Owner Comments:
General Comments:
1915 is the key date for the 20th Century 1/5 Sols (along with the 1914), and one of the more difficult dates to find in the entire series in Gem mint state. Like the 1914, all 1915 dated 1/5 Sols come without the "R" to the left of the shield.
The most common condition found is AU with compromised surfaces. I know of 5 coins that are definitely mint state: the four graded at NGC, and the Whittier coin. There are a few others I have seen that are either borderline AU/UNC, or likely UNC but with cleaning. Gems are very rare, with only two confirmed.
XF/AU examples generally appear at some point during any given year. A longer wait is required for a decent mint state example.
While this date is overvalued in circulated grades in the price guide, it is undervalued overall in the marketplace (see discussion below). 1915 1/5 Sols need more love. Tough date!
Varieties:
There was only one die used for this date. Some mint state coins come with very heavy obverse die polish lines. Weak strikes are sometimes seen with weakness at Liberty's elbow and knee.
All coins have an o/o superscript o (Flatt claims there are non o/o coins, but I have not witnessed this). Re-punching is seen on many letters, especially "POR LA". The entire date is lightly re-punched, although on worn coins this may not be entirely obvious.
Because of the use of a single die, authenticity is not hard to confirm. The 1915 obverse die has the exact same die characteristics as used on the obverse for all 1914 strikings. However, it is not an advanced state. This means either 1. Some 1914 coins were struck after 1915's were struck or more likely 2. The die was made from a master hub.
Availability:
G-VF: Scarce
XF-AU: Scarce
60-62: Rare
63-64: Rare
65: Very Rare
Population Report (June 2018):
NGC: One in 55; Three in 58; One in 63; One in 64; Two in 65
PCGS: None Graded
Total at both services: 8; 4 in Uncirculated; 2 in Gem
Two have also been slabbed AU Details at NGC, bringing the total to 8.
Value Guide:
1972 Almanzar/Seppa: Listed only as "RARE" with no price given in any grade.
2009 KM: VF: 40 XF: 70 UNC: 125
Current KM: VF: 145 XF: 270 UNC: 400
The price increase in Krause at the mint state level is justified given this dates rarity in that state of preservation, however the market does not support $400 for a lower end mint state coin; only at the Gem level is that price appropriate. Despite the scarcity, there is very little support for this date in any circulated grade, making the previous 2009 VF and XF price points more accurate, if still a bit high.
Auction records for this date are highly variable, with lower end or non-original coins hammering at low values. 1915 1/5 Sols are certainly undervalued at today's prices. My pricing is as follows: VF/XF: $20-$50 AU: $50-$100 MS 60-62: $100-$150 Certified MS 63: $175-$250 Certified MS 64/65: $300-$500
Mintage:
No mintage is given in KM or Almanzar/Seppa for this date. Flatt reports 10,007.
Auction Results:
Ebay 11/15/10 AU (advertised as UNC) $17 (WP)
Ebay 1/8/15 NGC MS 64 $404.23 (I purchased.)
Ebay 2/2/15 AU50ish raw specimen $72.49
Ebay 7/24/15 AU $90 (WP)
Ebay 7/3/15 XF? Cleaned? $109.50 (WP)
Ebay 8/21/15 VF Cleaned $10.50
Ebay 2/14/16 Raw Gem $277 (I purchased, graded, set specimen.)
Ebay 4/23/16 NGC AU Details $22.59 (I purchased)
Ebay 5/13/16 AU light cleaning $20.99
Ebay 5/18/16 AU/UNC $29.50
Ebay 6/2/16 NGC AU 58 $203.50
Ebay 6/25/16 NGC MS 64 $385 (BIN - I sold.)
Ebay 3/29/18 Nice AU $73
The Whittier example that sold in a lot on Heritage in 2006 appears to be MS 64ish.
Set Specimen:
Tied with one other example for finest graded. A solid white Gem. Minimal contact on both sides. Strong die polish lines populate the obverse fields.