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What is your biggest bargain?

Thought it would be fun to share the biggest bargain you've found so far.

Mine is an 1873 Open 3 double eagle that I bought for AU money (i.e. $50 over melt) and sent it off to be graded and it came back MS-61.

PS- I still think it's a 58.

Comments

  • airplanenutairplanenut Posts: 22,148 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Got an 1859 Indian Head (debating VF-AU; can't tell weak strike from wear yet) for $7... if it is XF that is a $100 coin image
    JK Coin Photography - eBay Consignments | High Quality Photos | LOW Prices | 20% of Consignment Proceeds Go to Pancreatic Cancer Research
  • itsnotjustmeitsnotjustme Posts: 8,777 ✭✭✭
    5x1979-S T2 proof sets for $6 each
    70 Buffalo Dollars for ~$30 each
    11 2002 $5G CVC for $200 each
    Give Blood (Red Bags) & Platelets (Yellow Bags)!
  • ARCOARCO Posts: 4,396 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Biggest percentage gain was a $12.00 1909-O half that sold for $61.00. Most rewarding coin gain came from a long time dealer who overprices everything. doubled my money $260.00. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

    Tyler
  • PlacidPlacid Posts: 11,299 ✭✭✭
    I guess this is for coins paid for not found or given.
    So a 1873 ms63 trade dollar I bought off teletrade in a anacs ms60 holder for $300.
  • MrLeeMrLee Posts: 1,847 ✭✭✭
    An 1880-CC GSA that's an easy MS-64 with beautiful rainbow cresent toning in box with COA.....$45.
  • numobrinumobri Posts: 1,473 ✭✭✭
    Bought $25. worth of raffle tickets for a numismatic prize and won GRAND PRIZE,turned down $1500. for it.
    NUMO
  • airplanenutairplanenut Posts: 22,148 ✭✭✭✭✭
    you turned down $1500???
    JK Coin Photography - eBay Consignments | High Quality Photos | LOW Prices | 20% of Consignment Proceeds Go to Pancreatic Cancer Research
  • numobrinumobri Posts: 1,473 ✭✭✭
    YEP,still have it.
    NUMO
  • What was the prize?

    Oh, my biggest bargain was a 1878-S Morgan that I picked up for $40, found it was some variety (don't remember which one), and sold it for $110.
  • Bought an 1888 Morgan from a bidboard in 1988 for $18, it graded MS65 and I sold it that year for $800. I bought 4-5 Morgans this way. Unfortunately, I keep the others.

    Coyn
  • numobrinumobri Posts: 1,473 ✭✭✭
    A 20 oz. bar of silver stamped with orignal,canceled dies for a 1884 Morgan silver dollar(obverse and reverse) and a reverse die for a Seated Liberty dime.A gold ingot representing an 1887 Coronet gold $5 half eagle has been inserted into the bar.The bar was struck by authentic Carson City dies held in the Nevada State Museum.
    NUMO
  • THat is really cool I wouldn't have sold it for $1500 either!
  • numobrinumobri Posts: 1,473 ✭✭✭
    Would post a pic but had a few brews and would take to long,maybe another day,was very cool to me.
    NUMO
  • BigD5BigD5 Posts: 3,433
    I bought an "au" three cent silver, that ngc graded ms/64. I knew it was unc. when I bought it.
    BigD5
    LSCC#1864

    Ebay Stuff
  • TheNumishTheNumish Posts: 1,628 ✭✭
    Bought an 1839-D $2 1/2 in an old PCGS AU-55 holder. Sent it back in and it graded MS-61. The sweetest part of the deal was I outbid a major gold dealer to get the coin.
  • darktonedarktone Posts: 8,437 ✭✭✭
    Well my two best deals this year is the 1891cc $10 gold I got on ebay for $350 I just got it graded by PCGS MS62 and I still think it has potential for an up-grade really nice luster. Finding this coin was just a case of being the only person to ask the seller for a picture of it I presume as nobody else even bid on it. The other coin is my Lafayette dollar I paid around $230 for I could hardly beleive my eyes when I first saw this coin. I had it graded by ANACS it came back MS63. I think it's a 65-66 coin but there is a small hazy area on the obverse that is hard to see but the anacs grader says this and a small staple type scratch are holdind it back(you have two tilt the coin just right to see the mark). I am thinking of sending this coin to NCS with hopes of curating the hazy area and have it graded by NGC since it will be right there. A grade of 64 sure would be nice! mike
  • Aside from my wife, it's probably the $1.00 I spent to buy an 1865 3-cent nickel (V+) from a flea market vendor's junk box.
    It's the "hunt" that makes this such a great hobby...
  • bought a sack of half cents for less than $30.
    My detecting page


    currently putting together a collection of world and US silver dollars of the 1800's
    My World dollar collectionJust updated 3--03
  • darktonedarktone Posts: 8,437 ✭✭✭
    sjbrian- get any good ones in the sack of half cents? mike
  • Mine was a 54-S - got it in a MS64FBL holder for $60 and it looked really nice so when I got my 4 free gradings for my registry set I cracked it and sent it in - came back MS65FBL which sells for about $300.

    Frank
  • When I ordered a 1998 Silver Proof quarter from a dealer for $7 and they sent me a 1995 Silver Proof instead valued at $28.

    image
  • BladeBlade Posts: 1,744
    Traded some low value coins for an 1850 AU RB large cent that I sold to another dealer as MS63. Pocketed an extra $150.
    Tom

    NOTE: No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.

    Type collector since 1981
    Current focus 1855 date type set
  • I won a 2001 PCGS Pr69 dcam $10.00 gold eagle on Ebay for $112.00 while the mint was still selling nthem for $150.00.The guy who was selling it didn't put a reserve on it and,to his credit,he compleated the transaction.image
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    A PCGS 68dcam 1995W for $900. Cheers, RickO
  • Way back in 1964 I picked up a 1950-S quarter for 50 cents on a local coin shop bid board. Had it salbbed last year by PCGS at MS65 S/D.
    Buy the coin...but be sure to pay for it.
  • dorkkarldorkkarl Posts: 12,691 ✭✭✭
    i'll throw in a different twist. my biggest bargain was picking up a case of stack's and b. max. mehl auction catalogs about six years ago. the knowledge in those is priceless.

    K S
  • Steve27Steve27 Posts: 13,274 ✭✭✭
    Back in 98 I purchased the matte finish Kennedy collector's set direct from the mint for less than $60. The JFK is now in a PCGS MS69 holder.
    "It's far easier to fight for principles, than to live up to them." Adlai Stevenson
  • 66Tbird66Tbird Posts: 2,858 ✭✭✭
    1999 SQ bags @$29.95,, sold @$400 each. Jump-started the whole type set collection. Then the six piece gold type set that I joking offered melt for and he took it.
    Need something designed and 3D printed?
  • Mine would be the 1807 111 "prime" that I snagged from a Heritage auction in 1987, one of only 3 known at the time ( I beleive another low grade piece has surfaced since). Below is the auction listing when I sold it in 1992. I found the auction catalog and the hammer price was $900 + $90 (10%) buyers fee when I purchased it in 1987.

    image
  • I paid $25 or so for a group of 5 error coins at an auction. One was an 1893 nickle. Came back from PCGS as MS-65/10% clip. An MS-65 with no clip is worth $850.00. Yahoo!
  • numobrinumobri Posts: 1,473 ✭✭✭
    NUMO
  • My biggest bargain was a gorgeous 1916 standing liberty quarter
    PCGS MS64 I got on eBay a few years back. The seller was a dealer
    who used no reserve but a single low first bid of $4000 below the
    going price at the time. I placed my high bid and at the end
    of the auction I had the coin for the first bid + 100. The dealer
    had been called out of town and lost track. There were no other
    bidders at all. It shocked the heck of me when I won.

    The seller honored my winning bid and took a trouncing of a
    several thousand dollar loss. The dealer said I won the coin
    fair and square and insisted I had nothing to feel bad about.
    He Fed'xd the coin without knowing me and only requested that
    I wire him the money that next day so he could make a purchase
    of an antique classic car right away. He even sent me a picture
    of the car. He was short of money.

    When is the last time a seller sent you the coin before you sent the
    money?

    - Charlie B -
    "location, location, location...eye appeal, eye appeal, eye appeal"
    My website
  • Unfortunately, the same as my post on "coins you wish you never sold". image
  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    i had an eBay seller send me the wrong coin so to make it right they offered me a 1955 franklin in a PF68CAM NGC holder for $80. the cameo wasn't real strong but i resold it on eBay for $250 after about 8 months.

    al h.image
  • A 1903-S dime in AG that I found in a dealer's junkbox for fifty cents.
    The strangest things seem suddenly routine.
  • The 1998 SMS JFK/RFK Matte Proof set from Ebay for $35. Both came back MS69.
  • ldhairldhair Posts: 7,232 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1893-O Morgan in AU. $16
    Larry

  • ElcontadorElcontador Posts: 7,523 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Along with Mr. Lee, a nice find was an 1884 CC GSA Morgan that bought from the Mint for $45. It is now housed in a PCGS MS 66 holder and has beautiful crescent cobalt blue toning on the reverse.

    Another was a 1936 S Walker I bought in 1968, sent in twice for grading and is also housed in a PCGS MS 66 holder. Original cost for the coin was $35.

    Charlie - Pinnacle Rarities sent me an 1883 Seated Half in PCGS MS 65 on memo, though I had already established a track record with them when they sent me the coin (yes, I bought it).
    "Vou invadir o Nordeste,
    "Seu cabra da peste,
    "Sou Mangueira......."
  • WhitewashqtrWhitewashqtr Posts: 736 ✭✭✭
    I bought a 1955D PCGS MS66 quarter (finest graded) for $100!! Coin sells usually for $400.
    HAVE A GREAT DAY! THE CHOICE IS YOURS!!!!
  • I'm not sure I've gotten a bargain, yet.

    BC
    Dip Happens...image
  • jomjom Posts: 3,441 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Three I can think of:

    1928-D SLQ in MS65 for $350. Regraded 6 years later at 65FH and sold for $3200.
    1918-D Merc in MS63FB for $950. Regraded about a year later at 64FB and sold at a premium at about $4000. IMO, the coin was a Gem. Should have kept it...
    1919-D Buffalo MS64 bought in 1993 for $1200. Six years later the MS64 price was $1900 but had it regraded to MS65. $3500.

    I put all the "gains" in a mutual fund in 1999 and subsequently lost 40% of it. So much for traditional investments. lol

    jom
  • hughesm1hughesm1 Posts: 778 ✭✭
    Mine was an 1884-S Morgan in EF-45 purchased for €16.image
    Mark
  • orevilleoreville Posts: 11,953 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Biggest bargain?

    How about waiting on line for 4 hours at the age of 12 in 1965 (or 13 in 1966...I can't remember which) with crisp new and tattered silver $1 certificate dollars and redeeming them for circulated silver dollars at face value at the New York Federal Reserve?

    A bunch of the silver dollars were the CC silver dollars! I carted away close to $600 of the silver dollars of which 30 of them were CC dollars! I worked hard as a newspaper boy to save that much money......actually it was $300 I saved and my grandfather matched it!!

    You couldn't beat circulated CC dollars for $1 each! image

    A Collectors Universe poster since 1997!
  • Used buy it now to purchase a corroded 1877 IHC for $150. Had it slabbed by ANACS EF details net G-4.
    Sold for $305. (I bought it six minutes after it went on Ebay) image
    History always repeats itself. Humans are slow learners.
  • coinnerdcoinnerd Posts: 492 ✭✭✭
    The year I graduated high school I worked all summer to buy an 1890 proof set for $850, everyone thought I was nuts. I sold it eight years later for $19,000.

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