PCGS Collectors club Vegas show

TahoeDale

We attended on Thursday and Friday, and it was another great gathering. Most collectors seem to be submitting coins for grade, true view, and then searching the dealer cases for any type of coin. A larger room and about 28 dealers, with a ton of coins at most locations.

Several had multiple boxes for viewing--Heritage several hundred. Sold a duplicate bust dollar( not to HLRC--another long negotiating session that resulted in a stalemate; felt like a minority congressman in a struggle over lowering the debt). Looked long and hard for gem bust halves, and there were none for sale.

But had a chance to see many of Chuck Links coins, as they were there to submit to PCGS for regrade, and true view. He got some back before I left, and some nice upgrades! I will let him announce his success.

Visited with Paul Gerrie from Oregon, and High Desert, who announced he is going to come to more shows. His last one was 2000 FUN. Don Willis said that PCGS will have some announcements after the first of the year concerning the Forum, to try to improve its use and contents.

No new buys, and the rarieties were slim, but a Fun time. I did see one really rare coin==1793 chain cent in AU 55. Super nice and super high price.

And Vegas is busy busy busy. All the casinos and streets had throngs of people.

breakdown

Thanks for the report, Dale. Coin show and gambling would be a dangerous combination for my checkbook but I hope to do it someday.
If the Chain Cent is the one HLRC is featuring, it looks like a beauty.

WTCG

Too bad I missed you there.

October is one of the busiest months for conventions. The weather is great and the whole place is reasonably busy but rooms can cost a lot compared to other months.

GoBust

Hey Tahoe,

Was nice to see you if only for a little while. If you hadn't mentioned the PCGS grade and trade show I would not have shown up. I only walked through three coins, one had no change and the other two were fun. I only submitted my Redbook set for regrade thus far, not the die marriage set.

The Eliasberg 1817/4 Capped Bust Half Dollar upgraded from AU50 to AU53 and now rests in a secure holder with the Overton number O.102a designated. Discovered in 1930 by E.T Wallis. Lost to the collecting community until 1952 when uncovered by Al Overton. This is the coin that allowed Elaisberg to complete his set when it was sold by Al Overton to Louis Eliasberg for $1,500 in 1952. I'm not sure that the increase in grade will add much value since it pretty much is what it is. The most fun however was that Don Willis brought both that coin and the 1817/4 PCGS F15 Dosier coin out of the grading room raw. It was really fun at Harry Laibstain's table to hold the coins raw and compare the early die states (no moon break obverse crack at all) to the late die state more typical O.102a die state with the large semicircular obverse crack. I put the coins on edge as well and compared their third dies imparted by the Castiang machine and the edge lettered matched up perfectly suggesting the entire run came from an identical set of edge dies. That may have been a first of such a comparison to be done. One theory suggested that perhaps when the seven was punched over the four on this die that occurred after annealing and formed crack early when being used in striking leading to this rarity (now ten know, with I believe 3 early and seven late die states). Interestingly, the four in the overdate looks distinctly different between the two coins in the side on which it is most prominent. This occurred with little doubt because the moon break crosses the coin arcing just to the right of the overdated 7/4. Below is a link to photos of the coin and some other provenance information from when the coin was sold by David Lawrence Rare Coins in 2004. It pictures well the "moon break" obverse die crack that I just discussed.

http://www.davidlawrence.com/inventory/viewitem.cfm/inventory/100963/inm/1817-4-50c-PCGS-AU50-(O-102a)-ex:Eliasberg/snm/Bust-Half-Dollars/gnm/Half-Dollars/lotid/4354

I checked this morning and the certification verification does not yet show up. Usually they appear a few days after the coin shows as PCGS uploads the data but there are trueviews coming.

The third coin will be a story for another day....

Be well,
Chuck

scoobydeux

Dale,

Nice show report. Wish I could have been there.


GoBust,
Welcome to the forum! and congrats on the 50 to 53 upgrade of the Eliasberg 1817/4!

I'm not sure that the increase in grade will add much value since it pretty much is what it is.

Yes, but it doesn't hurt, either.


The third coin will be a story for another day....

C'mon, inquiring minds want to know!

DavidLawrence

GoBust,

Thanks for posting your update on the 1817/4 half. This coin is truly awesome -- one of my all time favorites that I've handled over the past 20 years. How we came to handle it was a cool story in itself. I was busy cataloging the Richmond Collection, which we sold for one of our clients in 2004-5 in a series of 3 live auctions. While I was busy working on the catalog material for Richmond, we received a random call from a well-known collector of Bust half dollars and asked if we would include a "handful of key dates" with the Richmond Collection. I couldn't say yes fast enough, of course, and I still recall meeting him at his bank to personally pick up the coins, which were highlighted by this beauty.

This 1817/4 half is gorgeous with very pretty toning, and I'm not in the least bit surprised that you were able to get a bump in the grade. It's well deserved.

Here's an easier link to the 1817/4 Bust half dollar, ex: Eliasberg

-John

GoBust

Hi John,

Thanks for information about your client and your excellent cataloging description. I will add your story to the history of the 1817/4 Eliasberg lore. As you know, we collectors are always only temporary stewards of these storied small pieces of American history. I was actually the underbidder at your auction on November 30, 2004. I stretched as far as I could until I couldn't stretch anymore, luckily the collector from NYC who had purchased the coin decided in 2009 to let the collecting world have a shot at it again. Once again short on funds, but strong on hope to capture the Eliasberg coin, I lined up some credit with my sister who lent me the funds. Only took me five years to pay her back! In that auction, Christine from Stacks asked for a last minute split bid at my absolute maximum and I squeaked to the successful high bid. I think the real estate and stock market meltdown allowed some uncertainly for many collectors during that time. Bidding was very light during the entire auction and as luck would have it, I at least could hold title for a little while. Of course hold it is unfortunately a misnomer since it spends essentially all its life sitting in a small metal box within a bank vault, only rarely to be seen in hand. I will post trueview pictures when I get them next week. I'm sure the pictures will go up on PCGS coinfacts as well.

By the way thanks for all the great coins David Lawrence has sold me over the years.

Best,
Chuck

panexpoguy

It was a good show. A friend and I had plans to visit LV from Ohio anyway so we timed it to coincide with the PCGS show. As I had discussed in other threads I was bringing 5 coins to try and cross over as my first ever submission(s). I had 5 NGC coins 1881-O, 1899-O and 1900-O Morgans with the 99 and 00 MS66 and the 81 MS65. Also had a 22 Peace Dollar in MS65 and a 1915 Pan Pac half in MS66 that we thought might not cross due to the toning. The results: The 1881 and the Pan Pac did not cross, neither was a surprise I guess. The 22 Peace crossed at MS65, but the nice result was that both the 1899 and 1900 Morgans crossed at an upgrade of MS66+ which gave me a bit more faith in my eye.

I had a budget for gambling and a budget for coins so I decided to hit the Peace dollars hard as I am getting close to completing the set. So I ended up picking up a 1923-S in MS64+, a 1926D in MS65 and a 1935-S in MS65. Liked them all. So turned my attention to my old nemesis video poker. All day Thurs and Fri morning was a bloodbath and I was losing steadily. But as this is Vegas, mid day Fri I began an epic comeback and before the rampage of winning was over they had come over to hand pay me jackpots 5 times in 2 hours.....I did the math and was not only even, but well up. So, rather then gamble it all back I walked back in to the show and picked up what I think is a very lovely 1921 High Relief Peace in MS65+. Essentially paid for by Bellagio. Left Vegas completely even on gambling, plus a 'free' 1921 Peace, and only 5 Peace dollars left to complete the set. Not too many of my Vegas trips turn out like that!

hchcoin

<< <i>GoBust,

Thanks for posting your update on the 1817/4 half. This coin is truly awesome -- one of my all time favorites that I've handled over the past 20 years. How we came to handle it was a cool story in itself. I was busy cataloging the Richmond Collection, which we sold for one of our clients in 2004-5 in a series of 3 live auctions. While I was busy working on the catalog material for Richmond, we received a random call from a well-known collector of Bust half dollars and asked if we would include a "handful of key dates" with the Richmond Collection. I couldn't say yes fast enough, of course, and I still recall meeting him at his bank to personally pick up the coins, which were highlighted by this beauty.

This 1817/4 half is gorgeous with very pretty toning, and I'm not in the least bit surprised that you were able to get a bump in the grade. It's well deserved.

Here's an easier link to the 1817/4 Bust half dollar, ex: Eliasberg

-John >>



That's an awesome coin

ricko

Thanks for the report.... Cheers, RickO

Barndog

images for those who don't click through...

mozin

With all the drooling over that 1817/4, the old plastic holder probably needed replacement. Nice to see Chuck managed the upgrade, and that he will soon show it in his fine Registry set. As of a minute ago, it still has not been upgraded into Chuck's Registry set.

johnny9434

<< <i>

<< <i>GoBust,

Thanks for posting your update on the 1817/4 half. This coin is truly awesome -- one of my all time favorites that I've handled over the past 20 years. How we came to handle it was a cool story in itself. I was busy cataloging the Richmond Collection, which we sold for one of our clients in 2004-5 in a series of 3 live auctions. While I was busy working on the catalog material for Richmond, we received a random call from a well-known collector of Bust half dollars and asked if we would include a "handful of key dates" with the Richmond Collection. I couldn't say yes fast enough, of course, and I still recall meeting him at his bank to personally pick up the coins, which were highlighted by this beauty.

This 1817/4 half is gorgeous with very pretty toning, and I'm not in the least bit surprised that you were able to get a bump in the grade. It's well deserved.

Here's an easier link to the 1817/4 Bust half dollar, ex: Eliasberg

-John >>



That's an awesome coin >>

its always nice to see this coin. i wish there were more out there but then again its ok

mozin

This 1817/4 just upgraded in Chuck's Registry Set, ranked number ONE.


Chuck Link Complete Capped Bust Half Variety Set