to the Community! 
Posted 03/18/2013 1:23 pm
Welcome to the CCF, StuartMontgomeryNo1.
A pic often helps, yet that's not likely in this case. Often, the counterstamp's style and size yields some clue as to its origin or at least helps eliminate some of the possibilities.
I took a quick look at my Brunk and Rulau volumes, those being the principal reference works for American counterstamps. There are no listings apparent for an S.S. GREEn, GREEly, GREEnleaf or the like. Being unlisted means nothing special. In all probability, 80-90% of U.S. counterstamps fall into the unlisted category. Indeed, the better counterstamps, most of the classic ones, have been largely listed and written about for over a hundred years.
Whereas the name, most likely GREEN, is very common, the S.S. initials are an uncommon combination and may someday help solve the mystery of this issuer. The discovery of another specimen, having a complete surname and/or other information, like the city/state/occupation, may help determine attribution.
Your nickel is post-Civil War, and I've generally found it more difficult to attribute issuers from that era and later, given the rapid population growth. For the time being, anyway, I'd say that you have a "maverick" on your hands.
A pic often helps, yet that's not likely in this case. Often, the counterstamp's style and size yields some clue as to its origin or at least helps eliminate some of the possibilities.
I took a quick look at my Brunk and Rulau volumes, those being the principal reference works for American counterstamps. There are no listings apparent for an S.S. GREEn, GREEly, GREEnleaf or the like. Being unlisted means nothing special. In all probability, 80-90% of U.S. counterstamps fall into the unlisted category. Indeed, the better counterstamps, most of the classic ones, have been largely listed and written about for over a hundred years.
Whereas the name, most likely GREEN, is very common, the S.S. initials are an uncommon combination and may someday help solve the mystery of this issuer. The discovery of another specimen, having a complete surname and/or other information, like the city/state/occupation, may help determine attribution.
Your nickel is post-Civil War, and I've generally found it more difficult to attribute issuers from that era and later, given the rapid population growth. For the time being, anyway, I'd say that you have a "maverick" on your hands.
