I'm the last person to post eBay auction threads, but as a collector of Jefferson nickels, this was a captivating auction, and I just wanted to share the pretty pictures. http://cgi.ebay.com/RAINBOW-TONED-J...mQQptZCoins_US_Individual?hash=item1c1108792d
Its funny because I was looking at my own toned jefferson's last night, and I realized that it was going to take me a lifetime to put together a set that will have the caliber of some of my best ones. I mean, I've got 5 or 6 coins that just really floor me every time I look at them, and the difficulty is that only so many will waft into this region of the country. So I either need to try to win them on fleabay, or widen my circle by attending shows. Whatever the case, the guys prices validate my feelings that I'd want top dollar to part with my best ones. Especially the ones that have electric green in them. Man, I really like the electric green! Steve
I purposely withheld my opinions on the price; didn't want to potentially offend any fellow CTers if the coins belonged to them. Personally I'm not into the set at that price, but I wouldn't be bothered if someone else wanted it for that. I'm right with you there, Steve. I try to buy cheap, but if I like a coin, price goes out the window.
Goes to show you how well I pay attention. Feel free to remove this thread if it's deemed duplicative.
A fellow CT does own this set. It is Martin from Chameleon Coins. And while I find many of these coins attractive, most of them lack the overall surface quality that I demand in my collection. Steve mentioned how much he likes electric green. Welcome to the club Steve; we all love electric green. As a result, emerald green nickels are incredibly expensive. I paid nearly $1,000 for this example which is probably the most attractive Jefferson Nickel in my collection. Notice that the overall quality of the coin is impeccable. The coin is a solid MS67 with spectacular toning, luster, eye appeal, and even steps. How many of the coins in Martin's set reach past the MS66 grade. After looking at the photos in his photobucket, it appears that the best examples of the set have already been graded and I don't see an MS67 in sight. I don't want to give the impression that these are not quality toned Jeffersons, they are. In fact, many are extremely attractive and I can see many of these coins individually driving premiums of anywhere from 5-20X wholesale value. The problem is that very few Jeffersons are very valuable without full steps in MS66 or below. For example, his 1943-s is gorgeous and I can easily see that coin selling for 10X wholesale. But the coin is MS65 tops which is a $13 coin. Even at 10X wholesale, you are looking at $130. In order to critique the overall price of the set, I would have to price each coin individually. That is something I am not willing to do at this time. My guess is that he could easily achieve that sale price by selling the coins individually over time, but he is looking to make a decent profit all at once by selling them as a set. The last thing I would like to mention is the photos themselves. As an experienced photographer of toned coins, I know full well how difficult it is to balance making the coin look good while still reflecting the actual appearance of the coin. I often think the photo of my 1941-D is juiced when looking only at the photo. It is only after I pull out the coin that I reaffirm the integrity of the photo. It is my belief that some of Martin's photos are having a similar struggle with the reflection of reality. In conclusion, it is a magnificent set of toned Jefferson Nickels and it was a pleasure to view the coins.
