Ford Auction Recap: I was there, I bought coins
ColonialCoinUnion
Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭
Well, I'm not sure if it lived up to the hype, but it was pretty cool to be there and pretty cool to see some wild coins bring some scary money in an over-crowded room that was at least 15 degrees too warm.
People were lodged in the doorways a good hour before the auction and, when they were eventually let into the room, it was kind of like when you're trying in vain to get the ketchup out of the bottle and then all of a sudden a huge amount shoots out and completely buries the food you were trying to season. Yes, it was like that.
So there we are packed in like cranky sardines, everyone clutching their paddles ready to start bidding like crazy when there was a couple of brief comments made by Stack's and then by ANS Head Don Partridge about Mr. Ford. It was nice. And then the place went nuts.
I think it was just about the time the first continetal Dollar in Silver (in VG) brought $287,500 that I realized this might not be a place to pick up a bargain. But things eventually settled down slightly, and prices declined from the stratospheric to the merely very, very high.
The Gem Prooflike pewter Continetal Dollar brought a fair $184,000, the second silver one in XF $427,000.
The the Vermonts went off well, with strong prices for the great stuff and decent prices for the decent coins. Spirited bidding, but coming from all parts of the room and generally friendly. Unlike the NJs, which went psuedo-nuts amidst a flurry of competitive bordering on nasty bidding, with all sorts of running other people up and that sort of stuff. At that point, I was absolutely delighted not to be a NJ copper specialist.
By the time the Fugios came along, the crowd was spent physically, mentally and financially and toward the end the prices got sort of reasonable in my opinion.
Until the Confederate Half went off, bringing a spiritied and probably fair $550,000.
And for me? Well, I bought the 2 coins I really wanted, which I think is amazing. Was fully expecting to get shutout, but you truly never know.
More later.
(Edited to change the name of the post so people would know what the hell I was talking about).
People were lodged in the doorways a good hour before the auction and, when they were eventually let into the room, it was kind of like when you're trying in vain to get the ketchup out of the bottle and then all of a sudden a huge amount shoots out and completely buries the food you were trying to season. Yes, it was like that.
So there we are packed in like cranky sardines, everyone clutching their paddles ready to start bidding like crazy when there was a couple of brief comments made by Stack's and then by ANS Head Don Partridge about Mr. Ford. It was nice. And then the place went nuts.
I think it was just about the time the first continetal Dollar in Silver (in VG) brought $287,500 that I realized this might not be a place to pick up a bargain. But things eventually settled down slightly, and prices declined from the stratospheric to the merely very, very high.
The Gem Prooflike pewter Continetal Dollar brought a fair $184,000, the second silver one in XF $427,000.
The the Vermonts went off well, with strong prices for the great stuff and decent prices for the decent coins. Spirited bidding, but coming from all parts of the room and generally friendly. Unlike the NJs, which went psuedo-nuts amidst a flurry of competitive bordering on nasty bidding, with all sorts of running other people up and that sort of stuff. At that point, I was absolutely delighted not to be a NJ copper specialist.
By the time the Fugios came along, the crowd was spent physically, mentally and financially and toward the end the prices got sort of reasonable in my opinion.
Until the Confederate Half went off, bringing a spiritied and probably fair $550,000.
And for me? Well, I bought the 2 coins I really wanted, which I think is amazing. Was fully expecting to get shutout, but you truly never know.
More later.
(Edited to change the name of the post so people would know what the hell I was talking about).
0
Comments
michael
anyone else have any insight into this auction!
Cool!
Tom
$59,800.00
as for me, stack's is off my radar screen. if they were the only source for great coins, i'd leave the hobby.
nothing better than that (remember it doesnt cost to look)
nice to see michael floating around also, i thouhgt hed like this thread.
Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill
I do not have the Ford (Stacks) auction book with me.
Thanks
Any nice barber stuff at the auction ???
Les
1785 Vermont Immune Columbia. R.1, BB.26-Z. A second. Low Rarity-6 to High R-5. 105.7 gns. Fine/Nearly Very Fine. Very pale ruddy brown with some light gold highlights principally around the lettering. Typically soft in the center of the obverse; center of the reverse much sharper than seen on the 1920 Ryder and 1914 ANS plate specimen offered above. No serious marks or other signs of handling. Partial date, just the bottoms of 1785 being off the flan. Struck on a small and lightweight flan, actually the second lightest example recorded by the cataloguer.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
1787 Mailed Bust Right. R.14, BB.10-K. Rarity-4. 103.1 gns. Choice Uncirculated. A spectacular Vermont copper, with about 40% original mint red still showing on the obverse, the reverse mint red color confined to the letters in the legend, the rim above Liberty's head, and lightly in the shield and around the date. Elsewhere, the coin is a lovely, light golden brown in color. The fields are microgranular, the centers a little rougher, particularly on the reverse. There is some original mint lustre still visible, principally around the reverse rim. A remarkable specimen. How often does one find a Vermont copper that not only still has mint red color on it, but that also still retains some original surface lustre from the force of the strike? The cataloguer has seen 73 of these and only the Bennington Museum specimen could tie it for Finest Known honors. This coin is superior in quality to the Taylor piece and every other coin in the cataloguer's database. Had Ryder owned this coin in 1920 it would have been selected as his R.14 plate coin over the piece in the next lot.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Les
My 1866 Philly Mint Set
There was not the unabated high level of intensity I thought there would be -- some pieces went downright cheap as "typical" quality coins seem to go wanting while great rarities were often chased to the moon. It will be interesting to see how the market reacts the next time some decent colonials are sold at auction (non-Ford stuff) since activity had been soft in recent months in expectation of this catalogue.
Congratulations on two superb Vermonts!
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
Wait till the next John Ford confederate half dollar sells !!!
This guy was no slouch
There was a buyer in the room who spent almost half of the $5,000,000 plus total
Stewart
<< <i>There was a buyer in the room who spent almost half of the $5,000,000 plus total >>
Yep, when you spend that kind of money, no one minds when you sit in the front row facing everyone else!
So how many CSA cents does he own now?
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
Cameron Kiefer
<< <i>He sat facing everyone? >>
Yep, but he bids through a representative that was square in the back row -- right behind me, actually.
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
Great coverage, thanks! Nothing like getting the breaking news off the coin boards
As you can plainly see in the group photo, I was across the street drinking heavily as the shot was taken.
<< <i>And I thought that the guys in the back row were standing on your body to get up above those in the second row! >>
No, I'm positive I would have remembered that. Perhaps everyone can stand on me at C4.
<< <i>
If anyone has any great coins to offer please don't call me - I'm tapped out until Ford 2 in May 2004. >>
I bet you'll be tapped out then too!
Great Vermonts! Kinda like ancient US coins
Live Long and Prospect.
I like coffins (slabs) for coins except for colonials and ancient coins.
That is a lovely Vermont copper piece indeed. That mint red color looks awesome!
I will bet you that this coin was well protected all these years.
Was this coin ever part of the Netherlands Coin Store inventory in New York City?
Now being short on money..................hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
You could always go the route I did last night!!!!!! I bought a New Hampshire!!!
At $1.04 I bought a sample SEGS slabbed New Hampshire quarter. I could even send you a free one I found in my pocket. That should tie you over until May?