mmorgan22 Interesting mix. This coin does however prove that even in the days of sailing ships coins could and did travel a long way.
The coin shows extensive circulation which is typical of many merchant countermarked coins.
The stamp certainly appears to be period (1830-1860 era) based on the font used and the nice patina developed in the lettering. This does
NOT look like a Modern fabrication.
Brunk lists a T.W.EMERY stamp as (E-165) on page 378 of his 2006 edition on "Merchant and Privately Countermarked Coins" and indicates his exemplar was found on a
US Large Cent dated 1851. There is no photo of that coin or any other attribution information available. But it would appear that Emery operated during the US Civil War era as opposed to the Hard Times ear of the 1830's.
During any Hard Times period when standard coinage left circulation - all kinds of substitutes were used in commerce as tokens. This coin could have passed as a cent or possibly a
Half Cent - because it was copper.
Makes you wonder how desperate things were when you need to pass an old worn Russian coin as money - and only a cent.
Very interesting find - I only wish the history of this piece could be better known. Was it carried as a lucky piece by a Russian immigrant to the US? How did it find it's way to Emery's business. Who used it?
GREAT FIND.
Posted 06/21/2011 1:49 pm
. Thanks again for the info!
