A Dangerous Counterstamp On Ebay ... Vote The Land Free

What would a original sell for? And how scarce are they

I wouldn't mind owning it, myself, but it may go for more than I would pay for a simple conversation piece. This one, on a modern host coin, can't be mistaken for a vintage piece. Yet, it is useful for the sake of comparison and to drive home the point that a collector is wise to do his homework.

Buy the book before the coin!





Based upon what I've seen and read, I'd estimate that between 100 and 200 original pieces exist. As I recall, some 80+ pieces had been documented by Brunk and Rulau in 2004. As these tend to sell for $100-$150 or more, I'd venture that the majority, formerly residing in the junk drawers of collectors, have since been exhumed and entered the market. The original dies for this issue reside in a Kansas museum.





IMHO, most serious collectors of counterstamps will be very displeased about this seller's venture. If he indeed placed his "creations" into circulation, his motivation is not profit. He makes no mention of the history behind the original counterstamp issue, so I doubt that his intention is a tribute in any sense. My best guess is that this seller's motive has something to do with present day politics; hence, the circulation aspect. Those who find his halves in circulation will undoubtedly view the stamping in light of these times in which we live, not those of the 1840's.

Hi. Ben ... The danger here is more that some have stamped early coins with this phrase and created fantasy pieces with intent to defraud. While there appears to be no such intent by this seller, his promotion of the practice, in effect, may well encourage others to create more deceitful imitations. I doubt that the faking of counterstamps will ever approach the levels of fake Chinese counterfeits we see nowadays, but the less that collectors face, the better.

If this same counterstamp was on an early coin, I'd not likely be fooled by it. That said, a more careful application of say a prepared single-punch might fool me; especially so, if I was in a place that lacked resources for comparison. In my travels, I've seen a number of coins bearing this particular counterstamp in its vintage style. Consider that, in comparison to most counterstamps, this variety is relatively plentiful. Thus, it'd be more possible to fool me, without resources at hand, on a less commonly seen variety.

A coin dealer I once knew said, "If I don't buy an occasional counterfeit, I'm not doing enough business." I admire his attitude, but many collectors literally can't afford to take that to heart, or purse, as the case may be.

Presently, the number of faked counterstamps in the marketplace is miniscule in comparison to the number of fake coins in general. If we consider all the "rare date" fakes being purchased on ebay and elsewhere by collectors, these far less seen counterstamps can more easily fool folks; and, particularly so, when touted by unscrupulous or misinformed sellers.

I'd argue here, Ben, that there are "amateurs" as you say who are active in all areas of collecting. One fitting euphemism for many an amateur is "investor." Another is "gambler." Surely, there's always some onus to be had by a buyer. That said, the seller bears some responsibility, too, does he not? Furthermore, if a novice coin collector learns that he has purchased a fake coin, he may well be soured on the hobby. In my fifty-plus years of collecting, I've seen this sad scenario repeated, time and again.

I'm mainly hoping that this thread will give would-be collectors of counterstamps a heads-up to do their homework, network and buy the books. Especially, buyers should beware of counterstamps that have misaligned letters, caused by the use of individual letter punches as opposed to a single, prepared logo-style punch.

It is a valuable service to the hobby that this thread was started. It has been fun to read though all the comments - even the ones calling my intentions into question. There has been some great commentary and some interesting and thought-provoking speculation. I would have to give the award to Ken Potter's post for his practical assessment which is in line with my own perspective.

I have collected counterstamps for years and at some point I decided to become a participant and not just an observer (collector). It was my way of "giving back" so that other collectors in the future would have some fun and historical things to collect just as I am able to do now.

Some clarifications: The VTLF text on the JFK half is done with individual punches that are considerably larger than the font of the prepared-punch original. So, there is no risk of anyone who has basic knowledge of the originals being fooled. That, and the fact that it was done on a 2014 half dollar.

One aspect of projects such as this is that I am hoping that someone who gets one of my coins in circulation might jump on the Internet and try to figure out what this strange coin is, and in the process they will be exposed to our hobby and learn some history.

As for selling a few examples on ebay, that is really for only one reason - to get word out to other collectors that these pieces exist and that they are modern counterstamps. These auctions start low and quite frankly I hope they end low. My goal is to let people see them and also to let anyone who is truly interested get one at a low price. I would be a bit embarrassed if they ever got bid up too high, and in cases where the price has gone higher than I expected I usually include some extra freebies.

As for the need to be informed and be wary of fakes, that is of course true and I think that is reinforced by discussions such as this one. Fake counterstamps are not common but they do exist, and anyone who collects counterstamps needs to be vigilant. I would think that a 2014 half dollar with a message from the 1840s would be a BIG reminder of all of this and should serve as a wakeup call to those who might otherwise be deceived by new stamps added to old coins. Antique stamp sets are out there (I bought mine on ebay), and new sets in old fashioned fonts are also available, and I am eager to let people know that.

Incidentally, there are somewhere between a half dozen and a dozen active modern counterstampers. It is a very small fraternity but they are usually known to each other and their activities are well documented among the group, and they frequently swap examples of their coins. Some of them would know how to recognize that JFK half as mine a mile away.

Finally, I am sorry to disappoint those who disapprove of my hobby, but it is my goal (and expectation) to one day be the most prolific counterstamper of all time. It will be tough to compete with some of the advertising counterstamps of the 19th century (PEARS SOAP, etc.) but I will do my best. Most of my output is more routine, such as prepared-punch initials or tribute coins, but when I have the time and the inclination I do something like this half dollar.

As for myself, I don't find anything wrong with it as long as people, (the uninformed), know that they are moderns and a 'tribute' as it were.

I say, keep on keep'n on and I hope you achieve your goal as long as nobody gets hurt in the process.

Specksynder: that is a true photo. There are various ways to highlight letters, such as paint, sharpie pen, etc. The letters are filled and then excess cleaned away. This one has flat black paint. Very labor intensive and messy but I like the look.