Coins We Love: Updates and Stamp Plates
First and foremost, we hope that our readers are healthy and remaining safe during this momentous time in our country’s history. While things continue to gradually change economically and socially, we continue to process coins as usual. The office highlights this week were really topped off by a cleaning out of our garage and our office hasn’t looked this organized in years! The last time our office was so nice was when a hurricane came through about 10 years ago and we cleaned out the office instead of driving home through the storm!
This week we unveiled our two-year long project with the Continental Collection of American Bank Note Company Stamp Plates. A fascinating collection of unique hand-engraved plates that were used to produce stock and bond certificates, stamps from the United States and abroad, and tax revenue stamps, mostly from the late 19th Century to the early 20th Century. Gorgeous, artistic, and unique, these pieces are a fantastic opportunity for the collector of historic items and engraving history. Personally, there are a number of plates that speak to me and my family heritage, so I expect a few of these to end up in my office display, but before we do that we’re offering them directly via our website with some even more decorative pieces ending in auction next Sunday night. We are excited to highlight these items and you can read more about the history of these stamp plates in our Just Ask John Blog from this week, including a video with a few highlights as well.
We hope that you find something that piques your interest! We’re always available to answer any questions or help you find the perfect new addition to you collection.
Lastly, we’d like to end this week's update with a plea for coins! We can always use more items, whether it be a consignment to our unique and top-performing auction platform or if you’re just looking for an outright sale of your coins. We’re in need of new pieces on a weekly basis and we'd love to work with you if the time is right for your collection!
Thanks again for reading and we wish you all a safe and healthy start of the traditional Summer.
Numismatically Yours,
John Brush
Why we love it: From a tiny mintage of just 291 pieces, this beauty is surely among the top tier of surviving examples. The deep mirrors contrast sharply with the frosted devices and have no distracting marks. Approved by CAC, this coin is high-end for the grade and is a fantastic example of such a low-mintage piece.
Value: The NGC Price Guide is at $14,000, the PCGS Price Guide suggests $15,000, and the CPG recommends $15,100. We’re starting the auction at just $13,500, ending this Sunday. An example in this grade hasn’t appeared for auction since 2015, and this is the first NGC-graded PR63CAM to appear since 2012.
Why we love it: A scarce St. Gaudens double eagle, this stunner comes from a mintage of just 34,000 pieces. In an OGH and approved by CAC, it is certainly high-end for the grade thanks to its brightly lustrous surfaces and sharp details. This one is a must-see for any double eagle collectors!
Value: The PCGS Price Guide suggests $6,000, and the CPG is at $8,120. We’re starting this auction off at $7,500, ending this Sunday. An extraordinarily strong example of a scarce date, this lovely Saint is sure to draw some attention!
Why we love it: This is a stunning white example of a key Carson City Mint Morgan. With only faint hints of russet toning on the rims, this piece will blend in nicely with any white set. It has great eye appeal for the grade with no individually significant abrasions and bright luster.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide suggests $5,000, and the CPG is at $5,250. We’re making it available for just $4,500 via Make Offer. A popular date amongst collectors, this one is certainly strong at its assigned grade.
Why we love it: From a mintage of just 9,056 pieces, this is a lovely AU example with a subtle golden brown center. With only the faintest hints of rub on the high points and luster still easily visible in protected areas, this coin is a great bang for your buck. One of the more common Charlotte Mint quarter eagles, this is a popular date for C Mint type coin.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide suggests $4,250, and the CPG recommends $4,380. We’re willing to let this one go for just $3,850 via Make Offer. This example hasn’t been available for public auction since 2009, so act fast while it’s available!
Why we love it: A tough date to find in Deep Cameo, this stunning example has crystal clear mirrors and thickly frosted devices. Bright white and virtually flawless, there are only four pieces graded higher in DCAM at PCGS. This would be a perfect fit for a registry set or any set of high-grade proof Franklins.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide places this coin at $11,500. We’re starting the auction much lower at $7,650. Auction prices realized for the grade have been volatile over the past five years ranging from $11,000 all the way down to $3,720 for a coin with unattractive spotting. Most recently a coin realized $7,200. This example will be starting out right in the middle, giving you the chance to get a great deal for a fantastic, eye-appealing coin!
Why we love it: A great type coin for the flying eagle series, this gem has bright, flashy luster with lovely peach and gold-tan toning. The devices are sharply struck, adding to the fantastic eye appeal. Certified by Eagle Eye Photo Seal, this beauty is top notch for the grade and sure to delight the high-end collector.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide puts this coin at $6,500. We’re starting the auction at just $5,975, ending this Sunday. This piece would certainly make a strong addition to any type set, and it doesn’t get any better for the grade. Don’t miss out on this excellent early small cent while it lasts!
Why we love it: A popular Carson City issue, this gem is dripping in satiny luster and razor-sharp devices. Blast white with no noteworthy blemishes, only 12 examples are graded finer at PCGS. A great piece for someone looking for a CC Mint Morgan, the 82 is the tougher of the more common date Carson City issues.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide suggests $6,500, and the CPG is at $6,250. We’re starting the auction at $5,250, ending this Sunday. The last example to sell at auction realized $7,800 in April of this year, significantly above our starting bid. Bid early and bid often if you want a shot at taking home this handsome piece!
Why we love it: A scarce San Francisco Mint gold dollar, this lovely coin comes from a mintage of just 24,600. With none known in gem grades, this is one of approximately 40 known in Mint State. With a quality strike and frosted sunny surfaces, this piece has strong eye appeal for the grade and is sure to delight the specialist.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide suggests $11,500, and the CPG recommends $9,380. We’ve decided to start this auction even lower at just $9,000, ending this Sunday. An example in this grade hasn’t come up for auction since 2000, so it could be quite a while before another shows its face. Don’t miss out while it’s here!
Why we love it: This piece comes from the fascinating Continental Collection of American Bank Note Company Stamp Plates. An ABNC Specimen with a portrait of the Dutch painter Rembrandt, this one-of-a-kind item is sure to draw interest from quite a diverse group of collectors. For those of us who can’t afford a painting by the famous Baroque artist, this beautiful hand-carved vignette would be popular for the art aficionado!
Value: No two pieces in this collection are identical, and all are completely unlike anything else we’ve ever offered. Hand-engraved and unique, we’re offering this one for sale for $1,400 via Make Offer. Like many of these items, you may never see another like this for sale, so don’t let this one slip away!
Why we love it: Another piece from the Continental Collection of American Bank Note Company Stamp Plates, this is a one cent soft drinks license tax stamp from South Carolina. With a nice engraving of a palmetto tree at the center, this would be a lovely keepsake for our South Carolina friends. As a native of the Palmetto State, and the grandson of a man who worked for Coca-Cola Bottling Company, this piece might just have to make it into my personal collection!
Value: We’re making this one available for $1,400 via Make Offer as well. Again, you may never see another piece like this come up for sale so if you’re interested, act fast!
Why we love it: A miniature work of art, this gorgeous plate depicts the Iglesia de la Merced in Costa Rica. It has an incredible amount of detail clearly visible, impressive even when viewed under magnification. Any Costa Rica lovers out there?
Value: Larger and more attractively aged than the last two, we’re making this one available for $3,000 via Make Offer. The intricate design is particularly bold and contrasts sharply with the surrounding surfaces.
Why we love it: Calling all pilots and plane enthusiasts, this plate includes designs for both $2 and $5 Airmail stamps from Cuba. A unique piece that certainly won’t last long, this is the last one we’ll highlight from the Continental Collection of American Bank Note Company Stamp Plates (for now), but we assure you there are plenty more wonderful plates up for sale!
Value: We’re willing to let this one go for $2,000. There’s a significant level of contrast between the engraving and surrounding surfaces, making the design pop from the plate. The legends are particularly bold, adding to the eye appeal of this unique piece.
Why we love it: Error Indian Head cents are not easy to come by, but this is a great example of one struck off-center. An even chocolate color with slight rub from circulation, we have to wonder how such an obvious error circulated long enough to pick up any wear. Despite its worldly experience, this coin still has plenty of detail and great eye appeal for the grade.
Value: This item is currently up for auction with no reserve, ending Sunday, June 14. The current bid is still well below $100, much lower than what we believe the actual market value of this intriguing piece is. Bid early, and you might get a killer deal.
Why we love it: This XF piece has plenty of detail left, especially on the obverse in Liberty’s hair. Toned a vaguely pinkish gray, this example is sure to fit in nicely with a lightly circulated set of bust halves.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide puts this piece at $675, and the CPG recommends $715. We’re willing to let it go for just $550 via Make Offer, well below the book values. Already attributed as Overton 102a, this one is perfect for the bust half specialists out there.
Why we love it: This mid-AU piece has oodles of eye appeal for the grade. Golden white centers give way to deep toning around the rims, highlighting the design. Plenty of luster remains in protected areas, only furthering the coin’s supreme eye appeal.
Value: The PCGS Price Guide suggests $350, and the CPG is at $370. We’re starting this auction at $350, ending this Sunday. High end for the grade, this piece packs plenty of bang for the buck and is sure to delight its new owner.
Check out all of the available "Coins We Love" from past newsletters