Exciting auction score (plus shout out to Dix Noonan Webb)
OriginalDan
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Some of you know I’ve been working on a type set of U.S. and world coins with Chopmarks.
This week I won the piece below in the Dix Noonan Webb (London) auction featuring coins from the late Reverend Charles Thomas Campbell. Reverend Campbell’s collection was largely formed in the 1940’s, with London dealer Bert Seaby the principal source. With chopmarked coins and the question of authenticity of the chops, it’s really nice to have some pedigree information including the timeframe a collection was assembled.
According to Colin Gullberg in “Chopmarked Coins - A History” he knows of only two examples with chopmarks, one being the Rose coin featured in the original Chopmarks book. This example is the third, as far as I’m aware.
It’s great when rarity coincides with condition / quality, as this coin is about as good as it gets with great skin and interesting chops, despite the reciprocal damage on the obverse.
I really have to hand it to Dix Noonan Webb, I paid for the coin around noon on Wednesday just after the lot closed. The coin was shipped on Thursday and in my hands on Friday Morning. London to California in less than 48 hours. I’m used to some of the other European auction houses taking months to ship a coin, after which it takes another couple weeks to get here. DNW is really top notch.
Here's the coin, hope you enjoy...
Comments
A world record time to get the piece for sure. I got one in two days from Colin Cooke in the UK as well. I am in Canada.
The dogsleds had to navigate the frozen tundra to get it to me.
Congrats to @OriginalDan for winning the piece. Honestly, though, not sure which is more impressive: the coin or the quick conclusion to the transaction.
The coin looks quite wholesome, but wondering what is the equivalent US TPG grade sans chops?
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
Thanks EVP, agreed about the fast shipping. I should also mention that their auction terms are also superb, both in availability and clarity. I knew exactly what to expect.
Sans chops I'd say VF35-EF40. FWIW, the auction description called it "about very fine".
I'd love some help deciphering the scrawl on this coin envelope and helping me understand the meaning:
Here's what I have so far:
Argentine
8r ~ 1813
EF
Chinese Chopmarks
5 Sept 62 (something) VF 8/10/-
5 May 58 (something) VF 37/6
(something) .5 F-VF $20 gd EF 75/-
Not only is it hard to make out the scribble, but I'm not sure about meaning of the last 3 lines. Is he cataloging his purchase date, past appearances of the coin, or past appearances of other similar coins? I know some of you must have some experience with this sort of cataloging system so I'd appreciate any help you can offer. Thanks in advance.
I nearly bid on that one as well. Congrats
Latin American Collection
This is what I think:
[8/10/-] stands for 8 crowns/10 shillings/0 pence (price realized? this is pre-decimal, btw)
[(something) VF 37/6] stands for "near VF" 37 shillings/6 pence
[gd EF 75/-] stands for "good EF" 75 shillings/0 pence
That's all I got...
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
Looks to me like references to similar but not the same coins, with date of auction ,condition and prices.
If this info relates to prices 50 or more years ago I don't think that would be relevant now at all. So the useful info would be to figure out the coin type and condition. If the coin type is condition rare for what is shown, at least you know that coin exists in that condition, if that is what you are after
Well thanks for NOT bidding!
Although someone else obviously saw the coin and it didn't go cheap. About where I thought it would go but you always hope for one flying under the radar. Now to email some of my other chopmarks collecting friends to see who I've pissed off. 
@EVillageProwler, @RMW thank you for the input on the envelope scrawl. My hope was to determine when he acquired the coin, but it doesn't seem clear from what's written. I hadn't thought of the shillings/pence notations but that makes sense given the locale of the previous owner. I guess I'll just be content with the auction catalog bio which says he built most of his collection in the 1940's.
Also, these coins always confuse me, which is the obverse and which is the reverse? I've found they confuse PCGS as well, since they'll holder them inconsistently with sometimes the date showing on the label side and other times the date opposite the front label.
The info on the envelope refers to Seaby's Bulletin in the case of the first two lines. S Sept 62 is a set of 8, 4 & 2 Reales list item CE319 in VF for £8 10s and the second, S May 58 is item C536, 8 reales 1813 which had a choice of 2, nearly VF at 37s 6d and good EF at 75s. The third item says F-VF $20, so assume this is a US dealer list price (Braig?). I don't have anything on that.
Nice addition, Dan!
8 Reales Madness Collection
Nice one!
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Thanks @TwoKopeiki & @asheland !
Rob, excellent work thank you. Quite interesting to see how collectors catalogued their coins and comparable before the days of computers and the internet.
It seems that RobP knows what he is talking about for sure ! Lemme guess, he has an office full of old catalogs for reference , like the guy I look at in the mirror every day.
Awesome piece.
It looks like the last entry my may be a catalogue listing from COINS OF THE WORLD 1750-1850 by Wm D. CRAIG, but I do not have one handy to check it.
I saw it in hand, bid on it, and was shocked when I didn't win it. Fantastic coin! And fwiw, I consider it a choice original AU50 or so. (I didn't actually assign a numeric grade, because it didn't matter.)
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Andy if you liked it then I'll take that as a compliment. Sorry to have snagged it from you, but it's been a dream coin for my chopmarked type set.
It ranks up there as one of my 3 favorite (non-U.S.) coins with chops