Lot 1843
Gem Cameo Proof 1885 $2.50 Gold. NGC graded Proof 65 Cameo. Think you know what rarity means? Really? Not "rarity" as in "Pop 1, none higher" or anything like that. No, we mean sheer rarity. As in, hardly any were made and almost none exist. As in, almost impossible to locate and own. Understand now? We truly hope so, for in this lot we are staring at something rare in the absolute sense. Mintage in Proof: 87 coins. Eighty-seven! Mintage for commerce: 800 coins. Eight hundred. In other words, in the 1885 quarter eagle we have one of the rarest American gold coins. How many may exist? NGC has graded 36 business strikes, ranging from EF45 to MS64. And 15 Proofs. How many are resubmissions? Doesn't matter a whole lot. And what of PCGS? 53 business strikes ranging from EF40 to MS65, and only 16 Proofs, including 5 in PR65 and just one in PR66. Only the most naive collector could imagine that each of these numbers represents a single coin. It's probably a mere handful going back and forth, seeking some commercial number. NGC has supposedly seen 1 PR66Cam and 7 PR65Cam coins. We doubt it. Show us all 8 of them.
Our argument points out the fallacy of this entire marketing scheme. Populations are twisted versions of reality. But some coins are obviously rare, like this one. If you just have to have the highest number, go find that PR66. If you are a true fan of lovely and rare coins, though, this coin should scream "own me!" at you. For here indeed is a wonderful gold Proof coin. The portrait of Liberty and that of the eagle are brightly frosted, in deep contrast to the mirrored gold fields surrounding them. They float like hoarfrost on a still winter pond. They cause this coin to gleam! A few stray hairlines, of the very lightest sort, show up upon tilting this marvelous coin at various angles, but nobody could call this piece less than Gem. Nobody. We have just one more word to utter here: Wow!
|
| |
| Realized $15,525 |
