Very solid for the assigned grade. Some coins have enough historical significance to transcend the usual parabolic price increase in higher grades. This is certainly one of them, still very desirable all the way down to XF40. Not very many world coins fit that pricing model.
France 1584F Franc of Henry III Obverse: Laureate and cuirassed bust on the right, with the collar flat or folded down. Different workshop in exergue (under the bust). Legend starting at 19 h.Automatically translated Script: Latin Lettering: •HENRICVS•III•D•G•FRANC•ET•POL•REX Reverse: Leafy cross and fleurdelisée with H in heart. Vintage at the end of the legend of the obverse or the reverse.Automatically translated Script: Latin Lettering: +SIT•NOMEN•DOMINI•BENEDICTVM•1581 Composition: Silver (.833) Weight: 14.188 g Diameter: 34.5 mm
For some reason I don't seem to have posted this one, which arrived a few weeks ago. 1691 GB Crown, William and Mary with my favourite reverse design:
Recent buys from a precious metals buyer that has good prices on numi quality stuff. 1881A France 2 francs 1885 Canada 50 cents 1924 Venezuela 5 bolivar UNC/AU 1882 India rupee 1946 Canada dollar - nice price for a scarce date
From Stack's Bowers ANA Sale. First year of reign and one year only issue; later dates had wings on the reverse angel. Struck in 0.996 fine gold so nearly all are impaired in some way. Tied for finest at PCGS with one other piece. Heavy coin, over 0.600 AGW. The larger 30 Ducati piece is considerably more available yet commands a higher premium, probably because everyone loves big gold coins.
One of my latest acquisitions is this fine silver peso, minted for the Philippines during the United States administrative period. Teddy Roosevelt of recent Rough Rider fame was President, and Rudyard Kipling was urging the United States, in a poem expressing a fine sentiment albeit in what would be considered today somewhat demeaning language, to "Take up the White Man's Burden": to join the other great powers in establishing and administering a colonial empire. The US did administer the Philippines for a time, but almost from the start began to work towards developing and preparing the Philippines for independence. The islands were taken over by the Japanese in WWII (leading to General Douglas MacArthur's famous statement "I shall return.") but after they were expelled, full independence was granted in 1946. An interesting, and unusual, piece of American history. PHILIPPINES Insular Government, 1899-1935 AR 1 Peso (38mm, 26.95g, 6h) Dated 1903. Philadelphia, USA mint Obverse: Woman standing left, holding hammer over anvil; smoking volcano behind; ONE PESO above, FILIPINAS below Reverse: Shield surmounted by eagle with wings spread; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above, · 1903 · below References: Numista 4349 Mintage: 2,791,000 Richly toned. In PCGS encapsulation, graded AU58. American involvement in the Philippines began in 1898, when the island territory was ceded to the United States by the Spanish empire at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. The following year, 1899, an insular government was established by the United States Congress which allowed a degree of Filipino participation under a governor-general appointed by the US President. Over the following decades, the Philippines were granted expanding degrees of self-governance until 1946 when, after the expulsion of the Japanese during World War II, full independence was achieved. And here is the PCGS image:
For sure. With only ~93,000 mintage, it's objectively a scarce item. For $75, I feel I got a great deal. But 'popularity' definitely matters in terms of 'value'. What's the price of a 1893-S Morgan dollar in UNC?
That was a good score. I got mine in an old ICCS MS60 holder for $80, but that was (yikes) 21 years ago. ANACS gave it MS62 when I got my best George VI slabbed a few years ago. It took me years to discover that it's the SWL (short water lines) variety and has an awesome reverse die clash. I kick myself for not having ANACS designate the SWL but it's pretty obvious. Another MS62 SWL sold last December on HA for $780, which seems a bit crazy. I analyzed the 1946 $1 to death. There's also a SWL on both sides of the canoe, a "high 6" date position, there are two kinds of that die clash which I called "high eye" and "low eye" (position of George's eye behind the native's head), there's likely a DDR, and I think I've proven that a specimen die was also used for circulation strikes (as I've done with other years and denominations). Canadian coins of this era are not as well documented as they could be. The reverse on a lot of these show a pebbled texture below the canoe (as mine does), not sure if that was intentional. Not my "newest acquisition" by far, but I'll post it again anyway.
Not a new acquisition as I've owned it for about a month now, but: Belize - 1990 1 Dollar, Silver Piedfort Proof
Picked up a few bits recently - nothing startling but interesting to me. 1904 Prussian 5 Mark and 3 Mauryan empire ancients. The smallest is just 4mm across! (GB 5p coin for scale - that is just 17mm.)