The San Francisco call., 1910-09-28
RARE Coin PRICES
At new ATTITUDES
Seven Silver Dollars Minted at
Philadelphia Bring Sl,9l5
at Collection Sale

Seven silver dollars nlinted by the
United States government in the mint
at Philadelphia, which would be worth
only 81 If handed over a counter In
trade and which might be turned down
by some shop keepers as bogus, were
today sold for $1.915, and the buyers
looked pleased at the big bargains they
had obtained, says the Philadelphia
Record. The sale was made at the
Collectors club, where nearly 100 numis-
matists. both collectors and dealers,
had gathered to attend the disposal sale
of the rare coin collection of the late
Peter Mougey of Cincinnati
Not only for silver dollars, but for
other silver pieces as WELL sums ca1cu-
lated to amaze the layman were glee-
fully paid by the eager collectors, all
convinced that in a few years the
pieces will be worth much more than
the big prices they paid. Coins In re-
cent years have increased more rapidly
in premiums than ever before, as was
shown in the sale of the 1888 silver
dollar, Gabrecht design. on which LIB
erty is seated, the stars In the field on
the reverse being absent. Until today
1920 was the top notch price. which was
paid only a few years ago. AT today's
auction Elder had the coin knocked
down to him for S4G0, and so anxious
was his client for it that an even higher
price would have been paid had not
competitive bidding stopped.
The Mougey collection OF half dol
lars issued at the Philadelphia mint
the finest specimens brought total of
S903. Four quarters brought $102:
seven dimes sold for an aggregate of
s109.5o. and seven half dimes totaled
$157.50, while another extremely rare
half dime brought s400.
This was one of the gems of the
collection. 1t was an 1902 coin OF the
same variety as the specimen which
brought $715 two years ago in the
James 3. Wilson sale. Several slight,
old scratches near the rim, however,
robbed it of much OF its value and made
the price fall far below the record
A quaint Martha Washington half
dime was another of the smaller coins
much sought. bringing s36. On IT was
the head Of the wife OF General Wash
ington. The inscriptions were lib. par
OF science & industry, 1892" and uni.
States of America. Half Dime" 1t is
said that this and the dime were struck
from George Washington's silver plate
The Philadelphia mint silver dollars
offered composed the rarest collection
ever put on sale. It started with the
undraped with standing eagle, which
sold for $3.50. An 1896 Gabrecht pat
tern, with Liberty seated, brought only
$21; another OF the same date and same
pattern, but without stars in the field
on the reverse, reached $340, while a
third coin of the same date and with
the same diverse, with Gabrecht,s name
in the field, fetched $435. An 1889
Gabrecht design with milled edge sold
for SIS. but an Identical coin of the
same date, with the edge plain and
unmilled, reached $3.50. AS with the
fractional currency, amazing prices
were paid for dollars OF fairly recent
dates. An 1858 brought $50; an 1855,
SIT; an 1854, s22; an 1852, sss; an
1851, $145, and an 1880, $40.
The two prizes in the collection of
Philadelphia minted half dollars were
obtained by S. H. Chapman of Phila-
delphia. For the 1896 specimen with
1e stars and in the best possible state
of preservation he paid $500 For
another OF the same year. but with Is
stars and in equally good condition.
Chapman paid 1850. The collection
contained specimens Of every half dol
lar minted from 1894 to 1857.
There was also collection of pieces
Of the same denomination minted in
New Orleans, San Francisco and Car
son City, and amazing prices were paid
for coins of comparatively recent date
An 1886 San Francisco piece without
In God We Trust" brought s25; an
1878, $27; an 1873, $22, and an 1873,
$3.50.
AS high as s35 was paid for a quar-
ter. the 1895 Philadelphia Liberty coin
with a small eagle and an 1922 speci-
men bringing that price. An 1904 coin
went for SIG, while an 1907 quarter
brought $26. For the dimes as high
as $3.50 was paid for 1897 with is
stars, while nearly as great prices
were paid for coins not so rare.