Introducing Chopper


By Fred Avan, RM908

I bought #1 on January 24, 2017 on eBay from Gus Green. In May of 2017, Art DelFavero called to let me know a match (Carving 2) had just been sold on eBay. Fast forward to January 4th 2020 when my wife was looking through the old website, set up and maintained by Verne Walrafen, for a match to a coin I was looking for. She called me to look at a coin she thought was a match to these 2; and lo and behold, it was. She found it on the Jan 1 2008 De Zwerver Dossier #8 (middle of the left side). I have nicknamed this unknown carver "Chopper" after the teeth he added to Carvings 1 and 3.

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The carving characteristics for "Chopper" are as follows:

  1. Number 1 and 3 have mouth open with teeth showing otherwise profile unaltered.
  2. High dome hat with straight brim touching front rim of coin to left of L in LIBERTY.
  3. Large ear sets back and touches back of hat bow.
  4. Carved and punched hair, beard, and mustache.
  5. Simple slightly-curved line collar.
  6. Date and LIBERTY left on.
  7. All on early date coins.
  8. Field behind head nicely cleaned.
  9. Number 1 was gold plated at one time with some gold still showing.