Coins We Love - February 22
This week finds us visiting the west coast for the Long Beach Coin Show. The February show is typically one of the better varieties with this year’s episode hosting the fascinating return of the “Ship of Gold Exhibit” with new findings from the legendary Shipwreck of the SS Central America. Below are several pictures of the display, and as a collector, historian, or gold investor, you owe it to yourself to check out this exhibit as it travels the country this year. It’s a real numismatic treat!
The action at the Long Beach Show is decently steady, which is encouraging for us. It’s been over a month since the last major show, and we’re starting a run of major and mid-major shows over the next few months, so it’ll be a busy time!
In this week’s CWL, we are featuring a number of neat items with a distinct focus on shipwreck items that should catch the eye of all types of collectors.
Numismatically yours,
John Brush and Your Friends at DLRC
Why we love it: A scare, early, low mintage New Orleans Mint Issue Liberty Head Half Eagle with beautiful, original surfaces. As some like to call it, crusty, old gold with fantastic character. The gorgeous and unique red toning featured on this coin, along with the beautiful luster gives this rare Half Eagle a very special look. This much better date issue comes from a low, original mintage of 82,000 coins struck, in which there is only a single example graded finer by PCGS.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $31,000. It is available in this week’s auction with the reserve set at only $29,500. This seems like a fantastic long-term value to us as there simply aren’t any other examples available for a top-rated Half Eagle set!
Why we love it: This historic Shipwreck piece from the famous “Ship of Gold”, the SS Central America, displays beautiful, pristine surfaces with unique, ideal coloring and incredible amounts of luster. These lustrous surfaces have limited blemishes, attractive peripheral yellow-gold coloring and gorgeous, intriguing pink-gold on the devices and surrounding fields. These amazing colors and luster give this coin beautiful eye appeal and cause it to look nearly under-graded as shown by its CAC approval.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide lists a non-shipwreck pedigree example at $10,000. Available for outright purchase via Make Offer for just $10,500, this is an excellent opportunity to acquire a reasonably priced piece of history in an uncommon grade with the added premiums of being a historic shipwreck coin from the famous SS Central America Hoard and its CAC approval!
Why we love it: A scarce, proof-only issue Trade Dollar with pristine, blast white surfaces and gorgeous cameo contrasts between the frosty devices and flashy fields. These ideal characteristics give this gem incredible eye appeal. This better date, proof-only example comes from a low, original mintage of just 1,987 coins struck making this a perfect type coin for the series.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this piece valued at $12,500; however, it is reserved at just $10,500 in this week’s auction. This is a great value for a flashy gem example of this proof-only issue with blazing white surfaces.
Why we love it: A gorgeous gem example of this slightly better date Saint Gaudens Double Eagle that becomes even more difficult in high grades. Beautiful luster and minimal number of blemishes give this high-end Saint type coin premium eye appeal. This high-grade, scarcer issue comes from a deceptively lower, original mintage of 453,000 coins struck, in which there is only one example known graded finer by PCGS.
Value: This slightly better date, lustrous gem Saint is valued at $8,950 by PCGS and $9,380 at CPG. However, we are offering it through the CWL for just $7,000 via Make Offer!
Why we love it: A rare, early New Orleans Mint Issue Liberty Seated Dime with attractive, original surfaces and minimal, even wear for the assigned grade. From an original mintage of 150,000 coins struck, only a few hundred have survived, and just twelve other examples were graded finer at PCGS. There are clear, sharp details visible in the devices and ideal coloring in the fields that make this example seem high-end for the grade as shown by its CAC approval.
Value: An incredibly underrated date, the CPG comes in at just $3,000 with the PCGS Price Guide at $3,250. It is available in this week’s auction with the reserve set at $3,850. An excellent value for a date that is far rarer than most would expect, with the added value of the CAC approval!
Why we love it: A stunning ultra-gem proof Walking Liberty Half Dollar with gorgeous, vibrant toning including bright, unique highlights of blue, and some hues of purple and green. This flashy Walker has pristine, blemish-free surfaces and premium eye appeal. This issue comes from a lower, original mintage of just 8,808 coins struck in proof format. This example is tied for the finest known in existence graded by PCGS and was given CAC approval for its high quality of the assigned grade.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $4,500. However, this gorgeously vibrant toned ultra-gem proof Walker is reserved at $4,350 in this week’s auction. This is a great opportunity to own this lovely lower mintage coin that is CAC approved!
Why we love it: This incredibly rare, famous variety of the 1794 Large Cent displays nice, original surfaces with even wear and ideal coloring for the issue and grade. An extremely popular issue, this coin gets its name from the 94 tiny stars around the border of the reverse die. As is typical for the date, the reverse is a much lower grade than the obverse, but the obverse is so nice that it carries the piece to a VG8. From an original mintage of nearly a million coins struck, this is one of an estimated only 60 surviving pieces of its variety.
Value: An opportunity like this coin does not come around often, and the PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $40,000. This piece is available for $36,000 via Make Offer, which is a great value for this original example of this sought-after and rare Large Cent Variety!
Why we love it: A rare and popular small size star note that is the finest known of just three in existence. The other two examples were graded Very Fine, making this note that much more desirable. This issue is greatly sought after by not just small size collectors but by any serious enthusiast of paper currency because of its extreme rarity.
Value: This is an incredibly scarce small size star note, of which this is the finest known. An important opportunity for small size collectors for the reasonable price of only $8,250 via Make an Offer!
Why we love it: This popular and scarce overdate California Fractional Gold issue features frosty devices and flashy fields with attractive and original golden coloring. This Territorial piece’s beauty, lack of major blemishes and clear, sharp details in the devices add up to a nice, ideal eye appeal. We love the value of these fantastic but small pieces of California history. Used as currency by the many people who traveled the road to the California Gold Rush, these pieces are popular amongst collectors and historians alike!
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $525. It is available for purchase at the reasonable price of just $450 via Make an Offer! That is $75 below the PCGS Price Guide value for this favored overdate California Fractional Gold Issue!
Why we love it: A popular numismatic treasure from the famous SS Republic shipwreck. These pieces were salvaged from another popular shipwreck and marketed as fascinating parts of history. While the coins are damaged, denoted by the grade “Shipwreck Effect,” these pieces are popular, affordable examples of an item that spent nearly 150 years under the surface of our ocean.
Value: This sought-after shipwreck date Liberty Seated Half Dollar from the famous SS Republic Shipwreck is available for purchase at the low and reasonable price of just $475 via Make an Offer! This is an exciting opportunity to own a true numismatic shipwreck treasure for a fair and affordable price!
Why we love it: A gorgeous ultra-gem proof Buffalo Nickel with subtle, pretty toning and plenty of stunning luster. These pristine, lustrous surfaces along with some attractive streaks of rose-gold toning create premium eye appeal. This scarce and desirable proof issue comes from a low, original mintage of 1,275 coins struck, in which there are just eleven examples graded finer by PCGS.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $4,000. It is available for purchase at the fair and reasonable price of just $3,850 via Make Offer! That is an entire $150 below the PCGS Price Guide value for this lightly toned, beautiful ultra-gem proof Buffalo Nickel with CAC approval!
Until next time, thanks for stopping by and sharing some time with us to browse our Coins We Love.
Check out all of the available "Coins We Love" from past newsletters