-






To reserve these coins: 
My email: – davewnuck@gmail.com 
My Phone - (203) 231-1213 
Free Shipping.




Did the Pilgrims have bathrooms?

Many of us- myself included- tend to think of the 1600's as a time when humorless people in pilgrim-style hats would sit around and say things like:

"I doth go to the washroom posthaste ".

And yes- I am aware that there was no indoor plumbing in the 1600s. That is what we creative types call, "poetic license".

But while reading an antiques publication recently, this image stopped me dead in my tracks:

(see above)

It depicts the fire that swept through the Amsterdam City Hall in 1652, the same year Massachusetts silver coinage began. Even though it is a horrific scene of destruction, I found it fascinating to see images of what life might have really been like – as opposed to the Norman Rockwell view of that time that has been seared onto our brains.

Coins do that for me as well. What is that you say? Some people counterfeited coins back in colonial times? And clipped the edges to save a little silver from each coin they handled? And they hoarded coins because they didn't know how the Civil War would turn out? And used mostly foreign coins in commerce because the US mint did not produce nearly enough coins to satisfy the needs of the nation during our first few decades? These little tidbits of information help me paint a more accurate, more vivid picture of their lives, not the whitewashed version we learned in school.

Maybe that's why one of my favorite expressions is:

"In times like these, it is helpful to remember that there have always been times like these"


-Paul Harvey


The “Making the Grade” Featured Coin

1652 Pine Tree Shilling. PCGS graded VF30.

Small planchet. Noe-19, Salmon 5-B, considered to be rarity-5. 70.53 grains, per the PCGS tag. Perfectly centered and full dentillation on both sides. Quite a tough die variety, though you are paying little or no premium for that. $4800.

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New Listings 

1901 Indian Cent. PCGS graded Proof-65 Brown.
A stunner, quite possibly from an original proof set. As noted Indian cent expert Rick Snow has said – many of these vibrantly blue toned Indian cent proofs were wrapped in suphur-containing paper by mint workers prior to being mailed to those who ordered them. Often the paper was discarded once received. Occasionally it is retained, and this can be the result. This coin has an Eagle Eye seal of approval, though it will have to be re-stickered by Mr. Snow. In addition – this coin is accompanied by PCGS TrueView images. $995.

1970-S Lincoln Cent. Small Date. NGC graded Proof-66 Red & Brown.
Rainbow toning at the periphery. Very unusual as such. $195.

1908 Liberty Nickel. PCGS graded MS62.
Stunning gold, green, blue and red pastel coloration – so unusual on Liberty nickels. $250.

1825 Bust Half Dollar. PCGS graded AU55.
O-106, considered to be rarity-2. A ring of deep gold at the periphery fades to near white at the centers. $595.

1833 Bust Half Dollar. PCGG graded XF45.
Deep blue and gray toning, with some dirt still hiding in some of the letters. This coin is accompanied by PCGS TrueView images. $275.

1899-O Barber Half Dollar. PCGS graded AU55.
Another freshly graded coin from an old-time collection. Just back from PCGS, and with a fresh TrueView image to boot. Some AU55 Barber halves look XF at first glance; this AU55 looks fully uncirculated at first blush. $850.

1878-S Trade Dollar. PCGS graded VF35.
I purchased this coin raw from an antique dealer and sent it in myself. Just a choice, original coin. $250.

1925 Peace Dollar. PCGS MS66 CAC.
Stunning green obverse toning over booming luster. Oh man – beautiful toning on a Peace dollar is as rare as civil discourse about our president-elect. $1200.


World Coins, Exonumia, Flotsam & Jetsam


1653 Austria Thaler. NGC graded MS61.
Salzburg. Davenport-3504. A blue-green stunner. There is tremendous value in hand selected silver dollar size European coinage of the 1600’s through the 1700’s like this one. $975.

Group of Four 17th Century Contemporary Counterfeit Irish Tokens. [Uncertified].
Forgeries and fantasies of Irish tokens from the 1600's. Consists of: Nottingham, John Blunt; Thomas Burrowes (2); together with a lead squeeze coupling the rev. of John Trewman’s Nottingham token with the obverse of a Halfpenny of Philip Allen of Highgate. An interesting study group, both to learn more about this tumultuous time in Irish history and to research any possible connections with the enigmatic St. Patrick's coinage that circulated here in America. $295.

(ca. 1748) ) Am I Not A Man And A Brother Ceramic Medallion. 28 x 30 mm Oval.
Produced in Wedgwood's "Black Basalt" composition. Kneeling slave in chains, hands clasped, with legend AM I NOT A MAN AND A BROTHER? around. Reverse inscribed WEDGWOOD / MADE IN / ENGLAND / 57 1748 / EC . Neatly broken in two from 2:00 to 8:00, otherwise nearly as made. $95.

1778 Contemporary Counterfeit 2 Reales. Very Fine [uncertified].
Kleeberg Unlisted. Silvered base metal. Crude portrait on this exceedingly rare variety. Mike Ringo considered it unique, and to the best of my knowledge it remains so. Ex. Mike Ringo Estate; Stack’s Schaumburg Sale 6/2009:102; Stack’s 11/2012:6905; private collection. $395.

1783 Washington and Independence Electrotype.  Uncirculated [uncertified].
A well made example of popular colonial Washingtonia.  $95.

1786 Non Vi Virtute Vici. Electrotype. Very Fine [uncertified].
An excellent, high quality electrotype of this rare colonial pattern. As a genuine specimen it would cost you the better part of $100k. Mercifully, you can fill this hole in your collection for even less right here. $295.

1787 Contemporary Counterfeit 2 Reales. Very Fine [uncertified].
Kleeberg 87A-M2. Brass. Lovely in its own crude way. $295.

1848 Silver Medal of the Covered Market in Brussels, Belgium by Jacques Wiener. Uncirculated [uncertified].
You've got your usual obverse scene of an angel stabbing the devil in the mouth with a giant sword. And for contrast on the reverse you have a 3 dimensional view of the interior of the famous covered market in Brussels. This market is still in existence today. Though it has been updated over the years, you can still see the similarity. This medal is in silver and is smaller than the large Cathedral medals engraver Jacques Wiener is most famous for. At 30mm and 10 grams of silver, it is a little larger than a US half dollar. $175.

“1850” Dated $50 Gold Slug Imitation. Uncirculated [uncertified].
Looped at the top for suspension. One of the many different variants of this popular design. Very likely a 20th century concoction. $65.

1854 Mexico 8 Reales. Genuine Coin; Fake Counterstamp. Extremely Fine [uncertified].
This is a coin that was altered by adding a fake countermark, designed to fool collectors. This was likely done a few decades ago, as there was a little group of these that surfaced in the 1950’s or 1960’s, as I recall. A great example to add to your reference collection.$120.

1858 Catherdral Medal  – Pantheon St. Eglise in Paris - by Jacques Wiener.  Uncirculated [uncertified].
59 mm, Bronze.  Van Hoydonck-159.  A large domed cathedral in Paris that began construction in 1757-8.  Rich chestnut brown color and slightly reflective surfaces.  $295.

1864 Cathedral Medal - Hagia St. Sophia in Constantinople - by Jacques Wiener. Uncirculated [uncertified].
59 mm, Bronze.  Van Hoydonck-206.  Considered one of the 7 man-made wonders of the world, this famous cathedral was built in 532.  Added to and rebuit a number of times over the years, it was also converted to a mosque for a period of time.  It is now a museum and major tourist attraction in what is now Istanbul. The medal shows two views of the elaborate interior of this medal -- a key to the Wiener medal series.  I have been fortunate to offer 2 of the most desirable Wiener cathedral medals in as many months.  Sometimes it is better to be lucky than smart. $1100.
​
1924 and Undated Contemporary Counterfeit Standing Liberty Quarters. Lot of 2. Fine or Better [uncertified].
These two cast counterfeits are much nicer casts than are typically seen, which is why I am offering them. The specimen with the indistinct date sports beautiful concentric rings of toning, while the 1924 has lots of detail remaining. $75.


Coming Soon ...

Several fresh-to-market Massachusetts Silver Pieces
1815 25c with the enigmatic “E” Counterstamp
Two Spectacularly Toned Double Mint Sets


Contact info to reserve coins:
Website - www.DaveWcoins.com
My email address – davewnuck@gmail.com
Phone - (203) 231-1213 
Always Free Shipping. 

To reserve these coins: My email: – davewnuck@gmail.com My Phone - (203) 231-1213 Free Shipping.

Introduction

Below I am offering you some very special holiday treats. And when it comes right down to it – who deserves a treat more than you?

OK, a lot of people probably deserve it way more than you do. We are all pretty fortunate to have the time & resources to devote to this great hobby of ours. After all, coin collecting is ranked as the #1 greatest hobby in the history of the world, at least according to the survey I just did of my customers.

But on the other hand, you know exactly what you want. And if I’ve done my job correctly, some of those items that you want (and perhaps a few you didn’t know you wanted until you saw them) will be listed for sale below. If not, hopefully you find the presentation worth skimming, as nearly every one of these items cannot be found elsewhere.

Because I found so much boffo stuff, I had to break it up into two newsletters.  The second part of the list will go out to you on Monday of next week.


What Coin Collecting is all About (Really)

Recently I was emailing back and forth with a good customer. We were discussing a cool but esoteric medal. [If you must know, we were discussing the 1933 Huey Long ‘Toilet Medal’. It's a neat medal with a great back story). During the course of our email string, he sent me something so profound that I asked to reprint it here, so all 4 of my loyal readers could appreciate it.  He agreed:

To be honest and serious about what it’s supposed to be all about, in February 2015 I purchased a Proof 65 Cameo 1863 dime in a Heritage auction. This coin is not something I normally collect or buy. But for whatever reason, I just kept thinking about that coin: Someone in the midst of the Civil War took the time to buy a proof coin from the mint.
Obviously I have no idea who it was. But that person, almost surely a man, and I have something in common. If he died in 1900, he’s been dead for 116 years but if we could meet, I expect he and I would be able to talk about coins and collecting.
Given that small fraction of our population that ardently collects coins, I have something more in common with that person than with virtually all of my contemporaries. (Now, I also suspect that I’d vehemently disagree with many of his views, but he and I are both products of our vastly different times.) I’ve kept that coin on the small coffee table next to where I watch TV ever since it arrived at my house. I look at it reasonably frequently and muse a bit about the person who purchased it and what his life was like.


Now On to the NewP's

As in my previous newsletters, these coins are the items I have gathered over the last few weeks. The plan is to upload all these coins to my website. In the meantime, readers of this newsletter will be the very first to lay eyes on these offerings.   By popular demand, I've included photos of the coins where I have them.


The “Making the Grade” Featured Coin


1896 Six Piece Proof Set. NGC graded Proof-65 to 67.
A gorgeous, perfectly matched proof set of the kind that is rarely seen in today’s market. Most such sets were broken up during the dawn of the slab era to satisfy collectors in each of these proof series. Even if you don’t purchase this, take a moment to see how well matched these coins are. The coins are graded as follows: Cent: Proof-65 Red & Brown; Nickel: Proof-67 Cameo; Dime: Proof-67 Cameo; Quarter: Proof-67 Cameo; Half: Proof-66 Cameo; Dollar: Proof-66 Cameo. Photos of each individual coin in the set will be sent to those seriously interested upon request. $29,750.
----------------------------

New Listings 

(Ca 1670) St. Patrick’s Halfpenny.. PCGS graded VF30.
Vlack 1-B. A nice medium brown, with hard surfaces. The golden splasher over the crown is quite large and well centered. $2650.

1938 Lincoln Cent. PCGS graded Proof-66+ Red CAC.
This coin is accompanied by a PCGS TrueView Image. Of the 7 coins PCGS has graded at this level, auction records range as high as $1,880. This one is … $985.

1966 Souvenir Cards Presented Personally by Felix Schlag, Designer of the Jefferson Nickel, in Connection with Anniversary Celebrations at Local Banks.
A great go-with piece for a Jefferson nickel collection. Each has a Mint State Jefferson nickel incorporated as part of the design: St. Joseph Valley Bank, Elkart/ Nappanee, Indiana, white card stock, hand-signed by the designer of the nickel, Felix Schlag; and Community State Bank of Dowagiac, Michigan, pale blue card stock, Serial No. 1014, with door prize stub still attached. Felix Schlag died in 1974. $150.

1835 Bust Dime. PCGS graded AU55.
The best coin to come out of a small group of coins that I purchased here in Connecticut from a non-collector holding. It was found in a drawer with a few other coins of the period. I just got it back from PCGS. It doesn’t happen too often any more, but it is always fun to handle a coin that has been in a non-collector hands since it was made. Be the first to add it to a collection. $475.

1832 Bust Half Dollar. PCGS graded XF45.
Small Letters. Gorgeous blue, gold and green toning. This coin is accompanied by PCGS TrueView images. $275.

1834 Bust Half Dollar. PCGS graded AU53.
Large Date, Large Letters Redbook variety. Green, blue and gold toning over lustrous surfaces. $395.

1926 Indian Quarter Eagle. PCGS graded MS63 CAC.
Yes – this is a common coin. But these are currently so bizarrely cheap that I couldn’t resist listing this flashy, lustrous one. $495.


World Coins, Exonumia, Flotsam & Jetsam

"1652" (ca. 1853) Oak Tree Shilling. Wyatt Copy in Silver. Almost Uncirculated [uncertified].
Noe-OA, Kenney-3. Medal turn. Glossy surfaces show deep golden-gray toning and excellent eye appeal. Well centered and struck, it appears to have a wavy planchet similar to the original oak tree shillings that Mr. Wyatt was imitating. PCGS# 534621. $775.

1787 Contemporary Counterfeit 2 Reales. About Uncirculated [uncertified].
Kleeberg 87B-P5. Brass. Believed to be unique. Ex. Mike Ringo Estate; Schaumburg sale Stack’s 6/2009:69 at $747.50; Stack’s 11/2012:6916 at $546.50). How many unique coins that likely circulated in pre-federal America can you buy for less than a grand? Here is one. $650.

1796 Contemporary Counterfeit 2 Reales. Extremely Fine [uncertified].
Kleeberg-unlisted. The plate coin in the Lorenzo update to Kleeberg, and the finest of the three that are now known (a third specimen of this variety was discovered in October of 2016). Counterfeit two reales don’t come much better, regardless of variety. $495.

1801 Contemporary Counterfeit 2 Reales. Very Fine [uncertified].
Kleeberg 01A-M7. A popular variety due to the backwards 1’s in the date. Great pedigree too, and significant, as it was originally purchased from a non-numismatic source in the New York City area, where some theorize these counterfeits were originally made. Ex. New York City jeweler; Mike Ringo Collection; Dennis Wierzba; Stack’s 11/2012:6935; private collection. $195.

1806 Draped Bust Half Dollar With Counterstamp. Very Fine [uncertified].
A richly toned early half dollar with “Wagner” counterstamp in the obverse field. Quite rare to find a counterstamp on a desirable host coin like this. $950.

1849 Half Eagle “California Prospector” Counter. NGC graded AU58.
A popular issue with the obverse imitating an 1849 half eagle and a reverse showing a gold prospector. A few of these have sold at auction in recent years in the $800 range. They aren’t worth that, but in this high grade they are easily worth … $250.

1854 Cathedrale de York. Wiener Cathedral Medal. Uncirculated [uncertified].
Hoydonck-unlisted. 59 mm, bronze. This is the extremely rare variant in French. Unlisted in any reference on the series – this is the first time I’ve laid eyes on one, much less owned one. A grand opportunity for the collector of these magnificent, intricately detailed medals engraved by the master engraver, Jacques Wiener. $975.

1854 Seated Quarter With Arrows. J Polhemus Counterstamp. Host Coin About Good. Counterstamp Extremely Fine [uncertified].
J. Polhemus/Druggist/Sacramento, CA. This is an extremely popular counterstamp, largely due to the fact that coins were found with this counterstamp at the bottom of the sea – as a part of the Central America treasure. $650.

(Ca. 1862) Lovett's Washington Headquarters Series.  Baker-194A. GW-488 through GW-497. NGC graded MS64 Brown to MS65 Red & Brown.
During the civil war, George Lovett of New York City issued a series of ten medals featuring the various sites where Washington had established his headquarters during the Revolutionary War. The obverse of each medal has a bust left portrait of Washington in a military uniform with the headquarters building shown on the reverse.
Thanks to Neil Musante's just published, world class two volume set of books entitled, “Medallic Washington”, there has been a resurgence of interest in this series. On page 448 of his book he illustrates an ad that George Lovett placed in a February 10, 1862 Bangs, Merwin & Co. sale catalog where these medals were originally sold to collectors. Occasionally I see an offering of one of these medals here and there, but this is the first time I recall seeing a complete set of 10 medals for sale. This set was likely kept together since the time it was issued in 1862.
They feature the second obverse, exhibiting Washington's bust, facing left, inside a border of stars. Included: Chad's Ford MS64 Brown; Dobb's Ferry MS64 Red and Brown; Harlem MS65 Red & Brown; Morristown MS65 Red and Brown; Newburg MS64 Red and Brown; Sufferns MS64 Brown; Tappan MS65 Red & Brown; Valley Forge MS64 Brown; Whitemarsh MS65 Red and Brown; and White Plains MS65 Red and Brown. $2475.

1873 Seated Half Dollar, With Arrows. Bradley & Smith Counterstamp. Very Fine [uncertified].
A great looking, richly toned example of this rare and desirable counterstamp. It reads: Bradley & Smith/Brushes NY/Asbury Park, NJ. If The Boss (a.k.a. Bruce Springsteen) collects coins, I would bet he has one of these in his collection. $750

"1781" (2014) Libertas Americana Medal. Paris Mint Restrike. Silver. 5 ounces. Proof- 70 Ultra Cameo (NGC).
A large, impressive, heavy silver medal (as the lead in the movie, Annie Hall might say, “It achieves total heaviosity.” ). This specimen is serial number 477 of a maximum mintage of 10,000 pieces.   $675.

"1781" (2014) Libertas Americana Medal. Paris Mint Restrike. Silver. 5 ounces. Proof- 69 Ultra Cameo (NGC).
Serial # 891. The same as the above coin, only one grade lower.  The original box, COA and wooden case are included here as well.  These make great gifts. $550.

​
Contact info to reserve coins:
Website - www.DaveWcoins.com  My email address – davewnuck@gmail.com Phone - (203) 231-1213 
                                                                           Always Free Shipping.

Contact info to reserve these coins:
My email: – davewnuck@gmail.com My Phone - (203) 231-1213 Free Shipping.

Intro

In this issue you will be able to view more than an embarrassment of riches in rare and unusual coins.

This can best be described as a humiliation of riches. Yes, you will feel just like Scrooge McDuck when you dive into this listing.

In addition to the somewhat interesting article below, you will see a selection of coins that are simply not available anywhere else. A few of these coins you probably didn’t know existed. But once you see them, you can’t un-see them. And you just might wish to add one or two to your holdings.


The 100 Point Grading System: That Frog Has Been Boiled

Two or three times per week I get a variation of the same question from collectors. That question is: “When are the grading services going to 'force' us into using a 100 point grading system?”

The vast majority of collectors I talk to are against the 100 point grading system. They don’t care for it for one very good reason. They feel they will be at a disadvantage when they sell their coins if they don't convert their slab coins from the old grading system into the new 100 point grading system, and they are annoyed at the expense of regrading all of their slabbed coins that would involve.

To all those folks concerned about this: I have some good news and some not so good news.  First the good news.  It is my strong belief that the 100 point grading system will never be implemented. I do not have any inside information on this; I just feel it would be very bad business for these companies to institute it, and would alienate their end user customers.

Now for the bad news. The 100 point grading system has already been implemented. In fact, you have been living with it for a few years now.

This can be analogized to placing a frog in a pot of water. Most of you have heard this old saw. But for those of you who haven't and for those who may be disturbed by the harming of a theoretical amphibian – please turn down your Internet.

Anyway, (from what I am told) if you put a frog in a pot of room temperature water and slowly raise the temperature of that water on a stove, by the time the frog realizes he is in big trouble, he will be unable to jump out of the pot. That is what has happened to all of us collectors, dear reader.

The 100 point grading system has been implemented ever since they went to “Plus” grading. In other words: AU53+, MS62+, MS66+, and so on. When you add up all those new little pluses from nearly every grade from XF 45 through MS 68, it totals up to the equivalent of a 100 point grading system.

It was pure genius. In fact, the new system had been in place for about 10 months before someone pointed out to me that this was the 100 point grading system we had all dreaded. I didn't even notice it had happened either.

And upon further analysis this really isn't such a bad thing. After all, you don't need to get all of your coins regraded. If you happen to have a few Super-Dee-Duper coins in your collection, you might find it financially advisable to get those re-graded to see if they will earn a plus right before you sell them. But that's not much different than it was before the pluses were added to numerical grades.

So relax folks. The big, bad 100 point grading system isn't likely to come to your town anytime soon. It already has been living among us, just like the aliens in nearly every Twilight Zone episode ever made.


Now On to the NewP's

As in my previous newsletters, these coins are the items I have gathered over the last few weeks. The plan is to upload all these coins to my website. In the meantime, readers of this newsletter will be the very first to lay eyes on these offerings.   By popular demand, I've included photos of the coins where I have them.


The “Making the Grade” Featured Coin


1891 Morgan Dollar. PCGS graded Proof-66+. CAC.
A gorgeous proof of the pristine kind that is rarely seen in today's “squeeze-the-last-bit-of-grade-increase-out-of-a-coin-by-dipping-it” coin market. A superb gem proof dollar of the type that was routinely seen a few decades ago but not so much now. $7975.

----------------------------

New Listings 

1785 Connecticut Copper. Bust Right. PCGS graded AU50. Ex. Hessberg Collection.
Miller 6.3-g.1 die variety, considered to be rarity-3. A perfect milk chocolate brown specimen that sports the famous Hessberg pedigree. Mr. Hessberg’s collection was known for exceptional quality early copper coins and this piece is no exception. This coin comes with PCGS TrueView images. $6250.

1787 Connecticut Copper. Draped Bust Left, AUCTOBI Variety. PCGS graded AU55.
AUCTOBI Redbook variety. Miller 39.1-h.1 die variety, considered to be rarity-5. Very desirable in this high grade; the single highest graded of the AUCTOBI type that PCGS has graded, and easily in the condition census. Hard chocolate brown surfaces. $6950.

1787 Connecticut Copper. PCGS graded AU58+. Ex. John Ford Collection.
Draped Bust Left. Miller-25-b die variety, considered to be rarity 5. This coin was last sold in Stack’s auction of the John Ford collection in May of 2005, where as lot #320 it was called Uncirculated and the finest seen. It sold for $10,350 at that auction. A phenomenal opportunity for the colonial coin specialist. It is pedigreed to the S.H.&H. Chapman auction of the John Mills collection, 4/27/1904 where it was lot #291. This coin comes with PCGS TrueView images. $7750.

1802/0 Half Cent. Reverse of 1802. PCGS graded Fine-12.
A key date in this eminently completable series. Far superior in color and surface vs. pretty much any specimen I have seen in this grade range. $4450.

1811 Half Cent. PCGS graded Very Fine-35. CAC.
Another key date half cent, this one emanating from the same Connecticut collection as the previous coin. Hard surfaces; choice and unbrushed. $4450.

1938-D Buffalo Nickel. NGC graded MS66. CAC.
Rainbow coloration makes this otherwise common coin stand out from the crowd. $145.

1805 Half Dime PCGS XF40 Old Holder, Gold CAC.
The coin speaks for itself.  $25,250.

1825 Bust Dime, Large Size. PCGS graded MS64+ CAC.
A gorgeous, lustrous coin with tremendous eye appeal. Fully gem uncirculated save for some striking weakness on the reverse. $8950.

1814 Bust Half Dollar. Single Leaf. PCGS graded XF40.
Overton-105a die variety, considered to be rarity-4. Under intense collector pressure, as the Single Leaf is listed as a separate Redbook variety. This coin is an even light gray with the barest hints of mint luster clinging to the protected areas. $1200.

1836 Gobrecht Dollar.  PCGS graded PR-53.  OGH.  CAC.
Original Striking.  One of the most desirable issues in US coinage.  Is it a pattern?  Is it a regular issue?  Scholars continue to debate, but the consensus is leaning towards these were meant to circulate.  A lovely, choice, unmolested example.  $22,750.  

1921 Morgan Dollar. PCGS graded MS65.
1921 Morgans are not known for attractive toning, for some reason. This specimen is a happy exception. $160.

1921-D $1 NGC graded MS64.
A lightly toned, pleasing example. $75.

1900 Lesher Dollar. A.B. Bumstead. PCGS graded AU58. CAC.
Type 1, Z-2, HK-788, considered to be rarity-5. A.B. Bumstead #538. Approximately 210 of these medals were originally struck. Joseph Lesher of Victor, Colorado, inspired by William Jennings Bryan's free silver platform, created them. Grocer A.B. Bumstead was an early and leading participant in Lesher's "referendum souvenir" program. He was stopped from issuing any more by the Secret Service in 1901. This coin comes with PCGS TrueView images. $3895.

1901 Lesher Dollar. Boyd Park. PCGS graded AU53.
HK-796, Imprint Type. Z-10, considered to be rarity-6. Light gray toning, well struck and quite choice. From an estimated mintage of 150 pieces, this issue is quite rare today. $3295. 


World Coins, Exonumia, Flotsam & Jetsam

(1430-1431) England, Twopence of Henry VI. NGC graded VF25.
Spink-1862. King Henry VI’s reign began at the ripe old age of 9 months, and was marked by several wars. He is perhaps best known as the subject of three of William Shakespeare’s plays. He had cool coin designs though; his coinage makes him look like a member of the Rolling Stones circa 1968. Nice coin too, with blue, gold and green coloration. $295.

(1431-1432) England. Fourpence of Henry VI. PCGS graded XF40.
Spink-1875 This fourpence, or groat, is gorgeously toned in green, gold and gray. Well centered, round and with all of the detail showing, it is the perfect specimen for someone who only wants one example. There are PCGS TrueView images of this coin. $495.

(1660-1662) England. Twopence of Charles II. PCGS graded VF30.
Beautifully detailed example of the coinage of the English king that earned the moniker, “The Merry Monarch”. There are PCGS TrueView images of this coin. $375.

1793 Contemporary Counterfeit 2 Reales. The “Liberace Head”. Very Fine [uncertified].
Kleeberg 93A-L6. Copper. Lima mintmark. Hard surfaces and nice medium brown color, with some weakness on Mr. Liberace’s head. [In case you were wondering, this variety was given this name by John Kleeberg, who wrote the treatise on this series. Though I wouldn’t blame you if you assumed I made it up. It sounds like something I would dream up]. $495.

1800 Mexico One Real. PCGS graded MS63.
A gorgeous example of this issue, also known as a 12 ½ cent piece here in the good ol' USA. These coins were heavily used both here and abroad, and finding uncirculated examples that haven't been scrubbed to death is a real chore. A PCGS TrueView image accompanies this coin. $895.

1804 Contemporary Counterfeit 2 Reales. Copper-Nickel. Extremely Fine [uncertified].
Kleeberg 04A-L12. Lima, Peru mintmark. Very little actual wear on this piece, as this coin was designed to look worn when new to pass easier. Photo #6939 $295. 

1816 Mexico Half Real. PCGS graded AU58+.
Just a gnat's eyelash away from a choice Uncirculated coin. $195.

1834 Classic Head Half Eagle Counterfeit. Extremely Fine [uncertified].
This appears to be a base metal with a heavy plating of gold on top. I am not convinced this is a contemporary counterfeit, so I am not claiming it is. Still, a neat coin and the first I have seen of this. $225

1851 Liberty Quarter Eagle Contemporary Counterfeit. Very Fine [uncertified].
Another crude counterfeit of the period, from the same collection as some of the other unusual counterfeits I’ve offered recently. $195.

1855 Wiener Medal. Notre Dame in Paris. Uncirculated [uncertified].
59 mm bronze, Van Hoydonck 122. The spectacular rendering of perhaps the most famous cathedral in the world – Notre Dame in Paris. A superlative example. $395.

1857 Wiener Cathedral Medal. Lincoln Cathedral. Uncirculated [uncertified].
59 mm, Bronze. Van Hoydonck 150. This cathedral in Lincoln, England houses the finest copy of the Magna Carta. This deep bronze colored specimen shows the fine detail work of Jacques Wiener that is his trademark. $395.

1859 Wiener Medal. The Walhalla. Uncirculated [uncertified].
59 mm, Bronze. Van Hoydonck 159. This palace is located near Regensberg, Germany. $425.

1863 Wiener Medal. Cathedral At Speyer. Uncirculated [uncertified].
59 mm, Bronze. Van Hoydonck 199. Originally built in 1030, this Bavarian cathedral was destroyed and rebuilt several times over the hundreds of years before Jacques Wiener engraved this medal. A choice example. $395.

1890-O Morgan Dollar Contemporary Counterfeit. Extremely Fine [uncertified].
Crudely made, and fun to look at as such. I know this is a contemporary counterfeit, as it resided in an old time counterfeit collection. However, I cannot prove it scientifically. Thus it is only $95.

1914-S Barber Quarter Contemporary Counterfeit. Very Fine [uncertified].
An absolutely ludicrous looking, crude counterfeit. I collected contemporary counterfeit Barber coinage for over 20 years and have never seen one of these before. It is struck in brass, with a silver wash that has mostly worn away. As we say in New England – “It's friggin' bizzah.” $250.

1924-S/S/S Standing Liberty Quarter Contemporary Counterfeit. Very Fine [uncertified].
This was actually described as a genuine variety in the first edition of J.H. Cline’s book on Standing Liberty Quarters, though it was removed without explanation from later editions. It is a well made coin for the period, though with crude details under close examination. I am told that Dr. Michael Fey wrote an article on this counterfeit in 2008, but I was unable to locate it. I handled another specimen, the only other one I have seen, several months ago. As a result I was offered this one. $295.


Coming Soon...

1933 Huey Long "toilet medal"
More contemporary Counterfeits
Other goodies to delight and amaze you



Contact info to reserve coins:
Website - www.DaveWcoins.com
My email address – davewnuck@gmail.com
Phone - (203) 231-1213 
Always Free Shipping.

​Contact info to reserve these coins:
My email: – davewnuck@gmail.com My Phone - (203) 231-1213 Free Shipping.

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In this issue I've got more new and interesting new purchases then you can shake a stick at. Go ahead. Shake a stick at something, and know that I have more new and interesting purchases than even that.

So much new stuff for you to peruse that part 2 of this list will be coming out next week with equally cool items.


On Coins and Kittens ... And On Leaving Your Comfort Zone

My wife and I have become good friends with a family in our neighborhood. They are originally from China, though they have since become US citizens.

Recently the wife's parents traveled from China to stay with their kids and grand kids for an extended visit. Since they know no English, I vowed to learn some Mandarin Chinese phrases so at least I could communicate with them a little.

I took this very seriously. I practiced a few phrases over and over and tried hard to get the pronunciation exactly right.

Well, when I finally sprung my first well-rehearsed phrase on them, they might have been really impressed. I say “might” because they reacted instead with … laughter.

So I said it again. More smiles and even louder, but still somehow polite, laughter.

To this day, I don't know if they were laughing because this poor Westerner was trying so hard to say a few simple phrases. Or perhaps they were laughing because I was inadvertently saying something in Mandarin like:


"My uncle just digested a kitten".


I'm not sure what reaction I was expecting. But I'm still glad I took the time to step out of my comfort zone and to try something new.

So in that spirit I challenge each of you to put a toe in the water of one area of numismatics that has intrigued you a bit but you have not yet fully explored. Perhaps it is civil war tokens. Or maybe cool looking medals. Or coins of other countries that heavily circulated in early America until 1857, when that was no longer allowed by federal law.

Perhaps not coincidentally, see below and on my website for a selection of some of these out-of-the ordinary items that just might start you on your way to leaving your own personal comfort zone and finding a whole new world.


Now On to the NewP's

As in my previous newsletters, these coins are the items I have gathered over the last few weeks. The plan is to upload all these coins to my website. In the meantime, readers of this newsletter will be the very first to lay eyes on these offerings.   By popular demand, I've included photos of the coins where I have them.


The “Making the Grade” Featured Coin

1807 Bust Quarter. PCGS graded MS64.
Now here's a real whamma-jamma of a coin (that is a technical term; you best look it up). Just a beautiful example of a an early quarter. The next step up in grade will cost you over $100,000. This coin is accompanied by a PCGS TrueView image. $39,500.

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New Listings 

1856 Braided Hair Half Cent. PCGS graded MS64 Red. CAC.
Full blazing red on a type that simply does not come this way. A freak of nature, for sure. A coin like this should simply not exist. $7750.

1872 Two Cent Piece. PCGS graded Proof-66 Red & Brown. CAC.
Significant amounts of red remain on this key date proof 2c piece. Very popular, as this series is unusual and completeable. The mintage was only 950, as my trusty Redbook will attest. $2675.

1838-O No Stars Seated Dime. PCGS graded AU55.
This issue is very popular with numismatists due to its scarcity, as well as the fact that these dimes were the first coins struck at the New Orleans mint. Listed in the top 10 of the “10 most popular Seated Liberty O-mint coins,” in a survey of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club some years back. $1975.

1941 Walking Liberty Half Dollar. PCGS graded Proof-67. CAC.
Burnt orange peripheral toning with hints of green, blue and gold give this premium example some extra sexy eye appeal. $1950.

1886-O Morgan Dollar. PCGS graded MS64+.
Beautiful light green and gold obverse toning, with a great strike, a clean cheek and good luster. On the very cusp of 65, yet without the $175,000 price tag that an MS65 brings in today's market. Maybe someone more clever than I can upgrade it and “make” a cool $150k for themselves. If you do, you owe me a cheese sandwich. I'm serious about that sandwich. Or you can simply enjoy it as a great example of an extremely tough date in the Morgan dollar series. PCGS #7168. $26,950.

​1875 Trade Dollar. PCGS graded MS64+.
A beautiful coin with many claims to full MS65, without the MS65 price. Violent violet toning over lustrous surfaces and a sharp strike. This coin Is accompanied by a PCGS TrueView image. PCGS #7037. $15,500.

1950-S Booker T Washington Commemorative Half Dollar. PCGS graded MS66.
A nearly untoned example of this scarce and overlooked commemorative half. Like many in this series, you get very high grade, high quality, quite scarce coin for very little financial outlay. $135.

1798 Draped Bust Quarter Eagle. PCGS graded AU55.
One of two great early gold rarities being offered herein. This is the wide date, 5 berries Redbook type. Interestingly, this reverse die was also used to strike some of the 1798 and 1800 dimes, as they are of the same diameter. There are maybe 75 pieces known of this date in all grades, from jewelry pieces on up. A scarce coin, to be sure. $45,000.

1804 $10 Gold. PCGS graded AU55.
Another one of the great dates of the early gold series. Many advanced collections either skip this date entirely, or settle for one of the typical weakly struck examples that are often covered with adjustment marks. For those who know early tens, you will see this coin as a true find. $ 85,000.


Exonumia, World Coins, Flotsam & Jetsam

(1430-1431) Great Britain Henry VI Silver Twopence. NGC graded VF25.
Choice silvery gray color, well centered, with lots of detail. $195.

(1526-1544) Henry VIII Fourpence. PCGS graded AU55.
Great Britain. He's 'Enery the Eighth He Is, He Is! A very high grade example of perhaps the most famous (infamous?) of the English kings. Spink-2337E. $1295.

1779 Peru Two Reales. PCGS graded AU50.
A beautiful, original example of this scarce 2 reales. This coin is accompanied by a TrueView image. $495.

1781 Mexico 8 reales. PCGS graded AU58.
Crusty, choice and original example of a portrait style pillar dollar, or piece of eight. This coin is accompanied by a PCGS TrueView image. $695.

1795 Anti-Slavery Conder Token Farthing. PCGS graded MS66 Brown.
Middlesex D&H-1118. A heartbreaking rendition of a man in chains, on his knees. The English were decades ahead of the Americans in abolishing the slave trade, though both countries profited mightily from the “peculiar institution” in the meantime. This example is superlative in every way and available at a most reasonable price. $1250.

1820 Mexico Half Real. PCGS graded MS65.
Mexico City Mint, JJ assayer. Choice, original and lustrous. A very high grade for this issue; in fact, this is the single highest graded coin of the date seen so far by either service. This coin is accompanied by a PCGS TrueView image. $575.

1844 Contemporary Counterfeit Quarter Eagle Gold Coin. Very Fine [uncertified].
A delightful example. Purchased as a part of a group of contemporary counterfeits from a dealer friend. Quite crude and lovely; hand cut dies and featuring a very determined look on the visage of Ms. Liberty. $295.

1846 Wiener Medal. Cathedral at St. Aubin at Namur. Uncirculated [uncertified].
59 mm, bronze. Van Hoydonck 22. A gorgeous example of Jacques Wiener's depiction of this famous cathedral in Belgium. $295.

1864 Wiener Medal. Cathedral At Florence. Uncirculated [uncertified].
59 mm, Bronze. Van Hoydonck 205. One of the most recognizable buildings in Italy, the cathedral was begun in the 13th century. The east doors were dubbed by Michelangelo the Gates of Paradise., so those must be some swell doors. Jacques Wiener does his usual amazing job of 3D sculpture on this medal. $395.

Die Set up Piece for 1983 Hawaiian Dollar Medal. Uncirculated [uncertified].
An unusual and dramatic Die Set-Up strike from the Royal Hawaiian Mint, struck in the mid 1980’s. The RHM struck replica medals of the 1883 Hawaiian Dollar. The notorious Bernard Von Nothaus (hey – wouldn't that be a great name for the bad guy in a James Bond movie, or maybe for a German rapper?) made this three-strike item on a square piece of scrap metal to test the dies and presses. It measures 4’ x 4’ on each side, and all three strikes are die struck on both sides. Von Nothaus was found guilty in a Federal Trial regarding the “Liberty Dollar” he had been minting for almost ten years. A cool item to have on your desk. $195.

(Circa 1975-1986) Personal Files and Letters of Louis Eliasberg.
A file of correspondence between Louis Eliasberg and various collectors and dealers – some wanting to sell him some more coins, and some wanting to purchase or auction his collection. Housed in a 3 ring binder with a brochure and other ephemera relating to his magnificent collection. $195.


Coming Soon to an e-newsletter near you (or more accurately, in your in-box)...
St Patrick's Halfpenny PCGS graded VF30
1805 Half Dime PCGS XF40 Old Holder, Gold CAC
1825 Large Size Bust Dime. PCGS graded MS64+ CAC
1933 Huey Long “toilet medal” in Gem Uncirculated
2 Lesher dollars
Libertas Americana in Silver – 5 oz. - NGC Proof-69 Ultra Cameo with Wooden Display Box – 2014 Restrike

Contact info to reserve coins:
Website - www.DaveWcoins.com
My email address – davewnuck@gmail.com
Phone - (203) 231-1213 
Always Free Shipping. ​

Contact info to reserve this coin:  
My email: – davewnuck@gmail.com 
My Phone - (203) 231-1213  
Free Shipping.








Every once in a while, a coin comes over the transom that is so special, it deserves its own issue. The coin featured in this particular issue certainly qualifies.

You can skip my ramblings and scroll down to see what it is. Go ahead; I won't mind.

Dum tee dum dum dum.

Are you still reading this? OK then – skim through this vaguely interesting article, and then go read about the coin.

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A Fond Remembrance: The Pre-ANA Show Coin Dealer Ads in the 1970's to Early 1980's


When I came of age in the late 1970's and early 1980's, my favorite issues of the year of the weekly Coin World and Numismatic News that showed up in my mailbox were the issues directly prior to the ANA show in August.

This was an earlier time. A more innocent time. A slower paced time. A time before the coin slabbing services existed. A time before a few auction companies dominated the sales of the most expensive, most desirable coins on the market.

At that time, the big dealers of the day dominated the purchase and sale of the best coins on the market in many cases. The coin market still had the feel of an agrarian society. There were predictable “slow times” of year, and there were busy times of year.

There were times to sow, and there were times to reap. The summertime was slow, so it was time to build up and prepare your inventory for the active fall-winter selling season.

So – the large, dominant dealers of the day would often put aside their finest coins and then exhibit (and hopefully sell) them at the late summer ANA show. And to let collectors know what they were bringing, they would place these magnificent full page ads in those weekly publications. Page after page of simply amazing coins.

When I saw those ads, my imagination would soar, and I would get drunk with lust over them. Those coins – in my mind – were all perfect, dream-worthy specimens that I had only read about in reference books.

There were early gold coins from the 1790's through the 1820's – including rare dates, often described as “Gem BU”. There were rare colonial coins, Chain cents and wreath cents in “Uncirculated”. I especially enjoyed the special sets that were sometimes offered, like maybe an 1876 copper-to-gold proof set with documentation from the mint, housed in a custom made leather and silk case of the period.

There were rarely if ever photos of the coins. That was just as well, because as the Simon & Garfunkel song “Kodachrome” says:

I know they'd never match my sweet imagination
Everything looks worse in black and white.


In my mind they were all perfect gems. All photos could do would be to wreck the fantasy.

I didn't have to own the coins (which was a good thing too. I was a broke junior high school student, who later became a broke high school student, who then went on to be a REALLY broke college student). It was enough just to read those ads and dream.

Nowadays those ads are long gone. The coin business is no longer seasonal; it is a year-round affair. Dealers (including myself) rarely hold back the best coins for the summer ANA show; they sell them (or consign them to auction) as soon as they arrive.

And of course, the reality of those coins was often very different than the fantasy. Those “Gem BU” coins would likely not stand up to today's scrutiny and stricter grading. But who cares about the facts – the memories are what count here.


The brightest memory fades faster than the dullest ink.
~Claudia Rankine, Citizen: An American Lyric, 2014


Featured Coin

1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar. PCGS graded Very Fine-20. CAC.

A gorgeous, original example of the first silver dollar minted in the United States.
Soft golden gray in the centers on both sides, with faded green-gray-blue toning as it approaches the periphery. As is common with 1794 dollars, the obverse strike is weak at the rim from the 5 o'clock to the 10 o'clock positions. The explanation given by experts for why so many 1794 dollars are found this way is that the dies shifted early on, and they were no longer parallel to each other.

Most 1794 dollars are also found with numerous distracting adjustment marks. Happily, this coin as escaped that fate.

2,000 pieces were made with one pair of dies, of which 1,758 pieces were found to be satisfactory in quality, and were released to circulation. Approximately 150 or so pieces are known today.

Included in that number are quite a few that have been damaged, holed and plugged, repaired, cleaned and retoned or otherwise abused. As further evidence of this, exactly two 1794 dollars have been verified for grade by CAC in all grades below VF-30: this coin, and a coin graded Fine-12.

For those among us who desire only the most wholesome of one of the most desired issues in American coinage (it is ranked 13th in the “100 Greatest US Coins” book), here is your opportunity. $239,500.



This coin will be on display at my table (#643) at the ANA in Anaheim, unless it has been spoken for prior to then.
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Contact info to reserve coins:
Website - www.DaveWcoins.com
My email address – davewnuck@gmail.com
Phone - (203) 231-1213 
Always Free Shipping. ​

Contact info to reserve these coins:  My email: – davewnuck@gmail.com 
My Phone - (203) 231-1213  
Free Shipping.






When You Think of Barf, Think of Me

Ah, What Might Have Been.

I have never confessed this to anyone before, but since I know you really well ( and since you promise not to tell anyone; I assume the Internet is completely private) I will let you in on an embarrassing little secret.

I am such an inveterate collector that I once considered buying the worlds greatest collection of ... wait for it ...air sickness bags.

You read that correctly. I had a chance to buy the worlds finest and most complete collection of barf bags. And I seriously thought about pulling the trigger on it too.

Several years ago now the RM Smythe auction company held a sale in New York City that featured- well, not really featured - it was in the back of the catalog - such a collection. It was sold as one lot.

I never really thought much about barf bags before. But man -  out of the 7 billion people on the planet I would have the Single Greatest Collection. I truly would be the Muhammad Ali of air sickness!

Then I'd really be somebody. Yeah, that's the ticket. Unfortunately the person I'd be would have been the jerk who bought that giant lot of something that likely no one else on the planet would want. 

I thought better of it and didn't bid. But I remember looking over the prices realized after the sale. Surprisingly it sold very reasonably. Or maybe not so surprisingly; I'm not quite sure. 

What is it about we collectors - what defective genes were we born with that make us consider such ridiculous ideas that bypass the “rationality filter” in our brains?

I dunno. But such is the way of this collector mind.


Every Age Has a Favorite Crime

Every time has its defining crimes. These are the breaches of laws and societal norms that expose the deep vulnerabilities of that particular age.

These days that crime is computer hacking. What were the 18th and 19th century equivalents of computer hacking?

Well, one of the great things about the coin collecting hobby is – the deeper you dig into it, the more insights you glean about history and about human behavior.

I'm not talking about the type of history learn in school. I mean the true history rarely found in our textbooks. 

You learn about what people were really like, what the government was like, what people cared about and what they feared. Time traveling in this way allows us to put put ourselves in the positions of those who lived long ago. Studying coins and history in this deep, meaningful way can sometimes suck you into the nooks and crannies and dark passageways of how many people really earned their money in the past. And sometimes those insights come from unexpected places.

I had one such experience last year. In mid-October I took an evening tour in the town of Salem, Massachusetts with my family. It was actually billed as a "Ghost Tour ". As you can imagine, ghost tours in October in Salem, Massachusetts are quite popular, and we were very entertained by it.

Not that it is relevant to this conversation at all, but every time we go on one of these tours (we have been on several at various vacation destinations), one of my kids insists that they have seen a real ghost. Normally this ghost appears to us as a tiny glowing orb in one of the 10,000 iphone pictures they take at these events. These tiny orbs are completely convincing evidence to my kids. For me – er, let's just say the jury is still out.

Anyway, our tour guide was quite knowledgeable on local history. During the tour he showed  us some tunnels and secret passageways that ran from some of the grand old homes in town down to the seashore.

I asked him, "what were those tunnels used for?"  He answered, "Why- to smuggle goods, of course. Most of the wealthy families around here in the 1700s and 1800s got their wealth from smuggling. ". Not from whaling, not fishing, not boat building, not farming -- but smuggling.

I was dumbfounded. Here we are standing in what was the epicenter of Puritan America. People were murdered here for not being thought to be pious enough.

Thinking about it some more, it started to make sense. It is easy to forget that colonial Britain got much of its revenue from our colonies from the tariffs it put on goods that were sold here in America.

Later on, when the United States federal government was formed there were no federal taxes. All of the revenue earned by the federal government came from import tariffs, duties and excise taxes.

As you might recall as we approach tax season this year, the federal income tax only began in 1913. And as you also might recall, the colonists weren't too crazy about tariffs. The Boston Tea Party was one example of their lack of enthusiasm.

Smuggling was practiced by career criminals of course, but some of the most successful practitioners were politically powerful merchants and companies dealing in imported goods.

It is insights like this that deepen the enjoyment of collecting.

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In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.
-Paul Harvey
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Follow Up: An Actual Numismatic Expert Weighs in on Where all of the Shield Nickels Went

This is a follow up to last issue, where I wondered aloud where the 120 million+ shield nickels that no longer exist went to. No less an authority than numismatic researcher and author extraordinaire Roger Burdette explained a good part of the answer. Here are Roger's own words on the subject:

“Although it's not obvious, there actually was one place that melted large quantities of shield nickels – the U.S. Mint. One of the functions of the mints was to remove worn, damaged and mutilated coins from circulation. These came to the mints in bags and barrels from banks, sub-Treasuries and later, Federal Reserve Banks. Almost anything that resembled a U.S. coin but was not acceptable in circulation found its way to the mints and from there to the melting crucibles.

Over time, as new coins replaced old, and old coins became badly worn, the remains were melted by the ton. This recovered metal was used in the next generation of Liberty, or Buffalo or Jefferson nickels. (The same applied to all coin denominations.)
So, next time you come across a dateless Buffalo nickel remember that its metal might once have been part of a shiny new shield nickel, anxious to delight a child’s sweet tooth.

PS: The change in diameter and thickness of the 5-cent coin in 1883 was made to reduce the problem of defective coins and improve die life. Slot machines soon came into wide use and this fixed the diameter, weight and thickness at 1883 Liberty head design values.  “

The quantities of coins melted during many years of the 1800's were huge (or as Republican Presidential hopeful Donald J. Trump would say - “It's yuge”). This likely doesn't explain all of the lost 120 million shield nickels, but it does explain a good portion of that shrinkage.


Now On to the NewP's

As in my previous newsletters, these coins are the items I have gathered over the last few weeks. The plan is to upload all these coins to my website. In the meantime, readers of this newsletter will be the very first to lay eyes on these offerings.   By popular demand, I've included photos of the coins where I have them.

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The “Making the Grade” Featured Coin

1797 Small Eagle Half Dollar. NGC graded VF-25. The Overton Plate coin
Overton-101, considered to be rarity-5. This is the Overton plate coin. Made in small quantities and only for two years, the small eagle half dollar type is the Holy Grail for type coin collectors. For this reason even heavily worn or damaged specimens still bring tens of thousands of dollars. Rich gray toning that deepens as it reaches the rims, with some mint made adjustment marks, mostly in Ms. Liberty's hair. $85,000.


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New Listings

1786 Vermont Landscape Copper. PCGS graded VF30.
Vermontensium Redbook variety. Ryder-8, considered to be rarity-4. A perfect type coin, as there are no major planchet flaws on either side of the type that seem to plague this popular issue. I've always liked this design, as it reminds me of folk art. A happy sun peeking over mountains with some evergreens on top. PCGS #545. $ 1500.

1885 Liberty Nickel. PCGS graded MS65, CAC.
Screaming cartwheel luster, a good strike and the barest blush of golden toning give this key date lots of pizzazz. $9750.

1861 CSA Restrike Seated Half Dollar. NGC graded MS64.
The only way to get this historic design in your collection (short of the king's ransom that you would need to purchase one of the three “originals,” worth over $500k each) is to purchase one of these nineteenth century restirkes. And this happens to be a very handsome specimen indeed. Gold & gray toning with just a hint of blue, with an excellent strike on both sides. As a bonus, all of the design and the lettering on the Confederate side is clear and bold; that is not always the case, even on highly graded specimens. $ 23,000.

1904-S Barber Half Dollar. PCGS graded XF45. CAC.
OK – here comes another key date coin in prime collector grade. Light gray in color, with luster hugging the stars on the obverse and the letters on the reverse. Always in white hot demand. For those who follow such things, please note that CAC has only verified 3 coins at this grade level at both PCGS and NGC combined. $6850.

1944-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar. PCGS graded MS66 CAC.
Fresh and well struck, with a ring of golden toning around the obverse periphery. $230.

1945-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar. PCGS graded MS66 CAC.
Similar to the previous Walker, and hailing from the same collection. Also sports a light golden ring around much of the obverse. $230.

1884-O Morgan Dollar. PCGS graded MS65.
A rainbow hued stunner, with lots of green and generous amounts of red and gold as well. A great addition to a monster toner collection, with only a moderately crazy price attached to it. $2450.

1921 Peace Dollar. NGC graded MS66+.
Indistinguishable from a super rare (and super-expensive) MS67, this coin boasts a monster strike, rolling luster and original, undipped skin. A great value. $12,500.

1909-O Indian Half Eagle. NGC graded AU58.
One of the two keys to this eminently completable series. Rich gold with some subtle green and copper mixed in The all-important O mintmark is bold. $26,500.

1929 Indian Half Eagle. PCGS graded MS64.
Super lustrous and fresh looking. This key date has a tendency to come banged up for some reason, but that is not the case here. $58,000.

1795 Draped Bust Eagle. NGC graded AU53.
Taraszka 1-A, considered to be high rarity-3. Richgold in color with coppery overtones, and a significant amount of cartwheel luster in the protected areas. I have been fortunate to handle several 1795 $5's and $10's in recent months, which is great because they are my favorite US coin design. Based on the popularity among collectors and dealers of these coins, I suspect I am not alone in my fondness. $$67,500.

1861-O Double Eagle. PCGS graded XF-45.
Deep gold color with some scattered circulation lines in the fields. This rare issue is known as a “story coin”. According to Dave Bowers' excellent Guide Book of Double Eagles, 5000 of these were coined by the Union; 9750 were coined by the State of Louisiana; and 2991 were coined by the Confederate States of America. Again according to the book, “possibly the key to identifying the Confederate issue” is the hand strengthening of the bottom of the 8 in the date. That feature is on this specimen, and it is quite obvious. Again, per Dave Bowers: “The strengthening of the 8 by hand is a reflection that at the New Orleans Mint no numerical punches were on hand for such work; otherwise a complete 8 could have been punched into the working die”. $52,500.



Exonumia, World Coins, Flotsam & Jetsam

​
1731 Counterfeit Cob. Fine [uncertified].
An odd piece, but it appears to be struck on a piece of silver. It is likely that the counterfeiter never saw a genuine example, or perhaps saw one a while before and was cutting the dies from memory. Still, it has some age to it, as this (and many of the other counterfeits in this listing hail from an old time collection of counterfeits. $95.

1766 Pitt Halfpenny Electrotype. Almost Uncirculated [uncertified].
A well made electrotype copy, and sporting an even milk chocolate brown color like many of the originals have. $165.

1788 Contemporary Counterfeit 2 Reales. Very Good [uncertified].
Kleeberg 88D-N1. Unique, and the only reverse die identified with the Columbia NR mintmark in the entire series. The plate coin in the Lorenzo update to Kleeberg. Unevenly struck and quite important to collectors of this series. $675.

“1792” Electrotype of a Dickeson Restrike. Uncirculated. [uncertified].
Breen-1380, Judd C1792-1. This is an electrotype of the infamous 1792 eagle on a half shield - also known as rock - design struck by Montroville Dickeson in the early 1860s from rejected embossing dies for stamping revenue paper. It is thought that Dickeson believed that these dies were rejected designs for 1792 cents, had a reverse created, and struck these coins in the early 1860s. I offered another example of this electrotype a few years ago and received 3 orders for it, so at least a few people in coin-land besides myself are interested in such things. $750.

1794 Flowing Hair Half Dollar. Double Struck, From Copy Dies. Uncirculated [uncertified].
A gorgeous major error from the now defunct Gallery Mint. Lightly toned, with two dates boldly showing. Just a fun piece for the collector of the real thing. $295.

1796 Draped Bust Dime. Double Struck from Copy Dies. Uncirculated [uncertified].
Another Gallery Mint piece, also boldly double Struck and lightly toned. Oh, if this were only a real Philadelphia mint product. $250.

1806 8 reales Counterfeit, with Counterfeit Hole and St. Vincent Countermark. Fine [uncertified].
A neat cast copy of a coin that may have been made from a genuine example. In any case, it would make a striking appearance in any counterfeit collection. $115.

1811 Contemporary Counterfeit 2 Reales. Fine [uncertified].
Kleeberg 11A-L15. Copper nickel. A large diameter coin. Rarity-7; this variety is also known in brass. $350.

1817 Contemporary Counterfeit 2 Reales. Very Fine [uncertified].
Kleeberg 17D-L24. With the sad eyes of this portrait and the backward lions on the reverse, this variety is very distinctive. Discovered by me (yay-me!) in 2003; the variety is still considered rarity-8. This is the second time I've owned this coin.  $695.

1823-1838 Lot of Contemporary Counterfeit Bust Half Dollars. [uncertified] .
Affectionately known as “Bogus Busties” among collectors of such things, these are a window into a fascinating era in our nation's history. As you can see from the scans, each has its own distinct personality. And there is an excellent, readily available book on these. This is a lot of 5 different, and at least one of these is rated as “scarce” in the Davignon reference. Offered at a “wholesale” price. $195.

1854 Eight Reales. Genuine Coin with Counterfeit Countermark. Very Fine [uncertified].
Here is an interesting twist. This is a genuine 8 reales of Mexico, but with a counterfeit countermark. A recent major auction (maybe a StacksBowers sale?) had a small collection of similar coins and they sold for very strong money. This one just $125.

1944 Henning Nickel. Contemporary counterfeit. Very Fine [uncertified].
The variety without the chunk out of the R in Pluribus (or perhaps it was an early die state of that same die). Much less frequently seen, as those who study this enigmatic issue can attest. I have often entertained fantasies of diving to the bottom of the Cooper & Schuylkill rivers in New Jersey to recover some of the thousands of these counterfeit nickels that Mr. Henning was said to have dumped there in hopes of avoiding prosecution ion the 1950's (it didn't work; he was sentenced to 3 years in prison). $75.

1915-S 3 Piece Panama-Pacific 3 Coin Presentation Box. Extremely Fine.
You've heard the old adage - “Buy the book before the coin.” Here's a different idea: buy the box before the coins. Such as this rarely offered black wood and leather box for the silver half dollar, $1 gold, and $2.5 gold. Now is a great time to be buying gold & silver commems, because they are getting no love in the marketplace. Fill the box yourself – you can even buy them certified and crack them out to put in this box, as the spreads between grades on these coins are miniscule in many cases. Have fun, people! They are your coins. Oh – and I really shouldn't have to say this, but “there are no coins included in this lot”. $895.

1921-S Morgan Dollar Counterfeit. Fine [uncertified].
An odd counterfeit also hailing from the old time collection being sold in part right here. It comes with the coin envelope flip of the Beebe's Coin Dealership in Nebraska (printed before zip codes were in use). The typewritten information indicates that the coin was “Counterstamped “False” on both Obv. And Rev. by the Manila Mint”. Interesting. $125.

1976 Libertas Americana Medal. Gilt. Uncirculated [uncertified].
A quite large [3 inch, or 78 mm] diameter gilt medal, apparently made by the Paris mint in 1976 (although it is marked on the edge “1974 BRFL”). It has a semi prooflike finish that is different from the 1976 Paris mint restrikes that I am familiar with. Slight signs of handing, but a really neat version of the medal design that was voted #1 in the 100 Greatest Tokens and Medals book. $695.
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Contact info to reserve coins:
Website - www.DaveWcoins.com
My email address – davewnuck@gmail.com
Phone - (203) 231-1213 
Always Free Shipping.

Thanks to all for the fabulous response to my last e-newsletter. As for this issue – after some (easily skippable) articles from the mind of yours truly, you'll find some fresh-to-market coin offerings at all price points.
So if you want to learn about what smart phones have done to coin values, or try your hand at solving a weighty numismatic mystery, or find a great name for your death metal band … read on.


Where Did All Our Coins Go? A Numismatic Mystery

It is said that a curious mind is, well, er, a good thing, I guess.

So a recent article by my friend Winston Zack in the John Reich Journal got me to thinking about the survival rate of our coins. Why are survival rates for coins so tiny?

For example, a survival rate of 3% is generally accepted for the early date large cents. And survival rates seem pretty consistent across dates and time periods.

That's a lot of missing coins – many billions of round metal objects, not all of which are made in precious metals or even made in easily reusable metals. Where do all of these “missing” coins go?


Were they melted?

OK – it is true that lots of coins have been melted over the years. That definitely happened to some US coins, to some extent. It happened to large cents (largely in the 1850's) and to lots of silver and gold coins, for example. Fair enough.

So let's pick a coin struck a metal where there was no significant melting: nickel. I know of no one who has melted quantities of nickel coins to turn them into nickel alloy ingots for speculation or investment, for example.

And then lets pick a design: the Shield nickels made from 1866 through 1883.

There were 128 million shield nickels minted. Do even 5% of these survive? If so, that still means that several million shield nickels are still lying around somewhere.

If we say that 5% survived, that means 95% did not. That is over 120 million unaccounted for shield nickels. Every one of those little metal disks had to go somewhere.

Were the coins lost?

There were no major shipwrecks where millions of shield nickels were lost. I find it hard to believe that if someone walked home from the store with 20 shield nickels in their pocket that by the time they arrived home 19 had been lost in the dirt. And that would have to be done over and over and over again for them all to be “lost in the dirt”.

That is 660 tons of lost shield nickels since 1883. And that is just 1 design in 1 denomination made for less than 20 years in the 1800's.

The fact is – those 95% of shield nickels struck really did go somewhere. There is a right answer, or a right series of answers. I just don't know what those answers are. And thinking about it makes my head hurt.

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“Curiosity is what separates us from the cabbages. It's accelerative. The more we know, the more we want to know.” 
― David McCullough

“It's not a silly question if you can't answer it.” 
― Jostein Gaarder

“The knowledge of all things is possible” 
― Leonardo da Vinci
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How Computers and Smart Phones Have Altered Coin Values

I was listening to a radio interview with the New York Times' food critic last week. He was saying how the recent practice of diners taking pictures of their food has drastically affected the restaurant business. Those food photos are uploaded to social media sites where millions of people view them and comment on them.

I thought it was an odd comment for him to make. He went on to explain that food presentation has become significantly more important to the success of a restaurant in recent years. Chefs now spend a lot more time on how the dish will photograph and less time on how it actually tastes. The dish might be cold by the time it gets to you because he spent so much time arranging it, or it might not taste as good as it looks. But if it takes a good photo, often the restaurant gains customers as a result.

As it is my custom to relate everything I see and hear to numismatics, here is how this situation looks to me through the prism of coin collecting. Turns out, we can see ourselves in this food critic's comments.

Pretty coins have always been popular. They have always sold for more than their ordinary looking brethren. However, these days that the really pretty coins – especially those that photograph well – are now by far the most desirable coins, and bring outsize prices at auction, via private treaty and on web sites such as mine.

In my own business, coins that may be solid and what I would consider to be desirable for what they represent often take an inordinately long the time to sell. Also, when I search for coins to buy at shows and at auction, I am now keenly aware of the way a coin will photographs before I even purchase it, especially the pricier coins. I have passed on many coins that I thought were good values because I wasn't sure they would image well.

For me it has been trial and error over the years. For example a coin that has a light planchet streak almost invisible to the naked eye will often show up as a dark streak to the unblinking eye of the camera. Also, dark toning areas and spots normally look much worse in photos compared to the way they look in hand.

This influences my purchase decisions, and I have talked to enough other dealers (especially those with web sites) that I know they think the same way. There is no question in my mind that this has affected the type of coins that people pay premiums for and the type of coins that end up selling for a discount.

This trend is neither good nor bad -- it just IS. But I don't recall anybody mentioning this factor in the past, so I thought I would (for the benefit of the for the four or so people who have read this far).


Now On to the NewP's

As in my previous newsletters, these coins are the items I have gathered over the last few weeks. The plan is to upload all these coins to my website. In the meantime, readers of this newsletter will be the very first to lay eyes on these offerings.   By popular demand, I've included photos of the coins where I have them.


The “Making the Grade” Featured Coin


1861-C $5 Liberty Gold. PCGS graded AU-58+ CAC
New to the census, this is a knockout of a coin in an historically important date. Fresh, lustrous surfaces, well struck and with none of the monkey business seen on many of the Charlotte and Dahlonega coins on the market. This date is especially desirable with rich, original surfaces, as here. Note that, according to specialist Doug Winter, 887 of these were said to have been struck by the Confederacy out of the paltry 6,879 minted. They were all struck from one die pair so there is no known way to distinguish those last 887 coins from those struck before the start of the Civil War. A grand opportunity for someone out there in Coin Land. $22,500.

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New Listings

1787 Fugio Copper. PCGS graded MS64 Brown.
A knockout coin purchased at this month’s FUN show, it shows this popular design to maximum effect. Strong, swirling cartwheel luster with the all-important “Mind Your Business” motto quite bold. [It is a little known fact that Ben Franklin wanted the coin’s motto to be, “Mind Your Own Damn Business” but it wouldn’t fit on the coin. This fact is so little known that it is almost like I made it up]. $4450.

1888 Indian Cent. PCGS graded Proof-64 Red & Brown.
A pretty coin with a large splash of lime greed over mostly red surfaces. A PCGS TrueView image accompanies this coin. $575.

1890 Indian Cent. PCGS graded Proof-65 Red & brown . CAC. DOILY. [ogh].
A spot free gem housed in a two part transitional PCGS slab, whereby a rattler slab is enclosed in an outer plastic frame. $875.

1905 Liberty Nickel. NGC graded MS64 CAC.
Beautifully toned in gold and light green. Traditionally Liberty nickels don’t tone much at all; here is a delightful exception. $295.

1916 Doubled Die Buffalo Nickel. PCGS graded Very Fine-25 CAC.
The key to the series, here offered in hard-to-find mid grade. The all -important doubled date is quite bold, and someone had the good sense not to clean or otherwise “improve” it after the coin was discovered to be a doubled die. $16,750.

1851-O Three Cent Silver. PCGS graded MS66+ CAC.
A top flight example of the only mint marked 3c silver. Lustrous, silky silver surfaces and tied with two others as the finest graded at PCGS. $14,500.

1861 Half Dime. NGC graded MS66+.
Just a knockout look – vibrant green, blue and russet peripheral toning that fades to pure white in the centers. This coin was freshly slabbed after being discovered in a Southern US collection. $1950.

1825/4 Large Size Bust Quarter. NGC graded MS63+. Ex Newman, Col. Green.
B-2. From the famous Eric Newman collection, where he purchased it long ago from the equally famous Colonel Green collection. The distinctive “Wayte Raymond style” toning is certainly evident on top of semi-prooflike surfaces. $10,500.

1858 Seated Quarter. PCGS graded MS64.
Sky blue toning on both sides of this no motto quarter give it distinctive eye appeal. $1100.

1916 Standing Liberty Quarter. NGC graded MS64+ CAC.
A choice example of one of the most popular 20th century key dates. From a paltry mintage of 52,000 coins, this date is expensive in all grades from worn slick on up. Light silver with a blush of gold over satiny luster. $20,750.

1828 Bust Half Dollar. NGC graded MS66+ .
Overton-115, considered to be rarity-2. Square Base 2, Small 8, Large Letters Redbook type. Amazing is the word for this coin. Immaculate, virtually perfect surfaces with light golden toning to highlight its originality. The strike is bold, and the luster is out of this world. PCGS#: 39769. $39,750.

1832 Bust Half Dollar. PCGS graded AU53 CAC.
Small Letters. Gorgeous burnt gold and orange obverse toning makes Ms. Liberty look as if she just thought of a brilliant idea. A crescent of similar toning on the reverse completes the effect. $695.

1840 Seated Half Dollar. NGC graded MS63.
Small Letters. Another great looking seated liberty coin, this one sharply struck, lustrous and with attractive green and blue toning. $1400.

1945-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar. PCGS graded MS66.
A lovely example with a ring of golden toning around the obverse. $200.

1836 Gobrecht Dollar. PCGS graded Proof-62+ CAC.
Judd-60, Restrike. A magnificent example of this incredibly popular early dollar. Numismatic scholars now believe at least some of the 1836 Gobrecht dollars were made for circulation. Hard mirrors and a blush of golden toning show this magnificent design to best effect. This coin is accompanied by a PCGS TrueView image, which in all honesty makes the coin look better than it is. It is a great looking coin, but there are visible hairlines in the fields when seen in hand. $35,000.

1881-S Morgan Dollar. PCGS graded MS68 Prooflike.
For those folks where only the very best will do, I present to you this prooflike example of a nearly perfect Morgan dollar. I have no earthly idea how this coin remained so pristine in the 135 years since it was made. Completely untoned, with surfaces so immaculate it brings tears to a numismatist’s eyes. Only 4 prooflike specimens have been graded this high by PCGS, and none higher. $14,750.

1803/2 Draped Bust Half Eagle. NGC graded XF45 CAC.
Lemon yellow gold with deeper gold color on the tops of the design elements. CAC verified early gold is a hot commodity in today’s market. $10,950.

1907 High Relief St. Gaudens Double Eagle. PCGS graded MS64+.
I have been fortunate enough to have handled several really beautiful high relief $20’s in the past few weeks, which is quite an unusual circumstance to be sure. This one is a rich lemon gold, with rolling luster of a type that is only found on these multiply-struck gold beauties. $33,500.


Exonumia, World Coins, Flotsam & Jetsam

(54-68 AD) Emperor Nero Bronze Sestertius. NGC graded Choice Extremely Fine.
Strike:5/5; Surface:4/5; Fine style. A great example of this large bronze piece of history. Nero was not a role model by any stretch. Here is what it says about him at Biography.com: “Nero was born in 37 A.D., the nephew of the emperor. After his father’s death, his mother married his great uncle, Claudius, and persuaded him to name Nero his successor. Nero took the throne at 17, rebuffed his mother’s attempts to control him, and had her killed. He spent lavishly and behaved inappropriately. He began executing opponents and Christians. In 68, he committed suicide when the empire revolted.” Despite this (or perhaps because of this) coins of Nero are avidly sought and collected. This is a particularly nice example. $5750.

(978-1016) Great Britain Silver Penny. PCGS graded AU58.
S#1151, Anglo Saxon Aethelred II. - Aethelred II was called the "Aethelred The Unready" Ouch. He was the Anglo Saxon king from 978 to 1016. His nickname ‘Unraed’ actually means ill-advised rather than unready. Pennies from this time period are always scarce and ones in good condition even more so. Pennies in this grade with luster are few and far between and the colorful toning is a bonus. The legends read: ‘Aedelred Rex Anglo’ and ‘Eadpold M(omega)O Lvnd’. Eadpold is the moneyer and the mint is London. Spink #1151 / North #774.  $1850.
​

1712-HH 24 Mgr. Wildman. PCGS graded AU55.
Brunswick-Wolfenburg. Semi-prooflike surfaces and a great strike add interest to the great design, which some (mostly my family and neighbors) have said bears a striking resemblance to the way I looked at the end of our recent neighborhood New Year’s Eve party. Unlike me however, this coin sports a light golden glow of toning. A PCGS TrueView image accompanies this coin. $495.

1783 Treaty of Paris (Libertas Americana) medal. PCGS graded XF45.
Betts-608. Eimer-803. 1783 Peace of Versailles. White Metal, with copper plug as made.  45.5 mm. Only a handful of these have been slabbed by either service. The upper obverse includes the legend, LIBERTAS AMERICANA (American Liberty). A depiction of Louis XVI wearing royal robes appears on the obverse. He is seated on his throne, facing right, and is pointing with his left hand to a shield with thirteen bars. Areas of luster remain on this medal, which exhibits scattered marks. Wear is present on the high est points. COMMVNI CONSENSV translates to, "By Common Consent." The copper scavenger plug is used as a sacrificial anode, and this was a brilliant idea. The surfaces of this white metal medal are bright and lustrous. By the way, “Sacrificial Anode” would be a great name for a Death Metal band, should anyone be searching for just the right name. A PCGS TrueView image accompanies this medal. $1500.

1787 Immunis Columbia Electrotype. Extremely Fine [uncertified].
A high quality electrotype copy of a popular issue listed as a pattern in the Redbook. Straight from a Midwestern collection. $250.

1795 Conder Token Halfpenny. NGC graded MS64 Red & Brown. 
Yorkshire-Birchall’s, D&H 28e.. Masonic Edge. According to most Conder token specialists, there are likely just three specimens known of this issue, one of which is impaired. This specimen is a handsome medium brown with glossy surfaces. A true rarity in this series. $1750.

1803 Kettle Token $2.50 Size. Extremely Fine [uncertified].
Judd-C1803, Pollock-8001.  This is a quarter eagle sized token or gaming counter produced by Kettle & Sons of Birmingham, England. Because of their similarity to our regular issue quarter eagle and half eagles, they were thought by some to be patterns and were often offered in the pattern section of some mid to late 1800s auction sales. They are to be found in Appendix C of the Judd pattern book for this reason. This specimen happens to be an extremely well made and attractive example, with full gilt. $375.

1821-NG Guatemala One Real. PCGS graded MS63.
“M” assayer. Fully prooflike with incredible green-blue toning with just a touch of gold. These one real pieces circulated alongside US dimes in America in the first half of the nineteenth century, though they technically were worth slightly more. A great find for both the lover of toned coins and a great go-with piece for collectors of early dimes. This coin is accompanied by PCGS TrueView images (and yes – the coin really does look as spectacular as the photos of this coin). $695.

1837 Hard Times Token. NGC graded MS65 Red & Brown.
HT-34, Illustrious Predecessor. A mocking design with a turtle delivering promised money, and an ass on the reverse (no, not that kind of ass). Unlike with today’s politics where candidates and pundits respect one another and speak only about important issues, in the rough-and-tumble politics of the 1830’s personal attacks and ridicule were often the order of the day. Shocking and hard to imagine, but true. This is the prettiest example of one of these I’ve ever come across. $975.

1842 Contemporary Counterfeit $2.50 Gold. Fine [uncertified].
Popularly collected when found because of the nonsense date 1842, as it copies the classic head quarter eagle design that ended in 1839. $225.

1854 Gold Dollar Contemporary Counterfeit. Very Fine [uncertified].
Struck in brass with all of the gold wash worn off, the coin was likely quite passable when new. The date is large, the details are unevenly placed and the strike is not the best. But – it aided a dishonest living for some unscrupulous soul. $65.

1858 Contemporary Counterfeit Seated Quarter. Very Fine [uncertified].
Fortin-103. Struck in brass from hand cut dies, but very well made. $ 125.

1858-1878 Seated Quarter and Half Dollar Contemporary Counterfeits. Good to Very Fine Details, damaged [uncertified].
A close examination and a discerning eye will pick up the fact that these 4 counterfeits have what I like to call “boo-boo’s”. Defaced counterfeits like these are par for the course, as those merchants who were deceived rightly sought to prevent others from making the same mistake. This group of 4 different coins (2 varieties of 1858 plus an 1861 25c; and one 1878 50c) likely were passed during the Civil War and the reconstruction era that followed. $175.

(1861-1865) Civil War Merchant Token. NGC graded MS64.
F-630K-5B. New York, NY. T. Brimelow, Druggist. Beautifully toned example of this popular Washington+Franklin design. $200.

1863 Civil War Merchant Token. NGC graded MS65.
Robinson & Ballou Grocers, NY F-890E/5B Troy, NY. A wildly toned, absolutely gorgeous example of this issue. $600.

1869 Contemporary Counterfeit Shield Nickel. Very Good [uncertified].
Shield nickel counterfeits of all dates are quite difficult to find. $ 135.

1891 Contemporary Counterfeit Seated Dime. Extremely Fine [uncertified].
Fortin-102, struck in white metal. Crude and charming. $100.

1924-S/S Standing Liberty Quarter Contemporary Counterfeit. Very Fine [uncertified].
This was actually described as a genuine variety in the first edition of J.H. Cline’s book on Standing Liberty Quarters, though it was removed without explanation from later editions. It is a well made coin for the period, though with crude details under close examination. I am told that Dr. Michael Fey wrote an article on this counterfeit in 2008, but I was unable to locate it. The first I have seen of one of these. $250.
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Contact info to reserve coins:
Website - www.DaveWcoins.com
My email address – davewnuck@gmail.com
Phone - (203) 231-1213 
Always Free Shipping.

Contact info to reserve these coins:  My email: – davewnuck@gmail.com My Phone - (203) 231-1213  Free Shipping.







Coin Show Psychology. Plus: Coins vs. Old Crackers and/or Cat Pictures

Welcome, dear reader, to my latest observations on the wonderful world of coins. Not to brag or anything, but as many as two people have told me that they enjoy reading these e-newsletters (OK.  I confess. It was actually the same person who told me twice, but no matter).
If you prefer, you can skip the articles and go right for the listing of new coins. That is your right as an American.

Price Stickers on Coins at Shows: Good or Bad?

There had recently been a lively discussion on the PCGS coin online chat room about whether dealers should put price stickers on the front of their coins at coin shows. Currently most dealers do not. There are various reasons for this. They include – security concerns, cheapening the “look” of a display case, concerns that the prices could get out of date, and so on.

I myself have priced coins only on the back of coin holders for years, but never on the front. I do this for one reason: security concerns. But I have to admit that I sometimes feel like a bit of a hypocrite, as I actually prefer to see stickers on the front of coins when I look for coins to buy at shows. It saves both time and awkwardness [it is awkward when I feel a coin is worth, say, $2000 and I ask the price, only to be told it is $8750].

So – at the recent Baltimore, New Hampshire Coin Expo and Michigan State Annual shows I ran a little experiment. I priced all of my coins on the front, and watched to see if there was any difference in activity and sales.

Technically, this was not a true experiment, as I did not have a “control”. As you might recall from science class, a control is a test that keeps all of the variables the same as before, so you can make an accurate comparison when you change one variable.

So to do a proper study I should have set up identical booth next to mine with identical coins in it, and with a twin of myself behind it (or a stuffed robotic gorilla that I could control remotely, if I couldn’t find a twin). That way I could compare the results and draw more meaningful conclusions.

But I didn’t have time to set that all up. So I just slapped prices on the front of each slab and watched what happened.
The results of this test at the Baltimore show surprised me a bit. If anything, I expected a lot more collectors would ask to see my coins. They then, I reasoned, would instantly fall in love with them and my sales would soar.

Well, more people did look at my coins. And my sales were almost certainly boosted at the show as a result. But the additional people who looked and bought were nearly all dealers, not collectors. It was a big hit with the dealers who came by, and they accounted for between 80-85% of my sales at those 3 shows (normally, my ratio is about 50/50 dealer to collector sales, but it varies).

I didn't expect that result. I guess it makes sense though, since as I myself said I prefer to see prices on the coins when I go from table to table.

Flush with the success of this experiment at the Baltimore show, the following week I set up at the New Hampshire Coin Expo, a two day regional show, and did the same thing. About 15 minutes after the public was let in, two young gents wandered over to my table to peruse my wares.

After 10 seconds or so, the taller one said to his companion in a loud voice, “Hey Jimmy! Look at 'dis. Fifty-six grand for one friggin’ coin! Can you believe it?” Not surprisingly, neither of these fine squires purchased that coin. But as soon as they left, I peeled off the price stickers on my 4 most expensive coins. Better to not tempt fate.

The results from those shows encouraged me enough that I will be putting prices on the front of the slabs for the foreseeable future. Er, except for on my most expensive coins, thanks to Jimmy and his friend.


Of Cats and Crackers

Not to give you the hard sell or anything, but nearly every coin on this list is cheaper than a cracker. I’m referring to one particular cracker of course. This cracker was one of the provisions in a Titanic lifeboat, and it sold in October for $22,000 at an English auction.  As Andy Griffith would say in those old Ritz commercials: “Mmm mmm. Good cracker!”

I can top that cracker. I boldly proclaim that all the coins on this list combined are much cheaper than one painting of a lady's pet cats, which sold earlier this month for $826,000 at Sotheby's.

I will admit this was no ordinary cat picture. As you recall from re-reading your back issues of,  "Cat Magazine", one issue from 1949 called it, "the world’s greatest painting of cats".

I was skeptical. So I checked my files for my personal listing of the world’s greatest cat pictures. Sure enough – I had this one at the very top. That claim is 100% true.

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Thought for the day: “Whenever I think about the past, it brings back so many memories.”
- Comedian Steven Wright
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On to the NewP's

As in my previous newsletters, these coins are the items I have gathered over the last few weeks. The plan is to upload all these coins to my website. In the meantime, readers of this newsletter will be the very first to lay eyes on these offerings.   By popular demand, I've included photos of the coins where I have them.


The “Making the Grade” Featured Coin

1907 St. Gaudens High Relief $20 gold. PCGS graded MS65.
A top end example of America’s most beautiful coin. This example is absolutely pristine, coming as it did directly from a family who has owned it since the 1930’s. Even if you do not buy it, it is worth a long look at the images, as it is clear that no one has attempted to “improve” the surfaces of this coin over the past 100+ years. That fact alone makes it a valuable and useful study coin. In fact, if anyone would like larger images of this coin to be sent to them to remind them of what original surfaces “should” look like on a High Relief $20, just email me at DaveWnuck@gmail.com and request it.$44,500.

And Co-Starring this Co-Featured Coin

1786 Vermont Landscape Copper. PCGS graded MS63 Brown.
VERMONTENSIUM Redbook type. Ryder-6, considered to be rarity-2. A landmark example of this popular design. Only a very few Vermont landscape coppers of all varieties combined are strictly uncirculated. This specimen was displayed by Hillyer Ryder (yes – THAT Hillyer Ryder, the dude that came up with the “Ryder” numbers that we still use to classify Vermont colonials) at the famous 1914 ANS Exhibition of U.S. and colonial coins; earlier it was in the H.P. Smith Collection, sold by the Chapman Brothers in 1906. The PCGS slab has the “1914 ANS Exhibition” pedigree on the label. $34,500.


New Listings

1652 Pine Tree Shilling. Grade: Pretty Freakin' Horrible [uncertified].
Noe-10 die variety, considered to be rarity-3. 62.8 grains. Here we transition from some Beauties to an absolute Beast. I proudly offer the ugliest and most mangled coin of my career. It is genuine of course, and I will guarantee that for life. The story goes that it was recently found in a farmer's field in Eastern Massachusetts. So if you want a coin that has some history to it, and yes – some hard miles (you could say this coin was ridden hard and put away wet), or if you just want the cheapest genuine Pine Tree shilling on planet earth, this is it. $895.

1722 Rosa Americana Penny Pattern. PCGS graded Fine-15.
GEORGIVS / VTILE DVLCI Redbook variety. Martin 1.1-A.1. Rarity-7. 102.0 grains. Smooth light brown in color, with hard surfaces. One of just 5 specimens known. Ex. Kendall collection. I quote from the StacksBowers description from the last time this was offered at auction:
“The Martin reference lists just four known from these dies, all four of which (!) were in our (Stack's) sale of the John Ford collection, Part IX, as lots 100 through 103. Only lots 100 and 101 were, like this one, struck in Bath metal. The other two were struck in copper.
Ford's lot 100, the Very Fine Roper coin, brought $8,625 in our 2005 Ford sale and $20,125 (then in a PCGS VF-35 holder) less than two years later in our (Stack's) January 2007 Orlando Sale. Ford's lot 101, also graded Very Fine at the time, brought $10,350 in the Ford sale and (then holdered as AU-55 by PCGS) sold for $32,200 in the August 2007 Heritage sale. Ford:102, a copper strike from Garrett, brought $48,875 raw in 2005, $40,250 at Heritage in January 2009 (now slabbed Proof-65 BN PCGS), and $49,937.50 at Heritage in August 2012. Ford:103, a slightly circulated copper strike, brought $9,775 in our 2005 Ford sale and $27,600 certified as AU-55 (PCGS) in the Heritage sale of May 2008. Despite the flurry of offerings following the entire known population being offered in the Ford sale, each of those coins now seems to have found a home. This example is the only additional confirmed specimen that was not included on Martin's list of four known coins, making it the fifth known and the lowest graded coin on the Census. This solid Rarity-7 variety has just been made collectible once more, but only for the duration of this auction.” $6500.


1787 NJ Copper PCGS graded MS64 Brown CAC.
Maris 43-d, considered to be rarity-1. Light chocolate brown color and pleasing cartwheel luster. New Jersey coppers of any variety in choice uncirculated are rare by any definition. This is among the nicest New Jersey’s I have ever seen or handled. $23,500.

1787 New Jersey Copper. Choice Very Fine [uncertified].
Maris 52-I, considered to be rarity-3. A smooth chocolate brown copper, with hard surfaces and a lot of detail for this variety. Almost no specimens extant show the detail on the shield, but this specimen does. A lot of coin for the money. $985.

1787 Fugio Copper. PCGS graded MS64 Brown.
“Untied States” Redbook variety. Newman 8-B die variety, considered to be rarity-3. A first rate example of a Fugio copper, with everything well struck up, god cartwheel luster, and even a few hints of red on the obverse. The “United States” Redbook variety is a fair amount scarcer than it’s more available “States United” variant, yet sells for little or no premium. $4775.

1787 Fugio Copper. PCGS graded MS63 Brown.
“States United” Redbook variety. Newman 11-X, considered to be rarity-4. One of the scarcer Fugio varieties that is available in uncirculated, yet it sells for no premium. Rich deep brown in color, with glossy cartwheel luster. The dies appear to be failing at this point in their lives, leading to localized weakness in some areas, while other areas (like the sun) are extremely bold. A bran' spankin' new example of the very first Federal coin struck by the good ol’ U.S. of A. $3875.

1788 Massachusetts Copper Cent. PCGS graded XF45.
Medium brown in color, with the all important “CENT” boldly visible on the reverse shield. I personally grade this coin XF40 and not XF45, and have priced it accordingly. $1075.

1858 Flying Eagle Cent. NGC graded MS64 CAC [fatty].
This really is a gem uncirculated flying eagle cent but for some localized striking weakness on the tail and the top right part of the wreath. Lustrous and nearly free of marks. Housed in a very early generation NGC slab. $1875.

1890 Indian Cent. PCGS graded Proof-65 Red & brown . CAC. DOILY [ogh].
A spot free gem housed in a two part transitional PCGS slab, whereby a rattler slab is enclosed in an outer plastic frame. $875.

1898 Indian Cent. PCGS graded Proof-64 Red & brown . CAC. DOILY [ogh].
Uniformly faded red in color, with strong mirrors and somewhat frosted devices. Housed in a two part transitional PCGS slab, whereby a rattler slab is enclosed in an outer plastic frame. $695.

1901 Indian Cent. PCGS graded Proof-64 Red & brown . CAC [ogh].
Another choice Indian proof housed in a two part transitional PCGS slab, whereby a rattler slab is enclosed in an outer plastic frame. These slabs were not very durable, and soon were replaced with an early version of the slab we know and love today.. $650.

1807 Draped Bust Dime. NGC graded AU53.
Light gray and gold toning over this very boldly struck last year of issue type coin. $3975.

1806 Draped Bust Quarter. PCGS graded XF40.
Browning-9, considered to be rarity-1. Really pleasing look, with gray toning and lots of die cracks and other anomalies to add visual interest. $3375.

1817 Bust Half Dollar. PCGS graded AU53.
O-110, rarity-2. Holy toning rings, Batman! This coin came out of a freshly slabbed date set of bust halves that were stored in a Wayte Raymond holder for several decades. Some were prettier than others. This one was at the top of the heap. An extraordinary looking coin. $2750.

1818 Bust Half Dollar. PCGS graded AU53.
Overton-114a die variety, considered to be rarity-3. Lovely rich gold and gray toning over surfaces that retain perhaps 40% of their original cartwheel luster. Collectors Universe price guide for this variety is $1550. This one is…$975.

1832 Bust Half Dollar. PCGS graded AU53.
A super-lustrous coin with only a hint of gold toning, this coin has the appearance of a higher grade. $595.

1836 Bust Half Dollar, Lettered Edge. PCGS graded AU55.
Quite attractive and lightly toned.  Lots of coin for the money. $695.

1936 Cleveland Commemorative Half Dollar. PCGS graded MS66 CAC.
A gorgeously toned example of this popular commemorative. $650.

1861 Clark Gruber $2.50 Gold. PCGS graded XF40.
A good looking, medium gold  example of this scarce and popular Pioneer Gold issue. $5500.

1900 Lesher Dollar. NGC graded AU58 CAC.
BUMSTEAD. HK-789, Z-3.  An even light gray in color.  Any nice would be significantly more money.  $3985.

1901 Lesher Dollar. PCGS graded AU50 CAC.
J.M. SLUSHER, Cripple Creek. HK-792. Very attractive gray with blue and gold toning about the periphery on both sides.  Slusher is one of the more desirable Leshers. $4400.

World Coins

(1604-1605) Great Britain Shilling. PCGS graded VF30.
S-2646. Just a gorgeously toned specimen, with vivid blues and greens, and with the entirety of the king’s face visible. Truthfully, the King James the First looks a bit worried in this portrait. A PCGS Trueview image accompanies this coin. $375.

1708 German States Wildman 24 Mgr. PCGS graded XF45.
From the German state of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel.  The Wildman depicted on this coin appears to be having a grand old time rampaging through the woods wearing only a thin tree branch. My question to you is – why did we ever move away from this clothing style? It seems timeless to me. Removed from an NGC AU53 holder, as the collector I purchased this from liked his world coins raw (NGC tag included upon request). $475.

1847 English Gold Sovereign PCGS graded MS64+.
Rich gold color and deeply lustrous; quite scarce as such. A PCGS Trueview image accompanies this coin. $2450.

Louis Eliasberg Auction Wall Hanging – With Embedded Gold Coin from 1895.
Now here is something I’ll bet you don’t have. This was a custom made up wall hanging given to key staff members of American Numismatic Rarities to celebrate the success of the Eliasberg world gold coin auction back in 2006. The contents of the sale were staggering, as were the prices realized. This 15” x 20” has the cover of the catalog, an 1895-M Australian gold sovereign in an NGC AU50 slab, and a color photo of the same coin – all professionally mounted. The holidays are coming up, and this would make a cool gift – even for youself. $895.

1924 Russia Rouble. PCGS graded MS64.
A very pretty toned example of this cool and popular design. A PCGS Trueview image accompanies this coin. $495.


Exonumia, Flotsam & Jetsam

1808 Contemporary Counterfeit 2 Real. Very Good [uncertified].
Unlisted in the Kleeberg study, but it has since been given Kleeberg #08D-G4. An important new discovery. This variety was previously unique, with the other specimen having a bold “FALSA” counterstamp on the obverse. This specimen popped up at the recent New Hampshire Coin Expo, offered to me by a long-time collector of the series (and long time friend). I owned that unique counterstamped specimen, and I always wondered if there existed an un-counterstamped companion piece out there. I shall wonder no more. $495.

1843 Contemporary Counterfeit $2.50 Liberty Gold. Extremely Fine [uncertified].
Nearly full gold wash remains. A fairly convincing counterfeit for that period. $130.

1853 Type 1 Contemporary Counterfeit Gold Dollar. Extremely Fine [uncertified].
A struck copy of decent quality for this type 1 gold dollar. Some remnants of the gold wash still remains. $95.

1856 Type 2 Contemporary Counterfeit gold dollar. Almost Uncirculated [uncertified].
Beautiful gold color with lots of cartwheel luster. I would guess that such a coin would pass easily. But someone must have been suspicious, as there is a small patch of test scratches in the right obverse field. $125.

1858 Contemporary Counterfeit Seated Quarter. Almost Uncirculated [uncertified].
C-103. If a crude contemporary counterfeit can be said to be beautiful, this is it. Nearly full silvering, nice luster and very well preserved overall. Superior in quality to the online plate coin, in fact. $185.

1859 Large Medal Commemorating Dr. Elisha Kent Kane, Arctic Explorer. Choice Uncirculated [uncertified].
Silvered White Metal, 50 mm. Engraved by George Lovett. Head resting on tablet depicting ship and a glacier, DR. ELISHA KENT KANE, THE GREAT ARCTIC NAVIGATOR, U.S.N. The reverse depicts a Masonic altar and regalia. This medal is of interest to Naval medal collectors, Masonic medal collectors as well as collectors of Lovett medals. Truth be told though, I purchased it because this specimen is incredibly beautiful.  Lots of coolness for $695.

1886 Gold Medal Presented to the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, in Presentation Case
Have you ever wanted to strut around a major US city with a gold medal on your chest pretending to be the mayor? Well, of course you have; who hasn’t? Here is your chance.
This medal is 14 carat gold, 17.1 gm. Presumably presented to the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island for the 250th anniversary of the city’s founding. It is uniface, and it shows the founder, Roger Williams, in a boat with hand extended towards a Native American in friendship, with the phrase WHAT CHEER above. Housed in a leather presentation case with blue satin interior. $650.

“1915” Contemporary Counterfeit Walking Liberty Half Dollar. Very Good [uncertified].
Now I’m no numismatic genius, but I’m pretty sure the first year of the Walking Liberty Half Dollar design was 1916, not 1915, as here. Unfortunately, this counterfeiter did not get that memo. The first I have seen of one of these. $150.

1920 Contemporary Counterfeit Walking Liberty Half Dollar. Very Fine [uncertified].
Very crude die work, and from the same collection as the previous Walker on this list. It must have taken a lot of work to carve this design into fake dies, but the end result is, as my kids would say, an Epic Fail. $195.

1970 Boston Patriots/Johnny Walker Aluminum Token. Uncirculated [uncertified].
If you read all the way to this point, you are either an avid numismatist or you need to find more activities to fill up your days. This is a token I bought at a show in Massachusetts. Not sure why – I just thought it was neat. And it could be yours, just for the asking. If you want it and you are not a New England Patriots fan, you must say in a loud voice to the nearest football fan who is not a Patriots fan (which means just about anyone that doesn’t live here in New England) the following two sentences: “Coach Bill Belichik has an outgoing, laugh-a-minute, bubbly personality. And Deflategate was a complete crock.” Since this is the honor system, if you tell me you said it, I will believe you. First email gets it.   $0.


Contact info to reserve coins:
Website - www.DaveWcoins.com
My email address – davewnuck@gmail.com
Phone - (203) 231-1213 
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