CT Auction is Live

The Simmons Gallery has posted the auction of Bob Merchant's CT collection.
     There are 415 CTs up for grabs plus three lots of CT production artifacts: an unfinished token with attached casting sprue, a die trial or impression on a lead plate, and a pair of molds (obverse & reverse). Most of the CTs are from Scotland, but 33 are from Ireland and 17 more from other countries: France, Germany, Italy, India, Argentina, Jamaica & Isle of Man. Here is the link to the auction: Simmonsgallery.co.uk/Tokens/Auction.

Here is a page from the CT auction. There are 50+ pages
like this to look at. Plus, many other kinds of tokens
are offered, so there are 100s of pages -- enough to fill
a morning while drinking many cups of coffee.

     Most of them are from the nineteenth century except for a few that came later at the end of the CT era. Consequently, there are many rounds, ovals and cut rectangles. A few squares and straight rectangles complete the offering. This makes for a very attractive mix with most of them (three-quarters) in nearly VF condition or above. The reserve price is under $10 in most cases, so there will be ample opportunity to enter successful bids. Of course, the Irish ones are about twice the price and the others are a bit more.
     There are a few duplicates, as there are several CTs with consecutive table numbers marked on them. One set from Broughton in Lanark (B774) has table numbers from I to IX. This is a great opportunity to add a few CTs to your collection. Hopefully, we will all get a few! 
     The two-part mold from Duirness in Sutherland, dated 1803 (B2095), is very cool and deserves special attention, so I will save it for a separate post. It is not cheap with a reserve of about $800 -- but where else are you going to find one! It is apparently from Autence Bason's collection.
     Just think: you could make your own tokens!
     Please remember that all photos on this post are copyright of Simmons Gallery Limited as described on their website.

B is for Burzinski: Communion Tokens of the World

CT collectors owe Lester Burzinski a debt of gratitude. His massive tome has become the standard reference guide for the series. And like many exonumia books, it was a labor of love.
     It is easy to find fault; hard to appreciate labor. No matter what your predilection, there is no doubt that cataloging 7730 CTs and photographing half of them represents no small task. There are errors. And diligent researchers
will eventually fix them.
     First impressions of the book are always the same: "Wow, look at all the photos!" Some sage (perhaps George Eastman) once quipped, a photo is worth a thousand words -- and so, there you have it. Burzinski eclipsed Creswell's competent listing with images, plus nearly 1200 more entries. He also provided info about each token (when available): for example, ministers are names and cross-references to other guidebooks are provided.
     As mentioned before, Brook's monograph and those by Kerr & Lockie provide similar coverage of the older CTs, so we will want to keep them on our shelves.
     Lester ("Les") Burzinski is fondly remembered by those who knew him. He was an expert on error coins and served as the treasurer of CONECA (the Combined Organizations of Error Collectors of America). He served with board members Alan Herbert and John Wexler. He often set up a table at mid-western coin shows with Len Roosmalen. His token interests ranged widely, as he helped others with their research on merchant tokens. Rich Hartzog remembered his humor, as he was known to spin tales to see just how far he could lead you.

Photos are at the back of the book.
Only one side is shown for some
of the tokens, but that is enough
to identify them in most cases.

     Alan Judd commented that Les told him that he started buying CTs when he was cataloging them for Kurt Krueger's auctions; apparently, no one bought them, so Les did! But the biggest boon to his collection occurred when Rich Hartzog sold him a "massive" collection of CTs from an old customer of his. At some point, Les accepted the challenge of putting together his catalog. Bob Merchant and others helped him along the way at first, but Les pushed the project forward on his own, as he was nearly 80 and running out of time.
     Just about all the folks I talked to commented that the book was somewhat "rushed" as it neared completion, but I think we can all appreciate how massive his undertaking was. Les arrived at the 1999 Token Congress in Carlisle (UK) with the first copy of his book under his arm. He was 80 years old and had just self-published a first edition. Bravo!
     And so we use his numbers to describe our tokens. The book is a testament to his perseverance. It is a thick, 580-page, hardback, trimmed in burgundy grain, with full 8.5x11 spread. Over 3700 photos are neatly arranged on 132 pages. Unfortunately, only 250 copies were printed (he funded the whole enterprise); and they did not sell all at once. But try and find one now!
     I had to borrow a copy from the ANA library -- over and over again, until I finally got a copy (literally, a copy) from one that had been passed from dealer to dealer in Scotland.
     We will explore Burzinski's guide in a coming post.

Weekly Market Watch

This market watch examines ebay CT sales for the week of August 18 thru 24. It was a busy week with 74 CTs sold, most of them last Sunday.
     There were no HD or D tokens sold this week, but a few really nice ones did find new owners. Most CTs (65 of them) sold for under $20, whereas eight more sold in the middle range. Only one CT broke the $50 benchmark -- it was a nice one that deserves some mention.
     The marketplace was active from the start with cobwrightfortishe offering 15 CTs on August 15th. As usual, there was strong bidding activity. Most of these tokens sold in middle range, plus the one exceptional piece that is profiled below.
     Another large group of CTs, nearly all of them primitive, hit the block later that day. This latter group was odd for the preponderance of incuse and single/double letter in relief designs without other common and contemporaneous pieces with more complex designs (i.e., borders, handcrafted digits) in the mix. One lot contained two M/FD incused CTs (one with a sideways D) that we recognize from this blog as BK562A from Kemnay in Aberdeen (or if on smaller lead, from the same minister [or father] when he was at Banchory Ternan BK96B) -- this is not a common piece in either case, and no variety with a sideways D is reported. Consequently, few bidders were attracted and most of these primitive bits went to 3 bidders -- in fact, one bidder got 9 of them uncontested.  Be aware and use the guidebooks and auction photos of known old collection pieces in order to make confident bids.

Here is another example of the Kinnell 1745 CT cataloged
as BK640 and B3831. It is an interesting cast piece with
primitive figures, irregular border and cut corners. It appears
that the die cutter made several attempts to cut the numbers.

     As before, several Canadian stock tokens sold (mostly round Croil pieces -- which I will profile at some point): seven of them were dispersed at very low prices (all under $10 with postage included). I bought one, too!
     As mentioned above, one CT was bid past the $50 mark: a cut rectangle from Kinnell, dated 1745 (BK640). Six bidders all gave it their best shot, as only six bids were cast. This piece was well worth the price of $53 in my opinion. Although it is not "rare," the token was as described: "superb!" Also, it is quaint piece with thinly carved lettering that gives it a unique, and a somewhat ancient (stone age) look -- a sharp, pointed tool must have been used to cut the die. Careful examination can discern several mistakes and start-overs. Very cool token.
     It is also one the first cut rectangles (dated, of course) that you will find. The corners were probably cut to soften the edges, making the piece more hand-friendly. Here is the link:  COMMUNION-TOKEN-KINNELL-WEST-LOTHIAN-1745-SCOTLAND-BROOK-640-superb.

Big CT auction: Coming Soon!

The Simmons Gallery, an auction house in the UK, will be offering the second part of the Bob Merchant Collection of Scottish CTs this Fall. This event will be posted online at the end of August!
     The first half of this large collection was sold on February 20th of this year!
     I missed it!
     But I will not miss the second half. And neither will you!
     Bob Merchant is an American collector who began searching for CTs in the early 1990s. Although he specialized in the USA and Canadian series, he collected thousands of CTs from the world over. He purchased Autence Bason's CT collection after Colonial Williamsburg passed on the opportunity. As it turns out, the Bason collection included the complete collection of Captain Bucky Orr (the author of several guidebooks reviewed earlier in this blog). As you can imagine, a number of Lester Burzinski's CTs also landed in Merchant's collection too. Consequently, there will be no shortage of CTs claiming an illustrious provenance.
     The Simmons Gallery auction will be made up of Scottish pieces. The CTs from the USA and Canada are being kept off the market for now. Nonetheless, judging by what was sold in February, I anticipate that the second offering will be quite impressive.
     In February, 522 lots were sold. The lots were organized, in order, by Brook numbers (BK1 to BK1081) with a few others cataloged by Kerr & Lockie mixed in the sequence. Put another way, they were listed by parish name in alphabetical order, ending in the middle of the letter T. Tea Time?
     Overall, there are 1434 CTs listed in Brook, plus another 461 added by Kerr & Lockie (and a few more after that). Consequently, the first sale included over a quarter (27%) of the early Scottish series!
     The CTs were in nice condition too, as over half of them were graded Very Fine with only 13 pieces described in Very Good. A quick glance reveals some popular pieces: for example, a heart from Clackmannan, plus another from Dunfermline, a mid-seventeenth century piece from Dunbog, and Libberton's  Glasgow-square with church pictorial -- yes, we know and love these pieces!
     The link to the Simmons Gallery is here:  http://www.simmonsgallery.co.uk/Tokens/Auction.

A Primitive CT from Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia means "New Scotland." It is not surprising that the NS Presbyterian churches were established with CTs in-hand, or if not in-hand, then with plans to make a few.
     The largest influx of settlement was in the mid-1700s. The first production of CTs on the island was at Truro in 1770 -- a Glasgow-styled square no less! Other ministers had the forethought to bring a bag of tokens with them, such as the Johnshaven pieces used at Antigonish in about 1818.
     Like the American CTs, a large proportion of Canadian tokens were primitively made. Yet, the Canadian tokens came nearly a half-century later. As such, the shapes were more modern: fewer squares, more ovals and cut rectangles. Keep in mind that by the late eighteenth century, most Scottish churches were producing attractive CTs, often two-sided in modern shapes with ovals relatively well-established and cut rectangles beginning their ascent. Consequently, these same shapes were copied in Canada; however, they were in a more primitive form due to lack of resources.

Big, bold & rugged with shark's teeth
for a border, this CT copied the popular
form found in Scotland: cut rectangle.

     This brings us to our primitive CT of the week: a cut rectangle (yes, a modern shape) from Saint Paul's Church at East River. This is one of my favorite CTs: big, bold and rugged. The edges are hand-snipped to produce a somewhat irregular shape. And those shark's teeth are hard to miss. They appear to be boldly stamped with a rectangular punch with rounded corners that was sharply chiseled along the edges to produce the points. It must have been a big punch -- something a blacksmith would use.
     This CT is thick at nearly 2mm, so it rests heavily in the palm. It is broad too. I imagine it was easy to grasp and not easily lost. The whole presentation reminds me of a serving platter. Of course, its austerity demanded a blank reverse.
     This CT is listed as NS-216 in the Charlton Standard Catalog. This catalog indicates that the Reverent John MacRae established the Kirk at East River in 1827. He remained there until 1844. This CT was probably used during this time, but there is no documentation to support this. No other East River CTs are known from this congregation.
     East River was once known as Indian Point. Apparently, some 120 acres of land was reserved for the Mi'kmaq people in the 1790s. Genealogy records describe the early settlers as highland Scots who were "a sturdy stock, a sober, stalwart worshipping set of men and women, with iron in their blood, and a burning love in their hearts for the Church and the School." Settlement began in 1784. Saint Paul's Church was built in 1815 according to some historians. Was there an assigned minister there before Reverent MacRae arrived in 1827? Nonetheless, this church served the congregation for 40 years before a new one was built nearby. Logging, lime quarrying and grain farming were early industries of the region -- hard, lumbar-wrenching work. This token is part of this pioneering life.

Weekly Market Watch

This market watch examines CT auctions & sales from August 11 through August 17. This week four American tokens brought strong bids in the StacksBowers ANA auction. Ebay action was moderate with 34 CTs sold from Scotland and Canada.
     I will start with the ebay sales. Of the 34 CTs sold, only one sold for over $50, whereas six more sold for over $20. The remaining 27 were bargain-priced under this amount. Hence, there were many opportunities to get started in this collecting field.
     The top CT sold for a BIN price of $56. The piece was a round one, dated 1713, from Monzie in Perth (BK828/B4921). It was an ashen piece from an old collection. Monzie produced two other tokens, both ovals in 1838 and 1843, so this was a nice opportunity to get an early one listed in Brook. Dated pieces from the eighteenth century are always popular and typically bring good prices. The CT was sold by HistoryinCoins. This seller has maintained a strong presence on ebay and is recommended.
     The StacksBowers auction was a week-long event held in conjunction with the ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago. Top bidders were attracted from everywhere, so it comes as no surprise that the four CTs offered as part of the John J. Ford, Jr., collection of tokens and metals sold for strong prices. Nonetheless, I think the buyers got a deal. American tokens are all scarce to rare.
     The CT from Brooklyn, New York, attracted a winning bid of $425 (that is without the 18% commission). The Internet pre-bidding stalled just shy of $300, so the live session was active with at least five more bids pushing this one well into the HD range ($100+ CT). It is a beautiful oval with a muted-silver patina and few distracting blemishes.
     The other three CTs were also from New York. They were of the same design but produced in three  different metallic compositions: copper, lead and white metal. They would make a nice set. The copper piece was graded MS-62 (red & brown); it was won for $260 during the live bidding session. The lead one was graded AU-55 and sold for $190. Finally, the white metal example garnered $220; it was graded MS-60. I wonder if the same bidder got them all? A complete set for $670 (plus bidder's fee) looks like a good buy. When will a second chance come along?
     In my opinion, these sales accurately reflect the retail market for USA CTs. These particular specimens are rare and in excellent condition. Plus, they come out of a well-known collection.  

More on the Script Token from Hanover, Virginia

Cardboard and paper CTs are not well cataloged, yet they are an important part of the story.
     The colonial era script token pictured on the Presbyterian History Society website has an interesting story all its own. One of the benefits of collecting church artifacts is that old churches are revered and are often the focus of local historians and preservation efforts. Although the old Presbyterian church that issued this script was destroyed by canon fire during the Civil War, its history is well-documented and easily found on the Internet.
     The land that later became Hanover County in Virginia was first settled in 1676; it became recognized as a county in 1720. The Presbyterian church located there was known as Polegreen Church -- named for George Polegreen who had been granted the land by the King of England in the previous century. The congregation formed in the wake of the religious fervor that had developed in Virginia during the 1730s. During this time, many Virginians were enthralled with the sermons of George Whitefield, a Methodist evangelist who was stirring up religious passions across the colony. In 1739, he gave a sermon in Williamsburg, then the capital of Virginia.
     Fifty or so miles inland, the settlers in Hanover began attending Bible study in the home of Samuel Morris. These folks were among the first dissenters in Virginia. Consequently, several churches were established in middle Virginia, referred to as "Morris Reading Houses." The Polegreen Church was built on land donated by Morris himself. In 1747, a young minister named Samuel Davies came to Polegreen where he preached for 12 years.

This script token is from Polegreen Church in Hanover, VA.
It dates between 1747 and 1759, as this was the period that
Reverend Samuel Davies was minister of the Church.

     The 23 year-old minister became a sensation. He was known for his moving sermons. Even Patrick Henry, the revolutionary colonist known for his oratory, once indicated that he learned to speak from Reverend Davies. In addition to his sermons, Davies was one of the first hymn writers in America. He was a champion of educating Virginia slaves and inviting them into the church.
     Unfortunately, the Polegreen Church was destroyed in the Civil War. During General Grant's press to invade Richmond, Union sharpshooters occupied the church. They had to be dislodged. A canon from the Richmond Howitzers fired into the church, and it burned to the ground. A historic marker was placed at the site years later to mark the spot of the first Presbyterian dissenters in central Virginia.
     The script token represents an integral part of this history. It is was there. This token was handed out by the church elders, or Rev. Davies himself, to parishioners during the heyday of Polegreen Church.