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Is jonathan kern reputable?

I recently bought a vietnamese gold bar from jonathan kern from the huge phoenix coin show. Due to the recent influx of chinese fakes recently, I'm going to have the bar tested for purity. It says pure gold (OR PUR) on the bar.

Has anyone dealt with this person and can verify this person is reputable? He is a very nice, ANA life member, if that says anything.

Here is his website: http://www.jkerncoins.com/

Comments

  • numismanumisma Posts: 3,877 ✭✭✭✭


    Edited to say: based on new information.....I have no comment.
  • MrEurekaMrEureka Posts: 24,668 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes, he's reputable and knowledgeable. I'm sure the bar is fine.
    Andy Lustig

    Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.

    Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 24,352 ✭✭✭✭✭
    They are good folks...

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • TomBTomB Posts: 22,941 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I've dealt with him face-to-face in the past and received some nice foreign coinage.
    Thomas Bush Numismatics & Numismatic Photography

    In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson

    image
  • jhdflajhdfla Posts: 3,030 ✭✭✭
    A good guy who's been around a long time, no need to worry.

    John
  • MrHalfDimeMrHalfDime Posts: 3,440 ✭✭✭✭
    I've only bought early Federal coins from Jonathan Kern, and no gold bars, but he ranks right up there with the very best in my book. I would rely on whatever he told you about the bar, and if there were any problem, he would make it right for you.
    They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    Yes.


    Steve
    Good for you.
  • lathmachlathmach Posts: 4,720
    I agree with the others that Jonathern Kern is one of the most reputable dealers.
    You need not worry about the gold bar you bought from him.
    He sells a lot of ancient coins. I asked him once how a fella could know for certain they were not fakes.
    He said, "be there when they dig them up".

    Ray
  • JZraritiesJZrarities Posts: 2,583 ✭✭✭
    Yes John is reputable.

    And, I bought some things from him at the ANA show.
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hey Fruitloops.... now ya know... Cheers, RickO
  • karpman9karpman9 Posts: 310 ✭✭
    Yes, very reputable.

    By the way, Jonathan made mention to me that the Vietnamese gold wafers are actually manufactured in Los Angeles and then exported to Vietnam. They are a cool item though.

    Best regards,
    Jeff.K. Karp

    Meet my first little guy, Benjamin. Born 4/8/2007
    Pic taken at 2.5 years of age.
    image
  • mrearlygoldmrearlygold Posts: 17,858 ✭✭✭
    You should have no problems
  • astroratastrorat Posts: 9,221 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jonathan Kern is aces. You will have no worries dealing with him.

    Lane
    Numismatist Ordinaire
    See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
  • Thank you everyone your responses help a great deal. I do not think there is a need now to test it.
  • BroadstruckBroadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Even raw and sight-unseen when the packages would show up 2 out 3 where better then expected. image
    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,769 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Absatively a great guy!
    D
    Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Also won the PNG's Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • Great guy, seems to have been arround as long as his coins.

    "I am sorry you are unhappy with the care you recieved, is their anything I can do for you right now, how about some high speed lead therapy?" - A qoute from my wife's nursing forum

    "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." – Thomas Jefferson
  • Look at these posts and you can see why "reputation" by word of mouth is more valuable than any dollar amount. How you deal with the coin collecting society of collectors goes miles to establishing a good reputation.

    What could be more valuable than that?

    Garrow
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    Isn't he like one of only a few who have a degree in numismatics too?


    I dealt with him 25 yrs ago and even then he was a pleasure to work with.


    Steve
    Good for you.
  • Thanks for the feedback everyone. Seems like this person is top notch. Quick question if you don't mind.

    The bar is about 1/4 oz pure gold (7.79 grams) I paid $300 for it after some negoitation. I've heard they trade for around bullion. He told me it has a 20% collectors premium. (Maybe the smaller ones do?) The orginial price was around $330. Was this a good price to pay? I had no idea.

    Here's a picture of it by the way. I'm very pleased with it.
    image
  • orevilleoreville Posts: 12,287 ✭✭✭✭✭
    fruitloops: The only ones on our board that might know about that gold bar are Just Having Fun and mrearlygold. Ask them. Of course, mearlygold knows more about Vietnam numismatics than the rest the board members put together!

    I also trust Jonathan Kern implicitly.

    He gave me an incredible 2 year full money back guarantee on a 1856 FE cent that I paid $7200 for a few years back. Unheard of.

    A Collectors Universe poster since 1997!
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,486 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Being honest isn't enough. On two occasions, I bought fake gold from honest reputable dealers in the pre-slab days. They were fooled by the high quality of the fakes but were quick to refund my money. Being honest isn't enough. In Jonathan K. Kerns case, he is both honest and very knowledgeable. You have nothing to worry about.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • RichieURichRichieURich Posts: 8,620 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I agree with all of the respondents, you will have no problem with Jonathan Kern.

    An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.

  • thebeavthebeav Posts: 4,101 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Isn't he like one of only a few who have a degree in numismatics too?
    Steve >>



    I thought I had read that he had a Doctorate.....
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,486 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Isn't he like one of only a few who have a degree in numismatics too?
    Steve >>



    I thought I had read that he had a Doctorate..... >>



    You may be thinking of Donald Kagin.


    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • FredWeinbergFredWeinberg Posts: 6,025 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The Vietnamese Taels contained a total
    of 1.205 ounces of gold (same as the
    Mexico 50 Peso coin). (37.5 grs., I believe

    They came usually in three pieces totaling 1.205 oz.
    of pure, soft gold. They were manufactured by many
    different jewelers and manufacturer's in Vietnam
    before the Fall of Saigon in 1975. They all came in
    brown wrapping paper, with the same design on the
    gold pieces being on the outside of the paper wrapper.

    The vast majority of them were brought to the U.S.
    by the refugee's fleeing the new Communist Gov't;
    an historical use of gold/value being used by people
    fleeing conflicts of varying types over the centuries.

    I was working for a company in Bevery Hills (Numismatics, Ltd.)
    at that time, and we were buying huge quantities of these
    Taels from some other dealers who were able to set up
    Money Exchanges at Camp Pendelton (near San Diego),
    who were buying the gold Taels from the refugees for
    U.S. Dollars. The gold that the "Boat People" sold here
    helped them get a foothold in this county, and helped
    finance their new business ventures, paying rent, etc.

    Out of the many, many, thousands that I saw, they all
    were like the small piece (or larger) pictured at the top of
    this thread...............the jeweler/manufacturer's name,
    Vietnames lettering, etc........but no "pictures" of anything

    I ran across one, and one only, that had a dipiction (sp?) of an
    old Vietnamese man with a deer/elk on all three pieces.
    Since it was the only one I had seen with more than just
    words/lettering, I bought it, framed it, and still have it here
    in my office.

    I have to assume that there are others like mine out there, but
    I've been looking since 1975 for another, and have not seen or
    heard of one anywhere.....

    Hope this info adds a bit to your historical Vietnamese Tael.
    Retired Collector & Dealer in Major Mint Error Coins & Currency since the 1960's.Co-Author of Whitman's "100 Greatest U.S. Mint Error Coins", and the Error Coin Encyclopedia, Vols., III & IV. Retired Authenticator for Major Mint Errors for PCGS. A 50+ Year PNG Member.A full-time numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022.


  • << <i>

    << <i>Isn't he like one of only a few who have a degree in numismatics too?
    Steve >>



    I thought I had read that he had a Doctorate..... >>



    His degree infromation.. interesting research he did.

    "I am sorry you are unhappy with the care you recieved, is their anything I can do for you right now, how about some high speed lead therapy?" - A qoute from my wife's nursing forum

    "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." – Thomas Jefferson

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