Plate coins for reference books

seatedlib3991

I have had a little luck lately and have found 2 different coins that are the plate coins for specific varieties. I have not had to pay any extra but was wondering if anyone considers this a cherry pick or possible financial bonus in the future? James

Mr_Spud

If you include a picture of the coin in the book, people will like it more if go to sell it and it’s obviously the same coin, not sure if that means they would pay extra for it though, sort of like a pedigree on a slab. If the book or pedigree owner on a slab is popular then it might. I know that I would be more likely to not try to ask for a better price on a coin I’m interested in if it has an “extra” feature like a known providence or a variety like that.

OAKSTAR

seatedlib3991

I don't have the pictures, or the coins for that matter yet. question is hypothetical.

coinbuf

Hypothetically speaking if you didn't pay a premium why would anyone else?

seatedlib3991

@coinbuf. so you have never bought a coin that gained popularity, or value? Odd things can become more important in the future. check out what happened, if you can, to the value of 1839 seated halves without drapery compared to ones with. When i bought mine the difference between the two varieties was about 10%. Little different now. james

epc

While reading QDB's recent book on Liberty Seated coins, several plate coins looked familiar. About a dozen of the pictured half dimes are in my collection. I think it's neat to have such coins, but I wouldn't pay extra for them or expect a premium when I sell.

ifthevamzarockin

I have sold several plate coins and always made a premium on them.
Maybe it's just salesmanship and the ability to write a decent listing.

coinsarefun

I have brass Levick token that is the plate coin for two of QDB’s books.
First one is 100 greatest medals and tokens.

His image

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And he has it on the. Cover of his book “Guide book to civil war tokens”

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My image of the token. Keep in mind the Levick tokens were out of the CWT’s then included and lastly removed again!
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pcgscacgold

I have this plate coin from the D. Haynor book on Classic Head gold (page 281). It also has "Virginian Collection" on the label. The coin and the book will sit together until my heirs get the collection.

Colonialcoin

I was fortunate to buy coins that were plated in Early American Coins of America by Crosby and have also had coins from my collection that were plated in Dave Bowers book on colonial coins. I never have paid a premium for plate coins and it is hit or miss when it comes to selling them for a nice premium over the market value of an unplated coin.

Bottom line is, if I was to choose between two coins, I would buy the better coin if it was between a VF plate versus an XF unplated coin.

seatedlib3991

I don't think the current market garners a premium for a reference coin at this time. I do wonder about the future though. On the one hand you have an entire generation of collectors who are almost more focused on pictures than the actual coins. You also have a time factor. For instance one of the coins I have been able to confirm is in the Fortin online book. That reference is only about 12 years old. Of course how important the reference itself is will play it's part.
I am just speculating that for some coins provenance may end up having less to do with named collectors and more to do with the role a coin may have played in collecting. James

Barberian

I have one of those. It was fun to stumble across it in a book by QD Bowers, particularly as an example of an AG3 coin. It has since been demoted to Fair2 and is THE most worn 73NA 03 with a CAC sticker. It's also as far as I can tell, THE lowest graded coin from the "Newtown" collection that is coming up for auction soon. It was sold separately from the coins up for auction now, which are almost all beautiful, high grade, uncirculated coins.

pcgscacgold

There is going to be a chance to pick up a lot of plate coins from the Fortin Book. He is putting his collection up for auction next year (3 parts I believe). If you like dimes, visit is site and see a number of top pop coins in his auction catalog.

Barberian

@seatedlib3991 said:
@coinbuf. so you have never bought a coin that gained popularity, or value? Odd things can become more important in the future. check out what happened, if you can, to the value of 1839 seated halves without drapery compared to ones with. When i bought mine the difference between the two varieties was about 10%. Little different now. james

Yes! One of the mistakes I made collecting SLH was not purchasing a 39 no drapery 15 years ago (as well as some Civil War dates) when the price for a XF coin was under $1K. Those coins just keep on climbing in value.

Follow a series, in this case, SLHs for 20 years and it seems like a turtle race. Most do nothing or move slowly and steadily, but some catch fire and leave the others behind.

seatedlib3991

@Barberian . I know exactly what you mean. I put my date set, including the 79 to 90 years together several decades ago. At the time I had a couple of friends who mocked me for buying coins they were quick to point out "Had not increased in value in over 15 years!"
I had to sell my set during the covid era, but I think we both know those prices are probably never coming back again. James

coinbuf

@seatedlib3991 said:
@coinbuf. so you have never bought a coin that gained popularity, or value? Odd things can become more important in the future. check out what happened, if you can, to the value of 1839 seated halves without drapery compared to ones with. When i bought mine the difference between the two varieties was about 10%. Little different now. james

Apples and oranges, your post is about a premium for being a plate coin, in your reply to my post you are now talking about numismatic or demand premium, two very different things. Yes of course coin values can go up as we have seen in the past three years thanks in no small part to inflation, but as we saw decades ago with commems the prices can also fall as much or more than they go up. I've been offered multiples of what I paid for my 09 SVDB, no doubt that part of that offer was because the coin is in a rattler and those holders have been enjoying a cult like following with some of the market. The thing is I didn't buy it because of the holder (that was plus) or because I thought I would be able to sell it for more. I bought it because I liked the coin and wanted it for my collection. But none of this has anything to do with a coin being worth more simply because it happens to be a plate coin.

Barberian

@coinbuf said:

@seatedlib3991 said:
@coinbuf. so you have never bought a coin that gained popularity, or value? Odd things can become more important in the future. check out what happened, if you can, to the value of 1839 seated halves without drapery compared to ones with. When i bought mine the difference between the two varieties was about 10%. Little different now. james

Apples and oranges, your post is about a premium for being a plate coin, in your reply to my post you are now talking about numismatic or demand premium, two very different things. Yes of course coin values can go up as we have seen in the past three years thanks in no small part to inflation, but as we saw decades ago with commems the prices can also fall as much or more than they go up. I've been offered multiples of what I paid for my 09 SVDB, no doubt that part of that offer was because the coin is in a rattler and those holders have been enjoying a cult like following with some of the market. The thing is I didn't buy it because of the holder (that was plus) or because I thought I would be able to sell it for more. I bought it because I liked the coin and wanted it for my collection. But none of this has anything to do with a coin being worth more simply because it happens to be a plate coin.

We did get a bit off target discussing coins that have surged in price. At least for my F2 73NAO3, I didn't know it was a plate coin, and I doubt an F2 would get much of a boost for being the plate example of an AG3 coin anyway.

seatedlib3991

@coinbuf. As I amended later. I DON'T think a plate coin has a premium now. Based on the increased reliance on pictures I speculated whether as to whether that MAY become a form of provenance that will have a premium in the FUTURE. James

RLSnapper

This 1852 N-6 is the plate coin for the die state (c) with the obverse cud in Bob Grellman's book. Even came with a card where Bob notes it is the plate coin in his book. I think I paid a $25 premium.....a cool addition to my set.

coinbuf

@seatedlib3991 said:
@coinbuf. As I amended later. I DON'T think a plate coin has a premium now. Based on the increased reliance on pictures I speculated whether as to whether that MAY become a form of provenance that will have a premium in the FUTURE. James

But this is flaw in your question, nobody can predict what might happen in the future. Yes demand for plate coins could increase, it could become irrelevant and command zero premium; there is no way to answer your question except to say maybe. Thus my reply asking why do you think anyone would be willing to pay more in the future vs what you paid today.

Plate coin status matters to a very small segment of the collector population, it might seem like a big deal biased on the views of a handful of people on this forum. But the 40 or so active participants on this board are not representative of the larger body of average collectors, most of whom (imo) could care less now; or in the future; about a plate coin. Plate coin status might bring a premium if you can find the right buyer (now or in the future) and it might make a coin a bit easier to sell as an interesting tidbit of info and also perhaps due to the usually excellent photos.

My opinion is that as a general rule any premium you see in the future is more likely to be a result of general market gains across the broader coin market as opposed to some increase in value that can be attributed to plate coin status.