Sure, grade is the epitome to what makes a coin valuable, rare, and marketable in today's hobby in numismatics. However, there are some exceptions when it comes to Civil War Token and Merchant Token collecting. The biggest factor in determining value is rarity in these subjects. First consider how many tokens have been produced to take the place of commonly hoarded change, we're talking less than 1% of the whole. To reinforce my point, I once purchased a relatively uncommon, an R-7 Nevada saloon token from the now defunct town of Blair. I probably paid more than what most others would shell out for the simple reason that it is a rare token from a currently unincorporated town in central Nevada. What I didn't mention from the onset, is that this token is rusty and polished to a bright brass, it wasn't attractive, and it wasn't fancy. But ultimately it was a rare token that stands to have less than 10 in existence, most of which have been absorbed into low key collections several decades ago.
Here's a brief list of problems that are not problems for merchant token collectors: bent, corroded, rusted, holed, harshly cleaned, cut in half, whizzed, etc. If you do the appropriate research on your state of choice, you'll know what tokens are market acceptable in these types of conditions. Keep in mind, there are a multitude of guides that are specific to the state you are collecting. They're an invaluable resource in the hobby of token collecting. Best of luck in your hobby!
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The J.J. Beals token from Boston, MA is a beautiful token and
a tougher rarity. Even with the corroded/painted surfaces, the
Beals token is a supreme seller among Massachusetts/Boston
token collectors. Just goes to show that condition is a secondary
issue. |
