Images courtesy of Superior
Galleries
Significant
examples:
PCGS Chapman Proof 66, Superb!
Ex - Superior Galleries' "Pre-Long Beach
Sale", October 1-3, 2000, Lot 3768, sold for $60,375.00 - Legend
Numismatics
NGC Proof-65, Zerbe. Ex
- Superior Galleries "Pre-Long Beach" Elite Coin Auction,
May 25-27, 2003, Lot 3143, sold for $8,912.50
NGC Chapman Proof-63 (illustrated above). Jack Lee collection
- Superior Galleries'
"Pre-Long Beach" Sale, June 5-7, 2000, Lot 1866, sold
for $13,225.00
"to the book"
PCGS MS-67. Superior Galleries'
"Pre-Long Beach" Sale, June 5-7, 2000, Lot 1867, sold for $6,842.50
Brilliant Proof 65,
Zerbe Proof. Ex - Stack's "65th Anniversary Sale",
October 17-19, 2000, Lot 1215, plated, sold for $3,220.00 From Superior's Sale of the
Wayne Miller Collection, January 1986, Lot 1400
Brilliant Proof, Zerbe Proof. Ex - Stack's "The
University of Notre Dame Sale", March 20-21, 2001, Lot
563, plated, sold for $3,220.00 Ex- Autumn Sale, Stack's September 1978, lot 430
Recent appearances:
PCGS MS-65. Ex
- Superior Galleries "Pre-Long Beach" Elite Coin Auction,
May 25-27, 2003, Lot
3145,
sold for $8,912.50
PCGS Proof-65 Zerbe. Ex -
Bowers and Merena Galleries' Robert W. Schwan Collection Sale,
October 26-27, 2000, Lot 1596, unsold
PCGS Proof-65 Zerbe. Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coin &
Collectibles' "The Fairchild Family Trust Collection
Sale", May 28-30, 2001, Lot 1042, illustrated, sold for
$8,913.00
PCGS Proof-64. Ex - Superior Galleries "Pre-Long
Beach" Elite Coin Auction, May 25- 27, Lot 3141, sold for
$36,225.00
PCGS Proof-64 Zerbe. Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins &
Collectibles, Inc.'s "Benson Collection, Part I", February
16, 18-20, 2001, Lot 2210, illustrated, sold for $4,830.00
NGC MS-66. Ex- Heritage
Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "October 2000 Long Beach Sale"
October 5-7, 2000, Lot 8487, not illustrated, sold for $506.00
NGC MS-66. Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s
"Long Beach Signature Sale", May 31-June 2, 2001, Lot
6660, not illustrated, sold for $690.00
MS-65. Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles,
Inc.'s "The California Sale", October 2-3, 2000, Lot
1848, unsold
PCGS MS-64 DMPL. Ex - Bowers & Merena Galleries' "The
Cabinet of Lucien M. LaRiviere, Part II", March 15-17, 2001,
Lot 587, sold for $2,990.00
PCGS MS-64 DMPL. Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s
"Long Beach Signature Sale", May 31-June 2, 2001, Lot 6661,
illustrated, sold for $2,070.00 From the holdings of Andy Hansen
MS-63. Ex - Bowers & Merena Galleries' "The Lake
Geneva Sale", June 28-29, 2001, Lot 1162, not illustrated, not
sold
ANACS MS-62. Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s
"Long Beach Signature Sale", May 31-June 2, 2001, Lot
6659, "Zerbe Dies", not illustrated, sold for $690.00
AU-50. Ex - Bowers & Merena Galleries' "The Cabinet
of Lucien M. LaRiviere, Part II", March 15-17, 2001, Lot 588,
unsold
Notes:
The finest Uncirculated examples graded by PCGS are 6 MS-67's, a
single MS-67 Prooflike, and 5 MS-64 Deep Mirror Prooflikes.
Proof examples of this
date are quite different from those of earlier dates. Two
Proof versions of the 1921 Morgan Dollar were struck, both
apparently at the request of individuals outside the
Mint.
The first version,
known as the "Zerbe" Proof, was struck for the noted
numismatist, Farran Zerbe, who supposedly had a fit when the new
Silver Dollars of 1921 turned out to be a resurrection of the Morgan
Dollar type instead of the new Peace Dollar type that he had
promoted. The exact mintage is unknown but the figures bandied
about in the past have ranged from a low of 20 to a high of
200. PCGS has certified 78 "Zerbe" Proofs, the
finest of which have been 7 PR-66's. Breen noted that most of
the "Zerbe" Proofs he had seen had been cleaned or
scrubbed, but his experience conflicts with PCGS' findings (PCGS
will not certify cleaned or impaired coins).
Breen offered some
die characteristics of the Zerbe strikings, but be wary, as
circulation strikes also exist from these dies:
"Obv. Small
die scratch up to r. from left tip of serif of left upright of
second U in UNUM to border. Left base of first 1 above center
of dentil, r. base of second 1 slightly r. of left edge.
Central details far sharper than on regular uncirculated
pieces. Rev. Very faint recutting visible on left upright of T
in UNITED. Horizontal die file marks plainly within ribbon
bows and at left and right of them; vertical die file marks at inner
berries nearest to left base of N and T in UNITED. Eagle's
breast feathers unusually sharp. Brilliant proofs as in 1904
and earlier years, carelessly made..."
The second Proof
version is the so-called "Chapman" Proof, named after the
Philadelphia coin dealer, Henry Chapman, whose name appears on a
Mint invoice (dated June 11, 1921) selling him "10 proof silver
dollars 1921". For years, the mintage was thought to have
been limited to only the ten coins, but now we know that additional
"Chapman" Proofs were struck. PCGS alone has
certified 40 examples, the finest of which is a single PR-66 that
far outshines the 13 PR-64's that are at the next level below. The
only Proof Cameo example graded by PCGS is a single PRCA-64. "Chapman" Proofs are super brilliant and have only 16
berries in the wreath on the reverse, as opposed to 17 on the "Zerbe"
Proofs. Additional die characteristics include a hollow area
around Morgan's initial on the truncation line on the obverse
(caused by die polishing) and light die striations around UN, AM,
and RICA on the reverse.
Sources and/or
recommended reading:
"The PCGS Population Report, April 2003" by The
Professional Coin Grading Service
"Walter Breen's
Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins" by Walter
Breen
"Walter Breen's
Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof Coins
1722-1977" by Walter Breen