The Most Stunning Coin You've Ever Seen?
mavs2583
Posts: 200 ✭✭✭✭
I saw a video a couple years back of a D.L. Hansen 1879 PR68 CAMEO Trade Dollar, and it has been stuck in my mind ever since. Unbelievable coin in amazing, pristine condition, can't believe it survived this way. Every so often I go back to the video just to look at the coin.
What is your example of the most stunning coin you've ever seen? Pictures would be helpful.
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@NorCalJack’s 1938 proof quarter. As close to CAM as they come and with gorgeous color to boot. I think this may be the most stunning 1936-42 proof I’ve seen yet:
Coin Photographer.
One of my all-time favs....Not mine, but I can dream.
This one is from Black Cat set, also a favorite, enjoy:
I've never seen or held this coin before. But it's easily the most beautiful coin I've ever seen a photograph of and my dream one day is just to see it in person. It's my favorite coin design and I really love how subtle the toning is compared to many. I know there are some better pictures of it but I can't seem to find them at the moment, so take these from Stacks Bowers.
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Yes, you're right about that Hansen Coin! Wowsie!!!
Not the BEST coin I ever seen but most certainly the BEST ,"Toned Bugs Bunny" I ever seen!
And yes, it's mine. Sorry, I'm bias.
1955 FBL MS 65
Thanks
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.Unfortunately no picture but the Tyrant 1795 $10 is the most beautiful coin I have ever seen.
I agree
https://thetyrantcollection.com/eagles-of-the-tyrant/
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/quarters/PCGS-2020-quarter-quest/album/247091
No picture, but the first time I saw a photo of the 1848 CAL. quarter eagle in MS-68, I thought it had been photoshopped, it looked so gorgeous.
Could be the most flawless coin I’ve seen, not mine it belongs to Floridafacelifter
This coin is not the highest grade, but the toning on the coin is awesome. The pictures did not do it justice. I was able to hold this coin at the Baltimore coin show, and the toning is alot better when you get to hold it. I did bid on it but did not win.
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How about a pretty spectacular Peace $ to go with it
My 1901 ain't too bad either: She does have stately look about her.
I own that 1895 Morgan previously posted, and it is absolutely beautiful, but I always take this one out to look at to make sure it’s still real- thank you Catherine Bullowa for storing a white coin in a blue box for fifty years!
I must say that the gold coins in the Tyrant collection are incredible.... That is a mild descriptive word... They only get incredible plus after that. I have not seen them in person, but the pictures are stunning. Cheers, RickO
These two in my collection have long drawn my attention.
Beyond them, the most impressive coins I have seen in photos are the older Cameo Proof pieces that one of the collectors post here. But they are so far above my pay grade, I can only look at them, admire them and move on.
I held this stater of Pantikapaion in the coin room at the British Museum. A far worse example sold a decade ago for ~$4M.
The Ultra High Relief $20 in the ANS is a close second. I didn't try to finagle taking a picture while holding it but it was a fun coin to pick up raw:
@vulcanize Thanks for the link
I don't have a coin to show but am searching for a 3cs I saw at the Milwaukee show around 2010- it was in a NGC holder with an ms-68 grade. The thing about it was the deep ruby red toning on one side and brilliant blue on the other. got a fleeting glimpse before it was gone and haven't been able to find any pics or records. anyone seen it?
I don't have a coin to show but am searching for a 3cs I saw at the Milwaukee show around 2010- it was in a NGC holder with an ms-68 grade. The thing about it was the deep ruby red toning on one side and brilliant blue on the other. got a fleeting glimpse before it was gone and haven't been able to find any pics or records. anyone seen it?
I’ve held the Smithsonian’s ultra high relief Saint. It’s the only coin that can make a high relief Saint look like nothing special. It’s an absolutely incredible work of art.
Personally, I’m surprised at the number of people saying the UHR Saints. I’ve viewed the ANA specimen before, and I didn’t really view it as any more special than the patterns in the room. Sure, certainly top five, but the Amazonian patterns were definitely more impressive IMO. I guess just personal preference! Make me see the light I guess lol!
Coin Photographer.
When I saw this (I think it was in a GC auction) I stopped and saved the picture because I thought it was stunning. Not mine, and not particularly valuable, but stunning to my eye.
If we were all the same, the world would be an incredibly boring place.
Tommy
Even the Presentation, of The Tyrant Collection, was exquisite!
Second to none.
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.A guy showed me his 64 'Peace dollar in secret once. It was pretty amazing, but I'm not allowed to talk about it.
This Pan Pac recently blew me away.
Years ago, I saw a 1799 Heraldic Eagle Bust $ with even midnight blue toning on obverse and reverse. The luster showed through the toning. Coin well struck, not a mark on it. Was in an MS 64 holder due to the toning, which I thought was very attractive.
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"Sou Mangueira......."
More treats:
Some gorgeous pieces here.
But the word "stunning" is wide open.
Should coins be judged on their design aesthetics alone? Is it OK to give it bonus points because we know how unusual a 68 Morgan is, let alone flawless deep cameo? Is the 1795 $10 honestly that beautiful, or is it that beautiful because we have an idea of how slim the chance of its survival should have been over our nation's history?
If we're just looking at the beauty of the coin's design, should tone--even gorgeous tone--count?
From my box of 20:
In 1932 Poland released about 9,000,000 10-zlotych silver crowns in a 2-year series, including 3,000,0000 struck by the London mint.
Survivors of WWII and its aftermath are few and far between. Of those 9,000,000 coins, only about 400 have graded uncirculated. And of those 400, only two have graded 65--with none higher.
London apparently took it upon themselves to strike 100 proofs, of which only 2 are known. At PF65, this is the finest.
I think she's the most beautiful coin ever struck. Objectively she's stunning.
But is she stunning despite being a sole survivor, or because of it?
--Severian the Lame
who can't enjoy the good 'ol ( J-1 ) the elegance of the single digit, first in catalog. J-1 - numero uno
Toning is incredible. What is the grade, is it certified?
I lot viewed the Cardinal collection and thought the half-disme was the most impressive coin I have seen (despite its size). There was so much attention to the 1794 dollar that brought the record price when Legend and TDN bought it that the half disme went "cheap" at $1.1 million.
History, spectacular toning - I thought the coin had it all.
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My 1837 CBH took me out of my comfort zone, in which I had to scramble to pay for it. No regrets.
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Contursi had the SP66 1794 $1 at his table in Baltimore in the early 2000's in a special display.
I lot viewed the Norweb half about the same period.
I say it has to be the SP66 because of the extreme strike boldness and reflective surfaces, and of course the historical significance of the coin. A one-off unicorn..... spectacular.
My prettiest coin!
A runner up or tied for my prettiest:
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for the sake of conversation, when it comes to ancients; what is it about that piece and/or pieces like it (scarcity, especially gold) that drives up the price so much. (7 figures is quite a statement)
i have familiarity with usa coins and SOME world (7 figure) but ones like this are simply and completely out of my league. i'm sure there are a lot of super scarce types/metals/condition throughout the millennia so hearing (even if brief) backstory is always welcomes. ie: ides of march, fairly obvious why it is so valuable. historical significance and scarcity.
as you probably know, this run of CBH had a ROUGH life so finding ones with nice eye-appeal is no cake walk usually, especially when trying to buy a few and if one gets fortunate enough for the opportunity, their wallet will be significantly lighter.
nice coin you have there!
PCGS MS68
In this case, it's a combination of artistic significance and rarity. Rarity is (ironically) easy to come by in ancients/world but the top prices are realized from historical backstories (i.e. the Ides of March denarius, the opening games at the Colosseum, the ancient Olympics) or when a particular engraver has an artistic triumph, bringing it closer to the art market in cost when only a handful of examples of a type are known.
The coin I posted is one of fewer than 10 known examples, novel because of the obverse's 3/4ths facing perspective. For the time, this was unheard of and exceptionally difficult to execute.
It marks one of the juncture points in the development of art from the classical world. There are a handful of other types in a similar price tier which have been sought after for centuries due to how they've influenced artists for the subsequent millennia.
Other examples of highly influential coins are the Naxos tetradrachm (where the obverse is engraved in an archaic style and the reverse in a classical style, marking the moment when ancient art transitioned between the two) and dekadrachms of Kimon and Euainetos (which had direct influences on thousands of pieces of art - including the Morgan Dollar).
Nice ones!
@SmEagle1795 what makes that coin a 4mm+ coin?
Great post.
Most stunning is a high bar but here is a contender:
I still remember a proof Morgan (86, 87, 96?) at Legend's table many years ago. Surfaces and color looked like something you could only get with CGI. It was truly stunning. There was also a high grade 1839 Una and the Lion £5 that was particularly memorable. I've played with some coins that were far more cool, but can't recall much of anything more stunning.
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PLEASE stop showing that Bugs. As I've told you before I love it and I'm jealous.: )
PCGS MS68
Loads of eye candy in this thread, hands down the only MS69 Lincoln cent is my choice for most stunning coin I've ever seen, or in this case photos of. From coinfacts.
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At the risk of incurring the wrath of multiple posters
, thus far, I'm disappointed with the selection of "The Most Stunning Coin You've Ever Seen".
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
For me, the most stunning was actually a series of coins that I believe were at David Lawrence's table at the last show in Baltimore... a series of 4 Proof Barber Halves with Cameo appearance. I was literally walking through the aisles and stopped dead in my tracks...
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