Speaking Of Coins...

[George]

Again it is funny how a completely off the wall subject comes up, and just happens to be right in line with something I was looking at that day ..

Our newest member Amraa brought up and added new insight within an old topic about Mongolian coins..

I was just reminded yet again today of an old Snuff Bottle Society, Snuff Bottle Review, Volume Vl #3 September 1981..

It shows a Tibetan bottle that sold for $1900.00 US back at that time.. 

Yet, I stumble on to one of these from time to time ( example below two pics ) that appear to be formed out of similar old coins.. The two pics below are just one example... I see these fairly often, yet the sell for a fraction the that price.. Some for hardly anything at all..

Curious what the difference would be that makes one bottle worth so much ( 1981 ) and others with what appear old coins, but sell for so little..

Maybe it has something to do with the actual coin being something rare..

Then again, maybe ones like the two pics below are not coins at all... ??

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear George,
      I'd been seeing those Mongolian coin bottles for years, and didn't like them. then that bottle sold for US$1,900  in 1981, and I bought 3 for US$160, and tried to sell them. I lost almost US$20 on the three!
I honestly don't know why that bottle fetched that price, unless your query whether the specific coins were rare,  is actually the reason.
Shabbat Shalom,
  Joey

[George]

I noticed even Hilde had one in her collection as well..

Also, here is a auction catalog if anyone is interested..

[Wattana]

George, Joey,

Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason why two bottles of the same type should sell for hugely different amounts. Regarding the 1981 sale, it could just be that two very insistent bidders happened to be at the same auction, and it became a 'contest of wills', which had little to do with the true value of the bottle.

I'd say that was one VERY lucky seller back in 1981!

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Tom L.,
   I think that you are 100% correct, on both points. It became a one on one 'battle' between the bidders, and the seller must have been thanking G-D afterward!
Joey