Questions about a couple of Exonumia newP's from the Round Rock Coin Show
cmerlo1
Posts: 8,075 ✭✭✭✭✭
I've found myself starting to buy exonumia items in the recent months, as there are a lot of interesting pieces that can be had cheaply. I bought the 2 pieces below at the Round Rock, TX show yesterday, and was wondering if anyone had any info about them.
The first appears to be an engravable award medal with a Lincoln portrait on one side and a wreath on the other. It is 26mm in diameter, appears to be made of brass, and has a prooflike appearance. It was never engraved. It is currently in an Acetone soak.
I bought the second one because I'm a watch collector. Vacheron & Constantine is a high-end brand and that piqued my interest. The only thing I can think of is that this is a fob. The serial number on it indicates the watch with that number was made between 1945 and 1950, well past the pocket watch era.
An internet search didn't turn up much on either- does anyone know anything about these? Thanks in advance!
Comments
Cool...
Vacheron & Constantin are very, very, high-end watch manufactures... https://www.vacheron-constantin.com/en2/home.html ... Very high-end. Like this is their NY Boutique:
So high-end that their watches come with dog-tags...
You could probably call them with the movement number and they might even be able to tell you who originally bought it and who they last knew owned it. Or they might not tell you squat because you're not the kind of person who buys a watch that costs the rest of us a kidney (remember, I've met you and neither of us is THEIR kind of customer unless you have a secret Rich Uncle Moneybucks and are his only heir)
ANA 50+ year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Author: 3rd Edition of the SampleSlabs book, https://sampleslabs.info/
Kind of like the time my wife and I went to Cartier in the Houston Galleria. The 2 guys who were working there and having a conversation glanced at us when we walked in then continued their conversation... I will say, the people at Tiffany were a lot nicer.
Very nice, I like it !!!
The type face on the Lincoln piece looks like something smaller made for Thomas Elder, probably by the same engraver. Will do some digging tomorrow.
Edited to add: Checked the small Elder gold Lincoln pieces and the type face does not match.
I like the Lincoln medal.... I would likely have purchased that as well...Please let us know how the acetone soak works... those reverse spots look nasty. Cheers, RickO
@BStrauss3 Went to their website. Prices listed were upper $10k to ~$60k with quite a few “Price Upon Request.” I was not going to call or email asking, “How much?”
Instead, filtered the search to $90k to $115k. Watches with the, “Price Upon Request” popped-up.
@cmerlo1 With the value of those watches I suspect the token has some significance.
Did a random search and found that 492595 (if a serial number) may indicate year of production, 1945.
http://www.pocketwatchrepair.com/histories/vacheron-constantin.php
Then some how ended up at a Christies auction for one of these watches. There are a few of these being auctioned. They all seemed to have those cases. Maybe the token/medals are in the cases?
$43,750 was the realized price for the pictured watch.
https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/vacheron-constantin-a-fine-and-rare-platinum-6194077-details.aspx
the first Token can be found in King if you have a copy. as for the second, all I can say is that for the money paid for these watches the company needs to come across with more than a dog-tag. my boss is watch guy and I don't get it. watches have been relegated to a "jewelry accessory" status and the market for them, from any manufacturer, is slowly dying as is the market for cameras.
cell phones have managed to incorporate several useful, everyday items into one small package. they remind me of an old "Gilligan's Island" episode where a Secret Agent ends up stranded on the Island and Gilligan is the only one who seems to be aware of it. after the SA leaves the castaways find his lost pocket-knife and the Professor examines it. he says something like "This has over 80 functions, it may have had a death ray!" which in fact it did.
cell phones are almost there.
The Vacheron & Constantine isn't exonumia as it's a brass claim tag with the same serial number as a watch.
It came with the watch and if it was serviced you needed the brass tag to reclaim the watch proving ownership.
Elgin and other watch companies did the same mostly out of white metal or aluminum.
I have to admit that neither piece does much for me ... and I like exonumia. The severe spotting on the Lincoln piece and the fact that it is not engraved are negative, as least in my mind. The watch claim tag is just that, a watch claim tag and not much more. Sorry.
If it’s a claim tag, then... claim the watch.
The Lincoln piece reminds me of scholastic awards I have seen although the couple that I have seen were engraved with the winning students’ names. Sorry, I recall no further info.
I believe this is 20+ years post Elder struck in the 1940s.
Thanks, everyone! Some awesome research here that is much appreciated.
FYI- the acetone isn't helping the Lincoln medal, unfortunately.
"What time is it?"
"Let me peel off the three layers of bubble wrap so I can see the watch"
ANA 50+ year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Author: 3rd Edition of the SampleSlabs book, https://sampleslabs.info/
You went there... and it’s not even hump day.