Here's A Coin That Has It All....Love It....1815 Half Eagle

elwood

I was just looking through FUN Show Auction Lots and felt the need to post this.

ChrisRx

Looks good to me.

adamlaneus

Wow. Nice coin. Dare I say that Liberty is even looking hot? Okay, no. That's the beer talking.

Bochiman

I think it is a little exposed in the light area but that is likely something done to draw the details out...I am ok with that.
THIS is a coin that I would NOT have any contention if someone called it "SUPERB".

Very nice coin, Elwood

elwood

Not only is it a beautiful example but it has rarity too, with only around 12 examples known.

rld14

<< <i>Wow. Nice coin. Dare I say that Liberty is even looking hot? Okay, no. That's the beer talking. >>



I've just sucked down 5 big cans of Guinness. Clearly, you have had at least 12.

coindeuce

Of all of the allegorical depictions of Liberty on U.S. coinage, I consider this design to be the least flattering, and somewhat misogynistic, wether by chance or by choice of the designer.

fc

i like it. nice coin. au58 right?

pursuitofliberty

oh my, my ... what a wonderful looking capped left! And a significant rarity to boot!!



Wow. Nice coin. Dare I say that Liberty is even looking hot? Okay, no. That's the beer talking.



but, that is a hot looking coin!



what do you think Steve? Does it break a half mil'??

elwood

<< <i>Of all of the allegorical depictions of Liberty on U.S. coinage, I consider this design to be the least flattering, and somewhat misogynistic, wether by chance or by choice of the designer. >>



That's a bit harsh. It doesn't look any worse than the Barber Design






<< <i>what do you think Steve? Does it break a half mil'?? >>



I would hope so.





Oh, it's graded MS-64

pursuitofliberty

Steve,

I would "value" it higher than many, many other coins (1913 Nickels, etc.), but since I don't play in that arena
I wondered where it would fall comapritively, price-wise ... especially in what may be a somewhat slipping market
(again, I don't play in that league, so I don't know the particulars there).

It looks to be a mostly (truely?) original near Gem. It's rarity stands alone. How many Unc's are there ... four?

The original mintage is thought to be 635, correct?

Whatever the case ... it is a superlative example. Thanks for sharing her here ...

Baley

what a coincidence! I was just 10 minutes ago reading upstairs about the Garrett 1815 half eagle in the 1979 auction catalog

not saying this is the Garrett coin. Is this the Garrett coin? the Eliasberg? Who used to own this coin?

elwood

Baley

It is the Garrett coin.

Did you see a picture in he Catalogue? Does it look the same?

Baley

Of course I saw the picture and yes, it looked the same (I guess) it's in b/w and color plate, so not so good, but wow what a coin.

there's a doubloon in the same Garrett sale that I spent some time reading about, too. dont spose there's one of THEM for sale too now?

fc

yowza! ms64. the pics just gave me the thought it had some wear
on the high points but i am obviously wrong.

DIMEMAN

"That's a bit harsh. It doesn't look any worse than the Barber Design"

I think the Barber design is beautiful! Why do so many think otherwise??

I also like the Liberty Nickel, which is also designed by Barber.

Anyway, the 1815 IS a beautiful coin and way out of my league.

Baley

yowza! ms64. the pics just gave me the thought it had some wear
on the high points but i am obviously wrong.

not necessarily wrong, the cataloguers in 1979 thought it was AU, too

elwood

<< <i>not necessarily wrong, the cataloguers in 1979 thought it was AU, too >>




Was it really described as AU?

anablep

Beautiful coin, but I'd peg it for an AU58.

Definitely over-graded and therefore, over priced...

CharlotteDude

Undoubtably a beautiful and very rare coin, but it ain't MS, judging by the pics. Looks like obvious wear on many of the highpoint areas.

'dude

fc

<< <i>yowza! ms64. the pics just gave me the thought it had some wear
on the high points but i am obviously wrong.

not necessarily wrong, the cataloguers in 1979 thought it was AU, too >>



interesting. i normally say what i feel without being too worried if i am
wrong.. but now more people are stating the same thing.. and it
was considered AU back in the day based on stricter, more conservative
grading standards.

hmm.. makes one really think, does it not?

Baley

Was it really described as AU?

Indeed. By none other than QDB, I believe





the color plate image

scoobydeux

elwood

Thanks Baley!!

JRocco

<< <i>I was just looking through FUN Show Auction Lots and felt the need to post this.



>>



Obviously a beautiful coin and way out of my league, but there appears to be obvious wear/luster breaks on the nose/curls/cap on the obverse.
This coin sure looks AU and not MS unless you market grade her which I do not do.
I can't call my nice clean 2 month old car new because it looks really good.

mrearlygold

<< <i>Wow. Nice coin. Dare I say that Liberty is even looking hot? Okay, no. That's the beer talking. >>

RichieURich

Elwood, thanks for posting this 1815. Probably my all-time favorite Federal gold coin. Low original mintage, in the toughest series - - Capped Bust Half Eagles, a regular issue not struck by the "midnight minters", enough known to be super-rare, but not so few as to be unavailable (like the 1822 with 3 known, 2 owned by the gov't.). But, alas, I won't be bidding on it, as I think it will require a LOT of money to buy it, possibly over $1 million. I'll need to wait until I win the lottery to buy that coin.

Baley

So, does anyone know, if this coin went from a raw AU55 in 1979 straight into a PCGS MS64 holder, or did it stop at any of the stops between?

AU 58, MS60, MS61, MS62, MS63...

WinLoseWin

It looks like it is NGC-64 rather than PCGS. Don't know if it made any stops. The only NGC pop report I have is from April 1998 with only 2 graded, one listed as AU-55 and one MS-64. An October 1997 PCGS pop report showed only one in EF-45. The October 2000 PCGS pop report added one in AU-58. The July 2007 PCGS pop report drops the 45 and has an MS-65.

The May 31-Jun2, 1999 Goldberg auction had an NGC-62 as Lot 718 at $165,000. It looks like a different one from the NGC-64 and has no pedigree listed.

I would guess the current Ex-Garrett may be the 64 listed in 1998 pop. May take someone with inside knowledge to know if it was ever in any different holder before that, but got removed from any pop listings.

Also interesting on this Ex-Garrett coin is its raw listing in the Paramount session of Auction '84 as AU-58 Obverse/Unc-60 Reverse. The cataloger said of 8 coins they had seen, it was the second finest. It sold for $79,750 there compared to $150,000 in the 1979 Garrett sale. Seems like a lot of rarities have been bringing around 5 to 10 times their late 70's to 80's prices. Will be interesting to see what it goes for if it sells.

Baley

WinLoseWin, thank you for a great post loaded with information and insight

interesting stuff.

zep

The 1998 pop may have been the Naftzger coin which is now pcgs 65. In those days the NGC graders were tough.

WinLoseWin

Looks like it did sell at $460,000.

Good point on the 1998 NGC-64 possibly being the current PCGS-65 especially since there is now a pop of 2 NGC-64's as listed with the lot description.

northcoin

This was a fun thread. Thanks for reporting to us "the rest of the story." I am curious if the buyer now knows he actually got an AU coin in MS sheeps clothing?

elwood

I think this coin was the bargain of the auction.





<< <i>Undoubtably a beautiful and very rare coin, but it ain't MS, judging by the pics. Looks like obvious wear on many of the highpoint areas. >>



Many who think this coin isn't Unc. need to rethink they're grading skills.

It appeared to me to look like many Capped Bust Halves that have some minor highpoint rub, yet are still UNC.

Any rub you see isn't from circulation IMO.

commoncents123

1815 is such a cool year....I can't afford that coin

crazyhounddog

OH BABY!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW, NOW THAT'S A BEAUTY! I WOULD SAY IT HAS IT ALL AND THEN SOME! NICE PIECE!

Nysoto

Definately a coin I would love to own, one of the few extremely rare coins that was not minted as a planned rarity. I never heard any more of this alleged coin 1815 Half Eagle? , probably was BS.

This design was not Reich's best effort as an engraver, but I would still like an example of the type someday.

WinLoseWin

<< <i>I think this coin was the bargain of the auction.





<< <i>Undoubtably a beautiful and very rare coin, but it ain't MS, judging by the pics. Looks like obvious wear on many of the highpoint areas. >>



Many who think this coin isn't Unc. need to rethink they're grading skills.

It appeared to me to look like many Capped Bust Halves that have some minor highpoint rub, yet are still UNC.

Any rub you see isn't from circulation IMO. >>



---

The cataloger of this coin for Auction '84 in July 1984 (guessing it was David Akers) said a similar thing:

"(In our opinion, this coin is "uncirculated" in the sense that it has never seen actual circulation. However, the obverse does show a little rub on the highest points, what the old-timers (correctly) called "cabinet friction.")"


This still appears to be a record auction price, but I thought it might go even higher compared to other rarities with similar numbers surviving. Not many have been auctioned in the past 30 or so years. More frequent appearances might lead to more interest and higher prices, kind of like seems to have happened with 1894-S dimes; 1927-D $20's; 1838-O 50c; 1854-S $2.50 and others.