GoldFinger1969

As a general rule, probably 80% of the value is in 20% of the stuff. Might even be 90%. Focus on the obvious: gold or silver coins. Classic comics. Use Ebay, HA, and GC to punch up some current or recent sales or offering prices. Gold and silver coins are the easy pickings monetarily to figure out but some small denomination U.S. coins cold be valuable, too. Will require more digging.

It can be done. FIRREA. Kicked the lying SOB government regulators right in the nuts.

If you didn't want to sell it, it's confiscation. Especially when you are told you can get $20.67/oz. and then a few months later it is worth $35/oz., closer to the true spot global price of gold.

I doubt there's any correlation between them. How popular do you think gold confiscation would have been at $20.67 an ounce.....exempting collectors and "The Rich"....and then be told it was worth 70% more at $35 ounce ?

So you're saying they might have talked about that stuff but not put it in writing ? Interesting.... I would have thought there'd be lots of interesting banter once FDR decided to start melting/confiscating gold. You'd also think some people might have objected to striking 1933 DE's (and Indian Head $10) into May 1933 when it was apparent by April 1933 that they'd all be turned into bars. But I could also see why they'd TALK about it and not put it in writing, since it was so political and you could probably lose your job or be demoted/lose a promotion if you disagreed with their moves.

Any memos and discussion pieces talking about more popularly-collected series like Double Eagles, Morgans, etc. ? That would be very interesting, I would think. I would think there should be some interesting back-and-forths on the relative lack of use in regular commerce, especially Saints/Liberty's. If not for backing Gold Certificates and because of domestic silver producers, both coins could have probably justified much smaller mintages at great savings.

They're certainly aware of where the "kinks" and inflection points are for pricing. And they're wary of increasing their population numbers, esp. when they haven't changed much in years. Should have nothing to do with grading a coin before you, but you know it's there -- especially in the minds of veteran or senior graders.

The Reverse Proof Buffalo is a good-looking coin. Had one, sold it, want to buy anothere one.

I'm not familiar with pricing in small denomination U.S. coins....but I'd be very afraid to pay a huge premium to face value for a penny or nickel or coins like that. I'm always afraid of those coins replicating baseball cards and/or stamps. My preference would be to buy a gold or silver coin, maybe at a 25% premium (gold) or very special year with low pop (silver).

You mean 66+ ?? I've never seen grades with decimals on a label though I've seen "experts" use them for certain special coins, which I thought was a waste.

But HA and SB are pretty well-known, and a mid-Manhattan dealer with some longevity is unlikely to go out of business in a few weeks., But Joe's Coins 'N Things on Rural Rout 33 nearly 2 hours from a city of size ? ZOINKS!!!, as Shaggy used to say !!

I still see the 1908 NM/"Wells Fargo Discount" when folks try and sell the coins as commons for a given grade and think they can get 1924/27/28 money for it. They can't. Even the 1924's have gone begging lately compared to similar 1927's and 1928's because of the higher pop numbers.

Thinking about that....it could be difficult if you lived in a rural area or just didn't have a LCS that you knew and trusted. Who would want to drive 1 hour or more away to submit coins through some dealer you never met before, right ?

Jeff Garrett has written several pieces in 2021 and 2022 saying that our hobby has definitely seen an influx of participants and/or $$$ chasing the same number of coins (hence higher prices): https://rarecoingallery.com/articles-by-jeff-garrett/the-rare-coin-market-is-hot-heres-how-you-can-make-it-work-for-you/

The Janvier lathe basically "shrunk" an individual's engravings to a much smaller size. The engravers couldn't produce quality and size necessary to "fit" on a coin. Reminds me of that guy that Fonzie used to help Ritchie get a fake ID in Year 1 or Year 2 of "Happy Days"....engraved and wrote so small that nobody could read the letterings without a magnifying glass !

Oh yeah....the 2009 UHR came with a booklet detailing how they created it with lasers and CNC and all that new stuff. I have extras of that booklet, if any of my friends here want one PM me and I'd be happy to send you one.

Can't private security at a show carry ? Elected officials have armed security.

Bowers & Merena.......wow. I wonder how many Double Eagles are in those old collector sets. If issued after 1974, they couldn't have been cheap.

Please post it. I thought that the 2009 UHR was struck with 65 metric tons of pressure; the MCMVII HR and the 1907 UHR were each struck I believe with 170 tons of pressure on the medal press. Roger's books have the details but I'm away from them right now.

Anybody covering their eyes or face is immediately suspect. I hope the cops followed up on these people. Anybody trailing folks like this -- their best ally is their smartphone and taking pics.

They do....but an MCMVII HR is like land: they're not making any more of them. The strikes on most years of the Saint-Gaudens series are well-struck even by today's standard, but you were using technology from 100 years ago that was early analog whereas today it is laser etching and digital. That metal press though from that time (which struck the MCMVII's) still packed a punch comparable to today's, maybe even exceeding it. The 2021's are nice. https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-medal-programs/american-eagle/gold-proof

I thought this might get some activity but it looks like the starting asking price, plus the fees, pushes the coin too close to $48,000: https://www.greatcollections.com/Coin/1250691/1907-Saint-Gaudens-Gold-Double-Eagle-MCMVII-High-Relief-Flat-Edge-NGC-MS-65 It's an MS-65 and flat-edge (no fin, as Roger would say ), a unique combination, but buyers at this level tend to be very savvy and price-knowledgeable and I think the total cost to get bids would be $40,000 give or take. I'll have to check HA to see where the market is for this particular coin and grade.

As a newbie, let me inform you if you didn't know already that the US COINS section has a great thread on Roger Burdette's wonderful Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle book....there is also a separate thread talking about the MCMVII High Relief coin and another one talking about Saint/gold prices.

Yes, that's par for the course. But let's see if they cross the $2K level as you said earlier auctions did. A 30% premium for MS-63's and below for commons is very rich. It's more than I paid for MS-65's pre-Covid for some popular common year Saints. INSANITY, as Estelle Costanza once said. I don't think it's a PCGS Price Guide vs. NGC Price Guide. These are common Saints with minimal or no numismatic value. Even if you value the PCGS premium, it shouldn't matter on a common coin that will track spot gold 90% or more. I'd definitely seek out the NGCs if PCGS coins are $200 or more richer. Will do...even Ebay might have some at that price because they want to get you on their mailing lists for pricier coins. Gonna try and stop in at some LCS's and see what they are asking for common Saints.

Clearly, a wise man and savvy collector.