Japanese Edo Era Shakudo Tsuba

Japanese Edo Era Shakudo Tsuba
Photo Credit: subjaudio

Japanese Edo Era Shakudo Tsuba

Buy It Now Price: $225 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-A stylized wave motif and delicately gilt flowers adorn this gorgeous 18th century shakudo tsuba (samurai sword guard) from Japan’s Edo period.

-This old Japanese shakudo tsuba measures 5.5 cm (2.17 inches) long by 4.4 cm (1.73 inches) wide.

-The body of this tsuba is made from shakudo, a traditional Japanese alloy containing 93% to 97% copper and 3% to 7% gold.  The unique, velvety-black patina of shakudo is a hallmark of high-end antique Japanese metalwork.

-Japan experienced major social changes during the Edo era (1603 to 1868 AD).  Although the militaristic samurai were ostensibly near the top of feudal Japanese society, the increasing prosperity of merchants and artisans allowed them to flaunt their wealth via eye-catching luxury goods.  It is possible that this tsuba was just such an item, meant to reflect the wealth of its affluent owner (who may not have been a samurai).

-The craftsmanship of this shakudo tsuba is absolutely superb.  The elegance of the central wave design provides a subtle, yet interesting contrast with the etherealness of the flower border.  There are many surviving antique Japanese tsuba, but few of them attain this level of aesthetic sophistication.

-Because most of this tsuba is made from shakudo, it actually possesses a not insignificant intrinsic value.  According to my best guess, there is anywhere between 0.5 and 3 grams of gold locked up in this piece.  With spot gold trading at around $1,200 a troy ounce, the item has an estimated melt value between $19 and $93.  Of course, it goes without saying that you would have to be crazy to scrap such a lovely antique Japanese tsuba.  But it is nice to know that your investment downside is protected nonetheless.

-I don’t think you can look at this shakudo tsuba without being struck by its stylistic similarity to the famous woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai titled The Great Wave off Kanagawa.  That seminal print was completed in the early 1830s while this particular tsuba probably dates from the mid 18th century to very early 19th century.  Both works were obviously incubated in the same cultural and artistic milieu.

-I believe that antique Japanese tsuba are really undervalued investment vehicles.  And this shakudo tsuba underscores my argument.  How can such an artistically outstanding, historically important piece be so cheap – a mere $225?  And if that price is still too high, you can always make the seller a lower offer!

 

Cons:

-It is really difficult to see any cons with this wonderful old Japanese tsuba.  I suppose you can argue that the metal surrounding the central blade hole has been banged up a bit.  Of course, that also speaks to the item’s age and authenticity, as well.

 

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The 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalogue – An Inflationary Retrospective

The 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalogue - An Inflationary Retrospective

With the impending bankruptcy of Sears, I felt that now would be a good time to talk about the 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalogue.  This 1200 page monster was the Amazon website of its day, allowing people from even the remotest corner of the country to purchase the latest goods and fashions from a trusted retailer at competitive prices.

Of course, one of the most notable aspects of the 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalogue is the startling difference between modern prices and the 1902 prices advertised in the catalogue.  These dramatic price changes are attributable to inflation, which has been surreptitiously doing its wicked work on the U.S. dollar for a full century now.

My introduction to the 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalogue came as a child when I used to visit my grandmother’s house to mow her lawn.  My grandmother had a reprint of the old book, which I always perused after finishing my lawn-mowing duties.

The thing that always fascinated me about the 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalogue was its inflationary implications – the staggering amount of purchasing power the U.S. dollar had lost between 1902 and the present day.

For example, a men’s solid 14K gold pocket watch with a 17-jewel, Waltham movement (which would have been state of the art at the time) cost between about $30 and $50, depending on the case options chosen (hunting cases were more expensive than open-faced cases).

A quick scan on eBay reveals that similar gold pocket watches in good condition are selling for anywhere from $400 to maybe $2,500 today (in 2018).  Of course, if pocket watches were still produced today, you can bet that retailers would sell them for higher prices than secondhand ones fetch on eBay.

Or maybe instead of a gold pocket watch, you are interested in a breech-loading, double barrel shotgun with a solid walnut stock.  The 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalogue had a full 11 pages of double barrel shotguns to choose from.  Yes, these hunting guns could be anonymously ordered through the mail in 1902 – no identification necessary!

And their prices were almost unbelievably low by today’s standards.  The cheapest examples cost around $8 or $9, while the very finest Remington shotgun with a Damascus steel barrel and an English walnut stock rung up at only $50.  These same shotguns today run from just a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, depending on condition, rarity and a myriad of other factors.

Another interesting find in the 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalogue is the selection of concrete-filled steel fire safes for sale.  These robust safes had stepped, 5-flange doors (in order to better resist explosives), applied-gold exterior decoration and built-in interior cabinets.  Prices started at only $6.25 for a cut-down model and rose to a princely $32.25 for the largest size – a 1,150 pound behemoth with an inner steel security door.

In contrast, today it is tough to find a good burglary-fire safe for anything less than about $700.  And prices can easily rise to $5,000 or more for high-security models.  Yes, there are cheaper safes out there, but they are usually sub-par import safes straight off the container ship from China.  If security is important to you, these low-quality, imported safes should be avoided at all costs.

As you can see, regardless of the product category, inflation has decimated the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar over the past 116 years.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s CPI inflation calculator, the U.S. dollar has lost about 96% of its purchasing power between 1913 (when records were first kept) and 2018.

This means that every dollar in 1913 is equivalent to over $25 today.  However, the BLS calculations use some questionable methodologies, including hedonic adjustments and substitution effects.  Looking at actual prices paints a bleaker picture of inflation, with $1 of goods from the 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalogue equal to something closer to $50 or $100 of goods today – a stunning 98% to 99% loss of purchasing power.

In case you were wondering, the dollar suffered almost no inflation before 1933 because the U.S. was still on the gold standard at the time.

But we have come a long way from the days of the gold standard, and not in a good way.  The fact is that the U.S. dollar has been progressively and systematically destroyed by its supposed protector, the U.S. Federal Reserve.  This disturbing trend is even more blatantly obvious when one examines the secret history of 20th century U.S. currency.

This is why I recommend that investors position themselves in antiques, bullion, fine art and other hard assets over the coming years.  The day is coming when the dollar’s slow motion collapse will transform into a terrifying plunge.  I don’t know about you, but I want to own tangible assets that cannot be arbitrarily printed by a central bank when that time finally arrives.

 

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Crystalline Gold Nugget in Quartz from California

Crystalline Gold Nugget in Quartz from California
Photo Credit: nuggetsbygrant

Crystalline Gold Nugget in Quartz from California

Buy It Now Price: $450.44 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This stunning crystalline gold nugget in quartz comes from Sierra County, high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of northern California.

-This gold in matrix specimen weighs 4.28 grams, which is actually fairly sizable for this type of gold mineralization.  It is about the size of a quarter cut in half.

-Gold was first discovered in California in 1848, which spawned the famous California Gold Rush.  Although easy to access placer gold deposits were exploited at first, by the late 19th century California miners had to venture deep underground in pursuit of the elusive precious metal.

-Matrix is a mining term that refers to the native rock surrounding a valuable ore.  Gold in quartz matrix is not only exceptionally beautiful, but also in extremely high demand by mineral collectors.

-This particular crystalline gold nugget was found in the historical Alleghany gold district of California, very close to the renowned Original Sixteen to One gold mine.  These goldfields are famous for their widely scattered gold-bearing quartz veins, which can vary in thickness from just a few inches to more than 20 feet wide.

-This crystalline gold nugget retains its delicate, intricately branching shape.  This is in stark contrast to gold nuggets recovered from alluvial (river) deposits, which have been compacted and worn smooth via centuries of hydraulic action.  Crystalline gold is the rarest form of natural gold – rarer even than placer gold nuggets (which are incredibly rare themselves).

-The Original Sixteen to One Mine is probably the most famous gold mine in the United States. Discovered in 1896, this extremely rich mine has been in almost continuous production since that time.  The Original Sixteen to One Mine was named after the traditional 19th century exchange ratio between silver and gold.  You can view an interesting video tour of the mine here.

-Gold nuggets from California are rarer and harder to find than gold nuggets from Alaska, Australia or British Columbia.  Because of this rarity and the romance surrounding the California goldfields, gold nuggets from California have an added dimension of desirability.

–Gold nuggets are often overlooked as investments, but shouldn’t be.  Their historical importance combined with their high intrinsic value and unique aesthetics make them an intriguing alternative asset for those looking to escape the uncertainty of paper assets.

-At only $450, I think this crystalline gold nugget from California would make a wonderful addition to your gold nugget collection or tangible asset portfolio.

 

Cons:

-Because they so much rarer, crystalline gold nuggets in matrix are much more expensive per unit of weight than alluvial gold nuggets without matrix.  But they make up for it with dazzling good looks and perennially high collector demand.

 

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2018 Hard Asset Collector’s Holiday Buying Guide

2018 Hard Asset Collector's Holiday Buying Guide
Photo Credit: LOPRE

Welcome to the Antique Sage’s 2018 hard asset collector’s holiday buying guide, where I will help you choose the finest Christmas gifts for the tangible asset enthusiast, antique collector or other special person in your life.

 

Vintage British Sterling Silver Hallmark Pendants

In the 1970s rampant international inflation led to a widespread loss of confidence in fiat currencies.  As a result, gold and silver bullion investing was all the rage.

So it shouldn’t be surprising that British High Street jewelers adapted to the times by crafting sleek, ingot shaped pendants for the fashion conscious.  These lovely British sterling silver hallmark pendants have a streamlined sensibility that fits well with the modern aesthetic.

Although most were produced in the late 1970s, vintage British hallmark pendants can date anywhere from the mid 1970s to the early 1980s.

Each one of these pendants is made from high purity, .925 fine sterling silver.  This is attested to by the stately lion hallmark, which has been used to certify the purity of English sterling silver since the mid 16th century.

Collectors love the fact that the British hallmarking system is so well regulated.  It easily allows anyone to identify a piece of jewelry’s city and date of manufacture, along with its maker.

For example, a leopard’s head hallmark indicates a piece was made in London.  An anchor hallmark is the symbol for Birmingham and a crown hallmark is the emblem for Sheffield.

As an added bonus, pendants made in 1977 were given a special, one-year-only hallmark with the head of Queen Elizabeth II in commemoration of her 25th coronation anniversary jubilee.

With prices ranging from only $25 to just over $100, a vintage British sterling silver hallmark pendant from the 1970s would not only make a great gift, but also be eminently affordable.

 

Japanese-Style Woodblock Art Prints

Moku Hanga is the term for traditional Japanese woodblock printing.  And truth be told, I have fallen in love with these masterpieces – hence their positioning in the hard asset collector’s holiday buying guide.

Japanese-style woodblock printing has become so popular that Western artists have fully embraced it, turning out some really compelling original art prints.  This is partially because Moku Hanga is an art that demands to be mastered.

But it is also an art form that demands respect.  As a result, classic Japanese themes like nature, animals and landscapes often dominate, even in Moku Hanga prints produced by non-Japanese artists.

In the typical Japanese-style art print, the artist painstakingly carves a flat block of cherry, birch or shina wood with a special, razor-sharp tool.   Then an additional block using a slightly modified design must be carved for each different color in the final print.

The print itself is usually transferred onto high quality, acid-free paper that is either cotton or mulberry-bark based.  This ensures that the resulting Moku Hanga art print will last for centuries to come.

Pricing is usually quite reasonable, with many fine Japanese-style woodblock prints available for just $100 to $200.

 

Antique Fractional European Gold Coins

Everybody loves gold coins.  And nearly everyone is familiar with modern gold bullion coins like the American gold eagle, the Australian kangaroo and the Canadian maple leaf.

But did you know that during the late 19th and early 20 century, many European countries struck small gold coins for circulation?  These intriguing coins are often well over a hundred years old and hail from some of the most storied nations of the time.

For example, the French, Belgians and Swiss – as part of the ill-fated Latin Monetary Union – struck 20 franc coins that contained 0.1867 troy ounces of pure gold.  The British minted their internationally renowned gold sovereign coin (0.2354 troy ounces), which is still being issued to this day.  Germany’s workhorse denomination was the 20 mark coin, which sported 0.2304 troy ounces of fine gold.  And Czarist Russia struck both 5 rouble (0.1244 troy ounce) and 10 rouble (0.2489 troy ounce) gold coins bearing the legendary double-headed imperial eagle.

But perhaps most surprisingly, these desirable antique gold coins are rather affordable today.  In fact, common specimens in nearly uncirculated condition rarely go for much more than bullion value.

Because of this, old fractional European gold coins earn their place on the hard asset collector’s holiday buying guide.  With spot gold trading at around $1,200 a troy ounce, most of these coins are trading just under $300, although some smaller pieces can be purchased for less.

 

Handcrafted Fine Hardwood Jewelry Boxes

I’ve always believed that a fine gift should be presented in an exceptional box.  And that’s why I’ve decided to feature handcrafted hardwood jewelry boxes on the Antique Sage’s 2018 hard asset collector’s holiday buying guide.

These exquisite storage boxes use some of the finest temperate and tropical hardwoods known to man.  Magnificently-grained exotic woods like koa, mahogany, walnut and sapele, not to mention elegant wood burls, vie for your attention on these works of art.

Although I call them jewelry boxes, the fact is that almost any compact treasure can be stored in these boxes.  They could just as easily accommodate cherished family photos and keepsakes as valuable watches and jewelry.

And they are durable as well.  If properly cared for, a well-made hardwood jewelry box will easily last a lifetime.

Given the superb craftsmanship and beauty of handmade hardwood boxes, their $50 to $200 price tag seems absurdly low.

 

Artisan Hand-Poured Silver Bars

There is nothing quite like holding a hefty bar of pure silver in your hands.  It is at once covetable and gorgeous; the essence of true wealth.

One of the most intriguing trends in the silver-stacking community is the proliferation of artisan-made silver bars.  These works of art are cast from .999 fine silver that is hand-poured into graphite or iron molds before being hand-stamped with their maker, weight and fineness.  Each poured silver bar is absolutely one-of-a-kind, with unique pour lines and irregularities.

Because hand-poured bars are more labor intensive to make than struck or extruded silver bars, the large bullion fabricators do not make them anymore.  So the torch has been taken up by specialized firms that are crafting these artisan silver bars in small batches.

One of my favorite makers of hand-poured silver bars is Vulture Peak Mines, also known as VPM.  They are a poured-bar specialist company located in Bandon, Oregon, on the Pacific Coast.  Most of VPM’s employees are former miners or veterans, all of whom share a passion for poured silver bullion.

The wonderful thing about artisan hand-poured silver bars is that most of them only sell for modest premiums over the spot price of silver.  For instance, with the spot price of silver currently at $14.50, you can expect to pay a very reasonable $22 per troy ounce for VPM poured silver bars, give or take.

 

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