Would You Pay Extra For A Pedigree? (Bass, Binion, Eliasberg, Etc...)

Pedigree to me is not important in determining how much I would spend on a coin or paper. That being said, I find a pedigree and the history of the person or collection to be very interesting to research. Although, I would not factor that into the amount I'd be willing to pay for a specific item. My top dollar still boils down to the item and the specifics about it vs the tag on the slab so to speak. Now if I was a pedigree collector my story may change

Sometimes the pedigree can add gravitas to the legitimacy of a tough grade or variety.

Last month, as I worked toward my high grade Classic Silver Commemorative completion (still need one) a Isabella Quarter in 65 PL became available from Stacks Bowers.

That coin had a pedigree from the Bagne collection, listed on the paper NGC insert. On review of who Bagne was, I discovered that he had assembled the largest number of PL CSC ever to appear in a single collection, often with many multiples of a single issue.

The 65 PL has 15 graded, 66 PL 3 graded, plus a single 67 PL.

Thus this one was one of the top 20 graded thus far. And that's before realizing that the one listed at auction was a top rated 65 with amazing eye appeal.

I'd figured $1500 for a decent non-PL Isabella, and I certainly paid more than that, but it really does please me to know the top.collector in the field had included it in his collection.

Lol, I'm a little disappointed.. I always made my bids at auctions with the understanding that the coins with pedigree, was that I would get my feet massaged and nails done with the coin.

Oh well.... Thanks for the info.

While I generally agree with you 99% of the time Kaanga, on this subject the quote you offer is only true with specifications.

Buy the coin, not the slab - is only true if you are proficient in the evaluation of both the technical grade and the elements that establish general agreement of the factors on eye appeal.

Without the ability to evaluate those two separate efficiencies the technical grade of NGC and PCGS will be better than any other offered opinion.

I personally would not, as I could care less who previously owned it. Though I'm sure some people would pay more.

Great reply from moxking ... and I concur.




That statement is a universal call for collector education ... and the reason for the CCF sharing of knowledge.

Pedigree only applies to coins that were once owned by a famous collector. Hoard coins need not apply.

Provenance is an important part of a coin's numismatic history. When you buy coins with certain pedigrees, whether classic (Pogue, Eliasberg, Newcomb, Naftzger, Carter, Green, Rasmussen, Brand, Newman...) or more recent (Duckor, Simpson, McClure, Twin Leaf, Holmes, Boka...) you are not only getting to own a historical item, you become the next "caretaker" in the line of numismatic greats that kept the coin before you. Many of those I mentioned are famous for high quality, exceptional eye appeal, extreme scarcity, or combinations thereof.

It is important to draw a distinction here -- you can buy coins from collections and hoards, both modern and ancient, that are not technically "pedigrees." This ranges from GSA Morgans & Peace dollars, Redfield hoard coins, Binion hoard coins, etc. and others like Omaha, Continental, Big Sky, Great Western, Saddle Ridge and Wells Fargo, from the Treasury vaults like the Olathe hoard and the modern US Mint Vault commemoratives, and auction houses like Stack's. In many cases, these sort of hoards contain a wide variety of coins, instead of the narrow focus on one particular series seen with some famous pedigrees. The risk here is in recognizing that these hoards may or may not have been put together with any particular goal in mind, meaning that quality and content can vary widely.

The TPG's have also decided to capitalize on pedigrees and provenance by creating lots of special "collection" labels. That can diminish the overall value of a pedigree in general by oversaturation.

As with any coin, I always recommend that you buy the coin, not the slab (or the pedigree), but generally speaking, I will pay more for coins with a solid pedigree and a long provenance/numismatic history than I will for an identical coin lacking such a history. Auction sales widely support the premium value of a deep and well-researched provenance or famous-name pedigree.