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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Coin Week: NGC Grades Ted Williams Collection

No Sheldon burn sides here!

Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) has announced that they have certified select coins from the Ted Williams Collection.

The 91 coins were a part of the personal items of Baseball Hall of Fame member Ted Williams. Each coin is encapsulated with the pedigree Ted Williams Collection.

Consisting of 78 US and 13 World coins the collection includes an 1873-S Open 3 $20 graded NGC XF 45, 1926 Indian Head $10 graded NGC MS 63, a 1978 South Africa 1 Krugerrand graded NGC MS 67 and a 1909 France Gold 20 Franc graded NGC MS 66.

“We are pleased to grade this collection of coins from one of the legends of baseball,” said NGC CEO Steve Eichenbaum.

...“NGC has done an exemplary job in grading the coins from the Ted Williams Collection,” remarked David Hunt, President, Hunt Auctions. “We felt it important to memorialize the provenance of this particular grouping of coins as having originated from one of the great sports collections to have ever come to market.”

The coins are a part of a large quantity of Ted Williams’ personal items that will be offered to the public by Hunt Auctions at a live event on April 28, 2012 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.

Repoz Posted: February 15, 2012 at 07:37 AM | 25 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: history, memorabilia, red sox

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1. Leroy Kincaid Posted: February 15, 2012 at 08:18 AM (#4061335)

Is this spam?

2. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: February 15, 2012 at 10:52 AM (#4061387)

Why would the fact that Ted Williams owned a collectible coin add to its value?

Are Ted's share of IBM worth more than the market quote?

3. Cris E Posted: February 15, 2012 at 11:05 AM (#4061407)

What a coincidence that they booked a baseball park for the sale. I wonder if anyone told them Mr Williams played baseball at one point. There's a marketing opportunity if I ever saw one!

4. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: February 15, 2012 at 12:26 PM (#4061468)

Why would the fact that Ted Williams owned a collectible coin add to its value?

Provenance is always part of a collectible's value. I mean, a lucid person might think that's insane, but that's the market.

5. gef the talking mongoose Posted: February 15, 2012 at 12:50 PM (#4061505)

Well, of course. Think how much less Repoz' copies of vintage issues of Adventure would be worth if, say, they were my vintage issues of Adventure (especially since mine, as won on eBay a few years ago, mostly feature a trio of hole-punches in the spine because Little Timmy Whoever decided to keep them in a binder back in the '60s).

6. Chicago Joe

Posted: February 15, 2012 at 12:55 PM (#4061510)

Provenance is always part of a collectible's value. I mean, a lucid person might think that's insane, but that's the market.

Barron Hilton was insane.

7. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: February 15, 2012 at 01:05 PM (#4061518)

If these coins were chipped off Teddy Baseball's permafrosted eyes, I still don't see how they're worth extra money to any actual numismatist, whose Random Person Collection is also likely to contain a lot more than 91 items.

8. Nasty Nate Posted: February 15, 2012 at 01:19 PM (#4061528)

The coins are a part of a large quantity of Ted Williams’ personal items that will be offered to the public by Hunt Auctions at a live event on April 28, 2012 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.

Anyone know what items besides coins are on sale?

9. vern_fuller_brushback Posted: February 15, 2012 at 02:54 PM (#4061639)

Anyone know what items besides coins are on sale?

Some answers here...

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpps/sports/mlb/ted-williams-auction-to-feature-mvp-award-al-ring-20110914_15016774

10. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: February 15, 2012 at 04:59 PM (#4061774)

Provenance is always part of a collectible's value. I mean, a lucid person might think that's insane, but that's the market.

But isn't that usually about determining authenticity?

11. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: February 15, 2012 at 05:10 PM (#4061784)

But isn't that usually about determining authenticity?

That's a good question. It's true when it comes to items like paintings, that are unique and can be forged. With items that exist in copies, like books, provenance can make a huge difference. Though one might argue that somebody's signature or bookplate creates a new unique item, I guess. And it's also the case that a provenance can be forged. The "Billionaire's Vinegar" case involved somebody selling old bottles of wine with the claim that they'd belonged to Thomas Jefferson; they were worth a lot more than mere old bottles of wine. (In that case, the objects were probably forged, too.)

With coins, granted, they look alike and people usually don't write their names on them. But I have to reckon that such items, say, stamps from Franklin D. Roosevelt's collection, if ever on the market, would be worth a whole lot more than stamps from my grandfather's – which, like coins, would be indistinguishable intrinsically.

12. Pat Rapper's Delight Posted: February 15, 2012 at 05:18 PM (#4061795)

PSA made a special note on the label for their slab of the "McNall/Gretzky" T-206 Honus Wagner card.

13. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: February 15, 2012 at 05:25 PM (#4061803)

That's a good question. It's true when it comes to items like paintings, that are unique and can be forged. With items that exist in copies, like books, provenance can make a huge difference. Though one might argue that somebody's signature or bookplate creates a new unique item, I guess. And it's also the case that a provenance can be forged. The "Billionaire's Vinegar" case involved somebody selling old bottles of wine with the claim that they'd belonged to Thomas Jefferson; they were worth a lot more than mere old bottles of wine. (In that case, the objects were probably forged, too.)

With coins, granted, they look alike and people usually don't write their names on them. But I have to reckon that such items, say, stamps from Franklin D. Roosevelt's collection, if ever on the market, would be worth a whole lot more than stamps from my grandfather's – which, like coins, would be indistinguishable intrinsically.

That seems irrational, unless, somebody did something with the item in whatever field make them famous.

e.g. if you had Ted Williams bat, obviously valuable. Madame Curie's Geiger counter. Alfred Nobel's Bunson burner. A Pope's Bible.

But a random item belonging to a famous person doesn't make any sense.

14. Lassus Posted: February 15, 2012 at 07:10 PM (#4061889)

But a random item belonging to a famous person doesn't make any sense.

On the great and infinite list of all the things in the world that don't make sense, this item is among the least confusing.

15. Monty Posted: February 15, 2012 at 07:23 PM (#4061909)

That seems irrational, unless, somebody did something with the item in whatever field make them famous.

It is, indeed, irrational. People are irrational.

16. dr. scott Posted: February 15, 2012 at 10:26 PM (#4062032)

I was really hoping this was an article about coins with Williams frozen head emblazed on them. Now that is a collectors item.

17. Morty Causa Posted: February 16, 2012 at 02:53 AM (#4062193)

But a random item belonging to a famous person doesn't make any sense.

How much did a pair of John Lennon glasses go for?

Why do people want autographs?

Why did that woman dip her handkerchief in John Dillinger's blood?

Why are there groupies?

18. Pat Rapper's Delight Posted: February 16, 2012 at 03:19 AM (#4062195)

I was really hoping this was an article about coins with Williams frozen head emblazed on them. Now that is a collectors item.

Please don't give Topps any more brilliant ideas.

19. PreservedFish Posted: February 16, 2012 at 04:09 AM (#4062204)

That seems irrational, unless, somebody did something with the item in whatever field make them famous.

Snapper, you get to choose between two copies of War and Peace. One of them was owned by Ernest Hemingway. The other was owned by a library in Ohio. Which do you want?

20. Old Man James Posted: February 16, 2012 at 09:15 AM (#4062235)

I think it actually makes sense that they would be worth more. If put to auction, you will have both coin fans and Ted Williams fans bidding. More demand=more value.

21. Nasty Nate Posted: February 16, 2012 at 09:19 AM (#4062238)

I'd rather his '46 AL championship ring if I was a Williams collector.

22. Crispix Attacks Posted: February 16, 2012 at 10:35 AM (#4062267)

I think it actually makes sense that they would be worth more. If put to auction, you will have both coin fans and Ted Williams fans bidding. More demand=more value.

This seems like a good point.

I remember when I was a kid, going to the local coin 'n' collectible shop to pick out a few weird foreign coins for a couple dollars. I thought it would be fun to do that again, but then found out that the baseball card boom and bust was also a boom and bust for the very existence of coin 'n' collectible shops. There must be one somewhere around here.

23. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: February 16, 2012 at 10:47 AM (#4062284)

Why did that woman dip her handkerchief in John Dillinger's blood?

To clone him, once medical science had advanced far enough?

24. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: February 16, 2012 at 10:51 AM (#4062287)

e.g. if you had Ted Williams bat, obviously valuable. Madame Curie's Geiger counter. Alfred Nobel's Bunson burner. A Pope's Bible.

Hypothetically, which would have the most value: Ted Williams's Bunsen burner, Madam Curie's Bible, Alfred Nobel's baseball bat, or the Pope's Geiger counter?

25. Crispix Attacks Posted: February 16, 2012 at 11:35 AM (#4062329)

The Pope's Geiger counter would be very useful to an exorcist, but I would go with Alfred Nobel's baseball bat. The austere Swedish design would make it a great decoration. It's probably made of very pale wood.

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Coin Week: NGC Grades Ted Williams Collection

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