The Parallel History of Singing Bowls and US Coins

In the US in the 1950′s you could still find 19th century coins in pocket change. By the early 60′s due to an increase in interest in coin collecting, the oldest common circulating pieces dated to the First World War. In 1965 the government ceased to produce silver coinage and all the old dimes, quarters and halves disappeared in a few years. As a kid I watched the transition from Barber quarters being used for lunch money to finding nothing but new clad coins in pocket change. The experience of seeing how fast the old disappears once its value is recognized is part of the reason I started Best Singing Bowls.

Another parallel between the history of American coins and singing bowls took place in the late 70′s and early 80′s. In the coin market, rarity drives price and one of the determinants of rarity is the state of preservation (or “condition”) of a coin. The best preserved coins were labeled “Uncirculated” and the best of the best “Brilliant Uncirculated” (BU). People began to realize that there were more than two grades of “best” in coins and a market developed for “premium” uncirculated pieces. Dealers with the ability to discern fine details were able to acquire the very best coins for about the same price as any other BU coin.

At Best Singing Bowls this is what I try to do, purchase the highest quality within the generally best recognized grade. Eventually fine qualitative distinctions were institutionalized by the numismatic community and what had been two grades were expanded to 11 (MS 60 to MS 70) with absolutely astronomical price differences between single grades. While I don’t expect something this dramatic to happen with singing bowls I do think over time there will be greater recognition of sound quality differences among highly rated antique singing bowls. Click here for the standard grading description for US coins