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10 Troy Oz. Vintage MSC Silver Bar

10 Troy Oz. Vintage MSC Silver Bar
Photo Credit: CAGoldandSilver

10 Troy Oz. Vintage MSC Silver Bar

Buy It Now Price: $269.99 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This vintage poured 10 troy ounce MSC silver bar from the 1970s or early 1980s has a classic loaf shape, making it highly desirable among antique silver bar collectors.

-The dimensions of this old MSC silver bar are 2.68 inches (68 mm) long by 1.06 inches (27 mm) wide by 0.67 inches (17 mm) high.

-Poured vintage silver bars have a wonderfully rugged, slightly irregular appearance that is quite attractive.  Minted between the 1960s and the 1980s, antique silver bars have recently become a booming numismatic niche.

-This 1970s era MSC silver bar only costs $27 per troy ounce, which is an excellent price for such a fine specimen.  You will generally have a tough time finding 5 and 10 troy oz sizes for less than $30 an ounce.  And the smaller 1, 2 and 3 oz bars are even more expensive on a per ounce basis.

-MSC silver bars have been verified to exist in 5, 10, 25 and 50 troy ounce sizes, in addition to some odd-weight variations.  Unfortunately, no other information about this now defunct precious metal fabrication company is currently available.  We don’t even know what the initials MSC stand for!  Hopefully future research will remedy this situation.

-Antique silver bars are a great alternative to traditional bank products like CDs, savings accounts or savings bonds.  Old silver bars allow you to stack wealth in a tangible form, while also adding return potential in the form of increasing collector’s value over time.

-The seller has multiple bars available.  This might not seem important at first glance.  But in the world of vintage silver bars, once a specimen sells, it can take months, or even years of frustration while searching for another one like it.  The fact that the seller has several MSC silver bars for sale means that even if you’re just stumbling across this web page a year or two after it was originally posted, there’s still a chance that one is in stock.

-These vintage bars are getting harder and harder to find as the decades pass.  This is because each time the price of silver spikes higher (as it last did in 2011), more of these classic bars find their way into the melting pot, never to be seen again.

-This MSC silver bar is a compelling alternative investment at a buy-it-now price of only $270.  For those of you on a tighter budget, I featured a less expensive 5 troy ounce Jackson Precious Metals vintage silver bar in a previous Spotlight post.

 

Cons:

-You generally get better value for your money in slightly larger vintage silver bullion bars.  Right now it is possible to pick up 20 and 25 troy ounce bars, as well as kilo (32.15 oz.) bars, for $20 to $30 a troy ounce, which is a stunning bargain.  However, I suspect this situation will be fleeting as the increasing popularity of these antique silver bars inexorably pushes prices up.

-Currently the spot price of silver is only about $14.25 an ounce, so you are paying a premium of almost 90% over this MSC silver bar’s melt value.  As the price of silver has declined this year, the value of vintage silver bars has not tended to decline with it.  This is either good news if you already own older silver bars or bad news if you are looking to buy more.  For those who want to pay prices closer to intrinsic value, modern artisan hand-poured silver bars may be an intriguing alternative.

 

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1930s British 18K Gold & Natural Red Spinel Ring

1930s British 18K Gold & Natural Red Spinel Ring
Photo Credit: CJ-Antiques-Ltd

1930s British 18K Gold & Natural Red Spinel Ring

Buy It Now Price: $495 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This natural, cherry-red spinel ring is surrounded by a halo of 14 single-cut diamonds that sit in a solid 18 karat gold Art Deco setting from the 1930s.

-This red spinel ring weighs 3.5 grams, which is fairly substantial.  After deducting the weight of the stones, we can infer that there is about $95 worth of gold in the ring (with the spot price of gold hovering around $1,200 an ounce).

–Spinel is a gorgeous, but poorly understood gemstone that is tremendously undervalued in today’s gem marketplace.  Spinel is a close cousin to ruby and sapphire, sharing a very similar chemical composition and physical properties with these better-known gems.

–18 karat gold is a superlative jewelry metal.  It preserves the rich yellow hue and superior chemical resistance of pure gold, while also possessing a degree of added strength and hardness that makes it perfect for use in jewelry.

-I estimate that the natural red spinel set in this ring is at least 1 carat in weight – and perhaps as much as 1.25 carats – making it a substantial stone.  Its color and clarity are both very good as well.  In my opinion, this red spinel is worth at least $100 to $200 per carat (and possibly more).

-I conservatively estimate the intrinsic value of this British red spinel ring at around $250 ($150 for the spinel, $95 for the gold and $5 for the melee diamonds).  This is actually a very good result – fully half of the purchase price is attributable to tangible materials.  It also means that you are only paying around $245 for the expert craftsmanship, transcendent beauty and vivid history captured in this remarkable piece of vintage jewelry.

-The 1930s Art Deco aesthetic of this natural red spinel ring gives it a classic, timeless look that would complement a woman wearing nearly any style of clothing.  I think it is safe to say that this ring will never go out of fashion.

-It is gratifying to be able to find a beautiful piece of antique jewelry that is set with a large precious stone selling for such a reasonable price.  I’ve written before about how difficult it has become to find fine vintage jewelry for less than $1,000.  But I am under no illusions that bargains like this will persist forever; affordable fine vintage jewelry is going extinct.

-With a buy-it-now price of only $495, this vintage red spinel ring is laughably cheap.  In fact, I am absolutely shocked that no one has picked up this steal yet!  The fact that it is still sitting with a “for sale” sign on it is probably at least partially attributable to the fact that spinel has such little name recognition.

 

Cons:

-I’ve got nothing bad to say here.  Nada, zip, zero.  This natural red spinel ring is a gorgeous all-original piece from the 1930s – over 80 years ago.  In addition, it is in great condition, with no evidence of any repairs whatsoever.  This ring is a no-brainer investment for less than $500.

 

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Vintage Grand Seiko Hi Beat 6145 8000 with 61GS Movement

Vintage Grand Seiko Hi Beat 6145 8000 with 61GS Movement
Photo Credit: Threeming-JAPAN

Vintage Grand Seiko Hi Beat 6145 8000 with 61GS Movement

Buy It Now Price: $1,200 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Here is a vintage Grand Seiko Hi Beat 6145 8000 men’s stainless steel wristwatch from 1969 with a 25-jewel, 61GS automatic movement.

-This vintage Grand Seiko Hi Beat watch measures 37 mm (1.45 inches) wide (excluding the crown) by 42 mm (1.65 inches) long (including the lugs).

–Grand Seiko is the luxury marquee of Japanese watchmaker Seiko.  First established in 1960, Grand Seiko sought to compete with the legendary Swiss watch manufacturers on their own turf.  The company obsessively pursued quality, resulting in some truly spectacular vintage Japanese timepieces.

-Grand Seiko produced its iconic 61GS Hi Beat automatic movement from 1968 until 1975.  The “Hi Beat” moniker refers to the fact that the movement functions at 36,000 BPH (beats per hour) versus less than 20,000 PBH for most 1960s era Swiss watches.

-Grand Seiko watches are superbly crafted and deserve to be considered the equal of storied Swiss luxury watch brands such as Rolex, Omega and Jaeger-LeCoultre.

-A high-beat (or Hi Beat – a Seiko specific marketing term) watch movement is desirable because it is slightly more accurate than lower PBH movements and provides for an intoxicatingly smooth sweep seconds hand.

-Prices for older Grand Seiko watches have increased dramatically over the past 10 to 15 years as the horological community has gradually discovered them.  It used to be possible to pick up a vintage Grand Seiko Hi Beat watch for just a few hundred dollars back in the mid 2000s.  Now, you’re realistically looking at $1,000 or higher for a 61GS example in good condition.  But the quality is so outstanding that they are worth every penny of their new, higher price.

-It is common for the finely brushed case finish on these older Grand Seiko watches to be destroyed by even light polishing.  Luckily, although it shows a bit of wear, this vintage Grand Seiko Hi Beat looks to be mostly intact.

-The Grand Seiko 6145 8000 in stainless steel had an original retail price of ¥37,000 in 1969, which was the princely sum of $103 at the then prevailing yen-dollar exchange rate of ¥358 per dollar.  This would be the equivalent of over $700 in inflation-adjusted, 2018 dollars.

-I love the visually striking white on white look of this vintage Grand Seiko Hi Beat watch.  The dazzling white dial and leather strap are perfectly offset by the subtle metallic sheen of the stainless steel case.

-Given this vintage Grand Seiko Hi Beat 6145 8000’s good condition and iconic status, I believe the $1,200 buy-it-now price is fair.  However, if this is too rich for your wallet, you can always make the seller a lower offer.

 

Cons:

-The seller doesn’t mention the last time this 1969 Grand Seiko Hi Beat was serviced.  Therefore, it should probably be serviced immediately.  This would bump up the total price tag by a few hundred dollars (vintage Grand Seikos often have relatively high servicing costs because they are usually shipped back to Japan for the work).

-The watch’s condition is not perfect, with a touch of corrosion underneath the rim of the case-back.  In addition, the white leather strap looks a bit worn and will probably need to be replaced soon.  However, this is to be expected in a well-loved vintage watch that is nearly 50 years old.

 

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A Hoard of PCGS Certified 1890 $10 Liberty Head Gold Coins

A Hoard of PCGS Certified 1890 $10 Liberty Head Gold Coins
Photo Credit: avc-numismatics

A Hoard of PCGS Certified 1890 $10 Liberty Head Gold Coins

Buy It Now Price: $900 (per coin) (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This covetable hoard of one dozen 1890 $10 Liberty Head gold coins has been certified About Uncirculated (AU-50) in condition by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service).

-These substantial gold coins have a diameter of 27 mm (1.06 inches) and contain 0.4838 troy ounces (15.05 grams) of pure gold.  With spot hovering around $1,200, each of these 1890 $10 Liberty Head gold coins has a melt value of around $580.

-The U.S. $10 Liberty Head gold coin was struck from 1838 to 1907 – a run of nearly 70 years.  Old $10 gold pieces were also known as gold eagles.

-These 1890 $10 Liberty Head gold coins have been third-party, PCGS certified AU-50.  About Uncirculated coins only have a bit of wear on the very highest points of their design.  They generally possess excellent eye appeal without the astronomical costs of fully uncirculated specimens.

–I’m a big fan of pre-1933 semi-numismatic U.S. gold coins, which trade halfway between bullion pieces and numismatic specimens.  With a premium over melt of 55%, I consider this hoard of 1890 $10 Liberty Head gold coins to be semi-numismatic, although they are beginning to shade into the fully numismatic category.

-The 1890 $10 Liberty Head gold coin is a scarce date, with a mintage of only 58,043.  But the surviving population is undoubtedly much, much smaller, as most were melted, lost or otherwise destroyed over the decades.

-This hoard comes in PCGS “old green holders” (GEN 3.1), which were encapsulated between 1993 and 1998.  Old green holders are desirable because the numismatic community generally agrees they have been graded to a slightly higher standard than more recently certified coins.  There is the possibility that some of these 1890 $10 Liberty Head gold coins would grade higher than AU-50 if resubmitted to either PCGS or NGC today.

-Hoards and collections are some of the best ways to buy old coins because they tend to temporarily depress prices when they hit the market.  Take advantage of this investment opportunity while you can!

-According to their respective population reports, only 581 of this particular date have been certified by PCGS and 449 by NGC.  That is a grand total of just 1,030 examples certified by both major grading services in all conditions!

-These gold coins are absolutely gorgeous pieces of Americana!  They possess incredibly attractive toning that occurs naturally over the course of a century or more.  This is important because superior eye appeal is one of the primary drivers of numismatic investment return.

-With a buy-it-now price of only $900 a piece, I think these 1890 $10 Liberty Head gold coins are an excellent numismatic investment.

 

Cons:

-If you purchase one of these coins, you will receive a random coin from the hoard.  It may either be a better or worse AU-50 example, depending entirely on the luck of the draw.

-The seller also has a group of 17 PCGS AU-50 1890 gold eagles for sale that have been CAC (Certified Acceptance Corporation) verified.  The CAC “green bean” sticker indicates that a previously slabbed coin’s condition has been independently CAC certified.  CAC stickered coins are choice specimens for the grade.  A prospective buyer would have to choose between these PCGS old green holder coins at $900 each and PCGS old green holder coins with CAC stickers for $945.  Decisions, decisions!

 

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