Home U.S. Coin Forum

1861-D Gold Dollar sells for 30K in an NCS holder at Heritage!

ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,836 ✭✭✭✭✭
Besides being a Confederate struck coin, the 1861-D gold dollar is the rarest coin in the series. Out of an estimated 1000 or so struck, there are 45-65 surviving coins...and not all are in prime collector grades. This one has a killer sharp strike, but had a cleaning in the past with hairlines obvious on the reverse. Nonetheless, it sold for 30K last night at Heritage, in an NCS Improperly cleaned holder. A solid investment in a super rare coin, somebody is adding a really difficult coin to their collection!


imageimage

Comments

  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,798 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I disagree with the premise that it was a good investment. At the 2007 ANA, I passed on a PCGS AU-55 coin at about 10% back of that and regretted it almost immediately.
  • STONESTONE Posts: 15,275
    So Ambro what your saying is that you passed up this great opportunity to fill the toughest hole in your set image

    Not a bad looking coin even with the cleaning.



    Edited to avoid confusion
  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,798 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>So what your saying is that you passed up this great opportunity to fill the toughest hole in your set image

    Not a bad looking coin even with the cleaning. >>



    I do not know what I am saying other than that I challenge the assertion that the coin in the OP is a "solid investment". Of course, I would say that about just about any coin.
  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 24,437 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The photo looks overexposed. It is always dangerous to judge coins from overexposed photos since many minor surface imperfections don't show up.

    All glory is fleeting.
  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,836 ✭✭✭✭✭
    when I buy a 61D I want a VF to XF coin with old skin in a pcgs or ngc holder. Trouble is the demand is huge and the supply very small
  • savoyspecialsavoyspecial Posts: 7,295 ✭✭✭✭
    ah, Max Mehl's "favorite coin"

    www.brunkauctions.com

  • notwilightnotwilight Posts: 12,864 ✭✭✭


    << <i>So Ambro what your saying is that you passed up this great opportunity to fill the toughest hole in your set image

    >>



    Or he may be saying that he is the one who made the solid investment....
  • CoinRaritiesOnlineCoinRaritiesOnline Posts: 3,674 ✭✭✭✭
    I viewed that coin. It was wonderful -- very lustrous, regardless of the light hairlines. Didn't buy it or bid on it, but for a collector who likes his/her coins raw, it was a perfect choice.
  • RichieURichRichieURich Posts: 8,499 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I viewed that coin. It was wonderful -- very lustrous, regardless of the light hairlines. Didn't buy it or bid on it, but for a collector who likes his/her coins raw, it was a perfect choice. >>



    Dave, do you think if that coin were resubmitted, it would be slabbed? (Note: I wasn't the buyer nor the buyer's rep nor do I know who the buyer is.)

    An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.

  • I wonder who the idiot was that cleaned an important, historic coin like that???
  • BloodManBloodMan Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>The photo looks overexposed. It is always dangerous to judge coins from overexposed photos since many minor surface imperfections don't show up. >>



    I completely agree--Heritage's bright, low-contrast images tend to hide the hairlines. These images are now typical for their gold.
  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,798 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>when I buy a 61D I want a VF to XF coin with old skin in a pcgs or ngc holder. Trouble is the demand is huge and the supply very small >>



    Good luck. After seven years of looking for one like that, I have given up. Doug told me that such a coin may not exist.
  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,836 ✭✭✭✭✭
    There are 14 graded XF and lower at pcgs and anacs. NGC shows one at 40 and two at 50

    that coin is certainly out there. LIke I said, the demand is huge and the supply is very small. Lots of these coins have been tucked away in collections for years, decades.....
  • HoledandCreativeHoledandCreative Posts: 2,803 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Does ANACS include "XF Details" in their reported counts?
  • robkoolrobkool Posts: 5,934 ✭✭✭✭✭
    A very rare gold $ is not a bad investment after all... image
  • a039a039 Posts: 1,546
    Maybe someone bought it to laser.
  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,836 ✭✭✭✭✭
    As far as I know, ANACS dosent include any problem coins in their populations....but I could be wrong about that. Anyone know for sure?

    I had questioned PCGS about adding the Genuine coins into the population reports, which I feel would be very valuable in both creating a value base for them and also giving collectors of esoteric coins a better overview of the number of survivors, but so far, even though they have discussed this...no decision has been made.
  • CoinRaritiesOnlineCoinRaritiesOnline Posts: 3,674 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>I viewed that coin. It was wonderful -- very lustrous, regardless of the light hairlines. Didn't buy it or bid on it, but for a collector who likes his/her coins raw, it was a perfect choice. >>



    Dave, do you think if that coin were resubmitted, it would be slabbed? (Note: I wasn't the buyer nor the buyer's rep nor do I know who the buyer is.) >>



    The coin was close to being gradable, in my opinion. Perhaps if someone submitted it 20 times or something, they might get lucky. It shouldn't qualify to be in a PCGS or NGC holder, but stranger things have happened.

    It likely was cleaned or wiped a long time ago, before most collectors thought that was a no-no. Or perhaps it was wiped with a cloth by a non-collector.

    Still, it is a coin that nearly all numismatists could appreciate for what it is. Just because a coin won't "straight grade", it doesn't mean it can't be desired and loved.

    For instance, we just sold a very rare colonial type coin. This is only the second time our firm has handled one of these, and we've been specialists in early US type & colonials since 1979. This one was a very nice & crusty VF, except that it had a small, neat hole near 12 o'clock. Still, our customer was delighted to finally add one of these to his collection.
  • Well said Dave.

    Jay
  • HoledandCreativeHoledandCreative Posts: 2,803 ✭✭✭✭✭
    In my flagship U.S. collection, I might have 3 coins that will "grade". I really enjoy collecting the, for the most part, undesirables and showing them off. Many of them are great conversation pieces. I call my collection "What a Shame", and I have considered renaming it "Crap Happens to Coins, Too". My avatar is a Quarter.

    Dave, what was the holed rare colonial? PM is fine, too. Thanks.

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file