MORE BASHLOW CONFEDERATE COIN RESTRIKE SIX-COIN SETS

Not only do I have one of these sets, but also the papers that go with it. According to the papers, these “restrikes” are more technically the “second restrikes” since John W. Haseltine restruck 74 of the cent pieces in 1874, and J. W. Scott restruck 500 of the half dollar pieces circa 1879.

Perhaps “copies” would be an even more correct term, since while the “first restrikes” were in fact made from original dies, these dies by 1962 were too deteriorated for further striking use, so copy dies were made from them to produce the “second restrikes”.

The “second restrikes” of both denominations were made by August C. Frank & Co., Philadelphia, to the order of Robert Bashlow during the Civil War centennial in 1962. They are not rare as individual pieces. According to the brochure, 5,000 pieces of both the cent and half dollar were struck in silver, a like amount in “goldine” (a brassy alloy developed for token planchets by the Osborne Coinage Co. in the 1930s), and 20,000 pieces of each of the denominations in bronze. These figures agree with those given by Walter Breen in the Complete Encyclopedia (cent only, Nos. 8011, 8014 and 8013 respectively).

Some of these pieces were put up in sets housed in “official holders” like the set shown in The E-Sylum. “Special offer,” the brochure said. “We are making the beautiful Official Lucite Holder illustrated above available to all who purchase the Confederate Half Dollar now (italics in original). This offer will not be good after the Half Dollar is advertised to the public, when the holder will sell for $2.00.” The silver pieces were priced at $7.50 each, the bronze at $2.50 each and the goldine at $4.50 each, making the cost of the set in the holder $31.00. The brochure does not state how many sets in holders were produced.

I had some correspondence about the Bashlow restrikes with Q. David Bowers circa 1988. He wrote about them in his column, Coins & Collectors, in The Numismatist 101:1059 (June 1988).

Scott Rubin writes:

Jonathan Brecher writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: QUERY: BASHLOW CONFEDERATE COIN RESTRIKE SIX-COIN SETS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n25a15.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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