Categorizing The Rarest And Most Expensive Canadian Coins

Wow, neat topic. Being an avid collector of Canadian business strikes this is a collecting strategy I've had in my head, however, never really put it down black/white.
>Group 1~ I really don't have any interest in simply being that trying to acquire these calibre of coins would be the equivalent of selling Honda minivan and looking around to purchase a Lamborghini. Way out of price range for this guy.
>Group 2~ I absolutely love and specialize in because the coins in this category are a reasonable challenge and are listed in Population Reports as well as offered in many major auctions and coin shows.
>Group 3~ I have mediocre interest in since I don't collect post 1967 nor do I collect Pl coins. I will however make an attempt to someday acquire the two varieties of the '53 nickels Mule nickels, but at this point I have higher priority collecting targets.
>Group 4~ I'm also very interested in this category and appr. 50% complete.
After reviewing these categories, I think most serious and advanced collectors fall into Group 2.

Glenn

I do not agree that the 1c 1859 brass was intentionally struck. I believe it to be an alloy error, probably metal segregation, when the original ingot was cooling, prior to rolling of the sheets for cutting out planchets. This is not unlike the handful of 1983-1987 5c cent coins struck with more than 80% Cu, giving them a brown appearance and softer strike. I have subjected almost 50 1859 1c coins to XRF analysis, and specifically asked advanced collectors to loan me their 'brassy' coloured ones. I have as of yet to analyze a TPG "brass 1859" coin, but the results will probably not be a big surprise. The elemental values (Cu, Zn, Sn), while all fall within 5-10% tolerance, are not consistent in their composition. More on this to come in future months, after I publish my analytical results.

I also believe the 1967 double struck pieces to be 'back door jobs', and should be excluded from that list.

Re the 59's

I've moved past their existence and now would like to know the story behind the composition if that's possible. Given that all your samples have fallen into a grouped tolerance I'm not sure if simple metal segregation is the cause their for existence. Not that I can prove otherwise, of course but -

I have theorized that if it were just segregation we would see both tin rich and zinc rich stratification in those ingots and possibly some other material that caused this blatant macrosegregation (maybe a little Fe or Si). Further, I'm thinking this kind of segregation would show defects in the extruded material that would carry over in the planchets. Just a thought.

If you're working on this, I'm looking forward to seeing it. A lot.

danlos9551:

The 2000P 10, 25 and 50 cents where made for the vending machine industry (all where minted in Winnipeg) and some ''escaped''. The 1921's (5 and 50 cents) where released and that is why you find most of them in good to very good condition with none known in VF or EF and only one in Fine. 3 are known in AU and ICCS has 4 in mint states one that used to be a 65 and now is a 66 so in reality only graded 3 in mint state one in 64, one in 65 and one in 66. PCGS has graded one in MS-67 that now resides in a permanent collection that will be donated to the currency museum so a 66 is now the highest available. I also like the 1889 and 1893 round top 3 10 cents. The 36 dots where probably inside jobs some say for Pittman and that is why a lot of people are no interested in these coins. Specialty collectors go after the 36 dot coins.

You forgot the 1916C sovereign (about 50 known), the 1870H 10 cents mule (2 known) and the 1670 5 sols and 15 sols. I have only ever seen 1 15 sol (less than 10 known I think there are 8 known but they never show up for sale) ever sell and it was in 1997 threw a signature auction in the U.S.A for over 200 000$ the currency museum in Ottawa has 2. I also like the 1870 no LCW and 1890H 50 cent pieces. Love the one that sold in Heritage in January of 2010 as part of the Canadiana collection (1890H in PCGS MS-64 just a stoning coin).
http://coins.ha.com/common/view_ite...Lot_No=20286

Ugly, funny you should mention segregation of Sn and Zn, and other oddities like Fe.... (perhaps even Pb)...

:)

oh OH OH that is so NOT fair... I feel like I'm ten and I've been teased with a hint about my birthday gift.

I shall wait.

Did you say SEM? That would show the defects caused by segregation (if that's what it is) and more... I would like to see to see those scans or at least the results very much.

You folks out there holding these expensive pennies... temporarily donate your cents to the cause, they won't be harmed.

danlos,I like your system
in category 1 I think that Matrix has made an unassailable case for moving the 21's down to category 2,and I believe in all likelyhood someone such as SPP will have proof the '59 brass should move down a category as well
for category 2 I don't think you'll ever get consensus for a complete list there,same goes for category 4
category#3,a mules a mule
I actively seek coins from category 2&3,
fortunately I don't consider category 1 important because I could never afford a coin listed there
I don't actively seek category 4 coins,but somehow I have 9 of those you have listedserendipity?