The Lithographic Works of the Kellogg Brothers

James Alton Bechand is a Huntington, New York, professional who founded the marketing firm Mesh Creative Group and the printing company Aris Graphics. Passionate about printmaking, James Alton Bechand has a particular affinity for old prints, including those created during the 19th century.

While many art lovers may be familiar with the works of Currier & Ives in New York, similar prints made by the Kellogg Brothers in Hartford, Connecticut, are not as well known. From 1830 to 1880, the company produced commercial work that covered major events of the era, with depictions of the Mexican-American War and the U.S. Civil War rendered from first-hand descriptions by correspondents. The subjects of the company’s prints also included historical events, daily life, religious scenes, sports, animals, and noteworthy figures such as U.S. presidents.

Currier & Ives and the Kellogg Brothers were in heated competition for decades, with teams of lithographers at each company sometimes copying their competitors’ original works. One example is the popular "Household Pets” print that featured a mother, child, dog, and cat, which Kellog is reputed to have copied from Currier & Ives.

With interest in the lithographic medium waning in the 1870s, Kellogg moved its focus to handbills, business cards, and other commercial projects. It ultimately became part of Connecticut Printers, a firm that operated until 1990.

The Real Value of Flawed Pennies

Aris Graphics and Mesh Creative Group founder James Alton Bechand has spent close to 20 years assisting clients with marketing and branding needs Outside of managing his businesses, James Alton Bechand’s interests include coin collecting.

Coin collectors have been around since antiquity. Numismatics, as it is commonly called, is the study of currency, such as paper, coins, and metals. More than just being a hobby, numismatics informs collectors and historians about the culture that produced the coin. In the US, the study of coins revealed in the last century that flawed pennies have come to be valued at more than the mere one cent.

There are a number of examples of these coins to illustrate how flaws have increased the value of the currency. The first example is of the Bronze Lincoln, which was made by mistake during WWII. The Mint decided to switch from using bronze to using copper, except an omission resulted in the production of the bronzed coins. Today, there are 15 to 20 of these coins, which fetch anywhere between $150,000 and $200,000.

Another example of a flawed penny that is worth a lot more than its value is the 1992 Close AM Reverse. The penny’s flaw appears on the back where the word AMERICA appears. The A and M touch, which differs from the pennies printed the same year (1992). Today, one of these pennies, in new good condition, would fetch close $20,000, and a used one would sell for between $2,000 and $3,000.