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ccroger

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  1. I can across this information and wanted to let everyone know that these amazing coins are available to view at Great Collections table at the ANA he All-Time #1 Koessl Matte Proof Gold Set On Display at ANA World’s Fair of Money GreatCollections purchases the undisputed finest set ever formed (Irvine, California) July 25, 2022 – For the past 40 years, an advanced collector attended hundreds of major coin shows and spent countless hours on the phone with dealers trying to acquire the very best Proof Gold coins issued for just eight years in the early part of the 20th century. He was meticulous and demanded the very best quality, and in the process, he became the leading expert in the coin series. That hard work paid off recently, when Mr. Koessl sold his collection intact through John Albanese of CAC for an all-time record price, taking advantage of the increase in coin values over the past few years. They are considered “Matte Proof Gold” due to the coins having a matte-like finish, except for 1909 and 1910, which feature a Satin finish. These gold proof coins were issued only from 1908 through 1915 in four denominations: Quarter Eagle ($2.50), Half Eagle ($5) - both designed by Bela Lyon Pratt, and the higher denominations, Eagle ($10) and Double Eagle ($20), which were both designed by renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Mr. Koessl said, “This collection was my passion; my life-long pursuit. It was a very tough decision to sell, but I am very grateful to John (Albanese) and Ian (Russell) for their high level of professionalism in the smooth transaction and for ensuring it was purchased by a passionate collector who valued it as a complete set as much as I did over the years. My hope is the set will remain intact so future generations will appreciate the desirability and rarity of original Matte Proof Gold.” Koessl added “I would like to thank all of the dealers and collectors throughout the numismatic industry that assisted me in forming this set during my relentless pursuit of the finest known specimens. Of special note, David Hall and Van Simmons - they both helped me as far back as the early 1980s. Without their wise counsel and advice, I could not have acquired some of the finest coins in my collection and Andy Lustig, who arranged a special visit for me to view the Smithsonian Collection of Matte Proof Gold.” The collection will be displayed at the ANA’s World Fair of Money For the first time, the Koessl Collection of Matte Proof Gold will be on display at the ANA World’s Fair of Money, in a special display by GreatCollections Coin Auctions, the official auctioneer of the ANA. Mr. Koessl has kindly agreed to meet at the GreatCollections table #1105 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of the major coin show to discuss the collection and individual coins (Wed/Thurs at 2 p.m., Friday at 12 noon). Collectors and dealers are welcome to bring their own Matte Proof Gold to compare and ask for Mr. Koessl’s opinion. Accompanying the coin display will be ephemera relating to the coins, including an original Treasury Department (U.S. Mint Philadelphia) envelope that contained a complete 1911 Proof Gold Set, likely the only in existence. GreatCollections is also producing a hardcover book on the Koessl Collection, with historical information about each coin, high quality images and commentary from Koessl and others. The Record Transaction Mr. Koessl contacted John Albanese of CAC to handle the sale on his behalf. John Albanese, president of CAC said, “I have observed Tom for decades, scouring the bourse floor for the ultimate coins for his collection. And I’ve even offered him about a half dozen examples over the years, but can’t recall him ever making a purchase. I’m known as a tough grader but this guy Tom Koessl! Impossible to please, actually a pain in the you-know-what! As he would walk away after rejecting my prized matte proof gold coin, I often wondered, ‘does this guy ever buy anything?’ He also stated a valid reason: he claimed that his piece was superior.” Years went by and then he saw Koessl’s coins… Albanese continued, “No doubt a highlight in my 40+ year career was when Tom made a visit to my office and placed his prized collection on my conference room table. It took me about 30 seconds and it hit me - now I get it! This guy’s the real deal! He knew more about the coins than I did, and was being 100% honest when he said he was trying to find better examples all those years ago. In reviewing each coin, every single coin held up technically and even more importantly, they were original uncleaned virgin coins. When this set is viewed by experts at this year’s ANA, I am sure it will be unanimous, all will agree this couldn’t be duplicated even if a collector had unlimited time and money. Heck, this couldn’t be duplicated in the next 20 years at a point lower. Now that the transaction has been concluded I can say to Tom, a perfect gentleman, ‘on the record’ that I would have actually paid him a commission to be involved in this once in a lifetime event!” Ian Russell, president of GreatCollections said, “Chills - from the first moment I saw them in John’s conference room, and again when they arrived at our headquarters in Irvine - that’s probably the best way to explain it. The quality is so far above anything in Matte Proof gold we have ever seen, and I don’t think we will ever see anything like this in the future. Aside from an average grade above Proof-67 and 100% CAC approval (with five gold CAC stickers), the coins exude absolute originality, exactly how they were struck. The collection is far superior to the National Numismatic Collection inurned at the Smithsonian Institute, which is likely the second finest set known.” Russell added “We knew instantly that the collection could not be split up to different collectors; it had to be sold intact. Thankfully, the first client we called understood the importance of keeping it together as a collection, and was equally as impressed with the superb quality, realizing this was a once-in-a-generation opportunity. For me personally, it ranks in the top two or three deals I’ve been involved in; a definite career highlight.” The Koessl Collection of Matte Proof Gold Indian Gold Quarter Eagles 1908 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67+ CAC 1909 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-68 CAC 1910 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67+ CAC 1911 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-68 CAC 1912 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC (Gold CAC) 1913 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC 1914 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC 1915 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC Indian Gold Half Eagles 1908 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67+ CAC 1909 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-68 CAC 1910 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67+ CAC 1911 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-68 CAC 1912 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC (Gold CAC) 1913 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC 1914 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC 1915 Indian Gold Half Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC Indian Gold Eagles 1908 Indian Gold Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC 1909 Indian Gold Eagle PCGS Proof-66+ CAC (Gold CAC) 1910 Indian Gold Eagle PCGS Proof-66+ CAC 1911 Indian Gold Eagle PCGS Proof-67+ CAC 1912 Indian Gold Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC 1913 Indian Gold Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC 1914 Indian Gold Eagle PCGS Proof-66+ CAC (Gold CAC) 1915 Indian Gold Eagle PCGS Proof-66 CAC Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagles 1908 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC 1909 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle PCGS Proof-67+ CAC 1910 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC 1911 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle PCGS Proof-67+ CAC 1912 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle PCGS Proof-67 CAC 1913 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle PCGS Proof-66 CAC 1914 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle PCGS Proof-66+ CAC (Gold CAC) 1915 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle PCGS Proof-65+ CAC Aside from being on view at the ANA’s World Fair of Money in August, GreatCollections is planning to create a special website displaying the collection at www.greatcollections.com.
  2. Announcing a new discovery: 2021 ¼ ounce type 2 gold eagles struck with unfinished proof dies PCGS has graded bullion issue ¼ gold eagles with a W mintmark. No ¼ ounce bullion coins bearing the W mintmark were scheduled to be struck this year, as no W mintmark fractional gold have been issued since 2009. Very shortly there will be a press release about the discovery. The error roll was discovered by Gerald Medal (Lakeside coins on instagram) and then he shared it with to Todd Pollock (BluCC Photos). Gerald and Todd have been talking about the error, trying figure it out what it is, trying to see if there are more and just enjoying working and researching the discovery. Not wanting to wait too long Gerald brought the coins to Ian Russell at GreatCollections. Ian submitted the coins for grading and to verify the discovery. In 1999 the same error occurred with 6,000 being noted as struck by the mint with unfinished proof dies. In 1999, 564,232 quarter eagles were struck and an additional 6,000 unfinished proof die coins were also struck. So far in 2021, 54,000 coins have been distributed by the mint, and we will have to wait and see if they can provide a mintage figure for the unfinished dies. Regardless we know the overall mintage for ¼ ounce eagles this year is significantly less and the discovery of the error took some time. Since the discovery we have found 1 image of a W mintmark coin online. They appear elusive and we are curious how many pop up over time. About the coin: For starters the obvious, a W where there should not be. The relief of the coin seems softer and less sharp than the regular strike. We have not seen any PL look to the coins. Some of the rays appear narrower on the W coin. I am posting my images here of the 2021-W, 2021-(w), and the 2021-W proof for comparisons.