Owner Comments:
1899 JF
1899 is an available date that can be found nice in Gem for a reasonable price. The "LE" SOL variety adds interest. A great representative coin for the 1893-1900 type. With "JR" may be scarce.
Minor Varieties:
1. Initials JR - DE Sol
2. Initials JR - DE Sol Sol/Sol 5/5
3. No JR - DE Sol
4. Intials JR - "LE" Sol
5. No Initials JR - "LE" Sol
6. 1899/88 JF-JR (KM)
7. 1899/8 JF-JR? (KM)
All coins of this date have 6 berries rather than 7 on the reverse (true also for 1897 VN, 1898-1900). The "LE" SOL variety was almost certainly caused by die polishing, rather than an incorrect letter punch, as an outline of the "D" can still be seen on most coins of this variety. Though it doesn't carry much premium, it's certainly one of the more interesting "errors" of the series, and can be fun to cherrypick! I have not seen the overdates listed in KM (which come with no or minimal premium). "S" in SOL appears low on all coins I've seen.
The size of the superscript o and dot below it vary widely. Here are some combinations I've seen:
1. Small o over small dot
2. Small o over small dot, close together
3. Oval medium o over medium dot
4. Large o over medium dot
5. Medium o over medium dot, dot is off-center towards the right
6. Medium o over small dot
7. Large o over small dot, dot slightly off-center towards the right
It's near impossible to quantify these, and since there is no premium, I won't try. Small o over small dot might be the most common.
Availability:
G-VF: Common
XF-AU: Common
60-62: Fairly easy to find
63-64: More difficult than circulated grades, but among the more easily found dates
65-66: No coins graded (or have I seen) above Gem. There are raw Gem-y coins sometimes available. Overall common for a 1/5 Sol, though not as common as, say, the 1916
Population Report (Jan 2015):
NGC: One in 58; One in 61; One in 62; One in 63, Three in 64, Four in 65
PCGS: One in 40 (why!?), One in 65
Total at both services: 13; 11 in Uncirculated
All but one NGC 63 are listed as "1899 JF" with no mention of the JR. Most coins of this date do not have the "JR", however some of the coins holdered as "without" may actually have the "JR". KM doesn't offer a premium one way or the other.
Value Guide:
1972 Almanzar/Seppa: F: 1.35 VF: 1.90 XF: 3.00
Current KM: VF: 9 XF: 11 UNC: 25
Mintage: 700,000
Auction Results:
Sedwick 10/15/2009 NGC MS 64 $82.60 (Possibly an overdate?)
Ebay 3/24/2011 NGC MS 65 $52.30
Ebay 5/25/2014 NGC MS 64 $54.33
Ebay 1899/9, F/F/Y (as reported by seller WCS) Gem BU $77.50
Many circ examples sold on ebay for well over $10 for whatever reason.
KM values aren't far off market. A VF-XF may only bring 5-6 dollars. For a nice Gem certified UNC, expect to pay around 50-60. This date may do a bit better than common dates of the 1900's (ex. 1906, 1907) as it's a type coin for the earlier type. For some reason Seppa liked this date better than 1896 TF, 1897 VN and JF, 1898 and 1900. While 1898 and 1900 are not difficult dates, at least the 1897's and 1896 TF are more difficult coins.
Set Specimen:
Tied for Top Pop with 3 other NGC coins and 1 PCGS coin in 65. A lovely golden patina covers both sides. Small dot under small o.