Cool Coins from Long Beach: 1851-O $20.00
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Why are so Many 19th Century-Dated Gold Issues so Rare with Original Color and Choice Surfaces?
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As collectors become more insistent on originality, they are quickly discovering that many 19th century issues are extremely hard to locate with a nice, natural appearance. Why is this?
Read MoreWhat Are the Three Rarest Carson City Half Eagles?
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Of the three denominations of gold coins struck at the Carson City mint, perhaps the most popular to collect by date are the half eagles.
Read MoreGary Carlson: In Memoriam
/Gary was a world-class expert on early type and knew more about early silver dollars then just about anyone else in the coin business. Our numismatic paths didn’t cross all that often but when they did, I found Gary to be fair and honest. In my dealings with collectors, Gary’s name would come up from time to time and I never heard anything bad attached to him. When someone told me they were a “Gary Carlson customer” I knew that their coins were nice and that they were being treated fairly.
Read MoreWhat is the Rarest New Orleans Half Eagle?
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A total of 17 half eagles were produced at the New Orleans mint between 1840 and 1909. Focusing on the No Motto Liberty Head issues (struck between 1840 and 1857) there are at least five issues which I would call “rare” (i.e., fewer than 100 examples known in all grades). These are the 1842-O, 1847-O, 1855-O, 1856-O, and 1857-O. Of these five, which is the rarest in terms of overall rarity and which is the rarest in high grades?
Read MoreA Quick One: The Type Collector's Dilemma
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The dilemma that I speak of is this: given an average budget of around $5,000 per coin, is it advisable to buy a common date in the best affordable grade, or a scarcer date at the same price point? A quick caveat: this dilemma does not exist, of course, for certain issues like Type Two dollars as coins like the 1855-O are one-year issues with no ability to select from a variety of dates.
Read More"Wow...the Coin is Better Looking in Hand!"
/At least once a week we hear from a client who calls excitedly or emails us immediately, pleased with their most recent purchase. And they always say the same thing, "You know, I loved the photos, but this coin looks even better in person!" So that begs the question - why do I not show you exactly what you can expect when you open a package from DWN?
Read MoreBattle of the Classic Head Fives: The 1838-C vs. The 1838-D
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If you ask most casual collectors which of these two issues is the rarer or more desirable, I’m guessing most would select the 1838-D. Let’s look at the Tale of the Tape for each issue and then I will add some analysis.
Read MoreCivil War Eagles: A Rarity Study with Condition Census Information
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