NumisMattic2200 Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Have heard of these but until now had never found them... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-1910-13-SET-OF-...bayphotohosting Are they worth what some appear to be prepared to bid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lithuania Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Wood is getting more and more expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 They are ivory, not wood. Whether these particular tokens are genuine or not, I have no opinion since I don't know them well. The series is a real series, rare, and very collectible/popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElleKitty Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 If those are indeed a genuine set of Keeling Cocos Island ivory tokens, I wouldn't be surprised to see this one match three months' salary for me. They're rare, easily damaged, and not often in a full set like this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grivna1726 Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 They are ivory, not wood. Are you sure about that? I thought they were made of ivory-colored plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NumisMattic2200 Posted July 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Indeed they are described as plastic-ivory here: http://numizmat.net/gallery/index.php?COUN...keeling%20cocos Final price £2550.00?? good value?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grivna1726 Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Indeed they are described as plastic-ivory here: http://numizmat.net/gallery/index.php?COUN...keeling%20cocos Final price £2550.00?? good value?? I don't know the market for these at all. I have seen them offered occasionally in auctions (not always in such nice condition), but can't recall ever seeing a complete set offered before now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gxseries Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Yes, I've seen them listed in the Australian dealer catalog from time to time and they aren't common at all, if not very very scarce. Price wise, I think that's reasonable from what I am seeing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 I've almost always seen the tokens described as ivory. The Standard Catalog of World Coins describes them as Plastic Ivory, other places call it Ivorine. In any event, they are not wood. A full set would catalog over $2000, The 1977 modern plastic set over $1000. The few that I have seen in person look like the ivory on old piano keys, so plastic ivory is probably a very good description of the material. They don't look or feel like modern plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NumisMattic2200 Posted July 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 So the question remains does this ivorine material contain any actual ivory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gxseries Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 No it doesn't. This auction here might tell you a better story: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=190215642813 Even so, that price might have been a bargain: http://www.rarecoin.com.au/collector/index...mp;iProduct=301 http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?S...p;Lot_No=74848# Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grivna1726 Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 I've almost always seen the tokens described as ivory. The Standard Catalog of World Coins describes them as Plastic Ivory, other places call it Ivorine. In any event, they are not wood. A full set would catalog over $2000, The 1977 modern plastic set over $1000. The few that I have seen in person look like the ivory on old piano keys, so plastic ivory is probably a very good description of the material. They don't look or feel like modern plastic. I have never held one of them in my hand, only seen pictures. There isn't much information on them, but here's what I found for "Ivorine" at this LINK. ___________________________________________________ Ivorine: See French Ivory. Ivorite: See French Ivory. Ivory: A hard, smooth yellowish-white substance made from the tusks of elephants and walruses. Other ivory imitations, not quite as good, were Ivorette, Ivorine, Ivory Pyralin, and DuBarry Pyralin. In the 1870's, there was a shortage of ivory for billiard balls and a $10,0000 prize was offered to anyone who could produce a substitute. FRENCH IVORY "French Ivory" is synthetic (imitation) ivory. It is molded from plastics (like celluloid) and is also called Ivoride, Ivorine, and "Genuine French Ivory." ... FRENCH IVORY A plastic produced to simulate ivory. It was first produced by the Xylonite Company in 1866. Other names include Celluloid, Ivoride, Ivorine, Ivorite and Pyralin. jewelry made of celluloid was often set with rhinestones. Hair combs and other dresser articles are still often made of celluloid today. Also called French ivory, Ivoride, Ivorine, Ivorite, and Pyralin ... Vegetable ivory comes from the inner seed of the South American ivory palm and was used for small items, like dice. Synthetic ivory is made from plastics (like celluloid) and is called "French Ivory," Ivoride, Ivorine, or "Genuine French Ivory." ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porschenut Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 Hello, Yes they are very rare. I went to school in England with John C. Ross he was in the 1970's refered to as the Crown Prince of the Cocos Islands since his Dad abdicated. Long story short Queen Victoria gave the islands to his great grandfather who then declared himself King. Basically ignored by the rest of the world even though officially part of Austrailia. They had a coconut and coconut matting trading company. In the 1970's Austrailia was afraid that the Russians wanted to build a Naval Base on the islands so told Johns father (the king) that he had to step down as King and hand the islands to Austrailia for them to build a Naval Base. Accused him of traeting his people badly and they were in need of rescueing by the Ausi's The Austrailians paid the King about 3 million pounds for the islands and he went to live in exile in London. Needless to say John never became the King. The coins were used right up until then after the Austrailians took over I believe Austrailian money started to be used. The biggest problem the Austrailians had with the King was that he did not pay his workers in cash but in Free food, houses, medical attention, way too Socialistic in a sort of Benevelent Kingdom way, so that little bit of paradise where people got what they needed not by the sort of job they did but by what their family required had to stop. However soon after the Australians got there the good old system of rich and poor started depending upon your job, the girls became very friendly with the sailers if you know what I mean. So it became a Capitalist paradise instead. The coins look real to me. They will be very expensive as a whole set and in such good condition ,They should be placed in some sort of protective case to stop them getting broken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 Interesting set, no doubt insanely rare in such pristine condition. I would probably wind up using them as guitar picks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NumisMattic2200 Posted July 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 A fascinating story... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 A fascinating story... I believe that explains the value. I have more than a few extremely rare pieces--coins, medals, and tokens. Their value, on the other hand, is not that high. They have stories that are interesting to me. Take a set of tokens such as these, add their rarity, add the extremely interesting history (the economy of the islands is studied outside numismatics as well), throw in a self-proclaimed "king," and you've got monetary value to go with the rarity. I've always been fascinated by the history of these pieces even though I don't collect them. Hence, my taking every opportunity to examine them when I see them in a dealer's case at a show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NumisMattic2200 Posted July 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 Another short reply: indeed.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokenchris Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Hi Guys, just came across this forum talking about the Cocos Keeling tokens from eBay. I'm the one who won the eBay auction. I'm a token collector of South East Asia Tokens. The set of 7 tokens is the best I have ever seen. I was watching out for these tokens in good condition for more than 15 years! Really hard to find. Only recently some Cocos Keeling tokens in not so good conditions popped up on ebay. The tokens are made of Ivorine this is a kind of plastic to imitate ivory. Prices for those rare tokens are completely under valued in the Krause Mishler. A good 1968 set costs easy USD3000. I have seen the 1913 tokens in auctions going for USD 800 to 1200 for a single one! The mintage of these tokens are very low and not many have survived over the years. To get a complete set you must be very lucky. There was an article about the Cocos Keeling Tokens in a numismatic magazine from the 1980 saying that the 50 Cents token is the hardest to find of all. Only 17 x a 50Cents token are knowing to exist. That's actually hard to believe but that's scary low even if there are a few more around. The most common one is the 25 Cents token. Tokenchris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NumisMattic2200 Posted July 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Hi TokenChris! I was the one following the auction on eBay - it was outside of my paycheck at the moment but not being much of a connoisseur I couldn't have dared to acquire them anyway... So officially now you are richer?? And welcome to CoinPeople! PS: Any more info. on these you are welcome to impart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Welcome TokenChris and congratulations on winning the set. An impressive addition to any collection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grivna1726 Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Hi Guys, just came across this forum talking about the Cocos Keeling tokens from eBay. I'm the one who won the eBay auction. I'm a token collector of South East Asia Tokens. The set of 7 tokens is the best I have ever seen. I was watching out for these tokens in good condition for more than 15 years! Really hard to find. Only recently some Cocos Keeling tokens in not so good conditions popped up on ebay. The tokens are made of Ivorine this is a kind of plastic to imitate ivory. Prices for those rare tokens are completely under valued in the Krause Mishler. A good 1968 set costs easy USD3000. I have seen the 1913 tokens in auctions going for USD 800 to 1200 for a single one! The mintage of these tokens are very low and not many have survived over the years. To get a complete set you must be very lucky. There was an article about the Cocos Keeling Tokens in a numismatic magazine from the 1980 saying that the 50 Cents token is the hardest to find of all. Only 17 x a 50Cents token are knowing to exist. That's actually hard to believe but that's scary low even if there are a few more around. The most common one is the 25 Cents token. Tokenchris Welcome and congratulations on having acquired such an impressive set. I don't recall ever seeing a complete set offered before this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NumisMattic2200 Posted July 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 I am feeling slightly jealous but one day i will pick up nice acquisitions like this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokenchris Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Hi, If someone wants the numismatic article I mention in the previous post about the Cocos Keeling tokens let me know or send me an email to "surfboat2001 @ yahoo . com". Please put "Cocos Keeling Tokens" in the subject line otherwise it might get lost in the spam filter. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Welcome to CP tokenchris and congrats on a once in a lifetime acquisition! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cestrin Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 welcome chris! And congrats on actually "shopping victoriously" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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