Posted 03/29/2017 10:09 pm
Aomori I believe I recall your coin. I remember one like it being auctioned but I lost the auction because I was out of town. It is not "counterstamped" - the 4 initials were engraved into the coin - possibly by a jeweler. The reason was most likely to create a "love token" with the initials of a pair of people rather than a token for one person with 4 initials. However, since each engraved coin is unique - the reasons for the engraving are rarely known with absolute certainty.
It is a contemporary counterfeit as you surmised - the eagle die (obverse die) is listed in John L. Riddell's 1845 book "Monogram of the Silver Dollar, Good and Bad" as the obverse of the coin he numbered 237. That particular coin is an 1834 Zs OM so you may have missed the reference.
The 237 Eagle die was used in just two different matings (1834 ZS OM and 1842 Zs OM). In addition there is a very late state die variety that created by a very significant re-engraving of the die. The only scarce major variety is the revised die. The head of the snake was revised on the re-cut die to actually look like a snake and not simply a couple lines. The tip of the bird's right wing was also substantially re-cut. The new and the old feathers at the tip are visible on the revised die. Other changes in the details are minor and were needed to strengthen the image.
You noted the loss of the superscripts. That happened over time so there are a series of minor sub-varieties as the superscript s's gradually disappear from the mint mark and the assayer statement. These superscripts were actually re-cut at one point so that they do return but in slightly different shapes and positions. I have seen pictures of a die that appears to have a different position for the Z superscript, however that may be due to post strike damage.
I do not classify any strike as a Z variety but rather I believe they are all Zs with a worn or filled s.
There is also a cast version of the same coin that was made with a small clip present. The consistency of the location of the clip and other die(mold) features make me believe the clip was an intentional feature - perhaps to give a reason for some examples being underweight.
I wrote an Article that was in the old Mexican Coin Magic monthly on-line publication that covered all of the variations (up to that date) of this particular counterfeit perhaps 10 years ago.
Struck versions were made in a series of different metals. German silver is the most commonly seen alloy. Debased silver is much less common and I have yet to locate an example with silver in as high a content as Riddell stipulates (630 fine silver). Also I find more examples of this coin that are underweight as opposed to what Riddell believed. His example of the 1834 was the correct weight. I have also noted a very few copies that are significantly heavy. I have seen a single copper strike and there are a few examples struck in Sheffield plate. I have not yet seen an electroplated version with the exception of a re-plated Sheffield. This replating was done to continue to pass the coin off as genuine after the Sheffield plate had worn through.
The eagle design used on this coin is the one I use for my avatar on this coin forum and it was one of my very first counterfeits that got me going on Contemporary Circulating Counterfeit Cap and Ray 8Rs back in 1960. I bought that example also an 1842 from a dealer who insisted it was genuine. He called it the "small eagle" 1842 and insisted that both the small and large eagle coins were genuine. Since I was only 13 at the time, my opinion that the coin was not genuine did not sway the old dealer. I bought it anyway and I was very relieved to find the picture in Riddell's book proving I was correct.
I was interested in the engraved coin because I collect every variation of the coin I can find. At present I own over 100 examples. Only one of the 100 plus examples has a full snake crossing the eagle's breast. I had (before that coin came into my possession) believed that the original die lacked the full snake. So I would call the "full snake" version a rather rare coin but not actually a distinct variety.
If you include all of the numerous varieties and sub-varieties this counterfeit is one of the 4 most commonly seen counterfeits in the Cap and Ray 8R series which is also documented in Riddell's book.
If you ever want to sell it please let me know. I will always have a place for another "chicken eagle".
It is a contemporary counterfeit as you surmised - the eagle die (obverse die) is listed in John L. Riddell's 1845 book "Monogram of the Silver Dollar, Good and Bad" as the obverse of the coin he numbered 237. That particular coin is an 1834 Zs OM so you may have missed the reference.
The 237 Eagle die was used in just two different matings (1834 ZS OM and 1842 Zs OM). In addition there is a very late state die variety that created by a very significant re-engraving of the die. The only scarce major variety is the revised die. The head of the snake was revised on the re-cut die to actually look like a snake and not simply a couple lines. The tip of the bird's right wing was also substantially re-cut. The new and the old feathers at the tip are visible on the revised die. Other changes in the details are minor and were needed to strengthen the image.
You noted the loss of the superscripts. That happened over time so there are a series of minor sub-varieties as the superscript s's gradually disappear from the mint mark and the assayer statement. These superscripts were actually re-cut at one point so that they do return but in slightly different shapes and positions. I have seen pictures of a die that appears to have a different position for the Z superscript, however that may be due to post strike damage.
I do not classify any strike as a Z variety but rather I believe they are all Zs with a worn or filled s.
There is also a cast version of the same coin that was made with a small clip present. The consistency of the location of the clip and other die(mold) features make me believe the clip was an intentional feature - perhaps to give a reason for some examples being underweight.
I wrote an Article that was in the old Mexican Coin Magic monthly on-line publication that covered all of the variations (up to that date) of this particular counterfeit perhaps 10 years ago.
Struck versions were made in a series of different metals. German silver is the most commonly seen alloy. Debased silver is much less common and I have yet to locate an example with silver in as high a content as Riddell stipulates (630 fine silver). Also I find more examples of this coin that are underweight as opposed to what Riddell believed. His example of the 1834 was the correct weight. I have also noted a very few copies that are significantly heavy. I have seen a single copper strike and there are a few examples struck in Sheffield plate. I have not yet seen an electroplated version with the exception of a re-plated Sheffield. This replating was done to continue to pass the coin off as genuine after the Sheffield plate had worn through.
The eagle design used on this coin is the one I use for my avatar on this coin forum and it was one of my very first counterfeits that got me going on Contemporary Circulating Counterfeit Cap and Ray 8Rs back in 1960. I bought that example also an 1842 from a dealer who insisted it was genuine. He called it the "small eagle" 1842 and insisted that both the small and large eagle coins were genuine. Since I was only 13 at the time, my opinion that the coin was not genuine did not sway the old dealer. I bought it anyway and I was very relieved to find the picture in Riddell's book proving I was correct.
I was interested in the engraved coin because I collect every variation of the coin I can find. At present I own over 100 examples. Only one of the 100 plus examples has a full snake crossing the eagle's breast. I had (before that coin came into my possession) believed that the original die lacked the full snake. So I would call the "full snake" version a rather rare coin but not actually a distinct variety.
If you include all of the numerous varieties and sub-varieties this counterfeit is one of the 4 most commonly seen counterfeits in the Cap and Ray 8R series which is also documented in Riddell's book.
If you ever want to sell it please let me know. I will always have a place for another "chicken eagle".
