How many great old time collections (worth $10 million plus) still exist in private hands?

SethChandler

Are all the Pittmans, Eliasbergs, Garretts, Norwebs all auctioned off?

tradedollarnut

$10M just ain't what it used to be .... sigh.

MrEureka

Eighteen, but only six exceed $20 million.

barberlover

Any old collectors with the last name of Levin that might shed their mortal coil any time soon ?

Les

klorineforbrains

Could you go into more detail?

DNADave

Any speculation (or facts) about who bought some of the really big recent coin like the 1933 double eagle or 1913 nickel? I thought they went to private bidders but I can image Bill Gates or Oprah or some other filthy rich person "investing" in these. So who bought them, the ANA, Q. David Bowers, Jack Whittaker?

bullseye

The young man Dallas (who owns all the monster Bust coinage) must have a collection worth over $25,000,000.00. He owns TWO 1804 $1!

I wonder if he could adopt me?

Besides, they don't have to be "names" anymore. Look at the Richmond Collection that DLRC recently sold. Apparently that guy had been known and around for years-but he was quiet.

TheRaven

My secret is out

I am sure there are a few out there that nobody knows about, which have been sitting for a few decades.....

mozin

I have no idea, but I would sure be interested in hearing more about these fabulous unknown collections.

lloydmincy

I'll pipe up:

There are two brothers in the south, (won't say ther names), who I believe have an unbelievable pattern set. Have MS66 1979 50C and 1796 MS66 50C, and at least TWO ultra high reliefs.

Pogues out of Dallas: Probably own the best Bust collection ever assembled. They have the only privately available $5 1822, and TWO 1804 Dollars.

I know someone on this board knows the name of the "Connecticut" east coast collection, that houses A FEW Ultra High Reliefs, and the J-1776 (1907 Indian $20 pattern), possibly the most valuable coin in private hands today. (unless someone has another 1933 $20).

Brad Hirst stayed quiet while building his collection - The Richmond Collection, that is now sold from DLRC...

Ed Lee out of Merrimack, N.H. (Coin Dealer) purchased the 1913 Eliasberg Liberty Nickel from Blanchard and Company. He said he will be the first to retire in the modern age "with only a nickel"!!!

MrEureka

I'll pipe up:

Not so fast, Lloyd. I guess we'd better define "old time collection". How about we say that the majority of coins in an old time collection were accumulated before 1980? (Julian - Sorry if that makes you feel old, but you are. )

lloydmincy

You're right Andy. I am picking MODERN collectors, but what coins NOT DISCUSSED from the ones I just said could possibly fill EIGHTEEN "old-timers" worth over 10 million and including 6 over $20 Million? The top 1794 Dollars are all modern owners, 1933 $20, J-1776 pattern, Childs 1804, TOP 3 Ultra High Reliefs, 1870-s TOP $1, Top Strawberry Leaf cent, Brasher Dubloons, 1913 Liberty MS66, 1894-s TOP DIMES, 1873-cc NA dime, 1870-S Half dime, 1822 $5. TOP three 1885 Trade Dollars.... ALL WERE SOLD AFTER 1980.

What's LEFT?

Coppernicus

I don't know about sets greater than $10 million, but at my last month's coin club meeting an older member who knows I like copper brought in his IHC collection in an old Whitman (or similar) folder - It was complete from the 1857 FE cent through the 1909-S. The three key IHCs (1877, 1908-S and the 1909-S) were a minimum of AU58/MS60 (hard for me to tell) - that was the '08-S. The '77 was an MS64RB and the '09-S was a 65RD or better. Of course, these grades are just my opinion, but the whole folder just floored me!

I really think that there are a lot of really classic collections out there that have never seen a slab. (I asked the guy with the IHC set if he ever considered having his set authenticated/certified by PCGS and he said, "What's PCGS?") He's 81 years old and I'm sure there are many, many, many, of his type out there.

There's a lot of unbelievable material out there that we haven't seen yet, IMHO.

Mike

MrEureka

What's LEFT?

Stay tuned, Lloyd!

SethChandler

Hey folks, a great old time collection doesn't have to include all the major rarities. I was thinking runs of Proof Twenty Libs bought 50 yrs ago. Complete sets of Proof Seated coins still in Wayte Raymond albums. Just big monsterous collections with sets of nearly everything.

Coppernicus

SethChadler - Funny you should mention the Walking Libs - I was in a local coin shop last month, BS'ing with the owner when an old guy walked in with a folder of the seven proof Walking Libs - All were slightly toned but definitely UNC.

I left the shop cause I didn't want to hear the dealer's offer. They sure looked like a nice set!

Mike

tradedollarnut

but what coins NOT DISCUSSED from the ones I just said could possibly fill EIGHTEEN "old-timers" worth over 10 million

$10M is nothing in coins anymore ... it doesn't take a classic extensive collection to hit that mark. The Goldrush collection pulled in $14M. Even without the two Brashers it was still at $9M. Looked at in a classic sense, it really wasn't that extensive of a collection - but very high quality.

Obviously the Pogue Collection and the East Coast saint collection are two of the finest collections in private hands. But there are others. Stellar is definitely pushing that mark. The two billionaire brothers with the patterns as well. Quellar perhaps is up there. BRS Legacy is close. A few board members here as well.

Undoubtably there are old time collections that are pushing that milestone due to high quality and runaway prices.

Coppernicus

TDN - You're so right! And, it's not just the big dollar sets in private hands either, IMHO. I have seen some condition rarities in the Lincoln wheats that are pop tops (maybe better?) that have never seen PCGS, NGC, ANACS, etc. The old-time collectors don't buy into the TPGs, and many have barely heard of them.

Every time I see one of these old-time "classic" sets, I wonder, "How many more are out there?"

Mike

oreville

Speaking of runaway prices, i simply am awed at the prices that bankwrapped original rolls from the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's and 1950's are going for.

I know personally of 3 or 4 older collectors (I assure you that I am NOT one of them) who have collections of well over $10 Mil. Their average cost of their collections? Not more than $50,000 each.

We will see more collections get passed down to the next generation or get sold within the next 10 years that are still raw than we have seen in the last 70 years.
Most of these collectors who are now in their 70's or even older come from the golden era of collecting when rolls of BU coins were commonplace. I came late to the party in the late 1960's when I tried to buy unopened bankwrapped BU cent and quarter rolls from the 1930's and 1940's which fortunately I have held onto.

Just wait until you see some of the finest red and more red mint state lincoln cents including the 1914-D and 1914-S that are still RAW and still in their albums.

lloydmincy

<<Stay tuned, Lloyd!>>

I can hardly wait, Andy! These old "hidden" treasures is why this "hobby" never can get old. (no pun intended).

------------------Lloyd

cladking

<< <i>Speaking of runaway prices, i simply am awed at the prices that bankwrapped original rolls from the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's and 1950's are going for.

I know personally of 3 or 4 older collectors (I assure you that I am NOT one of them) who have collections of well over $10 Mil. Their average cost of their collections? Not more than $50,000 each.

We will see more collections get passed down to the next generation or get sold within the next 10 years that are still raw than we have seen in the last 70 years.
Most of these collectors who are now in their 70's or even older come from the golden era of collecting when rolls of BU coins were commonplace. I came late to the party in the late 1960's when I tried to buy unopened bankwrapped BU cent and quarter rolls from the 1930's and 1940's which fortunately I have held onto.

Just wait until you see some of the finest red and more red mint state lincoln cents including the 1914-D and 1914-S that are still RAW and still in their albums. >>



There are a lot of original raw 20th century coins out there. There are enough that even now
some of these hoards are in excesss of ten million dollars.

Julian

Stop counting other people's money and focus on the collections that you are developing. You can enjoy your own collections, now!!

Who knows what's out there?

Andy (tongue-in-cheek) thinks he knows. Chuckle!!!

TDN and others correctly point out that 10 million isn't what it used to be.

There probably aren't any private collections left, such as Garrett, but then Garrett was owned by Johns Hopkins. Will another museum choose to sell its collection???

What about the Smithsonian Institution??

I hate to see important properties locked in a vault, or boxed up in a basement, somewhere.

In the meantime, continue to build your collections, and one day they will be "old time".

Collect away!!!

oreville

Julian: Count other people's money? Nah. Just talking about what kind of coins will be available in the next ten years. It will be exciting.

What is so wonderful about my fellow collectors' collection is that they do not look up the price sheets to see what their coins are worth. They think in terms of the enjoyment factor not what the coins are worth. It simply doesn't matter to them or me.

For that matter, I haven't bought a greysheet in close to 9 months although I borrowed someone's about 5 months ago. I used to love to check the prices of my coins once a year based on the Red Book prices just to get an idea of relative values up or down. I don't even do that anymore.

I was reminded by a client who has a place in Nantucket (or was it Marthas Vineyard?) Massachussetts that the billionaires are trying to get rid of the millionaires from the island. I did not quite understand that. My first reaction was that the billionaires are jealous of the millionaires.

speety

<< <i>What's LEFT?

Stay tuned, Lloyd! >>



So, I've been waiting 5 years Andy, any hints? (I was quite the lurker back then...)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I just remembered this thread while browsing tonight, anyone have any cool stories? A couple of the sets mentioned have been sold or trimmed back, any new ones out there that people wanna mention?

Coinosaurus

The Newman collection has to qualify as "old time" by now. I don't know what all is in it, but if it is even 20% of what Ford had, that gets you to $10M.