Nice return on exonumia (not mine)
DCW
Posts: 7,198 ✭✭✭✭✭
2013, John J. Ford Collection (Stacks)
2024, same token (eBay)
Man, somebody WANTED this badly!
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
1
DCW
Posts: 7,198 ✭✭✭✭✭
DCW
Posts: 7,198 ✭✭✭✭✭
Comments
Wow 😮
Mr_Spud
A head scratcher IMHO.
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
Maybe John B. Baruc won it.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
2 people
Less money than the antique shops in Charleston!
Odd, there are many things that are rare including the loose definition of the term as well as overuse and a moving target for exact meaning. I like using R8 to define rare but many don't. So when I read in the new description the word "rare" and nothing else I have no clue what it means other than as bait. That being said it has little eye appeal, not in a high grade and without any history on it I would have to imagine the reason for the price JUMP would be an expert or a relative of Baruc as a member here already pointed out
No, at least TWO people WANTED it badly!
peacockcoins
While the price went haywire, it is a rare piece. Rare, in the literal sense of the word. Handful known. Rare enough for you? And I do fund it very eye appealing. Not high grade, but wholesome. I do not believe this token exists in uncirculated grades.
The only three I've seen for sale were all in the Ford Auction 11 years back. They sold for a song:
So I really can't say if the new owner is buried in this, or if the high price will flush out the others for profit. Is this an outlier? I don't know.
What I do know is this: Sometimes you have to pay up if you want rare exonumia or take your chances you'll find another. The piece you seek may not appear again for sale in your lifetime.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
That all being said, I thought the price was crazy. 🤪
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
As noted, this price (like any auction) is the result of two bidders going at it.
Some may find it interesting that bidder #3 had a max bid of $801.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
That’s wild! Looks like selling was a remarkably good decision.
Yes, it appears so, I think a couple bidders got carried away. I also think the token is lovely and had a few things going for it.
1. It has a neat pictorial of the palmetto tree
2. It's a pre Civil War southern token (South Carolina)
3. Subject matter counts- "fancy goods and TOYS"
4. As spiel marke tokens and game counters grow in popularity, they increase in price. This is one of the rarest from the maker of such pieces.
5. I also think there is a new book out on South Carolina tokens. That always helps push prices northward
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
While the final price level is notable (and definitely collector/ego driven) it is not totally surprising as the Baruc token is the type that checks a lot of boxes. It is of interest to collectors of South Carolina + Miller era + game counters + Confederate + famous families + Jewish merchants + top pop (or near), etc.
Rulau actually estimated that about 14 examples total of the three types still exist (as of 25+ years ago). Tony Chibbaro (author of the SC token catalog) estimates 16 to 20 still extant. Based on what I've seen offered over the years I think there may be a more than 20 still out there (including damaged pieces). There have been four examples sold on eBay over the past seven years ranging from $206 to $475 - none exceeding $500. These prices are much more in line with historic pricing of Baruc tokens in medium grades.
Tokens from famous families often overperform -- the Earp family tokens, the Humphrey Drug Store - South Dakota tokens and similar family pieces bring large multiples of what comparable tokens of similar rarity bring. Baruc was the grandfather of noted U.S. statesman and financier Bernard Baruch (who was born in South Carolina). Baruc was also one of the major financiers of the Confederate States as he worked Europe trying to set up a CSA bank on the Continent to help fund the Confederacy. This piece has long been listed as a game counter and it most probably was struck in Germany.
My own thoughts on the price? Lately I have seen a strong uptick in interest in Jewish-surnamed exonumia from several relatively new (to me) customers. This new interest may have caused the surge in price similar to the current over-the-top battles going on with lumber and KY coal tokens
Or maybe they just thought it was cute.