La Modernista Diamonds – The most expensive pen in the world

$265,000

At $265,000 you’d better be signing a billion dollar merger deal, a multi-million dollar recording contract or sign the register at your wedding to Manhattan’s most eligible bachelor / bachelorette!

The La Modernista Diamonds is a creation of Swiss company Caran d’Arche who made the pen as an ode to the late architect Antonio Gaudi. This one-of-a-kind, rhodium-coated, solid silver pen has an 18-carat gold pen tip and is pave set with 5,072 diamonds and 96 half-cut rubies.

When the lucky owner bought this at Harrods, London in 2002 for $265,000, the masterpiece was given the title of being the most expensive pen in the world!

The Most expensive fakes in the world

In this week’s newsletter we take a look at some of the most expensive fakes in the world. Even though these items are fakes, they still remain extremely valuable and have become rare collectables due to their fame! Come and play spot the real 'McCoy' with us


Most expensive fake coin in the world – $250,000


A Deka or not, it’s still so expensive, it’s priceless. When the Carchemish-hoard, buried in 425 B.C., was discovered it contained more than 3000 coins and also 15 Athenian Dekadrachms. Some of the Dekas came in possession of the Classic Numismatic Group (CNG), a world renowned ancient coin seller. When trying to establish the authenticity of one of the coins, it was revealed that the coin was in fact, a fake. After numerous tests by the International Bureau for the Suppression of Counterfeit Coins to be certain, a ‘condemnation-certificate’ was issued. This awarded the Deka with the title of most expensive fake coin ever!


Most expensive fake wine bottles - Over $100,000 each


A toast to forged wine bottles! In 1985 more than a dozen of vintage wine bottles were found in a walled-up cellar in Paris. Four of the bottles; a 1784 and 1787 Château Lafite, and a 1784 and 1787 Château Branne-Mouton, were bought by a billionaire wine collector in Florida. When the Boston Museum of Fine Arts asked the billionaire wine collector to prove the authenticity of the four bottles, a team of former intelligence agents, wine and glass experts, and even a nuclear physicist, concluded that all the bottles apart from the 1787 Lafite were fakes. This made the bottles the most expensive fake bottles of wine in history.


Most expensive fake painting – Value unknown, estimated to be well over $1 million


A painting with quite a story! Known as one of the most dramatic art scams in history, was the forgery of a Vermeer painting by H. van Meegeren, an average Dutch artist. In 1937 a respectable art historian was approached by a lawyer who claimed to be the trustee of a Dutch family estate, and was asked to take a look at a painting. The art historian quickly disputed its authenticity after a short examination, and labeled it a fake. The scam created such a stir in the art world that its fame has made it one of the most expensive fake paintings today! Apparently this is not the only valuable forgery created by H. van Meegeren.


The Messiah - $20 million


Playing a false note? The most celebrated Stradivarius violin in the world was allegedly found fake, after a conservator of musical instruments at the Metropolitan Museum had a close look at it. Although this was never proved, the American Violin Association hasn’t disapproved the allegations either, generating doubts whether the violin is real or fake. The Messiah is one of the most valuable Stradivarius violins because it has never been used in a performance and still in mint condition. All extremely admiring if it is indeed the real McCoy?

The Ultimate List of Sought After Collectables

Have you ever collected items that you find interesting? This entry is all about rare collections that aren’t just astonishing, but also extremely valuable… This is the ultimate collectable items in their respective categories. You might buy them for their sentiment or aestectic value, but these items are great investments. Lock them up in a vault, because their dollar values are guaranteed to just accumulate over time.


The Pond-Moonlight Photograph by Edward Steichen – $2,900,000

A ‘click’ that became a legacy! The Pond-Moonlight by Edward Steichen has become the most sought after photographs ever, when it sold for more than 2 million dollars in February this year. Taken on Long Island in 1904, the photo is a moonlit scene with trees emphasizing a dream like feel. Private collectors have been hungry to own this photograph that became valued for its rarity due to its early demonstration of color auto chrome. Only three copies of the Pond-Moonlight exist today; 1 is owned by a collector, whereas the other 2 are on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, and the Museum of Modern Art. Imagine being the owner of a 2.9 million dollar photograph…


American ‘Double Gold Eagle’ coin, 1933 – $7,600,000

One of the most valuable coins ever created! This is one of the most desired gold coins of all time since only 3 exist today. The Double Gold Eagle coin was introduced in 1933 by Theodore Roosevelt to mark the glory of America, which was designed by Saint- Gaudens. Unfortunately Theodore’s cousin, Franklin Roosevelt, ordered them to be returned a quarter century later, only to be melted into golden bars. 2 Coins can be seen in museums, 1 was previously stolen and now belongs to a private collector. The Double Gold Eagle coin certainly maintains its value due to its historical significance and everyone can see its brilliance, just by looking at it!


T206 Honus Wagner tobacco baseball card – $1,270,000

Said to be the greatest Baseball card collectible of all time! In 2000, the T206 Honus Wagner sold for more than 1 million dollars, and is 1 of only a few Honus Wagner cards still in good condition. When Cigarette Company, Sweet Caporal and Piedmont started giving out packets with Baseball cards, Wagner requested that his card be pulled and this resulted in the card being so rare. If you’re a serious Baseball card collector then you might want to add a Honus Wagner to your collection!


Signed copy of "Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)", George Orwell – $26,000

The most expensive signed book to date! Just after the book was published, its author, George Orwell died in hospital and only signed a few copies. Fans of the author have since been craving to find signed copies, and its rarity has grown stronger and stronger. Nineteen eighty-four is a novel that depicts a dystopian struggle and is one of the authors most successful books. The most expensive copy ever sold has the inscription “For Elly with regards, Geo Orwell” in it. There are numerous signed copies by some of the most celebrated authors like J.R.R Tolkien, and if you can get your hands on one of these books you won’t only have a collector’s item, but also an extremely unique book.