I finally got my "Good For A Scent" token ... in a somewhat circuitous manner

mercurydimeguy · July 3, 2017 7:45PM

This piece was recently auctioned off at the Goldberg sale. Here's the writeup...

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1863 US Civil War Store Card Boston Mass Fuld-115E-1a Rarity-5 NGC graded MS66 Red & Brown.
Beautiful lustrous mint red fading to olive brown and chocolate with about half the mint color remaining. A flawless, sharply struck gem of the very popular "Good For A Scent" type from Boston die sinker Joseph Merriam. One of the finest known of the type. Once offered as a "Proof" strike from the famous collection of Colonel E. H. R. Green. Estimate Value $1,000 - UP
Ex World Exonumia Mail Bid Sale (Rich Hartzog) 6/29/1999:1583-Gene Heard Collection.

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Needless to say it sold for a tad more than $1k ... It hammered at $2.4k ($2,820 with the juice). I was one of the underbidders and of course immediately thereafter developed remorse for not bidding one increment higher ... would I have won it? how much higher would it have gone? ... you know, the usual

Low and behold it shows up on eBay with a fairly large BIN. It didn't sell, then it was relisted at $3,500 starting bid auction, and had like myriad watchers (including myself). I said what the heck, and reached out to the seller. We started up a conversation and I wound up calling him. That night (really late) while I was parked in a parking lot of a hotel I was checking into (while on a business trip), we agreed that I'd take it off his hands for $3k, a tad bit more than a cut bid higher -- ironically the winner of the lot was half hoping someone would outbid him in the live auction. I may or may not be insane for paying $3k, but only time will tell.

Anyhow, with some coaching and advice from @DCW (thank you), I wound up making this happen and now own this beautiful piece. Thought I'd share...

illini420 · July 3, 2017 7:55PM

Glad you were able to get it. Looks like a wonderful example. Congrats!

Zoins · July 3, 2017 8:04PM

Congrats! That looks like a great specimen, very sharp with nice color. I love the pull-away and Merriam die sinker reverse too.

Kccoin · July 3, 2017 8:06PM

Thanks for sharing your story. I am glad it worked out for you, and sounds like the seller too.

That token always makes me smile

keyman64 · July 3, 2017 8:08PM

A very pleasing example. Congrats.

koynekwest · July 3, 2017 8:18PM

That, along with the smoker token posted a couple of days ago, are the neatest tokens ever! Congrats!!

coinsarefun · July 3, 2017 8:25PM

A very top notch looking example, well done!!

thebeav · July 4, 2017 5:43AM

Great looking token !

astrorat · July 4, 2017 6:02AM

Nice!

ricko · July 4, 2017 6:48AM

Very, very nice token... top notch specimen. Great story as well... Congratulations... Cheers, RickO

DCW · July 5, 2017 8:03PM

Such an iconic token and one of my favorites. I'm glad you were able to add this one to your collection.
And I think $3k is a steal!
(I paid a bit more for the Tanenbaum specimen, and I'd do it all over again.)
Congrats

Zoins · July 5, 2017 9:31PM

One of the finest known of the type. Once offered as a "Proof" strike from the famous collection of Colonel E. H. R. Green.

@mercurydimeguy Just saw this part of the description. This is a great piece of history. It would be great to get the Col. Green provenance on the insert!