Bluesheet: CERTIFIED MARKET STEADY HEADING INTO LONG BEACH

With the flurry of auction activity and big-show anticipation heading into Long Beach, the market for certified coins is holding its own while dealers take a wait-and-see approach to the next few weeks. Numerous collections of early copper are crossing the block in the coming weeks which will make an interesting test of that portion of the market. Additionally, Stacks Bowers has posted the lot listings online for Pogue V, which is mostly half cents and large cents, however a small number of high grade Bust dollars are featured, including the Dexter-pedigreed 1804 dollar (Class I) graded PCGS Proof 65.

HERITAGE POSTS HUGE LIVE AUCTION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EXPO

The Heritage Long Beach auction consists of nearly 4,000 lots of U.S. coins, as it is hoped the positive results from the FUN sale continue. A significant offering of Colonial coins highlights the sale, with some very rare pieces formerly in the Newman collection. Chief among these is a silver 1785 Immune Columbia, Nova Constellatio piece graded NGC/CAC AU53. There is also a 1787 Immunis Columbia, Eagle reverse copper, NGC AU55, a 1785 Inimica Tyrannis Americana, Confederatio, Small Stars NGC/CAC XF40, and the finest known 1788 New Jersey “Running Fox” copper, NGC MS65BN.

Another interesting lot is a newly-discovered variety in the Saint-Gaudens series. Called 1922-S Filing Lines, the variety, according to the catalog “shows deep parallel grooves across parts of the left obverse field next to the drapery. Deep file grooves are also boldly apparent above the letters RT of LIBERTY. The coin was made from a working die that evidently was partially defaced using a flat metal file. The file appears to have been harshly scraped across the obverse, leaving behind deep, parallel cuts in the working die.” The variety was found by Roger Burdette, and confirmed by NGC, which has graded the coin to be offered MS63. There are very few varieties in this series, the most popular being the 1909/8, so a new discovery is significant. Other varieties include the 1922 Doubled Die Reverse and the 1925 Doubled Die Reverse. It also helps that the 1922-S is a better date in the series.

We look forward to reporting the auction results and bourse activity from the Long Beach Expo in coming issues.