Saturday 25 February 2012

Commemorative Polar Bear Coin

This coin, produced by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2012, is composed of 7.96 grams of 99.99% pure silver. Production of the coin has been limited to 250,000 worldwide, and is unusual in that the face value of the coin exceeds the current value of the precious metal that comprises the coin. Regardless of numismatic concerns, the image of the polar bear by artist Susanna Blunt is stunning, as is the striking of the coin itself.
The Royal Canadian Mint is a Canadian Crown Corporation that produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The Mint operates under the legislative basis of the Royal Canadian Mint Act. As a Crown Corporation, it is 100% owned by the Government of Canada, which is its sole shareholder.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Evans Saxony Hotel Lighter

This gold Evans lighter is emblazoned with the name of The Saxony Hotel, Miami Beach, and comes complete with its original box. Though the box shows signs of age, the interior and, best of all, the lighter, are in excellent condition. The lighter stands 6.2 cm tall, by 3.5 cm wide. Although an exact date of manufacture can still not be determined, this piece is an estimated 60 years old, and in fabulous shape considering its age.
The Saxony Hotel, at 3201 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, was completed in 1948, and was one of the first luxury resorts on Miami Beach. The Saxony was famous for its luxurious rooms, complementary meals, restaurants and exceptional views of South Beach, and was the first air-conditioned hotel on Miami Beach. It is easy to see how and elegant lighter like this Evans would be affiliated with a resort the caliber of Saxony.

Sunday 5 February 2012

James Bond 'Live and Let Die' View-Master set

This View-Master set is adapted from the movie 'Live and Let Die' featuring Roger Moore as Ian Fleming’s James Bond. Released in 1973, this full color packet contains a booklet, three reels, and protective envelope. Made before GAF switched to inferior film in 1977, these images are still sharp and colorful. Everything is near mint, except for the packet, which is missing one of its four flaps. With it's long history, and treatment of many icons from popular culture, View-Master remains popular and affordable among collectors to this day.
View-Master is a device for viewing seven 3-D images (also called stereo images) on a paper disk. Although the View-Master became considered a children's toy, it was originally marketed to enjoy stereograms of picturesque tourist attractions. Retail sales of View-Master viewers and disks started in 1939, with a patent on the viewing device issued in 1940. In 1966 the company was acquired by the General Aniline & Film (GAF) Corporation, and now classic television series and movies began to be featured on View-Master disks.

Thursday 2 February 2012

Lego Star Wars set 7106 - Droid Escape

The Lego Star Wars line was initially released in 1999. This set, number 7106 Droid Escape, was released in 2001 as part of the Classic line, and features R2-D2 and C-3PO Minifigures. The box, measuring 19 cm x 9.5 cm x 5.8 cm, is still sealed, and only suffers from minor shelf wear incurred over the last decade.
Star Wars was the first intellectual property to be licensed in Lego history. Originally it was only licensed from 1999–2008, but the line was so successful the Lego Group extended the license with Lucasfilm Ltd. to 2011, and then again until 2016. The brand has also spawned three major video game releases.