Valuable US Coins Since 1965

I deliberately left it open as to whether the coin deserved a 68 assessment or not. I, myself, love the high-grade moderns and do appreciate how few do make it with tpgs. Tpgs grade quite hard in these, keeping the levels to 67 or below, even when one thinks it should perhaps be a 68.

Anyways, I have issues with the idea that a coin needs to have no marks/abrasions "visible to the naked eye". As someone who has needed to wear glasses nearly my whole life, and now having had cataracts and having vision correcting surgery, I am quite aware that "visible to the naked eye" can be quite subjective. There are people who have excellent vision and those who may not but think (because they don't realize their limitations) they do. So one person's naked eye may see tiny abrasions and say it is a lower grade and others may say all abrasions or ticks are not visible to the naked eye and call it higher.

As a way of showing how this perception can be, until I had my first cataract and got a new lens implanted in my eye (thus making that eye go from being extremely near-sighted to slightly far-sighted), I had never since early childhood realized that what I perceived as near or total darkness at night (without glasses on) was actually very bright. In other words, without glasses, in the middle of the night, I could not only easily navigate my way out in a dark house at night (or even outside in moonlight) but I became aware that the last 50 years that that was not true had nothing to do with the ambient light allowing sight, but was fully dependent on my own eye defects.

You well may have great eyesight for this standard of coins, but not all do. Therefore it has to be somewhat speculative/subjective and treated that way.

Since I cannot trust "to the naked eye" for the smallest issues on a coin, I have to compensate by other means. Which to me, means looking at the coin with a magnifier and grading what I see as to what someone with perfect eyesight and education in coins would say is visible without magnification. I do a lot of CRH to get my experience and have for close to 20 years now.

 

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Over the past few years modern coinage has been on the rise, specifically those in grades above MS67. Major auction houses such as Heritage, Legend and Stack's have all recorded sales exceeding pre-auction estimates. Some at prices many of us fathom to believe or explain. The one factor being overlooked, or at the least not yet discussed, would be the demographic makeup of who is buying these moderns. Are they in the 25-35 year old bracket, the technology billionaires? Or are they from the more seasoned aged group who have perhaps reached a limit with the classic designs? Perhaps it is both. Whatever the age group or reasoning, no one can deny that it is good for the hobby, that modern coinage finally has it's opportunity to shine.

 

Or in the case of the top pops, the registry set craze is driving high prices. Rich, competitive collectors need to stay a few points ahead of the next guy. But those high prices drop of sharply when you drop a grade level or two

 

One more time (lost my text, could not edit, restart machine, and I'm back).
Below is a 1982 cent, zinc, small date. It came from a card I bought years ago with all 8 1982 combinations on it. As you know 1982 was an interesting year for cents, they got further debased, became copper coated zinc, instead of solid bronze. In 1982 both alloys were minted. The small date, zinc is the more valuable. Mega Red shows it as MS 66 - $45.00, a nice retail valuation. At MS 67 it is $200.00. They can still be found in original bank rolls (OBW). A lesson here, when odd or unique items are minted for circulation coinage, grab some and hold on to them, for example the 2017 P cent, or the 2019 W cents.
Below is my nice red 1982: below it is a Heritage Auction sample (note its poor pale color), and below that - samples from EBAY, note the OBW offered, wherein one may find a gem!! I would grade my coin at MS66+, or even MS67. it is a bit soft on the reverse.
Gary in Washington

 

hi meow kittycat!!

 

Kasia, thank you for you well stated point. Perhaps "to the average naked eye", ??
A good lens can be a mild 2x or a handheld 20x. With poor eyesight, I use 4x magnification glasses. Your eyesight should not be considered the norm, and it is selfish for you to suggest such adjustments. Yet, I will try to state it this way, "to the average naked eye". Okay??
Gary in Washington

 

Hello! Purrrrr.