8155

1936[50C] Rhode Island Half, Badge, and Presentation Case.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1936[50C] Rhode Island Half, Badge, and Presentation Case.
<B>1936<50C> Rhode Island Half, Badge, and Presentation Case.</B></I> This special presentation case was manufactured by The Robbins Co of Attleboro, Massachusetts--as stamped on the inside front flap of the case. It has four flaps and a mounting back that is approximately 2 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches. The case is black leather and two of the inner flaps and the mounting back appear to be lined with blue silk. The badge itself is simply and enigmatically inscribed: 1636 R.I. 1936 / TERCENTENARY / SPECIAL. The connecting ribbon is red, white, and blue, and the coin is mounted in a bezel. The top side of the ribbon is faded, suggesting to us that this may have been in a store window for some time which partially faded that side. The back side of the ribbon is as bright and vibrant in color as the day it was issued.<BR> This special presentation case is unrecorded and unknown to commemorative collectors. We sent photos of it to commemorative expert Anthony Swiatek, and he was as baffled by it as we were. He had nothing in his records about such a case. Without belaboring the obvious, the term "SPECIAL" at the top of the badge indicates that this must have been presented to some person who was special to the Rhode Island Tercentenary Commission. A phone call to the consignor revealed that many years ago he purchased this item from an antique dealer. This antique dealer told him at that time that three such cases were produced. Unfortunately, who that dealer was and who the cases were produced for is now unknown. The coin itself is a high-end MS64 piece that has heavy russet toning around the margins from the decades spent in the bezel. The overall condition of the black leather case is really quite remarkable. There are no tears in the leather, just minor soiling on the silk lining and some separation of the silk liner from the leather on the inside right flap. Also, the snap on the outside of the case still works. This is an extraordinary, and as far as we know unprecedented commemorative offering that is sure to fire the imagination of many advanced collectors. <BR><BR><B>Important notice:</B> Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Since eBay bids are not shown to us until we open the lot on the floor, we treat those bids just like floor bids. In most cases the floor responds before the eBay bid is presented to us, due to Internet lag time, so for consistency we have made it a policy that floor bids are always considered first over tie eBay live bids. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 20% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid. </span></font></tr></table></td></tr></table>