What do you do when your purchase turns out to be not what you expected? What do you do when finding out you won't be able to use the item you bought? Bummer...right? Return it? Look for another one? Not in this case, though. What appeared to be just another damaged item, turned out to be not that! Why on earth did someone glue that coin there, thus damaging both pieces? Could it be removed and at least salvage the main piece? The coin was obviously a goner. Answers to these questions became clear as the investigative work continued.. What did the engraving mean? Maybe the seller could shed some light? Could Google help? Turns out it could! First, seller provided name and little history. Turns out this is not a damaged piece. This is an award, a golfing award, from the 1970's. The coin is supposed to be glued there. Why? This is not just any award -There's more, the award was given to someone who made friends with...the King of Belgium. Makes sense that a coin depicting the King would be attached to the award. With the help of Google, some information arised. As related by book author, Curtis Benton: The team the author is referring to is the American Seniors Golf Association. Next in the book there's some information about him and even mention of the small award. The award is described to be slightly different, since the story takes place in 1976, 3 years later than the date inscribed on award. Is it a plate presented to every member of team, or an award given to the winner? That remains unknown even though the first option is most likely. The story doesn't end here. This won't serve the purpose it was bought for. No candy or nuts to go in this. Not a small tray or a dish. This needs to stay as is, not have the coin removed as first intended. It must go into a collection of someone who will cherish it and its story for years to come! Excerpts from Golf: Playing with Some Great Pros and Many Great Guys By Curtis D. Benton, Jr.
Do you want to remove the coin from the plate? If it's welded on, I would leave it. If it is glued on, I think it can be removed.
That is a cool piece of History. "Ah, a coin is naught but a picture, that a thousand word can not explain".
It is so interesting to see for which reason people collect - I am always fascinated by their intention and each is intersting by itself. Many collect for value, but I love the reason as you just mentioned above - the "passion to collect" = to have a witness of history. Sometimes I hear that people turn coins into jewellery (which is also a cool idea and brings it to a "modern" level) but it is also a damage of an unique witness of time and its story will be destroyed. Your piece is cool - leave it like it it is...
Congratulations on your first Featured Article. I love it when the backstory of an individual coin comes into focus like that. I've had several such moments of serendipity, and loved every one. My only complaint is that they didn't mount the coin in the center of the plate. It's "off" a bit. I wonder if that was deliberate. Probably so, due to the placement of the enhraving.
I do, although it's hard to relate. My abysmal golf game has never earned an award of any kind, and never will!