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The Jack Lee Lincoln Cent Collection


The Jack Lee Lincoln Cent Collection will be sold at FUN in January. He has the #2 PCGS Set Registry collection.

Who are the new players ? This will be the first auction of Lincoln cents in 2009. It is also the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln cent and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.

One thing for certain is opportunities will abound.

What are some thoughts about this collection?

Stewart
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Comments

  • WaterSportWaterSport Posts: 6,822 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Stewart, it will be sad to see this top set go, but your correct, it will advance someone else collection. Unfortunately, Jack does not have a single coin I could afford to upgrade at this time– its just that good of a set. But I am sure others will be all over it.

    WS
    Proud recipient of the coveted PCGS Forum "You Suck" Award Thursday July 19, 2007 11:33 PM and December 30th, 2011 at 8:50 PM.
  • lasvegasteddylasvegasteddy Posts: 10,408 ✭✭✭
    under what lincoln set category as i'll link it too
    everything in life is but merely on loan to us by our appreciation....lose your appreciation and see


  • RBinTexRBinTex Posts: 4,328
    I think THIS covers them all.
  • lasvegasteddylasvegasteddy Posts: 10,408 ✭✭✭
    thanks rb
    everything in life is but merely on loan to us by our appreciation....lose your appreciation and see


  • Great set and Jack has chosen to leave it open for all to enjoy. His 1926S MS65RD has a population of 1/0.

    Gee, that coin will be fun to watch! Any ideas as to who might want to upgrade their 1926S? image

    RegistryNut image
  • LoveMyLibertyLoveMyLiberty Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭

    It sure would be nice if "Shylock" would image this set,,,like he did for Stewart's !

    Do you hear me Paul ? image
    My Type Set

    R.I.P. Bear image
  • SwampboySwampboy Posts: 13,010 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image

    There are a lot of Lincolns there I'd love to be able to see.
    That 42-S and 42-D in 68 for instance.
    Amazing.

    "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso

  • shylockshylock Posts: 4,288 ✭✭✭
    Great collection. But interesting the only "one of a kind" pop 1 coin is the ex. Ally 1926-S link

    Any interest Stewart?


  • Stewart,
    I don't think the coins are going to be in the FUN auction. Right now, they are listed in the December Houston Signature auction.
    Although I have mixed feelings about it, there are a couple coins I could use. I was just getting to know Jack. He was a really nice guy. I had sold him the 17-D in 66 and a couple weeks later he was gone.

    Jack




  • DMWJRDMWJR Posts: 6,008 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jack was a minimum of two deep in every date/mm at the time of his passing. There are more coins coming in January.
    Doug
  • STEWARTBLAYNUMISSTEWARTBLAYNUMIS Posts: 2,697 ✭✭✭✭

    Hi Paul (Shylock) I have no interest whatsoever in the 26 S in 65 red .

    Jack the knife - And so it was you who sold him that P.O.S. 17 D in 66 red.

    Jack will have a bunch of coins in FUN also because he bought the infamous Scott Corwin collection.The big question is if the coins will be reserved.I have no doubt Heritage will protect Jacks coins.He paid $120,000 for the 26 S.Do you think Heritage will let it go for 50 K ? I doubt it.

    I feel bad because after Jack saw my coins at the ANA he decided he had enough and sold his 09 S VDB in 67 red.His favorite coin in my collection was my 1954 in ms 67 red. RIP Mr. Jack Lee.

    Stewart
  • orevilleoreville Posts: 12,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jack's 26-S 1c did not do anything for me either. It is not an upgrade from Stew's 26-S.
    A Collectors Universe poster since 1997!
  • dbldie55dbldie55 Posts: 7,732 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Anyone know why PCGS considers Jack's 26-S to be the finest?
    Collector and Researcher of Liberty Head Nickels. ANA LM-6053



  • Jack the knife - And so it was you who sold him that P.O.S. 17 D in 66 red.

    Stewart,
    You got me there. I agree, the 17-D is not a pretty coin. It clearly didn't fit with my set. Jack and I reached an appropriate purchase agreement. An interesting finding, however, is that the Mershon coin has the exact same smudge in the right obverse field. Very strange.

    Jack


  • STEWARTBLAYNUMISSTEWARTBLAYNUMIS Posts: 2,697 ✭✭✭✭

    Jack - Both of those 17 D cents were submitted by a former grader at PCGS in 1989.

    Didn't you buy that 17 D in a Teletrade auction ?

    Stewart





  • Stewart,

    You are scaring me!! Yes, it was from a Teletrade auction about three years ago.
    In a couple months, let's see if you can tell me which coins I bought from Jack's collection. If you get it right, I'm going to start bidding through an agent.image

    Jack


  • ConnecticoinConnecticoin Posts: 12,915 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Jack the knife - And so it was you who sold him that P.O.S. 17 D in 66 red.

    Stewart,
    You got me there. I agree, the 17-D is not a pretty coin. It clearly didn't fit with my set. Jack and I reached an appropriate purchase agreement. An interesting finding, however, is that the Mershon coin has the exact same smudge in the right obverse field. Very strange.

    Jack >>



    So Jack was just buying plastic? image
  • DMWJRDMWJR Posts: 6,008 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Jack the knife - And so it was you who sold him that P.O.S. 17 D in 66 red.

    Stewart,
    You got me there. I agree, the 17-D is not a pretty coin. It clearly didn't fit with my set. Jack and I reached an appropriate purchase agreement. An interesting finding, however, is that the Mershon coin has the exact same smudge in the right obverse field. Very strange.

    Jack >>



    So Jack was just buying plastic? image >>



    Both Jacks? imageimage
    Doug
  • orevilleoreville Posts: 12,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Both Jacks?

    Why stop at two icons?

    imageimageimage
    A Collectors Universe poster since 1997!
  • STEWARTBLAYNUMISSTEWARTBLAYNUMIS Posts: 2,697 ✭✭✭✭

    This is now the Tom and Jacks Show

    All three players had a 17 D Lincoln Cent in ms 66 red with a smudge in the right obverse field at around 3 o"clock.

    Stewart
  • CoinRaritiesOnlineCoinRaritiesOnline Posts: 3,670 ✭✭✭✭
    Heritage is Calling Jack Lee's set the #1 All time Finest Set of Lincoln Cents, not the #2 set.


    Here is the text from the email Heritage just sent out:


    Coin News... #1 All-Time Finest Lincoln Cent Set in Houston Auction

    The Professional Coin Grading Service has just finished grading, encapsulating, and pedigreeing the Lincoln Cent Collection from the estate of the renowned dealer Jack Lee. The complete set will be offered in our Houston Signature Auction, taking place at the Houston Money Show of the Southwest, Dec. 4-6, 2008.

    In PCGS's widest category of Lincoln Cents, the Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1909-Present), the Jack Lee coins are now firmly in the leading position as the Finest All-Time Set. The Lee Set, which is 100% complete, has also been certified as 98.76% Red in color, leading to an astounding Weighted GPA of 68.685. The complete set of coins is now listed on the PCGS website.

    Jack Lee was an admired numismatist, a worthy competitor, and a dear friend for more than three decades. His passing affected many of us at Heritage — quite literally, dozens of our numismatists had known Jack for decades. As professionals, we all could appreciate Jack's keen eye in his selection of these Lincoln cents. We expected that the Registry rating would certainly be in the top three, and were thrilled at the #1 ranking — further evidence of Jack's inability to resist buying the finest coins he encountered for his personal account. The Jack Lee pedigree, so important to Morgan dollar enthusiasts, will now be equally important to Lincoln aficionados. Heritage is thrilled to play a part in ensuring that his name will be remembered and appreciated by generations of numismatists
  • tradedollarnuttradedollarnut Posts: 20,162 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #1 All-Time Finest Lincoln Cent Set in Houston Auction

    Stewart is selling? lol

    I guess if you break the Lincolns up into enough specialty sets, sooner or later you can formulate one that he's not first in. image
  • wondercoinwondercoin Posts: 16,973 ✭✭✭✭✭
    When and if Stewart's set is auctioned off, I will make it a #1 priority to attend the sale and, hopefully, buy a coin or two. I have no interest in even lot viewing virtually any other registered Mint State Lincoln set. I would suspect most of the neat coins would be simply making yet another auction appearance. No disrespect to Jack's set, which I am sure, overall, is amazing.

    Wondercoin
    Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
  • lasvegasteddylasvegasteddy Posts: 10,408 ✭✭✭
    personally speaking it will always be stewart and wright in 1st and 2nd but wright is on stewarts heels and i'm sure i'm not alone in thoughts here and can only imagine a chuckle between them if anyone thinks different

    everything in life is but merely on loan to us by our appreciation....lose your appreciation and see


  • DMWJRDMWJR Posts: 6,008 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm sure there are some great coins in Jack's collection and it deserves respect as does the man. History won't remember him for his Lincoln collection, but I know personnally he enjoyed shifting gears and doing it. I've learned after a decade of trying to put together a top set that it takes more than a decade to do it, regardless of how much money you have - unless you are extremely lucky. It's great though that we can have a way to honor a numismatic giant ... It's just funny to me that it will be the Lincoln collectors. Who'd a thunk it?
    Doug
  • SteveSteve Posts: 3,312 ✭✭✭
    A question from a interested Lincoln cent collector. Was this sale of Jack Lee's Lincoln's planned before his death? It seems odd that the estate would be in position to sell this soon after his passing. Thanks for any information.
    Steveimage
  • No disrespect meant to Stewart, Doug, or any other fantastic Lincoln Sets mentioned in this forum, but everyone seems to be forgetting about another unbelievable PCGS Lincoln set that resides on the East coast, but remains unregistered. I'm sure most of you know whom I am speaking of.

    Dan
  • STEWARTBLAYNUMISSTEWARTBLAYNUMIS Posts: 2,697 ✭✭✭✭


    The Thomas Irwin Collection

    Stewart
  • ChrisRxChrisRx Posts: 5,619 ✭✭✭✭
    image

    image

    image
    image


  • I saw that Heritage add as well. I read the headline and thought "What the heck?" Not sure what they were thinking. The must have disqualified Stewart's set on some technicality.image
    Also, the ad listed an 09-SVDB in 67RD. I don't remember seeing one in the auction. They should have run that ad by someone in the firm that knows Lincolns, like Sadler.

    Jack






  • Game on.

    Jack


  • BECOKABECOKA Posts: 16,960 ✭✭✭
    The grades are impressive but since the registry set has no pics it's a little difficult to comment on the collection. One of the flaws of the registry. image
  • DMWJRDMWJR Posts: 6,008 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Do we have any big players at this time?
    Doug
  • WaterSportWaterSport Posts: 6,822 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I betting we will see some not re-listed in the registry when sold. I think there are a lot of collectors who do not come here and have sets that would wow anyone here.

    WS
    Proud recipient of the coveted PCGS Forum "You Suck" Award Thursday July 19, 2007 11:33 PM and December 30th, 2011 at 8:50 PM.
  • ConnecticoinConnecticoin Posts: 12,915 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Heritage is Calling Jack Lee's set the #1 All time Finest Set of Lincoln Cents, not the #2 set.


    Here is the text from the email Heritage just sent out:


    Coin News... #1 All-Time Finest Lincoln Cent Set in Houston Auction
    >>



    Kind of a BS move IMO. They combined the memorial cents with the wheat cents to "create" the #1 combined set. It was never registered that way before Lee passed away. This is a reason a set should stay at a top rank for a minium amount of time (six months or one year perhaps) before it can qualify for the all time finest set list.

    You could combine the #15 memorial set with Stuart's coins and create a #1 combined set that would beat the Lee set created by Heritage for the FUN auction.
  • STEWARTBLAYNUMISSTEWARTBLAYNUMIS Posts: 2,697 ✭✭✭✭

    THREE DAYS AND COUNTING

    There seem to be some great buys as the reserves set by Heritage are way below the prices that he paid. It seems there will be several coins falling through the crack.

    Pick and choose and you can't lose
    And don't cry the Blues

    Stewart


  • DMWJRDMWJR Posts: 6,008 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hey "MC Copper,"

    It may be a perfect storm for collectors out there. I don't think dealers are going to be building up inventory out of this sale, and there may not be many top guns passing out blank checks right now. Sounds like it will be interesting!
    Doug



  • "Perfect Storm" would be fine by me.

    Jack






  • Don't sense much interest in this sale of the "#1" Lincoln set of all time.


    image


  • dcgolferdcgolfer Posts: 253 ✭✭
    Looks like it's going to take an active live bidding session to most of the high end stuff up to previous levels. Quite a few are far below what even Mr. Lee paid for them in recent years. Unless some heavy hitters step up to the plate, there may be some real bargains. There hasn't been a lot of talk about this auction beforehand, but I think we may be discussing it more in the next few days.

    Dan
  • I think you're right. Live bidding may be crazy tonight. Anyone with cash and holding similar coins will bid these up so as to protect their investment rather than see them sell at ridiculously low levels.
  • renomedphysrenomedphys Posts: 3,641 ✭✭✭✭✭
    $6K for a 65RD 24-D? No Reserve?

    A few weeks ago another 65RD hammered at $14K over at Bowers, and the owner took it back. That may have been a better coin, at least it looked like it was. Point is, what's happening? That's an $18K - $25K coin!
  • After viewing a lot of the low pop coins in the Jack Lee Collection, I have a question. Who decided to re-encapsulate the entire collection in new PCGS holders with Jack Lee pedigree, was it Jack before he passed, or Heritage when they took on the consignment? One of the points made by Stewart Blay in the discussion session at last summer’s ANA Baltimore PCGS luncheon was, to paraphrase him “keep copper coins in original holders, they’ve passed the test of time and will be less likely to deteriorate by being exposed to the elements”. Brian Wagner has chimed in on this to me as well concerning MPL. This is one of the reasons I prize any of my MPL’s in the OGH (especially the Reds), since I know there is less likelihood they have been “played with”, and less likely to get those ugly carbon spots if they have been in a holder for 10 years. I would assume that many of Jack’s coins were in original OGH and wonder if they would not be bringing higher prices if they were still in original plastic? Just my opinion, but curious what others think?
    Jonathan


  • Some interesting thoughts. Is there a "market correction" for Lincolns that is about to take place? Pre sale bidding seems a bit lack luster.

    My guess is that things will be bid up. Some of the coins do not look that nice for the assigned grade. Those coins may be the "bargains".

    As for the re-holder comments from HdHunter, I agree.

    Jack



  • BWRCBWRC Posts: 1,448 ✭✭✭
    I directed a rather large consignment to Bowers and Merena Auction in their recent November sale. I think they did a nice job in presenting the collection and auctioning off the coins. The coins were not Lincoln cents but were high grade PCGS graded SLQ and WLH. I noticed considerable weakness in the bids except the very low population coins <10/0 of "high quality" where well healed registry players battled for these coins. I predict you will most likely see the same scenario played out here with these Lincoln cents.
    Brian Wagner Rare Coins, Specializing in PCGS graded, Shield, Liberty and Buffalo Nickels varieties.
  • DMWJRDMWJR Posts: 6,008 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jonathan,

    Maybe someone could offer some "CAC-like" pedigree stickers that would have the collection's name on it? Seems like that would be a good way to do it.

    I'll be accepting royalties through PayPal image
    Doug
  • renomedphysrenomedphys Posts: 3,641 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Personally, I think the pre-auction bids look alright. I mean, some of the Lee coins aren't exactly PQ for the grade, as pointed out, but for those that are, the bidding has been brisk. I think that PQ stuff will sell for predictable prices, and the schwag will go to the bottom feeders. JMHO.

    And I still think there's a chance that everyone's hoping these coins go out at bargain prices, and they're all just circling their prey like sharks in a tank. If this really does become a feeding frenzy, well, that will have to be beneficial to prices in the end.

    Mid Auction Update:

    O.K. I just watched the first lots go off, and while there were some apparant deals to be had, like the 1924-d at $10K, and a 19-d at $4500, I think what we're really seeing is an exapmle of how widely varied the prices can be within a particular grade. Nobody is going to pay a premium price for an overgraded coin, which some appear to clearly be. But when confronted with an opportunity to aquire one of the true best, the sky is still the limit. Don't look at this so much as a market correction. See it as shrewd collectors buying the coin, not the holder.


  • I had to get my son to hockey practice. By the time I got back and got logged in to the Heritage website, they were on 1936!! I was really disappointed. I didn't get to monitor any of the action. Did most go to internet or floor? Looks like there were not any significantly contested lots. I have looked at a few of the lots I was following and prices look O'K for the nicer coins, but otherwise pretty soft overall.

    Jack



  • DMWJRDMWJR Posts: 6,008 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jack,

    The steels were a big surprise to me, but I may be out of touch since it has been four or more years since I bought an MS68 steel cent. Almost all of the middle dates went for healthy prices, and I'm not talking about middle date Red MS68's, which are an animal all of their own.

    1943 MS68 - $5,175
    1943-d MS68 - $2,760
    1943-d/d MS68 - $14,950
    1943-s MS68 - $7,475


    Overall, this sale didn't have nearly the shock value that previous big Lincoln set auctions have had. His estate probably got back 75% of what he paid for them (just a WAG here)





    Doug
  • illini420illini420 Posts: 11,466 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I mentioned that in the thread on the main forum as well. Don't get the prices on the steel cents at all... yeah, they were nice, but many MS68s look nice!!! Were these examples really that special????? Well over 3x PCGS Guide on the 43-S blows my mind, especially since I can go to the local B&M tomorrow and get one in MS68 for under PCGS Guide. Should I run there tomorrow morning and get it????? I doubt it given the recent history of prices realized. Someone sure thinks that this pedigree is worth a ton. Or am I missing something??
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