|
|
The Louis Eliasberg, Sr.
Sale- A Personal Perspective
by Robert
Lehmann The dust has settled
and the numismatic event of our lifetime has concluded. As I sit here
in
the airport waiting to catch
a flight to my next destination, I am acutely aware of how physically
tired and emotionally exhausted my 37-year-old body is. For the last
4 days, I have heard the names of Stickney, Clapp and Eliasberg used
as if they were everyday household words. Listening to Julian Leidman
compare this incredible group of coins to the once-thought insurmountable
Garrett Collection, watching 75-year-old Art Kagin drop down in the middle
of the auction room reception area and do 40 push-ups as well as sharing
thoughts with Jay Parrino about his newly acquired 1885 gem proof Trade
Dollar are only a few of the lasting memories that will stay with me
for a lifetime. Yes, the last 4 days was much more than a sale or just
another auction. To call it such would undermine the whole relevancy
of an incredible feat that will never again be repeated. The only complete
collection of United States coins has now been dispersed.
Three
weeks ago I headed north on I-81 through Pennsylvania, destination Wolfeboro,
New Hampshire.
Driving for me is solitude, an
introspective time when I do some of my most productive thinking. I felt
a sense of anticipation as I began to mentally plot my strategy. Larry
and I had spent the last several weeks planting seeds with prospective
buyers. We had both heard numerous opinions about the quality of the
coins in this famed collection, as well as premature price projections.
I sincerely hoped that the rumors would be well founded: In 6 hours,
I would know.
My
thoughts raced as I pulled into Wolfeboro, a small hamlet of 4000 nestled
in beautiful
south-central
New Hampshire. Because
of unforeseen circumstances, I had arrived too late for lot viewing that
day. I would have to wait 12 hours to see the coins which only added
to my anxiety.
Larry had been viewing coins all day. I expected
that he would have seen a majority of the coins, and would have detailed
descriptions to share with me. To my amazement, he had only viewed 7
boxes or a mere 175 coins throughout the entire day. "What happened?" I
inquired. "Were there that many people waiting that you couldn't
get to the coins?" "No," he assured me. "It was a
very relaxed, pressure-free environment." "Well then, why did
you see so few coins in one hour period?" I responded. Larry thought
for a second, looked at me and said, "Rob, once you see these coins
you will understand. You simply can't go through them quickly. They are
remarkable. And, the dollars (a favorite area of interest for both of
us), are truly amazing. You won't be disappointed."
The
next morning we pulled into the bank building where lot viewing was to
take place.
As we entered
the lot viewing room,
it immediately dawned on me that this was no ordinary auction. The mood
was relaxed and the Bowers and Merena staff was extremely accommodating.
We were escorted to our private table where we were shown coins in an
intimate, friendly atmosphere. I guess special coins deserve special
treatment.
My first box, an early run of Morgan Dollars, created
a mind set that stayed with me for the rest of my stay. Beginning with
a remarkable gem 1878 8TF dollar in proof and concluding with an awe-inspiring
1883-S gem specimen piece, it quickly became apparent to me that this
was no ordinary collection. As I continued to view coins and make notes,
I became overwhelmed. I had to stop, take a breather, go back and look
at the same coins for a second time. Surely, I had missed something.
Morgan Dollars simply don't come this nice. But, the second time only
reinforced my initial impression. I found myself studying the 1883-S
dollar for 20 minutes! The coin was incredible. How did this piece stay
in such an impeccable state of preservation for over 100 years. Deep
proof-like fields mirrored beautifully against frosted, mark-free devices
like a mountain lake nestled in a virgin forest. It was virtually impossible
to find a defect on this pristine piece. "How do you grade it?" asked
Bill Spears, a Central Florida silver dollar specialist. "I guess
I would call it a MS-68 proof-like," I replied. "Yeah, me too," responded
Bill in a matter-of-fact tone. Like a car stuck in first gear, I continued
to view and study the coins, one at a time, slowly, methodically. Eight
hours went by like 20 minutes. Without warning, there was an announcement
that we would have to conclude our lot viewing for the day in 15 minutes.
I looked down at my tally sheet and realized that in 8 hours time I had
seen a whopping 6 boxes or 150 coins. I now understood what Larry had
realized 24 hours earlier.
I
left Wolfeboro 2 days later. Numismatically, I felt privileged but, emotionally
I
was drained.
The drive home was a
long one. I needed to get to my office and start contacting my clients.
How could I possibly convey to them what I had experienced for the last
3 days?
Click here to continue
|
Webstore