ZAR Collectors - How Difficult is it to complete a 1892 Set in UNC Condition?

[EWAAN Galleries 10]

Hi All

 

Interesting that it is almost impossible to complete a 1892 set in Mint State....

 

This is what we have found, we would appreciate input from others....

 

Pond Double Shaft - Not that Rare But Seldom offered for sale in high grade

Pond Single Shaft - Almost Impossible to Find in UNC

Halfpond Double Shaft - Not that Rare But Seldom offered for sale in high grade

5 Shilling Double Shaft - Not that Rare But Seldom offered for sale in high grade

5 Shilling Single Shaft - Not that Rare But Seldom offered for sale in high grade

2.5 Shilling - Not that Rare But Seldom offered for sale in high grade

2 Shilling - Not that Rare But Seldom offered for sale in high grade

1 Shilling - Not Rare But Seldom offered for sale in high grade

6p - NOT RARE

3p - Not Rare But Seldom offered for sale in high grade

Penny BN - NOT RARE

Penny RB - NOT RARE

Penny RD - Almost Impossible to Find in UNC

 

One will notice that the Red Penny and the Single Shaft Pond are extremely rare coins in UNC.....

 

Wonder how many complete 1892 Sets in UNC are out there!

[Pierre_Henri 14]

Here are some 1892 ZAR BoB prices realized for 2010 ...

 

Please note that my records are NOT complete for 2010 but this is what I have ...

 

Penny = (Comments: Only one RB MS sold on BoB but plenty of BN) = example for highest prices = MS63RB = R7,500.00 // MS64BN = R8,500.00

 

Tickey = (Comments : only one MS sold on BoB) MS 61 = R17,900.00

 

Sixpence = (Comments: - only one MS sold on BoB) MS63 = R17,250.00

 

Shilling = (Comments: two MS sold on BoB) = MS61 =R18,600.00 and MS62 = R15,251.00

 

Two Shilling = (Comments: none MS sold on BOB) – Highest were these = AU58 = R7,100.00 // AU58 = R6,200.00 // AU58 = R6,101.00 //

 

Half Crown = (Comments: none MS sold on BoB) – highest were this AU = AU55 = R8,544.00 //

 

Crown = (Comments: Only one DS in MS) = MS61 = R32,222.00 // Single Shaft = the highest was a AU58 = R22,100.00

 

Half Pond = (Comments: None in MS) DS = highest was a AU58 = R23,250.00

 

Pond = (Comments: None in MS) Single Shaft = Highest was VF25 = R42,000.00 // Double Shaft : Highest was a AU58 = R19,444.00

Edited November 21, 2010 by Pierre_Henri

[EWAAN Galleries 10]

many thanks Pierre - interesting that so many graded but nobody selling 1892 coins - all in collections.....

 

See this MS65 BN Penny

 

http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/27549959/Look_1892_ZAR_Penny_PCGS_Graded_MS65_BN_Brilliant_UNC_Very_High_Grade_R1_Start.html

 

and this pond

 

http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/22243788/1892_ZAR_Pond_NGC_AU55_Lustrous_High_Grade_RARE_Stunning.html

 

Edited November 21, 2010 by EWAAN Galleries

[EWAAN Galleries 10]

Not too difficult to complete in UNC with the exception of the Single Shaft Pond and the Red Penny

 

 

And for those collecting 1892 proofs, they impossible to get at the right price now, especially pond, halfpond and penny...

 

We recently sold a 1892 Penny PF64 BN (Finest Known) for R630000-00...... So still some serious collectors out there!

[jwither 10]

I'm not sure why any collector would consider an RB or RD penny as a requirement for a complete set, but apparently they do. It should not because the color does not represent a different issue struck by the mint.

 

I have seen three of the 11 RD in the combined census. Two were in the same Heritage sale a few years ago and the other I had the opportunity to inspect in person at the July 2007 Long Beach CA coin convention. If I had arrived on Thursday instead of Saturday, I might have been able to buy it. This was the PCGS MS-66 RD specimen and I can tell you it was absolutely a stunning coin which this dealer sold for ...yes, this is correct....an absolutely paltry $500 USD. The only comporable specimen I have ever seen was the 1892 NGC MS-64 RB PL I sold earlier this year to a SA buyer.

 

I do not consider either variety of the crowns that hard to find, though I have not seen them GRADED very often. I do see them relatively regularly raw at the public auctions I follow and yes, I believe that at least some of these are UNC by NGC and PCGS standards even though they are not always described as such. These are British "GEF" and I believe so because I have bought similar coins (including ZAR) described as such which later came back in an MS holder.

 

My opinion of this set is that except for the 1892 SS pond, the other denominations are not rare at all in MS (The RD penny is "color" rare). Or at least, they are not rare or even necesarily scarce by my standards which are either stricter or much stricter than most others.

 

But the reason why they are relative hard or hard to find (or atleast available for sale publicly) is because they are very popular. So those who own them want to keep them. This why they are also so expensive given their scarcity.

 

As for the proofs, I would rate the NGC PR-64 RD 1D as the best in the NGC census, not this PR-64 BN or the PR-65 RB. I say this having seen none of them. As for the others, I would almost certainly prefer the CAM 2/ and 2/6 over any of the others for this denomation, regardless of the grade. I will be interested in what prices they bring in the upcoming Heritage sale.

Edited November 24, 2010 by jwither