Market Watch for August 2014

August was a slow month for CT auctions and sales. The end of summer usually brings vacations, and so it was in the CT marketplace -- most vendors were closed for the weekend. All told, there were 105 CTs sold this past month. This figure is exactly half of the tally for July, and June was tops with over 350 pieces sold.
     There were two familiar auctions in August, as comtok continued his series of sales with 17 CTs crossing the block on the 15th. One of them was a rare heart from Canisbay in Caithness (BZ7672 or KL(40)303); it brought forth only three bidders, selling for $34. It was a corroded piece with snowy-white surfaces. Yet, all hearts are scarce to rare, and certainly popular. Here is the link:  Heart-shaped CT.
     Also, cobwrightfortishe continued his series of sales with 14 late-series CTs (six ovals, eight cut rectangles) on the 30th. All of these were nicely toned pieces with few, if any, distractions.
     Fifty-five CTs sold for under $20 -- many of these were nice and appeared to have been over-looked by collectors who were on vacation. But this might not have been the case, as nearly as many CTs sold for strong prices that give evidence that the CT marketplace is alive and well -- and that the die-hard collectors are always watching. As such, 42 pieces sold in the B price range, whereas eight more crossed the block in the $50+ range. Of these, four sold for under $75, and four more sold in the A and AA ranges. The top two pieces brought 3-digit prices: $230 and $188 respectively.

Bason 333 is listed as from the 1st Reformed Presbyterian
Church in Pittsburgh, PA. This stock token was also used
in South Rygate, Vermont, and listed as Bason 416.

     The top piece that sold for $230 is no stranger to this blog: an American CT from Pittsburgh PA (or Vermont) cataloged as BZ6067 or BA333. This round one is a stock piece, minted in lead but looks like German silver. It is a popular piece with a detailed burning bush, certainly scarce, but often seen in US CT collections. Thirteen bids were cast by seven bidders, but only two of them held on after the elusive $200 mark was passed. This is a nice piece -- I paid more for mine, so in my reckoning, this was a good deal. I think any US CT is worth $150-$200 or more (usually more). Here is the link: RPC Burning Bush US CT.
     The second AA CT that sold is also known to readers of this blog, as it has sold four times in the past year. Here I am referring to the SMS Jamaican piece cataloged as BZ6333. This one was sold by stevehayden who has been selling off the last remnants of the Burzinski collection and other CTs once owned by renowned exonumia dealer Steve Tannenbaum. Five bidders casted three times as many bids with four of them staying with it as the price moved past $140. It only sold for about $40 more at $188. It was nice piece with dark, brownish toning and some minor roughness. Previous sales suggest that this was market-correct for this piece.
     Next came an Irish CT from Belfast, Antrim. It was an attractive piece with bold B (with period) over-top the date of 1776. Nine bidders went for it initially, but only four of them pushed on to a selling price of $90. I think this was a deal! It was listed as a "Scottish" CT but was unattributed. The CT catalogs as BZ655. Here is the link:  Irish CT from Belfast.
     Finally, the fourth CT that sold for over $75 (maybe?) was listed for $100, but it was sold at a undisclosed best offer. It was a squarish piece, somewhat battered and worn, from Castleton in Roxburgh, cataloging as BZ1452 or BK176. It is not pictured in Burzinski -- this can be an indication of rarity, as he had a nice collection (but I cannot say for sure). Still, it looks to have brought solid money.
     I noticed that several B pieces in the $30 to $40 range sold that had been listed for several weeks (or more), so it appears that someone decided to bite the bullet (as it were -- both are lead) and just get them. All of them were very nice pieces, and I had wondered why they were not selling. By the same token (no pun intended) there are many very nice Canadian -- seldom seen piece, mind you -- that are listed currently. If it were not for my determination to stick to a particular plan, I would buy them all. So there you have it, go get those primitive Canadian pieces: they do not come around that often. In fact, I have not seen many of them for sale even once in the past 3 or 4 years.