There is no remedy for the horrors wrought by war but a family will experience a bit of silver lining -- make that gold -- when a recovered buried treasure of old gold coins is auctioned. You'll find a story about it here.
(Thanks to Esylum newsletter for the tip)
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
New Issue Honors the Mystery Crown of Bohemia
Somehow it calls for Sherlock Holmes, here is an excerpt from the the story:
"The Czech crown of Bohemia, the Wenceslas crown is not just any crown. Mystery surrounds it. The ominous legend that mysteriously envelops the crown states that of anyone, who wears it without the right to do so, will die within a year. Sadly, this myth seems to have proven to be true, even within the last 100 years. Therefore, the crown is securely locked behind not just one lock, but seven locks, deep within the cathedral. There are seven keys held by seven high-ranking officials of the church as well as the state. All seven must come together in order to gain access to the crown. It is very rare indeed; only happening 9 times during the 20th century."
The announcement of the new coin may be found here.
"The Czech crown of Bohemia, the Wenceslas crown is not just any crown. Mystery surrounds it. The ominous legend that mysteriously envelops the crown states that of anyone, who wears it without the right to do so, will die within a year. Sadly, this myth seems to have proven to be true, even within the last 100 years. Therefore, the crown is securely locked behind not just one lock, but seven locks, deep within the cathedral. There are seven keys held by seven high-ranking officials of the church as well as the state. All seven must come together in order to gain access to the crown. It is very rare indeed; only happening 9 times during the 20th century."
The announcement of the new coin may be found here.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
'Doomsday Coin' Marks End of the World, Not
Rev. Harold Camping missed the mark a couple of times in 2011, predicting an end to the world that somehow failed to occur. Anyway, a few of the survivors might want a souvenir and if so, a marketer is ready with "The Doomsday Coin."
Monday, November 7, 2011
Tracking the So-Called "Tribute Medal" Copies of Great Art Medals
A new type of copy or replica has appeared recently on eBay termed a "tribute medal," these are inexpensive pewter versions of (mainly) art medals by the great medallists. I bought two and asked the seller for more info which he declined to provide. Unlike coins, there is no prohibition that I know of against copying art medals, still, my concern is that the next seller may not be so forthright in describing the item, perhaps at the expense of unwary newcomers to the field. I queried various experts and received various opinions on the matter, and I will mention the results in an article soon. Meanwhile, I notice in the E-Sylum newsletter of numismatic bibliophiles that I am not alone in my interest. A note from their latest newsletter follows:
QUERY: PEWTER TRIBUTE MEDALS INFORMATION SOUGHT
L. Michael Lawrence submitted this question for our readers. Can anyone help? -Editor
As a collector of French Art Nouveau medals, I have noted the recent appearance of "Pewter Tribute Medals" offered in the last few months by a single U.S. eBay seller. These pieces are inexpensive and appear to be modern reproductions of a variety of French medals, most notably of the Orpheus by Coudray.
Having purchased two of them, I observe that they are nicely done and quite accurate (Orpheus images attached). I have attempted to discover more about the origin and manufacture of these pieces by searching the internet and inquiring of the seller, but all websites lead right back to the eBay seller who is very polite but does not offer any details.
I'm curious to learn where and how these pieces are being made and seek input or information fromE-Sylum readers.
QUERY: PEWTER TRIBUTE MEDALS INFORMATION SOUGHT
L. Michael Lawrence submitted this question for our readers. Can anyone help? -Editor
As a collector of French Art Nouveau medals, I have noted the recent appearance of "Pewter Tribute Medals" offered in the last few months by a single U.S. eBay seller. These pieces are inexpensive and appear to be modern reproductions of a variety of French medals, most notably of the Orpheus by Coudray.
Having purchased two of them, I observe that they are nicely done and quite accurate (Orpheus images attached). I have attempted to discover more about the origin and manufacture of these pieces by searching the internet and inquiring of the seller, but all websites lead right back to the eBay seller who is very polite but does not offer any details.
I'm curious to learn where and how these pieces are being made and seek input or information fromE-Sylum readers.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
One Ton Gold Coin Minted in Australia
A one ton gold coin valued at one million Australian dollars has been produced to promote sales of the Australian gold kangaroo coin. Story and photo here.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Buyer Beware: Looted Treasure of Benghazi
The recent dust-up in Libya offered great opportunities for thievery. Noting the incredible quantity of stolen coins, collectors are wondering what the impact will be on the market -- however, with no documentation and no photographs, Libyan officials will be hardpressed to identify the stolen tgreasure if it is pieced out. Story here.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Rare (Maybe a Million$) Coin Missing From Brinks Delivery
A very rare double eagle was found to be missing from a Brinks shipment upon arrival at Heritage auction house. The shipper, an authentication company, apparently has tapes showing that the coin was safely passed along to Brinks. It would seem a simple matter to determine who had access up to the time of delivery to Heritage ... we'll see. Story here.
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