The silver center cent is an American pattern coin, one of the precursors to the large cent and an early example of a bimetallic coin. Less than a dozen specimens are known to exist today, and they generally fetch substantial prices; an uncirculated silver center cent sold at auction for $414,000 in January 2002. That price was eclipsed by an example graded PCGS MS61 offered at auction in April 2012, with a price tag of more than $1 million. It is also listed at #40 in the 100 Greatest US Coins – Fourth Edition

Hi folks. We've just launched a new feature on our website that we think you will all appreciate. As you'll see from the first image below, there is now a WATCH THIS COIN button on the coin item screen. If you see a coin you really like but want to take some time to consider buying it, or if you want to tag it just to look at it from time to time, click that button. To access your Watch List, simply login to your account and click on the Watch List tab as shown in the second image below. If you have any questions or comments about this feature, shoot an email to info@northeastcoin.com.

The following was posted by Brian.

“Is it solid for the grade?” “Does this look more like a 64 to you?”  “Do you think this could CAC?” These are just some of the many questions I get quite often from our customers. And as much as I have poured myself into learning about coins for the first year and a half I’ve been with Northeast Numismatics, I’ll be the first to admit that, well, I’m just not sure…yet. While I am quite comfortable and capable discussing the visual attributes of a coin with our customers (luster, toning, mirrors, eye appeal, etc.), I currently need to refer questions pertaining to technical grading to either Tom or Chris. Grading remains a mystery to me.

For the first year or so in this business, I have asked seasoned numismatists for their recommendation on books I can read to learn about grading. I really just wanted to know how to tell an AU58 from an MS62 from an MS64 and so on and so forth. There are indeed some good resources out there for grading. But looking at pictures of a coin in a grading book can only help so much. Some of the best advice I received from a dealer was this: “Look at as many coins as possible. Just keep looking and looking and looking.”  This is not unlike a poker player needing to see about a million hands before getting any good at it. Aside from this sound wisdom, the overwhelming majority of numismatists kept telling me the same thing: “Get thee to a grading class.”

And so it shall be, for I am soon off to Grading School. I’m looking forward to not only one but two grading seminars this year. First I’m off to Dallas in early March for a two-day intensive grading seminar taught by Rod Gillis and Sam Gelberd from the ANA. I will then be attending a week-long session at the ANA Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs.

I’m extremely excited for this next chapter in my short numismatic life! But unlike the end of a great book, I’m looking for this grading mystery to end. I’ll be sure to fill you in on the next chapter soon.

Oh and I almost forgot…“Do you think this would CAC?” Well, some mysteries were never meant to be solved…

Battle Creek Collection of Morgan Dollars

The coins of the Battle Creek Collection resided in ten $1,000 bags. Until March 1964, it was possible to redeem silver certificates with US silver dollar coins, and many collectors thus acquired original bags of Morgan dollars. The Battle Creek Collection bags were tagged with both original Philadelphia Mint tags and seals dated 1885 (2 bags), 1886 (2 bags), or 1887 (6 bags). Additionally, each had a supplementary tag from the Detroit Branch of the Chicago Federal Reserve bearing dates in the 1920's.

The bags had resided in the estate of a collector, and upon his passing his executor invited several coin dealers to make purchase offers on the group. The bags were sewn sealed, and dealers present were required to bid "blind," meaning they could not examine the coins prior to purchase. The bags were slit in their presence to prove that they did, in fact, contain silver dollars.

Here is one we just sold…

Battle Creek Collection Mint Bag tie:

This seal secured the contents of a Philadelphia Mint bag of 1886 Morgan dollars, many of which now reside in the Battle Creek Collection.

When speaking to the House of Representatives in November 1792, President Washington mentioned the "want of small coins in circulation" and stated that he had begun work on establishing a U.S. Mint and that some half dismes had been produced already. At this point, most of the personnel had been hired, but the Mint's buildings and machinery were not yet ready. As a result, the half dismes, which had been struck in or around July 1792, were produced using the private facilities of local craftsman John Harper, although under the auspices of official Mint personnel. In his personal log book, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson recorded the receipt of 1,500 specimens on July 13.

Because of President Washington's connection with these early coins, numismatic folklore holds that the portrait on the obverse is that of First Lady Martha Washington and that some of the coins were struck using melted-down silverware from the Washington household. However, there is no solid evidence for either of these assertions.

Collectors sometimes have trouble pronouncing the word disme. Is it ‘diz-mee’? Is it ‘dime’ like we pronounce it today? Actually, it is neither. Disme is a French word pronounced “deem”.

Shown below is the finest known example, graded MS68 by NGC.

And here (below) is a 1792 Half Disme that we currently have in our office. It's part of a large estate that we are in the midst of appraising.