Introducing Peerless


By Verne V-Dubya Walrafen HLM620

Ever since September 2007, when I was outbid at $336 and thus failed to acquire the first carving shown here in a Heritage auction, I have been watching for another specimen done with such an elegant, peerless chapeau. Then on my birthday in October of 2011 I finally captured the second carving shown below, for $240 in an eBay auction, which was clearly done by the same carver − totally different facial hair but the same wonderfully detailed derby and suit coat!

Subsequent searching by our diligent OHNS Archivist Art DelFavero turned up the third carving shown below as having been offered in an early 2008 eBay auction but never sold. The photo is not the best but adequate to ascertain that it is in fact a third unique example by the same carver.

Click to view enlargment. Click to view enlargment. Click to view enlargment.

The Carving Characteristics for “Peerless” are listed as follows:

  1. Deeply sculpted hat with strongly textured crown and vertical lines in hatband.
  2. Distinctive double collar with upside down “V” pointed ends.
  3. Suit fabric textured.
  4. Beard, hair and mustache punched.
  5. Well placed strongly engraved ears of different styles.
  6. Field dressed with LIBERTY and date remaining.
  7. All carvings are on 1913 type 2 Philadelphia host coins.
  8. Minor alterations to profile.