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New MS Lincoln Cent and CAM purchases at Santa Clara.
SanctionII
Posts: 11,764 ✭✭✭✭✭
Went to Santa Clara for about 4-5 hours yesterday.
Same show as always, with essentially the same mix of dealers. I checked out the PAN PAC set on display by Rare Coin Wholesalers. Ultra cool, IMHO, however the same gripe I have always had about these displays is still present. The lighting is terrible. Further, the main display case (a plexiglass case attached to a vertical metal stand, with the case about 4-5' off the floor and with the displayed coin in a vertical position) and the absence of appropriate lighting to illuminate the displayed coin really makes for a disappointing exhibit. Further, for persons of even average size, it is not easy to get a direct view of the displayed coin. You have to bend over at the waist and hold your head up to look at the coin, or alternatively get down on your knees.
I picked up some raw MS Lincoln cents from the mid 30's to the early 80's to use as upgrades in a Lincoln Dansco Album I am putting together. The guy I bought the cents from looked at the 1914D and 1909S cents I have in the album. I bought them years ago at $100.00 each. He thought the 1914D would grade out at VF-30 and the 1909S at MS63-64. That was good news to my ears.
I also picked up three 1965 SMS sets with a CAM cent, two CAM quarters and a CAM half; a 1961 PCGS PF 66 half in an old green holder (rattler) for $20.00. The half is CAM, but since it was slabbed before PCGS started giving out CAM designations, I picked it up cheap. I also picked up a 1957 Proof set in OGP that has a CAM cent and a CAM quarter (maybe 100proof1957 will be jealous).
R&I Coins made it to the show. First time for them at Santa Clara that I recall. Looked through their display cases and marvelled at the beauty of the CAM/DCAM coins that they stock and sell. Did not ask about prices though since I look for them raw. Showed them my 1950-1963 Capital Holder set of CAM/DCAM Frankies and asked for their opinion of the 1950. They thought it would grade 65 or 66 CAM.
Also saw another dealer with two slabbed 1961 Frankies. Both NCG. One was graded PF69 CAM and it was $950.00. The other was PF68 UCAM and was $1,550.00. The obverse frost of the 68 UCAM was stronger than the reverse frost (though since it is UCAM, the frost on both sides must have been UCAM, right?). The obverse frost on the 69 CAM was just as nice as the reverse frost on the 68 UCAM and the reverse frost of the 69 CAM was much better than the reverse frost but not quite as intense as the obverse frost on the 68 UCAM. To me, if the 68 UCAM is in fact a UCAM, it would seem that the 69 should also be a UCAM. However, since the obverse frost on the 69 CAM is not as good as the obverse frost on the 68 UCAM, I suppose that may have resulted in the CAM designation instead of UCAM. The reverse of the 69 CAM definitely grabbed my attention when I saw it (much more so than either side of the 68 UCAM) and even though I can not articulate the difference, the "look" of the 69 CAM was just better than the 68 DCAM.
Overall it was a good way to spend a few hours (beats work). Further the lunch was not bad. I had rice, teriyaki chicken covered with teriyaki sauce and steamed vegatables.
Same show as always, with essentially the same mix of dealers. I checked out the PAN PAC set on display by Rare Coin Wholesalers. Ultra cool, IMHO, however the same gripe I have always had about these displays is still present. The lighting is terrible. Further, the main display case (a plexiglass case attached to a vertical metal stand, with the case about 4-5' off the floor and with the displayed coin in a vertical position) and the absence of appropriate lighting to illuminate the displayed coin really makes for a disappointing exhibit. Further, for persons of even average size, it is not easy to get a direct view of the displayed coin. You have to bend over at the waist and hold your head up to look at the coin, or alternatively get down on your knees.
I picked up some raw MS Lincoln cents from the mid 30's to the early 80's to use as upgrades in a Lincoln Dansco Album I am putting together. The guy I bought the cents from looked at the 1914D and 1909S cents I have in the album. I bought them years ago at $100.00 each. He thought the 1914D would grade out at VF-30 and the 1909S at MS63-64. That was good news to my ears.
I also picked up three 1965 SMS sets with a CAM cent, two CAM quarters and a CAM half; a 1961 PCGS PF 66 half in an old green holder (rattler) for $20.00. The half is CAM, but since it was slabbed before PCGS started giving out CAM designations, I picked it up cheap. I also picked up a 1957 Proof set in OGP that has a CAM cent and a CAM quarter (maybe 100proof1957 will be jealous).
R&I Coins made it to the show. First time for them at Santa Clara that I recall. Looked through their display cases and marvelled at the beauty of the CAM/DCAM coins that they stock and sell. Did not ask about prices though since I look for them raw. Showed them my 1950-1963 Capital Holder set of CAM/DCAM Frankies and asked for their opinion of the 1950. They thought it would grade 65 or 66 CAM.
Also saw another dealer with two slabbed 1961 Frankies. Both NCG. One was graded PF69 CAM and it was $950.00. The other was PF68 UCAM and was $1,550.00. The obverse frost of the 68 UCAM was stronger than the reverse frost (though since it is UCAM, the frost on both sides must have been UCAM, right?). The obverse frost on the 69 CAM was just as nice as the reverse frost on the 68 UCAM and the reverse frost of the 69 CAM was much better than the reverse frost but not quite as intense as the obverse frost on the 68 UCAM. To me, if the 68 UCAM is in fact a UCAM, it would seem that the 69 should also be a UCAM. However, since the obverse frost on the 69 CAM is not as good as the obverse frost on the 68 UCAM, I suppose that may have resulted in the CAM designation instead of UCAM. The reverse of the 69 CAM definitely grabbed my attention when I saw it (much more so than either side of the 68 UCAM) and even though I can not articulate the difference, the "look" of the 69 CAM was just better than the 68 DCAM.
Overall it was a good way to spend a few hours (beats work). Further the lunch was not bad. I had rice, teriyaki chicken covered with teriyaki sauce and steamed vegatables.
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As to the Pan Pac display, I have been going to the Santa Clara shows once or twice per year for about 5 years now. The show promoters always arrange to have an Ultra Rarity on display. The display is always the same (as I described in my initial post) and is always disappointing, since no one with any imagination designed the display. In summary the lighting is terrible and there is no easy way to get a good look at the coin(s). I understand the desire to have the slab holding the coin positioned verticially so that both sides of the coin can be seen by the public, however the ceiling lights located far above the coin simply does not illuminate the interior of the plexiglass display case. On top of that the clear plexiglass of the display case is only the present on the four vertical sides of the case. The top and bottom of the display case is not clear. Light from above can not pass through the top of the case.
I always like to view the Ultra Rarities on display, but I have never come away anything other than disappointed due to the lousy display conditions.