‘We Recommend Walton’s Bitters’ Counterstamped Seated Liberty Half Dollar – ebay

Walton’s Bitters Counterstamped Seated Half Dollar

23 February 2014 (o22518)

Frank Wicker (bottlepickers.com) alerted me to an interesting counterstamped coin on ebay for Waton’s Bitters. This looks to be for W 22, Walton’s Bitters from Cincinnati, Ohio in the Carlyn Ring and W. C. Ham Bitters Bottles book. The Rulau United States Tokens catalog (see picture below) lists the piece as OH-CI-169. Looks like Cincinnati, Ohio here too.

W 22 Walton’s Bitters illustration from Bitters Bottles

W 22  WALTON’S BITTERS
WALTON’S BITTERS // SAML W. WALTON & CO //
CINCINNATI, OHIO. // f //
9 3/8 x 2 3/4 (6 1/4) 3/8
Square, Amber and Yellow, LTC, Applied mouth, 3 sp, Extremely rare

The bottle is listed as extremely rare and not present in my collection. I do have a letterhead though for review. I also have an advertisement from Knoxville, Tennessee mentioning Walton’s Bitters. Must be the same. The ebay listing is as follows:

COUNTERSTAMPED 1861-P U.S. SEATED HALF DOLLAR “WE RECOMMEND WALTONS BITTERS” R-OH-CI-169, GOULD-43

A Silver U.S. Seated Liberty Half Dollar dated 1861-P with a counterstamp “WE RECOMMEND WALTONS BITTERS”. This contemporary Counterstamp is listed in Rulau U.S. Token catalog as OH-CI-169 and in Gould’s catalog as Gould-43. Coin is in F-VF condition with scratches on the reverse. Many of these counterstamped pieces do have this type of damage and fortunately this piece does not have scratches on the side with the counterstamp!!! Rulau notes that these “bitters” were actually flavored alcohol sold at bitters to avoid the the tax that is normally added to alcoholic beverages! It was a very popular “medicine”!!! mwclarkoldstuff (100% positive) See Listing

Samuel W. Walton had a relatively short run in Cincinnati, Ohio as a distiller and dealer of wines and liquors. He first shows up at Prince & Walton selling Scandinavian Remedies and other spirits in 1866. This lasts until 1871 when he takes over and becomes Samuel W. Walton & Co. This lasts until 1874. During this period he was represented in Texas by W .P. Lovett and in Tennessee by E. J. Sanford & Co. Judging from the letterhead and advertisement, it seems as though Walton’s Bitters and Sam Walton Beech Run Bourbon Whiskey may have been their biggest brands.

Read More: Drakes Plantation Bitters – Encased Postage

Walton’s Bitters Counterstamped Half Dollar reverse – ebay

“WALTON’S BITTERS – SAML. W. WALTON & CO. – CINCINNATI, OHIO.”, (Ring/Ham, W-22), Ohio, ca. 1870 – 1880, amber, 9 1/2”h, smooth base, applied mouth. Great example and in ‘attic’ found condition. We auctioned this bottle in 1995 and again in 2005. Ex. Carlyn Ring Collection. Larry Umbreit Collection. – Glass Works Auctions – Auction 119

Select Walton Timeline Events

abt 1838: birth Samuel W. Walton

1863: Samuel W. Walton, pedler, Civil War Draft Registration

1866: Prince Walton & Co. (J. H. Prince, Samuel W. Walton and Austin Regnier), Scandinavian Remedies, 56 E. 3d, Cincinnati Directory

1868: Samuel W. Walton, agt., 62 E. 3d, Bds. Burnett House, Cincinnati Directory

1870: Prince and Walton, Distillers (J. H. Prince and Samuel W. Walton), n. e. c. Smith & Walnut, Cincinnati Directory

1871: Samuel W. Walton & Co. (formerly Prince & Walton), whisky, n. e. c. 4th & Walnut, distillers, 175 Sycamore, Cincinnati Directory

1872 – 1874: Samuel W. Walton & Co., Distillers & Wholesale Liquor Dealers, 175, 177 & 179 Sycamore, Cincinnati Directory (see advertisement below)

Samuel W. Walton & Co., Wholesale Liquor Dealers, 27 West Third Street – Cincinnati Directory

1872: Advertisement noting Walton’s Bitters, E. J. Sanford & Co., Knoxville (See below)

E. J. Sanford selling Walton’s Bitters in Knoxville, Tennessee., circa 1872

1873: Letter from W. P. Lovett on Samuel W. Walton letterhead mentioning Walton’s Bitters (see below), February 7, 1873 from Navasota.

Walton’s Bitters letterhead, Represented in Texas by W. P. Lovett (letter from Lovett), 1873 – Meyer Collection