Weekly Market Watch

This market watch examines ebay auctions from July 7 to July 13. There was much action this week. CTs that sell for over $100 (highly desired or HD) are described, and CTs that sell for over $75 (desired or D) are mentioned.
     Overall 69 CTs were sold on ebay this week with 53 of them trading for under $20. But we had two HD tokens that garnered big money and one D token that came very close to the HD mark. The remaining CTs sold for strong prices in the middle range with a couple pushing past $50.
     Two key auctions accounted for most of the sales. The dispersal of Angus tokens by tomv007 started the week off with 34 offerings (28 of them from Angus). Two days later, cobwrightfortishe offered a grouping of 16 pieces.
     Both CTs at the top were from Dunfermline in Fife. They shared the same design but were of different shapes: one square (BK334) and one round (BK335). On the obverse, a six-point star is placed above and below the inscription: */DFN/* to denote the parish. The reverse shows two stars flanking two over-lapping hearts in the center. These are popular pieces as hearts have a way of making collector's hearts flutter.

Here is another BK334.
The hearts on the reverse are special.

     The square one attracted four bidders, but the gallery quickly narrowed to two on the final day. The bidding jumped precipitously from about $70 to over $300: the piece sold for $337 after nine bids. But there was no time for rest, as the round one was next in line. The reprise was just as exciting: five bidders submitted 13 bids to produce a hammer price of $286. This round one went to a different bidder (who was the underbidder for the square one). In sum, two collectors vied for bits of Dunfermline history, and each of them got one. I could hear bagpipes in the background. Here are the links; square one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/COMMUNION-TOKEN-DUNFERMLINE-FIFE-c1700-SCOTLAND-BROOK-334-hearts-depicted-/330948540029?hash=item4d0e11f67d and the round one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/COMMUNION-TOKEN-DUNFERMLINE-FIFE-c1700-SCOTLAND-BROOK-335-hearts-depicted-/330948538184?hash=item4d0e11ef48 .
     A third CT in this auction also brought out the wallets: a slight oblong piece with cut corners from Dunkeld was sold at $93. Seven bidders submitted 10 bids; the winner of this one also took home the square one described above. Clearly there are some serious collectors out there. The Dunkeld CT was in excellent condition with the initials AR contained within a serrated border. The letters stand for Alexander Rollock, minister from 1639 to 1645 at this parish in Perth. As mentioned in previous posts, seventeenth century tokens (particularly nice ones) always bring strong prices.
     Three other tokens brought strong prices: a rectangle dated 1729 from Dunbog sold for $57, and a round dated 1748 from Dundee sold for $50. The third one is curious, as it reflects either clever marketing or I am missing some crucial information.
     This last CT was a 1745 square from Perth billed as part of the Jacobite Rising of 1745; more specifically, the piece was linked to Robert Lyon (a chaplain to Lord Ogilvy's regiment). The Jacobites were supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie who claimed the English throne. After a series of military engagements, the rising was crushed in no more than an hour of fierce fighting on the high ground of Culloden Moor in mid-April of 1746. Lyon was hanged with many others soon afterwards. He is known for his oratory -- given in his final moments -- supporting the Jacobites. Is this CT part of this history in more than year alone? Brook & Burzinski make no such connections. Nonetheless, it sold for $69. Here is the link:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/JACOBITE-REBELLION-1745-Communion-Token-ROBERT-LYON-PERTH-/390621630986