My 100 Greatest US Coins Collection

Here is my 1795 Capped Bust Gold Eagle 9 Leaves PCGS AU-55. This coin has a population of 3 with 8 coins graded higher.

This coin is #83 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

Ron Guth:

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.

The strike on this variety is often soft in the centers, where the high points oppose each other. Adjustment marks are sometimes seen, but they are never excessive. At least two examples show depressions or voids in the finished coins, presumably the result of improper preparation of the planchets.

1795 $10 9 Leaves PCGS AU 55 (Pop 3/8)

For me, it's easy actually. 1933 DE is always my favorite.

Here is my 1933 Indian Gold Eagle PCGS MS-65 (CAC Green). This coin has a population of 7 with 4 coins graded higher.

This coin is #43 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

David Akers:

In terms of total number of specimens known in all grades, both circulated and Mint State, the 1933 is definitely the rarest issue in the series. However, because all known 1933 eagles are Uncirculated, when one considers only the Mint State grades this issue ranks third in rarity behind the 1913-S and 1911-D. Most of the 30 to 35 known examples are considerably bagmarked, which is surprising since they were all surely obtained directly from the Mint, and one would expect that care would have been taken to select particularly nice examples. I do not know of any superb (MS-67) examples, but the Delp, Bareford, Kruthoffer, Eliasberg and Stack's October 1984 Sale specimens were all gems, and the Einstein Collection coin was very close. None of these is clearly distinguishable as ""the finest known,"" but some might prefer one over the others, depending on which factors are most important to a particular individual.

Most 1933 eagles are fully frosty although some (cf. Stack's October 1984 Sale, Lot 1377) have a distinctly satiny appearance. Luster is generally only average or slightly below average for the series, but the satiny ones have very good lustre as do a few of the frosty ones. The 1933 is always well struck and the color is typically very good, usually light to medium greenish gold with rose, orange, or coppery highlights. Many specimens also have reddish copper spots. The 1 in the date is almost always weaker than the other numerals. This issue is one of the most famous and popular of the 20th century. The mintage is high but virtually all were melted prior to release. Those in existence were undoubtedly obtained directly from the Mint prior to March 1933. Unlike the 1933 double eagle, the legal ownership status of the 1933 eagle has never been in question.

1933 $10 PCGS MS 65 CAC (Pop 7/4)

Here is my 1875 Three-Dollar Gold Piece PCGS Proof-65 DCAM (CAC Green). This coin has a population of 2 with only 1 coin graded higher. The coin is pedigreed to the Bender Collection.

This coin is #57 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

David Akers:

Next to the legendary 1870-S, the 1875 is the most famous and highly desired three dollar gold piece. It has auction records as high as $150,000, although, as the auction records conclusively show, it is not nearly as rare as the 1873 Open 3 and is, in fact, one of the more common dates in proof prior to the 1880's! Certainly, it has been offered for sale many more times than the 1874 or 1878 which have identical reported mintages of 20 pieces. This apparent discrepancy is answered by the fact that the claimed mintage of 20 for the 1875 is not really accurate since more than 20 pieces are known to exist. The term ""restrike"" has been used when discussing the 1875, but properly used, the term ""restrike"" denotes a coin that is struck in a year later than its date. Such has not been conclusively proven to be the case with the 1875 three dollar gold piece, and although there are differences between known specimens, it is more likely that they were merely struck at different times during the same year rather than in different years.

1875 $3 PCGS PR 65 DCAM CAC (Pop 2/1)

Here is my 1907 Indian Gold Eagle Rolled Edge PCGS MS-67 (CAC Green). This coin has a population of 3 with only 1 coin graded higher.

This coin is #36 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

David Akers:

This issue is listed in Judd's pattern book (J-1775) but it is not truly a pattern in the sense that the 1907 Wire Edge is. The Rolled Edge was actually struck in rather large quantities for circulation but they were melted before ever being released to the public. The surviving examples are mostly high quality and were either saved as assay pieces or obtained directly from the Mint prior to the decision to melt the issue. The strike on the typical Rolled Edge is rather weak, particularly at Miss Liberty's ear and on the eagle's wing and trailing leg and claw. Lustre is almost always excellent, if not radiant, and the color is generally great, usually greenish gold, orange and rose. The fields always have numerous random die scratches throughout, and the surfaces are rather satiny but with plenty of mint frost as well.

This issue is unusual among Indian Head eagles in that it is more often seen in MS-63, MS-64 or MS-65 condition than in the lowest Mint State grades. Overall, probably 40 to 45 pieces exist and a small number of them are superb, in fact, close to perfection. The Wilkinson-Kruthoffer specimen was extraordinary and at least four or five others are also distinctly better than MS-65.

1907 $10 Rolled Edge PCGS MS 67 CAC (Pop 3/1)

Here is my 1867 Shield Nickel Rays PCGS Proof-66 (CAC Green). This coin is one of the finest known with a population of only 2 with no coins graded higher.

This coin is #84 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

NGC Coin Explorer:

The proof 1867 nickel with rays is a significant rarity. It's believed that only a handful were coined before the reverse was revised to omit the rays. These may be identified by the fullness of the dies, as the several subsequent emissions to satisfy collector demand reveal some loss of shallow detail as the dies were repolished. In addition, at least three obverse dies were used at various times over the next several years. Because this issue was so desired, and because a good portion of its mintage occurred after its rarity was established, those that survive today are generally in higher grades than the overall proof population for this coin type. A small number of cameo proofs are known, as well. Most collectors will, of necessity, have to omit this entry in their sets, but it is a top prize for the advanced collector of means.

1867 5C PCGS PR 66 CAC (Pop 2/0)

Here is my 1839 Gobrecht Silver Dollar Original, Coin Alignment PCGS Proof-65. This coin is one of the finest known with a population of only 2 with no coins graded higher. The coin is pedigreed to The Norweb Collection.

This coin is #65 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

Wikipedia:

The Gobrecht dollar, minted from 1836 to 1839, was the first silver dollar struck for circulation by the United States Mint after production of that denomination had been halted in 1806. The coin was struck in small numbers to determine whether the reintroduced silver dollar would be well received by the public.

In 1835, Director of the United States Mint Samuel Moore resigned his post, and Robert M. Patterson assumed the position. Shortly after, Patterson began an attempt to redesign the nation's coinage. After Mint Chief Engraver William Kneass suffered a stroke later that year, Christian Gobrecht was hired as an engraver. On August 1, Patterson wrote a letter to Philadelphia artist Thomas Sully laying out his plans for the dollar coin. He also asked Titian Peale to create a design for the coin. Sully created an obverse design depicting a seated representation of Liberty and Peale a reverse depicting a soaring bald eagle, which were adapted into coin designs by Gobrecht. After the designs were created and trials struck, production of the working dies began in September 1836.

After a small quantity was struck for circulation, the Mint received complaints regarding the prominent placement of Gobrecht's name on the dollar, and the design was modified to place his name in a less conspicuous position. In January 1837, the legal standard for the percentage of precious metal in silver coins was changed from 89.2% to 90%, and the Gobrecht dollars struck afterwards reflect this change. In total, 1,900 Gobrecht dollars were struck during the official production run. Production of the Seated Liberty dollar, which utilized the same obverse design as the Gobrecht dollar, began in 1840. In the 1850s, Mint officials controversially re-struck the coins without authorization.

1839 $1 Gobrecht Original PCGS PR 65 (Pop 2/0)

Here is my 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter PCGS MS-66+ FH (CAC Green). This coin has a population of 4 with 6 coins graded higher.

This coin is #44 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

David Hall:

The 1916 Standing Liberty quarter is the first issue in the series. These coins were not struck until the last two weeks of 1916, and they were released in January, 1917. The mintage is consequently very low, a mere 52,000 coins, making this issue the lowest mintage by far in the Standing Liberty quarter series and indeed one of the lowest mintage U.S. coins of the 20th century. The 1916 Standing Liberty quarter is rare in all grades and has always been a very high demand coin. Today, even extremely low grades sell in excess of $1,000.

The "Type One" Standing Liberty quarter was only minted for two years, 1916 and 1917. Nearly all 1917 Type One quarters were struck with full head detail. However, 1916 Standing Liberty quarters often have softly struck heads. All Gem quality MS65 or better 1916 Standing Liberty quarters are very rare, and those with fully struck heads are rarer still.

1916 25C Standing Liberty PCGS MS 66+ FH CAC (Pop 4/6)

Here is my 1854-O Liberty Gold Double Eagle PCGS AU-55. This coin has a population of 4 with only 1 coin graded higher at AU 58.

This coin is #33 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

David Akers:

The 1854-O is one of the most famous dates in the Double Eagle series and it also one of the rarest. In particular, it is the second rarest O-Mint twenty after the 1856-O and it is comparable overall to the 1870-CC and business strikes of 1881 and 1885. It is not as rare as a business strike 1882 or 1886 and, of course, it is not nearly as rare as the 1861 Paquet. However, other than the aforementioned dates, the 1854-O is more rare than any other regular issue Liberty Head. (The proof-only 1883 and 1884 are also a bit more rare than this date, particularly the 1884.) The only specimen catalogued as "uncirculated" was in the 1944 Bell sale. I have not seen that piece so I cannot say if it is really uncirculated. In fact, I have not seen a strictly mint state example in any collection although I have seen three very nice AU's, the finest being an AU-55 coin in a prominent Dallas bank collection. When available, and that is not likely to be very often, the typical 1854-O is VF or EF with a partially prooflike or fully prooflike surface.

1854-O $20 PCGS AU 55 (Pop 4/1)

Here is my 1851 Seated Liberty Silver Dollar PCGS MS-64. This coin has a population of 6 with only 1 coin graded higher at MS 65.

This coin was ranked #81 in the first edition of the 100 Greatest US Coins book, but it is no longer included in the latest edition of the book.

Q. David Bowers:

Mint records indicate that 1,300 dollars bearing this date were minted. As noted, these were not placed into circulation at the time. Probably, they left the Mint in the year or two succeeding, in exchange for bullion deposits (this is speculation). The desirability of the low-mintage 1851 and 1852 dates was recognized early in the numismatic game, by which time most were no longer available at the source. By 1858, the "Midnight Minters" and others at the Mint knew full well that the 1851 (and 1852) dollars were rarities. It is logical to assume that by that time the original circulation strike mintages had been dispersed.

I believe that sharp-eyed bank tellers, Treasury employees, hotel clerks, and others, perhaps equipped with a coin buying guide issued by Cook, Morey, von Bergen, or some other nineteenth century precursor of B. Max Mehl, snapped up all the examples they could find. Such coin premium books were distributed in large quantities beginning with Cook's efforts in the mid-1870s and, for all I know, even earlier by others. Even so, very few were ever found.

The 1851 is a great rarity in circulated grades. Walter H. Breen suggests that most that do survive in worn grades are at higher levels such as grade EF or AU. (Letter to the author, February 12, 1992.) Most 1851 dollars known to exist are in Mint State. I suspect that the Mint saved a few at the time of issue, perhaps for trading purposes to acquire pieces for the Mint Cabinet.

1851 $1 PCGS MS 64 CAC (Pop 6/1)

Here is my 1870-CC Liberty Gold Double Eagle PCGS AU-53. This coin has a population of 1 with only 1 coin graded higher.

This coin is #75 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

David Akers:

Without question this is one of the rarest and most famous of all Double Eagles. It is by far the rarest CC-Mint twenty and it is surpassed in overall rarity among all regular issue Liberty Heads only by the 1861 Paquet, the 1856-O, and the business strikes of 1882 and 1886. The 1870-CC is similar in rarity to the 1854-O and business strikes of 1881 and 1885 and just a little less rare than the proof-only 1883 and 1884. From the standpoint of condition rarity, the 1870-CC is one of the rarest, if not the rarest, dates in the entire series. I have never seen a full AU and the typical 1870-CC is only F or VF with a heavily bagmarked, prooflike surface. Q. David Bowers has written that he handled a mint state 1870-CC many years ago and so that specimen is undoubtedly the finest known example of this rare date by a considerable margin.

Ron Guth:

The 1870-CC $20 combines extreme rarity, the allure of gold, a large size, and the lore of the Carson City Mint in a neat, tidy, and very expensive package. At least one expert believes that the surviving population numbers only 35-45 examples, but this seems low considering that PCGS alone has certified 34 coins (as of October 2014). Add in coins certified by NGC, subtract resubmissions and crossovers, and the correct number is probably over 50 examples. Regardless, the 1870-CC $20 is under considerable pressure from collectors of the Liberty Head series, fans of the Carson City Mint, and anyone looking for a trophy coin.

This date is not known for being well struck; rather, a common complaint is that some or all of the obverse stars are flat. Most of the surviving population hovers around the XF45 grade, with few examples on either side, especially the higher side.

1870-CC $20 PCGS AU 53 (Pop 1/1)

Here is my 1852 California Gold $50 U.S. Gold Assay Office San Francisco 884 Thous PCGS MS-62. This coin has a population of 1 with only 1 coin graded higher at MS 63.

This coin is #72 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

100 Greatest Unites States Coins 6th Edition:

The 1848 discovery of gold in California created special problems for certain of the state's inhabitants. The massive influx of people, coupled with inflation and a lack of coins with which to conduct business, led to great difficulties. Gold dust became a de facto currency, but measurements varied, often to the detriment of the owner of the dust. Private minters moved in to fill the void, producing a variety of gold coins of somewhat suspect quality and purity.

To help solve the problem, a U.S. Assay Office was created in 1851 in San Francisco under the direction of Augustus Humbert. He contracted with the firm of Moffat & Company to produce massive $50 coins with eight sides and nearly 2.75 troy ounces of pure gold. Known today as "slugs," these big, heavy coins created a new level of confidence with the general public, essentially driving the underweight and impure coins out of circulation. Unfortunately, the slugs failed to address the need for smaller denomination coins.

Because they were technically ingots and not coins, the $50 slugs were not required to be of the same 90 percent purity as federal gold coins. Thus, four different finenesses appear on the $50 slugs: .880, .884, .887, and .900. The earliest versions had lettered edges later versions had reeded edges. Some varieties required as many as 14 steps to produce a single coin!

Although they were produces in large quantities, most of the $50 slugs were melted down and converted into U.S. gold coins once the San Francisco Mint began operations in 1854. Today, $50 slugs are prized, impressive reminders of an important part of our U.S. heritage.

1852 $50 Assay 887 PCGS MS 62 (Pop 1/1)

Here is my 1844-O Liberty Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67 DCAM (CAC Green). This coin is the single finest known as it is unique. The coin is pedigreed to Lorin G. Parmelee and King Farouk.

This coin is #45 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

100 Greatest Unites States Coins 6th Edition:

These coins' first public appearance was in the 1890 sale of Lorin G. Parmelee's collection. Both an 1844-O half eagle and an 1844-O eagle Proof were sold at the same sale. In the Parmelee auction, the $10 piece was cataloged as "Eagle: O mint sharp and perfect Proof: as it is allowable to strike Proofs only at the Philadelphia Mint, it would seem that this lot and the following (the Proof 1844-O $5 gold half eagle) must be extremely rare." The buyer of both coins was William Woodin at $16 and $9.50, respectively. The coins later appeared in Thomas L. Elder's sale of the Woodin Collection in 1911.

According to his journal entry number 57068, Virgil Brand purchased the 1844-O Proof eagle for $50 in 1911. After his death, the Brand Collection was broken up over a period of many years, and the coin did not resurface for some time.

For many years, the rumored existence of the 1844-O Proof eagle only added to its mystique. The late Texas dealer Mike Brownlee heard about the coin in the 1950s while working for the legendary B. Max Mehl, who searched for the coin his entire numismatic life. His search ended in 1994 when he was finally able to purchase the 1844-O Proof eagle for an undisclosed amount. The last auction appearance of the 1844-O Proof half eagle was in the sale of the King Farouk collection. Abe Kosoff sold the coin in 1959, and it now resides in a private collection.

Why the Proof 1844-O half eagle and eagle were struck in the first place is the real mystery. It is possible the coins were struck for a dignitary of this country or some foreign head of state visiting the New Orleans Mint. Perhaps someday researchers will solve the puzzle of these two incredible coins.

1844-O $5 PCGS PR 67 DCAM CAC (Unique)

The 100 Greatest book is actually in its 6th edition, which came out recently.

Ok, I have caught up. From this point forward, I will be posting about 1 new 100g (100 Greatest) coin a day until I have run out of coins to post.

Here is my 1797 Capped Bust Right Gold Half Eagle Small Eagle, 16 Obverse Stars PCGS AU-58. This coin has a population of 4 with only 2 coins graded higher.

This coin is #79 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".

Note: The coin referenced in the 100 Greatest US Coins book in slot #79 is actually the 1797 16 Stars Obverse, Heraldic Reverse Half Eagle. That coin is unique and is permanently housed in the Smithsonian Institution. This Small Eagle Reverse coin is still extremely rare and is a proxy for Heraldic Reverse Half Eagle. Both the PCGS Set Registry and the MyCollect Registry accepts the 1797 $5 16 Stars Obverse, Small Eagle Reverse coin in this slot.

David Akers:

Although not quite as rare as the three other 1797 Half Eagles, the 1797 16 Stars, Small Eagle is still one of the major rarities in the $5 series. I would estimate that at most 25-30 specimens exist in all grades with EF-AU being typical. A few choice uncs exist but none has appeared on the market in many years.

1797 $5 16 Stars PCGS AU 58 (Pop 4/2)