Just Bob

Just for the record: Louisiana is almost completely on the west side of the Mississippi River.

Is that you, Russ? Welcome back.

Nice off-center strike. Finding one with a complete date is a bonus. Good catch!

Welcome to the forum. Your coin was subjected to a corrosive environment - probably acid - that has eaten away at the surface. The fact that it eats at all parts equally results in a thinner, smaller coin that still has a lot of the original design left.

Welcome to the forum.

Looks like you found one. Congrats!

If that were to happen, the value would almost certainly decrease. That is the problem with paying a lot of money for "condition rarity" coins - especially modern coins. Beside the fact that the numbers graded at the same grade (or higher, in the case of MS69 or PR69 and lower coins) may increase, thus lowering their rarity and value, there is always the possibility of something happening to the coin while in the holder. That is why the TPGs do not guarantee against things like milk spots on Silver Eagles or other changes in the appearance of coins in their holders.

I am so loving this!

I can't believe it took seven responses before the OP got a serious, detailed answer.

No.

Yes. To the left of the "1."

I agree with the others. Artificially toned - either intentionally or not - and only worth face value.

See that little incuse "R" stamped next to the date? That stands for "Replica." It is not real.

Everyone gets to vote in Mississippi. Implying otherwise is offensive to at least one Mississippian.

What is that supposed to mean?

I apologize for just posting a picture with no explanation, but I had to leave quickly, and I just got back. As others have stated, unless the pitting of the surface was caused by the coin being all beat up, it is possible, even likely, that this is not gold. I hope that it turns out to be real, though. Good luck.

The short answer is that the "no mint mark" coin would be a proof coin, not an uncirculated coin.

I mostly use the only book written specifically about Mississippi tokens, called Brozenes and Doodlum - Private Money in Mississippi, by George P. Chatham. It was painstakingly researched, and has pencil drawings of almost every token that is listed. There have been quite a few new discoveries since it was written in 1990, so my copy has lots of additions written in. I also use Tokencatalog.com. It accepts contributions from anyone who is registered, so it is possible that some of the entries have not been researched fully, but the listings are extensive. For example, it lists over 4600 tokens from Alabama. If you want to branch out further than just your home state, I and others can suggest some books on whichever area you might like to pursue. There are books that cover specialty areas like coal or lumber tokens, transportation and parking tokens, Hard Times, Civil War, U.S. Merchant, etc. Ebay usually has lots of Alabama tokens for sale, and you can check sold listings to get an idea of current pricing. Also, I have found tokens at coins shops and shows, antique stores, flea markets, and auctions. Thank you for the kind words, by the way. I appreciate them. And, I appreciate all of the posters who have contributed to the thread.

Henry Gorham Lowery (1901-1963) came to Mississippi from Missouri, and established a cotton plantation near Indianola, MS. His brother and part owner, John J., lived in Michigan, and eventually sold his part of the plantation to H.G. This token was used in the plantation commissary.

There is only one way to find out. Try them on some pocket change coins and see what happens. I have used a toothpick on bronze and brass tokens with no ill effects. A Devil's Walking Stick or Greenbriar thorn would probably be fine, as would most any woody plant thorn.

Do some research into the minting process for modern coins, and you will see that it is impossible for your coin to have a backwards numeral. It looks interesting at first glance, but it has just been damaged.

The disclaimer was as much for future readers of this thread as it was for you. I don't want some guy getting mad at me, 5 years down the road, because his coin changed color. The rose thorn idea is not mine. Board member Conder101 and former member michael were where that tip came from.

The good news is that you were right about the variety

I bet the "found in storage" story is as fake as the coin.