The 2000 Library of Congress Commemorative Coins were billed as “The Coins of Many Firsts”
The bimetallic coin design was inspired by the graceful architecture of the library’s Jefferson Building. The outer ring is stamped from a sheet of gold, then a solid core of platinum is placed within the ring. Then, the gold ring and platinum core are simultaneously stamped forming an annular bead where the two precious metals meet. The obverse depicts the hand of Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom, raising the torch of learning aside the dome of the Thomas Jefferson Building. The coin’s reverse is marked with the Library of Congress seal encircled by a laurel wreath, symbolizing its national accomplishment
This is the first ever bi-metallic coin Stuck by the US Mint that has both Gold and Platinum in it! Proof Mintage of 27,652 coins Mint State Mintage of 7,261
The 1873 Liberty double eagle, with an Open 3 in the date, was produced in greater numbers than its Closed 3 counterpart. Its availability as a Type Two double eagle makes it a popular choice with type collectors. Of course, the coins circulated heavily at the time of issue and high-grade examples are elusive. Of note is the fact that an MS64 example would likely cost well in excess of $20,000. Listed at $5,750 in the PCGS price guide, $6,600 in the NGC price guide and $6,000 in Trends.
We have ten coins available @ $4,600 each
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Only 45 proof Liberty eagles were struck in 1884, the lowest production total for any gold denomination that year. Thirty pieces were delivered for inclusion in the proof sets on January 19, with another 15 coins delivered at intervals throughout the year. The proof sets were almost all broken up in the early-mid 20th century, due to pressure from date collectors seeking an example of the double eagle, which was a proof-only issue. PCGS CoinFacts estimates the surviving population of the proof eagle at 16-20 examples in all grades. This is a spectacular looking example with extraordinary eye appeal. Unpriced in both the NGC and PCGS price guides in this grade and designation. It is tied with one other for highest graded by NGC, while PCGS hasn’t graded a Deep Cameo higher than PR65.
Offered at $121,000
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The twenty cent denomination is one of the great failures in American numismatics. There was never any great need for it. Its use was limited to the West, where consumers would often pay a quarter for items worth a bit (one reale, or 12.5 cents) and receive a dime back in change. Copper did not circulate in the Pacific states, so consumers were often shortchanged by two cents. The twenty cent denomination was suggested by Nevada Senator John P. Jones as a way of solving that problem. It never caught on, and the denomination was abandoned for circulation in 1876, one year after it was first introduced. The 1875-S is the most plentiful issue in the short-lived series, claiming a mintage of 1.1 million coins. The NGC census stands at just 8 with 1 higher. Listed at $24,200 in both the CDN CPG and NGC price guide.
Offered at $22,000
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California Gold Rush-era relics from the shipwreck of the S.S. Central America were among the top sellers in Heritage’s Jan. 29-Feb. 3 Long Beach Signature Auction, held in conjunction with the Long Beach Coin & Collectibles Expo.
Altogether, prices topped $11 million, with after-auction sales continuing through Feb. 6. Of the six top lots, five were gold ingots found in the S.S. Central America shipwreck, highlighted by the very large size 174.04-ounce Harris, Marchand & Co. gold ingot.
This is the sole ingot from the firm’s Marysville office recovered in the shipwreck, and it is distinctive enough to warrant a significant writeup in Q. David Bowers’ A California Gold Rush History. It sold for $528,000.
Additional gold ingots in this auction included a Kellogg & Humbert 97.19- ounce, which brought $204,000; a Blake & Co. 19.30-ounce, $156,000; a Blake & Co. small-sized 14.31-ounce, $144,000; and a Justh & Hunter 50.50-ounce, $121,333.
A pair of Panama-Pacific $50 gold commemoratives, each graded MS64, further represented California highlights, having been minted in San Francisco and commemorating the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The rarer round piece brought a sale price of $114,000, while the iconic octagonal coin sold for $81,000.
Bringing the highest price for coins was the ever-popular 1879 Flowing Hair Stella, this one graded PRF64 Deep Cameo by the Professional Coin Grading Service.
Technically a pattern, this piece has been enthusiastically collected as a regular issue since its manufacture, most likely due to its odd denomination. It exchanged hands for $210,000.
Additional highlights included:
All prices realized reported here include a 20% buyer’s premium.
The jewelers safe after the “Camp Fire”, along with remains of the family’s home.
I was a young Cub Scout when I needed a hobby to earn a badge. My dad was a coin collector, and he sparked my interest in collecting United States coins. It started like the rest of my friends, filling in the old Whitman coin folders with change out of my dad’s pocket or picking through the change of just about anyone in my family. After a while, my dad started bringing me home $50.00 bags of dimes to pick through. This was back in the late 50s early 60s. Many mercury dimes were still floating around with walking Liberty’s and buffalo nickels not to mention silver dollars. Then one day I fell hard for buffalo nickels. The design is what got me, and the way it filled the whole planchet all the way up. I remember my dad telling me that the buffalo nickel design is the most American looking coin ever minted. I agree with those words to this day.
As I grew older coins were always with me, they sunk into my bone like no other hobby I’ve had in my entire life. It was part of who I was. Like most hobbies, my collecting tended to go dormant from time to time, but coins were never very far away from the top of my interests.
I married and had two kids, a boy and a girl. My life was in warp speed as my family grew up my folks grew old and finally passed away. A few years after my dad passed on, I stumbled across my very old coin collection. It was a blast from the past as I thumbed through coins that I remembered finding with my dad. That was what rekindled a huge surge in my coin collecting again. That along with the digital macro photography that I’ve taken to like a duck takes to water because I’ve been a shutterbug most of my life.
My world spinning even faster now I have not only a son I got interested in coins but my grandson too. In many ways, coins have enhanced my life with memories made with my dad and the memories already made with my loving son.
Joe Best holds a PCGS holder that had been damaged by the camp fire, at the FUN Convention in Orlando, Florida, January 2019.
This brings me around to probably the worst day of my life when on November 8th I woke up to a red glow. The red glow was a fire way off in the distance that we’ve seen so many times. Not a big red flag, yet. The next thing I knew is this fire was not like any other fire in the state of California where I have lived since I was born in 1951, it was moving extremely fast. I had very little time to grab three armloads of mostly photo albums to my Honda. The next thing I know is I could hear explosions all around me that made the ground sake. Those were propane tanks and getting closer with every boom. The wind was blowing fire from tree to tree as the sky turned black with the power out and no cell phone use to call out to my son. I had to leave the house. My daughter and my granddaughter, along with my son in law, left my house way before I did. So, I knew where they were. It was my son and grandson. I was worried sick over cause the last thing I told him was to “just get in your truck and leave!” then the cell phones went out.
A long story short we escaped with our lives along with our animals so for that right there I thank God in heaven.
Unfortunately, my beloved coin collection was left behind. I was only able to grab a few coin albums as I was forced to abandon my main collection, which was housed in a 1942 Jewelers safe in the burning house. I had no choice as I had to run for my life and get my family out of there.
Contents inside the jewelers safe appear warped but intact.
Now without a home, we were hotel hoping like never before in my life with dogs, cats, birds, lizards and my infant granddaughter. From out of nowhere angels came to my family’s rescue in the shape of my coin family, good folks! My loved PCGS coin forum and a couple of very close friends, Jim Bowling (@jesbroken) teamed up with a sweetheart @Paradisefound to start a GoFundMe to raise funds to help us over this tragedy. It was heaven sent.
Upon returning to my home to see what remained, I was in disbelief to see the Jewelers safe. The coin holder boxes and coins holders were severely warped; however, the coins had remained protected by the holders themselves. Not only that but PCGS reached out to me and offered to restore and reholder my entire lifetime collection as a gift. They even made me a custom label based on a design my family felt most represented me, and a Crazyhounddog pedigree!
We have lost pretty much everything in this world, but these acts of love have restored my faith in humanity 100%. I also need to add that my father took me to almost every coin show he attended, and boy do I remember the coins back then! But what stands out in my mind most are the good folks that surround coins. My dad spent as much time jawboning and belly laughing as he did looking at coins. That my friends hasn’t changed. You will absolutely meet the best people in those coin circles.
With much love, I thank you all, and that’s straight from the heart.
Joe Best AKA crazyhounddog
Special label and pedigree designated to Joe Best’s ’Crazyhoundog Collection’. A PCGS box inside the safe contains warped yet intact PCGS holders. Warped PCGS holder with intact St. Gaudens Double Eagle. Warped PCGS holder with intact Buffalo Nickel.
The American War of Independence achieved top billing at Dix Noonan Webb’s late February coin and medal sale.
On offer was a 47 mm bronze medal engraved by Augustin Dupré celebrating the impending independence of the United States. The design is credited to Benjamin Franklin and Esprit-Antoine Gibelin.
The obverse shows a bust of Liberty complete with flowing hair, liberty cap, and staff.
The reverse has Minerva, representing France as indicated by the fleur-de-lis on her shield, fending off the attack of the British lion on the baby Hercules, who represents the newly emergent American nation. Hercules is strangling a serpent in each hand. The snakes stand for the British armies defeated at the critical Battles of Saratoga and Yorktown (Betts 615; BDM I, 647).
The motto NON SINE DIIS ANIMOSUS INFANS is from Horace’s ode “Descende coelo” and translates “Not without gods is the infant courageous.”
The two dates with a common month, 17 OCT. 1777 and 19 OCT. 1781 in exergue, signify the American victories at Saratoga and Yorktown.
The medals were minted in Paris in gold, silver, and bronze with restrikes made at a later date. Copies were given to the King and Queen of France, the Heads of State of countries friendly to the United States, and important U.S. politicians.
The medal is rare, and in PCGS MS62 BN with just a few inconsequential marks was something of a steal when it realized just $17,435 [£13,200] on a not unreasonable £15,000-£18,000 estimate.
Gold Buffalos in OGP Includes Proofs and Burnished All come with their box and papers
Gold’s up, but premiums are down….still a good time to acquire!
Available coins
1-2008 Double Prosperity Set at $1,775 1-2012 $50 Proof at Plus $145 3-2013 Reverse Proof $50 at Plus $300 3-2013 $50 Proof at Plus $215 4-2015 $50 Proof at Plus $215 2-2008 $50 Burnished at $1,865
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Were offering up to 30 Certified MS64 $10 Liberties at just $965 per coin. This is a $20 dollar discount off the current spreadsheet pricing. Buy 15 or more coins for just $955 per coin.Or, buy all 30 coins @ $945 per coin, $30 off our spreadsheet pricing.
Minimum order is 5 coins. Call or email to confirm.
