St James Auction 27 September Results

[VickySilver 836]

How did the Edward VII halfcrowns go in this sale, along with the 1841 and 1862 halfcrowns?

[Rob 3,152]

How did the Edward VII halfcrowns go in this sale, along with the 1841 and 1862 halfcrowns?

1841 £3800

1862 £4600

1902 £75

1903 £1550

1904 £1900

1905 £5200

1906 £320

1907 £320

1908 £640

1909 £340

1910 £380

Edited October 10, 2011 by Rob

[Boomstick 0]

http://www.sixbid.com/nav.php?p=viewsale&sid=455&cid=&pg=1&search=&s=b

[azda 979]

http://www.sixbid.co...g=1&search=&s=b

Quite a few there going way over estimate. Collecting is NOT getting any cheaper is it

[Colin G. 147]

Rob,

Do you know what lot 123 in Spink 154 (12 July 2001) realised?

Do you realise you have become the "google" of the numismatic community

[VickySilver 836]

Thanks Rob!

Actually I thought a few of the prices were relatively low, but obviously did not see them (1841. 62, 03-05). Glad I was not bidding regardless.

Well, low compared to estimates anyway...

The 1862 proof usually thought to be 5k plus for example.

[Rob 3,152]

Rob,

Do you know what lot 123 in Spink 154 (12 July 2001) realised?

Do you realise you have become the "google" of the numismatic community

£632.50 incl. premium

[Colin G. 147]

Rob,

Do you know what lot 123 in Spink 154 (12 July 2001) realised?

Do you realise you have become the "google" of the numismatic community

£632.50 incl. premium

Cheers Rob!!

[numismatist 2]

Never seen a St James Catalogue before, its very easy to look at , with its layout, makes a nice

interesting reference

[Peckris 579]

http://www.sixbid.co...g=1&search=&s=b

Quite a few there going way over estimate. Collecting is NOT getting any cheaper is it

Interesting that the three rarest Edward VII halfcrowns dismally failed to realise their (admittedly high) estimates, while the other dates generally exceeded their lower estimate. The breathtaking results were for the George V halfcrowns - all way over estimate (and despite some strange grading - the 1925 is at least GEF rather than AEF, while the 1930 looks no more than EF). Unbelievably the 1928-1936 series - excl 1930 - at EF-UNC, went for £360. Gulp. I shall have to re-rate my own series of those dates.

[declanwmagee 122]

Rob,

Do you know what lot 123 in Spink 154 (12 July 2001) realised?

Do you realise you have become the "google" of the numismatic community

£632.50 incl. premium

Cheers Rob!!

12 minutes to find the answer. Very impressive, Rob!

[Rob 3,152]

Rob,

Do you know what lot 123 in Spink 154 (12 July 2001) realised?

Do you realise you have become the "google" of the numismatic community

£632.50 incl. premium

Cheers Rob!!

12 minutes to find the answer. Very impressive, Rob!

Less than 2 minutes to find the answer and post a reply. The biggest delay is usually in registering there is a question to answer.

[Peckris 579]

Rob,

Do you know what lot 123 in Spink 154 (12 July 2001) realised?

Do you realise you have become the "google" of the numismatic community

£632.50 incl. premium

Cheers Rob!!

12 minutes to find the answer. Very impressive, Rob!

Less than 2 minutes to find the answer and post a reply. The biggest delay is usually in registering there is a question to answer.

42

[VickySilver 836]

Maybe these results hold more signifcance to me than others. Is there any chance these halfcrown results of E7 and the two Victorians cited may be a sign of erosion of the price growth in these rarities?

Many of us keep looking for signs of any slowup in this latest market, but maybe just not enough examples to draw such a conclusion.

[Rob 3,152]

Maybe these results hold more signifcance to me than others. Is there any chance these halfcrown results of E7 and the two Victorians cited may be a sign of erosion of the price growth in these rarities?

Many of us keep looking for signs of any slowup in this latest market, but maybe just not enough examples to draw such a conclusion.

One swallow doesn't make a summer. Not having examined them closely I can't say, but the higher buyer's premium may also be a factor. When you have to add 24% to the hammer price it suddenly becomes quite expensive. £320 used to be £376, now it's nearly £400. It all adds up. Maybe fashions are changing and people have had their fill of halfcrowns. The groats in the Spink sale were costing big money at close to twice book in many instances. My one lot cost me £1736 against a book price of £850. Yes, I know the prices haven't been looked at seriously for a while, but if anyone said to me before the sale they would mostly go for double book or sometimes more, I would have laughed.

[VickySilver 836]

I guess we all wonder how long this balloon can last. About the only place I see softness, somewhat paradoxically, is the majority of coins we see. The less rare pieces in less rare states of preservation. Witness the post elsewhere on this site of a lower state 1902 LT penny going for 99p. Many other such examples but serves as an example. The halfcrowns example I find interesting not only because I collect them but because they are a "collector series", and this may call into question just how many true collectors of such series are out there.

Rob, points well made as to the afterhammer costs skyrocketing and making the actual cost of a lot much, much higher.

[DaveG38 408]

I guess we all wonder how long this balloon can last. About the only place I see softness, somewhat paradoxically, is the majority of coins we see. The less rare pieces in less rare states of preservation. Witness the post elsewhere on this site of a lower state 1902 LT penny going for 99p. Many other such examples but serves as an example. The halfcrowns example I find interesting not only because I collect them but because they are a "collector series", and this may call into question just how many true collectors of such series are out there.

Rob, points well made as to the afterhammer costs skyrocketing and making the actual cost of a lot much, much higher.

My take on the current market conditions is that the general economic situation means that for the many ordinary' collectors cash is being squeezed and so purchases have to either be fewer or in a lower grade. For the series collector who 'must have' a particular coin to fill a gap, subject to the above, price probably isn't so much of an issue. And for the wealthy, and this must include 'investors' then price probably isn't an issue, but condition is. The net result, if I'm right, is that top grade will hold its price and maybe even accelerate, as will rarer pieces even in lower grade, but for more run-of-the-mill dates in middle range condition prices will likely stagnate at their present level or will ease back as the 'ordinary' collector slows down on his purchases.

[Rob 3,152]

I guess we all wonder how long this balloon can last. About the only place I see softness, somewhat paradoxically, is the majority of coins we see. The less rare pieces in less rare states of preservation. Witness the post elsewhere on this site of a lower state 1902 LT penny going for 99p. Many other such examples but serves as an example. The halfcrowns example I find interesting not only because I collect them but because they are a "collector series", and this may call into question just how many true collectors of such series are out there.

Rob, points well made as to the afterhammer costs skyrocketing and making the actual cost of a lot much, much higher.

My take on the current market conditions is that the general economic situation means that for the many ordinary' collectors cash is being squeezed and so purchases have to either be fewer or in a lower grade. For the series collector who 'must have' a particular coin to fill a gap, subject to the above, price probably isn't so much of an issue. And for the wealthy, and this must include 'investors' then price probably isn't an issue, but condition is. The net result, if I'm right, is that top grade will hold its price and maybe even accelerate, as will rarer pieces even in lower grade, but for more run-of-the-mill dates in middle range condition prices will likely stagnate at their present level or will ease back as the 'ordinary' collector slows down on his purchases.

As is always the case. Even relatively wealthy collectors will suffer some effects from the economic squeeze. Many collectors paying larger sums are older people close to retirement, whose annuities are producing less and less income compared to the rates on offer even 5 years ago. The out and out wealthy are unlikely to be affected, but I can see the likelihood of all bar these having to reduce their purchases. The bottom dredgers are less likely to be affected because low grade purchases costing a few pounds at most are never going to break the bank. If anything, this group stands a better chance of obtaining washers with detail as a bonus.

[Peckris 579]

I guess we all wonder how long this balloon can last. About the only place I see softness, somewhat paradoxically, is the majority of coins we see. The less rare pieces in less rare states of preservation. Witness the post elsewhere on this site of a lower state 1902 LT penny going for 99p. Many other such examples but serves as an example. The halfcrowns example I find interesting not only because I collect them but because they are a "collector series", and this may call into question just how many true collectors of such series are out there.

Rob, points well made as to the afterhammer costs skyrocketing and making the actual cost of a lot much, much higher.

My take on the current market conditions is that the general economic situation means that for the many ordinary' collectors cash is being squeezed and so purchases have to either be fewer or in a lower grade. For the series collector who 'must have' a particular coin to fill a gap, subject to the above, price probably isn't so much of an issue. And for the wealthy, and this must include 'investors' then price probably isn't an issue, but condition is. The net result, if I'm right, is that top grade will hold its price and maybe even accelerate, as will rarer pieces even in lower grade, but for more run-of-the-mill dates in middle range condition prices will likely stagnate at their present level or will ease back as the 'ordinary' collector slows down on his purchases.

As is always the case. Even relatively wealthy collectors will suffer some effects from the economic squeeze. Many collectors paying larger sums are older people close to retirement, whose annuities are producing less and less income compared to the rates on offer even 5 years ago. The out and out wealthy are unlikely to be affected, but I can see the likelihood of all bar these having to reduce their purchases. The bottom dredgers are less likely to be affected because low grade purchases costing a few pounds at most are never going to break the bank. If anything, this group stands a better chance of obtaining washers with detail as a bonus.

Agreed. It's the "flight to quality" combined with the search for alternative forms of investment (especially with the low annuity rates, as Rob says) in troubled times, that will see coins at the high end going ever higher. Good quality but less rare items will keep their values I believe, while lower quality - the area that most relies on economic buoyancy - will suffer most.

Which makes the values realised for those halfcrowns all the more surprising - the rarest items failed to reach their (high) estimates, while all else between 1906 and 1936 exceeded them, sometimes by quite a way. On the other hand it is just one auction. Perhaps many of those less rare lots were snaffled by a single buyer putting together a collection.

[VickySilver 836]

Well, I thought it interesting that coins such as the 1904 and 1905 did not perform better. The '03 might be explained by the fact that it was not a top quality coin.

The 04 was from photos a lovely coin and worth a premium bid with the usual caveat that it had to be seen in hand; the 05 was not an uncirc IMO being GEF/AU (pick your poison, or worse yet the possible American equivalent of MS61/2 again from photos). Still, 6k plus including comission quite a bit....