I'm looking for a cheapish St Gaudens, raw to be particular. I do not want to pay the premium of a TPG.. Mainly because I want a raw coin, possibly one that wouldn't grade very high regardless. A LCS has a 1908 no motto, and are asking 1650 for it. It doesn't appear to be cleaned, and looks to be AU. I know my words on the condition are meaningless without a photo.. But considering the price, what would be a fair premium to pay for a lower quality St Gaudens?
It's not outrageous , but I'm sure in a while you'll be able to find a nice coin near melt . Me I'd go for it .
I guess I don't understand why if you are about the drop $1650 on a coin, you wouldn't spend another $139 and get a certified, problem-free coin in MS. For example: http://www.collectorscorner.com/Products/Item.aspx?id=13052651 1908 $20 Saint Gaudens NGC MS62 No Motto You could always crack it out if you don't want the SLAB, but at least you would have the peace of mind.
I'd definitely buy it slabbed. Like others, if you're paying that amount for a coin why not pay a little more and ensure quality/authenticity.
That's the thing, I'm not sure if I should buy it or wait. It doesn't look like there are many near-melt st gaudens on ebay.. Plus I specifically want a raw one. I wouldn't want to pay the price of a high quality (but uncertified) coin for that reason.
wkw - Common date Saints, even those graded MS63, typically sell for spot plus about 10%, some even a bit less. Raw XF examples are the same price. Point is, the price is based solely on the gold content. So there is no advantage, money wise, to buying a raw example. That said, looking at the markets, spot could go either way from here. But I think it likely that it will try to level off and find support near current prices, for a short time anyway. So buying right now is a double edged sword. Only you can decide on that part.
Scrap price is about $1362 so 10% premium would be about $1500 http://www.coinflation.com/gold_coin_values.html
Thanks for your input all. I might consider buying this if I can't get another two boxes of halves to search through
Here's a nice PCGS in 63 that you could get for around your price . In my opinion it's always better to buy the best you can afford . http://www.ebay.com/itm/1924-Saint-...66?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item2ec78fa67a
Alas, I decided I want to buy it, but I won't be able to go to the coin store at least until next week. And by then it might be gone
Sorry for the double post, but I managed to get a ride and bought the coin! Compared to my 1927 NGC MS 63, I believe that my new 1908 godless is at least a 63 or a 64. There aren't as many nicks on it as there are on my 27. The biggest difference is with the capitol building. The 08 has a much stronger strike it seems, compared to the 27! I'll post scans when I have time to hook up my scanner. I don't have a way to take a good photo.. Scans are all I can do
Gold is up much more since the drop last week. It was a great buy then, now you're just going to be paying more because of the positive movement. Profit taking is over for now.