Coins We Love - December 20
This week we are proud to offer the Raging Buffalo Collection of Nickels, the #2 Rated PCGS Registry Set of Buffalo Nickels with Major Varieties. Along with this auction ending on Sunday, we have just listed another collection offered the following week of coins from 1873, The 1873 Collection, offering various selections from 1873 closing Sunday, December 30th in Auction #1045. These are two marvelous opportunities of completely different material! While you’re enjoying time with family, opening presents, or watching football, we hope that you’ll look at these fantastic holiday offerings. Otherwise, we’ll be on a slightly thinner crew in the office next week, but we’ll still be open (except for Tuesday!). If you need anything while we’re out, please don’t hesitate to email us at coins@davidlawrence.com.
Thanks again for hanging with us this year and we’ll see you next week!
Thanks and Happy Holidays,
John Brush and Your Friends at DLRC
Why we love it: A scarce, key S-Mint Buffalo Nickel that becomes especially rare in gem. With only a single piece graded finer by PCGS, this is the finest 1920-S that we've ever handled. This stunner is of true registry quality with rich golden toning, a full strike and pristine, lustrous surfaces.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $50,000. As part of the Raging Buffalo Collection in this week’s auction, we have this scarce S-Mint Issue Buffalo Nickel reserved $5,000 lower than the price guide at just $45,000. This piece would certainly be worth quite a few extra points for all but two Registry Sets!
Why we love it: A scarce Gold Dollar Issue from the famous Dahlonega Mint. It comes from an extremely tiny business strike mintage of just 1,566 coins. This lovely, original example is lightly, evenly worn with no major issues making the CAC approval not surprising as it has the look of a choice mid-range AU. Its overall frosty surfaces and rich orange-gold coloring give it nice eye appeal.
Value: n ideal piece for the collector as it is a relatively affordable coin that still offers beauty and originality. From the D.L. Hansen Collection, we are offering this rare D-Mint Gold Dollar at the reasonable best price of just $12,000 even with its CAC approval. This coin is exactly what the discerning branch mint gold collector would appreciate, as the coin is an ideally original piece.
Why we love it: The 1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel is a key issue in the series with such great desirability and scarcity that makes it one of the most popular overdates across numismatics. The lustrous colorful surfaces, strength of strike, and lack of notable blemishes make for well-deserved CAC approval and incredible eye appeal. The color consists of lovely golden olive peripheral highlights and a silvery center with subtle magenta tones.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $55,000 with the CPG coming in at $48,400 without considering the premium of the CAC sticker. As part of our Raging Buffalo Collection in this week’s auction we have this popular, scarce overdate reserved at $50,000 even. An entire $5,000 below the price guide even with its gorgeous, colorful surfaces and CAC approval.
Why we love it: The 1937-D 3-Legged Buffalo is a scarce and popular variety, highly sought after by even non-Buffalo Nickel collectors. There are only 26 others graded finer by NGC with a total survival estimate by PCGS of just 10,000 coins. A beautifully lustrous gem featuring lovely golden rim tints on the obverse with a light rainbow around the reverse rims.
Value: A 2017 sale of the same date, variety and NGC grade in auction brought $22,325. The PCGS Price Guide and the CPG Value are far more optimistic on the value at $29,500 and $30,200 respectively. The example is the perfect grade for the advanced collector as MS65 for this coin begins the transition from scarcity to rarity and is the chance at relative affordability as the price would double in MS66. Via Make Offer, this piece is available for just $20,000 even!
Why we love it: The 1916 Doubled Die Buffalo Nickel is one of the most rare and exciting varieties of all 20th century issues. There are only eight others graded finer by PCGS with a total survival estimate of just 400 coins. This relatively higher-grade example displays visible luster and an original yellow skin with only the slightest signs of circulation.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued high at $52,500 with the CPG Value set much more realistically and accurate at $43,000. In auction as part of our Raging Buffalo Collection, we have this rare variety reserved far lower than both price guides at just $38,500.
Why we love it: A popular and scarce Draped Bust Half Eagle that becomes a highly desired rarity at this point in the Mint State grade range. It comes from a mintage of just 37,628 coins, in which only 10 coins are graded finer by PCGS. This stunning, eye-appealing example displays excessive amounts of original luster, pristine surfaces and yellow-gold color that are without any notable blemishes and just gorgeous eye appeal.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $48,000 in MS63+ and at $98,500 in MS64. Not only does this coin come in right before a massive $50,000 price jump but it could easily pass for that grade level as both PCGS and CAC recognize it as being greater than your average MS63. Even with the CAC approval and price jump in mind, our best price on this gorgeous, early Half Eagle is just $53,000 via Make Offer making this in our eyes an incredible value.
Why we love it: This is a popular and affordable issue type coin from the Barber Dime Series. This pretty, bright white Barber Dime features strong luster with pristine surfaces that lack any notable marks. The eye appeal is completely ideal as the quality and originality you’d expect from a gem is all there.
Value: Offered as part of next week’s Auction #1046 with no reserve, this attractive, white gem Barber Dime has a PCGS Price Guide Value of $400 with a CPG Price of $455. With that said, we feel a fair amount for this lustrous type coin would be $375.
Why we love it: A lovely gem example of a popular collector date and draped bust half cent type coin. The pristine surfaces with extremely few marks making it one of the nicest quality half cents we've handled in quite some time. It is tied for the finest known with just two others graded by PCGS, which causes it to become quite a desirable rarity. Its smooth, lustrous dark brown surfaces give it a delightful eye appeal.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $21,500 in MS65 with the Brown color Designation. We are pleased to offer this beautiful, early half cent at a fair and relatively low price of just $14,000 via the Make Offer function. That is $7,500 below PCGS’s evaluation!
Why we love it: A famous numismatic rarity that does not show up on the market often, especially with CAC approval. This much more affordable example features attractive, completely original coloring, even wear and surprisingly visible detail throughout, making it seem high-end for the assigned grade. This Rare Bust Half Issue comes from an incredibly low, original mintage of only 3,918 coins struck.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide reflects a value of $42,000 and finds the value to jump to the $60,000 range at the VG level. This CAC approved example is available for purchase via the Make Offer function for the reasonable amount of just $41,000. An excellent value for this arguably under-graded example of this famous Draped Bust Half rarity!
Why we love it: A great type coin for the Indian Cent series that is quite affordable yet still offers beauty. This lustrous gem displays pristine, rich orange-red surfaces making for intriguing eye appeal. This issue exists only up to a grade higher with Red Brown surfaces at PCGS resulting in just 11 finer examples graded.
Value: Offered via Make Offer for $650, this coin has a PCGS Price Guide value of $850 and a CPG Price of $780. It’s an excellent value for this unique, lustrous gem example of this popular Indian Cent type coin!
Why we love it: The ideal type coin for the Buffalo Nickel Series as it provides a high-end grade at a low cost. These clear, white surfaces are well-struck, full of luster and have an obvious lack of marks making it a perfect example of the grade that is pleasing to the eye.
Value: This coin has a PCGS Price Guide value of $500 and a CPG Price of $546; however, we are offering it via Make Offer for $410. This is a fair price point for this high-quality, lustrous gem example of this popular Buffalo Nickel type coin! The price jumps by over $2,000 in MS67 too!
Why we love it: A toned ultra-gem Full Bands example of this popular Mercury Dime type coin. The coloring is most evident on the obverse and is rich and attractive. Other characteristics that make up this coin’s incredible eye appeal are its stunning luster and blemish-fee surfaces.
Value: With the PCGS Price Guide at $300 and a CPG value of $292, we have this coin available for $225 via Make Offer. The price jumps nearly $6,000 in MS68FB and we think this is a great opportunity to own this nicely toned ultra-gem example of this popular Mercury Dime Issue!
Why we love it: A famous, highly desired key date whose scarcity and popularity transcends the Mercury Dime series. This full bands rarity displays beautiful near-gem surfaces that are covered in luster and mostly white with a hint of toning. The noticeable lack of marks and lovely eye appeal make it obvious as to why CAC approved this piece.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $24,000 without considering the premium of the CAC sticker. We have this stunning example of this famous key date reserved at just $23,500 in this week’s auction. A fair $500 discount off the price guide even with its lovely eye appeal and CAC approval.
Check out all of the available "Coins We Love" from past newsletters