Spink NY Bunhead Penny Prices

[VickySilver 775]

Spink NY just had a sale of pennies this morning and must say that I was surprised by some of the prices fetched for some very nice pieces, particularly in the bunhead series. The 1882 London penny went for 21k USD plus commission, the 1869 4.2, the 1871 1.6, the 1875H 1.6k USD.

I thought these prices a bit low for what evidently were prime pieces, supposedly not photographed well....

Anybody with success?

[Rob 3,002]

Didn't even know about it. That's the second one where they haven't bothered to communicate with their UK customers. Ah well, maybe our money isn't good enough.

[VickySilver 775]

These coins were from the collection of one Gerald Jackson from the Southeast US. These coins, as I understand were from the Halcion days of Spink from the late '70s or early '80s through at least the '90s. I once saw the 1882 in an SNC, not for sale but an article on it and this was about 1982 or so....

[josie 8]

I do not know what are the laws of America regarding 1oo yr. old coins for importing or exporting coins,seen some article that there is an issve moving ancient and 1oo year old coins in America.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NhzlLRgrfgIJ:coins.about.com/b/2007/02/01/coin-collecting-faces-a-dire-legal-threat.htm+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie

There is a thread in this site abovt foreign coins and cvstom laws of each covntries,not svre if it is related to coin prices and not commvnicating to other markets.I thovgth there will be a comparison between GC of America and GB that may effect the price of a coin.seen some article year 2o14 that America cvstom did get several ancient coins do not know if they get british coin 18oo onwards bvt some articles are saying first 13 state coins of America in 16oo are not allowed to be exported i think .

Edited June 17, 2014 by josie

[VickySilver 775]

No expert in import/export laws but there were def. UK dealers there in New York. Also I have had NO problems sending coins back and forth across the Atlantic.

My points in raising the topic were:

- interesting news in what some top quality coins brought at what many might think is a major venue

- what it may say about the state of bun head pennies and possibly later milled English coins

- that it may demonstrate a possible opportunity for collectors to extend their vigilance to overseas auctions

[josie 8]

No expert in import/export laws but there were def. UK dealers there in New York. Also I have had NO problems sending coins back and forth across the Atlantic.

My points in raising the topic were:

- interesting news in what some top quality coins brought at what many might think is a major venue

- what it may say about the state of bun head pennies and possibly later milled English coins

- that it may demonstrate a possible opportunity for collectors to extend their vigilance to overseas auctions

Thanks for the info.

[Rob 3,002]

No expert in import/export laws but there were def. UK dealers there in New York. Also I have had NO problems sending coins back and forth across the Atlantic.

My points in raising the topic were:

- interesting news in what some top quality coins brought at what many might think is a major venue

- what it may say about the state of bun head pennies and possibly later milled English coins

- that it may demonstrate a possible opportunity for collectors to extend their vigilance to overseas auctions

I think the problem here is not so much checking for overseas auctions but rather the quality of Spink's business marketing. Spink have a database of what? Say 20000 collectors given the client numbers used? Obviously some willbe foreign, but a reasonable guess is that 50% are UK based. So if Spink can't be bothered sending out an email notice about a foreign sale of their own targeted at 10000 people, it begs the question as to whether they want those 10000 collectors business. Is this a portent of things to come as we know they are concentrating on private treaty business and dropping the coins/shop side? Is our collective money not good enough?

When they don't give notice even to poeple who spend hundreds of thousands a year and who are UK based, then I suspect it is a case of management failure. Whatever, it certainly isn't going to improve the viability of Spink in the UK if they can't be arsed to give you an opportunity to spend money. $21K hammer for the 1882 penny was cheap and I suspect could well have gone higher if people on this side of the pond were aware of the sale. After all, if a slender 3 can make more, then £21K was peanuts.

Baldwins, DNW, St. James', Brocks, Lockdales, London Coins, not to mention a whole stack of provincial auctioneers give regular advance email notice. It isn't even a question of no catalogue, which I can see they might not want to send across the pond, but no notice? The wheels have come off the bus methinks.

[Colin G. 147]

In fairness i did receive an e-mail about the sale the day before, but it was only by chance that I spotted the bronze bunhead penny on the e-mail that led me to do a catalogue search....but alas no farthings

[Rob 3,002]

In fairness i did receive an e-mail about the sale the day before, but it was only by chance that I spotted the bronze bunhead penny on the e-mail that led me to do a catalogue search....but alas no farthings

So what other emails have you received from them. The only ones I ever seem to receive is their wine evenings. I know there wasn't anything in my inbox, spambox, lunchbox etc, nor was there anything in some other people's boxes that you would expect to be sent them. I had quite a long conversation with GC this morning about said topic and he didn't receive email or catalogue either. Maybe even his money isn't sufficient to make it worthwhile for Spink.

I think that the coin dept is disorganised in London since they put a stop on dealing, together with so many people moving on. It may be that coins are going to be organised out of the US, though Jon Mann has just joined them, which suggests they haven't given up entirely on coins. I'm still not convinced about this idea of Spink doing private treaty sales only, given the transparency of the internet.

[VickySilver 775]

The young lady answering the phone was quite rude as well - I attempted to leave phone bids and SHE WOULD NOT DO IT! And furthermore lied about how far along the auction was, stating it was finished when it was not. I was annoyed to say the least. I either did or did not win one coin, and still don't know as she would not help out on a followup call either, this despite me being quite pleasant and patient.

BTW, I discovered the auction by looking at the upcoming auctions & was looking to see if there was anything (!NOT!) in their London auction next week.

[Rob 3,002]

The young lady answering the phone was quite rude as well - I attempted to leave phone bids and SHE WOULD NOT DO IT! And furthermore lied about how far along the auction was, stating it was finished when it was not. I was annoyed to say the least. I either did or did not win one coin, and still don't know as she would not help out on a followup call either, this despite me being quite pleasant and patient.

BTW, I discovered the auction by looking at the upcoming auctions & was looking to see if there was anything (!NOT!) in their London auction next week.

Was that phoning the US or London office?

[VickySilver 775]

The New York office.

[Nicholas 51]

BTW What's going on with the 1882 London? 21K. Wow. Spink cat doesn't even list > VF price (in the version I looked at last night)

[VickySilver 775]

That coin was one to truly drool over and by far the nicest I have ever seen. Would that I had the cash & likely rue the day - I believe as Rob suggested that this could readily be a 30 or even possibly a 50k quid coin, not 21k DOLLARS. Perhaps he might find the SNC that had the article and picture of either this coin or one very similar to it??? Wonder where it ended up.

IMO, blows those stupid narrow dates out of the water for importance and likely rarity as well....

[Colin88 54]

No expert in import/export laws but there were def. UK dealers there in New York. Also I have had NO problems sending coins back and forth across the Atlantic.

My points in raising the topic were:

- interesting news in what some top quality coins brought at what many might think is a major venue

- what it may say about the state of bun head pennies and possibly later milled English coins

- that it may demonstrate a possible opportunity for collectors to extend their vigilance to overseas auctions

I think the problem here is not so much checking for overseas auctions but rather the quality of Spink's business marketing. Spink have a database of what? Say 20000 collectors given the client numbers used? Obviously some willbe foreign, but a reasonable guess is that 50% are UK based. So if Spink can't be bothered sending out an email notice about a foreign sale of their own targeted at 10000 people, it begs the question as to whether they want those 10000 collectors business. Is this a portent of things to come as we know they are concentrating on private treaty business and dropping the coins/shop side? Is our collective money not good enough?

When they don't give notice even to poeple who spend hundreds of thousands a year and who are UK based, then I suspect it is a case of management failure. Whatever, it certainly isn't going to improve the viability of Spink in the UK if they can't be arsed to give you an opportunity to spend money. $21K hammer for the 1882 penny was cheap and I suspect could well have gone higher if people on this side of the pond were aware of the sale. After all, if a slender 3 can make more, then £21K was peanuts.

Baldwins, DNW, St. James', Brocks, Lockdales, London Coins, not to mention a whole stack of provincial auctioneers give regular advance email notice. It isn't even a question of no catalogue, which I can see they might not want to send across the pond, but no notice? The wheels have come off the bus methinks.

Spink have no longer have any genuine interest in coin collectors....it basically died with the last cohort Paul Dawson and when the CEO decamped to Hong Kong....

[Nicholas 51]

They'll work it out. All coin auction houses have taken time to adjust to the new way of working ie online as the main commercial stream. CNG embraced the internet pretty well, others like London Coins and Noble are behind Spink!

[Colin88 54]

They'll work it out. All coin auction houses have taken time to adjust to the new way of working ie online as the main commercial stream. CNG embraced the internet pretty well, others like London Coins and Noble are behind Spink!

Spink have had 408 years to work it out ....should be any day now then...

[Peckris 579]

They'll work it out. All coin auction houses have taken time to adjust to the new way of working ie online as the main commercial stream. CNG embraced the internet pretty well, others like London Coins and Noble are behind Spink!

Spink have had 408 years to work it out ....should be any day now then...

OMG! Tim Berners-Lee is over 408 years old??? Wonder if his wife knows...

[Colin88 54]

They'll work it out. All coin auction houses have taken time to adjust to the new way of working ie online as the main commercial stream. CNG embraced the internet pretty well, others like London Coins and Noble are behind Spink!

Spink have had 408 years to work it out ....should be any day now then...

OMG! Tim Berners-Lee is over 408 years old??? Wonder if his wife knows...

OK then ...390 years to think about it and 18 years to implement it ....any day now.....

[Rob 3,002]

1666 to 2014 is 348 years, not 408, or are you saying everything will be ok in 2074? Sounds more realistic.

[VickySilver 775]

Ha ha, well that would put them in front of the Royal Mint!!

[Colin88 54]

1666 to 2014 is 348 years, not 408, or are you saying everything will be ok in 2074? Sounds more realistic.

Thank you Spock.....apologies for the maths...but you get the point I'm sure........

[Peckris 579]

1666 to 2014 is 348 years, not 408, or are you saying everything will be ok in 2074? Sounds more realistic.

Thank you Spock.....apologies for the maths...but you get the point I'm sure........