DWLange

You may submit it to NGC as a Grader Review to my attention. There's no charge for this service.

Eliasberg worked through several dealers, after acquiring the Clapp Estate through Stack's in 1942. These dealers knew that he lacked most of the coins after the Clapps ceased collecting around 1913, and he would buy complete sets of Mercury Dimes, Walking Liberty Halves, etc. While all of the later coins were uncirculated, they were not selected with the discriminating eye of the Clapps, so the quality is often mediocre on these later issues (weak strikes, worn dies, etc.).

I imagine it contributed to the reserve, but exact figures are lacking.

The Treasury did withdraw the silver issues from circulation in the late 60s, but the public took more than the feds did. The federal reserve was instructed to sort the coins as received and forward the 90% silver pieces to the mints for melting.

Eliasberg did display his collection once he completed it through 1950. For instance, many of the most valuable pieces were featured in a rare color spread within Life Magazine in 1953. I had that article years ago but eventually sold it. Later it was displayed in its entirety at the Philadelphia Mint for the Bicentennial in 1976.

Silver prices fell as huge deposits were found in the American West starting 1873 and European nations adopted a single standard based on gold. This led to the mass melting of their silver crown pieces and the dumping of all that bullion into the market at about the same time.

I'm afraid that this coin is no longer in-house for taking additional photos.

I'm afraid that's just the illusion of an S mintmark. NGC's Explorer photo reveals that the mintmark on an 1870-S dollar is centered below the feather tip and just slightly below it:

NGC's VarietyPlus has one similar already, and it may be the same die: https://www.ngccoin.com/variety-plus/united-states/gold-double-eagles/saint-gaudens-20-1907-1933/820273/

Eliasberg ceased acquiring USA coins around 1950, when he finally secured the 1873-CC No Arrows dime. He considered his collection complete at that point. As for his career he considered himself primarily a banker, and his collection was stored in the vault of "his" bank.

Eliasberg acquired the greater part of this collection in his single purchase of the Clapp Estate in 1942. A few additional coins were added one or two at a time, but most of what he didn't have from the Clapps (post-1913 issues) were purchased for him by dealers who sold him complete sets of those issues in block purchases. Eliasberg was not a great numismatist, just a wealthy and well connected one.

At the urging of Senator Mike Mansfield (D-MT) Congress authorized the coining of silver dollars in 1965. These were dated 1964-D, and all were melted after 300,000+ had been coined. It was a desperate effort to perpetuate silver coinage in the face of impossible market conditions and resulted in a provision being added to the Coinage Act of 1965 that specifically prohibited the coining of silver dollars for a period of five years. His influence was such that Congress compromised with silver-clad half dollars. These provisions weren't repealed until passage of the Banking Act of 1970, which authorized copper-nickel-clad half dollars, as well as both versions of the Ike Dollar.

https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/greece-10-lepta-km-8-1830-cuid-1120265-duid-1331148

Whizzing is a specific technique that involves a rotary brush. That coin has been quite polished but not whizzed.

Sounds like a good topic for a comprehensive article. 😉

Great minds think alike...

Here's an image from the net:

It looks as though there may have been some debris masking that area from toning that was later removed. The coin (what I can see of it) seems nice overall, so the light spot shouldn't be a deterrent from acquiring it.

😉

How do you think the U S Mint has the current year's eagles for sale in January?

50+ years of studying coins.

That was my office before CCG ballooned in size. I had to give it up and take my library home. 😥 All for the cause...

It was altered outside of the mint.

Very interesting stuff. Thanks for posting.

In Europe, everyone is on holiday during August.