W&ET - Ask Mark Parker Vol. 34 November 2000

Ask Mark Parker

Vol. 34 - Nov. 2000

BIG SPENDER
Q. This coin (?) was a gift from a friend in England. Could you please tell me what it is, and the value?
A. Your present from across the pond is a George III "cartwheel" twopence, listing for $30 in Fine condition; Very Fine, $125. This one's somewhere in between. Penny and twopenny coppers of the same design, weighing 1 oz. and 2 oz., respectively, were issued in 1797, in response to a coinage shortage and widespread counterfeiting. (It was felt that coins containing their full face value in copper were unlikely to be counterfeited.) Produced by Matthew Boulton at the Soho Mint, they were the first British regal coins struck by steam power- hardly surprising since Boulton's friend and partner was James Watt, famed inventor of the first practical steam engine. While the penny was fairly well received, the twopence, as large in diameter and twice as thick as a silver dollar, was simply too big and cumbersome. Hence the name "cartwheel."

TAGGED OUT
Q. Mark, I recently acquired this slave tag at a flea market, of all places, and am in the process of having it authenticated. It's stamped "WILLY . 21 . SLAVE" and "PROPERTY . OF ST. CLAIR . HOME. NORFOLK . VA." If it turns out to be the real thing and I decide to sell it, how much should I expect to get?
A. Unfortunately, it's a modern fantasy issue of negligible value. All genuine slave tags documented thus far are from either Charleston or Charleston Neck, South Carolina; and although of fairly plain design, they're neither as crudely made nor as "busy" as this stamp-happy example. If you're serious about this field of collecting, before you buy any more tags I'd suggest investing in a copy of Rich Hartzog's Slave Tags or Slave Hire Badges, highly informative and available for $25 ppd. from World Exonumia, POB 4143BOW, Rockford IL 61110. Also, if you're online, be sure to visit his website at www.exonumia.com

GREATEST OF "E"s
Q. Last year I unearthed this 1-1/4" gilt bronze medal which has a large "E" and the date 1924 at the top. In the center is depicted a battleship, with "U.S.S. ARIZONA" beneath. As a Navy veteran who has visited the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, I am somewhat awed by this item and would appreciate any information concerning it.
A. Your find does indeed appear to have been issued in recognition of the Arizona's receiving the Battle "E" (Efficiency) Award in 1924. It is evidently a privately purchased piece, however, and not the official "E" which is presented to all crew members of ships and air squadrons winning the fleet-wide, 18-month competitive cycle testing battle preparedness. Whether this medal was awarded on the same basis or had a more limited distribution, or how it was funded, I can't say. The year of issue is interesting, since in March 1924 the Arizona was the focus of a sensational investigation resulting from the discovery that one Madeline Blair had been a friendly stowaway for some time. Of course, it's the ship's later fate on December 7, 1941 that has secured its place in history and American hearts forever. Of the 2,280 servicemen who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor that day, more than half were aboard the Arizona. According to militaria appraisers contacted by W&ET, if this "E" medal were from some less famous vessel, it would fetch only a modest amount; but because it's an Arizona piece, albeit pre-WWII, it's likely worth at least $100-150, and far more if the reverse bears the recipient's name.

TRACK STAR
Q. Detecting along a railroad track in northwest Alabama, I found this button which has "M&CRR" surrounding a five-pointed star. The back is marked "S. M. WANNAMAKER & CO. * PHILA. *" What's the story behind it?
A. It's from the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. Dating back to the 1850s, the M&C operated from Memphis, Tennessee to Stevenson, Alabama, where it connected with the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad. During the Civil War, it was the western end of a vital Confederate railway linking the Mississippi River and East Coast. In the post-war era, the M&C continued to operate, sometimes independently and sometimes leased to other lines, until 1898, when it became part of the Southern Railway system. The button dates from the 1880s and is worth about $35-40.

DRAGONSLAYER
Q. Recently, I stumbled upon an old campsite near the St. Clair River, which divides Ontario, Canada from Michigan. So far, I have recovered numerous buttons, both military and civilian, as well as several coins and tokens dating from the late 1700s and early 1800s. The same site yielded the broken dragon insignia shown here. Can you identify it for me?
A. What you've got is a dragon-pattern side plate from an 18th century musket of European, possibly Dutch-German, origin. "Dragon" or "serpent" side plates are often attributed to Indian Trade muskets but in fact saw more general use in the Colonial era. Inexpensive replicas are still being made, by the way. As an intricately detailed, high-relief figural piece of gun furniture, it could command $75-100+ if intact; as a fragmented artifact, less than half that.

DISK DRIVE
Q. Searching an old neighborhood dump, I uncovered this 1915 California vehicle registration tag. When did the state start using them, when were they discontinued, and where was the tag displayed on the vehicle? Any value?
A. California began requiring motorists to register their vehicles in 1905. These registration disks were made to be attached to the wooden dashboards of early autos. Owners were supposed to make or buy their own license plates. Finally, in 1914, the state began issuing porcelain plates. I'm not sure when the dashboard disks were phased out, but 1915 may have been their final year. In 1916, California introduced metal "date tabs" to be attached to existing plates, updating them in the same way that stickers do today. I've seen 1915 dashboard disks listed for upwards of $50, but a well-known collector of license plates and related memorabilia points out that the disks are actually fairly common (note the high registration number on yours) and says $30 is probably more realistic.

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