

Fantastic work, ExoGuy!

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.

Possibly, his was a namesake, given to and from an admiring relative? It seems that this was a fairly common practice back then.




I'm doing my part, but it's a relatively small one. I've long been in touch with five other c/s collectors who are doing their part as well.

Catching on, it is. Auction results seem to be influencing the c/s market more than anything. The prices realized for this material has risen sharply in the past twenty years; this, as auction house archives attest. Heritage and Stacks are the chief influencers.

I'd liken the rise of interest in c/s's to that of Civil War tokens. Back in the 1970's to early 80's, the most common tokens sold for $3-$5, apiece. Presently, they're selling in the $17-$20 range. Both the CW tokens and the c/s's are largely valued for their history and scarcity of better issues.

THANKS, kbbpll !! There's lots of additional info in the second obit.

I often check the Find-a-Grave website but didn't do that in this case. I obviously need to make it more of a habit. On occasion, I've posted pics of a subject's c/s and/or other info on that website. I also keep paper files to eventually accompany a c/s when it moves on to the next owner. As such, I've printed out copies of Lysander's obits.

Help is ALWAYS appreciated !!

My thought is both, perhaps. I've seen many c/s's that were punched on the bias, so to speak. This effect results in the stamp being more prominent and conspicuously not part of the design. Also, note that this stamp is large, compared to many. Oftentimes, those applying small stamps tended to more carefully place them in a field or else incorporate/align the mark with the coin's design; this, a more artful approach, if you will.

Lysander's history tells us that he was a social sort of guy, As a mason and/or lodge member, he might well have pulled this coin from a pocket, like a calling card, as a means of introduction with a stranger. He could the follow-up with, "I apply this name stamp to rifles I make." Personally stamped coins were typically carried by masons and odd-fellows back then.

Another aspect to consider is that these were the old days, prior to folks carrying credit cards and driving licenses. During the Civil War, many soldiers carried a stamped medal, bearing their name, rank, regiment, etc. These would help identify their remains, if need be. More commonly though, a soldier's name was applied to his clothing. Identification was even somewhat important back then.

As an aside, these Civil War identification medals, typically made by diesinkers and stamped by sutlers, currently fetch between $1,500 and $3,000, apiece.