Amazing discoveries!
Zoins
Posts: 34,283 ✭✭✭✭✭
This thread is for amazing discoveries that started off with a purchase where the discovery wasn't recognized and incorporated in the price. This can either be a "cherry pick" if the coin as purchased from a dealer or a "rip" if the coin was purchased by a dealer.
Here are some amazing ones found relatively recently from 1978 up to 2022 to show that it's still possible in this day and age!
Post some amazing cherry picks and rips in this thread!
1978 Discovery: 1870-S Half Dime - Unique - Bob Simpson, Tom Bender
- Discovery: purchased as a common type coin in 1978
- Facts: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1870-s-h10c/4397
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2008 Discovery: 1971-S Eisenhower Dollar Working Prototype - Lee C. Lydston, David Frohman
This coin was found by our own @19Lyds in 2008!
2022 Discovery: 1901 "Indian" Head Cent on Gold Mexico 5 Pesos
Check out @Coinosaurus's auction description in the 2023 Heritage auction:
https://coins.ha.com/itm/seated-half-dimes/half-dimes/1870-s-h10c-ms64-pcgs-cac-pcgs-4397-/a/1356-3341.s
It is much more complete and more accurate than the old PCGS CoinFacts article.
Not a cherry pick; was bought over the counter by a dealer as you noted.
Ah, if it was purchased by a dealer as a type coin, it may be a rip by a dealer then? Opposite to a cherry pick?
Could be, but apparently the dealer bought it for the type coin price and didn't realize the 1870-s was not in the Red Book until later.
So it could be the classic, "I cherrypicked it from my own stock / collection"!
Hmm. Lots of scenarios here! I rename the thread to make it simpler given there's a lot of things that may have happened.
Would something like this be considered tuition on the part of the seller?
Wasn't there a US rarity discovered in a French Flea Market some years ago?
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Um..."tuition" isn't exactly the right word. Although it depends on who sold it. If it was a little old lady who didn't collect coins, I think I would use a very different term.
I would consider a new discovery to be neither a cherrypick or a rip, whether it is recognized at the time of purchase or at a later time. I'd simply call it original research on the part of the discoverer. A coin that is completely undocumented is basically invisible to all but a specialized group of people, and even the latter will not see it unless they are actively studying the coin. It requires exceptional knowledge, skill and awareness to find such a coin.
I think it was a Continental Dollar if I remember correctly.
Collector, occasional seller
Correct, that it was.
"It's like God, Family, Country, except Sticker, Plastic, Coin."
The person who reported the 1976 “No S” Type Two 40% Silver Proof Bicentennial Ike to Coin World told a very convincing story that it was found in a cash register at a department store in Washington, D.C. He never said that it was he that found it.
Be that as it may, when I handled it for the story there were a few light handling marks (long since skillfully conservated away) that made me believe the story.
TD
The 1831 Quarter Eagle struck on a dime planchet is cool. That it was found in a bag of silver in 2008 is pretty amazing. Here's the description from the Heritage auction.
Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association
That 1831 is really cool, I wonder how many times it was spent as a $2-1/2 coin??
“New” IHC Variety. It was actually discovered last year & is now known as a S-75. What makes it unique are the die lines in the center of the reverse. So far, it’s the only one known. I took a chance on it before the actual attribution was made. Nice piece & very RD for those who like RD IHC’s!
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
Die scratches @rnkmyer1 ?
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Here’s a draft copy of the write up that describes them:
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
Lets just be totally sincere & transparent, it is the only one attributed at this moment in time. Depending on condition ie if it were a much lower graded the die scratches would not be noticeable and since there wasn't anything publicized about it until now nobody had been looking. As far as rarity it is unknown in that nobody knew to look, many collectors may have one. As far as importance it is a minor variety/not significant compared to a lot of others. Of course is this is my opinion on the matter, others may disagree
1845-D Half Eagle
"Variety 13-I: The date is located somewhat further towards the right. In the first edition of this book, I noted that this variety had been described by Walter Breen but that I had not seen any examples. In 1999, it was re-discovered by collector Paul Harris."
I did say “so far”. I did not say “rarity”, only that it’s the only one known. How do we know if no one’s looking? I know a VPD that actually does look for anything he hasn’t seen before. We also have no way of knowing if a much lower graded example would not show them. Take the 1875 S-16. There’s a AG03 graded example that does show the dot.
You are certainly entitled to your opinion. Here’s mine: I am being totally sincere & transparent; nothing I said can be taken any other way, unless one wants to.
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
@rnkmyer1
I'm happy for your discovery, and this is not a dig, but when did die scratches on coins become varieties? I guess VAMs on Peace dollars have included anything and everything, but it seems a stretch to call this a variety.
Again, not crapping on your coin. It is beautiful, and I hope you enjoy it.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Thanks for your post. Obviously, it wasn’t my call to cite it as a variety, but I’ll take it. It is a nice RD; I will enjoy it! Appreciate your input……
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
Okay. I am assembling a complete Bust Dollar set by die pair and die state. The 1798 BB-111 (B-11) is known to have an incredible progression of die states. I got them all, including this terminal state that was unknown. Unfortunately, it is a cut coin. I have yet to locate either the other half of that coin or a full coin in the same die state. The progression is largely the two cracks in the right field. The lower crack first develops. Then the upper crack starts, becomes dominant, and extends across the head into the left field. This state has a cud break between between the two cracks, obliterating a star entirely. I got it certified at ICG (as they do oddball stuff like potty dollars). Need the other 4 bits.
That's a great find!
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
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Alefzero,
now that is a truly cool find, just don't know why it didn't go to PCGS, they can attribute such an item
I wasn't sure if they would slab it. I knew ICG would and they are cheap and fast. The coin is the coin. If the other half turns up and I get it, I would probably approach PCGS to dual holder the two halves with the attribution (and hopefully a decent TrueView).