Previously Unreported Morgan Dollars Sets Emerge As PCGS All-Time Finest

Jun 25, 2019 | News

(Woodland Hills, California) June 24, 2019 — Quietly and patiently acquiring superb quality coin-after-coin over the past 14 years, an Illinois collector working with Barry Stuppler of Mint State Gold by Stuppler and Company (www.MintStateGold.com) in Woodland Hills, California has now assembled the all-time finest collection of circulation strike Morgan silver dollars.

Previously part of the famous Jack Lee Collection, this 1884-S Morgan graded PCGS MS67 CAC is part of The Illinois Set, now the all-time finest Morgan dollars in five PCGS Set Registry categories. (Photo courtesy of Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.)

The previously unreported collection is now listed as all-time finest in five different Morgan dollar categories in the popular PCGS Set Registry® (www.PCGS.com/setregistry).

Known as The Illinois Set and now insured for $12 million, its grade point average surpasses such famous Hall of Fame and previous top Morgan dollar circulation strike sets as Jack Lee, Coronet Collection, California1 and IPS.

“The owner of The Illinois Set wants to remain anonymous, and he deliberately did not want to previously list his coins in the PCGS Set Registry until he achieved his goal of building the best set ever of historic Morgan silver dollars. That goal was happily accomplished this month (June 2019),” explained Stuppler.

“The building of The Illinois Set started in 2005. I have many clients building registry sets, but one of the proudest moments of my 59-year numismatic career was the day I posted the Illinois Morgan Dollar set. It took us 14 years to assemble it,” said Stuppler.

The 117-coin Illinois Set Morgan dollar collection, with a record-setting PCGS grade point average of 66.583, contains 51 coins that are the finest known; 15 that are the single finest and 36 other coins that are tied for finest known.

Highlights of the collection include:

The finest known 1892-CC Morgan dollar, graded PCGS MS67+ CAC/PQ with none graded higher, is one of the highlights of the just-revealed, all-time finest Illinois Set Collection. (Photo courtesy of Mint State Gold by Stuppler and Company.)

• 1880-CC PCGS MS68 PQ, single finest known, ex. Jack Lee.
• 1883-S, PCGS MS67+ PL PQ/CAC, single finest known, ex. Eliasberg.
• 1884-S, PCGS MS67 CAC, ex. Jack Lee.
• 1885-CC PCGS MS68+ CAC, single finest known, ex. Jack Lee.
• 1892-CC PCGS MS67+ PQ/CAC, single finest known.
• 1893-S PCGS MS65 CAC.
• 1901 PCGS MS66, single finest known, ex. Jack Lee.
• 1903-S PCGS MS67+, single finest known, ex. Eliasberg.

“Achieving the coveted number one spot for a set within the PCGS Set Registry is a feat on its own, and to be able to claim this top honor in five separate Set Registry composites is a true numismatic accomplishment,” said David Talk, PCGS Set Registry Manager.

“Not only are these sets the number one current finest set in each composite, they have surpassed some well-known sets which have won PCGS Set Registry awards spanning across 10-plus years. This is an interesting development with the Annual PCGS Set Registry Awards Luncheon quickly approaching,” stated Talk.

The single finest known 1901 Philadelphia Mint Morgan dollar, graded PCGS MS66, is one of the many highlights of the previously unreported Illinois Set that now is ranked all-time finest in five categories in the PCGS Set Registry. (Photo courtesy of Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.)

The five PCGS Set Registry categories with The Illinois Set now listed as all-time finest are:

97-coin Morgan Dollars Basic Set, Circulation Strikes, 1878-1921 (https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/dollars/morgan-dollars-major-sets/morgan-dollars-basic-set-circulation-strikes-1878-1921/88;

117-coin Morgan Dollars with Major Varieties, Circulation 1878-1921
(https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/dollars/morgan-dollars-major-sets/morgan-dollars-major-varieties-circulation-strikes-1878-1921/221;

26-coin New Orleans Morgan Dollars, Circulation Strike 1879-1904
(https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/dollars/branch-mint-dollars/new-orleans-morgan-dollars-circulation-strikes-1879-1904/1318;

29-coin Philadelphia Morgan Dollars, Circulation Strike 1878-1921
(https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/dollars/branch-mint-dollars/philadelphia-morgan-dollars-circulation-strikes-1878-1921/6505; and

28-coin San Francisco Morgan Dollars, Circulation Strike 1878-1921
(https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/dollars/branch-mint-dollars/san-francisco-morgan-dollars-circulation-strikes-1878-1921/6506.

For additional information about Mint State Gold by Stuppler and Company, contact Barry Stuppler at 818-592-2800 or support@mintstategold.com.

For additional information about the PCGS Set Registry, visit www.PCGS.com/setregistry.

Three Lucky Collectors Get PCGS Rewards For Finding West Point Mint Guam Quarters

Jun 20, 2019 | News

June17, 2019 – The thrill of the hunt and the happiness of rewards continue with three more lucky coin finders in the Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) Quarter Quest.

The latest three bounty winners, one each from Georgia, Kentucky and Utah, were the first to discover and submit to PCGS for authentication and grading examples of the new 2019-W War in the Pacific National Historical Park quarters. One of the coins is now graded PCGS MS67.

Each of the three lucky submitters will receive $667 from PCGS.

The three winning PCGS First Discovery 2019-W Guam quarters. Photo courtesy of Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.

As with the previous America the Beautiful series design quarters released this year, the United States Mint has struck only two million West Point mint mark examples of the War in the Pacific National Historic Park coins, also known as the Guam quarters, for the western Pacific Ocean territory where the park is located.

As part of the ongoing PCGS Quarter Quest, a $2,000 reward was offered for the first West Point Guam coin submitted. Three people whose submissions arrived virtually simultaneously will split the prize and are receiving their now PCGS-certified coins with a special insert label: PCGS First Discovery.
“The Quarter Quest continues to drive excitement for collecting and has brought the hunt back to the hobby. The fact that these quarters came from such a spread of states shows that anyone is capable of finding them. We are excited to see what happens with the release of the San Antonio Missions West Point Mint quarter in August,” said PCGS President Brett Charville.

The three latest winners explained how they found their 2019-W Gaum quarters.

“Ana” from Utah went to a Salt Lake City credit union with several colleagues from work and each purchased two rolls of quarters, the maximum allowed per person. After finding a West Point Guam coin, she immediately went to the post office and submitted it to PCGS by overnight delivery. Her coin is graded PCGS MS64.

“It was like hitting the jackpot!” This PCGS First Discovery 2019-W Guam quarter found in Georgia is now graded PCGS MS67. Photo courtesy of Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.

“Fernando A” of Kentucky,” who began collecting silver coins from subway fare as a youngster in Queens, New York, purchased a box of quarters from a Chase bank in Radcliff, Kentucky. He had only about 20 minutes from the time he found the W mint mark Guam quarter before the post office closed for the day, but he beat the clock. He has a special fondness for the War in the Pacific/Guam quarter. “As a veteran, it is something special to have been one of the winners for the Guam quarter bounty. The design resonates with me, I will definitely be keeping this coin,” he stated. His quarter is graded PCGS MS64.

The PCGS Quarter Quest continues with still two additional coin designs scheduled by the Mint this year. Any qualifying 2019 West Point mint mark quarters received within the first seven days after the PCGS First Discovery for each design has been confirmed will automatically receive the First Week of Discovery pedigree.

The qualifying coins submitted after those 7 days and within 45 days of the PCGS First Discovery will automatically receive an Early Find pedigree. Also, there are opportunities for bonus points for W mint mark quarters featuring these special pedigrees listed in the PCGS Set Registry.

PCGS has created an information page for the promotion at www.PCGS.com/2019quarterquest where coin hunters can check on updated bounties, see if a PCGS First Discovery has been graded and authenticated, and review the terms and conditions for the promotion.

For information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.

Airmined Gold Coin Makes Special Journey To Normandy Beaches For D-Day 75th

Jun 15, 2019 | News

The London Mint Office has made its very own unique commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day on June 6 with a special coin in Fairmined gold issued at Monnaie De Paris before making its journey to the Normandy beaches where Military Ambassador Simon Weston CBE paid his respects.

Falklands veteran Simon was at the Pegasus Memorial Museum at Ranville before an audience of invited guests in tribute to the largest seaborne invasion in history. The Normandy landings began on Tuesday, June 6, 1944, D-Day or Operation Neptune, marking the start of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. A 1,200 plane airborne assault preceded an amphibious assault involving more than 5,000 vessels. Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on 6 June, and more than two million Allied troops were in France by the end of August.

The special coin was issued at France’s foremost mint, the Monnaie De Paris in Fairmined gold, which means it has been ethically mined. Some 15 million people work in gold worldwide, 90% of them in artisanal, small scale mines in developing countries, more likely to be affected by poverty, poor working conditions, child labour and toxic chemicals. Fairmined is an assurance label that certifies gold from empowered responsible artisanal and small-scale mining organisations. It transforms mining into an active force for good, ensuring social development and environmental protection.

Daniel Penney, Managing Director of The London Mint Office said: “D-Day began the liberation of France and laid the foundations of the Allied victory in WWII, so we needed a very special event to mark this historic milestone. It is an honour to work with the prestigious Monnaie De Paris, and we are delighted to be able to issue the coin in the ethically sourced, more sustainable Fairmined gold, and to take it on this poignant journey to Normandy.”

The Monnaie De Paris is France’s longest standing institution and the oldest enterprise in the world, officially founded in 864 as a coining workshop in Paris, the only one in France in continuous operation since it opened.

Finest known, rare 1856-S dime found in SS Central America treasure

Jun 14, 2019 | News

Retrieved in latest sunken treasure recovery, top rarity is now graded PCGS MS65 CAC, tied for finest known

(Brea, California) June 14, 2019 – The S.S. Central America, the famous “Ship of Gold” that sank in 1857 carrying tons of California Gold Rush-era treasure, continues to reveal astonishing numismatic surprises. The latest find is an extremely rare mint condition 1856 San Francisco Mint Liberty Seated silver dime that is now tied for finest known and described as a “miracle” coin by one of its discoverers.

Recovered in 2014 with thousands of other dimes in the ship purser’s iron lock box but only recently examined and cataloged, the coin now has been graded PCGS MS65 CAC. It is one of only two known at that grade and with none higher.

“The 1856-S dime has an incredibly rare mintage of only 70,000; a mere $7,000 in face value. In fact, the Professional Coin Grading Service Population Report indicates only 11 uncirculated 1856-S dimes that weren’t put into circulation or melted! This example stayed pristine with full luster after a century and a half in the ocean environment,” said Dwight Manley, Managing Partner of the California Gold Marketing Group (CGMG).

A rare 1856-S Liberty Seated dime, now graded PCGS MS65 CAC and tied for finest known, was among the sunken treasure coins recently discovered from the last recovery expedition to the fabled S.S. Central America, according to California Gold Marketing Group. Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.

“It is among the crème de la crème, the best-of-the-best of coinage from this amazing sunken treasure,” stated Manley.

CGMG acquired all the coins retrieved in 2014 from the fabled S.S. Central America as well as most of the coins found in 1980s recovery expeditions. The group took possession in January 2018 of the sunken treasure recovered in 2014, and a meticulous coin-by-coin, ingot-by-ingot examination has continued since then.

“We will publicly display this top rarity for the first time at the American Numismatic Association’s 2019 Chicago World’s Fair of Money®, August 13-17, at booth 1615,” announced Manley.

PCGS officials say it was a thrilling moment when the coin arrived there for grading.

“The recovered treasure from the S.S. Central America continues to put the PCGS grading team in awe. Seeing a silver coin that spent well over 100 years at the bottom of the ocean emerge in such incredible condition is a numismatic dream,” stated Brett Chaville, President of PCGS which has certified all the recovered S.S. Central America coins submitted by CGMG over the years.

John Albanese, President and Co-Founder of Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC), described the 1856-S dime as, “A beautiful frosty gem! Hard to believe it was on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean for 157 years!”

During the 2014 recovery expedition, two canvas bags were found in the bottom of the lock box, and one bag contained more than 8,000 dimes.

“It quickly became obvious that this was the ‘cash box’ of the ship, a truly marvelous historical find,” said Bob Evans, the chief scientist on the 1980’s mission that first located and recovered a portion of the fabulous sunken treasure and who served in that same role and as a numismatist with the 2014 recovery.

The rare 1856-S dime was recently discovered among thousands of other silver dimes in this soccer-ball size canvas bag in the S.S. Central America purser’s lock box. The bag is shown here still unopened and moments after its recovery from the Atlantic Ocean in 2014. Photo credit: California Gold Marketing Group

“I saw the obverse first and assumed it was an 1856 New Orleans Mint or a Philadelphia Small-Date in high-grade, not uncommon among these dimes. I flipped it over expecting to see either no mint mark or an O. I remember my audible, ‘Well, at long last!,’ somewhat stunned response to the S mint mark dime as I held it in my gloved fingers. It is truly a wonderful, miracle coin, and the fact that it is the only 1856-S dime from the S.S. Central America treasure makes it all that much more special,” stated Evans.

The S.S. Central America was a 280-foot long, three-masted side-wheel steamship carrying tons of California gold that had been shipped from San Francisco to Panama when she sank in a hurricane on September 12, 1857 during the final leg of a voyage from Aspinwall (now Colón), Panama to New York City. There were 578 passengers and crew on board, but only 153 survived.

The loss of the ship’s gold cargo was a major factor in the economically devastating financial panic of 1857 in the United States.

In a court-approved transaction in November 2017, the California Gold Marketing Group acquired all the treasure recovered in 2014 from Ira Owen Kane, Receiver for Recovery Limited Partnership and Columbus Exploration, LLC. In 1999, CGMG acquired all of the available S.S. Central America treasure that was recovered in the 1980s.

A complete list of all the items recovered in 2014 will be published in an upcoming book, America’s Greatest Treasure Ship: The S.S. Central America, by esteemed numismatic author Q. David Bowers and Manley.

Recovered Property-Police Assistance Requested-Fayetteville, GA

Jun 10, 2019 | News

The Fayetteville PD Uniform Patrol Division made an arrest involving theft during the early morning hours of May 31, 2019. The suspect was identified as Anthony Nolen. During the theft, investigation narcotics were located in the vehicle in which Nolen was driving. In addition to the narcotics officers located gallon sized ziplock bags containing numerous amounts of gold coins, bars, and jars containing what appears to be gold dust, necklaces, and watches. Officers confiscated the items for safekeeping and all property is being held at the Fayetteville PD.

Investigators are attempting to locate any jurisdictions with possible burglaries or thefts of gold/gold related items.

Anyone with information contact:

Shawn Albea
Sergeant
Criminal Investigation Division
City of Fayetteville Police Department
760 Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard
Fayetteville, Georgia 30215
Phone: (770)-719-4218
or
Doug Davis
817-723-7231
Doug@numismaticcrimes.org

NCIC: Stolen USPS

Jun 7, 2019 | News

A priority package being shipped from Ohio to California was broken into and contents removed.

Stolen Coin: 1893S UNC Details Improperly Cleaned NGC 4183643-001

Anyone with information contact:

Doug Davis
817-723-7231
Doug@numismaticcrimes.org

Rare 2019 West Point Quarters Are Valuable Treasure in Your Pocket Change

May 31, 2019 | News

(Pelham, AL) — The United States Mint is randomly issuing rare and valuable quarter dollars into circulation this year. The coins are found in regular pocket change and can be worth hundreds of dollars each, according to the senior editor of the Guide Book of United States Coins, the best-selling price guide on American coinage.

Only 2 million of each of the five 2019 quarter dollars will feature the “W” mintmark of the famous West Point Mint, known as the “Fort Knox of Silver” because of its precious-metal vaults. Although this might seem like a lot of coins, it represents only 1 out of every 200 or so 2019 quarters. They are being distributed to banks and financial institutions through the Federal Reserve system, mixed in with their more common Philadelphia Mint and Denver Mint counterparts.

“If the Guide Book went to press today, we would list the coins around $25 each in average Mint State condition, based on feedback from coin dealers around the country,” said Jeff Garrett, senior editor of the Guide Book of United States Coins. “Higher-grade ‘gem’ examples have sold for hundreds of dollars.” Garrett estimates that demand for the coins will rise as more and more collectors need them to complete their collections.

The 2019-W quarters will be featured in next year’s edition of the Guide Book. By that time their market prices should be well established, according to Garrett.

“These are the first and only modern rarities deliberately placed into circulation by the Mint,” said Q. David Bowers, the Guide Book’s research editor. “Most 2019 quarters struck for day-to-day commerce will be made at the Philadelphia and Denver mints. Last year nearly 2 billion quarters were struck in total. The West Point mintages are truly small in comparison.”

In total, a maximum of only 10 million West Point Mint quarters will reach circulation, or about 1 coin for every 33 U.S. citizens. They include 2 million each of the Lowell National Historical Park quarter, the American Memorial Park quarter, the War in the Pacific National Historical Park quarter, the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park quarter, and the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness quarter. All are dated 2019, and the rare West Point coins have a distinct “W” mintmark below the legend IN GOD WE TRUST.

The Guide Book of United States Coins, popularly known as the “Red Book” for its cover color, has been published since 1946, with more than 24 million copies in print. Coin collectors consider it “the Bible of the hobby.” The 73rd edition is available now, online and at booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, in formats including hardcover, softcover, spiralbound, and Large Print.