CoinPrepby The CoinHQ

See what you get

The same piece, read three ways.

Rather than describe the difference between the three buttons, here are real pieces put through all three, with the same fields in the same order down every column. I have not edited a word of it.

Where a level does not reach a field, the column says so rather than quietly leaving the row out. And where a catalog number could not be verified, the draft says so and tells you which reference to check, instead of inventing one: a number in that field gets copied into a listing and read as fact.

Prep your first items freeSee what a credit buys

No card required · Nothing on this page can be pressed to spend anything

Why I built this

I love coins, tokens and medals. Sometimes you accumulate so many that you just don’t have the time or the energy to list them all.

What I wanted was simple. Nice photos, unadulterated. Good descriptions, especially on the pieces carrying more than one catalog number. Put Lincoln and Washington on a Columbian Exposition piece and you are suddenly looking at five different catalog references for one object.

Photographing already takes a bunch of time. I built this so I could photograph a batch, click a couple of buttons, walk away, and come back to the listings prepped. I still review every one of them, and so will you. But by then the majority of the work is done.

The descriptions are factual, and they give a reasonable estimate of the grade. At Attribute and Deep Research the tool can sometimes also tell you when it thinks a piece has been cleaned.

I am not a professional photographer and I do not claim to be. This is the whole setup:

That last one is a plumbing fitting, and it is the most useful thing in the kit. A coin’s fields are mirrors. Out in the open they reflect the room, the ceiling and the phone in your hand, and that glare is most of what makes a coin photograph badly. Stand a black rubber tube around it and there is nothing left to reflect but matte black, so the luster and the relief come through instead.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It is my real setup either way, and nothing on the list is here because it pays.

What each button costs

  • Photos

    Up to six shots of one piece, cut out, framed square on white and renamed in sequence. Charged once at export, however many times you export it.

    Best for: Every item. This one comes first and is not optional.

    2credits

  • Identify

    Reads the photographs and writes the draft. No web search.

    Best for: Dated coinage that carries no catalog number, which is most of a dealer’s stock: Morgan and Peace dollars, Mercury and Roosevelt dimes, Lincoln and Indian Head cents, Walking Liberty halves, and ordinary Great Britain, Canada and world type. These are cited by date and mintmark, so there is no number to look up and nothing deeper to buy.

    2credits

  • Attribute

    The same draft, then it reads the catalogs for the attribution and the published size and weight.

    Best for: Anything with a specialist reference behind it: so-called dollars (HK), Civil War tokens (Fuld), Hard Times tokens (HT and Low), Columbian Exposition medals (Eglit), Washington medals (Baker and Musante), Bryan money (Zerbe and Schornstein), British historical medals (BHM and Eimer).

    8credits

  • Deep Research

    A wider search and more room to think, for a piece whose attribution is genuinely obscure. It is also the only level that looks for comparable sales, and it finds them when real ones exist.

    Best for: The piece that resists all of that: a named or engraved recipient, a possible restrike, conflicting reference numbers, an unlisted variety, an obscure merchant or issuer.

    16credits

One thing that surprises people: confidence sometimes goes down as the research goes deeper. That is the tool working, not failing. Reading harder turns up questions the cheap pass never knew to ask, and once a question is on the table, calling the piece certain would be a lie. Confidence here means how much is settled, not how much was found.

Read across, not down.

Each piece below was run at all three depths. The rows are the same in every column, so what the extra credits bought is the difference between them and nothing else.

Example A

A 1943-D Mercury dime

The everyday case, and the commonest one. Read across and almost nothing changes: series, date, mint mark, metal, diameter, weight and grade come back the same at every depth. Searching buys a keyword or two in the title and more things to check. On a coin like this, one credit is the right answer, and the page would rather show you that than sell you the expensive button.

  • A 1943-D Mercury dime, cut out on white

    1943-d-mercury-dime-1.jpg

  • A 1943-D Mercury dime, cut out on white

    1943-d-mercury-dime-2.jpg

Identify

Reads the photographs. No web search.

2credits

The listing
Identified as

1943 United States Mercury dime · One Dime · Liberty (winged cap)

Confidence

high

eBay title

1943-D Mercury Silver Dime - Denver Mint - Uncirculated

Condition
Uncirculated. The obverse and reverse show full mint luster with no evidence of wear on Liberty's cheek, hair, or the high points of the fasces (a bundle of rods symbolizing authority). Light scattered contact marks and a few faint hairlines are visible under the luster, along with light toning across the fields. No scratches, cleaning, or damage is apparent in the photographs.
Published size and weight

17.9 mm · 2.5 g

Item specifics
Year: 1943 · Mint Mark: D (Denver) · Composition: 90% Silver · +3 more
Description
This is a 1943-D Mercury (Winged Liberty Head) dime, struck at the Denver Mint, as shown by the small "D" mint mark to the left of the fasces on the reverse. The obverse, designed by Adolph A. Weinman, depicts Liberty wearing a winged cap meant to symbolize freedom of thought, with LIBERTY around the border, IN GOD WE TRUST at the lower left, and the 1943 date at the lower right. The reverse shows a fasces (a bound bundle of rods with an axe, an ancient symbol of authority) paired with an olive branch, flanked by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ONE DIME, and E PLURIBUS UNUM. The coin is struck in the standard 90% silver, 10% copper alloy used for dimes of this era, with a diameter of 17.9 mm and a weight of 2.5 grams. Both sides display full mint luster with no visible wear on the high points, though light contact marks, faint hairlines, and light toning consistent with age and handling are present in the photographs. The coin appears to be in original, uncleaned condition.
Check before you list
  • Split-band strike quality on the fasces bands was not assessed and would need to be judged in hand for grading purposes.
  • Condition is described conservatively from photographs only; no numerical grade is assigned since the piece is raw.
What the research added
Catalog reference
Not researched at this level.
Which reference to check
Not researched at this level.
Estimated selling price
Not researched at this level.
Research notes
Not researched at this level.
Pages it read
Not researched at this level.

Attribute

Reads them, then searches the web twice.

8credits

The listing
Identified as

1943 United States Mercury dime · 10 Cents (Dime)

Confidence

high

eBay title

1943-D Mercury Dime 10C 90% Silver Denver Mint Uncirculated Lustrous

Condition
Uncirculated. The coin appears uncirculated, with frosty, unbroken luster and no wear evident on the high points of Liberty's cheek, the wing, or the hair above the ear. Scattered small contact marks show on the cheek and neck, and there is a raised, irregular disturbance in the reverse field at upper left, next to UNITED STATES, that appears to be a planchet or die flaw rather than damage. Light grayish toning covers both sides with a faint bluish tint in the obverse fields; a few tiny dark flecks are present. Whether the central crossbands of the fasces are fully separated (the "Full Bands" designation) cannot be settled from these images.
Published size and weight

17.9 mm · 2.5 g

Item specifics
Year: 1943 · Mint Location: Denver · Mint Mark: D · +9 more
Description
A 1943-D Mercury dime, struck at the Denver Mint during World War II. The type was designed by Adolph A. Weinman and issued from 1916 to 1945; the portrait is Liberty in a winged cap, an image of freedom of thought, not the god Mercury, though the nickname stuck. The obverse shows the winged head facing left with LIBERTY around the border, IN GOD WE TRUST at the lower left, the designer's monogram (a joined AW) at the right, and the date 1943 below the truncation of the neck. The reverse shows a fasces, a bound bundle of rods with an axe that stands for authority, crossed by an olive branch for peace, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above, E PLURIBUS UNUM at the right, and ONE DIME below. The mint mark D sits at the lower left of the fasces base. The issue was struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, 17.9 millimeters in diameter and 2.5 grams, with a reeded (grooved) edge. The coin appears uncirculated with frosty luster and light gray toning. Scattered small contact marks are present on the cheek and neck, and a raised irregular mark shows in the reverse field beside UNITED STATES. The coin is raw and not certified.
Check before you list
  • Examine the central crossbands of the fasces in hand to determine whether the coin qualifies as Full Bands
  • Confirm the raised area in the reverse field at upper left is a planchet or die flaw and not post-strike damage
  • +1 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
No number could be confirmed, so none is given.
Which reference to check
Not needed; the number above is confirmed.
Estimated selling price
Not researched at this level.
Research notes
Confirmed via PCGS CoinFacts search result for 1943-D 10C: designer Adolph A. Weinman, 17.90 mm, 2.50 g, 90% silver / 10% copper, Denver Mint, mintage 71,949,000. The PCGS page itself returned HTTP 403 to direct fetch, so specifications were taken from the indexed summary and agree with standard published figures for the series. No catalog reference beyond date and mint mark applies to regular US coinage. No variety attribution attempted; no reliable sold-price data for a comparable raw uncirculated example was located, so no comps are given.
Pages it read
1 page, listed in the full output

Deep Research

Six searches and more room to think.

16credits

The listing
Identified as

1943 United States Mercury dime · 10 Cents (Dime)

Confidence

medium

eBay title

1943-D Mercury Dime 10C 90% Silver Uncirculated Raised Reverse Die Flaw

Condition
Uncirculated. No wear is visible on the usual first points to go — the hair above the ear, the cheek and the wing feathers — and the strike is sharp, so the coin appears uncirculated. The surfaces are bright and untoned with scattered light contact marks in the obverse field and on the neck; whether that brightness is original mint luster or the result of an earlier dip cannot be settled without in-hand examination. A broad raised irregular flaw crosses the reverse from about 11 o'clock down the left side of the fasces, destroying the olive leaf detail it passes over, and a smaller raised patch sits on the obverse over the winged cap. The central crossbands of the fasces were not judged for a Full Bands designation.
Published size and weight

17.9 mm · 2.5 g

Item specifics
Year: 1943 · Mint Location: Denver · Mint Mark: D · +9 more
Description
Adolph A. Weinman's Mercury dime, struck from 1916 to 1945, shows Liberty in a winged cap, the wings standing for freedom of thought. This is a 1943 striking from the Denver Mint, the D mint mark at the lower left of the reverse beside the base of the fasces. Standard specifications for the issue are 90% silver, 17.9 millimeters and 2.50 grams, with a reeded edge. The obverse reads LIBERTY around the rim, IN GOD WE TRUST at the left, the date 1943 at the lower right, and Weinman's AW monogram beside the neck. The reverse carries a fasces — a bundle of rods bound around an axe, a Roman emblem of authority — crossed by an olive branch, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM and ONE DIME. A broad raised irregular flaw runs across the reverse from about 11 o'clock, over the upper olive leaves and down the left side of the fasces, wiping out the leaf detail it crosses; a smaller raised patch sits on the obverse over the winged cap. Raised metal of this kind comes either from a failing die, where coin metal fills a crack or a chipped-out area, or from a retained lamination, a flake of the planchet's own metal lifting without detaching. The two can only be separated in hand under magnification, and the piece is offered unattributed. The coin appears uncirculated, bright and untoned, with scattered light contact marks. Raw, not certified.
Check before you list
  • Examine the raised reverse flaw under magnification: smooth mounded metal continuous with the field points to a die crack or interior die break; a sharp stepped edge following the metal's grain points to a retained lamination.
  • Compare the reverse against other 1943-D dimes — a repeating marker in the same position confirms a die failure rather than a one-off planchet flaw.
  • +5 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
No number could be confirmed, so none is given.
Which reference to check
No catalog number applies to the date itself. The raised flaw would be described under CONECA's error terminology (die crack / interior die break, or lamination) rather than carrying a Cherrypickers FS number; no listing for it was found, and none is claimed.
Estimated selling price
$15 - $25Quick sale $8 - $14 · Mount Vernon Coin lists a raw 1943-D Mercury dime in Brilliant Uncirculated at $12.50; general price-guide figures for the date in uncirculated grades run roughly $11.50 to $42. No sold record was found for a 1943-D with a comparable raised die or planchet flaw, so any premium for the flaw is unpriced here.
Research notes
Established: obverse reads 1943 with Weinman's AW monogram; reverse shows a D mint mark at the lower left. Standard 1943-D specifications are 90% silver, 17.90 mm, 2.50 g, reeded edge, mintage 71,949,000 (PCGS CoinFacts; the page returned 403 to direct fetching, so this rests on the search result plus well-known series data). Likely: the raised, amorphous mass over the reverse olive branch matches CONECA's definitions read in full — a die crack gives "raised irregular lines," and an interior die break gives "large raised irregular blobs found usually at the design stress points." A retained lamination (planchet metal peeling but still attached) produces a visually similar raised area and remains a live alternative. Ruled out: struck-through debris, which CONECA defines as leaving an incuse impression, not raised metal. Not found: no listed variety or error number covering a 1943-D reverse die break in CONECA, VarietyVista or Cherrypickers coverage that could be confirmed, and no auction record for a comparable 1943-D die-break or lamination dime. No evidence linking this coin to any of the known 1943-D repunched mint mark varieties; the mint mark was not examined at variety magnification. What would settle it: in-hand magnification of the flaw's edges, a weight check, and matching the marker against other 1943-D dimes from the same die.
Pages it read
2 pages, listed in the full output

Scroll or swipe sideways to compare all three levels.

Example B

A 1916 Progressive National Convention watch fob

The one that got away, kept here because it is more useful than a win. All three levels came back with an empty reference field. Deep Research established the maker from the shield on the reverse (The Whitehead & Hoag Co. of Newark), fixed the convention to 7 to 10 June 1916 at the Auditorium Building in Chicago, and went to high confidence with no catalog number at all. The number exists: it is Cunningham 14-680Cs, the suffix meaning silvered copper. What every level missed is the thing that unlocks it. Three portraits are on this piece and not one of them is Roosevelt: they are Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln, and Lincoln is why it sits in Cunningham. The research was sound and the reading of the photograph was not.

  • A 1916 Progressive National Convention watch fob, cut out on white

    1916-progressive-national-convention-chicago-fob-1.jpg

  • A 1916 Progressive National Convention watch fob, cut out on white

    1916-progressive-national-convention-chicago-fob-2.jpg

Identify

Reads the photographs. No web search.

2credits

The listing
Identified as

1916 United States Political convention watch fob · 1916 Progressive National Convention, Chicago

Confidence

medium

eBay title

1916 Progressive National Convention Chicago Watch Fob Whitehead & Hoag

Condition
The piece shows overall gray surfaces with darker toning settled into the recessed design and lettering, consistent with age. The reverse is heavily hairlined with numerous fine crisscrossing scratches, and there is light scattered surface wear across the raised portrait areas on the obverse. No holes, bends, or losses to the loop are evident.
Published size and weight
Not returned at this level.
Item specifics
Year: 1916 · Country/Region of Manufacture: United States · Type: Watch Fob · +5 more
Description
This is a die-struck white metal watch fob issued for the 1916 Progressive National Convention held in Chicago, the gathering at which the Progressive ("Bull Moose") Party held its second national convention. The scalloped-edge fob has an integral loop at the top for attachment to a watch chain. The face carries the arched legend "PROGRESSIVE NATIONAL CONVENTION" above conjoined portrait busts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, with "CHICAGO 1916" lettered below the center portrait. The reverse is plain except for the maker's mark of The Whitehead & Hoag Co. of Newark, New Jersey, stamped in a crowned oval trademark near the center — the firm that produced the great majority of American political and fraternal badges and fobs of this era. The piece is uncataloged here beyond its maker's mark; no specific reference number has been confirmed for this exact issue.
Check before you list
  • No exact Hake (or other) catalog number has been confirmed for this specific fob — a hands-on comparison against the printed Hake catalog is recommended.
  • Exact metal composition (nickel-silver vs. silvered/plated base metal) not confirmed; a plating or spot test would settle this.
  • +1 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
Not researched at this level.
Which reference to check
Not researched at this level.
Estimated selling price
Not researched at this level.
Research notes
Not researched at this level.
Pages it read
Not researched at this level.

Attribute

Reads them, then searches the web twice.

8credits

The listing
Identified as

1916 United States 1916 Progressive National Convention souvenir fob · 1916 Progressive National Convention

Confidence

medium

eBay title

1916 Progressive National Convention Chicago Watch Fob - Whitehead & Hoag

Condition
Very Fine. Raw, uncleaned, with the original silvered surface worn through to darker gray base metal across the high points of all three portraits and along the scalloped rim. The reverse is heavily hairlined and scratched, including one long scratch running from the upper left rim toward the center, with dark patchy toning and small dark spots scattered over both sides. The obverse legend and date remain fully legible, and the integral suspension loop at the top is intact and unbent, though it shows rubbing and loss of plating where a strap once passed through it. Several small rim nicks are visible at the lower left and lower right of the obverse.
Published size and weight
No published figures found.
Item specifics
Year: 1916 · Theme: Politics · Type: Watch Fob · +5 more
Description
A souvenir watch fob struck for the Progressive National Convention held at the Auditorium Building in Chicago, June 7-10, 1916. That convention nominated Theodore Roosevelt for president and John M. Parker of Louisiana for vice president; Roosevelt declined the nomination, the convention broke up within days, and the Progressive Party endorsed Republican nominee Charles Evans Hughes later that month. Souvenirs tied to this short-lived gathering are far fewer than those from the party's 1912 convention in the same city. The fob is scalloped around its edge with an integral loop at the top for a watch strap. The obverse carries three conjoined portrait busts in relief, with George Washington at the left in profile facing right and Abraham Lincoln at the right in profile facing left, flanking a forward-facing central bust. The legend PROGRESSIVE NATIONAL CONVENTION arcs around the upper border, and CHICAGO 1916 is stacked vertically between the lower two portraits. The reverse is plain apart from the maker's shield-shaped trademark stamped at the center, reading THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO. NEWARK, N.J. — the Newark firm that produced a large share of American campaign badges, buttons and fobs of this period.
Check before you list
  • Identify the central forward-facing portrait; it is most likely Thomas Jefferson but was not confirmed against a cataloged example
  • Measure the fob across the scallops and weigh it; no published dimensions were found
  • +3 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
No number could be confirmed, so none is given.
Which reference to check
Campaign and convention items after 1892 are cataloged in Hake, "Political Buttons"; a Hake number may exist for this fob but none was located, and many Whitehead & Hoag convention souvenirs of this kind carry no standard catalog number at all.
Estimated selling price
Not researched at this level.
Research notes
Confirmed the event: Wikipedia gives the 1916 Progressive National Convention as June 7-10, 1916, Auditorium Building, Chicago, with Roosevelt nominated and declining and Parker as VP nominee. A Hake's Americana listing exists for a 1916 Progressive National Convention Chicago PRESS badge, corroborating the convention's souvenir output, but the specific page returned 404 and could not be read. No catalog page (Hake, so-calleddollars.com, Numista) was found covering this fob; no number is stated. No published diameter or weight located, and no recent comparable sales of this exact fob were found, so comps are omitted. Maker's mark read directly from the reverse photograph as the Whitehead & Hoag shield, Newark, N.J.
Pages it read
1 page, listed in the full output

Deep Research

Six searches and more room to think.

16credits

The listing
Identified as

1916 United States 1916 Progressive National Convention badge · 1916 Progressive National Convention

Confidence

high

eBay title

1916 Progressive National Convention Chicago Badge Medal Fob Bull Moose Party

Condition
Very Fine. Dark gray tarnish covers the piece and is heaviest in the recesses around the three busts, with the silvering rubbed to a duller tone on the high points of Washington's shoulder and Lincoln's cheek and brow. The obverse field shows scattered contact marks, a dark spot at the right edge and several small nicks along the scalloped rim. The reverse is heavily scuffed, with a long scratch running from the upper left toward the center and fine crosshatched handling marks across the whole field; a yellow-toned area shows at the upper edge of the loop where the plating has worn through. The suspension loop is intact and the medallion is flat, with no holes, bends or solder repairs visible.
Published size and weight
No published figures found.
Item specifics
Year: 1916 · Event: 1916 Progressive National Convention, Chicago · Political Party: Progressive Party (Bull Moose) · +9 more
Description
The Progressive Party — the "Bull Moose" party built around Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 — held its second and final national convention in Chicago on June 7-10, 1916, at the Auditorium Building, meeting while the Republican convention ran in the same city. The delegates nominated Roosevelt for president and John M. Parker of Louisiana for vice president. Roosevelt declined the nomination and endorsed the Republican candidate, Charles Evans Hughes, and the party broke up within weeks. This is a silvered medallion made for that convention, with a flat loop at the top for a ribbon or strap. The front carries three presidential busts in relief inside a scalloped border — George Washington at the left, Thomas Jefferson at the center and Abraham Lincoln at the right — with PROGRESSIVE NATIONAL CONVENTION arched across the top, CHICAGO lettered vertically down the center and 1916 below it. The back is plain apart from a shield-shaped maker's stamp reading THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO. / NEWARK N.J., the Newark firm that produced a large share of American convention badges and campaign items from 1892 onward.
Check before you list
  • Measure the medallion across and weigh it; no published diameter or weight for this piece was found in research.
  • Confirm the metal. The gray surface suggests silvered white metal, but a yellow tone at the edge of the loop may indicate a silver-plated brass shell.
  • +4 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
No number could be confirmed, so none is given.
Which reference to check
A 1916 campaign/convention item falls under Hake ("Encyclopedia of Political Buttons"), not Sullivan-DeWitt, which ends at 1892. No Hake number for this medallion was located, and many Whitehead & Hoag convention badges of the period carry no catalog number at all; verify against the printed Hake volumes before citing one.
Estimated selling price
No reliable comparable sales found; you set the price.
Research notes
Established: the legend on the piece itself dates and names it — PROGRESSIVE NATIONAL CONVENTION / CHICAGO 1916 — and the reverse carries the shield trademark of The Whitehead & Hoag Co., Newark, N.J., the badge maker active 1892-1959. Wikipedia confirms the convention ran June 7-10, 1916 at the Auditorium Building in Chicago, nominated Theodore Roosevelt (who declined) and John M. Parker, and collapsed after Roosevelt endorsed Hughes. Established by dealer/auction records of the type: Lori Ferber's 1916 Progressive delegate badge (1 5/8 x 4 in., Whitehead & Hoag mark on reverse, white metal areas tarnished) and press badge (1.75 x 4.5 in.), and a Hake's press badge lot, all describe the same convention badge family; search summaries of those listings and of shipofstate.com's page on the badge state the medallion pictures Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln. Likely: this medallion is the struck metal drop of one of those ribbon badges rather than a separately sold souvenir fob — the loop is too narrow for a 1 5/8 in. ribbon to pass through, so the attachment method is unresolved and sellers describe the type variously as a "badge" and as a "medal fob." Not found: any published diameter or weight, any catalog number (Hake or otherwise) for this medallion, and any completed sale of the medallion alone. eBay, Worthpoint, the New-York Historical Society eMuseum record and the Hake's lot page all refused fetching (403/404), and shipofstate.com would not complete a TLS handshake, so those were read only as search summaries and are not cited as sources. What would settle it: a caliper and scale reading on this piece, a clear photograph of a complete 1916 Progressive badge showing how the drop attaches, and a look at the Hake's Encyclopedia of Political Buttons entry for 1916 Progressive convention badges. Sullivan-DeWitt was not consulted because it covers 1789-1892 only and cannot list a 1916 item.
Pages it read
4 pages, listed in the full output

Scroll or swipe sideways to compare all three levels.

Example C

An Oregon centennial so-called dollar

What the eight-credit button is actually for. Identify reads the piece correctly and gets as far as "likely a Hibler and Kappen so-called dollar, possibly HK-573", a guess it will not put in the reference field. Attribute goes and checks, and comes back with HK-573 confirmed and confidence up from medium to high. That is the number that goes in the listing.

  • An Oregon centennial so-called dollar, cut out on white

    1959-oregon-centennial-beaver-token-hk-573-1.jpg

  • An Oregon centennial so-called dollar, cut out on white

    1959-oregon-centennial-beaver-token-hk-573-2.jpg

Identify

Reads the photographs. No web search.

2credits

The listing
Identified as

1959 United States Oregon Centennial Beaver token · Oregon Exchange Company $10 "Beaver" gold piece of 1849

Confidence

medium

eBay title

1959 Oregon Centennial Beaver Token, Replica 1849 $10 Gold Piece, Uncirculated

Condition
Uncirculated. The piece shows full mint luster on both sides with no visible wear on the beaver, lettering, or stars. A few faint handling marks and light toning spots are visible in the fields, but no scratches, cleaning, or damage are apparent.
Published size and weight

38 mm

Item specifics
Year: 1959 · Theme: Oregon Statehood Centennial (1859-1959) · Subject: Beaver / Oregon Exchange Company $10 gold piece replica · +5 more
Description
This is a 1959 Oregon Statehood Centennial souvenir token struck as an exact replica of the historic 1849 Oregon Exchange Company "Beaver" ten dollar gold piece, the private territorial gold coin struck in Oregon City before statehood. The obverse copies the original Beaver coin's design: a beaver standing on a log flanked by stars and branches, the date 1849, and the initials "K.M.T.A.T.R.C.S." (the surname initials of the Oregon Exchange Company's founding officers), with the legend "AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE HISTORIC 'BEAVER' TEN DOLLAR GOLD PIECE — A SOUVENIR FROM MIRACULOUS NORTH CLACKAMAS COUNTY" around the border. The reverse reads "OREGON EXCHANGE COMPANY — TEN D. NATIVE GOLD 10 D. 20 G." within a wreath-like inner circle, encircled by "OREGON CENTENNIAL 1859-1959" and stars, marking the 100th anniversary of Oregon statehood. The token is struck in a base metal with a gold tone rather than actual gold, consistent with these mid-century commemorative souvenir issues. Both sides show full luster with sharp lettering and no wear on the beaver's back or the raised legends; a few light handling marks are present in the fields.
Check before you list
  • Reference number given by the dealer as HK-573 could not be independently confirmed in this session (no web search performed); verify against Hibler & Kappen's 'So-Called Dollars' before listing.
  • Metal composition (brass vs. gilt bronze) is not confirmed; a weight/specific-gravity check would settle it.
  • +1 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
Not researched at this level.
Which reference to check
Not researched at this level.
Estimated selling price
Not researched at this level.
Research notes
Not researched at this level.
Pages it read
Not researched at this level.

Attribute

Reads them, then searches the web twice.

8credits

The listing
Identified as

1959 United States Oregon Statehood Centennial so-called dollar · Oregon Statehood Centennial, 1859-1959

Confidence

high

eBay title

1959 Oregon Centennial Beaver $10 Replica Token HK-573 North Clackamas County

Condition
Uncirculated. Both sides retain full original gilt surface with satiny mint luster and no wear on the beaver or the raised lettering. A few small dark specks and light spotting show in the fields, most visible in the open field of the beaver side, along with scattered minor contact marks from handling. The rim shows a few faint nicks; no cleaning, bending or mounting evidence is apparent.
Published size and weight

38 mm

Item specifics
Year: 1959 · Type: So-Called Dollar / Souvenir Token · Composition: Oreide (gilt brass/bronze) · +9 more
Description
A souvenir token struck in 1959 for the centennial of Oregon statehood and sold by the North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce to help pay for local centennial events. Both sides copy the 1849 Oregon Exchange Company "Beaver" ten dollar gold piece, the private gold coinage struck in Oregon City in the territorial period, inside a raised center circle. One side shows the beaver standing on a log with stars above and below, branches at the sides, the partly legible company initials K.M.T.(A.W.)R.C.S. around and the date 1849 with O.T. for Oregon Territory. The surrounding legends read A SOUVENIR FROM MIRACULOUS NORTH CLACKAMAS COUNTY and AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE HISTORIC "BEAVER" TEN DOLLAR GOLD PIECE. The other side carries the original coin's inscriptions OREGON EXCHANGE COMPANY and 10. D. 20 G. NATIVE GOLD. TEN D. within the center, encircled by OREGON CENTENNIAL and 1859-1959 between stars. Cataloged as HK-573 in Hibler and Kappen's so-called dollars reference, struck in oreide, a gold-colored brass alloy, at 38 mm; 20,000 pieces were reported. The piece appears uncirculated, with full gilt surface and light field spotting.
Check before you list
  • Confirm the diameter with calipers: printed sources give 38 mm, while one listing cites 39.7 mm
  • Confirm the metal is the gold-colored oreide HK-573 and not the silver-plated HK-573a
  • +1 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
HK-573
Which reference to check
Not needed; the number above is confirmed.
Estimated selling price
Not researched at this level.
Research notes
Confirmed the attribution as the 1959 Oregon Statehood Centennial token of the North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce, HK-573, via Numista and so-calleddollars.com; both give 38 mm and a mintage of 20,000. so-calleddollars.com lists HK-573 in oreide and HK-573a silver-plated; this piece is the gold-colored oreide. Legends on both sources match the photographs word for word. No published weight found. Design derives from the 1849 Oregon Exchange Co. $10 "Beaver" territorial gold piece (Smithsonian NMAH entry consulted via search results).
Pages it read
2 pages, listed in the full output

Deep Research

Six searches and more room to think.

16credits

The listing
Identified as

1959 United States Oregon Statehood Centennial so-called dollar (Oregon Beaver Dollar) · Oregon Statehood Centennial, 1859-1959

Confidence

high

eBay title

1959 Oregon Centennial Beaver Dollar HK-573 North Clackamas County Uncirculated

Condition
Uncirculated. Bright golden oreide surfaces with mint bloom intact; the beaver, the lettering and the raised outer band show no wear, and the piece appears uncirculated. Scattered small dark specks and carbon-like flecks are visible in the obverse center field around the beaver and, more lightly, in the reverse center. A few very small rim nicks and a shallow scuff show along the edge, most noticeable at the lower left of the obverse as photographed. No holing, mounting evidence or plating traces are apparent in these images.
Published size and weight

38 mm · 15.8 g

Item specifics
Year: 1959 · Reference: HK-573 · Type: So-Called Dollar · +9 more
Description
Issued for Oregon's statehood centennial by the North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce, which sold the pieces at 50 cents to defray the cost of centennial events in the county. It is cataloged as HK-573 in Hibler and Kappen's standard work on so-called dollars, the term for dollar-sized commemorative medals of this kind; 20,000 were struck in oreide, a gold-colored brass alloy, at a standard 38 millimeters. Both sides copy the 1849 Oregon Exchange Company "Beaver" ten dollar piece, gold coined privately at Oregon City before the federal mint reached the Pacific Northwest. The obverse center shows the beaver on a log with an arc of initials above, T.O. and the date 1849 below, and small stars and sprigs in the field, ringed by AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE HISTORIC "BEAVER" TEN DOLLAR GOLD PIECE and, outside the border, A SOUVENIR FROM MIRACULOUS NORTH CLACKAMAS COUNTY. The reverse center reads 10. D. 20 G. / NATIVE / GOLD. / TEN. D. within OREGON EXCHANGE COMPANY, encircled by OREGON CENTENNIAL 1859-1959 between two stars. The gold-colored surfaces retain their original bloom with no wear; scattered dark flecks show in the fields and a few tiny nicks are present on the rim.
Check before you list
  • The arc of initials above the beaver is not fully legible here; the original coin reads K.M.T.A.W.R.G.S. for the company's eight members, so confirm the die matches before transcribing it in the listing.
  • Diameter figures conflict: Hibler-Kappen and Stack's Bowers give 38 mm, one dealer listing measured 38.70 mm, and several dealer pages repeat 39.7 mm. Measure the piece.
  • +4 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
HK-573
Which reference to check
Not needed; the number above is confirmed.
Estimated selling price
$15 - $25Quick sale $8 - $12 · One European dealer listing of an uncirculated brass example (38.70 mm, 15.80 g) sold at $23.17 on MA-Shops; CoinAppraiser publishes an approximate $5 figure for the type; Stack's Bowers grades the issue Rarity-1 (common) with 20,000 struck. No recent US sold-price record for a raw example was located.
Research notes
Established: the piece is HK-573, the "Oregon Beaver Dollar" of the 1959 Oregon Statehood Centennial series, issued by the North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce "to defray expenses of Centennial events...in county"; 20,000 struck in oreide and sold at 50 cents; silver-plated pieces are HK-573a (So-Called Dollars, Oregon Statehood Centennial page, quoting the Hibler-Kappen text). Stack's Bowers cataloged an NGC MS-68 as 38 mm, oreide, Rarity-1. Established: the design copies the 1849 Oregon Exchange Company ten dollar "Beaver" territorial gold piece struck at Oregon City, whose obverse initials K.M.T.A.W.R.G.S. stand for Kilborn, Magruder, Taylor, Abernethy, Willson, Rector, Campbell and Smith, with T.O. (an engraver's reversal of O.T., Oregon Territory) and the reverse legend 10. D. 20. G. / NATIVE / GOLD. / TEN. D. Likely: this is the plain oreide HK-573 rather than the silver-plated HK-573a, since the surfaces are uniformly gold-colored with no plating breaks visible. Not found: any contemporary source for the promotional phrase "Miraculous North Clackamas County" - it appears in numismatic descriptions of this medal only, and no 1959 Oregon newspaper, chamber-of-commerce publication or museum catalog confirming it as a local booster slogan turned up. Also not found: any published definition of the "Large Letters" variety NGC has used on this issue, and any agreed measurement (38 mm per Hibler-Kappen and Stack's Bowers, 38.70 mm measured by one dealer, 39.7 mm on several commercial pages). Would settle the open points: measuring and weighing the piece, and comparing the letter size on both sides against a documented NGC "Large Letters" example; for the slogan, the Oregonian or Clackamas County Chamber files for 1958-59.
Pages it read
5 pages, listed in the full output

Scroll or swipe sideways to compare all three levels.

Example D

A 1906 Mexico 10 centavos

The one that proves the note above, on a coin that looks entirely ordinary. Identify names the type correctly and then refuses to fill the reference field, flagging in as many words that the KM number it has in mind is "from memory and has not been verified against a printed or online Krause listing this session". Attribute goes and checks, confirms KM# 428 and takes confidence to high. Deep Research comes back with the same number and puts confidence back DOWN to medium, because it is the first pass to look hard at the surfaces: lusterless and faintly granular, which could be cleaning, or could be casting porosity, and it says so and tells you to weigh the coin before listing it. Eight credits bought a doubt rather than an answer. On a piece you are about to sell as silver, that is the most valuable thing on this page.

  • A 1906 Mexico 10 centavos, cut out on white

    1906-mexico-10-centavos-silver-1.jpg

  • A 1906 Mexico 10 centavos, cut out on white

    1906-mexico-10-centavos-silver-2.jpg

Identify

Reads the photographs. No web search.

2credits

The listing
Identified as

1906 Mexico Mexico 10 Centavos, eagle and radiant cap type (1905-1914) · 10 Centavos

Confidence

medium

eBay title

1906 Mexico 10 Centavos Silver Coin - Eagle & Radiant Cap Type

Condition
Very Fine. Moderate even wear is visible on the eagle's breast and wing tips and on the high points of the radiant cap, though the overall design and lettering remain sharp and fully legible. The surfaces show light gray-gold toning throughout with no cleaning, deep scratches, or corrosion evident, and the rims and edge appear intact.
Published size and weight

18 mm · 2.5 g

Item specifics
Year: 1906 · Country/Region of Manufacture: Mexico · Denomination: 10 Centavos · +4 more
Description
This is a 1906 Mexican 10 Centavos minor coin, part of the silver "eagle and radiant cap" series struck by the Mexico City mint in the early twentieth century. The obverse shows the Mexican national eagle facing left with wings raised, holding a snake in its beak, encircled by the legend ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS. The reverse depicts a Phrygian ("Liberty") cap at the center of a radiating sunburst, with the denomination 10 CENTAVOS and the date 1906 set within a wreath of olive branches near the rim. The design is consistent with the type Mexico issued in silver from 1905 through 1914, later replaced by a copper-nickel design. The coin is offered raw (not certified by a third-party grading service).
Check before you list
  • No mint mark is visible in these photographs; the Mexico City mint is assumed based on the type but should be confirmed.
  • Catalog number given (KM# 428) is from memory and has not been verified against a printed or online Krause listing this session.
  • +1 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
Not researched at this level.
Which reference to check
Not researched at this level.
Estimated selling price
Not researched at this level.
Research notes
Not researched at this level.
Pages it read
Not researched at this level.

Attribute

Reads them, then searches the web twice.

8credits

The listing
Identified as

1906 Mexico Cap and Rays 10 centavos (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) · 10 Centavos

Confidence

high

eBay title

1906 Mexico 10 Centavos .800 Silver KM# 428 Cap and Rays Eagle Circulated

Condition
Very Fine. Evenly circulated with wear on the eagle's breast and wing tips and on the high points of the cap and the tops of the rays, though all legends, the value and the date remain fully legible. The surfaces are dull gray with tan and light golden toning and some darker oxidation settled in the protected areas of the wreath and lettering. Scattered small contact marks and a few short hairlines are visible in the open fields; no edge damage, hole or mounting evidence is apparent.
Published size and weight

18 mm · 2.5 g

Item specifics
Year: 1906 · Country/Region of Manufacture: Mexico · Denomination: 10 Centavos · +7 more
Description
A Mexican 10 centavos of 1906, from the .800 fine silver series struck by the Mexico City Mint between 1905 and 1914 under the monetary reform that followed Mexico's move off the silver standard. The issue is cataloged as KM# 428, with a published weight of 2.5 grams and a diameter of 18 millimeters. The obverse carries the national arms: the Mexican eagle standing on a cactus, a snake in its beak and talons, with an oak and laurel wreath at the right, surrounded by the legend ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS (United Mexican States). The reverse shows the Phrygian liberty cap inscribed LIBERTAD with rays fanning out behind it, the large value 10 across the field, and CENTAVOS 1906 to the right inside a wreath tied at the base. The coin is raw and circulated. Wear is even across the eagle and the cap and rays, with all lettering and the date clear. Toning is gray with tan and golden tints and darker deposits in the recesses, and there are light contact marks in the fields.
Check before you list
  • Confirm whether the small M mint mark is present on the piece; it is not legible in these photographs
  • Weigh and measure the coin (published 2.5 g, 18 mm) to confirm the .800 silver standard
  • +2 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
KM# 428
Which reference to check
Not needed; the number above is confirmed.
Estimated selling price
Not researched at this level.
Research notes
Searched for the type: confirmed the 1905-1914 Mexican 10 centavos is Krause KM# 428, .800 silver, 2.5 g, 18 mm (ASW 0.0643 oz), Mexico City Mint, from Numista, NGC World Price Guide and GreatCollections/VCoins listing data in search results. Search results also note recognized 1906 date varieties ("Low 6") and a 1907/6 overdate, so the date position should be checked on the coin itself. Numista and mexicannumismatics.com returned HTTP 403 and could not be read directly, so the specifications rest on the aggregated search result data rather than a page I opened. No mint mark is legible in the photographs and no comparable sale prices were verified.
Pages it read
No pages were read.

Deep Research

Six searches and more room to think.

16credits

The listing
Identified as

1906 Mexico Cap and rays 10 centavos, Type 1 (.800 fine, 1905-1914) · 10 Centavos

Confidence

medium

eBay title

1906 Mexico 10 Centavos .800 Silver KM# 428 Cap & Rays Mexico City Circulated

Condition
Very Fine. Evenly circulated, with the eagle's breast and wing feathers flattened on the high points while the outlines of every device, the complete legend, the date and the individual wreath leaves and berries stay clear. The surfaces are dull gray and lusterless with a faintly granular texture and scattered darker spots, consistent with cleaning or long environmental exposure. The rim looks slightly irregular along one stretch of the reverse. No hole, mount trace or obvious edge damage shows in these photographs.
Published size and weight

18 mm · 2.5 g

Item specifics
Year: 1906 · Country/Region of Manufacture: Mexico · Denomination: 10 Centavos · +9 more
Description
A Mexican silver 10 centavos of 1906, struck under the Monetary Reform of 1905, the law that ended the leases on Mexico's provincial mints and left Mexico City as the republic's only working mint. Cataloged as KM# 428, the type was struck in .800 fine silver (80 percent silver, the balance copper) at 18 millimeters and a standard weight of 2.50 grams, with a reeded edge. The reported mintage for the date is 8,410,000 pieces. The obverse carries the national coat of arms, the eagle with a serpent in its beak standing above a spray of oak and laurel, encircled by the legend ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS. The reverse shows a small radiant liberty cap at the top, the Phrygian cap that stands for freedom, with its rays fanning down across the field; a large numeral 10 shaded with horizontal lines sits on the rays, CENTAVOS and the date 1906 read below, and an open wreath of oak and laurel frames the whole design. The coin is evenly worn, the eagle's breast and wing smoothed while the legends, date and wreath detail remain fully readable. Surfaces are dull gray without luster, with a faintly granular texture and a few darker spots. Raw and uncertified.
Check before you list
  • Weigh the coin (standard 2.50 g) and measure it (18.0 mm, about 1.18 mm thick) and check that the edge reeding is sharp and seamless: the lusterless, faintly granular surfaces in these photographs could be cleaning or environmental exposure, but casting porosity would look similar, so confirm authenticity and silver content before listing.
  • The 'M' Mexico City mint mark, which on this type sits below and slightly between the digits of the value, is not legible in these photographs; confirm it under magnification. All 1906 10 centavos were Mexico City strikings, but the mark itself should be read on the piece.
  • +3 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
KM# 428
Which reference to check
Not needed; the number above is confirmed.
Estimated selling price
$8 - $12Quick sale $4 - $7 · Numiscorner offered a VF(30-35) 1906 KM# 428 at 8 euros; raw circulated 1906 examples are offered on eBay in the single dollars; PCGS auction records show a gem MS-66 1906-M at $85 in February 2025, far above a circulated piece.
Research notes
Confirmed: the piece is KM# 428, the 10 centavos of Mexico's 1905 coinage reform series, .800 silver, 18.00 mm, 2.50 g standard weight, reeded edge, Mexico City, with a 1906 mintage of 8,410,000 (allnumis catalog entry; Numiscorner listing; Greysheet catalog entry GSID 294861). Confirmed the design against Greysheet's written description of the type and it matches the photographs point for point: small radiant liberty cap at the top above an open oak-and-laurel wreath, large horizontally shaded 10 on the rays, CENTAVOS over the date, mint mark M below and slightly between the digits of the value. Established that the 1905 reform closed every provincial mint, so all 1906 10 centavos are Mexico City strikings; no restrike, later strike or non-silver issue of this date is recorded, so the original/restrike question does not arise for this type. Likely but unverified: the M mint mark is present in the usual spot (a small raised mark is there but unreadable at this resolution), and this is the common 1906 date rather than the Greysheet-listed 1906-M "Low 6"; I could not find that variety illustrated or defined on any open source, so only a printed reference image will settle which date punch this coin carries. Not found: any published counterfeit diagnostics for this date. Weight, diameter, thickness and edge reeding are what would settle authenticity and fineness, and a specific-gravity check would confirm the .800 silver.
Pages it read
5 pages, listed in the full output

Scroll or swipe sideways to compare all three levels.

Example E

A Hard Times token

And what happens when the catalog will not settle it. Every pass places the token in the Low and Rulau Hard Times references and narrows it to the New York "old Merchants Exchange" group of three reverse varieties, and every pass refuses to pick one, because the photographs do not settle which. So the reference field stays empty and the tool tells you which book to open instead. That is the rule: a number in that field gets copied into a listing and read as fact.

  • A Hard Times token, cut out on white

    hard-times-token-millions-defence-merchants-exchange-holed-1.jpg

  • A Hard Times token, cut out on white

    hard-times-token-millions-defence-merchants-exchange-holed-2.jpg

Identify

Reads the photographs. No web search.

2credits

The listing
Identified as

United States Hard Times token · One Cent (token) · Merchants' Exchange building, Wall Street, New York

Confidence

medium

eBay title

Hard Times Token Millions For Defence / Merchants Exchange NY - Holed

Condition
Very Good. Moderate overall wear with the design elements of the Merchants' Exchange building and the wreath on the reverse still clear and legible. The surfaces show an even gray tone that may reflect old cleaning or a light plating, along with scattered small marks. A hole has been punched through the token near the right edge on the obverse (corresponding to the left edge on the reverse), evidently so the piece could be worn or carried as a pocket piece or on a chain.
Published size and weight

28 mm

Item specifics
Era: Hard Times token, circa 1837 · Composition: Copper · Country/Region of Manufacture: United States · +5 more
Description
This is an American Hard Times token, a genre of privately issued copper tokens circulated in the United States during the economic hardship of the mid-1830s to early 1840s, when official small change was scarce. The obverse depicts the Merchants' Exchange building on Wall Street in New York City, with the legend "MERCHANTS EXCHANGE WALL ST. N. YORK" around the border and "BUILT 1827 / BURNT 1835" flanking the building, referring to the structure's construction and its destruction in the Great Fire of New York in December 1835. The reverse carries the well-known patriotic slogan "MILLIONS FOR DEFENCE NOT ONE CENT FOR TRIBUTE" around a wreath enclosing "ONE CENT" and "FOR THRIFT," a phrase associated with American resistance to foreign demands in the 1790s that was revived on numerous Hard Times tokens of this era. The token is approximately 28 mm in diameter, the standard size for large cent-sized Hard Times issues. The piece shows moderate circulation wear with the building and lettering still readable, an overall gray surface tone, and a hole punched through the flan near the edge, indicating it was carried or worn at some point after issue.
Check before you list
  • Exact Low or HT (Rulau) catalog number not confirmed; a reference in hand should be checked against the die variety.
  • Metal composition looks grayish in these photos rather than typical copper color; confirm whether this is cleaned/whizzed copper, a plated piece, or a different alloy.
  • +2 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
Not researched at this level.
Which reference to check
Not researched at this level.
Research notes
Not researched at this level.
Pages it read
Not researched at this level.

Attribute

Reads them, then searches the web twice.

8credits

The listing
Identified as

United States Hard Times token · Merchants Exchange, Wall Street, New York (built 1827, burned 1835)

Confidence

medium

eBay title

Hard Times Token Merchants Exchange Wall St NY Millions for Defence Copper Holed

Condition
Very Fine. Holed near the rim at one side, the hole cleanly punched and passing through both faces, with a slight ring of disturbed metal around it. The building on the obverse retains its window detail and the wreath and lettering on the reverse are complete and legible, with wear flattening the highest points of the roofline, the cupola and the wreath leaves. Surfaces are dark gray-brown with lighter high points and areas of granularity and light porosity, consistent with time in the ground or in circulation; there are scattered small nicks and rim ticks. No verdigris or active corrosion is apparent in these photographs.
Published size and weight

28.1 mm

Item specifics
Type: Hard Times Token · Composition: Copper · Country/Region of Manufacture: United States · +7 more
Description
A copper Hard Times token of the type issued in New York City in the late 1830s. Hard Times tokens are cent-sized copper pieces struck privately between about 1833 and 1843, when small change was scarce and political feeling ran high; many carry political slogans or advertise a merchant. The obverse shows the first Merchants Exchange, the domed building at Wall and William Streets that was completed in 1827 and destroyed in the great New York fire of December 1835. The legend around it reads MERCHANTS EXCHANGE WALL ST. N. YORK, with BUILT 1827 BURNT 1835 in two lines at the right of the building. The reverse carries the slogan MILLIONS FOR DEFENCE NOT ONE CENT FOR TRIBUTE, the last three words within a laurel wreath tied with a ribbon; the phrase dates from the XYZ affair of 1798 and was revived on tokens of this period. The type is struck in copper at about 28 mm, the size of a contemporary large cent. The piece is holed near the rim, the hole punched through both faces. Design detail on the building and wreath remains clear, with wear on the highest points and dark, somewhat granular surfaces. Not certified.
Check before you list
  • Both photographs are upside down; rotate before listing
  • The Merchants Exchange / Millions for Defence type exists in several closely related HT and Low numbers, separated chiefly by whether there is a dash under CENT and by small lettering differences - examine the piece in hand against the printed reference before quoting a number
  • +2 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
No number could be confirmed, so none is given.
Which reference to check
Listed in the Hard Times token references (Low, and the HT numbering used by Rulau); the Merchants Exchange / Millions for Defence type covers several closely related numbers and the exact one was not independently verified here.
Research notes
Confirmed the type: obverse legend MERCHANTS EXCHANGE WALL ST. N. YORK / BUILT 1827 BURNT 1835 with the first Merchants Exchange building, reverse MILLIONS FOR DEFENCE NOT ONE CENT FOR TRIBUTE in a wreath; copper, about 28 mm (28.10 mm cited by Rare Token Buyer), cent-size. Sources agree the building appears on several Hard Times varieties in the HT 291-294 range (Low numbers including Low 97), distinguished mainly by the presence or absence of a dash under CENT; that detail is not clearly readable in these photographs, so no number is stated. Could not verify a specific HT/Low number or a published weight for this exact variety. Numista's catalog page returned HTTP 403 and was not read.
Pages it read
1 page, listed in the full output

Deep Research

Six searches and more room to think.

16credits

The listing
Identified as

United States Hard Times token · Merchants' Exchange, Wall Street, New York (built 1827, burned 1835)

Confidence

medium

eBay title

(1837) Merchants Exchange Hard Times Token Wall St NY Millions for Defence Holed

Condition
Fine. A hole has been drilled through the field just inside the rim, at about nine o'clock on the obverse; it shows as an open perforation in the obverse view and as a darker, slightly displaced ring on the reverse side, so whether it is fully open or partly plugged should be checked in hand. Wear is even: the building's windows, columns and cupola are still defined and every letter of both legends is legible, so the sharpness before the damage is counted runs Fine to Very Fine. Surfaces are dark brown to gray with a faintly granular, lightly porous texture of the kind seen on ground-recovered copper, and there are scattered small marks and short scratches in the obverse field. The rims appear complete, with no bends or edge bumps visible in these photographs.
Published size and weight

28 mm

Item specifics
Type: Hard Times Token · Composition: Copper · Country/Region of Manufacture: United States · +9 more
Description
Hard Times tokens are privately struck, cent-sized copper pieces that passed as small change in the United States after the banks suspended payment in coin in 1837. This one pictures the Merchants' Exchange, the marble exchange house that opened at 37-41 Wall Street in 1827 and burned in the Great Fire of December 1835. The obverse shows the building with its columned portico and the tall cupola, the tower that rose over the interior rotunda, with MERCHANTS EXCHANGE WALL ST. N. YORK around the border and BUILT 1827 BURNT 1835 beside the facade. The reverse carries MILLIONS FOR DEFENCE around the edge and NOT / ONE / CENT / FOR TRIBUTE inside a laurel wreath, a slogan that dates from the 1798 quarrel with France. Copper, plain edge, published diameter about 28 mm. The token bears no striking date; the 1827 and 1835 dates belong to the building, and catalogs place the issue about 1837. A hole has been drilled near the rim, at roughly nine o'clock on the obverse. Wear is even, the building details and both legends stay legible, and the surfaces are dark brown to gray and slightly granular with scattered small marks. Three reverse varieties of this type are catalogued; which one this is has not been settled here.
Check before you list
  • Variety is not settled. Under magnification, check whether there is a dash under CENT on the reverse and count the berries inside and outside the wreath: six inside / four outside is HT-291 (Low-95); five inside / three outside is HT-292 (Low-96) or HT-293 (Low-97), separated by the dash. HT-291 and HT-293 are R-1; HT-292 is cited at R-6 to R-7, so this matters to the price.
  • No HT or Low number is given in this draft on purpose. Do not add one to the listing until the reverse has been examined in hand.
  • +5 more to check
What the research added
Catalog reference
No number could be confirmed, so none is given.
Which reference to check
Covered by Low and by Rulau in the Hard Times token series (the New York City "old Merchants Exchange" group, which comprises three reverse varieties); the exact number could not be confirmed from these photographs and none is stated.
Research notes
Established from the photographs: legends read MERCHANTS EXCHANGE WALL ST. N. YORK / BUILT 1827 BURNT 1835 with the building, and MILLIONS FOR DEFENCE with NOT / ONE / CENT / FOR TRIBUTE in a wreath. That is the old (1827) Merchants' Exchange type of the Hard Times series, not the later rebuilt-exchange type. Established from sources: the building opened at 37-41 Wall Street on May 1, 1827 and was destroyed in the Great Fire of December 16-17, 1835 (Daytonian in Manhattan). Architectural credit is given variously to Martin E. Thompson, Josiah R. Brady and Alexander Jackson Davis; the sources conflict and I left it out of the listing. Established from sources: the type is copper, plain edge, about 28 mm, catalogued in three reverse varieties - HT-291/Low-95, HT-292/Low-96, HT-293/Low-97 (W-NY-760 in the Whitman scheme). HT-291 has a dash under CENT with six berries inside and four outside the wreath; HT-292 has a dash with five inside and three outside; HT-293 has no dash. HT-291 and HT-293 are rated R-1, HT-292 at R-6 to R-7. Likely but not evidence from this coin: HT-293 is the commonest survivor, so a random example is most often that variety. That is probability, not attribution, so the reference field is null. Could not be found: whether this piece has the dash, and the berry counts, at the resolution supplied; a published weight for the type; any sold record for a holed example. PCGS CoinFacts, PCGS auction prices, Heritage, Greysheet, Numista and vcoins all refused direct fetching (HTTP 403), so their data reached me only through search summaries and was not relied on for any number stated here. What would settle the open points: a raking-light macro of the reverse center below CENT and of the wreath berries, plus a caliper diameter, a weight, and a look at the edge. Those together fix the variety and would also expose a cast copy.
Pages it read
3 pages, listed in the full output

Scroll or swipe sideways to compare all three levels.

One mechanical change, and the only one: catalog citations are printed in the form their own catalog publishes, so Krause reads KM# 428 everywhere. The tool does that to every listing now. It came from this page, where one of these coins cited the same number two different ways in two adjacent columns. Nothing else here is touched.

And here is the whole batch.

Two evenings of my own inventory: 29 photographs in, 10 pieces and 20 finished images out. Every one identified and drafted, 5 attributed, 1 taken to Deep Research. One ZIP and one CSV at the end of it.

7 of the 10 are below. Click any cut to see it full size.

View on
The same switch is on every batch screen. Black is the honest test of a cut: a sliver of table left on a silver rim is invisible on white.
Item 12 photoslow confidenceIdentify · 4 credits in alltheodore-roosevelt-uniface-shell-medal-1, -2…
  • Original photograph 1 of Theodore Roosevelt Portrait Medal / Uniface Shell Badge - Circulated
    Original
    Cut-out 1 of Theodore Roosevelt Portrait Medal / Uniface Shell Badge - Circulated
    On white
  • Original photograph 2 of Theodore Roosevelt Portrait Medal / Uniface Shell Badge - Circulated
    Original
    Cut-out 2 of Theodore Roosevelt Portrait Medal / Uniface Shell Badge - Circulated
    On white

eBay title · 68/80

Theodore Roosevelt Portrait Medal / Uniface Shell Badge - Circulated

Description, as it exports

A small uniface portrait piece featuring Theodore Roosevelt. The face shows a bust of Roosevelt facing slightly left, wearing a suit and his characteristic pince-nez spectacles, with the name ROOSEVELT in raised block letters in a curve below the truncation. The design is enclosed by a rope or cable border running around the rim. The back is blank apart from the incuse, reversed impression of the portrait and lettering showing through, which indicates a thin struck shell rather than a solid two-sided medal. No date, denomination or maker's name is visible. Surfaces are dark with heavy mottled spotting and rub across the high points of the hair, cheek and lapels; a thin scratch crosses the face. The metal appears to be white metal or a plated base metal. Sold as an unattributed political or commemorative shell badge; the buyer should judge attribution from the images. Condition: Please see photos. Heavily worn and darkly toned with extensive spotting and loss of the original bright surface; scattered nicks and a scratch across the face, with edge irregularity typical of a thin struck shell. Original attachments or hardware are shown in the photographs when present. Please look at the photographs carefully for wear, oxidation and the condition of the attachment. The item pictured is the exact item you will receive. Please look at every photograph carefully for condition, surfaces, color, toning, wear and other details. Combined shipping: buying more than one item? We are glad to combine shipping whenever practical. Add your items to your cart, or contact us before paying, for a combined total.
Ship as
USPS Ground Advantage, bubble mailer

Check before listing

  • Confirm metal composition and diameter in hand
  • No date, maker or denomination visible - attribution to a specific issue is unconfirmed
  • Verify whether the piece is a uniface shell, a badge back, or a mounted item with a removed loop
Item 22 photosmedium confidenceIdentify · 4 credits in all1916-progressive-national-convention-chicago-watch-fob-1, -2…
  • Original photograph 1 of 1916 Progressive National Convention Chicago Watch Fob Medal - Whitehead & Hoag
    Original
    Cut-out 1 of 1916 Progressive National Convention Chicago Watch Fob Medal - Whitehead & Hoag
    On white

    Flagged: 8% of the rim came back short. Either a flat was sliced off, or the piece was photographed at an angle. Check before using.

  • Original photograph 2 of 1916 Progressive National Convention Chicago Watch Fob Medal - Whitehead & Hoag
    Original
    Cut-out 2 of 1916 Progressive National Convention Chicago Watch Fob Medal - Whitehead & Hoag
    On white

    Flagged: 8% of the rim came back short. Either a flat was sliced off, or the piece was photographed at an angle. Check before using.

eBay title · 79/80

1916 Progressive National Convention Chicago Watch Fob Medal - Whitehead & Hoag

Description, as it exports

A political watch fob issued for the 1916 Progressive National Convention held in Chicago. The scalloped planchet carries an integral loop at the top for attachment to a watch chain. The face shows three conjoined presidential busts in relief, a central figure flanked by a bewigged eighteenth-century statesman at left and a bearded Lincoln-like portrait at right, with the raised legend PROGRESSIVE NATIONAL CONVENTION arcing around the upper border and CHICAGO 1916 stacked vertically between the lower busts. The back is plain apart from a struck maker's cartouche reading THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO., NEWARK, N.J. around a small shield device. Surfaces are silvered over a base-metal core, with gray and dark toning in the protected areas and honest wear on the high points. Numerous fine scratches, a few rim bruises and light dirt are present. An original piece of Bull Moose era political Americana, suitable for a campaign or Chicago collection. Condition: Please see photos. Circulated with softening on the highest points of the portraits, scattered scratches and rim nicks, and dark residue in the recesses; the reverse shows heavy hairlines and handling marks typical of a carried fob. Please look at every photograph carefully for surfaces, toning, color, marks, wear and overall condition. The item pictured is the exact item you will receive. Please look at every photograph carefully for condition, surfaces, color, toning, wear and other details. Combined shipping: buying more than one item? We are glad to combine shipping whenever practical. Add your items to your cart, or contact us before paying, for a combined total.
Ship as
USPS Ground Advantage, bubble mailer

Check before listing

  • Confirm the identities of the three portraits before describing them by name
  • Confirm the exact metal and whether the silvering is original plating
  • Maker's mark on the reverse is partly worn; verify the Whitehead & Hoag attribution in hand
Item 32 photoshigh confidenceIdentify · 4 credits in all1904-roosevelt-fairbanks-campaign-medal-bronze-1, -2…
  • Original photograph 1 of 1904 Theodore Roosevelt & Charles W. Fairbanks Campaign Medal Bronze Jugate Hole
    Original
    Cut-out 1 of 1904 Theodore Roosevelt & Charles W. Fairbanks Campaign Medal Bronze Jugate Hole
    On white
  • Original photograph 2 of 1904 Theodore Roosevelt & Charles W. Fairbanks Campaign Medal Bronze Jugate Hole
    Original
    Cut-out 2 of 1904 Theodore Roosevelt & Charles W. Fairbanks Campaign Medal Bronze Jugate Hole
    On white

eBay title · 80/80

1904 Theodore Roosevelt & Charles W. Fairbanks Campaign Medal Bronze Jugate Hole

Description, as it exports

A 1904 United States presidential campaign medal for the Republican ticket of Theodore Roosevelt and Charles W. Fairbanks. The obverse shows conjoined oval bust portraits of the two candidates beneath a federal shield flanked by laurel branches, with the names THEODORE ROOSEVELT and CHARLES W FAIRBANKS in a curved line below and a scrollwork ornament at the base. A beaded and toothed border frames the design. The reverse carries the inscription REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT 1904 in seven lines within a matching toothed border. The piece appears to be struck in bronze or a copper alloy and has a small hole pierced at the top, as commonly seen on campaign pieces worn on a ribbon. Surfaces are medium to dark brown with light circulated wear on the high points of the portraits, some scattered spotting and minor rim disturbance. Legends and date remain fully legible. Offered raw and ungraded. Condition: Please see photos. Circulated with light overall wear and dark brown surfaces; pierced at the top for suspension, with a few small spots and minor rim nicks. Original attachments or hardware are shown in the photographs when present. Please look at the photographs carefully for wear, oxidation and the condition of the attachment. The item pictured is the exact item you will receive. Please look at every photograph carefully for condition, surfaces, color, toning, wear and other details. Combined shipping: buying more than one item? We are glad to combine shipping whenever practical. Add your items to your cart, or contact us before paying, for a combined total.
Ship as
USPS Ground Advantage, bubble mailer

Check before listing

  • Confirm diameter, weight and exact metal composition
  • Check whether the suspension hole is original to the issue or later added
Item 42 photoshigh confidenceAttribute · 10 credits in all1964-1965-new-york-worlds-fair-bronze-medal-1, -2…
  • Original photograph 1 of 1964-1965 New York World's Fair Bronze Medal Unisphere NYC 300th Anniversary
    Original
    Cut-out 1 of 1964-1965 New York World's Fair Bronze Medal Unisphere NYC 300th Anniversary
    On white
  • Original photograph 2 of 1964-1965 New York World's Fair Bronze Medal Unisphere NYC 300th Anniversary
    Original
    Cut-out 2 of 1964-1965 New York World's Fair Bronze Medal Unisphere NYC 300th Anniversary
    On white

eBay title · 76/80

1964-1965 New York World's Fair Bronze Medal Unisphere NYC 300th Anniversary

Description, as it exports

Official commemorative medal of the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, held at Flushing Meadows in Queens, struck in bronze. The issue also marks the 300th anniversary of the founding of the City of New York in 1664, when the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam passed to English control. The obverse shows the Unisphere, the fair's steel globe landmark, encircled by orbit rings and set among clouds and stars, with the peripheral inscription MAN'S ACHIEVEMENTS IN AN EXPANDING UNIVERSE / NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR and the dates 1964-1965 below. The reverse carries the arms and seal of the City of New York, with a colonist and a Native American flanking a shield bearing windmill sails, beavers and flour barrels, an eagle above, the Latin seal legend SIGILLUM CIVITATIS NOVI EBORACI (Seal of the City of New York) on the scroll, 1664 beneath, and around the edge THE 300th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK / 1664 - 1964. The piece is raw, not certified. It shows an even medium brown bronze patina with the design fully struck up; some light scratches and small rim marks are visible from handling. Condition: Please see photos. Uniform light brown bronze surface with a few small handling marks and minor rim nicks; scattered fine scratches cross the globe on the obverse, and a small bright spot shows near the center of the globe where the patina is disturbed. Please look at every photograph carefully for surfaces, toning, color, marks, wear and overall condition. The item pictured is the exact item you will receive. Please look at every photograph carefully for condition, surfaces, color, toning, wear and other details. Combined shipping: buying more than one item? We are glad to combine shipping whenever practical. Add your items to your cart, or contact us before paying, for a combined total.
Category
Collectibles > Historical Memorabilia > World's Fairs & Expos > 1962-65 Seattle, New York
Ship as
USPS Ground Advantage, bubble mailer
  • Type: World's Fair Medal
  • Year: 1964
  • Composition: Bronze
  • Theme: 1964-1965 New York World's Fair
  • Subject: Unisphere / Seal of the City of New York
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
  • Manufacturer: Medallic Art Co., New York (per published edge inscriptions for the type)
  • Era: 1960s
  • Certification: Uncertified
  • Shape: Round

Check before listing

  • Measure the diameter and weight: this medal was issued in more than one size (a large 63.5-64 mm format and smaller versions), so confirm before listing
  • Read and transcribe the edge inscription, which on the type names Medallic Art Co. N.Y. and the New York World's Fair 1964-1965 Corporation, and states the metal
  • No so-called dollar (HK) or other catalog number was confirmed for this issue; leave the reference blank unless verified
What it looked up

Stack's Bowers archive describes the official 1964-1965 New York World's Fair medal with the same obverse and reverse legends and dates; its sterling example is listed at 69.5 mm, 223.96 g, edge naming Medallic Art Co. N.Y. and the Fair Corporation/US Steel Unisphere. Museum of the City of New York collection record confirms the pairing of the Fair theme obverse with the NYC 300th anniversary seal reverse. PCGS CoinFacts lists a bronze (AE) 64 mm version of this medal; marketplace records also show a 44 mm size, so the diameter of this specific piece cannot be set from photographs. Design is commonly attributed to Anthony de Francisci in dealer listings and Numista; not confirmed against an authoritative reference, so not stated as fact. No HK or other standard catalog number was located for this issue.

Item 52 photosmedium confidenceDeep Research · 18 credits in allville-de-beziers-exposition-award-medal-france-1, -2…
  • Original photograph 1 of France Ville de Beziers Exposition Award Medal Bronze Republique Francaise
    Original
    Cut-out 1 of France Ville de Beziers Exposition Award Medal Bronze Republique Francaise
    On white
  • Original photograph 2 of France Ville de Beziers Exposition Award Medal Bronze Republique Francaise
    Original
    Cut-out 2 of France Ville de Beziers Exposition Award Medal Bronze Republique Francaise
    On white

eBay title · 74/80

France Ville de Beziers Exposition Award Medal Bronze Republique Francaise

Description, as it exports

A French municipal exposition award medal struck for the city of Béziers in the Hérault, southern France, of the type given as a prize at a local fair or trade exhibition under the Third Republic. The obverse shows a bust of Marianne, the personification of the French Republic, facing left in a Phrygian liberty cap dressed with laurel and foliage, with the legend REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE around and a landscape with foliage below the truncation of the bust (the cut at the base of the shoulders). The reverse carries the arms of Béziers, a shield with three fleurs-de-lis in the chief above horizontal bars, beneath a mural crown of city walls and towers and flanked by branches. The surrounding legend reads VILLE DE BÉZIERS above and EXPOSITION DE below; the remainder of that lower inscription is worn and not legible here. A plain cartouche below the shield, provided for engraving a recipient's name, appears blank. The piece is uncertified and appears to be bronze with a dark patina, showing honest wear on the high points. No catalog number or engraver's signature could be confirmed for this issue. Condition: Please see photos. Even dark brown-gray patina with copper showing on the raised areas; light rub on Marianne's cheek and hair and softness in parts of the reverse legend, with scattered small marks and a shallow scuff at the right side of the shield. Rim appears intact and there is no visible mount, hole or repair. Please look at every photograph carefully for surfaces, toning, color, marks, wear and overall condition. The item pictured is the exact item you will receive. Please look at every photograph carefully for condition, surfaces, color, toning, wear and other details. Combined shipping: buying more than one item? We are glad to combine shipping whenever practical. Add your items to your cart, or contact us before paying, for a combined total.
Category
Coins & Paper Money > Exonumia > Medals
Ship as
USPS Ground Advantage, bubble mailer
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: France
  • Type: Award Medal
  • Theme: Exposition / Fair
  • Subject: Ville de Béziers (Hérault)
  • Composition: Bronze (unverified)
  • Shape: Round
  • Certification: Uncertified
  • Circulated/Uncirculated: Circulated
  • Modified Item: No

Check before listing

  • The date or wording following EXPOSITION DE on the reverse is not legible; confirm it in hand under raking light
  • Check for an engraver's signature below the bust truncation on the obverse
  • Confirm the metal (bronze vs. silvered or patinated bronze) and check the edge for a French mint hallmark such as a cornucopia or BRONZE punch
  • Measure the diameter and weight before listing
  • Confirm the recipient cartouche below the shield is truly blank and unengraved
What it looked up

Searched for this exact medal (French-language and English queries for Ville de Béziers exposition award medals, plus Numista) and could not locate a matching catalogued issue, so no reference number, engraver or published diameter/weight is given. The reverse shield matches the documented arms of Béziers (three fleurs-de-lis in chief over bars), per the Société archéologique, scientifique et littéraire de Béziers page on the town's arms. Béziers held periodic municipal expositions; a Béziers exposition award medal dated 1934 was seen in a dealer listing, confirming the practice, but it is a different design and does not date this piece. Obverse Marianne type is a standard Third Republic award-medal obverse; the specific medalist could not be confirmed from these images.

Item 62 photosmedium confidenceAttribute · 10 credits in all1907-jamestown-tercentennial-exposition-award-medal-gilt-1, -2…
  • Original photograph 1 of 1907 Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition Award Medal Gilt Bronze W.H. Croker
    Original
    Cut-out 1 of 1907 Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition Award Medal Gilt Bronze W.H. Croker
    On white
  • Original photograph 2 of 1907 Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition Award Medal Gilt Bronze W.H. Croker
    Original
    Cut-out 2 of 1907 Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition Award Medal Gilt Bronze W.H. Croker
    On white

eBay title · 75/80

1907 Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition Award Medal Gilt Bronze W.H. Croker

Description, as it exports

Official award medal of the Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition, held at Sewell's Point on Hampton Roads near Norfolk, Virginia in 1907 to mark 300 years since the founding of Jamestown. The exposition's award medals were designed by Tiffany & Co. and are a large 63 mm piece; this example is bronze with a gilt (gold-plated) surface. Small designer or maker initials appear in the right field of the obverse but are not fully legible here. The obverse shows two seated allegorical figures beside the shore, one gesturing toward a square-rigged sailing ship under sail in the background, with the surrounding legend JAMESTOWN TERCENTENNIAL EXPOSITION MCMVII (1907 in Roman numerals). The reverse carries the inscription COMMEMORATING THE FIRST PERMANENT SETTLEMENT OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLE IN AMERICA above AWARDED TO and a raised name panel reading W. H. CROKER, with an exposition building and a spread-wing eagle below, all within a wreath of corn and tobacco leaves. The piece is raw and uncertified. The gilding remains bright over most of both sides, with a diagonal scratch across the obverse center, a few dark spots, and light handling marks. Condition: Please see photos. Gilt surfaces are largely intact with a diagonal scratch running through the center of the obverse and several small dark spots and specks on both sides; scattered light handling marks and minor rubbing on the highest relief of the seated figures. Please look at every photograph carefully for surfaces, toning, color, marks, wear and overall condition. The item pictured is the exact item you will receive. Please look at every photograph carefully for condition, surfaces, color, toning, wear and other details. Combined shipping: buying more than one item? We are glad to combine shipping whenever practical. Add your items to your cart, or contact us before paying, for a combined total.
Size
63 mm (measured)
Category
Coins & Paper Money > Exonumia > Medals
Ship as
USPS Ground Advantage, 6 x 4 x 2 box
  • Year: 1907
  • Composition: Gilt bronze
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
  • Type: Exposition Award Medal
  • Theme: World's Fair / Exposition
  • Subject: Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition, Norfolk, Virginia
  • Era: 1900-1919
  • Certification: Uncertified
  • Size: 63 mm (published)
  • Named To: W. H. Croker

Check before listing

  • Confirm the rim for a Tiffany & Co. maker's mark and any metal marking
  • Verify the exact spelling of the recipient's name (CROKER vs. CROCKER) under magnification and research the recipient
  • Measure and weigh the medal; published diameter of 63 mm is from a reference listing, weight not established
  • Identify the artist's initials in the right obverse field
What it looked up

Expositionmedals.com lists the official Jamestown Exposition award medal as a large round gilt bronze medal, about 2.5 inches / 63 mm, marked Tiffany & Co. on the rim. Stack's Bowers archives include a 1907 Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition Award Medal by Tiffany & Co. in bronze, confirming the type and maker. So-calleddollars.com and Numista cover only the smaller 34 mm souvenir medals struck in the Mint exhibit on the grounds (HK-344 through HK-347); those HK numbers do not apply to this award medal, so no catalog number is given here.

Item 72 photoshigh confidenceIdentify · 4 credits in all1964-vatican-pavilion-worlds-fair-pieta-medal-1, -2…
  • Original photograph 1 of 1964 Vatican Pavilion Medal New York World's Fair Pieta Bronze
    Original
    Cut-out 1 of 1964 Vatican Pavilion Medal New York World's Fair Pieta Bronze
    On white
  • Original photograph 2 of 1964 Vatican Pavilion Medal New York World's Fair Pieta Bronze
    Original
    Cut-out 2 of 1964 Vatican Pavilion Medal New York World's Fair Pieta Bronze
    On white

eBay title · 62/80

1964 Vatican Pavilion Medal New York World's Fair Pieta Bronze

Description, as it exports

This bronze medal commemorates the Vatican Pavilion at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, where Michelangelo's Pieta was famously displayed after being transported from St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The obverse depicts the Pieta itself, the sculpture of the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Christ, with the inscription "ROMA 1499 - PIETA BY MICHELANGELO - NEW YORK 1964" around the border. The reverse shows facing portrait busts of Pope Paul VI (left) and Pope John XXIII (right), each identified by name and papal title (Paul VI and Ioannes XXIII), with the two papal coats of arms above. Below the busts is a rendering of the Vatican Pavilion building itself, flanked by the inscriptions "VATICAN PAVILION" and "NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR 1964-1965." The medal is struck in bronze and displays an even, undisturbed brown patina consistent with age. Design elements on both faces are crisp with no evidence of wear, cleaning, or damage noted in the photographs. Condition: Please see photos. Bronze medal with even brown patina on both sides; surfaces appear lustrous under the toning with no visible marks, scratches, or corrosion. Devices are sharply struck with full detail retained on the drapery and portrait features. Please look at every photograph carefully for surfaces, toning, color, marks, wear and overall condition. The item pictured is the exact item you will receive. Please look at every photograph carefully for condition, surfaces, color, toning, wear and other details. Combined shipping: buying more than one item? We are glad to combine shipping whenever practical. Add your items to your cart, or contact us before paying, for a combined total.
Category
Coins & Paper Money > Exonumia > Medals
Ship as
USPS Ground Advantage, 6 x 4 x 2 box
  • Year: 1964
  • Theme: Religious/World's Fair
  • Subject: Pieta by Michelangelo; Popes Paul VI and John XXIII
  • Composition: Bronze
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
  • Era: 1960s
  • Circulated/Uncirculated: Uncirculated

Check before listing

  • Diameter and weight not confirmed by research; exact manufacturer/mint not identified
  • No catalog reference number located for this specific medal
What it looked up

This piece matches the well-documented series of bronze medals issued for the Vatican Pavilion exhibit at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, which displayed Michelangelo's Pieta on loan from the Vatican. Similar medals appear in auction archives (Heritage, eBay sold listings) under the same title but a specific standard catalog number (e.g., a numbered exposition medal reference) was not located in this search. Diameter and weight are commonly around 44mm but this was not confirmed from an authoritative source, so left null.

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