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 Replies: 42 / Views: 3,725 |
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Valued Member
United States
133 Posts |
I like this 3CN series, & have a number of them. The ones that are very hard to find are the very low mintage ones, I have none of these, but have all the rest of the set.
1883 4,000
1884 1,700
1885 1,000
1887 5,000
Ron
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3234 Posts |
Very cool!!! It's nice to see another fellow 3CN collector. I was very fortunate to acquire a choice AU 1887 a couple of years ago (that I confirmed as a business strike) and I JUST got the 1883 a couple of weeks ago (I showed it in this forum,too). The 1884 and 1885 are extremely elusive, but it still doesn't change the fact I love the series even though it might never be "complete".
Do you have any Proofs? Any pictures of any of your collection?
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Valued Member
United States
133 Posts |
Prethen:
Sorry, No pictures, I never set up a digital/computer system.
I travel to three other states Monday-Friday, & only come home on the weekend.
& no proofs either.
Ron
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
I had one years ago....don't remember what happened to it, though. This coin has never excited me for some reason. While mintages are low on the 80's dates, and you'll never get one in change, the NGC surviving populations are fairly large. It didn't cost much to save one, maybe as a novelty coin. Still plenty to go around....
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3234 Posts |
Thq: Sorry, but not true. There are not plenty to go around unless you look at the occasional auctions that have UNC examples. Just try to look for most any of those low mintage examples and I wish you lots of luck. They're cheap for their complete lack of availability. Look for a nice circulate 1875. I dare ya. Good luck! I found a single AU one in 3 years. Look for a nice 1880 or 1882 without problem...same thing, but tougher.
The population reports have nothing to do with true availability of any of those coins. Plus, some of it is simply over-inflated due to crack-outs.
Not plenty to go around....any more. But cheap!
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
I think what is fooling him about there being plenty to go around is because he is seing the Proof coins which are a LOT more available than the business stikes (and they have much higher mintages as well.) I collected the set years ago, business strikes only, and I still need the 1884 and the 1887. My pride and joy in the set is my choice AU 1885. Bought it from Jack Beymer back in 1989 for $300 . It was the most I had ever paid for a coin at the time. It was also at the top of the market (MS-65 1881-S dollars were $800 at the time.) but when the market collapsed the value of this coin did not go down. I wonder why.  I do have one proof 3CN, an 1886 that I bought because it was in a rare slab that I didn't have. Edited by Conder101
06/22/2007 4:07 pm
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Rest in Peace
United States
2884 Posts |
Hi Conder101. You have reinforced what I stated earlier. I tried getting a set of these done for years. Money was not the biggest problem. Locating some of the business strikes was near impossible. I had two dealers on the prowl for years and still never completed the set. One of the dealers I am friends with showed me his complete set in Unc, including all the proofs. The set was stunning. It is truly a great challenge to work on this set. Mike  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
Prethen, what you say is true. The circulated specimens don't show up in the auctions and don't get slabbed, and most of them wore out and went to the melt pot over a hundred years ago. But when you look at the whole population including the high end these are not R-6 coins. Admittedly the 84 and 85 populations are pretty low, but even for these tiny mintages there is a much higher survival rate (both in numbers and as a %) than a lot of Seated quarters. "Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3234 Posts |
What's considered R6? Just simply based on availability most of the 80's issues are extremely difficult to find on the marketplace in any condition anywhere, especially in circulated grades. It could take someone years to find a single decent specimen for a given year. It took me 3 years to find my 1883. Are you inferring that for certain Seated quarters, it could be harder than that? If that's the case, then I cannot argue with it, but it's also a completely different series and level of taste than the 3CN series. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
Just for the heck of it, I checked on what Brian Greer has available right now in 3 cent nickel . There are a ton of 1888's and 1889's, in VF-AU. But if I was a 3 cent collector, I would be looking seriously at his 1883 in VF20, or the 1886 proof. Yes, these coins are scarce, but not that scarce (R6 = under 30 population).
When I look for a 1859-s or 1860-s quarter, which had higher mintages than the 1888 or 1889 3 cent, zippo. When they do show up it's usually as a G4 or with damage, not in VF-AU.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3234 Posts |
I've noted in other posts (I think on this thread, too) that the '88 and '89 are quite available. Just try finding a circulated 1875 with a MUCH higher mintage! While you're at it, look for an 1882 that isn't messed up or a circulated Proof. Yes, Brian Greer has a VF20 1883, but for the serious collector they cannot blindly buy it thinking it's not a circulated Proof. More Proofs were minted than the business strikes and the survival rate of the Proofs is very high whereas not too many of the business strikes were saved. Also, if trying to resell this, a shrewd buyer will initially have to assume it's a PF20 in which case it has a pretty low value compared to a real business strike. The coin's die diagnostics, IF THEY STILL EXIST in it's highly circulated state, have to be studied and then it's still not a no-brainer. If you're serious about getting a "no-brainer" business strike, this coin in all likelihood is a PASS. Now, where do you find an 1883 that fits the bill? Be very careful about assuming that what a dealer CLAIMS is a business strike actually is. I like Brian Greer. In fact, I bought my 1883 from him. His VF20 might actually be a business strike and someone might buy it to fill a hole. If I was a Seated quarter collector, I'm sure I would make the same discoveries you made about that series after quite awhile of searching. I would agree that none of the major varieties 3CN are an R6. However, you might have a different perception if you ever actually tried buying some of them for your own collection. They're mostly off the market. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
It's all a matter of different tastes....Your 1883 3 cent story is similar to mine on finding a circulated 1883 quarter (now that took way longer than 3 years, and ironically I finally sold/traded that coin to Greer to get something I liked better). These quarters have interested me for decades in the same way the 3 cents interest you.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Replies: 42 / Views: 3,725 |
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Posted 06/21/2007 6:47 pm
