Category Archives: ultra-grade

Ultra-Grade Common Coins

by Douglas Nyholm
Recently a 1938-S Mercury Dime was sold at auction by Legend Rare Coins for an astronomical sum of $364,000!  This is mind-boggling and I as well as many other collectors, are asking themselves ‘why’?  Yes, it is the finest known, beautifully toned, and a very attractive classic design but who would pay such a sum?  The ‘Coin Market’ in Numismatic News gives a value of $160 in MS65 FB.  Recently I have followed several relatively common coins which have sold for hundreds of times what one would expect with many making headlines equal to classic rarities.  Just to mention one other example is the 1958 MS67+ FBL Franklin Half which sold late last year for $129,000

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