wheat pennies with masonic stamps?

hey everyone, can sumone gimmie some info bout a few coins i recently found?
i have 3 wheat pennies, 2 from 1948 and 1 from 1947 and all 3 are stamped with what looks to be a fremason symbol. i dont know much about it except i believe its called the slide scale? the stamp is of a slide above and a scale below or vice versa and there is a letter g in the center. the 1947 penny looks like it has an o stamped in the center of it.
i would like to know what exactly it is that i found so if anyone could give me any info bout them i would appriciate it.
thanks,
Tony.

 

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pictures would help!

 

Freemason stamped cents worth is not on numismatic value, but is sentimentality on inexpensive value cents, to actual deduction of value on rarer cents as post mint damage. General understanding is that they are similar to "Lucky" cents, or used as a connection between Freemasons. Similar stampings use States, Dead Presidents, Presidential contestants, Cigars or pipes to Lincolns mouth, and a football helmet or "cheesehead" stamps on Lincoln for certain sport fans. Maybe a real cheesehead would pay a $ for one. It is an easy market to get into, make a stamp, get some cents, and hammer away.

 

Great answer, of course.

Counterstamps are a real grey area of numismatics. To me, if a government counterstamps then its a new coin, and collectible by coin collectors. If a private party counterstamps, then its simply PMD and really only collectible by those who specialize in what or who counterstamped it, and the underlying coin loses almost all collector value.

Your coins will be collectible to Masonic collectors, but not coin collectors. I do have ancient Roman and Sassanid coins counterstamped by other cultures to retariff a coin. If the hepthalites counterstamp a Sassanid one to retariff it for trade, to me that is a new coin. If "Abdullah's Used Camel Tent" counterstamps a Sassanid coin for advertising, its PMD and not a collectible coin.

Chris

 

lol!

 

We need a "Cointalk.com" stamp

 

You're right Chris, once a coin is privately counterstamped it becomes a token and not collectible to most coin collectors. Of course there are those of us who collect counterstamps, but by the time it's been stamped it becomes a whole different "animal". That's the reason the stamp itself (condition, style, provenance, etc.) is more important to us than the coin is, though not completely. Counterstamps on gold coins are rare and very valuable. Likewise, stamped silver coins (especially Half Dollars and Silver Dollars) generally bring a premium over copper pieces. An "official" stamp of some sort, generally called a countermark, will retain it's interest to most coin collectors like you say.
By the way Chris, if you want to sell that "Abdullah's Used Camel Tent" counterstamp PM me.

Bruce

 

Ok tripped across this post while looking for info on this counter stamped coin too! Posted images of the one I've got.

I'm was looking at eBay to see what they go for and they go for way stupid prices. So we shall see what mine does.

 

It really is a deplorable waste of a cent to counterstamp it with nonsense like croaked president Kennedy etc. Kennedy killed the Franklin half, and the circulating half since fools had to keep the coins as souvenirs instead of spend them.

 

I know. Stuff like this makes me cringe but I've been trying to get rid of excess inventory and eBay is freaking me out with the crazy numbers people pay for some stuff.

I can honestly say I don't get it. The prices that is...

 

Let us know how you do jgreenhood.

Bruce

 

There are real "Masonic Pennies" made for lodge members.
They are usually copper and 30mm, about the size of a large cent.



Obverse:
BERKELEY CHAPTER No 92 R.A.M. / CALIFORNIA
University of California Greek Theatre

Reverse:
HTWSSTKS emblem
CHARTERED APRIL 18, 1906 / ONE PENNY

 

Nice Penny willieboyd! I have a few of these but have to look around to find where I put them. I'll try to post some tomorrow.

Bruce

 

I forgot that I had this one. It's counterstamped with individual punches but is carefully done so looks like a prepared punch. I believe it was struck on a smooth Large Cent planchet but there's no visible design element left to be sure. As much as I looked I couldn't trace J.G.Norton.

Bruce

 

Chartered the day of the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire right across the bay - and love the design of it.

 

Roll search finds - obviously they are still making them.

 

This isn't a masonic penny but a nice 1976 medal issued by the Grand Lodge of Philadelphia to celebrate the bicentennial. It's a good size at 38mm and has a reeded edge. There isn't any information on it to indicate who designed or struck the medal but the workmanship is top notch.

Bruce

 

I have a 45 wheat penny that has 4 and a 6 stamped on it what dose it mean and is it worth anything

 

Could we see a picture of the coin?

 

Welcome to the neighborhood!

It is not uncommon for some people to punch numbers and/or letters into coins. Sometimes these designate something personal and sometimes it is because the person has nothing better to do.

There is a specialized and very limited group of collectors who look for such coins, but most ordinary coin collectors would not pay a premium for them.

Chris