This one comes with a history lesson for those of you who weren't around during the fake 1896-1900-1902 Micro-Os melt bucket treasure hunt (that's where
a lot of them were found) during roughly 2000-2005. Unlike many collectors, the last of the grading companies somehow didn't figure out they were bogus until the spring of 2005, at which point they instantly stopped attributing them. PCGS even started an aggressive buy-back program for all of the coins it graded -- which is still in effect to the best of my knowledge. The immediate result was to magnify demand for any of the "Illicit Trio" in a PCGS holder, and send the remaining coins deep into hiding. These days they come up for sale about as often as presidential elections.
I bought this coin in January 2002 in an ANACS F15 holder. I contacted then PCGS president Rick Montgomery and asked, since the 1896 and 1902 Micro-O were being graded, could I submit the first 1900 Micro-O? He said yes, and it became the first one one in a PCGS holder in February 2002.
Many years later, just for fun, I sent it to CAC.
The cost number you're trying to guess is what I paid for the ANACS coin, plus the PCGS Economy grading fee. No postage, because I dropped off and picked up in person, no processing fee, and no Variety Attribution fee; those didn't start until September 2005.
- small 1900-O VAM 5 21086235 obv.jpg (191.13 KiB) Viewed 755 times
- small 1900-O VAM 5 21086235 rev.jpg (192 KiB) Viewed 755 times
When in doubt... don't.
