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My US-Philippine Type Set at NGC, now complete
Justhavingfun
Posts: 835 ✭
NGC just posted the two PCGS slabs. And Jon (Tonelover) promised to post pictures of the coins shortly.
You can see the set at ...
http://www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/setdetails.asp?IDPeopleSets=8939
Enjoy!
Just Having Fun
You can see the set at ...
http://www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/setdetails.asp?IDPeopleSets=8939
Enjoy!
Just Having Fun
Jefferson nickels, Standing Libs, and US-Philippines rock
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WOW!
Obscurum per obscurius
Come on over ... to The Dark Side!
The only thing that makes it hard is that the supply of unc raw coins from the Philippines is drying up. Last few times I went there, I was unable to get a single upgrade.
I'd love to see someone beat it going away.
Thank you NWCS!
Hello Mr. 291 Fifth (Avenue?). I was just there, last week. Great city.
<<I wonder if interest in this series ever will pick up. I'd like to think it would but I'm really not sure that will ever happen. >>
It's already happening. NGC and PCGS now list these coins among the US coins for their population report. The Commemorative society publication had an article about the 1936 commems ... and most important of all the Stacks and Superior sales of US-PI coins were very strong. I bid $11 big ones for a raw 1906 proofset -- and lost. The ones that I won, I had to pay nosebleed prices for, too.
nitey nite guys
Just Having Fun
<< <i>I bid $11 big ones for a raw 1906 proofset -- and lost. The ones that I won, I had to pay nosebleed prices for, too. >>
Glad to see someone keeping those dealers and other collectors honest.
Forgive my ignorance, but is the 1906 set a relative rarity compared to say, the 1903, or was that bid 'nosebleed' because of coins in solid gem and superb gem conditions.
It seems I've seldom seen really nice US-PI proofs. Were they generally mishandled like so many other proof issues?
The hot and humid environment in the Philippines (and probably the packaging) tends to make the coins corrode. I wouldn't be surprised if collectors cleaned many of them, also.
Obscurum per obscurius
Yes, the 1906 Proof Set is much more scarce than the '03 set. According to Basso ("Coins, Medals and Tokens of the Philippines"), there were 2,558 of the 03 proof set minted and only 500 of the 06.
So the set is scarce to begin with. Then, as Shirohniichan notes, the hot and humid weather took its toll on all early US-PI coinage. The weather was especially hard on the bronze half centavo and centavo and bright shiny reds are really, really hard.
Then World War II included the destruction of the Manila Mint's coin collection and the dumping in Manila Bay of hundreds of thousands of pesos (to deprive the Japanese invaders of the silver). So more lost there.
But finally, what the dealers in the Philippines tell me, the coins were frequently cleaned. Up until say the last 5 or 6 years ago, the main buyers were Japanese coin collectors who, they tell me, prefered the nice shiny coins to toned ones. So they cleaned 'em to make 'em nice and shiny.
The set at the auction was gem to supergem and so super-duper desirable.
Warm regards,
Just Having Fun
I could tell you stories about that which would make you weep, but
My Type Set
<< <i>I could tell you stories about that which would make you weep, but >>
The grades listed in that fine set are enough for weeping (for any PI pretenders, that is)!!!
Regarding the $11,000 1906 Proof set, yes that was expensive but I attended that Stacks auction which featured select world holdings from the John J. Ford Jr. sale and I’m sure it was one of the absolute finest groups of uncertified USPI pieces that any of us will likely see again for a long, long time. The 1906 Sets (there were a pair) were amazingly original and beautifully toned but as nice as they were, even more incredible was a small group of business strike semi-keys and keys which were astoundingly fresh and attractive, light green, blue, orange toning, super luster and strikes, the likes of which will prove nearly impossible to duplicate.
I picked up a number of beauties and got them certified, many landing squarely in the finest known slots and I'm not terribly worried about them being out done. For instance up until that sale PCGS had graded only a single business strike Peso MS-67, fortunately I was able to add two more to the ranks with my winnings. I regret not taking pictures of them before locking them away because those are some coins I'd love to show off.
Prices were painful, but what's even more painful was being out bid on a number of pieces BY A DEALER. There were 5-10 collectors actively bidding as well. When a dealer wins, you know the coin sold too cheap.
It really was an exciting evening and an experience I'll never forget. Well worth a one day round trip drive from NH to NY even if I didn't get home until 4:30 in the morning. Remind me to get a hotel room next time.
Sorry to ramble, I'll get back to work adding images now.
Thank you Jon!