Any early gold collectors? Need 2nd opinion.
Pedzola
Posts: 988 ✭✭✭✭✭
Hi all, recently came across an opportunity to purchase a nice early $10 gold piece. It’s multiples more expensive than any coin I have purchased in the past, and I’d have to trade/sell a good portion of my collection to afford it, so it would be a new direction for me.
I’m looking for input from someone who knows early gold. This is not my area of expertise - want to avoid making a mistake.
Not comfortable posting the coin out in the open, sort of a unique situation. But can pm a picture and info if anyone is willing to give an opinion (on price and quality for the grade).
I’ll post more later this week if I end up making the deal.
Thanks in advance.
1
Comments
I’m not a collector, these days😉 but feel (edited for typo) free to PM me for an opinion.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Check out auction history for a similar coin in that grade. You might even be able to find that exact coin if it’s graded. I wouldn’t even consider a coin of that caliber unless it was authenticated by a TPGS.
I have collected all 12 of the early gold major types, and the bought and sold a few pieces. I have the reference books. I will send you a PM if you want my opinion.
.
Neither, at least as far as I know.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
.
Oops, just saw my typo🤭, which I’ll edit. Thanks from phat fingers.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
@MFeld ...glad for you to see I was breaking balls brother...I will edit the quotes also...no more free bumps from me OP
Getting pretty comfortable with early American gold but would still hate to lead you astray... good luck in your decision. I am hoping we are not going to be bidding against each other... have my eyes on a couple up-coming auctions.
Mark
In my experience, a lot of the early (pre 1834) US gold has been cleaned, or at least dipped. I personally prefer examples with original orangey toning, which sometimes bring higher prices.
Certified is a must as some pieces have been repaired (say, from ex-jewelry).
This is the type of coin that I would want to have JA review and approve
I have been collecting early quarter eagle for over 12 years. Whatever you do, have a trusted expert in the field advise you on any purchases and for general direction. CAC is a great endorsement to have. Not the end-all but almost.
I planned out my collection for the entire set including budget and prioritization for each coin. I also budgeted for special opportunities. It takes vision, planning, expertise, patience and money. I also bought around 50 old auction catalogs for reference.
Thanks to all for the input. It was genuinely helpful - appreciate the fantastic network on this forum.
I have been doing my homework this weekend. I like the coin and will see if I can make a deal. I feel educated enough to negotiate. With input and some research my target price has changed a bit.
Even if I don’t make a deal, this exercise of going through my collection/spreadsheet and seeing what I could part with to raise $$ has been enlightening. I’m thinking a consolidation into better pieces (at a higher price range than I’m accustomed to) might be a good path forward for me. Rethinking my collecting goals.
I will report later this week w/results, hopefully with a picture of my new coin. Thanks!
My Gold Type Set
RE: This is the type of coin that I would want to have JA review and approve
I have the highest respect for JA, but there are a lot of skilled capable numismatists that could offer pre-purchase guidance on a big 10, including Mark Feld who has offered.
This concise post may be one of the best pieces of advise I've seen on this forum. It will not give you instant gratification but if followed it will build a tremendous collection.
Good luck with your acquisition. Be sure to come back and report on your experience - either way it goes. Such information can help others in similar situations. Cheers, RickO
If you are unfamiliar with early $10 gold have an expert advice you and preferably stick to CAC and DON’T buy it as an investment.
I stay away from early $10 gold because I am not an expert in grading them.
Alright, so I went to view the coin and made an offer today. Negotiation didn't go quite as planned - had an emotional response when I saw the coin and started with my max offer. Looks phenomenal in hand, hard for me to put into words. I think these pictures are good but they really don't do it justice. The look is very "original" and un-messed-with to me. Color and luster are amazing. Just a coin that jumps out at you.
As you've guessed by now, I was able to make a deal and bring it home, and I am thrilled. This is certainly now the centerpiece of my collection, and likely will be for a very long time.
Here she is... 1801 $10 MS62+ (not CAC).
Trueview:
My photos:
My Gold Type Set
I do own two of them.
One is a holed $10 1795 gold eagle that was the gift from Liberty Holden to his granddaughter Emory Mae Norweb. The grade was not the issue. Certainly CAC was not the issue. LOL.
Outstanding coin!!
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Wow, that is a sight to behold!
Congrats! Beautiful coin
Congrats. Very nice coin.
Spectacular! I got one a few days ago, too albeit not as high grade.
My YouTube Channel
Awesome!
Nice!
Congratulation love it
Feels like Christmas when you were a kid I bet.
HOLY 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩. PCGS price guide value $47,500. You really jumped into the deep end of the pool.
Yes, feels like Christmas in the deep end of the pool.
Never saw myself buying coins of this caliber. Everything sort of fell into place to make it happen.
I got some great advice from a couple of members here pre-purchase, thank you to all who offered input.
Owning a nice early $10 has been something I always sort of dismissed as above my budget. But consolidating accumulated widgets put it in range. I hope some day to match it with a nice contemporary $5 and $2.5 but it might be a while!
My Gold Type Set
Congratulations, it’s a pleasure to see your obvious joy.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Impressive coin. Congrats.
Pretty amazing coin! Congratulations!
Really nice looking coin!
Latin American Collection
Wow! Nice coin. I can’t imagine a time when that wouldn’t be the centerpiece of your collection or most collections.
One of my favorite collectible series...
Congratulations! That looks like a phenomenal example. I’ll bet it’s a sight to behold in hand.
The strike and color are extremely nice. The luster can only be ascertained in hand but it looks like a super example.
If you plan on collecting the early tens, look up Anthony J. Taraszka's book. I think he is still around, I saw him about 8 or 10 years ago at Long Beach. He's the Jim McGuigan of early ten gold.
Looks great to me. Did you ask the seller if he ever submitted it to CAC?
Wow just wow. Slight rub but full mint bloom and great color. Exactly the type of coin why so many of those have been dipped as a bath would remove much of the evidence of rub. Makes me think it came from a series of old collections.
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Will not be adding more bust $10's, this may be the only one I will ever own. But assumedly I have a couple/few more decades of collecting ahead so who knows.
Big picture goal, would like to have a full US gold type set. Up until this coin I've focused exclusively on 20th century gold, so long way to go. I will need to seriously space out future purchases if I want to maintain this quality level.
The 1801 $10 was sent to cac and did not pass. My only guess is because of the hits on the face. Holding the coin in your hand, without a full screen hi-res picture, all of the small hits disappear, but the color and character are still there. So I'd like to have a sticker but I think the coin speaks without one.
This coming from a guy who absolutely scours trueviews... the small hits on this one seem less important. 220 years later it's still here, in plastic for just a year.
My Gold Type Set
I would guess that I've viewed about 300-500 Eagles of this type over the 20 years dealing in and cataloging these, and this one rates quite favorably among them. Yes, the majority of early gold that I've seen appears to have been tampered with to some degree. This piece looks original. The color and luster are right and nice. But in all fairness, I would need to see it in hand to be sure. I particularly like the sharp strike-look at those neck feathers on the eagle and the stars on both sides. Well struck and original.
The generous expert advice offered here is incredible!
What a gorgeous coin.
Just gorgeous. Love the color and that satiny look.
Holy hell! How much did that cost you?! Also I get that brother, plenty of times I saw a coin and just bought it!
Personally I would send the coin back to CAC for re-consideration...and include a note that if it doesn't sticker for JA to let you know why...I guarantee that you will learn something...and it might help you in your future old gold purchases...
Seems incongruous when a coin gets a "+" but can't get a sticker...
Nice!!
My guess is high point friction may have held it back. Which I think is the best reason not to sticker since many have no problem with it as long as the fields are MS.
I'm not too concerned w/a sticker right now. I'm not planning to sell the coin, and don't need any convincing. Would be interesting to get JA's comments but doesn't seem worth the risk to be shipping it back and forth. Maybe in the future if circumstances change.
Here's a full slab shot. I would like to maybe figure out some kind of video or gif image of this one. I'll see if I can figure something out.
My Gold Type Set