Question about GSA sealed box
pistoliero
Posts: 5 ✭
Hey guys new to forum recently got into collecting coins and joined up to learn what information is here + ask some questions of my own. I noticed a GSA sealed box for sale on APMEX ( http://www.apmex.com/product/64006/gsa-morgan-dollar-sealed-box-never-opened ) and from what I've gathered that these particular white boxes are all common dates. What I'm wondering is there a chance there is a nicely toned or even a monster toned morgan in one of these or would they have been cherry picked out when GSA was boxing them?
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Thanks for response trying to find that thread. If these were in fact legit do you think there would be a chance at toned coins in them?
WELCOME to the Forum ! A lot of Forum info available on sealed GSAs .. just do a search
If it doesn't have a date stamp on the outside you can pretty much assume that it is an 82,3,or 4. It can be a DMPL or Monster toned but the odds are extremely slim. Remember there were MILLIONS released and most were just bag scuffed examples at 63. If you try it let us know and take before and after pics. Also when you open it try using a table knife (blunt rounded end) and see if you are able to open without damage and then reseal......bet you can. I've done that before but kept the coin...
good luck,
bob
This topic comes up often enough. A quick search on this forum can point you to some other threads that might be of interest:
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/11588407#Comment_11588407
Here is a pic from a part of my GSA sealed collection. All of these coins came from the 1980 sales and were part of the bulk packs of 5.
Look carefully at the dark blue box for the 8315 near the upper-left corner. For me, the most interesting unopened GSAs are the ones that end in 15. I have just one 8015 and one 8515.
If the date ended in 15, then the coin's date is the first two digits (81, 83, 85, etc) and was considered tarnished or otherwise not meeting GSA "uncirculated" standards. Back when I was able to buy unopened packs for not much more than the original 1980 GSA price, I have found a very few DMPLs in boxes with -15 as many ugly brown coins. I say I wouldn't open any sealed GSAs but the 8015 and 8515 are so tempting.....
If the date stamp is the whole year, ie 1881, 1885, the coin inside will meet the GSA's standard of "uncirculated" which seems to be fully lustrous and untoned.
The white unmarked pack can either be an 1883 or 1884-CC - most likely an 84-CC because there were so many. An often overlooked fact is that 1882-CCs were sold out by the time the 1980 sales occurred. You might get an 82-CC in the mixed pack but it's unlikely.
As the other posters have noted, there are many counterfeit "unopened" products, including GSAs CC dollars. Even GSAguy picked up a couple (that I helped him diagnose them as counterfeits) - and he knows GSAs.
Mitchell
Just be careful... I purchased unopened boxes from GSAGuy years ago... Nice coins, nothing spectacular. And they were truly unopened... Now, however, I am not sure I would trust any auction...maybe Apmex... Let us know what you decide.... and then, when you receive it... Will you open it??
That always happens... except to me... I opened all of mine immediately... 
Cheers, RickO
I personally view all the white boxes as fakes. Too many floating around everywhere on eBay.
As I said a bunch of times in these countless threads on this subject, someone here bought an unopened GSA and the coin had a hand written price tag on it!
I have bought and sold many of the white and cream colored boxes in the last 5 years. I have also opened about 10 of them. And in each case, I had no reason to believe the packaging had been messed with or had been previously opened. In each case, they contained an 82-84 CC, frequently (60%) toned, but typically just a light, single color tone. In each case, the Morgan was at least a 63, and one was an easy 65.
For those getting messed with packaging, I don't know what to say. My experiences have all been super positive.
Surf
My daughter opening one.....
Spot on great info.
bob
Just go for one like this:
Miracles do happen though. One of my customers several years ago had an unopened box. I told him its an 82-3-4 , and worth more sealed. He wanted to open it, sure enough out comes a 90-cc. I would have never believed it , but I am the one who opened the box for him
Apmex can make a lot of money buying these for ~$325 on eBay and selling them for $600 on their site.