Bid or Buy sets a new record for token coins

[Guest Guest]

Woke up this morning to a lively auction on the unique Creighton and Dennis which eventually sold from R19,500;Tokens - UNIQUE TOKEN COIN: Creighton and Dennis 1/- (Scott Balson Collection) was sold for R19,500.00 on 19 Apr at 21:46 by ndoa18 in Australia (ID:35561514)

 

but the real gem in the collection, the St Faiths 6d, sold for over R40,000.

See: Tokens - UNIQUE COIN: St Faiths 6d and "Galloping Jack" (Scott Balson collection) was sold for R40,125.00 on 19 Apr at 22:21 by ndoa18 in Australia (ID:35562179)

 

Congratulations to the winner of both coins, a well known token coin collector. I am delighted that the coins I have held dear for so long are going to a very good home!

 

It is quite clear that quality token coins have come out of the closet, so to speak, and are now gaining more and more acceptance among serious collectors of South African coins.

 

PS Expect some revision in Hern's next token catalogue.

 

Kind regards

 

Scott Balson

Edited April 19, 2011 by ndoa18

[Guest Guest]

S A Mint on the unique St Faiths and Creighton and Dennis token

 

The S A Mint's web site discusses the unique St Faiths and Creighton and Dennis tokens jointly sold for about R60,000 on BoB last night... the information is a few years out of date and not totally correct but it is interesting to see their recognition of trade tokens that circulated.

 

See: Rare Coins

 

Kind regards

 

Scott Balson

Edited April 20, 2011 by ndoa18

[coinoisseur 11]

Hi Scott

 

Congratulations and well done on a great sale. Both the tokens are very very RARE and I am sure the winning bidder will be most happy with adding them to his collection. I myself have a very large token collection, but it misses the St Faith's. It is quite clear that RARE TRUE CLASSICAL numismatic items will always be in demand and command a premium.

 

Well done and coingratulations again

 

Cheers

[Pinkx 10]

Creighton and Dennis

 

Hi Anthony

Based on your reply above, am I correct in assuming then that you have a Creighton and Dennis token - different to the one that Scott has just sold. Regards

Steve

[coinoisseur 11]

Nope...don't have that one either. Only have a H.J Creighton 6d. I should have said it misses both however I feel the St Faith's is much rarer.

 

 

Cheers

[Pinkx 10]

C&D

 

Thanks for clearing that up. I agree that the St. Faiths is rarer.

[Guest Guest]

Unholed Stachans

 

Hi Steven

 

Your 3d will be in the mail on Tuesday! Congrats on your win.

 

There is still an unholed 6d and 1/- for sale...

 

Tokens - Unholed Strachan & Co 6d set four (In Goods) from Scott Balson collection for sale in Australia (ID:36590636)

 

PS A question for you and Anthony - how can the St Faiths be rarer than the Creighton and Dennis if they are both unique? More sought after yes

 

Kind regards

 

Scott Balson

Edited April 23, 2011 by ndoa18

[Pinkx 10]

Presummed mintage figures

 

Hi Scott

 

The C&D 1/- token has "34" stamped on it. It therfore implies that at least numbers "1" to "33" where also manufactured i.e. another 33 more. Furthermore, presuming that "34" was not the last, the mintage numbers probably went up to some larger figure eg "50" or even "99" - probably not 100, because there is not space of the token for three figures. If it went above 99 then they probably would have used smaller dies for the figures.

 

The St Faiths, is completey unknown, but without any record of mintage figures who knows if there ever where more or less of those of the C&D. i just like to presume that there is less.

 

As things currently stand - yes, you are correct, each piece is as rare and as scarse - as the other.

 

I still also like to live in hope that oneday, some old lady with a shoe box will empty out a C&D (or even St Faith's) piece. Living in hope .....:cheesy:

 

kind regards

Steve

[Guest Guest]

Mintage figures

 

Hi Steve

 

The alternative theory would be that because the Creighton and Dennis are numbered, and this coin is a low number, we can be fairly sure that the actual number minted was quite low. (Like the R P Larkan togt labour bobbins totalling only 100 pieces). In the case of the unnumbered St Faiths 6d Royston might have had hundreds minted but, such was the success of their withdrawal that only one 6d is know to have survived, and even it looks like someone at one time tried to damage it.

 

In both cases other coins might be found one day but as time goes by this is increasingly unlikely.

 

The F C Larkan is an example of a rare token being found by accident. Dr Theron in his letters to me back in the 1970s replied, when I told him I had found some of these coins while counting the Strachan pieces, that he had heard of them but none had ever been found. The 50 or so Larkan pieces I found in a small canvas bag were the only survivors - prior to my digging up the dunny - I think you have one of these dunny coins. If the small number of tokens had not been stored by Strachan it is, without doubt, a fact that none of these coins would be in collections today. Yet at least 2,000 coins in the four denominations were actually struck by Ms Francis Larkan! Here is the relevant page of Dr Theron's letter to me dated 21st June 1977: http://www.tokencoins.com/th2.gif

 

In my view what makes the St Faiths piece more valuable is the pedigree of the man behind them, John Royston, or Galloping Jack. Royston was a war hero, fought in the Boer war, the Middle East (on horseback) and his history is well documented in the book "Galloping Jack". There is of course, Royston house; a magnificent building / B&B in southern Natal - so more is known about the man and his remote store in that region.

 

For example, the extraordinary men behind the Strachan coins, and their impact on history, as well as the use of these coins as currency from 1874 making them South Africa's first indigenous circulating coinage are the reasons these pieces are the most sought after of all SA tokens (ie despite their relatively large numbers they attract high prices at auction).

 

Kind regards

 

Scott Balson