1859/9 Canada Large Cent (DP5) With "GEO. DELANO." Countermark. Brunk D-256. Brunk Plate Coin.
This is a neat coin. It is an example of tough 1859/9 DP5 with the top of the underlying 9 clear within the loop of the primary 9. Challenging in any grade, but particularly in VF+ condition, as here. The obverse features a large die crack above the R in REGINA, which extends left to the A and right to the E.
As for the countermark, the late Gregory Brunk writes the following in the 2003 edition of his standard reference:
Despite the fact that two examples of George Delano’s stamp are found on Canadian coins and tokens, this countermark seems to be American. While the name Delano does not appear in the Canadian Census records, two George Delanos were listed in Vermont at the time of the 1860 U.S. Census (Hank Thoele). One lived in Whiting and the other in Stowe.
However, an 1842 U.S. Large cent with this countermark turned up on eBay in 2013 with the following description:
Possibly either a Canadian or U.S. issuer depending on which attribution you choose. Dr. Brunk has new information on this counterstamp not listed in the current book. He thinks this may be a Canadian c/s with the issuer as George W. Delano, who is listed in an 1864 Nova Scotia directory as a carver and gilder at 35 Granville Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Further supporting his position is the fact that this mark is known on one Canadian token and three Canadian large cents in addition to three U.S. large cents. Dr. Brunk also notes Canadian merchants often countermarked U.S. coins, while U.S. merchants infrequently marked Canadian coins and tokens. The business went under the name G. W. Delano. I had identified this piece as the work of George Delano of New Bedford, MA. This Delano was involved in the ship building industry in the 1830s but was not successful during those tough economic times . He sailed from New Bedford to the California gold fields in 1849 but was soon called back to New Bedford to run his brother-in-law's whale oil business. He built a highly successful business making candles, soap and other whale oil products. His company was called Geo. Delano & Co. and it eventually became the largest such business in Massachusetts. It prospered until petroleum changed the whale oil business forever in the late 1880s. Either attribution has its merits. The Canadian token and large cents are strong evidence for the Nova Scotia connection. The name of the businesses argue for the New Bedford connection as does the curved style mark, which is typically seen on several American countermarks.
Color is uniform chocolate-brown, a bit deeper in hand than it appears in the images. Smooth with evidence of a wipe from long ago.
This is a neat coin. It is an example of tough 1859/9 DP5 with the top of the underlying 9 clear within the loop of the primary 9. Challenging in any grade, but particularly in VF+ condition, as here. The obverse features a large die crack above the R in REGINA, which extends left to the A and right to the E.
As for the countermark, the late Gregory Brunk writes the following in the 2003 edition of his standard reference:
Despite the fact that two examples of George Delano’s stamp are found on Canadian coins and tokens, this countermark seems to be American. While the name Delano does not appear in the Canadian Census records, two George Delanos were listed in Vermont at the time of the 1860 U.S. Census (Hank Thoele). One lived in Whiting and the other in Stowe.
However, an 1842 U.S. Large cent with this countermark turned up on eBay in 2013 with the following description:
Possibly either a Canadian or U.S. issuer depending on which attribution you choose. Dr. Brunk has new information on this counterstamp not listed in the current book. He thinks this may be a Canadian c/s with the issuer as George W. Delano, who is listed in an 1864 Nova Scotia directory as a carver and gilder at 35 Granville Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Further supporting his position is the fact that this mark is known on one Canadian token and three Canadian large cents in addition to three U.S. large cents. Dr. Brunk also notes Canadian merchants often countermarked U.S. coins, while U.S. merchants infrequently marked Canadian coins and tokens. The business went under the name G. W. Delano. I had identified this piece as the work of George Delano of New Bedford, MA. This Delano was involved in the ship building industry in the 1830s but was not successful during those tough economic times . He sailed from New Bedford to the California gold fields in 1849 but was soon called back to New Bedford to run his brother-in-law's whale oil business. He built a highly successful business making candles, soap and other whale oil products. His company was called Geo. Delano & Co. and it eventually became the largest such business in Massachusetts. It prospered until petroleum changed the whale oil business forever in the late 1880s. Either attribution has its merits. The Canadian token and large cents are strong evidence for the Nova Scotia connection. The name of the businesses argue for the New Bedford connection as does the curved style mark, which is typically seen on several American countermarks.
Color is uniform chocolate-brown, a bit deeper in hand than it appears in the images. Smooth with evidence of a wipe from long ago.
This is a neat coin. It is an example of tough 1859/9 DP5 with the top of the underlying 9 clear within the loop of the primary 9. Challenging in any grade, but particularly in VF+ condition, as here. The obverse features a large die crack above the R in REGINA, which extends left to the A and right to the E.
As for the countermark, the late Gregory Brunk writes the following in the 2003 edition of his standard reference:
Despite the fact that two examples of George Delano’s stamp are found on Canadian coins and tokens, this countermark seems to be American. While the name Delano does not appear in the Canadian Census records, two George Delanos were listed in Vermont at the time of the 1860 U.S. Census (Hank Thoele). One lived in Whiting and the other in Stowe.
However, an 1842 U.S. Large cent with this countermark turned up on eBay in 2013 with the following description:
Possibly either a Canadian or U.S. issuer depending on which attribution you choose. Dr. Brunk has new information on this counterstamp not listed in the current book. He thinks this may be a Canadian c/s with the issuer as George W. Delano, who is listed in an 1864 Nova Scotia directory as a carver and gilder at 35 Granville Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Further supporting his position is the fact that this mark is known on one Canadian token and three Canadian large cents in addition to three U.S. large cents. Dr. Brunk also notes Canadian merchants often countermarked U.S. coins, while U.S. merchants infrequently marked Canadian coins and tokens. The business went under the name G. W. Delano. I had identified this piece as the work of George Delano of New Bedford, MA. This Delano was involved in the ship building industry in the 1830s but was not successful during those tough economic times . He sailed from New Bedford to the California gold fields in 1849 but was soon called back to New Bedford to run his brother-in-law's whale oil business. He built a highly successful business making candles, soap and other whale oil products. His company was called Geo. Delano & Co. and it eventually became the largest such business in Massachusetts. It prospered until petroleum changed the whale oil business forever in the late 1880s. Either attribution has its merits. The Canadian token and large cents are strong evidence for the Nova Scotia connection. The name of the businesses argue for the New Bedford connection as does the curved style mark, which is typically seen on several American countermarks.
Color is uniform chocolate-brown, a bit deeper in hand than it appears in the images. Smooth with evidence of a wipe from long ago.