Bill Library Hosts First Coin and Jewelry Appraisal

The Bill Library in Ledyard recently held its first ever coin and jewelry appraisal, attracting people from all over southeastern Connecticut and southwestern Rhode Island.

The event was sponsored and organized by the Ledyard Library Friends and chaired by member Marie Engelman, who said the event was quite successful.

“We really had a lot of people from a broad area,” Engelman said. “We had people from Westerly, we had people from Montville that came down, and of course the bulk were from Ledyard itself.”

More than 40 people attended the event, 36 of whom had expert appraisals done by brothers Dave and Jeff Vasington, co-owners of Vasbro Coins in Norwich, whom Engelman and the Ledyard Library Friends brought in specifically for the event.

“There were some pieces that were excellent that came in, and then there were others,”  Engelman said with a chuckle. “There were six or so watches that, come to find out, were made of tin or plastic…But it was great—we had coins, we had jewels, we had paper money, we had pocket watches, we really had a nice spectrum of items.”

“I thought it went very well,” Dave Vasington said. “It was excellent, the best one we’ve done yet. There were 42 people we waited on; I saw some very interesting pieces.”

The most interesting piece without a doubt was an ornate and heavily jeweled necklace brought in by a woman who claimed the necklace had both U.S. presidential and Russian royalty ties.

“I was told by the brothers that a woman came in with a beautiful Russian necklace that was given as a wedding present to the daughter of Ulysses S. Grant,” Engelman said. “And it was given to her by her husband to be, who was a Russian prince. That is what this woman told the brothers, and they said they were taken back because it was just absolutely stunning.”

Dave Vasington agreed.

“The most interesting piece by far I thought was the necklace that was given to President Grant’s daughter by a Russian prince who married her,” Vasington explained. “That was very nice, gorgeous, and it was still in its original box.”

Another significant item that the Vasington brothers got a chance to look at was a gold pocket watch that belonged to Captain Daniel Packer, the namesake of the Daniel Packer Inne, which was brought in by a man related to the sea captain. And while not everyone had such incredible and historic pieces, there were plenty who were excited to learn about family heirlooms or sentimental items.

“One woman was absolutely delighted with her appraisal,” Engelman explained. “Her first husband had passed away and she brought in her engagement ring from her first marriage and she said she had taken it to a regular jeweler. For a regular written appraisal they wanted $150 but she didn’t know if it had value or not and she wasn’t about to spend the $150. The brothers said that it was very nicely done and that the stone was of a high quality so she walked away absolutely delighted and decided she would go get a written appraisal for it.”

By all accounts the event was a great success and both the Vasington brothers and the Bill Library are excited to team up again for a future event possibly in October.

For more information or to have appraisals done, contact Vasbro Coins, located at 35 Town St., Norwich, 860-887-5253.

Source: http://zip06.theday.com/blogs/