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 Saint-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 Saint-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