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The Bob Williams Civil War Token Collection
Zoins
Posts: 33,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
This thread is to celebrate the collection and collecting of Robert "Bob" Williams.
His pedigree is not that easy to track as it's not mentioned on slab inserts or in Cert Verification but is on stickers on the back of the slab which are available only temporarily.
There's some background in this thread:
1864 Lincoln Patriotic Civil War Token - by F.C. Key & Son - Copper - Fuld-131A/349Aa - R8 - PCGS MS66BN - Ex. Robert "Bob" Williams, Steve Hayden (d, April 5, 2021)
1863 Indian-Crossed Cannons Patriotic - by Scovill Mfg - Copper - F-79/351a - PCGS MS66BN POP 13/1/0 - Ex. Robert Williams, Steve Hayden (d)
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General McClellan - United States Copper - White Metal - F-138/434e - R8 - PCGS MS64 - Ex. Robert "Bob" Williams, Steve Hayden (d, Jan 31, 2021)
(1863) Union For Ever - United States Copper Token - Brass - by William Henry Bridgens - Fuld-433/434-b - PCGS MS65 POP 1/1/0 - Ex. Robert Williams, Steve Hayden (Feb 28, '21)
@Zoins... Very interesting. I am not a CWT collector, though I find them interesting. That being said, I would love to find one of those 'Our Country and Our Flag' tokens... I have always been a fan of Lincoln and patriotic messages. Cheers, RickO
Didn't Stacks auction off his collection 2 or 3 years ago?
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Zoins, I am trying to find the dislike button. I have bought at least two Hayden raw tokens, and on the little envelope had R Williams listed. As I love the eye appeal of these tokens, I bid strong when I see something pedigreed back to him. That was one of the reasons that I was bidding on the no slavery lot 254 token strongly in his last auction...Alas, someone was willing to pay stronger money, but I knew that it would not disappoint in hand.
This thread will just make it that much harder to pick up some of his gems. Here is one of the raw tokens that I had bought that was from him.
I never realized how beautiful tokens could be. Good post.
This is an ex - Bob Williams and Steve Hayden token I bought back in 2015. I agree that he has a great eye. It has a sticker on the back of the slab showing the pedigree as you described.
Well, jump in...the water's fine!
Token collecting essentially saved me from exiting the hobby years ago when I got bored collecting US coins by date/mm. It offers so much history and research opportunity. And the designs can truly be beautiful and intriguing.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I totally get that! Right now I am just picking off some coins I wish I had when I was a kid.
Where's a good place to get started with learning the basics?
TIA
@Jimsokay My thoughts would to first join the Civil War Token Society. http://cwtsociety.com/
Their quarterly publications feature outstanding member research. You can also acquire the essential Fuld Patriotic and Store Card references at a discount as well. Membership is one of the best bargains in numismatics.
"A penny hit by lightning is worth six cents". Opie Taylor
Thank you!!
A few more were just sold by @SteveHayden.
I'll try to list them all here for posterity.
It's really wonderful to see Bob's collection. He had a great eye!
No Compromise with Traitors - German Silver - Fuld 201/432j - PCGS MS63 POP 0/1/0 - Ex Bob Williams, Steve Hayden (d, 3 May 21)
Our Country - Not One Cent - Brass - F-229-360-b - PCGS MS63 POP 0/1/0 - Ex Bob Williams, Steve Hayden (d, 2 May 21)
1863 Hero of Pea Ridge - Patriotic - White Metal - F-180/341e - PCGS MS63 POP 0/1/0 - Ex Bob Williams, Steve Hayden (d, 2 May 21)
Oh my!
Those are nice.
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
Hmm, token Thursday or here. Here it is... Today’s arrival. The pics were just quick iPad on the sunny deck, so they don’t do it justice. This token makes me smile...think this is the 3rd that I have with his pedigree.
Adding this to the others here:
The Federal Union It Must Be Preserved - Copper Nickel - F-178/266-d - PCGS MS64 POP 0/2/0 - Ex. Bob Williams, Steve Hayden (d, 3 May 2021)
An amazing thing is that Bob bought all these raw!
And I wonder how he acquired these gems given how rare they are. Did he have photos go to buy or did he buy them for text-based lists?
More from the Bob Williams collection tonight.
1864 Hero of Pea Ridge Stars & Union For Ever - Patriotic - White Metal - by Franz Sigel - Fuld 181/343e - Ex. Bob Williams, Steve Hayden (d, May 23, 2021)
Here's a Hero of Pea Ridge token that sold tonight:
What is going on the reverse? It looks like damage to me but the obverse looks fine and it's graded mint state.
1863 Union & United We Stand - Copper - Fuld-167/435a - Ex. Bob Williams, Steve Hayden (d., May 23, 2021)
Here's your token's TrueView and slab shots!
1863 Not One Cent - Patriotic - PCGS MS64RB POP 0/2/0 - Ex. Bob Williams, Steve Hayden (d., May 1, 2021)
I continue to like most of the tokens I see with his pedigree. In this case, while I can appreciate the copper piece, and it’s grade, it didn’t have the eye appeal or look to fit in my collection. That said, as one’s collection grows or gets more sophisticated, I will someday probably appreciate both of those more than I do today.
Thanks for keeping the list going.
You might want to be more specific in your provenances, maybe including the mother's maiden name along with the full given name of the collector and his SSN. While talking with Steve H. the other day I mentioned that I was surprised that Bob Williams (MI) still had that much in Civil War tokens left in his inventory. Steve said no, this group was from the other Bob Williams (FL?) which triggered an alarm for me. I checked some old records which reminded me that BW (FL) had also been an Intermittent customer of mine over the years.
We also both vaguely remembered a third Bob Williams (Southern Plains maybe?) that had been a CWTS member as well. I also remember another Bob Williams from my mailing list who was a trade token collector (Western States tokens?). If I dove deeper into my auction mailing lists I'm pretty sure I could find another one or two over a few decades of lists - I do remember one of the non-MI Bobs was nicknamed "Curly" (but which one?).
In any case you should be more specific in the future...
It's good to know these are from another Bob Williams. It would be good to confirm with @SteveHayden if this is the Florida Bob Williams.
As for the information on Bob, I was going by your post here
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/12840156/#Comment_12840156
Michigan Bob dealt in CWTs when they came along but did not pursue them and I did not think that he collected them at all which prompted my question in my conversation with Hayden. Florida was the location for the other Bob Williams according to my invoices.
Here's one more:
1863 Not One Cent - White Metal - PCGS MS62 POP 0/1/0 - Ex. Bob Williams, Steve Hayden (d., May 10, 2021)
1863 Not One Cent - Patriotic - Copper - Fuld 94/363a - PCGS AU58BN PCGS 0/1/0 - Ex. Bob Williams, Steve Hayden (d., May 24, 2021)