The Numismatic Bibliomania Society

PREV ARTICLE       NEXT ARTICLE       FULL ISSUE       PREV FULL ISSUE      

V26 2023 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 26, Number 26, June 25, 2023, Article 19

STAR LOCK WORKS COUNTERSTAMPED LARGE CENT

Steve Bishop submitted this great research piece on the 1856 large cent counterstamp pictured in Tom Kays' article on our Nummis Nova dinner this week. Thanks!! Nice work. -Editor

  AN 1856 COUNTERSTAMPED LARGE CENT – THE REST OF THE STORY
BY STEVE BISHOP

Numismatics can open up a window to the past, and in certain circumstances, reveal a story behind a numismatic item. I recently bought a counterstamped 1856 large cent on eBay from Steve Hayden. It features a beautifully detailed eagle counterstamp along with the legend Patented May 1854.

  Star Lock Works Patented May 1854 counterstamped Large Cent

There is no indication of the issuer of this counterstamp, but researcher and eBayer Bill Groom (thanks, Bill!) sent the following comment along with two images of a trunk lock. "Conrad Liebrich was a locksmith and inventor from Philadelphia. As you may see by the attached pics, the coin's c/s matches that on his brass lock(s)."

  Conrad Liebrich trunk lock key inserted
CONRAD LIEBRICH BRASS TRUCK LOCK – KEY INSERTED
  Conrad Liebrich trunk lock key removed
CONRAD LIEBRICH BRASS TRUCK LOCK – KEY REMOVED

Star Lock Works, founded in 1836 by Conrad Liebrich in Philadelphia, made a variety of nice brass trunk locks for trunk makers. McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory for 1863, listed Conrad Liebrich at 110 S. 8th Street as a lock manufacturer, with his residence listed at 128 S. 8th Street. The same business and home addresses also list Philip Liebrich, presumably his son.

The brass trunk lock has the name C. LIEBRICH on the left side, PHILADA on the right side and PATENTED MAY 1854 on the top. The lock is a 2-piece set, the top part fits into the bottom and locks with a key. When the key is removed from the lock a brass sliding door moves to the right (spring loaded) and covers or hides the key hole from view.

The patent referred to on the lock and the counterstamped 1856 large cent is U.S. Pat. No. 10,862, issued May 2, 1854. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the patent drawing shown below, the lock consists of an upper body part A hinged to a lower hasp part B. The key feature of the claimed invention, as set forth in Claim 1, is the provision of a leaf spring between the body part A and the lower hasp part B. Upon turning the key to release the hasp, the spring automatically projects the hasp outwardly from its opening in the lower lock plate attached to the wall of the trunk. The spring also keeps the hasp elevated away from the wall of the trunk so that it is easy to open.

  Star Lock Works patent drawing

As a professional patent searcher and fan of the history of technology, this counterstamped coin is of particular interest to me. It is a prime example of how a numismatic item can have a hidden story that may be revealed by a little digging.

THE BOOK BAZARRE

AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS: Are your books carried by Wizard Coin Supply? If not, contact us via www.WizardCoinSupply.com with details.



Wayne Homren, Editor

Google
 
NBS (coinbooks.org) Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum

PREV ARTICLE       NEXT ARTICLE       FULL ISSUE       PREV FULL ISSUE      

V26 2023 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

Copyright © 1998 - 2024 The Numismatic Bibliomania Society (NBS)
All Rights Reserved.

NBS Home Page
Contact the NBS webmaster
coin