Very nice looking coins for "next to nothing" prices.

Greetings Collectors,

Even though I said my "buying days" were over, it's hard to pass on coins that are being "given away".I was browsing one of my "favorite sellers" and saw a couple coins that were very nice looking and also dirt cheap. The total price paid for this MS-66 1941-P Lincoln and also a 1941 MS-66 Washington quarter totaled less than the fees it would cost to grade both. Since seeing the two '1941's together, I thought what the heck, I'll put a mint set together for this year. (I already have all three of the Walker halves & Mercury dimes) There are also a few other pieces to this puzzle that are coming up within the next few days so I thought I would pick up the "S" quarter and the "P" Jefferson. Both of these are also in MS-66 as well. I am also maybe going to pick up a "low mintage" Washington (1947-S). Just out of curiosity, I checked the total points on not only the two coins I just bought but wanted to see how many points the "rarer" quarter had that was minted in 1947 in San Fransisco.

This is where there is another "outta whack" comparison. And then again, maybe it's not. In 1941 the total mintage for the quarter at Philadelphia was 79,032,000. The 1947-S saw a very tiny mintage (actually in the "top ten" of lowest mintage quarters for the entire series) of only 5,532,000. But the populations of this 1941, which had 16-X the mintage, has only seen a total of 1,280 graded at NGC, in "all grades". However the '47-S has seen a total of 3,924 graded in all grades.

1941-P: 505 in MS-66

186 in MS-67

3 in MS-68

1947-S: 1,943 in MS-66

637 in MS-67

3 in MS-68

I don't know how many quarters PCGS and Anacs have seen but these figures surprised me. Most early 1940's coins were minted in very high numbers and actually had high mintages throughout World War Two. Most mintage figures "backed off" after the war as there were plenty of coins to satisfy the needs of the country. I am guessing, that once again, it's all about "how many there are" in "captivity" and the "higher mintage"'41-P is the much scarcer than the lower mintage '47-S. And the points I guess, are a fair representation, as the 1941 nets 237 points and the 1947-S only receives 201 points. The other two quarters for 1941 (the D & S) saw mintages of around 16 million each but the "D" mint quarter is the scarcer of all three, as only 727 have been seen by NGC in all grades. The'1941-S has seen 1,011 in "all grades". But the S-mint has the higher "point total" than the scarcer "D" mint. Both of these dates in mint state garner a very hearty "almost 600 points" each.

But having said all that, this gorgeous "full on red" Lincoln in the grade here (MS-66) is the "next to the highest" grade wise, with only examples grading MS-67 being higher. I would have thought with over 887 million of these coins minted, the pops would have been much higher. NGC has seen a total of 2,233 in all grades. 1,236 in MS-66 and 736 in MS-67 with none higher.

Oh, and by the way, this beautiful "spot free" '41-P Lincoln is worth a total of 12 (twelve) points in the next to the highest grade known of MS-66. Go figure!

Happy Collecting!

WKF