What about rarity? This is the only example ever graded by NGC—in any grade!

What about grade? Consider Proof-67 Cameo!

What about fame? The $4 Stella is one of the most heralded of American rarities, and among the two designs, the Coiled Hair, by George T. Morgan, is the rarer.

All set to cross the auction block in Stacks Baltimore sale is this rarest of the rare pattern, Judd-1640, a glittering Proof in aluminum—a rare format even more elusive that an gold impression.

Here is some background, from Dave Bowers’ Whitman book on type coins (excerpt, adapted):

The $4 Stella

The Stella or $4 gold coin is among the most famous and desired of American rarities. The vast majority were struck in gold, with just a few in other metals. The presently offered aluminum striking provides the opportunity for some historical information:

The $4 piece was the brainchild of Hon. John A. Kasson, who had served as a minister to Austria. In Europe coins of slightly less value than the American $5 piece (the British gold sovereign being but one of many examples) were popular in trade. Kasson thought that an American $4 piece would serve as an international medium of exchange. This stands as one of many such notions that reached pattern coin form, but never resulted in issues made for general circulation. Others include the international $5 of 1868 and Dana Bickford’s impressive $10 of 1874. (more…)

By Jeff Starck for COIN WORLD

Trying to explain what sight-seen and sight-unseen bidding are is at once easy and confusing.

The market for sight-unseen coins is predominantly for “generic” gold coins, like this 1926 Saint-Gaudens gold $20 double eagle coin and other coins with large populations, several experts told Coin World.

There is little market for sight-unseen trading of certain collector coins, like the 1916-D Winged Liberty Head dime, one expert said.

“Sight-seen” and “sight-unseen” bidding are terms describing ways that dealers can buy and sell coins through dealer-to-dealer networks. But, it turns out, it’s much more complicated than that.

At the basic level, someone buying a coin “sight seen” has the option, once they’ve seen the coin, to buy it at a price already established between buyer and seller for a coin from a specific grading service and in a specific grade, or they can reject the purchase.

Buyers engaging in “sight-unseen” purchases may submit their bid for coins they wish to purchase, again for pieces certified by a third-party grading service, but without seeing the coins before agreeing to the deal.

The ability to pick-and-choose coins under the sight-seen method generally means those coins receive higher prices.

Technology changes market

As technology has evolved, the means and methods by which dealers trade coins has changed. In the 1960s, dealers used teletypewriter systems that transmitted their bid and sell messages to other dealers on the network.

Read Full CoinWorld Article Here

by Greg Reynolds for CoinLink

Half dollars will be in abundance in Baltimore. A large number of people collect bust halves, and a fair number of half dollar collectors will travel to Baltimore. Many others will have dealers represent them. The pre-ANA auctions will include ample offerings of bust halves, though less than I expected.

The highlight is the second or third finest known 1797 half dollar. Draped Bust, Small Eagle halves were minted only in 1796 and 1797. Both dates are very rare!

Stack’s will be offering the Norweb 1797 half, which is NGC graded MS-66. It is the second finest 1797 half that I have ever seen, and it is a coin that I very much like. It is certainly surpassed by the Lelan Rogers 1797 half, which is (or was) also NGC graded MS-66.

The Norweb 1797 half was last auctioned in March 2004 as part of the Haig Koshkarian type set. Dr. Haig, as he prefers to be called, purchased this coin ‘in person’ at the Norweb III auction in November 1988. This is the same Norweb auction event in which the highest graded 1861 Philadelphia Paquet Double Eagle was sold. This Philadelphia Paquet will be on display at the Monaco table at the ANA Convention.

The Norweb-Koshkarian 1797 half realized $966,000 in 2004, an auction record for any half dollar that still stands. This Norweb-Koshkarian 1797 half is certainly one of the five finest pieces of the entire 1796-97 type. The Rogers-Whitney 1796 half and the Knoxville 1796 half are also high in the condition rankings, for the type.

Flowing Hair halves of 1794 and 1795 are generally less expensive than 1796-97 Draped Bust, Small Eagle halves. Stack’s is offering multiple 1794 and 1795 Flowing Hair halves. In the B&M sale, there is one 1795 half, which is NGC graded AU-53. Superior is selling a 1795 half that is NGC graded AU-58.

Rich Uhrich is a dealer who specializes in die varieties of bust silver coins. His personal collection was auctioned by Stack’s in February. Uhrich concludes that “1794 and 1795 halves are more popular than Draped Bust halves” with either ‘Small Eagle or Heraldic Eagle reverses. “There is just something about the appeal of coins with dates in the 1700s,” Moreover, Uhrich observes that “there are many people trying to complete sets of all the varieties of Flowing Hair halves but are not collecting Draped Bust half varieties.” Also, Uhrich has found that “a lot of collectors who are not ready to spend the money for a 1794 silver dollar demand 1794 half dollars,” which are much less expensive. (more…)

As a leader in the area of rare United States gold, I get to handle some pretty interesting coins on a regular basis. But every now and then there is a piece that comes into my inventory that is so truly exceptional that it gives me pause and makes consider keeping it instead of selling it. The most recent of these was an 1841-D quarter eagle graded MS63 by PCGS that is not only the finest known example of the date but one of the most aesthetically attractive Dahlonega gold coins of any date or denomination that I have seen.

I rank the 1841-D as the fifth rarest of the twenty quarter eagles produced at this mint. There were a total of 4,164 struck of which an estimated 75-100 exist. When available, the typical 1841-D grades VF to EF and is characterized by poor eye appeal and extensively abraded surfaces. There are probably fewer than fifteen properly graded AU’s known as well as four in Uncirculated.

The four Uncirculated examples are as follows:

1. Kansas Collection, ex: Doug Winter, Wexford Collection, Doug Winter, Heritage 1/04: 1017 ($40,250), Green Pond Collection, Doug Winter, Bowers and Merena 11/98: 2076 ($46,000; as PCGS MS62), Heritage 2/90: 1264 ($15,000), Vintage Auctions 8/89: 286 (unsold), David Akers’ session of Auction ’89: 859 ($22,000). Graded MS63 by PCGS.
2. Private collection, ex: Heritage 4/06: 1496 ($46,000), Duke’s Creek Collection (as PCGS MS62), Hancock and Harwell, William Miller collection, Heritage 1993 ANA: 5508 ($25,300). Graded MS63 by NGC.
3. Georgia Collection, ex: Larry Jackson, David Akers 5/98: 1735 ($35,200), John Pittman collection, Stack’s 10/60: 3192 ($270), Milton Holmes collection. Graded MS61 by NGC.
4. Kansas Collection (duplicate), ex: Doug Winter 4/00, Mark Hurst collection, Heritage 1999 FUN: 7627 ($21,850; as PCGS AU58), North Georgia Collection, Stack’s 10/94: 867 ($22,000), James Stack Collection. Graded MS60 by NGC.

As you can tell from this list, I have had the good fortune to handle two of the four Uncirculated 1841-D quarter eagles and I have handled the finest known on three different occasions. (more…)

by Greg Reynolds for CoinLink

Superior, Stack’s and B&M are all conducting auctions in the Baltimore area before the ANA Convention starts on July 30th. A staggering assortment of U.S. coins and other numismatic items will be offered. I will discuss some of the coins that are rare, are interesting in other ways and/or are ‘in the news’ for some particular reason, like multiple examples of a scarce issue being offered in more than one pre-Convention auction.

The key Proof in the Shield Nickel series (1866-1883) is the 1867 ‘With Rays.’ The pre-ANA auctions include three of these.

Not long ago, it was thought that there were fewer than twenty-five Proof 1867 ‘With Rays’ nickels. In recent years, it has become apparent that there are more. An estimated mintage of seventy-five is listed on CoinFacts.com, and the April 2008 PCGS Population report lists a mintage of sixty and indicates that fifty have been certified by the PCGS, a number which certainly includes numerous resubmissions of some of the same coins.

My guess is that the PCGS and the NGC have certified about forty-three DIFFERENT Proof 1867 ‘With Rays’ Shield Nickels. If there are another dozen or so that have never been submitted to the PCGS or the NGC, then the total in existence is probably around fifty-five. So, it is still extremely rare in Proof format and is highly demanded as Shield Nickels are a very popular series.

Superior will auction a Proof 1867 ‘With Rays’ that is PCGS certified Proof-64 with ‘Cameo’ contrast. B&M will offer two, both of which are PCGS graded Pr-64. The first, though, is in a holder with a green label, and was thus certified a while ago. Many, though nowhere near all, of the coins that PCGS graded in the 1990s qualify for higher grades now, since the grade-inflation of 2003 to 2007. Although I have not seen this specific nickel, the catalogue image suggests that it may have really neat, natural russet toning.

Flying Eagle Cents are even more popular than Shield Nickels. The 1856 Flying Eagle Cent is a longtime collector favorite. There are six 1856 Flying Eagle Cents in the pre-ANA auctions.

Almost every coin collecting kid has acquired a few Indian Cents and has dreamed of an 1856 Flying Eagle Cent. I will always remember when I first acquired an 1858 Flying Eagle Cent. I was about eight years old, and this 1858 maybe graded AG-03. I was not much older when I first saw an 1856, a Gem Proof Flying Eagle cent that a local coin dealer showed to me. I was enthralled. (more…)