Will Seippel, CEO of WorthPoint, enjoys watching the items sold at auctions held by our WorthPoint Industry Partners. We thought it would be a great idea for him to select some of his favorite sold items and explain why those sales stood out to him. Gaining insights from Will is an excellent way to learn about buying and selling trends in our industry. We want to empower you to buy and sell with confidence. Take a look at his thoughts on a few of our partners’ recent sales.
On March 9, WorthPoint added an impressive 240,405 items to its Price Guide, bringing the total cumulative value to $14,866,355.41. This averages out to $61.83 per lot. I found some amazing lots in the currency area, and some items that made me remember the past. Let’s check them out.
Coins and Currency
Coins and currency were a major focus in yesterday’s auction, with Key Date Coins leading the charge once again. Among the standout items was a beautiful MS 63 1818 $5 Half Eagle, a stunning gold coin that survived the ravages of time in mint condition and sold for $29,500. The piece offered not only historic charm but also served as a solid inflation hedge for the buyer. The auction’s top five lots brought in approximately $80,000, including a 1928 $1,000 Green Seal Federal Reserve Note from San Francisco, which went for $15,340. This high-value note, marked “Redeemable in Gold,” is a highly sought-after item for currency collectors.
Rago‘s joined in on the coin action, with their top lot being a 12-ounce, 1,000 yuan China Gold Panda, which sold for $34,290. The sale of this coin offered both the face value of the gold and a solid inflation hedge for the buyer. Another notable item that caught my eye was a collection of 27 pieces of fractional currency, which fetched $9,525—roughly $353 per note, a strong showing considering these are generally near to uncirculated. One of the more interesting pieces was a 50-cent Lincoln note, which went for about $700. Fractional currency. These notes were issued during the Civil War when there was a shortage of metal for coins, and they remain a unique and valuable collectible. The top five lots at Rago brought in around $70,000, further highlighting the appeal of these rare and historic items.
Are You Familiar with Door Pulls?
Our last items for the day are a blast from the past—”Door Pushes.” Now, don’t think this is a push-over, but I’m talking about those classic wood-frame screen doors from country stores, where you’d push a metal plate covering the frame. These plates often had advertising on them, and believe it or not, they’re now fetching big bucks. Miller and Miller had several in their recent sale, including a rare Stubby Pull that set a new record, bringing in $4,498.79. This 1950s Canadian metal pull, with its distinctive orange script, is now considered a highly collectible item. Another standout was a 1931 Christmas Coca-Cola Bottle push, which sold for $1,840.42. This embossed single-sided tin push plate, featuring a vibrant red-and-white design, is a beautiful example of vintage Americana. And for the record, a WorthPoint high for a push is $7,000, achieved for an Orange Crush push at a previous Miller and Miller auction.
Have a Seat
Our final item for the day is a stunning piece of Levantine furniture, a bone-inlaid walnut settee that sold at Freeman’s Hindman for $5,760. I’ll admit, I wasn’t familiar with Levantine furniture at first, so I had to dig a little deeper. Levantine style originates from the eastern Mediterranean (the Levant), known for its intricate designs and the use of diverse materials such as wood, metal, clay, textiles, and mother-of-pearl. This particular settee, with its delicate bone inlay and walnut craftsmanship, was the top lot of the sale, standing out as a highly collectible piece. Measuring 40 ½ inches in height, 52 inches in width, and 23 inches in depth, it is a beautiful example of Moroccan-style furniture that has gained increasing popularity among collectors. It’s easy to see why such a unique piece would fetch such a price at auction.
Will Seippel is the founder, president, and CEO of WorthPoint. Will has been an avid collector since 1974 and dealer of just about all things antique—with an emphasis on ephemera— since 1984. He is also the creator and founder of HIP, a website devoted to recording the best of the world’s history that has been saved on film.
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