Coins We Love - February 14
The more things change, the more they stay the same. We hear that saying often, but what does it really mean? For us at DLRC, it just means that the coins change on a daily basis. Whether it's rolls of Ike Dollars, a collection of early $10 Liberty Eagles, or an interesting group of modern gold eagles. There’s always something new coming around the corner, and it is guaranteed to be different from the day before.
This week we’ve plowed through a second consecutive week of a record number of orders, we’ve shipped out a HUGE lot of wholesale material, and we even sold some rolls of Statehood Quarters. While this isn’t the glamorous stuff that we like to place in collections, it’s the stuff that we all accumulate on occasion as collectors and it’s part of the hobby. We love buying everything from A to Z and if it means I get a Virginia Statehood Quarter money clip, I’m okay with it. To exemplify one of the many varieties of items that we see, we received a Love Token today with the CWL initials on it…I think it was meant to be on this special Valentine’s Day.
Most of you probably won’t receive a coin for this holiday, but if you did end up buying something for your loved ones, don’t feel shy about adding a new coin to your collection as well! And if you spent too much on your significant other, we’ll work out a layaway plan. Thanks again for reading and we wish you all a wonderful week!
Sincerely,
John Brush and Your Friends at DLRC
Why we love it: The final year of issue to the incredibly popular Morgan Dollar Series. This stunning registry quality ultra-gem features gorgeous, silky surfaces with a pretty, light golden tint and tons of luster. It is tied with 16 other pieces for the finest known, but we believe it has a fair chance at gaining a plus grade from its excessively pristine surfaces and perfect eye appeal.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued generously at $13,500 with the CPG Value being a more accurate representative of the value at $12,100. This immaculate example that is destined for an impressive registry set is reserved in this week’s auction at a fair $11,250.
Why we love it: The Fugio Cent is among the most popular and desirable of all Colonial Issues. This lovely gem example displays lustrous, original brown surfaces with a strong strike that gives it great detailing for the issue. There are only four examples graded finer by PCGS with the Brown Color Designation.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $9,000 with the CPG Value set a bit more realistic at $7,810. This popular Fugio Cent in beautiful gem condition is available for purchase via Make Offer for just $6,750, which is far below both price guides even over a thousand under the CPG Value!
Why we love it: This date is one of our favorite underrated issues in the series as this popular S-Mint Morgan becomes scarce as it goes up in Mint State grades. This stunner displays subtle rose-gold rim toning with lovely rich lavender at the bottom of the reverse. Contrasted beautifully by an otherwise blast white center covered in blazing luster, this piece has beautiful eye appeal.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $4,150 with the CPG Value coming in quite comparably with just a hundred more at $4,250. This lustrous Mint State example of this better date S-mint Morgan is reserved in this week’s auction just below both price guides at $3,800.
Why we love it: A tough issue to locate especially this nice as its mintage was originally just a miniscule 3,000 pieces with PCGS grading just four finer. This gem 3-Cent Silver features pristine surfaces, subtle underlying luster and beautiful toning. The obverse is rose-gold at the center with lovely green around the rim and the reverse is mostly gorgeous blue-green. A piece whose eye appeal and surface quality far surpasses the assigned grade.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide sits at $10,000 and the CPG Value is listed quite higher at $11,900, in which neither factor in the premium of the CAC sticker. This immaculate, toned gem 3-Cent Silver is available through Make Offer at what we see as an excellent value under both price guides at just $8,500 even with CAC approval.
Why we love it: An extremely scarce date gold eagle that does not receive as much attention as it deserves coming from an unbelievably tiny mintage of just 3,990 pieces. The surfaces are flashy and lustrous with only the subtlest signs of wear visible on the highest points. Even at this choice AU grade level there are just seven pieces graded finer by PCGS and none in Mint State.
Value: This coin’s underrated rarity and lack of high-grade examples is intriguing and makes valuing it a bit difficult. Therefore, the PCGS Price Guide and CPG Value are drastically different at $8,250 and $11,200, respectively. We have decided to reserve ours in auction closer at $8,750, which is an incredible opportunity as this piece should be going for much more!
Why we love it: A popular and rare type coin for the Draped Bust Half Eagle series from a low mintage of just 37,628 coins struck. It is quite desirable and relatively more affordable in this choice XF grade. Light wear that is even across these original bright yellow-gold surfaces make this a high-end representation of the grade with reasonable aspirations of a low-end AU.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide and CPG Value have evaluated this coin’s value at $9,000 and $9,120 respectively, which should bring much assurance to bidders on the estimation since they are so incredibly close. This scarce early Half Eagle type coin is reserved in this week’s auction almost a thousand below both price guides at just $8,250.
Why we love it: A much scarcer San Francisco Minted Issue Liberty Gold Eagle from a low mintage of just 38,000 coins stuck with just one graded finer by PCGS. This choice uncirculated example displays gorgeous golden surfaces with light orange tints and strong luster. It is the minimal amounts of contact marks that make it an excellent example of the grade.
Value: This coin being bested by just one other piece in a PCGS holder and already being a scarce issue makes the price point surprisingly low especially at this grade level. The PCGS Price Guide and CPG Value are far apart at $8,000 and $10,000, therefore we have ours reserved reasonably in the middle at $8,750. We find this to be an excellent value opportunity for those who find both rarity and nearly finest known examples exciting.
Why we love it: A popular San Francisco Minted Issue type coin for the Liberty Double Eagle Series. This gorgeous gem is truly perfect for any type set for both the price and beauty as the coloring is ideal, the surfaces feature minimal amounts of marks, and most clearly the luster is some of the nicest and most captivating you will see on any double eagle.
Value: The most recent comparable sale of this same date and grade combination came in June of this past year in auction, which brought $5,520. That sale along with PCGS and CPG both agreeing on a high evaluation of $7,000 for the coin makes our best price of just $5,000 via Make Offer arguably a steal.
Why we love it: A scarce Newcomb Variety of this early date Braided Hair Cent. This choice AU example features barely visible wear over these lovely smooth, chocolate brown surfaces. The strike is fairly strong, and the detail and eye appeal are exactly what should be expected from this grade level.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $1,300. It is available for purchase at the reasonable price of just $1,025 via our Make Offer function. That is a solid discount of $275 off the PCGS Price Guide Value for this wholesome, choice AU Large Cent.
Why we love it: The final year of issue for the Copper Nickel Composition Indian Cents, in which this example is bested by only five others in PCGS holders. This popular gem type coin displays pristine surfaces with fantastic luster whose eye appeal and limited blemishes match the grade perfectly.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $3,500. It is available for purchase at the generously low price of just $2,400 via our Make Offer function. That is over a thousand dollars below the PCGS Price Guide value for this gorgeous gem Copper Nickel Indian Cent!
Why we love it: An affordable yet attractive example of this much better date Indian Cent. This pretty choice VF has unique, original coloring and relatively light wear especially on the reverse, which make this piece quite nice for the grade and could pass as a low-end XF.
Value: The CPG comes in at $429 with the PCGS Price Guide far lower and much more realistic at $300 for this scarcer Indian Cent. With a best price via our Make Offer Function of $250 this is a perfect opportunity to acquire a great coin at an even better value.
Why we love it: A perfect, bright red ultra-gem Lincoln Cent with incredibly strong, fully original luster. The eye appeal is stunning as this coin is simply blemish-free and of the highest registry quality. There are no finer examples of this Modern Lincoln Cent graded by PCGS with Red surfaces, making this a finest known piece at that grading service.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $850. It is available for purchase at the reasonable price of just $775 via our Make Offer function. That is $75 below the PCGS Price Guide value for this immaculate, blazing red ultra-gem Lincoln Cent!
Why we love it: This is a popular and affordable type coin from the Barber Dime Series. This pretty, lightly toned example 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: The CPG comes in at $455 with the PCGS Price Guide a bit lower at $400 for this pretty gem type coin. Available for Make Offer at $425, this fantastic Barber Dime lands right in the range of these two reputable sources making it a fair value.
Why we love it: A beautiful gem example of this 20-Cent Piece type coin that is highly desired among all collectors of U.S. coinage. This coin features lovely toning mostly on the periphery that is highlighted by captivating rainbow colors. It is complemented nicely by the coin’s bright white centers and strong luster giving this piece premium eye appeal.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $7,500, and the CPG Value is listed as $8,440. It is available for purchase reasonably at just $6,250 via our Make Offer Function. We find this price point to be an excellent value for the buyer considering the desirability of the series and how unique and pretty this piece is.
Check out all of the available "Coins We Love" from past newsletters