Happy New Year!
Welcome to 2021!
The new year is off to a rocking start, numismatically, with the conclusion of Heritage’s 2021 FUN Signature U.S. Coin auctions realizing nearly $62 million dollars. The headliner was the finest known Brasher doubloon, which brought $9.36 million USD — a record for any gold coin at auction. That lot was followed by the spectacular 1804 Plain 4 proof ten dollar gold piece, which was struck as a diplomatic presentation coin for the Sultan of Muscat. It brought $5.28 million USD. Although I did not catalogue those coins specifically (credit to Heritage Numismatist David Stone), it has been one of the great pleasures of my career thus far to work with the other spectacular offerings in the Partrick and Simpson collections (so many incredible patterns!). There’s a lot more to come, so stay tuned.
Speaking of Partrick coins, the sale of the Donald G. Partrick Collection of Countermarks was held on January 3 and brought in excess of $250,000. There were some fantastic rarities being offered, like the 1850 Moffat five dollar countermarked by W.W. Light, a San Francisco dentist. The sale included a number neat Canadian pieces, some of which I will be offering over the course of the days and weeks. One of the few stand-alone Canadian lots was an 1856 Nova Scotia penny marked by J.J. Veldon, a 19th century Quebec City pharmacist.
Countermarks are undeniably underrated and underappreciated. If part of what makes coins so interesting are the stories they tell, then countermarks have it all. In the case of the Veldon mark, we know exactly whose hands the coin passed through, when he was born, where he lived, and what he did for a living. It’s fantastic. And, it’s rare. Only a handful, three or four pieces are confirmed, and even if a few more than that exist, these are still extremely difficult to come by. On top of that, any coin or token associated with the Partrick Collection is a piece of numismatic history. You get a fresh-to-market rarity with a great provenance from one of the most significant sets ever put together. What’s not to like?
As always, I am looking for new material. Without being able to attend shows or meet with clients, maintaining an inventory of anything other than common “stuff” is not easy. If you want to take advantage of the significant momentum in the market right now, give me a call, send and email, we can talk about your collection.
Finest Known Brasher Doubloon, which realized $9.36 million USD. Photo courtesy Heritage Auctions.
J.J. Veldon Countermark from the Don Partrick Collection.
Original collector ticket from the Don Partrick Collection.