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What Classic Coin's price is the most manipulated
Gazes
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Some coins prices just don't seem to make sense to me given their populations. I always hear the price is supported by greater demand. I am sure in some instances that is the case. However, others I suspect the price is kept high through some sort of manipulation. My question is what coin or coins (only asking about classic coins--not modern) do you feel the price is manipulated to keep the price artificially high?
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stellas
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Close (at least in denomination) to the answer that first jumped into my head, $3 gold.
At the moment, 1877 Twenty Cent Pieces. Blink and that will change when a few people come to their senses.
2004 Roosies
mark
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......
1804 quarters and 1844 dimes were hoarded, as were 1793 Liberty Cap cents at one point. 1909 VDB matte proof Lincolns have been hoarded. All of these coins were subjected to market cornering at some level, decreasing their availability to collectors for a period of time. For this reason, collectors of rare coins with low surviving populations (few hundred or less) should be wary of supposed "sleeper" issues that never seem to be offered for sale. Sometimes they really are underrated, and sometimes they are just busy having a family reunion in one particular location.
moderns in top pop
The myriad of minor die varieties in most classic series.
Everyone wants to cherrypick them, very few actually are willing to pay 'catalog' prices for them.
Sorry for my dumb question ... but what does manipulated mean?
Can you clarify how that happens.
That word brings these images to mind ... LOL
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Any particular coin/series I take an interest in.... prices immediately escalate and supply becomes thin....
Cheers, RickO
Yes, dealers have played a lot of games with Franklin Half Dollars through the years. I can remember a time more than 35 years ago when the 1949-S in "Gem condition" (whatever that was in the days before third party grading) sold for over $400.
As a dealer I learned that the grading on these coins was very "fast and lose." You could find better coins in MS-63 and 64 holders than in MS-65 holders. The reason was due the effects of "fast and lose" bulk grading practices. I've seen the prices for Franklin Half Dollars blow up like a volcano and then melt like a snowball in July.
The reason was there were rolls and bags of these coins available in Mint State. Promotions were made easier by the facts that these coins were made of silver and had some size to them. They were “flypaper” for the small collector or investor who could be lured in the phrase, “The government isn’t making these any more … the supply is limited!”
The modern substitute for the Franklin Half Dollar is the American Silver Eagle. My advice is to take heed of the Franklin Half Dollar promotions of the past when you consider the ASE as an “investment opportunity.”
The list would look like the wreckage on a DDAY beach.
SUPER NEW RARITY MUST BUY NOW SNOOZE LOSE TRAIN IS LEAVING THE STATION TO DA MOON
1938-D Buff, 1950-D Jeff, All 1955-S coins, Edge letter A versus B, Wisconsin Quarter Leaves, 569,257 varieties of the 2009 Lincoln Cent, 1965 Clad Quarters with "wavy" clad lines, 1965 Quarters with straight clad lines, 1964 Kennedy, 1999 State Quarter Proofs, Spouse Gold, 5 oz pucks,
List goes on and on.
1794 dollars
1799 large cents, 1796 quarters, 1901-S quarters, 1916 SL quarters, classic commems (1892-1954).
The Franklin's were in mint bags. Now the ASE's are in monster boxes capable of complete market destruction.
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"Numismatic categorizations, if left unconstrained, will increase spontaneously over time." -me
I dont think anything is manipulated, I would call a few coins overvalues.
Stellas are overvalued. Demand is high because they look beautiful.
Most overvalued coin is probably the High Relief 20 USD.
And many type coins seem to be overvalued like the 1796 quarter.
Most undervalued items right now are dated half eagles 1807 - 1834, sadly Im not collecting them.
The main reason the half eagles from 1814 to 1834 are "undervaled" is because they are so darned expensive from the get-go. I could never afford to collect them by date even if I was prepared to wait the decades it takes to get some of them to market.
Yes, I think that the 1794 Silver Dollar has gotten to the over priced stage. I think that the population is up to 135 pieces now, which takes it out of the "major rarity" category. The high grade, really attractive pieces are worth a lot of money because of their historic importance.
BUT the problem pieces now seem to all be worth over $100 thousand, which makes me wonder. If you have even seen very many of them, you will know that they are not very pretty. The coins were often poorly made at the mint, because the mint did not have a coin press that was big enough to strike them, and when you add circulation, cleaning and repsirs, it's not a pretty picture.
This definition is what I think the OP is asking about.
"Manipulate - control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously."
I would think that it would start with one person who has hoarded a certain Type or a group that is colluding to try and influence the price of the Type that they have.
i'm sure there are examples regarding coins but can't think of any other than the Hunt brothers trying to corner the silver market back in the day.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
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**or a group that is colluding to try and influence the price of the Type that they have.
i'm sure there are examples regarding coins but can't think of any
**
I'm probably offbase here, but I've often wondered if the top EAC dealers do that with nicer large cents. It seems that 3-4 folks control the majority of the best large cents that are available on the market, ergo can set prices as high as they want - but I don't think they are conspiring together to do this. Also, when nice coins come up at auction, they generally bring strong prices too, and I doubt the same guys are buying all these.
Yes its a really interesting case, the coins are so rare and expensive even in lower grades, that nobody wants to collect them, especially not in higher grades. If you collect half dollars, the finest ones cost you each between 50k to 100k with some exceptions, the half eagles still are each 300k to 1 Mio and before Pogue the numbers were 2x.
Its a paradox: because they are so rare, nobody collects them and thats why they still are relatively cheap.
I agree on the 1794 Dollar, technically its a date and not a type. In 1995 a PCGS 66+ 1794 Dollar sold for 500k, the same like the 1796 quarter eagle no starts in 65 or the 1796 half dollar. The 1794 Dollar in 66+ now is 5 Mio, the quarter eagle no stars somewhere around 2.5 Mio and the half dollar sold for 800k USD. Why everybody wants to have one ? (thats what makes is expensive)
one more thought regarding manipulation:
if someone buys a nice original coin in an old green PCGS holder, then doctors it and dips it to get it in a high grade NGC holder (its mostly NGC doing that) in order to sell it for a high price to an unexperienced investor / collector, thats probably a manipulation.
I saw it happening again and again since 1999 and its also said because its ruining the beauty of the coins in many cases.
the 1877 indian head cent. jmo
RE:
Most overvalued coin is probably the High Relief 20 USD
It is hard to disagree with this view.
But they are sure are pretty!
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All have been subjected to significant dumping, yet the prices for honest coins have not been driven down.
Especially now that CDN Ask forAU58 Norfolks is over 67 Bid 
On another note, I will take the entire CAC population of MCMVII $20's in AU58 and below at bid
Could those offering examples of manipulated prices describe how this manipulation is occurring?
Add 1824 quarters to rhedden's list of hoarded issues. There are certain varieties also..
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PCGS AU Bust halfs have been in the past...
Agree, but I still bought one b/c it is the most beautiful U.S. coin ever minted.
Easy to disagree. The prices reflect the market demand. They are actually very fairly valued
Hence a horrific ROI.
See my sincere buy offers above for overvalued VG10 - AU58 MCMVII $20 CAC.