Coin and Paper Money Collecting/Unknown Coin or Token.

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Expert: - 10/12/2009


Question

YOS SCHMID Coin or Tok
"I picked this coin up today because the star stamp in the middle struck my interest and it was only $1 so I figured why not. It is very plain, about the size of a US Quarter and appears to be bronze or copper ( I would say more copper ). The back just has the ticking around the edge of the rim and a bump from the star stamp. The front has "YOS SCHMID" Stamped on it and has a star stamped in the center of the coin. Nothing else. No date or anything. I deal with a lot of coins and once in a while I get something really old. I would hazard a guess at 1700's or early 1800's but I can not find anything like this in any of my books.

Any Ideas as to what this is and what it is worth? It is in pretty good shape."

Answer
Hi Alex,
This appears to be a privately made trade token for a merchant. The name "YOS SCHMID" is likely abbreviated, possibly for Yosef Schmidt or something like that. This was a common practice when this token was made. Based on the design elements and method of striking I believe it to be from the second half of the 1800's. Many of these tokens are anonymous, as there is no information about the merchant or origin on the token.
An interesting thing to note, these were usually made as generic planchets and then stamped with the name of a particular merchant. For this reason you may find similar tokens with the same design and a different name. It's also likely made of brass, which has developed patina over time. Looking at the rough outer edges I think I can see slight hints of a yellow color in the metal.
As far as value, it's worth at least the dollar you paid. Being anonymous, it would not be worth more than just a couple of dollars. If there was some way of identifying the city/state it came from, that will certainly give it a significant value.
Thanks for the question! =)

Dmitry Livshits

Expertise

My specialty is world coins from the 18th to 20th centuries, primarily non-US foreign coins and related areas such as errors and exonumia (tokens, medals, etc.). I can answer questions relating to identification, grading, selling, preservation and evaluation of such items. In addition to catalog value, I can give you the practical market value and trends for specific types of coins. I will also take questions regarding counterfeits (both modern and antique) and on how to identify them. I am NOT knowledgeable in paper money/banknotes, ancient or "shipwreck" coins. Thank you.

Experience

Collector of world coins since early childhood. Access to a variety of auction records and reference material. You can also find me on Facebook.

Education/Credentials
A.S. in Psychology (2006), B.A. in Forensic Psychology (2008), M.A. in Forensic Psychology (2011).

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