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Silver George IV Coronation Medal from 1821

Silver George IV Coronation Medal from 1821
Photo Credit: COINS-OF-THE-WORLD-Bought-and-Sold

Silver George IV Coronation Medal from 1821

Buy It Now Price: $292.50 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Here is an excellent example of an official George IV coronation medal, struck in silver by the renowned Italian medal engraver Benedetto Pistrucci in 1821.

-This George IV coronation medal measures 35 mm (1.38 inches) in diameter and weighs about 17 grams (0.55 troy ounces)

-The official George IV coronation medal shows a bust of the new king on its obverse.  The reverse depicts a coronation scene with George IV being crowned by the winged angel of peace while personifications of the British realms – Britannia, Scotia and Hibernia – swear allegiance to him.

-Benedetto Pistrucci was a famous Italian gem, medal and coin engraver who lived from 1783 to 1855.  In 1815 Pistrucci immigrated to London where, due to his superlative technical skills, he was soon appointed as the Chief-medallist to the Royal British Mint.  He is perhaps best known for having created the iconic design of Saint George slaying the dragon that has graced the reverse of British gold sovereigns uninterrupted from 1817 to the present.

-King George IV ruled the United Kingdom from 1820 to 1830 and was best known for indulging in extravagant excess.  He drank too much, kept many mistresses and racked up massive debts.  In keeping with his lifelong theme of personal excess, George IV’s coronation cost a staggering £243,000, the equivalent of a sizable fortune in early 19th century Britain.

-Almost every British monarch for the last several hundred years has had official, and oftentimes several varieties of unofficial, coronation medals struck upon their ascension to the throne.  This George IV coronation medal is official, which is generally more desirable than an unofficial version.  It is also struck in silver, which has more cachet than bronze versions of the same medal.

–Antique European art medals are extremely undervalued in today’s asset market.  I especially like coronation medals for their royal associations.  In light of the fact that this George IV coronation medal is also almost 200 years old and struck in solid silver, the asking price of $292.50 seems a bargain.

 

Cons:

-If you’re willing to wait, you might be able to find a similar George IV coronation medal in the low to mid $200 range.  I don’t think that is a sure thing by any stretch of the imagination, however.  In any case, you can always make a lower offer to the seller if you think $292.50 is too expensive.

-This coronation medal is on the smaller side.  Many antique art medals significantly exceed the size and weight of a U.S. silver dollar.  This is not one of those medals.

-There is very little else negative that I can say about this piece.  An investment-grade, 200 year old silver British coronation medal in good condition for less than $300?  Sign me up!

1970s Lanco Panda Chronograph Wristwatch

1970s Lanco Panda Chronograph Wristwatch
Photo Credit: kontiki6611

1970s Lanco Panda Chronograph Wristwatch

Buy It Now Price: $659 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is an attractive vintage men’s Lanco panda chronograph two-register wristwatch from the 1970s.  This type of watch is called a “panda” because the small black registers juxtapositioned against the white dial of the watch face resemble the iconic animal.

-The beautifully chromed stainless steel case measures approximately 39.5 mm (1.56 inches) wide (excluding the crown) by 42 mm (1.65 inches) long.  This is very large for a vintage wristwatch, but fairly average in size when compared to modern watches.

-This Lanco chronograph wristwatch is in great condition, showing very little wear.  As an added bonus, the dial looks both pristine and original to me.

-A chronograph is any watch that possesses the capacity to be used as a stopwatch in addition to its normal timekeeping functions.  Vintage chronograph wristwatches are extremely desirable because of their aesthetic beauty and masterfully engineered mechanical movements.

-Our vintage Lanco panda chronograph has a small 60 second register at the 9:00 position and a matching 45 minute register at 3:00.

-This Lanco panda chronograph wristwatch uses a manual wind, 17 jewel, Valjoux calibre 7733 movement.  The affordable Valjoux 7733 family of movements (which included the 7733, 7734, 7736 and 7737) was produced from 1969 until 1978.  They were used in wristwatches from many different manufacturers, including Breitling, Heuer and Tudor.

-1970s mechanical wristwatches, and 1970s chronographs in particular, represent an exceptional opportunity in the tangible investment space.  These masterpieces of horological art are almost 50 years old now, and are just beginning to gain acceptance in the watch collecting community.  Prices have risen strongly over the past decade and will almost certainly continue to rise in the future.

-At an asking price of $659, I feel that this 1970s Lanco panda chronograph is a good buy.  It is only 1/4 to 1/2 the cost of a comparable chronograph wristwatch from a better-recognized manufacturer, but still has the iconic look, history and zeitgeist of its more expensive peers.

 

Cons:

-The Valjoux calibre 7733 was a mid-quality movement intended for use in price-conscious chronograph wristwatches.  The very best watch brands of the era – Rolex, Omega, Audemars Piguet and IWC, among others – generally used much more expensive, in-house movements.  These higher quality movements are far more desirable to experienced watch collectors.

-Although it was a well known and respected brand in its time, Lanco is generally considered a second-tier brand by today’s standards.  All else being equal, a panda chronograph wristwatch manufactured by Rolex, Heuer, Seiko or other better-known brands would be more desirable from an investment standpoint.

-Expect to pay $100 to $300 to have this Lanco mechanical wristwatch professionally serviced after you purchase it.  This boosts the total cost of the watch considerably.

Japanese Woodcut Print Titled “Bamboo in Early Summer”

Japanese Shin Hanga Woodcut Print - "Bamboo in Early Summer"
Photo Credit: Edokura-Antiques-and-Arts

Japanese Shin Hanga Woodcut Print Titled “Bamboo in Early Summer”

Buy It Now Price: $119 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a wonderful vintage Japanese Shin Hanga woodcut print by the artist Shiro Kasamatsu titled “Bamboo in Early Summer”.

-It is a large, oban-sized woodblock print, measuring 16 inches (40.6 cm) by 10.75 inches (27.3 cm).

-Shin hanga was an early to mid 20th century Japanese print movement that combined traditional Japanese themes with groundbreaking Western artistic understanding of light and perspective.  It was an export-oriented artistic movement that was wildly popular in the West in the period between World War I and World War II.  Even today, shin hanga prints possess an attractive, unmistakably modern quality.

-Shiro Kasamatsu (born 1898; died 1991) was a renowned and prolific Japanese printmaker.  He became an artist’s apprentice in 1911 and began printmaking in 1919.  He embraced the popular Shin Hanga style early in his career, but switched over to the naïve, self-published Sosaku Hanga style starting in the 1950s.

-This specimen of “Bamboo in Early Summer” is in very good condition, with full margins and no apparent creases, foxing or stains.

-The reverse of this woodblock print has a little ink bleed-through.  This characteristic proves the piece is a genuine woodblock print produced in the traditional way and not a reproduction created via a modern printing technique.

-Bamboo in Early Summer is an atmospheric and evocative work that showcases some of the best attributes of the Japanese Shin Hanga style as executed by Shiro Kasamatsu.  I feel that the buy it now price of $119 is very reasonable and creates the possibility of future price appreciation.

 

Cons:

-Although “Bamboo in Early Summer” was first printed in 1954, this example is a Heisei era (later) reprint from the 1990s.  While not an original, first edition print, Heisei reprints employed the original woodblock carvings and traditional printing techniques.  However, an original example of this print would be far more valuable than a reprint.

-Some experts in Japanese woodblock prints do not think that reprints will appreciate in value in the future.  I disagree, as there are only a limited number of reprints that can be made from a set of woodblock carvings before they are completely worn out.  Reprints using recarved woodblocks are another story, and should be avoided for anything other than decorative purposes.

Antique French Silver Creamer

Antique French Silver Creamer
Photo Credit: stvsedona

Antique French Silver Creamer

Buy It Now Price: $250 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Here is a lovely and functional antique French silver creamer from the late 19th or early 20th century.  It is adorned with playful bright-cut engravings of flowers, birds and insects and sits on three beautifully scalloped feet.  As an added bonus, the interior is fully gilt.

-This antique French silver creamer weighs approximately 3.8 troy ounces (118 grams) and measures 4 inches (10.2 cm) tall by 4.125 inches (10.5 cm) long.

-This French silver creamer carries the Minerva hallmark, indicating it is French first quality silver.  This means it is .950 fine or 95% silver, which is slightly more pure than sterling silver at 92.5% fine.

-Antique silver creamers, also known as milk jugs, were usually used to dispense milk for coffee or tea during formal occasions.  However, they work just as well in the modern home in the middle of the breakfast table.  There is no experience quite like pouring the milk for your bowl of cereal from a stately solid silver vessel.

-Silver was a favorite material for the wealthy and aristocracy before World War II.  As a precious material, silver tableware strongly suggested that a family enjoyed both high social status and prosperity.

-Silver also possesses very effective bactericidal properties, quickly killing many dangerous microbes on contact.  This makes it an ideal material for use in silverware and hollowware, which frequently come into contact with food.  This is where the old saying, “born with a silver spoon in his mouth” originated.

–Antique Continental European silver is extremely undervalued right now.  This fact, coupled with our antique French silver creamer’s attractive, timeless design makes the $250 asking price fair in my opinion.

 

Cons:

-The hallmarks on this French silver creamer have been worn down by years of polishing.  Because of this, it is impossible to identify the maker of this piece or exactly when it was made.  The piece would be marginally more desirable if its maker was known.

-You are paying a significant premium for this creamer over its silver melt value.  With spot silver currently trading at $16.83, it contains about $60.75 in silver.  The buy it now price of $250 represents a substantial 311% premium over the item’s melt value.  This is actually fairly normal for high quality antique silver, however.