The San Francisco Gold Coin Market: What's Hot, and What's Not

I’ve written a lot about the 19th century gold coinage from the San Francisco mint, but it’s been awhile since I’ve discussed the “heat factor” for the various types and denominations from this mint. Clearly, San Francisco gold has gone from “unloved” to “up and coming” in the last few years, but which specific series are hot and which are not? Let’s take a look at each series and let me share my thoughts with you.

Read More

What's Up in the Carson City Gold Market?

What's Up in the Carson City Gold Market?

My CC interest is still strong but a few factors have made my interest wane a bit in recent years. The market has become very pricey—especially for double eagles—and coins which I would happily write a check for $15,000 back in 1992 I have trouble with at $30,000 or $40,000 today. Most of the coins I see in the marketplace today are very low-end (not all but most) and when I see pieces in AU53 holders which are not only overgraded but which are processed, I have trouble playing at current numbers. Finally, to be honest, the market has become a little too competitive for me.

Read More

Five Coins Which Went Under the Radar at the Pogue Sale

Five Coins Which Went Under the Radar at the Pogue Sale

There were five denominations represented in the Pogue I auction: half dimes, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and quarter eagles. It was pretty easy for me to choose an example for the first four and, in some cases (half dollars), it was actually hard to choose just one. The quarter eagle denomination was clearly the strongest despite a small sample size of 13 coins so my selection for “under the radar” is far less of a “good value” than it is for the other denominations.

Read More

The Pogue Quarter Eagles: A Post-Auction Analysis

The Pogue Quarter Eagles: A Post-Auction Analysis

The first of the Pogue sessions was held in New York on May 19th and I was excited to attend. The auction was conducted at Sotheby’s and the last time I went to a coin sale on 72nd and York, I saw the record-breaking 1933 $20 take the numismatic world by storm.

Read More

CAC Populations and Appearance Rarity: An Analysis

CAC Populations and Appearance Rarity: An Analysis

As I wrote in an earlier article, CAC populations have created a new category of rarity: the appearance rarity, which is most akin to traditional condition rarity. A scan of the most recent CAC populations reveals a number of coins which are very surprising to me as appearance rarities.

Read More

Sold by Douglas Winter Numismatics: Condition Census AU58 1860-O Double Eagle

Sold by Douglas Winter Numismatics: Condition Census AU58 1860-O Double Eagle

This regular DWN blog feature looks at some of the rare and interesting coins which we have sold in recent months. Most of these coins never made it to our website, and were quietly sold to collectors who we knew needed specific issues and who we had close personal relationships with.

Read More

Sold by Douglas Winter Numismatics: Very Rare Uncirculated 1862-S Half Eagle

Sold by Douglas Winter Numismatics: Very Rare Uncirculated 1862-S Half Eagle

The 1862-S is the second rarest Civil War era half eagle from the San Francisco mint, trailing only the 1864-S. Of the 9,500 struck, only 45-55 are known with most in lower grades. The reasons for this low survival rate include heavy use in commerce, pervasive meltings, and a lack of local collectors or dealers to save any pieces, as occurred with certain Philadelphia issues from this period.

Read More

A Dozen Undervalued United States Gold Coins Priced Below $7,500: The 2015 Edition

A Dozen Undervalued United States Gold Coins Priced Below $7,500: The 2015 Edition

It’s been quite a while since I wrote an article about the topic of affordable, undervalued 19th century U.S. gold coins, and I think it’s time to do a more current version of this article. I’m going to change things up ever so slightly this time and include some market overviews on each denomination, and make some suggestions which include multiple coins as opposed to “singles.”

Read More

The Newest Level of Rarity: The Appearance, or Eye Appeal, Rarity

The Newest Level of Rarity: The Appearance, or Eye Appeal, Rarity

If you’ve been around the coin market for a while, you know that there are many different types of rarity. In this blog, I’m going to discuss the types of rarity you might already be familiar with, and one which you might not: the eye appeal or “appearance” rarity.

Read More