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Name a US Coin that rarely appears on the market within a grade range you would stretch to buy
DisneyFan
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Often one reads a member here would stretch to buy a coin if it ever appears on the market. It would interesting to read about some examples. Please do not include coins that are considered considered varieties or exonumia.
I'll start off by naming a 1895-S Barber quarter in MS64-MS66 CAC.
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After years of trying to complete my own version of colonial type set, a few still elude me. Need one of those Sommer Island hogge coins, a Baltimore shilling, a decent bar copper, a 1737 Higley, a few others. And one of those big old $50 gold octagons from 1850s. They always get bid beyond my reach, but, someday…
Mine are mostly hard to find Large Cent types, like an AMERI./With Periods Chain or a decent ‘93 Lib Cap. I would be a buyer for any of these in virtually any grade as long as the color is good and the quality is above par.
Last year I found just such a coin, a very nice raw S-20b Liberty Cap cent, head of 1793, with the flat date. It’s still the most I’ve ever paid by far for a Fine-15, but I couldn’t be happier about it. It was indeed a stretch. I paid nearly a 50% premium for the originality. The color is amazing. Just clean even wear.
Empty Nest Collection
An 1875-P chopmarked trade dollar with definitive die matching.
I would happily set an auction record for chopmarked t$ by an extremely unhealthy amount.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
1907-S Liberty $10 MS63.
fka renman95, Sep 2005, 7,000 posts
1947 Saudi Arabia Gold Pound (KM#35)
In most any grade.
Classic Head Large Cents (1808–1814)
Tough to find nice that's within my budget.
Any and all of the last 3 years of the Barber half dollars from Philly from 1913, 1914, and 1915 in PCGS MS65+ with CAC.
1920-D SLQ in MS FH
Fugio cent.
I've been looking for years for an XF/AU or better coin with NO planchet flaws and a full strike. They are SCARCE. The only coin i saw that even fit those conditions was a 65, i think, that got away from me at auction.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
1793 Chain AMERI. Cent. I would like to buy one in VF-25 to EF-40. Stacks-Bowers had one graded EF-40, which was really better (Old Green Label holder.) They advised me to bid high because of that. I bid way over the price guides and the previous auction results and came in third.
I made offers to three or four people using the Heritage “make an offer to the owner” program. None of them worked. One of them withdrew their coin from program after I made my offer. I was going to try to sweeten it.
One big dealer has one which is marginal for grade. His price is almost double what he paid for it. (It is possible to trace the auction sales history of specific significant coins using the Internet. It has sat for more than a year. When he puts out a “wholesale price list,” he lowers the price on everything except that.
Another dealer had one in Fine with a weak date, which was not as nice as I wanted. His price was $10,000 (30%) higher than its last price realized at auction. That also sat for a year.
I finally gave up and bought other coins, like a 1907 Wire Rim $10 gold in MS-65 and decent, but not great 1797, 16 Star obverse dime instead. The Chain AMERI. is not met to be for me.
That really depends on your budget. When I was building my large cent one a year set, I found them all without huge difficulty in grades ranging from VF-25 to AU-58. The AU-58, which is also my type coin, cost me a “stretch price,” but it is really nice. I’ll post a picture later.
But yea, I’ll grant you nice smooth ones are hard to find.
Here is an AU-58 graded piece. I paid a premium for this.
This is graded VF-25. This one came from the collection of the late Dick August, a collector I knew when I lived in the Boston area. The 1811 is a better date.
Found mine, it was a stretch for my budget but the grade (G6), the planchet, the look and the CAC validation in that particular grade sealed the deal. Sometimes you just have to go all in.
Other passions include golf, Moto Guzzi motorcycles, and Euro motorcycles in general.
Chris
Here’s a second example, same comments about the chain above apply here, though this is VG8, CAC. I’ve long been intrigued by the Mickley story.
I really stretched for this one, so glad I did.
Other passions include golf, Moto Guzzi motorcycles, and Euro motorcycles in general.
Chris
Just checked the CAC website. They don't exist...yet.
I am looking for a PCGS AU58+ in just about any of the pre-presidential coinage.
...and I would like to have an 18th Century coin in a problem free PCGS holder.
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Maybe things have changed since the run up in the gold price. I bought this one at a large show in 2012. I didn't go in looking for it, but ran accross it as something that was on my watch list.
I bought the smaller one from Steinberg's a year later.
According to some articles, the Saudis struck these from melted down American gold sovereigns. I paid the gold spot price for it at the time, in 2024.
Congratulations. It's better than my piece which is net graded as a VG.
@BillJones man, that is a sharp ‘99! The reverse especially.. F15 detail at least I’d say… VF20? I really like it.
Other passions include golf, Moto Guzzi motorcycles, and Euro motorcycles in general.
Chris
Can be $5 classic gold MS63 or higher. $5 Libs or Indians. These would be piece PCGS, or CACG no spots or tarnish damage, super luster, PQ in grade range.
Coins with spots, bad tarnish, etc. pass.
It has VF-20 sharpness, but there are corrosion spots. Hence it has been net graded to VG-10. In the old days (25 years ago) it would have gotten a body bag. The main thing I wanted for the date set was a fully readable date.
You can spot a 1799 cent by the lump (die chip) under the ‘E” in “CENT.” I’ve seen a dealer, who knew what he was doing, pay $1,600 for one of those.
Draped bust or flowing hair coins in lower problem free circulated grades like G04-G06. Particularly a liberty cap half cent or draped bust half dime.
A lot of the early copper coins, and more of the middle date material is in the hands of early American copper specialist dealers. The general inventory dealers don’t have than many of them. This has been true for 20+ years.
Draped Bust silver coins have been challenging for as long as I have been a collector, which dates to the 1960s.
Though it’s on the more on the common side, I’d probably say a proof Walker, around PF65-66.
"Another day, another Collectors Universe forum scrolling session."
- Someone, probably
I'm still looking for an attractive (visually and financially) 1876 twenty cent piece. I might also say 1911-D quarter eagle but those are not uncommon in my search, except for the price point.
Maybe that’s why I haven’t been able to purchase any. LOL
Zack
I take it back. There are 2, 2, & 4 pluses on the PCGS website. The question is, do any of them have CACs?
Looks like there are 3 1913 in 65CAC, 3 1914 in 65CAC, and 8 1915 in 65CAC. So I’ll have to hope I can find them in a straight 65 grade as none have been CAC’d in a 65+. Oh well.
1900 Liberty nickel, doubled-die reverse in any mint-state grade.
Official PCGS account of:
www.TallahasseeCoinClub.com
I would advise you to shop for these Proof coins in person. It’s really impossible to evaluate these coins from photos. I learned when I was assembling the Proof sets.
Mine is also a proof walker....but I want a true Cameo.
Does CAC actually publish the number of coins with a plus (+) designation that it stickers? Since they view the + designation as a base grade I would think they might not.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
They do not. Only the + grade coins they grade show up in the populations next to the stickered coins in the base grades.
That's what I thought, especially after looking at something like Morgan dollars and they have stickered perhaps 125k of them yet zero show up as + stickers.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
This
Empty Nest Collection
1926-D Standing Liberty Quarter AU FH CAC crusty look.
1860-S QUARTER with no holes, scrapes, corrosion, damage, whizzing, graffiti, bends, Tuff
in original condition in any grade. J.P.
62 yrs in Coins, 42 yrs Certifying/Grading, CoinWorld's Most Influential People In Numismatics, 1960-2020. 30 consecutive yrs teaching ANA Summer seminar, Numismatic Ambassador award, 1998 Doctorate in Numismatics, Glenn Smedley Award, ANA Governor 2009/2011, Author/ Host of ANA's best selling video's, courses on grading & counterfeit detection. Taught over 1,100 paying students, Secret service agents, San Diego to Boston, Anchorage to Miami, including 2 coin cruise lecturer. many Free presentations. NLG book and video awards. ANA photographer, SEM operator, ASA Appraiser, Contributor to Redbook, Numismatist, Coin World, Numismatic News, ANA Grading Guides, 40,000 Volume Library, Founder ANAAB, ICG, 1995 ANA collector services appraisal/conservation, First full service Ancient coin grading service. Navy 75-77, WIU 77-81, Dealer1981-1984, ANA 1984-1998, 60 year Collector U.S./ 50 Year Ancient coins. ANA Advisory Committee. Life member ANA, ANS. Semi-retired grader in Denver area
The last 4 needed for my non-gold US Federal type: chain cent, half-disme, SE quarter and half. Looking for CAC F-VF. May have to settle for VG for the quarter and half, they have pretty good detail. Probably need VF for a presentable chain or half-disme. Tough to commit the necessary funds.
Thanks Bill for your insight and posting great examples!
Proof Morgan
69 Cameo
69 Deep Cameo
The finest 1885 trade dollar that I grade 66 raw
Good luck!
When I grow to old to dream.... (Welcome back)
I bought the 1893 in 69 in a deal here in Vegas about 15 years ago
1824/2 Bust Quarter in F15-VF35 with a circulated cameo appearance