Introducing Rails


By Don Wolfe RM981

In December of 2007 I purchased my coin thru eBay from an East coast coin dealer for $208. The second coin I found was Lot #11 in OHNS Auction #16 in 2008 and it sold for $330 (unknown owner at that time). The third coin (the one smoking a cigarette) was found by Art DelFavero in the OHNS archives. Art located a QD form from 2004 that showed it belonged to OHNS member Bob Entlich. All the coins look to be average−high average carvings. After looking and comparing all three together, I thought that the hat band reminded me of a railroad track with the rails and cross ties, therefore the name of “Rails”

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

  1. Domed hat with hatband and bow. Hatband has vertical lines and the bow has both vertical & horizontal lines.
  2. Hat brim is flat or nearly so formed with two lines.
  3. Large ear set back on the head with about half of the ear covered by the hat.
  4. Profile may be altered by notch at top of the nose.
  5. Punched hair and beard.
  6. Stickpin with radiating lines from it on a well defined collar.
  7. Date removed and LIBERTY partially or fully removed.