Luxembourg Commemorative Medal - how to find the person who wants it 1 1

[EagleRJO]

On 12/8/2023 at 5:02 PM, hr1704 said:

Wow, did they mislabel that 2nd image as GOLF instead of GOLD?!?  Plus the coin wasn't centered properly.

Looks like the coin in the 2nd slab on the right in my previous post was centered properly when it was graded per the attached from the NGC certification verification page, and it's not known how it was subsequently handled.

But you are right they misspelled "Gold" which is pretty bad, and there is no excuse for that.  If that was my coin I would have sent it back for a correction due to a mechanical label error, and maybe that subsequently happened.

On 12/8/2023 at 5:20 PM, hr1704 said:

I think my only options are Heritage or Kunker

Heritage Auctions is likely a good option with a good reputation and considering the unusual nature as well as the possible scarcity of the medal.  But just keep in mind there is usually a fee for photographing the coin, a 5% to 15% non-refundable sellers fee each time it is listed in an auction, and a 15% buyers fee if it sells.  So a seller could end up with a lot less than they expect, and I would talk with them about what they think it might sell for before consigning it with them.

I don't have any experience with Künker Auction House but perhaps someone here like @Fenntucky Mike, @ldhair, or @Coinbuf or others have some experience with them and might give you some feedback.  But I would expect their fees would likely be similar to HA's, and I think it's a well known European auction house.  Good luck with the coins you are going to auction off, and check back after the auction.

[cobymordet]

Sadly, after 4 months of silence, I reached out to the Luxembourg Bank requesting an update on my inquiry request.  This is what I get:

Dear Mr,
Thank you for your interest in Luxembourg numismatics.
Unfortunately, we have no knowledge of the commemorative medal you hold with a diameter of 37mm. Local publications do not mention this diameter.
However, indications may be found in the future and we will be sure to keep you informed. Our institution has been in existence since 1998 and we have inherited a number of documents from institutions that were active in 1963, which are still being processed for incorporation into an information management system that is about to be developed.
We regret that we are unable to provide you with any further details at this time.
With our best regards

So, back to Square 1.  No joy on actual production numbers.  I still think that there are only 10-25 of the gold essais.  HR1704, good luck with selling the coin.

[powermad5000]

On 12/8/2023 at 4:20 PM, hr1704 said:

I don't have a reputation on Ebay and don't want to offer returns, so I think that's out.

It does take time to get a "reputation" on eBay, but as far as returns, I will state that only in a very rare instance or two have I ever bought on eBay from a seller with no return policy. When I did, it was not for coinage. When it comes to coins, I not only demand a return policy, I require it or there is no deal on my end. If I cannot inspect the coin in hand after receiving it, and if I find something on it that was not apparent in the photos (photos are only so good and one tilt in different lighting can expose a flaw), I absolutely must be able to return the coin if I find something unacceptable. I do shop differently and have only had to return a coin once but it was an expensive Peace Dollar that would have 100% graded details for cleaning and it was surely not worth the premium I was paying for it.

It really depends on how much time you can sit on the coin to try to establish yourself on there before listing it. I am not sure but I would think their fees will be less than the cut a large auction house will take.

HOWEVER, for a piece such as this where it is being stated here there is only 10-25 in existence, I would think you would be better to go through a large auction house. I would think the right bidders would be present on that platform and the gavel price would be higher than you would get for it on eBay where there are mostly bargain hunters.

For the future, in the meantime, I would probably start to try to develop a reputation on eBay regardless. When I started selling on there, I started with non numismatic items. I sold a drum and some drum parts and some electrical parts and some small home furnishings. Then I introduced coins. They got snatched up pretty quick. Fast forward about ten years or so to now and I have some coin followers on there as well as repeat customers. They know I do all my listings for the year after the first of the year, and I move most of my inventory pretty quickly. This year, I had a total of 16 listings and here we are at the beginning of March and I only have 5 left. None were auctions and all sold at the price I asked. None returned even though I have a 30 day return policy. As a matter of fact, I have never had an item returned, probably because I never misrepresented anything I have sold.

Just food for thought.

[hr1704]

On 3/2/2024 at 7:56 PM, cobymordet said:

So, back to Square 1.  No joy on actual production numbers.  I still think that there are only 10-25 of the gold essais.  HR1704, good luck with selling the coin.

Thanks @cobymordet.  I'm surprised you even got this response.  It doesn't seem totally hopeless to me.  It sounds like they are genuinely interested in getting the information documented and available, it will just take time.

[hr1704]

@powermad5000  I have sold some non-coins things on ebay but I'm talking 6 or 7 things over 10 years.  I probably wouldn't buy a coin either if the seller didn't have a return policy.  I'm just hesitant of scams there because I've read about so many and everything I've read stated that ebay almost-always favors the buyer in a dispute.  

I tried sending a message to Heritage with pictures of my slabbed coins and a list of about 40 other coins I have.  The response took about a week and was something short like: "We charge 15% seller fee which might be negotiable if they are high-value coins.  Send the coins to us and we will let you know their value".  I responded with some more questions like "can I send pictures instead?", "are there fees associated with the valuation?", "what if the seller fee is not acceptable, are there more fees to send them back?"  That was 6 weeks ago, I haven't heard back yet.  That tells me a lot about dealing with Heritage.

[powermad5000]

On 3/3/2024 at 3:23 PM, hr1704 said:

That tells me a lot about dealing with Heritage.

Interesting. I have always wondered how some of the larger auction houses treat people. I was always curious to if a "little guy" like me with some nice coins would be treated with a level of indifference because none of my coins were in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Basically, someone like me not "worth their time". Maybe that is the case then and something for me to think about should I ever have to sell my coins before I am on the other side of the grass.

[hr1704]

After getting brushed off by Heritage, I contacted Great Collections.  According to their web site, the first step for new cosigners is to request a quote on my coins.  So I did that.  It took 5 weeks and a couple of prods but they finally got back to me.  They apologized for the delay and gave me a pretty good shot at valuating my coins.  I understand that they must be very busy.

I think I will go with Great Collections in the future.

[Fenntucky Mike]

On 3/10/2024 at 10:56 PM, hr1704 said:

I think I will go with Great Collections in the future.

I hear good things about Great Collections, and have picked up several coins from them, but it'll be hard to get top dollar for non U.S. coins there, especially a specialized piece like this.