Two Connecticut Coin Shows Today & Two New Coins!

[TomB]

These are the first shows I have gone to since I injured my back in February and, although the shows were small, it felt great to be out on the bourse again.

 

The first show I went to this morning was the Pawcatuck coin show, which is held once a year. This show is just minutes from my house and I arrived at the VFW hall at 8:10 for the 8:00 opening to the show. However, all of the dealers were sitting in the sunlit parking lot waiting for someone to open the hall! We all talked for a bit and then someone opened the building and I helped set the place up for the show. I met a collector there who went to Brown University for his undergraduate degree and we talked quite a bit, it turns out he collects Seated and Barber material as well as pre-Civil War gold. My father-in-law also went with me, my in-laws are visiting from Florida, and he had a great time.

 

The show was small, perhaps 25 tables, and the lighting was very poor. Also, since the hall had just been opened, it was cold inside. It was about 50 degrees outside and colder inside. I was surprised that there were some more expensive slabbed coins on the bourse, such as a nicely toned 1891 PF66 Seated quarter. I sold two VF20 Barber halves to one dealer after the previous one offered me under F12 bid for each. When I politely informed him that these coins were indeed VF20, he took out his loop, agreed and offered full F12 bid. That was really generous of him to offer $25 each for a pair of $75 coins.

 

There was quite a bit of low grade, raw "stuff" floating around but I did buy one piece. I was delighted to find a completely original 1842 Seated dollar. The coin is a dark auburn with somewhat lighter devices and there are no hairlines, scratches, hits, gouges or other impediments on the coin. The worst thing about it is a minor rim bruise, most noticeable on the reverse. This does not bother me at all. A scan of the coin follows.

 

 

We then got into the car and drove to the monthly West Haven show. I go to this show about once each year and have always done well there. Today, however, the show was really slow and there were many empty tables. There was one dealer who sold primarily slabbed coins and, while much of his inventory was expensive, from what was on display not much of it had eye appeal. As for the rest of the dealers, it was almost exclusively low grade raw coins, foreign coins or modern mint products. I was able to buy one really nice type one three cent silver and the scan of this coin is below.

 

 

Overall, it was a gorgeous day out in eastern Connecticut and I had a good time at the shows.

[DaveG]

A couple of nice coins indeed!

 

I like that seated dollar - I wish I could find them like that!

 

It's a little hard for me to tell on screen, but I'd say your dollar is an XF. What do you grade it?

[supertooth]

Tom, Both beautiful original pieces. Just love that color----especially the three cent piece. Just think the stories they could tell---where they have been. What could a dollar have bought in 1842? Might have been carried thru the civil war? Hard to believe it looks that well after 163 years. Not to mention that only about a thousand remain in circulated grades. Not a whole lot of coins when you think about it. Even for a common dated Seated Dollar. If there is such a thing as a common Seated Dollar! Bob [supertooth]

[MastaHanky]

I *REALLY* like that seated dollar.

 

If you ever feel like unloading it, give me a holler.

[TomB]

Thank you for the kind comments on the coins.

 

I think the Seated dollar makes EF40, though I would not be surprised to see someone write that they think it's a VF35. It's funny, the first thing that I thought of when I looked at the grade of this coin was that "it's a common date"...as we know, there is no such thing as a common date when you are writing about original Seated dollars. I would grade the type one three cent silver a little lower, likely a VF30. These are much easier to find with nice, dark, gunky patina.

 

At some point I might have to break down and simply buy one of those Dansco 7070 albums, you know, the not Complete US Type Since 1800 album. It amazes me that they don't include the Draped Bust/Heraldic Eagle type from any denomination, the large sized Capped Bust dime and quarters, they don't give two spots for the different Reeded Edge half reverses, they don't include the No Stars Seated type, and on, and on...That's why I haven't broken down and filled one of those albums yet.

[DaveG]

Well, the dollar looks like an XF-40 to me, not a VF-35.

 

In any event, the 1842 Seated Dollar (although so common as to not merit a mention in Randy Campbell's series on Seated Dollars in Coin World a few years ago) had, according to Bowers' Silver Dollar Encyclopedia (1993), an estimated population of 3500 to 5000 coins in VF-20 to AU-58.

 

(For comparison's sake, Bowers estimated that the surviving population of the 1893-S Morgan was 4000 to 8000 in VF-20 to AU-58.)

[michael]

great report tomb and superb original coins to boot!!

[truthteller]

Super report and a nice Seated dollar. PCGS will grade that XF40.

 

 

TRUTH

[James_OldeTowne]

Tom, man oh man, I love BOTH of those coins! Congratulations on a couple of great acquisitions!

 

James

[chinook]

Nice coins Tom. I see you like them like your coffee

 

The dollar will have no problem getting into a xf40 holder at any TPG.

[Hoot]

Nice report and great coins. I especially like the dollar - sooty!

 

Hoot