What are the parameters surrounding whether to pedigree something in an auction catalog?

Longacre

What determines whether a coin gets "pedigree research" in an auction catalog? I doubt that there is a certain dollar value limit put on whether something gets pedigreed or not (assuming that the coin isn't slabbed already with a pedigree). Does the coin have to come from a famous collection in order for it to even be considered for pedigree study? Are certain collector's cabinets more important than others? Or does a coin have to be "important" for it to get special attention in a catalog (and what elements make up a coin's importance)?

291fifth

$$$$...it's strictly business.

kranky

I wonder how many coins have had their history researched for auction, then the info was omitted from the catalog because it wasn't particularly flattering (for example, the coin has been dipped and has upgraded).

Pistareen

I do the vast majority of the pedigree research for ANR catalogues. Whether or not a piece gets additional pedigree research is based on many factors: placement as a finer than normal example, information given by the consignor, my recognition of the coin from an earlier sale, how early the piece was consigned (and thus how much time I have to play with it), information in my library, and luck. Luck is probably the most important.

$$$ has almost nothing to do with it, and I somewhat resent what this suggests. Of course, the easiest pieces to pedigree happen to be top grade or extremely rare, thus a greater percentage of expensive coins get that treatment than cheap coins.

If a consignor tells me where they got it, that enables me to check that auction catalogue or do research on when there was a specimen of that date/grade sold publicly in the same time period.
If I recognize the coin (which happens pretty often), I know to check catalogues I've written in the past or ones I'm extremely familiar with.
If the piece is important and consigned early, I may have some extra time to happen across it accidentally, or email other experts and pursue a provenance study.
If I have a publicly written or privately shared census or study in my library, or an excellent collection of catalogues/works on that particular speciality (i.e. early dimes, Mass. coppers, etc.), I can usually nail something down.
But luck is most important -- I have time to check 4 sources, and one of those 4 happens to contain the coin I'm looking for. Or, the toning looks like the kind Amon Carter liked, and there it is in the sale. Or I yank one reference off the shelf, and there is the coin in my hand as the plate coin. This happens a lot.

Slabbed pedigrees, while not utterly worthless, don't help much. They have been wrong on numerous occasions, and only typically cite one collection that may or may not have been published.

Kranky is also correct to note that changing appearances affect pedigrees. A coin with distinctive toning in a famous sale may become utterly indistinguisable from other specimens once dipped. Or, unfortunately, a consignor may become very angry when he finds out his brilliant Proof-68 CAM was a Proof-64 with ugly toning in some earlier sale. However, I tend to pedigree it anyway. Truth is true and the coin is what it is. This rarely changes the value in people's minds.

I'm happy to answer more questions about this, as I probably spend more time doing this than just about anyone else here.

Longacre

<< <i>If a consignor tells me where they got it, that enables me to check that auction catalogue or do research on when there was a specimen of that date/grade sold publicly in the same time period. ... If I have a publicly written or privately shared census or study in my library, or an excellent collection of catalogues/works on that particular speciality (i.e. early dimes, Mass. coppers, etc.), I can usually nail something down.
...
I'm happy to answer more questions about this, as I probably spend more time doing this than just about anyone else here. >>




Is the primary research tool old auction catalogs? Any other methods? How do you pedigree a coin that may not have been pictured in a very early catalog (or if the picture was not clear enough to positively identify the coin)? Can you ever rely on solely a description? Also, in terms of research, is there a certain "point" where coins cannot be pedigreed back to, because the information avaiable is either not existant or so unclear that it cannot be relied on (sort of like doing a title search on a property; you can only go back "so far" before things get so irrelevant that it is not useful). Thanks.