@Catbert said: @Currin I'd still love a write up on his half cent collection, if you're willing.
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Thanks Catbert for the request.
At some point, I would like to deep dive in all of Hansen’s series, from Half Cents to Double Eagles. I think the timing to do the dive would be around the 5 year anniversary of the collection. This would give Mr. Hansen time to complete more of his proofs and major varieties. I don’t know Mr. Hansen plans, but this effort would be worthy of a book. To respond to your question, let me provide a brief write up on the Half Cent Collection and a few tidbits.
Several half cent big boys collect both mint states and proofs. The full set of both finishes is only 92 coins. PCGS describes the set as: The half cent was one of the first denominations struck at the new United States Mint. This coin was first made in 1793, only months after the Large cents were introduced. It is a series filled with rarities. Full red examples are almost impossible from the early years, and it’s not until the 1828 issue that the first MS65RD specimen still survives. Many dates of this series exist in a proof-only format, but some collectors include those issues with their mint state collection.
In the registry today, Hansen is one of the three big boys. The top current set is the McGuigan Collection that was started about seven years ago. This is the only current 92-coin set that is above the GPA of 60 (61.036 weighed). The set is 97.83% completed. The second place Miller Collection is 100% complete, but the weighted GPA is 57.23. The set was started about eight years ago. The Hall of Fame all-time finest set is the retired Missouri Cabinet Collection. The set was registered around 2013, but I am confident the collection was started many years earlier. This is the HOF write-up: This complete collection of Half Cents with varieties in both MS and Proof is one that won’t be matched for some time. New this year to the Registry, it carries a rating of 62.27 and to lend some idea of how high that really is, in the entire set, there are only 8 coins in existence that could improve it. That’s all dates, all grades. 89 of the 93 coins show a “pop higher” figure of 0. Need we say more?
I think during the registry era, the Hansen Collection of Half Cents is a solid #3 current and #4 all-time. The Hansen Collection is completed for basic mint state, but is missing five major varieties. The collection is missing 12 proofs specimens. It will be very interesting to compare the collection with the best after these 17 coins are added. I am hopeful this will happen in the next couple years. At the rate the collection is growing, it should be close, but maybe not complete. He has added nine coins to this collection in the last two years.
The set has 17 condition census Top 5 coins. There is another six that is tied for condition census Top 5. The former Pogue specimen, 1806 Small 6, Stems, is the only PCGS POP 1/0 coin. Another five coins are tied for PCGS certified finest. There are 24 coins CAC Approved (26%). I expect this number to grow when the Collection is evaluated for CAC approval. This is planned to take place at some time in the future. This collection will be three years old in February of 2020, as you can see, Mr. Hansen need to fill the remaining holes with hopefully condition census Top 5 coins, and this collection will be near the top. I doubt if there are plans to better The Missouri Cabinet Collection. To have All-Time finest in every series have never been Mr. Hansen plan. In head to head basic set with Eliasberg, The Hansen Collection is #5 All-Time, and Eliasberg Collection is #6. So, there you go.
Link to The Hansen Collection of Half Cents (The new pictures are great!)
Hansen’s Finest Half Cent (better by two points) 1806 1/2C C-2 Small 6 Stems, BN MS64BN Certification #32708218, PCGS #35194, POP 1/0 Provenance: Dr. Kenneth J. Sartoris, sold privately in 5/1972 - Delmar N. (Del) Bland - William K. Raymond - William R. (Bill) Weber, exchanged as part of a multi-coin trade on 10/21/1997 - R. Tettenhorst Collection - Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society - Missouri Cabinet (Mocab 06.2.8) - Goldbergs 1/2014:84, $92,000 - D.Brent Pogue Collection - Stack's/Bowers & Sotheby's 3/2017:5056 PCGS Price Guide Value: $120,000
Currin- I would suggest before you do a write up of Half Cents you talk to someone who knows Half Cents .
If Mr. Hanson’s Collection is even in the top ten I would be surprised.
FYI Jim McGuigan has been collecting Half Cents for more than 40 years.
Talk to him so you can be educated.
Most of the half cent collectors are not listed in the Registry. I have collected Half Cents for more than 20 years and I have some experience.😊
I believe @Currin's summary above is only in reference to the PCGS Registry Sets.
So when he discusses "#3 current" and "#4 all-time", etc., it is in that frame of reference.
This is still consistent with the possible existence of other very high quality sets outside the PCGS Registry.
To include those sets in a summary would require more knowledge as you stated.
This topic has been discussed earlier in this (admittedly long) thread,
when Laura Sperber discussed collectors that choose to stay outside the PCGS Registry.
I will be starting a new Hansen-Eliasberg challenge this weekend. I am planning the feature a head-to-head comparison of 50 Au issues with the “WOW” factor. Stay tune, more to come.
@Currin said:
I will be starting a new Hansen-Eliasberg challenge this weekend. I am planning the feature a head-to-head comparison of 50 Au issues with the “WOW” factor. Stay tune, more to come.
Last winter, I did a head to head registry competition comparing a define list of Hansen specimens with Eliasberg. I believe it turned out to be fun and interesting, and I think some of you agreed with me. In that challenge, I used a coin listing from a blog authored by Doug Winters on his website. He developed a grouping of about 80-85 coins that he called “Stand Alone Coins”. He set the following criteria for developing this grouping:
The coin is rare but not so rare that it becomes esoteric. The appeal of the coin is widespread. Its "essence" is easily definable--it has a great story or interesting history. It has "cross appeal" --i.e. collectors in various series all want this particular coin. It is affordable. It exists in relatively high grades(s).
This was a fun and competitive challenge. The result was 40-25-9 with the Hansen Collection winning the challenge. This will be another challenge based on a Doug Winter article. I found the list on CoinWeek dated October 31, 2016. The article was titled: Classic US Coins – 50 US Gold Issues with the “Wow” Factor
Mr. Winters indicates that these coins are: Certain issues in the various United States gold types struck between 1795 and 1933 have what might best be called a “Wow Factor.” Something about the issue—be it rarity, design, historic association or low mintage—appeals to a variety of collectors. These coins have strong multiple levels of demand and a “wow” coin might be included in a collection which focuses on trophy coins. He added a note that said: I’ve excluded coins like the 1822 and 1854-S half eagles because even though they have the Wow Factor in spades, they are just too rare for this list. Just for transparency, we all know that Eliasberg owned both of these coins. Mr. Hansen has never owned the 1822, but we do know that he 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, DLRC reported the specimen was sold to an undisclosed client.
The 50 coin list by denomination is as follows:
•Gold Dollars: 3
•Quarter Eagles: 7
•Three Dollars: 2
•Four Dollars: 1
•Half Eagles: 14
•Eagles: 9
•Doubles Eagles: 9
•Miscellaneous: 5
This will be a 10-part feature (with 5 coins weekly) that I will try to update every Sunday. I have not looked ahead, so I do not know who will win this head-to-head competition. I will follow along like everyone else. So, please keep it fun by not looking ahead. If you like read more about this WOW Factor list, this is the link to the original article.
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Sorry guys, but I had another commitment the past 2-3 weeks. I should be back to a point that I can now dedicate a few hours a week to the thread. So. Stay tuned.
The first five gold coins in this challenge are three gold dollars and two early Quarter Eagles. In this comparison, two very nice Choice Gem gold dollars in Eliasberg collection raised to the top, 1861-D and 1875. I believe these were the two best graded coins from the Eliasberg sampling. Hansen has two MS grade coins in his sampling, the1875 PCGS MS64 gold dollar and the 1861-D PCGS MS60 quarter eagle. Hansen has the 1875 Gold Dollar is both finishes. The mint state is PCGS MS64 and the proof is a stunning PR65DCAM. Both Hansen coins are a better grade than Eliasberg’s MS63. Of all the coins compared, the only Condition Census Top 5 coin was Hansen's 1875 proof. In a very close competition, Hansen won this week’s challenge 3-2.
1855-D Gold Dollar:This one-year type is arguably the rarest gold dollar from Dahlonega. Look for an example with a full date.
Hansen Coin: 1855-D PCGS AU53 PCGS POP 10/25
Eliasberg Coin: 1855-D EST. XF45 PCGS POP 9/44
Hansen Won (1-0)
1861-D Gold Dollar:The only U.S. gold coin incontestably struck by the Confederacy. ‘Nuff said.
Hansen Coin: 1851-D PCGS MS60 PCGS POP 4/18
Eliasberg Coin: 1861-D PCGS MS63 PCGS POP 6/2
Eliasberg Won (1-1)
1875 Gold Dollar:The lowest mintage figure for this denomination with just 400 business strikes made.
Hansen Proof Coin: 1875 PCGS PR65DCAM PCGS POP 2/4
Hansen Coin: 1875 PCGS MS64 PCGS POP 7/11
Eliasberg Coin: 1875 EST. MS63 PCGS POP 6/18
Hansen Won (2-1)
1796 No Stars Quarter Eagle:The first year of issue for this denomination and a one-year type with just 963 struck.
Hansen Coin: 1796 No Stars PCGS AU50 PCGS POP 6/48
Eliasberg Coin: 1796 No Stars EST. XF45 PCGS POP 7/54
Hansen Won (3-1)
1808 Quarter Eagle:A rare one-year type; just 2,710 struck.
Hansen Coin: 1808 PCGS AU53+ PCGS POP 61/34
Eliasberg Coin: 1808 EST. AU58 PCGS POP 13/13
Eliasberg Won (3-2)
Hansen wins the first stage of the challenge by 3 to 2. PCGS Price Guide places the total value of these five Hansen coins at $445,500. It is going to be interesting to see total value of this small sampling from the Great Collection. As stated before, I have not looks ahead and do not know the results. My hope is that it will be fascinating to watch as we have 45 more coins to compare. Listed below are the five coins that we will look at next week. If I recall from memory, Hansen does not have a high grade 1854-S Quarter Eagle, but then not many are. Stay tuned.
1841 Quarter Eagle:Were they all struck as Proofs or were some made as business strikes? Regardless, an important rarity. 1848 CAL Quarter Eagle:The first commemorative American coin and a wonderful Gold Rush relic. 1854-S Quarter Eagle:The first SF quarter eagle and a rarity with around a dozen known from a mintage of just 254. 1856-D Quarter Eagle:With 874, the lowest recorded mintage for any Dahlonega issue. The hardest US gold coin to properly grade. 1863 Quarter Eagle:Only 30 struck, all as Proofs, and a coin made doubly desirable by its Civil War issuance.
D.L. Hansen Collection WOW Coins
1855-D Gold Dollar, AU53 (Gold Shield) PCGS Coin #7534 / PCGS Serial #34616294 PCGS POP 10/25, PCGS Price Guide Value $40,000
David Akers comments: This is one of the rarest of all gold dollars and is extremely difficult to find in high grades. Because of its rarity, it is generally grossly overgraded, and most specimens that I have seen, including those called AU or even Unc., would barely make EF if they had been the more common 1854 Type II or 1855. Most specimens have an extremely weak 8 in the date, and exhibit severe clash marks on both obverse and reverse. Although some cataloguers talk in terms of only a dozen specimens known, there are certainly many more than that. In fact, probably at least twice that many exist, although as I indicated before, most of them are very low grade.
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. 1861-D Gold Dollar, MS60 (Gold Shield) PCGS Coin #7559 / PCGS Serial #50258273 PCGS POP 4/18, PCGS Price Guide Value $80,000
David Akers Comments: With the exception of the uncollectible 1849-C Open Wreath, the 1861-D is generally considered to be the "king" of the gold dollar series. Certainly when offered for sale, it invariably brings a higher price than any other date in comparable condition. However, in my opinion, it is no more rare than the 1856-D and actually is much less rare in uncirculated condition. Several very choice uncirculated 1861-D's are known with the incredible Ullmer coin (purchased by Stanley Kesselman) being the finest that I have ever seen. The exact mintage of the 1861-D is not known since the coins were struck after the Confederacy had taken over the Dahlonega Mint. However, judging from the number of specimens known compared to the number known of the 1856-D and 1860-D, I would estimate the mintage to have been somewhere between 1,200 and 1,500 pieces. Most known specimens are weakly struck, and the U in UNITED on the obverse is invariably weak or even missing.
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. 1875 Gold Dollar, PR65DCAM (Gold Shield) PCGS Coin #97625/ PCGS Serial #85197593 PCGS POP 2/4, PCGS Price Guide Value $40,000
Note: There appear to be an issue with PCGS picture. The PCGS Certification Database has PCGS Serial #85197593 as 1875 $1 Proof, but coin in the picture is dated 1877.
David Akers comments: With a total issue of only 420 pieces, the 1875 has one of the lowest mintages of any regularly issued U.S. gold coin. With so low a mintage, essentially all specimens are "first strikes" and therefore invariably have full proof-like surfaces. This has given rise to the false notion that the 1875 gold dollar is more common in proof than it is in uncirculated condition. Most cataloguers have mistakenly called Uncs. "proofs" over the years. Actually, the Uncs. are readily distinguishable from the proofs because all uncirculated 1875 gold dollars have a small thorn-like projection from the throat into the field. This projection is seen only on the Uncs., not on the proofs, and no matter how much a particular 1875 may look like a proof, if it has the projection from the throat into the field, it is an Unc. Hopefully, auction cataloguers, dealers, and collectors alike will now put the myth of how much rarer an Unc. 1875 is than an 1875 proof to rest once and for all.
Scott Rubin’s comments of the proofs: The Proof Gold Dollar of 1875 is a very rare coin in a year of rare gold Philadelphia Mint issued coinage. With a mintage of only 20 Gold Proof Sets this would make it a difficult year to collect.
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. 1796 No Stars, Quarter Eagle, AU50 (Gold Shield) PCGS Coin #7645/ PCGS Serial #29531383 PCGS POP 6/48, PCGS Price Guide Value $145,500
David Akers comments: This is a distinct and highly desireable type coin since all subsequent quarter eagles have stars on the obverse. The reverse has 16 stars above the eagle. Most specimens that I have seen are weakly struck on the hair curls around the face, and some specimens also show various degrees of deterioration in the die at the E of LIBERTY. The majority of known pieces are proof-like or at least partially so. A small number of relatively choice uncirculated examples exist, and claims that only 15 to 20 pieces are known seem to me to be exaggerated. A closer estimate of the number extant would probably be between 30 and 40.
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. 1808 Quarter Eagle, AU53+ (Gold Shield) PCGS Coin #7660/ PCGS Serial #81770833 PCGS POP 1/34, PCGS Price Guide Value $140,000
David Akers comments: Although not the great rarity it is sometimes made out to be, the 1808 quarter eagle can certainly be considered to be rare, particularly in high grade. Because this is a one-year-only type, it is also unquestionably one of the most popular U.S. gold coins, and therefore, generally brings proportionally higher prices than other dates that are less rare but also less desirable. As the data clearly indicates, most available specimens are in the very fine to extremely fine range. The majority of pieces that I have seen also have edge nicks or rim bruises to some extent, and although most examples of this date are fairly well struck on the figure of Liberty and on the eagle, they are also weakly struck at the borders. Typically, the stars are flat and there are no denticles visible. I have only seen one truly choice mint state example, that being the superb coin from the Dr. J. Hewitt Judd Collection. I examined the coin (and was offered it for sale as were several other dealers and prominent collectors) at the 1972 ANA Convention in New Orleans. To my regret, I passed on the piece at a price in the $12,000 range. The price seemed high at the time, but it would certainly be an incredible bargain today.
I also like the originality of the 1796 Draped Bust No Stars quarter eagle.
The Harry Bass and John Dannreuther book Early U.S. Gold Coin Varieties: A Study of Die States, 1795-1834, surpasses all previous publications on early gold in accuracy and depth of research. Akers estimated 30-40 extant, Dannreuther estimates 100-125 known (BD-2), from analysis of years of auction records.
The 1796 QE pictured is the variety BD-2. The 1796 BD-1 No Stars die marriage, which Bass re-discovered in 1971, has only 4-6 known. The PCGS AU50 BD-2 is obverse die state D, and reverse state B. Robert Scot lapped the obverse die to remove clash marks, which made the lower curls weaker. This is the latest die state with numerous obverse die cracks, which is also the most frequently observed.
Robert Scot: Engraving Liberty - biography of US Mint's first chief engraver
@Perfection said:
Good morning Currin!
Any idea if DLH is adding coins to fill the holes in his CAC sets?
I can not answer the question with certainty, but I do know a vast amount of Mr. Hansen’s collection need to be reviewed for CAC approval. This is an item that John Brush have discussed a few times. My thought is the collection will need to be reviewed before any additional coins for the purpose of CAC is considered. Maybe JB can chime in and add more clarity.
Possibly, but most coins have already been to CAC so I do not see that many of the DLH non CAC coins passing. Sure, perhaps some. To speed the process, and if CAC would allow it, they could give CAC all the PCGS numbers and eliminate all the coins that CAC has already seen.
Regardless, fulling all the CAC holes would be a major undertaking and expensive. I was curious if they will go in that
direction at some point?
When I saw the PCGS CAC registry one thought crossed my mind---this is good for the Hansen collection. From what I read and observed---he loves coins and loves the chase/challenge. Since he is down to fewer coins needed there is less "action" (still plenty of chase and challenge---but not as much activity). Having a PCGS CAC registry will allow him the fun of more activity while he attempts to finish his original challenge while also "upgrading" to CAC coins. Further, this may also improve the quality of his collection in the totality at the end of the day.
This is a nice little upgrade to the proof collection. The Hansen Collection has the #1 All-Time Registry set for “Barber Dimes with Major Varieties and 1894-S, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1892-1916)”. Mr. Hansen has the only complete set listed in the registry. PCGS. describes 101 coin set as: The Barber dime series is one filled with legend and romance. There’s the image of little Hallie Daggett skipping down the street in to spend one of her 1894-S dimes her father gave her on a dish of ice cream. There’s the story of the national contest to find a new dime design, only to have the entrants dismissed as “wretched failures.” There’s the surprising rarity of the key dates, and how many key dates there have proved to be in MS65 or better. The 1894-S is collected with the proofs as well as the mint state coins, and will prove to be a formidable hurdle in completing this set. Other key dates in MS65 or better are the 1892-S, 1893-S 1894-O, 1895-O, 1897-S, 1899-O, and at least half a dozen other dates! There are 24 coins in the proof Barber dime series. The mintages range from 425 for the 1914 to 1,245 for the first-year-of-issue 1892.
I will focus a little more on the Proof Set. In this 24 coin subset, Mr. Hansen ranks #2 All-Time. PCGS describes the set as: There are 24 coins in the proof Barber dime series, not counting the branch mint proof 1894-S. The mintages range from 425 for the 1914 to 1,245 for the first-year-of-issue 1892. This is a set that is seldom assembled by collectors, but makes a highly attractive collection when completed. Even the rarest coin in the series, the 1915, has a population of 20 coins in Proof 65 or better condition. Highly popular as a type coin and needed for both 19th and 20th century type sets, the Barber dime in proof is found with and without cameo devices, and some examples come with beautiful toning. The Hansen Collection set is 0.18 point behind the #1 set. It will take several more upgrades to become #1. This POP 2/0 upgrade is a nice help in the endeavor.
1913 Barber Dime PR67+ CAM PCGS POP 2/0
The mintage for the 1913 Barber Dime Proof is 622. The PCGS POP report indicates that 284 have been certified by PCGS, and of these specimens, only 47 obtained the CAM. Oddly enough, there are no DCAM PCGS certified 1913 Barber Dimes. The record price is $37,600 for a Single-Finest Certified PR69 NGC specimen that sold 08-2017 by Heritage Auctions. This Hansen coin is not in that same ballpark. The Hansen coin sold Oct 27, 2019 in the GreatCollections Auction. The coin realized $4,837.50 with buyer’s fees. PCGS values the coin at $8,500. This appear to be a nice buy as well.
1913 Barber Dime PR67+ CAM (Gold Shield) PCGS Coin #84897 / PCGS Serial #38479715 PCGS POP 2/0, PCGS Price Guide Value $8,500
Love the write up on the 1913 Barber proof time @Currin ! That really does look like it was minted yesterday!
Great to know the following:
Mr. Hansen has the only complete set listed in the registry.
What a great accomplishment. Do we have some information on this as in why is he the only one? Did he buy a former complete set to build his or were there just no other sets? If not, it would be curious to know why not.
There’s the story of the national contest to find a new dime design, only to have the entrants dismissed as “wretched failures.”
This probably deserves it's own thread. I'd love to know if we know of any of the design entrants and I’m curious if they were dismissed because the Mint staff wanted to do the design themselves? We know some of personalities at the Mint back then.
I will focus a little more on the Proof Set. In this 24 coin subset, Mr. Hansen ranks #2 All-Time
Love that he's not only #2 but has the highest percentage of DCAMs. 12.5% is significantly higher than 8.33%.
On the subject of CAC, it's interesting that 2 of the top 5 sets are 100% complete in CAC. It will be interesting to see what happens with the other top sets.
RSD - CAC
Hansen
Simpson
Blay - CAC
Diana
When looking through his proof set, the following coin stood out:
1893 Barber Dime PCGS PR68+ CAC POP 1/0 Ex-NGC PR69 POP 1/0
The mintage for the 1893 Barber Dime Proof is 792. This was the Single-Finest Certified PR69 NGC specimen before it was crossed to the single finest PCGS PR68+ POP 1/0 CAC. In the NGC old fatty slab it sold for:
All of these prices are a healthy premium over the PCGS Price Guide Value of just $12,500. Also, since these were all in the NGC slab, PCGS Cert Verification doesn't link to any of these. In none of the auctions does the coin have a provenance and there also isn't any on PCGS CoinFacts. I find it exciting when a coin goes from no provenance to notable provenance. Great to have this in the Hansen set!
1893 Barber Dime PR68+ CAC (Gold Shield) PCGS Coin #4877 / PCGS Serial #36467553 PCGS POP 1/0, PCGS Price Guide Value $12,500
An interesting thing about the Hansen Barber Dime Proof set and CAC is that there are 5 POP 1/0 coins right now. 3 are CAC, 1 is non-CAC and I can't find the cert number for 1 to check. The 1893 PR68+ dime I posed above is actually CAC but not noted as such in the Registry Set. I've added the CAC note now.
Would a POP 1/0 non-CAC ever be rated than a lower grade CAC in the PCGS Registry?
It will be interesting to take a deeper look into each of the sets and the specific coins. Here are the 5 POP 1/0 coins in the set:
1893 - PR68+ POP 1/0 CAC (not noted)
1895 - PR68CAM POP 1/0 CAC (not noted)
1899 - PR68CAM POP 1/0 non-CAC
1905 - PR68+ CAM POP 1/0 (no cert number)
1914 - PR68 POP 1/0 CAC (noted)
In terms of comparing the sets, in addition to CAC, I think DCAM is also important. Right now, Hansen has the highest DCAM percentage of the top 9 sets. Set #10, the JSV set, has a higher DCAM percentage but isn't complete.
@Perfection said:
Therefore one must be careful when calling a set the #1 set. When DLH passes RSM in the PCGS registry but not in the CAC registry which set is really #1? Supposedly RSM only buys top eye appeal coins. I believe Blay could be the same. It would be nice to see all four top sets on display at a future show.
It would be nice to do a deeper comparison of the sets but it's difficult as the RSD and Blay sets are both private. Stewart has also posted that he avoids TrueViews for his coins, in which case they also wouldn't be on CoinFacts.
It's easier to compare with the Simpson set which is online with photos and 3 POP 1/0 coins.
Good comments. personally I do not care for most dcams except for morgans.
They usually so not come tones and pcgs will not normally five a dcam. to dcam that is toned.
I prefer beautiful toned coins. With seated dollars I especially do not like white dcams.
I assume you can dip some toned cam dimes and make them dcams.
When I was building my proof barbar half set that I,sold to. DLH. I chose not to compete with
Scher as he had many 68 white dcams
@Perfection said:
Very nice upgrades. I believe the definition of "The #1 Set" deserves some comments here.
Yes, it is relevant. By adding the CAC Registry, PCGS has finally acknowledged that CAC coins are the top quality for the grade. Therefore there is no good reason why they should not get the same additional scoring as + graded coins. The chances of this happening is slim to none. A top CAC set in most cases, is superior to a top PCGS, NON CAC set. That is common sense.
So what is a # 1 set? Most PCGS Non CAC coins would have to be one grade lower to be approved by CAC.
So for a top PCGS set to be number one it would have to be X higher than the top CAC set.
Therefore one must be careful when calling a set the #1 set. When DLH passes RSM in the PCGS registry but not in the CAC registry which set is really #1? Supposedly RSM only buys top eye appeal coins. I believe Blay could be the same. It would be nice to see all four top sets on display at a future show.
I dunno. Seems to me it was just a savvy marketing move to drum up even more interest in the Registry. I'm not going to debate the most valid metric for assessing the "#1 set". Stickers are binary decisions based on a subjective opinion at a given moment in time. The exact criteria for receiving one are unknown and unknowable. Therefore, everyone can choose to assign their own significance to them. I won't attack your preferences if you agree not to attack mine.
@Perfection said:
Good comments. personally I do not care for most dcams except for morgans.
They usually so not come tones and pcgs will not normally five a dcam. to dcam that is toned.
I prefer beautiful toned coins. With seated dollars I especially do not like white dcams.
I assume you can dip some toned cam dimes and make them dcams.
When I was building my proof barbar half set that I,sold to. DLH. I chose not to compete with
Scher as he had many 68 white dcams
I can understand the preference for toning vs. white coins. I tend to like both. I have two very toned seated dollars and am considering a white-ish (not really white, but not super colored) proof now.
By not competing with Scher, do you mean not ranking your set against his? I don't now about proof Barber halves specifically, but toners are generally awarded grade bumps for eye appeal. Was the bump not enough to compete with the 68s here?
Out of curiosity, why do you make an exception for Morgans. Morgans come beautifully toned and I tend to like both Morgan toners and DCAMs.
First I apologize I said RSM and not RSD!
I love toned Morgan's more so than white ones. I can state this about most coins.
However to get a higher score you need dcams in all series .
With the Barber halves I did not want to chase white dcams just for score. Scher did. If there was a gem
toned cam I preferred to buy that. Therefore my score could only go so high.
With Morgans I like both, so in the top set I have lots of white dcams but I also have a box of gem toned examples that are not in a registry set.
@Perfection said:
Very nice upgrades. I believe the definition of "The #1 Set" deserves some comments here.
Yes, it is relevant. By adding the CAC Registry, PCGS has finally acknowledged that CAC coins are the top quality for the grade. Therefore there is no good reason why they should not get the same additional scoring as + graded coins. The chances of this happening is slim to none. A top CAC set in most cases, is superior to a top PCGS, NON CAC set. That is common sense.
So what is a # 1 set? Most PCGS Non CAC coins would have to be one grade lower to be approved by CAC.
So for a top PCGS set to be number one it would have to be X higher than the top CAC set.
Therefore one must be careful when calling a set the #1 set. When DLH passes RSM in the PCGS registry but not in the CAC registry which set is really #1? Supposedly RSM only buys top eye appeal coins. I believe Blay could be the same. It would be nice to see all four top sets on display at a future show.
Mr Hansen has a very nice set of Proof Barber Dimes. The 1893 is drop dead gorgeous ! I don’t think much from the image of his 1913 .
I doubt he Will numerically pass
RSD on either the CAC or the non
CAC Set Registry. The core of the RSD Set used to be owned by
Simpson, then by Laxdive and now by RSD. Laura Sperber was instrumental in forming this set.
Hansen put his set together by himself !
Looking at images of coins can
be deceptive. Seeing and holding coins in hand is a must for me
John Brush/ David Lawrence
Could exhibit various sets of DLH
And invite collectors with a same set
to exhibit next to the Hansen set at various major shows.
TDN is correct when saying DLH
Has not been adding much lately
and missed some super opportunities.
When will he step up to the plate !
@RedCopper said:
John Brush/ David Lawrence
Could exhibit various sets of DLH
And invite collectors with a same set
to exhibit next to the Hansen set at various major shows.
Does anyone do this? It's an interesting approach but I've never heard of anyone exhibiting their coins and inviting competing sets to exhibit beside them. I'm guessing this is likely because the purpose of showcasing one's coins isn't to draw comparisons with others but perhaps it's just never been thought of before?
I think the greatest change that I have seen in Mr. Hansen purchasing is this year, that he is not only more selective in what coins he buys, but also, what dealers he buys from. I think over the past three years, and particularly the past 6 months, there are dealers and auction sites that he like to spend his money with and those that he prefers not too. Unfortunately, owners of some nice coins may be missing out on getting their top dollar.
The picture that people try to paint at times can be deceiving. A quick look back at this thread in the past six months will show many great additions. It will be interesting to see if the intensity is still there in 2020. I think sellers and dealers that have coins to sell to Mr. Hansen, should realize at some point, there are only a hand full of coins that are really must have for the collection. If he does not desire your coin, don’t take it so personally, accept the rejection and move on.
@RedCopper said:
John Brush/ David Lawrence
Could exhibit various sets of DLH
And invite collectors with a same set
to exhibit next to the Hansen set at various major shows.
Does anyone do this? It's an interesting approach but I've never heard of anyone exhibiting their coins and inviting competing sets to exhibit beside them. I'm guessing this is likely because the purpose of showcasing one's coins isn't to draw comparisons with others but perhaps it's just never been thought of before?
@RedCopper@boiler78 and I will have the top three 1858 12 piece pattern sets on display at the PCGS booth at FUN in two weeks. Each of us has a different theme/goal for our sets, so while there is competition, there are differences in goals. We are going to enjoy each other's sets and would love to see anyone who wants to come in and bring theirs.
there are a few I miss like 1794 half cent, the 1796 cent and the 1795 Eagle. At the same time its fun for me to think about what to do next in the coin universe
@RedCopper said:
John Brush/ David Lawrence
Could exhibit various sets of DLH
And invite collectors with a same set
to exhibit next to the Hansen set at various major shows.
Does anyone do this? It's an interesting approach but I've never heard of anyone exhibiting their coins and inviting competing sets to exhibit beside them. I'm guessing this is likely because the purpose of showcasing one's coins isn't to draw comparisons with others but perhaps it's just never been thought of before?
@RedCopper@boiler78 and I will have the top three 1858 12 piece pattern sets on display at the PCGS booth at FUN in two weeks. Each of us has a different theme/goal for our sets, so while there is competition, there are differences in goals. We are going to enjoy each other's sets and would love to see anyone who wants to come in and bring theirs.
Good to know. I imagine it will be a great display!
there are a few I miss like 1794 half cent, the 1796 cent and the 1795 Eagle. At the same time its fun for me to think about what to do next in the coin universe
I'll be following along with what you target next! Do you have any regrets selling privately vs auction? Less upside but less risk, I suppose.
I've thought the same about my ancients: I have a number of irreplaceable pieces - if I were to sell any one of them, I should probably sell all of them but I'd then need to build a different sort of set to avoid just trying to re-acquire the same coins.
Learn about our world's shared history told through the first millennium of coinage: Colosseo Collection
@tradedollarnut said:
Slow going since buying those two common merc dimes for crazy money....sometimes that leaves a bitter taste.
Then again, it’s not like there have been tons of opportunities since then, have there?
Basically my whole collection that has been sold since then.
Ok, I guess I got the timeline wrong on that, but didn’t DLH end up with a nice group of your coins? Hardly makes it seem like he was slowing down at that point, anyway.
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
there are a few I miss like 1794 half cent, the 1796 cent and the 1795 Eagle. At the same time its fun for me to think about what to do next in the coin universe
I'll be following along with what you target next! Do you have any regrets selling privately vs auction? Less upside but less risk, I suppose.
I've thought the same about my ancients: I have a number of irreplaceable pieces - if I were to sell any one of them, I should probably sell all of them but I'd then need to build a different sort of set to avoid just trying to re-acquire the same coins.
I'm also curious about this. I like history so one advantage I see of selling at auction is the creation of traceable auction records for posterity, but there are other considerations of course.
i have to laugh. At first in this thread people complained that Hansen was going too fast and just throwing money around. Now just a few years into the collection people say he is going too slow. When i look at his collection in the totality (and we are talking about a big collection), i think Hansen is doing just fine.
Comments
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Thanks Catbert for the request.
At some point, I would like to deep dive in all of Hansen’s series, from Half Cents to Double Eagles. I think the timing to do the dive would be around the 5 year anniversary of the collection. This would give Mr. Hansen time to complete more of his proofs and major varieties. I don’t know Mr. Hansen plans, but this effort would be worthy of a book. To respond to your question, let me provide a brief write up on the Half Cent Collection and a few tidbits.
Several half cent big boys collect both mint states and proofs. The full set of both finishes is only 92 coins. PCGS describes the set as: The half cent was one of the first denominations struck at the new United States Mint. This coin was first made in 1793, only months after the Large cents were introduced. It is a series filled with rarities. Full red examples are almost impossible from the early years, and it’s not until the 1828 issue that the first MS65RD specimen still survives. Many dates of this series exist in a proof-only format, but some collectors include those issues with their mint state collection.
In the registry today, Hansen is one of the three big boys. The top current set is the McGuigan Collection that was started about seven years ago. This is the only current 92-coin set that is above the GPA of 60 (61.036 weighed). The set is 97.83% completed. The second place Miller Collection is 100% complete, but the weighted GPA is 57.23. The set was started about eight years ago. The Hall of Fame all-time finest set is the retired Missouri Cabinet Collection. The set was registered around 2013, but I am confident the collection was started many years earlier. This is the HOF write-up: This complete collection of Half Cents with varieties in both MS and Proof is one that won’t be matched for some time. New this year to the Registry, it carries a rating of 62.27 and to lend some idea of how high that really is, in the entire set, there are only 8 coins in existence that could improve it. That’s all dates, all grades. 89 of the 93 coins show a “pop higher” figure of 0. Need we say more?
I think during the registry era, the Hansen Collection of Half Cents is a solid #3 current and #4 all-time. The Hansen Collection is completed for basic mint state, but is missing five major varieties. The collection is missing 12 proofs specimens. It will be very interesting to compare the collection with the best after these 17 coins are added. I am hopeful this will happen in the next couple years. At the rate the collection is growing, it should be close, but maybe not complete. He has added nine coins to this collection in the last two years.
The set has 17 condition census Top 5 coins. There is another six that is tied for condition census Top 5. The former Pogue specimen, 1806 Small 6, Stems, is the only PCGS POP 1/0 coin. Another five coins are tied for PCGS certified finest. There are 24 coins CAC Approved (26%). I expect this number to grow when the Collection is evaluated for CAC approval. This is planned to take place at some time in the future. This collection will be three years old in February of 2020, as you can see, Mr. Hansen need to fill the remaining holes with hopefully condition census Top 5 coins, and this collection will be near the top. I doubt if there are plans to better The Missouri Cabinet Collection. To have All-Time finest in every series have never been Mr. Hansen plan. In head to head basic set with Eliasberg, The Hansen Collection is #5 All-Time, and Eliasberg Collection is #6. So, there you go.
Link to The Hansen Collection of Half Cents (The new pictures are great!)
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/half-cents/half-cents-major-sets/half-cents-major-varieties-circulation-strikes-proof-1793-1857/alltimeset/151033
Hansen’s Finest Half Cent (better by two points)
1806 1/2C C-2 Small 6 Stems, BN MS64BN
Certification #32708218, PCGS #35194, POP 1/0
Provenance: Dr. Kenneth J. Sartoris, sold privately in 5/1972 - Delmar N. (Del) Bland - William K. Raymond - William R. (Bill) Weber, exchanged as part of a multi-coin trade on 10/21/1997 - R. Tettenhorst Collection - Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society - Missouri Cabinet (Mocab 06.2.8) - Goldbergs 1/2014:84, $92,000 - D.Brent Pogue Collection - Stack's/Bowers & Sotheby's 3/2017:5056
PCGS Price Guide Value: $120,000
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
Great write-up. Thank you!
Currin- I would suggest before you do a write up of Half Cents you talk to someone who knows Half Cents .
If Mr. Hanson’s Collection is even in the top ten I would be surprised.
FYI Jim McGuigan has been collecting Half Cents for more than 40 years.
Talk to him so you can be educated.
Most of the half cent collectors are not listed in the Registry. I have collected Half Cents for more than 20 years and I have some experience.😊
I believe @Currin's summary above is only in reference to the PCGS Registry Sets.
So when he discusses "#3 current" and "#4 all-time", etc., it is in that frame of reference.
This is still consistent with the possible existence of other very high quality sets outside the PCGS Registry.
To include those sets in a summary would require more knowledge as you stated.
This topic has been discussed earlier in this (admittedly long) thread,
when Laura Sperber discussed collectors that choose to stay outside the PCGS Registry.
I will be starting a new Hansen-Eliasberg challenge this weekend. I am planning the feature a head-to-head comparison of 50 Au issues with the “WOW” factor. Stay tune, more to come.
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
Looking forward to it!
Hansen-Eliasberg Challenge II
Last winter, I did a head to head registry competition comparing a define list of Hansen specimens with Eliasberg. I believe it turned out to be fun and interesting, and I think some of you agreed with me. In that challenge, I used a coin listing from a blog authored by Doug Winters on his website. He developed a grouping of about 80-85 coins that he called “Stand Alone Coins”. He set the following criteria for developing this grouping:
The coin is rare but not so rare that it becomes esoteric. The appeal of the coin is widespread. Its "essence" is easily definable--it has a great story or interesting history. It has "cross appeal" --i.e. collectors in various series all want this particular coin. It is affordable. It exists in relatively high grades(s).
This was a fun and competitive challenge. The result was 40-25-9 with the Hansen Collection winning the challenge. This will be another challenge based on a Doug Winter article. I found the list on CoinWeek dated October 31, 2016. The article was titled: Classic US Coins – 50 US Gold Issues with the “Wow” Factor
Mr. Winters indicates that these coins are: Certain issues in the various United States gold types struck between 1795 and 1933 have what might best be called a “Wow Factor.” Something about the issue—be it rarity, design, historic association or low mintage—appeals to a variety of collectors. These coins have strong multiple levels of demand and a “wow” coin might be included in a collection which focuses on trophy coins. He added a note that said: I’ve excluded coins like the 1822 and 1854-S half eagles because even though they have the Wow Factor in spades, they are just too rare for this list. Just for transparency, we all know that Eliasberg owned both of these coins. Mr. Hansen has never owned the 1822, but we do know that he 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, DLRC reported the specimen was sold to an undisclosed client.
The 50 coin list by denomination is as follows:
•Gold Dollars: 3
•Quarter Eagles: 7
•Three Dollars: 2
•Four Dollars: 1
•Half Eagles: 14
•Eagles: 9
•Doubles Eagles: 9
•Miscellaneous: 5
This will be a 10-part feature (with 5 coins weekly) that I will try to update every Sunday. I have not looked ahead, so I do not know who will win this head-to-head competition. I will follow along like everyone else. So, please keep it fun by not looking ahead. If you like read more about this WOW Factor list, this is the link to the original article.
https://coinweek.com/dealers-companies/doug-winter-us-gold/classic-us-coins-50-us-gold-issues-wow-factor/
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
Slow going in the Hansen thread...
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Sorry guys, but I had another commitment the past 2-3 weeks. I should be back to a point that I can now dedicate a few hours a week to the thread. So. Stay tuned.
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
More a comment on the slowing of purchases...
Hansen-Eliasberg Challenge II – Part I
The first five gold coins in this challenge are three gold dollars and two early Quarter Eagles. In this comparison, two very nice Choice Gem gold dollars in Eliasberg collection raised to the top, 1861-D and 1875. I believe these were the two best graded coins from the Eliasberg sampling. Hansen has two MS grade coins in his sampling, the1875 PCGS MS64 gold dollar and the 1861-D PCGS MS60 quarter eagle. Hansen has the 1875 Gold Dollar is both finishes. The mint state is PCGS MS64 and the proof is a stunning PR65DCAM. Both Hansen coins are a better grade than Eliasberg’s MS63. Of all the coins compared, the only Condition Census Top 5 coin was Hansen's 1875 proof. In a very close competition, Hansen won this week’s challenge 3-2.
1855-D Gold Dollar: This one-year type is arguably the rarest gold dollar from Dahlonega. Look for an example with a full date.
Hansen Coin: 1855-D PCGS AU53 PCGS POP 10/25
Eliasberg Coin: 1855-D EST. XF45 PCGS POP 9/44
Hansen Won (1-0)
1861-D Gold Dollar: The only U.S. gold coin incontestably struck by the Confederacy. ‘Nuff said.
Hansen Coin: 1851-D PCGS MS60 PCGS POP 4/18
Eliasberg Coin: 1861-D PCGS MS63 PCGS POP 6/2
Eliasberg Won (1-1)
1875 Gold Dollar: The lowest mintage figure for this denomination with just 400 business strikes made.
Hansen Proof Coin: 1875 PCGS PR65DCAM PCGS POP 2/4
Hansen Coin: 1875 PCGS MS64 PCGS POP 7/11
Eliasberg Coin: 1875 EST. MS63 PCGS POP 6/18
Hansen Won (2-1)
1796 No Stars Quarter Eagle: The first year of issue for this denomination and a one-year type with just 963 struck.
Hansen Coin: 1796 No Stars PCGS AU50 PCGS POP 6/48
Eliasberg Coin: 1796 No Stars EST. XF45 PCGS POP 7/54
Hansen Won (3-1)
1808 Quarter Eagle: A rare one-year type; just 2,710 struck.
Hansen Coin: 1808 PCGS AU53+ PCGS POP 61/34
Eliasberg Coin: 1808 EST. AU58 PCGS POP 13/13
Eliasberg Won (3-2)
Hansen wins the first stage of the challenge by 3 to 2. PCGS Price Guide places the total value of these five Hansen coins at $445,500. It is going to be interesting to see total value of this small sampling from the Great Collection. As stated before, I have not looks ahead and do not know the results. My hope is that it will be fascinating to watch as we have 45 more coins to compare. Listed below are the five coins that we will look at next week. If I recall from memory, Hansen does not have a high grade 1854-S Quarter Eagle, but then not many are. Stay tuned.
1841 Quarter Eagle: Were they all struck as Proofs or were some made as business strikes? Regardless, an important rarity.
1848 CAL Quarter Eagle: The first commemorative American coin and a wonderful Gold Rush relic.
1854-S Quarter Eagle: The first SF quarter eagle and a rarity with around a dozen known from a mintage of just 254.
1856-D Quarter Eagle: With 874, the lowest recorded mintage for any Dahlonega issue. The hardest US gold coin to properly grade.
1863 Quarter Eagle: Only 30 struck, all as Proofs, and a coin made doubly desirable by its Civil War issuance.
D.L. Hansen Collection WOW Coins
1855-D Gold Dollar, AU53 (Gold Shield)
PCGS Coin #7534 / PCGS Serial #34616294
PCGS POP 10/25, PCGS Price Guide Value $40,000
David Akers comments: This is one of the rarest of all gold dollars and is extremely difficult to find in high grades. Because of its rarity, it is generally grossly overgraded, and most specimens that I have seen, including those called AU or even Unc., would barely make EF if they had been the more common 1854 Type II or 1855. Most specimens have an extremely weak 8 in the date, and exhibit severe clash marks on both obverse and reverse. Although some cataloguers talk in terms of only a dozen specimens known, there are certainly many more than that. In fact, probably at least twice that many exist, although as I indicated before, most of them are very low grade.
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1861-D Gold Dollar, MS60 (Gold Shield)
PCGS Coin #7559 / PCGS Serial #50258273
PCGS POP 4/18, PCGS Price Guide Value $80,000
David Akers Comments: With the exception of the uncollectible 1849-C Open Wreath, the 1861-D is generally considered to be the "king" of the gold dollar series. Certainly when offered for sale, it invariably brings a higher price than any other date in comparable condition. However, in my opinion, it is no more rare than the 1856-D and actually is much less rare in uncirculated condition. Several very choice uncirculated 1861-D's are known with the incredible Ullmer coin (purchased by Stanley Kesselman) being the finest that I have ever seen. The exact mintage of the 1861-D is not known since the coins were struck after the Confederacy had taken over the Dahlonega Mint. However, judging from the number of specimens known compared to the number known of the 1856-D and 1860-D, I would estimate the mintage to have been somewhere between 1,200 and 1,500 pieces. Most known specimens are weakly struck, and the U in UNITED on the obverse is invariably weak or even missing.
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1875 Gold Dollar, PR65DCAM (Gold Shield)
PCGS Coin #97625/ PCGS Serial #85197593
PCGS POP 2/4, PCGS Price Guide Value $40,000
Note: There appear to be an issue with PCGS picture. The PCGS Certification Database has PCGS Serial #85197593 as 1875 $1 Proof, but coin in the picture is dated 1877.
David Akers comments: With a total issue of only 420 pieces, the 1875 has one of the lowest mintages of any regularly issued U.S. gold coin. With so low a mintage, essentially all specimens are "first strikes" and therefore invariably have full proof-like surfaces. This has given rise to the false notion that the 1875 gold dollar is more common in proof than it is in uncirculated condition. Most cataloguers have mistakenly called Uncs. "proofs" over the years. Actually, the Uncs. are readily distinguishable from the proofs because all uncirculated 1875 gold dollars have a small thorn-like projection from the throat into the field. This projection is seen only on the Uncs., not on the proofs, and no matter how much a particular 1875 may look like a proof, if it has the projection from the throat into the field, it is an Unc. Hopefully, auction cataloguers, dealers, and collectors alike will now put the myth of how much rarer an Unc. 1875 is than an 1875 proof to rest once and for all.
Scott Rubin’s comments of the proofs: The Proof Gold Dollar of 1875 is a very rare coin in a year of rare gold Philadelphia Mint issued coinage. With a mintage of only 20 Gold Proof Sets this would make it a difficult year to collect.
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1796 No Stars, Quarter Eagle, AU50 (Gold Shield)
PCGS Coin #7645/ PCGS Serial #29531383
PCGS POP 6/48, PCGS Price Guide Value $145,500
David Akers comments: This is a distinct and highly desireable type coin since all subsequent quarter eagles have stars on the obverse. The reverse has 16 stars above the eagle. Most specimens that I have seen are weakly struck on the hair curls around the face, and some specimens also show various degrees of deterioration in the die at the E of LIBERTY. The majority of known pieces are proof-like or at least partially so. A small number of relatively choice uncirculated examples exist, and claims that only 15 to 20 pieces are known seem to me to be exaggerated. A closer estimate of the number extant would probably be between 30 and 40.
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1808 Quarter Eagle, AU53+ (Gold Shield)
PCGS Coin #7660/ PCGS Serial #81770833
PCGS POP 1/34, PCGS Price Guide Value $140,000
David Akers comments: Although not the great rarity it is sometimes made out to be, the 1808 quarter eagle can certainly be considered to be rare, particularly in high grade. Because this is a one-year-only type, it is also unquestionably one of the most popular U.S. gold coins, and therefore, generally brings proportionally higher prices than other dates that are less rare but also less desirable. As the data clearly indicates, most available specimens are in the very fine to extremely fine range. The majority of pieces that I have seen also have edge nicks or rim bruises to some extent, and although most examples of this date are fairly well struck on the figure of Liberty and on the eagle, they are also weakly struck at the borders. Typically, the stars are flat and there are no denticles visible. I have only seen one truly choice mint state example, that being the superb coin from the Dr. J. Hewitt Judd Collection. I examined the coin (and was offered it for sale as were several other dealers and prominent collectors) at the 1972 ANA Convention in New Orleans. To my regret, I passed on the piece at a price in the $12,000 range. The price seemed high at the time, but it would certainly be an incredible bargain today.
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
I also like the originality of the 1796 Draped Bust No Stars quarter eagle.
The Harry Bass and John Dannreuther book Early U.S. Gold Coin Varieties: A Study of Die States, 1795-1834, surpasses all previous publications on early gold in accuracy and depth of research. Akers estimated 30-40 extant, Dannreuther estimates 100-125 known (BD-2), from analysis of years of auction records.
The 1796 QE pictured is the variety BD-2. The 1796 BD-1 No Stars die marriage, which Bass re-discovered in 1971, has only 4-6 known. The PCGS AU50 BD-2 is obverse die state D, and reverse state B. Robert Scot lapped the obverse die to remove clash marks, which made the lower curls weaker. This is the latest die state with numerous obverse die cracks, which is also the most frequently observed.
Good morning Currin!
Any idea if DLH is adding coins to fill the holes in his CAC sets?
I can not answer the question with certainty, but I do know a vast amount of Mr. Hansen’s collection need to be reviewed for CAC approval. This is an item that John Brush have discussed a few times. My thought is the collection will need to be reviewed before any additional coins for the purpose of CAC is considered. Maybe JB can chime in and add more clarity.
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
Possibly, but most coins have already been to CAC so I do not see that many of the DLH non CAC coins passing. Sure, perhaps some. To speed the process, and if CAC would allow it, they could give CAC all the PCGS numbers and eliminate all the coins that CAC has already seen.
Regardless, fulling all the CAC holes would be a major undertaking and expensive. I was curious if they will go in that
direction at some point?
When I saw the PCGS CAC registry one thought crossed my mind---this is good for the Hansen collection. From what I read and observed---he loves coins and loves the chase/challenge. Since he is down to fewer coins needed there is less "action" (still plenty of chase and challenge---but not as much activity). Having a PCGS CAC registry will allow him the fun of more activity while he attempts to finish his original challenge while also "upgrading" to CAC coins. Further, this may also improve the quality of his collection in the totality at the end of the day.
The Fox saint collection posted yesterday.
https://coins.ha.com/c/search-results.zx?N=3183+793+794+791+1577+792+2088+4294946857+4294946077
I'm hoping D.L. is all over it.
My favorite coin from the collection
1911-D MS67+ 2/0 (no bean)
My Saint Set
He could spend millions on upgrades to his saint set.
Any over under on the 27 D?
Barber Proof Dime Update
This is a nice little upgrade to the proof collection. The Hansen Collection has the #1 All-Time Registry set for “Barber Dimes with Major Varieties and 1894-S, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1892-1916)”. Mr. Hansen has the only complete set listed in the registry. PCGS. describes 101 coin set as: The Barber dime series is one filled with legend and romance. There’s the image of little Hallie Daggett skipping down the street in to spend one of her 1894-S dimes her father gave her on a dish of ice cream. There’s the story of the national contest to find a new dime design, only to have the entrants dismissed as “wretched failures.” There’s the surprising rarity of the key dates, and how many key dates there have proved to be in MS65 or better. The 1894-S is collected with the proofs as well as the mint state coins, and will prove to be a formidable hurdle in completing this set. Other key dates in MS65 or better are the 1892-S, 1893-S 1894-O, 1895-O, 1897-S, 1899-O, and at least half a dozen other dates! There are 24 coins in the proof Barber dime series. The mintages range from 425 for the 1914 to 1,245 for the first-year-of-issue 1892.
I will focus a little more on the Proof Set. In this 24 coin subset, Mr. Hansen ranks #2 All-Time. PCGS describes the set as: There are 24 coins in the proof Barber dime series, not counting the branch mint proof 1894-S. The mintages range from 425 for the 1914 to 1,245 for the first-year-of-issue 1892. This is a set that is seldom assembled by collectors, but makes a highly attractive collection when completed. Even the rarest coin in the series, the 1915, has a population of 20 coins in Proof 65 or better condition. Highly popular as a type coin and needed for both 19th and 20th century type sets, the Barber dime in proof is found with and without cameo devices, and some examples come with beautiful toning. The Hansen Collection set is 0.18 point behind the #1 set. It will take several more upgrades to become #1. This POP 2/0 upgrade is a nice help in the endeavor.
1913 Barber Dime PR67+ CAM PCGS POP 2/0
The mintage for the 1913 Barber Dime Proof is 622. The PCGS POP report indicates that 284 have been certified by PCGS, and of these specimens, only 47 obtained the CAM. Oddly enough, there are no DCAM PCGS certified 1913 Barber Dimes. The record price is $37,600 for a Single-Finest Certified PR69 NGC specimen that sold 08-2017 by Heritage Auctions. This Hansen coin is not in that same ballpark. The Hansen coin sold Oct 27, 2019 in the GreatCollections Auction. The coin realized $4,837.50 with buyer’s fees. PCGS values the coin at $8,500. This appear to be a nice buy as well.
1913 Barber Dime PR67+ CAM (Gold Shield)
PCGS Coin #84897 / PCGS Serial #38479715
PCGS POP 2/0, PCGS Price Guide Value $8,500
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
Any more?
Love the write up on the 1913 Barber proof time @Currin ! That really does look like it was minted yesterday!
Great to know the following:
What a great accomplishment. Do we have some information on this as in why is he the only one? Did he buy a former complete set to build his or were there just no other sets? If not, it would be curious to know why not.
This probably deserves it's own thread. I'd love to know if we know of any of the design entrants and I’m curious if they were dismissed because the Mint staff wanted to do the design themselves? We know some of personalities at the Mint back then.
Love that he's not only #2 but has the highest percentage of DCAMs. 12.5% is significantly higher than 8.33%.
On the subject of CAC, it's interesting that 2 of the top 5 sets are 100% complete in CAC. It will be interesting to see what happens with the other top sets.
When looking through his proof set, the following coin stood out:
1893 Barber Dime PCGS PR68+ CAC POP 1/0 Ex-NGC PR69 POP 1/0
The mintage for the 1893 Barber Dime Proof is 792. This was the Single-Finest Certified PR69 NGC specimen before it was crossed to the single finest PCGS PR68+ POP 1/0 CAC. In the NGC old fatty slab it sold for:
All of these prices are a healthy premium over the PCGS Price Guide Value of just $12,500. Also, since these were all in the NGC slab, PCGS Cert Verification doesn't link to any of these. In none of the auctions does the coin have a provenance and there also isn't any on PCGS CoinFacts. I find it exciting when a coin goes from no provenance to notable provenance. Great to have this in the Hansen set!
1893 Barber Dime PR68+ CAC (Gold Shield)
PCGS Coin #4877 / PCGS Serial #36467553
PCGS POP 1/0, PCGS Price Guide Value $12,500
Perhaps Mr. Hansen would like to have a Barber Dime Showdown ?
I’ll lay my Barber dimes down next to his set and we’ll invite the public and Currin to view the coins
Perhaps even RSD will attend
That should give Currin something to write about
I think you’ve shown me a few fairly decent business strike Barber dimes at shows over the years.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
An interesting thing about the Hansen Barber Dime Proof set and CAC is that there are 5 POP 1/0 coins right now. 3 are CAC, 1 is non-CAC and I can't find the cert number for 1 to check. The 1893 PR68+ dime I posed above is actually CAC but not noted as such in the Registry Set. I've added the CAC note now.
Would a POP 1/0 non-CAC ever be rated than a lower grade CAC in the PCGS Registry?
It will be interesting to take a deeper look into each of the sets and the specific coins. Here are the 5 POP 1/0 coins in the set:
In terms of comparing the sets, in addition to CAC, I think DCAM is also important. Right now, Hansen has the highest DCAM percentage of the top 9 sets. Set #10, the JSV set, has a higher DCAM percentage but isn't complete.
It would be nice to do a deeper comparison of the sets but it's difficult as the RSD and Blay sets are both private. Stewart has also posted that he avoids TrueViews for his coins, in which case they also wouldn't be on CoinFacts.
It's easier to compare with the Simpson set which is online with photos and 3 POP 1/0 coins.
Are your coins posted online anywhere? It would be great to check them out!
Good comments. personally I do not care for most dcams except for morgans.
They usually so not come tones and pcgs will not normally five a dcam. to dcam that is toned.
I prefer beautiful toned coins. With seated dollars I especially do not like white dcams.
I assume you can dip some toned cam dimes and make them dcams.
When I was building my proof barbar half set that I,sold to. DLH. I chose not to compete with
Scher as he had many 68 white dcams
I dunno. Seems to me it was just a savvy marketing move to drum up even more interest in the Registry. I'm not going to debate the most valid metric for assessing the "#1 set". Stickers are binary decisions based on a subjective opinion at a given moment in time. The exact criteria for receiving one are unknown and unknowable. Therefore, everyone can choose to assign their own significance to them. I won't attack your preferences if you agree not to attack mine.
I can understand the preference for toning vs. white coins. I tend to like both. I have two very toned seated dollars and am considering a white-ish (not really white, but not super colored) proof now.
By not competing with Scher, do you mean not ranking your set against his? I don't now about proof Barber halves specifically, but toners are generally awarded grade bumps for eye appeal. Was the bump not enough to compete with the 68s here?
Out of curiosity, why do you make an exception for Morgans. Morgans come beautifully toned and I tend to like both Morgan toners and DCAMs.
First I apologize I said RSM and not RSD!
I love toned Morgan's more so than white ones. I can state this about most coins.
However to get a higher score you need dcams in all series .
With the Barber halves I did not want to chase white dcams just for score. Scher did. If there was a gem
toned cam I preferred to buy that. Therefore my score could only go so high.
With Morgans I like both, so in the top set I have lots of white dcams but I also have a box of gem toned examples that are not in a registry set.
Then again, it’s not like there have been tons of opportunities since then, have there?
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Toot that CAC Horn! Do you own stock in CAC?
Can anyone find the 1893 NGC MS69 Barber Dime I posted above (now a PCGS MS68+ CAC) in Legend's realized prices?
PCGS CoinFacts says this was sold by Legend in 2017, but I can't find it in Legend's realized prices.
This is what CoinFacts Condition Census says:
Oh you mean besides Oliver’s set, the 1827 quarter, the 1838-O half and a multitude of other great coins? I guess not...
Mr Hansen has a very nice set of Proof Barber Dimes. The 1893 is drop dead gorgeous ! I don’t think much from the image of his 1913 .
I doubt he Will numerically pass
RSD on either the CAC or the non
CAC Set Registry. The core of the RSD Set used to be owned by
Simpson, then by Laxdive and now by RSD. Laura Sperber was instrumental in forming this set.
Hansen put his set together by himself !
Looking at images of coins can
be deceptive. Seeing and holding coins in hand is a must for me
John Brush/ David Lawrence
Could exhibit various sets of DLH
And invite collectors with a same set
to exhibit next to the Hansen set at various major shows.
TDN is correct when saying DLH
Has not been adding much lately
and missed some super opportunities.
When will he step up to the plate !
Does anyone do this? It's an interesting approach but I've never heard of anyone exhibiting their coins and inviting competing sets to exhibit beside them. I'm guessing this is likely because the purpose of showcasing one's coins isn't to draw comparisons with others but perhaps it's just never been thought of before?
I think the greatest change that I have seen in Mr. Hansen purchasing is this year, that he is not only more selective in what coins he buys, but also, what dealers he buys from. I think over the past three years, and particularly the past 6 months, there are dealers and auction sites that he like to spend his money with and those that he prefers not too. Unfortunately, owners of some nice coins may be missing out on getting their top dollar.
The picture that people try to paint at times can be deceiving. A quick look back at this thread in the past six months will show many great additions. It will be interesting to see if the intensity is still there in 2020. I think sellers and dealers that have coins to sell to Mr. Hansen, should realize at some point, there are only a hand full of coins that are really must have for the collection. If he does not desire your coin, don’t take it so personally, accept the rejection and move on.
My 20th Century Gold Major Design Type Set ---started : 11/17/1997 ---- completed : 1/21/2004
@RedCopper @boiler78 and I will have the top three 1858 12 piece pattern sets on display at the PCGS booth at FUN in two weeks. Each of us has a different theme/goal for our sets, so while there is competition, there are differences in goals. We are going to enjoy each other's sets and would love to see anyone who wants to come in and bring theirs.
Basically my whole collection that has been sold since then.
The large black carbon spot ruins this one for me. Not sure how it ended up in a 67+ holder like that.
Any coins you miss or regret selling?
there are a few I miss like 1794 half cent, the 1796 cent and the 1795 Eagle. At the same time its fun for me to think about what to do next in the coin universe
Good to know. I imagine it will be a great display!
Jeesh!
I thought I didn't like the Barber design.
I guess I never saw the whole thing before this.
I'll be following along with what you target next! Do you have any regrets selling privately vs auction? Less upside but less risk, I suppose.
I've thought the same about my ancients: I have a number of irreplaceable pieces - if I were to sell any one of them, I should probably sell all of them but I'd then need to build a different sort of set to avoid just trying to re-acquire the same coins.
Ok, I guess I got the timeline wrong on that, but didn’t DLH end up with a nice group of your coins? Hardly makes it seem like he was slowing down at that point, anyway.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
No doubt he’s missed some great opportunities, but there’s a whole lot of middle ground between “slow going” and buying it all.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
I'm also curious about this. I like history so one advantage I see of selling at auction is the creation of traceable auction records for posterity, but there are other considerations of course.
i have to laugh. At first in this thread people complained that Hansen was going too fast and just throwing money around. Now just a few years into the collection people say he is going too slow. When i look at his collection in the totality (and we are talking about a big collection), i think Hansen is doing just fine.