Collectors Corner^SM: The Collectibles Marketplace

The 2021-D Morgan Dollar was one of the strongest movers in the modern coin market. Courtesy of the United States Mint. Click image to enlarge.

Much excitement took place in the modern coin market in 2022. One of the highlights of the year was the production of the 2021 American Eagle At Dusk and At Dawn 35th Anniversary Silver and Gold One-Ounce Coins. The U.S. Mint celebrated a major anniversary of the silver and gold eagles and the introduction of new designs for the coins by striking a total of 2,000 ceremonial silver and gold eagles; 500 each of the silver and gold coins were struck with the old 1986 design and another 500 each of the silver and gold were produced with the new 2021 designs.

Another highlight in the modern coin market is a $100 2017-W Proof Platinum Eagle, with the Frosted Freedom variety that was recently discovered and then auctioned by GreatCollections. The Frosted Freedom Eagles were not intended to be sold to collectors, as they were only produced as trial pieces. However, they were later inadvertently sold by the United States Mint. The U.S. Mint has confirmed that about 12 examples of the $100 2007-W Platinum Eagle with the Frosted Freedom finish were produced, making these modern coins truly rare.

Let’s now highlight some of the best modern coin performers from the past three months. The top performer on the list is the 2010-P Grand Canyon Quarter in PCGS MS68. The coin went from $575 to $2,500 – a 375% increase in the last three months. The coin happens to have a population of just one, with none being graded higher. So, the price increase seems more than warranted, as it’s a tough coin to find in this condition and belongs to a very popular series.

The next coin on the list is a 2021-D Morgan Dollar graded PCGS MS70, with the First Strike designation. The 2021 Morgan and Peace Dollars also created lots of excitement across the market when the coins were originally issued over a year ago. Now that some of the dust has settled, all 2021 Morgan and Peace Dollars have performed really well in the market, but the 2021-D Morgan Dollar appears to be the best performer from the group. The coin in MS70 First Strike has gone from $475 to $1,100 in the past several months, representing a 132% increase.

The next coin is a 1982-P Jefferson Nickel in PCGS MS66+ Full Steps. Jefferson Nickels struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1982 are scarce in any grade with the Full Steps designation. This is mainly because the reverse of the coins was produced from weakly and poorly made dies. So, finding an example in higher grades can be extremely challenging, especially with the Full Steps designation. Currently, this coin has a population of 5 in MS66+FS, with only two examples grading higher. This coin recently increased in price from $1,200 to $2,750, coming in with a 129% increase.

These are just a few examples of the coins that performed remarkably well in the last three months. As we can see, the modern coin market continues to be strong while infusing much energy with new coins being issued and even some rare coins still being discovered. We can’t wait to see what exciting coins and discoveries occur across the market throughout the rest of 2023!