Wow, thank you for the link to that uncrating video! The way it was wrapped reminded me of the scene in the film when the dingus is finally revealed. Can't beat that gorgeous patina on the lead version!
So that's the WB museum version. Doesn't appear to have any scratches on it (a little hard to tell for sure), but I've read it has a dent on the tail from when Bogart dropped it. The other lead version is the one scratched by Greenstreet in the film and was sold by Christie's in 1994 (pictured here:
http://i37.tinypic.com/v7xzqs.jpg). Interesting that the value of the WB lead bird is now said to be 2 million when the Christie's version sold for just under $400,000 in 1994 and the resin version sold for just under $100,000 in 1995. Maybe 2 million is the insurance value?
In trying to trace just how many original Maltese Falcons are out there, we've got the two lead birds, the resin version, and according to Adam's TED talk there were perhaps another 6 birds cast in plaster for the film. One of which was stolen in 1975 from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and another stolen from John's Grill in 2007. Harry Anderson claims to have another that he obtained from an old WB prop man when he was working on 'Night Court.' Anyone know of any others?
Related: Does anyone believe Haunted Studios' claim that the resin version and the lead versions are not exactly the same? Their website claims that the resin version has a wider, flatter head than the lead version. But after some brief comparisons, they appear identical to me. Maybe I haven't seen it from the right angle. I thought they were all made from the same mold?