Which Would You Rather Have - The Saint or the 1804?
Typetone
Posts: 1,621 ✭✭
If you had your choice, which would you take?
1. The 1933 Saint that was just auctioned for $7.59 Million
2. The 1804 Proof Bust Dollar that was auctioned a few years backs by Bowers and Merena for $4 Million plus change and $1 Million to buy something nice for your wife (like a fleet of Porsches).
It should be obvious, I would take the Bust Dollar even w/o the extra $1million. How about you?
Greg
1. The 1933 Saint that was just auctioned for $7.59 Million
2. The 1804 Proof Bust Dollar that was auctioned a few years backs by Bowers and Merena for $4 Million plus change and $1 Million to buy something nice for your wife (like a fleet of Porsches).
It should be obvious, I would take the Bust Dollar even w/o the extra $1million. How about you?
Greg
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Comments
The Ludlow Brilliant Collection (1938-64)
I would rather have a 1913 Liberty Nickel and 6 million
Edited to add: I did the wife thing once, never make the same mistake twice.
Jim
None of the type 1 1804's were clandestinely manufactured. Would they be worth less if they were the only 1834's?
Looking for PCGS AU58 Washington's, 32-63.
You're absolutely correct in stating that the Class 1 1804's weren't clandestinely made, just the Class 2 coins were, but they sure weren't made in 1804. You ask what if they had been dated 1834? They'd be just as rare, and probably just as valuable, assuming no circulation strikes were made. Additionally, they'd be considered true coins, not restrikes, or more properly, novodels.
Jim
The point is to raise the issue as to whether the Saint is overvalued. If you would rather have the 1804 (at $4+ million) and the $1 Million (for a total of $5 million) it suggests that the Saint is overvalued at $7.6 million relative to other great rarities. I admit, the wife thing was a bit much.
Greg
To people of the buyer's means, the Saint is probably undervalued and he wouldn't trade it for the world.
Nice use of the term "novodels" in a sentence; I've never seen the word used outside of pre-20th century Russian numismatics before.
As for the question...I am assuming I have to hold the coin and not resell it. I would choose the Saint straight up over the 1804 Dollar. Adding the cash does not help to make this an equivilant choice IMO, and giving said cash to the wife makes the choice easy...who would want their wife to know she lost that much spending money just because you wanted one coin over another? So for your sad scenario I would take the $#&* proof coin.
RELLA
who boasts of twenty years experience in his craft
while in fact he has had only one year of experience...
twenty times.
Since the money thing will always be an issue I might choose the 1804 AND the 1913 nickel over the '33.
Who knows what a 1804 would bring now? Maybe more than before?
If I had to decide based soley on value, as an investment... I think the '33 Saint. It's got momentum now and could probably sell for a couple million more if it was resold. In 10 years, who knows?
DAM
> Additionally, they'd be considered true coins, not restrikes, or more properly, novodels.
Exactly! The 1804 dollar is not a real coin in my eyes, just some
interesting government fakery. It would be a completely different
story if they had the correct date on them and had the same rarity.
-KHayse
Hmmm - how would you classify stamping a piece of metal worth a few cents and declaring it's worth a quarter? Seems to me that most coins are some interesting government fakery!!!
I would prefer to have the St. Gaudens. Two reasons, there are a number of 1804 bust dollars that come on the market every now and then. There is only one 1933 St. Gaudens that can be legally owned by a private party and publicly displayed and recognized. If you don't get this one, you probably will not get another chance for a long time. Also, I prefer the St. Gaudens as it is the most beautiful coin ever produced IMHO and if I could afford the 1933, I could afford the entire set (there are some very pricey coins in this set).
I would take the one worth the most (the saint) sell it and buy a whole lot of really nice coins.
Jon