Rare Coin News
Big Money Chasing Old Money
By Adam Crum
As I reflect on 2003 I am reminded of those dinners after a long day of trading on the bourse floors in the Bull Market of the late 80’s. Often the discussion at those dinners would be centered around the dream of someday rare coins trading for hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars, or more. We would speculate and even place bets on which coins would sell for $1,000,000 not knowing or believing if we would ever collect on those bets.
Well I have heard it said that we can “speak our world into existence”, and maybe that is what has taken place within the coin market. Whatever it is, one thing is certain, coins do and seemingly will continue to sell for hundreds of thousands and even a million dollars and often much more. The following is a short list of only some of the classic numismatic coins that sold in 2003 for “Big Money” either in public auction or confirmed private treaty transactions. Let me stress the words “only SOME”. There were many more rarities that broke the six figure mark and countless number of wonderful treasures which sell across the country for $10,000, $50,000 and much more every day, at every auction and every bourse floor. Rest assured that the market is alive and kickin.
1913 Liberty Head Nickel PR66 $3,000,000+
1907 Ultra High Relief $20 PR68 $1,350,000
1804 Silver Dollar $1,207,500
1927-D St Gaudens $20 MS66 $1,000,000+
1870-S Seated Dollar $1,092,500
1885 Trade Dollar PR61 $920,000
1870-CC $20 Liberty AU55 $700,000
1861 Confederate Half Dollar VF $632,500
$4,027.77 Gold Hy. Hentsch Monetary Ingot 218.68 Oz. $475,000
1776 Currency Dollar “EG FECIT” Silver EF $425,500
1870-CC $20 Liberty AU53 $390,000
$6,162.78 Gold Justh & Hunter Monetary Ingot 327.97 Oz. $331,000
1861-O $20 Liberty “Specimen" MS62PL $300,000
1879 $4 Stella Flowing Hair PR67 $300,000+
$2,747.72 Gold Harris, Marchand Monetary Ingot 149.35 Oz. $295,000
1776 Currency Dollar “Curency” Silver VF $287,500
1854-O $20 Liberty AU58 $285,000
1851-O Seated Dollar “Restrike" $276,000
1876-CC Twenty Cent $253,000
1795 $5 Heraldic Eagle MS64 $241,500
1855 Wass Molitor $50 BU $230,000
1870-CC $20 Liberty XF45+ $225,000
1856-O $20 Liberty AU $225,000
1943-D Lincoln Cent “Copper" $212,750
1794 Half Dime MS67 $195,500
1911 $20 St. Gaudens PR68 $190,000
1776 Currency Dollar “Pewter" Gem BU $184,000
1855 Wass Molitor $50 Round MS60 $181,250
1798/7 Capped Bust $10 MS61 $178,250
$343.53 Gold Blake & Co. Monetary Ingot 19.19 Oz. $160,000
1794 Flowing Hair H10C Judd-15 MS64 $155,250
$20 Gold “Parsons & Co.” Monetary Ingot 1 Oz. $150,000
1884 Trade Dollar PR64 $138,000
$608.41 Gold Harris, Marchand Monetary Ingot 32.45 Oz. $135,000
$216.68 Gold Blake & Co. Monetary Ingot 12.09 oz. $132,250
1919-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar MS65 $103,500
1861-S $20 Liberty Paquet AU58 $97,750
