According to the write up, a bit of history on the 1911 SDs: "No examples of the 1911 Dollar were known until 1960 when the noted London coin dealer B.A. Seaby obtained this coin from "an undisclosed source," but word quickly spread that the coin had been purchased from the family of Sir Willian Grey Ellison-MacCartney who was the Mint Master at the time the coins were struck." It goes on to say the 2 silver SDs and the 1 lead were then discovered later.
It was likely produced well prior to counterfeit legislation being passed, therefore its existence would be grandfathered. Considering at one time it was apparently on display on behalf of the mint, impossible that it be suddenly be deemed counterfeit in today's world.
"Electrotypes were produced for display purposes in museums, The Royal Mint and wherever the 1911 silver dollar was to be shown."
$10,000 starting bid is a hefty price, yet I can understand the appeal given the unique history of the 1911 SD. I'm quite curious what it will sell for.
although it has a cool history and may be the closest one ever gets to having a genuine example, it isn't even a real coin, is it? also the has may bubbles on it which along with the colour just make it look like a cast counterfeit. if I had the amount of even the starting bid, it would go into some true numismatic pieces.
Yes, I suppose it's fair to say this item is more of a historical art piece than a true numismatic coin.
A bit of history on Robert Ready and electrotyping from Victoria Museum in Australia:
"The Readys made copies for research and display purposes and with the permission of the British Museum these were sold to museums and collectors around the world. In the early 1920s the British Museum advertised the price as 2s. 6d. each." http://collections.museumvictoria.c...ticles/13517
Quote: therefore its existence would be grandfathered.
There was no grandfathering lest some hoard of counterfeits from the past should appear and wreak havoc not to the numismatic world but to commerce in general. There is no gray area, counterfeits are illegal.
"Dipping" is not considered cleaning... -from PCGS website
The gray area is that the 1911 SD was never minted for public circulation.
If you're going to file a police report on The Royal Mint for allowing Ready to produce a public display piece almost 100 years ago for a SD that was never legal tender, it will be interesting to know how that goes. The British Museum would also be in violation by allowing the counterfeit collection of electrotyping to be sold.
Would such a happening occur now, definitely not. But at the time there was no law against it or The Royal Mint wouldn't have allowed the display of obvious illegal goods, nor enabled the production - what I meant by grandfathering.
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Posted 06/26/2016 6:08 pm
