Blog

I'm going to start this with an excerpt from my recent CSNS show report.

"I only got 3 hours of sleep that night as I had coins on my mind and I was obsessing over one of the most amazing pieces I had ever seen. It was offered privately so I cant tell you all what it was, but its the kind of coin that burns an image into your brain. I was pondering and trying to make it work, but in the end I couldn't reconcile the price and I had to pass."

Well folks, I ultimately decided that I could not let this one escape me. I thought it would be fun to walk you through the decison making process, and the dilemma of reaching for a coin thats seemingly "overpriced".

On friday mid day, I was seated at a table exploring the wares of a dealer whom I had not done business with before, but we had talked quite frequently and his inventory had always been interesting to me. Another collector walked up to his table and had asked about a copper coin in his case, and they had got to talking. Shortly thereafter, the dealer asked the other collector if he wanted to see a really cool liberty cap half cent. He grabbed that coin from the back, and when he turned around he had two coins in his hand. He put the half cent in front of the collector, and then tossed the other coin my way.

The coin was backwards in an intercept shield slab box, and when I pulled it out and got a look at it, my jaw dropped to the floor and my heart started racing. I have held some amazing coins in my hand, but this one had me "shook" (as the kids say). I then asked the only logical question to ask at that moment... "How much is it?"

Designed to fit the budget of every collector but still offer a longterm challenge and collecting goal, The Morgan 50 Registry Set by NGC is comprised of fifty uncirculated Morgan dollars struck from 1878 to 1921. In certified MS63 grades, each coin has a retail value of between $75 and $400 USD, with most averaging under $125. These coins are affordable enough that any collector of Modern U.S. Mint material will have the ability to complete the set.

The Morgan Dollar series is a large and complex series of coins to collect, with several rare issues, many interesting varieties, and Proof versions. As coin prices continue to rise, however, the ability for beginner and intermediate collectors to complete a matching set gets harder and harder.

Nevertheless, there are ways to approach the set where completion is possible. CoinWeek’s Charles Morgan teamed up with coin dealer Russ Augustin (AU Capital Management, RARCOA) to help develop this innovative new set collecting idea for the Morgan Dollar series. In selecting 50 coins, Russ and Charles focused on issues from all five Morgan dollar-producing mints, including Philadelphia, New Orleans, and the western San Francisco, Carson City, and Denver mints.

They discuss the coins of The Morgan 50 in the set in the videos in this blog.

Russell Augustin is dedicated serving his customers in the coin business. Russell comments about the Denver American Numismatic Association Convention. He shares the history about Pioneer gold and coinage of the United States Assay Office including the rare $10 & $20 piece.

In this episode of the CoinWeek Live Stream on YouTube, noted coin expert Russ Augustin (AU Capital Management/RARCOA) joins Charles Morgan to discuss the current state of the silver dollar market and to discuss 24 silver dollars in various grades and how they may fit into your collecting plans.

Tetradrachm Celebrates Naval Victory by Doson

Antigonus III Doson was the king of Macedon from 229 to 221 BCE, 94 years after the death of Alexander the Great. His predecessor, Demetrius II, died in battle when his heir, Philip V, was only nine years old. Because of the volatile political situation, the Macedonian army couldn’t wait for Philip V to mature enough to assume command, so they appointed Doson regent of the kingdom, and he ruled until his death in 221 BCE.

Antigonus III was a very successful leader, a master of tactical diplomacy and military strategy, fortifying the borders of Macedon and forming important alliances. His rule marked a golden age for the Kingdom of Macedon. He was called “Doson”, which means “the man who will give”, referring to his dedication to the kingdom in its time of need.

This very large tetradrachm celebrates the significant naval victory led by Doson over Ptolemy III Euergete’s fleet and his Carian allies in 227 BCE near the island Andros in the Aegean Sea.

This week on the CoinWeek Podcast, we talk to Russ Augustin of AU Capital Management and RARCOA about the ways the COVID-19 crisis has shed new light on the importance of internet selling for the industry’s most active dealers.

Russ cut his teeth in the industry as an analyst with an edge due to his ability to see beyond the numbers. He sees the coin market holding its own despite the disruption. Recent auction results bare this out.

It’s a fascinating chat about coins and the coin market.

Coin dealer Russ Augustin shows us a scarce Lonson $1,000 gold coin box. Boxes like this were used by banks at the end of the 19th century through the first few decades of the 20th century to store and transport gold coins from bank vaults to teller windows.

Lonson Boxes were built by the Louis F. Dow Company of St. Paul and Minneapolis for heavy-duty use and feature wooden inner shells and a stabilizer bar that allows for easy storage and gives bankers a clear look at the rim of the coins, aiding in counterfeit detection.

Russ purchased this box from a colleague who had bought it and two others from the estate of SilverTowne founder Leon Hendrickson at a June 2018 auction.

CoinWeek’s Cool Coins! returns with our third episode of 2019.

In this episode, we talk with Russ Augustin of AU Capital Management about a wonderfully struck 1652 Pine Tree Shilling.

It’s a packed episode of some of the coolest coins that we’ve seen this year and we’re sure this episode will leave you excited about your next big purchase!

AU Capital Management President Russ Augustin teams up with CoinWeek to tell the behind-the-scenes stories of the great gold coins of American history.

In this episode, Russ talks about the 1852-O $20 Liberty Head Type 1 Double Eagle. This is one of the finest, and perhaps the ultimate finest example of the issue, which boasts a low mintage and is rarely found in uncirculated condition. It is one of a list of sleeper "rarities" in the Type 1 Double Eagle series and a coin that serious numismatists should know about before building the next great gold coin collection.

The discovery of gold in North Carolina in the early 1800s set off America's first gold rush and provided a German immigrant named Christopher Bechtler the opportunity to create a successful family-owned mint that produced nearly two and a quarter million dollars worth of gold coins, including the country's first $1.00 gold coin. Shot on location in Rutherford County and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Including Prospector Lloyd Nanney of Rutherford County describes how Christopher Bechtler manufactured gold coins by hand using machines that he may have made himself.

PBS special video content.