Auction Catalogs as Learning Tools

Sonorandesertrat

Auction catalogs are commonly acquired by collectors for use in piecing together pedigrees and studying historical pricing. Some eagle-eyed researchers have used them to spot coins that have been altered in some way (e.g., tooled, artificially toned). Most catalogs that I have seen are boring---they give the reader names, ranks, and serial numbers, but not a lot else. A small percentage of the catalogs goes much further, providing the reader with numismatic lore, interesting historical information, etc. These kinds of catalogs are useful learning tools, frequently providing information that is difficult to find in books.
Some examples:
Bowers & Ruddy (1982): The Celebrated John W. Adams Collection of United States Large Cents of the Year 1794
Bowers & Merena (1996-1997): The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, Parts I & II [everything U. S. except gold and his duplicates sold decades earlier]
American Numismatic Rarities (2005): The Cardinal Collection of Early Silver Dollars
Stack's (2008): The Collections of James E. Dice & M. Lamar Hicks [Hard Times and Merchant's Tokens]

What would you add to this list, and why?

MidLifeCrisis

John J. Ford’s collection contained over 11,000 coins, tokens, medals and other numismatic items covering all aspects of American numismatics - except regularly issued federal US coinage. This massive collection was sold by Stack’s in a series of 21 auctions for over $56 million. The Ford auction catalogs are a tremendous numismatic resource and I use them regularly.

savoyspecial

the Dice/Hicks you list above is great for HTT


two of my favorites in my personal library are Amon Carter Estate, Stack's Jan. 18-21, 1984 and Rare Coins from the Abe Kosoff Estate, Bowers and Merena Nov. 4-6, 1985


it goes without saying that the 20+ volumes of the John J. Ford Collection are a must (part 21 is the highest # i own)

Broadstruck

<< <i>Stack's (2008): The Collections of James E. Dice & M. Lamar Hicks [Hard Times and Merchant's Tokens] >>



For HTT's I wouldn't even know where to begin as I have over a dozen favorites.

I'd recommend the new HTT Book by Dr. Robert Schuman to accompany the Dice Hick's catalog as not a single day has passed that I haven't reached for it since I received it a few months ago.


BOOK REVIEW: THE TRUE HARD TIMES TOKENS BY ROBERT SCHUMAN by Wayne Homren

Many thanks to George Fuld and Joe Levine for alerting me to a new book on Hard Times Tokens. I got in touch with the author, Bob Schuman. He kindly sent me a review copy and put me in touch with his publisher.
Chris McCawley M & G Publications writes:

We have just published The True Hard Times Tokens by Robert A. Schuman, M.D. The book is 142 pages long, fully illustrated in color and includes a helpful price guide. This first book covers only the political tokens.

The retail price is $90, But E-Sylum readers can obtain a copy for $65 postage paid by writing : M & G Publications, P.O. Box 5250, Frisco, TX, 75034.

The book arrived Friday and I can tell Bob's a book lover - it was packed as well as I've ever seen a book packed for shipping - wrapped in padding and inside a large, sturdy box padded with packing peanuts. Not a corner was bumped - thanks! It's bound in a nice brown cloth with gold lettering. The paper is thick and glossy, an ideal base for the gorgeous full-color photos throughout.

Most of us (in the U.S., at least) are somewhat familiar with tokens from the early 1800s called Hard Times Tokens. But what are "True Hard Times Tokens"? Schuman explains in the book's introductory material:

Lyman H. Low, in his magnum opus, HARD TIMES TOKENS, 1900, describes five categories of tokens, which represented his criteria for inclusion into the series. They were:

1. Those having reference to the controversy about the United States Bank.
2. Those bearing popular satirical and political maxims of the period.
3. Those with devices and inscriptions imitating more or less closely the legal coinage.
4. Shop cards, dated, of the period.
5. Mulings with either the obverses or reverses of any of the foregoing.

Categories 1, 2 and 3 are generally referred to as the political series, although many collectors of the Lyman Low era, and even later proponents of the series such as Wayte Raymond and John J. Ford, Jr. considered these to be the so-called true “Hard Times” Tokens. Wayte Raymond, in his STANDARD CATALOGUES of 1940-1942, called the political series - “HARD TIMES TOKENS” and devoted ten pages to them with photographs, prices, and a brief essay by Alfred Z. Reed. The remaining pieces he called EARLY MERCHANT TOKENS 1789-1850 – depicted by photographs and line drawings over 36 additional pages.

These so-called “Hard Times” tokens are distinct from the merchant tokens (store cards) issued during the Hard Times era, which have no direct political reference or neutral specie (see Neutral Specie Substitutes discussed later) motif. The store cards need and will receive a serious and studied treatment in separate subsequent works. Those merchant tokens that are directly muled with or mated with actual dies that are a part of the political series (Low’s category number 5) will also be included here because of their direct connection to the political pieces and to allow for total inclusion of all political die usage.

The purpose of this monograph is to photographically illustrate the tokens described above, and to establish current factual information on rarity, prices realized (both public and private), condition census data where relevant, and die states. Each piece will be described using the original Low numbering system. Anecdotal points of interest will be noted where appropriate, and an effort will be made to correct prior errors or misconceptions if necessary.

We'll look forward to Schuman's subsequent books in the series. The present volume is a welcome work, building on earlier researchers (including Low, Carl Wurzbach, Wayte Raymond, John J. Ford, Jr, and Russ Rulau) and summarizing in one neat volume the current state of knowledge on the topic.

Each major token variety is given a separate page or more, starting with an enlarged color photo of one of the best known specimens. The photos are marvelous, and worth the price of the book alone. For each token the author describes the obverse, reverse and edge, along with the metal, rarity, and condition census - a description of the highest-known condition pieces.

For the rarest tokens a list of known specimens is included, and for many of the tokens there are notes ranging from a short phrase to several paragraphs. Here's something I didn't know: On Low 44 "The H stands for engraver Edward Hulseman."

The book includes a handy price guide in four grades (VF/EF/AU/UNC) plus a table of auction results from the 2004 Ford sale and 2008 Dice-Hicks sale. The Bibliography lists some 15 books, articles and runs of auction catalogs consulted, including unpublished notes and page proofs by John Ford for Raymond's Standard Catalog of U.S. Coins and Tokens (circa 1960).

There's a limited amount of text in the main body book, but what's there is well written and seems pretty thoroughly researched. The white space makes for a very pleasant and usable page layout. The seven pages of introductory material covers a lot of ground, including a treatment of the Bushnell tokens. All in all, this is a welcome new monograph on an interesting topic that has fascinated U.S. numismatists for over a century, and it provides a great baseline of information for the collectors of today and tomorrow.

LoveMyLiberty

The Naftzger Collections , parts !, !!, and !!! Goldberg sale 2009

The Walter Husak Collection, Heritage 2008

The Dan Holmes Collections , Goldberg sales 2009 & 2010

A bunch of others on the shelves; John Ford only when I have to.

But I always keep my Cardinal Collection catalog by my side.

keets

i'll second the Dan Holmes catalogues. one of the downsides of collecting what i collect, Proof Jefferson Nickels, is that no very helpful catalogues exist.

firstmint

Auction catalogues are one of the key aspects of numismatics.