Coins We Love: Show Reflections
We’re fresh off the road from our recent trip to the Whitman Baltimore Coin Expo, and we’ve been busy getting everything back in order this week. It’s always easier to analyze a show in hindsight than when you’re in the throes of commerce and conversations but looking back at this show confirmed one of my suspicions, while absolutely blowing away one of my estimates.
Confirmation: This was the best trading coin show that we had this year. Dealers and collectors of all sizes were buying coins and bringing activity to the show. We started off with our wholesale trading room Tuesday and Wednesday, and the buzz in the small room was fantastic. This continued onto the bourse floor on Thursday and Friday as collectors buzzed around the front of the show, and we sold more coins than we have at a non-ANA or FUN show in years. It was a great start!
Blown Away: We came to the show with rather low expectations for buying and selling, and I thought that we’d buy a few boxes of cheaper coins and perhaps a few highlights for the November and December months before we start anew in 2020 at the Orlando FUN Show. Well, once we got home and totaled our expenditures, it was over one million dollars! I knew that I had bought a few more expensive coins than planned as I ran into some amazing opportunities, but when the total reached 7 figures, it absolutely shocked me. The best part is that this is a great thing. The buying was so opportunistic there that we were making offers that we deemed very cheap to other dealers and apparently, they needed the funds, so they accepted. In the end, we’re super excited for the results that will be showing in the next few months. So, keep your eyes open for a few more Hansen Highlights in the coming weeks and some amazing new purchases that’ll be fresh to the collector!
Overall: The Baltimore show is consistently the smoothest-running commercial (non-club run) show for dealers and collectors. There are no longer any long lines at registration, the folks up front do a fantastic job managing expectations and they actually listen to suggestions. In all honesty, the only change that I’d suggest that they make is to simply have the show start on Wednesday morning and add a day for dealers and collectors to roam the floors and finally to eliminate the summer show. Baltimore is a second home for those of us who have been attending the show for over 15 years. DLRC has been in attendance for over 25 years I believe, and we’ll keep showing up religiously as it’s a great show and being so close to home, it’s as close to home as we can get to a homefield…
Sincerely,
John Brush and Your Friends at DLRC
Why we love it: Popular and scarce double die Lincoln cent with full, bold doubling on the date and obverse lettering. The surfaces display rich reds and browns with blue tints. The luster is of the highest quality especially around the words on the obverse where it shines like a gem red example. Just 16 pieces are graded finer by NGC with the red-brown color designation.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide and CPG value are set respectively at $4,900 and $5,250. Our starting bid in this week’s auction is set at just $4,200, which is inline with the wholesale Greysheet bid pricing. A great key date coin with solid eye appeal for the value.
Why we love it: A CAC-approved toned ultra-gem example of this scarce proof Three Cent Silver from the D.L. Hansen Collection. From a mintage of just 600 coins struck. The color consists of pretty blue and lime center highlights with rose-gold rim tints. Between the toning and impeccable mirrors, the eye appeal is simply gorgeous. How this coin is a duplicate in any collection is beyond our understanding, but the Hansen Collection does possess a Proof 67 Cameo example in the primary set.
Value: The most recent sale of the same date and CAC’d PCGS grade was through auction in 2015 and brought $10,575. The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $9,000 with the CPG coming in at $8,120. Live in our auction ending Sunday, our starting bid is set reasonably (especially considering the CAC approval) at just $9,000.
Why we love it: A CAC-approved ultra-gem example of this scarce proof Shield Nickel from the D.L. Hansen Collection. Silky golden surfaces with frosty mirrors highlight the eye appeal of this incredible, well-struck gem. From a mintage of just 950, this piece is tied for the finest known at PCGS without a cameo.
Value: The last sale of the same date and PCGS grade without CAC was in a 2017 auction in which the coin brought $4,560. The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued slightly over that price at $5,000. The starting bid in this week’s auction is set modestly (especially considering the CAC sticker) at just $4,750.
Why we love it: A lustrous gem example of this better date San Francisco minted Peace Dollar. Soft, silky surfaces with a tint of light golden color, these surfaces are 95% white and quite attractive. There are just 15 coins graded finer by PCGS in which this coin comes in the sweet spot grade as value skyrockets in the issue’s finest MS66 grade.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide and CPG value on this coin are comparable at a respective $6,000 and $6,880. This closeness in estimates should bring potential bidders great assurance on the accuracy of those numbers. The best price via Make Offer is set low at just $5,250.
Why we love it: Scarce cameo proof Barber Dime from a low mintage of just 622 coins struck. Tied with a single coin as the finest graded by PCGS, there are no deep Cameo examples for the date. The surfaces of this immaculate gem feature beautiful, flashy white mirrors with stunning eye appeal.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $8,500 with its plus grade. We gladly offer a starting bid in this week’s auction of just $7,750. That is a solid $750 discount off the price guide for this amazing registry quality Barber Dime.
Why we love it: A popular semi-key date Morgan Dollar from the San Francisco Mint. These surfaces are deserving of its CAC approval with a lack of blemishes and lovely color and underlying luster. The toning displayed on this gem includes pleasing gold to bluish peripheral toning on the obverse, with deeper concentric color on the reverse.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $7,250 in MS65 and at $21,500 in MS66. PCGS factors in nothing for the premium of CAC approval. Our gorgeously toned example of this popular key date S-Mint Morgan is available via Make Offer for $8,250.
Why we love it: A slightly better date Denver Mint issue in the Barber Quarter Series. This beauty is a registry quality gem with nice original surfaces displaying attractive gunmetal gray tints and pretty underlying luster. There are just two plus graded pieces that are graded finer by PCGS.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide and CPG value on this coin are extremely comparable at a respective $8,500 and $8,750, which should convey to potential bidders the accuracy of those numbers. The starting bid in this week’s auction is set at just $7,000.
Why we love it: Popular Bust Dollar type coin from a mintage of just 54,454. This choice AU example displays minimal wear and incredible luster. The coloring consists of gorgeous rainbow toned rims that cascade into beautifully lustrous, white centers. Excessively nice eye appeal for the grade.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide and CPG value on this coin are comparable at a respective $7,500 and $8,120. This example is running in our auction closing Sunday night with a starting bid set at $7,250, which is under both price guides!
Why we love it: A slightly better date as P-Mints go in the Indian Eagle Series. Pristine, satiny and high end for the grade with smooth, unadulterated surfaces. Strong luster with reasonable aspirations that one day it could reach a six holder.
Value: The past two most recent sales of this date and grade with CAC approval came through fetching nearly $8,000 and $9,000. Considering the market and the quality of this piece, our best price of $8,250 flat via Make Offer is fair.
Why we love it: A CAC approved ultra-gem example of this rare deep cameo proof Franklin Half Dollar from the D.L. Hansen collection. Flashy white cameo mirrors with perfect surfaces. From a mintage of just 378,200 in which only one plus graded example is graded finer by PCGS.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $4,500 in its perfect high-grade gem condition. We gladly offer a starting bid in this week’s auction of just $4,125. That is a decent $375 discount off the price guide for this registry quality rare DCAM Franklin Half.
Why we love it: The 1866-S No Motto double eagle is a rare coin, especially with the D.L. Hansen and AWA pedigrees. Struck in the final year of the no-motto design, just 120,000 coins were produced compared to over one million for 1865-S. This example displays beautiful tangerine surfaces with plenty of remaining luster.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide and CPG value on this coin are comparable at a respective $70,000 and $66,600. This closeness in estimates should bring potential bidders great assurance on the accuracy of those numbers. Our starting bid in this week’s auction is below both prices guides, set at just $59,500.
Why we love it: A stunning example of this popular New Orleans Mint Barber Dime. Lovely pink and tangerine tints with silky surfaces, this piece is perfect for the grade. This coin is of true registry quality in every aspect with just three examples graded finer by PCGS.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $5,500 with its plus grade. We gladly offer a best price via the Make Offer function of just $5,250. That is a decent $250 discount off the price guide for this stunning registry-quality Barber Dime.
Why we love it: A gorgeous CAC’d toned gem example of this semi-key date to the Barber Quarter Series. The color consists of lovely rose tints and russet highlights accentuate the luster underlying the tones. A wonderfully original piece with nice eye appeal, the coin is bested by only two other examples at PCGS, an MS67 and an MS67+.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide has this coin valued at $8,000 with its plus grade. We gladly offer a best price via our Make Offer function of just $7,500. That is a fair $500 discount off the price guide for this gorgeously toned better date Barber Quarter.
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 is a total survival estimate by PCGS of just 10,000 coins. Light even wear and coloring make it a nice representation of the grade. This choice Fine example is a perfect opportunity to acquire this incredible coin for a relatively affordable price.
Value: Our best price via our Make Offer function is set at $550. The PCGS Price Guide has this incredible Buffalo Nickel variety valued at $650 leaving a potential buyer with a nice little discount.
Why we love it: An affordable example of a scarce Carson City Mint issue Twenty Cent piece that comes from a low mintage of just 133,290 coins. This coin represents its choice VF grade well as the wear is not too deep and most of the details and design are still visible.
Value: We estimate this coin to be worth $600, and the PCGS Price Guide has it valued at $600. However, this coin is a No Reserve lot, so the bidder truly decides the value. An excellent opportunity to acquire this CC-Mint 20-Cent Piece at a great price.
Check out all of the available "Coins We Love" from past newsletters