I purchased a box of coins at auction at O'Gallerie on September 29. One of the primary coins was an 1856 Flying Eagle Penny. The coin was in a coin album, labeled, and had writing under it "Rare." This coin, if real, was worth between $8,000 and $ 12,000 depending on condition.
There were four bidders and the bidding ended at $ 16,000. O'Gallerie's fee was $ 2,400 additional. I submitted the coin to PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) who promptly returned it with a tag saying "Not genuine: Date Altered"
I called and wrote Tom O'Grady at O'Gallerie. O'grady not only refused to refund any money, but also refused to disclose the real seller of the coins. I hired the premier expert in this type of coin and received an expert opinion and value for if the coin was as portayed in the auction.
I took O'Gallerie to Small Claims Court. There is no Oregon Law governing Auctioneers. Common law (ALS report) cites many cases where if the auctioneer doesn't diclose the Seller, they are liable for the losses due to forgery. The judge was not interested in this case as he was constantly dealing with family and marital abuse cases in between paying brief attention to this case. Since there was no specific Oregon Law, he rules in favor of O'Gallerie and threw out my claim.
Beware of O'Gallerie's business practices. They will not help if you buy a forgery.
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