WATCH FOR ANOTHER AMAZING HIGH RELIEF MEDAL IN OUR UPCOMING WORLD'S FAIR MEDALS SALE

Over the years we have sold examples of each of these amazing medals by diameter and metal content. There was debate over the years--and I don't know that it has ended--that some of these are actual proofs.

By definition, a proof is struck TWICE on a specially treated and prepared planchet. The extra strike resulting in bringing up the detail better than could be done with a single strike. My feeling after 40 years of studying the World's Columbian Expo is that NO ACTUAL PROOFS WERE MADE & SOLD FOR THE FAIR IN 1893.

Of course I could be incorrect; but I have never seen mention of actual proofs in literature.

My feeling is that a gem prooflike example of this medal in any size and in any metal is the most impressive example(s) of WCE medals, and there are many incredibly beautiful medals. If you have never seen one of these as a pristine gilt medal, you've yet to experience the finest the WCE medals have to offer.

In about 1979 I was introduced to the World's Columbian Exposition at a Seattle coin show. I had a dealer table at the show for several years. While walking the floor when the crowd was very small I saw a really nice aluminum medal in its original box; it was the high relief Liberty medal and I immediately purchased it. I cannot remember how much I paid, other than it seemed ridiculously inexpensive--$20 or less!

I went back to my table and put the medal and box in one of my cases. Not long after someone came up and asked how much I wanted for it. I said I had just purchased it and wasn't ready to sell it. I was not planning to sell it at all but to add it to my own collection.

The man pulled out a $100 bill and said "I'll give you this for it." I opened the case and put the medal in his hand as I accepted the $100 bill.

I was instantly remorseful. The business is all about doing business--and making money. So the opportunity to make five times what I'd paid perhaps a half hour earlier was a no brainer. Except that I was a collector, too, and even if I had sold my collection I would liked to have that medal and box in a display cabinet in my office. Over the years I built a quite nice (not spectaular and not particular large) collection of Columbiana, including so-called dollars. I sold perhaps 30 or more of them at one time when I forced myself to quite competing with myself and realizing I could not seek out rarities as a collector and at the same time look for them for resale.

That idea reached its pinnacle when I sold my Columbian ticket collection in 2008 via an auction by Heritage that realized about $40,000 for my tickets. I have found many more very rare tickets since then and also been fortunate to sell many consigned WCE ticket and overall collections.

I am currently working on a book that will catalog all known WCE tickets and of major importnce, will cite prices realized over about 40+ years of auctions, sales and private transactions.

I also have a color catalog of my collection that Heritage was nice to provide me as print overruns. That catalog, a separate introduction and a dozen pages of prices realized all combine to form a single package that I sell for less than $20 and will continue to do so until I exhaust my supply of the color catalogs.

One of the WCE collections I have sold was that of John Kennel. His ticket collection was amazing in both size and quality. I created an ongoing informal catalog of his collection over the three years I spent selling it. I intended this to be primarily a record of sales. I have just made the decision to "clean up" my file and make the record of tickets and prices realized in an inexpensive catalog for collectors. Just his tickets will probably require at least a 40-page catalog.

Thanks for your time--and please contact us if you have questions about current inventory of all things world's fair. You might find it interesting to read our blog, www.worldscolumbianjournal.com. Note that there is no apostrophe in "worlds" in the address.

I HAVE ACQUIRED A TERRIFIC EXAMPLE OF THE MEDAL WHICH I WILL INCLUDE IN OUR WORLD'S FAIR SALE LATER IN THE YEAR.