Tried to Auction My GW Inaugural Button

[FreeBirdTim]

I think it is all interesting discussion. For example, how a button made of copper or an alloy can be worth more than an older piece of Spanish gold just because of sentimentality.

I think most people view them as historical artifacts. They were issued to honor the first president this country ever had, which was a very significant historical event.

 

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[creskol]

They are all "banner" finds. That "turkey eagle" variety is the most common one found. I have owned 4 over the years. I don't have them anymore, it is pretty hard to get the other varieties and I just gave up.

This one that I found and posted back in April, of which there are very few known*, is pretty rare, but it wasn't banner worthy.

*(less than 10 specimens)

 

[SultansOfSwing]

This one that I found and posted back in April is pretty rare, but it wasn't banner worthy.

It's beyond worthy. I challenge anyone to find another one in as good of condition. My opion is that this banner system is not equal..i.e.. a certain # of banner votes gets the nomination. Equal chance for everyone based on accumulated votes. Instead I see some things with 4 pages of people all voting banner and it never makes it up top, while ive seen other items not even get a 1/4 of the interest and get banner seemingly instantly. Someone on the other end of this website seems to make the final say. My opinion.

 

[creskol]

It's beyond worthy. I challenge anyone to find another one in as good of condition. My opion is that this banner system is not equal..i.e.. a certain # of banner votes gets the nomination. Equal chance for everyone based on accumulated votes. Instead I see some things with 4 pages of people all voting banner and it never makes it up top, while ive seen other items not even get a 1/4 of the interest and get banner seemingly instantly. Someone on the other end of this website seems to make the final say. My opinion.

Here is something neat to look at since we are talking about prices of GW Buttons

 

[smokeythecat]

Creskol, the button you found is a rare critter indeed! I have only found one GW ever. However, that being said, to find one on the east coast should not be an impossible task. I bought one once at an auction in a box of arrowheads for $2. A long time ago. A very long time ago. It was the "GW with linked states type".

 

[CASPER-2]

https://www.georgewashingtoninauguralbuttons.com/about-me-authenticity-certification-sales-service/

 

[Deleted member 140734]

I think they are exciting finds and one of my goals is to find more of them. The georgewashingtoninauguralbuttons.com site is both fascinating and harsh to our hobby: "Dug specimens from metal detector enthusiasts for all variety can be easily obtained and not considered rare." Sounds like someone who has invested a fortune at the auction houses and wants to plant this idea in people's heads.

 

[Deleted member 140734]

I didn't make an effort to let members here know i was selling it because I didn't know if was proper etiquette.

 

[Deleted member 140734]

I did do a search on the internet for selling GW buttons and came across an ad from the auction house Nate D. Sanders specifically advertising assistance in selling these buttons. They got back to me fairly quickly with: "Similar buttons have sold for around $800 at auction. Unfortunately, it would not be something that we can help you with." That set the tone for me.

 

[xcopperstax]

I think the GW buttons are not as rare as people make them out to be. Now keep in mind I have only been a detectorist for about 4 years so I am a relative know nothing... but in the short time I've been a member of this forum (1.5 years I think) I feel like I've seen the GW buttons go from instant banner to a few comments and congratulations. I follow a few east coast youtubers and in the past year or so the Hoover Boys crew has found 2 GW's, Stefdigs has found one, Miss detectorist has found one, and maybe a couple others. Plus the GW finds that have shown up on here with some regularity. There are a few people on here who have found multiple GW's. I am in a club with about 45-60 people and in the past three years none have been found and shown off at the monthly meetings as far as I remember. So yes they are rare on some level and maybe they seem more common because they are a whole bunch of varieties under the one name of GW. I feel like they are more likely to be found than a gold coin. I'm not trying to downplay anyone's excitement as I would be over the moon if I ever find one and it would pretty much be the ultimate find I could think of making.

 

[xcopperstax]

A couple other thoughts: I think when people find something like a gold coin they certainly know what it is. When people find GW buttons if they are new to the hobby or not super knowledgeable it's just a button. Think of how many people have found them before posting pictures on the internet was a thing. Another thought is that gold coins can probably be found in any country on the planet. These buttons are pretty much only going to be found in a small area which adds to their rarity in comparison to other stuff which can be found all over. Why gold coins? I guess that is my comparison to the next best thing to a GW. But It's also apples to oranges. Maybe they can't and shouldn't be compared. I hope to find them both someday! I keep my fingers crossed for every signal as you never know what's next! Here's a random thought: what's more likely to be found a flowing hair / chain cent or a GW? I feel like only Smokey the cat knows that one! Eastender: again congrats on a great find in great condition for a dug button!

 

[creskol]

I think the GW buttons are not as rare as people make them out to be. Now keep in mind I have only been a detectorist for about 4 years so I am a relative know nothing... but in the short time I've been a member of this forum (1.5 years I think) I feel like I've seen the GW buttons go from instant banner to a few comments and congratulations. I follow a few east coast youtubers and in the past year or so the Hoover Boys crew has found 2 GW's, Stefdigs has found one, Miss detectorist has found one, and maybe a couple others. Plus the GW finds that have shown up on here with some regularity. There are a few people on here who have found multiple GW's. I am in a club with about 45-60 people and in the past three years none have been found and shown off at the monthly meetings as far as I remember. So yes they are rare on some level and maybe they seem more common because they are a whole bunch of varieties under the one name of GW. I feel like they are more likely to be found than a gold coin. I'm not trying to downplay anyone's excitement as I would be over the moon if I ever find one and it would pretty much be the ultimate find I could think of making.

It depends on which variety you are talking about. I have seen way more gold coins found than some examples of the GW buttons.

 

[1320]

Personally, I'm glad that GW's don't make the banner simply because the majority of the members voting for them don't necessarily have the big picture. They see one and it's an automatic banner vote and others jump on board and without fail, the post becomes a banner campaign with drawn out comments to continually bump the post back to the top hoping to garner more banner votes. I used to get pretty excited about them because at first, not many were being displayed on Treasurenet. Then, all of a sudden, GW's are flying around here like wheat pennies. This woke up my skepticism which caused me to actually learn more about them, who made them, how many were made, etc. I think most would be surprised to learn that as a whole, there were ALOT of GW buttons manufactured. There are also tons of fake GW's out there. In the early stage of my research, I stumbled upon this passage and I've kept it right at the top of my GW notes.

"In the late 1800s, reproductions of these buttons were made for the 1876 Centennial and the 100th anniversary of the first Inaugural. Other Washington reproductions were made in the 1940s and for the Bicentennial."

Fake GW's have been floating around since the 1970's and it's noteworthy that the Chinese reproductions are very, very good. And you thought the Chinese just faked coins LOL.

 

[creskol]

Personally, I'm glad that GW's don't make the banner simply because the majority of the members voting for them don't necessarily have the big picture. They see one and it's an automatic banner vote and others jump on board and without fail, the post becomes a banner campaign with drawn out comments to continually bump the post back to the top hoping to garner more banner votes. I used to get pretty excited about them because at first, not many were being displayed on Treasurenet. Then, all of a sudden, GW's are flying around here like wheat pennies. This woke up my skepticism which caused me to actually learn more about them, who made them, how many were made, etc. I think most would be surprised to learn that as a whole, there were ALOT of GW buttons manufactured. There are also tons of fake GW's out there. In the early stage of my research, I stumbled upon this passage and I've kept it right at the top of my GW notes.

"In the late 1800s, reproductions of these buttons were made for the 1876 Centennial and the 100th anniversary of the first Inaugural. Other Washington reproductions were made in the 1940s and for the Bicentennial."

Fake GW's have been floating around since the 1970's and it's noteworthy that the Chinese reproductions are very, very good. And you thought the Chinese just faked coins LOL.

Many have been reproduced .. many have not.

Fakery can be applied to MANY things posted in the banner .. gold coins are no exception. Should we do away with the banner altogether for fear that something legit has a remote possibility of being fake?

Also, can you state your source for the information you posted .. I would like to read it in its entirety.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I didn't make an effort to let members here know i was selling it because I didn't know if was proper etiquette.

To sell items here requires being charter member, so to have advertised here you were selling would have required you becoming a charter member.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I think the GW buttons are not as rare as people make them out to be.

Just remember that you usually only see the best finds on YouTube videos. The people finding the GW buttons have also dug hundreds of boring 1700's buttons with nothing on them. I've personally found over 150 flat buttons from the 1700's, but never dug a GW button. And I live in Rhode Island, which seems to be one of the better places to find them.

 

[xcopperstax]

Just remember that you usually only see the best finds on YouTube videos. The people finding the GW buttons have also dug hundreds of boring 1700's buttons with nothing on them. I've personally found over 150 flat buttons from the 1700's, but never dug a GW button. And I live in Rhode Island, which seems to be one of the better places to find them.

Yeah I think about that too that in a way the GW's represent thousands of hrs of searching and we only see the cream of the crop. I love the youtube videos but they do have the underlying effect of making me scratch my head and ask how come I am not finding something amazing. Its the highlights and you mostly don't see the numerous fails. I'm not posting on here when I find nothing to speak of.

 

[xcopperstax]

Personally, I'm glad that GW's don't make the banner simply because the majority of the members voting for them don't necessarily have the big picture. They see one and it's an automatic banner vote and others jump on board and without fail, the post becomes a banner campaign with drawn out comments to continually bump the post back to the top hoping to garner more banner votes. I used to get pretty excited about them because at first, not many were being displayed on Treasurenet. Then, all of a sudden, GW's are flying around here like wheat pennies. This woke up my skepticism which caused me to actually learn more about them, who made them, how many were made, etc. I think most would be surprised to learn that as a whole, there were ALOT of GW buttons manufactured. There are also tons of fake GW's out there. In the early stage of my research, I stumbled upon this passage and I've kept it right at the top of my GW notes.

"In the late 1800s, reproductions of these buttons were made for the 1876 Centennial and the 100th anniversary of the first Inaugural. Other Washington reproductions were made in the 1940s and for the Bicentennial."

Fake GW's have been floating around since the 1970's and it's noteworthy that the Chinese reproductions are very, very good. And you thought the Chinese just faked coins LOL.

Very interesting. I'm wondering how hard it would be to tell a 1876 reproduction button that's been in the ground for 100+ years vs. one from the when they were originally made. Obviously both could have quite a patina or be worn to heck. I know the possibility of finding a Chinese fake from the 70's in the ground would be pretty slim. Probably would look too good to be true if one dug one of those. I'm sure location plays into it too. Thanks for the interesting thoughts on it.

 

[xcopperstax]

It depends on which variety you are talking about. I have seen way more gold coins found than some examples of the GW buttons.

Yeah I get that.

This is totally going off on a tangent but look at Massachusetts silver tree coins. They are probably more rare than gold coins and GW buttons but two different people in my Massachusetts club (surprise!) have found two tree coins this year I think. I guess where you find it plays into it a lot. I'm speculating here but a thing like a tree coin is the thing you probably have the greatest likelihood of finding in Mass but it's also probably more rare than a GW (all varieties added together) or a gold coin (lumped together). But if you break it down to a single variety of GW vs single Noe variety of tree coin.... hmmm I still have no idea. Just rolling it all around in my head here.

 

[creskol]

There are also tons of fake GW's out there. In the early stage of my research, I stumbled upon this passage and I've kept it right at the top of my GW notes.
"In the late 1800s, reproductions of these buttons were made for the 1876 Centennial and the 100th anniversary of the first Inaugural. Other Washington reproductions were made in the 1940s and for the Bicentennial." [/quotes]

I found the article you quoted here: It was written by Michael J. McQuillen and posted on 11/2010 in the Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine.
I contacted Mr. McQuillen and asked him where he got the information. He said, although he had seem some at shows and exhibits that he thought were reproductions, there was no written documentation to back up his statement.

I don't put a whole lot of faith in that type of assertion that isn't backed by some sort of written documentation.