Coins We Love - June 6
Coins are our passion and livelihood, and we love being able to help customers from our home office in Virginia Beach. Many of our employees have lived in the area for over 25 years and love everything that the area and state has to offer. We were all shaken by the events of last Friday and struggle with the fact that this type of tragedy could happen in our fair city. The fact is, if it can happen in Virginia Beach, it could happen anywhere. We received many calls, emails and social media notices from friends, coins dealers and customers expressing their concerns quickly after the news broke and over the weekend. We wanted to say how much we appreciate your messages saying that you were thinking of us. We are also very proud to see how the residents of Virginia Beach and beyond have rallied together to support the families and first responders directly affected by this tragedy. With time and togetherness, we will all heal.
Sincerely,
Jason Smith and Your Friends at David Lawrence
Why we love it: One of the big three key date Barber Quarters, the 1913-S comes from the lowest mintage of any 20th century silver coin issue with just 40,000 coins struck and few preserved in high grades. This lovely, lustrous gem has pristine toned surfaces that display beautiful orange and golden highlights with splashes of blue throughout the fields. The excessive luster and lack of detracting marks make for gorgeous eye appeal and well-deserved CAC approval.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide Value estimates this piece at $32,500 with the CPG Value right above it at $33,900. This exact coin’s most recent auction records show two sales that brought $27,025 and $28,000. The reserve has already been met and we expect further attention on this item that’s one of our favorite dates.
Why we love it: A popular proof-only issue Trade Dollar with pristine, lightly golden toned surfaces and gorgeous mirrors that create a strong cameo effect. These ideal characteristics give this gem incredible eye appeal. This scarce proof Trade Dollar issue comes from a low, original mintage of just 979 coins struck making this a perfect type coin for the series.
Value: There is only one recorded sale of this issue in the same cameo plus grade, which brought a strong $23,500 this past March although it was CAC approved. The PCGS Price Guide values the coin at $25,000. Our stickerless yet still stunning gem example of this later issue proof Trade Dollar is reserved notably low at just $15,500 creating an excellent potential value.
Why we love it: A rare and famous restrike of the Confederate States of America Half Dollar. This example displays lustrous, toned surfaces that feature surprisingly few blemishes for the assigned grade. There are only four originals known to exist, making these restrikes the only collectible designs. Highly sought after by collectors of Confederate coinage, only 500 of these historic rarities were struck around 1879.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide and CPG Value are in close agreement on their evaluations, which are set respectively at $15,000 and $14,500. Our wholesome example of this scarce and popular Confederate Half is available in this week’s auction with a reserve set thousands below both price guides at just $12,250.
Why we love it: This scarce and highly desirable piece of the California Gold Rush was originally produced by the U.S. Assay Office for use in modern commerce. This CAC approved example is just lightly circulated yet boldly struck with solid remaining luster and ideal yellow-gold coloring. These characteristics truly give it the look of a higher-grade AU.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide Value of this coin is set at $9,250 although they do not factor in any premium for a CAC sticker. This incredible choice AU example of this popular and rare territorial gold piece out of California is available in this week’s auction reserved fairly at $9,500 even considering the history and CAC approval.
Why we love it: A popular Silver commemorative issue and the only 25-cent piece in the classic commemorative series. From an original mintage of 24,214, this issue was designed by Charles E. Barber and issued as a quarter souvenir for the World's Columbian Exposition. This immaculate gem features beautiful pastel orange, green, and rose tints with outstanding luster.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this stunning commemorative valued at $4,500 with its plus grade for being of premium quality at the top of end of the assigned grade. This gorgeously toned example of this popular and scarce Isabella Commem is available in this week’s auction reserved quite reasonably at just $3,900.
Why we love it: A lovely near-gem example of a popular collector date and draped bust Half Cent type coin. The surfaces are pristine with extremely few marks making it one of the nicest quality half cents you’ll find at the 64-grade level. It is bested by just eight others graded at NGC and displays smooth, lustrous light brown surfaces with a subtle tint of toning that gives it a delightful eye appeal.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $9,000 in MS64 with a plus grade and the Brown color Designation. We are pleased to offer this beautiful, early Half Cent at a fair and relatively low price of just $6,750 via the Make Offer function.
Why we love it: A famous, rare issue that is highly desired by all collectors of U.S. coinage. This example displays pristine gem surfaces that are covered in strong luster with the ideal bright red coloring, which makes for fantastic eye appeal. This key date Lincoln Cent comes from a moderately low mintage for the issue of just 484,000 coins struck.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide reflects a value of $9,000 with the CPG at $9,500. It is available via Make Offer at the reasonable amount of just $8,000. That is at least one thousand dollars lower than both price guides for this gem example of this famous key date in the Lincoln Cent series.
Why we love it: A superb gem example of this scarce early No Drapery Liberty Seated Dime. PCGS has graded only 10 pieces finer as the CAC approval of this example places it at the high-end of its own grade level. The surfaces are lovely and original with pink, blue and rose tints. Simply high end for the grade with smooth underlying luster topping off the incredible eye appeal.
Value: A CAC approved example of this issue in MS66 has not sold at Auction since 2013 in which that piece brought $4,700. Understandable as the PCGS Price Guide Value is set at $4,250 and the next grade up jumps to $12,750. We are glad to offer our CAC approved nicely toned gem for just $4,350 through our Make Offer function.
Why we love it: This impressively scarce and underrated New Orleans Mint Liberty Half Eagle that is basically difficult to locate at the Mint State level as there are only seven graded as such. This frosty example possesses the traits, detail and surface quality of a truly uncirculated specimen. Its originality, pretty yellow gold color, and lack of any wear seen by the naked eye give it unbelievable eye appeal for the grade. This lustrous beauty comes from The Blue Hill Collection and from a mintage of just 58,000.
Value: The CPG Value of the coin is set at $10,000. Considering low end Mint State values that are thousands higher where this coin belongs, a price tag of just $9,500 via Make Offer is more than fair. This is a truly exciting piece in every aspect and would fit into any collection of U.S. gold coinage beautifully.
Why we love it: The 1883 with cents issue in the V-Nickel Series is much scarcer than it's no-cents counterpart. These silky golden surfaces are free of any detracting blemishes and hold true to the grade. A true registry-quality gem with beautiful eye appeal and blazing luster. This example is tied with 14 others at PCGS as the Finest Graded.
Value: The difference is minimal between the PCGS Price Guide and CPG Value, which are set respectively at $5,250 and $4,880. Our ultra-gem example is available for bidding in this week’s auction with a reserve set far below both price guides at just $4,000 creating a fantastic value for a finest known registry set.
Why we love it: A CAC approved lustrous AU slider example of this scarce and desirable Capped Bust Half Dollar with only a dozen graded finer at PCGS. This beautiful Bust Half is as close to a Mint State as it gets with its fully original well-struck, lustrous surfaces and nearly complete lack of wear. Those characteristics along with its stunning blast white eye appeal make it an incredibly high-end example of the grade, which CAC agrees with.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide Value of this coin is set at $13,000 although they do not factor in any premium for a CAC sticker, which must be noted as grades just above bring a few thousand more in value. This lovely lustrous white example of this underrated tougher date Bust Half is available in this week’s auction reserved at just $11,500 even with CAC approval.
Why we love it: An affordable, bright red gem Indian Cent type coin from the final year of issue of this important and popular series. The immaculate surfaces, strong luster and beautiful blazing red coloring make for eye appeal of the highest quality imaginable. There are surprisingly just 20 examples of this issue a full grade finer at PCGS with the Red color designation.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide reflects a value of $1,150 and the CPG Value is just below at $1,090. The coin is available for purchase at the reasonable price of just $850 through our Make Offer function. That is a solid $200-$300 discount off the two price guides for this beautiful bright red gem final year type coin for the Indian Cent series.
Why we love it: The 1972 Double Die Obverse Lincoln Cent is quite desirable, relatively scarce and a far more reasonable alternative to the 1955. Strong doubling is evident on LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST. The secondary image is spread counterclockwise to the primary image. This finest known gem example is flashy red and super lustrous with no detracting marks.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide Value of this coin is set at $600 although being tied for the finest known at MS66RD makes it difficult to truly value. Being a finest known piece deserves somewhat of a premium. This blazing red gem example of this popular DDO is available for purchase for $650 via Make Offer.
Why we love it: A gorgeous, lightly rose-golden toned gem proof Three-Cent Nickel type coin. This pristine gem features mostly blemish-free proof surfaces that show simply gorgeous mirrors, which make for fantastic eye appeal. This 3-Cent Piece issue comes from a low, original mintage of just 3,436 coins struck in proof format.
Value: PCGS lists this date and grade at $600 with the CPG Value at $624, but it is available for purchase at the price of just $500 via Make Offer. That is a $100 plus discount off the price guides for this stunning gem proof 3-Cent Nickel type coin.
Why we love it: A beautiful near-gem example of this Proof Liberty Seated Quarter type coin. This piece offers intriguing eye appeal as its mostly blemish-free proof surfaces feature rich peripheral toning with some deep rose highlights and spots of rainbow subtly on the reverse. From an extremely low mintage of just 886 coins struck in proof format.
Value: The difference between the PCGS Price Guide and CPG Value is barely notable as they are set respectively at $1,000 and $975. Our deeply toned near-gem example is available for purchase with a best price set below both price guides at just $875 though our Make Offer function, creating an incredible, affordable option for collectors.
Why we love it: The Arrows and Rays Half was only struck for one year as the design was quickly modified to remove the rays on the reverse due to wear issues. This makes the issue extremely desirable to collectors as a type coin, and this wholesome AU example is an affordable method of acquiring it.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide reflects a value of $550. It is available for purchase at the best price via Make Offer for just $525. That is a fair amount right below the price guide for this incredibly desirable one-year type coin.
Why we love it: An extraordinarily pristine cameo gem example of this popular first year Eisenhower Dollar that was the first dollar struck since 1935. The deep mirrors and frosted devices give this flashy proof quite ideal eye appeal. As a more common modern coin, the excitement is easily restored as this coin has the bonus of having a Double Die Obverse.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide Value for this coin with its Double Die Obverse designation in its PCGS label is set at $325. Our flashy cameo gem proof example of this first year Eisenhower is available for the best price of just $300 via the Make Offer function.
Why we love it: A gorgeous near-gem example of this low mintage date Gold Dollar type coin from just 11,156 pieces struck. The coloring is incredible as it displays yellow gold throughout but within that there are some subtle orange-peel tones making this coin beautiful. The excessive luster and blemish-free surfaces make the coin look like a true MS65 gem.
Value: Between the CAC approval and pristine surface quality its somehow just an MS64, so the corresponding CPG Value is $1,020. The starting bid set in this week’s auction for this coin is $1,000 even which is an excellent potential value to bidders considering the upside this piece possesses.
Check out all of the available "Coins We Love" from past newsletters