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A brief commentary from Dave Bowers.......

coinsarefuncoinsarefun Posts: 21,663 ✭✭✭✭✭


........I came across this a few weeks or so back and never had time to share this with you guy's. It is a really neat commentary
from Dave about the at the time upcoming auction of the John Ford Jr. sale. Now most of you don't collect tokens but may find
this interesting and I found it refreshing insight into collecting back in 1900-1910 time period.

To quote David he says:


"It may be worth mentioning that from 1900 to 1910 store cards, Civil War tokens, Hard Times tokens, medals, and the like
were the hottest tickets in the marketplace, and hardly anyone collected Morgan dollars, Liberty Seated coins, and other series
by mintmarks. Now in the 2nd decade of the 21st century there is a dynamic reawaking of the series, and our recent sales of
tokens and medals have created excitement beyond belief!"


Just my 2 cents input for tonight, I hope you enjoyed itimage



You can read the entire article here.



Also if anyone is interested this arrived today from that particular auction a One of only Two known
and is my centerpiece of my collection now. Stacks description is as such and I hear this is supposed to be included
in the next Civil War token catalog coming out soon.


(1860'S) BOSTON R-MA-BO-20 VARIETY HENRY COOK


"Chestnut-brown with hints of violet. Possibly bronzed during manufacture. The identity of the variety is somewhat obscure as
the reverse inscription is given by Rulau as: "HENRY COOK, MONEY BROKER," perhaps following a description in an 1886 Woodward sale.
The piece offered here has a 10-line inscription on the reverse; the first two lines being the same as represented by Rulau, and hence
this may be identical with Rulau Ma-Bo 20.

Rulau writes further that there are "only 2 pieces known" for the Ma-Bo 20 variety.
A specimen of the more common variety with the Constitution obverse exceeded $2,000 in our (Stack's) July 2008 sale.
From the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection. Paper envelope with attribution notation included."





It is even more beautiful in hand

Stacks pictures

image
image



My cruddy pic's


image








Comments

  • MidLifeCrisisMidLifeCrisis Posts: 10,504 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image
  • SwampboySwampboy Posts: 12,875 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Amazing medal.
    That obverse is hammered to say the least.
    Exquisite feather detail.
    WTG!
  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,898 ✭✭✭✭✭
    As someone who collected medals and some tokens for about 30 years I can add the following comments:

    1. The market for EARLY tokens and medals in high grades has picked up in recent years. A lot of this is due to the breakup and auctioning of major collections and the hype that surrounds such auctions. This kind of material is often very rare but its very rarity is what can get in the way of future interest. Once the major collections have been sold the market can go dry for long periods. During those dry periods interest seems to decline because collectors need to be able to actually find something in order to maintain interest in a collection.

    2. The market is thin. How robust the prices are depends on just how many wealthy collectors are interested.

    3. The market for most post-1960 material is almost non-existent.

    4. Make sure what you are buying isn't a modern restrike.
    All glory is fleeting.
  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,721 ✭✭✭✭✭
    As usual, he (Bowers) makes some valid points

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • coinsarefuncoinsarefun Posts: 21,663 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I do agree that the driving force has been the recent auctions coming to market,
    but my collection consists of pieces that I am holding for the long haul.

    When I first started with tokens I collected just about everything. I am more
    focused and much happier with less pieces but very high quality.

    Even with the current increase in prices I do think that token collecting is gaining
    more interest and will continue to come back into poularirity.


  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 27,411 ✭✭✭✭✭
    thats a nice looking medal image
  • BroadstruckBroadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I hear this is supposed to be included in the next Civil War token catalog coming out soon. >>



    The Cook token is not Civil War era as it's muled with the reverse die from a circa 1850's Haviland Stevenson & Co. Charleston, South Carolina Miller SC-3.

    This token was written about in the pages of The American Numismatic Journal in July 1889 and April 1892 by Horatio Storer who stated these had not been struck to the order or knowledge of Mr. Cook.

    From the September 1880 Jenks sale -

    530 Cook, Henry, Money Broker and Dealer in Rare and Antique Coins, Medals, Autographs, Curiosities, Relics,
    &c. &c.. No. 74 Friend st., Boston ; rev., eagle on a mortar. An old card, concerning which Mr. Cook has
    no information, never having heard of it before. It is believed that not more than two or three were struck ;
    copper, proof.

    Now it isn't uncommon for merchants to have forgotten about their store cards as some Lyman Low interviewed couldn't provide any valuable information either.

    So this may very well be a tentative non completed prototype for a token design Mr. Cook rejected?

    The Miller SC-3 can be seen below -

    image
    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • PreTurbPreTurb Posts: 1,182 ✭✭✭
    ah..... ever the marketing genius
  • coinsarefuncoinsarefun Posts: 21,663 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>I hear this is supposed to be included in the next Civil War token catalog coming out soon. >>



    The Cook token is not Civil War era as it's muled with the reverse die from a circa 1850's Haviland Stevenson & Co. Charleston, South Carolina Miller SC-3.

    This token was written about in the pages of The American Numismatic Journal in July 1889 and April 1892 by Horatio Storer who stated these had not been struck to the order or knowledge of Mr. Cook.

    From the September 1880 Jenks sale -

    530 Cook, Henry, Money Broker and Dealer in Rare and Antique Coins, Medals, Autographs, Curiosities, Relics,
    &c. &c.. No. 74 Friend st., Boston ; rev., eagle on a mortar. An old card, concerning which Mr. Cook has
    no information, never having heard of it before. It is believed that not more than two or three were struck ;
    copper, proof.

    Now it isn't uncommon for merchants to have forgotten about their store cards as some Lyman Low interviewed couldn't provide any valuable information either.

    So this may very well be a tentative non completed prototype for a token design Mr. Cook rejected?

    The Miller SC-3 can be seen below -

    image >>








    I'm off by 10 years ...... Sue me image


  • BroadstruckBroadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I'm off by 10 years ...... Sue me image >>



    Actually 11-14 as it would have to be dated 1861 to 1864 to be a Civil War token! image

    Top 1860 U.S. Merchant Token Miller NY-1008

    Bottom 1862 Civil War Token Fuld NY-695A-1

    image
    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • cwtcwt Posts: 291 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>I'm off by 10 years ...... Sue me image >>



    Actually 11-14 as it would have to be dated 1861 to 1864 to be a Civil War token! image >>



    There are a number of Civil War tokens which are not dated -- and a small number dated 1860 such as the Wealth of the South series and even a new one dated 1865 from Idaho. There are also some Civil War tokens which were muled with earlier dies.

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