My Baltimore Show experience

[EVillageProwler]

Hi. I just got back from Baltimore a few hours ago and guess I should report in. (BTW, there's a nice thread about the show across the street by TomB.)

 

First, my newps. I went with the expectation of picking up a huge amount of high rarity Capped Bust material from the Logan collection. I don't know how to price these, but I got a hard education in an awful hurry!

 

It seemed like EVERY hardcore JRCS member was there. Some even wore geeky JRCS shirts! (I wanted one, and inquired about it too.) These folks bid up just about every Logan coin, high or low rarity, nice or otherwise. One guy who recently sold a major collection of early material apparently started collecting some of this stuff. One MAJOR researcher and author in the JRCS came and bought up all the nice super high rarity varieties. Talk about doing the statue of liberty play during bidding!

 

To me, the highlight of the Logan portion of the auction came at the very end when Chris Karstedt was selling off the edge mirrors Thu evening. The proceeds of that lot, including the house commission, was to be donated to the JRCS. The estimate for that lot was something in the neighborhood of a couple to few hundred dollars. That did NOT happen. An ad-hoc consortium of three NYC collectors got into a spirited bidding war against the owner of what is probably the best early dime set. When all's said and done, the hammer fell at $2K to the early dime collector. (As a LM of the JRCS, I am happy with the result.)

 

Oh, my back to my newps... Due to the heavy competition from the JRCS membership, I adjusted my pursuit to putting together a type set of Capped Bust coinage pedigreed to Logan. It's only 6 coins (1 H10c, 2 10c, 2 25c and 1 50c), with the half dime being a LM book plate coin, a dime being a JR book plate coin. I got 3 Rarity-5 and 1 R-4 specimens. I had to bid on the half sight unseen due to my adjusting my collecting goal on the fly in mid-auction! It turned out to be really nice.

 

BTW, I also got Mark Borckardt thinking about putting together a Logan type set as well. He already had 3 of them, and I saw him bidding on a couple more!

 

I also purchased an R-6 Early Dollar (from the San Marino collection). I was VERY excited about the purchase, as it is nearly the finest known of that variety.

 

I walked around the floor and found very little in the way of decent Seated Dollars. I was fortunate enough to win the 1846 (NGC MS63) from the auction. It is stunning, and I ALMOST got it very cheap, but Bobby Hughes -- grrr!!! -- bid me up.

 

Three notables: an 1867 (NGC MS65) that was pretty beyond belief, 1852 Original (PCGS AU58) that has the look of an UNC, and 1860-O (PCGS MS65) that was so freaking clean... Oddly enough, these coins all belonged to the same dealer.

 

That's it for my newps.

 

The show also had some really awesome Seated material of lesser denominations. My buddy picked up a superb bunch of rare date and gorgeous Seated quarters from auction. Another buddy picked up a few superb early half dimes and dimes, including a gorgeous 1803 Sm8 half dime (PCGS EF40). That's an R-6 specimen!

 

I think I may have found one that Keoj might like. He'll check it out at the Bay State Show.

 

I saw 2 early proof Seated Dollars that I'm surprised that TDN didn't bid on. The 1850 went cheap, but the 1857 sold at about full price.

 

I met Mark Feld. Nice guy. I forgot to check out Pinnacle's inventory, but I highly doubt that they normally carry stuff that I'd care about.

 

I also submitted a bunch of coins -- 6 invoices worth -- to NGC. One invoice was just to pedigree my Amon Carter and Childs coins. Wish me luck!

 

I also saw the PCGS forum members meeting table. In fact, I sat there when no one else was around. (I didn't intentionally not meet them.)

 

EVP

 

[Tradedollarnut]

I KNEW there was a coin I forgot about in the Bowers sale! That 1850 dollar did indeed catch my eye. I love that date! How was the coin? Must not have been too awesome if it went cheap.

 

Did you get to see the puttied 1913-D twenty?

[EVillageProwler]

I didn't see the puttied coin. I forgot all about it. (I was too busy.)

 

The 1850 was nice. Very nice. I loved it, but it didn't have exciting colors. Still very nice though. It hammered at $23K I believe. I think that's too cheap for a PF64, but it's not cheap in absolute terms to most people...

 

EVP

 

[braddick]

Sounds great! REAL coins at a real fun show!

[Coinosaurus]

I was in Baltimore all day Friday, the highlight of the trip was getting to meet Michael Merrill, who is the son of one of the people involved in handling the Baltimore gold hoard of 1934. This story will be published in Bowers upcoming Rare Coin Review #150 (there is a "teaser" on p. 51 of the current issue).

 

Oh yes, there were coins there too The most interesting thing I saw was an 1860-S quarter in an NGC EF40 holder, and unfortunately I have to say NGC blew it on this one, otherwise the coin would already be in my collection If this were a clean coin, it would be one of the best for the date, but there appeared to be some reverse tooling under the beak and a botched attempt to cover it up, resulting in a discolored area on the reverse.

[EVillageProwler]

I couldn't download the images of my winnings because Bowers pulled the auction off their site already.

 

Instead, I'll just tell you the lots:

 

#1711: H10c. 1829 LM-6.3. R-5. AU58. LM Plate Coin.

#1872: 25c. 1821 B-5. R-5. EF40.

#1915: 25c. 1836 B-4. R-5. VF20.

#2053: 10c. 1825 JR-1. R-4. EF40.

#2110: 10c. 1831 JR-6. R-3. EF45. JR Plate Coin.

#2233: 50c. 1809 O-109. R-4. III edge. EF45. Ex Robinson Brown, Jr. and Brilliant.

 

NON-LOGAN

#4045: S$1. 1846 NGC MS63.

 

EVP

 

[Tradedollarnut]

Did you look under their past auction section?

[EVillageProwler]

Still can't find it. What past auctions section? Got an URL for me?

 

EVP

 

[Legend-migration]

Baltimore was a great show overall. I posted my NEWSLETTER page already about how Legend did (visit www.legendcoin.com). All the major players were there.

 

The 1850 $1 you people are talking about needed a dip to possibly grade PR64. It had many light hairlines beneath the semi-funky light color. Myself and the other dealers graded the coin 63 strong shot 64.

 

Overall, the B+M Sale went well. But Saturdays session-went slightly weak since it was during the show and most dealers-including myself couldn't attend. I know I lost a few coins because I left bids that made me the underbidder several times, while if I was there I would have bought the coins.

[EVillageProwler]

Oh, no, Laura is here. There goes the neighborhood!

 

 

EVP

 

[Oldtrader3]

I lost many Type Gold bids in this sale as well. I need to find out if I bought anything, or nothing in this sale.

[Nysoto]

I won lots 2182, 2183, and 2186, all 1805 draped bust halves. Not the finest quality, but 1805 O-104, O-108, O-113a are tough to find. They will always be some of my favorites because of the Russ Logan pedigree.

[Hoot]

Congrats EVP! Sounds like a hey-day! Hope you can find pics to show us soon!

 

Hey, I'm glad that Laura is here! She has my 1914/3 buffalo nickel, MS64 NGC up on the Legend site! (Besides, she has a lot of good insights to share).

 

Hoot