The continued popularity of the Registry Set programs from Professional Coin Grading Service and Numismatic Guaranty Corp., where collectors can register their collections online and compete with other collectors, continues to put pressure on modern condition rarities.

Here is one of three Coin World is profiling that brought strong prices at recent auctions by GreatCollections.com.

The coin: 2012-P Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park 5-ounce silver coin, Specimen 70

The price: $903.10  

The story: The 2012 Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park 5-ounce silver bullion coin is a high point in this series, which has struggled to find a dedicated collecting base. The large silver coins are often referred to as “hockey pucks” by collectors, as they are 3 inches in diameter.

The America the Beautiful 5-ounce silver coins are produced in two versions: numismatic versions for collectors and bullion versions aimed at investors. The collector versions are called Specimen by PCGS, have a Philadelphia “P” Mint mark, and are sold to collectors by the U.S. Mint. Bullion versions lack the Mint mark and are sold through dealers.  

In a Jan. 4 GreatCollections.com auction, a PCGS Specimen 70 example of this issue sold for $903.10. It featured a label signed by John M. Mercanti, who was the 12th chief engraver of the U.S. Mint. Other examples graded PCGS Specimen 70 with different labels have sold for $650 to $700 in recent auctions. 

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