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Valuing Gold-Stickered CAC Coins

How should collectors (and dealers) value Gold-Stickered CAC coins? Coins get gold stickers if CAC deems that they would easily get a green sticker at the next grade level. Experience, however, seems to show that the criteria are stricter than that. It seems that a gold-stickered coin would be high end at the next grade, maybe even qualifying for a green sticker two grade levels higher. Gold stickered coins often trade at a high premium because the buyer thinks the coin might "double-upgrade." This really needs to be considered case by case before paying too much of a premium.

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Comments

  • In most cases, a good minimum starting point is a valuation based on a coin that grades a point higher. But as you noted, prices for gold-stickered coins frequently exceed those for coins that are (just) a single grade higher. I don’t dare use any type of formula in arriving at valuations. Instead, I make my decision on a case by case basis, based upon what grade I assign to the coin. I realize that doesn’t help much, if at all, but that’s how I do it. And In almost every case, someone else ends up being willing to pay more than I am.

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  • Retail on most gold CAC will be two grades up. 1.5 grades at a minimum, unless the jumps are insane. On sub $1k coins, I can get 2 grades up regularly.

    Too bad I never sell my gold CAC coins lol.

  • My experience is the price points are really what the market will bear. Sometimes it’s double or triple bid, other times it’s two grade points higher price levels. Does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. It’s more driven by demand, pops for the series, scarcity of the date/grade, etc.

  • I agree with what all have contributed to this point regarding valuation and markets for gold CAC stickered coins. I would also like to add that the more commonly encountered grade, series or date combinations should (in theory) have a smaller premium attached to them.

    As an example, I strongly believe that Merc proofs and late date MS Mercs, proof Franklins, 1938-D Buffs, early proof WQs, late date MS WLHs and some other coins in early generation holders are fertile ground for gold CAC stickers. This ground might not be quite so fertile anymore, since I have mentioned this topic previously on the PCGS boards, but those listed coins were never really worth that much money and even "really nice" examples within a given holder were not generally held for a ransom when offered for sale. Additionally, those mentioned coins were worth "too little" to be regraded over and over again in search of the "right" or highest grade. Therefore, really nice examples of these issues tended to survive at a higher percentage in early generation holders.

    In my opinion, such pieces as listed above might be easier to still "make" and should have a relatively low premium attached. Of course, the low premium (in real dollars) combined with the relatively low value of the listed coins means that their percentage premium might be high. Sigh...

    For me, I take it on a case-by-case basis and value the coin based upon what I think of the eye appeal and what I think of the grade.

  • +2 points for a gold sticker. I got one gold sticker on a commem I submitted. It was PCGS 65, so it would go to a 67, wow! That's a $1k uplift. I bought that coin and others from David Hall years ago. He indeed knows how to pick top rated gems. About 90% of those that I purchased from him years ago stickered. But it seems he doesn't sell CAC coins now judging from his website.

  • 4.5 times guide for my latest purchase. Sale price corresponds to 4 grades higher than certification grade. My purchase price point could be legitimately characterized as 'black swan'. I am not aware of how guides can reflect these kind of 'must have' purchases. Frankly, when I saw the coin had a gold CAC, I had a stark realization that the gold sticker would certainly result in a much higher end price. Nevertheless, the coin is beautiful, had to be in the collection, thus setting up this high purchase price/consignor's dream.

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  • Was it that fatty large cent at GC? Think that went right around 4.5x. Loved that coin but couldn't push that high.

  • An 1866 half dollar. Nice to hear of similar data point, price wise.

  • I have been astonished at the amounts that some people have been willing to pay for a coin with the gold CAC sticker. Recently a person, on another blog, posted photos of 1901-S $10 gold piece that was graded PCGS MS-63, Gold CAC. Going by the photos, the coin was obviously an MS-64, but it had too many marks on the portrait to grade any higher. Yet it has sold at auction for $5,760 which is beyond the MS-65 price. The piece in MS-64, CAC would retail for $2,200 to $2,300. Maybe you might add something for the rare sticker, but more than double the price is something I don’t understand. 

    Here's a link to the photos.

    https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/13110340#Comment_13110340

    In my own backyard, I bought this Bechtler gold dollar which is graded PCGS EF-40, Gold CAC, for a strong premium a decade ago. The coin is nice, but it has been lightly brushed. I paid several times the going EF-40 price for it. I still think I have too much in it, but I'll let you decide.


  • Thank you @jmlanzaf. That is my only "territorial gold" coin.

    I would love to get a $50 slug someday, but the timing has always been off. I don't like most slugs because I think that they are too beat up for the grade. I have run into a couple I liked, but since I had just paid big bucks for a 1796 No Stars Quarter Eagle, I couldn't do it. The second one had similar timing problems.

    I have always liked gold dollars, but many collectors don't care for them because they are so small.

  • I only own one Gold CAC coin and paid a strong premium for it. In retrospect, probably too much given it is a very common commemorative. As an aside, It is the only Gold CAC for its assigned grade. On a percentage basis, it was extremely high markup compared to guide, but on a dollar basis, at $500 it wasn't cost prohibitive for me since I wanted it to go along with my 1892 Columbian.




  • Its really tricky to put a value on a gold stickered coin. I feel there is a big difference between a mercury dime, Morgan dollar or classic commemorative with a gold cac compared to a Seated Dollar or Trade Dollar with a gold bean. One can look online and at any given time easily find gold beans on certain series. For these types of coins I really dont think I’d be willing to pay multiples of price guide. Mainly because there are thousands of them out there and it can easily be found in most any grade and there will be a lot to choose from. But on the seated series for instance there are a very small amount of available coins to begin with. Generally speaking, Throw on a green cac and you have one of the few that survived without issues. Throw on a gold cac and you have a rare unicorn. Ultimately it comes down to eye appeal and how bad someone wants it. But for me I prefer to pay for a “gold cac rarity”.

  • How about determinating the current value of a black NGC slab with a $20 Saint graded a very generic MS-62 grade with a CAC gold sticker?

  • I think many people don’t realize that a green sticker puts a coin in the top 15-20% of coins for that grade, higher than the top 25% for plus coins, so many green sticker coins can make the C level at the next PCGS or NGC grade level. So I think people who buy gold stickers think since they will grade at A or B for the next grade level, they can possibly go C for even the next level after that. So a ms 63 gold can become a 65 C.

  • I would also like to determine a value on a white label rattler $20 Saint. Hasn't been to NJ yet...

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