A couple of months later. The precious metals markets continue in the doldrums, but for how much longer? I lot of the short positions have been squeezed out. What is more interesting, though, is that collectors are realizing that truly rare coins are still relatively cheap compared to many other measures. We just sold a 1990 No S Lincoln cent in PR69 DCAM PCGS -- population 23 including duplicates --  for well over $16,000 to a longtime client, well above the PCGS price guide. As Laura Sperber of Legend pointed out recently, a Gem Bust half dollar for $12,500 looks pretty cheap as well! Seated coins, Bust coinage, rare date gold, British sovereigns, early coppers, and Lincolns are all doing well, along with  a lot of other market areas -- and despite depressed precious metals prices!

Keep an eye posted for the monster Platinum Night that Heritage has coming up on August 9th, including the Mickley-Hawn-Queller-Greensboro Collection 1804 Original silver dollar graded PR62 NGC, a coin plucked out of a teller's drawer at the Bank of Pennsylvania around 1850. There is also an incredible run of branch mint proof Morgan dollars and early proof Seated coinage, some incredible stuff! I think the coin market is doing just fine. Watch the bidder cards fly!

Best Regards,

George

What is more interesting, though, is that collectors are realizing that truly rare coins are still relatively cheap compared to many other measures. We just sold a 1990 No S Lincoln cent in PR69 DCAM PCGS -- population 23 including duplicates --  for well over $16,000 to a longtime client, well above the PCGS price guide. As Laura Sperber of Legend pointed out recently, a Gem Bust half dollar for $12,500 looks pretty cheap as well!




This are my exact feelings and I have too have been saying this all along!!
Kudos to rare coins

Well, I reread some of my own advice in this thread and have been buying lots more coins in the series I love, mostly Lincoln cents, a couple of nice Bust halves, U.S. type, British and Canadian rarities, and really nicely toned coins of all denominations!

The results are in from the Heritage Platinum Night. The 1804 dollar graded PR62 NGC, ex: Joseph Mickley-Reed Hawn-David Queller-Greensboro Collection, once again set a record, although I think it was only by about $100,000 over the previous appearance. Still, $3.8 million-plus is a pretty dang impressive performance!

I found it interesting what Laura Sperber wrote about the Heritage ANA auction:

"These guys have done an amazing job of expanding the numismatic marketplace. Legend has a great customer base, but these guys have created a monster 'black hole' for coins. Can't say it was that exciting for us, but it did have some very nice what we call "product" pieces. We just got blown out-again! We're sort of starting to feel like 'has beens.'

Our bids totaled $2,610,056.00. We won only $967,323.00. Again, we were highly aggressive and just got blown out."

George again: We are seeing a lot of interest in modern coinage including the 1964 SMS sets and the various No S modern proof issues. And whatever specialties people have in their numismatic collecting, they seem to be putting strong money to find the pieces they need. This is NOT an investing bubble, COLLECTORS are driving the market right now.

I also notice that gold and silver are both spiking quite a bit today from their recent lows, gold currently at $1335.60 up 1.79% and silver soaring, currently $21.38 up 4.77%! While as I have said previously this has only a tangential effect in our opinion on the market for real numismatic rarities, it does provide a base of support. I also note that GLD, the ETF, has crossed back above its 50-day moving average, as has SLV, the silver ETF. Perhaps the PMs are putting in some nice bottoms? Only time will tell, I don't believe anyone should ever bet the farm on PMs, I wish I had a dollar for every time they have proven me wrong.

But the vibrancy in the numismatic marketplace shows no sign of waning. We will be doing a small show, the Blue Ridge Numismatic Association show in Dalton, Georgia, www.BRNA.org, Table 319, and will have more to say when that show is ended. If you frequent these parts or just want to come by and say hello, we would be glad to see you!

Best Regards, 

George

Hi George,

Yes the market is getting even stronger. Almost all across the board there is upward movement. I watched a good deal of
this years ANA Chicago Stacks US, World and Ford auctions. Canada tokens, German, Russian, Poland, US nice type coins
and more broke records across the board. I am referring to very nice, well graded high end collector coins. I missed out
on several different toned type coins for my type set. I think we will be in a vibrant coin market for the years to come.

So. Next up is one of the most remarkable coin collections of all time, the Eric P. Newman Part II collection. His 1796 Bust quarter is the best on the planet, given the incredible grade of MS67+ Star by NGC, undoubtedly a presentation strike with a 3D appearance and incredible toning. Oh, and CAC. (I was high bidder on it for eight minutes this morning. Quit while you are ahead, can't afford it.)

The Heritage cataloger called it the most beautiful American silver coin, period. And despite decades of rumors, Col. Green did NOT have rolls and rolls of Prooflike 1796 quarters. He had one, and this is it, as his inventory survives. Eric Newman paid 75 bucks for it, many, many moons ago. I'm betting it goes for well over a million. A lot of the Bust quarters are stunners, most of them plate coins in Early Quarter Dollars by Rory Rea, Dr. Peterson and the gang.

The early dollars are nearly as phenomenal, multiple high-grade Mint State Bust dollars, many finest knowns. The Seated quarters, Mint State and proof, are to die for, all original Wayte Raymond album toning.

It looks like right now, collector coins, PMs, and the stock market are all going up, until Congress manufactures the next economic crisis. Sit back and watch the Newman Collection. There is something for everybody in there. But it's gonna be a heckuva show!

I'm looking forward to going back to Yale in a few weeks, want to examine their Bela Pratt medals collection and some of their incredible Russian coinage collection.

Best Regards, 

George

This auction should prove to be quite entertaining.

I just checked on the Newman Collection 1796 quarter. The current bid with buyer's premium is just shy of a half-million dollars. Rock and roll! 17 bidders so far. It's gonna be a heckuva party -- the whole collection, I mean, as well as this coin in particular.

Nov. 2: Current bid with BP is $1,057,500, the live auction is on Nov. 15, nearly two weeks away. Hold onto your hats, some high winds a-blowin'!

Best Regards, 

George

All I can really say is wow

Final tally on the Newman 1796 quarter? $1,527,500 including BP.

Best Regards, 

George

Write-up and pictures from Coin World here:
http://www.coinworld.com/articles/printarticle/second-newman-sale-gets-november-dates

It is a stunning coin, no doubt about that!