PMR - 2023 #5 September/October

25C 1815 PCGS MS65+ CAC

25C 1824/2 PCGS AU55 CAC

25C 1835 PCGS MS64+ CAC

25C 1819 SMALL 9 PCGS MS64 CAC

25C 1831 SMALL LETTERS. PCGS MS65+ CAC

25C 1837 PCGS MS67 PL CAC

25C 1821 PCGS MS64

25C 1833 PCGS MS64 CAC

25C 1825/4/2 BROWNING 1. PCGS MS64 CAC

25C 1818/5 PCGS MS66 CAC

25C 1828 PCGS MS64 CAC

25C 1836 PCGS MS64 CAC

25C 1820 LARGE 0 BROWNING 2. PCGS MS66 CAC

25C 1832 PCGS MS65+ CAC

25C 1838 CAPPED BUST PCGS MS65+ CAC

25C 1822 PCGS MS62

25C 1834 PCGS MS65 CAC

OFFICIAL AUCTIONEER OF THE IMEX SHOW NOV. 2, 2023 • RED BANK, NJ

A Collectors Universe Company www.PCGS.com

Editor-in-Chief Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

Advertising Director Rebecca Tran

Content Manager Arianna Tortomasi

Lead Designer James Davis

Cover Artist James Davis

Numismatic Photographer Phil Arnold

Distribution Coordinator Ronald Burnett

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Printed in the United States. Copyright 2023 Collectors Universe, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any kind without written permission of the publisher is prohibited by law. PCGS Market Report is published bi-monthly by Collectors Universe, Inc. at P.O. Box 9458, Newport Beach, CA 92658. Postmaster, send address change to Market Report c/o PCGS, Publication Department, P.O. Box 9458, Newport Beach, CA 92658.

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SPEAKING OF COINS

As we enter autumn, many minds turn to more time indoors and maybe more time with family and friends. Does this also mean more time fostering your passion for numismatics? You may remember how during the early days of the COVID pandemic in 2020 literal millions turned to their hobbies again. We saw a lot of this happen on the numismatic scene, with both those who had fallen away and came back into the coin fold, or those who never left but suddenly found new time to build on collections or expand into new areas of their hobby.

So, with summer vacations winding down after Labor Day and most coffee shops now offering their tempting slates of pumpkin-spiced drinks, let’s shrug off the autumnal chill under the warm glow of a desk lamp reflecting on the surfaces of our favorite coins. What gaps do you have in your sets? What coins do you still need to “complete” your collection? They’re things to mull over as we prepare for holiday gift giving in the months ahead. Perhaps a purchase or two for the benefit of your collection is also in the cards.

While musing over the possibilities on how we can improve our collections over the dwindling months of the year that remain, let’s get set for some exciting news on the PCGS Set Registry! The ballots are in, the votes have been tabulated, and we have a slew of 2023 PCGS Set Registry Awards and honors waiting for thousands of collectors. Are you among them? Find out in this year’s PCGS Set Registry Awards announcement among the pages of this issue.

Modern Chinese coin expert Peter Anthony whisks us away into a dream where he describes an array of coins inspired by a classic tale known as Journey to the West Prepare to meet two people who have taken their love of coins to exospheric levels, one building an astounding collection of Australian coins, the other designing coins that many of us use every single day. Collector Rebecca Heaton shares why she loves Australian $2 coins – so much so that she built some of the top sets of these coins from down under on the PCGS Set Registry.

And a captivating interview with United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Designer Elana Hagler, who designed the 2022 Dr. Sally Ride Quarter, is sure to inspire. We’ll also introduce you to 15-year-old Jake Krantz, a collector who has found many priceless friendships and valuable half dollars on his numismatic journey.

Finally, take a moment to enjoy the trio of luxuriant rarities from the 1845 United States Gold Proof Set, a three-piece set of classic gold proof coins offered by Tangible Investments, Inc., and featured here as the PCGS Coin of the Issue. We also have columns from all your favorite PCGS coin and banknote experts.

So, sit back, relax, and take a sip of that delicious fall-flavored coffee (or tea, if you’d rather). But, be sure you also make some time to bond with your hobby this autumn. It’s good for the numismatic soul…

With healthy wishes,

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez Editor-in-Chief, PCGS Market Report

THE COVER

7 2023 PCGS Set Registry Awards Announced

Collectors Vice President of Brand Development Jamie Kiskis introduces the thousands of sets (and collectors!) who have notched top honors in the 2023 PCGS Set Registry Awards.

20 A Conversation with U.S. Mint Artist Elana Hagler

PCGS Social Media Coordinator Mark Harvey interviews with United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Designer Elana Hagler, whose work is seen on many of today’s coins, including the 2022 Dr. Sally Ride Quarter.

26 PCGS Set Registry: Colorized Coins

PCGS Set Registry expert Sanjay C. Gandhi explores the curious world of colorized coins, which have become popular offerings from many mints around the globe and are becoming hot items on the Set Registry.

31 PCGS Collector Spotlight: Rebecca Heaton

PCGS Market Report Editor-in-Chief Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez talks with Rebecca Heaton, a collector with a penchant for $2 coins from her homeland of Australia.

33 YN Corner: Friendships & Half Dollars Drive a Passion for Coins

Fifteen-year-old collector Jake Krantz shares how his love for finding valuable half dollars in rolls has helped him build many priceless friendships and further his passions for a hobby he cherishes.

35 Dream Team

Modern Chinese coin expert Peter Anthony shares some of the whimsical coins that capture the characters and story of the ancient tale Journey to the West.

1859-O Twenty Dollar AU50 PCGS

1879 Four Dollar Stella Flowing Hair PR64 Cameo PCGS. CAC

1879 Four Dollar Stella Flowing Hair PR65 PCGS. CAC

1858-O Twenty Dollar XF45 PCGS. CAC

1867 Five Dollar PR65 PCGS Ex: Garrett-Bass

1803 BD-3 Ten Dollar Small Reverse Stars MS63 PCGS. CAC

1908-S Ten Dollar Indian MS65 PCGS. CAC

1873-CC Twenty Dollar AU58 PCGS

The time has come to unveil the top sets of the PCGS Set Registry, an online community where collectors can show off their coin sets while competing for top honors and awards. As the judges were tabulating votes, the collecting platform boasted more than 43,000 active members with over 166,000 sets. The PCGS Set Registry includes more than 2.6 million coins! It’s no wonder the PCGS Set Registry is the collectors’ choice, as we honor thousands of sets from all around the world each year. Your sets may be among them!

In 2001, when the PCGS Set Registry went online as the first collecting platform of its kind, there were a little more than 300 sets. Of these, 15 sets received honors during the inaugural award season. This year, some 550 Gold and Platinum awards are being offered, not even counting the thousands of Best of Registry Awards for set leaders.

The PCGS Set Registry continues growing in size and scope to serve as the most inclusive collecting platform in the industry. This is in large part due to the vibrant community of collectors who not only provide terrific feedback to us on the kinds of sets they want to build here, but also their courage and willingness to share sets that simply can’t be found in any other registry. This also speaks to the terrific agility of our PCGS Set Registry team, which engages in active dialogue with members and works around the clock to provide an unrivaled collector experience.

THE 2023 PCGS SET REGISTRY AWARDS ANNOUNCED

By Jamie Kiskis

Collectors from around the world and with different levels of collecting experience are fueling the growth of this platform, mirroring a further diversification of the collecting base in terms of who’s collecting and what they’re collecting. This ensures our hobby is on a healthy footing. One of the many reasons collectors are turning to the PCGS Set Registry is because of the many resources it offers in managing inventory, tracking updated pricing, communicating with a large community of collectors, and competing for the best in each category. The best part is that the PCGS Set Registry is completely free!

Congratulations to all the 2023 PCGS Set Registry winners, and best of luck to everyone building sets on the PCGS Set Registry. We are honored that you choose to share your collecting journey and accomplishments with us, and we admire your dedication to and passion for this wonderful hobby.

Happy Collecting

Jamie Kiskis Vice President of Brand Development Collectors

2023

PCGS Platinum Award Winners United States

Capped Bust Quarters with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (18151838) The Link Early American Silver Capped Bust Quarter Variety Set

Capped Bust Quarters Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1815-1838) The Link

Early American Silver Capped Bust Quarter Date Set

Barber Quarters Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1892-1916) RSD

Standing Liberty FH Quarters Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1916-1930)

An Ohio Collector

Washington Quarters Complete Variety Set with No Minor MN Extra Tree

Die Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Satin Finish (1999-Present) The Diehl Washington Quarter Collection (1 subset)

Walking Liberty Half Dollars with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1916-1947) Gerald Forsythe (1 subset)

Walking Liberty Half Dollars, Proof (1936-1942) Gerald Forsythe

Top 100 Modern Coins Wondercoins' Top 100 Modern Coins Set

Complete U.S. Type Set (1792-1964) High Desert Gold Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1795-1933) High Desert

U.S. Coins Complete Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1792-present) D. L. Hansen U S Coins Complete (1792-present)

U.S. Gold Complete Modern Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1980-present) Goldminer's Modern Gold

U.S. Silver Complete Modern Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1971-present) Goldminer's Modern Silver

Silver, Gold, Platinum & Palladium Eagles Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1986-present) Atlantic Collection

Silver, Gold, Platinum & Palladium Eagles Complete Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1986-present) OBSESSION

Large Cents with Major Varieties (With the four Ultra Rarities), Circulation Strikes (1793-1857) High Desert

Large Cents with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1793-1857) High Desert

Large Cents Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1793-1857) High Desert

Flying Eagle Cents with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1856-1858) Foreside Collection

Flying Eagle Cents Basic Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1856-1858) Foreside Collection

Three Cent Nickels Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1865-1889) tompet38

Three Cent Nickels with Major Varieties, Proof (1865-1889) tompet38

Three Cent Nickels with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1865-1889) tompet38

Buffalo Nickels with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1913-1938) The JDG Trust Collection

Buffalo Nickels Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1913-1938)

The JDG Trust Collection

Buffalo Nickels Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1913-1938) Gerald Forsythe

Buffalo Nickels, Proof (1913-1937) Gerald Forsythe

Jefferson Nickels FS with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1965-present)

Ray Overby

Jefferson Nickels FS Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1965-present)

Ray Overby

Barber Dimes with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1892-1916)

Varieties Incorporated

Roosevelt Dimes FB Basic Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1946-Present)

The Halcyon Collection

Walking Liberty Half Dollars with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proofs (1916-1947) Ron Bauer Walking Liberty Half Dollars

Franklin Half Dollars Complete Variety Set, Proof (1950-1963) Insanity of a Privateer

Morgan Dollars Prooflike Only with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1878-1921) DT Miller By Ashmore (1 subset)

Presidential Dollars First Day of Issue with Major Edge Errors, Circulation Strikes (2007-2011) JE - Presidential Dollars FDI Major Variety Set

Indian Head $2-1/2 Gold Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1908-1929) The Donald A. Kutz $2 1/2 Indian set (1 subset)

California Fractional Gold - Complete Collection, Period One Robert H. Lande (5 subsets)

Libertas Americana Medals Cardinal

Norse American Commemorative Medals (1925) J & L Norse Set

Peace Dollars, Low Ball (1921-1935) LOW Hanging Fruit

Silver Commemoratives 50 Piece Type Set, Low Ball (1892-1954) Not Mint To Be – Pocketpiece Commemoratives

Everyman Indian Cents (1859-1909) Liberty Headdress

Everyman Liberty Nickels (1883-1912) George's Legacy

Everyman Capped Bust Half Dollars (1807-1839) Bustnut

Everyman Barber Half Dollars (1892-1915) cornhusker collection GBR

Everyman Morgan Dollars Basic Set (1878-1921) johnk1942 (3)

World Coins

Angola Portuguese Colony Denomination Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1921-1974) thush

Rhodesia Republic Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1970-1977) JBW

Rhodesia & Nyasaland Penny, Circulation Strikes (1955-1963) JBW

South African George VI Denomination Type Set, Proof (1937-1952) SWvdM

People's Republic of China Commemoratives Complete Set, Proof (1984-Present) Sun

British India Denomination Type Set (1835-1947) anilgupta

India Colonial British Denomination Regal Design Type Set (1862-1947) anilgupta

Israel Pruta Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1949-1957) RW Israel Pruta Set

Japanese Gold Denomination Type Set (1870-1932) The T&JW Japan Gold Denomination Set

Japanese Mutsuhito 1 Yen, Circulation Strikes (1870-1912) Kaizan 海山 and Raiden 雷電, 一 圓 銀貨 Collection

Palestine 1 Mil, Circulation Strikes (1927-1946) J & D Fishman Collection

Palestine 2 Mils, Circulation Strikes (1927-1946) J & D Fishman Collection

Palestine 5 Mils, Circulation Strikes (1927-1946) J & D Fishman Collection

Palestine 10 Mils, Circulation Strikes (1927-1946) J & D Fishman Collection

Palestine 20 Mils, Circulation Strikes (1927-1944) J & D Fishman Collection

Palestine 50 Mils, Circulation Strikes (1927-1942) J & D Fishman Collection

Palestine 100 Mils, Circulation Strikes (1927-1942) J & D Fishman

Collection

British Sarawak Cent, Circulation Strikes (1863-1941) skandakumera

British Sarawak 5 Cents, Circulation Strikes (1900-1927) skandakumera

French 50 Centimes, Circulation Strikes (1897-1920) Typetone

French Indo-China Colony Cent, Circulation Strikes (1885-1943) thush

British Victoria Three Pence Maundy Date Set, Prooflike (1838-1901)

chrisnapolitano

British Victoria Silver Penny Maundy Date Set, Prooflike (1838-1901) chrisnapolitano

Irish 1/2 Crown Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1928-1967) Gene1865

Irish 1/2 Crown Date Set with Mule, Circulation Strikes (1928-1967) Gene1865

Spain 25 Pesetas, Circulation Strikes (1876-1885) jorgetierno

Swiss 1/2 Silver Franc, Circulation Strikes (1850-1967) Sheffield Collection

No. 1

Swiss 20 Gold Francs Vreneli, Circulation Strikes (1897-1949) Anteater Collection - Swiss Vreneli 20 Fr.

Ukraine Bullion Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (2011-Present) Tryzub

Canadian Coins Complete Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1858-1952)

Lantern Collection

Canadian Complete Cents Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1858-2012) Lantern Collection

Canadian Nickel Five Cents with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1922 to date) Canadian Beaver Hunter

Newfoundland Cents with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1865-1947) Perth Collection

Newfoundland Fifty Cents, Circulation Strikes (1870-1919) Perth Collection

Cuban Complete Copper-Nickel & Silver Set with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1915-1961) Virginia Transplant

Cuban Complete Gold Peso Set, Circulation Strikes (1915-1916) Virginia Transplant

Cuban Complete First Republic Set with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1915-1961) Virginia Transplant

Dominican Republic Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1937-Present)

Fernando Baez Guerrero Complete (A)

Haitian Silver 10 Gourdes, Proof (1967-1971) Fernando Baez Guerrero

Mexican Ferdinand VII (Draped Bust) 8 Reales, Circulation Strikes (18111821) RFS Industries

Mexican Silver Cap and Ray Peso Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (19181945) JD Foster

1904 Panamanian Proof Set romanose05

Australian 1/2 Pennies Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1911-1964) Timbertop

Australian Pennies Complete Set with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1911-1964) Timbertop

Australian Shilling Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1910-1963) Timbertop

Australian Complete Sovereign Set with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1855-1931) CB Gold Collection

Australian Fifty Cents Commemoratives, Circulation Strikes (1966-Present) BCM Collection

British Commonwealth Sovereign Victoria (Jubilee Head) Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1887-1893) CB Gold Collection

Coin of the Year by Krause

Publications (1982-present) Brandywine Krause Publications COTY Collection (1982-Present)

2023 PCGS Gold Award Winners

United States

TOP CLASSIC SETS 1794 - 1964

Complete U.S. Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1792-1964) High Desert

Complete U.S. Type Set (1792-1964) D. L. Hansen US Type Set Complete (1792-1964)

Copper Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1793-1964) High Desert

Silver Type Set (1792-1964) D. L. Hansen Silver Type Set

Gold Type Set (1795-1933) High Desert

Gold Type Set 12 Piece, Circulation Strikes (1839-1933) - CAC Black Cat Gold Type Set 12 Piece, Circulation Strikes (1839-1933) - CAC

First Year of Issue Type Set (1793-present) D. L. Hansen. First Year Type Set

Complete

20th Century Gold Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1900-1933) High Desert

Complete U.S. Coin Design Set (1792-present) High Desert

Large Cent Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1793-1857) High Desert

Complete Cents Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1793-present) High Desert

U.S. Twenty Cents Complete Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (18751878) Black Cat U.S. Twenty Cents Complete Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1875-1878)

THE 2023 PCGS SET REGISTRY AWARDS ANNOUNCED

U.S. $20 Gold Complete Set with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes

(1850-1932) D.L. Hansen. $20 Gold Complete. (1850-1932) (1 subset)

Civil War Set with Gold (1861-1865) D. L. Hansen Civil War Set with Gold

Half Cents with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1793-1857) High Desert

Half Cents Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1793-1857) High Desert

Large Cents with Major Varieties (With the four Ultra Rarities), Circulation Strikes (1793-1814) High Desert (2 subsets)

Large Cents Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1839-1857) High Desert

Large Cents with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1839-1857) High Desert

Large Cents with Major Varieties (With the four Ultra Rarities), Circulation Strikes and Proof (1793-1857) D. L. Hansen Large Cents Circulation and Proof (1793-1857)

Large Cents Die Variety Set by Sheldon, Circulation Strikes (1793) Golden State Collection

Large Cents Die Variety Set by Newcomb, Circulation Strikes (1839-1857) D. L. Hansen Large Cents by Newcomb. (1839-1857)

Indian Cents with Major Varieties, Proof (1859-1909) Falcon Major (1 subset)

Indian Cents Complete Variety Set, Proof (1859-1909) Falcon Complete

Lincoln Cents Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1909-1958) D. L. Hansen. Lincoln Wheat Ears. (1909-1958)

Lincoln Cents Basic Set, Proof (1909-1958) Cajun Lincoln Basic proof (1909-1958)

Lincoln Cents Complete Variety Set, Circulation Strikes (1909-Present) VarietySeeker

Lincoln Cents Complete Variety Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1909-Present) AlterityCoins

Shield Two Cents Complete Variety Set, Circulation Strikes (1864-1872) Legal Two Cents

Three Cent Nickels Basic Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1865-1889) tompet38

Three Cent Silvers with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1851-1872) D.

L. Hansen Three Cent Silver

Three Cent Silvers Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1851-1872) D. L. Hansen

Three Cent Silver Set

Shield Nickels with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1866-1883) D. L. Hansen Shield Nickel with Major Varieties Collection (1 subset)

Buffalo Nickels Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1913-1938)

JDG Trust Collection

Buffalo Nickels with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proof (19131938) The JDG Trust Collection (1 subset)

Buffalo Nickels Basic Short Set, Circulation Strikes (1934-1938)

JDG Trust Collection

Early Half Dimes with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1792-1837)

D.L. Hansen. Early Half Dimes . 1792-1837

Early Half Dimes Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1792-1837) D. L. Hansen

Early Half Dimes (1792-1837)

Capped Bust Dimes with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1809-1837)

The Link Early American Silver Major Variety Set of Capped Bust Dimes (2 subsets)

Liberty Seated Dimes with Major Varieties and 1873-CC No Arrows, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1837-1891) Jason Feldman (2 subsets)

Barber Dimes with Major Varieties and 1894-S, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1892-1916) D. L. Hansen. Barber Dime Complete with 1894-S (18921916) (2 subsets)

Mercury Dimes FB with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1916-1945) MERC MADNESS (5 subsets)

Mercury Dimes Complete Variety Set, Circulation Strikes (1916-1945)

THE WINDY CITY COLLECTION

Mercury Dimes FB Complete Variety Set, Circulation Strikes (1916-1945)

MONSTERS OF THE MIDWAY

Twenty Cents with 76-CC, Circulation Strikes (1875-1876) Hansin Collection Twenty Cent W/1876cc Circ.

Draped Bust Quarters Die Variety Set by A.W. Browning, Circulation Strikes (1796-1807) Three Sisters Collection

Barber Quarters Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1892-1916) RSD

Standing Liberty Quarters with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (19161930) John Q Little (2 subsets)

Capped Bust Half Dollars with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (18071839) Link Early American Silver Capped Bust Halves with Major Varieties Set

Liberty Seated Half Dollars with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1839-1891) D. L. Hansen Liberty Seated Half Dollars (1893-1891) (2 subsets)

Barber Half Dollars with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1892-1915) D. L. Hansen. Barber Half Dollar. (1892-1915) (1 subset)

Liberty Seated Dollars Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1840-1873) D. L. Hansen Collection of Liberty Seated Dollars (1840-1873)

Trade Dollars with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1873-1878)

Black Cat Trade Dollars with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1873-1878) (2 subsets)

Trade Dollars, Proof (1873-1885) D. L. Hansen Trade Dollar Proof Set

Trade Dollars Chop Mark Set, Circulation Strikes (1873-1878) David Reimer Chop Marked Trade Dollar Collection

Morgan Dollars Basic Set, Proof (1878-1904) Mr. Perfection 13

Morgan Dollars with Major Varieties, Proof (1878-1921) Driftwood Proof

Morgan Varieties

Morgan Dollars Top 100 VAM Set, Circulation Strikes (1878-1921)

Andy Hansen

Morgan Dollars Long Arrow Shaft VAM Set, Circulation Strikes (1878) Knockin on Heaven's Door ��

Morgan Dollars Thornhead Set, Circulation Strikes (1921-S) Ramblin’ Rose ��

Peace Dollars, Circulation Strikes (1921-1935) D. L. Hansen Peace Dollar (1921-1935) (1 subset)

Peace Dollars Super Set, Circulation Strikes (1921-1935) AFA71

One Dollar Gold with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proof (18491889) D. L. Hansen. One Dollar Gold Complete. (1849-1889) (3 subsets)

Complete $2-1/2 Gold Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1796-1929) D. L. Hansen $2 1/2 Gold Date Collection

$3 Gold Mintmark Set, Circulation Strikes (1854-1889) D. L. Hansen Collection (3 subsets)

Complete $5 Gold Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1795-1929) D. L. Hansen. Five Dollar Gold Date Set (1795-1929)

Liberty Head $5 Gold with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (18391908) D. L. Hansen. $5 Gold / Major Varieties (1839-1908) (3 subsets)

Indian Head $5 Gold, Circulation Strikes (1908-1929) HALFDOME

Complete $20 Gold Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1850-1932) D.L. Hansen

Collection

Liberty Head $20 Gold with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (18501907) D.L. Hansen $20 Gold. (1850-1907) (1 subset)

St. Gaudens $20 Gold with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (19071932) Elite Collection (3 subsets)

Silver Commemoratives 144 Piece Mintmark & Variety Set, Circulation Strikes (1892-1954) J & L 144 Complete Set (1 subset)

Gold Commemoratives 11 Piece Set, Circulation Strikes (1903-1926) NiceGold

TOP MODERN SETS 1950-PRESENT

Modern Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1950-present) D. L. Hansen Modern Type Set (1950-Present)

Silver, Gold, Platinum & Palladium Eagles Complete Set, Proof (1986-present) Goldminer's Collection

Lincoln Memorial Cents with Major Varieties, Proof (1959-2008) D. L. Hansen Lincoln Memorial Proof

Lincoln Cents Preservation of the Union Shield Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (2010-Present) The Manning Collection

Lincoln Cents Complete Variety Set, Circulation Strikes (1959-Present)

VarietySeeker

Jefferson Nickels FS Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1938-present) D. L.

Hansen Jefferson FS Nickel Collection (1 subset)

Jefferson Nickels with Major Varieties, Proof (1938-present) D. L. Hansen

Jefferson Nickels Proof (1 subset)

Jefferson Nickels FS with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1965-present) Huskers

Jefferson Nickels FS Complete Variety Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1938-Present) KCV comp var Circ/Prf

Jefferson Nickels FS Complete Variety Set, Circulation Strikes (1965-Present) Ray Overby

Roosevelt Dimes with Major Varieties and 1975 No S, Proof (1950-present)

The Halcyon Collection (2 subsets)

Roosevelt Dimes FB with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1946-Present) The Halcyon Collection

Washington Quarters with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1932-Present) D. L. Hansen. Washington Quarters (1932-Present) (1 subset)

Washington Quarters Complete Variety Set with all Die Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1932-Present) The Brodie Collection (4 subsets)

Washington Statehood Quarters Basic Set, Circulation Strikes and Satin

Finish (1999-2008) Arthur V Epstein State Quarter Collection (1 subset)

Franklin Half Dollars FBL Basic Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1948-1963) D. L. Hansen Franklin Half Dollars FBL. (Circulation & Proof) (2 subsets)

Franklin Half Dollars Basic Set, Proof (1950-1963) R_J_R Proof Franklins

Franklin Half Dollars FBL Complete Variety Set, Circulation Strikes (1948-1963) Docjp

Kennedy Half Dollars Complete Variety Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1964-Present) The Acadia Collection (1 subset)

Eisenhower Dollars with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1971-1978) Wondercoin’s (Mitchell Spivack) Comprehensive Mint State & Proof Eisenhower Dollar Collection

Eisenhower Dollars Complete Silver Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1971-1976) DLH Eisenhower Silver Set

Presidential Dollars with Major Varieties, Satin Finish (2007-2010)

LJK's Presidential Dollars A & B Set - Satin Finish (1 subset)

Presidential Dollars with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Satin

Finish (2007-2016, 2020) Elsmore - Presidential Dollars with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Satin Finish (2007-2016, 2020)

Presidential Dollars with Major Edge Errors, Circulation Strikes and Satin

Finish (2007-2016, 2020) Elsmore Collection - Presidential Dollars with Major Edge Errors, Circulation Strikes and Satin Finish (2007-2016, 2020)

Presidential Dollars First Day of Issue Complete Set with Edge Errors, Circulation Strikes (2007-2011) Elsmore - Presidential Dollars First Day of Issue Complete Set with Edge Errors, Circulation Strikes (2007-2011)

First Spouse $10 Gold with First Strikes, Circulation Strikes (2007-present) matts

First Spouse $10 Gold with First Strikes, Proof (2007-present) matts

TOP MINT, PROOF & YEAR SETS

2009-Present Mint Set with Major Varieties Elsmore Collection -

2009-Present Mint Set with Major Varieties

1950-Present Mint Set with Major Varieties lostmountainman (1 subset)

1800-1899 Mint Set with Gold D. L Hansen (1800-1899) Mint Set with Gold

1933 Mint Set with Gold Elite Collection

1815 Mint Set The Link Early American Silver 1815 Mint Set

1793 Mint Set High Desert

1936-Present Proof Set ErasmusHall

1936-Present Proof Set with Major Varieties lostmountainman

1822 Proof Set The Dauntless 1822 Proof Set

TOP BEST COLONIALS, PRIVATE ISSUES & TERRITORIAL GOLD, PATTERN & MEDALS

Early American Coins and Tokens Basic Design Set (1616-1820)

Alamo Collection

Pine Tree Silver Basic Set (1667-1682) Regulated

Connecticut Coppers Basic Set (1785-1788) RUATWINCOIN

Utah Gold (Mormon 1849-1860) FallRiverCoins

Hawaii, Circulation Strikes (1847-1883) Maunalani

Philippines Complete Classic Set, Circulation Strikes (1903-1945)

The Maharlika Collection Complete Classic Set, Circulation Strike

THE 2023 PCGS SET REGISTRY AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Philippines Complete Set, Proof (1903-1908) The Maharlika Collection

Complete Set, Proof

Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cents - Short Set (1858) Wright

Trade Dollar Patterns - Short Set (1873) Black Cat Trade Dollar PatternsShort Set (1873)

TOP LOW BALL SETS

Dollar Type Set, Low Ball (1794-1978) LOW Hanging Fruit

Buffalo Nickels, Low Ball (1913-1938) Buffalo Hunter

Barber Quarters, Low Ball (1892-1916) LOW Hanging Fruit

Liberty Seated Half Dollars, Low Ball (1839-1891) Colorfulcoins

Franklin Half Dollars, Low Ball (1948-1963) CHERKAAL #ONE

Morgan Dollars Basic Set, Low Ball (1878-1921) Reel Coug Morgan $ Basic Set Low Ball

Morgan Dollar Top 100 Vam Set, Low Ball (1878-1921) Reel Coug Morgan Top 100 VAM Low Ball

TOP EVERYMAN COLLECTIONS

Everyman 19th Century Type Set No Gold (1800-1899) The Cumberland Valley Collection

Everyman Gold Type Set 12 Piece (1839-1933) Renaissance

Everyman Mint State 20th Century Type Set Major Types No Gold (19001999) Cedar City Everyman Mint State 20th Century Type Set Major Types No Gold (1900-1999)

Everyman Shield Two Cents (1864-1872) George's Legacy

Everyman Barber Dimes (1892-1916) Everyman Barber Dimes

Everyman Mercury Dimes (1916-1945) Everyman Mercury Dimes

Everyman Barber Quarters (1892-1916) 100% Swede

Everyman Standing Liberty Quarters (1916-1930) B&W Collection

Everyman Mint State Barber Quarters (1892-1916) chugum

Everyman Walking Liberty Half Dollars (1916-1947) T&JW WLH

Everyman Set

Everyman Peace Dollars (1921-1935) W.R.Bowen III Everyman Toned Peace Dollar Collection (1 subset)

Everyman Mint State Morgan Dollars Basic Set (1878-1921) Reel Coug

Everyman MS Morgan basic set

Everyman Mint State Carson City Morgan Dollars (1878-1893) Quiver Collectibles

TOP NEW SETS FOR 2023

20th Century Gold Series, Proof (1908-1915) Elite Collection

Indian Head $2-1/2 Gold, Proof (1908-1915) Elite Collection

Indian Head $10 Gold Basic Set, Proof (1908-1915) Elite Collection

St. Gaudens $20 Gold Basic Set, Proof (1908-1915) Elite Collection

1880 Proof Set with Gold Tangible Investments Inc

1829 Proof Set DLH 1829 Proof Set

Indian Cents with Major Varieties, Low Ball (1859-1909) The Malibou Lake Collection-The Second Coming

New Zealand Shilling Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1933-1965) Bilby 28

French 10 Centimes, Circulation Strikes (1914-1946) BRANRUZ

1902 Canadian Specimen Set Terranova Collection

Newfoundland Complete Set, Specimens (1882) The Gros Morne Collection (2)

BEST WORLD SETS OVERALL

BEST FROM ANGOLA

Angola Portuguese Colony Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1921-1974) thush

BEST FROM BENIN

BENIN Cannabis Sativa Series, Proof (2010-2019) #Hashtag Benin Cannabis Proofs

BEST FROM BRITISH WEST AFRICA

British West Africa George VI Penny Date Set, Circulation Strikes (19371952) islunder99

BEST FROM CONGO

Congo (Free State) Centime Copper Set, Circulation Strikes (1887-1894) EML Collection

Congo (Republic) 10 Francs Essai, Special Strikes (1965) EML Collection

BEST FROM EGYPT

Egypt Abdul Hamid II Denomination Type Set, Circulation Strikes (18761909) RareRounds TopPop - World's Finest

Egypt Faud I Gold Denomination Type Set, Circulation Strikes (19221936) Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Fuad I Coinage Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1922-1935)

Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Fuad I Silver Coinage, Circulation Strikes (1923) Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Fuad I Silver Coinage, Circulation Strikes (1923-H) Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Fuad I Silver Coinage Piastres, Circulation Strikes (1923-1933)

Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Fuad I Coinage Complete Set, Proof (1933) Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Fuad I Gold Coinage, Circulation Strikes (1922-1932) Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Fuad I Gold Coinage Master Type Set, Circulation Strikes (19221932) Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Fuad I Gold Denomination Type Set, Circulation Strikes (19221932) Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Farouk Silver Coinage Piastres, Circulation Strikes (1937-1944)

Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Farouk Coinage Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1937-1952)

Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Farouk Coinage Complete Set, Specimen (1938-1944)

Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Farouk Coinage Complete Set, Proof (1937) Lord Egypt Collection

Egypt Farouk Gold Denomination Type Set, Circulation Strikes (19361952) Lord Egypt Collection

BEST FROM GAMBIA

Gambia Colonial Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1966-1970) RGS III

Gambia Colonial Complete Set, Proof (1966-1970) RGS III

BEST FROM GHANA

Ghana Decimal Pesewa Coinage, Circulation Strikes (1965-1984) thush

Ghana Standard Coinage, Circulation Strikes (1958) thush

BEST FROM NIGERIA

Nigeria Complete Set (British Protectorate), Circulation Strikes (1959-1962)

Federation of Circ

Nigeria Complete Set (British Protectorate), Proof (1959) Federation of Circ

BEST FROM RHODESIA

Rhodesia British Colony Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1964-1968) JBW

BEST FROM RHODESIA & NYASALAND

Rhodesia & Nyasaland 1/2 Penny, Circulation Strikes (1955-1964) JBW

BEST FROM SEYCHELLES ISLANDS

Seychelles Islands British Crown Colony Denomination Type Set, Proof (1939-1974) RGS III

BEST FROM SOUTH AFRICA

South African George VI Denomination Type Set, Proof (1937-1952)

SWvdM

South African George V1 5 Shillings, Proof (1947-1952) SWvdM

South African Elizabeth II 1/2 Pound & Pound, Proof (1953-1960) AFA71

South African George V Sovereigns, Circulation Strikes (1923-1932)

CB Gold Collection

South African Penny, Circulation Strikes (1892-1898) SouthernAurora

South African Elizabeth II 1/2 Penny, Proof (1953-1960) SWvdM

South African George VI 3 Pence, Circulation Strikes (1937-1952) Gems of the Union

1944 South African Proof Set SouthernAurora

1945 South African Proof Set SWvdM

1946 South African Proof Set SWvdM

1896 South African Year Set SouthernAurora

BEST FROM SOUTHERN RHODESIA

Southern Rhodesia Denomination Type Set, Circulation Strikes (19321954) GLButt Southern Rhodesia Type Set

Southern Rhodesia Crown Set, Circulation and Proof (1953)

Rhodesian Safari

BEST FROM ASIA

BEST FROM CHINA

China Anhwei Province 10C, Circulation Strikes (1897-1898) YY安徽壹角

China Anhwei Province 20C, Circulation Strikes (1897-1901) YY安徽两角

China Chihli Province 10C, Circulation Strikes (1896-1899) TAIPEI COLLECTION 北洋七分二厘

China Chihli Province 50C, Circulation Strikes (1896-1899) guohand

China Fukien Province Denomination Type Set, Circulation Strikes (18441932) TCzuibang

People's Republic of China Early Hard Cent Complete Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1955-1978) 202yi

People's Republic of China 5 Jiao, Proof (1991-2000) Sun

People's Republic of China Yuan, Circulation Strikes (1991-2000) Y.C

People's Republic of China Yuan, Proof (1991-2000) Sun

People's Republic of China Commemoratives Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1984-Present)大兵008（普通纪念币大集合 普制）

People's Republic of China Taiwan Series Commemoratives, Circulation Strikes (2003-2005) 龙神之怒

Panda Gold 100 Yuan (1 oz), Circulation Strikes (1982-2000) Martin's 1 oz pandas circulation strikes 1982 to 200 complete

Panda Gold 100 Yuan (1 oz) with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1982-2000)

Martin's 1 oz pandas and varieties - complete in 2018

China Manchoukuo Fen, Circulation Strikes (1933-1945) TCzuibang

BEST FROM HONG KONG

Hong Kong Elizabeth II 1000 Commemorative Dollars Gold, Proof (19751986) sportsnutsf

BEST FROM INDIA

British India Denomination First Design Type Set (1835-1858) anilgupta

India Rupee Silver Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1835-1945) anilgupta

India Sovereigns, Circulation Strikes (1918, 2013-present) BRIAN'S INDIA SOV....

BEST FROM ISRAEL

Israel Pruta Complete Set, Proof (1949) J & D Fishman Collection

THE 2023 PCGS SET REGISTRY AWARDS ANNOUNCED

BEST FROM JAPAN

Japanese Non-Gold Reform Coinage Denomination Type Set (1948-present) Ohtani's Perfect Set of Japanese Non-Gold Reform Coinage Denomination Type (1948-present)

Japanese Hirohito 50 Sen, Circulation Strikes (1928-1948) Jsalmon - Japan - 50 Sen (1928-1948)

BEST FROM SOUTH KOREA

South Korea Chiwoo Cheowang Gold Clay, Proof (2016-Present) Omega Chiwoo Cheowang Collection

South Korea Zi: Sin Gold Clay, Circulation Strikes (2017-present) Omega Zi: Sin Collection

BEST FROM PALESTINE

Palestine Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1927-1946) The Palestine Collection

BEST FROM PHILLIPINES - SPANISH COLONIAL

Spanish Philippines 4 Pesos Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1861-1868) Taga Cebu

BEST FROM PHILLIPINES

Philippines Gold Commemoratives Basic Set (1970-1999) Yam's Collection

Philippines Silver Commemoratives Basic Set (1947-1999) Modern Commemoratives

BEST FROM SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Arabia Kingdom Coinage Set, Specimen (1937) The Smith Collection

BEST FROM SINGAPORE

Singapore Lunar $10 Silver, Proof (1981-1992) Singapore Lunar 1

BEST FROM SYRIA

Syria Republic Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1947-1958) Brandywine

Syrian Republic (1947-1958) Set

Syria United Arab Republic Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1958-1960)

Brandywine Syria UAR Complete Circulation Strikes Set (1958 - 1960)

BEST FROM TURKEY

Turkish Ottoman Empire Abdul Mejid Silver Denomination Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1839-1861) RareRounds

Turkish Ottoman Empire Muhammad V Silver Denomination Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1909-1918) RareRounds

BEST FROM EUROPE

BEST FROM AUSTRIA

Austrian 25 Euro Silver Commemoratives, Circulation Strikes (2003-present) Theodorosp

Austrian Silver Vienna Philharmonic 1.5 Euro, Circulation Strikes (2008-present) The Weber Collection - Austrian Vienna

Austrian Gold Vienna Philharmonic 1/10 oz, Circulation Strikes (1991-present) GDH 1/10 oz Gold Philharmonic 1991 - Date

BEST FROM BULGARIA

Bulgarian Principality Denomination Set, Circulation Strikes (1888)

Top_Coins_Bg

Bulgarian Ruler Boris III Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1918-1943)

Milen Ivanov

Bulgarian Principality 10 Stotinki Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (18811917) Milen Ivanov

Bulgarian Principality 20 Stotinki Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (18881917) Milen Ivanov

1979 Bulgarian Proof Set Rogachev Collection

BEST FROM DENMARK

Denmark Type Set with Gold, Circulation Strikes (1873-1947) Badger Hound

Denmark 10 Gold Kroner, Circulation Strikes (1873-1917) Badger Hound

Faeroe Islands Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1941) Badger Hound

BEST FROM FINLAND

Finland 50 Pennia, Circulation Strikes (1907-1917) thush

BEST FROM FRANCE

French 50 Centimes, Franc, 2 Franc Multi Denomination Set, Circulation Strikes (1897-1920) Typetone

French Centime, Circulation Strikes (1872-1878) BRANRUZ

French 2 Centimes, Circulation Strikes (1898-1920) Geonaute

French 5 Centimes, Circulation Strikes (1871-1898) BRANRUZ

French 5 Centimes, Circulation Strikes (1898-1921) Geonaute

French 10 Centimes, Circulation Strikes (1898-1921) Geonaute

French 25 Centimes, Circulation Strikes (1914-1940) BRANRUZ

French 20 Francs Gold Rooster, Circulation Strikes (1899-1914)

Rooster Roster

French 100 Francs Gold Angel, Circulation Strikes (1878-1914) orpailleur

French Centime, Circulation Strikes (1962-2001) kwayoo

French 10 Francs Silver, Circulation Strikes (1965-1973) m4family

French 5 Francs Nickel Commemoratives (1989-2000) jmdeyts

French West Africa Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1944-1957) thush

French West Africa Complete Essais Set, Specimens (1948-1957) thush

French Indo-China Colony Piastre, Circulation Strikes (1885-1931) YN-幽

泉-Duan

French Cameroon Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1924-1958) thush

BEST FROM GERMANY

Hamburg 3 Mark Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1908-1914) C. Knox collection

Lubeck 3 Mark Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1908-1914) C. Knox collection

Prussia 3 Mark Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1908-1915)

C. Knox collection

Saxony 3 Mark Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1908-1913)

C. Knox collection

Wurttemberg 3 Mark Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1908-1914)

C. Knox collection

German States 3 Mark Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1908-1918)

C. Knox collection

German States 3 Mark Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1908-1918)

C. Knox collection

German States 3 Mark One From Each State, Proof (1908-1918)

C. Knox collection

German Empire Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1873-1922) Johnjohn10

German 25 Pfennig Date Set, Proof (1909-1912) Johnjohn10

German 1/2 Mark Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1905-1919) Sheffield Collection No. 7

German 1 Mark Large Eagle Reverse Date Set, Circulation Strikes (18911916) Sheffield Collection No. 7

German 5 Reichsmark Commemoratives Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1925-1932) Münzen mit Kopf Münzzentrum-Dürr

German Third Reich Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1933-1948) johnjohn10/ War-Buff

German Third Reich 2 Reichspfennig Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (19361940) Hans Gruber

German Third Reich 2 Reichmark Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (19361939) Blitzkrieg

German 5 Mark Commemoratives, Circulation Strikes (1968-1990)

DDRMunzen

German 20 Mark Commemoratives, Circulation Strikes (1966-1990) GermanCoins.com

German 5 Mark Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1951-1974) NDRob BRD

5 DM Set

BEST FROM GREAT BRITAIN

British Five Guineas Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1668-1753) Paul Menzies Ltd

British Elizabeth II Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1953-1967) RGS III

British Silver and Copper Type Set George IV, Circulation Strikes (18201830) Burns Collection

British Silver and Copper Type Set William IV, Circulation Strikes (18301837) Burns Collection

British Silver and Copper Type Set Victoria, Circulation Strikes (18371901) Burns Collection

British George III Half-Sovereign Date Set, Circulation Strikes (18171820) Sterling George III Half Sovereigns

British Elizabeth II Half-Sovereign Date Set, Proof (1980-present) DGA

British George III Crown Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1818-1820) Trident Collection

British Victoria Three Halfpence with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (18381862) deepblue30

British Edward VII Penny Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1902-1910) florinman

British George III Halfpenny Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1770-1807) wybrit

British Victoria Halfpenny Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1838-1901) wybrit

British George V Halfpenny with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1911-1936) wybrit

British George I Farthing Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1717-1724) wybrit

British George III Farthing Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1771-1807) wybrit

British Victoria Farthing with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1838-1901) wybrit

British Elizabeth II Ten Pence Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1968-present) deepblue30

British Elizabeth II Twenty Pence Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1982-present) deepblue30

British Elizabeth II Fifty Pence Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1969-present) deepblue30

British Elizabeth II Two Pound Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1986-present) deepblue30

British Elizabeth II Ten Pence Coin Hunt A-Z Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (2018) deepblue30

British Elizabeth II Gold Five Pound Commemorative Date Set, Proof (1990-present) thelondoncoincompany

British Elizabeth II 2 Pounds Silver Britannia Basic Set, Proof (1997-present) derollins

British Maundy Set George III (1820) Burns Collection

British Maundy Set Victoria Young Head (1848) psychmd

BEST FROM GREECE

Greece 10 Lepta Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1828-1973) Hermes

Greece Drachma Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1832-1973) Hermes

Greece First Democracy Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1926-1930) sagittarius

BEST FROM ICELAND

Iceland Althing 1000th Anniversary Set, Circulation Strikes (1930) greg2

BEST FROM IRELAND

Irish Gunmoney Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1689-1690) The Homeland Collection-Irish Gunmoney Type Set

Irish Florin Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1928-1968) Eoin

BEST FROM LITHUANIA

Lithuania Republic Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1925-1936) Greenas_a

BEST FROM MONTENEGRO

Montenegro Kingdom 10 Para, Circulation Strikes (1906-1914) Serbian Coin Club

BEST FROM NETHERLANDS

Netherlands 10 Gulden, Circulation Strikes (1875-1889) ALEXANDER'S WILLEM III 10 G TOP POP SET

BEST FROM NORWAY

Norway Ore WWII Government in Exile, Circulation Strikes (1942) The Losna Collection

THE 2023 PCGS SET REGISTRY AWARDS ANNOUNCED

THE 2023 PCGS SET REGISTRY AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Spain 20 Pesetas, Circulation Strikes (1887-1904) jorgetierno

BEST FROM SWITZERLAND

Swiss 1 Silver Franc, Circulation Strikes (1850-1967) Sheffield Collection No. 1

Swiss 2 Silver Francs, Circulation Strikes (1850-1967) Sheffield Collection No. 1

Swiss Shooting Festival Commemoratives, Circulation Strikes (1842-1939)

Swiss Shooting Talers (by Seba & Paddy)

Swiss Shooting Festival Commemoratives 50 Francs (1984-present)

49ermatt

BEST FROM UKRAINE

Ukraine Commemoratives Gold 2 Hryvni (2003-Present) Tryzub

Ukraine Commemoratives 5 Hryven, Circulation Strikes (1998-Present) Tryzub

Ukraine Commemoratives Silver 5 Hryven, Proof (2004-Present) RafusUkraine Silver Commemoratives

Ukraine Commemoratives Silver 10 Hryven (1996-Present) Tryzub

Ukraine Commemoratives Silver 20 Hryven (1996-present) Tryzub

BEST FROM NORTH AMERICA

BEST FROM BAHAMAS

Bahamas Dollars, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1966-1980) Old Coin

Dawg --- Bahamas Dollars

Bahamas 5 Dollars, Circulation Strike and Proof (1966-1991) Bill Old Coin

Dawg $5 Bahamas coins

BEST FROM BRITISH CANADA

Canadian Coins Complete Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1953 to date)

Lantern Collection

Canadian Coins Complete Set with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1953 to date) Lantern Collection

Canadian Silver Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1858-1967) Burns Collection

Canadian Victoria Cents with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1858-1901)

Uncommon Cents

Canadian Large Cents with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1858-1920)

Uncommon Cents

Canadian Large Cents, Specimens (1858-1912) Uncommon Cents

Canadian Elizabeth II Cents with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (19532012) Romaldkirk Dent Collection

Canadian Complete Cents Set with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (18582012) Lantern Collection

Canadian Elizabeth II Five Cents Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1953 to date) Canadian Beaver Hunter

Canadian Elizabeth II Five Cents with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1953 to date) Canadian Beaver Hunter

Canadian Nickel Five Cents Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1922 to date)

Canadian Beaver Hunter

Canadian Elizabeth II Silver Ten Cents with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1953-1967) Lantern Collection

Canadian Elizabeth II Ten Cents Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1953 to date) Lantern Collection

Canadian Elizabeth II Silver Ten Cents, Proof-Likes (1953-1967) Burns Collection

Canadian Edward VII Twenty-Five Cents with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1902-1910) ATHENA

Canadian Elizabeth II Silver Twenty-Five Cents with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1953-1967) Lantern Collection

Canadian Elizabeth II Twenty-Five Cents Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1953 to date) Lantern Collection

Canadian Elizabeth II Twenty-Five Cents with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1953 to date) Lantern Collection

Canadian Silver Twenty-Five Cents Basic Set, Proof-Likes (1949-1967) Burns Collection

Canadian Edward VII Fifty Cents with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1902-1910) Perth Collection

Canadian Fifty Cents with Varieties, Proof-Likes (1951-2010) Lantern Collection

Canadian Silver Dollars Basic Set, Proof-Likes (1949-1967) stevekuznicki

Canadian Silver Dollars with Varieties, Proof-Likes (1949-1967) SMK Collection

Canadian Complete Gold Set, Circulation Strikes (1909-1919) CB Gold Collection

Canadian Gold $50 Maple Leaf (1979 to date) Hooter8387

1913 Canadian Mint Set with Gold Lantern Collection

1900 Canadian Mint Set Lantern Collection

1858 Canadian Specimen Set REH

Newfoundland Five Cents, Circulation Strikes (1865-1947) ATHENA

Newfoundland Ten Cents, Circulation Strikes (1865-1947) Perth Collection

Newfoundland Twenty and Twenty-Five Cents, Circulation Strikes (18651919) ATHENA

Newfoundland Two Dollars, Circulation Strikes (1865-1888) ATHENA

Newfoundland Two Dollars, Specimens (1865-1885) ppc_limited

Newfoundland Complete Set, Specimens (1888) REH

Newfoundland Complete Set, Specimens (1896) REH

BEST FROM CUBA

Cuban 20 Centavos, Circulation Strikes (1915-1952) Jorge Zaragozí

Cuban Peso, Circulation Strikes (1915-1953) Virginia Transplant

BEST FROM DOMINCAN REPUBLIC

Dominican Republic Early Republic, Circulation Strikes (1844-1897)

Fernando Baez Guerrero

Dominican Republic Centavo, Circulation Strikes (1937-1989) Federico Ornes (Ornesgem)

Dominican Republic 1/2 Peso, Circulation Strikes (1937-1990) Fernando Baez Guerrero 1/2 Peso (A)

BEST FROM GREENLAND

Greenland Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1926-1944) White Bear Collection

BEST FROM GUATEMALA

Guatemala Quetzal Gold Set, Circulation Strikes (1926) Pasadena Collection

BEST FROM HAITIAN REPUBLIC

Haitian Silver 100 Gourdes, Proof (1977-1981) Fernando Baez Guerrero

BEST FROM HONDURAS

Honduras Silver Lempira, Circulation Strikes (1931-1937) Pasadena Collection

BEST FROM MEXICO

Mexican Branch Mint 8 Reales Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1823-1897) daniel.whyman (2)

Mexican Empire of Maximilian Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1864-1867) libertycoin

Mexican Silver Peso Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1866-1945) Charlie's Silver Pesos

Mexican Silver 50 Centavos, Circulation Strikes (1905-1945) The Villaseñor

50 Centavos 1905-1945 Resplandor Collection

Mexican Silver 100 Pesos Commemoratives (1985-1992) Francisco J. Muñoz.

Mexican 1/4 Onza Silver, Proof (1992-present) Blazer Rip City Libertads! (Silver Proof Quarters- Mexico)

Mexican Onza Silver, Circulation Strikes (1982-present) RickJones

Mexican 2 Onza Silver, Circulation Strikes (1996-present) SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Mexican 1/2 Onza Gold, Proof (1989-present) Great Day

Mexican 1982/1983 Proof Set poshrocks

BEST FROM PANAMA

Panama Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1904-1962) elp21091966

Panama 500 Gold Balboas, Proof (1975-1985) romanose05

1904 Panamanian Year Set rukddnme

BEST FROM PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico Decimal Coinage, Circulation Strikes (1895-1896) BOOM

BEST FROM SOUTH AMERICA

BEST FROM BOLIVIA

Bolivia 1/2 Sol Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1827-1863) luis

Bolivia 4 Soles Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1827-1860) luis

BEST FROM PERU

Peru 1/2 Dinero Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1893-1917) greg2

Peru Dinero Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1893-1916) AJBRAMI

BEST FROM SOUTH OCEANIA

BEST FROM AUSTRALIA

Australian 1/2 Pennies, Circulation Strikes (1911-1936) Timbertop

Australian 1/2 Pennies, Circulation Strikes (1938-1952) The best I can get

Australian Pennies Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1911-1936) Timbertop

Australian Pennies with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1911-1936)

Timbertop

Australian Pennies Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1938-1952) Timbertop

Australian Pennies with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1938-1952)

Timbertop

Australian Pennies Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1953-1964) Timbertop

Australian Pennies with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1953-1964)

Timbertop

Australian Pennies Perth Mint, Circulation Strikes (1941-1964) Timbertop

Australian Pennies Complete Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1911-1964)

Timbertop

Australian Threepence, Circulation Strikes (1911-1936) Timbertop

Australian Threepence, Circulation Strikes (1938-1952) Timbertop

Australian Threepence, Circulation Strikes (1953-1964) Timbertop

Australian Threepence Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1910-1964)

Timbertop

Australian Sixpence, Circulation Strikes (1911-1936) Timbertop

Australian Sixpence, Circulation Strikes (1938-1952) Timbertop

Australian Sixpence, Circulation Strikes (1953-1963) Timbertop

Australian Sixpence Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1910-1963)

Timbertop

Australian Florin Complete Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1910-1963) The Diamond Set

Australian Florin Complete Set with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1910-1963) Benchmarkcoincatalogue

Australian Complete Half Sovereign Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (18551918) Ground Swell Collection

Australian Victoria Sydney Mint Half Sovereigns, Circulation Strikes (1855-1866) Ground Swell Collection

Australian Victoria Jubilee Half Sovereigns, Circulation Strikes (18871893) Ground Swell Collection

Australian Victoria Veil Head Half Sovereigns, Circulation Strikes (18931900) Ground Swell Collection

Australian Edward VII Half Sovereigns, Circulation Strikes (1902-1910)

Ground Swell Collection

Australian George V Half Sovereigns, Circulation Strikes (1911-1918)

Ground Swell Collection

THE 2023 PCGS SET REGISTRY AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Australian Victoria Sydney Mint Sovereigns Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1855-1870) CB Sydney Mint Gold

Australian Victoria Shield Reverse Sovereigns, Circulation Strikes (18711887) CB Gold Collection

Australian Victoria Jubilee Head Sovereigns with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1887-1893) Eureka Collection

Australian George V Sovereigns, Circulation Strikes (1911-1931)

CB Gold Collection

Australian Melbourne Mint Sovereigns, Circulation Strikes (1887-1931)

CB Gold Collection

Australian Sydney Mint Sovereigns, Circulation Strikes (1887-1926)

CB Gold Collection

Australian Florin Commemorative Set, Circulation Strikes (1927-1954)

The Diamond Set

1916 Australian Proof Set Benchmarkcoincatalogue

1934 Australian Proof Set Benchmarkcoincatalogue

Australian One Cents, Proof (1966-2010) Big Red

Australian Five Cents, Circulation Strikes (1966-Present) BCM

Australian Five Cents, Proof (1966-present) banable

Australian Ten Cents, Circulation Strikes (1966-present) BCM Collection

Australian Twenty Cents, Circulation Strikes (1966-Present) Timbertop

Australian Fifty Cents, Circulation Strikes (1966-Present) BCM

Australian Fifty Cents Date Set, Proof (1966-present) Lochaven Bounty

Australian Dollars with Commemoratives, Circulation Strikes (1984-present) Timbertop Dollar Commemoratives

Australian Dollars Date Set, Proof (1984-present) Big Red

Australian Two Dollars Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1988-present)

Timbertop Two Dollars Date Set

Australian Two Dollars Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1988-present)

Timbertop Two Dollar Complete set

Australian Two Dollars C Mintmark Set, Circulation Strikes (2012-present)

$2QUEEN

Australian Two Dollars C Mintmark Set, Circulation Strikes (2012-present)

C Minties

Australian Perth Mint Sovereigns $25, Proof (2009-present) OZZGOLD

Australian Twenty Cent Commemoratives, Circulation Strikes (1995-Present) emu666

Australian Opal Series Silver Dollars Complete Set, Proof (2012-present)

StarEagle Australian Opal Series

Australian Koala Silver Dollars (1 oz) Complete Set (2007-present)

Oldsmagnet Koalas Master Set

Australian Kookaburra Silver Dollars, Circulation Strikes (1992-present) ridgeline-coins

Australian Lunar Gold $5 (1/20 oz), Circulation Strikes (1996-present)

cfgbirder

Australian Lunar Gold $100 (1 oz), Circulation Strikes (1996-present) Omega Lunar Collection

BEST FROM FIJI

Fiji Denomination Type Set, Circulation Strikes (1934-1968) Bilby 28

Fiji One Ounce $2 Silver Bullion (2010-present) Spearme a turtle ��

BEST FROM NEW ZEALAND

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Bilby 28

New Zealand Threepence Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1933-1965)

Bilby 28

New Zealand Sixpence Complete Set, Circulation Strikes (1933-1965)

Bilby 28

New Zealand Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1959) Aurum

1933 New Zealand Year Set Bilby 28

1937 New Zealand Year Set Bilby 28

1940 New Zealand Year Set Bilby 28

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Tuvalu The Simpsons Series (2019-Present) Lubah's Tuvalu The Simpsons Series (2019-present)

BEST MULTI-COUNTRY

100 Greatest Women on Coins The Good Collection

A Conversation with U.S. Mint Artist Elana Hagler

By Mark Harvey

Commerce… History… A means of making decisions…

All these concepts are among the first things that come to mind when thinking about modern United States coinage. Art is not a term that many associate with coins, and that’s understandable given that, until around 1999, most of the coins Americans were accustomed to using on a regular basis had generally retained the same design for 40 or 50 years if not more.

Today, there is a group of artists who make up the United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) and “help ensure our country’s coins and medals illustrate the essence and story of America.” I recently had the opportunity to attend a lecture from one of these designers, Elana Hagler, whose work can be seen on the reverse of the 2022 Dr. Sally Ride Quarter, the 2023 American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin and Silver Medal, and other pieces.

Following the presentation, we sat down to discuss her history as an artist, the process of designing coins and medals, and more. What follows is an edited version of our discussion, which coin collectors and mint historians, as well as aspiring or practicing artists and sculptors, should find intriguing and inspiring.

Q. We’d love to know a bit about your background as an artist…

What was the path like to becoming a professional artist, and what other sort of work do you do in the art realm?

A. I refer to myself as a representational painter, sometimes an observational painter, because I make stuff that looks like stuff. In terms of mediums, I use oil paint, charcoal, graphite, and pastel. I originally studied at Brandeis University. I didn’t choose them for art, I chose them because they had a stellar reputation in neuroscience, and I come from a family with a medical background. But when I was looking down the road into the future and how my life would unfold, I couldn’t imagine any life that would feel satisfying that didn’t include art in some way. When I was 20 years old and halfway done with undergrad, I dropped my neuroscience major, kept my psychology major, and added a fine arts major. After that, I

went and studied for two years at the Jerusalem Studio School in the masterclass with Israel Hershberg. The summer before I graduated from Brandeis, I got to go to this program in Italy, where I met three of his students, and I noticed that what they were doing was lightyears beyond what anybody else in the program was doing. So, I really wanted to figure out what they knew. After seeing a presentation from him, my focus became, “how do I get out there and study with this guy?” I got married right after undergrad, and for one year I worked, and we saved up what we could, and then my husband and I went off for two years in Israel. He did graduate studies, and I studied for two years at the masterclass. It was a super-intense experience where we would create two paintings a day, and at the end of the day take rags and turpentine and wash them down. So, I don’t have that many paintings from my time there because it was really about changing our thinking as opposed to making product. I feel like it prepared me well for graduate school, so from Israel, I got into the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, which is the oldest art school in our country. There were specific people I wanted to study with there, so I was really chasing the people and maybe not the institution. That was basically my 20s, chasing down the people I wanted to study with. When I turned 27 and had my Master of Fine Arts, I started teaching, first at the Delaware College of Art and Design, and then immediately after at Swarthmore College. Recently, I got tenure at Alabama State University in Montgomery, and then we decided to bring our family to Los Angeles, where I’m teaching at California State University Long Beach. And I’m painting, drawing, and doing portrait commissions, as I’ve done all these years, and doing more and more numismatic design, which I really enjoy.

Q. What sparked your interest in creating art for coins and medals?

A. It occurs to me I never asked myself, “who designs the art on coins?” But then the United States Mint put out a call for artists, and a couple of different friends sent it to me. I guess they thought it might be something I would be interested in. I figured, what the heck, I may as well throw my hat in. The

selection process took six months. All of us that were in the AIP program in 2019 went to a symposium in Washington D.C., for three or four days, and I got to learn for the first time what it takes to make a coin or a medal. The first year was a steep learning curve, and I’m still learning new things about numismatics all the time. It’s an absolutely fascinating endeavor that fits my personality very well. I really like and feel comfortable with the coin community. I think to a large extent it’s because when I was a kid, I was super into chess. There’s something about the friendliness, welcoming qualities, and just love of the subject that you get similar types of people. Also, my family lived in a lot of places, and I had a little tin where I kept coins that I collected from all of those places. When a lot of kids were playing with dolls, action figures, or stuffed animals, I was on the floor laying out the coins and telling stories about them, and imagining various adventures they would go on with one another. In retrospect, maybe things make a lot more sense.

The 2022 Dr. Sally Ride Quarter accompanied by a PCGSexclusive Elana Hagler Signature Label. Courtesy of PCGS.

Original art pieces done in multiple mediums. Courtesy of Elana Hagler.

A CONVERSATION WITH U.S. MINT ARTIST ELANA HAGLER

Q. Let’s discuss one of your latest projects – the 2022 American Women Quarter featuring the first female United States astronaut Dr. Sally Ride. What was the inspiration for creating the Dr. Sally Ride design?

A. When I was doing my research about her, I was reading basically everything I could get my hands on. There was one point, and I’m paraphrasing the quote, where she talked about how any time she wasn’t actually working, she was standing by the window and looking down at Earth. I thought about how awesome that was and how very few human beings have ever had that vantage point. It’s incredible and something inconceivable a few generations previously.

I weave together into a new and original likeness. The hair might be more inspired by one image, while her expression will be reminiscent of a different photo, and the feel of her clothing will be influenced by a completely different set of images. And it’s up to me to tie it all together along with any other elements I want. For example, the window looking out into space and the planet Earth, and making it a believable, coherent, little universe.

Q. How long did it take to design the coin?

A. First, there was a period of gathering sources. There was probably about a solid week of that and brainstorming before any actual drawing began. Then there were just several days of sketching and moving things around, and playing with different compositions. Actual solid drawing and designing was probably two solid weeks, and that of course, is before I get any edits back from the Mint. After I respond to those edits, that goes through several rounds, so that part stretches on over a number of months.

Q. What was the process like in getting the design approved for minting, and what type of work did you have to do after the design phase to bring this coin to reality?

1984 portrait of Dr. Sally Ride. Public domain image.

Q. The Dr. Sally Ride portrait is inspired by several different sources and images. Can you please tell us more about how many sources you used, how they came together, and what compelled you to create this unique likeness?

A. Just like I read as much as I can get my hands on, I look through as many images as I can possibly find. The references that are actually used, though, have to be in the public domain. I gather cues from many different images that

A. After the design phase, I’m not involved anymore –except emotionally, of course! There are two committees that make recommendations, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) and the United States Commission of Fine Arts (CFA). Their recommendations then go to the Secretary of the Treasury, in this case, Janet Yellen, and she makes the final call. I submit the best designs I can make, and my colleagues submit the best designs they can make, and then it’s up to fate and in the hands of the committees and Janet Yellen. Once this design was selected, it was sculpted by Phebe Hemphill, who is a sculptor-engraver onsite at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, and she did a really fantastic job bringing it to life.

Q. How does it feel to see your designs, such as that of Dr. Sally Ride, on a coin? What do you hope people feel when they see your Dr. Sally Ride motif on a quarter?

A. I hope that they get excited about Dr. Sally Ride! I hope that people who know a little bit about her, or kids that haven’t heard about her yet, get inspired to look more deeply into her life and her accomplishments, because she was an absolutely

incredible human being. Greatness begets greatness. When I think about her life, she first excelled at tennis, and then switched directions and excelled in astronomy and became an astronaut! You get the sense that whatever this woman set her mind to, she would do it with a rare excellence. I think that when we see people living up to their potential in a way that just awes us, it inspires the rest of us to dig deeper to see what hidden potential we might not even know that we had.

Q. Have you received one of your Dr. Sally Ride Quarters in change yet?

A. I have not yet gotten one back in change, but people have posted images of the Dr. Sally Ride Quarter on my timeline or tagged me on social media with pictures of the coin in their hands. But, my kids are constantly buying cookies over at Diddy Riese in Westwood [a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California], and my son got it in his change. He brought it to me, and I asked him, “So, did you say my mom drew that?” He’s 14 years old, and said, “no mom, no one is going to believe me… I’m just going to sound crazy.”

Q. Can you please tell us a bit about your other coins and medals?

A. My first selection was the George H.W. Bush Presidential Dollar. It was an honor to be able to learn about him, going into his life as much as possible. The nice thing about working on a design of a United States president is there’s lots of imagery available. I remembered a little bit about him just from being a

kid in the United States when he was president. Actually, when I came to this country from Israel, Ronald Reagan was still president. But when I really started to come to an awareness of what politics even meant, it was during Bush’s presidency. So that just made it cooler for me that I was able to try to do him justice. It feels like a really big responsibility to have the chance to portray these really amazing Americans who have accomplished so much, like George H.W. Bush and Dr. Sally Ride. And I feel a really strong desire to do right by them.

Q. Some artists can point to a particular piece or moment where they feel like they “made it” or consider themselves professional artists. Was there a moment like that for you?

A. That’s a really hard question to answer, because I feel like being an artist is an endless process of growth and maturation. And I think you’re constantly climbing the mountain, and you never arrive. If you arrive, then you’re already so satisfied with everything that you’ve already done, that it’s the end of all growth. As long as I am mentally, emotionally, and physically able to keep climbing the mountain and keep trying to make my work better than it was the last time around, I’m going to keep on climbing. So, I don’t know that I think in terms of ‘professional,’ or ‘not professional.’ I think in terms of growth and trying to do something better each time than I did it the last time. However, I can say that the first art I was paid for was back in school, the other kids would give me money to do little drawings that they could slip into the clear front of their

Hagler’s first coin design selected was for the 2020 George H.W. Bush Presidential Dollar. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView.

A CONVERSATION WITH U.S. MINT ARTIST ELANA HAGLER

Q. Any other thoughts you wish to share?

A. Yes, there are two things about my family that have kind of taken on a new light for me now that I’ve been working in numismatic design. One is that I come from a very long line of Torah scribes in Ukraine. If you can imagine that kind of painstaking work, and the attention to detail doing this holy activity of working on these tiny, tiny incredibly meaningful things, because if you mess up even one letter, it’s not a kosher scroll, and it’s unusable. So I think there’s something of that, that was passed down to me, and it matters a lot to me. And then on the other side of my family, there’s a completely different story, which I only found out after I joined the AIP.

My uncle in Israel told me that my maiden name, Pelman, was not the original name that our family had – that it used to be Schweitz. The reason that ancestor changed his name was because he was hiding from the authorities in Eastern Europe because he was a counterfeiter – he counterfeited money. But now I feel like working for the United States Mint and doing this activity that I love so much in an actual, legit way, kind of comes back around and heals that story.

Trapper Keeper folders.

Mark Harvey is a lifelong collector and the resident pop culture expert for the PCGS marketing team, which he joined in 2018. In his free time, he enjoys attending the many conventions around Southern California.

2023 American Liberty Gold Coin and Silver Medals. Courtesy of the United States Mint.

Colorized Coins

By Sanjay C. Gandhi

I recall when I was cataloging at Heritage Auctions in 2017, a gold coin that was consigned by a dealer caught my eye. It wasn’t that the coin was necessarily a work of art, but that the design appeared as if it was somewhat pixelated. I suspect some type of digital printing was used. It was an oddity, and yet it was kind of revolutionary at the same time.

In 2006, the nation of Tuvalu issued a one-ounce gold coin commemorating the iconic 1963 Corvette Stingray, and only 250 pieces were issued. I cataloged the coin, and it sold for a little over $1,400, which amounted to roughly a 6% premium over the price of spot gold at the time. Generally, colorized coins end up being a novelty and will trade below the issue price in the aftermarket. However, that’s not always the case, and some issues develop a cult following, such as coins depicting The Simpsons, a popular animated series developed by American cartoonist Matt Groening.

Since the show’s debut in 1989, The Simpsons has spawned some 750 episodes and has set numerous broadcast records. It is the longest-running American animated series, longest-

running American sitcom, and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, when counted by both the number of seasons and individual episodes. The popularity of The Simpsons flourished during the 1990s. Toys, cards, comics, t-shirts, video games, pinball machines, and coins have been produced for collectors worldwide.

2019 Tuvalu $1 The Simpsons Donut, PCGS PR70DCAM. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView.

2019 Austria 25 Euros Artificial Intelligence, PCGS MS70. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView.

2006 Tuvalu $100 Corvette Stingray, PCGS PR69DCAM. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView.

The Simpsons Donut Coin was issued in 2019 by Tuvalu and was struck at the Perth Mint in Australia. This coin could have been purchased at issue for about $100 USD or less in the original packaging. A PCGS First Strike PR70DCAM specimen fetched around $200 during the same time. Nowadays, the same coin will cost a collector well north of $500. But then again, who doesn’t like a doughnut with frosting and sprinkles? A popular assemblage within the PCGS Set Registry is titled Tuvalu The Simpsons Series (2019-Present). This set highlights the main characters of the show and includes Homer’s favorite drink, Duff Beer, which has a coin of its own.

Colorized coins are not only limited to advanced printing technology. In 2003, The Austrian Mint and Plansee Aktiengesellschaft debuted colorized coins made with silver-niobium. During a chemical process known as anodic oxidation, the Plansee website describes their colorization process as follows, “During an anodic oxidation process, the coin is dipped into an electrolytic solution and an electrical voltage is applied. This voltage converts the outermost metal layer into an oxide layer just a few nanometers thick. It is the thickness of this oxide layer that determines the respective color effect. The oxidation process is so precise that every coin exhibits the same color.” Over the past 20 years, the silverniobium technology has evolved into metallic masterpieces that can be purchased for less than $100 USD.

The remarkable designs and color combinations produced by the Austrian Mint have evolved each year. Visual acuity is the central theme of these coins, and as time passes, it seems the designs get better and better. One technology company that is at the center of the “AI'' or “Artificial Intelligence” revolution is NVIDIA Corporation, and the coin we have featured is from 2019. The legend on the coin reads “Kunstliche Intelligenz,” which translates into “Artificial Intelligence.” Another coin from the same series that was minted in 2022 is called “Extra Terrestrial,” which displays beautiful design work as well. The obverse of the coin displays a being cradling Earth from a distance, and the reverse exhibits chemical symbols that are part of our everyday lives. This coin and the entire series to date may be viewed on the PCGS Set Registry under the title Austrian 25 Euro Silver Commemoratives, Circulation Strikes (2003-present). One of our members, Theodorosp, has displayed the entire set in a Dansco digital album, which may be viewed by clicking the second icon next to their name. We encourage our readers to check out this visual experience as it is splendid to view.

One of the oldest methods to colorize coins is known as “gilt” or “gilding.” This technique uses a very thin layer of gold to cover any metal to enhance its appearance in a golden hue. Gold foil or gold leafing is a process dating back to the second century BC. The French term for silver being gilded with gold is referred to as vermeil. Even today, gilding is used within the world of numismatics.

2022 Niue Star Wars Chibi C-3PO Gilt Silver, Courtesy of New Zealand Mint, Star Wars Day Chibi Coins May 4, 2022, Release. Courtesy of NZMint.com.

A 2022 Niue (Islands) Chibi C-3PO coin issued by the New Zealand Mint appears as golden as his character in the Star Wars series thanks to the gilt process. This coin was sold out and trades above the issue price today. George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, has brought us a collection of movies to enjoy for many years into the future. Characters such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Darth Vader, Yoda, R2D2, and Jabba the Hutt have all made their way to coinage. One set PCGS offers collectors to build is the Niue Chibi Star Wars $2 Set, Proof (2020-2021), displaying uniquely shaped, colorful coins.

Some mints may elect to use a combination of advanced and past technology together. The Czechoslovakian Mint combined the proof striking process and a hologram to produce a masterpiece of a coin: the Skoda 498, commemorating a locomotive engineering marvel produced in 1946. The Skoda 498 steam locomotive was dubbed the "Albatros" and rode the rails for 30 years. In 1976, the Skoda 498 was retired from service as electricity was favored to power most trains of the day. A high-relief effect on the coin is heightened by such features described by the mint website in summary as "The depth of the effect structure is less than one micron. It displays sparks at seemingly different depths below the plane of the hologram. Linear kinetic effects work with the edges and protruding parts of the locomotive. The colors change when the hologram is tilted, which implies the movement of the vehicle." How cool is that? My five-year-old nephew may not understand what a vintage coin means to a collector. However, when he looks at an enhanced holographic image, the visual part of his brain starts moving like the wheels of that train.

collectors could potentially purchase coins from The Royal Mint of London with colorized coinage honoring musicians Elton John and David Bowie, which – might I add – were quickly sold out upon release and are available in the secondary market at higher prices. The artists who innovate and conceive these new coin themes will also have the opportunity to blend new and old technology together. Or, these innovators may come up with new processes that may gain a cult following, like the 1984 smash-hit film Gremlins, produced by Steven Spielberg. Will modern colorized issues continue to climb in value from their issue price? It depends on the series, availability, innovation, and the fanbase. Star Wars coins may trade at higher premiums if demand continues to grow for its coinage.

Some issues may not be well received by collectors, and prices might subsequently drop as with any issue. Colorized coinage is here to stay and will continue expanding its fanbase. Novelty or not, novelty coins garner a collector base that is different from the traditional collector of vintage coins. Collecting is all about you, the collector. Collect what you want, when you want. There is no right or wrong way to collect or express yourself on the PCGS Set Registry. Anyone can start their PCGS Registry Set for free and with as few as two coins!

Hopefully, my five-year-old nephew doesn’t ask me for The Simpsons Donut coin, which would set me back $500. He would then show my seven-year-old niece the coin, who would want the same coin costing me another $500. This would cut into my personal doughnut-consumption budget for the next two years, which cannot happen because, as Homer Simpson says, “Mmmmmmmm… Doughnuts!”

2019 Czechoslovakia 500 Korun Skoda

Muscle cars, cartoon characters, movie heroes, movie villains, pop culture, historical themes, and comic book characters to name a few, will remain part of modern coinage allure going forward. Some collectors may not want to buy a newly issued circulation coin from a mint. But those same

Sanjay C. Gandhi is a senior content manager at PCGS. His knowledge base consists of a wide variety of world coinage, and he has a great appreciation for toned coins that display vibrant colors. In addition to contributing content to PCGS Market Report, he also assists collectors with the PCGS Set Registry.

498 Albatros, PCGS PR70DCAM. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView.

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Rebecca Heaton

Forget)… The Royal Australian Mint did a fantastic job!” But it’s not just the themes and designs of the coins that draw her into this niche of Australian numismatics. She also remarks on some of the challenges of collecting these coins.

What makes it so tough? “Finding high grades in newly released coins because the demand for $2 coins is unbelievable and growing fast.” Another challenging factor? Ordering limits and technical glitches, which can make it difficult to buy these coins straight from the mint. “As an example, for the last release of the $2 silver Vietnam coin [mintage of 5,000], I drove all the way to the Australian capital city of Canberra and lined up before 8 a.m. with a bunch of my crazy coincollector friends. The coin cost $85AUD and quickly shot up to $300AUD on eBay that morning. Prices got up as high as $1,600AUD the following week.” She quipped, “The fear of missing out is real!”

Rebecca Heaton loves Australian $2 coins. Heaton, who goes by the PCGS Set Registry handle $2QUEEN, has been collecting the popular $2 coins for a few years now, but her passion for numismatics goes back much further than that.

“It all began with Nana Heaton,” she explains. “I was about seven years old, and she would show me her old tin of pennies, and some were made by the Heaton Mint in Birmingham, United Kingdom… Looking back now, I see that coin collecting is in my blood.” She adds that she later inherited a nice coin collection from her late grandparents. “But it really took off in 2018 – my love of $2 coins.”

She started with the $2 Royal Australian Mint rolls, then she delved into the commemorative issues. “Yet it was the stunning 2012 Red Poppy that got me hooked. That’s where my nickname $2 Poppy Queen came from.” It was also in 2018 that Heaton began collecting coins in PCGS holders, and in 2020 she began collecting sets on the PCGS Set Registry. “My goal was to complete my set and aim for Rank 1,” she says, commenting that “The PCGS Population Report is my bible.”

So, why does she like Australian $2 coins so much? “The designs, commemorative coins like Remembrance Day Red Poppies (2012 and 2022 issues), and Anzac Day (Lest We

The coin she loves most in her collection is the 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy, a $2 standard strike graded PCGS MS68. “I currently own six of the 19 in the population, and for me, this coin is the bee’s knees!” Her Australian $2 C-mint assemblage ranks as her favorite set. “What a challenge to obtain all in top pops. When I received the first 2019 Repatriation $2 from my PCGS submission graded MS70, I was stoked!”

She also loves the rare 1930 Australian Penny, and she hopes to own the storied 1813 New South Wales Holey Dollar, which was the first currency minted in Australia. She’s also working on PCGS Registry Sets from beyond Australia, including a lowball Morgan Dollar mintmark set. “I really like the Morgan Dollar set as there are not that many in that set, so it’s achievable.”

Heaton tells fellow collectors who are just getting into the hobby to buy what they love, but she advises this: “Narrow down your collection to one or two denominations as it can get expensive trying to keep up.” She also tells collectors looking to add prime examples to their sets to venture out. “Attend local coin shows and go on a hunt for high grades. Really study what MS70 coins look like and learn what to look for.”

Friendships & Half Dollars Drive a Passion for Coins

By Jake Krantz

I am 15 years old and have been a coin collector for a little over two years. I’ve been asked countless times about how I started collecting, and it really all goes back to the summer of 2021. That’s when I went to a camp for four weeks. Someone I just barely knew, who became one of my closest friends, showed me and everyone in my cabin a Jefferson Nickel with Full Steps details. I didn't know then what “Full Steps” meant. But I thought it was cool to see an old, valuable nickel, though I didn't think much about it at that moment.

A few days later, I asked my friend to show me the coin again. He handed it to me, and I sat on my bunk bed looking at the coin for 15, maybe 30 minutes. When I got home from camp, I went through an enormous piggy bank that contained thousands of coins of every denomination. It took me hours to research and look at every coin. Over the next few days, I sat on my living room couch and watched countless hours of coin videos. I am not the most patient person, but for some reason watching hundreds of hours of coin-related videos goes by in an instant.

Another wonderful experience came in the summer of 2022 when I attended Witter Coin University. My favorite part about it was meeting people who had the same interest as I and being able to talk to them about it. I also struck up a couple of great friendships while I was there. Without the hobby of coins, I would not have had the opportunity to meet such amazing people.

I have kept my focus on United States coins since beginning my journey in numismatics. Along with buying coins at coin shows and coin shops, I acquire new pieces for my collection by searching for them in coin rolls. I typically search through rolls of half dollars, and I have my eyes peeled for silver coins, mint errors, varieties, proofs, and more. I also started a YouTube channel called HalfDollarHunter. The goal of the channel is to teach people about the amazing world of coin collecting and why I choose to spend hours looking at small, round pieces of metal. In just over a year, the account has grown to nearly 3,000 subscribers. But what really matters to me is what viewers learn from the videos I post.

I love coin collecting for a variety of reasons – first and foremost, learning about history. Coins tell so much, from

who the ancient king of a big civilization was to the kind of economy a country has built. While I am not a collector of ancient or foreign coins, many of my friends are. So, I can teach someone who has no numismatic knowledge something about Franklin Half Dollars, while my friends can teach me about the Greco-Roman era just by showing me one coin. That is one of the coolest things about coin collecting. I hope to continue building on my knowledge of coins. I love coin collecting as a hobby, but I do not think making it a profession is for me. I enjoy being able to go to shows or search through rolls of coins according to how I want, when I want, without the stresses and pressures of having to do it as a job. While I do not want to pursue coins as a career, the hobby is something that I hope to always enjoy.

Jake Krantz loves coins and friendships! Courtesy of Jake Krantz.

Dream Team

By Peter Anthony

On a park bench in People’s Square one warm Shanghai afternoon, I relax and open a well-worn copy of Journey to the West. Suited-up office workers, families with eyes focused on their children, and fashionable young people with the latest cellphones all parade by. From the canopy of foliage above, the twitters of the park’s feathered friends waft down soft as rose petals.

Sometime around 1580, an obscure poet named Wu Cheng'en sat down to rewrite a 900-year-old Tang Dynasty chronicle of a historic trek. He called his version Journey to the West. It transforms the old account into an adventurefilled quest embellished with fantastic characters. The star is a super-powerful, headstrong monkey armed with a club he wields like Hercules. His sidekicks include a gluttonous warrior pig who can fly by his ears, an insecure man-eating river-sand monster disguised as a white horse, and a Buddhist monk.

Like pinballs, the travelers ricochet from danger to deathtrap. The troublesome, nearly unstoppable monkey even invades Heaven, where he has run-ins with the Jade Emperor and the supreme goddess of mercy and compassion, Guanyin. Not to mention their supporting cast of countless unnamed deities and immortals who fill the celestial palace.

Statuette of Guanyin, from the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty, Beijing. Courtesy of Peter Anthony.

A park bench in People's Square in Shanghai is a perfect place to sit, talk, or daydream. Courtesy of Peter Anthony.

This 40-millimeter 2007 medal of Chang'e and her pet Jade Rabbit flying by the moon. Courtesy of Peter Anthony.

Serenaded by bird songs and with Journey to the West on my mind, I nod off. Into my reverie slips an idea; among Heaven’s immortal throng, there must be some who represent the arts. Just then, a magpie startles me awake. When I look up, three men have joined me on the bench.

“So, brother, what brings you here?” one asks. “We are the Immortal Spirits of Art and Design of the East, North,

and South of China. I am the Spirit of the East. Do you seek knowledge like the monk of old?”

Cups of fragrant flower tea mysteriously appear. More than a little surprised, I sip the tea and try to think of something to say. “In coin and medal design, it always puzzles me how to resolve the competition between aesthetic and commercial demands,” I finally reply.

The East Immortal smiles, “In my view, from a design aesthetic standpoint, it should be divided into two parts: one is the designer's own idea, which is personalized. The other is to cater to the market and have a popular aesthetic. These two aspects are combined to create the products we need.”

“Market demand is the determining factor in the design process. We consider that perspective and then offer thematic designs. Our role in (creating) market-oriented products is largely passive — we rely on their guidance to complete the tasks.”

The Immortal of the North then chimes in, “Popular aesthetics tends to favor commercial designs, whereas designer aesthetics tend to prioritize personalized designs, or the so-called artistic visions of creators. While balancing the needs of the product, we may encounter contradictions, sometimes even intense ones, in our coin and commemorative medal designs.”

“However, the designer's personal aesthetics often require compromise to adapt to these needs. After all, what we make

1996 silver, proof, 5 Yuan piedfort Guanyin coin. Courtesy of Peter Anthony.

is not a single piece of art, but a product or commodity that must meet the public's aesthetic needs. If we were only making a piece of art, we could express our thoughts by satisfying our own aesthetic needs, and that would be acceptable. But since we are making products or commodities, that approach is not suitable.”

I look at the Immortal of South China, who adds, “Actually, it's about two aspects. On one hand, if the product mainly highlights the designer's creativity and ideas, then I will prioritize my ideas. On the other hand, if it's a more commercialized design, I must find a balance. I will definitely pay close attention to the customer's needs and, based on their requirements, use my professional skills to make the product the best it can be, which is similar to writing a composition with an assigned subject.”

“Coins may have a more concise language, while paper money, during the design process, may have to consider many post-processing mechanical techniques, and it will have more details, namely, what it presents will be more detailed.”

“Once a coin design is completed, the engraving work is typically carried out by someone else. However, when designing paper money, the designer is responsible for the process from beginning to end.”

“But what do you think, Peter Anthony?” the South Immortal continues. “You are familiar with Chinese coins. How do you see the designing of Chinese coins nowadays?

“Well, from a technical aspect, the process has improved by light years compared to what was produced 30 or 40 years ago,” I answer. “From an artistic standpoint, there is still a special energy, I think that has continued. That is part of what makes Chinese coins and currency so interesting. As things evolve, you begin with one idea, and then you try another way, and then you try a third approach. Eventually, you find the best solution.”

“There is a great deal of thought, consideration, and even debate in the design process. This energy is a consistent feature of Chinese coins. Collectors and the public feel that even if they cannot always express their feeling in words. Where does this spring from?”

“In the Shanghai History Museum, I saw a display of beautiful ancient pottery, maybe 4,000 or 5,000 years old. It fascinates me to look for connections, to see how China’s past meets the China of today.”

The Immortal of the North picks up the thought, “First of all, China has such a long history and rich culture. As Chinese, we have grown up in this environment and been deeply influenced by this culture. Many cultural components are deeply ingrained in us. Hence, when we integrate traditional culture and Chinese cultural elements into our designs, some of them may be just natural, as these elements are engraved in our DNA.”

“On the other hand, we have also been exposed to a

A 60-millimeter 2015 brass monkey medal. Courtesy of Peter Anthony.

combination of Eastern and Western educational thoughts. Western educational concepts have had a significant impact on us. This is especially true in the field of art and design education, which actually originates from the West. What we received is not pure Chinese art and design education, so when we design, we use some Western techniques and skills and then re-integrate our Chinese elements before applying them to our designs.”

“The first step is to choose a theme, for example, a panda. The panda itself is a long-standing, iconic animal representative of China. We will choose to create a mild and temperate image for the panda. Although the panda can be a fierce animal, we never portray it as such. This is a characteristic of Chinese culture's subtlety. Therefore, in our products, you will only see particularly mild and beautiful aspects, which are the essence of Chinese traditional culture. We won't portray a fierce animal as fierce, but instead, make it particularly Chinese or with distinct Chinese cultural characteristics. When designing panda-themed works, we often incorporate positive implications, and these implications must be something that Chinese people like to see and hear.”

“When we compose the image and design its composition, however, we turn to use Western art and design techniques. In fact, the word ‘composition’ itself is Western, which is totally different from the Chinese composition and perspective methods. Chinese perspective is a scattered point, while the Western perspective is focal or parallel. In our design process, we often employ Western techniques while infusing our creations with Chinese thoughts, or say, aesthetic pursuits, resulting in a fusion of these influences.”

The Immortal of Southern Design takes a sip of tea and then clears his throat. “While based in the South, our designs may include fewer traditional elements, but that is not to say that they are nonexistent. In fact, even in the most modern designs, there are often Chinese traditional elements, such as the use of classical Chinese colors in color matching. For example, in terms of composition, we might draw elements from traditional Chinese painting, with large areas of white space for imagination.”

“No matter how modern it is, in some aspects, it has absorbed Chinese traditional composition, colors, layout, and all aspects, but it is just applied in a more modern way.”

To this, the East Immortal smiles serenely and then comments, “My approach derives from a mix of traditional and modern cultural expression. From the perspective of sculpture or bronze medals, it might be a combination of both, an inheritance and an integration. The challenge is to express traditional forms through a modern lens.”

“Perhaps each individual brings their own unique perspective to life, modernity, and design aspects, resulting

in a modernized interpretation of these elements. However, from an expressive and technical standpoint, one may inherit traditional techniques and methods and apply them in a transformative process through their own understanding and interpretation. The subject matter transformation is just a personal difference and preference.”

“Some people might always choose to follow traditional themes throughout their life, such as making Buddha statues. On the other hand, I also like animals. A modern understanding and interpretation of animals in design can make them more accessible and relatable to our current understanding.”

“For Buddha statues, I try to use modern techniques and methods to express the traditional charm, and these two aspects are not conflicting. What I transformed is the subject matter, which is unrelated to other aspects, such as form.”

“I would say artistic expression and understanding are highly subjective and, as a result, vary significantly from person to person. Due to the diversity of our work, studies, and life experiences, artistic expression is a transformation process that reflects these individual perspectives.”

“As individuals grow up physically and in thought, their artistic expression evolves and takes on new forms. Just like Picasso, when he was young, his paintings were very realistic, right? In his old age, his paintings became so abstract, right? That's purely an artistic expression, a personalized expression, right? This is a transformation process, and of course, it varies from person to person. Every designer or artist has his own growth process.”

“So, in terms of expression of forms, understanding things, and expressing subject matter, they are all done from different angles, and of course, there is no absolute conclusion,” the East Immortal concludes.

“Yes, certainly,” I agree. “By the way, I think Picasso’s approach to painting changed after he saw art from Africa.

The Immortal of the East responds, “For everyone, in work and study, there may be some sudden inspirations. If you like traditional culture, you might be interested in Chinese Buddhist statues. After visiting all the Buddhist grottoes, you may have a new understanding or enlightenment.”

“Picasso might also have had this experience. After traveling in Africa, he saw African wood carvings. Inspired by them, he integrated their style into his own understanding; he transformed them by using oil painting, painting, and sculpture forms.”

“Yes, truly,” I nod. “Personally, I like to collect medals. I think they reflect their designer’s creativity so clearly. Medals really are art objects. That said, Chinese coins stand out for their vibrant designs. I always look forward to seeing the latest ones.”

“While on the subject of creativity, I am trying to figure out AI – artificial intelligence. It’s really on my mind because, right now, it is everywhere around us, and I'm not sure anybody fully understands where this will lead.”

“First of all,” the Immortal Designer of the North joins in, “AI will definitely increase productivity. In the past, coin designs were traditionally created using manual methods that required the carving of molds by hand. However, with the introduction of computers, the industry experienced a significant increase in production efficiency. The emergence of AI is set to represent a similar technological change, further enhancing efficiency.”

“But from a product perspective, AI will never be able to replace humans. It will always be an extension of human intelligence, helping us produce or manufacture products more quickly and exquisitely, or making products that better meet human needs. That's the purpose of technological evolution.”

On the one hand, in the pursuit of our goals and objectives, we continually develop, utilize, and innovate in order to create better products and services. On the other hand, in terms of coins and derivative products, I think AI will become a growth point for our product profits. In other words, it will expand our product types and generate more subcategories.”

The Southern Immortal offers, “I think AI is an unstoppable trend. Just like photography, there used to be a barrier to entry where you had to have an SLR camera, but now with an iPhone or a smartphone, anyone can take photos. AI, as it penetrates into our life, may make things more accessible, but the barrier to entry still exists. AI may aid you, but cannot help you achieve a top level.”

The East Immortal follows with, “I'm interested in anything, but when it comes to the era, electronic products, or artificial intelligence, I don't know much. However, I know that in our future lives and design, AI applications will become more and more widespread and increasingly intelligent. In our work, AI may be used more extensively. Now, whether it's online or in our shopping, I can feel that many products are not handmade anymore; they have become computer-made, digitized products. This is a significant breakthrough. For example, this jade in my hand used to be handmade, but now it is 3D carved by a computer.”

“Traditional handicrafts are now made using 3D computer carving, so AI applications will become more widespread in the future. Traditional products, handmade products, and many other products, just name it, will gradually be replaced.”

“That saddens me,” I reply.

“For example, if we have five existing product types, with the addition of AI, these types may exponentially diversify, enriching our product lines and types, and possibly attracting more people to like and own them. Moreover, improved production efficiency may mean a potential decrease in costs and product prices, allowing more people to enjoy our products' benefits. I think this technology can bring more blessings to humanity.”

“The impact on our coins, including our precious metal derivatives, will be like a historical leap. We will certainly be influenced by it. There was a fundamental change from handmade to computer. Now, we can ascend to another level, which is AI intelligence. Our products will also undergo a fundamental change, and there may be products that combine physical and virtual elements in the future. They may become a significant part of our lives, and I think this will be presented to us in the not-too-distant future.”

Suddenly, a child’s squeal wakes me. A man and woman hurry by as they pursue a toddler. When I turn back the bench is empty, the Immortals are gone, and my first thought is, “What extraordinary tea that was!”

A 60-millimeter 2016 brass eagle medal. Courtesy of Peter Anthony.

Peter Anthony is a PCGS consultant on modern Chinese coins and is the author of The Gold and Silver Panda Coin Buyer's Guide 3, a two-time Numismatic Literary Guild winner. He is also the publisher of China Pricepedia , a monthly journal and price guide for modern Chinese coinage.

Auction Highlights

By Jaime Hernandez

Some amazing coins and banknotes crossed the auction block leading into the summer, including many top rarities that scored six- and even seven-figure hammer prices. Let’s showcase some of the lots that really sizzled.

1795 9

Leaves Capped Bust Gold Eagle, PCGS MS63+

There are only 20 to 25 known examples of the 1795 Capped Bust Eagle with 9 Leaves variety. Regardless of its rarity, the 1795 Eagle is a special coin, as it is the first year that the United States Mint produced the $10 gold denomination. It was during this first year of issue that the 1795 Eagles were produced in two varieties – the one featured here with nine leaves and the other with 13 leaves. The leaves can be seen on the reverse, underneath the eagle. Both varieties are considered scarce. However, the 9 Leaves variety is by far much scarcer, especially in Mint State. A 1795 Eagle with 9 leaves variety graded PCGS MS63+ recently sold at a GreatCollections auction for an astonishing $2,711,000.

1792

Silver Center Cent Judd-1, PCGS SP61

The 1792 Silver Center Cent Judd-1 is a significant coin in numismatics, as 1792 is the first year in which the United States Mint produced coins. Additionally, the Judd-1 Silver Center Cent is extremely rare, with only about a dozen or so examples known in all grades combined. The design of the coin is also very captivating, giving us a glimpse of the talented artistry from the 18th century. The obverse features a Liberty bust facing right with its prominent flowing hair details. The reverse is anchored by a laurel wreath motif framing the inscription “ONE CENT” and fielding the

inscriptions “UNITED STATES” and “1/100.” An example of this coin seldom appears at auction or in the marketplace, but when one does appear, it tends to attract a lot of attention. A remarkable 1792 Silver Center Cent graded PCGS SP61 was offered by Stack’s Bowers Galleries, where it realized an impressive $576,000.

1890 Fr. 377 $100 Watermelon Banknote, PCGS About Unc. 50 Details

The 1890 $100 banknotes are referred to as “Watermelon Notes” because of the appearance of the two large zeros on the back of the banknote design that resemble watermelons. So, for years, many collectors have referred to these as Watermelon Banknotes. There are approximately only 35 known banknotes of this issue in existence, with several examples of these rare banknotes held by museums or by the government; few are available for collectors. So, obtaining an example of this banknote in any condition is next to impossible for most collectors. Heritage Auctions recently offered an exceptional example of a $100 Fr. 377 1890 Watermelon Banknote graded PCGS About Unc. 50 Details. The banknote realized an incredible $264,000 at auction.

Jaime Hernandez is an editor for the PCGS Price Guide and has been a proud member of the PCGS team since 2005. By the time he reached his early 20s, Jaime was successfully buying and selling coins with some of the most prominent dealers and collectors in the country. Email: jhernandez@collectors.com

The First Pei Yang Arsenal Dollar

By Jay Turner

While coins had been produced in the Chihli Province of China for thousands of years, it was not until 1896 that a mint was set up in the East Arsenal of Tientsin which produced both struck silver and copper coins for circulation. The first year of production for the Pei Yang Arsenal Mint in Chihli was 1896. Five denominations were produced in silver, which include the 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, and dollar. These denominations differed from other Chinese coinages, as they were not denominated in mace and candareens. Today, surviving coins are scarce and desirable.

A submission to PCGS via the Hong Kong office in late 2022 contained one of these scarce first-year-of-issue Pei Yang Arsenal Dollar coins. The coin, issued in the 22nd year of Kuang Hsu, contains three languages: English, Chinese, and Manchu. The official reverse of the coin features a unique dragon motif. The reverse also showcases the English language stating “TWENTY SECOND YEAR OF KUANG HSU” and “PEI YANG ARSENAL.”

The official obverse is the side featuring both Chinese and Manchu. The Chinese reads 清大 造局器械洋北 - 年二十 二绪光, translating to “Great Qing Pei Yang Arsenal Mint Year 22 Guangxu.” The Manchu script translates the same. The year 22 corresponds to the 1896 AD date. The design of the Pei Yang Arsenal coinage changed the next year, 23, to a different design of dragon. In 1899, this series of coins

was discontinued by the mint. The Pei Yang Arsenal Mint was upgraded in 1901 with modern machinery. Resuming production in 1904, the mint was looted and burned down in March 1912 with the Revolution. The mint was reconstructed as the Tientsin Mint in 1914.

This 1896 Pei Yang Arsenal Chihli Dollar example featured here was submitted to PCGS and is about as good as it gets when it comes to a pedigree for a Chinese coin. It originated from the collection of E. Kann, the author of Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Coins. After being sold in his collection sale, it was purchased by Irving Goodman and was offered as Lot 289 in a sale pitching his collection. The coin was certified by PCGS and was graded VF35. The coin had an original mintage of only 3,000 coins, making it rare from the start. Many pieces would not survive, and today any genuine example is a desirable coin.

Jay began collecting coins at the age of 13, when he inherited his uncle’s coin collection. Turner is proficient in U.S. and world coins, token and medal variety attribution, grading, and counterfeit detection. In 2017, Turner joined PCGS as a grader specializing in world coins. He is stationed at the PCGS U.S. headquarters and grades onsite for the Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Paris offices.

China Chihli (1896) Dollar LM-439 ex. Kann and Goodman, PCGS VF35. Courtesy of PCGS.

GRADING STANDARDS

A Guide to PCGS Grades & Designations

There are 30 grades used by PCGS to grade coins, 1 being the lowest grade and 70 being the highest grade.

For a description of all the grades and designations used in the PCGS Market Report, refer to the PCGS Grading

Standards listed in this issue. Space does not permit us to show a comprehensive photographic grading guide here, but those interested in a detailed look at virtually all U.S. coins in all grades are referred to PCGS’s Photograde section, found at www.PCGS.com/photograde.

PCGS COIN GRADING STANDARDS

Regular Strikes

For regular strikes, the primary attribute for circulated grades, i.e. Poor (PO01) to About Uncirculated (AU58), is the amount of wear or the amount of the original design detail that is still evident. Other attributes contributing to the grade for circulated regular strikes are surface preservation and eye appeal, either of which can be positive, negative, or neutral and which affect the grade accordingly. For regular strikes in Uncirculated condition (MS60 to MS70), there are four primary attributes that determine grade: marks, strike, luster, and eye appeal.

A PCGS MS70 is a modern coin in "as struck by Mint" condition. Minor mintmade imperfections may be present. No damage or imperfections caused after minting. Not known in vintage coins.

A PCGS MS69 will show only one or two miniscule imperfections. Must be fully struck and have full original luster and eye appeal.

A PCGS MS68 will have some extremely minor imperfections. Must be sharply struck, have full original luster, and good eye appeal.

A PCGS MS67 will have some minor imperfections (marks, abrasions, etc). Must be well struck and have good luster and eye appeal.

A PCGS MS66 will have a few marks and/or abrasions. The strike, luster, and eye appeal must be good.

A PCGS MS65 will have some marks and/or abrasions, but they will be minor. The strike must be above average, and

A PCGS MS64 will have some marks and/or abrasions, and they may be significant. The strike and eye appeal should be average or above and must not be negative. Luster may be somewhat subdued.

A PCGS MS63 will have marks and abrasions that are moderate in number and/or size. Strike may not be full and eye appeal can be slightly negative. Luster may be somewhat dull.

A PCGS MS62 will have no wear on high points. There may be considerable marks and abrasions and some may be severe. Strike may not be full and eye appeal may be negative. Luster may be dull.

A PCGS MS61 will have no wear on the high points. There may be multiple heavy marks and abrasions. Strike may not be full, luster may be dull, and/or eye appeal may be negative.

Strike

The completeness/incompleteness of a coin’s intended detail when originally struck.

Luster

The strength and pattern of light reflected off a coin.

Surface Preservation

The condition of the surface of a coin, notably marks and/or scratches.

Eye Appeal

The element that “grabs” the viewer. The overall look of a coin. Often manifested as “toning.”

will have no wear on the high points. There may be many heavy marks and abrasions. Strike may not be full, luster may be very dull, and/or eye appeal may be quite negative.

A PCGS AU58 will show full detail with minor friction on only the highest points.

A PCGS AU55 will show full detail with friction on less than 1/2 of the surface, mainly on the high points.

A PCGS AU53 will show full detail with friction on 1/2 or more of the surface. There may be a very slight flatness on high points.

A PCGS AU50 will show full detail with friction over most of the surface and slight flatness on high points.

XF45 Detail is complete with most high points slightly flat.

XF40 Detail is complete with some high points flat.

VF35 Detail is 80 to 85% complete.

VF30 Detail is 70 to 80% complete.

VF25 Detail is 60 to 70% complete.

VF20 Detail is 50 to 60% complete.

F15 Detail is full in recessed areas. All lettering is sharp.

F12 Detail is evident in deeply recessed areas. Lettering is mostly sharp.

VG10 Design is worn with some detail evident.

VG08 Design is worn with only slight detail evident.

G06 Detail is flat, but rims are complete. Peripheral lettering is full.

G04 Detail is flat. Rims slightly worn. Peripheral lettering nearly full.

AG03 Rims are worn but most lettering is readable though worn.

FR02 Mostly worn, but some design details are visible.

PO01 Barely identifiable as to date and type.

Proofs

For proof strikings, the primary attributes of grade are hairlines and/ or marks (or lack of), reflectivity (for brilliant proofs), and eye appeal. Note that nearly all proofs are fully struck, thus strike is usually not a factor. Strike only comes into play

when a proof shows a partial strike, resulting in a downward adjustment of grade. Note that for toned brilliant proofs, the reflectivity is as perceived under toning.

A PCGS PR70 shows no imperfections under five-power magnification. Brilliant proofs must be 100% fully reflective.

A PCGS PR69 will show only one or two miniscule imperfections. Brilliant proofs must be 100% fully reflective. A PCGS PR68 will have some extremely minor imperfections. Eye appeal must be outstanding. Brilliant proofs will be fully reflective.

A PCGS PR67 will have some minor imperfections (hairlines or perhaps an extremely minor mark or two). Eye appeal must be very good. Brilliant proofs must be fully reflective or virtually so.

A PCGS PR66 will have a few hairlines and/or very minor marks. Eye appeal must be very good. Brilliant proofs must be fully reflective or nearly so. A PCGS PR65 will have minor hairlines and or minor marks. Eye appeal must be positive. Brilliant proofs must show good reflectivity. A PCGS PR64 will have noticeable

hairlines and/or small marks. Eye appeal must not be negative. Brilliant proofs may have subdued reflectivity. A PCGS PR63 will have obvious hairlines and/or marks. Eye appeal may be somewhat negative. Brilliant proofs may be dull.

A PCGS PR62 will have numerous hairlines and/or marks. Eye appeal may be quite negative. Brilliant proofs may be dull.

A PCGS PR61 will have lots of hairlines and/or marks. Eye appeal is negative. Brilliant proofs may not be reflective.

A PCGS PR60 will have no wear on the high points, but will be very hairlined and/or marked. Eye appeal is negative.

Brilliant proofs may not be reflective. Proofs below PR60 for proof strikings grading below PR60, the grading is based on the amount of wear and the standards are the same as for regular strikes.

In addition to grade, certain coins have characteristics that collectors recognize as important and PCGS designates these characteristics using the standards that follow.

PCGS COIN DESIGNATIONS

Brown (BN) PCGS designates Brown for copper coins that have less than 5% of their original mint-red color.

Red Brown (RB) PCGS designates Red and Brown for copper coins that grade MS60 or better and show between 5% and 95% of their original mint-red color.

Red (RD) PCGS designates Red for copper coins that grade MS60 or better and show 95% or more of their original mint-red color.

Color for Copper Coins (MS60 or better)

Full Steps (FS) PCGS designates Full Steps for Jefferson Nickels that grade MS60 or better and show a full five or six steps in the portrait of Monticello (Thomas Jefferson’s home) on the reverse. To qualify for this designation, a coin must also have nomajor disturbances, including cuts and marks, to the separation of the steps.

Full Bands for Mercury Dimes

Full Bands (FB) PCGS designates Full Bands for Roosevelt Dimes that grade MS60 or better and show full separation of the upper and lower horizontal bands of the torch on the reverse. To qualify for this designation, a coin must also show no significant cuts or marks across the horizontal bands.

Full Head for Standing Liberty Quarters

Full

Full Bands (FB) PCGS designates

Full Bands for Mercury Dimes that grade MS60 or better and show full separation of the central crossbands on the crossbands on the reverse. To qualify for this designation, a coin must also have no major disturbances, including cuts and marks, of the separation of the crossbands.

Full Head (FH) PCGS designates Full Head for Standing Liberty Quarters that grade AU50 or better and show full detail of Miss Liberty’s hair (on Type Ones) or helmet (on Type Twos); Type Ones (1916-1917) must show a distinct separation between the hair cords and the cap. Type Twos (1917-1930) must show three complete and distinct leaves to the helmet, a complete outline to the bottom of the helmet, and a distinct ear hole. Note that on the ultra-rare 1918/7-S, PCGS will designate Full Head on coins that grade XF40 or better and that meet the Full Head criteria.

Full Bell Lines (FBL) PCGS designates

Full Bell Lines for Franklin Half Dollars that grade MS60 or better and show full separation of the lines on the bottom of the Liberty Bell on the reverse. To qualify for this designation, a coin must also show no major disturbances, including cuts and marks, of the separation of the bell lines.

Prooflike Surfaces

Prooflike (PL) PCGS designates

Prooflike for coins that grade MS60 or better and show clear reflectivity, i.e. mirrored surfaces at a distance of two to four inches. If the cartwheel effect or striations cause an area to lose clarity, the designation will not apply.

Full Steps for Jefferson Nickels

Full Bands for Roosevelt Dimes

Bell Lines for Franklin Half Dollars

Prooflike Surfaces

Deep Mirror Prooflike (DMPL) PCGS designates Deep Mirror Prooflike for Morgan Dollars that grade MS60 or better and show deep reflectivity, i.e. deeply mirrored surfaces. The differences between PL and DMPL is one of degree.

No Grade Coins

PCGS does not grade coins that are counterfeit, have been artificially toned, have had their surfaces altered, have been environmentally damaged, have been abrasively cleaned, have extremely large scratches, or have been repaired. Some allowances are made for ultra-rarities, Colonials, and Territorial gold coins, in which there are some instances when “net grading” is used by PCGS as a service to the numismatic community.

Would you like further information about the PCGS Grading Standards, Designations, and No Grade Standards? View high-resolution images and in-depth videos for each at www.PCGS.com/grades. For PCGS Banknote grading standards visit www.PCGS .com/banknote/grades.

Cameo Proofs

Cameo (CAM) PCGS designates Cameo for brilliant proofs that show light to moderate frosting of the devices. Both sides of a coin must have frosted devices to earn the Cameo designation.

Deep Cameo (DCAM) PCGS designates Deep Cameo for brilliant proofs that display deep, even frosting on the devices of both sides of the coin.

Noteworthy Notes: 1864 $50 Changeover Pair

By Philip Thomas

These two 1864 $50 Confederate States of America notes represent a changeover pair, evidenced by both their consecutive serial numbers and changes in the appearance of the lettering over the vignette of Jefferson Davis. Courtesy of PCGS.

About 2,500 years ago, Heraclitus notably proclaimed that change is the only constant in life. “There is nothing permanent except change,” quipped the esteemed pre-Socratic Greek philosopher millennia prior to the production of this particular pair of 1864 $50 Confederate States of America (CSA) seventh-issue treasury notes that later came to wholly substantiate his theory.

The predictably persistent change within the rowdy arena of notaphily (the study and collection of paper money) comes in many forms. Nation-states are founded and then fall; financial institutions flourish and then fail. Featured dignitaries and signatories come and go, printing and security feature technology advances, and other more subtle date and design revisions are implemented by printers and issuers over time for one reason or another. Each of these necessary transitions yields more and more material for us numis-enthusiasts to consider

to have a chance at locating a changeover pair. The two-note duo profiled here has been partnered in direct contact for over 150 years and came from a larger partial pack quantity that successfully fended off the commercial pressure to be divided up and dispensed out piecemeal.

The remaining criterion (the clincher, if you will) involves the specific varieties of each of the notes. There must be some sort of varietal distinction between the two, preferably a readily identifiable distinction recognized by a reputable numismatic reference guide or publication. While both notes of this pair fall under the T-66 major type umbrella, the two have been assigned different PF-numbers (“Fricke” – the current standard reference) as well as different CR-numbers (“Criswell” – an older reference system still in use by some). Varieties within the CSA domain approach a thousand in number and can involve obvious plate design differences, series number, “plen” (plate number and letter) positioning and size, various engraving errors, paper varieties, and watermarks. In this case, the variety distinction involves the presence (or lack) of a flourish just above “Con” of “Confederate” at upper center, over the portrait vignette of first-and-only CSA President Jefferson Davis.

This note, bearing serial number 3450, is without flourish. Courtesy of PCGS.

This example, with serial number 3451, exhibits flourish. Courtesy of PCGS.

PCGS Banknote staff is trained to be on the lookout for variety shifts across consecutively serial numbered notes that would qualify for the changeover pair attribute and is proud

to be at the forefront of changeover pair identification as it pertains to CSA issues, a notion relatively new to the realm of professional third-party certification.

Change can be undeniable, and resistance to it can indeed be futile. In any event, this spectacular CSA changeover pair is undeniably irresistible!

Because banknote lots were hung on Southern California coin shop bid boards eye-level with a first-grader, a young Philip gravitated toward collecting notes versus their circular metal numismatic cousins in the mid-1980s. He has maintained his passion for banknotes ever since and joined PCGS in his current role as banknote specialist and research manager since the launch of PCGS Banknote in early 2020.

The Magnificent 1845 Gold Proof Set

By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

Classic United States gold coins top many numismatic wish lists, with few collectors ever able to realize what many would consider an ultimate goal – owning early proof gold coinage. The United States Mint struck proof coins by the 1820s, but proof coinage struck before 1858 is rare. Gold proofs from the pre-1858 era are even rarer still, with quantities measured by the handful. That is certainly the case with the 1845 gold proof coinage.

Just three sets of proof gold were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1845. One of these sets resides at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The other has never been seen. Where is the third set? It is held by Tangible Investments, Inc., with its original leather mint box, to boot!

“In 1845, there were only two known collectors who could afford to buy proof coins from the United States Mint – Joseph Mickley and Matthew Stickney,” said Silvano DiGenova, owner of Tangible Investments, Inc. He explained that early proofs, such as the three stellar proofs featured here, were known as “master coins,” struck for celebratory presentation purposes rather than for sale to the broader numismatic

public. “A third set was presented to a dignitary who exported it to England, where it remained until the 1970s.”

Mike Bonham, executive vice president of Tangible Investments, Inc., noted, “The set presented here was acquired by prominent collector John Jay Pittman in 1948 and kept intact for 50 years until his family sold the collection in the late 1990s. The set resided in the Tacasyl Collection, which was the finest collection of proof gold coins ever assembled.”

This three-piece gold proof set is representative of all the United States gold coins in production in the mid-1840s. The gold dollar wouldn’t come along until 1849, a year before the first double eagle debuted in mainstream circulation during 1850. The $3 gold coin arose in 1854, and the rare $4 Stella didn’t emerge until 1879. The quarter eagle, half eagle, and eagle proudly sport their Liberty Head designs by Christian Gobrecht, and were all circulating issues, with the half-eagle a true workhorse coin of its day.

The proofs assembled here are unquestionably the best of the best. The 1845 Quarter Eagle graded PCGS PR66+CAM, with the 1845 Half Eagle grading PR66DCAM and the

The 1845 Gold Proof Set consists of a Liberty Head Quarter Eagle, Liberty Head Half Eagle, and Liberty Head Eagle, which were the only gold coins the United States Mint was producing at the time. The coins grade PCGS PR66+CAM, PCGS PR66DCAM, and PCGS PR65CAM, respectively. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView.

This is the original United States Mint presentation box in which the 1845 Gold Proof Set came. Note the portals for other 1845 proof coinage. Courtesy of Tangible Investments, Inc.

magnificent 1845 Eagle rounding out the set at PCGS PR65CAM. This three-coin set, ranked as number one for its category in the PCGS Set Registry, is estimated to be valued in the seven figures. For more information about the 1845 Gold Proof Set, contact Mike Bonham by phone at 949-8780393 or by email address via mbonham@tii1.com.

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez has won multiple awards from the NLG and ANA for his work as a numismatic journalist and editor. He has been a coin collector since 1992 and enjoys all areas of United States coinage and U.S. minting history.

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Contemporary Imitations, Restrikes & Numismatic Fantasies

By Kyle Knapp

Much of the substantive work of a professional authenticator involves, unsurprisingly, verifying that the coin, token, or medal being examined is genuine. In most cases, “genuine” means, roughly, that a piece was struck at or originated from the sovereign mint or private entity whose name it bears. However, there are some important exceptions to this guideline, the three most prevalent of which being contemporary imitations, restrikes, and numismatic fantasies.

Contemporary imitations are private, unofficial issues imitating a then-current design and made with the intent of passing into circulation at face value (note the distinction between this and “counterfeits” made at a later date to be sold for their collectible or numismatic value). This was often done to alleviate a shortage of transactional small change due to insufficient official production; the British “evasion” coppers of the late 18th century are a well-known example.

In colonial America, a private mint in New York established by Thomas Machin 1787 famously struck many varieties of imitation British halfpence (a widely circulating coin in the days before the establishment of the United States Mint) and even some replicas of the various state copper coinages that had just come into being. Though not sanctioned by any official government at the time, these “Machin’s Mills” pieces are highly collectible as part of the U.S. colonial series today.

process. Finding himself rebuffed, Harper made his own dies and presses, coining the “Jefferson Heads” as evidence of his mechanical prowess. Despite their unofficial status, the resultant pieces are extremely rare and highly prized today with a PCGS G4 realizing $21,000 in November 2022.

Contemporary imitations continued into the era of federal United States coinage. In 1795, Philadelphia saw maker John Harper (whose shop is incidentally thought to be the location 1792 half dismes were struck) sought to offer guidance on ways the nascent mint could improve its manufacturing

A second category of irregular yet fascinating pieces comprises restrikes made with genuine dies that had fallen into private possession. Two of the most dramatic of these are the 1804 and 1823 private restrike cents, the latter of which is illustrated above. Muling a discarded Newcomb-2 obverse die from 1823 (heavily cracked and with a crumbling rim) with a reverse die from 1813, these pieces — struck in both silver and bronze — likely date from the 1860s, around the time the numismatic scene was coming into full force in the United States.

Also dating from the mid-19th century and following a similar template, the “New Haven” restrikes of Fugio Cents

1795 “Jefferson Head” Cent. Courtesy of PCGS.

1823 Restrike Cent. Courtesy of PCGS.

“1787” New Haven Restrike Fugio Cent. Courtesy of PCGS.

FROM

THE

PCGS GRADING ROOM – CONTEMPORARY IMITATIONS, RESTRIKES & NUMISMATIC FANTASIES

were privately struck in pure copper, brass alloy, silver, and gold, but the dies — while very close to the original design — were newly made for the purpose. Current scholarship credits the Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut, with their manufacture.

invented some of their own. In the example imaged here, Edward Bishop mules two Thomas Wyatt replica dies from the 1850s: those of the Oak Tree and “Good Samaritan” Shillings (the latter a depiction of the New Testament story previously used by a philanthropic group in Britain), thus creating a 19th-century rendition of an 18th-century coin that never existed in any century!

While progressively further removed from the “authenticity” of officially sanctioned productions, these pieces and others like them offer just as much art, history, and rarity as the originals they embody – often at a far more attainable price. PCGS recognizes and encapsulates all the items discussed here, as well as many other Bolen, Wyatt, Dickeson, and Elder restrikes and fantasies.

Taking the Victorian-era mania for early American rarities to its apogee, early enterprising numismatists not only made replicas of colonial delicacies such as the Higley, George Clinton, and New York Excelsior coppers, but they also even

An avid childhood collector, Kyle first came to Collectors Universe in 2005 as a grading intern while in high school. Now a senior member of the grading and authentication team, some of his favorite coins include the Nova Constellatio coppers, Flowing Hair Dollars, and Flying Eagle Cents.

Good Samaritan Shilling Fantasy. Courtesy of PCGS.

MARKET MATTERS

Navigating Price Variations Within a Grade

By Mark Ferguson

The 1911-D Quarter Eagle is the only key date in the Indian $2.50 series that boasts a number of issues showing wide price swings within any one date and even certain grade points. Knowing the reasons each piece fetched the price it did and paying especially close attention to pieces that scored outlying prices will help you better understand pricing variances for any given piece listed on the PCGS Price Guide. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView.

Auction prices are the basis for establishing most values in the PCGS Price Guide. The price guide team analyzes and interprets auction results for each coin and grade, and determines a price point for each one that best reflects the current market. That process can be very challenging when there’s a wide range of auction prices realized for a given coin in a given grade.

If you use auction prices realized in your own research when you’re buying or selling coins, you know what I mean. If you’re new to researching auction prices and would like to explore PCGS Auction Prices data, you can find a quick link at the top of any PCGS website page. Once there, you can sort auction prices for any coin by date sold, price, grade, etc., by clicking on the appropriate column title. You can also select data exclusively for PCGS-graded coins on the button that’s above the titles.

To illustrate the wide range of auction prices realized for a single coin and grade, this article examines the Indian Quarter Eagle series. This is a short series with just 15 different coin issues, struck from 1908 to 1929. Except in the very highest grades, the 1911-D Quarter Eagle is the only stopper, making this series very popular with collectors and investors.

The coin’s “incused” design, in which its details are recessed below the fields, means that the coin’s fields are the high points that receive circulation wear. This design is unlike the designs of most other U.S. coins in which the details are raised above the fields, making the details of those coins exposed to wear from circulation.

First, a few words of caution. While you’re researching auction prices, remember to be on the lookout for high and low outlier prices and check them out to try to determine why those prices are outliers. For example, the highest auction price realized for the 1925-D $2.5 issue is $66,125 for a PCGSgraded AU58 example that sold in a 2005 Heritage Auctions sale. That extremely high price from long ago doesn’t make sense. The current PCGS Price Guide value for this coin issue is just $580 in AU58.

What happened? Did two or more bidders get carried away with auction fever? No. Clicking on the link to the auction lot reveals that the coin is a major error. It was double struck and clearly shows a double image of the coin’s details on both sides. While this is an extreme example of a high outlier price, many more high outlier prices often result from colorful toning on silver coins, for example, or for other reasons. It’s helpful to click on the links provided and to examine photos of the coins to try to determine why. Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes it’s baffling.

In the MS66 grade, there are three recent prices to consider for PCGS-graded examples of the 1925-D Quarter Eagle. The most recent price is listed first: $9,988, $10,200, and $10,266. This is a very tight price range, resulting in a PCGS Price Guide retail value of $12,500. Those sales took place between July 2022 and February 2023. The next two prices listed for PCGS-graded examples are: $7,800 and $7,200, from April 2021 and September 2020. They indicate how the market trend for this coin in MS66 has appreciated, making the two older prices out of date. So, when doing your pricing research, you’ll need to keep in mind how market trends have changed and how they’ve affected prices.

Overall, the coin market is healthy, with solid demand across the various series. Some areas have experienced a slight pullback in prices during the past year, but nothing dramatic. High-end rarities remain generally strong.

That said, here’s an example of a wide price range for the key

coin in this series, the 1911-D Quarter Eagle in PCGS MS64. Five sale prices are found in 2023 and 2022, with the latest sale price listed first: $23,000, $15,600, $17,500, $31,200, and $18,000. Do these prices mean the market has drifted slightly lower? Or are these prices representative of their individual qualities within the MS64 grade? Did the makeup of bidders at each auction affect prices? One thing is for sure, if the bidders were collectors, competition should naturally lessen in future auctions as winning bidders acquire the needed coin for their collections and drop out of contention.

For most people, the above price differences are significant sums. From this data, I interpreted that a fair retail price for this coin should be $22,500, but you might have another price in mind. This is where experience in judging the quality of a coin for its grade could help you advocate for a better price in the marketplace. When buying or selling a coin of this caliber as a collector, a mentor or agent may help you save money when buying or help you make extra money when selling.

The next example of a wide range of auction prices for a coin is an affordable one for most people: 1911 Quarter Eagle PCGS AU58. At this writing, 10 auction prices are listed for this coin, all from 2022, when the market was in a similar state as it is today. Here’s the price range, with the latest sale price listed first: $444, $600, $525, $720, $456, $456, $475, $600, $552, and $540.

First, let’s toss out the sole high-outlier price of $720. Next, the remaining prices in the range could be averaged to value this coin issue at $516 in AU58. If you’re buying or selling one of these coins, I encourage you to not get hung up on an average price. Rather, I suggest you consider how the coin grades for an AU58. If a coin’s luster is dull and/or contact marks stand out, then it’s a coin that will most likely trade at the lower end of the price range. On the other hand, if a coin’s surfaces are lustrous and no large contact marks are present, the coin will likely trade at the high end of the price range. That’s about a third more than the other piece would garner.

So, don’t leave money on the table when you’re selling or pay too much when you’re buying. Instead, realize that you can advocate for a better price using past auction prices and considering the quality of a coin for its grade. Remember, a price point in the PCGS Price Guide serves as a guide price. There are other tools that can help you buy and sell coins, such as PCGS Auction Prices.

Mark Ferguson began buying and selling coins in 1969. He graded coins for PCGS between 1986 and 1990 and currently serves as the company's senior price guide consultant. He’s a numismatic researcher, writer, appraiser, and advisor, and he authored The Dollar of 1804: The U.S. Mint’s Hidden Secret.

As we head toward the last months of the year, the modern coin market continues showing strength and strong demand. Scarce coins, special coins, and coins with low populations continue to command high prices, especially since those pieces seldom appear on the market. At PCGS, we track

the highest price gainers and losers based off of the PCGS Price Guide changes.

Let’s highlight some modern coins that have performed really well in the past three months based on PCGS Price Guide movement.

The first coin on our top gainers list is a 1966 FS-801 Doubled Die Reverse Lincoln Memorial Cent in the grade of PCGS MS62BN. Three months ago, the PCGS Price Guide showed a price of $28 in MS62BN. Today, that same coin shows a price of $3,500 in PCGS MS62BN. Did the coin really go up that high – and that quickly? What occurred here is that several years ago, when we began pricing varieties, there wasn't enough information to price certain varieties. Yet collectors wanted a general idea of what their varieties were worth.

A new review of auction records from the past several years for this relatively obscure but rare variety provided us with the data we need to readdress the price. Among the notable sales include the recent transaction of an example graded PCGS MS62BN via GreatCollections that took $4,111, with another specimen similarly graded PCGS MS62BN garnering $1,743 in 2021.

The second-highest gainer listed here is a 1971-S Type 1 Reverse Silver Proof Eisenhower Dollar graded by PCGS

1966 Doubled Die Reverse FS-801 Lincoln Cent, PCGS MS62. Courtesy of GreatCollections.

as PR68DCAM. This is a very rare variety of which PCGS has graded only eight examples. In February 2023, Legend Auctions sold an example graded PCGS PR68DCAM for $30,550. The strong figure proves how rare and in demand this variety is. And when it comes to Eisenhower Dollar enthusiasts, they are a dedicated group of collectors who won’t let a rare coin slip through the cracks at an auction. Over the years, many Eisenhower Dollar collectors have stepped up to the plate and paid hefty prices for rare Eisenhower Dollars that cross the auction block, and this most recent sale was just an example of this.

The third coin on our list is a 1980-P Washington Quarter graded by PCGS as MS68. The coin has a population of just one, with none graded higher. Although there are no auction sales for the coin, after reviewing some of the other lowpopulation coins from the series we realized that this coin also needed a price adjustment. Comparable data and the fact that this coin is essentially unique at the lofty MS68 grade threshold suggested an increase in price to $10,000, putting it more in line, price wise, with similar conditional rarities. These are just three of the highest-gaining modern coins

over the past three months. There are many other gainers you can check out if you visit the PCGS Price Guide on the PCGS website. Once you’re on the PCGS Price Guide Price Changes page, you can also see the top gainers and losers sorted by day, week, month, and year. Perhaps one of your coins made it onto the gainers list!

Jaime Hernandez is an editor for the PCGS Price Guide and has been a proud member of the PCGS team since 2005. By the time he reached his early 20s, Jaime was successfully buying and selling coins with some of the most prominent dealers and collectors in the country. Email: jhernandez@collectors.com

— Chris Victor McCawley

Chris McCawley with Lucas Baldridge and Travis Hollon

Shifting Winds

By Vic Bozarth

Evolution is real, but to most, it’s invisible.

Over the last four decades, I’ve personally seen the rare coin and bullion markets transformed by both third-party grading and the internet. No longer are most rare coin (or bullion) transactions conducted in person. Because trust in both the product in terms of authenticity and grade as well as safe delivery, which can be insured, anyone can buy coins or bullion from the comfort of their recliner if they wish.

The majority of rare coin and bullion business is now done via the internet. First, I’ll discuss some of what is going on currently. But later in this article, I’ll examine some interesting marketing changes in the rare coin auction business. No longer do in-person auctions draw the attention nor the

attendance they once did. Bidders are still quite active, but most bid virtually.

Late this past spring, the gold and silver bullion markets really amped up. Going into the summer, though price levels moderated somewhat, the overall volume had been tremendous. Rare coins, too, are very active when they are available, but there is some market softness in more-generic coins.

When talking to wholesale dealers, the most common theme has been overwhelming bullion business. Sure, many dealers would prefer to buy and sell rare coins, but the comments of one smaller regional dealer probably sum it up best: “I’m making too much money right now on bullion. If a nice coin deal walked in, I would certainly look at it. But

Bullion coins have become a hub of numismatic business these days, with American Eagle coins, including American Silver Eagles, American Gold Eagles, American Platinum Eagles, and American Palladium Eagles, among the market leaders. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView.

COIN MARKET FUNDAMENTALS — SHIFTING WINDS

especially with the capital I have to use, I have to stay on it.” The “it” this dealer is referring to is the highly active two-way market in bullion we’re currently experiencing.

Looking at the market from a long-term perspective argues for stability and strength in terms of both capital available and widespread demand for most items, with pricing dependent on the market. Market strength, and indeed its overall health, can often be measured in terms of what should be in demand versus what shouldn’t be in demand because it’s common. Most often, softness in any market occurs first to items that are most common or available.

For example, dealers know rare coins are just that: rare. Often the most important aspect is locating the rare coin. Dealers are in business to make money. Often the financial impact of bullion transactions, in terms of overall business, far outweighs their rare coin business volume.

Whether you are interested in numismatics, bullion, or both, you’ll see that trading is active. For bullion, the physical supply of many items is always a factor in the premiums charged. For example, American Silver Eagles continue to carry a large premium over their melt value. Meanwhile, premiums are much more modest on one-ounce generic silver rounds. Will the premiums one pays for an American Silver Eagle be recouped at the point of sale?

Ultimately, if you want to pay the smallest premium for silver you must consider both form and quantity. Currently, U.S. 90% silver coinage is an option. Silver in bar or ingot form is another option, too. One must consider both the premiums they pay for a bullion item as well as the premium (over melt) they might expect to receive when the bullion is sold. When you want to sell, if you won’t recoup most of the premium paid at the point of purchase, look to other bullion options.

Carrying that argument a step further, the premium paid over the melt value is critical when considering any bullion purchase, regardless of whether it’s silver, gold, platinum, or another precious metal.

The rare coin market evolution hasn’t happened overnight. While coins were being sold via the internet in the 1990s, customers hadn’t jumped on the bandwagon yet. Going forward, most collectors and dealers realized that PCGS products enhanced the peace of mind one can have on matters of authenticity and quality, building on the sight-unseen market trust that began building in the late 1980s after PCGS emerged into the marketplace. This gave more collectors and dealers comfort in buying and selling right from home – or just about any place else they wanted.

Many like myself, who traveled extensively for decades, often miss the bourse and seeing our colleagues in person,

but we don’t miss the stress or time away from home. Regardless of the logistical challenges, the rare coin market has been surprisingly resilient and quite able to reinvent itself when needed.

One of the biggest changes made in marketing U.S. rare coins has been the increased number of auctions. Weekly auctions, once considered unimportant by many because of their lower-priced items, have gained increasing attention. The trend over the last 20 years has seen an increased number of great coins being sold in weekly auctions. No longer are the majority of rare U.S. coins sold in only the big showcase auctions. While the great rarities still rate a big sale, thousands of “meat and potato” coins are being sold in the weekly auctions.

Most auction houses have realized smaller weekly auctions cost less to produce, and their weekly schedule continues to satisfy both consignor and buyer desires. Consignors are often paid more quickly, too.

Many of the largest U.S. auction houses have come up with an innovative solution. They’ve warehoused immense coin inventories over the last decade. With these inventories and the fresh consignments they receive, they are able to have merchandise for weekly auctions for years to come!

Evolution indeed…

Vic Bozarth is a familiar face on the bourse floor to many who have attended coin shows over the last five decades. He’s a self-described “coin weenie” who has attended more than 1,000 shows and vast experience both buying and selling many of the finest PCGS coins. His numismatic knowledge as a dealer and collector provides a unique perspective on our industry.

PCGS SHOW SCHEDULE

SEPTEMBER 2023

September 7 - 9

Long Beach Expo: The Collectibles Show Onsite Grading Long Beach Convention Center Long Beach, California

OCTOBER 2023

October 26 - 29

International Money Expo Onsite Grading Music City Center Nashville, Tennessee

NOVEMBER 2023

November 9 - 11

Whitman Baltimore Winter Expo Submissions Only Baltimore Convention Center Baltimore, Maryland

DECEMBER 2023

December 5 - 9

PCGS Members Only Show Onsite Grading

Park MGM

Las Vegas, Nevada

ConsignmentInformation

Certified Coins: GreatCollections welcomes coins graded by PCGS, NGC (NCS) and ANACS. Please remove all labels/stickers adhered to holders.

Raw Coins: If your coins are not graded, please use our Raw Coin Consignment Form. GreatCollections extends our discounted rates for coin grading directly to members.

Insurance: From the moment your coins arrive at GreatCollections, they are covered by our extensive insurance policy with Lloyd’s of London... another benefit provided to all consignors at no cost.

Values: If you are unsure of coin values, please leave this field blank. We review all coins that are consigned and will assign values and minimum bids accordingly.

Listing Fees: Our listing fees are based on the following schedule and are charged the first time the coin is listed at GreatCollections.

Minimum Bid Listing Fee

$1-$99 $3

$100-$999 $5

$1,000 and up $10

Up to Five Listings for One Fee: For one listing fee, GreatCollections will relist any coin that doesn’t sell, up to a maximum of five times without any additional listing fees. If you do not want your coins relisted, please let us know under “Special Instructions” on the reverse of this form.

Cash Advances: We offer generous cash advances for all consignments at a competitive interest rate. Checks can be sent via overnight Fedex or Express Mail within 24 hours of your coins arriving at GreatCollections. Please check the box on the reverse of this form (below the signature line) and we will contact you as soon as we have reviewed your coins.

Timing and Scheduling: Coins are generally listed on our website within 7-21 days of arriving at GreatCollections. If you consign duplicates of the same year, denomination, grade and grading service, we will typically split the coins over multiple days of auctions. Once coins are entered in our system, you can view

ConsignorTerms & Conditions

1. Consignor agrees that the Auction shall be conducted online by GreatCollections according to the Terms and Conditions published at www.greatcollections.com/terms. This agreement is subject to Arbitration.

2. Consignor warrants that: (1) Consignor is the legal owner of and has full title and interest in the coins/items consigned to GreatCollections; (2) all coins/items consigned to GreatCollections are free and clear of any liens, encumbrances, security interests or contract rights restricting the unconditional right to sell all rights, title and interest in and to such coin/item; and (3) all consigned coins/items are authentic and in respect to certified coins, holders have not been tampered with or resealed.

3. Consignor agrees to pay GreatCollections a Listing Fee for each coins/items offered by Auction and for coins/items sold, a Seller’s Fee. All fees are detailed on the reverse of the Consignment Agreement.

4. In the event that your coins do not sell in their first Auction, GreatCollections agrees to relist coins/items up to four additional times. There will be no Listing Fees charged for these four additional relistings. Should you prefer your coins not to be relisted, please note this in the “Special Instructions” box on the Consignment Form.

5. Consignor acknowledges that the Hammer Price is the final bid price accepted by the Auctioneer. The Hammer Price does not include the Buyer’s Fee, which GreatCollections retains in full.

6. GreatCollections has the right in its sole discretion to reject any Consignment, to cancel any Auction, to postpone or change the date/time of Auction and/or to rescind any sale. GreatCollections also reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel or reject any bidder from bidding, when we believe it is not in the Consignor’s and/or GreatCollections’ best interest.

7. A Consignor is able to list a Minimum Bid on every coin/item consigned, according to the three options listed on the Consignment Form. It is up to the Consignor to verify that the correct Minimum Bids are entered as soon as their coins/items are uploaded to the GreatCollections website. Any corrections should be reported as early as possible before the end of the Auction. This Minimum Bid amount is disclosed on all items/coins listed at GreatCollections. Consignor may not withdraw any coin/item for any reason.

8. If the successful bidder or buyer is in default and GreatCollections is not satisfied that the amount due for any particular Consignor’s lot[s] will be paid in full, GreatCollections reserves the right to take one or more of the following actions: (1) declare the sale null and void and return the coins/items to the Consignor; (2) declare the sale null

your coins by logging into MyGC and clicking on “Items Pending” or “Currently Selling”.

Currency/Paper Money: GreatCollections also auctions certified currency and paper money graded by PCGS and PMG, together with our exclusive Grade & Auction program offering discounted grading rates. Please use our currency consignment forms.

CAC: CAC is a third-party grade verifier founded by John Albanese that reviews PCGS and NGC-graded coins (excluding moderns). GreatCollections is an authorized submitter and can arrange CAC to review your coins prior to auctioning. The process takes about 10 days. Cost is $15 for coins valued up to $10,000, $30 for coins valued up to $25,000 and $50 for coins valued at over $25,000.

Minimum Bids: We offer three convenient ways to set Minimum Bids at GreatCollections.

1. You may select GreatCollections to establish a Minimum Bid based on our knowledge of the coin market. We usually set opening bids at 70% of what we believe the coins are worth in today’s market. This is our recommended option that we have found to generate the most bidding activity while protecting you with a Minimum Bid.

2. You may select a percentage of the Values you have listed on the reverse of this form to use as Minimum Bids. Please check either the 50%, 65% or 80% option.

3. You may select that all coins start at a Minimum Bid of $1. This is recommended for liquid/popular coins and is used regularly by dealers, investors and representatives of estates.

Regretfully, we cannot accept consignments where the Minimum Bids are higher than 80% of their listed value. If you have any questions regarding setting Minimum Bids, please call us at 1.800.44.COINS (+1.949.679.4180) or e-mail info@GreatCollections.com.

Seller’s Fees: Our Seller’s fees are a low 5% for coins up to $1000, and 0% for coins over $1,000.

Consignment Proceeds: Checks are mailed within 30 days of your coin(s) selling. To confirm the payment date, please login to your account at GreatCollections, click on MyGC and “View Consignor Statements”.

and void and reoffer the coins/items in another Auction; and/or (3) proceed against buyer on behalf of Consignor. In addition, GreatCollections offers a return privilege to Buyers. Should your coin/item be returned, we will cancel the sale and relist your item. In the event that GreatCollections cancels the sale of your coins/items or your coins/ items are returned, all Listing Fees and Seller’s Fees will be refunded to Consignor.

9. If you consign raw coins/items to GreatCollections, we will send your coins/items to a major third party grading service such as PCGS, NGC and/or ANACS. For more information, please refer to the Raw Coin Consignment Form, which can be downloaded at www.greatcollections.com/forms.

10. GreatCollections shall remit to Consignor, within 30 days after the close of the Auction, the net proceeds, which equals the Hammer Price less Seller’s Fees, Listing Fees, Interest for Cash Advances, other monies owed to GreatCollections by Consignor and Cash Advances Principal (in order). In the event the Consignor’s sales do not exceed fees or monies owed to GreatCollections, the Consignor agrees to pay GreatCollections all monies owed within seven days of invoice date. In certain instances, an introductory commission may be paid by GreatCollections to an agent of Consignor for referring the Consignment to GreatCollections.

11. GreatCollections will provide insurance for loss or damage for consigned coins while in the possession of GreatCollections and while any are being shipped back to the Consignor, subject to certain terms and exclusions (such as Earthquake coverage). In the event of an insurance claim, our insurance carrier will pay you the Fair Market Value, less the Seller’s Fees and Buyer’s Fees, based on the total insurance proceeds. This payment to you by the insurance carrier shall completely satisfy our obligations regarding the Consignments under this Agreement.

12. Arbitration. Any claim or dispute arising out of the sale of coins/items by GreatCollections shall be settled by arbitration between the parties in accordance with the rules of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) or if the PNG cannot or will not hear the matter, by the American Arbitration Association (AAA). Any claim must be commenced within three months of the Auction date or Buy Now confirmation or the claim is waived.

13. This contract is the entire Agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior Agreements. The warranties and representations contained in this Agreement survive the date of execution by each party herein and the performance of all terms and conditions contained in this agreement. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California.

Ian Russell President/ Owner

Raeleen Endo Customer Service Director/Owner