Most intresting coin(s) you've ever handled

[RUSS BEGA]

Well i have two that i found the most intresting the first was a california terrtorial $50 slug at an apprasial event, the man came up to the apprasier next to me and dropped soething in his hand i didnt pay any attention at the time but soon he was calling my fellow numismatist who was busy handling some jewelery so he told me to go, the gentleman dropped a $50 slug into my hand i was astonished it was about an xf and i'm happy to say a month or so later i was told it had found a home in a ngc holder. the other one was a pan pac $50 (the round version) slabbed at a heritage auction, so now who has a good story to share?

[MikeInFL]

A chain cent -- a coin I've always wanted. I didn't buy it.

[lkenefic]

I didn't "handle" it but I did check out the images of an 1879 Stella pattern submitted through my local B&M shop...L

[bsshog40]

I've never handled any coin that just made my eyes pop out, my tongue hang out and drool on myself. Hopefully one of these days!

[IGWT]

Here are a couple:

 

Coin owned by another board member (as though you don't know who):

 

 

And one more, though not really a coin (owned by someone else):

 

[construct]

An omega counterfeit double eagle.

 

I'll add another. A genuine ultra high relief Saint.

[SkyMan]

Several. The lone PR69 Ultra High Relief 1907 Saint. The lone PR66CAMEO 1803 DBHE Silver dollar. The (used to be MS67) 1926-P Oregon that went for $69,000. Monsters, one and all.

 

 

 

[RUSS BEGA]

Several. The lone PR69 Ultra High Relief 1907 Saint. The lone PR66CAMEO 1803 DBHE Silver dollar. The (used to be MS67) 1926-P Oregon that went for $69,000. Monsters, one and all.

 

wow! very cool! sounds like an amazing experience

[SkyMan]

wow! very cool! sounds like an amazing experience

 

Actually it was 3 different experiences at three different shows. Here's some pictures of the Oregon (needless to say, the coin is NOT mine):

 

 

 

 

EDITED TO ADD: Now that I think back on it, it was a PR68 Ultra High Relief 1907 Saint. There are a whopping 4 of those. In any case I doubt that I could tell the difference by bare eye between a 68 and 69.

[Cladiator]

Had to be at the last Denver ANA. Had two 1792 Half Dismes in my hands at the same time with a third sitting on the table directly in front of me. Most interesting coin ever made times THREE all right there in my grubbies.

 

[AegisIII]

A few I can remember. None mine.

 

The finest known 1848 small date large cent counterfeit, struck on an oversized, straight clip planchet. There are only 6-8 known.

 

A double struck Peace dollar.

 

A quarter with an indent from a cent blank, with the respective cent struck uniface from quarter dies the quarter was struck through.

 

A Claffin encased postage stamp. About 10 known.

 

A Rickett's circus token.

 

A 1909 Indian cent struck on a 1906 Barber dime.

 

Assay commission medals of 1944, 1946, and 1949 with their original cases.

 

(Oh, and except for the double struck Peace dollar and the double denomination Barber, all of these were handled completely raw without any sort of holder!)

[okbustchaser]

A collector I know had all 4 Overton varieties of the 1796 and 1797 halves (2 for each year). He also has an 1817/4. All were amazing to see and fondle. This is the same guy who offered to trade one of his '97's for my 1794 and 1801--at the time a fair swap, but I turned him down. I regret that decision every time I see a "skinny eagle" for sale and realize that I will probably never have one.

[MBA101]

Has to be a 1797 Eagle that my Father and I purchased back in the early '80s for his company pension, and recently sold at a Goldberg Auction for $20K. Neat coins they are.

[chinook]

A 1909 VDB MPL in PCGS 66RD.

 

Edited to add---An absolutely stunning collection of 1794 Large cents. Many of which are finest known for the variety. This was an absolute numismatic treat.

[BOILER78]

Both of the unique gold Half Union gold patterns inside the vault at the Smithsonian. The unique 1849 Double Eagle was pretty cool too but the added size made the Half Unions more memorable.

[ant]

i got to hold a very nice pan pac octigon type coin once. ill never afford 1 but it was a striking piece!

[lkenefic]

Today...at my local B&M shop... 1834 Capped Bust Half (O-115A ...I think) in NGC plastic graded MS65 with incredible toning.

 

...I thought to myself..."Gee, so THIS is what these things are SUPPOSED to look like"

 

Leo

[SuperDave]

Now, I'm in the category of "never paid more than $250 for a coin" category of collector. Tonight, I spent fifteen minutes holding a 1799 Bust Dollar in NGC MS62 under my loupe. It blew me away. Yeah, I know, maybe no big thing for some among you, but it's by far the nicest piece I've ever held.

[MunkyMan95]

I have to say that I haven't handled many interesting coins. I did see a $20,000 Half Cent once, that was kind of nice (NGC F12 by the way, from 1798 or somewhere around there) and then there was that Peace dollar blank planchet which was neat, but nothing that really made me go 'Wow!'

 

Maybe I should get out more often

[supertooth]

Over my many years I have held---or looked at in hand---countless rare coins and tokens. Been fortunate to have been the discoverer of a few of them.

 

But, I think my trips early on to the Smithsonian collection----well, they remained in my mind all these 40-50 years. My first trip there still had the old building---a fire trap. Can remember walking down the isles---old wooden floors with jars of preserved animals and such. The kind of things no one gets to see anymore.

 

But, as a teenager they opened the 'new' Natural History bldg. Used to take bus trips with the future Mrs. Supertooth. They would let me off at the coins---while they went 'everywhere' else. At the end of the day, they picked me up still looking at the coins. These were the days BEFORE they conserved the gold coins.

 

These trips led me to collect CCtwenties---and I was hooked on gold and stayed that way for years. The Smithsonian collection just mesmerized me---as I guess it did a lot of folks. Seeing stuff that I could NEVER own---but at least was part of a public display. IMHO---the government has done a terrible thing in removing "OUR" collection from public view.

 

Anyway, it was a time in our past that probably helped to form a lot of our older collectors of today. Where could you ever go and see virtually 'unique' coins ----all at the same time?? So, I agree with Boiler 78 on this one. Bob [supertooth]

[just carl]

Most interesting coin was a 1943 Steel Cent. My Dad gave them to me in 1943 and that started me on coin collecting. I still have all the ones he gave me. He is gone now so how much more could any coins be worth to replace his memory?

[kranky]

Some of boiler78's pieces...that Fraser electrotype... some territorial gold and regulated gold that David McCarthy let me check out at a show...some of Saintguru's Saints...and the two 1942/1-D Mercs I found in a friend's coffee can of old silver coins.

[lkenefic]

A chain cent -- a coin I've always wanted. I didn't buy it.

 

I got to handle a '93 Chain at a shop in Albuquerque some time ago. I believe the coin had F12 details and an old cleaning...and it was only $3500... oh to be able to go back in time!!

 

Leo

[Rooster-migration]

Had to be the first coin I ever saved/collected........ It was given to me at birth from my father who received it from his grandfather. I never met my great grandfather. It would have been a fortune to him and to give it as a gift to his grandson was very special. I remember being a young boy and finally seeing the coin. It was huge and heavy...a deep dark gold tone and it filled my whole palm. We kept it in a safe deposit box and the whole bank safe access experience added to the mystery. I had no knowledge of the value of money, the coin alone was wow. For many years I had only that coin..... I still have it and cherish it deeply as the only physical link I have to my great grandfather and as a beautiful coin. An 1875 S $20 gold.

[bsshog40]

You'll have to show us a pic of that gold there Rooster!

[DC Dawg]

At the National Money Show in Charlotte, one of the big auction houses had a $4 Stella that was to be sold for $500,000. I remember this coin... it was graded PF67 by NGC as the finest ever graded. They also had a 1907 High Relief Wire Rim Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. That was graded by PCGS and I think it was PR66. I belive that one was going for about $200,000.

 

The Stella is not that beautiful. In fact, it sort of looks common.

 

I have seen Saints before. In fact, I contemplated buying a "common date" coin, like a 1914 or 1923, in AU just to have one. But the look and strike on the high relief was just phenomenal! It had the quality of a medal and was very striking. I was very close to selling my entire collection and my car just to buy this one coin.

 

It was unfortunate that this beautiful coin was trapped in that ugly plastic slab. This is a coin that needs to be displayed in something other than that slab.

 

Scott

[kranky]

Remembered another one.. got to examine one of these at a lot viewing. Hand-engraved by James Longacre.

 

[kranky]

How about one more from auction lot viewing... a pattern made in platinum.

 

[RUSS BEGA]

i remember reading about that in coinworld, what auction firm handeled it? do you remember the hamer price?

[okbustchaser]

Kranky,

 

I forgot about that one. I saw it at a Russ "show and tell" and again at the Bowers and Merina auction. Here is another cool one from the same collection (and auction)

1809 error

 

Edit to add answer for Russ:

 

Lot number 2316 at the Bowers and Merina auction of the Russ Logan collection November 2002. It hammered at $44000.00.