@EastonCollection - For the sake of posterity, I'd try not to quote any full coin w/description posts on this thread. Not trying to be the forum police, but it would keep this extraordinary thread much cleaner for present & future visitors. I'd suggest an edit to "Here is my ......... " without all of the added length, It would be nice if software had quotes collapsed by default but beggars can't be choosers I suppose.
@PeakRarities said: @EastonCollection - For the sake of posterity, I'd try not to quote any full coin w/description posts on this thread. Not trying to be the forum police, but it would keep this extraordinary thread much cleaner for present & future visitors. I'd suggest an edit to "Here is my ......... " without all of the added length, It would be nice if software had quotes collapsed by default but beggars can't be choosers I suppose.
Fabulous thread & collection! Here’s hoping you can locate the incredibly elusive 1854-S $5 & complete the set of all 5 from the first year of the original SF Mint. The $2.5 alone was an incredible acquisition! CONGRATULATIONS!
Here is my 1884 Trade Silver Dollar PCGS Proof-66 CAMEO (CAC Green). This coin is the single finest known with no coins graded higher. (There is one non-cameo graded higher at PR 67.) The coin is pedigreed to Virgil Brand and Louis E. Eliasberg.
The 1884 trade dollar is shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Unknown until 1907, the 1884 trade dollar first appeared when a small hoard of six pieces came on the market, all from the same source. Those six pieces have since been dispersed, along with several other pieces that have appeared on the market. Whenever an 1884 trade dollar comes up for sale, it always creates considerable excitement.
Tradition has placed the mintage of the 1884 trade dollar at 10 coins (all Proofs), a figure that is actually supported by Mint records. Thus, the 1884 trade dollar has a somewhat greater claim to legitimacy than does the 1885 trade dollar, for which no Mint records exist.
For the last several years, the 1884 trade dollar has appeared at auction at the rate of one coin per year. However, this figure is elevated by the sale and resale of one coin that had been off the market for decades. Most of the 1884 trade dollars sold in recent years have gone into strong hands, and it is unlikely that they will reappear any time soon.
All 10 of the 1884 trade dollars are currently accounted for. Several of the coins have long pedigrees and/or have been part of famous coin collections of the past.
What an amazing collection and accomplishment! I didn't see a link to the book itself, so anyone looking to obtain Garrett's 6th ed 100 Greatest United States Coins book can find it at a favorite coin supplier, Amazon, eBay, or on the Whitman site.
John Feigenbaum Whitman Brands: President/CEO (www.greysheet.com; www.whitman.com) PNG: Executive Director (www.pngdealers.org)
@breakdown said:
Some spectacular stuff - thank you for sharing. The 1844-O HE is incredible.
I did not know that the 1875 Half Eagle is no longer on the Top 100 list. That to me is simply wrong. There are many coins on the list (even a few you have shown) that don't measure up with the 1875's rarity and significance.
Anyway, thank you for being an active member and sharing these important coins.
This last version had some interesting maneuvers in the list to say the least.
All 1827 Capped Bust Quarter Dollars, whether an Original struck in 1827 or a Restrike made at a later date, are overdates with a 3 visible beneath the 7 of the date. The Original 1827 Quarter Dollar has always been recognized as a classic rarity. Despite a reported mintage of 4,000 coins, only a dozen or so are known to exist. Most are Proofs, although the Eliasberg coin was well circulated. Because of its rarity, Mint employees restruck the 1827 Quarter sometime prior to 1860 using an 1827 Obverse and an 1819 Reverse. The flat based 2 of the 1819 Reverse indicates a Restrike - all of the Original 1827 Quarter Dollars have a curl based 2. Breen lists twelve different examples of the Restrike in his "Encyclopedia", to which the Byron Reed coin (illustrated at lower right) should be added. According to Breen, at least three of the Restrikes were struck over Quarter Dollars of an earlier date, including one with a visible undertype of 1806! Breen considers these the earliest Restrikes, based on die state evidence he observed (later Restrikes have dies that are "more rusty").
Restrikes were also made in Copper (Judd 48, Pollock 49).
Your collection and this thread get me so excited each time I visit these message boards! I have been visiting these message boards more frequently solely to view your additions. Your 1827/3 quarter is simply speculator. Each coin gets a Love and WOW from me rather than a "like". Thank you so much for sharing your collection with everyone.
I'm happy to see my coins bring joy to people. I think of myself as a custodian of these coins and want to share them with everyone as much as possible. I will show them at coin shows as much as I can. The only limitation is how much insurance is willing to cover. 😃 Come check out the 1844-O proof eagle and half eagle at the next ANA show!
I'm not a fan of people that buy coins and keep them hidden away for decades. 🤷♂️
@EliteCollection said:
I'm happy to see my coins bring joy to people. I think of myself as a custodian of these coins and want to share them with everyone as much as possible. I will show them at coin shows as much as I can. The only limitation is how much insurance is willing to cover. 😃 Come check out the 1844-O proof eagle and half eagle at the next ANA show!
I'm not a fan of people that buy coins and keep them hidden away for decades. 🤷♂️
You just went up a couple notches on the whale rankings list with that statement, as far as i'm concerned. This is the way!
Ha - I wouldn't refer to you as a custodian as all us collectors are custodians. I am thinking that you are a coin connoisseur of the highest quality. Over the years attending shows, I always stopped by GC table and appreciated the coins being displayed. Everyone is simply amazing. I will definitely check out both 1844-O.
If you've checked out coins at the GC table in past shows, you've probably already seen some of my 100g coins on display, although at the time, they weren't publicized as belonging to me.
Awesome 1827 quarter! Glad you have it. If you decide to upgrade to the 66+ Cameo please give me a shot at your 65 Cameo. Thank you for sharing your fabulous coins.
In 1829, the design of the Half Eagle was completely reworked by William Kneass. There are a lot more differences between this 1829 variety and the previous one than just a date size difference and this is the reason I have opted for distinguishing them as Large Planchet and Small Planchet types rather than as Large Date and Small Date varieties as has historically been the case. The Small Planchet is less rare than the Large Planchet type but it is still a great rarity, more rare in fact than the 1815, 1828 or 1819. There are 10-12 known specimens at the present time.
The 1838-O half dollar is one of the classic U.S. numismatic rarities, with a reported mintage of a mere 20 pieces. We italicize "reported" because no 1838-O half dollars appeared in the Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, but the chief coiner later stated that 20 examples had been struck and, of course, we have the coins themselves to prove that they were, indeed, made. Why were no 1838-O half dollars reported by the director? The answer may lie in the special circumstances surrounding their production.
Prior to 1838, the United States' only mint was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With the discovery of gold in Georgia and North Carolina in the 1830s, Treasury officials decided to open branch facilities at Dahlonega, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina. New Orleans, Louisiana, was chosen for the location of a third branch mint, and all three of the new facilities began production of coins in 1838. Dahlonega and Charlotte focused solely on the production of gold coins, while the New Orleans Mint was responsible for both silver and gold coins.
Because many of the known examples appear to have a special finish, most experts believe that all of the 1838-O half dollars began life as Proof coins. This explains why they were listed on the director's report for the year; Proof coins were made in a process separate and apart from that for regular circulation coins, and they were not included in the totals of the coins handed over to the treasury.
The 1838-O half dollar was the first half dollar produced at a branch mint and one of the first U.S. coins to bear a mintmark. The placement of the mintmark on the front of the coin was short-lived. In 1840, the mintmark migrated to the back of the coin, where it stayed until 1916.
@MrEureka said:
Love that 38-O! It’s clearly better than any of the other 64’s.
Indeed. This is the only 64 cameo.
The surfaces are also far less hairlined than the others. All of which I’ve seen in hand, and two of which I’ve owned. Including yours. I miss it!!! Please keep me in mind if it ever falls off the Top 100 list, since you won’t need it anymore.
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
This variety is one of the most famous and popular of all quarter eagles. Because of the interesting history associated with this piece, it has gained a popularity (and an accordingly high price) that exceeds its true rarity. The story behind this popular issue is well known to most collectors. the tiny letters CAL. were punched into the field above the eagle to designate that these coins were minted from the first gold sent to the Philadelphia Mint from California. A small number of extremely choice examples exist. Some of them are fully proof-like and have been sold in the past as "proofs". However, such proofs were not struck with the same dies as the proofs of 1848 (which have a die chip on the neck, the date lower in the field, and the arrowhead detached from the CA of AMERICA) but rather were struck using the circulation dies of 1848. They also lack the sharpness in the hair curls under the ear and therefore, in my opinion, are not really proofs at all but rather first strike, proof-like Uncs.
@EliteCollection - Question - how selective are you when choosing a needed coin when it come available. Or are you acquiring a needed coin that's available, then upgrading along the away. Being selective along the way, makes acquiring one takes much longer as most of these coins don't appear with much frequency.
Again, each coin is crazy amazing.
If the coin is super rare, like only 10 in existent, I'm not super selective and would buy a low grade if it comes up. If it's a pretty common coin and shows up often, I will be more selective and only buy high grades and with CAC sticker. Either way, I will look into upgrading the coin if a better one shows up. I have upgraded quite a few 100g coins over the past years.
The 1838-O is such a special coin. Not until I read the write-up you posted from the Greatest 100 book did I realize the authors have left out one of the most interesting facts about almost all 1838-O halves: it is now believed that they were actually struck at Philadelphia rather than New Orleans.
Apparently a few were later struck in New Orleans in 1839 but most of those were distributed to people in Louisiana and lost to time.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
When the Act of February 21, 1853 was passed, its intended purpose was to return subsidiary silver coinage into circulation by reducing the weight of those denominations enough that their face value exceeded their intrinsic value. Huge quantities of the lighter coins were produced, so much so that by 1855, the law had basically achieved its goal. The gold dollar was created to help fill the void formed by the disappearance of silver from commerce, and as more and more silver coins circulated, the need for the gold dollar began to drop. Circulation strike production figures fell accordingly; in 1855 only 758,269 gold dollars were coined at the Philadelphia Mint while the three Southern branch mints turned out well under 70,000 pieces combined. Once silver quarters and half dollars were frequent sights again, the tiny gold dollar was no longer a desired coin.
The short-lived nature of the design in production tells only part of the story of the extreme rarity of the Type II gold dollar in Proof format. These coins were struck at a time when the Mint had not yet begun marketing yearly Proof coinage to collectors on a wider basis, which practice commenced in 1858/1859. In any event, gold coins of all denominations represented substantial value in the 1850s, meaning that very few collectors had the financial means to acquire and preserve Proofs as collectibles. Demand from what few collectors were active in the Northeast in 1855 and also had the interest and means to acquire these special coins resulted in an estimated mintage of just 10 Proof 1855 gold dollars. On the other hand, once produced and distributed into numismatic hands, these coins had a good chance of surviving, for modern estimates allow for seven to nine extant.
All of your coins are incredible! I can't stop going back to the 1827 quarter and the 1838-O half dollar. Both are gorgeous and both from the Norweb collection.
Being that you've now purchased a large number of them, I'm curious as to if you would re-rank the 100 Greatest or if there are any coins missing that you'd add?
Learn about our world's shared history told through the first millennium of coinage: Colosseo Collection
I think Jeff Garrett has done a great job in picking out the 100 greatest coins and ranking them. In the 6th edition, the 1933 double eagle was move to the #1 position, which I agree is now in the correct place.
@EliteCollection - Do you think that the Brasher Doubloon should have been included in Jeff's book? Love this thread and look forward to the next post.
The requirement for the book is that it has to be official US coins, so unfortunately that excludes the Brasher Doubloon. I can go either way with that coin. I think it's a very special coin but I don't own one... yet!
Without question, the 1815 Half Eagle is one of the most famous and desirable of all U.S. coins. A few other coins, even of this type, may be more rare, but with the exception of the 1822 Half Eagle, it is unlikely that any other U.S. gold coin is more desirable. As far back as the late 19th Century the 1815 was highly regarded as a rarity. For example, in the famous Parmelee Sale of 1890, the 1815 Half Eagle brought $235 compared to the $42 for the 1819, $44 for the 1827, $49 for the 1828 and $52 for the 1829 Large Planchet. (The 1822 brought $900 in that monumental sale.) Although it certainly is extremely rare, the 1815 is actually not quite as rare as many people think. An estimated 12-13 speccimens are known and all of them are at least AU, most of them Unc. However, most are impounded in museums or "permanent" collections and so very few are even potentially available to collectors. Only one has sold at auction in more than 20 years, the specimen in the 1976 ANA sale (Ex Clifford Smith, Davis/Graves) that sold to Stanley Kesselman for $75,000.
Here is my 1876-CC Twenty-Cent Piece PCGS MS-65. This coin has a population of 4 with only 2 coins graded higher. The coin is pedigreed to the Bender Collection.
The twenty-cent piece is one of those well-intentioned coins for which there was never wide-scale acceptance. The new denomination was intended to halt chronic shortchanging in the Western states, but was more likely an appeasement to Western silver miners who lost much of their business when the Mint eliminated some of the silver coins in the Coinage Act of 1873. The twenty-cent piece was basically dead on arrival. Critics derided the confusing similarity between the new coin and the quarter dollar. In a classic "history is destined to repeat itself" moment, the Mint made a similar mistake in 1979 by introducing the ill-fated Susan B. Anthony dollar (also confused with the quarter dollar). As a result, the twenty-cent piece was made for circulation only in 1875 and the beginning of 1876; Proofs were made from 1875 to 1878.
Although the series was short-lived, from it sprang one of America's most famous rarities: the 1876-CC twenty-cent piece.
Early in 1876, approximately 10,000 1876-CC twenty-cent pieces were struck and placed in the Mint's vault awaiting release into circulation. In the meantime, Mint officials in the East realized their mistake in creating the new denomination and ordered the destruction of all of the existing stocks of twenty-cent pieces, including the 10,000 (or so) 1876-CCs. The melted silver was later turned into other coins, and it's interesting to consider that coins exist that were made from a reconstituted 1876-CC twenty-cent piece.
Somehow, a few 1876-CC twenty-cent pieces escaped the melting pot. Today, the roster of survivors includes anywhere from 16 to 20 coins, depending on who performs the survey. Most of the known examples are in Uncirculated condition, although at least one example is circulated.
The 20c 1876-CC is not only extremely rare, but it has one of the most dramatic DDOs on US coins.
(Maybe only surpassed by the 1c 1955 DDO).
Unfortunately, it's one of those varieties that is not going to be possible to cherry pick on ebay!
@EastonCollection said:
Hi @EliteCollection - Another fantastic addition (1875-CC) that I love! Questions- How long have you and Ian been working on this quest?
A little over 4 years. It started with the 1933 DE in 2021.
The 1893-S is the true "King" of the Morgan dollar series. The PCGS CoinFacts Board of experts estimated survival number for all grades is 9948. Dave Bowers has estimated that 6000 to 12,000 survive and I think those numbers are probably accurate. There are probably as many as 10,000 1893-S dollars in all grades.
In Mint State condition, the 1893-S is absolutely the rarest Morgan dollar. And in Gem MS65 or better it's a super rare coin. CoinFacts survival estimate is 123 Mint State survivors and 18 MS65 or better survivors. I believe that MS65ob number is way too high. I think there may very well be 100 or so MS60ob survivors, but no way is there 18 Gems. I believe the true number of MS65 or better examples is probably 6 to 7 coins.
The finest known example is the fabulous Jack Lee MS67, recently sold for over a million dollars. There are 5 or 6 others that have or would grade MS65 at PCGS. Over the years I have handled several Gems, but if there were truly more than 10 MS65ob coins then they would appear much more often than they do.
Note that this is one Morgan that is virtually unknown in prooflike condition.
Ron Guth:
The Eliasberg 1893-S $1 in PCGS MS65 sold in a Legend Rare Coin Auction in October 2014 for a new record price of $646,250, surpassing the previous record held by the Norweb NGC MS67. The big question is how this new record price will affect the value of the spectacularly toned PCGS MS67 Vermeule/Lee/Coronet Collection example, which was acquired by the owner of the Coronet Collection in October 2008 for a price reported to be in excess of $1 million.
@EliteCollection - Your 1893S is "top dog". I believe that David Akers first handled this coin in 11/73 and he graded that coin at the time as a MS-70! Prior to listing the coin in Paramount's price fixed catalog, he displayed this coin at several shows including one in NY where I got to view it. This coin is just amazing along with others that you own.
Yes, the Jack Lee coin is excellent for the grade. 67 base seems sort of low on that one, I could see that in a 7+ or 8. That coin is original as original can be, unfutzed with by every measure. Though I think I'd reference "Vermeule - Jack Lee" over "Coronet" if you only wanted two provenance names, much more historical significance imo.
Thank goodness you didn't spring for the Norweb example, that poor coin .
@EastonCollection said:
Hi @EliteCollection - Another fantastic addition (1875-CC) that I love! Questions- How long have you and Ian been working on this quest?
A little over 4 years. It started with the 1933 DE in 2021.
What was your thought process going in to the acquisition of the '33 DE? Was this a coin you were seeking, or was it just an opportunity that happened to present itself?
I've wanted to coin ever since it first went up for auction in 2002, but I didn't have the means at the time. So I couldn't pass up the opportunity to own it when it became possible in 2021.
I previously had a modest Saints set with average grade of MS 62 or so and missing many of the key dates. Once I got the 1933, I decided to go all in and build the best Saints set.
Comments
@EastonCollection - For the sake of posterity, I'd try not to quote any full coin w/description posts on this thread. Not trying to be the forum police, but it would keep this extraordinary thread much cleaner for present & future visitors. I'd suggest an edit to "Here is my ......... " without all of the added length, It would be nice if software had quotes collapsed by default but beggars can't be choosers I suppose.
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BHNC #248 … 130 and counting.
Fabulous thread & collection! Here’s hoping you can locate the incredibly elusive 1854-S $5 & complete the set of all 5 from the first year of the original SF Mint. The $2.5 alone was an incredible acquisition! CONGRATULATIONS!
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
Nickelodeon
You have some truly amazing coins!!
Thank you for sharing them
Here is my 1884 Trade Silver Dollar PCGS Proof-66 CAMEO (CAC Green). This coin is the single finest known with no coins graded higher. (There is one non-cameo graded higher at PR 67.) The coin is pedigreed to Virgil Brand and Louis E. Eliasberg.
This coin is #28 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".
100 Greatest Unites States Coins 6th Edition:
The 1884 trade dollar is shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Unknown until 1907, the 1884 trade dollar first appeared when a small hoard of six pieces came on the market, all from the same source. Those six pieces have since been dispersed, along with several other pieces that have appeared on the market. Whenever an 1884 trade dollar comes up for sale, it always creates considerable excitement.
Tradition has placed the mintage of the 1884 trade dollar at 10 coins (all Proofs), a figure that is actually supported by Mint records. Thus, the 1884 trade dollar has a somewhat greater claim to legitimacy than does the 1885 trade dollar, for which no Mint records exist.
For the last several years, the 1884 trade dollar has appeared at auction at the rate of one coin per year. However, this figure is elevated by the sale and resale of one coin that had been off the market for decades. Most of the 1884 trade dollars sold in recent years have gone into strong hands, and it is unlikely that they will reappear any time soon.
All 10 of the 1884 trade dollars are currently accounted for. Several of the coins have long pedigrees and/or have been part of famous coin collections of the past.
1884 T$1 PCGS PR 66 CAM CAC (Pop 1/0)
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Thats amazing. The stuff of legends.
What an amazing collection and accomplishment! I didn't see a link to the book itself, so anyone looking to obtain Garrett's 6th ed 100 Greatest United States Coins book can find it at a favorite coin supplier, Amazon, eBay, or on the Whitman site.
Whitman Brands: President/CEO (www.greysheet.com; www.whitman.com)
PNG: Executive Director (www.pngdealers.org)
This last version had some interesting maneuvers in the list to say the least.
Here is my 1827/3 Capped Bust Quarter Original PCGS Proof-65 CAMEO (CAC Green). This coin has a population of 1 with only 1 coin graded higher at PR 66+. The coin is pedigreed to Joseph Jacob Mickley and the Norweb Collection.
This coin is #90 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".
Ron Guth:
All 1827 Capped Bust Quarter Dollars, whether an Original struck in 1827 or a Restrike made at a later date, are overdates with a 3 visible beneath the 7 of the date. The Original 1827 Quarter Dollar has always been recognized as a classic rarity. Despite a reported mintage of 4,000 coins, only a dozen or so are known to exist. Most are Proofs, although the Eliasberg coin was well circulated. Because of its rarity, Mint employees restruck the 1827 Quarter sometime prior to 1860 using an 1827 Obverse and an 1819 Reverse. The flat based 2 of the 1819 Reverse indicates a Restrike - all of the Original 1827 Quarter Dollars have a curl based 2. Breen lists twelve different examples of the Restrike in his "Encyclopedia", to which the Byron Reed coin (illustrated at lower right) should be added. According to Breen, at least three of the Restrikes were struck over Quarter Dollars of an earlier date, including one with a visible undertype of 1806! Breen considers these the earliest Restrikes, based on die state evidence he observed (later Restrikes have dies that are "more rusty").
Restrikes were also made in Copper (Judd 48, Pollock 49).
1827/3 25C Original PCGS PR 65 CAM CAC (Pop 1/1)
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That is a beauty. How many of these have you gotten through Ian and the team at GC?
I've got most of these via Ian and GC. Some where private deals and some where from auctions.
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Amazing.
Thanks for sharing.
Your collection and this thread get me so excited each time I visit these message boards! I have been visiting these message boards more frequently solely to view your additions. Your 1827/3 quarter is simply speculator. Each coin gets a Love and WOW from me rather than a "like". Thank you so much for sharing your collection with everyone.
I'm happy to see my coins bring joy to people. I think of myself as a custodian of these coins and want to share them with everyone as much as possible. I will show them at coin shows as much as I can. The only limitation is how much insurance is willing to cover. 😃 Come check out the 1844-O proof eagle and half eagle at the next ANA show!
I'm not a fan of people that buy coins and keep them hidden away for decades. 🤷♂️
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You just went up a couple notches on the whale rankings list with that statement, as far as i'm concerned. This is the way!
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Ha - I wouldn't refer to you as a custodian as all us collectors are custodians. I am thinking that you are a coin connoisseur of the highest quality. Over the years attending shows, I always stopped by GC table and appreciated the coins being displayed. Everyone is simply amazing. I will definitely check out both 1844-O.
If you've checked out coins at the GC table in past shows, you've probably already seen some of my 100g coins on display, although at the time, they weren't publicized as belonging to me.
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Awesome 1827 quarter! Glad you have it. If you decide to upgrade to the 66+ Cameo please give me a shot at your 65 Cameo. Thank you for sharing your fabulous coins.
Here is my 1829 Capped Head Gold Half Eagle Small Date PCGS MS-62 (CAC Green). This coin has a population of 3 with only 2 coins graded higher.
This coin is #77 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".
David Akers:
In 1829, the design of the Half Eagle was completely reworked by William Kneass. There are a lot more differences between this 1829 variety and the previous one than just a date size difference and this is the reason I have opted for distinguishing them as Large Planchet and Small Planchet types rather than as Large Date and Small Date varieties as has historically been the case. The Small Planchet is less rare than the Large Planchet type but it is still a great rarity, more rare in fact than the 1815, 1828 or 1819. There are 10-12 known specimens at the present time.
1829 $5 Small Size PCGS MS 62 CAC (Pop 3/2)
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This thread is the best of all time. So impressive that you have a nice write up about each coin as well. Very classy.
Here is my 1838-O Capped Bust Half Dollar Branch Mint PCGS Proof-64 CAMEO (CAC Green). This coin is the single finest known with no coins graded higher. The coin is pedigreed to the Norweb Collection.
This coin is #30 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins" and also in "Elite's Top Ten Famous U.S. Ultra Rarities".
100 Greatest Unites States Coins 6th Edition:
The 1838-O half dollar is one of the classic U.S. numismatic rarities, with a reported mintage of a mere 20 pieces. We italicize "reported" because no 1838-O half dollars appeared in the Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, but the chief coiner later stated that 20 examples had been struck and, of course, we have the coins themselves to prove that they were, indeed, made. Why were no 1838-O half dollars reported by the director? The answer may lie in the special circumstances surrounding their production.
Prior to 1838, the United States' only mint was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With the discovery of gold in Georgia and North Carolina in the 1830s, Treasury officials decided to open branch facilities at Dahlonega, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina. New Orleans, Louisiana, was chosen for the location of a third branch mint, and all three of the new facilities began production of coins in 1838. Dahlonega and Charlotte focused solely on the production of gold coins, while the New Orleans Mint was responsible for both silver and gold coins.
Because many of the known examples appear to have a special finish, most experts believe that all of the 1838-O half dollars began life as Proof coins. This explains why they were listed on the director's report for the year; Proof coins were made in a process separate and apart from that for regular circulation coins, and they were not included in the totals of the coins handed over to the treasury.
The 1838-O half dollar was the first half dollar produced at a branch mint and one of the first U.S. coins to bear a mintmark. The placement of the mintmark on the front of the coin was short-lived. In 1840, the mintmark migrated to the back of the coin, where it stayed until 1916.
1838-O 50C PCGS PR 64 BM CAM CAC (Pop 1/0)
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one very impressive coin after another!
Love that 38-O! It’s clearly better than any of the other 64’s.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Indeed. This is the only 64 cameo.
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The surfaces are also far less hairlined than the others. All of which I’ve seen in hand, and two of which I’ve owned. Including yours. I miss it!!! Please keep me in mind if it ever falls off the Top 100 list, since you won’t need it anymore.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Here is my 1848 Liberty Gold Quarter Eagle CAL. PCGS MS-64 (CAC Green). This coin has a population of 7 with 8 coins graded higher. The coin is pedigreed to Harry W. Bass, Jr.
This coin is #68 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".
David Akers:
This variety is one of the most famous and popular of all quarter eagles. Because of the interesting history associated with this piece, it has gained a popularity (and an accordingly high price) that exceeds its true rarity. The story behind this popular issue is well known to most collectors. the tiny letters CAL. were punched into the field above the eagle to designate that these coins were minted from the first gold sent to the Philadelphia Mint from California. A small number of extremely choice examples exist. Some of them are fully proof-like and have been sold in the past as "proofs". However, such proofs were not struck with the same dies as the proofs of 1848 (which have a die chip on the neck, the date lower in the field, and the arrowhead detached from the CA of AMERICA) but rather were struck using the circulation dies of 1848. They also lack the sharpness in the hair curls under the ear and therefore, in my opinion, are not really proofs at all but rather first strike, proof-like Uncs.
1848 $2.50 CAL PCGS MS 64 CAC (Pop 7/8)
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@EliteCollection - Question - how selective are you when choosing a needed coin when it come available. Or are you acquiring a needed coin that's available, then upgrading along the away. Being selective along the way, makes acquiring one takes much longer as most of these coins don't appear with much frequency.
Again, each coin is crazy amazing.
If the coin is super rare, like only 10 in existent, I'm not super selective and would buy a low grade if it comes up. If it's a pretty common coin and shows up often, I will be more selective and only buy high grades and with CAC sticker. Either way, I will look into upgrading the coin if a better one shows up. I have upgraded quite a few 100g coins over the past years.
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The 1838-O is such a special coin. Not until I read the write-up you posted from the Greatest 100 book did I realize the authors have left out one of the most interesting facts about almost all 1838-O halves: it is now believed that they were actually struck at Philadelphia rather than New Orleans.
Apparently a few were later struck in New Orleans in 1839 but most of those were distributed to people in Louisiana and lost to time.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
Here is my 1855 Indian Princess Gold Dollar PCGS Proof-64 DCAM (CAC Green). This coin has a population of 1 with 4 coins graded higher.
This coin is #60 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".
Stack's & Bowers:
When the Act of February 21, 1853 was passed, its intended purpose was to return subsidiary silver coinage into circulation by reducing the weight of those denominations enough that their face value exceeded their intrinsic value. Huge quantities of the lighter coins were produced, so much so that by 1855, the law had basically achieved its goal. The gold dollar was created to help fill the void formed by the disappearance of silver from commerce, and as more and more silver coins circulated, the need for the gold dollar began to drop. Circulation strike production figures fell accordingly; in 1855 only 758,269 gold dollars were coined at the Philadelphia Mint while the three Southern branch mints turned out well under 70,000 pieces combined. Once silver quarters and half dollars were frequent sights again, the tiny gold dollar was no longer a desired coin.
The short-lived nature of the design in production tells only part of the story of the extreme rarity of the Type II gold dollar in Proof format. These coins were struck at a time when the Mint had not yet begun marketing yearly Proof coinage to collectors on a wider basis, which practice commenced in 1858/1859. In any event, gold coins of all denominations represented substantial value in the 1850s, meaning that very few collectors had the financial means to acquire and preserve Proofs as collectibles. Demand from what few collectors were active in the Northeast in 1855 and also had the interest and means to acquire these special coins resulted in an estimated mintage of just 10 Proof 1855 gold dollars. On the other hand, once produced and distributed into numismatic hands, these coins had a good chance of surviving, for modern estimates allow for seven to nine extant.
1855 G$1 PCGS PR 64 DCAM CAC (Pop 1/4)
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Keep ‘em coming, Elite! I have an endless supply of “Likes”. 🙂
All of your coins are incredible! I can't stop going back to the 1827 quarter and the 1838-O half dollar. Both are gorgeous and both from the Norweb collection.
Before I start my day, I visit this thread to see what the new Amazing coin has been added. Very exciting! Where's the "Love" button!
Being that you've now purchased a large number of them, I'm curious as to if you would re-rank the 100 Greatest or if there are any coins missing that you'd add?
I think Jeff Garrett has done a great job in picking out the 100 greatest coins and ranking them. In the 6th edition, the 1933 double eagle was move to the #1 position, which I agree is now in the correct place.
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@EliteCollection - Do you think that the Brasher Doubloon should have been included in Jeff's book? Love this thread and look forward to the next post.
The requirement for the book is that it has to be official US coins, so unfortunately that excludes the Brasher Doubloon. I can go either way with that coin. I think it's a very special coin but I don't own one... yet!
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Here is my 1815 Capped Head Gold Half Eagle BD-1 PCGS MS-62. This coin has a population of 1 with only 2 coins graded higher. The coin is pedigreed to Harry W. Bass, Jr.
This coin is #50 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".
David Akers:
Without question, the 1815 Half Eagle is one of the most famous and desirable of all U.S. coins. A few other coins, even of this type, may be more rare, but with the exception of the 1822 Half Eagle, it is unlikely that any other U.S. gold coin is more desirable. As far back as the late 19th Century the 1815 was highly regarded as a rarity. For example, in the famous Parmelee Sale of 1890, the 1815 Half Eagle brought $235 compared to the $42 for the 1819, $44 for the 1827, $49 for the 1828 and $52 for the 1829 Large Planchet. (The 1822 brought $900 in that monumental sale.) Although it certainly is extremely rare, the 1815 is actually not quite as rare as many people think. An estimated 12-13 speccimens are known and all of them are at least AU, most of them Unc. However, most are impounded in museums or "permanent" collections and so very few are even potentially available to collectors. Only one has sold at auction in more than 20 years, the specimen in the 1976 ANA sale (Ex Clifford Smith, Davis/Graves) that sold to Stanley Kesselman for $75,000.
1815 $5 PCGS MS 62 (Pop 1/2)
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Ah, my old 38-O. Was in a fatty 64 holder when I bought it.
Here is my 1876-CC Twenty-Cent Piece PCGS MS-65. This coin has a population of 4 with only 2 coins graded higher. The coin is pedigreed to the Bender Collection.
This coin is #29 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins" and also in "Elite's Top Ten Famous U.S. Ultra Rarities".
100 Greatest Unites States Coins 6th Edition:
The twenty-cent piece is one of those well-intentioned coins for which there was never wide-scale acceptance. The new denomination was intended to halt chronic shortchanging in the Western states, but was more likely an appeasement to Western silver miners who lost much of their business when the Mint eliminated some of the silver coins in the Coinage Act of 1873. The twenty-cent piece was basically dead on arrival. Critics derided the confusing similarity between the new coin and the quarter dollar. In a classic "history is destined to repeat itself" moment, the Mint made a similar mistake in 1979 by introducing the ill-fated Susan B. Anthony dollar (also confused with the quarter dollar). As a result, the twenty-cent piece was made for circulation only in 1875 and the beginning of 1876; Proofs were made from 1875 to 1878.
Although the series was short-lived, from it sprang one of America's most famous rarities: the 1876-CC twenty-cent piece.
Early in 1876, approximately 10,000 1876-CC twenty-cent pieces were struck and placed in the Mint's vault awaiting release into circulation. In the meantime, Mint officials in the East realized their mistake in creating the new denomination and ordered the destruction of all of the existing stocks of twenty-cent pieces, including the 10,000 (or so) 1876-CCs. The melted silver was later turned into other coins, and it's interesting to consider that coins exist that were made from a reconstituted 1876-CC twenty-cent piece.
Somehow, a few 1876-CC twenty-cent pieces escaped the melting pot. Today, the roster of survivors includes anywhere from 16 to 20 coins, depending on who performs the survey. Most of the known examples are in Uncirculated condition, although at least one example is circulated.
1876-CC 20C PCGS MS 65 (Pop 4/2)
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The 20c 1876-CC is not only extremely rare, but it has one of the most dramatic DDOs on US coins.
(Maybe only surpassed by the 1c 1955 DDO).
Unfortunately, it's one of those varieties that is not going to be possible to cherry pick on ebay!
Hi @EliteCollection - Another fantastic addition (1875-CC) that I love! Questions- How long have you and Ian been working on this quest?
Just astonishing -- thanks for sharing your amazing project with all of us!
A little over 4 years. It started with the 1933 DE in 2021.
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Does anyone else ever open up a thread and feel like a hobo wandering through Beverly Hills?
Here is my 1893-S Morgan Silver Dollar PCGS MS-67 (CAC Green). This coin is the single finest known with no coins graded higher. The coin is pedigreed to Jack Lee and the Coronet Collection.
This coin is #41 in my set "Elite's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins".
David Hall:
The 1893-S is the true "King" of the Morgan dollar series. The PCGS CoinFacts Board of experts estimated survival number for all grades is 9948. Dave Bowers has estimated that 6000 to 12,000 survive and I think those numbers are probably accurate. There are probably as many as 10,000 1893-S dollars in all grades.
In Mint State condition, the 1893-S is absolutely the rarest Morgan dollar. And in Gem MS65 or better it's a super rare coin. CoinFacts survival estimate is 123 Mint State survivors and 18 MS65 or better survivors. I believe that MS65ob number is way too high. I think there may very well be 100 or so MS60ob survivors, but no way is there 18 Gems. I believe the true number of MS65 or better examples is probably 6 to 7 coins.
The finest known example is the fabulous Jack Lee MS67, recently sold for over a million dollars. There are 5 or 6 others that have or would grade MS65 at PCGS. Over the years I have handled several Gems, but if there were truly more than 10 MS65ob coins then they would appear much more often than they do.
Note that this is one Morgan that is virtually unknown in prooflike condition.
Ron Guth:
The Eliasberg 1893-S $1 in PCGS MS65 sold in a Legend Rare Coin Auction in October 2014 for a new record price of $646,250, surpassing the previous record held by the Norweb NGC MS67. The big question is how this new record price will affect the value of the spectacularly toned PCGS MS67 Vermeule/Lee/Coronet Collection example, which was acquired by the owner of the Coronet Collection in October 2008 for a price reported to be in excess of $1 million.
1893-S $1 PCGS MS 67 CAC (Pop 1/0)
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@EliteCollection - Your 1893S is "top dog". I believe that David Akers first handled this coin in 11/73 and he graded that coin at the time as a MS-70! Prior to listing the coin in Paramount's price fixed catalog, he displayed this coin at several shows including one in NY where I got to view it. This coin is just amazing along with others that you own.
Yes, the Jack Lee coin is excellent for the grade. 67 base seems sort of low on that one, I could see that in a 7+ or 8. That coin is original as original can be, unfutzed with by every measure. Though I think I'd reference "Vermeule - Jack Lee" over "Coronet" if you only wanted two provenance names, much more historical significance imo.
Thank goodness you didn't spring for the Norweb example, that poor coin
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What was your thought process going in to the acquisition of the '33 DE? Was this a coin you were seeking, or was it just an opportunity that happened to present itself?
I've wanted to coin ever since it first went up for auction in 2002, but I didn't have the means at the time. So I couldn't pass up the opportunity to own it when it became possible in 2021.
I previously had a modest Saints set with average grade of MS 62 or so and missing many of the key dates. Once I got the 1933, I decided to go all in and build the best Saints set.
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