Hudson's Bay Company tokens at Dix Noonan Webb

tbishopric

Today was my first auction with DNW. They had a few lots of HBC tokens. Prices seemed strong to me. I bid on all of them, but only a couple lots seriously. All of these HBC pieces are hard to find.

I was particularly interested in this lot. The set of Labrador tokens sold for 682 GBP. I didn't win it.
https://www.dnw.co.uk/auctions/catalogue/lot.php?auction_id=555&lot_uid=364704

A full set of Eastmain District tokens sold for 1,736 GBP.
https://www.dnw.co.uk/auctions/catalogue/lot.php?auction_id=555&lot_uid=364694

Other lots in the auction went for well more than their estimates. I guess the quarantine is giving people lots of time to browse and bid on auctions.

colincmr2

Those are the nicest sets i've seen. Very cool. Did these actually circulate much? I've never really heard much about quotidian life around trading posts.

Are you happy with the realised prices?

tbishopric

It's my understanding that these HBC tokens did circulate with trappers and traders. Those were not my coins being auctioned off. I was bidding and trying to acquire some of them. I would only like those prices realized if I was trying to sell. Trying to buy, I had hoped for few bidders and lower prices.

YQQ

some of the best I have seen and excellent , actually low prices for these pieces in such a condition..
I was not a bidder.

colincmr2

Are there detailed studies on these (beyond what's in the Charlton/Breton)?

1960NYGiants

The last one I am aware of was from Larry Gingras published in 1975

tbishopric

The Larry Gingras book is the only dedicated reference that I've seen, and it's out of print. Apparently they come up for sale on eBay periodically, but I've never seen one. The book is called, "Medals tokens and paper money of the Hudson's Bay Company" published by the Canadian Numismatic Research Society. Not sure these documents are legal to distribute due to copyright, but a PDF version is available here: http://www.gosling.ca/HBC/.