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Where the heck are all the CC $20's?

RYKRYK Posts: 35,758 ✭✭✭✭✭
When I got back into collecting in October, 2002, my first major purchase was two PCGS-graded CC $20's in XF, one 78-CC and the other an 82-CC. I chose these from an entire case of PCGS-graded $20 Libs offered by New World Rarities at the Silver Dollar Coin Show. The two coins together were $3000, and I was very nervous about the purchase. Did I get taken? Did I choose the right coins? Would I get mugged on the way to the car?

Fast forward ten years later, and I would have been better off had I purchased the entire case and every PCGS and NGC graded CC $20 I saw over the next few years. While the common dates are indeed common in the pop reports, finding decent examples on the ground has been exceedingly difficult in recent years, despite much higher prices. Check ebay, Heritage, your favorite gold coin dealers and larger coin retailers, and there are very few PCGS-graded CC $20's on the market at any one time. I probably saw more in that case that Thursday afternoon than you could scrounge up spending a week now looking for them.

There are a paltry four (4) graded PCGS CC $20 Libs on eBay. FOUR!

Where did they all go?

"There are no called strikes in coin collecting."--Henry David Thoreau RYK

Comments

  • OriginalDanOriginalDan Posts: 3,711 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That 78-CC in XF was a great buy. I don't know about the rest, but I know where this one went:
    image
    ...and I had to be quite patient for it.
  • ianrussellianrussell Posts: 2,443 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Many have been retailed by marketing companies over the past 10-15 years and it's also an area where more people start collecting than finish collecting/sell.

    I agree with you that they aren't offered as often as they should be, considering their populations.

    - Ian
    Ian Russell
    Owner/Founder GreatCollections
    GreatCollections Coin Auctions - Certified Coin Auctions Every Week - Rare Coins & Coin Values
  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Probably hoarded because they are CCs.
    All glory is fleeting.
  • SonorandesertratSonorandesertrat Posts: 5,695 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Probably hoarded because they are CCs. >>



    image
    Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA

    RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'

    CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]


  • << <i>Where did they all go? >>



    I only know where one went. The photo is courtesy of BluCC.

    image
    "Clamorous for Coin"
  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,758 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Here's another...

    image

    "There are no called strikes in coin collecting."--Henry David Thoreau RYK
  • mustanggtmustanggt Posts: 2,615 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Northern Nevada Coin has over 30 for sale on their site.
  • orevilleoreville Posts: 11,768 ✭✭✭✭✭
    RYK,

    It is a well known fact that CC $20's are usually owned by football fans.

    The Superbowl is coming up this Sunday.

    Sellers are keenly aware of this.

    Therefore, sellers are not chancing ebay or any other auction venue when in competition with the Superbowl.

    I am surprised you had forgotten that.
    A Collectors Universe poster since 1997!
  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,758 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Orville,
    The observation dates back for several years. It's not something I thought up yesterday.
    RYK

    "There are no called strikes in coin collecting."--Henry David Thoreau RYK
  • SethChandlerSethChandler Posts: 1,697 ✭✭✭✭
    RYK, I too, bought a handful of CC Twenties from acase of them at a New World table at a small show in Upstate NY, White Plains, maybe? 2001ish. I remember them being stacked. I do not know how many slabs can fit in a case, one layer, but there was def 2, 3, 4 stacked in each spot in the case. Must have been hundreds. I have always had a soft spot for CC Twenties. I figured that this was my chance to buy several that were very nice in a commodity type setting. I remember paying around $900 each. Don't quote me on this, but I think they were priced by grade...as they were all just common dates, at the time.

    They are common coins, but you are correct where have they gone? I think Winter had an article a while ago that stated when he went to shows he would look at all gold coins except CC Twenties!

    Collecting since 1976.
  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 27,374 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Probably hoarded because they are CCs. >>

    image the cc's always have been good
  • I can remember passing on nice crusty PCGS 74-cc, 76-cc, 77-cc, 83-cc, 84-cc, 89-cc, 90-cc, 93-cc $20 lib's my favorite dealer in fargo had 10-12 years ago for roughly $600-$700 each, of course I was purchasing rattler PCGS $20 saints in 63 for $375 and 64 for $425. Eventually I put together 30 of them but sold way to early at $500 a coin.imageimage
  • MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 32,083 ✭✭✭✭✭
    how strong are true auction prices for them? and for details graded?
    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • MikeInFLMikeInFL Posts: 10,188 ✭✭✭✭
    "Where the heck are all the CC $20's?"

    The cynic in me might respond with something like, "They are generally ignored by dealers because nobody collects them".

    But really, I have no idea where they are.

    Have a nice weekend all...Mike
    Collector of Large Cents, US Type, and modern pocket change.
  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,758 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The cynic in me might respond with something like, "They are generally ignored by dealers because nobody collects them".

    Uh, that would be the wrong answer, so it would be wise to ignore the cynic. image

    The shrinking supply has been accompanied by steadily rising prices.

    "There are no called strikes in coin collecting."--Henry David Thoreau RYK
  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I probably saw more in that case that Thursday afternoon than you could scrounge up spending a week now looking for them.
    -----Northern Nevada Coin has over 30 for sale on their site.

    if the above post is true(I just checked and they're listed), you have evidently been looking in all the wrong places. maybe in your effort to snag some stuff without alerting anyone else you managed to leave a few stones unturned.
  • CoinosaurusCoinosaurus Posts: 9,614 ✭✭✭✭✭
    There are 19 coins in the series. Ignoring the 1870-CC, 7 of them have survival estimates of 500 or less, and the remaining 11 are all between 1000 and 4500. The 7 I would call scarce to begin with. We can argue about the others.

    Given the breadth of the collector base (gold bugs, CC collectors, type collectors, and rarer ducks like rare date gold collectors) it's not hard to see this level of supply being consumed. There is a market for non-collectors too - a big, hefty gold coin with the CC on the back is a lot more impressive to a newbie than some weird bust dime variety you need a 100x glass to see (with all due respect to my JRCS friends and their dentil-counting ways). Of the above, the Carson City affinity is the most important factor in the last decade, prices across the rare dates are way up in both silver & gold. The publicity surrounding the Battle Born collection (which actually started a long time before the sale itself) is also a factor here.
  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,758 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I probably saw more in that case that Thursday afternoon than you could scrounge up spending a week now looking for them.
    -----Northern Nevada Coin has over 30 for sale on their site.

    if the above post is true(I just checked and they're listed), you have evidently been looking in all the wrong places. maybe in your effort to snag some stuff without alerting anyone else you managed to leave a few stones unturned. >>


    Most of the coins at NNC were already sold. Those that were left were hard to buy. image

    "There are no called strikes in coin collecting."--Henry David Thoreau RYK
  • shorecollshorecoll Posts: 5,445 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm with the CC hoarding theory.
    ANA-LM, NBS, EAC
  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Those that were left were hard to buy.

    that only makes sense if you aren't drowning in regret 10 years from now. Carson City issues are always in demand and always in short supply relative to coins in general, but you already know that(so do dealers, unfortunately). I suggest you act as you always have, selecting nice coins and holding onto them till you upgrade or change directions. it has served you well thus far.

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