Bad-to-the-bone old school gold album

philographer

Saw this old-school gold album in a brochure for the auction company in my neighborhood (Doyle on East 87th in Manhattan). On the one hand it’s a mess, descriptions scribbled on flips, different penmanship, sloppy. At the same time, it’s like, here’s a little something I put together, son! Looks like at least 36 gold coins. Auction description says it’s part of a collection from a “prominent New York numismatist” that was assembled in the 1940s through the 1970s.

What’s the most bad-to-the-bone old-school album you’ve come across?

Broadstruck

Thankfully it's gold as those pages are PVC.

jedm

That is just way cool! I wonder at the value and just how it would feel to hold the album full of gold.

GRANDAM

@Broadstruck said:
Thankfully it's gold as those pages are PVC.

I believe that that plastic window of the flip would protect the coins from the PVC pages?

philographer

@Broadstruck said:
Thankfully it's gold as those pages are PVC.

Born from molten stars, hopefully they have fought off plastics made by man!

Namvet69

Very cool, European gold, interesting assortment, let us know if you find out more. Peace Roy

thevolcanogod

@jedm said:
That is just way cool! I wonder at the value and just how it would feel to hold the album full of gold.

Probably heavy as heck. Just my franklin collection is a pain to carry around and that’s just silver.

No Headlights

All those staples. Yikes!!!

CaptHenway

Yep, that's the way we used to do it!

BillJones

It would be a fun collection to run though with a world catalog.

jabba

Oooomy

jmlanzaf

Based on the prices on the 2x2s, that was NOT put together between the 1940s and 1970s

philographer

@jmlanzaf said:
Based on the prices on the 2x2s, that was NOT put together between the 1940s and 1970s

Could have been most current values, added by the collector (for heirs) at a later date?

jmlanzaf

@philographer said:

@jmlanzaf said:
Based on the prices on the 2x2s, that was NOT put together between the 1940s and 1970s

Could have been most current values, added by the collector (for heirs) at a later date?

Could be. Also could be auction catalog hype

philographer

@Namvet69 said:
Very cool, European gold, interesting assortment, let us know if you find out more. Peace Roy

...”Assembled in the 1940s through the 1970s, this remarkable collection focuses on European gold and silver rarities spanning the late 18th through early 20th centuries. Among the noteworthy offerings are Austria Franz Joseph 100 Corona Proof of 1908 (est. $10,000-15,000), Bulgaria 4 Ducats of 1914 (est. $2,000-3,000), Germany-Hanover 10 Thaler of 1825 (est. $1,500-2,000), German East Africa 15 Rupees of 1916 (est. $2,000-3,000), Hungary 100 Korona of 1917 (est. $2,000-3,000) and Yugoslavia 4 Ducats of 1931 (est. $1,000-2,000). Also featured are silver issues of a similar period, along with United States $5 gold type set and a multitude of high-grade Morgan dollars.”

topstuf

Years ago, there was a very prominent and crooked lawyer in Stockton who kept a binder FULL of $20 gold pieces on a little table in his entry hall.

MrEureka

@CaptHenway said:
Yep, that's the way we used to do it!

I preferred these.

Batman23

Learned something looking at these in the World catalog. Monaco is an interesting little "country" in France. The 1895A 100 Franc is listed at $750 in Unc. The $850 on the 2x2 for BU might have been a relatively recent asking price.

Liechtenstein is a little "country" of Switzerland. The 1862A Thaler is a 90% silver coin. However there is listed 50,000 proof restrikes (1862A-M) in 90% gold at valued at $375. Hmmm .85 oz AGW for $375 something is not right, might be the 2001 publication date of this book.

I think this would be a fun group of coins to flip through.

lkenefic

Wow... I had that exact folder as a kid! (I just wish i had THOSE coins) Yes, PVC... and the plastic-cellophane 2x2's were not enough to prevent it on silver. ..especially when the folder ended up in a storage unit in Florida and then AZ...

toyz4geo

That would be fun to find in a storage unit!

WildIdea

It’s nice the actual coins make it bad to the bone, and not the album.

I’d rather have killer coins in a raggy flip book than the other way around.

CascadeChris

A few years ago I bought a near complete Morgan date/mint set, some 90 coins only missing the 93s, 79cc & 85cc IIRC. Put together in the 50s/60s and sat for decades.. Jow do I know this, well a yellowed index card inside showed the missing coins and expected (stupid low) prices!

Sellers pics were horrible and they didn't even post pics of all the pages,, or the index card! Won it for around $3k and sold off most for almost $25k after grading the best pieces... And I also kept a few of the best ones too. I dream of finding another set like that again!

Timbuk3

Wonderful album !!!

asheland

Very cool!

BlindedByEgo

Reminds me of childhood.

The album, not the coins

dcarr

That Mexico Balance Scales 20 Pesos of 1872 could be a good one.

astrorat

@MrEureka said:
I preferred these.

Classic numismatic subtlety. Very scarce indeed!

ricko

What a thrill it would be to have a chance at such a treasure....That would occupy my entire non-sleep hours for weeks....and I do not sleep a lot....Cheers, RickO

divecchia

Gotta love an old school album, especially when it is full of gold.

Thanks for sharing it.

Donato