I just looked at the Sunnywood Toned Morgan Dollar Collection and...
STONE
Posts: 15,275 ✭
WOW! WOW! WOW! Now that is a world class set. What I wouldn't give to see those coins in person.
Here's a link: Sunnywood Toned Morgan Collection
I know Sunnywood is a member here, so I want to congratulate him on this amazing collection. I still love that 81-S in 68, it is to die for.
Also check out his discards
about 100 sets down. (still a very nice set).
Oh and it took me more than a half hour to look at most of the coins; I just couldn't stop gawking!
Here's a link: Sunnywood Toned Morgan Collection
I know Sunnywood is a member here, so I want to congratulate him on this amazing collection. I still love that 81-S in 68, it is to die for.
Also check out his discards
about 100 sets down. (still a very nice set).Oh and it took me more than a half hour to look at most of the coins; I just couldn't stop gawking!
0
Comments
-Paul
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
Bruce Scher
<< <i>Great guy and great set. He has one coin that even tempts me to actually own a Morgan.
Which one would that be?
Yep, sunnywood's sets are flat out incredible.
<< <i>I'm waitin for him to post a pic of that 93-s! >>
Yeah, must be quite a coin! Truly spectacular collection!
The 1881-S
This thread gives me the opportunity to tell you all a little story from FUN this past week. This is why it definitely pays to go to shows !!! As of last week, and indeed for most of the last year or two, the only coin I needed to complete the toned Morgan set was the 1893-S. Oh sure, there are always XF's and AU's around, but I never found one that had "the look" that would work in my set. I do currently have two other dates in AU58: the 1895-O and the 1892-S. But both are beautiful coins with attractive color, so they work well with the set. The 1892-S in particular has only the tiniest bit of rub on the very highest points, and is otherwise an MS63 coin (with a prooflike reverse, thick skin of original luster, and nice color to boot). Unfortunately the '93-S just doesn't come that way.
There are two '93-S Morgans graded PCGS MS67: the Norweb specimen, and the Vermeule specimen. The Norweb coin was considered the finest known before the Vermeule coin appeared at auction in 2001. It has a milky greyish-white appearance, some cameo effect, and is very clean. But I don't really like the overall look, which to me suggests a dipped coin. (I don't know whether it was ever dipped, but it has that milky look.) The Vermeule coin, on the other hand, has all sorts of original color. QDB, Jim Halperin, and several others consider it to be finer than the Norweb coin. I thought it would be the perfect way to finish my set ... but alas I could never seem to buy the coin. Every time I inquired, the price went up again. For at least 2-3 years I tried to buy that coin, but it was not meant to be. So, I figured I would just leave that slot empty (and avoid a trip to the poorhouse).
At the FUN show this past week, I was standing in the middle of the bourse floor chatting with board member TahoeDale and his lovely wife, when along comes the legendary dealer David Akers, who invites us over to the table he is sharing with RARCOA (owned by his now-retired friend Ed Milas). David was going to show us some of his extraordinary gold dollars (MS68 and MS69 !!!) that he bought for $18 each in the 1950's. So we all trooped over to David's table and looked at gold dollars. But then something else caught my eye in his display case, a few feet away. I was viewing it at an angle, so I couldn't read all the text or see the coin, but the card said "1893-S Morgan Dollar, PCGS MS65." Well, that certainly caught my eye !! Knowing that David Akers loathes dipped white Morgans, I knew this had to be something better, so I craned my neck a bit and saw on the insert: "Eliasberg-Stellar."
Wow. The Eliasberg coin. Considered third finest behind the aforementioned two PCGS MS67 coins, and ahead of all the other MS65's (according to QDB, who has catalogued or seen them all), the Eliasberg coin had been off the market since the 1997 sale. It was purchased at the sale by a very prominent collector ("The Stellar Collection") who owns many magnificent coins, including 20 or more that are plated in "The 100 Greatest U.S. Coins." Although I have not seen it yet, I believe the Eliasberg 1893-S is plated there as well. I never expected to see this coin again, let alone on the bourse floor. "Is that for sale?" I asked. It turned out that it was available, and I knew in a heartbeat that I had to have it. Within half an hour the deal was done, and the next day I left Orlando with this national treasure. I still can't believe my good fortune, to complete my Morgan set after so much effort, and to do it with such a noteworthy and important specimen of the key date.
The coin is a stone gem, with light original color on both sides, particularly the obverse. That makes it a perfect candidate for my set. There are a few ticks on the portrait, but the fields are pristine enough to prompt QDB to speculate that this was a specimen reserved for the 1894 meeting of the Assay Commission. The coin was acquired from the San Francisco Mint by dealer J. Colvin Randall, and was sold to J.M. Clapp in 1894. It passed to his son J.H. Clapp upon the former's death in 1906, and thence to Louis Eliasberg in 1942 when he purchased the Clapp estate collection with the help of Stack's. Fifty-five years later, Eliasberg's son auctioned off his portion of the collection in the two famous Bowers & Merena auctions. The Morgans were in the 1997 sale, at which this coin was purchased by the owner of "The Stellar Collection" ... and I just purchased it directly from him.
I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, talking to Dale, when David Akers came along ... otherwise I'm sure I would never have had this opportunity.
You never know what you will find on the bourse floor !!! Good things can still happen there !!!
Best,
Sunnywood
Sunnywood's Rainbow-Toned Morgans (Retired)
Sunnywood's Barber Quarters (Retired)
Great now I need to dig out some books to see your new buy... guess you can't recall what any of the ms68-69 gold looked like?
This is a set I have viewed many times in the past. Thanks for putting it in the registry.
Dennis
Like VOC Numismatics on facebook
Then to have Sunnywood complete the story is great. I guess timing is everything.
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etexmike
Hell, I don't need to exercise.....I get enough just pushing my luck.
another form of embracing life (at least for me!)
Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.
https://hjbltd.com/#!/department/us-coins
yeah, but dogwood, I'll bet your VF's (barber quarters?) are still cool!
Sunnywood's Rainbow-Toned Morgans (Retired)
Sunnywood's Barber Quarters (Retired)
I would like to extend a big heartfelt congrats on your amazing accomplishment -- what a collection. I can't begin to express what an honor and privilege it is to have been there from the start with you. It is your collection to be sure, but many of the coins are like my children. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with a collector who is as genuinely passionate about the hobby as you are. Moreover, you're my favorite "foodie" buddy, and that's saying a lot because most of the people I know don't have nearly the passion and appreciation for fine cuisine that I have -- but you do. We have shared some amazing meals together (remember Masa's in San Francisco) and wonderful coin times for which I am grateful. Thanks Doug for allowing me to be part of it all. Finally, you're not just a customer -- I count you among my friends and wanted you to know that.
Mikey
Visit Our Website @ www.numisvision.com
Specializing in DMPL Dollars, MONSTER toners and other Premium Quality U.S. Coins
*** Visit Mike De Falco's NEW Coin Talk Blog! ***
Congrats on finding the 93-S! I am glad you decided to share the story with everyone here. You and I exchanged PM's about a year ago when we were discussing TrueView photography. So glad to see that you stuck to your guns and had all of your collection photographed by Phil. If anyone can catch the vibrant colors of toning on a coin, it's him.
So, I would have to imagine that a couple of your coins must be on their way out West to get photographed. I look forward to seeing the TrueView of the 93-S.
Congrats again,
Toby Leach
Toby, so far the '93-S is staying home with me, as well as the beautiful original 1884-S PCGS MS64 that I picked up at FUN. I will try to image them myself, rather than have PCGS do it. I feel that coins like this should be handled as little as possible, so for now they'll stay with me, safely ensconced in a very secure bank vault.
Here's a preliminary image created from a scan of the photo in "100 Greatest U.S. Coins" with a little composition help from Photoshop. The coin is not quite as deeply toned as the image suggests, so I'll try to shoot some new photos later tonight.
Best,
Sunnywood
Sunnywood's Rainbow-Toned Morgans (Retired)
Sunnywood's Barber Quarters (Retired)
Now I know a little (I mean a little) about Morgans but when I saw that coin I just gasped. Doug was almost giggly. The look on his face was like he had won a 400MM lottery! I knew the date and certainly the pedigree....but the coin....!!
It backed up the dream. Unlike many Morgans that look like psychedelic remnants of the 60's or as white as snow this one had what I would consider perfect natural surfaces. It was what I call "antique" looking, there was frost and there was a cameo appearance as well. This coin was bigger than Eliasberg. I don't know if Clapp owned this first but his coin is one of the greats of all time, even though there are specimens grader higher.
There could be no better caretaker of this coin for the next 30? years. Doug LOVES his coins and that's something I can relate to. And I may add that I was at dinner with Mr. Stellar that night and he was thrilled that this coin ended up in Doug's collection as much as he was. It's a great feeling to see a prize coin go to a real collector rather than some anonymous buyer or dealer.
Nice job, amigo. You know how happy I was for you!
JB
That's why I love this place: everything from crusty AG seated dimes to the MS65 93-S (w/color!).
z
when you handed it to me at fun......you almost didnt get it back!!!
monsterman
ps...very cool coin for sure
pss...when are you going to get started on your commem set...it is one heck of a challenge and a lot to learn...in fact its amazing how much there is to learn
out of rockets ...out of bullets...switching to harsh language
That's really a beautiful collection!
<< <i>A drool towel is strongly recommended when looking at that set!
You just aint whistling dixie, brother!
I saw this set when I signed up for the Registry a few years ago and still visit it every so often.......
TC71
Rainbow Stars
Congrats and thank you for sharing with the boards.
congrats on finding what you needed!
myCCset
Kimberly
My Coin Painting Website
<< <i>What I wouldn't give to see those coins in person. >>
Seems like one of my dreams will come true, since this set will be on display at the FUN show in January