Posted 05/08/2010 01:00 am
Hello Wolverine, welcome to the forum!
The 1861 double eagle may be the most common Civil War date but the Numismedia value for an MS-60 coin is actually at the lower end of the price spectrum based on recent auction sales. IMO you should only consider certified examples graded by PCGS, NGC, or ANACS. Several MS-60 coins in NGC holders have sold in the $3450 to $5750 price range in the last couple years. Some of those were shipwreck coins salvaged from the SS Republic. You can cut the cost to $2000 - $2500 if you are willing to "settle" for a lightly-circulated coin in AU-55 or AU-58. A nice AU can actually look better than an MS-60. I would recommend you sign up for a free Heritage membership which will give you access to their archives for auction sales. It's very useful for pricing research.
Good luck!
The 1861 double eagle may be the most common Civil War date but the Numismedia value for an MS-60 coin is actually at the lower end of the price spectrum based on recent auction sales. IMO you should only consider certified examples graded by PCGS, NGC, or ANACS. Several MS-60 coins in NGC holders have sold in the $3450 to $5750 price range in the last couple years. Some of those were shipwreck coins salvaged from the SS Republic. You can cut the cost to $2000 - $2500 if you are willing to "settle" for a lightly-circulated coin in AU-55 or AU-58. A nice AU can actually look better than an MS-60. I would recommend you sign up for a free Heritage membership which will give you access to their archives for auction sales. It's very useful for pricing research.
Good luck!
