Is this a Custom Meucci Originals Crown Jewel Cue?

5/7/2021 9:54:05 AM

Is this a Custom Meucci Originals Crown Jewel Cue?

Can you identify this cue please? I can't find any info online. It looks like a mix of the St-5 original and a Crown jewel.

Any photo references and possible sales price points for the real custom original Meucci Crown Jewel cues would be greatly appreciated.

There are several rumors about Bob Meucci personally making a few of these without a makers mark (see references below). There are plenty of pictures of the newer (production) versions, but nothing with the early 1982-1983 look.

From AZB:

Hall of Fame Meucci Cue

Rempe sold the cue for 20K to a broker who had a contact in Japan. I heard it sold for much more there.

The big difference between the cue Rempe used and the one in the E-bay auction, besides the "crown jewels" that were inlayed into the butt, is that all white on the cue was ivory.

Bob Meucci made a short run of ivory crown jewel cues himself, by hand. He scrimmed an identification number into the ball of the scepter. These cues predate the red dot shafts and have no "originals" lettering on the butt cap. Later series employ synthetic materials in place of the ivory inlays.

Retail was over $2000 for these more modern versions of the cue, but I have seen several at half of that price, being sold as new by dealers.

I agree this is a superbly beautiful and original design. Just be sure you want to keep it...at $900 or more used, with blemishes, you will have a hard time getting your investment back later.

Note the odd shape of the hand carved ivory crown The cross on top is not centered. Also, there is filler around the crown in the inlay pocket.

_{Source: forums.azbilliards.com/threads/hall-of-fame-meucci-on-ebay-i-love-it.161945/}

... and

One Of A Kind Old Meucci With Real Ivory

The guy in Virginia that owns billiardcue.com has an original "Crown Jewels" Meucci,made in 1982, un-chalked and un-hit,and only wants 3300 for it,it also has real ivory in it, and I think it has Micarta joint collars and ferrules. Most people here would seriously doubt a 1996 Meucci has real ivory in it, Bob used to use a fairly cheesy plastic that looked real enough to fool some. Without a close inspection by someone that really knows their stuff, $3000 is too much. See if you can get him to throw in another 20 cues, LOL.

_{Source: forums.azbilliards.com/threads/one-of-a-kind-old-meucci-with-real-ivory.17996/}

... and

Jim Rempe 7

Hi all. I'll add my 2 cents also.

The 95-32, the 97-32, and the discontinued Red HOF 8 do not have the ivory. However, even using a magnifying glass, it's hard to tell the difference.

The Jim Rempe 7 cue, commonly referred to as the King James or the Crown Jewels, from the Meucci Jim Rempe series is virtually identical to the previous 2 models (95-32, 97-32) mentioned. However it DOES have all the ivory, butt cap, joint, and ferrules. Make sure u can c the swirls/x-ing/grain in the ivory, or it's not a JR 7, but one of the "-32" cues. I do have a brand new JR 7 cue with with three never-chalked shafts. I bought it from an old Meucci dealer's private collection, and I did see his bill of sale from Meucci confirming it to be a Meucci JR 7 cue. Mine was a custom order by that dealer adding the 3rd shaft and also a lavender stained forearm. What the originator of this thread is asking about is simply a JR 7, and not a custom one of a kind. The Blue Book has it's value (last I heard) at $2400 in good shape. I'm sure brand new would be more.

_{Source: forums.azbilliards.com/threads/one-of-a-kind-old-meucci-with-real-ivory.17996/}

TGoodwin

Is this a Custom Meucci Originals Crown Jewel Cue?

Replies & Comments

billiardsforum on 5/20/2021 3:58:59 AM
The photos are not clear and it is very hard to make out the detail and nuance required to verify it's identity. But from what I can see, it looks like one of the cheap knock-off versions (not a Meucci cue at all). The cue in those photos is worth less than $50 in my opinion (and based on what I can see in the fuzzy photos).

If it were a Meucci cue, and if the crown and sword handles aren't raised and made from precious metals, then it's not one of the two custom original Crown Jewel cues.

There were a few high-end custom original versions of the Meucci Crown Jewel cue made for Jim Rempe, but the cue in the photos certainly isn't one of them. It lacks subtle detail (such as the "hanging curtains" near the joint collar, and the raised crown and swords made from material like gold, emerald, diamonds, and rubies, for example).

There are a few reputable references to the few original custom versions made for Rempe:

Here's a 1980s Meucci Originals full-page ad showing the cue with the raised crown and swords:

Ad from a 1980s cue sport industry magazine called "Snap".

Blue Book of Pool Cues

Another famous Meucci cue was "The King James." Originally made for Jim Rempe, this cue was inlaid with gold, ivory, emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. It sold new for $22,000, but has sold several times since, each time for more money. It is known to have sold for $40,000 and is rumored to have brought $75,000.

Here's a photo of Rempe holding one of them:

Here's a photo of a real Meucci Crown Jewel cue with Letter of Authenticity signed by Bob Meucci and Jim Rempe:

Is this a Custom Meucci Originals Crown Jewel Cue?

Title: Is this a Custom Meucci Originals Crown Jewel Cue?
Author: TGoodwin (Trey Goodwin)
Published: 5/7/2021 9:54:05 AM
Last Updated: 5/20/2021 4:26:44 AM
Last Updated By: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)