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February 18, 2025

A Special Daily Blog Edition

20 Year Old Memories of Harbin China's Ice City

 

 

Greetings and welcome to a special Daily Blog edition. Thank you for checking in.

Today, there will be no numismatic content as I'm out of GFRC topics to share in the near term. Rather, considering the old fashion cold and snowy winter that New England, the Upper Midwest, and Canada are experiencing, I though it might be appropriate to share some images taken 20 years ago while I was working in Jilin City, China leading a joint venture for Fairchild Semiconductor. In late January 2005, our staff decided that it would be cool to take a weekend drive from Jilin City to Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang, China’s northernmost province, to visit the famous Ice City Park. Harbin grew in the late 19th century with the influx of Russian engineers constructing the eastern leg of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Yes, Harbin is at latitude 45.8 and is one of the coldest cities in the world with an average winter temperature of -22C.

Harbin is world renowned for its annual staging of the International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. On one side of the park are massive snow sculptures and on the other side is the Ice City. I still have a host of images from both sides of the park but will showcase the Ice City in this Blog edition. You might be wondering how does Harbin City source all of their ice blocks to construct these massive ice buildings. The answer is the Songhua River which traverses Harbin City. Each winter, the river freezes sufficient for workers to cut ice blocks. These blocks are transported to the festival site followed by buildings being erected with ice blocks and colored lighting.

Let's start with the first image which is a map of northeastern China and Mongolia. Practically speaking, Harbin is located in Siberia. When we arrived into Harbin during late January 2005, the Russian architecture was promptly evident. Tsar Nicholas II founded Harbin in 1898 to support Russia's construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway. Upon entering the city via car, I could not help but notice that the city roads were frozen ice with roadway tracks down to the occasional pavement. Harbin's average high temperature during January is -13C or 9F which explains that the ice does not melt until late spring. Yes, it felt cold during the daytime with night time temperatures being notably brutal even for this Mainer.

 

Here is a panoramic view of the Harbin Ice City with visitors providing a sense of scale. This city is massive and I was in complete awe in the amount of manpower that was necessary to not only transport the ice block but also constructing each of the buildings with the internal lighting between the blocks. BTW, all images are clickable for securing higher resolution versions.

 

Unequivocally, the Ice City visit was the coldest temperatures that I have experienced. I remember having my Blackberry which was indicating the temperatures at -30C which is -22F. Here I am wearing three layers of clothes with the outside layer being a skiing parker. The ski gloves and boots were inadequate for this environment and I remember being so cold during the several hour tour of the park.

 

Regardless of the cold temperature, the locals appeared to be able to easily deal with their environment. This final image shows a vendor tent selling food. I distinctly remember loud music blaring (Chinese style) with young lady dancers entertaining the visitors. The dancers wore jackets, gloves and leggings. It was an incredible sight.

 

Once back at our hotel, one of my Fairchild staff members (Rich) and I decide to venture out on our own to secure a beer at a nearby bar nearby the hotel. This excursion was also eye opening as everyone in the bar wore heavy jackets with the main attraction being beautiful Russian women "entertaining" the local Chinese men. The juxtaposition of this setting with that seen in the Wuxi and Shanghai bars was also incredibly memorable.

Yes, the Harbin visit was one of those unforgettable moments in a life. I could not imagine being back in Harbin at this point in life, as the cold temperatures would be unbearable.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

I hope that you've enjoyed this non-traditional Daily Blog edition as we all need an occasional break from numismatics.

Today brings another day in the GFRC office working on the last submitted consignments. After today, the consignment queue is exhausted and the attention will shift to Atlanta ANA preparations and some downtime before the coin show and Evergreen State Collection auction that closes after our ANA show return.

Be well!

 

 

 

February 17, 2025

A Non-Stop GFRC February and March Schedule

 

Greetings on President's Day 2025 and welcome to the Daily Blog. Thank you for taking the time to visit with us.

Every now and then, one needs to step back from the daily office activities and take a hard look at the calendar and commitments. February has been a solid month in terms of sales and new consignments, so all is going well to date. Actually, GFRC is enjoying a record business in 2025 thanks to great community support. To ensure that this momentum is sustained, it seems wise to step back this morning to take a look at the GFRC calendar and internalize the many events that will take place at a fairly rapid pace through early April. That is what today's Blog will focus on to ensure that the community is aligned with GFRC's event schedule. Let's move forward with this topic.

 

GFRC at the ANA Atlanta Money Show - February 27 - March 1, 2025

This week, my attention shifts to the forthcoming ANA Atlanta Money Show that is scheduled from Thursday February 27 through Saturday March 1. Dan White and Gerry will be attending the show with a focus on both auction lot viewing and regular retail sales across eight showcases. The Atlanta show brings an opportunity to meet clients from the deep south beyond the annual Winter FUN show.

The Atlanta Money show is being held at the Cobb Galleria Centre in northern Atlanta. Here is the current floor bourse layout and the GFRC location in Ultra Premium section. We will have wide ranging offerings that will include the GFRC Online Session 2 lots from the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collection along with the entire Evergreen State proof Liberty Seated Dime Collection. This latter auction begin while Dan White and I are at the show. Lastly, GFRC will have its regular price list inventory in the remaining showcases.

 

Evergreen State Proof Liberty Seated Dime Auction Sale - February 27 Midnight - March 2, 2025

While GFRC is attending the ANA Atlanta Money Show, the Evergreen State Proof Liberty Seated Dime Collection auction will open at Thursday midnight (February 27) for bidding. This is an abbreviated auction given the smaller number of lots and a smaller targeted collector audience. The auction runs through Sunday March 2nd and closes at 9:00 PM ET.

This auction sale features 38 proof Liberty Seated lots dated from 1860 through 1891 including several Top 100 Variety listings. CAC approved lots are well represented with 42% having green beans. The major of the offerings are designated as Cameos with the 1866 and 1891 proofs being Deep Cameos. Here are several auction highlights to whet your appetite...

 

Evergreen State Proof Liberty Seated Dime Collection Highlights

         1866 F-102 PCGS PR65DCAM 10C - $3750                                  1867 F-103 PCGS PR65+CAM CAC 10C - $2350    

        

     1888 F-102 PCGS PR65+CAM CAC 10C - $1650                            1891 F-130 PCGS PR66+DCAM CAC 10C - $6000    

        

 

Talking Newtown Seated Halves with a Twist Podcast - March 6, 2025

The next GFRC podcast arrives on March 6, 2025 at 8:00 PM ET and will be hosted by Len Augsburger. Aaron Heintz will be joining Len and Gerry to discuss the background of his exceptional Liberty Seated Half Collector that is being sold via the GFRC Online Auctions platform. We plan an interactive session with Q&A and a special closing treat for attendees. GFRC will be offering three Liberty Seated halves as door prizes. The catch is that attendees must be the first to identify the Liberty Seated denomination based on a macro image. To play the game and win a door prise, attendees will be using their Zoom communication capability to type in the response in the form of a Jeopardy question. Len will walk us through a group of slides beforehand, so we can practice calling out the denominations on the call with unmuted connections. Once the practice session is done, everyone needs to mute their audio for the final three visuals that will be tied to door prizes.

We believe this will be a fun session for all involved.

 

St. Patrick's Day Weekend Sale - March 13 Midnight - March 16, 2025

Arriving in just two weeks after the close of the Evergreen State Collection auction is the St. Patrick Day Weekend Sale that takes place from Thursday March 13 midnight through Sunday March 16 at 9:00 PM ET.

The St. Patrick Day Weekend Sale will be a typical GFRC discounting sale for consignors and yours truly. The goal is to discount aging inventory sufficiently to create attractive purchasing points for the community. The usual sale rules will apply with a minimum 8% discount for participation. Those consignors that wish to secure a head start with their discounting instructions can send along their guidance to me with "St. Patrick Sale Discounting Instructions" in the subject line. The final day for discounting submissions is Monday March 10th.

 

Session 2 - The Connoisseur's Auction Sale - Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated Collections - March 22 - March 29, 2025

It seems like the opening session of the Connoisseur's Auction Sales, which featured amazing Liberty Seated dimes and halves, just took place a weeks ago. In just five weeks, the Session 2 auction event takes place from March 22 through March 29.

Of course, more will be shared in the coming days as it is my role to ensure that everyone is well aware of this forthcoming auction and the opportunity to secure once in several decades coins.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Getting organized in today's Blog edition was important on a personal level as the GFRC calendar brings the busiest month of March on record for this humble business. Our goal is to garner the Liberty Seated community's attention as there will be a host of opportunities for improving one's collections.

In the background, I will also be watching the fabrication of my forthcoming Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 in Germany. The fabrication is scheduled to start on Wednesday February 19th with completion by March 13th. If all goes to plan, this purchase will be delivered to the Sarasota Porsche dealership before the end of April and just in time to be transported to Maine afterwards.

Thank you so much for today's visit and we look forward to your participation in the many forthcoming GFRC events. Of course, the consignment window will be open throughout this hectic period and I will do my best to continue processing your consignments as quickly as possible.

Be well!

 

 

February 16, 2025

A Showcase Trifecta!

Premium Lots Courtesy of a Long Time GFRC Client

Nearing the Top of the Port Matilda Collection Ladder

and

More $1 Gold From an Old Time Collection

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on a peaceful Sunday morning. Thank you for the ongoing readership.

Taking a break and not composing a long edition on Saturday was a well founded decision. That and not being consumed with morning shipping provided a substantial amount of extra time to focus on three consignments. As a result, today's Blog brings a "trifecta" of client showcase galleries for your consideration. I'm hoping to see a positive outcome during the next 24-48 hours as these new offerings should bring wide ranging numismatic appeal within the community.

But first, let's digress a bit...

Saturday evening brought a wonderful Auburn Lake Condo Association party in our clubhouse. For new readers, the Auburn Lakes HOA is comprise of twenty buildings, each with four condo units. The name Auburn Lakes is appropriate as every one of the eighty units has a lanai that faces a pond. We are a deed restricted community with a host of retirees and snowbirds. Yes, there are no children in the complex other than the occasional family visits. I'm rambling, but hope that the background is evident.

Last evening's social community event was one of the best in memory since purchasing our condo unit during 2010. The event theme was "A Night at the Opera" with everyone suggested to were "black tie" attire. Of course, the women were dressed to the hilt with the men doing their best to look respectable. The clubhouse was appropriately decorated and the bar was serving cosmopolitans and rum and cokes. Every one brought hors d'oeuves which resulted in a fantastic array of food for a dinner meal. Games were played with movies themes and the event ran to 8:30 PM which is quite late for this crowd.

Here is an picture of me with Margaret, the HOA complex matron who is 102 years of age and an original owner. She is an amazing woman and my role model for living a long life. How I enjoy hanging with Margaret and enjoying her company as she brings a fast witted sense of humor and is thoroughly engaging in any conversation. Every Tuesday afternoon, Margaret attends the women's mahjong sessions and is known to be very competitive according to Diane. I'm so pleased to have the opportunity to share this image today.

 

A Showcase Trifecta!

We open today's consignment trifecta with a first offering from a long time GFRC client. Yet again, a collector has become a consignor and opens this new relationship phase with a wicked nice lot, most of which were purchased from GFRC. As of the morning, the 1886 Morgan is already spoken for with the balance of the coins being free agents. All of the offer prices are our client's purchase prices as reference.

Premium Lots Courtesy of a Long Time GFRC Client

      1840-O WB-11 PCGS MS63+ CAC 50C - $7500                                               1863 NGC EF45 $1 - $3995                    

        

                1864 PCGS AU55 $1 - $5600                                                      1904 PCGS MS65+ CAC G$20 - $6000    

        

 1858 LL PCGS MS63 1C - $1200                       1821 JR-8 PCGS VF35 10C - $425                      1880-S NGC MS64Star $1 - $400

                      

1886 NGC MS65 CAC $1 - $425

 

Our next presentation is from the Port Matilda Collection. For years, GFRC has been slowing selling this individual's numismatic holdings. Undoubtedly, this process takes us up a ladder with the finest pieces being the last to be divested. I can say with certainty that this release brings a host of premium lots that would easily fit into your collections. Yes, the offer prices are strong as four of the five pieces have been processed through CACG grading and are top end specimens for the grade. Already the 1839-O Reeded Edge half is on hold and I can't imagine why!

 

Nearing the Top of the Port Matilda Collection Ladder

1849-D CACG EF40 G$2.5 - $4100

   1893 CACG PR66CAM 25C - $2725                                           1839-O RE CACG VF35 50C - $3525    

        

              1904 CACG PR64 5C - $485                        1839 Drapery PCGS VF30 CAC 50C - $345

                  

 

Lastly, here is the second to last $1 gold installment from an old time collection that GFRC has been bringing to market during the past two years. The images are accurate and speak for themselves in terms of overall quality.

More $1 Gold From an Old Time Collection

      1861 PCGS MS65 CAC G$1 - $2850                                                1878 PCGS MS64 CAC G$1 - $2850    

        

1862 PCGS MS63 CAC G$1 - $950                        1868 NGC MS61 G$1 - $1050                          1886 NGC MS64 G$1 - $1100        

                      

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Now that I've paraded a host of great coins in front of the readership, today will be spent in the office writing descriptions and posting these to the 30 Day Price List. If wishing to secure first shot, then please email or text me asap.

Thank you so much for returning to the Blog.

Please be well!

 

 

 

February 15, 2025

An Inbetweener Blog

 

Greetings on a Saturday morning and thank you for checking in.

Today's headline pretty much says in all. I'm in a low energy mood this morning and without prepared content. The New Orleans Collection consignment is selling well with three halves already spoken for. On the otherhand, there are two new fresh consignments that will be reaching the Sunday morning edition as showcase galleries. Therefore today is an "inbetweener" situation. I could sit here and try to ramble on about stuff but decided that I deserve a weekend composing break to simply be a bit lazy on an early morning.

Please check back on Sunday for a host of new consignment offerings. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

Yes, I will be in the GFRC office for most of the day and please feel free to email or call in an order. Purchase orders are always good...

Thanks again and be well!

 

 

 

February 14, 2025

Premium Duplicates Courtesy the New Orleans Collection

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on Valentine's Day 2025. Thank you for returning for another edition.

Man is it cold and snowy up at the Maine homestead! Daily highs are lucky to rise above 20F with the new solar panels completely covered by snow. This weather scenario will not change during the upcoming seven days as more snow is expected on Sunday and then Thursday/Friday. For those reading from the frigid Northeast, I will spare you from a warm Venice Florida weather report.

Taking a quick look at the monetary metals at 7:00 ET, silver is the star as having jumped to over $33/oz while gold is trending at $2925. The U.S. dollar has pulled back a bit to an even 107 per the DXY index and the 10 Year U.S. Treasury bond yield is 4.54%.

Thursday brought the arrival of a new consignment from the Port Matilda Collection which includes some serious offers. The primary highlights are an 1839-O Reeded Edge half graded CACG VF35 and an 1849-D CACG EF40 G$2.5. We have yet to unpack this shipment and will do so today to enable a quick photography session during the early afternoon hours.

Dan White says hello from London and will be back in time to serve as the GFRC table assistant at the Atlanta ANA Money that arrives on February 27.

Dr. Tim Cook has received the 1839-O PCGS MS65 Gold CAC dime from my collection and sent along the following comment. Received the 1839-O dime yesterday. It is fantastic! Actually better in hand than the pictures. Thank you very much. It will have a much cherish spot in my collection.

A quick shipping announcement is in order....

We will not be shipping orders today or Saturday as Monday is President's Day, a federal holiday with USPS being closed. Placing shipment into the USPS system today and on Saturday means that those packages will be sitting ideal somewhere in the postal system for two consecutive days. After suffering recent thefts inside the USPS system, we are being extra cautious. Thank you for your understanding on this matter.

 

Premium Duplicates Courtesy the New Orleans Collection

Today main feature is a super nice duplicates release from the New Orleans. Our consignor was active during the Session 1 auction of the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage offerings and now has several duplicates to offer. There is nothing better for a coin dealer to be partnering with a sophisticated advanced collector as he strives to assemble a top-rated set of New Orleans coinage. The following lots are strong for the grade with the 1843-O and 1855-O Seated halves securing GFRC-Gem quality ratings.

Please pay attention to the 1843-O half which is the WB-8 die variety with a heavily cracked reverse and a R5 rarity rating per Bugert. There are two FRoFs on this piece with the individuals being contacted by mid-morning for a purchase decision. The gorgeous 1845-O is from the Pittman Collection and one must wonder by this piece was not awarded a CAC green bean. The offer price does contain a color premium but frankly, this is a magnificent piece for an advanced collection.

The balance of the offerings are equally pleasing and ready for a new home. I will be posting these to the price list this afternoon along with more $1 U.S. gold from that old time collection.

 

Premium Duplicates Courtesy the New Orleans Collection

            1843-O WB-8 R5 PCGS MS63+ CAC 50C - $5650                             1845-O W-9 PCGS MS64 50C - $8500 (Pittman)              

        

      1855-O PCGS MS64 CAC 50C - $3650                                           1859-O WB-15 PCGS MS64 50C - $3650    

        

  1842-O SD PCGS VG08 CAC 25C - $1500      1852-O F-101 PCGS MS62 CAC 10C - $3500            1898-O PCGS MS64 25C - $3150          

                      

Wrapping Up The Blog

Little changes here in Venice as I will be working in the office the entire day. Please feel free to contact me on any numismatic need.

Thank you again for taking time to visit with us at the Daily Blog.

Be well!

 

 

 

February 13, 2025

Unprecedented BRICS Demand for Gold

Evergreen State Proof Seated Dime Auction Ready to Go

Latest New Orleans Consignment Arrives

and

GFRC-Lite Follows Up FUN with Strong Charlotte Show

 

Greetings on a mid-February Thursday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. Thank you so much for the visit.

In life, one must count one's blessings. Being able to escape the wintry Maine landscape is indeed a blessing as our home state is experiencing an old time February with ongoing below freezing temperatures and back to back snowstorms during the balance of the week. Life in west coast Florida is such a contrast with day time highs in the low 80s. I could not image trying to operate the GFRC business, in its present form, back in Maine during the dead of winter.

Let's move forward with today's headline content.

 

Unprecedented BRICS Demand for Gold

The is a move under foot in the global gold market as the yellow precious metal is back over $2900 and trading at $2917 as the Blog is composed. Physical gold continues to migrate to the major eastern countries, and now, to the United States. The fact that the London exchange is being drained by major gold holding countries is raising speculation about a planned revaluation. I don't have much time to go into in depth details on this assertion, so let's share an article from the Kitco website that explains the unprecedented demand for gold in Asia. When both central banks and the retail buyers are chasing a commodity at once, the demand continues to place upward pricing pressure.

Chinese banks are running out of gold, while Russia’s commercial and sovereign reserves are rapidly being depleted as the two BRICS nations face sky-high domestic demand even as prices set new records.

According to local news agency Yicai, the app of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China shows 5, 20, 50, 100, and 200-gram gold bars are out of stock, with only the 10-gram option showing limited availability.

Agricultural Bank of China’s app also shows the lender is sold out of 10 and 20-gram gold bars, while the 100 and 200-gram bars are running low. Meanwhile, the China Construction Bank app shows that only the 50 and 100-gram investment gold bars are available, while the apps of Postal Savings Bank of China and Bank of China show all gold bars are in preorder status, meaning none are currently available.

“Even though gold prices may continue to rise in the short term, the related risks are also likely to gradually accumulate,” said Wu San, a researcher at the Bank of China Research Institute. “Investors need to consider different strategies, such as portfolio diversification, to effectively mitigate risks based on their individual situation.”

The shortages come as gold prices in China and around the world continue to set new all-time highs. Spot gold last traded at a fresh high of $2,906.44 per ounce for a gain of 0.30% on the day.

Fellow BRICS power Russia is also seeing dwindling gold stocks at both the central bank and commercial bank levels.

Gold reserves declined by 46.4 percent in 2024, representing a decrease of over 33 metric tonnes, according to a report from Russian news outlet RBC citing data from Russia's Central Bank.

The Central Bank said Russia's gold reserves declined 23.6 percent in monetary terms last year, but in physical terms, the drop was 46.4 percent, the biggest slump since the peak of the COVID pandemic in 2020.

RBC said that physical gold reserves held by Russian banks now stand at 38.1 tonnes worth $3.4 billion, or 325.4 billion rubles. Russia’s gold reserves are now at their lowest level since July 2022.

According to the World Gold Council, Russian consumers bought 75.6 tonnes of gold in 2024, a 6 percent increase from the previous year but 62 percent more than in 2021, the year before Russia invaded Ukraine.


Evergreen State Proof Seated Dime Auction Ready to Go

I'm pleased to report that the Evergreen State Proof Seated Dime auction is ready to go for its February 27 opening date. Yesterday brought the finalized descriptions for your reading pleasure. This near term auction can be viewed by clinking the Auction link.

 

Latest New Orleans Consignment Arrives

The newest consignment from the New Orleans Collection arrived on Wednesday and will be photographed today. There are several First Rights of Refusals that will be responded to once the coins are loaded in the COIN system and offer prices have been approved. This is a strong consignment that should draw considerable attention.

 

GFRC-Lite Follows Up FUN with Strong Charlotte Show

Rich Hundertmark returns with a Charlotte NC show summary. He is pumped up after enjoying strong FUN and Charlotte events. Here are the details.

Hi Gerry,

The 2-day Charlotte show concluded this past Saturday, and I’m pleased to report that Lite had a very hectic, but strong two-day sales event in Charlotte.

Charlotte is the 1st of 6 events scheduled in this year’s North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia “southern swing”. It’s a grueling event that requires a 3 hour travel each day, then add that to 8+ hours on the bourse and I’m certainly wiped out and ready for an adult beverage (or more) once home Saturday evening at show's end.

To begin, I would like to thank Bourse Chairman, Greg Field for putting on a well-run event with great security. After last year’s show I had asked Greg to see if he could move my table to a better location. This request was honored and Lite’s table was moved to an upfront aisle location much closer to the public entrance.

As for the show itself, I met a lot of new and repeat clients, it’s fun to discuss coins with old friends that visit the table. If there’s a break in the action I always like to engage in conversation. Most collectors passionately love talking about their coins and numismatic holdings, it’s this devotion to the hobby that keeps dealers in business and shows vibrant.

I would also like to mention that I had a great conversation with John Lundsten who headed the LSCC and Barber Society club table. John is a strong Liberty Seated collector who is very giving of his time and knowledge with less experienced collectors. It was good to see him back after overcoming health issues.  

In total, Lite sold 72 coins and reached the show’s targeted 5 figures in sales, this was a 22% increase over last years’ results of 59 coins with average selling price basically flat.

I’m quite pleased with both the number of coins sold and the total sales with the caveat that I’d like to see the ASP bump up a bit. It was nice to beat the prior year's performance, 

Sales for Lite’s flagship Seated Liberty product line showed sales of 47 coins. I’m exceedingly confident in the strength of Lite’s collector grade Seated offering. Based on client comments it’s no contest when comparing Lite to other dealers' Seated inventory at the regional shows Lite attends.

Early copper, Barber and Bust coins also chipped in, the big disappointment was the Morgan and Peace dollar segment, where no sales were achieved.

As to buying, I didn’t go out of my way to purchase additional inventory as consignments are coming into Lite, however I could not refuse a 1925-S California 50C commemorative graded MS64 by PCGS. It’s loaded with great eye appeal and will be sure to find a home in an advanced collection soon.

    

Lite’s focus will now be to load new consignment additions to the GFRC-Lite website. 

One area that will be listed within the next couple of days is a run of 5 Seated Liberty Half Dollars in the small ANACS OWH’s. These older “soap box” holders are still quite popular in the marketplace, notably with conservative grading. The coins are either Generation 4 (1991-96) or Generation 5 (1996-99) with Generation 4 the last being slightly smaller. To see this small difference, you must stack them together or study them side by side.

Here’s a preview listing of the ANACS Seated Half Dollars to be posted:

1859-O 50C ANACS#678986 EF40 $225 Gen#4
1868-S 50C ANACS#2582066 AU50 $225 Gen#5
1869 50C ANACS#2789258 AU55 $675 Gen#5
1871-S 50C ANACS#417333 EF40 $175 Gen#4
1875 50C ANACS#1232290 AU50 $325 Gen#5

After these are posted to the site, I'll be continually updating it with new listings through the next month pre-Baltimore.

I'm also meeting with my webmaster in a few weeks, stay tuned for site enhancements.

Thanks to all the blogamaniacs for reading, happy collecting!

Rich

 

GFRC Consignment Window Reopens for Post ANA Atlanta Money Show Processing

Just a quick note that the GFRC consignment queue is in control at this point with all major consignments being ready for exhibit at the forthcoming Atlanta ANA Money show. Once back from Atlanta, there will be the regular post show administration. Afterwards, I will be in a position to start processing incremental consignments.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Now that the Evergreen State Collection auction is ready for prime time, my attention shifts to the $1 U.S. gold consignment that has been languishing in the background. Other than responding to online orders and photographing the new New Orleans Collection consignment, my attention shifts towards the gold dollars and posting those to the 30 Day Price List.

At this point, there is little else to share and best to conclude another Daily Blog edition. I hope that the visit was worthwhile. Thank you for checking in.

Be well!

 

 

February 12, 2025

Evergreen State's Proof Liberty Seated Dimes to Note

and

Another Premium Consignment Shipping to the Venice Office

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog as we arrive to the mid-point of another week in the GFRC office. We certainly appreciate the ongoing readership.

Tuesday brought another typical day in a numismatic office. The day started with the usual shipping and a noteworthy event. One of my absolutely favorite Liberty Seated dimes, the 1839-O PCGS MS65 Gold CAC said its goodbyes and is heading to the Dr. Tim Cook collection. Undoubtedly, Tim will be thrilled upon its delivery and will make a fine new custodian. Later in the morning, I was on the phone with Merrill Lynch and establishing a personal trading account for the Fortin Collection sale proceeds. Other than purchasing the 718 Boxster GTS 4.0, the balance of the collection sales will be invested under my personal management.

The Evergreen State proof Liberty Seated dimes were the afternoon focus as lot cataloging must be completed in the near term. After inspecting a subset of the collection, there are several pieces that warrant a shout out in today's Blog as I'm still learning more about Seated dime proof strikes. Lastly, a phone call was taken from a long term GFRC client who proposed an substantial eight piece consignment. We promptly worked through the shipping logistics for insurance coverage. This new lot should be in the office by end of week. I'll provide a preview shortly.

Gold and silver are seeing some near term consolidation after the recent pricing spike. LBMA trading has gold at $2883 and silver at $31.69. The gold:silver ratio is now up to 91 which is very bullish for silver.

 

Evergreen State's Proof Liberty Seated Dimes to Note

As mentioned in the preamble, yesterday's Evergreen State cataloging brought about some new learnings as I don't handle a large volume of proof Seated dimes on a regular basis. Why not share a few of those insights within today's Blog?

The first observation is that the Evergreen State Collection has two Top 100 Variety Set entries. They are the 1872 F-109 with a misplaced date and the 1888 F-102a with a polished reverse. Both of these proof varieties are fairly challenging to locate as there are multiple proof die pairings during each of those production dates.

The 1872 F-109 with the bottom of a 2 digit erroneously placed in the base, is much more difficult to locate than its follow-on circulation strikes. This variety was discovered by Kam Ahwash and first listed by Greer in his 1992 DLRC reference. If checking the web-book page on this variety, there is much more to the variety that the single misplaced digit. On some examples, the 72 digits will exhibit repunching. Secondly, there are second and third "echoes" of the primary misplaced digit. The details can be studied here.

The 1888 F-102a brought a new discovery. This variety is listed due to an excessively polished reverse die that removed a portion of the the left ribbon end and nearby maple leaf. It was also noted that the obverse base above the final two 8 digits was weak, also from the die being aggressively polished. What I had not recognized during the preparation of the F-102a web-book page here, was that Liberty's left facing arm and hand were also reduced in size due to the vigorous die maintenance. Interestingly, the F-102 business strikes also show the aggressive obverse die polishing without similar on the reverse.

                 1872 F-109 PCGS PR65 10C                                                1888 F-102a PCGS PR65+CAM CAC 10C    

        

 

A second realization came when cataloging the Evergreen State 1873 No Arrows and With Arrows proof dimes. Though neither of these lots are CAC approved, I was still checking the CAC populations reports and noted that these two dates are very difficult with a cameo designation and premium surfaces. In particular, the 1873 With Arrows has a tiny CAC population of 10 as a straight proof and 7 with a Cameo designation. These numbers are impressively low given that 800 were struck. Here is the Evergreen State lot and it is no surprise that his specimen is limited to a PCGS PR64CAM example as compared to the many PR65CAM and PR66CAM lots within the balance of the sale.

1873 Arrows PR64CAM 10C

 

As a reminder, the Evergreen State proofs will be available for auction lot viewing at the ANA Atlanta Money show in just two weeks with the auction commencing on February 27 and closing on March 2.

 

Another Premium Consignment Shipping to the Venice Office

OK, here is a quick preview of the newest consignment that was committed yesterday. If wishing to have a First Right of Refusal, please send along a request via email only with a subject line that reads "First Right of Refusal" to enable easy pickup in my Inbox.

1858 FE PCGS MS63 1C Eagle Eye approval

1821 PCGS VF35 10C

1840-O PCGS MS63+ CAC 50C (Sales Archive)

1880-S NGC MS64 Star $1 Toner (Sales Archive)

1886 NGC MS65 CAC $1 Toner (Sales Archive)

1863 NGC EF45 $1

1864 PCGS AU55 $1

1904 PCGS MS65+ CAC $20 Gold

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

As you can probably guess, I will be working in the GFRC office the entire day. My top priority is completing the Evergreen State Collection descriptions which then facilitates the preparation of a PDF catalog for our consignor. That catalog will be constructed next week. Once the catalog is done, my attention shifts back to the $1 gold and loading the Type 1 and Type 2 lots to the 30 Day Price List.

Please don't be bashful about calling into the office for a purchase or other numismatic needs.

Thanks again for the visit.

Be well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 11, 2025

Several New 30 Day Price List Offerings to Consider

 

Greetings on a Tuesday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. Thank you for checking back and taking in our ongoing ramblings.

The GFRC office is a busy place as we are working on multiple projects in parallel while attempting to provide our regular service levels. If I don't write a particular client service request down, there is a good chance that the request will be overwhelmed by a host of other activities. This happened yesterday when I forget to return two consigned coins back to a California client. The past few days have seen a migration from the USPS legacy Click-N-Ship platform to the new Enhanced Click-N-Ship. During this conversion, we are double and triple checking that each ship to address is accurate as there is nothing worse than sending a coin to an old or out of season address. Tracking incoming payments for the Session 1 auction payments terms is just another complexity on top of all the other regular office activities including daily emails asking for special coin reviews, purchasing advice, and holder images. Finally, there are hard boundaries for personal health and exercise that cannot be ignored as I'm not getting any younger.

So here we are on a Tuesday morning with no prepared content for the Daily Blog. I've spoken enough about the gold rally in recent editions and need to let that topic develop further before providing more commentary. BTW, gold reached a new record high of $2945 on the LBMA this morning and has settled back to $2905.

 

Several New 30 Day Price List Offerings to Consider

The posting of new coins onto the 30 Day Price List continued on Monday. Following are four lots for your consideration.

The 1853-O No Arrows half dime is a key date with crusty original surfaces. Some collectors may recognize this piece as being from the Sooner Collection in the past. It was purchased by an 1853 date collector and recently upgraded. The same individual purchased the 1853-O PCGS MS63 CAC dime from my personal collection, in the Session 1 Sale, and has released this colorfully toned F-101 duplicate back to the market. The offer price is directly competitive with other AU55 sales as seen in the Sales Archive. The 1880 F-102a dime is condition census offering from a new GFRC consignor and warrants attention. Finally, the 1867 PCGS EF40 CAC quarter makes its first appearance within my inventory after a trade with a long term enthusiast of the series. All four coins are immediately available.

      1853-O No Arrows PCGS EF40 H10C - $2750                               1853-O F-101 Arrows NGC AU55 10C - $1450      

        

1880 F-102a NGC MS67+ CAC 10C - $3800                                         1867 PCGS EF40 CAC 25C - $1985      

        

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

At this point, I must end today's ramblings to secure a head start to the day.

Again, thank you for stopping by and please be well.

 

 

 

February 10, 2025

Gold Marching to $3000

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on a Monday morning. Thank you for returning for another edition.

I hate to disappoint readers this morning but today's content will be minimalistic.

On Sunday, Dr. Tim Cook's newest consignment was loaded to the 30 Day Price List for those who enjoy Liberty Seated Dime die varieties. About half of the descriptions for the Evergreen State Proof Seated Dime Collection are also completed. The Super Bowl was not overly exciting as the Philadelphia Eagles out muscled the Chiefs. It was difficult to get excited about the many advertisements that relied on wild graphics. Call me old fashion, but I like ads with simple and clear messages rather than theater. Even the presentation of our national anthem left something to be desired for this old timer. At half time, I was back in the office taking in YouTube videos on Porsche 911 variants as found this activity to be more though provoking than dumb Super Bowl ads.

 

Gold Marching to $3000

Gold prices are making a move this morning through the $2900 mark with the 7:00 AM ET quote now at $2907. Silver is holding at $32.30/oz. I suspect that we will see $3000 gold by the end of the month (or sooner) as gold's momentum is increasing due to geopolitical concerns outside the United States. As foreign central banks make a dash to repatriate their London stored gold and add incremental purchases, lease rates have jumped dramatically with refiners unable to keep up with demand. The LBMA and COMEX are being bled dry as a rush for the yellow monetary metal is underway. Here in the U.S., it is reported that citizens are net sellers of gold as the price continues to rise. On one hand we have global central banks adding to their gold holdings at higher price levels while the United States retail environment is lopsided with sellers. Is a gold revaluation in the cards during 2025?

Of significant concern is that the latest government reports indicate the potential for stagflation's return. Stagflation is an ugly economic condition with ongoing inflation during a period of weak economic growth. The Federal Reserve has its hands tied during stagflation as there are no monetary tools to deal with the issue. Raising interest rates will push the economy into recession while lowering rates will push prices back up as demand for goods and services increases. No one is talking about credit card debt but the United States is experiencing record levels of new credit card based spending that is inflationary. People are borrowing to fund current lifestyles and making minimal 2% of balance payments. Even McDonalds is struggling with revenues as more people are unable to afford the cost of fast food. Just think about that for a moment and what this is signaling for the U.S. economy.

Maybe Warren Buffet and Jim Rogers are right as 2025 unfolds.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

I'm staring at another busy week in the GFRC office starting with at least eight packages queued for shipment this morning. Several important consignments will be arriving including a strong release of New Orleans Collection duplicates that were shared last week.

Yesterday's Type 1 and Type 2 $1 gold needs to be loaded to the price list today along with image processing for the balance of the Type 3 lots.

That is the extent of today's Blog content as I gear up for another numismatic week.

Thank you again for stopping by.

Be well!

 

 

February 9, 2025

Type 1 and Type 2 $1 Gold From an Old Time Collection

Presenting the Second Finest CAC Approved 1842-O Small Date Quarter

and

Gerry Fortin's Self Published Auction Catalog Featured in Coin World

 

Greetings on Super Bowl Sunday and welcome to the Daily Blog. Thank you for the visit.

Do I have a favorite team for the Super Bowl? To be honest, all that is known is that the Chiefs and Eagles are playing and bring nearly identical records into the game. Operating GFRC on a competitive basis requires a substantial time commitment which precludes watching weekend football games. Will I take a break today to watch the Super Bowl? Absolutely as taking in the newest advertisements are part of this annual sporting event. These ads are a window into the current national culture and not to be missed.

Saturday brought a productive office day. Everyone should note that the GFRC Online Auctions banners have been updated to reflect the forthcoming Session 2 auction that arrives on March 22. New banner coins have been retrieved from the second session lots. A background task has to do with the fact that USPS is terminating their legacy Click-N-Ship application and forcing all users into their new Enhanced Click-N-Ship platform. As usual with a USPS online applications, there are bugs that must be confronted. USPS touts that it is simple to insource a legacy system Contacts List (Address Book) into the new platform by just hitting a Sync button. Unfortunately, the Sync function did not bring about the old contact list transfer with addresses starting with M through Z missing. The alternative is to export a .CSV file from the legacy platform and import into the "enhanced" system. Sounds great until I built the legacy system export file and tried to import into the new enhanced application. The enhanced application found file formating errors with the legacy system produced .CSV file. Believe me, I'm not making this stuff up for sympathy. In the end, I created an export Address Book file from the new system and them did a copy and paste of the columns from the legacy .CSV file and all was fine. Whew! GFRC is ready for when USPS shuts down the legacy system on February 26.

Beyond the above tasks, Saturday saw more image processing just in time for sharing several gallery showcases in today's edition. Let's move forward with these.

 

Type 1 and Type 2 $1 Gold From an Old Time Collection

From an old time U.S. gold collection comes the following Type 1 and Type 2 $1 gold lots for your consideration. All of these coins are housed in older generation TPG holders and have been off the market for a significant amount of time and are assuredly "fresh". Several branch mint lots are featured along with what might be viewed as a Type 2 design hoard. Type 2 $1 gold is in constant demand as a type coin and never lasts long on the GFRC price lists. Today brings nine Type 2 lots including a challenging 1855 Chalotte example.

All lots are immediately available and can be reserved via email or text message. Now is your opportunity to secure a first shot for these old time pieces.

 

Type 1 Gold Dollars From an Old Time Collection

1851-C NGC AU58 G$1 - $2850

         1851-O NGC AU58 G$1 - $650                                                 1853 PCGS MS63 CAC G$1 - $750    

        

 

Type 2 Gold Dollars From an Old Time Collection

1855-C PCGS EF45 G$1 - $4750

1854 NGC AU58 CAC G$1 - $925                          1854 NGC AU58 G$1 - $825                            1854 NGC AU58 G$1 - $825     

                      

  1855 NGC MS61 G$1 - $1400                        1855 PCGS AU58 CAC G$1 - $950                         1855 NGC AU58 G$1 - $825   

                      

    1855 NGC AU55 G$1 - $650                      1855-O PCGS Genuine G$1 - $1250

           

 

The Second Finest CAC Approved 1842-O Small Date Quarter

GFRC is pleased to announce that it has brokered the sale of the second finest CAC approved 1842-O Small Date quarter into the New Orleans Collection. Our long term consignor was thrilled with the opportunity to add this crusty original specimen into his New Orleans Mint centric collection. This piece was delivered on Saturday early afternoon by the seller and just in time for backyard photography. The obverse retains its natural steely luster while the reverse is heavily encrusted with a thick skin that blocks the background radiance. The surfaces are unquestionably original and then some...

 

1842-O Small Date NGC AU50 CAC 25C

 

Gerry Fortin's Self Published Auction Catalog Featured in Coin World Digital Edition

My sincere thanks go out to Len Augsburger for yet another positive marketing outcome as we market the Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Collection auction sale. Len sent along an email on Saturday afternoon announcing that Coin World had published a Numismatic Bookie article by Joel Orosz. The topic was my self published catalog and a discussion of its precedence and potential conflict of interests. Joel Orosz conducts background research for self published auction catalogs and concludes that the self cataloging is "a tale as old as time". I'll end at this point and let you appreciate the entire article that will appeal in Coin World's February 15th digital edition.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Today brings more time in the GFRC office as I promised Dr. Tim Cook that his duplicate Liberty Seated dimes would be posted to the 30 Day Price List this weekend. One has to keep promises! If time allows, today's Type 1 and Type 2 gold lots will also be posted to the price lists.

Thank you again for visiting on Super Bowl Sunday.

Be well!

 

 

February 8, 2025

Announcing a Talking Seated Halves with a Twist Podcast

and

GFRC Consignment Window is Selectively Open

 

Greetings and welcome again to another Daily Blog edition. Thank you for returning for another round of numismatic and who knows what else ramblings....

Indeed, composing the Daily Blog has become a lifestyle. There is a self motivated responsibility to sit at the laptop each morning at 6:00 AM and to write something that the community will find useful or entertaining. Of course, the constant theme is the GFRC business and the newest developments. However, interjecting fun topics keeps these ramblings from becoming mundane, especially for me as the blogger. Case in point is yesterday's Blake Gibb racing video. Honestly, I've watched the video three times in the past two days as an educational exercise along with appreciating how aggressive my buddy Blake can be on a race track. Said another way, running on a race track is not for the weak of heart. One must love speed and the thrill of pushing one's mind through self imposed limits. Sure, the car must respond and be equal to the mental challenges. If wishing to test how your concentration level at an older age, just get into a race car and push yourself on a track. The limits of your focus and reaction times will quickly become apparent.

When not watching racing videos or Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 YouTube videos, I've been focused on the recent gold breakout into new record highs. Just this morning over breakfast, I took in several videos by Andy Schectman and Chris Vermeulen. The Schectman interview was at the macro level while the Chris Vermeulen video was strictly on short term technicals. To summarize the takeaways, there is a mass exodus of gold out of the Bank of England by a host of sovereign central banks as the trust level is now under question. Smaller sovereign countries are in the belief that gold ownership must be accomplished with physical possession on one's own soil. The U.S. confiscation of Russian Treasury bond holdings is the straw that broke the camel's back. On a technical basis, gold is poised to break through the $3000 mark in the next few weeks and silver making an attempt that the $35/oz mark. Chris Vermeulen suggests sticking with gold as the silver market is too small and with excess volatility.

Let's move forward with today's headline topics.

 

Announcing a Talking Liberty Seated Halves with a Twist Podcast

I'm pleased to announce that three calendars have been aligned and a new GFRC podcast is forthcoming on Thursday March 6 at 8:00 PM ET. The podcast is entitled Talking Liberty Seated Halves with a Twist and features Aaron Heintz, Len Augsburger, and Gerry Fortin commensurating on the Newtown Collection along with a name that Liberty Seated denomination challenge and a door prize giveaway of three Liberty Seated halves. There is a lot to unpack here, right?

My overriding goal is for the community to meet Aaron Heintz, the collector behind a host of major collections sold by GFRC during the past several years. We will be discussing his collecting history along with certain lots that are being offered in the Session 2 auction that arrives on March 22. The Twist part relates back to a challenge that was employed at an ANA Summer Seminar years ago. At the end of a week long class, Len, John Frost, and I tested the students on their ability to name the Seated denomination based on a small visual clue. We will be attempting to do the same at the end of the March 6 podcast with door prizes courtesy of GFRC. Please keep reading the Blog as more details will be forthcoming. This idea was just hatched yesterday and needs to be fleshed out a bit more in terms of executing with a live Zoom call audience.

 

GFRC Consignment Window is Selectively Open

It is truly difficult for me to fully close the GFRC consignment window when community members come along with some strong offerings. Such is the case during the past week where I agreed to take on smaller (five pieces or less) consignments. The price points must also be substantial. Come next week, there will be three new shipments of some premium material to the GFRC Venice office.

When I say the consignment window is selectively open, this means that I am being very selective on what is being approved for shipment. If a collector wishes to consign a large lot of sub $500-$1000 coins, then I will be passing on the opportunity. I'm to the point of approaching my 69th year and needing to become more judicious on where my precious time in being committed. Come May 2025, there will be the third GFRC Online Auction sale of the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collection sale along with a new Porsche toy and a lonely Johnny2 in the homestead barn. The days of working seven days a week processing consignments will be ending in lieu of having summer fun.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog (What is Gerry Up to Today?)

Yep, I will be planted in the GFRC office today with multiple goals. Firstly, Dr. Tim Cook needs to sell his Liberty Seated dime die varieties duplicates to raise cash for the Session 2 auction. I'm being supportive and will be posting his new offerings including several R5 varieties with rim cuds. Afterwards, it is back to the $1 gold consignment and wrapping up the image processing. Maybe there will be a gallery showcase for Sunday's Blog.

Loading the 30 Day Price List with new offerings is key prior to attending the ANA Atlanta Money show. However, I do need to continually sell existing coins on the price list else the consignors grow restless. If considering a purchase, please reach out to me via phone or email towards making a deal.

That is it for today. I hope that the visit was worthwhile. Thanks again and be well as tomorrow brings Super Bowl Sunday.

 

 

 

February 7, 2025

Exciting Hallet Speedway Racing Courtesy of Blake Gibb

and

Gorgeous Indian $2.5 CAC Gold to Consider

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on a Friday morning. It is February 7, 2025. Thank you so much for returning for another session of community thoughts and new GFRC offerings.

I'm in a particularly good mood this morning as my 718 Boxster has an official scheduled production start date of February 19 per the latest Porsche update. The expected end of production is forecasted as March 12 which is in day ahead of the initial build schedule provided upon placing the order at Sarasota Porsche. So far, so good. Hopefully, dealing with Porsche will be better than dealing with Tesla and their new Powerwall3 batteries. We are still experiencing recalibration events every three weeks or so.

Spot gold is holding recent gains with more news originating from those on YouTube that are closely watching the LBMA (London Exchange). It is now being reported that entities that are requesting their stored gold back are being quoted 4-8 weeks for its return. Let's not forget that the large holders of physical gold operate lease programs whereby they lease gold under their control at 1-2% lease rates. There is growing speculation that the LBMA may not have the reported gold inventories on site as some of it might be leased to other parties. In other gold news, China's central bank is once again buying gold on the open market at current prices. The morning price quote from the LBMA is $2868 as of 6:45 AM ET with silver at an even $32.20.

Let's move on to the headlines...

 

Exciting Hallet Speedway Racing Courtesy of Blake Gibb

Blake sent along a YouTube video of his late October 2024 race at the Hallet Speedway as he knew I would appreciate since being on the track myself and understanding the challenges of navigating the various turns at racing speed. This video was taken by a GoPro camera in Blake's Subaru that has been completely gutted and rebuilt as a racing machine. The video can be accessed by clicking on this link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nO5d4KMCcE

This is a nearly 23 minute video with the 13 minute mark being quite exciting and worth watching to that point. Afterwards, Blake is chasing down other competitors on s systematic basis. Please note that the first track loop is to warm up the tires before the cars are staged for the race start behind Scott's (track owner) Mercedes pace car. Also note the blue tape marker on the steering wheels that denotes the 12:00 position.

What do numismatics and race cars have in common? Aging men having fun!

 

Gorgeous Indian $2.5 CAC Gold to Consider

Today brings the first release of the $1 and $2.5 gold consignment that I've been mentioning for the past week or so. A subset of the $1 dollar gold pieces are off to CAC NJ for review but this will not stop me from wrapping up the images for the remaining lots in the GFRC consignment queue. If my day goes as planned, Saturday's Blog will bring the balance of the $1 gold lots.

The following five $2.5 Indian are truly choice and would be a great starter lot for someone wishing to build a Mint State date and mint mark set. Sure the 1911-D is the key date that some may see as the stopper. Hurry on this wonderful offerings as they are fairly priced for the quality. Please pay attention to the 1929 which its PCGS MS64+ CAC grade and a substantial premium jump to full MS65.

Gorgeous Indian $2.5 CAC Gold to Consider

1914-D PCGS MS63+ CAC G$2.5 - $2650

    1926 PCGS MS64+ CAC G$2.5 - $1250                                             1927 PCGS MS64+ CAC G$2.5 - $1250    

        

    1928 PCGS MS64 CAC G$2.5 - $1050                                             1929 PCGS MS64+ CAC G$2.5 - $1450    

        

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Little changes here in the GFRC office as we will be conducting some light shipping during the morning hours followed by posting the above five Indians to the 30 Day Price List after lunch followed by more images processing. How I would love to have the day's schedule interrupted by several orders or a special request, with terms, for the remaining Fortin or Newtown Seated coinage lots from the Session 1 auction.

Come the weekend, I will be writing descriptions for the Evergreen State Proof Seated Dime auction lots. There is never a downtime moment in the GFRC office.

Now that the Blog is wrapped up, I'm going to watch Blake's Hallet racing video again as living vicariously through his track escapades.

Thanks again for the visit.

Be well!

 

 

February 6, 2025

GFRC-Lite at the Charlotte Show

The Fortin 1841 PCGS MS65 Gold CAC Dime is Sold

and

New 30 Day Price List Postings

 

Greetings on a Thursday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. Another week is moving along much to quickly. Thank you so much for the visit.

My preamble creativity is a bit low this morning so let's briefly cover the monetary metals. Gold is in a sustained rally mode with each day bringing new highs. Wednesday saw the yellow precious metal topping at at $2875/oz. As the Blog is being composed, the current London quote is $2868. Silver is trading at roughly $32.00 with more volatility. Gold is now 4.6% away from the $3000 milestone.

Let's move forward with today's headlines. Up first is a report from Rich Hundertmark at GFRC-Lite.

 

GFRC-Lite at the Charlotte Show

Hi Gerry,

Wow, time sure flies, it feels like the FUN show just passed and now Lite will be attending the Charlotte show this weekend. I’m hopeful that winter has just about passed here in Winston Salem with 73 degrees hit on Tuesday. Temperatures are expected to moderate to the 50s over the weekend, hopefully good coin selling weather!

Before discussing Charlotte, let’s put a wrap on FUN. Simply stated, the event was EPIC, with what seemed like nonstop sales for the first two days followed by a productive Saturday that consisted of taking in consignments, strategically buying targeted coins for inventory, and even purchasing a key date 1840-O No Drapery MS62 Half dime that’s now a highlight of my collection.

It was also great to see the full team of Gerry, Diane, Dan and Rose Marie along with Blake working the booth. The GFRC team is exceedingly strong, with its’ great teamwork and chemistry on display while handling many simultaneous customer transactions.

As for Lite, after two weaker shows at Baltimore and Annandale it was sure lots of fun and rewarding to see strong sales realized. Both dealer wholesale and collector retail sales were very active with Seated halves and quarters leading the charge followed by Morgans.

I’ve updated the Lite site for some of the FUN purchases and consignments including new adds to Standing Liberty Quarters & Barber Quarters and Halves. After the Charlotte show is concluded, I’ve still got much to do and lots of inventory to post, with Seated Halves and Morgan Dollars a priority. 

The Charlotte show is held at the Park Expo and Conference Center, details can be found on the Lite site. This show is always well attended by the public and is also noted as a “dealer buying show” with many out of state dealers flying in to walk the bourse and do a bit of dealer to dealer activity.

That’s about it for this Lite update, here’s wishing all of the blogamaniacs continued collecting success

 

The Fortin 1841 PCGS MS65 Gold CAC Dime is Sold

One of the challenges of selling a top rated collection, on a solo basis, is locating homes for the higher priced coins in lofty preservations states. Coins at the five figure level have a wide appeal but with a limited number of buyers with the commensurate resources. The solution to this challenge is to work with collectors on extended payment terms so that they can make the acquisition decision and lock down a favorite piece. Such is the case yesterday when my 1841 PCGS MS65 Gold CAC was placed into the Evergreen State Collection. Obviously, with his Liberty Seated Dime Proof Collection being sold by GFRC at the end of the month, the availability of funds is a timing matter. Doing business on a win-win basis is what GFRC is all about as I was also granted acquisition terms during my early collecting days to secure what seemed to be unattainable pieces.

1841 PCGS MS65 Gold CAC 10C

 

Our congratulations go out to the Evergreen State Collection for this important purchase. At this point, there are only four dimes remaining from the Session 1 auction. There are two design transitional pieces (1837 Small Date PCGS MS66+ CAC, and the Gardner 1838-O No Stars PCGS MS65 CAC) coupled with the Civil War era's finest known 1863 PCGS MS67 CAC dime, and finally the thoroughly choice 1874-CC PCGS EF45 CAC lot for consideration. All four pieces will be in the ANA Atlanta Money showcases if not finding a new home by the end of the month.

 

New 30 Day Price List Postings

Wednesday saw our shipping queue being brought under control followed by the posting of ten new offerings to the 30 Day Price List. These lots are primarily from a New York City collector who purchased them from GFRC during 2022. During that period, our client was aggressively picking off new offerings as they were posted in the Daily Blog showcase galleries. This individual's priorities have shifted, therefore a portion of his acquisitions are returning to the price list.

Here are four Barber lots that you might find to be appealing.

   1901-O PCGS VF25 CAC 25C - $700                                                 1908-O NGC MS63 25C - $535      

        

          1908-D NGC MS64 25C - $1075                                                  1910-S PCGS AU55 CAC 25C - $825    

        

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Today's focus shifts back to the $1 and $2.5 gold consignment that has been quietly being prepared for prime time. Remaining are the development of a pricing proposal along with finalized images. These two tasks will be at the top of my agenda while hanging out in the office for nearly the entire day.

I've rambled enough at this point, so let's call it a Blog edition and move forward with a day in a life. Thank you as always for staying abreast of the GFRC day to day activities.

Be well!

 

 

 

February 5, 2025

Gold Heading to $3000?

Presenting the Evergreen State Proof Liberty Seated Dime Collection

and

Second Finest Known 1842-O Small Date Seated Quarter is Sold

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on a Wednesday morning. Thank you for returning for another edition.

The GFRC office is just humming along with numismatic activity while I continue to watch rising gold prices. Let's move forward with today's headline topics as there is plenty to share.

 

Gold Heading to $3000?

As the Blog is being composed, spot gold has increased to $2869/oz while silver is trading at $32.18. The precious metal sector is once again in a rally mode with daily new record highs. Why is this taking place?

The long and the short is that the precious metals are in the early stages of a systematic crisis for physical delivery. For those who are not taking the time to research how the COMEX and LBMA (London) markets operate, it is difficult to understand the current physical supply and demand imbalance that continues to expand. In other words, demand for physical delivery is exceeding supplies. In years past, these markets were nearly entirely focused as credit markets with few trades ever settling in physical. Starting during 2023 and accelerating in 2024, the number of contracts being demanded to settle in physical delivery is expanding. For example, it has been reported that physical gold delivery during 2024 rose to 2200 tons and continue to climb during the first month of 2025. To put that number into perspective, the United States supposedly holds 8,134 tons of gold stored at Fort Knox and other locations. Physical gold buyers are predominately from eastern countries who are moving out of paper fiat currencies into physical money. It is now being reported that the LBMA has a 4-8 week delivery window for contracts that settle in physical delivery. Silver is also starting to see a similar issue with delivery delays on the major exchanges.

While the eastern countries are growing their exposure to physical metals, the west is focused on Bitcoin with few Americans interested in holding physical monetary assets. Those of us who have prepared with physical positions along with holding equities in the mining sector and precious metal ETFs could be handsomely rewarded.

 

Presenting the Evergreen State Proof Liberty Seated Dime Collection

GFRC is pleased to be showcasing the Evergreen State Proof Liberty Seated Dime Collection in today's Blog edition. The Evergreen State consignor has been active with GFRC for years but recently decided that a collection branding name was appropriate as he takes steps to accelerate his numismatic hobby into a serious endeavor. During the past several years, our client has been assembling an advanced Liberty Seated dime proof set that is now being liquidated for incremental numismatic capital. Like many collectors, the thrill of the hunt towards accomplishing a substantial goal trumps the decision for a long term holding period. It is with this background that our client has decided to sell his collection via the GFRC auction and fixed price list outlets.

Let's have a look at what the Evergreen State Collection has been able to accomplish. When evaluating proof coinage, Cameo and Deep Cameo designations are paramount for exceptional eye appeal. Heavily mirrored fields that frame lightly frosted motifs is the collecting goal. Attractive toning and minimal hairlines are equally important.

- Firstly, the entire set has been graded by PCGS

- Over 70% of the collecting has secured a Cameo designation with two lots (1866 and 1891) attaining the very difficult Deep Cameo certification

- 42% of the pieces are CAC approved

- The majority of the collection is graded PR65/PR66 with two lots at the lofty PR67 level

Now that the proper perspective has been shared, everyone is invited to view the following gallery showcase. GFRC will be auctioning this collection starting on February 27 9:00 PM ET ( a Thursday evening) with the auction closing on Sunday March 2, also at 9:00 PM ET. At this point, all lots have been loaded into the GFRC online auction catalog with reserves posted. Simply click on one of the three opening auction banners to visit the online auction catalog. The Evergreen State Collection lots are posted first and ahead of the forthcoming Session 2 Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage auction event.

Presenting the Evergreen State Proof Liberty Seated Dime Collection

      1863 F-101 PCGS PR66CAM 10C                                                  1864 F-102 PCGS PR66CAM 10C   

        

      1866 F-102 PCGS PR65DCAM 10C                                             1867 F-103 PCGS PR65+CAM CAC 10C

        

      1868 F-104 PCGS PR66CAM CAC 10C                                          1891 F-130 PCGS PR66+DCAM CAC 10C   

        

 1860 F-101 PCGS PR66CAM 10C                        1861 F-101 PCGS PR65 10C                             1862 F-101 PCGS PR64 10C  

                      

 1865 F-102 PCGS PR65CAM 10C                    1867 F-103 PCGS PR66+ CAC 10C                  1869 F-106 PCGS PR65+ CAC 10C

                      

         1870 F-101 PCGS PR66 10C                   1871 F-102 PCGS PR65CAM CAC 10C                 1872 F-103 PCGS PR66+ CAC 10C

                      

      1872 MPD F-109 PCGS PR65 10C                1873 NA C3 F-101 PCGS PR65CAM 10C         1873 Arrows F-102 PCGS PR64CAM 10C

                      

1874 Arrows F-101 PCGS PR64CAM 10C                 1875 F-101 PCGS PR65CAM 10C                     1876 F-103 PCGS PR65 CAC 10C      

                      

  1876 F-103 PCGS PR64CAM CAC 10C                  1876 F-103 PCGS PR65CAM 10C                      1877 F-101 PCGS PR66 CAC 10C    

                      

       1877 F-101 PCGS PR65CAM 10C                          1878 F-101 PCGS PR66 10C                     1879 F-101 PCGS PR66CAM CAC 10C

                      

 1879 F-101 PCGS PR65CAM CAC 10C                 1880 F-101 PCGS PR66CAM 10C                1881 F-101 PCGS PR66CAM CAC 10C

                      

 1882 F-101 PCGS PR65CAM 10C                      1883 F-103 PCGS PR67 CAC 10C                      1884 F-101 PCGS PR66CAM 10C

                      

 1885 F-101 PCGSPR67CAM CAC 10C                  1886 F-103 PCGS PR65CAM 10C                      1887 F-101 PCGS PR66CAM 10C    

                      

 1888 F-101 PCGS PR65+CAM CAC 10C                1889 F-102 PCGS PR66+ CAC 10C                    1890 F-101a PCGS PR65CAM 10C    

                      

 

Second Finest Known 1842-O Small Date Seated Quarter is Sold

Well, that did not take long...

Requests for the second finest known 1842-O Small Date Liberty Seated quarter, graded NGC AU50 with CAC approval, promptly started arriving once yesterday's Daily Blog edition was uploaded. At a little after 1:00 PM, this newly discovered piece was sold into the New Orleans Collection for $16,000. This is quite a fair price given the fresh CAC approval that was reported on Monday.

Our congratulations go out to the New Orleans Collection for his steadfast efforts in building one of the finest New Orleans branch mint coinage collections extant.

Furthermore, our client has proposed the following duplicates consignment that will be shipping to the GFRC office early next week. Yes, I have opened the consignment window specifically for this client given the significant of his duplicate offerings. If interest in a First Right of Refusal for any of the following lots, please send along an email with your targeted coin(s). Please not that the PCGS certification number is listed for potential access to a PCGS TrueView image.

1852-O 10C PCGS MS62CAC     28148598           
1842-O Small Date 25C PCGS VG8CAC     14131393           
1898-O 25C PCGS MS64             11628074           
1843-O 50C PCGS MS63+CAC   36646870          
1845-O 50C PCGS MS64              6556656           
1855-O 50C PCGS MS64CAC      5914328            
1859-O 50C PCGS MS64              26762046        

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Today brings yet another long day in the GFRC office. That is OK as balance will be achieved come the summer months where I was be spending extended time in either the back acreage with Johnny2 or driving throughout Maine's back roads with the new Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 convertible.

Now that the Evergreen State proof dime collection is posted at the online action catalog, I can spend the balance of the week on the recently arrived U.S. $1 and $2.5 gold collection consignment along with other consignments that will post immediately to the 30 Day Price List.

Please don't hesitate to call in or email purchase orders. Inventory turnover is paramount for raising incremental consignor numismatic capital.

Thank you again for visiting the Daily Blog.

Be well!

 

 

 

February 4, 2025

A Busy Shipping Department

Evergreen State Proof Seated Dime Collection Debuts on Wednesday

and

Second Finest Known 1842-O Small Date Seated Quarter is Available

 

Greetings and welcome to another Daily Blog edition. It is an early February Tuesday morning. Thank you for checking back.

Here is a thought for the day...

Attention doesn’t scale, no matter how hard we try.

This thought rings so true here at GFRC. As much as I believed early on that the GFRC business could be scaled due to higher personal efficiencies and simplified operating processes, the realization set in that there are certain aspects of a customer centric service business that cannot be scaled. Time on the phone with clients is an example. Educational sessions in the Daily Blog is another. What it boils down to is that client communications do not scale well as the value is in the time taken to listen to collecting aspirations or accomplishments and how GFRC can provide individualized service. Assembling a loyal collector community is a step by step process with a broad range of people, which obviously cannot be scaled.

OK, let's move to today's headline topics.

 

A Busy Shipping Department

One would believe that shipping a packaged coin would be straightforward right? All that is needed is USPS shipping supplies and a label. Wrong!

The shipping process is more involved given the dynamics of individualized service. Clients employ multiple payments methods including checks, Zelle, PayPal (F&F and credit), credit cards, and wire transfers. GFRC must have a payments system that can track all of the incoming payments, which then trigger a shipment. We further increase the shipping decision complexity with courtesy ship aheads to regular clients. For some clients, this courtesy can become an entitlement which requires occasional expectations management as an "attention" decision on my part.

The decision to ship a package requires manual intervention when clients request holds due to being away from home. Or, they wish for their coins to be shipped to an alternate address due to longer term travels. Movements from summer to winter residences also requires addresses to be reconfirmed before shipping packages during late autumn and spring times.

It is with this background that your GFRC staff shipped 17 packages on Monday. The majority of the packages were Session 1 auction lots that has been purposefully staged to go out on a Monday. Why? Based on our shipping experiences, Monday is the best day of the week to secure fast and reliable movements through the USPS system if there are no major weather events in the country. Our goal is to get client purchased coins to them in the safest manner possible.

When preparing and shipping 17 packages during one morning, the lots were staged on Sunday with the payments source recorded in the COIN system. In this manner, it becomes straightforward to make notations on each package for when Diane prepares the receipt with her beautiful hand script. Come yesterday morning, my first task is to print USPS labels ensuring that I have the correct address. The shipping label and payment method notation passes to Diane for quality control (right coin in the right box), receipt generation and packaging the coins in their yellow envelopes. Afterwards, the coins, small box, and padded envelope are packaged and taped by me. Let's not forget that once all the USPS labels are generated, I must print a drop-off manifest in lieu of having the postal clerk hand scan each package.

Today brings yet another substantial shipping session for regular price list purchases and courtesy ship aheads to several clients. There is also a CAC submission to assemble and get out the door to Bedminster, NJ.

 

Evergreen State Proof Seated Dime Collection Debuts on Wednesday

I'm pleased to report that the Evergreen State Proof Seated Dime collection wrapped up its image processing yesterday afternoon. Images were uploaded to the Hostway server before calling it a day in the office.

Today brings the construction of the showcase gallery that will be published in tomorrow's Blog edition. If all goes to plan, these lots will also be added to the GFRC Online auction catalog with images and reserves.

 

Second Finest Known 1842-O Small Date Seated Quarter is Available

The 1842-O Small Date Liberty Seated quarter is a challenging date size variety which is typically seen in lower circulated grades. In AU and Mint State, with CAC approval, the variety is prohibitively rare. The CAC census currently stands at 36 examples with the top two finest being AU50 and MS63.

GFRC has been contacted by the owner of the freshly approved AU50 specimen with an opportunity to locate a home for the piece among the Liberty Seated collecting community. I have seen this piece in-hand at the FUN show, a crusty original piece with a moderately toned obverse and thick encrusted reverse.

I currently have images for this rarity along with an asking price. My role is to help the owner locate the appropriate home for the coin. If there is potential interest, please call or email me. The offer price will be in the lower five figures and fairly consistent with the CAC price guide.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

I'm keeping today's Blog edition brief as this morning's shipping must be staged as a first step. There are many PayPal payments to note along with several ship aheads before passing these to Diane. Come the afternoon, the Evergreen State gallery will be assembled and published as a preview for Wednesday's Blog. Once this is completed, I can move back to adding more new offerings to the 30 Day Price List.

That is it for today in terms of my business ramblings. Many collectors believe that being a coin dealer is the ultimate step for a collector. Yes, it is but comes with a host of responsibilities and know-how to be successful. Patience is also a key asset when dealing with a broad range of clients who bring different collecting styles and personalized needs. Finally, there are the solicitations from industry players and coin clubs for your goodwill and advertising dollars. Be prepared if you wish to cross that line....

Thanks again for checking in.

Gerry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 3, 2025

Gerry Fortin 1839-O PCGS MS65 Gold CAC Dime Finds New Home

and

GFRC at the ANA Atlanta Money Show

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog as we start the first week of February 2025. Thank you so much for checking back on the developing GFRC news.

Sunday was another productive day in the GFRC office with nearly 70% of the Evergreen State Proof Seated Dime collection images finalized. It won't be long before a showcase gallery will be share via the Daily Blog. Secondly, today's shipping queue has been organized and will keep Diane and I busy for the entire morning and then some. Finally, my exceptionally beautiful 1839-O F-101 dime has found a new home in an important collection.

Time is a precious commodity today so let's get right to the headline topics.

 

Gerry Fortin 1839-O PCGS MS65 Gold CAC Dime Finds New Home

I'm thrilled to announce that my 1839-O PCGS MS65 Gold CAC Seated dime is heading to Indiana and will become part of the Dr. Tim Cook Collection. Let's just say that I could not be more pleased to know that this marvelous piece has found a place in another top rated Seated Dime collection that not only includes the core date and mintmarks, but also the Top 100 Varieties. Might I suggest that you visit the GFRC Open Set Registry to view Tim's Top 100 Varieties Set that has been at the #1 spot for years. Also make a point to visit Tim's Seated Dime with Varieties, Business Strike presentation on the same registry. That set current stands at 97% completion with a 60.9 weighted grade. The inclusion of my 1839-O dime will be among old friends as Tim has purchased a fair number of my duplicate pieces over the past decade.

1839-O F-101 PCGS MS65 Gold CAC

My congratulations goes out to Dr. Tim Cook for this newest upgrade. It is comforting to know where my truly special dimes are heading after a long tenure in a Maine bank box.

As a reminder, there are still several Liberty Seated dimes from the Session 1 auction that have yet to find new homes. These will be featured at the upcoming ANA Atlanta Money show at the end of the month along with the Newtown Liberty Seated halves that did not sell. Here are the remaining Liberty Seated dimes for consideration.

1874-CC F-101 PCGS EF45 CAC 10C - $58,500

      1837 Small Date F-103 PCGS MS66+ CAC 10C - $30,000                        1838-O F-101a PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $24,750              

            

  1841 F-104 PCGS MS65 Gold CAC 10C - $11,500                                  1863 F-101a PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $23,000    

            

 

GFRC at the ANA Atlanta Money Show

With February being a short month, the forthcoming ANA Atlanta Money show is barreling at me like a freight train with so much to get done in the next few weeks.

Let's start with some background. The Atlanta Money show is being held at the Cobb Galleria Centre in northern Atlanta. Accessing this convention center is quite easy as immediately off of I-75. The show runs from Thursday February 27 through Saturday March 1

Here is the current floor bourse layout and the GFRC location in Ultra Premium section. We are very close to the bourse entrance and should garner considerable traffic given our wide ranging offerings that will include the GFRC Online Session 2 lots from the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collection for lot viewing, along with the entire Evergreen State proof Liberty Seated Dime Collection. This latter auction begin on February 28th while Dan White and I are at the show. Lastly, GFRC will have its regular price list inventory in the remaining showcases.

 

Spot Gold Status on the LBMA

Global nations are now grappling with the Trump presidency and the usage of tariffs as a tool for altering geopolitical policies. Canada, Mexico, and China are the first countries to be tariffed towards closing the flow of fentanyl into the United States. There are two camps of views on tariffs with some economist indicating that tariffs are inflationary (a first order effect due to increasing prices for goods) or deflationary (a second order effect as high prices will reduce demand and impact cross border trade levels).

Gold should be the winner as economic uncertainties abound in the near term. As of 7:30 AM ET, spot gold is trading at $2806/oz on the London exchange. At the same time, the U.S. dollar is again strengthening at 109.2 per the DXY index while the benchmark 10 Year Treasury yield is currently 4.51%.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Another busy day awaits the GFRC staff, so let's wrap up here. I will be in the office for the entire day.

Thank you again for stopping by.

Be well!

 

 

February 2, 2025

GFRC Sales Event Announcements

Evergreen State Proof Liberty Seated Dime Collection Auction Sale

St. Patrick's Day Sale

and

Session 2 Auction Sale - More Fortin & Newtown Seated Coinage

 

Greetings on a peaceful Sunday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. It is February 2 and time to share GFRC's forthcoming events. Thank you for checking in.

As much as I had hope to take some down time on Saturday, the habit of working in the GFRC office somehow took control again. Actually, this was a good thing as the new 30 Day Price List postings are selling well and I was able to make substantial progress with the Evergreen State proof Liberty Seated Dime collection. Saturday also brought an important drive to our local Winn-Dixie liquor store to restock the bar. Half the fun of a bar restocking run is experimenting with a top shelf bottle of tequila, gin, or scotch. This time around, a bottle of Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin was selected. This is a hand made Canadian gin that is distilled in Victoria, British Columbia. The gin is prepare with elderflower and colored with rose petals and black carrot. Come yesterday's happy hour, this fine bottle was sampled with great appreciation. Yes, the selection turned out to be a home run as the flavor is unlike anything I've tasted and quite satisfying as a sipping liquor. Just image the combination of a light rose wine in conjunction with background gin flavors. Following is an image of the bottle. Clicking on the image provides access to a high resolution version for those who are curious about the label.

 

A quiet Sunday morning seems like the perfect time to announce three important GFRC auction and discounting sales events that will occur during the next 60 days. Here goes...

 

Evergreen State Proof Liberty Seated Dime Collection Auction Sale

Excellent progress continues with the Evergreen State proof Liberty Seated Dime Collection. A pricing proposal was formulated and approved by the consignor on Saturday. Our phone conversation then turned towards a strategy for "fitting in" this auction event in the GFRC schedule and before the Session 2 auction of the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage sale. After bouncing around ideas, it was agreed that the Evergreen State auction will be a 3 day auction event scheduled for Friday February 28 through March 2 followed by the unsold dimes posting to the 30 Day Price List. GFRC has committed to prepare a traditional PDF auction catalog. This abbreviated auction event arrives at the tail end of the ANA Atlanta Money show. Therefore, the collection will be on display at the show along with the Session 2 Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated dime and halves for auction lot viewing. More will be forthcoming as I wrap up the image processing today followed by posting the 40 piece collection to the GFRC Online Auctions catalog during the coming week..

 

St. Patrick's Day Sale

Now that I've announced that GFRC will not be attending the Spring Whitman Baltimore show, this clears the calendar for scheduling a St. Patrick's Day discounting sale during that weekend prior to Monday March 17th which is St. Patrick's Day. In the past, this was not possible since we would be packing for the Whitman Baltimore show and preparing for the arduous 14 hour drive on Tuesday. Instead, I will be able to focus entirely on a discounting sale that takes place starting at midnight on March 13 through Sunday March 16. More will be shared in the Blog in the coming days.

 

Session 2 Auction Sale - Fortin & Newtown Seated Coinage

Immediately on the heels of the St. Patrick's Day Sale arrives the much anticipated Session 2 of the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage auction sale. More finest known and tied for finest known dimes and halves will be auctioned to the highest bidders in our community. Once again, the same extended payments terms are in effect to aid collectors manage this ownership aspiration against their available numismatic capital. In the coming weeks, more showcase galleries will be posted to the Daily Blog to highlight the amazing coins that are being offered.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

At this point, there is little else to share since much of Saturday was consumed when pricing out the Evergreen State proof dimes and organizing Monday's substantial shipping queue.

Today finds me in the GFRC office through 5:00 PM happy hour. I'd like to complete the Evergreen State image processing which enables those 40 lots to be posted to the online auction catalog by day's end, including auction reserves. Of course, the individual lot descriptions will be prepared during the coming week.

Thank you so much for the ongoing GFRC patronage and Blog readership. We trust that your weekend is relaxing and pleasant.

Be well!

 

 

 

February 1, 2025

Spot Gold Closes at $2800

and

30 Day Price List Loaded with New Offerings

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog as February 1, 2025 is upon us. It is a Saturday morning and frankly, I'm in a low energy state with respect to composing a Daily Blog edition. These situations do happen especially on weekends.

Friday brought another productive office day. Little by little, I am working on the Evergreen State proof Seated dime consignment and the recently arrived $1 and $2.5 gold consignment. The last of the FUN show new purchases and consignments have also been posted to the 30 Day Price List with Friday evening bringing about a flurry of orders.

Back at the Maine homestead, our neighbor Rick was kind enough to entire the house and turn on the water for a few minutes to refill our oil fired boiler. We learned years ago that shutting down the homestead water supply, for the winter, does not allow the boiler to be refilled as evaporation occurs. When the boiler water level dropped to a critical threshold, the furnace would automatically shutdown. Having a reliably functioning oil furnace is critical during the winter months. Now, we are set through the month of April and our Maine return.

 

Spot Gold Closes at $2800

Friday brought a new record gold price as the yellow precious traded above the $2800/oz level for most of the day. The new record high has increased to $2823 along with gold closing on Friday at $2799.20 (bid) and $2801.20 (ask).

Now that gold has established a foothold above the $2800 mark and set a new all time high, many analysts are predicting a bigger move to $3000 as rising geopolitical uncertainty caused by policies enacted by the new Trump administration is creating safe-haven demand. If we step back for a moment, the threat and implementation of tariffs is yet another wake-up call to foreign nations that the United States hegemony, with its global reserve currency, is in full display. Foreign countries might wish to continue moving away from the dollar, rather employing physical gold for their foreign reserve holdings.

Now that 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico take affect today, along with 10% on China imports, the globe will be monitoring the geopolitical turbulence that results. I have a feeling that gold prices will again be on the rise come London trading on Monday. Gold and silver miner stocks are also worth watching as one of the most beaten up sectors in the equities markets. A sustained gold rally will lift these stocks quickly.

 

30 Day Price List Loaded with New Offerings

If not having done so, please take time to check the 30 Day Price List as the count is once again over 100 lots. This price list features both new additions and price reductions. The new offerings are selling quickly based on the amount of orders in my email Inbox this morning.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Frankly, I'm in need of an office break after working seven days a week since the conclusion of the FUN show. I will probably slow the pace down this weekend which translate into longer response times for email orders. If not hearing back from me within an hour or two on an order, please understand that I might be enjoying a long health walk, doing grocery shopping, or heading to the local liquor store to restock the bar.

Thank you for checking on a Saturday.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 31, 2025

Goodbye January 2025 - Gold at New Record High

February Long Beach is Final Show of 2025

GFRC Will Not Attend March 2025 Baltimore Show

and

Solid FUN Show Consignment to Consider

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on the final day of January 2025. Thank you for the repeated visits.

Today's Blog edition will be a bit fast paced as I've been captivated by several early morning YouTube videos on the state of the U.S. economy. As a result, there is not a whole lot of time to compose a lengthy Blog prior to the 8:00 AM publishing time.

Thursday was a fantastic day in the GFRC office in terms of productivity. The Evergreen State proof Seated dime collection is well on its way in the image processing cycle. The newest U.S. gold consignment, consisting of $1 and $2.5 gold, was photographed and loaded into the COIN system. Each lot was evaluated with a few CAC submission recommendations that were promptly approved by the consignor. Furthermore, a FUN show consignment from a new collector was priced approved and posted to the Daily Blog. How I enjoy these types of days where tasks just fall in place without significant disruptions. There is only one downside with a quiet office day, namely a lack of orders which was the case. Hey, one can't get everything that one wants, right? Life and business are ongoing compromises...

Let's move forward with today's headline topics...

 

Goodbye January 2025 - Gold at New Record High

Thursday was also a fun day in terms of having the Kitco website running real time on my laptop and watching spot gold break through the old record high of $2787 followed by moving over the $2800/oz mark. When trading in the U.S. market was over, gold had topped out at $2803/oz. Silver also experienced a large upward move and is holding steady at the $31.40-$31.50 level but that could change momentarily due to this metal's volatility.

Friday gold trading, on the London Exchange, opened at $2797/oz and has meandered down to $2790 as this sentence is being typed.

 

February Long Beach is Final Show of 2025

This may be old news....

On Monday, PCGS announced the following in an email to its distribution channels.

After careful consideration, we have decided to pause the June and September shows for 2025 and focus our efforts on delivering an exceptional experience at the February event. This adjustment allows us to better support our community and realign with our parent company, PCGS, and its core mission: providing industry-leading grading and authentication services that advance the hobby we all love.

This announcement does not surprise at all given my conversations with dealers who are abandoning the show due to weak retail attendance.

 

GFRC Will Not Attend March 2025 Baltimore Show

This was a difficult decision to make given that GFRC has been a constant attendee at every Whitman Baltimore show since 2014. What triggered this decision? That are two factors at play.

The first is the brutal 14 hour one way drive from Venice to Baltimore. The March 2024 drive was exhausting and left Dan and I without energy for pre-show buying and booth setup. The alternative is flying and its associated costs and the challenge of placing heavy luggage bags in the overhead storage bins. If GFRC were to attend the March Baltimore show, it would be Diane and I flying up to Baltimore. However, I just can't justify the associated costs and time away from the office for a retail centric business.

The second issue is the slowly eroding retail attendance at the Baltimore show. There was limited retail business at the November 2025 event as you might remember from my Blog reporting. GFRC had stronger Manchester NH and Sarasota FL shows than that experienced at Baltimore. Historical trends indicate that the Autumn show is the best attended of the year followed by the Spring show.

As much as I wish to continue supporting the Whitman show, the two issues suggest that it is best to stay put in Venice or find a local Florida show instead during that time frame. GFRC will be attending the ANA National Money Show, in Atlanta, come the end of February. We also plan to attend the Summer and "Winter" Baltimore show during the balance of 2025 as within driving distance.

 

Solid FUN Show Consignment to Consider

The following new offerings were consigned from a first time consignor at the just completed FUN show. This is a pleasing lot with a little something for everyone in the community. Please note the high quality coins in ANACS old white holders. The 1856 Seated half dime has garnered a GFRC-Gem quality rating and is a real sweetheart. The 1859-S half is already spoken for and the 1885-CC Morgan is yet another ANACS OWH certified coin that warrants serious consideration for its eye appeal. Finally, the 1895-S Morgan is rock solid original and accurately graded. Our new consignor is off to a great start.

Solid FUN Show Consignment to Consider

      1856 ANACS MS62 H10C OWH - $335                                              1830 NGC O-101 AU58 50C - $825    

        

  1859-S ANACS VF30 50C OWH - $285                                                  1901-S NGC VF20 50C - $550       

        

  1885-CC ANACS MS64 $1 OWH - $985                                                    1895-S PCGS EF45 $1 - $1875          

        

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

It's Friday with the shipping department having the day off as the regular price list order rate has sagged a bit. We are holding back auction lot shipments until Monday to ensure that the USPS channel is clear for a host of high value Express shipments.

Today's focus will be a final review of my forthcoming Part 2 Gobrecht Journal article concerning the sale of the Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime Collection. Once the review is completed, I can move forward onto other office activities including posting the today's gallery showcase lots to the 30 Day Price List. Otherwise, today brings a keen focus on a substantial image processing queue.

Finally, I am expecting the arrival of a larger consignment from a NYC client today or on Saturday. This consignment will be a quick turn as all of the coins were previously purchased from GFRC.

And on that note, it is time to wrap up today's news and ramblings with the usual thank you and recognition of your ongoing readership.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 30, 2025

Getting Back to GFRC Price List Basics

and

Gold Poised to Set New Record High

 

Greetings on a Thursday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. January 2025 is essentially over with the short month of February appearing this weekend. Thank you for another visit.

The mid-air collision of a Black Hawk helicopter and a small American Airlines regional jet should not happen in this modern aviation era. This tragedy is so sad for the loved ones of the many passengers who perished.

As today's leading headline indicates, the GFRC southern office has fully recovered from the post Session 1 online auction administration. All bidders who requested terms have had those terms granted and documented. PayPal F&F, Zelle, and wire transfers payments are promptly arriving with the first batch of auction lots shipping on Wednesday and continuing today.

Some clients have asked if I am going through seller's remorse. The long and short answer is negative. During my entire life, I've operated with the philosophy that closing one door leads to the opening of a new door. Once a door is closed, there is absolutely nothing one can do to change the past. The joys, and the mistakes, are learning opportunities for what lies behind the new door. Living in the present is the imperative rather than living in the past. Some Blog readers might think that I would give one final look at each of the Liberty Seated dime collection coins before packaging them in a shipping box. Actually, I am not doing this as I've studied these dimes for years and have a visual memories of each piece. The dimes are now being treated as product with the hopes that the new owners will be pleased upon arrival. The decision to purchase a Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 signals a new door that is being opened in a life. You can't imagine how much I am looking forward to the car's arrival in late April (if the delivery is on schedule). There are also plans to add a Polaris XP Kinetics UTV to the homestead barn to keep Johnny2 company once back in Maine.

Not all of the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage lots sold during the Session 1 auction event. Those lots are now posted on the 30 Day Price List at their auction reserves. If there is potential interest, but needing special terms or wishing to tender an offer, then please contact me to discuss what might be possible.

 

Getting Back to GFRC Price List Basics

As of Wednesday afternoon, my focus promptly shifted back to the consignment backlog. Several incremental FUN show new purchases have found their way to the top of the 30 Day Price List. Today brings a solid afternoon of image processing for the Evergreen State's proof Liberty Seated Dime collection along with loading the recently arrived $1 gold collection into the COIN system. Once progress is made with these two collections, I will have a better understand on when the GFRC consignment can be reopened for larger lots.

 

Gold Poised to Set New Record High

Each morning starts the same way. I am typically up by 4:30 AM followed by cooking breakfast and then firing up the computer in the office as my breakfast meal entertainment. One of the first websites checked is Kitco to see how gold and silver are trading in the London exchange.

Spot gold has been flirting with a new record high since late last week while silver's volatility has waned into a tight trading range. As the Blog is being composed at 7:00 AM ET, gold pricing has ramped upward to $2783 and just four dollars short of a new all time high. Silver is also moving upwards at nearly $31.50/oz.

It has been reported by YouTube gold followers that the Trump administration is having a quiet impact on physical gold. To avoid the potential impact of Trump tariffs, major gold industry players have been moving a portion of the London Exchange (LBMA) gold holdings to COMEX New York vaults. Prior to the Trump tariff threats, the COMEX vaults were flat lined at 8 million ounces throughout 2024. This plot, from the SchiffGold website, illustrates the growing COMEX inventory.

 

However, there is also a substantial increasing in gold contracts for physical delivery during January which indicates that one or more large buyers are at work. Let's remember that if the COMEX gold is being taken off the market, and the London gold vaults are being reduced, then there will be a forthcoming shortfall of available gold for ongoing physical demand.

 

COMEX silver inventory is also behaving in the same manner. Following is a closing summary from Peter Schiff as to his opinion of the current COMEX situation.

So, what’s going on?

It’s hard to know for sure, but it looks like a big buyer has entered and is doing things differently. $5.2B in delivery is fairly normal for a major month on the Comex. But this was not a major month and the way it happened was very abnormal (net new contracts). It does not look like the demand is slowing either.

This analysis has continuously highlighted that cracks are going to appear on the Comex first. It’s very possible we are starting to see the initial cracks that could apply a ton of pressure to the Comex. If the Comex runs into any trouble over the coming months making deliveries… it will send shockwaves through the precious metals market. This might be why they have restocked to such high levels. The question is … will it be enough?

The entire article can be viewed at https://www.schiffgold.com/exploring-finance/is-someone-attacking-the-comex-january-sees-5-2b-in-gold-deliveries

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Today brings a full day in the GFRC office as was outlined earlier in this Blog edition. Again, as I reminder, if there is interest in any of the lots that did not sell during the Session 1 event, both Aaron and I are interested in hearing your purchase proposals.

As always, thank you for making the Daily Blog a repeated online destination.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 29, 2025

GFRC Online Auctions - Updates to the Session 3 Online Catalog

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog as we quickly approach the end of January 2025. Thank you for the repeated visits.

In the matter of three months, another winter season will have concluded. Yes, I am quite excited for the upcoming spring season and returning to the Maine homestead. This year brings a new Porsche into the mix for tons of driving enjoyment during sunny Maine days. One of the first planned destinations is the Owls Head Transportation Museum near Rockland. Also on the list is a trip up Mt. Washington when the weather conditions are acceptable. If feeling incrementally adventurous, a weekend jaunt to Quebec City might be in the cards.

In the meantime, the days continue to fly by here in Venice. Tuesday was a successful office day as all but a few of the revised Session 1 auction invoices were updated with client requested payments terms. Given my personal flexibility and that of the Newtown Collection, we are in a position to aid collectors with securing premium Seated coinage that might have been out of their reach when sourced from a traditional auction house. Once again, GFRC steps forward with differentiated service as we are a collecting family. This differentiated service takes more effort on my part with incremental focus on the account details which is fine, as there is not a whole lot else to do while sheltering in Florida.

OK, I'm rambling at this point and need to move forward with the meat of today's edition. I'm pleased to announce that two more Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated dimes were crossed from their original NGC holders into fresh PCGS holders at Winter FUN. The crosses were expensive as PCGS slaps a 1% of price guide value fee for the service. The two dates were the 1851-O and 1885-S lots based on opinions for a number of collectors and dealers who reviewed both pieces in their older NGC holders. A decision was made to downgrade the 1851-O dime to PCGS MS62 to ensure that it would successful crossover while the 1885-S was a straight cross at MS65. The 1885-S is an unquestionable gem and I could not understand why it did not secure CAC approval when submitted in its NGC holder. I've been at this hobby long enough and was just scratching my head on the failure of the 1885-S during its initial CAC attempt.

Once the two dimes were back from one day show grading, they were submitted to CAC. I was confidential that both would sticker as the 1851-O in a downgraded MS62 holder should be a no-brainer. Would a fresh PCGS holder provide the 1885-S with the right appearance to sticker? To cut to the chase, CAC results has arrived with the 1851-O being denied and the 1885-S being stickered. The latter is a validation of what my eyes were telling me from day 1 ownership of the 1885-S.

Both dimes are being offered in the third auction session that takes place on May 10th. Now that these two coins are crossed and with a CAC determination, the online auction catalog has been updated to reflect their new status.

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Updates to the Session 3 Online Catalog

Both dimes have been photographed in their new PCGS holders with the online catalog images updated as of last evening, including the new PCGS certification numbers. Let's have a look at the 1851-O dime in its new holder and reduced grade. Astute collectors, who have been watching the auction catalog, will note that I've reduced the reserve for this lot. At $13,500, this grade rarity should be easily scooped up.

1851-O F-101 PCGS MS62 10C - $13,500

 

Now, let's have a look at the 1885-S which is certified as PCGS MS65 with a lovely green CAC bean. Yes, it is vindication with the piece being the second finest for the date per the CAC population report. Friends who shared their opinions and suggested that I work the coin through the services provided sound advice as I was having a bout of self doubt when it did not sticker in the former NGC holder. Of course, I've adjusted the reserve upward to reflect the dime's new "professional opinion" status. Isn't it amazing that the coin has not changed other than a holder and a sticker secures a substantial increase in value? As reference, the last CAC approved auction record is a PCGS MS63 example that sold August 2022 for $48,000 and is now in the D.L. Hansen Collection. How does one price the second finest at two Mint State grade points higher? I've increased the reserve to $39,500 as my best shot on the true value of this lot.

1885-S F-101 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $39,500

 

Price Reductions for 1861-O Halves and Scott Restrikes

After discussions with an 1861-O half dollar centric consignor, we have agreed to the following price reductions for his four remaining lots on the price list. Please check the price guides with respect to these new offer levels as these are now at an attractive price point. The 1861 CSA Scott Restrike is a cool piece, being one of the initially struck 500 pieces by J.W. Scott in white metal to test the reconditioned Confederate half dollar reverse die and is extremely well preserved. The GFRC-Gem rated specimen is flawless with the surfaces providing an intricate view of the rusted condition of the Confederate reverse circa 1879..

Also being offered, as part of the price reduction, is a regular CSA restrike. This lot is quite important given that the 1861 dated host coin is easily attributed as a New Orleans struck W-13 die pairing per the bold vertical die crack through the left side of the 6 digit. W-13 is well known as the Bisected Date obverse. This example is toned a moderate coin gray with the reverse providing steely reflectance under a bright light.

 

  1861 CSA Scott Restrike PCGS MS64 CAC - $7950                      1861 CSA Restrike (W-13 Rev) NGC MS61 - $12,500    

        

               1861-O W-8 PCGS MS62 50C - $2600                              1861-O W-11 CSA Obverse PCGS MS60 50C - $12,000

        

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

There is little else to share this morning as the post Session 1 auction workload had me fully consumed on Monday and Tuesday. After the usual morning shipping, and finalizing the last of the special payment term invoices, my attention returns to the 30 Day Price List and loading another round of FUN show new purchases. That's right, I found a group of FUN show new purchases in the inventory boxes this weekend. Additionally, there are two smaller consignments that are in the processing loop. Once I can clear this backlog out of the way, my attention moves to a completed set of Liberty Seated dime proofs (1860 - 1891) that will be the next major offering.

Thank you again for checking in.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 28, 2025

Recovering From the GFRC Session 1 Auction

GFRC Exceeds the $17,000,000 Consignor Proceeds Threshold

and

A Short Term Closure of the GFRC Consignment Window

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on a Tuesday morning. Thank you for returning for another edition.

Monday brought a long day in the GFRC office wrapping up the Session 1 auction results. The COIN system is fully updated with the auction outcomes coupled with all winning bidders receiving their invoices. The unsold auction lots have been posted to the 30 Day Price List along with a full Collectors Corner update. Since granting extended payment terms, a portion of the invoices will be updated today to capture those terms and then resent to the winning bidders. Yes, it is key to document all agreements towards having concise payment road maps.

Morning shipping restarts today as regular price list sales continue to be active.

Since having few headline topics to share today, let's visit with Seth Godin and his perspective on expertise and credentials. The topic is quite relevant to the numismatic industry as it takes years to develop expertise while credentials can be accumulated by joining numismatic clubs, trade organizations, and becoming TPG service members. Personally, I've never felt the need to have a long string of credentials after my name to justify a numismatic or business acumen. Rather, publishing the Daily Blog and providing differentiated service to the GFRC community is much more important for demonstrating expertise and commitment. Please check Godin's perspective.

Seth Godin Blogpost - Expertise and credentials

In the ideal world, credentials would be awarded to all experts, and withdrawn from all charlatans.

But they don’t always line up as neatly as that.

An expert is someone who can keep a promise. Point to the results that demonstrate your skill and understanding and commitment and we’ll treat you as an expert.

Credentials, on the other hand, are awarded to folks who are good at being awarded credentials. The place you went to school or the number of followers you have online are credentials. If they help you create value, that’s great. But they’re not the same as expertise.

 

GFRC Exceeds the $17,000,000 Consignor Proceeds Threshold

The first session of the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated Collection auctions proved to be quite strong. As a result, there was a step function increase in the consignment proceeds metric that is posted online, which is readily available to all clients and other dealers since in the public domain. The consignor proceeds number can be found at the Consign link on the above gray links bar.

As of Monday end of day, I'm pleased to report that GFRC has now surpassed the $17,000,000 consignor proceeds threshold. The magnitude of the number is becoming quite substantial. Actually, the growth rate is accelerating as GFRC's focus continues to be on higher price point consignments. Of course, this metric does not include the sale results for GFRC owned inventory which has also been noteworthy.

 

A Short Term Closure of the GFRC Consignment Window

This may come as a surprise to the community, but I see a need to close the consignment window for large lots through the middle to end of February. The reason is a strong consignment backlog that includes a 40 piece Liberty Seated Dime proof set (1860-1891) along with a large $1 U.S. gold consignment to work through in the near term. There is also another large consignment that ships this week from a long term client. Between, these three lots, I'm staring at 90+ coins to process which does not include the smaller 2-3 piece lots that ebb and flow through the office. I've been working at a non-stop pace since taking a few days off for a family get together in Austin during Christmas timeframe and here we are at the end of January already. During February, Diane and I are planning a few down days as a brief vacation from the office. All verbal consignment commitments extended through today will be honored.

Therefore it is prudent to issue a notice that I will not be accepting large lot consignments in the near term. I'm expecting this situation to change come early March. In the meantime, I will continue to accept smaller 2-3 lots of collection duplicates coins that can be quickly processed and posted.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

You guessed it! I will be camping out in the GFRC office the entire day with morning shipping and documenting extended auction payments terms for those who were granted this courtesy. Please check back tomorrow as there will be an important GFRC Online Auctions Session 2 and 3 announcement for the Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime collection.

Again, thank you for the ongoing readership.

Be well!

 

 

January 27, 2025

GFRC Online Auctions - A Wild Session 1 Close with Strong Prices!

 

Greetings on the final Monday of January 2025 and welcome to yet another Daily Blog edition. The days are just flying by which is a good thing if longing to be back at the Maine homestead with a new Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0. Thank you for checking in.

Yep, the Session 1 auction finish took awhile to gain steam but erupted in the final 20 minutes with furious bidding on select lots. Overall, it was a great sale with yet two more Connoisseurs' Sale sessions to come in March and May.

Let's cut to the chase with the final auction statistics as a starter.

Of the 82 offered lots, 58 coins found new homes which translate into a 71% sell through rate. Both the Fortin and Newtown Collection consignors are very pleased with this outcome.

In terms of the cumulative bidding, that number reached $583,000 or so which is 66% of reserves. This statistic was held back by higher priced lots in the Fortin Collection which did not sell. Frankly, I was surprised that lots like the 1839-O, the 1841, and the 1874-CC could not find a new collection home. But that is fine by me as I am still the owner and have no need to discount these pieces. On a positive note, these are some of my favorite pieces and I'm pleased to retain ownership until they can be placed into new collector homes. All of my unsold dimes and the remaining Newtown halves will be posted to the 30 Day Price List at their reserves. If still available by the end of February, those lots will be heading to the ANA's Atlanta Money show where some will definitely sell.

Before composing today's Blog edition, I was up early towards auditing the final winning bids for all lots. The last minute (actually seconds) sniping was processed correctly by the website auction software other than the 1870-S dime. Two bids were received within 15 seconds of each other with the online catalog software not illustrating the second bid. To set the record straight, the 1870-S PCGS MS65 dime sold for $14,700. All other lots have accurate online winning bids as displayed this morning.

There were several high demand lots in both the Fortin and Newtown Collections that draw intense bidding in the final moments. Following is an brief presentation of the those lots. My congratulations to the winning bidders for your relentless fortitude in bringing home these marvelous pieces.

We open with the 1840-O dime from my collection which realized a tad over $16,000. This lot was being pursued by three serious Liberty Seated die variety collectors and saw aggressive bidding in the final minutes. This lot is the finest F-103 example to my knowledge. Congratulations to the Cleveland Collection for besting the other contenders.

1840-O F-103 No Drapery PCGS MS62 CAC 10C - Realized $16,055

 

For years, I have explaining how underrated the 1847 date is in Mint State. Several knowledgeable collectors made a run for my MS63 example with a strong winning price.

1847 F-102 PCGS MS63 CAC 10C - Realized $8765

 

Like the 1840-O dime, I knew that the 1860-O would garner a substantial amount of attention as there are few if any comparable examples known. This is a date that becomes crazy expensive in Mint Sate. The bidding was quite intense among die hard collectors leading to a $25,560 winning bid. Congratulations go out to the Tennessee Two Step Collection for reeling this one in.

1860-O F-101 PCGS AU50 CAC 10C - Realized $25,560

 

One of my cherished Gold CAC "Civil War" era dimes did find a new home in a Wisconsin collection after a strong effort by a serious collector who just came up a bit short. The $22,500 price realized is directly between the CAC price guide MS65 ($13,00) and MS66 ($36,000) numbers which is an accurate outcome for a piece of this statue.

1867-S F-102 PCGS MS64 Gold CAC 10C - Realized $22,500

 

And then there is the 1873-CC dime which I knew would be under serious contention from Day 1. The bidding for this lot was very intense until the auction close. Congratulations go out to a long term Liberty Seated dime collector who bested the competition to take this one home at $23,500. For reference, the CAC guide is presently $14,500 and will need revision if John Feigenbaum is paying attention.

1873-CC F-101 PCGS VF35 CAC 10C - Realized $23,500

 

Looking at the high demand Liberty Seated halves in the Newtown Collection, the 1841 PCGS MS63 lot saw strong bidding and was sniped at $6759 with just 3 seconds on the bidding clock. Talk about cutting is close!

1841 WB-1 PCGS MS63 CAC 50C - Realized $6759

 

The 1843-O Newtown half certainly garnered much attention throughout the auction with different bidders. In the end, the same collector that took home the 1841 half with 3 seconds on the clock also managed to secure this lot with just 8 seconds on the clock. Man, this person is determined and laser focused!

1843-O WB-17 PCGS MS63 CAC 50C - Realized $5759

 

Those that are pursuing Everyman Collections in the PCGS Set Registry certainly had their eyes on the Newtown AU58 CAC lot. After a host of bids, this lot was secured for $7559 versus a CAC price guide value of $1500.

1844-O WB-21 PCGS AU58 CAC 50C - Realized $7559

 

Finally, I would be remiss for not congratulating the new owner of the Newtown 1878-S Seated half. The buyer is a long time GFRC client from the New England area. This acquisition finally completes his long standing collection.

1878-S WB-1 PCGS EF40 50C - Realized $75,000

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Every post auction day is the same and will fully consume me until the evening hours. The first task is to load the winning bids into the COIN system. Next comes the preparation of individual auction invoices and their email submissions to the winning bidders. For this auction, and the subsequent two additional session in March and May, there is the additional complexity of working with winning bidders on extended payment terms if so required. This brings incremental discussions and revised invoices.

To be clear, there will be no ship aheads for the three Connoisseurs' Sales auction sessions. Once lots are fully paid for, they will be shipped. We are dealing with lots at a substantially higher price point with transport via the USPS postal system that can be shaky as we learned this past week. Diane and I will be closely working with winning bidders on shipment timing and deliveries.

That is assuredly enough for today's Blog edition. Thank you again for checking in and to those who participated in the Session 1 event, thank you for your bids. Also congratulations to those so secured some wonderful Liberty Seated coins.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 26, 2025

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Finale Arrives This Evening!

 

Greetings on a late January 2025 Sunday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. We appreciate your ongoing readership and support for our humble business.

Today is the day...

After assembling a personal numismatic collection for 35 years, the breakup of my core Liberty Seated Dime collection will arrive in 14 hours or so. Yes, it has been an amazing journey with no regrets. Actually, the numismatic hobby has been a personal grounding activity and an opportunity to cope with the stresses during a long semiconductor career. When times were challenging, I could always return to the coin collection for mental comfort.

When fellow collectors and associates contemplate a purchase of one or more of my Liberty Seated dimes, please remember that the pedigrees and stories associated with each coin as just as valuable as the coins themselves.

Enough said...

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Finale Arrives This Evening!

Reporting on the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated Collection auction sale has taken on a special routine. Each morning, the ritual includes counting the number of coins with bids followed by adding the total bids for each collection within Session 1. Once again this morning, the online auction catalog was scanned and the numbers extracted. We are certainly pleased with the current state of the Session 1 auction as the finale arrives in a little over 12 hours.

The Session 1 community response has been fantastic throughout the week. Let's remember that this auction features coins at a price point well above anything previously attempted by GFRC. The decision to sell my personal Seated Dime collection along with that of the Newtown Seated Half Dollar collection collectively was not taken lightly. Tonight's finale is the culmination of nine months of diligent preparations, marketing, and personal contacts to ensure that the entire numismatic community was aware of this sale. The forthcoming statistics lend credence to the fact that GFRC has been able to respond to a new challenge with its passionate commitment for excellent service and offering some of the best Liberty Seated collectibles during the past decade.

Here are the Session 1 statistics as of 6:00 AM.

- Total number of lots with a bid has increased to 49 which means that we have achieved a 60% sell through rate going into tonight's finale.

- Total bids for the Fortin and Newtown lots are equally matched, and frankly a complete surprise to me. Currently, the Fortin bid tally stands at $232,500 while the Newtown calculation is $232,300. Who could have predicted this outcome after six days of bidding?

- Therefore the total value of bids is currently $464,000 which is 53% of the initial reserves. The difference between the sell through figure and the 53% is the fact that a fair number of five digit coins in both collections are still awaiting bids. The key question is whether those bids will arriving by the auction's close. We will know the answer to that question come 9:00 PM.

We are at a point in the Session 1 auction that incremental visual marketing is no longer warranted. By now, those who have waited to bid during the closing hours of the auction have pinpointed their targeted lots and what their maximum bids will be. It is doubtful that I will be able to influence those decisions by adding another round of auction lot images.

Instead, let's focus on the day after...

Monday will bring a full day of post auction administration including the preparation of lot invoicing. Since offering customized extended payment terms, those terms must be captured within the invoicing process to ensure that GFRC, the consignors, and the winning bidders have an accurately documented payment schedule. To that end, I will be issuing the regular GFRC invoice, on Monday, for auction lots won and emailed to each successful bidder. Those invoices will capture Trading Desk credits where available. Once winning bidders receive their initial invoice, it is at this point that the exact payment terms should be discussed and documented via a revised second invoice. Monday and Tuesday's emphasis will be on settling down and documenting payment schedules rather than attempting the usual ship aheads to trusted clients. This time around, the auction lot price points are much higher requiring a different post auction process.

So that all bidders are clear on their responsibilities come invoice receipt on Monday, let's review the response alternatives.

- Firstly, I need every bidder to confirm receipt of their invoices with a simple email acknowledgment.

- Secondly, those bidders that plan to pay immediately for their won auction lots should indicate this fact. Your lots will be kitted into shipping boxes and readied for when the payment arrives. I would appreciate the usage of wire transfers or Zelle as an alternative to mailed checks if possible. Otherwise, we will wait for your check arrivals before shipping lots.

- For those bidders that require extended payment terms, please respond to the GFRC invoice with your proposed payment schedule. I can't stress enough that the payments terms should be clear as to the amount of monies to be paid at each payment date in our mutually agreed schedule. Once we have agreed on payments terms, a second invoice will be submitted that documents the agreement. At this point, the first payment is immediately expected to hold your won lots. Your lots will move to the GFRC layaway box for safe keeping until final payment is made.

 

Reiterating the Risks of Snipe Bidding

It is expected that certain individuals will appear during the closing five minutes of the auction and will conduct what is known as "snipe" bidding. These individuals wish to drop a bid in the closing minutes knowing that it will be difficult for others to react in time to counter those snipe bids.

Complicating this matter is the fact that the Session 1 auction has a hard stop at 9:00 PM ET for all lots. This is so important to remember for new bidders.

As mentioned in a previous Blog edition, there are risks with snipe bidding given the simplicity of our auction software. When opening a bidding screen, the software retrieves the lot's currently high bid at that point in time. We programmed the application under the assumption that bidders would fill in the bidding screen and then promptly submit their bid. However, over time we learned that certain bidders were opening their bidding screens well in advance of bid submission. The risk lies in the fact that incremental bids could be registered for a lot that has an opened bidding screen and that screen is NOT capturing the incremental bidding activity. When the snipe bid is finally submitted, the rejection or acceptance is based on the lot's bid at the time the screen was opened and NOT at the moment when the bid is placed. A bid could be accepted when the reality is that the bid is below the current high bid. I've warned everyone enough times about this sniping risk and will be not cordial if complaints are issued after the auction closes.

 

Validation of Won Lots

It is recognized that every bidder wishes to learn if they have won their targeted lots immediately at the 9:00 PM auction close. I need to ask for a bit of patience as the final 2-3 minutes of the auction will see a flood of bids to the point that the Hostway server will not be able to keep up with online catalog updating. Please be assured that every bid is captured in the COIN system database and is documented in my auction control panel. If will take about 3-5 minutes for all the tabulations to be completed and posted at the online catalog after the 9:00 PM auction close. There could be a few contentious lots which I will be settling based on the bid amounts and their time stamps down to the seconds resolution. I ask for your patience as all the wining lots are validated. Please don't be bashful to ask questions via email, but also understand that some of those questions will not be responded until Monday morning.

Again, I wish to assure everyone that GFRC runs a clean auction and will work on behalf of the bidders towards a fair outcome. If you wish to avoid auction closing anxieties, then don't snipe bid. Rather, it is advised to place a strong maximum bid and let the chip fall where they may.

 

Updating Maximum Bids

I will be available until 8:00 PM to help bidders update their maximum bids. This process includes deleting the first bid to be replaced by a new higher bid. After 8:00 PM, everyone is on their own and I will NOT be responding to requests for this service. Like everyone else in the community, please allow me the joy of sitting through the final hour of the auction as a spectator.

 

Final Reminder

The release of the Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime Collection and the Newtown Liberty Seated Half Dollar Collection is a multi-decade opportunity for the collecting community. Once these lots are dispersed, some may not appear on the market again within a collector's lifetime. Tonight brings the opportunity to secure these lots. Wise collectors strike when opportunities appear else there could be regrets for years to come....

Good luck to the current bidders and those that will begin their bidding process today.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Today brings yet another GFRC office day to respond to any auction requests. I will also be completing the second Gobrecht Journal centerfold article for editor Greg Johnson. Publishing deadlines have a way of creeping up upon us.

Thank you so much for today's visit and again. good luck to all who are bidding in the Session 1 auction event. Please remember that the Session 1 auction offerings are only 1/3 of the Fortin and Newtown Collection lots. The next session opens on March 22.

Be well!

 

 

January 25, 2025

Florida Sunshine Has Returned

Sooner Collection - FUN Show Consignment to Consider!

and

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Finale Approaches

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog as the GFRC Online Auctions Session 1 event moves to its finale on Sunday evening. Thank you for taking the time to visit these ramblings and updates.

As the lead headline indicates, a week plus of cloudy conditions and rain are now behind us. Friday saw the skies clear by late morning with bright sunshine returning. Now bright sunshine does not equate to warm temperatures yet as it was still unseasonably cold. Just ask Blake Gibb who is attending the Daytona 500 pre-race activities on the Florida east coast. He reported in that it was quite cold on the other side of the Florida peninsula to be outdoor all day watching racing contests.

With the sunshine back, the first GFRC business priority was a long photography session in our backyard by the pond. A substantial number of coins were photographed providing sufficient backlog for image processing throughout the next 48 hours. Once the photography sessions were done, my attention shifted immediately to the Sooner Collection's Liberty Seated halves that were consigned at the FUN show. Image processing was so straightforward when dealing with top quality coins. The color capture potential for strictly original coins is superior to those that have off coloring due to past wipes and being retoned. It only took several hours to move from a raw Nikon images to the showcase gallery that is featured in the next segment.

The other notable Friday update is that the Fortins' Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 build sheet was finalized and approved thanks to a wonderful sales "ambassador" named Josh. Josh has owned two 911s and is a die hard Porsche geek along with being a kind spirit. He does not fit the stereotype of the typical car salesman. Rather, his job is to enable the realization of dreams. So the Fortin Boxster specs are frozen with the build launching in the Osnabruck facility next week. We were provided with a detailed production and transport line item schedule that has the car arriving into the Jacksonville port on April 8 and clearing customs by April 16, then arriving into Sarasota Porsche dealer inventory on April 17. Even with up to a two week schedule delay, the Boxster's arrival will be in our return window to Maine. Once the Fortins buy-off and pay for the car, it will be loaded on a car transport and shipped to the Maine homestead. All of this is so exciting.

Let's move on to the numismatic segments.

 

Sooner Collection - FUN Show Consignment to Consider!

Little needs to be said concerning this showcase gallery as the coins speak for themselves. These offerings are the balance of the Sooner Collection consignment that was delivered at Winter FUN. Blake and I worked up the coins quickly and were able to place them into the showcases that enabled a fair number of quick sales. The following lots are those that did not find immediately love but are now available. If my day goes as planned, these will be loaded to the 30 Day Price List by dinner time. In the meantime, please feel free to ask for first shot on any of these new offerings.

 

Sooner Collection - FUN Show Liberty Seated Halves to Consider!

      1841-O WB-5 PCGS AU50 CAC 50C - $1175                                             1865 ANACS AU53 50C - $1350              

            

                   1874 Arrows NGC MS62 50C - $1450                                     1877-S WB-14 NGC MS63 CAC 50C Fatty - $1250      

            

 1889 NGC MS62 50C - $2000                                                            1891 PCGS MS64 5C - $2750   

            

1842 MD WB-11 PCGS EF45 50C - $450        1871-S WB-6 PCGS AU55 CAC 50C - $950                1877 PCGS MS63 50C - $950          

                      

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Finale Approaches

Yes, the Session 1 finale is less than 48 hours away. On a personal note, there are now less than 48 hours left for owning my complete set of Liberty Seated Dimes. After decades of ownership. the collection is being systematically released back to the collecting community. The 2025 Porsche Boxster purchase is a balancing distraction for any seller's remorse.

Bidding returned on Friday, and much to my delight, the Session 1 sell through rate continued to improve. Let's take a look at where the overall auction statistics stand at the moment along with a breakdown of the Fortin and Newtown numbers.

As of 6:00 AM this morning, 43 lots have now found homes leading to a 52% sell through rate. To achieve the targeted 65% sell through rate, only 10 more lots must find bidders between now and Sunday evening 9:00 PM. Frankly, I believe this is possible based on prior confidential conversations.

Total bids has increased to $378,5000 which is 43% of the initial reserves. There is still a long way to go for both the Fortin and Newtown offerings with respect to this metric. I will be offering a forecast during Sunday's Blog edition once today's bidding is realized and analyzed.

So far, the Gerry Fortin Collection stands at 26 lots with bids for a total of $170,700. There are a host of five figure lots that are awaiting bids and loving new homes. The following lots are still free agents and warranting bids. How can you resist the 1838-O, 1839-O, 1852-O, and 1874-CC dimes as a starting point.

 

  1837 Sm Date F-103 PCGS MS66+ CAC 10C - $30,000                       1838-O F-101a PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $25,000          

        

  1839-O F-101 PCGS MS65 Gold CAC 10C - $20,000                       1841 F-104 PCGS MS65 Gold CAC 10C - $12,000    

        

          1846 F-101 PCGS AU58 10C - $22,500                                   1852-O F-101 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $25,000    

        

  1862-S F-101 PCGS MS63 CAC 10C - $22,500                                 1863 F-101 PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $23,000      

        

        1870-S F-101 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $12,000                               1874-CC F-101 PCGS EF45 CAC 10C - $60,000      

        

 

The Newtown's Liberty Seated Half Dollar collection has a similar situation with a number of five figure coins seeking a new home. Let's review those lots next.

 

  1839 Drapery WB-5 PCGS MS65 CAC 50C - $25,500                         1847-O WB-23 PCGS MS65 CAC 50C - $24,500      

        

        1850 WB-4 PCGS MS65+ CAC 50C - $55,000                             1850-O WB-3 PCGS MS65 CAC 50C - $16,500    

        

  1852 WB-2 PCGS MS65 CAC 50C - $21,500 

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Yes, today brings yet another day in the GFRC office. There is light morning shipping followed by a combination of photography, price list loading, and COIN database loading that will be conducted until the 5:00 PM happy hour.

My plans are to photograph the Evergreen State's proof Liberty Seated dime collection under bright noon time sunshine to extract his collection's marvelous coloration. As previously mentioned, the Sooner Collection Seated halves need to be posted to the 30 Day Price List, and finally, a lovely U.S. $1 gold collection, from our ongoing gold consignor, must be loaded into the COIN system followed by deciding which pieces should be sent to CAC for potential stickering.

Therefore, with this amount of workload for a single day, let's stop rambling and promptly head to the shower to start another numismatic day in a life.

Thank you so much for the continuing visits, the many price list purchases, and your forthcoming Session 1 bids. I will be back tomorrow with the last auction statistics before the 9:00 PM finale arrives.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 24, 2025

Let's Look at Silver

1870 Seated Half Stolen Within Eastern Memphis TN Post Office (ZipCode 38122)

and

GFRC Online Auctions - Wrapping Up The Contemplation Period

 

Greetings on a Friday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. Thank you for returning for another edition.

It is nearly 6:00 AM and time to compose today's Blog ramblings. While contemplating the discussion topics, I'm watching the Kitco website and gold trading on the London Exchange. The yellow precious metal is trading between $2770-$2775/oz and is just 0.5% from a new all time high. Gold, as expressed in U.S. dollar, is now seeing a tailwind as the U.S dollar is starting to retreat from a recent high of 110. This morning's quote is 107.5 with a downward trend. President Trump has made it clear that he wants to see a weaker dollar and lower interest rates which are supportive for higher gold prices.

Often omitted in the precious metal discussions is silver. Silver leads a dual use life as both a precious metal and also being an important industrial metal. I'd like to focus on silver today since legendary investor Jim Rogers has divested his U.S. equity holdings and moved those monies into silver. What does he know or see that the average person does not? When checking YouTube for commentary on silver, there are a host of opinions but very little hard data to support claims that silver will out perform gold during 2025. Luckily, I found the following silver supply and consumption table that provides a decent explanation for what investors are reacting too.

Let's walk through the table together which documents silver supply, dominated by mining and recycling, followed by an itemization of the various usage categories.

 

We can start by looking at the shrinking gap between Total Supply and Total Demand as expressed in tons. Looking back at 2020 data, there was 7400 tons of excess supply. This excess supply has progressively shrunk with 2023 being down to 3150 tons. During 2024, the estimated data indicates that the supply excess has further decreased to 1550 tons. Key is that the 2025 forecast indicates that a silver supply shortage will arrive due to growing demand from the solar panel, electronics, and other industrial usages sectors while the mining industry output will be flat with 2024. This chart clearly indicates why savvy investors are increasing their positions since silver will be in a supply deficit situation. When demand exceeds supply, then prices typically increase.

How can one invest in silver? The most obvious approach is the SLV ETF which allows investors to hold a stake in silver via BlackRock's iShares Silver Trust. The "Trust" seeks to reflect the general performance of the price of silver. A second approach is to invest in silver miners. We must understand that silver is a byproduct of gold mining therefore that are few true silver miners. One of the miners that is more focused on silver is Pan American Silver Corp (PAAS), a miner with operations in North and South America. As I own both SLV and PAAS, this silver miner stock will move faster than the price of SLV. This makes sense as an increasing silver price rapidly increases a miner's profit margin and earnings fast than the core metal's appreciation.

Another variable that is favorable for silver is the increasing price of gold. If gold can break through $2800/oz, the gold:silver ratio will be at 90. A gold:silver ratio of 90 is very bullish for silver as the metal is often seen as a poor man's gold. Many average citizens are unable to fund an ounce of physical gold but can put away silver rounds on a steady basis.

For transparency, I am equally weighted in gold and silver investments at our Merrill Lynch account along with physical holdings that are heavily skewed towards gold. Purchasing and storing $50 gold eagles or TPG certified $20 Liberty or Saints is quite straightforward as a coin dealer. There is the advantage of purchasing at the wholesale side of the equation when taking gold in trades.

Let's see what 2025 will bring in terms of U.S. deficit spending with regards to tax cuts and other initiatives to stimulate manufacturing investment. Increasing the U.S. manufacturing economy is a multi-year project with substantial investment requirements. I just don't see a reduction to the rate of growth of the national deficit this year which is also bullish for precious metals.

 

Quick Comments on the 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0

Why did we pull the trigger on this Porsche convertible? I like to say that it is all Blake Gibbs' fault for bringing me to the Hallet racing school and rekindling my affinity for fast sports car. But there is much more to the decision than that. As usual, I've spent endless hours researching this decision with the GTS 4.0 being the best option.

The 1993 Mazda Miata is aging and under powered with its 1.6L four cylinder engine that develops 116 hp. . The top down ride on a highway is far from elegant with the wind blowing through the cabin. The car is tiny with respect to every other vehicle on the road other than a Smart Car. One has to carefully plan an overnight trip in terms of luggage as the trunk space is quite limited.

I initially consider purchasing a new Mazda MX-5 to replace the 1993 version from an economical cost perspective. Then the reality set in that this sports car purchase will be my last in a lifetime as the Fortins hold their cars for over a decade or more. Why not purchase a dream car that will be enjoyed for years to come. The ride is way more elegant than a Miata along with performance of a track car.

The GTS 4.0 version was selected as there are multiple advantages for resale when the time comes. Firstly, the GTS 4.0 has a flat six cylinder engine that is synonymous with the 911. One can view the GTS 4.0 as a poor man's 911 with many similar cabin amenities. The engine exhaust sound is also vintage Porsche as compared to the Boxster and Boxster S with four cylinder turbo engines that have an exhaust sound similar to the Subaru WRX with its 2.4L turbo engine. True die hard Porsche fans will always desire a GTS 4.0 given its sweet spot in the Porsche model line up. Secondly, is the Porsche reputation for reliability per the Kelly Bluebook and other rating agencies. Once Porsche debugs a new model, subsequent model years have proven to be very reliable given German engineering and production controls.

Finally, 2025 is the closing year of the Boxster with a gasoline engine. From a collector's perspective, how can you go wrong with this purchase as there will always be demand for a gas powered Porsche. Depreciation for the GTS 4.0 version has proven to minimal since its introduction in 2020 as few were manufactured along with used examples being difficult to locate when considering a personal affinity for exterior and interior color schemes.

Whether it is a purchase for the Liberty Seated Dime collection or a new Porsche, I tend to carefully assess the pros and cons from a longer term financial perspective along with the near term enjoyment.

 

1870 Seated Half Stolen Within Eastern Memphis TN Post Office (ZipCode 38122)

This Blog update was posted on Thursday afternoon after receiving as call from a customer. A GFRC USPS Priority Mail shipment to Memphis TN ZipCode 38122 was attempted delivery on Wednesday January 22 when the customer was not home. A signature required slip was left with the customer who visited the Post Office on Thursday morning to retrieve the package. When retrieved by a postal clerk, the Priority padded envelope was found cut open and the internal small flat rate box removed leaving only the padded envelope as evidence.

The stolen coin is the Sooner Collection 1870 half that was just consigned at the FUN show. I've asked the customer to go back to the post office and secure images of the cut envelope as evidence for the mandatory claims filing with USPS followed by potential claim with Hugh Woods. This is our second theft within a USPS post office during the last six months. Below are images of the stolen coin. If seeing this coin appear on eBay, please let me know. Yes, I have filed a report with NCIC with the details.

1870 PCGS AU53 50C Cert # 22034070

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Wrapping Up The Contemplation Period

There were no auction bids on Thursday as we are deep inside the dreaded Contemplation Period. Thank goodness that today brings the final quiet auction day before bidding returns on Saturday. Yesterday's Daily Blog published auction statistics are still valid for today.

Am I worried? Not in the least as the current Session 1 offerings speak for themselves. Where else can collectors locate such differentiated coins that have been off the market for years? When coins of this caliber arrive to the market, passionate collectors need to step up and make their purchases else there will be multi-year regrets.

Please check back on Saturday morning for an auction date.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Seriously, I will be again working in the GFRC office the entire day with no distractions. More new offerings will reach the 30 Day Price List along with building a pricing proposal for the Evergreen State Collection's Liberty Seated proof dime collection. The sun may even come out today which will facilitate a long photography session.

Whatever the need may be, I will be at your disposal today to respond to orders or answer auction questions.

Thank you so much for the visit.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 23, 2025

What's This About a Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0?

Eclectic New Jersey Collection Offerings

and

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Contemplation Period - Quietly Active...

 

Greetings once again from a cold Venice Florida as the work week reaches the Thursday mark. Thank you for continuing to stay on top of the current GFRC new offerings and of course, the GFRC Online Auctions Session 1 event.

Yep, it is cold here in Venice with the temperature at 43F as the Blog is composed. Today sees the final day of this local cold wave that has been blanketing much of the United States. Diane and I are grateful for our Florida weather shelter during the January and February winter season.

Wednesday brought a special or once in a lifetime day. As has been previously hinted at, Diane and I spent three hours at our local Sarasota Porsche dealership towards a very special event. We test drove a 2021 718 Cayman GTS followed by a 2024 718 Boxster S as we were on a mission. The test drive of the 718 Cayman did not go well as this was a manual stick shift with worn Pirelli tires. The tire noise was terrible and learning how to drive a manual Porsche on the fly was a bit challenging. Next came a wonderful test drive of the 718 Boxster S with a PDK automatic transmission. The road noise was minimal allowing us to hear the growl of the 2.5L Turbo engine and exhaust. Even with the temperature in the low 50s, we removed the convertible top and drove for a short distance with the top down. The difference between our old 1993 Miata and the Porsche Boxster was dramatic to say the least. Diane enjoyed the Boxster S test drive and judged this convertible platform it to be an acceptable sports car that she would drive.

What was the end goal of this Sarasota Porsche visit you might be asking? The long and short answer is captured in the following image.

Well, I'm thrilled to announce that the Fortins are building their own 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 with the build order cemented during yesterday's visit. Talk about lucky timing as our Porsche dealer had an allocation for a Boxster GTS with the build starting next week. The quoted delivery time is an amazing April 18 on the final build sheet. What is so special about building your own Porsche? Porsche is well known for its host of client options during the build process. Interior and exterior color selection is multi-faceted with different bucket set options and of course, a host of racing performance upgrades. I will leave the details of our build spec for another Blog edition as it is quite complex. The bottom line is that the Fortin will soon be the proud owners of a 2025 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 with horizontal flat six engine that is naturally aspirated. Naturally aspirated means no turbo add ons to boost horsepower. The flat six generates 396 hp with a zero to 60 in 3.8 seconds using launch control. This is a fast convertible sport car that can also be used as an everyday driver as quite disciplined with its PDK transmission. The PDK can be placed in manual mode with padded shifters on the steering wheel when I am driving alone and wish to test the limits of the car and my luck with avoiding speeding tickets. The exhaust "growl" starting at 5000 rpm is simply wonderful for those of us who have this appreciation. Redline on the Boxster GTS 4.0 is 7800 rpm as reference.

Let's get on with the numismatic content as I do need to sell coins to cover this new purchase....

 

Eclectic New Jersey Collection Offerings

The New Jersey Collection has been a GFRC consignor starting way back in 2014 and continues to locate items in his multiple bank boxes that need divestment. The 2025 FUN show brought another tranche as Carl Feldman visited the GFRC booth. This release is quite eclectic and opened with two Lesher Referendum dollars including a grade rarity 1901 HK-791 Imprint Type with number 1049 stamped on the piece. Pair with the PCGS G06 1901 is a 1900 HK-789 A.B. Bumstead graded NGC MS62.

The balance of the consignment includes 1855 and 1865 halves with the latter being rare with CAC approval. Please check the GFRC Sales Archive to learn that GFRC has not sold an 1865 Mint State example, to date, along with only CAC approved examples being sold across a 10+ year time in business. The last offerings include an "gem" 1799/8 B-1 Draped Bust dollar in an old ANACS holder. This coin is a real sweetheart and will be securing a JUST BUY IT NOW recommendation.

Look for these lots to post to the 30 Day Price List today. In the meantime, the offer prices are posted below for your potential first shot.

Eclectic New Jersey Collection Offerings

      1900 Lesher HK-789 A.B. Bumstead No.980 NGC MS62 SC$1 - $3500           1901 Lesher HK-791 Imprint Type No.1049 PCGS G06 SC$1- $1600         

                

 1855 Arrows PCGS AU55 50C - $750                                                     1865 PCGS EF45 CAC 50C - $1400    

                

 1799/8 B-1 ANACS F15 $1 - $2850                                                         1910 NGC AU55 G$5 - $850    

                

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Contemplation Period - Quietly Active...

"Quietly active" is a fitting description for Wednesday's Session 1 bidding activity. There was not huge bidding events, but rather, carefully placed bids on several five figure coins. I also worked with two bidders to delete their current bids to facilitate the placement of higher maximum bids as these gentlemen are intent on winning their targeted lots.

Let's review the auction statistics if you don't mind as we are at the mid-point of the Session 1 event.

The total number of lots with bids has increased to 40 which translates into a 49% sell through rate. I'm quite pleased with this halfway point status as the Session 1 auction is at a very strong price point.

The accumulated high bids now amount to $341,000+ which is 39% of the original reserves. I expect the high bids number to substantial increase as we move into Saturday and Sunday's bidding.

Interestedly, the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Collection lots are equally balanced in terms of high bids. Both tallies are at $170,000+ as of this morning.

There are a host of great lots in both collections that remain unloved at the auction mid-point. Let's hope that these lots will be embraced by collectors (and dealers) who are sitting back with plans to start bidding on Saturday. At this point, I believe there is a strong possibility that Session 1 will see a 65%+ sell through rate, and maybe more. It all depends on the collectors in the community who are contemplating their bidding strategies for the auction close.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

As compared to Wednesday, where I was absent from the office for a number of hours, today will find me planted in the GFRC office for the entire day. There is much to get done before the Session 1 auction event reaches its crescendo on Sunday evening with Monday brings a full day of auction invoicing and capturing extended payment terms where required.

 

 

 

 

January 22, 2025

Spot Gold Approaching Record Level

and

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Contemplation Period

 

Greetings from a cool and wet Venice Florida on a Wednesday morning. Thank you for checking in.

One needs to count blessing in life as is the case this morning. Though Venice weather is relatively cold with another day of showers, the situation to the north of us is much more challenging with snow and temperatures in the teens and twenties. Let's not even think of being back in Maine where temperatures are below zero this morning at the homestead. .

Tuesday brought a productive day in the GFRC office with not only new purchases loading to the 30 Day Price List but also a four piece lot from the New Orleans Collection finding its way there. Furthermore, our Liberty Seated quarter collection consignor has provided pricing discounts that will be rolled out during the next 48 hours. Already, several of his lots, including the 1870-CC and 1873-CC quarters have been relisted at lower prices. The shipping department also sent a submission to CAC on behalf of two consignors. It was a good day overall with a number of immediate orders on newly posted items.

Let's move forward with today's headline content.

 

Spot Gold Approaching Record Level

Spot gold pricing has been in a consolidation phase since President Trump's election. On Tuesday and Wednesday, gold trading has taken the yellow precious metal to $2760/oz during London trading which is just $17 shy of the all time $2787 record price. Today or tomorrow could bring an attack on that record mark with gold attaining $2800 for the first time. Recently, gold has been suffering from notable headwinds including rising 10 year Treasury bond yields and a very strong dollar. Both of these headwinds have abated this week with the 10 year receding a tad to 4.57% and the DXY index to 107.8.

The following trend chart of COMEX gold futures nicely illustrates how gold is about to test upward resistance for the third time. Please remember that gold futures are typically higher than the spot price by about $15-$20. The red arrows point to where gold topped out twice at resistance followed by sharp drops. This morning's trading has gold ready to make another breakout run through that resistance.

 

Silver, on the other hand, continues to quietly consolidate at the $30+ level. Morning London trading see a price quote of $30.70/oz. The current consolidation sees silver slowly moving upward with much less volatility than that of late 2024. Most of the major investors and gold bugs are predicting that silver will out perform gold during 2025 due to its ongoing deficit condition where solar panel usage is absorbing available above ground stocks faster than the mining companies can replenish. We are currently in the third year of deficit silver and sooner or later, the price has to rise consistent with diminished above ground stocks.

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Contemplation Period

Yes, the dreaded GFRC auction contemplation period is now upon us. After a bold bidding start on Sunday and Monday, Tuesday saw early morning bidding with little interest afterwards. We are now in the contemplation period whereby collectors and dealers are assessing the auction status and where certain lots many be finally priced come Sunday evening. Of course, everyone wishes to purchase their target lots at as low of a price as possible which is human nature. However, I can tell you from experience, when building my Seated dime collection, that there are time when paying a record price is a wise decision. Gaining access to a finest known example is probably worth paying an extra 10-15% if there are multiple bidders. When pursuing finest knowns arriving on the market, one has to strike as these offerings could be tied up in a new collection for a decade or more. This is how wise collectors use numismatic rarities as an alternative financial asset by holding them over an extended period of time.

Let's look at where The Connoisseur's Liberty Seated Auction Sale stands today.

Starting with the Gerry Fortin Seated Dime Collection, the 1840-O F-103 PCGS MS62 CAC dimes is currently the top performer with three bids and a current bid at $11,265. This is no surprise as I set a low reserve for this lot. During auction lot viewing, I was watching the note taking with this lot being assessed higher than its old time certified grade.

1840-O F-103 PCGS MS62 CAC 10C

 

Not seeing any bidding auction, as expected, are three significant offerings. These are the finest known 1837 Small Date dime, the finest known 1852-O dime, and the all important 1874-CC dime. Bidders who will be chasing these lots are coy and will most likely appear during the final bidding day, or even hour.

1837 Small Date F103 PCGS MS66+ CAC 10C

1852-O F-101 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C

1874-CC F-101 PCGS EF45 CAC 10C

 

Moving to the Newtown Liberty Seated Half Dollar collection, the absolutely gorgeous 1841-O WB-1 PCGS MS63+ half only has a single bid at the reserve price. I'm doubtful that this bid will hold up through the auction close. The amazingly lustrous 1855-O PCGS MS65 CAC half has two bids with the high bid standing at $9107.

1841-O WB-1 PCGS MS63+ CAC 50C

1855-O PCGS MS65 CAC 50C

 

Finally, the series key date has found a new home. Congratulations go out to the eventual winner of the Newtown 1878-S PCGS EF50 half. I hope that the current bidder's status does hold up towards achieving a once in a lifetime collecting goal.

1878-S WB-1 PCGS EF40 50C

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Given the cool Florida weather, today will find me in the GFRC office once again preparing more consignments for posting on the 30 Day Price List. I do need to make some progress on my Liberty Seated collection article for the LSCC's Gobrecht Journal also.

That is it for today's ramblings. Please check back tomorrow for a GFRC consignment update along with a substantial announcement concerning one of the Session 3 auction lots in my personal collection.

Thank you again for checking in.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 21, 2025

GFRC FUN Show New Purchases to Consider

and

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Bidding Continues

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on a wintry January Tuesday morning. Thank you so much for the ongoing visits.

The days continue to fly by in the Venice GFRC office as the workload is ongoing. Now that there is an image queue, I was in a position to start finalizing the Winter FUN show new purchases as today's top headline indicates. Greg Johnson, the Liberty Seated Collectors Club's Gobrecht Journal editor, reminder me that the submission deadline for the Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime Collection - Part 2 centerfold display is quickly approaching. Therefore, I spent part of Monday afternoon selecting another 24 dimes from my collection for presentation in the Spring issue.

Bidding for our Session 1 GFRC Online Auctions event continued on Monday and into Tuesday morning. The sell through numbers are surprisingly typical of our auctions as this early event stage.

Finally, I did watch the Trump's inauguration and his informal press conference from the oval office while signing executive orders. We learned that Biden pardoned all his family members as the last act of his presidency. The timing of the pardons reeks and cements his place in the history books accordingly. What a contrast between the outgoing and incoming presidents.

 

GFRC FUN Show New Purchases to Consider

As mentioned in an earlier Blog edition, the Winter FUN show was a thoroughly busy event and did not leave any time for buying new inventory on the bourse floor. At the Orlando pre-show, I was tied up with auction lot viewing and could not stray from my table to shop with other dealers. On the bourse, we did purchase a few coins from those that walked up to our table. As usual, I was quite selective and only purchased premier lots that were competitively priced to allow a small profit. Please don't ask me to discount any of the following coins if interest in a purchase. If my Tuesday goes as planned, there lots will be posted to the 30 Day Price List by the 5:00 PM happy hour.

We open with a spectacular 1865 proof Seated dollar with its black fields and gorgeous eye appeal. Before going further, please note that the rose colored segment on the lower images is a photography artifact due to the sun's low angle in the sky. To this day, I still have problems with photographing dollar sized coins during the spring and autumn seasons. Please consider this fact when viewing the images.

The 1838 half dime is an absolute gem and will be listed with a JUST BUY IT NOW recommendation. The images tells the whole story. The 1842 Seated dollar the 1878-S Trade dollar (CACG lot) are both stone cold original and worthy of a sophisticated collection. Yes, the 1938 proof Walking Liberty half is stunning in hand and consistent with the illustration. I don't expect this lot to last long.

 

GFRC FUN Show New Purchases to Consider

1865 PCGS PR64CAM CAC $1 - $10,500

  1838 Large Stars PCGS MS65 CAC H10C - $1735                                           1842 NGC AU50 $1 - $1125                   

        

 1878-S CACG AU55 $T1 - $950                                                      1858 CACG MS64 G$1 - $1900

        

1938 PCGS PR64 CAC 50C - $700                1940 PCGS PR65 CAC 50C - $695                  1878-S PCGS AU58 $T1 - $1050

                

  1880-S PCGS MS65PL CAC $1 - $465         1884-CC GSA PCGS MS64 CAC $1 - $325

        

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Bidding Continues

Monday brought a bidding continuation for the first Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage offerings. A fair number of collectors are being bold and bidding early. That boldness is much appreciated given the historical significance of both collections. Let's review the Session 1 auction statistics as of this morning.

The number of lots with a bid has increased to 38 which translates into a 46% sell through rate. This is an impressive number given the much higher value of the individual lots as compared to prior GFRC events and the early auction stage.

Accumulated bid values has climbed to $322K, an impressive number which tallies at 36.5% of the initial reserves. We are starting to see lots with multiple bids as the high demand pieces are coming into focus. Let's always remember that GFRC Online Auctions move through a bidding cycle with early initial bidding followed by a contemplation period before the big guns arrive during the final two days of the auction. I expect the same bidding pattern to emerge this week.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Since Monday was a federal holiday, accumulated GFRC shipping will be processed this morning. The shipping queue is substantial, including the Quito Collection consignment return. We did manage to sell two of the remaining seven Seated quarters which is a partial victory.

It goes without saying that I will be working in the GFRC office throughout the day. If you need to speak with the GFRC business owner, I'm just a phone call or email away.

Thank you again for staying current with GFRC happenings.

Be well!

 

 

January 20, 2025

GFRC Online Auctions - Robust Session 1 Bidding!

 

Greetings on a Martin Luther King holiday Monday and welcome to the Daily Blog. Thank you for the ongoing visits and GFRC patronage.

Sunday brought wide ranging weather here in Venice Florida. The day started with foggy conditions and cool temperatures. By mid morning, southern winds arrived and blew out the fog exposing sunshine. Once the sunshine appeared, I'm no fool given the forecast for heavy thunderstorms during the afternoon. The balance of the morning hours were spent in the backyard with my trusty Nikon camera photographing a host of consignments and Winter FUN show new purchases. It was good that I moved quickly to take advantage of a break in the cloudy conditions. By 2:00 PM, the thunderstorms appears with a deluge of rain that accumulated in our lanai. Before long, the weather again cleared and the lanai dried out sufficient for grilling chicken at 6:00 PM and enjoying a Florida sunset during dinner.

Shifting to another topic, Maine was under a winter storm alert with rain shifting to half a foot of snow in the Raymond foothills. Our Tesla Powerwall3 batteries worked beautifully and responded to the National Weather Service storm alert. At 3:30 AM, Tesla took control of the batteries and charged them from the grid to full capacity. At this point, the homestead has sufficient backup power to last through the coming week even with snow on the panels. Technology is wonderful....

Maybe I'm just teasing everyone with this weather related introduction as the primary headline is a superb kick-off to the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage Sessions 1 auction.

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Robust Session 1 Bidding!

As the proud operator of GFRC Online Auctions, I was honestly a bit tense as the 9:00 PM ET auction opening time arrived. My first concern was that the software would operate properly given all the marketing efforts for my personal Seated Dime collection along with that of Aaron Heintz's Seated halves. 9:00 PM arrived and the software responded. In a matter of a minute or two, the initial bids started to pour in from multiple bidders. My Samsung cellphone has an email chime and was singing a beautiful melody as the bidding gained momentum. Yes, the early bidding wave was a relief and vindication that our three session auctions will be well subscribed.

As of 6:00 AM, 30 of the 82 lots have received an initial bid with several already seeing multiple bids. That is a 37% sell through rate at the auction open, a great starting number.

Total Session 1 reserves for both collections amount to $882,000 or so. As of today's Blog composition, there are already $264,000 in bids on the books. Basic math indicates that initial bids are at 30% of the reserves at this point.

Looking first at the Newtown Collection offerings, the 1845-O PCGS MS66 halve has secured its $24,000 reserve bid with the crusty original and conservatively graded 1878-S PCGS EF40 half with a $75,000 bid at its reserve. The exceptional 1841-O Eliasberg half (GFRC banner plate coin) has also met its $9,000 reserve.

I could not be more pleased with the initial bidding on my personal Seated Dime collection. Initial bidding was more concentrated on the lower valued lots with the 1840 No Drapery dime already securing two bids along with the 1840-O PCGS MS62 CAC dime being initially bid up to $11,265. The third finest known 1843-O dime also secured an initial bid at its $26,000 reserve. The 1845, 1847, and 1859-O dimes have also secured multiple bids. My perfectly original 1873-CC Arrows dime has found a new home at the initial $16,000 reserve. I have a feeling that this lot will see incremental bidding before the auction closes.

Most of the higher reserved Seated dimes are still free agents this morning, but I am not worried. By next Sunday, I'm expecting that most will have found new homes. Bidders at the higher levels will be appearing nearer to the auction close.

Overall, all is going well at this point which will allow me to focus on rebuilding the 30 Day Price List with new offerings.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Other than an extended health walk, today brings a long office day with image processing being the imperative. There will be a showcase gallery in Tuesday's Blog edition for sure, along with some lots being posted to the 30 Day Price List.

My sincere thanks go out those community members who participated early in the Session 1 auction sale. Your initial bids are most encouraging and should motivate others to participate in a once in a decade (or more) auction opportunity.

I will be back tomorrow with another Blog edition, and a second Session 1 auction update. Good luck to everyone who is active in the Session 1 event.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 19, 2025

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Bidding Opens at 9:00 PM ET

 

Greetings from the Venice office on a Sunday morning. Thank you for returning to the Daily Blog for the usual updates and the launch of a monumental auction event.

But first, I'm pleased to report that GFRC sold two of the seven remaining Quito Collection lots that have been promoted during the past several days. Our consignor was quite pleased with this development. If there is potential interest in any of the remaining five lots, and you wish to make an offer, then please do so. The Quito Collection consignor would rather have a check payment in the mail than returned coins.

Secondly, the Venice Florida weather continues to be unsuitable for outdoor photography. This is impacting my ability to post new lots to the 30 Day Price List. I want everyone to understand that I am not playing hooky from the business, rather working through background admin preparations. Once the sunshine returns, there will be a plethora of posting to the price lists.

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Bidding Opens at 9:00 PM ET

Today's update is quite special as Session 1 bidding opens at 9:00 PM ET for the Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime Collection and the Newtown Liberty Seated Half Dollar Collection. Finally, the anticipation (and a certain amount of anxiety) will be unleashed as the numismatic community begins to bid on lots within these wonderful assemblages. Frankly, there is little else to say at this point other than please bid strongly and often as the offered lots are undeniably significant.

During the coming bidding week, might I suggest that you keep an eye on the following eight lots during the Session 1 event? Why? Simply stated, these lots are either historically significant, unquestionable gems, or notably underrated.

Gerry Fortin Collection Lots to Watch

      1840-O No Drap F-103 PCGS MS62 CAC 10C - $8750                          1847 F-102 PCGS MS63 CAC 10C - $6500                 

        

   1860-O F-101 PCGS AU50 CAC 10C - $16,000                               1870-S F-101 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $12,000      

        

 

Newtown Collection Lots to Watch

      1839 Drapery PCGS MS65 CAC 50C - $25,500                               1841-O WB-1 PCGS MS63+ CAC 50C - $9000        

        

            1853-O A&R PCGS MS62+ CAC 50C - $7000                        1855-O Arrows PCGS MS65 CAC 50C Rattler - $8150     

        

  

Let's go over a few GFRC Online Auctions reminders....

- All GFRC Online Auctions sales are a No Buyers Premium event. What you bid is what you pay!

- This is a bid centric platform with no tie back to a bidder number. Each bid is a unique event with its own bid number. In this case, it is possible to bid against yourself if raising a bid without the earlier bid being superseded by another participant's bid. If wishing to increase a bid, please email me or call and I will delete your earlier bid to enable the placement of a higher bid. This service will be offered up to the last hour of the auction. Come Sunday January 26 8:00 PM ET, you are on your own.

- GFRC will not take your maximum bid as the winning bid unless other bidders have triggered your maximum bid. I clearly remember how Stacks would take my maximum bids during their mail bid sales in the early 1990s and was not pleased. Please bid with confidence that your maximum bid will be downgraded to the highest competitive bid received plus one bidding increment.

- Sniping is to be expected in the final auction minute so please bid accordingly. Please be cautious in that opening a bidding screen in advance of placing a snipe bid with seconds left in the auction comes with risks. The bidding screen captures the current bid at the time it is opened. If opened five minutes before the auction close, for example, there may be fresh bids placed during those five minutes that will not be captured on your bidding screen. The software may indicate a successful bid against the high bid at the time the bidding screen was opened, but in reality, your bid may be negated by a higher bid that was placed while the bidding screen remained opened and idle.

- All bids are recorded (with time stamps) and captured in the COIN system database. GFRC will have the final decision as to who won a lot based on the bid amount and time stamp as captured by the COIN system.

- During the final minute of the auction, the bidding intensity will be fierce and the online catalog will most likely not refresh for last minute snipe bids. Please wait five minutes after the auction close to refresh the catalog and review the winning bids.

- Finally, the entire 82 lot auction has a hard close at 9:00 PM ET on January 26. There are no extensions for last minute snipe bids. Also, the lots do not close on a sequential basis. All lots close at exact 9:00 PM ET.

If there are any questions, concerns, or other needs, I will be constantly monitoring my text messages and emails for bidder correspondences throughout the coming week. GFRC operates a 100% straight auction as we are known for.

Good luck to everyone who plans to bid during the coming week. I'm looking forward to early bidding this evening as a first step.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Given the cold and cloudy Venice Florida weather, I will mostly likely be in the office throughout the day loading the last of the FUN show consignments into the COIN system including preparing pricing proposals.

Your purchase orders are always cherished and appreciated as most of GFRC's inventory is populated by consignors. Many of the consignors will be bidding in the Gerry Fortin and Newtown auction events through May 2025 and need to sell their current duplicates to raise numismatic capital.

Good luck to this evening's early auction bidders!

Thank you again for the visit.

Be well!

 

 

January 18, 2025

Evergreen State Collection Proof Seated Dimes - Part 1

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Bidding Opens Tomorrow

and

Final Chance for Quito Seated Quarters - Last Day Offer

Split My Sales Commission as a Purchase Incentive

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on a quiet Saturday morning. Thank you for the visit.

Weather will be a substantial issue across the East Coast this coming week. Trump's Monday inauguration has been moved indoors due to frigid temperatures from Maine down into the deep south. Snow arrives at the Raymond homestead this weekend followed by an Arctic blast that will see temperatures below zero, during the overnights, for much of the week. Here in Venice clouds and rain are the rule for the next four days. Without sunshine, the GFRC numismatic machine will come to a price list posting halt due to a lack of photography. Instead, I'm conducting as much admin work as possible including writing new purchase descriptions prior to images being available.

Focusing on the Maine homestead for a moment, Tesla conducted another calibration of the Powerwall3 batteries this week. Luckily, there was no snow on the panels, with the batteries returning quickly to full charge. The calibration timing was ideal as the panels will be covered this weekend as 4'-6" of snow is expected. Yes, I am dreaming of being back in Maine in late April as we kick off another summer of new developments in the back acreage "park". We are planning a 35' flag pole as every park needs a flag pole, right?

 

Evergreen State Collection Proof Seated Dimes - Part 1

One of several major GFRC consignments has been successful transferred to the Venice office this week. Friday brought the arrival of a 38 piece Liberty Seated Dime proof collection with nearly all lots being at the PR65-PR66 level with many Cameo designations and CAC approvals. Today's roll out preparation includes loading the collection into the COIN system and studying every non-CAC approved lot for potential submission come Tuesday.

Here is a group photo of the 1860 through 1876 proof dates as an initial preview of the next major GFRC release. I've not yet decided if we will go the auction or direct price list posting route for this collection. Stay tuned at the Daily Blog for forthcoming updates.

Evergreen State Collection Proof Seated Dimes - Part 1

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Bidding Opens Tomorrow!

The personal anticipation continues to grow as the first bidding session for the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collection opens tomorrow evening at 9:00 PM.

Finally, we will soon discover the community response to the release of these two magnificent collections. Really, these releases are a once in a decade (or more) opportunity for collectors to upgrade their current collections, or initiate a new project with auction purchases as seed lots. Can you image if someone purchased the eight Fortin Carson City dimes for a Liberty Seated wide type set. Following is what that seed lot would look like.

 

 1871-CC F-101 PCGS EF45 CAC 10C                                               1872-CC F-101 PCGS EF45 CAC 10C

        

1873-CC F-101 PCGS VF35 CAC 10C                                            1874-CC F-101 PCGS EF45 CAC 10C

        

   1875-CC IW F-106 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C                                       1876-CC Type 1 F-117 PCGS MS63 CAC 10C

        

1877-CC Type 2 F-109 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C                                   1878-CC Type 2 F-104 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C

        

 

Final Chance for Quito Seated Quarters - Last Day Offer

An astute collector took my advice concerning the final offering of the Quito Liberty Seated quarters that have been aging in GFRC inventory. That individual purchased the 1877-S S/Horizontal S lot at the discounted price and will be pleased once this quarter arrives. We are down to six remaining pieces during the final offer day.

Next on my list of recommended lots is the 1875-CC PCGS MS63 CAC lot. This is a date that I don't often see in any grade let alone in Mint State. Yes, the offer price is substantial, but then again the CAC Price Guide lists the coin at $9500 in MS63 CAC. The current offer price is a full $1000 below the guide price and is MS62 retail money.

 

Final Chance for Quito Seated Quarters - Last Day Offer

Split My Sales Commission as a Purchase Incentive

1852 Briggs 1-A PCGS MS66 CAC 25C - $21,550

      1840 Drapery PCGS MS63 25C - $4715                                       1841-O Briggs 3-D PCGS MS62 25C - $1415

        

            1875-CC PCGS MS63 CAC 25C - $8500                                1877-CC Briggs 3-C PCGS MS65 CAC 25C - $2870 

        

 1877-S S/Horizontal S PCGS MS63 CAC 25C - HOLD                                 1888-S PCGS MS66+ CAC 25C - $8185           

        

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

It going to be a rainy day here in Venice, therefore I will be working in the office the entire day.

Again, please don't be bashful about calling in for verbal auction lot descriptions or to discuss payment terms. Otherwise, there is little else to share at this point

Thank you again for the daily visit.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 17, 2025

FUN Show New Purchases Preview

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Bidding Opens in Two Days

and

Final Chance for Quito Seated Quarters - Two Day Offer

Split My Sales Commission as a Purchase Incentive

 

Greetings on a Friday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. Another week in a life flies by much too quickly! Thank you for the ongoing visits and staying close to my humble GFRC business and personal adventures.

One of the best outcomes for constructing the GFRC platform is the relationships or "numismatic family" that has ensued. First came Dan White as an early silent partner and his lovely wife Bernadette. Sadly, Bernadette passed a few years later of cancer followed by Dan finding a new love, Rose Marie. In the past few years, two new members to the GFRC family have appeared. Rich Hundertmark's idea to form GFRC-Lite was brilliant as now GFRC clients have a place to take their raw coins and Whitman blue folder holders for liquidation. The most recent member is Blake Gibb who adds a different flair to the team with his contagious love of life and race cars. Yes, the GFRC business is a truly unique entity whereby long term friendships have resulted. Isn't that what the numismatic hobby, or for that matter, any hobby is all about?

Yep, GFRC is much more than a coin business with its educational focus.

 

FUN Show New Purchases Preview

There was little time at the FUN show for securing new purchases. Between being consumed at the booth with retail sales, and the auction lot viewing, there was no time to walk the bourse in search of new inventory additions. The only walking that was done on the bourse was going to/from the bathroom!

I did manage to buy a few coins that were walk ups to the GFRC booth. Having full knowledge of the forthcoming consignments after the show, I was quite selective and focused on quality and value when committing to purchases. Up next is an image of the show new purchases. Clicking on the image will provide access to a higher resolution version for your closer inspection. The highlight of the group is at the far right of the first row. This 1865 PCGS PR64CAM Seated dollar is magnificent and will be loading to the price list once the Venice sunshine returns for photography. If curious, I am able to quote prices on any of these lots.

FUN Show New Purchases Preview

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Bidding Opens in Two Days

The clock is ticking and the countdown continues! There are now only two days remaining before the historical GFRC Online Auctions sale of the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collections takes place. Yes, I am going to miss my personal collection. However, there is sufficient documentation of the accomplishment (the GFRC catalog and showcase gallery) that I can always return for a visit and a bit of nostalgia.

Session 1 bidding opens at 9:00 PM on Sunday January 19th.

If there are any questions, please DO NOT be bashful about calling me to discuss individual lots or payment terms.

Thank you for the many considerations.

 

Final Chance for Quito Seated Quarters - Two Day Offer

Sadly, I've not been able to sell a fair number of higher grade Quito Liberty Seated quarters at our offer prices. The issue is from the demand side of the equation and not the product quality. Locating a collector who is assembling a Mint State Liberty Seated quarter collection has proven to be more challenging that anticipated.

The Quito Collection has therefore requested the return of his unsold consigned inventory. This leaves me no choice but to issue a final chance at these high grade Mint State Seated quarters. If not sold by end of day Saturday, they will be packed up and shipped back out west. As a final incentive for both GFRC and a potential buyer, I will split my sales commission with you! The below offer numbers capture a 50:50 split of the sales commission with a lucky buyer.

If you only have funds for a single coin, might I strongly recommend the 1877-S S/Horizontal S quarter as it is quite delicious and deserves to move into an advanced collection. Thank you for considering this offer.

 

Final Chance for Quito Seated Quarters - Two Day Offer

Split My Sales Commission as a Purchase Incentive

1852 Briggs 1-A PCGS MS66 CAC 25C - $21,550

      1840 Drapery PCGS MS63 25C - $4715                                       1841-O Briggs 3-D PCGS MS62 25C - $1415

        

            1875-CC PCGS MS63 CAC 25C - $8500                                1877-CC Briggs 3-C PCGS MS65 CAC 25C - $2870 

        

 1877-S S/Horizontal S PCGS MS63 CAC 25C - $2145                                   1888-S PCGS MS66+ CAC 25C - $8185           

        

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Unfortunately, the mid-west Florida coast weather forecast is bleak for the coming week. We are in an ongoing overcast situation with occasional showers and thunderstorms. I will do my best to watch the weather for a break in the clouds and an opportunity to get some quick photography done. Otherwise, the posting of new purchases and consignments to the 30 Day Price List will be anemic.

Today brings another office day for those that wish to contact me via phone or email. Please don't be bashful about calling in for personal auction lot descriptions. Such was the case on Thursday afternoon where I spent time describing eleven Session 1 coins for a client. The conversation was quite important since this client did not have an opportunity to conduct on site lot viewing at the Baltimore and FUN shows.

I believe that this is the extend of today's Blog content. As always, thank you for the time taking in reading these ramblings and updates.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 16, 2025

Moving Up the Ladder - High Grade Mirror Collection Seated Half Dimes

and

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Opens January 19th

 

Greetings on a Thursday morning and welcome to yet another Daily Blog edition. Thank you for the visit.

I was up quite early this morning and used the peaceful morning hours to construct an important showcase gallery after securing pricing approval from the Mirror Collection consignor during the overnight. The presentation of FUN consignments is officially underway.

One of the first morning checks is the spot gold price based on LBMA (London) trading. Gold has finally broken about the $2700/oz mark with a quote of $2708 at 6:30 AM ET. The general sentiment of Kitco gold centric articles is on sovereign debt crisis and risks to the U.S. dollar. These themes are not new given the U.S. deficit stands at $36,357,000,000,000 with the next twelve months alone adding another 2,000,000,000,000 to the national debt. For those who are curious about U.S. financial statistics, the best website to check is usdebtclock.org.

Following is a screen capture of the main page with its multitude of financial indices.

One of the best aspect of this site is the ability to hover your pointer over any indice for an explanation of the calculation at the top of the page. Please check the lower right side of the page which focuses on U.S. population and employment stats along with a demonstration of the inflation impact to healthcare, tuition, home, and car prices. I will leave everyone to their own to explore this information and how it might influence your investment outlook. Inflation is insisdious, especially for those approaching or within retirement. Increases in the cost of living are outpacing planning income sources for many.

 

Let's move on to GFRC news...

 

Moving Up the Ladder - High Grade Mirror Collection Seated Half Dimes

GFRC is quite pleased to be showcasing yet another client's progressive climb up the collection release ladder. The Mirror Collection has been systematically releasing his wonderful Liberty Seated half dime collection with today's offerings being the pinnacle. I believe that everyone will agree that the following lots are truly special and significant given the date and/or grade rarity.

We open with an attractive, and scarce, 1840-O V-4 No Drapery example in Mint State. If checking the GFRC Sales Archive, you will note that GFRC has only sold a single PCGS MS63 example of this date/type, though a transitional V-6 reverse example for $8920. As for the V-4 Small O, a PCGS AU53 CAC example was sold less than a year ago for $1905. The consignor's offer price is quite fair.

Pricing high grade Mint State example of the better dates can be challenging. Case in point is the 1848-O V-4 graded NGC MS66, a boldly struck and brilliantly lustrous example. The only comparable in the Sales Archive is a PCGS MS66+ CAC, from the Branch Mint Collection, that sold for $6500 during a July 2021 auction sale. Our offer price is fairly positioned given the lot's quality.

Next is a huge coin, the 1867 NGC MS67+ half dime which is clearly a Condition Census offering. This piece is an amazing study with heavily striated dies, multiple die clashing, and die cracks. We close the marquee display with an 1871-S V-3a specimen at the lofty PCGS MS66 grade level. This is the finest example to be offered by GFRC by a wide margin.

Currently, there is a FRoR on the 1840-O No Drapery with the balance being free agents for immediate purchase.

 

High Grade Mirror Collection Seated Half Dimes

   1840-O V-4 No Drap PCGS MS62 H10C - $2950                                     1848-O V-4 NGC MS66 H10C - $3750            

        

        1867 NGC MS67+ H10C - $10,950                                         1871-S V-3a PCGS MS66 H10C - $3250  

        

1837 SD PCGS MS64+ H10C - $1850                 1843 NGC MS65+ H10C - $1600                    1858 NGC MS66 H10C - $1000     

                

 1858-O V-1 PCGS MS64 CAC H10C - $825        1860-O PCGS MS64 CAC H10C - $925               1873 PCGS MS66 H10C - $1750            

                

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Opens January 19th

Am I a bit anxious about the forthcoming Session 1 auction session that arrives on Sunday evening? Sure, to say otherwise would not be truthful. After months of office effort, constant marketing, and of course, reaching the decision to sell my collection in the first place, the Session 1 auction opens for bidding in a tad over 72 hours. A lifetime's collection is being offered to the numismatic community with what I believe are attractive reserves given the conservatively graded nature of many of the lots. This fact was apparent when hosting FUN show auction lot viewing and watching the notes being made in catalogs by collectors and dealers alike. I'm to the point of understanding which lots will see furious bidding and feeling at peace. The anxiety is just related to getting this event underway.

Yesterday brought two more community members confirming the ability to use extended payment terms if they lose themselves in the bidding. Today brings a phone call appointment with another client on the same topic.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Today brings another office day, and hopefully, more sunshine to continue the consignment photography process. I will be available to discuss new purchases, consignments, and auction related questions.

Thanks again for returning to the Daily Blog.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 15, 2025

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Bidding on Sunday

and

Another Substantial U.S. Gold Consignment

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on a Wednesday morning. It is January 15 with a Happy Birthday wish going out to Matt Yamatin. Thank you for the visit.

The GFRC office was quite busy on Tuesday with a strong order day which translates into a health amount of morning shipping. I'm operating the shipping department on a solo basis as Diane's sister, Rachel, is in town with the two of them enjoying their four mile morning walks together.

The 30 Day Price List has been updated with a fair number of Sooner Collection Liberty Seated halves that were dropped off at the FUN show. Already, the pretty 1870 half was double ordered.

While the Blog is being composed, spot gold is hovering between $2693-$2695 as another attempt at the $2700 threshold appears underway. Did you know that the Jim Rodgers, a legendary investor, has exited his U.S. equities and has concentrated his money into silver. Silver is operating in a multi-year supply deficit as India and China demand for solar panel manufacturing is consuming available above ground stocks. This fact is currently not reflected in the silver price due to paper trading on the COMEX (Chicago) and LBMA (London) by major financial players. Unlike gold, which is now a Tier 1 financial asset equivalent to U.S. Treasuries, silver is still a commodity that suffers from price suppression due to huge levels of paper contract trading.

Let's move to today's headlines...

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Bidding on Sunday

The countdown to the first GFRC Online Auctions session is moving along nicely with just a few days to go. My anticipation is substantial after months of preparations and marketing the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collections. Let's look at eight major offerings that will soon be available for bidding. At this point, little needs to be said concerning these lots. Sunday brings a once in a decade opportunity (or more) to acquire finest knowns and major rarities.

 

GFRC Auction Session 1 Highlights

Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime Collection

   1839-O F-101 PCGS MS65 GOLD CAC 10C - $20,000                          1843-O F-101 PCGS AU53 CAC 10C - $26,000         

        

       1852-O F-101 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $25,000                                 1863 F-101a PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $23,000    

        

 

Newtown Liberty Seated Half Dollar Collection

   1839 Drapery WB-5 PCGS MS65 CAC 50C - $25,500                          1841-O WB-1 PCGS MS63+ CAC 50C - $9000         

        

 1850 WB-4 PCGS MS65+ CAC 50C - $55,000                                     1878-S WB-1 PCGS EF40 50C - $75,000    

        

 

Another Substantial U.S. Gold Consignment

I'm most pleased to report that another major U.S. gold consignment was committed on Tuesday and will be arriving to the Venice office early next week. One of GFRC's more prolific consignors has decided to release his $1 gold collection with a few branch mint lots to sweeten the event. This group is dominated by nice collector grades as a starting point. As with prior U.S. gold consignment, I will be evaluating each lot for CAC approval potential (and submission) before rolling out the collection in its entirety. Following is a list of those lots for information only. At this time, I am not entertaining First Rights of Refusals.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

The daytime hours will find me in the GFRC office again, which should be no surprise. There is a decent amount of morning shipping followed by pricing out the FUN show transferred Liberty Seated half dime consignment from the Mirror Collection. Our client continues to move up the latter with a fantastic lot of high grade Mint State offerings that will be a joy to market and sell.

There is little else to share at this point.

Thank you for the visit.

Be well!

 

 

January 14, 2025

GFRC Office Back to Normal

and

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Countdown

 

Greetings on a mid-January Tuesday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. Thank you so much for returning to these ramblings.

Before moving into today's regular content, let's take a detour with a thought provoking Seth Godin blogpost. His post is timely given my decision, or is it a choice, concerning the acquisition of the final sports car in a lifetime.

Seth Goding Blogpost - Decisions and choices

Decisions are easy, choices are hard.

A good decision is our best analysis of the facts, options and risks. If it’s too close to call, flip a coin, because it’s too close to call.

On the other hand, a choice involves understanding our priorities, evaluating our preference for risk and sometimes, changing our minds. None of these are easy.

If we face a difficult choice, it’s helpful to stop thinking about it as a decision. It’s a choice. Decisions are strategic, choices are personal.

Amen, as this choice is quite personal and could border on the irrational to those in my own family.

 

GFRC Office Back to Normal

The FUN show recovery is now behind me after a productive Monday. We are now current on shipments and making progress with issuing consignment checks and GFRC COIN account reports for those clients that plan to bid in the forthcoming auction sessions. The balance will be completed today.

The consignment queue is notably well stocked for the time being including the arrival of a Liberty Seated dime consignment from Dr. Tim Cook. Monday brought the photography of a new high grade Liberty Seated half dime lot from the Mirror Collection. In the background, I've been conversing with the Evergreen Green Collection as we prepare to ship his Liberty Seated proof dime collection to the Venice office. Let's just say that there is more than enough consignment backlog to keep me out of trouble well into February.

Yesterday brought a discounting event for most of the remaining Liberty Seated quarter lots from a complete collection that I've been dispersing. Those lots are posted to the top of the 30 Day Price List along with a few FUN show buybacks that warrant consideration.

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Session 1 Countdown

After months of preparations and a collecting lifetime, the countdown for the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collections is upon us. Bidding for the first session begins at 9:00 PM ET on Sunday evening with only five contemplation days remaining.

Session 1 is a substantial GFRC event with 82 top rated Liberty Seated dimes and half dollar lots with a total reserve of $882,000. There are major rarities to be had along with underrated offerings for astute collectors. The size and the value of the auction is a huge milestone for the GFRC community. As mentioned multiple times, in the Blog, I am hoping that the majority of the lots find their way into collector hands. To help facilitate collector purchases, I am offering one year payment terms. Let's explain exactly what that means in terms of mechanics.

- Firstly, the decision to grant extended payments terms will be made by GFRC on a case by case basis given a client's relationship and past purchasing levels. My standard threshold for one year payments is $75,000. I would like to see auction lots paid for immediately to avoid the complexities of extended payment terms as a starting point. Having said that, I will work with collectors as necessary.

- Secondly, extended payment terms must be discussed with me and approved BEFORE auction bidding commences. I will not be granting extended payment terms in the event that bidders over extend themselves and need an emergency bailout. Please bid what you can afford.

- A 40% upfront payment for the won lots followed by the 60% balance being paid across 12 months OR LESS. We can negotiate the 60% payment schedule to include consignment sales and proceeds along with regular cash payments. GFRC will hold the won lots until the final balance payment is realized with title transferring to the buyer after final payment. At the end of 12 months from the auction date, I expect the lots to be fully paid with no exceptions. There will be no hard ship provisions concerning the 40% payment in case of a default. In other words, you lose the 40% if failing to pay the balance with GFRC retaining ownership of the lot(s).

- Please remember that there are three auction sessions from January 19th through May 10th. Therefore, please budget your numismatic finances accordingly. Session 2, which starts on March 22, will also bring a substantial number of important lots to the marketplace at a similar value level to the January 19th session. For some bidders, who are not successful in the first session, the March 22 auction is a chance for vindication and to target incremental improvements to your collections. Ditto for the final session that take place on May 10th.

- All extended payment terms will be documented via GFRC email with an expected email confirmation by the buyer. Once we have documented and confirmed out mutual terms, timely execution is the rule.

Let's also discuss the GFRC online auctions bidding system based on the common questions that were posed at the FUN show auction lot viewing.

- The GFRC Online Auctions system is bid centric with no tie back to a bidder number. Each bid is a unique event. Please record and monitor your bids carefully to not bid against yourself.

- If you wish to increase a maximum bid, during an active auction session, please contact me via email with the higher bid. I will delete the lower maximum bid to enable the placement of your higher bid.

- The GFRC software will bid your maximum bid against incoming bids until that maximum bid is exhausted or successful. GFRC will NEVER take your maximum bid as the winning bid unless other bidders take your maximum bid to its limit.

- For those who will be sniping in the final auction minutes, be forewarned!. When opening a bidding screen, the software captures the lot bid value at that point in time. If opening a bidding screen early and holding open for several minutes, there is the possibility of bidding action while the bidding screen is open. The open bidding screen will indicate that you bid has been accepted against the high bid at the time the screen was opened. In reality, your bid could be outdated and not placed if the current bid is higher when the submit button is pressed. Sniping brings its risks and I will not be supportive to snipers who complain that the bidding screen indicated a success bid.

GFRC will have the final determination of who are the winning bidders based on the bid receipt time stamp in the COIN system auction control panel. I always run a clean and fair auction as a rule.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

I will be working in the GFRC office during the entire day other than a quick haircut. Emails and text messages will be monitored for purchase orders and auction session questions.

Your ongoing patronage is sincerely appreciated.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 13, 2025

FUN Sales Uploaded to Sales Archive/Consignment Accounts

Ramping the Shipping Department

Quick 1865 Seated Dime Business Strike Commentary

and

What's Going On with Gold?

 

Greetings again from the GFRC Venice office and welcome to the Daily Blog. We are sincerely pleased with the ongoing readership. Thanks for stopping by.

Operating as a coin dealer comes with substantial responsibilities, especially when being primarily a consignment driven operation. Integrity and trust are paramount as the coin business remains as one of the few unregulated "industries". The entry bar is quite low as anyone with a CDN price guide, the ability to read a TPG grading label, and the capital to create a website can call themselves a coin dealer. Missing from these attributes are the key components that separate the "expert" dealers vs. the wannabes, namely the expertise with historical numismatics and metallurgy. I tend to shy away from tooting my own horn, but recently, a number of clients have shared why they work closely with GFRC. Those factors are expertise, integrity, and accountability. At the FUN show, a number of collectors walked up to the table with coins in hand and ask for my honest opinion on what I taught of their items and how to dispose of them. Each conversation, whether a purchase or a quick consultation, was conducted in a serious manner consistent with the GFRC reputation.

OK, enough on this topic as I'm just rambling a bit...

 

FUN Sales Uploaded to Sales Archive/Consignment Accounts

When selling a ton of coins at an epic coin show, the follow-on admin tasks can be protracted. In the case of the just completed FUN show, Sunday was pretty much consumed with loading sales in the COIN database followed by uploading the results to the Hostway server and price lists. A refresh of our Collectors Corner listings was also accomplished with a notable reduction in posted inventory.

If you glance at our regular sales price list menu, the number of CAC approved coins in inventory is now down to 205 pieces along with the U.S. gold price list dropping below the 100 mark. Bottom line, GFRC sold many coins at the FUN show and will need time to replenish its inventory with fresh consignments.

At this point, all consignors can check their online accounts to determine which of their lots have found new homes. Some consignors will be saving their sales proceeds from bidding in the upcoming GFRC Online Auctions sessions while others wish to have a check mailed towards securing their proceeds. I will be sorting these preferences out during the next 72 hours and issuing consignment checks according to instructions.

 

Ramping the Shipping Department

Today's number one priority is restarting the shipping department and mailing out accumulated orders that saw check payment arrivals while we were attending the FUN show. It appears that I will be the primary shipping department employee as Diane has an Auburn Lakes Condo HOA board meeting this morning along with a bank run to deposit FUN show checks and cash.

Secondly, there are two consignments waiting for me at the Venice Island post office that need retrieval also.

Once all the accumulated shipping is placed into the USPS system, the final task is reorganizing our regular inventory and separating FUN new purchases and consignments towards photography on Tuesday, weather permitting.

 

Soliciting Quality Consignments

Just a quick reminder that GFRC is open for insourcing quality consignments. Currently under discussion is a complete Liberty Seated dime proof set from 1859 through 1891 that will move into the shipment discussion phase. I'm also anticipating another U.S. gold consignment or two based on the successful FUN sales outcome. The Atlanta ANA Money Show arrives in late February, which is only about six weeks away so please plan accordingly.

 

Quick 1865 Seated Dime Business Strike Commentary

While hosting auction lot viewing of my Liberty Seated dime collection, I noted that two dealers made catalog notations for the 1865 dime that required my verbal correction of their observations. This fact makes for a teaching moment for those who are not intimate with the Civil War era dimes. Due to their rarity, most collectors have not seen enough examples to learn the specific die anomalies.

For the 1865 F-101a obverse die, that are four die scratches to note, two of which can be confused with being hairline scratches. Please check the below image of the pending auction lot with those die scratches outlined. The two lines in the left obverse field can be mistaken as hairlines. The arcing die scratches on both sides of the date are self evident and unique in the entire Liberty Seated dime series.

1865 F-101a Business Strike - PCGS MS67 CAC OGH 10C

 

What's Going On with Gold?

At the FUN show, I also added two more $20 gold pieces to the personal physical gold box. Since not mentioning gold in awhile, the China PBOC has restarted the overt purchase of gold after a six month hiatus. The China Communist Party (CCP) holding of U.S. Treasuries stands at $749 billion as of the end of 2024 with limited sales during the second half of last year.

The following graph presents a global view of major countries and their U.S. Treasuries ownership trend. The red line is China while the yellow is the U.K. I've boxed the 2024 period for China and the U.K. which shows that China's slowdown in gold purchases coincides with their slowdown in U.S. Treasury sales. Will China renew its Treasury sale trend starting in 2025? This could be possible if the PBOC continues to add more gold to its foreign reserves at current pricing levels.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Well, I've rambled on for my allocated time before the 8:00 AM publishing deadline brings about another upload. Let's move forward with another day in the GFRC office after a quick shower.

Thank you for the visit.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 12, 2025

An Epic FUN Show!

Sunday: A Long Office Admin Day

and

All Eyes Focusing on January 19th Auction Launch

 

Greetings from the GFRC Venice office and welcome to another Daily Blog edition. Thank you for staying close to our ongoing adventures.

Today's headlines says it all. The 2025 Winter FUN show was an epic event, plain and simple. Saturday brought yet another day of rapid paced sales and auction lot viewing that were well beyond our expectations. Dan White said it best at 2:30 PM yesterday when he commented that it felt like Thursday, the first day of the show.

Our team returned to the booth on Saturday morning with the typical anticipation of when the closing down signal would be given. Blake Gibb arrived wearing his Hallet Racing School shirt to add yet another dimension for customer conversations. Once the booth setup was accomplished, auction lot viewing promptly initiated with dealers using the "quiet" Saturday morning time to inspect the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage offerings. Before long, the attending public found their way to the booth with the team scrambling between auction viewing duties and attending to customers. Was this a Saturday or was I dreaming? Sales kick started with a five figure deal along with a host of one and two piece sales while I was trying to spend some personal time with the dealers at the auction viewing cases. We lost track of time as the booth activity was fast paced. At 1:00 PM, Blake realizing that he needed to head to the airport to catch a flight. We said our good-byes with hugs and wished Blake safe travels.

After Blake's departure, one of the best dealer graders in the business arrived to the booth to conduct auction lot viewing. It was amazing to watch this consummate expert grading coins in the matter of 15-20 seconds while still being able to hold an engaging conversation. We managed to get through the Seated dimes before Diane brought more coins for price quotes. Once our "expert" moved to the Seated halves, I turned over the hosting role to Diane as I needed to spend time with buying customers. By 3:00 PM, we were starting to wonder when the booth might be closed as the crowd was being pushed further back into the bourse as the up front "big boys" were closing down. My last business deal of the day brought the arrival of the Fort Lauderdale Collection consignor with a quick tour of the auction lots along with offering us a fantastic 1865 PCGS PR64CAM CAC Liberty Seated dollar with the ideal black fields. This was a perfect cameo piece that I had to add to inventory as the final new purchase of the show. We quickly settled on a price with Diane counting out a large stack of $100 bills. After the purchase, it was time to close the booth though attendees were still walking the aisles. Our high performance team managed to tear down and pack up in a little over 30 minutes and we were out of the convention center by 4:35 PM.

Yes, it was an EPIC event.

The drive from Orlando to Osprey, our first stop, brought some light hearted joking about Gerry's forthcoming sports car purchase after the January 19 auction session is wrapped up. My purchase decision was announced to the team at the show with Blake providing his stamp of approval. Let's just say that owning a sports car at this level is something not fathomed until visiting Blake's Oklahoma City sports car collection and attending Hallet Racing School. The last decision was color selection and availability at dealerships throughout Florida. The team was encouraging me to go with a red color since my first three sports cars (Celica, TR-7, and Miata) have all been red. Dan and Rose Marie jokingly offered to drive the forthcoming purchase from Florida to Maine if I so desired. The conversation then shifted to a vanity license plate and ideas for naming the new car. As you can probably surmise, the GFRC team has become quite close as our friendships continue to grow.

Stay tuned at the Blog for the sports car purchase announcement during the first half of February.

 

Sunday: A Long Office Admin Day

An incredible coin show now translates into a long day in the GFRC office recording all the business activity into the COIN system followed by a GFRC website update so that consignors can log in and assess their sales levels. The admin process will be completed by dinner time along with merging show inventory with those coins that remained behind. Secondly, many new purchases and show consigned coins that found their way into the showcases must be pulled and sent aside for photography come Monday and Tuesday.

 

All Eyes Focusing on January 19th Auction Launch

The first GFRC Online Auctions session is now just one week away! After months of preparations, the main event is on our door step.

At this point, there is confidence that the sales of two all time finest collections will be greeted with strong demand based on the FUN show auction lot viewing. More will be discussed in the coming days.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Let's wrap up at this point as I need a shower towards finding the energy to get a pile of admin work done before 5:00 PM happy hour.

Again, the 2025 Winter FUN show was an EPIC GFRC event and indicates that the numismatic market is very healthy.

Thanks again for checking in.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 11, 2025

Best GFRC Coin Show on Record!!!

 

Greetings from the final morning at the 2025 Winter FUN show and welcome to the Daily Blog. Thank you for returning after a period of golden silence....

Wow! The 2025 FUN show is one for the GFRC record books. On Friday alone, our great team sold over the six figures mark in a single day. When adding in Thursday's sales tally, the two show days resulted in the highest sales total for any show that GFRC has attended in its 11 year history. Of course, I could not be more pleased. I hope that the Blog readership can now understand why there was radio silence on the Blog channel.

Not only did GFRC enjoy an incredible two day sales event, the GFRC Online Auction lot viewing attendances was also very strong. Many known collectors appeared as expected. What was unexpected were the new faces that conducted their investigation of target lots. As of this morning, the remaining colorful auction catalog are in one of the showcases and are ready for today's potential visitors. Honestly, I don't wise to jinx myself, but their is growing confidence that the January 19th initial auction session will be well subscribed with certain lots seeing acute demand. I hope the community will be actively monitoring the first auction session as it should bring about a fair amount of excitement. Let's hope with fingers crossed....

Evening's have also been a lot of fun as the team spent Thursday at the English Pub followed by a loud and rambunctious dinner at a nearby Greek venue last evening. Wild table dancing was the order of the day but our team with a bit to old and wise to partake. Talk about team building.

Rich Hundertmark also reports enjoying a strong show in his small alcove table by our booth entrance. Rich moved a record number of raw and lower priced coins at the show. Everyone is quite happy this morning as you can imagine.

Four GFRC consignors will be very pleased as they dominated the consignment sales realm. Osprey and White Pine are the named collection along with the consignor of the Liberty Seated quarter collection and an addition GFRC U.S gold contributor. The Sooner and Oregon Beaver Collections also deserve an honorable mention.

Time moves along quickly with a host of tasks to complete before the bourse opens at 10:00 AM. It is best that we wrap up at this point. Sunday morning will bring a bit more commentary.

Thank you, as always, for checking in.

Be well!

 

January 10, 2025

Silence is Golden FUN!

and

Gerry Fortin Collection Crosses

 

Greetings from the FUN show bourse floor and welcome to a long overdue Daily Blog edition.

As the headline indicates, my silence is a function of a thoroughly busy time at the Winter FUN show. FUN attendance has been spectacular with endless waves of collectors descending on our double corner location. Both GFRC and GFRC-Lite have enjoyed excellent sales.

The key exhibit at the GFRC booth has been the Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime Collection and the Newtown Liberty Seated Half Dollar Collection that has seen considerable lot viewing. Honestly, between regular GFRC inventory and the GFRC Online Auctions' collection, we have the finest Liberty Seated coinage on the bourse, by far. This is feedback from Dan White and Blake Gibb as they have taken turns walking the bourse to benchmark other dealer showcases.

Incremental news includes the NGC to PCGS crossover of the Gerry Fortin 1851-O and 1885-s dimes from their long term NGC holders into fresh PCGS holders. The 1885-S cross is huge with respect to the PCGS population report. There are now three at the MS65 grade level with one finer at MS66. Both crossed coins will be submitted to CAC for a stickering attempt on Saturday.

Somehow, I've managed to load a fantastic 20 piece Sooner Collection Liberty Seated half dollar consignment into the bourse show cases. Unsold lots will be reaching the price list next week. The New Orleans Collection has also dropped off another important consignment that I might be able to get to in the next few hours.

There have been many new purchases also from a variety of sources Bottom line, the GFRC price lists will be seeing a host of new listing come next week.

Let's remember that the first GFRC auction session opens on January 19th!

My thanks go out to a great table crew including Diane, Blake, Dan, and Rose Marie along with Rich manning his GFRC-Lite booth section. Rich is reporting a strong show also for lower priced raw coins.

Thank you so much for checking.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 6, 2025

Last Office Day Before FUN Show

and

Expectations for Substantial Lot Viewing Activity at the GFRC Booth

 

Greetings on a Monday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. Thank you for the visit.

Life is so predictable! After ringing in the new year, numismatic dealers and collectors promptly shift their focus to the Orlando FUN show. Such is the case here at the GFRC Venice office. Luckily, we are only a 2.5 hour road trip away from the Orange County Convention Center and surrounding hotels. This is important since I will be driving to/from Orlando on Tuesday and back to the FUN coin show venue on Wednesday morning.

There is little prepared content for today's Blog edition. Sunday brought FUN show preparations including the pulling of retail inventory to be on exhibit plus the four double row slabbed boxes that house the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collections. The latter will be traveling to the FUN pre-show tomorrow.

Everyone who plans to retrieve purchased lots at the GFRC booth 638-640 can rest assured that your coins have been invoiced and are loaded in a special box that will also do double duty for insourcing consignments.

In terms of auction lot viewing preparations, Sunday brought the printing of auction lots and reserve prices as handouts for Tuesday's dealer pre-show. There will probably be some unused handouts available for those who conduct auction lot viewing early on Thursday. Yes, there will be an ample amount of colorful GFRC Online Auctions catalogs available to those who conduct auction lot viewing and plan to be active bidders. I'm sorry, but these auction catalogs are not planned to be souvenirs for those who have no intention of bidding and will be managed accordingly.

Speaking of auction lot viewing at the FUN show, this would also be a good time to discuss payment terms requirements with me. I will be granting special payment terms based on the anticipated bidding and spending amounts. One year payment terms are designed for those collectors that plan to make major purchases in the range of $75,000 or more. Six month payment terms can be possible for those spending less. However, in all cases, auction purchases will only be shipped to winning bidders once all payments are tendered. There will be no "ship aheads" granted for auction lots on extended payment terms. I'm certain that you can understand the basis for this policy.

The extended auction payment terms also provide and opportunity to consign duplicate coins to GFRC towards raising numismatic funds to offset the balances due on extended payments. Both GFRC and the consignors should be aligned to quickly sell those duplicates to close out auction purchases and securing their shipments.

 

Expectations for Substantial Lot Viewing Activity at the GFRC Booth

Based on a number of phone and email conversations with regular GFRC clients, I am expecting that the auction lot viewing of the GFRC booth will be quite busy during Thursday and Friday. Lot viewing will be limited to two individuals at a time. There will be a chair in front of the Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime Collection and another in front of the Newtown Liberty Seated Half Dollar Collection. One of the GFRC staff members will be constantly positioned behind the four auction showcases. Potential bidders will only be allowed to view TWO LOTS outside either collection at one time for security reasons. No books, bags or other items will be allowed to be placed on the auction lot showcases by someone conducting lot viewing. GFRC is providing catalogs for note taking which can be placed on the showcases during lot inspection.

If collectors wish to have their GFRC Online Auctions catalog inscribed, I would be more than happy to oblige.

Finally, it is recognized that the FUN bourse floor is huge with many dealer booths to visit. Collectors only have a limited amount of time to canvass the entire floor along with spending time at the GFRC booth. We expect Thursday to be a particularly busy day for both retail sales along with auction lot viewing since some attendees only plan a single day's attendance. Spending extended time for auction lot viewing would be better on Friday, and of course on Saturday. Those with Early Bid badges are encouraged to visit the GFRC booth prior to the bourse being opened to the general public. Therefore, please plan accordingly.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Today brings a busy day as I must pack the show inventory and accessories for an early Wednesday morning departure given my to/from Orlando day tomorrow and an unknown time table. Today's office shipping will be the last until Monday January 13th.

At this point, let's bring today's Blog edition to a close. There will be no Daily Blog published on Tuesday and Wednesday for certain. Thursday is presently a question mark given the anticipated auction lot viewing demand and client consultations once the booth is opened. Best case for the next Blog edition is on Friday.

Thank you so much for staying close to our GFRC adventures and the lifestyle of a collector/dealer.

Be well!

 

 

January 5, 2025

Preparing for the FUN Show

and

Dreaming of Maine - Shopping for an Electric UTV

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on a Sunday morning. Thank you for returning for a visit.

The coming week is one of the highlights of the numismatic year as the Orlando FUN show arrives. For collectors, this is an opportunity to secure a week long holiday in Florida combining numismatics with warmer weather at a resort. As a dealer, the FUN show brings a long week of preparations followed by traveling to Orlando and then conducting business for multiple days. Once the show concludes, the following week bring an office recovery period. Stated in an alternate manner, the FUN show is a prime opportunity to kick-off a dealer's business on a high note if proper planning and execution takes place.

It terms of GFRC, I've already been busy with preparations. Saturday brought the invoicing of all lots that will be picked-up at the show. Monday brings the final day of shipping orders with those lots and packages staged and ready to go. What has not been mentioned in the Daily Blog is that GFRC will be attending the dealer pre-show on Tuesday. During 2025, the FUN organization is making an initial attempt at a pre-show specifically for dealers. The pre-show opens at 11:00 AM in one of the convention center meeting rooms and closes at 5:00 PM. Dealers can gain access to a table for $100.

Why is GFRC adding another day to the FUN show calendar? Simply stated, I will be showcasing the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collections at the dealer pre-show and providing an opportunity for dealers to conduct auction lot viewing if they so chose. The dealer reality, during a large show like FUN, is that you are tied to your table due to the attendance volume and the opportunity to meet with a host of clients. Dealers do not have time to leave their tables during a busy show to view the GFRC Online Auctions lot. Therefore, I am heading to Orlando on Tuesday to bring those lots to the dealers in a much more laid back setting.

Since traveling to/from Orlando on Tuesday, this means that the GFRC booth accessories and regular retail inventory must be packed on Monday along with executing the final lot shipments before a week long show.. Come Tuesday morning, I will be strictly focused on the FUN show through late Saturday evening as we arrive back to Venice after dropping off Dan and Rose Marie in Osprey. Once back in the Venice office, there is the post show administrative workload to get done on Sunday before shipping restarts on Monday morning.

Bottom line, I will be quite busy during the next eight days and there could be some days without a Daily Blog edition being published. Tuesday and Wednesday are already a given with Thursday being a question mark.

 

Dreaming of Maine - Shopping for an Electric UTV

Yes, it is only January 5th and I'm already dreaming of being back in Maine and spending time developing the back acreage park.

One of the new equipment additions this year will be an electric Utility Vehicle (UTV). Why an electric UTV? Before responding to that question, let share why a UTV, whether gas or electric powered is being added to the barn during 2025. There are further expansion plans for the walking trails and the neglected pond this coming summer. Each time that Dave Wilkinson returns with his excavator, the rough work is completed followed by weeks or months of finalizing the terrain for its intended function. In years past, Johnny2 would be employed to move gravel and 1/2" crush stone from the delivery area to the trail segment or land bordering the small pond. Going back and forth on the trails with Johnny2 take a lot of time in low gear to deliver one front loader load of material. The time efficiency is very low and the wear and tear on the tractor is notable with more frequent maintenance, especially the wear on the front tires and stress on the front axle.

Adding a UTV to the Fortin equipment fleet brings a host of different usage opportunities. Material can be moved with the UTV rather than with Johnny2 . The dump bed on the UTV is an option or the larger Polar trailer can be pulled with the UTV in a more efficient manner. The same holds true for transporting smaller loads of field stone rock from the "quarry" surrouding the pond to yet another summer of 2025 planned stoned wall near the gazebo. Finally, a UTV would be a great for the family and grandchildren to enjoy as a vehicle for riding the back acreage trails.

When constructing the barn and adding the solar powered electical system, the solar installation was over engineered with a consistent amount of excess power being generated during the summer and autumn months. This was part of the planning process that could enable the usage of a quiet and low maintenance battery powered UTV. For the past several months, I've been researching potential brands and options with multiple factors being involved in the decision process. Of course, specifications are quite important including battery life and hauling capacity. But more important is the UTV reliability as this will be a serious work machine for incremental park developments.

So far, I've limited the search to three brands. They are the Kandi electric UTV that can be purchased via Lowe's and is made in China as a low cost option. The specs are limited and the reliability is already questionable based on watching a few YouTube review videos. Next on the list is the American made Landmaster AMP which appears to be a rugged machine at an interim price point. The issue with this unit is that the closest dealer is in New Hampshire with a primary emphasis on electric golf carts and not UTVs. The Fortins currently do not own a full size pickup and trailer for moving this type of equipment across longer distances. The final choice is the Polaris Ranger Kinetics, from the top of the line manufacturer of UTVs. The Polaris Kinetics is a powerful machines with 14KWH battery on the base model, a dump bed capacity of 1250 lbs along with being able to tow up to 2500 lbs. The design and construction is that of a high speed sport riding UTV for farm work, hunting, or just extended rough trail riding fun. The Polaris Kinetics is the most expensive of the three with a local Polaris dealer being within 12 miles of the Maine homestead, a key issue for delivery and any warranty repairs.

Here is a smaller image of the Polaris Ranger Kinetics. It can be charged with either 120V or 240V power supply. The current barn batteries are rated at 7.5 KWH along with about 1.6KWH of solar panel generation on a sunny day. Therefore, keeping this machine charged would be straight forward as I can't imagine usage that would drain the 14KWH battery unless spending the entire day moving gravel and crushed stone to the pond area.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

It is best that I get on with the day's workload and stop rambling at this point. Yes, today will be the final calm before an intense numismatic week.

Thank you so much for returning to these ongoing, and sometimes folksy ramblings.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 4, 2025

Taking a Daily Blog Vacation Day

 

Greetings on a Saturday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. As the headline indicates, I believe that a Blog vacation day is wise given my lack of focus and mental energy during the early morning hours. Stated in an alternate manner, I'm feeling a tad lazy and wish to be low key this morning.

Next week brings an intense week with the Orlando FUN show and the many preparations that will begin during the afternoon hours. Therefore, today will be a slower paced day with partial time in the office to keep up with orders and correspondence. .

Thank you for checking in.

Be well!

 

 

January 3, 2025

Get Ready for a Cold Winter FUN Show

Two Important Liberty Seated Quarters to Consider

and

Greg Bennick Interviews Gerry Fortin - A YouTube Video

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on the first Friday of 2025. Thank you so much for staying current with GFRC happenings.

The Winter FUN show is just around the corner and arrives on Thursday January 9. Of course, the GFRC team will be traveling to Orlando on Wednesday morning since dealer booth setup takes place on Wednesday afternoon. I've been watching the national weather map for next week as a polar vortex is moving down into the central United States and will be bringing very cold temperatures to the southern states including Florida. To make this point in a visual manner, following is the national map for Thursday January 9 overnight temperatures courtesy of the Weather Channel. If attending the FUN show, it would be wise to bring warm clothes. Note that there is only a 10 degree difference between Boston and Jacksonville that evening.

National Temperatures - January 9th Overnight

 

The Orlando FUN show will be a huge event with a massive bourse floor. GFRC will be located at booths 638-640 and a short walk from the entrance. Please consider visiting with Gerry, Diane, Dan, Rose Marie, Blake Gibb, and Rich Hundertmark during your bourse tour. GFRC will be offerings nearly all of its inventory along with GFRC Online Auctions lot viewing for the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collections. These collection bring an opportunity to view some of the finest numismatic items on the bourse.

2025 FUN - GFRC at Booth 638-640

 

Two Important Liberty Seated Quarters to Consider

As announced in Thursday's Blog edition, our Liberty Seated quarter collection consignor has released the last of his better date San Francisco pieces. The 1860-S and 1866-S lots arrived on scheduled to the office and were promptly photographed. Following are the GFRC images that are very accurate as to the in-hand visual appearance of both lots. Readers are encourage to scroll down just a tad to compare to the PCGS TruView images that were shared yesterday.

Let's discuss the 1860-S lot first. This is the San Francisco key date of the Seated quarter series and warrants consideration for those who are attempting to complete a date and mint mark set.

This lot appeared on the market during July 2023 via Heritage Auctions where it realized $9,300 and sold to our consignor. Now this individual needs to sell his collection including this lot. The PCGS price guide is $7,750 which is where we will start the offer price. As for a CAC submission, I was on the fence after reviewing the coin. The surfaces are perfectly original and should be consistent with CAC standards, however, I'm uncertain is the device details are strong enough to sticker at the certified grade. Our client and I discussed the incremental cost of a CAC attempt, the probability of a CAC green bean, along with the client's cost basis. The conclusion was to offer the coin as is at the PCGS guide number. Bottom line, this lot has not been submitted to CAC since the client's purchase via Heritage. The CAC stickered census stands at 24 with the majority being graded F15 or lower. If this piece was housed in a PCGS VF20 holder, I believe that CAC approval would be a no-brainer. Maybe it could sticker at VF25. The offer price does provide room for an economical attempt.

1860-S Briggs 1-A PCGS VF25 50C - $7,750

 

The 1866-S date has a lower mintage than the 1860-S and is even more scarcer with CAC approval. 56,000 pieces dated 1860 were struck in San Francisco as compared to 28,000 for the 1866-S. The 1866-S CAC population is only 12 examples stickered! This lot brings notable eye appeal and strong device details. However, it is not a CAC candidate per my assessment. Our consignor's cost basis is also quite strong given the date's rarity.

1866-S Briggs 1-A PCGS VF30 50C - $2950

 

Both lots are immediately available and will post to the 30 Day Price List today.

 

Greg Bennick Interviews Gerry Fortin - A YouTube Video

Thursday also brought my approval for the documentation of a recent interview by Greg Bennick for the Newman Numismatic Portal. The following interview summary and YouTube video link will be posted in this weekend's forthcoming E-Sylum edition thanks to Wayne Homren's working relationship with Greg and Len Augsburger.

GREG BENNICK INTERVIEWS GERRY FORTIN

This interview with Gerry Fortin, conducted by Greg Bennick for the Newman Numismatic Portal, explores Fortin's journey as a coin collector and expert on Liberty Seated dimes die varieties. Fortin recounts his early fascination with coins during his youth, a hiatus during his teenage years, and a rediscovery of his passion in 1987, sparked by receiving a roll of Morgan dollars. This rekindled his interest, leading him to specialize in Liberty Seated dimes due to their historical significance and ties to the Civil War era. Leveraging his engineering background in semiconductor technology, Fortin developed meticulous research methods and became the leading authority on the series. He also highlights his transition from collector to researcher and dealer, underscoring his dedication to preserving and understanding the history and varieties of these coins.

Image: 1850-O 10c, NGC MS67 Star, from the upcoming auction sale of the Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated dime set

 

Blog readers can gain early access to the Greg Bennick interview by clicking on the below video screen capture.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

The shipping department has the day off while I will be working in the GFRC office for most of the day. We look forward to your purchase orders or other reasons to call into the office.

Thank you, as always, for visiting the Daily Blog.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 2, 2025

White Pine $5 Liberty Gold is Hot!

Two Important Liberty Seated Quarters Arrive Today

and

Being a Broken Record...

 

Greetings on the second day of 2025 and welcome to the Daily Blog. As always, thank you for making these ramblings an online destination.

Though I had planned to enjoy a laid back January 1 holiday, it was not to be with a strong business start to the new year. Honestly, there is not a whole lot to do within the Venice condo other than working in the office, watching videos, reading a book, or taking outdoor health walks. Within an hour or two of "relaxing", the attention shifted to processing the balance of the White Pine $5 Liberty gold images followed by posting the coins to the 30 Day Price List. Before long, the orders started to arrive via phone and emails. By day's end, four White pine lots were sold along with other price list offerings. The rare date 1859-S and 1861-S along with the 1855-O are heading to new homes. I still managed to secure a brief exercise session and health walk, with 5 lb weights, before happy hour arrived. For mental exercise, Diane and I are huge fans of Tile Rummy and will fill in the happy hour time with multiple game sessions per week. I'm currently on a winning streak after besting Diane yesterday by a one tile margin for the second time in three days.

Let's shift the topic briefly to the homestead Powerwall3 battery situation...

I spoke with Maine Solar Solutions technical support person (Mark) on Monday concerning the two December recalibration events. His insights helped with understanding the situation. The Powerwall3 batteries have only been installed in the field for about 6 to 8 months as of December. As with any Tesla new product, the philosophy is to conduct the final operations debug in the fields with software updates since all are connected to the internet. Such is the case for the Powerwall3 product. At the end of November, Tesla issued a firmware engineering change to the product which required a full recalibration. Next came another firmware update on December 23-24 resulting in yet another recalibration over the Christmas holiday. Maine Solar is made aware of the updates, but no one is sending out a notice to customers who have purchased and install the Powerwall3 batteries. I remember that the early adopters of the Tesla Model 3 and Model 3 vehicles also went through this same scenario with remote firmware updates in their newly purchased vehicles.

The question now lies with when/if Tesla will issue yet another change to the firmware with the corresponding battery system recalibration. I also learned that the Powerwall integrated inverter is grid tied. This means that if the Powerwall3 batteries are completely discharged, the inverter remains alive since fed from the grid. Once the solar panels are activated with sunshine, the inverter circuit will begin charging the batteries. Of course, during a prolonged grid power outrage where the batteries and inverter are without power, the system is dead until grid power returns. Key is storing enough electricity in the batteries for an extended grid power outage. Our homestead system could probably go 4-5 days without grid power with minimal solar panel generation. This is a reasonable time frame for a back up electrical system.

 

Two Important Liberty Seated Quarters Arrive Today

Today brings a regular GFRC office day with some morning shipping and preparing invoices for orders being picked up at next week's FUN show. Of importance, is today's arrival of two better date San Francisco quarters. Here are the PCGS TruViews to whet your appetite. There is an agreement with the consignor that the 1860-S will not be quoted until I have a chance to review the coin in hand for potential submission to CAC stickering.

1860-S PCGS VF25 25C

1866-S PCGS VF30 25C

 

Being a Broken Record...

This headline easily reveals my age and brings back memories of 33, 45, and even 78 rpm vinyl records! It did not happen often, but there would be the occasional damaged record that would cause the needle to skip in place on each revolution resulting in the term "broken record".

I'll leave you with two short messages. First is that the consignment window is wide open. With the commitment of the Evergreen State Collection of Liberty Seated Proof Dimes for a GFRC Online Auctions event, I'm in a position to accept consignments for both the 30 Day Price list (which will be posted after the FUN show) and for a new auction event towards the end of February. If interested in working with GFRC, simply call or email me with your proposed consignment.

Second is that the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collections will be on exhibit at the Orlando FUN show next week with all visitors welcomed for lot viewing. These are marvelous collections and deserve one final time in the spotlight before the first auction session starts on January 19th. There will be printed catalog available for note taking until they run out. Therefore, please plan to visit the GFRC both (638-640) early on Thursday and Friday.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

The shipping department returns to work this morning followed by an afternoon in the GFRC office preparing FUN show pick orders. There are still a few consigned coins to process and load to the price list before heading out for a pre-happy hour health walk.

I certainly look forward to hearing from GFRC clients and those who are new collectors seeking a reliable coin dealer to service their collecting goals.

Thank you again for the visit.

Be well!

 

 

 

January 1, 2025

Kicking Off Another Numismatic Year

White Pine $5 Liberty Gold Scores at CAC

and

GFRC Online Auctions - Gerry Fortin and Newtown "Auction Summaries"

 

Greetings, Happy New Year, and welcome to the Daily Blog on the first day of calendar 2025. Thank you for checking in during this holiday.

Today's edition will be quite brief as I'm also in the holiday spirit and wishing to be lazy during the early morning hours. Our New Year's Eve celebration was a lovely seafood dinner with the southern belles (Jan and Pam) at the nearby Deep Lagoon eatery in Osprey. Unfortunately, it was a foggy evening on the water without a pretty sunset.

The only new news of the day is an important auction consignment from the Evergreen State Collection. Our long term client, who has decided to brand himself with the "Evergreen State Collection" name, wishes to sell his Liberty Seated proof dime collection for other numismatic pursuits. This set is currently ranked #1 on the PCGS Set Registry and will be shipping to the GFRC office during the second half of January. The auction will probably take place towards the end of February and would also be an opportunity for other clients to add their fresh duplicates or other lots to this forthcoming sale. More will be discussed after the FUN show.

For those with long memories, GFRC would provide a "stakeholder's report" within the January 1 Blog edition. I've decided to not go that route this year as the business has been in a transition state during 2024. As a result of the successful startup of GFRC-Lite by Rich Hundertmark, the GFRC product mix has shifted towards higher value coins. Mid 2024 brought the decision to sell my personal Seated dime collector along with the consignment of the Newtown Liberty Seated Half Dollar Collection. The enormity of those two collection sales resulted in an exclusive GFRC Online Auctions focus which precluded the offering of regular auction events during the second half of 2024. The lack of regular auction sales has distorted GFRC financial outcomes as most of the value add efforts will be realized during the first half of 2025.

 

White Pine $5 Liberty Gold Scores at CAC

The recent White Pine $5 Liberty gold submission to CAC was a winner! We were able to secure CAC approval for three better dates with the primary highlight being an 1859-S PCGS EF45 being stickered along with an 1870 PCGS AU50 and 1872-S PCGS EF40. I've already photographed these lots and will be processing images today for a gallery showcase in Thursday's Blog edition. Yes, offer prices have been approved and I'm ready to quote these today.

For the curious among us, please go to the CAC price and population report to view the significance of the 1859-S approval. The White Pine coins are completely fresh to market as evidenced by these new CAC results.

 

GFRC Online Auctions - Gerry Fortin and Newtown "Auction Summaries"

Tuesday brought the creation of separate "cheat sheets" Excel files for both the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage auction lots. I'm currently in the process of emailing these PDF files to dealers that may have interest in the forthcoming auctions. Dealers are busy people and having a concise summary of the auction lots with reserved prices will allow them to quickly evaluate the offerings and whether they wish to participate in the three auction sessions.

Now that these summary sheets are completed, why not make them available to the GFRC community? If interested in viewing and saving these PDF files, prior to visiting the GFRC booth at the FUN show, simply click on these links and save the two PDF files to your computer for subsequent printing.

GFRC Online Auctions - Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime Collection

GFRC Online Auctions - Newtown Liberty Seated Half Dollar Collection

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

I'm going to be lazy this morning with some relaxing time reading or simply watching mindless YouTube videos. Come the afternoon hours, I will be in the office processing the White Pine $5 Liberty gold images and preparing the gallery display for Thursday's Blog. Happy Hour may come early today....

Once again, Happy New Year to the community. I suspect that 2025 will be an exciting year on many fronts.

Thanks again for the visit.

Be well!

 

 

 

December 31, 2024

Wrapping Up 2024!

How About a Few Numismatic New Year Resolutions?

Mirror Collection - Seated Half Dime Price Reductions

and

A Little Bit of Everything Consignment Gallery

 

Greetings on New Year's Eve and welcome to the closing 2024 Daily Blog edition. Another year moves into the history books. Thank you for the ongoing patronage.

Yes, it is New Year's eve with many planning to stay up late to party out 2024 and welcome 2025. Honestly, my party days are long gone and have been replaced with a lower stress and healthier life style. Securing 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night is an imperative after living for years with jet lag due to constantly rotating between Asia, Silicon Valley, and home in northern New England. Therefore, my New Year's Eve will be spent securing another good night's sleep as 2025 is guaranteed to be there on Wednesday.

2024 has certainly been an exciting year for precious metals along with the equity markets. Unfortunately, core inflation has placed a damper on American households with ramifications potentially on the horizon. Let's leave this thought here as there are more skilled experts who will be providing financial forecasts for the upcoming year, Simply visit YouTube and type in "2025 Forecast" to be entertained for hours on end.

 

How About a Few Numismatic New Year Resolutions?

At the turn of every new year, many readers will seek to start a fresh aspect of their lives with improvement resolutions. Losing weight or kicking a bad habit are quite popular. For both the casual numismatists who frequent the Daily Blog and the seasoned collectors, might I suggest taking a more critical look at your coins and revising purchasing approaches during the coming year? What do I mean by a "critical look"? Following are a few thoughts to consider.

- Buying coins online via TPG labels and holder images rather than taking the time to attend a national coin show.

Yes, buying coins online can be accomplished without extra expenses and in our pajamas if that is how a hobby is conducted. For the seasoned numismatist, with a critical eye after making enough mistakes, the online buying experience does work. For budding numismatics, without in depth experience, sites like eBay are a mine field to navigate. Even the major auction houses that provide no descriptions and only images are a risky proposition. They rely on the grading services to properly grade and attribute varieties. At this point, most Blog readers should be aware of the dregs that find their way into straight graded holders.

- Make a resolution to attend a major coin show with sufficient time to conduct auction lot viewing and visiting dealer tables to study coins.

Auction lot viewing is the best method for reviewing a large number of coins as there is no immediate buying pressure. Yes, hanging out with fellow collectors is a major plus, but the primary reason for attending a coin show is to learn how to grade and mastering the surface characteristics of strictly original silver and gold coins. Find those dealers that stock a nice balance of CAC approved and non-approved coins and study the differences. Leave your ego at the bourse entrance towards studying rather than being judgmental against a preconceived bias.

- Build a relationship with a dealer who stocks premium coins and takes the time to share his/her knowledge.

This cannot be stressed enough! My current state of numismatic knowledge did not drop out of the sky, rather it grew via relationships with mentors over a period of several decades. Building a relationship with a well known expert is to a two-way street. Attempting to secure a "free" education without making purchases is the wrong approach. Dealers spend considerable monies to attend coins shows and need to recover expenses by selling coins. They are not there to provide seminars while others customers are attempting to make purchases. Said in a different but direct manner, you get what you pay for....

- Question those dealers that stock a very low percentage of CAC approved coins, or none at all.

Believe me, I've done sufficient dealer room buying with certain dealers stocking essentially no CAC approved coins. The reason often provided for not stocking those with green beans is that they don't believe that CAC can differentiate the premium coins. Might it be that those dealers can't differentiate the better coins themselves? Not everyone has a trained eye for originality including those that shuffle numismatic products based on price guides. Remember that there is not entrance examine for becoming a coin dealer. If you can read a TPG label and match the grade with a number on a price guide, you are qualified right?

- Be critical with online purchases upon arrival.

When opening the package and first viewing the purchased coin, what is the initial perception or feeling? Is it a "wow" moment or is it a "what did I miss" when making this purchase. Don't try to talk yourself into keeping a coin that is underwhelming. If purchasing coins at auction with a no return policy, then it might be wise to start rethinking this approach if the underwhelming feeling is frequent. In the end, every purchased coins must be eventually resold. Do you want to offer nice coins to fellow collectors or a favorite dealers or are you trying to get rid of a bunch of mistakes that keep piling up?

 

Mirror Collection - Seated Half Dime Price Reductions

A Mirror Collection email appeared in my Inbox on Monday with both price reductions and a consignment proposal. Our Florida client is once again releasing another tranche of high grade Mint State Liberty Seated half dimes while reducing prices for existing inventory. Lots with newly reduced prices can be found at the top of the 30 Day Price List. Be forewarned, the 1840 No Drapery, 1842, and 1865-S half dimes are already spoken for.

The next Mirror Collection consignment will be transferred at the Winter FUN show. So far, the consignment transfer tally is up to 35 pieces for FUN with an expectation for more commitments in the coming days.

 

A Little Bit of Everything Consignment Gallery

Let's close 2024 with one final showcase gallery accurately entitled as "a little bit of everything". The following nine lot will be posted to the price list as the final listings of 2024.

 

A Little Bit of Everything Consignment Gallery

    1853 NGC MS62 3CS - $250                    1851-O F-101 PCGS EF40 10C - $500                1853 A&R NGC AU53 25C - $375

                

1854-O PCGS EF45 50C - $245                  1860-S WB-2 PCGS EF45 50C - $450                    1904 NGC AU55 G$2.5 - $525

                

    1908 PCGS AU55 G$2.5 - $525                      1909 PCGS AU53 G$2.5 - $515                     1914-D PCGS AU55 G$2.5 - $515 

                

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

Today brings a typical GFRC office day along with being willing and able to take year ending orders.

2024 has been a strong numismatic year regardless of the weak September and October time frame prior to the early November elections. Here at GFRC, our Online Auctions platform was idle during the latter part of 2024 as all energies were focused on preparing the Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage collections for their first auction session in less than three weeks. Once we are through the FUN show, fresh consignments will be rolling onto the price lists in conjunction with multiple auction session through May 2025. It certainly will be an exciting time frame.

Thank you as always for taking time out of a busy schedule to visit with us at the Daily Blog.

Be well!

 

 

December 30, 2024

1857-S $5 Gold Piece Takes U.S. Tour

Soliciting Consignments

and

China's Grip on the Gold Market

 

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on the final Monday of 2024. Thank you for checking in.

The Christmas holiday is now behind us with the New Year celebrations materializing tomorrow evening. Diane is back from Austin with our Venice winter outpost returning to normalcy. Back at the homestead in Maine, the Tesla batteries have recharged to a 95% level this morning. All is good as we exit 2024 and prepare for the Orlando Florida FUN show that takes place in less than ten days.

Sunday brought an update to the Auction link content with the Gerry Fortin and Newtown showcase galleries being made available via clickable images. The stage is now set for the GFRC Online Auctions lot viewing at the FUN show followed by the first auction session on January 19. Please note that January 19 is a Sunday and not the usual Saturday start and close to our auctions.

 

1857-S $5 Gold Piece Takes U.S. Tour

This is a USPS horror story, after a GFRC shipping mistake, that does end on a positive note.

Astute fans of the U.S. gold price list will note that the 1857-S $5 PCGS AU50 piece has been on hold since November 13. Payment for this lot was unfortunately delayed due to the GFRC Maine to Florida transition. Our client mailed the check to the Venice address on November 18 as instructed. All is good so far.

Next came a mistake on my part as I decide to ship ahead the coin once we were settled down in the Venice office. The package shipped on November 23 to the address in the USPS database. Well that was the mistake as our client had moved to another part of the country and his forwarding status was questionable. Our client immediately contacted me once seeing the USPS Tracking email and the old address. Not a problem I thought as I drove back to the Venice Island post office to retrieve the package. That effort yields no fruit as the package had just been loaded on the noon time USPS truck. The only alternative was to place an online intercept order and have the package returned to Venice.

The package moves along and arrives to the addressed post office, which was suppose to intercept and return the package to sender. Nope, the post office staff ignores the intercept and attempts to forward the package to an address on file. Our package then meandered along for several weeks before arriving at the client's forwarding address post office. During the meandering period, Diane had been on the phone with USPS requesting that the package be intercepted as requested and returned to our Venice address. Finally, the forwarding address post office takes the intercept seriously and ships the package back to Venice. Our frequent flier traveler was delivered on Saturday and will ship again this morning to the correct address....

Thank goodness that we avoided an insurance claim on this package as our Hugh Woods insurance renewal period will be soon underway.

 

Soliciting Consignments

I believe this is the third call for new GFRC consignments. So far, we have two committed consignments. The first is a PCGS blue box of 20 better Liberty Seated halves from the Sooner Collection. These will be transferred at the FUN show. The second is another Liberty Seated dime consignment from the Dr. Tim Cook collection. The consignment will consist of better date holdered dimes along with raw cuds examples and terminal die state varieties. This lot ships tomorrow.

Finally, an important single coin consignment is shipping from Wisconsin. Does anyone need an 1856 Large Date dime in PCGS AU58 CAC? This is a rhetorical question as this piece is pop 1 on the CAC population report. Of course, someone will definitely desire the lone AU58 CAC of this example which was previously purchased from GFRC. Simply visit the Sales Archive to view the images and prior description.

I'm all ears for other potential consignments in the near term.

 

China's Grip on the Gold Market

While the Blog is being composed, gold is trading at $2617 on the London Exchange with silver being had at $29.50/oz.

I've taken in a host of YouTube videos in the past few days with the same theme, financial market assessments for the first half of 2025. The consensus is that equity markets will see rough sailing during the next six months. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ100 have wobbled at year end with little momentum left for a strong start to 2025. Consumers are tapped out with debt along with the past 24 months of inflation raising prices to a level where many major items are unaffordable. Housing is being held back by mortgages approaching 7% as a starting point. The U.S. automotive market has seen huge MSRP sticker increases with new vehicle buyers in a state of shock. Dealer lots are jammed packed with unsold 2024 inventory while the 2025 models will be produced shortly. The used vehicle market is no better with a typical 11% car loan rate due to growing defaults.

What about gold during the first half of 2025?

The primary driver of gold prices is central bank acquisitions with China leading the way. Following is an excellent Kitco article by Neils Christensen that provides a status report on China's ongoing appetite for the precious yellow metal. I agree with most points made in this article based on personal experiences during my 2007-2012 years of living in the Wuxi and Shanghai regions and learning the Chinese affinity for gold. However, note the last sentence where Hamad Hussain grows cautious with a 2025 year ending forecast of $2750. This translate into a flat year for gold prices.

China played a pivotal role in the gold market in 2024 as consumer demand and central bank purchases drove prices to record highs in the first half of the year.

A slowdown in the second half of the year, as the People’s Bank of China paused purchases for six months and a sharp drop in gold imports occurred, hasn’t derailed the nation’s influence in the precious metals market.

Looking ahead to the new year, one research firm expects Chinese gold demand to remain strong through 2025, providing critical support for prices. Hamad Hussain, Assistant Climate and Commodities Economist at Capital Economics, said that soft economic activity and a weak renminbi will drive gold demand in China next year.

“We think that the slow-motion collapse of China’s property sector will be a major headwind to economic growth and boost safe-haven demand for gold,” he said in a recent research note. “Moreover, a worsening of the property crisis would also boost the relative attractiveness of gold as an investment vis-à-vis other assets.”

Hussain added that for Chinese consumers, “all roads lead to gold.”

Although gold has always been an important asset among Chinese investors and consumers, many analysts have seen growing downside risks to demand as the government is expected to support the Chinese economy with significant quantitative easing measures.

However, Hussain noted that China’s stimulus measures have fallen well short of expectations, which should create new momentum in the gold market.

Not only has the Chinese government failed to instill confidence in its economy, but Hussain also noted the growing threat from incoming President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to impose significant tariffs on Chinese goods.

The British research firm also expects this environment to weaken the renminbi.

“We now think that the renminbi will depreciate by about 10% to partially offset the impact of tariffs. For what it’s worth, whilst a currency depreciation to its weakest level since 2006 would significantly increase the cost of purchasing gold in China, the perception of gold as a safe-haven asset means that gold imports tend to rise as the renminbi weakens,” he said.

However, consumer demand is just one side of the bullion coin. Capital Economics also expects that China’s central bank will continue to buy gold and diversify away from the U.S. dollar.

Updated reserve data published at the start of the month showed that the PBOC bought five tonnes of gold in November. Some analysts considered this a paltry purchase; however, it does show that after a six-month hiatus, the central bank remains interested in gold.

“China’s central bank (PBOC) will continue tilting its $3 trillion stock of reserves towards gold – the metal only makes up about 5% of total reserves, which is less than India’s central bank (9.3%), let alone the BoE or ECB,” said Hussain. “Following a six-month hiatus, the PBOC – which has bought more than double the amount of gold than any other central bank since 2022 – resumed buying gold in November.”

With solid demand coming from China, Hussain said that he expects gold prices to continue to defy their traditional obstacles of higher bond yields and a stronger U.S. dollar. There are growing expectations that the Federal Reserve will shorten its easing cycle with only two rate cuts next year, which would support elevated yields and resilient strength in the U.S. dollar.

“Overall, whilst we expect the US dollar to strengthen and Treasury yields to rise next year, which would typically point to lower gold prices, we still think that support from strong Chinese demand, amongst other non-traditional drivers, will result in gold prices reaching $2,750 by end-2025,” Hussain said.

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

There is a bit of morning shipping and several orders in the email queue as we close out 2024. I will be in the GFRC office the entire day and available to discuss a host of topics. Just call if interested in discussing the following...

- New consignment proposals

- Extended payment terms for the forthcoming Gerry Fortin and Newtown Liberty Seated coinage auctions

- Regular orders and special pickups at the FUN show.

Thank you as always for returning to these daily ramblings.

Be well!

 

 

December 29, 2024

GFRC Online Auctions Proudly Presents

The Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime Collection

 

Greetings on a Sunday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog. The countdown to 2025 is now underway! Thank you so much for the return visit.

The Venice office has been quiet the past two days since my return from the Austin family get together. That solitude has brought focus on one of the last GFRC Online Auctions deliverables, prior to Winter FUN, along with several long health walks. Otherwise, there is always YouTube as a research platform for whatever topic I might be interested in pursuing. Whether is it sports cars, electric UTVs, or 2025 economic forecasts, YouTube can provide hours of entertainment.

Nearly all of Saturday was consumed with constructing the showcase gallery for the Gerry Fortin front line collection prior to calling it an early evening. Blake Gibb (Sooner Collection) called to chat and inform that another twenty piece consignment would be transferred at the Winter FUN show. Along with those pieces, Blake will be consigning lower priced coins to Rich Hundertmark at GFRC-Lite. Yes, a numismatic Santa Claus will be joining us at Winter FUN and helping man the GFRC Online Auctions showcases and hosting lot viewing. Dan White and Rose Marie will also be in the GFRC booth aiding with retail traffic and time supporting the auction lot cases.

 

A Final Personal Review of a Liberty Seated Dime Collection

Saturday brought a personal occasion with my Liberty Seated Collection as stewardship time becomes increasingly short. In just three weeks, to the day, the first GFRC auction session will be underway with no turning back at this point. A multi-decade collecting project will have gone full circle with a host of historically significant dimes being released back into the marketplace. As part of the divestment process, my focus has shifted from ownership to that of placement. Yes, the placement of these wonderful lots is also part of the finalization process. If requiring extended payments terms to take ownership of one or more of my dimes, please contact me before the first auction session to discuss those needs.

Following is a presentation of the Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime collection. Little else needs to be said at this point as I hope that readers will enjoy viewing the entire collection in one grand display. Please note that reserve numbers are listed for each lot. Building this gallery was a thoroughly satisfying experience while assembling images and enjoying the coins in hand, and remembering their back stories.

 

GFRC Online Auctions Proudly Presents

The Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated Dime Collection

 

1837 No Stars, Small Date F-103 PCGS MS66+ CAC 10C - $30,000

1838-O No Stars F-101a PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $25,000

1839-O No Drapery F-101 PCGS MS65 Gold CAC 10C - $20,000

1852-O F-101 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $25,000

1863-S F-101 PCGS MS64 Gold CAC 10C - $39,500

1871-CC F-101 PCGS EF45 CAC 10C - $30,000

1874-CC F-101 PCGS EF45 CAC 10C - $60,000

1885-S F-101 NGC MS65 10C - $26,000

1888 PCGS MS66 Gold CAC 10C - $6850

 

   1837 No Stars, Large Date F-101c PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $12,000        1837 No Stars, Small Date F-104 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $12,500    

        

   1841 F-104 PCGS MS65 Gold CAC 10C - $12,000                                   1843-O F-101 PCGS AU53 CAC 10C - $26,000       

        

   1845-O F-101 PCGS AU55 Gold CAC 10C - $20,000                                         1846 F-101 PCGS AU58 10C - $22,500                

        

1849-O F-101b PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $19,000                                    1850-O F-103 NGC MS67 Star 10C - $27,500   

        

         1851-O F-101 NGC MS63 10C - $14,500                                       1856-S F-101 PCGS MS63+ CAC 10C - $17,500

        

1858-O F-101 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C Rattler - $10,000                                 1858-S F-103 PCGS MS63 CAC 10C - $15,000     

        

           1859-S F-101 PCGS AU55 10C - $16,000                                        1860-O F-101 PCGS AU50 CAC 10C - $16,000   

        

  1860-S F-101 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $20,000                                   1861-S F-101 PCGS MS62 CAC 10C - $17,500

        

1862-S F-101 PCGS MS63 CAC 10C - $22,500                                   1863 F-101a PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $23,000

        

1864-S F-101 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $29,000                                       1865 F-101a PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $13,500 

        

1865-S F-101 PCGS MS63 CAC 10C OGH - $17,500                                    1866 F-102b PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $12,500      

        

  1866-S F-101 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $16,500                                        1867 F-102 PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $17,500      

        

       1867-S F-102 PCGS MS64 Gold CAC 10C - $15,000                                    1869-S F-102 PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $26,000             

        

        1870-S F-101 PCGS MS65 CAC 50C - $12,000                                        1871-S F-101 PCGS MS65+ CAC 10C - $16,500       

        

                         1872-CC F-101 PCGS EF45 CAC 10C - $23,500                       1873 No Arrows, Open 3 F-106 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $12,500         

        

   1873-CC Arrows F-101 PCGS VF35 CAC 10C - $16,000                                1874-S F-101 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $15,500           

        

 

1838 ND LS F-104 PCGS MS65 Gold CAC 10C - $9500   1838 ND SS F-101a PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $6500     1838 PD F-108a NGC MS65 CAC 10C - $4750     

                    

  1839 ND F-101 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $3750      1840 ND F-107 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $4500     1840-O ND F-103 PCGS MS62 CAC 10C - $8750 

                    

    1840 Drap F-101 PCGS AU55 CAC 10C - $3500       1841-O F-115 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $6750          1842 F-105 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $6000         

                    

   1842-O F-105 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $8000           1843 F-105a PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $1950          1844 F-102 PCGS AU58 CAC 10C - $5500       

                    

1845 F-110 PCGS MS64+ CAC 10C - $2150          1846 F-101 PCGS AU50 CAC 10C - $9250          1847 F-102 PCGS MS63 CAC 10C - $6500 

                    

    1848 F-104 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $3850              1849 F-105 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $2500                1850 F-103 PCGS MS64 10C - $1500          

                    

     1850 F-103 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $1350           1850-O F-101 PCGS AU58 CAC 10C - $3250          1851 F-102 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $2750     

                    

       1852 F-108 PCGS MS65+ CAC 10C - $2550               1852 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $1150             1853 NA F-101a PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $4750    

                    

    1853 Arrows PCGS MS66+ CAC 10C - $3500   1853-O Arrows F-103 PCGS MS63 CAC 10C - $7500       1854 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $1850              

                    

                 1854-O F-105 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $2250          1855 F-101a PCGS AU55 CAC 10C - $4000      1856 Sm Date F-103 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $5250           

                    

          1856 Lg Date F-103 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $3250     1856-O F-101 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $3850          1857 F-106 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $2500                    

                    

    1857-O F-101a PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $2650           1858 F-110 PCGS MS63 CAC 10C - $850             1859 F-107 PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $7500        

                    

       1859-O F-103 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $2650           1860 F-112 PCGS MS66+ CAC 10C - $2750    1861 T1 Obv F-104 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $1600    

                    

1861 T2 Obv F-106 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $1400      1862 F-102a PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $2500          1864 F-102a PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $6000       

                    

           1868 F-112 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $4500        1868-S F-101 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $7500    1869 Lg Flag 1 F-105a PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $8000

                    

1870 F-101a PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $8500          1871 F-102a PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $7500          1872 F-102 PCGS MS66+ CAC 10C - $4350

                    

  1872-S F-101 PCGS AU58 CAC 50C - $8500    1873 NA C3 F-105 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $1500    1873 Arrows F-104 PCGS MS64 10C - $1150  

                    

  1873-S F-102 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $4500          1874 F-103 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $1850           1875 F-117 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $1100    

                    

1875-CC IW F-106 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $7500   1875-CC BW F-106 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $4500    1875-S IW F-103a PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $3000

                    

    1875-S BW F-103 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $800         1876 T1 Rev PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $1550      1876-CC T1 Rev PCGS MS63 CAC 10C - $1500      

                    

1876-CC T2 Rev F-101 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $3250 1876-S T1 Rev F-109 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $3250    1877 T2 Rev F-107 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $1650   

                    

     1877-CC T2 Rev PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $4750       1877-S F-101 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $8250      1878 T2 Rev F-109 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $2000    

                    

    1878-CC T2 Rev F-104 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $5500      1879 F-105 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $1450           1880 F-102a PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $3000                

                    

1881 F-101a PCGS MS66+ CAC 10C - $5000         1882 F-104 PCGS MS67+ CAC 10C - $3750              1883 F-119a PCGS MS67 10C - $3000      

                    

      1884 F-109 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $1500        1884-S F-105 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $2250        1885 F-110 PCGS MS67+ CAC 10C - $5500    

                    

   1886 F-119 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $1250          1886-S F-101 PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $8750         1887 F-110 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $1250    

                    

   1887-S F-108 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $1100         1888-S F-110 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $5500             1889 PCGS MS67 CAC 10C - $4500            

                    

    1889-S F-108 PCGS MS64 CAC 10C - $1400          1890 F-112 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $1450         1890-S F-103 PCGS MS65 CAC 10C - $1750     

                    

  1891 F-106 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $1100          1891-O F-113 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $2750        1891-S F-116 PCGS MS66 CAC 10C - $2500 

                    

 

Wrapping Up The Blog

There is little else to share at this point in terms of numismatic content. Diane is returning from Austin as the day's highlight along with another long health walk.

Thank you again for sharing your time during a holiday week.

Be well!