A nice gift from forum member Gemtone65; and the fun I had with it!
gsaguy
Posts: 2,425 ✭
I've looked for quite a while for a copy the auction catalog for the L.W. Hoffecker Collection which was sold in February of 1987 by Superior Galleries. This auction featured many monster-toned Morgan Dollars, at least one of which I currently own, and others I've either seen or handled in recent years.
On Friday, forum member and fellow toned Morgan collector, Gemtone65 surprised me with a gift of this wonderful catalog. I was really pleased. Not only is the catalog adorned with several full pages of toned Morgan color plates, but it also included a copy of the prices realized.
Thank you Gemtone65!!!!
Now for the fun. While seated behind my table, any time I saw the approach of a dealer or collector that I knew to be interested in toned Morgans, I'd pick up the catalog, open it to the color plates, and pretend to be casually reviewing them. They'd see the plates and the response was predictable: "What auction is that?"
I'd then look up and say, "you mean you didn't attend this auction last night? I couldn't believe I was able to buy my favorite pieces so cheaply."
The expression on their face was priceless.
What do you think.......was I too cruel?
GSAGUY
On Friday, forum member and fellow toned Morgan collector, Gemtone65 surprised me with a gift of this wonderful catalog. I was really pleased. Not only is the catalog adorned with several full pages of toned Morgan color plates, but it also included a copy of the prices realized.
Thank you Gemtone65!!!!
Now for the fun. While seated behind my table, any time I saw the approach of a dealer or collector that I knew to be interested in toned Morgans, I'd pick up the catalog, open it to the color plates, and pretend to be casually reviewing them. They'd see the plates and the response was predictable: "What auction is that?"
I'd then look up and say, "you mean you didn't attend this auction last night? I couldn't believe I was able to buy my favorite pieces so cheaply."
The expression on their face was priceless.
What do you think.......was I too cruel?
GSAGUY
0
Comments
GSAGUY
If any more of my coins hit the auction block later this year which may happen, I will personaly make Gemtone aware of it !!!
Les
Cute ruse and a great catalog! It certainly would be nice to get in the "way-back" machine and attend that one. Do you know anybody who
attended that auction? Maybe Art or Andy?
Brian,
If you get an opportunity, can you scan the pages and pride a link? Would be cool to see the plates. Maybe board members could comment on which coins they own. Seems like these boards have the monster Morgan market cornered.
NOTE: No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
Type collector since 1981
Current focus 1855 date type set
Not tooo cruel!
I think you're a "Hoot"!
For those who don't know, the Hoffecker Sale was held by Superior Galleries in 1987 when the firm was owned by the Goldbergs. The auction included 240 or so lots from the Continental Bank of Illinois hoard of gem toned Morgan dollars. These were the finest pieces to come to market at one time that I know of. They derived from an accumualtion of 1000 bags of Morgans. An amazing number of these pieces were graded MS67. Their exceptional original luster and colors make these coins very special. So much so, that it was not unusual for a piece in the auction to bring close to $3000, even though they were offered raw 17 year ago!
Curiously, very few of these coins, plus others that were retained by the distributors of the hoard, have appeared in the marketplace since that time. Should they ever do so, their effect would likely make the Koshkarian Franklin half offering look like a spring drizzle compared to a summer hurricane.
<< <i>Do you know anybody who attended that auction? Maybe Art or Andy? >>
I didn't attend the auction, and I don't believe Andy was in the business at that time, but I may be wrong.
Hey Art,
I started dealing with Andy in 91 but wasn't sure when he started with toned stuff. It would be interesting to see some of those coins
turn up and see what they might bring in todays market.
I just found out a couple of months ago that a Dealer from Tennessee bought about 200 coins that were in the CBH. The coins were purchased in Nov 1984 at the Silver Dollar Convention. These coins have all been sold off to collectors, except for a few that were sold to another dealer. I do know that several of the coins wound up in PCI holders.
There was a single lot in the B&M sale last week that was eerily reminiscent of these Continental Bank of Illionois hoard coins. It had blazing almost prooflike surfaces, extremely vibrant rainbow colors in exactly the right places, no bagmarks visible with the naked eye, and was graded PCGS66. Moroever, it was the only such coin in the sale. Yet, it sold for the astonishing price of $3220. Just imagine what the level of interest and activity would have been for this coin if it had been surrounded by 240 other gem toned dollars, and was presented with a decent internet picture such as those provided by ANR. (The picute of this coin was so bad that the high internet bid was less than one-fourth of the final high floor bid.)
Wow! Great info guys, and I do envy you Gemtone, wish I could have been there too!
I saw this coin in person, and it is a truly beautiful example.....worthy of my personal collection. Unfortunately, I didn't see it until after the auction was long over.
You snooze you lose.
GSAGUY
I did find a pic of one Morgan in the Hoffecker auction catalog that I'm about 99% sure is in my collection. I'll confirm that once I have a chance to examine the coin again in person. There's also another piece from the sale that I've seen in person.
For the record, the pics don't appear to do the coins justice as the luster is not captured.
GSAGUY