Coins We Love: Midwinter Showstoppers!
Greetings from sunny Southern California! The weather has been lovely and the trip has been fantastic. We came out here to bid in the auction, visit a few friends, and to review a rather large deal that we were able to secure on Monday. All-in-all it has been an incredibly successful trip thus far. Tomorrow is a rather full day starting with a breakfast at the hotel with a friend of DLRC’s and then an afternoon at the Long Beach Show, followed by some auction bidding. It’ll be a long day before returning home but we hope to find a few more pieces that will fit some of DLRC’s overall needs and I’m sure that it’ll be a good time of numismatic camaraderie as well.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t any coordination going on between major shows and the ANA’s National Money Show (aka ANA Midwinter Show) is in Atlanta next week. We actually have a FANTASTIC table at the front of the room and are going to take a slightly different angle at this event. John (me) and Mike will be attending Wednesday-Friday and plan on bringing some highlights from our inventory with us. If you’re planning on attending and would like us to bring anything from our current inventory, please send us an email here and we’ll pack it up on Tuesday! We want to take time at this show to chat with collectors and spend more time relationally with those attending, so please feel free to stop by and discuss coins with us! Of course, if you’re thinking about selling and want to set up an appointment during the show, we’re more than happy to meet with! Let us know what you have in mind and we’ll put on our selling hats as well!
One last thing before we show you this week's coins: Be sure to check out our blog! Along with the usual offerings, I have started a weekly Q&A column to hopefully answer some of your questions regarding coin collecting and the industry as a whole. You can read the first post here and send questions for future weeks by emailing us at coingroup@davidlawrence.com. I can't wait to hear from you!
Sincerely,
John Brush and Your Friends at DLRC
Why we love it:This is a fantastic registry-quality piece with only two graded higher. The devices are sharply struck and lightly frosted to contrast with the strong mirrors. Golden-brown toning around the rims fade into warm white centers, nicely matched between the obverse and reverse. With a plus grade and CAC approval, you know this coin is definitively high-end for the grade.
Value:Neither the PCGS Price Guide nor the CPG have a suggested value for this exact grade, but if you split the difference between a 64 and 65, you get $22,500 and $20,550, respectively. We’re estimating it will end up somewhere in that ballpark, but we’re starting it at just $18,500 to let the market decide where it should fall.
Why we love it:This MS67 double eagle would be ideal for a type set for the beginning St. Gaudens collector. Although it is a common date, this coin features satiny surfaces and tons of eye appeal, dripping in original luster. With only six graded finer, you don’t get much better than this.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide suggests $13,500, while the CPG comes in at $15,700. We’ve sided with PCGS on this one and will start it in auction at just $11,500, leaving plenty of room for bidding.
Why we love it:This gorgeous half cent would be a perfect fit for a brown uncirculated half cent registry set. Well struck with smooth fields and no distracting marks or toning, it has a population of 25 with only four higher in brown. Don’t miss out on this CAC-approved beauty!
Value:The PCGS Price Guide puts this piece at $4,150, while the CPG suggests $3,000. We’re willing to side with the CPG on this one and will accept as little as $3,000 via Make Offer. The last coin of this date and grade that we sold was in 2016 and went for $3,900, so this gorgeous specimen is a clear bargain.
Why we love it:The 1891-CC, while generally available in mint state, is scarcer than its 1880s counterparts. However, this example is at the top of the pile; with only 10 graded finer at PCGS, it’s sharply struck with fewer bag marks than most examples of the date. Flashy white luster helps give this coin fantastic eye appeal.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide puts this piece at $21,500, and the CPG suggests $18,200. We’re starting it at $18,000, with plenty of room for bidding.
Why we love it:This gorgeous proof comes from an original mintage of only 1,355 and has a population of 13 with six finer. Vividly toned with rings of light blue and magenta folding into a gold center, this is a gorgeously high end coin. The devices are lightly frosted, contrasting nicely with the clear fields.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide puts this piece at $3,750, while the CPG suggests $3,440. We’re making it available at only $2,850 via Make Offer, below book value for this above-average issue.
Why we love it:One of the plate coins on PCGS CoinFacts, this piece has a pop of only 13 with two finer at PCGS. The flashy red surfaces are smooth and blemish-free, making this a truly choice example. With a sharp strike and phenomenal eye appeal, this piece is perfectly suited for a registry set of Indian heads.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide puts this coin at $20,000 while the CPG comes in much lower at $11,200. This auction starts well below either at just $10,500, leaving plenty of room for bidding on this gorgeous piece of early-20th century history.
Why we love it:Rare in DMPL, this stunning Morgan has a population of just seven with three finer. The devices are frosted and contrast strongly with the flashy mirrored fields. Covered with light golden toning, this piece is top notch for the issue and well suited to a registry set.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide puts this issue at $17,500, and the CPG suggests $16,900. We’re making this available for only $14,250 via Make Offer, below any auction records from the past ten years.
Why we love it:Any lowball collectors out there? This G04 double eagle is the single lowest graded at either service, making it a must-see issue for anyone working on a lowball set of the series. The first New Orleans double eagle minted, this example has strong eye appeal for the grade with even color and no distracting marks.
Value:Neither the PCGS Price Guide nor the CPG have a suggested value for this grade, and with no previous auction records, we’re letting the market decide. We’re starting this piece at $4,000 which should leave plenty of room for the lowball registry collectors out there to duke it out and decide what it’s worth.
Why we love it:The 1908 S is a semi-key date for the Indian head series, and this example is a gem – with plenty of original red luster and smooth fields, this piece certainly appears to be edging towards red. Only one is graded finer in red brown. Don’t miss out on this well-preserved coin from the first year that cents were minted in San Francisco.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide suggests $2,250, while the CPG is a little lower at $2,190. If you use Make Offer, we’re willing to go down to $1,850 for this gem. The last equivalent piece we sold realized $2,050 in 2018.
Why we love it:It’s difficult to find 1926 Standing Liberty quarters with a full, sharp strike, but this piece is one of the exceptions. With the Full Head designation and crisp devices on both sides, strong white luster, and no distracting marks, this gem is an eye-catcher for sure. Traces of light blue and gold toning can be seen in hand.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide puts this coin at $8,000. We’re starting it at just $6,750, well below the guide. With only three graded finer, we expect this piece to get plenty of attention.
Why we love it:From an original mintage of only 2,848 pieces, this scarce matte proof Lincoln cent is an eye-catcher for sure. With subtle hints of cool blue and green toning on the obverse, the fields are smooth and boldly show off the matte proof finish.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide suggests $1,900, while the CPG is at $1,620. We’ll undercut both and accept $1,600 via Make Offer, well below the last couple coins we’ve sold of this date and grade.
Why we love it:A member of the rare capped bust quarter eagle series, of which only 25,000 were struck in total, this example comes from 1831, when 4,520 coins were minted, and is fully original with even gold surfaces. Always in demand as a type coin, this piece is sure to move quickly.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide suggests $19,000, and the CPG is at $15,100. We don’t get to offer this series very often, but we’ll let this one go for $17,000 via Make Offer. The last piece from 1831 we had the pleasure of selling was in 2008, so don’t miss out on the last one we could see for a while.
Why we love it:This odd denomination proof is one of the finest surviving examples from an original mintage of only 500 coins. By 1873 the two-cent piece was all but extinct, and only proofs were minted for inclusion in sets. Golden tints shimmer across the red brown surfaces on this well-preserved specimen. Only two examples are graded numerically higher at PCGS – both MS66+, one in Brown and one in Red Brown.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide suggests $8,000, and the CPG is at $7,500. We’re starting this one at just $6,750 and expect it end up close to the CPG value. This is one of the best issues out there for the date and type, so don’t miss out!
Why we love it:One of the three hardest buffalo nickels to find in gem condition, only three are graded finer. The buffalo horn is fully outlined, which puts the strike above average for the date; most are very weakly struck. With strong luster and pale gold toning, this piece is a fantastic example of a key date.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide puts this coin at $17,500, and the CPG suggests $14,500. This specific example has changed hands at public auction four times since 2008, when it was sold as part of the Rich Uhrich Collection for $36,000. It last sold in March of 2018 for $13,200, but we’re offering it at just $12,000 via Make Offer.
Why we love it:Uncommon in full red, and even harder to come by above MS65, this piece has a population of only eight with two finer. The Denver Mint tended to overuse dies resulting in many poor strikes, but this example is sharply struck and free from any distracting marks or unattractive toning. It has flashy red luster with light lavender highlights.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide puts this issue at $22,000, and the CPG suggests $24,200. We’re willing to go below both by quite a bit and will take $19,500 via Make Offer. This gem is ideal for a top-notch registry set.
Why we love it:This flashy white Franklin half is destined for a registry set with only six graded finer, all in MS66+. The surfaces are silky, original, and blast white with clear fields. It’s a common date but is much harder to find above MS65 than many other dates in the series.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide puts this coin at $450, and the CPG suggests $455. We’re only asking $350 via Make Offer!
Why we love it:From an original mintage of only 950, this gorgeous coin has flashy white mirrors and lightly frosted devices. With only eight finer, this piece will be an excellent addition to any shield nickel or type registry set.
Value:The PCGS Price Guide suggests $950, while the CPG is at $975. The wholesale Greysheet bid value comes in at $750 and we’re pleased to offer this coin at the wholesale level of $750 via Make Offer this week!