Given all of the top pop moderns he has been buying in recent months, I wonder if Hansen's secondary goal is to complete as many #1 PCGS registry sets as possible.
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
@cameonut2011 said:
Given all of the top pop moderns he has been buying in recent months, I wonder if Hansen's secondary goal is to complete as many #1 PCGS registry sets as possible.
I think that follows from having the best overall set. You could conceivably have the best complete US set without having the best set in many of the subsections. It seems clear that he also values having his coins be some of the best examples available in each of the respective subsets. I think the spending on moderns reflects that he truly values everything, which is a little different from the bias for the classics that many high end collectors have.
I was very happy and excited to see that John and Del picked up the classic key 1817/4 for his Lettered Edge Capped Bust Half Dollar set. It shows they valued what might have been the last key coin Eliasberg added to the set when he bought a 1817/4 from Al Overton. Congratulations gentleman!
If you have been plugged into the news from the ANA World’s Fair of Money in Chicago, I am sure you have heard about the Anthony J. Taraszka Collection. I will provide an excerpt from Numismatic News website (Please visit the site for the full story):
A milestone in early American numismatics was realized at the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Auction at the ANA World’s Fair of Money, where the incredible Anthony J. Taraszka Collection of 1795 to 1804 $10 Gold Eagles was sold to a standing-room audience on the evening of Thursday, August 15. The catalog featured 41 coins, comprising every known variety from 1795 through 1804. When the auctioneer’s hammer fell on the final lot, the collection had realized over $3.2 million. (All prices include the buyer’s premium.) Each coin in the Taraszka Collection was certified by PCGS, and all but one piece were awarded grades of About Uncirculated or Mint State. Included among the Choice Mint State pieces was the fabled 1795 9 Leaves $10 found in lot 4004. Graded MS-63 by PCGS, it realized $630,000 after intense bidding.
After giving a couple weeks to let the dust settle, we know for sure that Hansen purchased 5 coins from this fabulous collection. In review of the PCGS registry, there is only one other coin registered to a set other than Hansen. There are 5-6 coins that are registered in PCGS user inventory but not to registry sets. The remainder of the 41 coins is not registered at PCGS.
There is not a registry set that represents the 41 specimens needed for Dannreuther Die Varieties. We are able to see the five coins that Hansen updated in his 14-piece “Early $10 Gold with Major Varieties” set. We have no way of knowing if some, or if any, of the coins registered in PCGS user inventory were purchased by Hansen. At this point, all we can do is make an assumption that he acquired only the five coins listed in his 14-piece set. Hopefully at some point, PCGS will create a Dannreuther Die Varieties set so we will be able to see if Hansen purchased any additional varieties from the fabulous collection. In the meantime, maybe JB can address the question.
Of the five known coins that Hansen purchased, the total realized was $988,200. This is about 30% of the $3.2 Million sale. The total that Hansen spent could be even more if Hansen purchased any additional die varieties. I do not think these new coins provide any improvement to Hansen’s 10-piece basic set where he is ranked 4th on PCGS All-Time list behind: D. Brent Pogue, Smithsonian, and Harry W. Bass. The purchase did improve his ranking on the 14-piece major varieties set. He moved up one spot from #3 All-Time to #2 spot jumping over the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection. The top spot for this set is Harry W. Bass Collection. For a nearly $1 Million purchase, there were very little movement is set rankings. Guys, this is the big league.
1795 Capped Bust Right Eagle. BD-3, Taraszka-3. Rarity-6. 9 Leaves. MS-63 (PCGS) Rarest and Most Famous of the Capped Bust Right, Small Eagle Die Varieties
This coin is the highlight of the purchase. Most significantly, the coin is not an upgrade to existing coins as were the other four. The 1795 9 leaves variety was missing from the Great Collection. The coin is not a countdown for the Eliasberg Quest because Eliasberg did not have one, but Hansen needed one to better Eliasberg.
Expert Ron Guth made these comments about the coin: The 1795 BD-3 $10 gold piece is a wonderful rarity among early U.S. gold coins. The BD-3 variety represents the entire mintage of the 1795 9 Leaves $10 gold piece, itself one of the most important major varieties. Previous estimates of the surviving population of this variety were as low as nine pieces. Dannreuther suggested that as many as 15-20 pieces were known, and the latest research shows that perhaps as many as two dozen exist. Surprisingly, there may be as many as eight examples that grade MS60 or better, which is an astounding percentage of the known population. Among these, the finest is a PCGS MS63+ example which is a full point-and-a-half better than the next best.
Stacks Bowers describe the coin as: This is a beautiful coin with subtle green-gold undertones to dominant medium gold patina. The obverse is semi-prooflike, the reverse close to fully prooflike. Both sides exhibit only wispy, inconspicuous handling marks; a few minuscule planchet voids in the left obverse field the only useful identifying features. The reverse is particularly attractive with no scratches, and the eagle's breast and legs are free of planchet adjustment marks. Overall superior in eye appeal than some higher graded examples.
This coin is a half grade below the D. Brent Pogue Collection PCGS MS63+ Specimen that is considered to be the finest known on the PCGS Condition Census report. The Pogue coin sold by Stack's/Bowers & Sotheby's in 2015 for $1,057,500. But wait, maybe not the finest, the Harry W. Bass specimen is shown as an estimated MS64. I assume this coin is still in the Bass Foundation holdings. Anyone willing to shed more light of this, please feel free to chime in.
Provenance: From the Anthony J. Taraszka Collection. Earlier ex Mike Brownlee; Superior's May 29, 30, 1995 Auction, lot 3684. The plate coin for the die variety in the book United States Ten Dollar Gold Eagles: 1795-1804 by Anthony J. Taraszka, and also pictured on the front cover of Superior's May 1995 auction catalog.
In an Eliasberg comparison, the registry indicates that Eliasberg example for the 1795 Eagle was a 13 Leaves specimen and he never acquired a 9 leaves specimen.
We had fun in that thread discussing how it seemed that there were objects stuck to the die which yielded identical struck-through voids on different coins.
I did not see the Taraszka / Brownlee MS-63 example, as it sold in 1995 at Superior before online auction photos were archived.
The Bass coin is also missing from the above graph, as I didn't have a price for it, but it is mentioned in the thread.
4th coin in last Box of 20…… Present Box Value = $2,042,800
The Little Princess is shredded in controversy. The purpose of this posting is not to dive too far into this pool. The bottom line is the disagreement on production of these coins. Were they produced as proofs or business strikes? The three or four top condition coins are considered proofs. That much is pretty much in agreement by all the experts. After these top specimens, the debate is “are they impaired proofs or business strikes”. After much study given, PCGS determine them to be business strikes. If you have time and would like to learn more, this 2012 PCGS publication is a good read.
Greg Reynolds contributed a series of articles in CoinWeek in 2012. If you would like some addition information on the 1841 Quarter Eagle debate, this too is a good read. The new Hansen coin was discussed in the article. Mr. Reynolds calls this Hansen specimen the “The Phillips 1841”. He dedicated a section to the coin. This was his final conclusion and expert opinion in 2012: At a confidence level of 75%, I maintain that the proper certification for this coin is Proof-53. Some lack of detail that appears to be striking weakness is really wear and some of this wear is uneven, partly due to mistreatment. My impression is that this coin was struck twice with heavily polished dies. Imperfections in the production process caused minor defects. I theorize that it HAD full strong mirrors, very smooth surfaces, mostly squared outer devices, and excellent, though not perfect, detail. While it was not the best made Proof 1841 Quarter Eagle, there is a 75% chance that it is a Proof. If it is not a Proof, it may be a Special Striking. My guess is there is only a fifteen percent chance that it is a business strike.
PCGS Expert Ron Guth shared this: The 1841 Quarter Eagle, also known as the "Little Princess" is one of the rarest of all United States coins, with 16 examples known. The 1841 Quarter Eagle was long considered a Proof-only issue, but the large number of circulated examples implied that a small quantity was minted for circulation. Unfortunately, Mint Reports give no indication that such a mintage occurred, however, this is also true for coins such as the 1870-S Half Dime, the 1870-S Silver Dollar, and others. On February 28, 2012, PCGS announced it would distinguish between circulation strike and Proof 1841 Quarter Eagles. This decision, while not unanimous among numismatic experts, represented a major policy shift, with profound implications for value and desirability of an already famous U.S. coin.
The Hansen coin is one of the better graded specimens in a business strike holder. The finest being the Norweb Family 1841 that was NGC certified ‘Proof-61 Ultra Cameo’ that is now a PCGS MS61. With the way Hansen is building his sets, he will need one of the four proof specimens at some point. This is especially true if his long term goal is to take his proof set as far to completion as possible. Let’s now look at Hansen’s “business strike” specimen.
1841 Little Princess Quarter Eagle AU58
In the publication produced by PCGS in 2012, they have Hansen’s coin as #6. The four PCGS graded proofs as being 1-4. The fifth being the Norweb MS61 specimen previously mention and Hansen purchase follows in sixth. The coin was offered by Rare Coin Wholesalers a few weeks ago. There was not much of a description given. The coin was offered for $472,500. We have no idea of the price Hansen offered for the coin. PCGS value for an AU58 is $400,000.
The Hansen coin last sold at auction in 2009 at Heritage’s Los Angeles, CA US Coin Auction #1128. The coin appeared as 1841 Quarter Eagle, The Illustrious 'Little Princess’ PR58 NGC. Heritage described the coin as: The present example is only moderately circulated, with only minor loss of high point definition, and there are a few slight contact marks, most of which are located on the obverse. The fields retain almost all of their mirrored effect. The surfaces are orange-gold color, and the precise strike, squared-off inner and outer rims, and detailed articulation, on both Liberty's curls and beaded hair cord and the eagle's feathers throughout, are as expected from a proof striking. A tiny spot of dark toning over the last S in STATES serves as a pedigree identifier. This example should provide another opportunity for "exciting bidding," as collectors compete for one of the most desirable--and mystifying--of all U.S. coin issues. The coin realized $132,250 in 2009.
Provenance: MARCG 5/1985:1223, $21,000 - Superior Galleries “Heifetz” 10/1989:3995, $25,300 (as NGC XF45) - Akers “Auction ‘90” 8/1990:1841 (as NGC XF45), $23,000 (plate-matched to the following) - The R.M. Phillips Limited Partnership Collection, Heritage 7/2009:1230 (as NGC AU58), $132,250 - Rare Coin Wholesalers sold 8/2019 to D. L. Hansen.
In comparing to Eliasberg’s specimen, his specimen is the PCGS grade PR64 that was sold by Bowers & Ruddy 1982 for $82,500. This is the Harry Bass coin was acquired at one time by B.G. Johnson as part of a full gold 1841 Proof set (including a quarter eagle, half eagle, and eagle).
1841 Little Princess Quarter Eagle AU58 PCGS Coin #87720 / PCGS Serial #15544272 / POP 1/1
.
. There are 16 remaining coins in the Eliasberg Quest. The 11 coins that are not listed in “U.S. Coins Complete Basic, Circulation Strikes Set” are Bold below. The remaining 5 coins plus the 1875 $10 in Business Strike is needed to complete the registry set. Hansen has a proof specimen 1875 $10 which meets the Eliasberg set definition (either business strike or proof counts), therefor is not shown on this list
Top 10 1870-S Half Dime (Unique Coin in Tom Bender PCGS Registry Collection) 1873-CC "No Arrows" Dime (Unique Coin in an anonymous collection) 1870-S Three Dollar Only (Unique Coin owned by the Bass Foundation displayed at the ANA) 1866 "No Motto" Dollar Proof Only (2 Minted, Unique Private Coin in Simpson Collection)
1822 Half Eagle (Survival 3, Unique Private Owned Coin in the Pogue Collection) 1933 Double Eagle (Known Survival 16, Unique Legally Owned Coin - anonymous collection)
1854-S Half Eagle (Survival 4, Two known in private: 1-Pogue AU58+; 2- XF45 sold July 2018)
1798 "Small Eagle" Half Eagle (Survival 7, Only 2 maybe 3 examples could be privately purchased) 1913 Liberty Head Nickel Proof Only (5 Minted, 3 private owned) 1838-0 Half Dollar BM Only (Survival 9, six known for private purchase)
Last 6 1880 Four Dollar Gold "Stella’s" (Coiled Hair) Proof Only (Survival 8) 1827 "Original" Quarter Dollar Proof Only (Survival 9)
1819 Half Eagle (Survival for “No Variety” 7, for “5D/50” 17) 1880 Four Dollar Gold "Stella’s" (Flowing Hair) Proof Only (Survival 24) 1839 Gobrecht Dollar Proof Only (Survival 60-75)
1798 Quarter Eagle (Survival 80)
Note: DLH was a partner in the purchase of the 1854-S XF45 Half Eagle being that he's a partner with DLRC, but after purchasing the coin, DLHC reported the specimen was sold to an undisclosed client
Currin, thank you for your latest post. I think that goes a long way in clearing the air on the 33. The coin is in a genuine holder. No one is being misled. It’s not for everyone, but it is a heck of a gap filler. Good luck with the future newps.
@golden said:
Mr. Hansen has now reached 60% of the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins! Eliasberg had 59%.
Is that book an opinion of the authors or are the coins picked absolutely the 100 greatest coins as acknowledged by the vast majority of successful professional numismatists, researchers, etc?
It seems to me that eventually, anyone with enough money, time, and the ability to accumulate enough coins now privately held after some folks die before he does, Mr. Hansen or his family should eventually reach the goal he has set. I hope he is around to see it done.
@golden said:
Mr. Hansen has now reached 60% of the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins! Eliasberg had 59%.
At least 9 coins that Eliasberg owned aren’t entered into his set. I see another 3 or 4 that I don’t know if he owned or not but are possibilities.
I agree with you Bruce. I wish PCGS Registry would fix the Eliasberg sets. Several sets are missing coins. As for the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins, getting 60 is a great feat and should be celebrated. Although, if you look at the top 25, Eliasberg had 17 coins and presently Hansen has 12. I think Hansen will get there, but will take time for coins to come available. When he hits 18 of the top 25, now that will be something special.
@golden said:
Mr. Hansen has now reached 60% of the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins! Eliasberg had 59%.
At least 9 coins that Eliasberg owned aren’t entered into his set. I see another 3 or 4 that I don’t know if he owned or not but are possibilities.
A lot of the grades listed in Eliasberg's set are also outdated so those comparing the two sets are tilting at wind mills if relying only on the registry. It possible to "beat" Eliasberg's set by rebuilding it completely as many of the coins are now in higher graded plastic.
Just a few days ago, I shared the posting of Mr. Hansen purchase of the Linda Gail Collection of Eisenhower Dollars. Today, I will share another purchase from this collection, The Peace Dollar Collection. This collection was also marketed by Larry Shapiro Rare Coins. I believed the Linda Gail Peace Set was date only set. Also different than the Eisenhower Dollars Collection, this set was broken by LSRC and sold individually. Hansen was able to cherry pick some of the finer specimens without purchasing the entire set. In all, he purchased six coins that improved his Peace Dollar set. Of the six coins, four were tied for the finest known specimens. The Linda Gail set ranked #3 on the All-Time list for a date set, but did not contain any PCGS POP 1/0 specimens.
As with most private sales, we have no way for knowing the final negotiation price. By using the PCGS Value Guide, the value for the six coins is $571,000. The most valuable coin in the lot is 1927-D MS66+ POP 3/0 valued at $175,000. The next on the list is the 1921 $1 High Relief, MS67 POP 7/0 valued at $150,000 and the last coin on the list valued over $100K is the 1934-S $1 MS66+ POP2/0 valued at $125,000. It appears the coins range from lightly toned to blast white.
With these six upgrades, Hansen moves up in the 24-coin Peace Dollars, Circulation Strikes (1921-1935) Set from #9 in the registry to currently #3 on the All-Time. He is snugged up to the #2 retired W. Michael Gilley Collection, and approx. half point behind the top retired HOF set, California 1. There are at least five coins that graded POP 1/0 by PCGS. Hansen does not have any of them in his set. I don’t see them in any registry sets, so I would assume some very high graded Peace Sets are not in the registry. On the bright side, 11 of 24 of Hansen’s coins are tied for PCGS finest including the fore mention 1934-S MS66+ that is POP 2/0.
1927-D Peace Dollar PCGS MS66+ CAC
I thought I would highlight the 1927-D MS66+ because not only the coin was the most valued in the lot, but also it carries a CAC sticker. The owner of the Peace set had them re-holder and sequenced the certification numbers. This makes the coin history difficult to trace. By reviewing auction pictures, I believe this coin appeared in a Legend Rare Coin Regency Auction 31 earlier this year. The coin realized 176,250. At that time, LRCA estimated the value at $75,000 - 85,000. The coin sold for a premium. I wonder the odds that Hansen was the under bidder.
LRCA described the coin as: No question this coin is a MS66.9+! We have never seen an example of this date in such a great state of preservation. They went on to add: Remarkable surfaces are a tough graders delight. There are no problems. We do see a small frost break on the neck and tick which in our opinion are all that keep this piece from full MS67 designation. The surfaces also have a smooth appearance. A full cartwheel like luster beams from all over. Typically, 27D's come with a flat, no radiant luster. Both sides are GEM original white color. There are NO spots. Miss Liberty and the detail are sharply struck and frosty. The eye appeal is gorgeous! PCGS has possibly graded 3 in MS66+ (we think this coin is 2x) with NONE higher. It took 32 years for this coin to be graded! The current Collectors Universe Value is $135,000. It’s not so crazy. If there ever was an MS67 PCGS CAC piece we can only imagine the total bidding war that would erupt sending it close to $250,000! Since listing this coin in the sale, interest has been amazingly strong. This coin could end up with a world record price-which is fitting for the quality! Good luck! WOW, who wrote that?
Provenance: Legend Rare Coin Regency Auction 31, 3/21/2019, $176,250 - Linda Gail Collection - Larry Shapiro Rare Coins private purchase 8/2019, D. L. Hansen
In comparing to Eliasberg’s specimen, I was a little amazed when I looked up Eliasberg’s Peace Dollars. At first I thought I may have typed something incorrectly. His Peace Dollars are ranked #228! His 1927-D specimen is an estimated grade MS60 with POP 62/5114. The Peace Dollars were not sold individually, rather by Bowers & Merena April '97 as part of a large lot #2327. It appear he may not had much appreciation for the Peace Dollars. I hear so much talk about how great the Eliasberg coins were, that sometimes I wonder if people have really looked at his collection beyond the famous coins that it contained. Many of the common coins were not cherry picked for the best coins. It appears his 1 927-D Peace specimen was just a coin randomly picked from mint set.
1927-D Peace Dollar PCGS MS66+ CAC PCGS Coin #7371 / PCGS Serial #37652380 / POP 3/0 PCGS Value = $175,000
@tradedollarnut said:
Peace dollars were moderns to Eliasberg. And nobody gave a crap about needing gems then...
It could be said that many of the recent great collectors also don’t give a crap about moderns. A great thing about Hansen is that he does care about moderns.
Extremely Rare is how Heritage described the Overton 102a, 1817/4 Half Dollar. Mr. Link brought this coin to our attention several months ago. He proposed a question if it should be included as a must (required) coins. The debate is now moot, because he has one. This were Mr. Links thoughts that he shared on this thread back in April 2019: Eliasberg was thought to be complete in 1950, but he really was complete in 1953 when he purchased the Al Overton 1817/4 (the discovery coin from Wallis by all accounts and finest known). The key capped bust half dollar for redbook set. Its a coin I've grown rather fond of in my middle years. Really should be considered for inclusion in the challenge set. I was very surprised and intrigued when it wasn't included in the set. It is beyond just date and mint mark. Was a regular issue coin that circulated with PCGS AU53 the highest graded extant and all other examples below XF. Eliasberg sought and obtained the finest known example for $1500 in 1953 as apparently he decided he needed it for his set. Bust half dollar nuts essentially all view the 1817/4 is as the important key for the set as the 1823/2 quarter is key for capped bust quarters. In my opinion one of the five most important pre-1839 silver coins. Of course there are no less than five 1817s in the redbook set including two overdates of course and two coins that are die states which don't really fit the Eliasberg challenge. The 1817/4 is considered one of the top 100 US coins as well by the top 100 treatise and PCGS. I think that makes the Eliasberg/Overton/Wallis 1817/4 just a little bit more special. What do you think Currin? It would mean of course Del Loy should strive for 22 more coins. How many others might consider this a good addition for the esteemed Mr. Hansen?
The finest example (Eliasberg/Overton/Wallis) is not presently available due to it being one of the highlights in Mr. Links World Class Bust Collection. Although, this is not the finest known example, nor does it equals the specimen that Eliasberg owned, Still to own one of these is a dream come true. Ask anyone in Bust Half Nut Club, this is one of the coins! Maybe, the coin. This is what PCGS Expert Ron Guth had to say: The 1817/4 Overdate Half Dollar is the most famous and valuable of all the Capped Bust Half Dollars. Only ten examples are known of this variety, several of which have been discovered within the past decade. Most of the known examples are of the Overton 102a variety, which means they show a somewhat vertical die crack on the obverse. This crack, and the eventual removal or destruction of the die, is believed to be the cause of this variety's exceptional rarity. The finest example is the PCGS AU53 from the Eliasberg Collection (and, coincidentally, the first example of the variety discovered by E.T. Wallis circa 1930). Wallis' asking price of $2,500 in 1934 pales in comparison to the $356,500 it realized in its last auction appearance in 2009! For anyone who thinks that all of the great coins have been found, it is important to realize that four of the eleven known 1817/4 Half Dollars have been discovered since 2005, and that the most recent find was in late 2013 or early 2014, when an example was purchased as a Punctuated Date 1817!
Mr. Guth mentions eleven know examples. The Heritage 2019 ANA World's Fair of Money US Coins Signature Auction in Chicago where the coin was made available, they listed a roster of elevens coins. So, that number appears consistent and correct. On Heritage’s Roster of 1817/4 Half Dollars, Hansen’s coin was list as #6, just outside the top five. From a member of the Bust Half Nut Club that indicated that #6 is the order for the Hansen coin that is pretty much agreed upon within club. There may be some differences with coins above Hansen’s for different rosters and lists. For example, Heritage listed the XF Detailed NGC as number 2. Some would disagree with ranking due to the environmental damage to the coin. I think the Hansen coin is in a good solid place at six, and is a PCGS Certified Condition Census POP 2/2 Specimen.
1817/4 Half Dollar, O-102a, VF20, Extremely Rare, The Johnson-Witham Example
I believe this was a good pickup for Hansen. Will he someday upgrade? Maybe, especially if Mr. Link’s Eliasberg coin was to come available. The Charlton Meyer/D. Brent Pogue VF35 PCGS specimen would be interesting if it became available just from the fact that it is a different die version O-102.
This coin is viewed the PCGS set makers as a Major Variety. That is the reason that I did not have it as a required coin as Mr. Link previously suggested. I think Mr. Link is correct; a good debate on where it belongs can be made. If you were following back when I made the requirement list, I did place the 1866 "No Motto" Dollar Proof in the required list, and it is considered a Major Variety. I have learned much more about the 1817/4 Half Dollar than I knew then, much from Mr. Link, and if I had a do over, I might just include it, but as I said before, now it just a moot point.
I have tried to highlight a few things with this fascinating coin without get to long with the post. If you like to read more about this coin, the Heritage list was very interesting:
This coin realized $186,000. PCGS Price Guide Value is $215,000. So I guess you could say Hansen got a bargain. Heritage described the coin as: This VF20 piece shows attractive light tan patination over both sides, taking on deeper hues in the recessed areas and around the peripheries, where reddish-brown and bluish-purple accents add to the eye appeal. The design elements are generally well centered on the planchet and exhibit strong definition for the designated grade level. Liberty's drapery and clasp are sharp, as are all letters in LIBERTY, and the eye and eyelid show clearly. The eagle's plumage is about two-thirds delineated, and all horizontal shield lines are separated. Portions of the right sides of both obverse and reverse reveal minor strike softness, a typical characteristic of the variety, but even these areas stand out on the present coin. The dentilation is complete except on the upper-right obverse. Remnants of the underdigit 4 are clearly visible beneath the 7, including serifs and crossbar. The small notch on the final star, believed to be the trademark of engraver John Reich, is evident, and the vertical die crack characteristic of the die state bisects Liberty portrait. Uniformly distributed light contact marks are no more numerous or severe than what would be expected of a coin that experienced moderate circulation. This problem-free specimen is sure to capture the attention not only of Bust half dollar specialists, but of advanced numismatists in general.
Provenance: Stewart Witham example, O-102a. Discovered by Ohio coin dealer Ed Johnson, who owned it in the 1940s; purchased by Stewart Witham in 1966; offered privately in 1983; ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/2010), lot 3147; Heritage 2019 ANA World's Fair of Money, $186,000 - D.L. Hansen Collection
Great update and review Currin. You continue to amaze! Congratulations to Del on obtaining the 1817/4 key to the Capped Bust Lettered Edge Half Dollars and the final key added to the famed Eliasberg set.
You just don’t know what Hansen will add or upgrade next. I guess you could call this another modern upgrade. Hansen and his team have received a little criticism recently due to the resources that is being placed in the modern coin collection. I don’t think the high end collectors and players can get a grip on what Hansen is doing with moderns. He told us late last fall that he was going to “cleanup” his modern collection, and indeed he has.
These coins are call “pennies” by some collectors. They are our lowest denomination coin after the half cent was abandoned about 150 years ago. The coppers are very popular with many collectors, but on the other hand, they are not by some. The copper coins don’t have the glamor of silver and gold, but they are interesting coins to collect. Hansen appears to like them. He added eight PCGS POP 1/0 coins to his collection.
Of these eight upgrades, six are from the Hall of Fame Thomas Irwin Collection. The Irwin set was retired 5/25/2017. I am not able to determine where the coins have resided the past two years. The collection at retirement had seven POP 1/0 coins. In a recent purchase, Hansen acquired all except the 1940-D MS68RD. I am not sure why that coin was not included in the purchase. It does not appear to be included in any sets at this time. With the six Irwin coins, he purchased another top pop from an August 25th Great Collection sale, 1953 MS67+ RD for $22,500. The eighth and final coin may the most interesting. The 1936 MS68RD upgrade was purchased at 2019 Heritage Long Beach sale. The coin sold for $1300 in a MS67+ RD PCGS holder with pedigree from the Charlie O’s collection. I would assume someone purchased the coin, had it upgraded to MS68RD by PCGS, and flipped to Hansen. I do not know what the new value of the coin would be. The total value of Hansen’s eight POP 1/0 is about $183,000.
In addition to the Top Pop coins, the upgrade included nine additional coins. All but one are tied for finest known, with the loner being the 1915 MS67+ RD POP 1/1 Specimen. All the coins are from The Thomas Irwin Collection, except the 1912 MS67+RD. I am not sure how the coin was acquired.
Hansen has moved his Lincoln Collection into what I would consider to be “World Class”. “For the Best of the Registry Winners of 2019”, Hansen Collection received the award for 13 out of 18 sets in the Major Set Category. It is important to note that not only are these sets the best currently, but most are also the All-Time Finest. This upgrade shows that Hansen is still working on “Cleaning Up” his modern sets. As can be easily seen in the list above, Hansen is not chasing the post 1964 coins yet. He is buying the finest, but generally speaking, he is not buying the Pop 1/0 specimens.
1924-D Lincoln Cent, RD MS66RD, PCGS POP 1/0, Ex: Thomas Irwin (HOF)
The 1924-D is the coin that I picked to highlight. Jaime Hernandez wrote this about the 1924-D: The 1924-D Lincoln cent is the most difficult Denver coin to find in the Lincoln cent series, from 1911 to 1929 in grades of MS65 Red or higher. According to the low certification number, this coin has withstood the test of time in the top spot. It appears the coin offered in an auction long ago. The firm Bowers & Merena auctioned the coin March, 1999. The coin realized a very reasonable sum of $8,338. The sale was name, Voigt & Lee, but I am not confident the pedigree would apply. The coin is presently valued at $50,000 by PCGS. This coin is now 1 of 20 PCGS TOP POP coins In the 1909-1958 “Wheat Ears” Collection. Will there be more; I think we can safely say yes. You may want to keep an eye out for the 1923-S PCGS MS65+ RD in The Legend’s Regency 34 Auction in a few weeks. They estimate the TOP POP coin at $50,000.00 - $55,000.00. The auctioneer wrote: We anticipate very strong bidding when this crosses the block! You better believe it.
I will conclude by stating that the Hansen Lincoln Collection is still missing the 1958 DDO (FS-101). Mr. Hansen will need this coin to seal the deal on Lincoln Cents. He was out bided in the most recent sale of the ESM Specimen. There are only three known, so the wait could be long for another chance. Let’s wait and see.
Provenance: Thomas Irwin
In comparing to Eliasberg’s specimen, we were told a couple days ago that like many other collectors in his day that “nobody gave a crap about gems”, that appear to be the truth. The Lincoln coins is an example of a series that Eliasberg may have actually used pocket change to fill holes for his common coins. Just kidding. His 1924-D Lincoln specimen is an estimated grade MS64BN with POP 96/587. Although, this coin was not sold in a lot as many of his modern day coins did, rather sold by Bowers & Merena May '96 price realized $412.50.
1924-D Lincoln Cent PCGS MS66RD PCGS Coin #2554 / PCGS Serial #09928169 / POP 1/0 PCGS Value = $50,000
Sorry, but no picture available for this coin.
Posting update 9/4/2019 The owner of the Irwin collection passed away maybe 4 or 5 years ago. Angel Dees had been holding on to the coins for his heir(s) and getting some upgraded along the way (and were even able to update the already retired registry sets).
I discussed a few months ago how difficult the St. Gaudens Double Eagle series for Hansen to improve. The series is very difficult to compete in registry condition census grades. Dr. and Mrs. Steven L. Duckor shaped the gold standard for the series more than 15 years ago. Since our last discussion, The Hansen Collection has not moved up in the registry. The collection is #4 All-Time, trailing two current sets and the retired Duckor set. I thought at the time that the St. Gaudens Double Eagle series have significant number of the PCGS Condition Census coins that reside outside of the registry. I still believe that to be true. Again, Hansen was able to find one at auction and upgrade his collection. PCGS describes the series as: The $20 St. Gaudens - so called because the designer's name was Augustus St. Gaudens - was first introduced in 1907 with Roman numerals at the date and a high relief design. Later in 1907, the design was modified with the normal date (called an Arabic date) and much lower relief. Late in 1908 the motto "In God We Trust" was added to the reverse. The $20 St. Gaudens is one of the most popular coins in the world due to its beautiful design. Collectors who would never have the inclination (or the bankroll!) to build a complete set will inevitably buy at least one $20 "Saint." Private ownership of gold was outlawed in the 1930s and many coins that had not been released were melted. This created many great rarities within the series. The key issues include the 1907 High Relief (MCMVII), 1908-S, 1920-S, 1921, 1924-D, 1924-S, 1925-D, 1925-S, 1926-D, 1927-D (a major rarity), 1927-S, 1929, 1930-S, 1931, 1931-D, and 1932. The 1933 date is also a great rarity and controversy rages even today as to whether this issue is legal to own.
Even though Hansen’s 53-piece mint strike set is #4 All-Time, I would not rate this set anywhere near the top for Hansen’s standard. This one upgrade is needed and is important, but one coin is not going to make any significant difference. He needs more that a hand full of Double Eagles to make a difference. This upgrade was just the start.
The opportunity for some high coins is coming available very soon. I did not see this listing, but I was told that Rollo Fox is selling his PCGS Registry #2 Set of St. Gaudens Double Eagles at the Winter Fun Show. The information that I received indicated the sale was seen on the back of the Sept issue of the Numismatist. The auction will be held on Heritage's Platinum night. This will be a great opportunity for Hansen, if he decides to pop on any of the coins. According to my quick assessment, of the 51coins listed in Fox Collection of St. Gaudens, there are 33 of them that could improve Hansen set. There are 10 coins that are finest or tied for finest certified, with five being PCGS Pop 1/0 specimens. Presently, The Hansen Collection does not list any PCGS POP 1/0 coins. Hansen has a gold bonanza that he can pick and choose a number of coins that he wants to bid on.
1922-S Double Eagle MS66+
There are only two 1922-S specimens graded PCGS MS66+ by PCGS. I am not sure the location of other MS66+ coin, it does not appear in the #1 set nor in the Fox Collection going to auction.
Only once a 1922-S coin of this quality has not been publicly auction. That was in the Stacks Bowers August 2019 ANA - Rarities Night. PCGS Expert David Akers have provided a nice description for the coin: At one time, the 1922-S was considered to be one of the premier rarities of the Saint-Gaudens series, more rare than such issues as the 1920-S, 1929, 1930-S, 1931 and 1932, among others. Then in the early 1950s a quantity was found in Europe, followed by several additional small hoards in the 1960s and early 1970s. As recently as 1983, a hoard of more than 200 pieces, many of them MS-63 to MS-65 quality, was discovered in Central America. As a result of these discoveries, the 1922-S is relatively common today (second only to the common 1923-D among mintmarked issues of the decade) and can be obtained without great difficulty in any Mint State grade up to and including MS-64. Gems remain rare, but enough are around that one can be located with only a moderate amount of searching. Of course, superb (MS-67) quality pieces, although a few do exist, are still all but impossible to locate. The 1922-S is nearly always very sharply struck. The surfaces are frosty and usually have well above average lustre for the series. The color, particularly on most top grade specimens, is characteristically excellent, usually a rich greenish gold with orange highlights or a deep yellow gold with a coppery tint. Many specimens have noticeable reddish or orange copper spots. Some specimens have a noticeable inner "rim" (die bulge) just inside the normal rim that runs through the stars and tops of the reverse letters and across the sun. Rounded, almost beveled, rims are seen on many examples of this issue.
Stack Bowers describes the specimen as Extraordinary Condition Rarity 1922-S Double Eagle- Tied for Finest Certified at PCGS. It is a nice coin with a respected pedigree. The coin is from the A & A Saints Collection and Bella Collection. What could be better? Stacks Bowers describes the coin’s appearance as: An extraordinary coin in a 1922-S double eagle, this frosty medium gold example also offers razor sharp to full striking detail to all major design elements. The silky smooth appearance of the surfaces is far superior to what is typically offered in a survivor of this challenging issue.
The sale of the coin realized $192,000. PCGS values the coin at $225,000 and the coin carries the CAC sticker. Another bargain? The Fox Collection has a MS65+. The coin would have been an upgrade, but I am not sure if Mr. Fox wanted the coin if he knew his set was going put his collection up for sale. The sale of the Fox Collection is going to be an interesting event to watch.
In comparison, The Eliasberg registry set describes his 1922-S Double Eagle Specimen as assumed grade MS63. Purchased at the Bowers & Ruddy Oct '82 Eliasberg sale by Jim Halperin and Steve Ivy for $1,320. Lot #1054.
Currin - The Thomas Irwin Collection of Lincoln Cents was held by his widow for the last two years.
Recently the collection was consigned to Angel Dees who
Bulbous job of marketing the coins
at the ANA in Chicago .i even bought several coins from this collection
Currin forgot to mention the high quality Matte proofs that D. L. Hansen also purchased .
The reason Mr. Hansen did not purchase the 1940 from the Thomas Irwin Collection is because he previously bought the one from the Gerald Martin Collection .
The 1912 was from the Thomas Irwin Collection and was upgraded at the ANA show .
Lastly the proceeds from the
Thomas Irwin Collection will go to fund a research facility at the Overlook Hospital in New Jersey
In the name of the owner of the Thomas Irwin Collection .
@STEWARTBLAYNUeMIS said:
Lastly the proceeds from the
Thomas Irwin Collection will go to fund a research facility at the Overlook Hospital in New Jersey
In the name of the owner of the Thomas Irwin Collection .
Thanks for adding this great information. Congratulation on the 2019 PLATINUM LEVEL sets. Also, you have the King of Lincolns, finest certified 1958 DDO. I thought I read somewhere that you have two of them, but my memory is getting shaky.
Probably most important, is there a link to Overland Hospital, where we can contribute in the name of Thomas Irwin? It may be that some of us that would like to make a contribution.. Thanks again
It was recently said by a prominent collector that while some noteworthy collectors are building Numismatic historic sets, Del Hanson is buying Lincoln Cents and Peace Dollars. This is not all true, because he is buying Roosies too. I have to admit, I was not expecting this purchase. JB told us that they was not chasing modern POP 1/0 specimens. He thought the risk outweighed the benefit. Therefore as you can see in the chart below, Roosevelt Dimes - Major Sets that contain clads, The Hansen Collection is not as strong as the silver sets. He has nine PCGS POP 1/0 certified Roosevelt Silver Dimes, but there were no TOP POP 1/0 in clad before this purchase.
1974 Roosevelt Clad Dime PCGS MS67FB – Only Full Band!
This is not just any POP 1/0 specimen. Previously, the 1974 was the last Roosevelt Dime that could not be found with full band designation. Last fall the first one was certified. The first time that I saw it was a thread originated by Paul titled: 1974 PCGS Roosevelt Dime MS67FB...the last dime graded in FB. There is not much additional information known on the coin. Someone mentioned earlier in the Hansen watch thread that he paid 5 figures for the 1974 MS67FB dime. I have not been able to verify, but I have no reason to believe the statement to be anything but true. I was told by a Roosie specialist that the 1974 was the last date/MM needed to complete the FB Roosie set and it was that way for over a decade. Several big Roosie hunters have been trying for years to pop that coin hence the 5 figure price tag.
It is not uncommon for Mr. Hansen to do things that we don’t expect. He did not need this coin to complete a FB set, because his clad set is not even 90% FB. But the coin is unique and he has a coin that no one else has. That is what makes great collections, right? I think, contrary to his critics, Mr. Hansen knows how to assemble a great collection. Is he even half way there yet? I don’t know.
Being Mr. Hansen is the only person that can complete a full band Roosie set, it will be interesting to watch and see if that is something he wants to do. There are other tough FB coins. So, the task is not easy, but is there anything easy about building the Greatest Collection ever assembled?
1974 Roosevelt Clad Dime PCGS MS67FB PCGS Coin #85145 / PCGS Serial #36622991 / POP 1/0 ONLY PCGS 1974 FULL BAND / PCGS Value = unknown
@Boosibri said:
I just don’t get his focus on modern high end coins vs really incredible 18th and 19th century true rarities
More bang for the buck? You can raise the overall grade average of the set faster by upgrading coins with a minimum weight of 1 that actually should have a weight of 0.01
Being Mr. Hansen is the only person that can complete a full band Roosie set
Not so as there is another clad where only one has been graded in FB (1978) and the coin resides in the Halcyon set. So at the present time neither Halcyon nor Hansen can complete an FB Roosie set.
So this auction has ended and no one has mentioned it. Did Hansen purchase this coin? It ended up selling for $380,000 w/o the juice. Being that there are only 2 specimens, I think this is a good price and if Hansen bought it, I think he got a tremendous deal. Should've gone higher.
So this auction has ended and no one has mentioned it. Did Hansen purchase this coin? It ended up selling for $380,000 w/o the juice. Being that there are only 2 specimens, I think this is a good price and if Hansen bought it, I think he got a tremendous deal. Should've gone higher.
The coin brought $456,000 against a PCGS price guide price of $349,600. The latter represents the amount it realized when it sold previously, in 2011.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
So this auction has ended and no one has mentioned it. Did Hansen purchase this coin? It ended up selling for $380,000 w/o the juice. Being that there are only 2 specimens, I think this is a good price and if Hansen bought it, I think he got a tremendous deal. Should've gone higher.
The coin brought $456,000 against a PCGS price guide price of $349,600. The latter represents the amount it realized when it sold previously, in 2011.
Yes, I know this. The price guide in this case is worthless. The price guide follows the coin. If it sold for a million dollars, the PG would have to be adjusted.
@Boosibri said:
Registry nonsense chasing modern coins not even around when Eliasberg was collecting while passing on irreplaceable and long-standing rarities
If I was him, I would be fueled by this type of comment. He's showing some characteristics that make him stand out from some of these other well known collectors of the past.
1974 was 45 years ago. How long does material have to be "out there" before the concrete starts to set and people feel like they know if a top pop has staying power? (This is a sincere question)
@Boosibri said:
Registry nonsense chasing modern coins not even around when Eliasberg was collecting while passing on irreplaceable and long-standing rarities
If I was him, I would be fueled by this type of comment. He's showing some characteristics that make him stand out from some of these other well known collectors of the past.
1974 was 45 years ago. How long does material have to be "out there" before the concrete starts to set and people feel like they know if a top pop has staying power? (This is a sincere question)
I would say at least another 50 years to make sure the POP report doesnt get completely changed over time anymore, which it will for everything after 1900 still.
e.g. all the highest graded Mercury Dimes will change for sure over time, now there is one 1938-D in 68, in 10 years there will be 5 or 10 or 20 probably + 68+ and 69s.
Thats not going to happen for the MS 67 1794 Half Cent.
Comments
Beautiful looking Ikes! Great seeing so many top pops in the series.
Given all of the top pop moderns he has been buying in recent months, I wonder if Hansen's secondary goal is to complete as many #1 PCGS registry sets as possible.
He’s going to need a bigger vault
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
I think that follows from having the best overall set. You could conceivably have the best complete US set without having the best set in many of the subsections. It seems clear that he also values having his coins be some of the best examples available in each of the respective subsets. I think the spending on moderns reflects that he truly values everything, which is a little different from the bias for the classics that many high end collectors have.
IG: DeCourcyCoinsEbay: neilrobertson
"Numismatic categorizations, if left unconstrained, will increase spontaneously over time." -me
Looks like Hansen has picked up an 1817/4 Half Dollar in PCGS VF -20!
Go baby, go baby, go!!!!
Geez, look at that strike on the 1974 Ike!
I was very happy and excited to see that John and Del picked up the classic key 1817/4 for his Lettered Edge Capped Bust Half Dollar set. It shows they valued what might have been the last key coin Eliasberg added to the set when he bought a 1817/4 from Al Overton. Congratulations gentleman!
Anthony J. Taraszka Purchase
If you have been plugged into the news from the ANA World’s Fair of Money in Chicago, I am sure you have heard about the Anthony J. Taraszka Collection. I will provide an excerpt from Numismatic News website (Please visit the site for the full story):
A milestone in early American numismatics was realized at the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Auction at the ANA World’s Fair of Money, where the incredible Anthony J. Taraszka Collection of 1795 to 1804 $10 Gold Eagles was sold to a standing-room audience on the evening of Thursday, August 15. The catalog featured 41 coins, comprising every known variety from 1795 through 1804. When the auctioneer’s hammer fell on the final lot, the collection had realized over $3.2 million. (All prices include the buyer’s premium.) Each coin in the Taraszka Collection was certified by PCGS, and all but one piece were awarded grades of About Uncirculated or Mint State. Included among the Choice Mint State pieces was the fabled 1795 9 Leaves $10 found in lot 4004. Graded MS-63 by PCGS, it realized $630,000 after intense bidding.
After giving a couple weeks to let the dust settle, we know for sure that Hansen purchased 5 coins from this fabulous collection. In review of the PCGS registry, there is only one other coin registered to a set other than Hansen. There are 5-6 coins that are registered in PCGS user inventory but not to registry sets. The remainder of the 41 coins is not registered at PCGS.
There is not a registry set that represents the 41 specimens needed for Dannreuther Die Varieties. We are able to see the five coins that Hansen updated in his 14-piece “Early $10 Gold with Major Varieties” set. We have no way of knowing if some, or if any, of the coins registered in PCGS user inventory were purchased by Hansen. At this point, all we can do is make an assumption that he acquired only the five coins listed in his 14-piece set. Hopefully at some point, PCGS will create a Dannreuther Die Varieties set so we will be able to see if Hansen purchased any additional varieties from the fabulous collection. In the meantime, maybe JB can address the question.
Of the five known coins that Hansen purchased, the total realized was $988,200. This is about 30% of the $3.2 Million sale. The total that Hansen spent could be even more if Hansen purchased any additional die varieties. I do not think these new coins provide any improvement to Hansen’s 10-piece basic set where he is ranked 4th on PCGS All-Time list behind: D. Brent Pogue, Smithsonian, and Harry W. Bass. The purchase did improve his ranking on the 14-piece major varieties set. He moved up one spot from #3 All-Time to #2 spot jumping over the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection. The top spot for this set is Harry W. Bass Collection. For a nearly $1 Million purchase, there were very little movement is set rankings. Guys, this is the big league.
1795 Capped Bust Right Eagle. BD-3, Taraszka-3. Rarity-6. 9 Leaves. MS-63 (PCGS)
Rarest and Most Famous of the Capped Bust Right, Small Eagle Die Varieties
This coin is the highlight of the purchase. Most significantly, the coin is not an upgrade to existing coins as were the other four. The 1795 9 leaves variety was missing from the Great Collection. The coin is not a countdown for the Eliasberg Quest because Eliasberg did not have one, but Hansen needed one to better Eliasberg.
Expert Ron Guth made these comments about the coin: The 1795 BD-3 $10 gold piece is a wonderful rarity among early U.S. gold coins. The BD-3 variety represents the entire mintage of the 1795 9 Leaves $10 gold piece, itself one of the most important major varieties. Previous estimates of the surviving population of this variety were as low as nine pieces. Dannreuther suggested that as many as 15-20 pieces were known, and the latest research shows that perhaps as many as two dozen exist. Surprisingly, there may be as many as eight examples that grade MS60 or better, which is an astounding percentage of the known population. Among these, the finest is a PCGS MS63+ example which is a full point-and-a-half better than the next best.
Stacks Bowers describe the coin as: This is a beautiful coin with subtle green-gold undertones to dominant medium gold patina. The obverse is semi-prooflike, the reverse close to fully prooflike. Both sides exhibit only wispy, inconspicuous handling marks; a few minuscule planchet voids in the left obverse field the only useful identifying features. The reverse is particularly attractive with no scratches, and the eagle's breast and legs are free of planchet adjustment marks. Overall superior in eye appeal than some higher graded examples.
This coin is a half grade below the D. Brent Pogue Collection PCGS MS63+ Specimen that is considered to be the finest known on the PCGS Condition Census report. The Pogue coin sold by Stack's/Bowers & Sotheby's in 2015 for $1,057,500. But wait, maybe not the finest, the Harry W. Bass specimen is shown as an estimated MS64. I assume this coin is still in the Bass Foundation holdings. Anyone willing to shed more light of this, please feel free to chime in.
Provenance: From the Anthony J. Taraszka Collection. Earlier ex Mike Brownlee; Superior's May 29, 30, 1995 Auction, lot 3684. The plate coin for the die variety in the book United States Ten Dollar Gold Eagles: 1795-1804 by Anthony J. Taraszka, and also pictured on the front cover of Superior's May 1995 auction catalog.
In an Eliasberg comparison, the registry indicates that Eliasberg example for the 1795 Eagle was a 13 Leaves specimen and he never acquired a 9 leaves specimen.
1795 Eagle “BD-3 9 Leaves” MS63 (Gold Shield)
Certification #36674524, PCGS #45714, PCGS POP 2/1
PCGS Price Guide Value: $650,000
PCGS Pedigree: Taraszka-3
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
There’s just something about 1795 eagles that makes my heart go pitter patter
Another wow!
Beautiful, beautiful coin.
What is not to LOVE about that 1795 Eagle........
Nice coin.
Four years ago (in the leadup to the sale of the Pogue example),
I did a study of the 1795 9 leaves Eagle using online auction photos, and traced about 16 different examples:
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/949678/1795-quot-9-leaves-quot-eagle-16-specimens-and-price-graph
We had fun in that thread discussing how it seemed that there were objects stuck to the die which yielded identical struck-through voids on different coins.
I did not see the Taraszka / Brownlee MS-63 example, as it sold in 1995 at Superior before online auction photos were archived.
The Bass coin is also missing from the above graph, as I didn't have a price for it, but it is mentioned in the thread.
You can view nice photos of the Bass example:
http://hbrf.org/coin-collection/coin/hbcc-3171/
I think we can safely conclude that the Brownlee / Taraszka / Hansen MS-63 is in the top 3 known coins for this variety.
Count Down 16 – The Little Princess
4th coin in last Box of 20…… Present Box Value = $2,042,800
The Little Princess is shredded in controversy. The purpose of this posting is not to dive too far into this pool. The bottom line is the disagreement on production of these coins. Were they produced as proofs or business strikes? The three or four top condition coins are considered proofs. That much is pretty much in agreement by all the experts. After these top specimens, the debate is “are they impaired proofs or business strikes”. After much study given, PCGS determine them to be business strikes. If you have time and would like to learn more, this 2012 PCGS publication is a good read.
https://www.pcgs.com/pdf/PCGS_1941QuarterEagleBooklet.pdf.
Greg Reynolds contributed a series of articles in CoinWeek in 2012. If you would like some addition information on the 1841 Quarter Eagle debate, this too is a good read. The new Hansen coin was discussed in the article. Mr. Reynolds calls this Hansen specimen the “The Phillips 1841”. He dedicated a section to the coin. This was his final conclusion and expert opinion in 2012: At a confidence level of 75%, I maintain that the proper certification for this coin is Proof-53. Some lack of detail that appears to be striking weakness is really wear and some of this wear is uneven, partly due to mistreatment. My impression is that this coin was struck twice with heavily polished dies. Imperfections in the production process caused minor defects. I theorize that it HAD full strong mirrors, very smooth surfaces, mostly squared outer devices, and excellent, though not perfect, detail. While it was not the best made Proof 1841 Quarter Eagle, there is a 75% chance that it is a Proof. If it is not a Proof, it may be a Special Striking. My guess is there is only a fifteen percent chance that it is a business strike.
PCGS Expert Ron Guth shared this: The 1841 Quarter Eagle, also known as the "Little Princess" is one of the rarest of all United States coins, with 16 examples known. The 1841 Quarter Eagle was long considered a Proof-only issue, but the large number of circulated examples implied that a small quantity was minted for circulation. Unfortunately, Mint Reports give no indication that such a mintage occurred, however, this is also true for coins such as the 1870-S Half Dime, the 1870-S Silver Dollar, and others. On February 28, 2012, PCGS announced it would distinguish between circulation strike and Proof 1841 Quarter Eagles. This decision, while not unanimous among numismatic experts, represented a major policy shift, with profound implications for value and desirability of an already famous U.S. coin.
The Hansen coin is one of the better graded specimens in a business strike holder. The finest being the Norweb Family 1841 that was NGC certified ‘Proof-61 Ultra Cameo’ that is now a PCGS MS61. With the way Hansen is building his sets, he will need one of the four proof specimens at some point. This is especially true if his long term goal is to take his proof set as far to completion as possible. Let’s now look at Hansen’s “business strike” specimen.
1841 Little Princess Quarter Eagle AU58
In the publication produced by PCGS in 2012, they have Hansen’s coin as #6. The four PCGS graded proofs as being 1-4. The fifth being the Norweb MS61 specimen previously mention and Hansen purchase follows in sixth. The coin was offered by Rare Coin Wholesalers a few weeks ago. There was not much of a description given. The coin was offered for $472,500. We have no idea of the price Hansen offered for the coin. PCGS value for an AU58 is $400,000.
The Hansen coin last sold at auction in 2009 at Heritage’s Los Angeles, CA US Coin Auction #1128. The coin appeared as 1841 Quarter Eagle, The Illustrious 'Little Princess’ PR58 NGC. Heritage described the coin as: The present example is only moderately circulated, with only minor loss of high point definition, and there are a few slight contact marks, most of which are located on the obverse. The fields retain almost all of their mirrored effect. The surfaces are orange-gold color, and the precise strike, squared-off inner and outer rims, and detailed articulation, on both Liberty's curls and beaded hair cord and the eagle's feathers throughout, are as expected from a proof striking. A tiny spot of dark toning over the last S in STATES serves as a pedigree identifier. This example should provide another opportunity for "exciting bidding," as collectors compete for one of the most desirable--and mystifying--of all U.S. coin issues. The coin realized $132,250 in 2009.
Provenance: MARCG 5/1985:1223, $21,000 - Superior Galleries “Heifetz” 10/1989:3995, $25,300 (as NGC XF45) - Akers “Auction ‘90” 8/1990:1841 (as NGC XF45), $23,000 (plate-matched to the following) - The R.M. Phillips Limited Partnership Collection, Heritage 7/2009:1230 (as NGC AU58), $132,250 - Rare Coin Wholesalers sold 8/2019 to D. L. Hansen.
In comparing to Eliasberg’s specimen, his specimen is the PCGS grade PR64 that was sold by Bowers & Ruddy 1982 for $82,500. This is the Harry Bass coin was acquired at one time by B.G. Johnson as part of a full gold 1841 Proof set (including a quarter eagle, half eagle, and eagle).
1841 Little Princess Quarter Eagle AU58
PCGS Coin #87720 / PCGS Serial #15544272 / POP 1/1
.
.
There are 16 remaining coins in the Eliasberg Quest. The 11 coins that are not listed in “U.S. Coins Complete Basic, Circulation Strikes Set” are Bold below. The remaining 5 coins plus the 1875 $10 in Business Strike is needed to complete the registry set. Hansen has a proof specimen 1875 $10 which meets the Eliasberg set definition (either business strike or proof counts), therefor is not shown on this list
Top 10
1870-S Half Dime (Unique Coin in Tom Bender PCGS Registry Collection)
1873-CC "No Arrows" Dime (Unique Coin in an anonymous collection)
1870-S Three Dollar Only (Unique Coin owned by the Bass Foundation displayed at the ANA)
1866 "No Motto" Dollar Proof Only (2 Minted, Unique Private Coin in Simpson Collection)
1822 Half Eagle (Survival 3, Unique Private Owned Coin in the Pogue Collection)
1933 Double Eagle (Known Survival 16, Unique Legally Owned Coin - anonymous collection)
1854-S Half Eagle (Survival 4, Two known in private: 1-Pogue AU58+; 2- XF45 sold July 2018)
1798 "Small Eagle" Half Eagle (Survival 7, Only 2 maybe 3 examples could be privately purchased)
1913 Liberty Head Nickel Proof Only (5 Minted, 3 private owned)
1838-0 Half Dollar BM Only (Survival 9, six known for private purchase)
Last 6
1880 Four Dollar Gold "Stella’s" (Coiled Hair) Proof Only (Survival 8)
1827 "Original" Quarter Dollar Proof Only (Survival 9)
1819 Half Eagle (Survival for “No Variety” 7, for “5D/50” 17)
1880 Four Dollar Gold "Stella’s" (Flowing Hair) Proof Only (Survival 24)
1839 Gobrecht Dollar Proof Only (Survival 60-75)
1798 Quarter Eagle (Survival 80)
Note: DLH was a partner in the purchase of the 1854-S XF45 Half Eagle being that he's a partner with DLRC, but after purchasing the coin, DLHC reported the specimen was sold to an undisclosed client
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
Glad to see he bought the 1841 $2.5
Latin American Collection
Currin, thank you for your latest post. I think that goes a long way in clearing the air on the 33. The coin is in a genuine holder. No one is being misled. It’s not for everyone, but it is a heck of a gap filler. Good luck with the future newps.
Mr. Hansen has now reached 60% of the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins! Eliasberg had 59%.
At least 9 coins that Eliasberg owned aren’t entered into his set. I see another 3 or 4 that I don’t know if he owned or not but are possibilities.
Is that book an opinion of the authors or are the coins picked absolutely the 100 greatest coins as acknowledged by the vast majority of successful professional numismatists, researchers, etc?
It seems to me that eventually, anyone with enough money, time, and the ability to accumulate enough coins now privately held after some folks die before he does, Mr. Hansen or his family should eventually reach the goal he has set. I hope he is around to see it done.
I agree with you Bruce. I wish PCGS Registry would fix the Eliasberg sets. Several sets are missing coins. As for the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins, getting 60 is a great feat and should be celebrated. Although, if you look at the top 25, Eliasberg had 17 coins and presently Hansen has 12. I think Hansen will get there, but will take time for coins to come available. When he hits 18 of the top 25, now that will be something special.
And complete the Famous 10.
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
That will indeed be an accomplishment as I see only 17 that are likely to be available
A lot of the grades listed in Eliasberg's set are also outdated so those comparing the two sets are tilting at wind mills if relying only on the registry. It possible to "beat" Eliasberg's set by rebuilding it completely as many of the coins are now in higher graded plastic.
Linda Gail Peace Dollar Purchase
Just a few days ago, I shared the posting of Mr. Hansen purchase of the Linda Gail Collection of Eisenhower Dollars. Today, I will share another purchase from this collection, The Peace Dollar Collection. This collection was also marketed by Larry Shapiro Rare Coins. I believed the Linda Gail Peace Set was date only set. Also different than the Eisenhower Dollars Collection, this set was broken by LSRC and sold individually. Hansen was able to cherry pick some of the finer specimens without purchasing the entire set. In all, he purchased six coins that improved his Peace Dollar set. Of the six coins, four were tied for the finest known specimens. The Linda Gail set ranked #3 on the All-Time list for a date set, but did not contain any PCGS POP 1/0 specimens.
As with most private sales, we have no way for knowing the final negotiation price. By using the PCGS Value Guide, the value for the six coins is $571,000. The most valuable coin in the lot is 1927-D MS66+ POP 3/0 valued at $175,000. The next on the list is the 1921 $1 High Relief, MS67 POP 7/0 valued at $150,000 and the last coin on the list valued over $100K is the 1934-S $1 MS66+ POP2/0 valued at $125,000. It appears the coins range from lightly toned to blast white.
With these six upgrades, Hansen moves up in the 24-coin Peace Dollars, Circulation Strikes (1921-1935) Set from #9 in the registry to currently #3 on the All-Time. He is snugged up to the #2 retired W. Michael Gilley Collection, and approx. half point behind the top retired HOF set, California 1. There are at least five coins that graded POP 1/0 by PCGS. Hansen does not have any of them in his set. I don’t see them in any registry sets, so I would assume some very high graded Peace Sets are not in the registry. On the bright side, 11 of 24 of Hansen’s coins are tied for PCGS finest including the fore mention 1934-S MS66+ that is POP 2/0.
1927-D Peace Dollar PCGS MS66+ CAC
I thought I would highlight the 1927-D MS66+ because not only the coin was the most valued in the lot, but also it carries a CAC sticker. The owner of the Peace set had them re-holder and sequenced the certification numbers. This makes the coin history difficult to trace. By reviewing auction pictures, I believe this coin appeared in a Legend Rare Coin Regency Auction 31 earlier this year. The coin realized 176,250. At that time, LRCA estimated the value at $75,000 - 85,000. The coin sold for a premium. I wonder the odds that Hansen was the under bidder.
LRCA described the coin as: No question this coin is a MS66.9+! We have never seen an example of this date in such a great state of preservation. They went on to add: Remarkable surfaces are a tough graders delight. There are no problems. We do see a small frost break on the neck and tick which in our opinion are all that keep this piece from full MS67 designation. The surfaces also have a smooth appearance. A full cartwheel like luster beams from all over. Typically, 27D's come with a flat, no radiant luster. Both sides are GEM original white color. There are NO spots. Miss Liberty and the detail are sharply struck and frosty. The eye appeal is gorgeous! PCGS has possibly graded 3 in MS66+ (we think this coin is 2x) with NONE higher. It took 32 years for this coin to be graded! The current Collectors Universe Value is $135,000. It’s not so crazy. If there ever was an MS67 PCGS CAC piece we can only imagine the total bidding war that would erupt sending it close to $250,000! Since listing this coin in the sale, interest has been amazingly strong. This coin could end up with a world record price-which is fitting for the quality! Good luck! WOW, who wrote that?
Provenance: Legend Rare Coin Regency Auction 31, 3/21/2019, $176,250 - Linda Gail Collection - Larry Shapiro Rare Coins private purchase 8/2019, D. L. Hansen
In comparing to Eliasberg’s specimen, I was a little amazed when I looked up Eliasberg’s Peace Dollars. At first I thought I may have typed something incorrectly. His Peace Dollars are ranked #228! His 1927-D specimen is an estimated grade MS60 with POP 62/5114. The Peace Dollars were not sold individually, rather by Bowers & Merena April '97 as part of a large lot #2327. It appear he may not had much appreciation for the Peace Dollars. I hear so much talk about how great the Eliasberg coins were, that sometimes I wonder if people have really looked at his collection beyond the famous coins that it contained. Many of the common coins were not cherry picked for the best coins. It appears his 1 927-D Peace specimen was just a coin randomly picked from mint set.
1927-D Peace Dollar PCGS MS66+ CAC
PCGS Coin #7371 / PCGS Serial #37652380 / POP 3/0
PCGS Value = $175,000
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
Peace dollars were moderns to Eliasberg. And nobody gave a crap about needing gems then...
Can't say that now with all the modern collectors.
It could be said that many of the recent great collectors also don’t give a crap about moderns. A great thing about Hansen is that he does care about moderns.
Extremely Rare
Extremely Rare is how Heritage described the Overton 102a, 1817/4 Half Dollar. Mr. Link brought this coin to our attention several months ago. He proposed a question if it should be included as a must (required) coins. The debate is now moot, because he has one. This were Mr. Links thoughts that he shared on this thread back in April 2019: Eliasberg was thought to be complete in 1950, but he really was complete in 1953 when he purchased the Al Overton 1817/4 (the discovery coin from Wallis by all accounts and finest known). The key capped bust half dollar for redbook set. Its a coin I've grown rather fond of in my middle years. Really should be considered for inclusion in the challenge set. I was very surprised and intrigued when it wasn't included in the set. It is beyond just date and mint mark. Was a regular issue coin that circulated with PCGS AU53 the highest graded extant and all other examples below XF. Eliasberg sought and obtained the finest known example for $1500 in 1953 as apparently he decided he needed it for his set. Bust half dollar nuts essentially all view the 1817/4 is as the important key for the set as the 1823/2 quarter is key for capped bust quarters. In my opinion one of the five most important pre-1839 silver coins. Of course there are no less than five 1817s in the redbook set including two overdates of course and two coins that are die states which don't really fit the Eliasberg challenge. The 1817/4 is considered one of the top 100 US coins as well by the top 100 treatise and PCGS. I think that makes the Eliasberg/Overton/Wallis 1817/4 just a little bit more special. What do you think Currin? It would mean of course Del Loy should strive for 22 more coins. How many others might consider this a good addition for the esteemed Mr. Hansen?
The finest example (Eliasberg/Overton/Wallis) is not presently available due to it being one of the highlights in Mr. Links World Class Bust Collection. Although, this is not the finest known example, nor does it equals the specimen that Eliasberg owned, Still to own one of these is a dream come true. Ask anyone in Bust Half Nut Club, this is one of the coins! Maybe, the coin. This is what PCGS Expert Ron Guth had to say: The 1817/4 Overdate Half Dollar is the most famous and valuable of all the Capped Bust Half Dollars. Only ten examples are known of this variety, several of which have been discovered within the past decade. Most of the known examples are of the Overton 102a variety, which means they show a somewhat vertical die crack on the obverse. This crack, and the eventual removal or destruction of the die, is believed to be the cause of this variety's exceptional rarity. The finest example is the PCGS AU53 from the Eliasberg Collection (and, coincidentally, the first example of the variety discovered by E.T. Wallis circa 1930). Wallis' asking price of $2,500 in 1934 pales in comparison to the $356,500 it realized in its last auction appearance in 2009! For anyone who thinks that all of the great coins have been found, it is important to realize that four of the eleven known 1817/4 Half Dollars have been discovered since 2005, and that the most recent find was in late 2013 or early 2014, when an example was purchased as a Punctuated Date 1817!
Mr. Guth mentions eleven know examples. The Heritage 2019 ANA World's Fair of Money US Coins Signature Auction in Chicago where the coin was made available, they listed a roster of elevens coins. So, that number appears consistent and correct. On Heritage’s Roster of 1817/4 Half Dollars, Hansen’s coin was list as #6, just outside the top five. From a member of the Bust Half Nut Club that indicated that #6 is the order for the Hansen coin that is pretty much agreed upon within club. There may be some differences with coins above Hansen’s for different rosters and lists. For example, Heritage listed the XF Detailed NGC as number 2. Some would disagree with ranking due to the environmental damage to the coin. I think the Hansen coin is in a good solid place at six, and is a PCGS Certified Condition Census POP 2/2 Specimen.
1817/4 Half Dollar, O-102a, VF20, Extremely Rare, The Johnson-Witham Example
I believe this was a good pickup for Hansen. Will he someday upgrade? Maybe, especially if Mr. Link’s Eliasberg coin was to come available. The Charlton Meyer/D. Brent Pogue VF35 PCGS specimen would be interesting if it became available just from the fact that it is a different die version O-102.
This coin is viewed the PCGS set makers as a Major Variety. That is the reason that I did not have it as a required coin as Mr. Link previously suggested. I think Mr. Link is correct; a good debate on where it belongs can be made. If you were following back when I made the requirement list, I did place the 1866 "No Motto" Dollar Proof in the required list, and it is considered a Major Variety. I have learned much more about the 1817/4 Half Dollar than I knew then, much from Mr. Link, and if I had a do over, I might just include it, but as I said before, now it just a moot point.
I have tried to highlight a few things with this fascinating coin without get to long with the post. If you like to read more about this coin, the Heritage list was very interesting:
https://coins.ha.com/itm/bust-half-dollars/1817-4-50c-o-102a-high-r7-vf20-pcgs/a/1298-3751.s?ic2=mytracked-lotspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyTrackedLots-101116
This coin realized $186,000. PCGS Price Guide Value is $215,000. So I guess you could say Hansen got a bargain. Heritage described the coin as: This VF20 piece shows attractive light tan patination over both sides, taking on deeper hues in the recessed areas and around the peripheries, where reddish-brown and bluish-purple accents add to the eye appeal. The design elements are generally well centered on the planchet and exhibit strong definition for the designated grade level. Liberty's drapery and clasp are sharp, as are all letters in LIBERTY, and the eye and eyelid show clearly. The eagle's plumage is about two-thirds delineated, and all horizontal shield lines are separated. Portions of the right sides of both obverse and reverse reveal minor strike softness, a typical characteristic of the variety, but even these areas stand out on the present coin. The dentilation is complete except on the upper-right obverse. Remnants of the underdigit 4 are clearly visible beneath the 7, including serifs and crossbar. The small notch on the final star, believed to be the trademark of engraver John Reich, is evident, and the vertical die crack characteristic of the die state bisects Liberty portrait. Uniformly distributed light contact marks are no more numerous or severe than what would be expected of a coin that experienced moderate circulation. This problem-free specimen is sure to capture the attention not only of Bust half dollar specialists, but of advanced numismatists in general.
Provenance: Stewart Witham example, O-102a. Discovered by Ohio coin dealer Ed Johnson, who owned it in the 1940s; purchased by Stewart Witham in 1966; offered privately in 1983; ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/2010), lot 3147; Heritage 2019 ANA World's Fair of Money, $186,000 - D.L. Hansen Collection
1817/4 Capped Bust Half Dollar VF20
Certification #16351096, PCGS #6112
PCGS Price Guide Value: $215,000
PCGS Pedigree: Witham
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
Great update and review Currin. You continue to amaze! Congratulations to Del on obtaining the 1817/4 key to the Capped Bust Lettered Edge Half Dollars and the final key added to the famed Eliasberg set.
.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
That 1817/4 Half Dollar was one of my favorite coins in the sale this time. I think Hansen got it for a bargain.
Thomas Irwin Purchase
You just don’t know what Hansen will add or upgrade next. I guess you could call this another modern upgrade. Hansen and his team have received a little criticism recently due to the resources that is being placed in the modern coin collection. I don’t think the high end collectors and players can get a grip on what Hansen is doing with moderns. He told us late last fall that he was going to “cleanup” his modern collection, and indeed he has.
These coins are call “pennies” by some collectors. They are our lowest denomination coin after the half cent was abandoned about 150 years ago. The coppers are very popular with many collectors, but on the other hand, they are not by some. The copper coins don’t have the glamor of silver and gold, but they are interesting coins to collect. Hansen appears to like them. He added eight PCGS POP 1/0 coins to his collection.
Of these eight upgrades, six are from the Hall of Fame Thomas Irwin Collection. The Irwin set was retired 5/25/2017. I am not able to determine where the coins have resided the past two years. The collection at retirement had seven POP 1/0 coins. In a recent purchase, Hansen acquired all except the 1940-D MS68RD. I am not sure why that coin was not included in the purchase. It does not appear to be included in any sets at this time. With the six Irwin coins, he purchased another top pop from an August 25th Great Collection sale, 1953 MS67+ RD for $22,500. The eighth and final coin may the most interesting. The 1936 MS68RD upgrade was purchased at 2019 Heritage Long Beach sale. The coin sold for $1300 in a MS67+ RD PCGS holder with pedigree from the Charlie O’s collection. I would assume someone purchased the coin, had it upgraded to MS68RD by PCGS, and flipped to Hansen. I do not know what the new value of the coin would be. The total value of Hansen’s eight POP 1/0 is about $183,000.
In addition to the Top Pop coins, the upgrade included nine additional coins. All but one are tied for finest known, with the loner being the 1915 MS67+ RD POP 1/1 Specimen. All the coins are from The Thomas Irwin Collection, except the 1912 MS67+RD. I am not sure how the coin was acquired.
Hansen has moved his Lincoln Collection into what I would consider to be “World Class”. “For the Best of the Registry Winners of 2019”, Hansen Collection received the award for 13 out of 18 sets in the Major Set Category. It is important to note that not only are these sets the best currently, but most are also the All-Time Finest. This upgrade shows that Hansen is still working on “Cleaning Up” his modern sets. As can be easily seen in the list above, Hansen is not chasing the post 1964 coins yet. He is buying the finest, but generally speaking, he is not buying the Pop 1/0 specimens.
1924-D Lincoln Cent, RD MS66RD, PCGS POP 1/0, Ex: Thomas Irwin (HOF)
The 1924-D is the coin that I picked to highlight. Jaime Hernandez wrote this about the 1924-D: The 1924-D Lincoln cent is the most difficult Denver coin to find in the Lincoln cent series, from 1911 to 1929 in grades of MS65 Red or higher. According to the low certification number, this coin has withstood the test of time in the top spot. It appears the coin offered in an auction long ago. The firm Bowers & Merena auctioned the coin March, 1999. The coin realized a very reasonable sum of $8,338. The sale was name, Voigt & Lee, but I am not confident the pedigree would apply. The coin is presently valued at $50,000 by PCGS. This coin is now 1 of 20 PCGS TOP POP coins In the 1909-1958 “Wheat Ears” Collection. Will there be more; I think we can safely say yes. You may want to keep an eye out for the 1923-S PCGS MS65+ RD in The Legend’s Regency 34 Auction in a few weeks. They estimate the TOP POP coin at $50,000.00 - $55,000.00. The auctioneer wrote: We anticipate very strong bidding when this crosses the block! You better believe it.
I will conclude by stating that the Hansen Lincoln Collection is still missing the 1958 DDO (FS-101). Mr. Hansen will need this coin to seal the deal on Lincoln Cents. He was out bided in the most recent sale of the ESM Specimen. There are only three known, so the wait could be long for another chance. Let’s wait and see.
Provenance: Thomas Irwin
In comparing to Eliasberg’s specimen, we were told a couple days ago that like many other collectors in his day that “nobody gave a crap about gems”, that appear to be the truth. The Lincoln coins is an example of a series that Eliasberg may have actually used pocket change to fill holes for his common coins. Just kidding. His 1924-D Lincoln specimen is an estimated grade MS64BN with POP 96/587. Although, this coin was not sold in a lot as many of his modern day coins did, rather sold by Bowers & Merena May '96 price realized $412.50.
1924-D Lincoln Cent PCGS MS66RD
PCGS Coin #2554 / PCGS Serial #09928169 / POP 1/0
PCGS Value = $50,000
Sorry, but no picture available for this coin.
Posting update 9/4/2019
The owner of the Irwin collection passed away maybe 4 or 5 years ago. Angel Dees had been holding on to the coins for his heir(s) and getting some upgraded along the way (and were even able to update the already retired registry sets).
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
St. Gaudens Upgrade
I discussed a few months ago how difficult the St. Gaudens Double Eagle series for Hansen to improve. The series is very difficult to compete in registry condition census grades. Dr. and Mrs. Steven L. Duckor shaped the gold standard for the series more than 15 years ago. Since our last discussion, The Hansen Collection has not moved up in the registry. The collection is #4 All-Time, trailing two current sets and the retired Duckor set. I thought at the time that the St. Gaudens Double Eagle series have significant number of the PCGS Condition Census coins that reside outside of the registry. I still believe that to be true. Again, Hansen was able to find one at auction and upgrade his collection. PCGS describes the series as: The $20 St. Gaudens - so called because the designer's name was Augustus St. Gaudens - was first introduced in 1907 with Roman numerals at the date and a high relief design. Later in 1907, the design was modified with the normal date (called an Arabic date) and much lower relief. Late in 1908 the motto "In God We Trust" was added to the reverse. The $20 St. Gaudens is one of the most popular coins in the world due to its beautiful design. Collectors who would never have the inclination (or the bankroll!) to build a complete set will inevitably buy at least one $20 "Saint." Private ownership of gold was outlawed in the 1930s and many coins that had not been released were melted. This created many great rarities within the series. The key issues include the 1907 High Relief (MCMVII), 1908-S, 1920-S, 1921, 1924-D, 1924-S, 1925-D, 1925-S, 1926-D, 1927-D (a major rarity), 1927-S, 1929, 1930-S, 1931, 1931-D, and 1932. The 1933 date is also a great rarity and controversy rages even today as to whether this issue is legal to own.
Even though Hansen’s 53-piece mint strike set is #4 All-Time, I would not rate this set anywhere near the top for Hansen’s standard. This one upgrade is needed and is important, but one coin is not going to make any significant difference. He needs more that a hand full of Double Eagles to make a difference. This upgrade was just the start.
The opportunity for some high coins is coming available very soon. I did not see this listing, but I was told that Rollo Fox is selling his PCGS Registry #2 Set of St. Gaudens Double Eagles at the Winter Fun Show. The information that I received indicated the sale was seen on the back of the Sept issue of the Numismatist. The auction will be held on Heritage's Platinum night. This will be a great opportunity for Hansen, if he decides to pop on any of the coins. According to my quick assessment, of the 51coins listed in Fox Collection of St. Gaudens, there are 33 of them that could improve Hansen set. There are 10 coins that are finest or tied for finest certified, with five being PCGS Pop 1/0 specimens. Presently, The Hansen Collection does not list any PCGS POP 1/0 coins. Hansen has a gold bonanza that he can pick and choose a number of coins that he wants to bid on.
1922-S Double Eagle MS66+
There are only two 1922-S specimens graded PCGS MS66+ by PCGS. I am not sure the location of other MS66+ coin, it does not appear in the #1 set nor in the Fox Collection going to auction.
Only once a 1922-S coin of this quality has not been publicly auction. That was in the Stacks Bowers August 2019 ANA - Rarities Night. PCGS Expert David Akers have provided a nice description for the coin: At one time, the 1922-S was considered to be one of the premier rarities of the Saint-Gaudens series, more rare than such issues as the 1920-S, 1929, 1930-S, 1931 and 1932, among others. Then in the early 1950s a quantity was found in Europe, followed by several additional small hoards in the 1960s and early 1970s. As recently as 1983, a hoard of more than 200 pieces, many of them MS-63 to MS-65 quality, was discovered in Central America. As a result of these discoveries, the 1922-S is relatively common today (second only to the common 1923-D among mintmarked issues of the decade) and can be obtained without great difficulty in any Mint State grade up to and including MS-64. Gems remain rare, but enough are around that one can be located with only a moderate amount of searching. Of course, superb (MS-67) quality pieces, although a few do exist, are still all but impossible to locate. The 1922-S is nearly always very sharply struck. The surfaces are frosty and usually have well above average lustre for the series. The color, particularly on most top grade specimens, is characteristically excellent, usually a rich greenish gold with orange highlights or a deep yellow gold with a coppery tint. Many specimens have noticeable reddish or orange copper spots. Some specimens have a noticeable inner "rim" (die bulge) just inside the normal rim that runs through the stars and tops of the reverse letters and across the sun. Rounded, almost beveled, rims are seen on many examples of this issue.
Stack Bowers describes the specimen as Extraordinary Condition Rarity 1922-S Double Eagle- Tied for Finest Certified at PCGS. It is a nice coin with a respected pedigree. The coin is from the A & A Saints Collection and Bella Collection. What could be better? Stacks Bowers describes the coin’s appearance as: An extraordinary coin in a 1922-S double eagle, this frosty medium gold example also offers razor sharp to full striking detail to all major design elements. The silky smooth appearance of the surfaces is far superior to what is typically offered in a survivor of this challenging issue.
The sale of the coin realized $192,000. PCGS values the coin at $225,000 and the coin carries the CAC sticker. Another bargain? The Fox Collection has a MS65+. The coin would have been an upgrade, but I am not sure if Mr. Fox wanted the coin if he knew his set was going put his collection up for sale. The sale of the Fox Collection is going to be an interesting event to watch.
In comparison, The Eliasberg registry set describes his 1922-S Double Eagle Specimen as assumed grade MS63. Purchased at the Bowers & Ruddy Oct '82 Eliasberg sale by Jim Halperin and Steve Ivy for $1,320. Lot #1054.
1922-S Double Eagle MS66+, CAC (Gold Shield)
Certification #30433195, PCGS #9174
PCGS POP 2/0 / PCGS Coin Guide Value: $225,000
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
That is nice!
Currin - The Thomas Irwin Collection of Lincoln Cents was held by his widow for the last two years.
Recently the collection was consigned to Angel Dees who
Bulbous job of marketing the coins
at the ANA in Chicago .i even bought several coins from this collection
Currin forgot to mention the high quality Matte proofs that D. L. Hansen also purchased .
The reason Mr. Hansen did not purchase the 1940 from the Thomas Irwin Collection is because he previously bought the one from the Gerald Martin Collection .
The 1912 was from the Thomas Irwin Collection and was upgraded at the ANA show .
Lastly the proceeds from the
Thomas Irwin Collection will go to fund a research facility at the Overlook Hospital in New Jersey
In the name of the owner of the Thomas Irwin Collection .
Thanks for adding this great information. Congratulation on the 2019 PLATINUM LEVEL sets. Also, you have the King of Lincolns, finest certified 1958 DDO. I thought I read somewhere that you have two of them, but my memory is getting shaky.
Probably most important, is there a link to Overland Hospital, where we can contribute in the name of Thomas Irwin? It may be that some of us that would like to make a contribution.. Thanks again
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
Like the addition of the 1817/4.
Only Full Band Certified by PCGS
It was recently said by a prominent collector that while some noteworthy collectors are building Numismatic historic sets, Del Hanson is buying Lincoln Cents and Peace Dollars. This is not all true, because he is buying Roosies too. I have to admit, I was not expecting this purchase. JB told us that they was not chasing modern POP 1/0 specimens. He thought the risk outweighed the benefit. Therefore as you can see in the chart below, Roosevelt Dimes - Major Sets that contain clads, The Hansen Collection is not as strong as the silver sets. He has nine PCGS POP 1/0 certified Roosevelt Silver Dimes, but there were no TOP POP 1/0 in clad before this purchase.
1974 Roosevelt Clad Dime PCGS MS67FB – Only Full Band!
This is not just any POP 1/0 specimen. Previously, the 1974 was the last Roosevelt Dime that could not be found with full band designation. Last fall the first one was certified. The first time that I saw it was a thread originated by Paul titled: 1974 PCGS Roosevelt Dime MS67FB...the last dime graded in FB. There is not much additional information known on the coin. Someone mentioned earlier in the Hansen watch thread that he paid 5 figures for the 1974 MS67FB dime. I have not been able to verify, but I have no reason to believe the statement to be anything but true. I was told by a Roosie specialist that the 1974 was the last date/MM needed to complete the FB Roosie set and it was that way for over a decade. Several big Roosie hunters have been trying for years to pop that coin hence the 5 figure price tag.
It is not uncommon for Mr. Hansen to do things that we don’t expect. He did not need this coin to complete a FB set, because his clad set is not even 90% FB. But the coin is unique and he has a coin that no one else has. That is what makes great collections, right? I think, contrary to his critics, Mr. Hansen knows how to assemble a great collection. Is he even half way there yet? I don’t know.
Being Mr. Hansen is the only person that can complete a full band Roosie set, it will be interesting to watch and see if that is something he wants to do. There are other tough FB coins. So, the task is not easy, but is there anything easy about building the Greatest Collection ever assembled?
1974 Roosevelt Clad Dime PCGS MS67FB
PCGS Coin #85145 / PCGS Serial #36622991 / POP 1/0
ONLY PCGS 1974 FULL BAND / PCGS Value = unknown
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
Being Mr. Hansen is the only person that can complete a full band Roosie set
For now. For a long time - over 2 decades - there were no gem 1877 trade dollars graded at PCGS. Check out the current pops...
I just don’t get his focus on modern high end coins vs really incredible 18th and 19th century true rarities
Latin American Collection
More bang for the buck? You can raise the overall grade average of the set faster by upgrading coins with a minimum weight of 1 that actually should have a weight of 0.01
Only makes sense in the context of Completing All of IT
Agreed, 99.9% of "everything" holds no interest for me either, but dayum, have to respect the Big Project!!
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Not so as there is another clad where only one has been graded in FB (1978) and the coin resides in the Halcyon set. So at the present time neither Halcyon nor Hansen can complete an FB Roosie set.
So this auction has ended and no one has mentioned it. Did Hansen purchase this coin? It ended up selling for $380,000 w/o the juice. Being that there are only 2 specimens, I think this is a good price and if Hansen bought it, I think he got a tremendous deal. Should've gone higher.
Later, Paul.
The coin brought $456,000 against a PCGS price guide price of $349,600. The latter represents the amount it realized when it sold previously, in 2011.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Yes, I know this. The price guide in this case is worthless. The price guide follows the coin. If it sold for a million dollars, the PG would have to be adjusted.
I still feel this was a steal at either price.
Later, Paul.
Note to self:
Buy unopened 1975 proof sets. Hard to believe the mint had a run of only two coins before they discovered the error.
Registry nonsense chasing modern coins not even around when Eliasberg was collecting while passing on irreplaceable and long-standing rarities
Latin American Collection
If I was him, I would be fueled by this type of comment. He's showing some characteristics that make him stand out from some of these other well known collectors of the past.
1974 was 45 years ago. How long does material have to be "out there" before the concrete starts to set and people feel like they know if a top pop has staying power? (This is a sincere question)
IG: DeCourcyCoinsEbay: neilrobertson
"Numismatic categorizations, if left unconstrained, will increase spontaneously over time." -me
I would say at least another 50 years to make sure the POP report doesnt get completely changed over time anymore, which it will for everything after 1900 still.
e.g. all the highest graded Mercury Dimes will change for sure over time, now there is one 1938-D in 68, in 10 years there will be 5 or 10 or 20 probably + 68+ and 69s.
Thats not going to happen for the MS 67 1794 Half Cent.