It’s odd sometimes how one acquires Conder tokens. They never seem to be available on a logical or linear basis. They appear and the window to own them is usually open for a very limited amount of time. “Should I?” sometimes becomes “I should have…” Lately I find myself thinking, “Ah heck, why not!” The other day I bought this Pidcock’s D&H 423a from a seller in Dublin..... I love the details on the elephant’s head but the scratch on its back is a little disturbing. Like someone was trying to draw a saddle or something. Also it looks like the edges were filed down more than a little bit. Nice token nevertheless but I fear I may have paid too much. And I doubt it will ever warrant more than a details grade. The very next day I spotted a Pidcock’s D&H 422 offered for sale. Almost identical to the 423a, the only difference is a slightly different reverse. Plus the 422 is scarce while the 423a is listed in D&H as common. The price was fair and I trust the seller 100%. Here it is… Looks like a perfectly centered strike to me and how about that luster! This token is every bit as nice as my Pidcock’s D&H 414 and looks incredible beside it. Who would like to guess the grade assigned by NGC on the 422?
I think they are interesting pieces,what are their price ranges.If they are hard to come by,are they expensive? or do they just not show up in the marketplace?
Since I don't collect them, I haven't a clue when it comes to grading these. I'll guess MS65RB without deducting for the fingerprints. Chris
Deduction for fingerprint!!?? That is King Louis the IV's fingerprint. He put them on all the Conders of the land to verify that they were real. A nice fingerprint from him is essential on all the top conders...
In that case, he didn't do a very good job. He missed the first one. He should be excommunicated! Chris
I don't know the grade, but I think the tokens look a lot better in the new NGC holders than they did in the older ones. Despite the "jaws of death" prongs, the tokens come alive in the newer holders. They seemed to get lost in the solid white background of the older holders. Nice looking piece. guy
Either AU58BN or MS62BN, essentially the same grade. Nice Conder! For those wondering what the differences are between the two reverse dies - the ground beneath the cow is slightly different and the symbol between the words at K3 and K9 is different.
I have found that they are hard to find (rarely offered for sale) and have become expensive these days. They seem to start at $100 and go up from there.
Sorry Duke, but I fear the fingerprint on the reverse if from a London commoner paying for his McMutton Happy Meal many years ago.
Farthing nailed the grade at MS62 but it's RB not BN. I felt it deserved a MS63 but I'm not complaining.
I used to find them on eBay for around $50, but I think those days are over. Conder tokens are usually found in VG-VF condition and frequently have been cleaned or lacquered. It's rare to find anything approaching even AU55. I was fortunate to find a gentleman from Pennsylvania selling his collection on eBay in 2008 and won about about a dozen, four of which NGC graded between MS62--> MS64.
I agree 100%, especially the "come alive" part. I prefer them raw but for the really rare ones the NGC Edgeview holder makes a great display case!
I have quite a few but they are all less then MS and I sure like the MS ones you guys keep showing Off I go to look some more Thanks HiHO
I think the 62 comes from the somewhat flat strike, which is common given the amount of metal that had to fill both the elephant and the cow. NGC is often quite tough on these tokens, though I think they were more generous with the grades given to the collection auctioned recently by Goldbergs. I think when a group of high grade coins/tokens are submitted together it helps elevate the grades given on some of the liners. I also agree about the new NGC holder. The prongs are so much better than the old holders for these tokens.
