Steinberg's Colonial Coins
MidLifeCrisis
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I just spent some time looking through the catalog of the Stack's 1989 auction of the Gilbert Steinberg Collection of Early American Colonial Coins, Hard Times Tokens and Early Store Cards. The colonial portion consisted of the first 213 lots. This auction is interesting to me for two reasons:
1) Gilbert Steinberg wrote an introductory piece for the catalog titled "Anatomy of a Collector". In this, he defines U.S. colonial coins as those produced "from the landing of the Pilgrims to the death of George Washington". I like this broad definition, even though others may prefer to break down the different time periods involved. The pilgrims landed at and established the Plymouth Colony - in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts - in 1620. George Washington died on the evening of December 14, 1799, at Mount Vernon. There were a lot of coins, tokens and medals with direct or indirect relevance to early America produced from 1620 to 1799.
2) There were a great number of true colonial rarities in the collection. In fact, have you ever even heard of the following coins?
Lot 2 - A Raleigh Plantation Token. At the time of the sale, 6 specimens were known to the Stack's cataloger.
Lot 68 - 1785 Immune Columbia/Nova Constellatio pattern mule in silver.
Lot 71 - 1785 Gen. Washington Confederatio. One of the earliest portrait pieces of Washington in numismatics.
Lot 103 - 1787 George Clinton Copper. Approximately 11 specimens known to the Stack's cataloger at the time.
Lot 106 - (1787) Indian "Liber Natus" George III Rex. A Machin's Mills muling with only 3 known at the time of the sale.
Lot 193 - A Washington Born Virginia in silver.
There were many other well-known rarities in the sale as well. The point to all this is that auction catalogs of collections that focus on a particular specialty, such as colonials, can be an invaluable source of information. Just thumbing through this catalog reinforced my belief that colonial coins are the coolest and most interesting coins in all of numismatics!
1) Gilbert Steinberg wrote an introductory piece for the catalog titled "Anatomy of a Collector". In this, he defines U.S. colonial coins as those produced "from the landing of the Pilgrims to the death of George Washington". I like this broad definition, even though others may prefer to break down the different time periods involved. The pilgrims landed at and established the Plymouth Colony - in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts - in 1620. George Washington died on the evening of December 14, 1799, at Mount Vernon. There were a lot of coins, tokens and medals with direct or indirect relevance to early America produced from 1620 to 1799.
2) There were a great number of true colonial rarities in the collection. In fact, have you ever even heard of the following coins?
Lot 2 - A Raleigh Plantation Token. At the time of the sale, 6 specimens were known to the Stack's cataloger.
Lot 68 - 1785 Immune Columbia/Nova Constellatio pattern mule in silver.
Lot 71 - 1785 Gen. Washington Confederatio. One of the earliest portrait pieces of Washington in numismatics.
Lot 103 - 1787 George Clinton Copper. Approximately 11 specimens known to the Stack's cataloger at the time.
Lot 106 - (1787) Indian "Liber Natus" George III Rex. A Machin's Mills muling with only 3 known at the time of the sale.
Lot 193 - A Washington Born Virginia in silver.
There were many other well-known rarities in the sale as well. The point to all this is that auction catalogs of collections that focus on a particular specialty, such as colonials, can be an invaluable source of information. Just thumbing through this catalog reinforced my belief that colonial coins are the coolest and most interesting coins in all of numismatics!
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Comments
Is this an eBay forum or a coin forum??
Maybe Julian can shed some light on a question that I've been pondering studying both Steinberg sales? Although it's been said that Gil sold his duplicate tokens in the 1989 sale, to me it looks more as he may have sold his primary set, then possibly had seller remorse and started another?
-sm
The Maddy Rae Collection
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<< <i>I have heard about the "Raleigh Token" but have yet to track down a picture or a story behind the token. Anybody have either?? >>
Although they are both pretty worn, here is one that Stack's sold in 2005 and one sold by Bowers and Merena in 2006.
Great post. Personally, I tell people I collect from Jamestown to Jefferson.....pretty much the same definition but it allows one to incorporate everything from the Sommers Islands coinage to very early 1800 struck Washingtonia, Betts medals and Tokens.
Old catalogues are one of the greatest teaching tools that exist, are readily available, and (for the most part) can be had for under $15 a piece mailed right to your door! Sure makes collecting more fun for me but it does become addicting and soon can take over your house <s>.
While I like Steinberg, my favorite is the Stacks Roper sale.....even more Colonials and rarities than Steinberg in astonishingly high grade condition.
And while we are going back in time to auctions, I would choose Roper and Picker. Both Stack's sales were in the middle of a deep recession where some of the most fabulous Colonial coins were being sold at 25 to 50 cents on the dollar relative to the earlier Garrett sale. I think the whole Picker sale (arguably nicer and more complete than Steinberg) grossed $400,000. Today, several individual coins in that sale would bring close to that number or even more.
Best,
novacaesarea
words if I were to own one Colonial sale catalog what would be a nice recommendation?
<< <i>Is there an ad hoc Colonial sale catalog that is best known for its breadth, quality, pictures and maybe rarity and just overall beauty as numismatic literature, in other words if I were to own one Colonial sale catalog what would be a nice recommendation? >>
I wholeheartedly agree with novacaesarea that the Roper Collection catalog is the one must-have for colonial collectors. In fact, here's what I wrote about the Roper collection in a previous post:
Stack's Roper Collection sale
John L. Roper, 2nd, was "a prominent Virginia industrialist and public figure". He assembled one of the finest collections of colonial era coins ever to come to public auction. The coins were sold by Stack's in December 1983. According to the auction catalog, the collection contained many fantastic rarities including:
- Six specimens of Sommer Islands coinage, including the extremely rare shilling with large sails, a superb sixpence with small portholes, and a twopence
- Thirty six pieces of Massachusetts silver including the finest known (at the time...maybe still) New England Sixpence
- A complete set of Maryland coinage, including shilling, sixpence, groat (fourpence), and denarium
- A complete set of regular issue Rosa Americana coinage along with a large number of Rosa Americana pattern pieces
- An extremely rare "God Preserve New England" Elephant Token
- A 1714 Gloucester Token (Amazing rarity - 2 or 3 known - and a mysterious and fabulous coin, I think)
- Seven (!) different examples of Higley Copper coinage
- A brass Continental Dollar
- A Standish Barry Silver Threepence
- Two Albany Church Pennies
- Complete set of three Myddelton Token varieties (copper, silver, and COPPER COMPANY OF UPPER CANADA reverse)
<< <i>
<< <i>Is there an ad hoc Colonial sale catalog that is best known for its breadth, quality, pictures and maybe rarity and just overall beauty as numismatic literature, in other words if I were to own one Colonial sale catalog what would be a nice recommendation? >>
I wholeheartedly agree with novacaesarea that the Roper Collection catalog is the one must-have for colonial collectors. >>
Thank you MidLifeCrisis, I look forward to seeing a copy of the Roper catalog.
If you wanted to just own one amazing catalog with Colonials that was a numismatic literature Treasure all on to itself, I would say get an original Chapman Brothers Bushnell or Mills Sale with Plates. These can go for mid four figures in collectible states of preservation, but you are buying the book as a collectible. They made reprints that are findable with plates that sell more in the high 3 figures, but are not nearly as collectible.
And to tell you the truth, if I were venturing out into numismatic Colonial Literature, I would probably get an original Crosby first for low four figures.
Best,
novacaesarea
novacaesarea, thank you for the recommendation...here is lot 6 from Kolbe Sale 107 (I think)...
A) Coolest things on Earth.
B)Best thing since sliced bread
or
C) better than $*x
You may have a point.............there
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CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
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Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
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More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
<< <i>Are you trying to tell me that Colonials are the:
A) Coolest things on Earth.
B)Best thing since sliced bread
or
C) better than $*x >>
Yes...yes I am...and yes they are
<< <i>
<< <i>Are you trying to tell me that Colonials are the:
A) Coolest things on Earth.
B)Best thing since sliced bread
or
C) better than $*x >>
Yes...yes I am...and yes they are
That is the one. And by the way, one of George Kolbe's better sales. There was a copy of Mill's own Bushnell for Auction several years ago. One of the cooler pieces of numismatic literature I have ever seen.
George Kolbe is having a sale come this early January of the Stack's Family Library and I am certain it will have both a Bushnell and Mills if this is the avenue you wish to pursue.
Best,
novacaesarea
<< <i>Hi RTS,
That is the one. And by the way, one of George Kolbe's better sales. There was a copy of Mill's own Bushnell for Auction several years ago. One of the cooler pieces of numismatic literature I have ever seen.
George Kolbe is having a sale come this early January of the Stack's Family Library and I am certain it will have both a Bushnell and Mills if this is the avenue you wish to pursue.
Best,
novacaesarea >>
That Kolbe literature sale in January promises to be an absolute blockbuster.
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