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 Replies: 18 / Views: 8,918 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
While visiting a relative earlier this week I decided to go visit various coin shops in his neighborhood. From one dealer I bought a large lot of mixed foreign coins and tokens. Among the various items was this piece which immediately struck my eye. Its a token apparently made from the armour plating of the CSS Virginia (ex USS Merrimac) which fought in the first ever battle between ironclads in the Civil War. Upon returning home from my trip I showed it to a local dealer I frequent who has some knowledge of civil war tokens. He told me it was listed in his Fuld guide as 498/499, though in his old edition of the guide it was listed it apparently is no longer listed in the newer versions of the guide. Obviously it is somewhat rusted, but the details appear much stronger than the two other examples I've seen photos of. The only recently example I could find a price on was sold on ebay on February 10th for $726. That example was quite inferior to this one in that its reverse was entirely obliterated. I've never attempted to conserve an iron coin before, is it even possible? Would NCS be able to do anything to improve this marvelous piece of history? And does anyone know what this example might fetch at auction? -XoG   |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2830 Posts |
beautiful piece of history !
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Very nice specimen. Congrats on your find!
Given its rarity and value, it is my opinion that NGC would indeed be the route to take if you intend on having it conserved. NGC is my go-to for such conservations. Worse case, they won't touch it.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
- CC
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2589 Posts |
Since this is no longer listed in Fuld because it was struck circa 1867 rather than during the Civil War itself, does anyone have a copy of Schenkman's book Monitor & Merrimac Tokens and Medals that they can look up the catalog number in? I imagine ill need it when this gets submitted to the TPG. -XoG |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10038 Posts |
GREAT find! Something like this is amazing.
How much squash could a Sasquatch squash if a Sasquatch would squash squash? Download and read: Grading the graders Costly TPG ineptitude and No FG Kennedy halveshttps://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3229 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
How many of these were made?
Probably the best way to preserve an iron coin would be to spray it with acrylic laquer, then seal it in a screw capsule.
The coin would have to be kept in a jar with silica gel for a few weeks first, before attempting this procedure.
I think any attempt to passivate the rust would only upset the patina, perhaps turn the whole coin black.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
I recommend sticking with NGC rather than trying to mitigate oneself.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
Its going out to NCS later this week, and then to NGC once it gets back.
But does anyone have a copy of the Schenkman book that this is listed in?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1721 Posts |
Since living in Virginia and meeting many civil war buffs one of the things I learned that they didn't teach me in school was: The USS Monitor and the USS Merrimack never did battle against each other. The CSS Virginia was the ship that fought the Monitor. The only thing the Merrimack and the Virginia shared was the ships hull. I never knew this until after I moved to Virginia and I was in my late 20's. I've told other people this fact and they tell me I'm making it up. There is a crossing here called the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel. The pure historians were very upset with this name. I guess when the victors write the history books, they can change the facts to suit their needs. They also misspelled the Merrimack without the 'K.' Interesting link: http://cssvirginia.org/vacsn/base/name.htm |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Quote:
XavierOfGreen wrote: Its going out to NCS later this week, and then to NGC once it gets back.
But does anyone have a copy of the Schenkman book that this is listed in? Glad to hear you're going with the NCS conservation. I should be able to give you its catalogue number later in the coming week if no one else advises in the meantime. Edited by CheetahCats
04/06/2013 3:53 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4416 Posts |
This token is cataloged by Schenkman as ME-1. He lists a total of 9 MErrimac items, most of which were made by the Old Dominion Iron & Nail Works of Richmond, Va. This company apparently acquired the metal for their products from a salvage company. Some of the products, and possibly the ME-1's, were sold at the Jamestown (Va.) Exposition in 1907. There were also wooden Merrimac souvenirs that were sold, too, but Schenckman addressed only the metal souvenirs in his catalog.
Schenkman wrote that most specimens are holed. I surmise that the holed specimens were intended to be worn in some fashion. Great conversation pieces, these!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
Thanks for the info! I've read elsewhere that most specimens are holed, but interestingly enough most of the few example that have sold or been listed for sale recently that I could find were not holed but with very advanced rust decay that had obliterated most of the details on the token. This specimen is by far better than any I've seen images of so far.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4416 Posts |
I have an unholed specimen in my collection. It appears to have been plated (silver?) at one time. All of these that I've seen, about ten specimens, evidence mushy detail. I do think that your specimen has stronger detail, and IMHO, the environmental damage may have, in effect, enhanced the detail. Another possibility is that the original owner lost your piece not long after purchasing it, thereby nullifying the wear that a pocket-piece would ordinarily be subjected to.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8516 Posts |
Any updates on this ?
Oregon coin geek.....*** GO BEAVS ! ! ! ***
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Replies: 18 / Views: 8,918 |
Posted 03/29/2013 11:30 pm
