When a coin has unusually nice eye appeal, sometimes bidders go a bit wild, as seen with this 1921 Indian Head 5-cent coin graded Mint State 63+ by Professional Coin Grading Service with a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker that brought $780 on Feb. 13 in a GreatCollections auction.

It is a slightly better date in the series, though with a mintage of 10,633,000 pieces, there are plenty for everyone, even in modest Mint State grades. PCGS has graded 205 in MS-63, and while its Population Report lists just a single example in MS-63+, that is bested by 430 in MS-64 and more in finer grades.

Typical MS-63 representatives sell for $300 to $400, while MS-64 pieces sell for $400 to $500. (A rather dull PCGS MS-64 example offered at an Oct. 12 Heritage auction provided a low outlier at $336.) A brilliant and lustrous example graded MS-65 by PCGS sold for $720 at a September 2021 Heritage sale.

The subject offering had delicate pastel tones, nicer than average luster and was prettier than usual for the issue — and much nicer than a typical MS-63, even with a plus grade and green CAC sticker.

Connect with Coin World:  
Sign up for our free eNewsletter
Access our Dealer Directory  
Like us on Facebook  
Follow us on Twitter