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keets · September 5, 2019 11:20AM

I'm a medal guy, I like Exonumia and historic medals.

So a semi-regular comes in today and brings some stuff for us to look at, he says he's emptying his SDB because the bank is moving. One item was another Gem example of the medal pictured below. I recognized it but don't have "Baker" at work --- but --- I have the next better thing, the Internet!! It only took a few moments to find links to completed Heritage and Stack's sales and I was shocked, both were around $2,500-$3,500. Needless to say he was pretty happy.

His medal probably grades low Mint State and we discussed what he should do. He thinks as I do that it may have some light shellac on it so I suggested NCS or PCGS restoration prior to encapsulation. It was still wrapped in tissue and in a small white envelope from Richard Picker in Albertson, NY with phone number and notes. Does anyone remember him??

Our guy promised to bring the medal back in after it gets back from wherever he sends it. He was very happy, so my work today is done, right??

Al H.

Walkerguy21D · September 5, 2019 11:30AM

Very cool, and I'm not even a medals-guy.

"It was still wrapped in tissue and in a small white envelope from Richard Picker in Albertson, NY with phone number and notes. Does anyone remember him??"

I only know of him from reading provenance and pedigree notations in large cent auction catalogs - apparently he used to handle some very nice large cents back in his day.

Cougar1978 · September 5, 2019 11:39AM

Interesting what can walk in - thanks for sharing.

jmlanzaf · September 5, 2019 11:55AM

Is that actual surface roughness or just discoloration due to the shellac?

shorecoll · September 5, 2019 11:57AM

Look up Picker's own collection...he was "the man" on some of the colonial issues.

Insider2 · September 5, 2019 12:01PM

You are taking me down memory lane as dozens of dealers come to mind. Richard Picker was one of the consultants we kept around because of his expertise, backed up by a great "track record" of opinions. Others with similar reputations did not fare as well.

Meltdown · September 5, 2019 12:18PM

That reverse is extraordinary!

ricko · September 5, 2019 12:24PM

That is a beautiful medal..... I hope restoration does not harm it...but the experts know how to deal with these, so likely it will be fine. Thanks for showing us Al...Cheers, RickO

ChopmarkedTrades · September 5, 2019 12:25PM

I've always really liked the design of this medal, particularly in silver. Second only to the Libertas Americana in my book.

PocketArt · September 5, 2019 2:15PM

Wow...

BillDugan1959 · September 5, 2019 2:30PM

I never met Mr. Picker, but seemed to recall that his name was frequently in Coin World in the 1970s. This Wikipedia article is a modest recap: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Picker.

And yes, the medals shown here are wonderful!

SurfinxHI · September 5, 2019 4:58PM

@Realone said:
What is this medal called?

Expensive

2dueces · September 5, 2019 4:58PM

That is a very nice piece.

ARCO · September 5, 2019 5:26PM

Great design and medal. Medals pack a lot more relief and detail than standard, meant for circulation coins.

Kkathyl · September 5, 2019 5:31PM

@keets said:
I'm a medal guy, I like Exonumia and historic medals.

So a semi-regular comes in today and brings some stuff for us to look at, he says he's emptying his SDB because the bank is moving. One item was another Gem example of the medal pictured below. I recognized it but don't have "Baker" at work --- but --- I have the next better thing, the Internet!! It only took a few moments to find links to completed Heritage and Stack's sales and I was shocked, both were around $2,500-$3,500. Needless to say he was pretty happy.

His medal probably grades low Mint State and we discussed what he should do. He thinks as I do that it may have some light shellac on it so I suggested NCS or PCGS restoration prior to encapsulation. It was still wrapped in tissue and in a small white envelope from Richard Picker in Albertson, NY with phone number and notes. Does anyone remember him??

Our guy promised to bring the medal back in after it gets back from wherever he sends it. He was very happy, so my work today is done, right??

Al H.

Love it. These medal rock.

yosclimber · September 5, 2019 5:38PM

@Realone said:
What is this medal called?

(1808) Sansom Medal
https://coins.ha.com/itm/washingtonia/-1808-sansom-medal-ms63-brown-ngc-betts-617-julian-cm-5b-baker-58a-greenslet-82-musante-gw-92/a/1252-4208.s

Walkerfan · September 5, 2019 7:30PM

That's a nice medal with a great design.

You just never know what's going to walk through the door and that's what makes it exciting!

Coin Finder · September 5, 2019 10:54PM

Why didn't you send it in for him?

keets · September 6, 2019 3:54AM

our store doesn't submit, I do it for my boss when he needs me to. besides, he's a Platinum member so maybe he should send stuff in for us!! he's one of those collectors that plays it close to the belt so it can be hard to figure him out. I have known him as a customer for years but yesterday was the first time we really ever discussed anything. he'll usually come in and sit with my boss, but Rich deferred to me about the medals he had.

another one was an Elephant Token, but it had the look of a cast counterfeit.

Klifford · September 6, 2019 11:20AM

When I worked for Coins of Laurel (Laurel, Maryland) in the late 70's and silver was getting hot we had one customer that I always referred to as sneaky. He wore a long trench coat and he would come in, back up to me at the counter and pass a note and cash behind his back. I'd read the note of what denominations and how much face value in silver coin he wanted, he always had the correct change and would drop 300 to 500 dollars at a time. I'd run the coins (usually dimes) through the coin counter, bag them up in a cigarette carton brown bag (we also sold tobacco and cigarettes and pipe stuff) and he'd back up to the counter, I'd put the bag in his hand, it would go to one of his pockets and off he would go, not a word spoken. I always though of him as a little odd but when silver spiked up to $50 he unloaded several 1,000 dollar face bags at a huge profit and then when it crashed a few days later he was back buying again. You meet the strangest people in a coin shop.

7over8 · September 6, 2019 6:36PM

I worked behind the counter of a coin shop buying scrap, coins, etc
In late 1979. The worst job to have was breaking the teeth out of the gold bridges!!

savitale · September 6, 2019 6:53PM

@Klifford said:
When I worked for Coins of Laurel (Laurel, Maryland) in the late 70's and silver was getting hot we had one customer that I always referred to as sneaky. He wore a long trench coat and he would come in, back up to me at the counter and pass a note and cash behind his back. I'd read the note of what denominations and how much face value in silver coin he wanted, he always had the correct change and would drop 300 to 500 dollars at a time. I'd run the coins (usually dimes) through the coin counter, bag them up in a cigarette carton brown bag (we also sold tobacco and cigarettes and pipe stuff) and he'd back up to the counter, I'd put the bag in his hand, it would go to one of his pockets and off he would go, not a word spoken. I always though of him as a little odd but when silver spiked up to $50 he unloaded several 1,000 dollar face bags at a huge profit and then when it crashed a few days later he was back buying again. You meet the strangest people in a coin shop.

A little odd? I think I would be scared to meet the very odd ones, then.

shorecoll · September 6, 2019 7:28PM

The very odd ones were where they locked the doors and brought in extra guys with guns. And yes I was actually in a store a few times when they did that.

mannie gray · September 6, 2019 8:49PM

@savitale said:

@Klifford said:
When I worked for Coins of Laurel (Laurel, Maryland) in the late 70's and silver was getting hot we had one customer that I always referred to as sneaky. He wore a long trench coat and he would come in, back up to me at the counter and pass a note and cash behind his back. I'd read the note of what denominations and how much face value in silver coin he wanted, he always had the correct change and would drop 300 to 500 dollars at a time. I'd run the coins (usually dimes) through the coin counter, bag them up in a cigarette carton brown bag (we also sold tobacco and cigarettes and pipe stuff) and he'd back up to the counter, I'd put the bag in his hand, it would go to one of his pockets and off he would go, not a word spoken. I always though of him as a little odd but when silver spiked up to $50 he unloaded several 1,000 dollar face bags at a huge profit and then when it crashed a few days later he was back buying again. You meet the strangest people in a coin shop.

A little odd? I think I would be scared to meet the very odd ones, then.

Oh....there are some really odd ones.

topstuf · September 7, 2019 5:28AM

@shorecoll said:
The very odd ones were where they locked the doors and brought in extra guys with guns. And yes I was actually in a store a few times when they did that.

Me too. Once.

jrt103 · September 7, 2019 3:27PM

@Klifford said:
When I worked for Coins of Laurel (Laurel, Maryland) in the late 70's and silver was getting hot we had one customer that I always referred to as sneaky. He wore a long trench coat and he would come in, back up to me at the counter and pass a note and cash behind his back. I'd read the note of what denominations and how much face value in silver coin he wanted, he always had the correct change and would drop 300 to 500 dollars at a time. I'd run the coins (usually dimes) through the coin counter, bag them up in a cigarette carton brown bag (we also sold tobacco and cigarettes and pipe stuff) and he'd back up to the counter, I'd put the bag in his hand, it would go to one of his pockets and off he would go, not a word spoken. I always though of him as a little odd but when silver spiked up to $50 he unloaded several 1,000 dollar face bags at a huge profit and then when it crashed a few days later he was back buying again. You meet the strangest people in a coin shop.

Was his last name Hunt?

JedPlanchet · September 7, 2019 3:39PM

That is a gorgeous medal!

NumisOxide · September 7, 2019 4:42PM

That is a nice medal!

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