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 Replies: 14 / Views: 2,151 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
Any info on a Half Cent counterstamped G.W.C.. listed as Brunk C-53. Rarity, Merchant etc... I do not have a pic or reference for the listing. Any help greatly appreciated. |
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
I'm an early copper nut, but counterstamps are not my thing. I know there are hundreds though.
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4897 Posts |
I'm not "into" counterstamps either.I have never heard of the Brunk numbers. Was hoping some body might have the reference materials.
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Valued Member
United States
386 Posts |
I dug this out from a 2011 EAC sale. Perhaps this is the coin? 1850 C-1 R2- VF35. Counterstamped Brunk C-53. "G.W.C." has been stamped twice onto the obverse, once dead-center from the nose to the ear, and another lower and slightly to the left underneath the chin. These bulge out the reverse somewhat, giving Half Cent an unnatural appearance. Medium brown color with some mixed hues that suggest an ancient cleaning. There is a pic at the link (Go to item listing #97): http://www.eacs.org/catalogs/EAC2011_1.pdfEdited by sjh241
10/19/2012 10:11 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
Thanks thats the stamp. This one is 1849 though.
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Valued Member
United States
386 Posts |
Does the half-cent look like this:  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
Exactly!....Almost...it has two horizontal stamps
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Valued Member
United States
386 Posts |
I don't know too much about the specific merchants for counter-stamps, I just started learning about the counter-stamp collecting.
After doing some light checking, the Brunk C-53 GWC counter-stamp has crossed various on-line sales and auctions. I think the earliest ones I have seen have been in the teens.
There is a counter-stamp topic on the EAC forums. I don't know how active it is but I could ask if anyone is familiar with that particular merchant. I know from history GWC (or GWIC) was the name used by the Dutch West Indian company but I doubt it's the same. I think they died out around the late 18th century.
Edited by sjh241
10/19/2012 11:19 pm
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Pillar of the Community
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4897 Posts |
Yeah. I really need to join EAC. If you would ask that would be cool. I would love to know what the Brunk listing says. Someone there must have that reference....
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Valued Member
United States
386 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4416 Posts |
There are more than fifty specimens recorded, and there may well be over a hundred extant. The latest date recorded as yet is 1851. Thus, the like era of issue was the early 1850's. All the ones I've seen have been on Half Cents. This suggests to me that these may have been used as checks, tallies or perhaps gaming tokens of sorts. Brunk offered an arguably tentative attribution in the person of George W. Collins of Urbana, Illinois. Brunk observed that the counterstamp's letters matched those of Collins, both in size and style, as used on photographic materials that he sold ... Collins was a photographer, a daguerreian, from 1854-79. The problem with this attribution, as I see it, is that of the dates. Considering Collins' working years, 1854-79, why are there no later-dated "G.W.C" counterstamps as yet recorded? Brunk noted that there were other possible issuers for this mark, being G.W. Capron, G.W. Chapin, an arms inspector ... likely many others, too. More evidence is definitely needed to comfortably attribute these G.W.C marks. |
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Pillar of the Community
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Glad you found this Exo! Thank you very much! Precisely the insight I was looking for.
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Pillar of the Community
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4416 Posts |
Always happy to chime in with some observations and thoughts, Amida. Counterstamps are very intriguing to me. I'll venture that this c/s was issued by a "George Washington C___?____." Back then, many a parent honored our first president as such. The trick is to now match that mark on something other than a coin. Another possibility may be that a different mark accompanying G.W.C may someday provide added insight. One thing that troubles me much in today's marketplace is that eager sellers are all to quick to claim a positive attribution for a counterstamp, based simply on hearsay that's questionable at best. My guess is that this post may well result in some future ebay seller definitively claiming that a G.W.C c/s is "assuredly" that of Collins, the daguerreian, the photographer, the artist - as they were then called. Personally, I want more proof, even though I have five of these pieces in my collection. |
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Valued Member
United States
386 Posts |
Some additional info posted on the EAC site. Some of it may be in duplicate from Exoguys thorough summary: Brunk (1987) lists 33 examples of the G.W.C counterstamps, his #15485. Interestingly they are all on Half Cents dated between 1803 and 1851. His listing does not attribute the issuer and with just 3 letters to deal with it is unlikely that the issuer will be known unless someone finds this same punch on some object or tool, or possibly in relation to some other stamping that can be traced. Brunk's book suggests a value of 10-15 dollars so one could safely assume the value today would be double or triple a 1987 price (depending upon the eye appeal of the piece in question) Hope this helps Randy Edited by sjh241
10/20/2012 6:16 pm
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Pillar of the Community
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Replies: 14 / Views: 2,151 |
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Posted 10/19/2012 9:17 pm
