Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 80

June Pre Long Beach Sale

Nickel Three Cent Pieces

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 187		1865. PCGS graded Proof 65 Cameo. Light hint of gold tone. Only 500 minted, very scarce. A sparkling and lustrous gem Three-cent Nickel, initial year�s mintage, a satiny-cameo beauty whose fully defined design features gives it a burst energy. The Proofs are always sharply made; the circulation strikes this year, rarely so. Collectors prefer a well made 1865 Proof to exhibit the first-year design. Pop 28; 36 finer, 1 in 65+, 31 in 66, 2 in 66+, 1 in 67, 1 in 67+ (PCGS # 83761) . Estimated Value $3,900 - 4,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $4,465
Lot 188		1866. PCGS graded Proof 65 Cameo PQ. CAC Approved. Well struck and fully bright, with gleaming nickel-white sheen. A bold Gem Proof that has impressive cameos. Only 725 struck. Pop 32; 14 finer, 13 in 66, 1 in 67 (PCGS # 83762) . Estimated Value $1,100 - 1,200. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,468
Lot 189		1868. NGC graded MS-67. A nice untoned gem. Tied for finest graded. Pop 4; none finer at NGC . Estimated Value $6,000 - 6,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $6,463
Lot 190		1868. NGC graded Proof 67 Cameo. A fully white gem. Only 600 minted. The limited number of Gem Proof survivors above the Proof 65 level always excite bidders any time one appears at auction. It behooves us to mention that this coin�s unqualified technical superiority ranks it near the top class, the coin's desirability is enhanced by beautiful pristine nickel-bright luster and swirling mirrors. We have mentioned the luster but could pen a few additional paragraphs if we chose to. In winding up this description, however, we can never neglect to mention it being a strongly struck coin, with nice detail to all the important high points. The devices were struck with such force and energy by the specially made Proof dies that all design elements show boldly. Proofs, it should be stated, weren�t struck on the Mint�s usual everyday coining presses used for circulation strikes. The Proof department staff used instead the slower, more powerful hydraulic medal press to strike Proofs. This press gave the coin blanks a more even "squeeze", thereby impressing all design elements to their fullest extent. Hence, the use of the term "razor-sharp" on many Proof Three-scent nickels struck in the 1880s. Pop 11; 1 finer in 67 Star . Estimated Value $5,000 - 5,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,760
Lot 191		1874. PCGS graded Proof 66 Cameo. CAC Approved. Another gorgeous Gem Cameo Proof from the same consignor who gave us the 1866 PR65. Clearly this coin has been carefully protected in the 140 years since it was made. Only 700 struck. Pop 77; 1 finer in 66+ (PCGS # 83770) . Estimated Value $850 - 900. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,116
Lot 192		1875. NGC graded Proof 66+. Only 700 minted. A fully white gem. Eye-catching satin mirrors cascade from top to bottom on the untoned beaming surfaces of this scarcer Three-cent Nickel issue. Not only that, it is a boldly struck example exhibiting fine detail to all the high points. Pop 2; none finer at NGC . Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,200. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,055
Lot 193		1878. PCGS graded Proof 67 Cameo PQ. CAC Approved. Popular Proof only date. Fully untoned and a gem. Only 2,350 minted. Pop 21; 3 finer, 2 in 67+, 1 in 68 (PCGS # 83774) . Historic account of this unusual denomination: The Civil War placed great burdens on commerce, manufacturers, and also the U.S. Mints. By March 1864, the Philadelphia Mint was running out of nickel for cent planchets, and its requirements were so immense that even Joseph Wharton's newly opened Canadian mines could not supply the want. During 1863, cent coinage had required over 32 tons of nickel for the 12% alloy specified by law: a huge output for what was then a chemical curiosity costly and difficult to extract from its ores. Mint Director James Pollock, a bitter opponent of the use of nickel for coinage, seized this opportunity to urge passage of a bill to abolish nickel cents and authorize issue of minor coins (1c, 2c, 3c) in French bronze. This bill became law April 22, 1864, over powerful opposition from Wharton's friends in Congress--minus the reference to 3c pieces. (The latter would have been the same size as the old large cents, but weighing 144 grains = 9.33 grams each; surviving patterns show them with the 1844-57 cent head. Most likely, had they been authorized, obsolete large cents would have been spent as 3c coins.) Yet Pollock appears to have agreed with other Treasury people that the 3c coin was a worthwhile denomination. Estimated Value $2,400 - 2,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,703
Lot 194		1878. PCGS graded Proof 66 Cameo PQ. CAC Approved. Only 2,350 minted for this Proof only date.A simply exquisite Gem Proof of this important, semi-key issue, the surfaces are glistening with full, Proof textured luster. Mathematically exact standards seen in the sharp centers, which is a hallmark of the 1878 Proof Three-cent Nickels (as well as the Proof Shield Nickels), making this date noteworthy since "average" detail on other dates, even the Proofs, in the key high points, such as the hair and the Roman numeral lines is often noted. Pop 74; 30 finer, 6 in 66+, 21 in 67, 2 in 67+, 1 in 68 (PCGS # 83774) . Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,100. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,234
Lot 195		1879. PCGS graded MS-66 PQ. CAC Approved. A lovely frosty gem Unc. of a low mintage year. Only 38,000 minted. Pop 34; 10 finer in 67 (PCGS # 3747) . Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,100. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 196		1885. NGC graded Proof 65. PQ. Lovely light toning. Housed in an Old Style Holder. Only 3,790 struck. Estimated Value $425 - 450. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $470
Lot 197		1886. PCGS graded Proof 64 PQ. CAC Approved. Housed in an Old Green Holder. Only 4,290 minted. Mostly untoned. 1886, like the 1877 before it, is a Proof-only issue, and desirable as such. This very choice Proof is sharply made and shows fine detail in the devices (PCGS # 3782) . Estimated Value $300 - 325. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $423
Lot 198		1888. NGC graded Proof 66 PQ. CAC Approved. Lovely toning on both sides. Only 4,582 minted. Pop 164; 23 finer, 1 in 66 Star, 19 in 67, 2 in 67 Star, 1 in 67+. Estimated Value $600 - 650. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 199		1889. NGC graded Proof 66 PQ. A nice Gem Proof. Only 3,436 minted. Pop 236; 55 finer, 2 in 66 Star, 1 in 66+, 50 in 67, 2 in 68. Estimated Value $650 - 700. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold