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What's the one auction you wish you could go back in time and participate in?

DCWDCW Posts: 6,935 ✭✭✭✭✭

We all start collecting our little niches in the hobby at different times in our lives. And when we start doing the research, we inevitably land on that monumental auction catalog that leaves us saying to ourselves, "Man, if only I could have been there."

Maybe it's a once in a lifetime offering of something unique, or perhaps it's a large offering of seldom seen items.
Maybe it's just a famous auction attended by a "who's who" of numismatists of the time.
I imagine the sale of King Farouk's vast collection would fit the bill for many here.

For me, I think I might like to attend the Sotheby's auction of the Capt. Andrew Zabriskie Collection of Lincolniana.
I'm fortunate to own more than a few of his tokens and medals bearing the image of our 16th President, but there were just so many rare pieces offered there. Some seen for the first time (and last time) at public auction.
Dave Bowers was a big buyer at the event, and he scored many important items at extremely reasonable prices.

So, if you could attend ANY auction in time, what would you choose?

Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."

Comments

  • coinsarefuncoinsarefun Posts: 21,664 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 17, 2021 3:01PM

    I’m a greedy sob…….I wanna be at all of them! Can you imagine how much you could learn?
    Can you imagine all the juicy gossip?? Coin and unrelated :p

  • 2ndCharter2ndCharter Posts: 1,640 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Barney Bluestone's auctions of the Albert Grinnell Paper Money collection (1944-46).

    Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA

  • fathomfathom Posts: 1,513 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Amon Carter.

    Would have loved a shot at one of those 35 $50 gold slugs. Among other issues. Proof gold and of course the 1794 SP66.

  • WalkerfanWalkerfan Posts: 8,897 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 17, 2021 1:31PM

    Mine is not well known....

    Richard Genaitis Collection in October 2001.

    “I may not believe in myself but I believe in what I’m doing” ~Jimmy Page~

    My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947)

    https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/

  • rec78rec78 Posts: 5,675 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Mickley

    image
  • kazkaz Posts: 9,052 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This is sort of off the wall, but I think Dice-Hicks (HTT's) 7/28/08, by Stack's.

  • TurtleCatTurtleCat Posts: 4,589 ✭✭✭✭✭

    None because I’d have no money for them, lol. Maybe some of the early gold dollar auctions in the early 1900s when you could get nice uncirculated ones for a few bucks. If I could go back into time with a bunch of Morgans, I’d come back with gold…

  • DCWDCW Posts: 6,935 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @kaz said:
    This is sort of off the wall, but I think Dice-Hicks (HTT's) 7/28/08, by Stack's.

    Not off the wall at all. This was a close second.

    Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
    "Coin collecting for outcasts..."

  • SkyManSkyMan Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Assuming I had significant scratch, I'd like to suggest something that was not quite an auction, but it was a sale nonetheless... the Louisiana Purchase. It cost $15,000,000 in 1803, or roughly $364,130,000 in today's money.

    Assuming the auction was something that occurred while I was alive, and I've just got the same amount of money I would have had at the time of the auction, there are a couple Superior auctions from the 1990's that involved space memorabilia. The items sold for dirt cheap. For example, I could have bought Buzz Aldrin's Lunar Module "license plate" for roughly $700. Currently, it'd be worth roughly $250,000.

  • edwardjulioedwardjulio Posts: 1,021 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 28, 2021 10:16AM

    .

    End Systemic Elitism - It Takes All Of Us

  • ms70ms70 Posts: 13,946 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 17, 2021 4:01PM

    There was an auction for a MD found 1792 half disme way back around 2000ish maybe? It was certainly details but the damage wasn't that bad and probably from being dug. It's likely the only one I ever could've afforded and I should've just ponied up the money.

    A few years back it appeared in another auction and someone had horribly tried to tinker with it and made it into a disgusting blob. A real shame.

    Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.

  • MgarmyMgarmy Posts: 2,296 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 17, 2021 4:06PM

    I would have bought that bitcoin coin for 5000 a couple years ago that is now worth 49m

    100% positive transactions with SurfinxHI, bigole, 1madman, collectorcoins, proofmorgan, Luke Marshall, silver pop, golden egg, point five zero,coin22lover, alohagary, blaircountycoin,joebb21

  • DCWDCW Posts: 6,935 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @SkyMan said:
    Assuming I had significant scratch, I'd like to suggest something that was not quite an auction, but it was a sale nonetheless... the Louisiana Purchase.

    Well THAT was random!

    There are a couple Superior auctions from the 1990's that involved space memorabilia...For example, I could have bought Buzz Aldrin's Lunar Module "license plate" for roughly $700. Currently, it'd be worth roughly $250,000.

    Now that's what I'm talking about! $700 to a quarter million? Jeez Louise, someone got a steal

    Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
    "Coin collecting for outcasts..."

  • jdimmickjdimmick Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The richmond collection(didnt have any money then)

  • Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 7,544 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Teletrade / slabbed world gold when gold much lower / $400 or so an ounce.

    So Cali Area - Coins & Currency
  • MFeldMFeld Posts: 11,921 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think I might go with the Parmalee sale from 1890. The first post in this thread from 2010 gives an excellent overview:
    https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/778334/numismatic-history-lorin-g-parmelee-updated-with-color-plates-from-the-sale-catalog

    Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

  • wrightywrighty Posts: 837 ✭✭✭✭

    1904 John G Mills collection, incredible catalog which yielded the Pogue examples of the finest proof 1821 and 1822 bust quarters.

    https://archive.org/details/catalogueofmagni00chap_6/page/n39/mode/2up

  • mr1931Smr1931S Posts: 5,956 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My choice would be Stacks® 55th Anniversary Sale, Part1, The Allen F. Lovejoy Reference Collection of United States Dimes 1792-1945. Lovejoy's ex Norweb 1894-S sold for a mere $85,000.What a beautiful collection.

    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein

  • ChopmarkedTradesChopmarkedTrades Posts: 495 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Paul Bosco Auction 18, The Hal Walls Collection of World Trade Coins. It was relatively recent compared to many of the sales listed here (August '97), but was still decades before I started in on my current focus, chopmarks. Probably the single finest auction of chopmarked coins, including quite a few major rarities such as an 1859-S Seated Dollar, the finest-known chopmarked 1878-CC Trade Dollar (ex-Willem), and very impressive complete date sets of Mexican Pillar and Portrait 8 Reales from 1733-1821, many in UNC detail. Some of the prices are enough to make me cry, not to mention that many went to long-term collections and have yet to return to the auction block.

    Even in the sale from a collection that good, there were still unattributed treasures, including two pieces with very rare countermarks of Hakodate that were cataloged as generic chopmarked pieces.

  • breakdownbreakdown Posts: 1,952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    At the moment, Pittman. Milas and Bass are two others.

    "Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 18, 2021 2:01AM

    @DCW said:
    So, if you could attend ANY auction in time, what would you choose?

    Not an auction, but I'd love to go back and buy all kinds of fantasy coin patterns from the US Mint. Another copper proof set would be amazing, but imagine having the Mint create a gold proof set of all denominations (including the cent), including pattern designs.

  • TreashuntTreashunt Posts: 6,747 ✭✭✭✭✭

    King Farouk's sale

    I would have loved to sit next to some of the legends who attended

    Frank

    BHNC #203

  • JimTylerJimTyler Posts: 3,034 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 18, 2021 9:02AM

    I’d keep going back until I found an uncirculated Chain cent that estimates at 10-11c. Then I would put in a nuclear bid of 20c

  • CryptoCrypto Posts: 3,368 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Can I just use my time machine to buy Malibu and then Ill pay retail for what ever coins I so desire

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 33,430 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Actually none of them. I am not an auction fan.

    The one regret that I will carry to my grave is that I did not buy this medal. I had the opportunity, and I had the cash.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • BigMooseBigMoose Posts: 1,466 ✭✭✭

    I agree with wrighty--Chapman's John G. Mills Collection auctioned in 1904. In addition to the Gem Cameo Proof 1821 and 1822 Quarters, the Large Cents were of unbelievable quality.

    TomT-1794

    Check out some of my 1794 Large Cents on www.coingallery.org
  • TreashuntTreashunt Posts: 6,747 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @JimTyler said:
    I’d keep going back until I found an uncirculated Chain cent that estimates at 10-11c. Then I would put in a nuclear bid of 20c

    Then make it easy--

    go to 1793, and buy 10 with that disme

    Frank

    BHNC #203

  • CatbertCatbert Posts: 6,549 ✭✭✭✭✭

    We are living in one of those moments now without much competition! Get ye self a 1969 unc quarter!

    "Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
  • ElcontadorElcontador Posts: 7,412 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I would not be interested in being an auction participant, but I would have loved to be at the auction where Jess Lipka and Martin Paul got involved in a fist fight over a particular lot. I'd like to see the events leading up to the fight, the fight itself, and the aftermath.

    "Vou invadir o Nordeste,
    "Seu cabra da peste,
    "Sou Mangueira......."
  • ianrussellianrussell Posts: 2,450 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Treashunt said:
    King Farouk's sale

    I would have loved to sit next to some of the legends who attended

    Imagine just viewing the coins at the auction. The group lots of rarities!

    Ian Russell
    Owner/Founder GreatCollections
    GreatCollections Coin Auctions - Certified Coin Auctions Every Week - Rare Coins & Coin Values
  • TreashuntTreashunt Posts: 6,747 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ianrussell said:

    @Treashunt said:
    King Farouk's sale

    I would have loved to sit next to some of the legends who attended

    Imagine just viewing the coins at the auction. The group lots of rarities!

    Yes, amazing stuff!

    Frank

    BHNC #203

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