Counterstamped Seated Half Dollar

I might be missing something ..

I would not pay melt for that coin ..

And I like odd coins.

If you know more about it .. I would be open minded

I guess if you can identify it somehow ...

Maybe it would have some value .. over melt.

Or if you were building a counterstamp collection, could be a
welcome addition..

Still thinking $25 is to much

ExoGuy is well versed in counterstamped coins and may chime in when he gets a chance.

This is most likely a maverick meaning that it may be next to impossible to attribute.

-MV

Hi Guys ... Just spotted this thread on my favorite subject.

Whenever posting pics of counterstamps, it's advisable to orient the pic so as to make the stamp readable. The host coin generally becomes secondary in nature.

It appears that the issuer stamped both sides. Here are a few close-up pics:





Offhand, I'd discourage our OP from paying $25 for this coin. IMHO, $10, to one who likes puzzles. I'd venture that the surname has eight or nine letters. Even if one can come up with a possible or probable issuer, the condition of the stamp would likely not warrant much above the seller's current asking price. That said, there are a great many variables that enter into valuing counterstamps.

By way of comparison, here's a maverick counterstamp on an 1853-O half dollar that I bought for $15 at a show. I'd not have paid much more, as the surname is common. Researching it, I've found three prospective issuers in Connecticut, Ohio and California. At that price, I saw no downside ....




The puzzle that Alex's piece presents reminds me of another counterstamped coin in my collection. It's a puzzle that took me over a month to solve. Rather than impose on this subject, I'll soon start another thread on it.

Alex ... It's been estimated that, prior to the Civil War, 10% or more of the coins in circulation were counterstamped. The decade of the 1850's was the peak of counterstamping. The war put a virtual end to the practice; this, as coins tended to be held longer and hoarded, as opposed to being spent. It's an interesting bit of trivia that a few of the most valued U.S. colonial era coins were counterstamped ... the Brasher doubloons.