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Is this the cheapest Lesher Dollar?

ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,915 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited September 22, 2020 1:19AM in U.S. Coin Forum

This sold for just $670 and I haven't seen any other Lesher in this range.

I was really hoping to pick up this one but unfortunately I got distracted and missed bidding. It was an auction I was looking forward to so it was a major bummer. Sometimes I tell myself I need to get a sniping account. I don't know when I'll get another opportunity in this price range!

This is pedigreed to Ron Lerch and formerly Chris Marchase. It is cataloged as HK-791a / Zerbe-5. It is in Adna Wilde's Lesher Census under Marchase but with no mention of Lerch (yet).

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    291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,948 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The damage probably kept the price down.

    All glory is fleeting.
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    BillJonesBillJones Posts: 33,487 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The graffiti scratched in at the bottom of the obverse combined with the black spots on the reverse depressed the price.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
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    ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,915 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yes, it's damaged but it's still much lower than others I've seen which start in the $3500 range.

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    rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Good price, but likely due to the graffiti .... looks like a date and initials....Cheers, RickO

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    ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,915 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 21, 2020 8:04AM

    @ricko said:
    looks like a date and initials....

    Adna Wilde indicates the date is 3/25/28. I wonder that that date signifies. Perhaps the previous owners, Chris or Ron, would know? I also wonder if there's any history on this from Zerbe or others.

    Here's the note from Adna's Census:

    UNC Marchase ("engraved 3/25/28")

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    tokenprotokenpro Posts: 847 ✭✭✭✭✭

    "Chris" is Bill Henderson's grandson so if there is any known significance to the date (extremely doubtful) it should be in Bill Henderson's notes and thus probably known to Wilde.

    "Ron" won't be able to tell you anything. Friend "Lerchie" passed away a couple of years ago & any information he may have had (again very doubtful) was not included in the description by that auctioneer.

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    ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,915 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 22, 2020 1:19AM

    @tokenpro said:
    "Chris" is Bill Henderson's grandson so if there is any known significance to the date (extremely doubtful) it should be in Bill Henderson's notes and thus probably known to Wilde.

    "Ron" won't be able to tell you anything. Friend "Lerchie" passed away a couple of years ago & any information he may have had (again very doubtful) was not included in the description by that auctioneer.

    Good thoughts, but I’d wager this wasn’t in Bill’s collection and was added by Chris. Henderson-Marchase pieces are listed with both names in Adna’s Census but this one only lists Marchase, without Henderson.

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    dcarrdcarr Posts: 8,017 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Obviously the token has issues. In addition to the graffiti and edge cuts, there appears to be a major planchet flaw which runs from the lower left facet through the middle of the token and curving upwards to the mill building. Cleaning and ugly toning further degrade it. But that is still an attractive price ($670).

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    ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,915 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 23, 2020 2:23AM

    @dcarr said:
    Obviously the token has issues. In addition to the graffiti and edge cuts, there appears to be a major planchet flaw which runs from the lower left facet through the middle of the token and curving upwards to the mill building. Cleaning and ugly toning further degrade it. But that is still an attractive price ($670).

    That's my thinking. As many issues as it has, it's still much ,much lower priced than others I've seen.

    Also, as many issues as it has, the planchet is still flat, unbent and unholed, so not as terrible as some other non-Leshers I've seen.

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    DNADaveDNADave Posts: 7,239 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There’s a g6 on eBay now that’s under a grand.

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    ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,915 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 7, 2020 6:02AM

    @DNADave said:
    There’s a g6 on eBay now that’s under a grand.

    That's a new auction with a starting price of $899.00 so it will be interesting to see where it ends up.

    It's very rare to see one that worn. I wonder how it was used.

    Even at G6, it's just a POP 1/20.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/1901-Lesher-Dollar-Slusher-PCGS-G06/114423520570

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    ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,915 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 7, 2020 6:02AM

    @Zoins said:

    @DNADave said:
    There’s a g6 on eBay now that’s under a grand.

    That's a new auction with a starting price of $899.00 so it will be interesting to see where it ends up.

    It's very rare to see one that worn. I wonder how it was used.

    Even at G6, it's just a POP 1/20.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/1901-Lesher-Dollar-Slusher-PCGS-G06/114423520570

    The G6 failed to sell the first time at $899.

    It sold in the second auction for $908 with 2 bids at a starting bid of $849.

    It's the only one I've seen worn that low so it's an interesting piece.

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    keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭

    the medal is damaged, badly. comparing it to a circulated medal isn't really a good comparison. it only says that maybe collectors would rather have a decent but worn medal vs. a high grade but damaged piece. it makes me think of the "one bad apple" adage. would you really want that dog in your collection??

    this is a good example of the sig-line a forum member has which reads something like this --- "The bitterness of low quality will remain after the low price has faded."

    medals like this are always a hard pass. B)

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    ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,915 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 7, 2020 6:34AM

    @keets said:
    the medal is damaged, badly. comparing it to a circulated medal isn't really a good comparison. it only says that maybe collectors would rather have a decent but worn medal vs. a high grade but damaged piece. it makes me think of the "one bad apple" adage. would you really want that dog in your collection??

    Given the thin bidding, I'm actually wondering if the G6 would have sold for less than the Marchase 3/25/28 piece if it had also started at a $2.99 bid.

    this is a good example of the sig-line a forum member has which reads something like this --- "The bitterness of low quality will remain after the low price has faded."

    medals like this are always a hard pass. B)

    There was a thread recently on how low will you go. For better or worse, I can go pretty low ;)

    Here's HK-131 where I have the top pop and perhaps the lowest of the low, but at least it looks like a brockage!

    https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1021972/1901-evacuation-of-boston-so-called-dollars-hk-131#latest

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    ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,915 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 7, 2020 6:10AM

    It also looks like perhaps the Marchase piece should have sold for $460 instead of $670 as it appears that the buyer may have been chiseled by a shill. The underbidder has been NARUed.

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    ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,915 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 7, 2020 6:35AM

    The G6 is Slusher #21 and isn't in Adna Wilde's census so here are the photos for posterity.

    Even at PCGS G6, there are few specimens of this and it's just a POP 0/1/20 at PCGS.

    https://www.pcgs.com/cert/80656492

    Anyone know who is maintaining the census now and if it's still getting updates? I submitted a request to update "Heebler & Kappan" to "Hibler and Kappen" a while back but nothing has happened yet.

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