Cameo Coins & Collectibles

03/09/2022

U.S. Coins - Gold Commemoratives

1903 $1.00 LA Purchase McKinley - PCGS MS63

DESIGNER: Charles E. Barber
EDGE: Reeded
DIAMETER: 14.30 millimeters
WEIGHT: 1.70 grams
MINTAGE: 17,500
MINT: Philadelphia
METAL: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

The Louisiana Purchase Gold Dollars were intended to be a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase. The authorizing legislation of June 28, 1902 gave the Secretary of the Treasury broad discretion in selecting the designs for the coin. Thomas Jefferson was chosen as one subject because he was President when the Louisiana Purchase was concluded.

The 1903 LA Purchase/McKinley Gold Dollar has the distinction of being the second U.S. coin to bear the portrait of a "real" American (the first was the 1900 Lafayette Dollar, with conjoined busts of George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette), and the first coin to bear the portrait of a martyred President (Lincoln didn't make it onto a coin until 1909).

Value: $685.00

Source: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1903-g-1-la-purchase-mckinley/7444

Cameo Coins & Collectibles is a coin and collectibles dealer based in Vienna VA and have been in bus

03/03/2022

U.S. Coins - Silver Commemorative Half Dollars

1936 Norfolk Silver Commemorative Half Dollar - PCGS MS64

The Norfolk commemorative was one of the many "contrived" commemorative issues of the 1930s. It was supposedly struck to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Norfolk's change from village to city status in 1845. Contrived though it may have been, 25,013 were distributed at $1.50 per coin ($1.65 by mail). Today, a Norfolk silver half dollar is of course a legitimate part of the 50 piece 1892-1954 silver commemorative type set and they have been widely collected since they were issued in 1936.

The interesting thing about Norfolk half dollars is that they are the highest quality commemorative in terms of condition. In fact, the average grade for a Norfolk is Gem MS65 to Superb Gem MS67. And MS68s aren't exactly rare either. This is probably due to the fact that the design is so busy. There is so much going on with the design that there isn't a lot of flat field space and consequently a Norfolk don't seem to ever have many marks. They also usually have great frosty luster and the strike is always full.

Value: $300.00

Source: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1936-50c-norfolk/9337

02/22/2022

U.S. Coins - Indian Head Quarter Eagle Gold Coins

1925-D $2.50 Indian Head Quarter Eagle Gold Coin - PCGS MS65

DESIGNER: Bela Lyon Pratt
EDGE: Reeded
DIAMETER: 18.00 millimeters
WEIGHT: 4.18 grams
MINTAGE: 578,000
MINT: Denver
METAL: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

The 1925-D is the most common issue of the series in all Mint State grades except MS-65 or better. The 1925-D almost always has very good to excellent mint luster but the striking quality varies greatly; some are very unevenly struck while others are well struck. Dies seem to have been a problem with this issue, and many specimens were clearly struck from buckled or deteriorated dies. The mint mark is usually a little weak but well defined. There are some specimens, however, where the mintmark is so weak that it is nearly invisible. The color is typically a rose tinted gold but there are also coppery colored specimens as well as ones with green and yellow gold shades. The surfaces are frosty with little or no granularity. This is a candidate with another Denver Mint issue, the 1914-D, for having the generally poorest minting quality in the series. Both issues are partially redeemed, however, by especially fine luster and color.

Value: $3,100.00

Source: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1925-d-2-50/7949/65

02/17/2022

U.S. Coins - Liberty Head Gold

1846-D $2.50 Liberty Head Gold - PCGS AU55

DESIGNER: Christian Gobrecht
EDGE: Reeded
DIAMETER: 18.00 millimeters
WEIGHT: 4.18 grams
MINTAGE: 19,303
MINT: Dahlonega
METAL: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

The 1846-D quarter eagle has nearly the same mintage as the 1845-D. But the 1846-D is more common from the standpoint of overall rarity and the number known to exist in higher grades.

The 1846-D quarter eagle is most often seen in Very Fine and Extremely Fine grades. It is scarce in the lower About Uncirculated grades and rare in the higher About Uncirculated grades. This is an extremely rare issue in Mint State. Only one example of the “D Near D” reverse exists in Mint State.

This date is generally found with numerous marks scattered about the surfaces. Many have been cleaned and show hairlines. This was an issue that appears to have seen heavy commercial use and any piece with clean, problem-free surfaces is very rare.

Value: $3,700.00

Source: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1846-d-2-50/7742

Cameo Coins & Collectibles is a coin and collectibles dealer based in Vienna VA and have been in bus

02/10/2022

U.S. Coins - Morgan Silver Dollar

1889-CC Morgan Silver Dollar - PCGS AU50

DESIGNER: George T. Morgan
EDGE: Reeded
DIAMETER: 38.10 millimeters
WEIGHT: 26.73 grams
MINTAGE: 350,000
MINT: Carson City
METAL: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

The 1889-CC Morgan dollar is not only far and away the rarest Carson City silver dollar, but also a key date for the entire Morgan dollar series.

The Carson City Mint was shut down in November 1885, and not reopened until October 1889. As there had been no local supply of silver dollars in the intervening four years, most of the mintage of 1889-CC Morgan dollars immediately began entering circulation.

After the Carson City Mint ceased coining operations for good in 1893, the coins stored in its vaults were transferred to the San Francisco Mint and the Treasury Department vaults in Washington, DC

It is presumed that a large portion of this mintage ended up getting melted down under the 1918 Pittman Act. In contrast to the flood of previously rare 1881-CC and 1885-CC Morgan dollars released in the GSA hoard, only a single 1889-CC was found there.

Value: $9,000.00

Cameo Coins & Collectibles is a coin and collectibles dealer based in Vienna VA and have been in bus

02/03/2022

U.S. Coins - Indian Head Cents

1909-S Indian Head Cent - PCGS MS64RB

DESIGNER: James Barton Longacre
EDGE: Plain
DIAMETER: 19.00 millimeters
WEIGHT: 3.11 grams
MINTAGE: 309,000
MINT: San Francisco
METAL: 95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc

The 1909-S Indian cent has the lowest mintage in the entire circulation strike Indian cent series. Only the 1877 and 1909-S Indian cent have a mintage lower than 1 million coins in the entire series.

For many years, the 1908-S and 1909-S have also proved to be very popular amongst collectors, as they are the only two Indian cents which bear an "S" mint mark.

Value: $1,900.00

Source: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1909-s-1c-indian-bn/2238

01/20/2022

U.S. Coins - Standing Liberty Quarters

1917 Standing Liberty Quarter "Type 1" - PCGS MS64FH (Full Head)

DESIGNER: Hermon A. Mac Neil
EDGE: Reeded
DIAMETER: 24.30 millimeters
WEIGHT: 6.30 grams
MINTAGE: 8,740,000
MINT: Philadelphia
METAL: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

The 1917 Standing Liberty quarter is one of the classic type coin issues of the 20th century. The type design was only minted in two years, 1916 and 1917. The design was very beautiful, one of the most striking of any U.S. coin. However, Ms. Liberty's right breast was fully exposed and this caused quite an uproar at the time. In fact, the "Society for the Suppression of Vice" not only began to pressure the Treasury to stop minting this "immoral" coin, they also wanted the government to recall all the coins already in circulation (I'm not kidding!) The mint struck and released into circulation 55,230,000 coins before production of the Type I design was stopped midway through the year. The new design featured the upper torso of Ms. Liberty covered by medieval chain mail!

Value: $600.00 (CDN Wholesale Pricing)

Source: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1917-25c-type-1/5706

Cameo Coins & Collectibles is a coin and collectibles dealer based in Vienna VA and have been in bus

01/11/2022

U.S. Coins - Indian Head (Buffalo) Nickels

1921 Indian Head (Buffalo) Nickel - PCGS MS64

DESIGNER: James Earle Fraser
EDGE: Plain
DIAMETER: 21.20 millimeters
WEIGHT: 5.00 grams
MINTAGE: 10,663,000
MINT: Philadelphia
METAL: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel

The 1921 is scarce in circulated grades and very scarce in Gem uncirculated condition. In Gem MS65 or better condition, the 1921 is not quite as rare as the 1920, but it is rarer than all the Philadelphia Mint Buffalos that follow except for the 1924. The 1920 is usually well struck and luster tends toward the frosty look, as opposed to the satiny look of many earlier issues in this series.

Value: $450.00

Source: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1921-5c/3947

Cameo Coins & Collectibles is a coin and collectibles dealer based in Vienna VA and have been in bus