The E-Sylum:  Volume 4, Number 9, February 25, 2001, Article 9

DYE'S COUNTERFEIT DETECTOR FOLLOWUP 

   Being naturally curious, your Editor decided to assign a 
   staff reporter to follow up on the recent eBay sale of an 
   1850 Dye's Counterfeit Detector and Universal Bank Note 
   Gazetteer" (reported in the February 4, 2001 E-Sylum, 
   v4, no. 06). 

   Then I realized, "Hey, I don't have a staff!"  So playing 
   beat reporter, your Editor contacted the seller seller himself, 
   asking how he acquired the item and what he thought of the 
   bidding which took it from a $9 opening bid to a final 
   $1225 hammer price.  The gentleman wrote: 

   "I found the item while browsing an upstate NY antique 
   co-op looking for photographs to add to my collection. 
   I stopped at one booth, and the photos were terrible, so I 
   started looking at the paper items available.  The detector 
   was priced at the reasonable sum of $15. 

   After looking through it, I decided it was worth that much 
   as an interesting diversion to read, and then resell.  As to 
   its value,  I felt sure someone who collected paper money 
   would be interested in it for more then I paid for it, but to 
   be honest, I thought it likely that the amount it would resell 
   for was in the $50 to $100 range.  I was surprised by, and 
   don't pretend to understand the reason for the final bid. 
   Needless to say, if I ever see another, I've learnt something 
   useful here." 

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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