Counterstamps

H.K. MITCHELL (curved) / DRUGGIST / FRANKLIN, KY (curved) on an 1858-O Liberty Seated half dollar. Brunk M-753, Rulau KY-Fr var. Host coin Very Good to Fine.

A large impressive stamp, this is the mark of Hiram K. Mitchell (1850-1930) who was a druggist and insurance salesman working in Franklin, KY. He is listed in the Kentucky State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1883-1884 as a druggist located in Franklin. In his obituary it states he was a leading druggist for almost half a century, and that later he was engaged as a photographer. A letter published in the January 1922 issue of The Bulletin Of Pharmacy from Grant Felton states that he found one of the quarters stamped by Mitchell and wrote to him enquiring about it. Mitchell's reply sheds some light on when he was stamping coins and how many he might have produced. He states the following about the letter from Felton: "...it brings to mind that some twenty-five years back, while I was engaged in the drug business, I stamped a few quarters as a means of advertising. Thinking it might be against the law, I wrote to the Secretary of the treasury and found this was true. The practice was, of course, abolished at once.” Brunk and Rulau list two examples reported on Liberty Seated quarters and one on a Morgan dollar, but nothing else. Therefore this is a new example and denomination.

From the Steve M. Tompkins Collection. Purchased from Larry Briggs.

Estimate: $ 500