Unopened GSA - To open or not to open

Oreville speaks with wisdom.....listen to him grasshopper.

GSAGUY

Keep it, and keep it in the holder.

Ultimately, up to you. I wouldn't crack it.

1889-CC 1
1890-CC 3,949
1891-CC 5,687
1892-CC 1
1893-CC 1


Have these all been found?

So this is about value and box collecting? Hehe if you wanted a morgan why not just buy one?

I bet that made you MadMarty!!

I don't understand having coins you can't look at. I'm not saying it's wrong, but it's not coin collecting...I can't relate.

Have a lottery, sell spots on a sheet for 30 bucks a spot. Winner gets the coin

The guess needs to be correct on:

1 - Date
2 - Any VAM number
3 - Grade (we should have someone impartial and honest grade it - although where you gonna find that around here?) (the person grading it can't participate in lottery)
4 - White vs Obv toned only vs Rev toned only vs dual sided tone

This should give you enough spots to sell to recoup your outlay for the coin and the winner gets something cool.

Steve27: I beg to differ. In the early 1970's I ordered some of those GSA silver dollars in the original sale in those "box of five." I did NOT get an invoice or any other indication as to what was in the boxes. It was pure "pot luck" back then.

Indeed, I had opened 4 of the five I had bought (I seem to remember the purchase price as $30 each) and 2 of them were 1882-CC, another 1883-CC and the last one was an 1891-CC. By the way, these were the uncirculated ones I had purchased. The "non" uncirculated one, I seem to remember sold for $15 each.

Incidentally, I still have that last one, unopened. I wished I had saved the entire box of five, the box and all the literature.

There is nothing more numismatic than the topic of unopened GSA boxes of silver dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<< <i>Hopefully someday I will be able to afford coins that I can't see >>

what if it's an ultra cameo dmpl?

someday someone will open it....may as well be you. don't wait till your deathbed though, if it is a udm give yourself some time to enjoy it.

<<One more point, the original owner received an invoice from the mint telling him what was in the box, so don't think just because it's never been opened, that it's random as to what's inside. >>

Steve27,

I agree with the fact that the chances are the coins are common-date and in butt-ugly condition and that's what I tell every buyer of these coins who ask my opinion.

But I do believe that Oreville is also correct when it comes to the $15.00 category or Mixed CC category. These coins, which included all dates in the hoard and the three dates represented by one example each, were all placed in 'silver dollar' hardpacks. They were then sold randomly, so once packaged, no one knew what dates were inside and the outer boxes were not date-stamped.

GSAGUY

General Services Administration......a government body which has many responsibilities, one of which is to sell off used government property.

GSAGUY

So the GSA sells these silver dollars in holders where you can't see the coin and don't know what date you are getting? Kinda like a grab bag? Hmmmm.........

Cheryl

No Cheryl.....most of the coins were sold by date. But there were three categories that were basically grab-bag.

These would have been as follows:

Mixed CC: Originally sold at $15.00 each and represented by all dates. These coins were either heavily bagmarked or 'tarnished'. The GSA admitted that they were likely uncirculated but didn't meet their miniumum standards for that category.

Mixed Year: These were sold for a minimum bid of $5.00 each and represented mintmarks other than CC coins. Again, they were not sold by specific dates, were sold in the GSA hardpacks and were for the most part uncirculated. I have seen a few that were damaged and would not grade unc by today's standard.

Mixed Circulated: These coins were sold in the GSA softpacks for a minimum bid of $3.00 each. Most were circulated but many were not. They include examples from all mints of the time, including the CC mint.

All GSA coins were shipped in some type of protective outer container. Most were opened upon receipt. But, like mint sets of recent times, many were never opened by the recipient.

These are the coins we're discussing today.

GSAGUY

My pleasure Cheryl, I'm filled with worthless knowledge about the GSA sale............and other things too.

GSAGUY

<< <i>What the heck does GSA stand for? >>

The General Services Administration (GSA) was responsible for sorting and marketing the U.S. Treasury's hoard of silver dollars, after the Treasury ceased issuing dollar coins in 1964. In a series of sales lasting from 1973 to 1980, this hoard of several million silver dollars, mostly Morgan dollars minted at the Carson City Mint, was dispersed via auction and fixed prices. Sealed in rigid plastic holders and boxed with a message from then President Richard M. Nixon, these silver coins account for most of the Mint State Carson City Mint Morgan dollars known today.

Steve27:

Trooper just sent me copies of the original GSA order form and I was correct. Thanks Trooper!!!

I believe this was the second go-around on these GSA sales.

Strangely enough one of the packages was callled POTLUCK! I had not used or seen that word in over 30 years!!!!

The ordering period was June 1 to July 30, 1973.

The wording in quotes iis right from their sales brochure.

"THE POTLUCK!" for $5 allowed purchases of "Uncirculated Morgan and Peace Dollars-mixed coins from various mints excluding Carson City. Packaged in a durable plastic case."

"THE SILVER BONANZA! So little could buy so much history famous 90% silver cartwheels made from silver mined from the Comstock Lode. Each is packaged in an attractive presdentation case. SELECTION #3 Carson City Silver Dollars (mixed 1879-85, 1990 & 1891) never before circulated by U.S. Government, culled out of the Government's holdings of silver dollars since they did not meet the standards for "uncirculated " due to nicks and tarnish. Minimum bid $15 per coin."

From what I have read, all key dates are printed on the cardboard. If no date on box it is 1882-1884 cc

I see dead people.

This comment is not intended to disparage anything or anybody. Sometimes I think that we are participating in a very, very strange hobby. That being said I sure do love it

@jmlanzaf said:
the dead guy you're talking to wouldn't know what was in the box.

@jmcu12 was last active on Sep 7, 2023