What is your take on this auction caption? Mystery Solved
Boosibri
Posts: 12,533 ✭✭✭✭✭
The following is from lot 3216 in UBS 45 which contained 100 crowns from the collection of Paul Karon, many of which are likely from the Freeman Craig family collection.
“The classic “Americas Collection” formed by Howard Herz (sold in the Kagins 1983 ANA auction) designated this as the highest quality non-specimen crown of any type from Latin America”.
Now, I own the coin in question, an 1892 Peru Sol which came from Cape Coral. Upon reading this description, I was excited and went to my 1983 ANA auction catalogue only to find that there is no listing for an 1892 Peru Sol. I went back and reread the auction catalogue notation, and then read it more to suggest that Herz saw the coin and characterized it as such.
How would you read the caption?
Comments
I don't exactly follow your logic, but it's a lovely coin. Congratulations!
Was there any Americas Collection sold by Kagins?
Yes, a great collection in the 1983 ANA sale heavy on Peru. Not as complete as Sellschop but many finest knows.
To try and explain again, As I read the description in the UBS sale, my first read of it was that it was in the 1983 sale. After looking at the catalog and not seeing it, I reread the description and took it to instead mean that Herz view the coin as characterized but never owned it.
Latin American Collection
I'm thinking that some German-speaking guy wrote the catalog and got the translation screwed up.
We may never know what he really intended to say.
Maybe discuss with Paul Karon in NY?
Thinking more about it. Maybe the lot description of some other high-grade Sol in the 1983 sale had that comment in its description?
If you notice, all the descriptions seem to provide various factoids about the type of coin being offered...
Frankly, to characterize one individual piece of metal as the nicest quality specimen in the world would be as outrageous a claim as saying you invented the question mark.
I think what was meant instead was that overall, the Peruvian Seated Liberty sol AS A TYPE is the highest quality Latin Amer. business strike crown IN GENERAL... meaning in terms of quality of design, engraving, strike, planchet, etc.
This was my take also, that he deemed the design as the finest ever produced for public consumption.
I'm BACK!!! Used to be Billet7 on the old forum.
I think he is referring to this specific coin given that he qualifies it with “non-specimen”
Latin American Collection
That coin is outstanding.
Safe to say you’ve probably consumed a heck of a lot more auction catalogue write ups than I have, but my knee jerk reaction was that a lot of vague subjectivity is at work here……not like anyone is saying “highest graded” or using any other firm metric to conclude that it’s the “highest quality”.
That coin needs zero fluff or world salad, though.
Dear Brian,
Freeman Craig sold this coin to Howdie Herz and then purchased it back a few years later. It became part of the Craig family collection, which I purchased in 1989. I paid little attention to the coin as it was late Republican and not of my interest. I sold it at UBS with a large group of my collection. It’s a beauty and should be reasonably inexpensive.
Good luck!
Your friend,
Paul Karon
Latin American Collection
You sir are an incredible finder of numismatic answers.