Bluesheet: AUCTION COMPANIES GEAR UP FOR ANA

With both the Summer FUN show and the Whitman Baltimore Expo in the rear view, the dealer community looks West to the ANA World’s Fair of Money in Anaheim, California. It has been some time since we have had the opportunity to review and preview auctions in the Bluesheet.

Earlier this month Heritage held an auction in conjunction with the Summer FUN show which garnered $6.5 million. Many coins sold predictably within the Grey-Blue spread – the use of which we highlighted in a recent series of articles. Of course some choice coins sold for higher than Greysheet levels. We feel that this affirmation of our published figures signals firming demand and a stable U.S. rare coin market. Below are some examples of coins sold in this recent Summer FUN auction:

Looking ahead to the Stacks-Bowers ANA auction we note many high grade certified highlights in their Rarities Night session. Buffalo nickels are represented by the famous 1918/7-D overdate graded PCGS/CAC MS64+. Falling just short of being Gem, this specimen exhibits pleasant golden toning and a bold overdate. Interestingly, the last CAC stickered example in this grade sold over three years ago, presenting opportunity
to advanced nickel collectors. In Mercury dimes, the ever-popular 1916-D is on offer in grade PCGS MS63, with a nice original look. Perhaps more exciting is a 1931-S certified by PCGS MS67 Full Bands. With a combined population of just 11 coins, it is the first time collectors have a shot at a 31-S in this grade since late in 2013.

The Standing Liberty quarter is an iconic design of U.S. coinage celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Stacks Bowers is offering a pair of one of the key 1918/7-S overdates in mint state. The first is graded PCGS MS64 Full Head and the next NGC MS64. Significantly, there are no Full Head examples of this date graded higher than MS64 and just 10 at that level. The last time an MS64FH example sold at auction was January of 2007. It will be exciting to see how this rarity performs. The non-Full Head example is more attainable for collectors, however there are just 11 coins certified finer.

Finally, the offering of Morgan dollars is marked by blue chip dates. First up is the classic condition rarity, an 1884-S graded NGC MS63. Despite a combined populationof 93 coins, there hasn’t been an MS63 sold at auction for two years. An MS62 1889-CC in an NGC holder should to help complete a Morgan dollar collection, as this date is often the missing piece of even advance silver dollar collections.

We look forward to the results of the ANA auction, as they will provide lots of price activity which to report.