Tag Archives: Silver

Commodifying Art -Damien Hirst

August 26, 2024 The Silo 2 Comments

All of modern life is a spectacle. Much of what contemporary man experiences in Western society is a false social construct mediated by images.

These mediated images create desires that can never be fulfilled; they create false needs that can never be met. “Many of our daily decisions are governed by motivations over which we have no control and of which we are quite unaware” (Berger 41). The constant spector of the mediated image creates an endless cycle of desire, consumption, and disinterest, fueling a banality in life that feeds the commodification of life.

Increasingly life itself becomes a commodity and the image more important than the reality it represents. This commodification infiltrates every aspect of human production, including the arts, and finds its pinnacle expression in the work of Damien Hirst. Hirst has carefully crafted a brand identity that has far surpassed the value of his art work in importance and worth. Working in tandem with former advertising executive turned art dealer Charles Saatchi, the spectacle of the Hirst image becomes the commodity. “Reality unfolds in a new generality as a pseudo-world apart, solely as an object of contemplation. The tendency towards the specialization of images-of-the-world finds its highest expression in the world of the autonomous image, where deceit deceives itself” (Debord
143).

No longer is the work of art itself a commodity, but rather the image of the artist (his/her/cis brand) that becomes the commodity.

It is this spectacle that drives the consumer to identify with a particular artist or brand. “The astronomical growth in the wealth and cultural influence of multi-national corporations over the last fifteen years can arguably be
traced back to a single, seemingly innocuous idea developed by management theorists in the mid-1980s: that successful corporations must primarily produce brands, as opposed to products” (Klein 4). The image has increasingly infiltrated and dominated the culture and the whole of society and has become “an immense accumulation of spectacles” (Debord 142).

Butterfly by Damien Hirst

Where once the products of labor were the commodity, now it is the spectacle that has become the commodity.

A prime example of this spectacle is Damien Hirst’s sculpture, “For the Love of God.” The sculpture consists of a platinum skull covered with 8,601 diamonds. The sculpture valued at over $100 million usd/ $129.361,000 cad [exchange rate at time of publication] is clearly out of the reach of almost any collector. The sculpture itself is not the art product, rather it is the spectacle that is the product. “Mr. Hirst is a shining symbol of our times, a man who perhaps more than any artist since Andy Warhol has used marketing to turn his fertile imagination into an extraordinary business” (Riding, nytimes.com). Acknowledging that the sculpture is out of reach for the majority of collectors, Hirst offered screen prints costing $2000 usd/ $2,587 cad to $20,000 usd/ $25,870 cad ; the most expensive prints were sold with a sprinkling of diamond dust.

Karl Marx argued that the value of the commodity arose from its relationship with other commodities; its ability to be exchanged for other commodities. Marx used the the production of a table to illustrate his thesis:
“…by his activity, man changes the materials of nature in such a way as to make them useful to him. The form of wood, for instance, is altered if a table is made out of it. Nevertheless the table continues to be wood, an ordinary, sensuous thing. But as soon as it emerges as a commodity, it changes into a thing which transcends sensuousness.” (Marx 122)

Hirst’s diamond encrusted skull remains mere diamonds, valuable yes, but still diamonds. However, when coupled with the spectacle of Damien Hirst’s identity, the skull becomes a fetishized commodity capable of selling screen-prints valued in the thousands. The argument can be made that diamonds on their own carry value, and could be commodities themselves, however that doesn’t account for the fact the Hirst was able to sell prints of the skull for over $2000 usd/ $2,587 cad. Nor do the diamonds alone account for the spectacle surrounding the art work; it is Hirst’s brand, his image that creates the spectacle.

“The mystical character of the commodity does not therefore arise from its use-value. Just as little does it proceed from the nature of the determinants of value” (Marx 123). The value of a commodity arises from its spectacle, its ability to be desired. In Marx’s day that desire was its ability to be traded for other commodities; today that value is derived from its association to a brand, an identity, a spectacle. “Art reflects the illusory way in which society sees itself, it reflects the bourgeoisie’s aesthetic ideas as if they were universal” (Osborne 79).

The spectacle feeds itself through the mediating of the image to create desire for status and recognition, through associations.

“The ends are nothing and development is all – though the only thing into which the spectacle plans to develop is itself” (Debord 144). The spectacle’s main objective is self perpetuation. Its aim is totality. It must be noted that Hirst himself did not even create the work of art, but rather employed a studio full of jewelers to execute the sculpture, and printers to produce the prints.

Hirst exemplifies the bourgeoisie capitalist employer who retains ownership over the fruit of the employees’ labor. He is in many ways more akin to a captain of industry than he is to the romantic notion of an artist. “In the early twenties, the legendary adman Bruce Barton turned General Motors into a metaphor for the American family, something personal, warm and human” (Klein 7). Hirst has also turned himself into a metaphor, however, metaphors aren’t always true. This falsehod is at the heart of the issue. The spectacle isn’t concerned with what is true, rather it is concerned with what can be made to appear true. It is this appearance of truth that makes a commodity valuable. This fetishism of the commodity is why gold and silver have value, it is because people gave them value. It is the reason Damien Hirst, or any other brand, has value, because people gave it value.

Damien Hirst cannot be blamed for commodifying art, he is simply following a long tradition of turning objects and products into commodities. The fact that his commodity is his own image doesn’t seem to matter. “Hirst is just playing the game. It is a game played by collectors and dealers at art fairs throughout the year; it is a game finessed as never before by Sotheby’s and Christie’s; it is a game in which, in the words of Nick Cohen, a rare British journalist to trash Mr. Hirst’s publicity coup, ‘the price tag is the art’ ” (Riding .nytimes.com).

That final statement beautifully summarizes the commodification of art, ‘the price tag is the art.’ The fact that the art is obscenely priced, and out of the reach for the majority of collectors, the fact that it is made of diamonds, a precious stone known as the blood stone because of its association with brutal and oppressive regimes, merely adds to its allure, to its spectacle. Damien Hirst is merely playing the game, like many before him. He is a part of the growing culture
industry that sells image. Images are the new commodity fetish. Images are the new mysterious commodities exchanged for more the more durable and enduring commodities. The bourgiousie sell their images, which have no real value, to the public which consumes them, in exchange for goods of real value.

“The $200 billion usd/ $270 billion cad culture industry – now North America’s biggest export – needs an every-changing, uninterrupted supply of street styles, edgy music videos and rainbows of colors. And the radical critics of the media clamoring to be ‘represented’ in the early nineties virtually handed over their colorful identities to the brand masters to be shrink-wrapped.” (Klein 115)

Nick Cohen said of Hirst, “[he] isn’t criticizing the excess, not even ironically … but rolling in it and loving it. The sooner he goes out of fashion, the better.” What Cohen fails to realize is that the spectacle is a fashion. And when one image goes out of fashion, another takes its place. Hirst may indeed go out of fashion, but another art brand will take his place, perpetuating the commodification of the arts in increasingly bombastic ways.

Perhaps art has always been a commodity?

In the past patrons would hire artists to paint them into scenes from the gospels. Patrons could be seen on the outskirts of paintings piously praying, thus creating an image of themselves as good and pious Christians. By association with the sacred art, the patron was creating a mediated image. Rulers did this all the time. The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius is a perfect example. Its a mediating image that communicates power and authority.

But none of these examples reach the level of spectacle and fetishism that is Damien Hirst. While art may have been a commodity in the past, it was never commodified. In other words, while the art itself may have been exchanged for other goods, the artist himself was not treated as a commodity. The art of the past may have served a purpose, it may have contained a mediated message, but it was still a product, and it was the product that was valued, not its brand identity.

The commodification of art creates a unique problem in history. If it is the spectacle that matters, and the artist’s identity that has value, then what value is left in the art itself?

What then separates art from ordinary objects? Is there any aesthetic emotion that remains in the work of art itself, or does the aesthetic emotion dwell completely within the spectacle? These are questions that cannot easily be answered, and ultimately will require the lens of history to answer completely. But they are a pressing concern, for when art is commodified, it may cease to be art and instead become celebrity, product, or worse, advertising. For the Silo, Vasilios Avramidis

Works Cited
Berger, Arthur Asa. Seeing is Believing: An Introduction to Visual
Communication. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2008. Print.
Debor, Guy. “Showing Seeing: A Critique of Visual Culture.” The Visual Culture
Reader. Ed.Nicholas Mirzoeff. New York, NY: Routelage, 1998. 142-144. Print.
Klein, Naomi. No Logo, No Space, No Choice, No Jobs. New York, NY: Picador, 2000.
Print.
Marx, Karl. “Showing Seeing: A Critique of Visual Culture.” The Visual Culture
Reader. Ed.Nicholas Mirzoeff. New York, NY: Routelage, 1998. 122-123. Print.
Riding, Alan. Alas, Poor Art Market: ‘A Multimillion Dollar Headcase.’ The New York
Times. June 2007, Damien Hirst and the Commodification of Art http://www.visual-studies.com/interviews/moxey.htm

Earth

Your Electronic Goods Recycling Donations Become Bank Deposits

November 13, 2022 The Silo 2 Comments

Used and broken electronics such as computers, cellphones, dvd players, washers and dryers still hold intrinsic value because if you were to peer inside these things you’d notice a lot of wire and circuitry. There is a surprisingly substantial amount of copper, silver and gold waiting for “the recycling”.

Consumerism- the acquisition of goods, is largely based today on electronic devices- large screen televisions or smartphones for example. Many of us feel the need to upgrade regularly: bigger screens for our living rooms and faster and more powerful phones. But in broad terms, our discarded electronic goods contain about the same amount of silver, copper, gold and platinum as the new items we are replacing them with.

How much value are we talking about?

It is difficult to determine an exact value of gold and other precious materials in an average cellphone. This is because no two models are exactly alike, no two batteries are exactly alike.

Lux Bringer from reddit.com:

All of a sudden these, “bring your old cellphones to us so we can recycle them for you” campaigns are making a lot more sense. Sneaky bastards.

PtrN from reddit.com:PtrN

I’m not sure. I’m seeing that the average cell phone has 1/8 a gram of gold in it from other comments. At the time of this writing, CNN currently has gold going at $1650USD per troy ounce. I crunched the numbers and am seeing that there is about $6.60USD worth of gold in a cellphone. Not too bad, but I don’t know how profitable it will be after you take into account the costs of transportation and the extraction process itself.

Thoust from reddit.com:

There are other materials in a phone they can salvage besides gold

professor_fatass from reddit.com:

According to the article you also get platinum, palladium, and copper. As well as the glass and plastic which may not be worth much but it can still be recycled.

Interesting isn’t it?

Let’s consider the price of copper. Right now in Canada it is just under 4$CDN per pound. If you’re keen and want to sell your own scrap copper you will need a lot of it. An average washing machine motor has about 8$CDN worth of copper wiring up for grabs. http://www.instructables.com/id/how-to-get-tons-of-free-enameled-copper-wire/http://priceofscrapmetal.com/how-to-sell-scrap-copper-wire/

Gold!

There is gold and platinum inside computer circuit boards and hard drives. Most of the gold is an alloy or plated over another metal but at highs predicted to reach near $1,8000USD per ounce- a high volume recycling effort will pay off.

Bleepin’ Animinion from bleepingcomputer.com:

Any, true recycling effort that would be of a profitable nature needs to be EPA approved. Due to the multiple hazardous materials mixed in with the minute amounts of precious metals. As well as the highly toxic removal and heavy metals separations processes. Also as an example it would take an average of one ton of random circuit-board waste to generate one pound of gold. Add to that electronic grade precious metals are not the expensive jewelry grade high dollar metals. Therefore looking at the gold market is not the price you would get. So the profit you would make on the precious metals would be eaten up by the fees and expense of waste disposal of the one ton of hazardous useless waste product left behind after you reclaimed the precious and hazardous heavy metals. This is definitely not a a project to undertake on a small scale in your garage.

This last quote is an important thing to consider.

If you are considering dropping off your scrap electronics and appliances ask the receiving party if they are environmentally approved and a member of an Electronic Stewardship. After all, your discarded electronics will earn a tidy sum of money for a large scale salvager. The least they can do is operate within the law and operate with an environmental conscience. But there is some worry.

The salvagers are looking for an uninformed public- they set up their marketing and advertising in a way that makes no mention of the economic benefits they stand to make.

They seldom if ever offer you a small stipend for your ‘donated scrap’ and perhaps even worse, many pose as “good deed” companies ridding us of our “broken goods” destined for the landfill. The Ontario Electronic Stewardship is a non-profit group that overseas responsible recycling of electronics. This Stewardship works with existing legal frameworks put in place by Waste Diversion Ontario and the 2002 Waste Diversion Act. www.wdo.ca

Social impact in the developing world.

In Southern China over 100,000 people including children spend their lives dismantling discarded electronic devices for scrap metal and an unknown number are doing the same thing in Nigeria. http://www.economist.com/news/international/21570678-growing-mounds-electronic-scrap-can-mean-profits-or-scandals-cadmium-lining

In this file photo from 2001, a migrant child sits atop a pile of unrecyclable computer waste imported to Guiya, China, from other countries.

Basal Action Network

Some players are keeping it real.

Not every electronic device recycling campaign is shady. Increasingly, not-for-profit groups and volunteer fire departments are setting up large recycling bins with signage such as “your donated scrap metal and electronics helps fund X”.

If you are considering dropping off discarded electronics to your local “recycling and scrap drive” ask a few questions. Where are the profits from the salvaged materials going? Is the company operating the drive aware of the Ontario Electronic Stewardship guidelines? What happens to your donated goods at the end of the cycle- are they destined for a landfill or for China?

Culture

Novel Warns North Americans Of Corrupt Bankers And Valueless Dollar

August 22, 2018 The Silo Leave a comment

Back in 2012 The Silo reported on a dark novel titled Zurabia. That book held a plot that seems less like fiction with each passing year. Corrupt bankers, a practically valueless dollar, hyper-unemployment and underemployment, home-grown terrorism, the uptick in natural disasters and the overall lack of trust in our most important institutions – these are some of the reasons all North Americans should be very, very concerned, according to author Peter Dash a world-traveled researcher for Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs.

PeterDashZurabia — Peter Dash and his novel

“I predict a brutal world ahead of us,” says Dash, author of “ZUrabia,” a book about rogue forces taking over the world’s most important institutions. “Unfortunately, I have been right since my research at Harvard in 1986, when I questioned the viability of government institutions to meet general needs and growing problems, both domestically and abroad.”

The pragmatic holiday shopper this year will purchase items to safeguard their families against these threats, which have been long in the making and won’t disappear quickly, he says.

zurabia1 — From Dash’s homepage- a map of Zurabia complete with mountains and a mushroom cloud. Biblical ! CP

“Terrorism wasn’t inaugurated with 9-11; extremism in Muslim sects has been growing for decades, and Neo-Nazi groups are starting to flourish in failing states like Greece,” he says. “The dollar has been steadily losing its value since the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913; climate change has been on the radar for quite a while; and there have been greedy bankers since, well, banks have existed.”

“If you’re confident that everything is sure to be okay, then you’re not paying attention,” he says.

He offers a four-point survival strategy for holiday and everyday shopping:

• Gold is good: The dollar has lost 95 percent of its value in 100 years, and it will continue losing value. As
the Reserve continues to flood money into the system, thereby reducing current or potential value, more inflation is inevitable, acting as yet another tax on wages. So, collect and buy any gold that you can and consider spending federal notes while they’re still worth something to businesses. Think about your
jewelry, and buying more. Silver is a good option if gold is too expensive, and there are Exchange Traded Funds, or ETFs, that are backed by physical gold. A reputable banker or broker can help explain for those who are interested. “TD Ameritrade or Charles Schwab may be good places to start getting information on gold and silver ETF trading,” according to Dash.

• Inflation: Spend your money now or smartly invest it before you lose it. Remember, banks often give clients less than one percent on many accounts, but inflation on food and real items we use, like gasoline, are going up by much more. In essence, your banker is stealing your money through the assistance of the Fed, which is killing your savings rate by cheapening money. As if to pour salt on this wound, the bank,
in many cases, lends money at four percent or higher. Rerouting some bank savings/wages by investing in canned food, for example, may protect you against the scourge of food inflation, as well as other disasters.

• Worthy purchases: With food and water, a failed society puts a premium on additional goods. They include home insulation, gardening tools and materials, computer programs and language learning kits – perhaps Spanish or Chinese – because of the increasing prominence of other cultures. Guns, security systems and other measures to protect one’s home will likely prove extremely valuable should law enforcement be spread too thin, or fail as an institution.

• Buy in bulk: Places like Wal-Mart or Costco will help you get the most value with large purchases of food. It’s important to be well-stocked if something happens that results in the emptying of grocery markets, but remember to have adequate space in your house, apartment or cabin for a “safe” room, which is part of a sound strategy for protecting you and your family.

Peter Dash has been a teacher, professor and corporate trainer for the last 17 years, working in Saudi Arabia, the former Soviet Union and China. He has an applied science degree in forestry from the University of British Columbia and a Masters in applied teaching from Southern Queensland in Australia. He was a researcher in world (dis) order and youth groups at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs, started by Henry Kissinger. He follows the investment field intensely, focusing on commodity funds and trends.
Fifteen percent of his book’s royalties will go to needy students consistent to the many years Dash has worked in assisting voluntary youth organizations. He lives on a small tropical island that is stocked with the finest well water, fish and food. Dash invests in Gold ETFs and commodity trading companies.

Supplemental– CBC radio interview with Dash on Zurabia

Sci-Tech

Real Meteorite Part Of New Royal Canadian Mint Coin

June 27, 2018 The Silo Leave a comment

TORONTO, June, 2018 /CNW/ – The Royal Canadian Mint has created a truly out-of-this-world collectible by adding a genuine meteorite fragment to limited edition silver coins marking the 150^th anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. This vividly illustrated coin, unveiled at a special ceremony in Toronto attended by RASC officials and former Canadian astronaut Dave Williams. It is available for purchase as of today.

“One hundred and fifty years of research, education and discovery by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is an engaging story to share with Canadians,” said Sandra Hanington, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. “It is only fitting that RASC’s many scientific achievements be recognized on a vividly coloured coin, which breaks barriers of its own by featuring a shard of a real meteorite.”

Designed by Canadian artist Alexandra Lefort, the reverse design of this coin features a deep space vista enhanced by engraved textural details and full colour. Prominent design elements include the Eagle Nebula and its pillars of interstellar gas and dust, which are known as the Pillars of Creation. Also featured are the Moon, the Andromeda Galaxy (nearest to our own) and a blazing meteorite, enhanced by a genuine iron meteorite fragment from the Campo del Cielo meteorite field.

“The RSAC is excited to be celebrating our 150^th anniversary with the issuance of a coin that symbolically depicts the important contributions of Canadian astronomers,” said Randy Attwood, executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – 150th Anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has a limited mintage of 5,500 and retails for $149.95CDN. It can be ordered by contacting the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca. Please mention The Silo when calling. The coin will also soon be available at the Royal Canadian Mint’s boutiques in Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as through the Mint’s global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada’s circulation coins. An ISO 9001 certified company the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit. www.mint.ca

Reviews

World First Magnet Operated Coin From Canada Mint

June 6, 2018 The Silo Leave a comment

OTTAWA, June, 2018 / CNW/ – The Mint continues to tap in to its creativity and innovation to further unleash the potential of coin manufacturing and transform the coin collecting experience. Such is the case with the 2018 $50 Fine Silver Coin – Antique Carousel and several other head-turning coins in the June 2018 numismatic catalogue.

In a world-first, the Mint’s Research & Development team has meticulously created a 6 oz. silver coin featuring a miniature, functional carousel that rotates with the help of a magnet. This timeless attraction at countless Canadian carnivals and fairs is the crowning piece of artist Calder Moore’s design, selectively plated in gold, much like the gilded carousels of the past. Even the horses move up and down on this dazzling creation which is limited to a world-wide mintage of only 1,000.

Another impressive 3D design element can be found on the 2018 $200 Pure Gold Coin – 30^th Anniversary of the Silver Maple Leaf. This 1 oz. gold coin is enhanced by a “high intricacy casting” of a silver maple leaf that literally pops from its reverse proof surface. In another Mint-first, we have launched the 2018 $250 Fine Silver Coin – Maple Leaf Forever: a one kilo 99.99% pure silver coin, our largest convex coin to date, featuring the artwork of senior Mint engraver Stan Witten.

Finally, two new coin sets stand out as memorable additions to an exciting line-up of classic and unique numismatic products. The 2018 Fine Silver 3-Coin Set – Beneath Thy Shining Skies features a complex design by artist Rebecca Yanovskaya. Two rectangular coins flank a maple-leaf shaped centrepiece to compose a panoramic tableau that links scenery and famous Canadian landmarks to illustrate the story of our nation and its people.

History takes centre stage on a four-coin set celebrating the “Colonial Currency of the Atlantic Provinces”. Struck with dies mimicking the wear of well-circulated coins and hand finished with an antique patina, these icons of early Canadian numismatic history are beautifully reproduced in 99.99% pure silver. In order to bring out the elegant features of each period design, each coin is larger in diameter than its original.

Other collectibles available this month include:

The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – First World War Allied Forces: Canada, the first coin in a new series commemorating the contribution of the major Allied forces that brought fighting to an end with the Armistice of November 11, 1918. The design featuring the Canadian cavalry is the work of artist Pandora Young;
The $100 Fine Silver Coin – Keepers of Parliament: The Unicorn, the first of a series of 10 oz. silver coins, designed by Patrick Bélanger and showcasing stonework figures watching over the front doors of Parliament;
The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Fireworks at the Falls, featuring a Tony Bianco colour illustration of the natural landmark, with a hidden nighttime fireworks scene only visible under black light;
The 2018 $500 Pure Gold Coin – Predators of the Wild, an impressive 5 oz. designed by Emily Damstra;
The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Zentangle® Art: The Great Horned Owl, designed by Jori Van Der Linde;
The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Canadian Canopy: The Maple Leaf, designed by Emily Damstra;
The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin Frozen in Ice – Scimitar Sabretooth Cat, designed by Glen Loates;
The 2018 $3 Fine Silver Coin – The Thirteen Teachings from Grandmother Moon: Strawberry Moon, designed by Frank Polson; and,
The crystal-enhanced 2018 $5 Fine Silver Coin – Birthstones: July, featuring a mandala-inspired ruby design by artist Pandora Young.

Mintages, pricing and full background information on each product can be found on the “Shop” tab of www.mint.ca. Coin images can be viewed here.

All of these products can be ordered directly from the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada,
1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca. Please mention The Silo when contacting. The coins are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint’s boutiques in Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as through our global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada’s circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008 certified corporation, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale.

Sci-Tech

Asteroid Prospecting And Mining Nearing

October 25, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered how you’d mine an asteroid? Not many people have. But you may be interested to discover that scientists are actually attempting to achieve this, seemingly impossible, feat. You may even remember reading about an asteroid mining company here at The Silo. That company is still in business.

Why? Well, an asteroid can hold many materials that are considered to be very valuable back here on earth. And, bearing in mind how many asteroids there are, asteroid mining could turn into being a far more “earth-friendly” way to gather resources.

So, check out this infographic from our friends at fuelfighter.co.uk and discover how scientists are planning on mining Asteroids and how much it could cost in US dollars/British pounds to do so.

Culture

Up for bidding- One of only 24 Barber 1894 Dimes ever struck

December 26, 2015 The Silo Leave a comment

Heritage Auctions Coin News- 1894-S Barber Dime leads Heritage Tampa, FL FUN Platinum Night offerings *NOTE Jan8th 2016 Canadian Press picks up our story and updates–

1894-S 10C Branch Mint PR66 PCGS Secure. CAC 1894-S 10C Branch Mint PR66 PCGS Secure. CAC
An 1894-S Barber Dime, Branch Mint PR66 PCGS CAC, the finest known survivor, will offer one collector a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own one of the most famous, mysterious and elusive coins in American numismatics when it comes to auction on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, as the centerpiece of Heritage Auctions’ Platinum Night offerings at the FUN Convention in Tampa, FL.

This is just the fourth auction appearance in history of this celebrated rarity.

“The 1894-S Barber dime is a classic in American coinage,” said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. “This legendary coin is often grouped with the 1804 dollar and the 1913 Liberty nickel as ‘The Big Three’ of U.S. coin rarities. It has been the stuff of collector dreams since it was first mentioned in the numismatic press by Augustus Heaton in 1900.”

Only 24 Barber dimes were struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1894, apparently in order to balance a bullion account. No more than nine – and possibly only eight – examples of the 1894-S are known to collectors today, with this coin being the finest survivor certified by PCGS.

Many collectors in Tampa will have their eye on the 1870-S Silver Dollar XF40 PCGS, ex: Ostheimer-Gardner, the fourth finest known example of this landmark rarest regular issue silver dollar, that will be on offer, as well as a storied error issue in the form of a 1943-S 1C Struck on a Bronze Planchet AU55 PCGS Secure, the third finest graded at PCGS and the third-finest of six confirmed examples.

Topping the gold offerings at FUN are an 1849-C G$1 Open Wreath MS62 PCGS Secure, Ex: Richmond Collection, the finest-known specimen and one of the rarest and most valuable coins in the U.S. gold series, along with an 1804 Quarter Eagle, 13 Stars Reverse, AU55 PCGS Secure CAC, the second finest known example of the exceedingly rare BD-1 Variety.

Further highlights include, but certainly are not limited to: •1792 Fusible Alloy Cent VF35 PCGS Secure CAC, Ex: Simpson
•1861 Original CSA Cent MS64+ PCGS Secure CAC, Ex: Simpson: Probably the finest known
•1943 Cent Struck on a Bronze Planchet AU58 PCGS Secure CAC, Ex: Simpson
•1792 Half Disme MS62 PCGS Secure, Ex: Simpson
•1792 Disme Fine 15 NGC
This auction is open for bidding now at www.HA.com/coins.

Seldom Seen Selections: 1883 double eagle, A classic Proof-only rarity

1883 $20 PR65 Deep Cameo PCGS
1883 $20 PR65 Deep Cameo PCGS
The 1883 is the first of three proof-only Liberty Head double eagle issues, struck during a period when the demand for gold and silver coinage was at an all-time low for the second half of the 19th century. The 1883, 1884, and 1887 double eagle issues, each proof-only, were struck in reported amounts of 92, 71, and 121 pieces, respectively.

The Gem Deep Cameo proof 1883 twenty dollar in our January 6-11 FUN US Coins Signature Auction , certified by PCGS as Proof-65 Deep Cameo, is among the few finest survivors of the issue, regardless of contrast level. PCGS shows eight Deep Cameo submissions of the 1883 (likely including duplicates): one in PR62, two each in PR64 and PR65 (one of which is this piece), and three PR66. NGC’s population data show three Ultra Cameo grading events for the issue, the finest of which is a single example in PR66 . Again, there is likely some overlap between these 11 Deep/Ultra Cameo certified pieces. Walter Breen’s Proof Encyclopedia comments that “there may be as many as 20 survivors,” of course including all contrast levels (non-Cameo and Cameo as well as Deep-Ultra). More recently, the second edition of Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth’s Gold Encyclopedia provides these clues:

“The 1883 double eagle was struck only in Proof format. Of the reported mintage of 92 coins, it is nearly certain that not this many were released. There are about 20 examples known in all levels of preservation, These include two examples in the Smithsonian and others placed in museum collections. The 1883 double eagle is one of the classic rarities of the series. The demand for this Proof-only issue has always been high. In recent years interest in the issue has surged. …”

The authors conclude by citing a 2006 auction record of $212,750 for a PR65 Cameo NGC example, undoubtedly from our FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2006), lot 3580. We find no later auction offerings of PR65 Cameo examples, but with the Deep Cameo contrast of this coin, we find a more-recent sighting in the same grade and service as this piece. Lot 5566 in our FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2014), was a PR65 Deep Cameo PCGS example that brought a healthy $282,000 – a coin of comparable quality to the present piece.

As the old sayings goes, “There are lies, damned lies, and statistics,” and nowhere else does this apply more so than in the rarefied realms of top-quality U.S. numismatic items — and proof gold in particular, the Beluga caviar of collecting. Despite estimates of how many were struck of a given issue or exactly how many might survive today, the fact is, auction offerings of proof Liberty Head double eagles of this caliber are infrequent indeed, and there are far more collectors who desire one than the forthright bidder who will actually obtain this piece.

Perusal of this coin without a loupe reveals consistent, deep sunset-orange coloration in the highly reflective fields, producing extreme contrast with the frosted devices which were the deepest, unpolished parts of the proof die. A loupe shows a tiny touch of hazel on the lower neck at JBL for a pedigree marker, along with a tiny glossy area on a tail feather above the D(OLLAR), apparently a small planchet flaw, as made. There are small unfinished areas at the bottom of some of the vertical shield stripes. There are simply no distractions on this immaculate coin.