Great Rarity In Some 1932-1964 Brilliant Coins?

wondercoin

This discussion is aimed at super high grade silver coins dated 1932-1964. Of course, most post-1965 coins in high grade are brilliant and many pre-1932 coins are brilliant as well. But, let's try to keep the discussion focused on the super high grade 1932-1964 coins for the purpose of this thread.

First, let me mention that I am a big fan of toned coins. My personal collection contains toned coin after toned coin - I love them. But, I also love and appreciate great rarities - and I have seen how in some coins, the greatest rarity is to locate a fully brilliant example of the particular coin in super high grade.

It appears there are many great brilliant rarities in this era, which price guides, for example do not pick up on at all. For example, take the Wash Quarter series. A coin like a 1957(p) in PCGS-MS67 is roughly a $100 coin. Every example I have ever encountered is toned. I do not believe I have ever come across a fully brilliant PCGS-MS67 1957(p) quarter - have you? I would happily pay 10x the going rate for a brilliant coin if I was offered one. The same is true for a coin such as the 1952(p) Wash quarter in PCGS-MS67. I have never heard of a fully brilliant coin existing in grades higher than PCGS-MS66 for that date.

The same is true for the Franklin series, although it has received a bit more "press" through the work of Rick T. For example, a coin like the 1957(p) Franklin in PCGS-MS66FBL is roughly a $150 coin, but a blast white one - well - I just conducted a 10 year search on Teletrade and a fully brilliant coin does not appear to have ever been offered in their auctions in the past 10 years!! I noticed Rick T. had one offered at nearly $4,000 on his site - at least 20x the price of a typical mint set toned coin. His analysis of the great rarity differences makes perfect sense to me.

In the Franklin series, a coin like the 55(p) has nearly 100 graded in the top grade of MS66FBL. I have never seen a fully brilliant 1955(p) Franklin offered in PCGS-MS66FBL - have you? Assuming a 1955(p) in PCGS-MS66FBL is say a $400 coin in MS66FBL, what would the blast white 1955(p) command? Since it gets no additional Registry points - perhaps less than it should?

Roosevelt Dimes in PCGS-MS68FB were also near impossible to locate in blast white for years, except a few have recently been graded. But, coins like the 49(p) Roosie in PCGS-MS67FB should continue to prove to be a very difficult coin to locate in blast white, to name just one.

Again, the great rarity of brilliant coins is seldom reflected in a price guide (and certainly not in the Registry points). For example, take that 1957(p) quarter I mentioned in PCGS-MS67 blast white vs. toned. The toned price might be $100 and the brilliant price might be $1000. Yet, the price guide will generally reflect only the typical mint set toned coin at $100.

Take the time to study the rarity differences between brilliant coins and toned silver coins from the 1932-64 era and you may be able to build a wonderful collection of a few MONSTER BLAST WHITE rarities to place side by side along with the MONSTER TONED beauties

Have you also encountered some super scarce blast white silver coins from this era in high grade?


Wondercoin

Baley

agreed, white super high grade coins from this era are rare. usually you need a little toning to mellow out some of the tiny tiny surface abrasions in order to make 67, also a little nice color sometimes gives the half point a liner coin needs to make 67. Dip a toned PCGS MS67 coin and I think you probably have a blast white 66 or even a 65.

FC57Coins

Mitch:

You make some very valid points. At least in the Franklin series I agree with you that blast white MS66's are rare. And my feeling is that the reason for this is that they haven't been fooled with - no dipping, no messing around with it and thus the silver coin does what it normally does, and it tones. Now there are the oddball cases where a coin is going to be kept in the perfect environment and in the perfect conditions to maintain it's pristine condition. But even then it would seem to me that there would be some mellowing of the color at very least. Blast white gem pieces of this type are just rare. They are out there no doubt, but they're not common. NOW, just like anything else. Are you ready to pay through the nose for a blast white piece just because it's blast white? Well - this collector is not inclined to do so. And the reason is simple. When you go to sell it, your market is going to be limited to those collectors who will only want blast white pieces. Most dealers are going to look at you and say - well - it's nice, but it's still a 1957 half in MS66FBL and it sells for $150. So, if you can get them that's great, but are you going to pay 20 times market value for the honor? That's a question each individual has to answer for themselves. To me - it's just a neat coin.

Frank

Bytheway, this one below (MS66FBL) retails for anywhere from $600-800. If anyone wants to give me 20X that much, kindly PM me

LucyBop

Good post Pug...... I agree, and I'll also say that there are dealers out there that give awesome deals sometimes on blast white coins... R&I whom does charge a premium treated me right on a blast white 53d ms66fbl. Also, mnmcoin hooked me up on a sweet white 48d cheaper then what I paid for my pretty golden toned one.....

foodude

I am most familar with Franklins, and your comments on them are right on the money. I've found the 1955 to be the most difficult to brillant in 65. I have one brillant NGC in 65 (no FBL), and one brillant PCGS in 65 (no FBL) on its way to me through the mail. I did not pay a premium for either of them, in fact I bought one well below bid.

I've never seen a brillant 1955 in 66 (w/ or w/o FBL) in person. I recall seeing a pic of a brillant PCGS 66 FBL on RT's web site. I just went there, but can't find it. At one time he had a section with pics of some of the special coins he had handled. I thought that 1955 was one of them.

mdwoods

Rick Tomaskas Brillliant 57 P 66FBL Franklin is the only one I have every seen. Except for this beauty. There is no rub on the cheek, thats just the high points. No spots, and very few tiny marks. Nearly a perfect white flashy coin. I'm keeping this coin over a beautiful 67fbl toner in the same year/mint.

foodude

I found the brillant 1955 PCGS 66FBL I was referring to above. It is described as "Brillant". Here is the RT website link:null

wondercoin

fudude: Yes, your link shows what I was saying. That 1955 brilliant Franklin is a great rarity in grades MS66FBL and above. But, of course, it has no premium in the price guides and registry To me, I would only be too happy to pay upwards of 10x for that coin in blast white MS66FBL as compared to the price of a typical toned coin.

Wondercoin

oldcameoproofsguy

I have not heard of nor seen a MS67 Brilliant Franklin, FBL or not. If there is, it does not have much company. It is safe to say that nearly 95% or more of the MS67 population of Franklin Halfs are toned. Therefore one would expect to pay really strong money for a brilliant example.

lclugza

I won't pay extra for a white coin or a toned one, either! Just give me whatever is cheaper.

mdwoods

I have not heard of nor seen a MS67 Brilliant Franklin, FBL or not. If there is, it does not have much company. It is safe to say that nearly 95% or more of the MS67 population of Franklin Halfs are toned. Therefore one would expect to pay really strong money for a brilliant example.

I don't think there is a single brilliant PCGS MS67FBL Franklin. It would certainly go for very big bucks.