Home PCGS Set Registry Forum

Have we seen the best?

Discounting Moderns, are there high grade 19th century or earlier coins waiting to be discovered?

Do you think there are coins still out there that would make the elusive level of Pop Top or Finest Known? Are there coins still undiscovered in attics, drawers, lock boxes, walls, buried, or elsewhere, that by todays standards, are at the head of their class? Aside from raw coins in the hands of collectors who prefer not to encapulate coins, or those permanently impounded in public or private collections, have we seen all our hobby has to offer?

Dan

Comments

  • braddickbraddick Posts: 22,995 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes and yes!
    The is the joy of collecting. There is always the chance and hope for a discovery coin- and the beauty is, it can be YOU that makes that discovery!
    (Just look at Greg's Pop01 1971-D MS68 Kennedy as a great example.)

    peacockcoins

  • FairlanemanFairlaneman Posts: 10,401 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Pat:

    Old Buddy he said discounting Modern Issues. image

    DAM:

    The Coins are still out there and We keep looking. I believe in the next few years many will surface as some of the Very Old time collectors disperse thier collections. Just last year the Kritzman Merc Collection was put up for sale and sold. Not all of the Coins were Top Pop coins but some of them were. These had not been seen anywhere on the Market I believe. Others will follow.
  • dbldie55dbldie55 Posts: 7,717 ✭✭✭✭✭
    As Greg pointed out, the 1971-D MS68 is a Pop 2 coin.
    Collector and Researcher of Liberty Head Nickels. ANA LM-6053
  • braddickbraddick Posts: 22,995 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Dam, You're right. I missed that the first read. I still think there are fresh Collections that haven't seen the light of day for decades awaiting discovery!

    In the meantime, some fantastic coins CAN be discovered post 1932. I know Mitch is seeking a MS68 1955-S Lincoln and my guess is, after he finds it, that'll be an accomplishment that will stick with him for awhile.

    Men are primarily hunters. If not for game to feed our families, than coins to feed our passions.

    peacockcoins

  • michaelmichael Posts: 9,524 ✭✭
    well you aint seen nothing yet!!!!!!!!!!


    you would be stunned flabbergasted!!!!!!!!!!

    if you knew waht is still out there pre 1940;s pre 1910 pre 1890's the list goes on and on

    sincerely michael

    it will come out in the next 5 10 20 years or so and will help the market not hurt it!!!!!!

    just like the huge hoard of cc dollars in the 1970's
  • cladkingcladking Posts: 28,307 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Some of the finest collections have never been slabbed. These coins will hit the
    market for many years and should serve to keep things interesting.
    Tempus fugit.
  • DMWJRDMWJR Posts: 5,974 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Just compare the top pops in last year's pop report with what is currently on-line. You will see an increase.
    Doug
  • No doubt there are some great coins in people's non-slabbed collections, but what grade and condition are they in. There's another thread on the Registry Forum which discusses potential environmental damage to coins in slabs. What about those once brilliant coins in a cigar box in someone's attic? Old proof sets, Unc. coins in albums, etc. These coins might have corroded and/or toned poorly over the years as they were neglected and left in a poor environment. Any guess or theory on what these coins would look like?
    "Buy the coin, not the holder"

    Proof Dime Registry Set
  • DAMDAM Posts: 2,410 ✭✭
    My thought on this topic was where are the next generation "finest" coins. Are they hidden treasures waiting to be discovered, some surely are, or are they in collections to be released somewhere in the future, with some in collections that will never be released. And until they are encapsulated, we may never know the true population of finest known coins that exist. Because, as far as I know, no one has ever created a Raw Coin Population Guide.

    I intentionally exempted 20th Century coins, in favor of discussing 19th century coins and earlier, because in most cases there are too many of them floating around (and you have to stop somewhere image). Even though early 20th century coins aren't always easy to find, I think it might be safe to say that most if not all of the 19th century coins have been parted from the rolls, or hoards they were once part of.

    Anyway, I was just wondering what may be out there that we haven't seen or been made aware of. And perhaps some forum members have an idea of what is going to be available within the next dozen years or so.





    Dan
  • cladkingcladking Posts: 28,307 ✭✭✭✭✭
    For the main part people who own valuable raw coins in pristine condition
    do know what they have and how to take proper care of them. Yes, there
    are some raw unsearched coins out there and a lot of these may be envir-
    omentally damaged. There are very few pre-1934 coins left in original rolls
    or bags. These have been broken up for many years.

    There are even fewer moderns in these old collections. Many of these col-
    lections were formed years ago before the moderns were even minted. The
    others rarely contain newer coins because people just didn't collect these
    until recently and the kind of collector who puts together raw sets of high
    grade bust dollars tend not to also collect clad dimes. Most extant high grade
    moderns have either been slabbed or still exist unknown in mint sets or rolls.
    Tempus fugit.
  • dbldie55dbldie55 Posts: 7,717 ✭✭✭✭✭
    DAM, it seems most people on this board only collect moderns, and even though you did not ask about them, they felt the need to discuss them. Sort of like a politician who never answers your question, but talks for 15 minutes pretending to.

    I am sure there are still some waiting to be discovered, but the numbers would be low. Even the raw 1893-S Morgan that Jack Lee paid $462,000 for was in a well known collection, just never certified. Of course, if a large number were held together, then chances are the collection would be known.
    Collector and Researcher of Liberty Head Nickels. ANA LM-6053
  • DAMDAM Posts: 2,410 ✭✭
    dbldie55,

    The reason I left 1900 and up out of the discussion was for the reason cladking stated. For dates beyond the 30's or so, especially 50's and up, there may be, and are for some, rolls and bags that exsist that, if searched, could destroy todays high grade population count for some dates. Look at the fever surrounding high grade state quarters for example. Low pop, high grade coins, going for hundreds of dollars, while there may be dozens of coins yet to be graded that match the highest grades now recorded for those dates.

    It was the example you used of the 93-S Morgan that this thread was meant to address. How many more coins could there be in collections, or in other places unknown to anyone, waiting to be found?

    Nice thoughts from those who responded. Now lets find them!
    Dan
  • Now that everybody I know knows I am really into coins they keep telling me about "rare" coins they have. They got it from their parents, or their grandfather kept the first dollar he was paid with or something. These are usually an 1884 Morgan in a baggie along with a Franklin half, some bicentennial quarters and a few Ikes. All circulated and banging against each other. Sigh.

    They always seem disappointed to learn that millions of 1884 Morgans were minted and are still very available in circulated condition. I suppose I'll run across something high quality in my lifetime. But the way people are storing these coins it seems more likely to find a key date rather than a high quality coin.
  • BearBear Posts: 18,954 ✭✭
    Till the end of time, there will be a small dribble of nice coins from estates . But much like a man with a bad prostrate, that dribble will get mighty , mighty thin. Bear
    There once was a place called
    Camelotimage
  • PhillyJoePhillyJoe Posts: 2,682 ✭✭✭✭
    A friend of mine is into scuba and once a year goes for a treasure hunting dive. Here on the east coast, there are thousands of sunken ships with varying amounts of treasure in them. Not pirate folklore, but documented shipments. He blew me away when he said, "given the advancement of technology, these ships will be located sooner, not later". It's in the news all the time. Last week, it was the Japanese sub in Pearl Harbor. Always speculated it was there; now they found it. Before that the Monitor. Before that the Hunley. I'll bet there are some terrific coins waiting to be discovered.

    Joe
    The Philadelphia Mint: making coins since 1792. We make money by making money. Now in our 225th year thanks to no competition. image
  • orevilleoreville Posts: 11,772 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jay Parrino had a ROLL of circulated 1856 flying eagle cents that he brought with him to one of the FUN shows or some other show, I believe 2 years ago.

    They were gone within several hours.

    Now that was a huge HORDE!!
    A Collectors Universe poster since 1997!
  • krankykranky Posts: 8,709 ✭✭✭
    There's still stuff out there. This month's The Numismatist reports an elderly Connecticut woman brought in some coins she found in an old suitcase in her attic. The coins sold for $212,000, and included an 1882 proof set and a 1843 $2 1/2 that sold for over $66,000.

    New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.

  • DAMDAM Posts: 2,410 ✭✭
    kranky,

    I haven't read last two copies. They're sitting on my couch waiting. image

    When I get home, looking for the article you described will be at the top of my list. I love stories like that.

    Maybe we should all check our attics, and those of our elderly relatives!
    Dan
  • I remember reading about it on coin news..
Sign In or Register to comment.