N284 Gold Coin Bill McClellan

[RCMcKenzie]

This is a spin-off thread, kind of like The Jefferson's...

Here's an excerpt from the 2006 SCD n284 checklist and price guide, which shows McClellan as a reg common. No mention of it as a valuable 1/1. In 1983 or thereabouts Lipset says it is unknown except for Burdick's mention of it. It is not on the PSA or SGC reports. Old Cardboard has a cropped looking image and has it checklisted on their site. Does a board member or known collector own this card? I can't find anything about it on the web. Questions? Answers? Thanks...
(image from Old Cardboard)

[buchner]

I don't know who has the card, but first and only time I seen a photo of it was in the large coffee table book 'Classic Baseball Cards' by Frank Slocum, copyright 1987. Hope this helps. John

[RCMcKenzie]

Thank you, John. I remember seeing that book, but I've never read through it. I just read that Slocum worked for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the late 40's. I wonder if he was the owner of the card? I'm going to order a copy and check back. If it were found or made known in the mid-80's it would explain the lack of fanfare and talk of it on the internet.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

Thank you, John. I remember seeing that book, but I've never read through it. I just read that Slocum worked for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the late 40's. I wonder if he was the owner of the card? I'm going to order a copy and check back. If it were found or made known in the mid-80's it would explain the lack of fanfare and talk of it on the internet.

If it's only been known since then. I think we may have to question that one too.
There were press printed fakes before then, and somewhat convincing ones. Like this that I bought at my first show. Press printed, and not al that bad of a job all things considered.
The dealer got a whole $2... the faker must have gotten less. And I've never seen another.

[RCMcKenzie]

Steve, this is where I was going with this...that the McClellan is also not good. We will see I guess.

[steve B]

Yeah, it gets weird sometimes.

A few years ago I found a really specific variety of a stamp that was last written about in the 1930's, but never pictured. The other evidence that it even existed was a book written in 1902 based somewhat on primary sources but that had been wrong about some things. The experts who wrote the articles I learned from had given up on believing it existed.
Until I somewhat randomly found one.

There are a few other items like that, ones that were written about, sometimes by people who weren't picky about proving what their sources told them. Or have been cataloged for decades, but no copies have been seen in recent memory if ever. I have a couple iffy candidates for one of them, and a pretty solid one for another. Now I just have to find a confirming copy.... On something that turns up once in 80 years..

[RCMcKenzie]

That sounds like a fun project. Good luck with it.

[RCMcKenzie]

A quick update...The Slocum book arrived today (thanks BuchnerJohn for the recommendation). It is a giant hardback book with lots of pictures and almost no text (just my speed). It is not a checklist or price-guide, but a coffee table book like John said... The McClellan is presented without comment, as if it's just another common. Jefferson Burdick checklisted it, and it remains on the checklists. It looks like the right hand on the McClellan is positioned slightly differently from the 2 other "hands on knees" subjects shown.

Now, I need to return to the watercooler section to talk about the "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" because I know a whole lot more about it than N284 Buchner Gold Coin. Rob

[1880nonsports]

Look closely. The murderer is on the list...…….

[RCMcKenzie]

I'm very bad with puzzles, Henry. I wish someone more knowledgeable would speak up here.... Do you mean Hongach? I know it's not Lifson, he's a white-hat, Roy Rogers type. Halper? Is it a Galasso production? The McClellan looks like the cards Jeff won to me.