Why does a Pedigree Coin command a higher value-----and should it ?

ABC123

It seems coins with a Pedigree to Eliasberg, Bass, Wayne Miller, Jack Lee etc. command a large premium (25% +) over similar coins that do not have a pedigree. Is this just another example of people buying the plastic and not the coin, or is there real long-range value in such coins ?

morgannut2

Depends is the usual answer-- Wayne Miller is an exception--the thrill apparently is to own a top coin that's plated in an important book and you'd be VERY lucky to only see a 25% premium--(I've seen 300%). Other coins like Eliasberg--some issues were as common as dirt-- so there's little premium. With him it seems more like originality, quality and rarity in auctions I've witnessed. I don't think Lee has any premium other than the quality of his selections--and the coins that were dispersed from Bass are like Eliasberg--depends on the coin's characteristics. ---Myself, I paid over $100 for a common MS65 Bass Morgan--just because he didn't collect them (it was from a roll). But the $50 premium for conversation value is about all it was worth in my opinion.

ER

Should it? Not to me.

tradedollarnut

I'll pay a premium for a coin from an important collection. Part of the reason I collect is because of the history behind the coins.

ScarsdaleCoin

Tracking a coin back to the original owner 100 years ago is way cool and worth the premium! I have a 1722 Rosa with a Parmelee pedigree which tracks back to 1890.....well worth the extra bucks...

Barndog

A plate coin is worth more than an otherwise-equal non-plate coin to me.

MrHalfDime

Sometimes its not the mere pedigree, or the name on the slab, that commands the premium. I have been known to pay a large premium for coins with a pedigree, from collections belonging to specialists who shared my own collecting interests, because they were specific die marriages or die states of great interest, and great rarity. I bought two VLDS cuds from the Jules Reiver half dime collection that were only the second example of each that I have ever seen. One might be misled to think that I paid the premium for the pedigree (which is an additional benefit, as Jules was a friend of mine), but the premium was for the die state. I made similar purchases from the Russell J. Logan and William A. Harmon half dime collections, as well. Often times 'pedigreed' collections are also specialists collections, which contain scarce and rare die marriages or die states that can command a premium for their rarity.

lava

A pedigree really depends on whether the person knew what they were doing. I am convinved not everyone put a huge emphasis on coins with great eye appeal, and even if they did, it really goes coin by coin, because even the best eyes might buy a dog coin as a filler and the coin never gets replaced.

Of the folks you mentioned, I am most impressed with Eliasberg, but it really is a coin-by-coin issue.

saintguru

SOME pedigreed collections were known for impeccable quality and the finest available coins known. They are the ones that bring the beaucoups $$..

Some are just "names" on a slab.

morgannut2

Perhaps you are asking because of the recent thread on the "other side" about a Norweb coin that turned out to not have that pedigree (the Hibernia debate)?? Yes, because you are paying extra, you should check the original auction. I'm not entirely sure if PCGS guarantees the pedigree if there is a mechanical error on pedigree---maybe someone here knows.

Cladiator

I've got a handfull of what most would consider "pedigreed" coins. Some Reivers, a Logan, couple Gutschers. For me it ties into the fascination of the history behind coins. We all love to sit and think about the stories these coins could tell and I like having coins that were previously owned by folks that had similar collecting interests as I do. It's almost like the coin is staying in a family.

saintguru

Meanwhile I saw an "Eliasberg" Saint recently at an auction that was NOT the Eliasberg coin from the 1982 Stacks auction. (which to my knowledge was the only Modern US gold he had) Someone pulled a fast one.

BECOKA

I would pay a small premium for a pedigree from a collection that was historical like Eliasburg. Most collectors know the history of Eliasburg or can find it easily and his accomplishment of outdoing the U.S. government in completeness of his collection is astounding.

If there is no real history behind a pdigree it should be ignored and buy the coin, not the holder in these cases.

ABC123

I would guess, it's just a matter of time until all the "gem" coins of any denomination find their way into any number of top 5 collections and are designated with a "pedigree" label ! Are there any limitations on the number of designations or pedigrees that can be listed on a given holder, other than the space restrictions ? In other words, if you were to acquire a Bass Pedigree coin, and it goes into "Joe's Best Gold Coins", which then becomes one of the top 5 gold sets----who gets top billing ?