4008

Reference Collection of Western FAUX silver ingots [182784]

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Ingots Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:200.00 - 500.00 USD
Reference Collection of Western FAUX silver ingots   [182784]
SOLD
130.00USD+ (32.50) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2024 Aug 25 @ 08:14UTC-7 : PDT/MST
UNCLAIMED MERCHANDISE: In the event that a successful bidder has paid in full for their merchandise but fails to settle outstanding shipping invoices or make arrangements for merchandise pickup within 60 days, HWAC reserves the right to declare the merchandise forfeited. This forfeiture will result in the merchandise becoming the property of HWAC and the successful bidder shall have no claim to or rights over the forfeited merchandise.
Reference Collection of Western FAUX silver ingots (8/2024) This lot has most of an important group of faux ingots I put together many years ago. Over the years, many of us have seen quite a variety of these ìingotsî, especially after the creation of eBay. Overall, I found 23 different Wells Fargo ingots, and several others, such as “Parsons,” “Death Valley Mining Co.”, “P S & Co.”, “U S Coin”, “Columbian Souvenir”, “Moffat,” and a few I do not remember. There are additional varieties if you include the reverses, as all of the obverses do not have the same reverse all the time. Many have a serial numberîpunched along an edge or the reverse. This particular group has 27 different pieces. Keep the photo of this lot with your reference file. The ingots here were all made by a California man in the late 1960s or early 1970s (I forget which) for gift shop souvenirs reminiscent of the “Old West.” None are copies. None use any form of any real insignia, logo or known originality. All are fantasies, made exclusively as such, designed to ignite the imagination of young folks and collectors back then. They sold for about $1 each at the time. Over the years, they began to pop back into the marketplace. “They have to be real. I got it from my grandmother”, I’m frequently told. Well ñ you might have! But these are, in fact, now ìOfficialî antiques since they are about 50 years old. None are made of silver. I analyzed one of them years ago and published the results. As I recall, they appear to be made from melting foreign coin. The maker simply punched each ingot with a fancy design on the front, then flipped them over and grabbed one of a dozen or so punches he had to randomly apply a reverse punch, usually some form of eagle. There was no rhyme or reason for which eagle went on which obverse. They came out about the same time as the large (humorous) fantasy ìbawdy houseî thin brass tokens, which were also about a buck apiece at the time. Different folks make these even today, still very popular with tourists. [] [] [] [] []