Saloon Counterstamp On An 1858-O Seated Half

Coins bearing informative counterstamps are among the most desirable pieces for collectors of this genre. The below pictured half dollar is stamped BEN F. WYANT / MAY FLOWER / SALOON / NO. 137 MAIN ST / MEMPHIS, TENN. Saloon-stamped coins tend to be among the more popular occupations. And, with this being a scarce southern state issue, there's added appeal.



There are about a half dozen of Ben Wyant's stamped coins known. He's listed at the 137 Main Street address in 1860-61 Memphis directories. He later moved to another local address(es), so it appears that he was stamping coins just prior to the Civil War. This O-mint half apparently wound its way up the Mississippi to Ben's saloon around that time. Stack's auctioned off another specimen, on a higher grade 1858-O half, for over $1,000 in 2010 (N.B. - The circulated coin's value was enhanced ten-fold, thanks to this historic c/s!).

At the outset of the war, Ben took on a partner, one J.D. Hibbitt. However, the partnership was short-lived, as the below notice of dissolution appeared in The Memphis Daily Avalanche on February 27, 1862. Ben was the principal and retained ownership for many years thereon ....



Ben appears to have been successful with his saloon. He later began managing the Beal Street Soup House, sharing his good fortune with the poor; this, as illustrated in an 1873 notice, placed in The Daily Memphis Avalanche in November of that year ....



Doubtless, Ben's philanthropy precipitated his popularity among the Memphis wharf folks. The Public Ledger announced his endorsement for wharf master in January of 1876 ....



Ben's interest in the May Flower Saloon had terminated by 1880; this, as indicated by notice of a trustee auction of the business ....