what are these.And are they worth anything.

[Guest craig]

hi,

These were handed down from my father ,who got them from his father years ago. Been sitting in a shoe box since 2011 when my father passed away.

Not sue if they are classed as coins or some sort of token. Not sure what metal there are either brass or copper looking.  Approx  size about 35 mm x 35 mm.

They have a date on them of 1890 . I have 34 of these things and wonder if they are worth selling or just worth nothing.

Any info or help, would be great.....

cheers,

cd

[Nutsaboutcoins 105]

Hi Craig,

I think they are Netherlands East India company tokens, I haven't seen one before but if you look at the link to Baldwins Auction Lot 927 suggests they are rare, only six known (until you opened your dads shoe box)   

http://www.baldwin.co.uk/media/cms/auction-archive/auction-hkca57/BALDWINS%20HongKong%20Auction%2057%20-%2004%20-%20MALAY%20INDONESIA%20AND%20PLANTATION%20TOKENS.pdf

 

Ian..

[Guest craig]

HI IAN,

WOW Thanks for that., I don't have a clue on this sort of stuff. Not sure I was on the right site either. But thank you so much for the info.......

craig

[PWA 1967 2,267]

Hat off Ian and a really good job.

Hope if you get a few quid and they are right craig  ........Buy Ian A pint 

[Guest craig]

hi Ian,

Just looked at the Baldwins  site and in a search I have found out back in 2014 august 21st at a Baldwins  Hong Kong auction 57 Lot 1096, one of these sold for $1200.

They are called plantation tokens , so I've learned something already ,thanks to your info........

So I'm a bit blown away at the moment ,but need to keep my feet on the floor .lol. It could be a to true, to be right.

cheers,

craig

 

[Guest craig]

I will for sure and  if they are right or valuable  then will be in touch with him .

As if I hadn't got a reply they could of been in the skip.....

So just need to do some checking ,they could be not the same as the others or something  else.

So I'm calm at the moment .lol

cheers,

craig

[Rob 3,228]

An increase in the population from 6 to 40 has either killed the value of the genuine article, or, given the current rarity, the prices realised provided an incentive for someone to make copies. You would have been better off finding one or two and not three dozen, as the R number of collectors could be greater than that of the collectable item in question. I hope they are genuine, but you never know.

[bagerap 706]

Your family having owned these for a long time should preclude them being fakes, but in the Netherlands and the Far East plantation tokens have been collected for many, many decades. Fakes are common. I'm undecided about yours, they almost look too good.

Contact Koen on his site:

http://www.plantagegeld.nl/

 

if he can't hep you, he'll know a man who can.

[Guest craig]

Well if they are real deal ,and they do look old to me. And not sure how copies are made and when?. I've not come across anything on search about fakes ...

But I will not sell them altogether ,if I do decide to sell them ,then just one or 2 at a time. If I get good money,then a super find and  I ,thank  my grandfather and late father for keeping them

cheers,

craig

[bagerap 706]

In fact, a lot of the fakes were not made to fool collectors, but shopkeepers. Just as in England tradesmen's tokens became part of the local currency accepted pretty much anywhere, plantation tokens became accepted as real money outside of the plantation truck shops. Very much like hacienda tokens in Mexico and Latin America.

[PWA 1967 2,267]

2 minutes ago, bagerap said:

In fact, a lot of the fakes were not made to fool collectors, but shopkeepers. Just as in England tradesmen's tokens became part of the local currency accepted pretty much anywhere, plantation tokens became accepted as real money outside of the plantation truck shops. Very much like hacienda tokens in Mexico and Latin America.

I dont have a clue about them but your point i would never of thought of so they could be counterfeit of the same time ?.

If so i suppose someone would still buy one rather than a modern copy.

That makes a lot of sense 

[Guest craig]

hi,

Thanks for the info. I'm no expert on this stuff and I'm in the dark as would be other people who don't know . Just to say when I found them the two tokens which are on the lleft of the photo, I cleaned them up a bit with cotton buds and a soft tooth brush  . It took me about an our to carefully do that .... But left the others how they were found in the box.......

I will try that website info, many thanks .

cheers,

craig

[IanB 175]

Don't clean them, leave them as they are. it may reduce their value.

[Nordle11 564]

Yes, please don't clean them  

[Guest craig]

OK, Thanks, I won't touch any, but least I know that the dull and faded tokens  . Should come up to how these two have turned out...

And thanks for the info so far ,great that there are people out there to help people who don't have a clue .

cheers,

craig

[Nutsaboutcoins 105]

4 hours ago, PWA 1967 said:

Buy Ian A pint 

 

3 hours ago, Guest craig said:

I will for sure and  if they are right or valuable  then will be in touch with him .

I'd prefer a token rather than a pint.  

But as Rob says the price may be due to their rareity, adding so many to the population may kill the price, I be inclined to release one or two to the market, to cash in then sit on the others before releasing another couple, which then probably wont make quite as much.

Not knowing much about these tokens, I dont know if there are both common and rare varieties, but even if these are contemporary forgeries, they could still have a reasonable value.

I really do hope they are right for you Craig, but no more cleaning and get an expert in the field to advised you before you let them go.

Good luck, and keep us informed as to what you find out.

Ian..

 

[Guest craig]

hi Ian,

Thanks very much for your help and I have emailed the contact details I was given by another member to see what he thinks.

Looking back I hope they are real as I'm not sure when fakes came on the market or started to me made?. My father was 77 years old, when he passed away and his father passed away when he was in his 60's I think .So I know it would of been along period in there keeping..

I will let you know what I get told and then go from there. And I will be in touch with yourself if they do turn out to be the real thing.

cheers,

craig

[jacinbox 36]

Some bunch that, but not to forget there are some genuine looking sovereigns made in the latter half of the 19^th century, when Beirut was the market leader in churning out fakes. Before getting too excited list the worst looking coin through Baldwin’s and see what you get for it. Let's hope you are lucky.

[Nutsaboutcoins 105]

On 7/27/2016 at 6:55 PM, Guest craig said:

hi Ian,

Thanks very much for your help and I have emailed the contact details I was given by another member to see what he thinks.

Looking back I hope they are real as I'm not sure when fakes came on the market or started to me made?. My father was 77 years old, when he passed away and his father passed away when he was in his 60's I think .So I know it would of been along period in there keeping..

I will let you know what I get told and then go from there. And I will be in touch with yourself if they do turn out to be the real thing.

cheers,

craig

Hi Craig,

Have you found out any more about your tokens?

Would love to here what an expert thinks of them.

Ian..

[declan03 149]

Hey Craig...don,t keep us in suspenders....how did the story end??