Market Watch

This market watch reviews all sales on ebay from February 2 through February 8. It was a relatively slow week of trading but for two large offerings by UK dealers and several BIN sales from Canada.
     My tally shows 50 CTs sold with 27 of them selling for under $20 in the C range, and another 16 coming in above that but below the $50 mark in the B range. This leaves seven CTs: five sold in the BB range, and two were bid past the $75 mark in the A range. There were several very good buys made this week, particularly in the C range. Also, a CT described as very rare was sold at the top of the price tally. An interesting Canadian piece that sold in the BB range deserves mention.

A rare CT (BK549).
I added the small N, as this was
omitted from Brook's drawing;
Kerr & Lockie noticed it too.

     As expected, cobwrightfortishe offered up a tantalizing group of 18th century CTs that elicited spirited bidding. Two of the pieces led the way this week, crossing the block at $82 and $77.
     The first of these was a thick, unornamented rectangle from Keithhall & Kinkell in Aberdeen (BK555). The chaste design was typical of many ABD pieces -- leading some to suggest that this was a regional flavor. Bold borders enclosed the word: TOKEN -- no date, no parish initials. Five bidders, casting 8 bids, competed with most of the action on the closing day. The hammer came down at $82.  Here is the link: Keithhall and Kinkell CT.
     The second piece that was bid into the A range was a square from Johnstone in Dumfries dated 1778. It was of the typical design: Parish initials +K over date. However, this one was described as very rare -- and cobwrightfortishe would know, as he has been involved with CTs for decades. This specimen was in excellent condition. Consequently, bidding was active among four players, two of them fighting it out at the end -- the price soared from $15 to $77 on the last day. Here is the link: Johnstone CT 1778.

The CT is from Miramichi located
in New Brunswick (NB218).

     A Canadian CT from St. Andrews Church in Miramichi (New Brunswick) sold for a BIN price of $50 -- a value consistent with the Charlton listing. Yet, this piece is not seen very often -- as such, it sold immediately. It was a rotund oval (26.5x22mm), dated 1816, struck from a screw-press (presumably). The dies are primitively made with punched letters, irregularly spaced, with what appears to be a hand-cut date in the center.
     The oval shape is essentially a modern CT design, but the Canadians were hard-pressed to copy the neat and tidy ovals that were being produced in Scotland at the same time. This was a great buy -- I wish I had spotted it!
     In closing, gordon5260 offered some very attractive CTs including several Glasgow-styled squares and a nice selection of primitively molded pieces from the 18th century. All of them sold for C money: all of them were excellent deals for the collector! The opportunities just keep on coming.