Comments on: 1873 Dime Sells for Record $1.84 Million

By: Victor

Victor — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 00:45:57 +0000

I just received PCGS’s latest E-mail, about the 1878-CC No Arrows coin selling for 1.84 million dollars. The Bowers’s auction site was referenced and their site had a very high resolution photo of the actual coin. I’m happy to say, I am right. The first “S” is missing silver in the upper part of the serrif. I think that is what it’s called. Now, why wasn’t this obvious error, in a “unique” coin, never mentined? Someone???
http://stacksbowers.com/images/inventory/140/z/173978_01.jpg

By: Victor

Victor — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 23:05:07 +0000

In reply to Munzen. Clicking on the coin, shown on this page, and and saving it, then open it in your picture folder and tell me, the "S" is complete. This is the picture, the one displayed by Coin News, and I believe the actual coin. This coin is missing silver at the top of the "S". And, your picture looks like a golden toned example, no the one show here or on the video.

By: Munzen

Munzen — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 02:19:58 +0000

It seems that as with the presidential race, it’s possible to find evidence to support both sides with the truth somewhere in between. I did a fairly broad image search and found pictures that appear to show some metal in the top of the “S” but it isn’t solid. It’s neither totally broken nor fully complete. http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120810-biz-1873-dime.photoblog600.jpg

By: Victor

Victor — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 20:33:35 +0000

In reply to Munzen.

“The “missing” top part of the second S appears to be an artefact of this photo.”
Wrong! It is no defect with the picture. The “S” is broken. There is no metal on the top of the “S.”

By: Munzen

Munzen — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 15:17:03 +0000

The dime wasn’t originally unique. The article neglects to state that 12,400 are known to have been minted on a single day, but all except 2 were melted. The second coin saw circulation but its current fate is unknown.

The “missing” top part of the second S appears to be an artefact of this photo. Other on-line photos (e.g. at CoinFacts.com) do not show such a defect.

FWIW, the MS-65 specimen sold for all of $5000 back in 1950 (Eliasberg sale). It seems to have been a good inflation hedge!

Note to author / webmaster / copy editor: The term is “kicked off”, not “kicked-off”. German may concatenate prepositional verbs but English doesn’t.

By: Victor

Victor — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 04:47:31 +0000

I don’t see any mention of the First “S” in States missing the top part of the “S”. If this is truly an MS-65 specimen, why wasn’t this “little” detail mentioned? How can only one coin be minted and be such a blatant error?