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My 1st St. Gaudens Purchase

Started by GoldFinger1969,

144 posts in this topic

GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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I know it's a plentiful year supply-wise and nothing much special but I liked the MS rating on this 1924 and it was from a local dealer. Didn't want my 1st purchase to be online or via pictures.

 

May have overpaid a bit but it shows decent luster. Some scratches but wear appears minimal and knees, hair, mouth, fingers on torch, and eagle feathers all OK.

 

I was looking at this coin or a similar MS65 for over 2 years, so with gold falling almost 30% in that time, I think I saved about the same (maybe a bit less) by waiting on the Saint.

 

Comments, criticisms, congratulations -- all welcome. :)

 

6482e8298990858.jpg 15af82298990862.jpg

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mtnstyne

mtnstyne

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try posting to a hosting site first like photobucket then post the image url here.

 

Congrats BTW, can't wait to see it! I hope to buy my first St. Gaudens this year as well.

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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try posting to a hosting site first like photobucket then post the image url here. Congrats BTW, can't wait to see it! I hope to buy my first St. Gaudens this year as well.

 

Yeah, I remembered I had an old account at one of those image-hosting sites.

 

Coin looks better to me than in the pictures; now I see what others are saying. They're not lying ! :grin:

 

As I'm new to the site, I'll try and learn the best resolutions, lighting, and other tips for any pictures. I'm not that computer or digital picture savvy....cutting-and-pasting is more or less my upper-limit. Just got my 1st smartphone only 5 months ago so alot of this is new.

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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the obverse looks pretty marked up for a 65??? maybe its the very large pics making it seem reverse, reverse is better, much less markings

 

Actually, I think it's my lighting and everything. I just used my normal Galaxy S4 photo with an LED reading lamp illuminating the coin. I don't know how to use any 'close-up' setting on the S4 (still learning) and probably should have manually turned on the flash (I don't think it went off).

 

If you are referring to the darker blotches in the 9 o'clock and 2 o'clock area of the obverse, that's just lighting/shadows. There are some scratches there on the coin and the plastic holder has some minimal scuffing. The coin shows as yellow-goldy with no black marks or dark areas, just 'light' and 'lighter.'

 

I think what you're seeing is my D- photography skills !! doh!

 

If I can get better pics of the coin with my Galaxy S4 and proper lighting (LED bulb ? High intensity lamp ? LED lamp ? Flash from S4 camera ?) and any other close-up setting (right now I'm using the default settings @ 2560x1980), I'm all ears....let me know and I'll re-shoot.

 

It's a pretty nice coin. If I made a mistake better on a coin costing under $2,000 than on one costing double or triple in future years, right ?

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coinman_23885

coinman_23885

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Gems seem to be selling at lower prices than they have in recent previous years, and I think in many cases, they offer exceptional value. I would, however, be careful about the looseness of grading standards. Both PCGS and NGC have a good number of mediocre coins in gem holders IMO. True gems appear to be undervalued.

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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Gems seem to be selling at lower prices than they have in recent previous years, and I think in many cases, they offer exceptional value. I would, however, be careful about the looseness of grading standards. Both PCGS and NGC have a good number of mediocre coins in gem holders IMO. True gems appear to be undervalued.

 

Agreed.....but having seen lots of coins online, with the exception of the 1907 UHR St. Gaudens MS69 up on Ebay right now (for $4 MM !!!), most every photo I see online has blemishes (except maybe for MS 66 and higher with someone doing a good photo job/lighting). That was why I posted elsewhere on this forum about my wondering if the grades were too high.

 

Now having seen how hard it is to photograph a coin as good as it looks to my naked eye, I'm having 2nd-thoughts about what I might be seeing with discoloration blotches (but not black or dark spots which don't appear to be a reflection issue) in some of those photos. The coins may indeed be at the stated grade or within 1 number, not off by 2 or 3.

 

Would it be possible to tell from the holder what year my coin was graded ?

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coinman_23885

coinman_23885

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Agreed.....but having seen lots of coins online, with the exception of the 2007 UHR St. Gaudens MS69 up on Ebay right now (for $4 MM !!!), most every photo I see online has blemishes (except maybe for MS 66 and higher with someone doing a good photo job/lighting). That was why I posted elsewhere on this forum about my wondering if the grades were too high.

 

Now having seen how hard it is to photograph a coin as good as it looks to my naked eye, I'm having 2nd-thoughts about what I might be seeing with discoloration blotches (but not black or dark spots which don't appear to be a reflection issue) in some of those photos. The coins may indeed be at the stated grade or within 1 number, not off by 2 or 3.

 

Would it be possible to tell from the holder what year my coin was graded ?

 

(1) I think you mean the 1907 Ultra High Relief in PCGS PR69;

(2) Yes, you will see blemishes on larger coins like this even at MS65; however, some of them in top TPG plastic are pretty scarred up for so-called gem coins; and

(3) Discoloration could result from subtle toning (the coins are only 90% gold and contain 10% copper withs some silver and other trace metals) or possible minor copper spots.

 

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coinman_23885

coinman_23885

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Oops! I overlooked the part about dating the holder. It is possible to date the holder to a general time frame of a few years or so, but not to the specific year it was slabbed. The blue labeled holders were introduced in the early 2000s and I think they continued until fairly recently. I'm not an expert on holders (there is a poster here though who literally wrote a book about the subject matter), but there should be some old posts here that are more informative on this subject.

 

Edit to add: It looks to be a PCGS 12 or newer depending on the hologram and other things (2002 or after). Also, there are some of the blue labeled holders as early as 1998, but they did not have the coin series and number like yours does.

 

http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=222533

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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(1) I think you mean the 1907 Ultra High Relief in PCGS PR69; (2) Yes, you will see blemishes on larger coins like this even at MS65; however, some of them in top TPG plastic are pretty scarred up for so-called gem coins; and(3) Discoloration could result from subtle toning (the coins are only 90% gold and contain 10% copper withs some silver and other trace metals) or possible minor copper spots.

 

(1) Yes, Coinman, thanks.....1907. :grin:

 

(2) Agreed....coins, given their reflectivity, are much different animals than baseball cards.

 

(3) If you check some of the online places you will definitely see some black and otherwise dark blotches which look to be a bit smaller than a mini-M&M on some of the coins (mostly reverse side).

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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Oops! I overlooked the part about dating the holder. It is possible to date the holder to a general time frame of a few years or so, but not to the specific year it was slabbed. The blue labeled holders were introduced in the early 2000s and I think they continued until fairly recently. I'm not an expert on holders (there is a poster here though who literally wrote a book about the subject matter), but there should be some old posts here that are more informative on this subject. Edit to add: It looks to be a PCGS 12 or newer depending on the hologram and other things (2002 or after). Also, there are some of the blue labeled holders as early as 1998, but they did not have the coin series and number like yours does.

http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=222533

 

Color on back label is tough to decipher but it says "NASDAQ: CLCT" on the back with a mini-St. Gaudens obverse next to it.

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MarkFeld

MarkFeld

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I know it's a plentiful year supply-wise and nothing much special but I liked the MS rating on this 1924 and it was from a local dealer. Didn't want my 1st purchase to be online or via pictures.

 

May have overpaid a bit but it shows decent luster. Some scratches but wear appears minimal and knees, hair, mouth, fingers on torch, and eagle feathers all OK.

 

I was looking at this coin or a similar MS65 for over 2 years, so with gold falling almost 30% in that time, I think I saved about the same (maybe a bit less) by waiting on the Saint.

 

Comments, criticisms, congratulations -- all welcome. :)

 

 

Congratulations and enjoy your coin.

 

You said "...wear appears minimal..". A truly mint state coin will not exhibit wear and I doubt that yours does. There is a difference between wear and areas that are not fully struck up and/or are discolored for various reasons.

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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Congratulations and enjoy your coin. You said "...wear appears minimal..". A truly mint state coin will not exhibit wear and I doubt that yours does. There is a difference between wear and areas that are not fully struck up and/or are discolored for various reasons.

 

Thanks Mark....yeah, I guess I used incorrect terminology. The coin does apper very nice. The lighting in the dealer's shop was good, I was able to angle the coin and look at it under different conditions.

 

The only thing I didn't do was look at it under a magnifying glass. I hope to find my baseball card glass in the next few days for future purchases. All-in-all, probably did better than an online purchase.

 

The WYNTK sections were very helpful, and the mini-checklist in the St. Gaudens thread was very helpful, too !

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RWB

RWB

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Enjoy owning an example of one of the finest designs ever produced for US coinage.

 

If you want to learn about the origins and background of the design, borrow a copy of Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-1908 from your local library or the ANA.

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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Thanks RWB....it's on my WishList @ Amazon now.....first, I need to read in-depth and cover-to-cover the books listed in the St. Gaudens thread plus the Gold Counterfeit book. They're coming this week.

 

I want to read them, and read lots of posts on this site, before my next purchase.

 

 

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RWB

RWB

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I recommend that you start here for some basic information.

 

http://www.ngccoin.com/NGCCoinExplorer/SubCategory.aspx?SubCatID=70&PopSubCat=us-st.-gaudens-$20

 

Most published material on the Saint-Gaudens coins is obsolete or filled with errors. Consider these to be general information that will help you with the RAC 1905-1908 book when you're ready for it.

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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Thanks Coag.....gonna do some reading of past threads here at the site and my Coin/St. Gaudens books before I do another purchase. When the premiums go up to over 100% of bullion spot, I want to make sure I hitting everything in the DO's and DONT's checklists.

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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I recommend that you start here for some basic information. http://www.ngccoin.com/NGCCoinExplorer/SubCategory.aspx?SubCatID=70&PopSubCat=us-st.-gaudens-$20

Most published material on the Saint-Gaudens coins is obsolete or filled with errors. Consider these to be general information that will help you with the RAC 1905-1908 book when you're ready for it.

 

Awesome, and thanks !! That's a fantastic reference store. Almost makes you wonder if buying books is worth it in today's internet technology zone.

 

BTW, what does RAC stand for ?

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RWB

RWB

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RAC = abbreviation for "Renaissance of American Coinage" (as in the series of three books covering the new coinage designs from 1907-1921).

 

PS: I'm the author. :)

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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RAC = abbreviation for "Renaissance of American Coinage" (as in the series of three books covering the new coinage designs from 1907-1921).

 

PS: I'm the author. :)

 

I see.....1905-1921, right ? 2 books.....which one should I get first ? I'm a bit overloaded for the next few months.

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Mr.Mcknowitall

Mr.Mcknowitall

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RAC = abbreviation for "Renaissance of American Coinage" (as in the series of three books covering the new coinage designs from 1907-1921).

 

PS: I'm the author. :)

 

I see.....1905-1921, right ? 2 books.....which one should I get first ? I'm a bit overloaded for the next few months.

 

3....Three... III... IV...1+1+1...2=1...4-1....

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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I see.....1905-1921, right ? 2 books.....which one should I get first ? I'm a bit overloaded for the next few months.
3....Three... III... IV...1+1+1...2=1...4-1....

 

I see 2 books with that title on Amazon.com from RWB...and over $50 each !!! :eek:

 

Oh well, I will have RWB buy me a drink if I ever run into him at a coin show. :grin:

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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It certainly is pretty. I especially like the reverse of these double eagles. Nice pick up! (thumbs u

 

Thanks !! It is a nice coin, there are small scratches/scuff marks in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock regions radiating out from the center in the most concave part of the obverse. I think that's what is showing as the dark splotches in the photos.

 

With the decline in gold, I could afford to be wrong if it's really an MS 64 or even a 63, but it seems pretty much 65'ish compared to other coins I've seen. I'll be even more discriminating on future purchases for rarer Saints that cost more $$$.

 

My main problem now is earning/saving enough money for follow-ups that will cost more money.....hence the book and thread reading the next few weeks/months ! :grin:

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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enjoy your coin, please note, the photos are quite small and don't add much to the story

 

My photos ? I took them at full resolution, if you click on the pics in my 1st post, they should expand...click again and it should fill your monitor.

 

It's a 13 million pixel close-up on my PC taken with a Galaxy S4.

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lcoopie

lcoopie

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enjoy your coin, please note, the photos are quite small and don't add much to the story

 

My photos ? I took them at full resolution, if you click on the pics in my 1st post, they should expand...click again and it should fill your monitor.

 

It's a 13 million pixel close-up on my PC taken with a Galaxy S4.

 

 

You are right, I didn't click

 

thanks for the lesson

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