CAC Coin Premiums on Display in July
CAC-approved and CACG-graded coins posted several striking auction results during July 2026. In some cases, the differences proved dramatic.
One coin stood far above the rest.
On July 5, GreatCollections sold a 1924 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle graded CACG MS67 for $47,300. Just 11 days later, Heritage sold a PCGS MS67 example without CAC approval for $10,370. Moreover, a different non-CAC PCGS MS67 brought $14,030 at Stack’s Bowers on June 16. The Heritage and Stack’s Bowers results appear in current auction archives.
That makes the GreatCollections result roughly 356% and 237% higher than the respective Non-CAC Heritage and Stack’s Bowers results.
However, July produced more than one eye-catching comparison. CAC coins also posted substantial differentials in classic silver, Proof coinage, Morgan and Peace dollars, and even modern Silver Eagles.
Before looking at the results, collectors should note an important distinction. CAC approval and CACG grading do not mean exactly the same thing. CAC began its original verification service by examining qualifying PCGS- and NGC-certified coins. A green CAC sticker indicates that CAC considers the coin solid or better for its assigned grade. CAC later entered full third-party grading and now encapsulates coins under the CACG name.
Also, no two auction coins are truly identical. Eye appeal matters. Strike matters. So do surfaces, provenance, holder generation, auction venue, timing, and bidder competition. Therefore, the percentages below measure realized-price differences between specific transactions. They do not isolate CAC approval as the only reason one coin brought more money.
Still, July’s numbers deserve attention.
Coin of the Month: A “Common” 1924 Saint Becomes Anything but Common
The 1924 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle offers a perfect lesson in condition rarity.
The Philadelphia Mint produced 4,323,500 examples. Unlike many later Saint-Gaudens issues, large numbers survived. Many pieces traveled overseas as international reserves. Consequently, they escaped the destruction that eliminated enormous quantities of U.S. gold after 1933.
Eventually, many came back to the United States.
Today, PCGS estimates that roughly 1.9 million 1924 double eagles survive across all grades. PCGS alone has certified more than 360,000 examples. Yet the picture changes dramatically at the top. PCGS reports that only about 3% of its certified population reaches MS66 or better. An extraordinarily small fraction reaches MS67 or higher.
That makes the 1924 Saint a fascinating contradiction. Collectors can easily find one in a typical Mint State grade. However, superb examples occupy an entirely different market.
The supplied CAC population data lists two 1924 double eagles at CACG MS67, with none higher at CACG. It also lists 28 CAC-stickered MS67 examples.
Then came July 5.
GreatCollections sold one of those CACG MS67 coins for $47,300.
Heritage followed on July 16 with a PCGS MS67 coin without a CAC sticker. It realized $10,370. Meanwhile, Stack’s Bowers had sold another non-CAC PCGS MS67 for $14,030 on June 16.
Few July comparisons illustrate the market’s willingness to chase an elite certified coin more dramatically.
1924 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Specifications
- Denomination: $20
- Mint: Philadelphia
- Mintage: 4,323,500
- Designer: Augustus Saint-Gaudens
- Composition: 90% gold, 10% copper
- Weight: 33.436 grams
- Actual Gold Weight: 0.9675 troy ounce
- Diameter: 34 mm
- Edge: Lettered
- Featured Grade: CACG MS67
GreatCollections confirms the mintage, weight, gold content, and other basic specifications for the featured issue.
GreatCollections: CAC Premiums Extend Into Classic and Modern Coins
1875-CC Twenty-Cent Piece: A Short-Lived Denomination Delivers
The Twenty-Cent Piece lasted only briefly in American commerce. Congress authorized the denomination in 1875, but its size and appearance proved too similar to the quarter.
The Carson City Mint produced just 133,290 1875-CC Twenty-Cent Pieces. Each coin weighs 5 grams and contains 90% silver and 10% copper. William Barber designed the type.
On July 19, GreatCollections sold a CACG F15 1875-CC Twenty-Cent Piece for $810.70.
For comparison, GreatCollections sold a PCGS F15 example without a CAC sticker for $589.60 on April 19.
The July coin therefore brought about 37.5% more.
Three Seconds, Two 1943 Steel Cents, One Huge Difference
Perhaps no July comparison provides a cleaner snapshot of two auctions happening almost simultaneously.
At 4:17:45 p.m. Pacific Time on July 26, GreatCollections sold a PCGS MS67 1943 Lincoln Cent with a green CAC sticker for $308.
Exactly three seconds later, GreatCollections sold an NGC MS67 1943 cent without a CAC sticker for $95.58.
The CAC-approved coin brought roughly 222% more.
Moreover, GreatCollections had sold two other non-CAC MS67 examples on July 19. A PCGS coin realized $143, while an NGC example brought $126.50.
Against those two coins, the CAC example still produced differentials of about 115% and 144%.
The backstory adds another layer. The U.S. Mint abandoned the traditional bronze cent composition during World War II and used zinc-coated steel in 1943. Philadelphia alone produced more than 684 million steel cents that year. Each weighs about 2.70 grams.
Therefore, rarity alone does not explain the July result. At MS67, buyers clearly differentiated among individual survivors.
Stack’s Bowers: Proof Silver, a Standing Liberty Quarter, and Carson City
1941 Proof Mercury Dime More Than Doubles Its Comparison
On July 1, Stack’s Bowers sold a CACG Proof-67+ 1941 Mercury Dime for $1,037.
On April 22, the firm sold an NGC Proof-67+ example without CAC approval for $414.80.
The CACG coin brought 150% more.
The Philadelphia Mint struck 16,557 Proof Mercury Dimes in 1941. Each contains 90% silver and weighs 2.5 grams.
At the Proof-67+ level, small differences in preservation and visual quality can become major considerations. The July result demonstrates just how far bidders may go for the coin they prefer.
1924-D Standing Liberty Quarter Posts a 48% Difference
Also on July 1, Stack’s Bowers sold a CACG MS66 1924-D Standing Liberty Quarter for $1,037.
Only one day earlier, Heritage sold a PCGS MS66 example without a CAC sticker for $701.50.
That produces a realized-price difference of approximately 47.8%.
Greysheet’s auction archive confirms the $1,037 CACG result from Stack’s Bowers.
1878-CC Morgan Dollar: Carson City Appeal Meets CAC Approval
The 1878-CC Morgan Dollar combines two collector magnets. It represents the first year of George T. Morgan’s silver dollar design. It also carries the coveted Carson City mintmark.
Carson City produced 2,212,000 Morgan Dollars in 1878.
On July 15, Stack’s Bowers sold a PCGS MS63 1878-CC Morgan Dollar with CAC approval for $854.
Three non-CAC PCGS MS63 examples provide useful comparisons.
Heritage sold one for $573.40 on July 22. GreatCollections sold another for $588.50 on July 5. Earlier, on June 24, Stack’s Bowers sold one for $561.20.
Against those three results, the CAC-approved Morgan posted price differences ranging from roughly 45% to 52%.
Heritage: Walking Liberty Halves Produce Two Major Results
1918-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar Jumps to $30,500
The 1918-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar produced one of July’s largest dollar differences.
Heritage sold a PCGS MS65 example with CAC approval for $30,500 on July 16.
Heritage’s archive records another PCGS MS65 without a CAC sticker at $13,420 on May 2, 2026.
That means the July coin brought approximately 127% more, or well over twice as much.
The San Francisco Mint struck 10,282,000 half dollars in 1918. Yet that large original production figure hides the real challenge. Most examples entered commerce in the West and circulated heavily. Heritage describes Gem survivors as conditionally scarce.
The coin contains 90% silver and 10% copper. It weighs 12.5 grams and contains about 0.3617 troy ounce of silver.
Thus, the $30,500 result does more than illustrate a CAC differential. It also shows how dramatically the market can reward exceptional preservation for a difficult early Walking Liberty Half Dollar.
1936 Proof Walking Liberty Half Reaches $9,150
Heritage also produced an important result for Proof coinage.
On July 16, the company sold a PCGS Proof-67 1936 Walking Liberty Half Dollar with CAC approval for $9,150.
GreatCollections had sold a PCGS Proof-67 example without a CAC sticker for $6,890.40 on May 24.
The July result came in about 32.8% higher.
The 1936 Proof Walking Liberty Half also carries considerable historical weight. The Philadelphia Mint produced only 3,901 Proof examples, the lowest Proof mintage of the Walking Liberty Half Dollar series.
At Proof-67, collectors demand far more than technical preservation. Mirrors, frost, spotting, toning, and overall visual impact can all influence bidding.
1921 Peace Dollar: High Relief Meets High Demand
Few 20th-century silver dollars have a stronger visual identity than the 1921 Peace Dollar.
Anthony de Francisci created the design as the United States looked toward peace after World War I. For 1921, the Mint produced the coin in dramatic high relief. However, the relief caused production problems. The Mint lowered it for 1922.
As a result, the 1921 stands alone as a one-year High Relief subtype.
The Philadelphia Mint produced 1,006,473 coins. Each weighs 26.73 grams and contains 90% silver.
On July 17, Heritage sold a CACG MS65 1921 Peace Dollar for $6,710.
Several non-CAC MS65 coins sold nearby.
On July 26, GreatCollections sold two PCGS MS65 examples without CAC stickers for $4,620 and $2,825.90. The same day, an NGC MS65 without CAC approval brought $2,720.30.
Earlier, on July 8, Heritage sold a non-CAC PCGS MS65 for $3,050.
Depending on the comparison coin, the CACG example brought roughly 45% to 147% more.
Again, collectors should not treat every MS65 as interchangeable. The 1921 Peace Dollar often shows weakness in its central details because of the demanding High Relief design. Strike quality can matter enormously at the Gem level.
David Lawrence Rare Coins: CAC Results From Buffalo Nickels to Silver Eagles
1938-D Buffalo Nickel Reaches $600
The Buffalo Nickel series ended in 1938. Denver struck the final regular-issue Buffalo nickels that year.
On July 5, David Lawrence Rare Coins sold a CACG MS67+ 1938-D Buffalo Nickel for $600.
On June 22, Stack’s Bowers sold two NGC MS67+ examples without CAC stickers. Each realized $390.40.
Heritage had also sold a different NGC MS67+ coin without CAC approval for $378.20 on May 5.
Therefore, the CACG example brought roughly 54% to 59% more than those comparison coins.
1863 Seated Liberty Quarter Tops $11,000
Civil War-era federal coinage carries a historical connection few other American series can match.
The year 1863 came at the midpoint of the Civil War. Gold and silver coins had largely disappeared from everyday commerce in much of the country as Americans hoarded hard money.
On July 5, David Lawrence sold a PCGS MS66 1863 Seated Liberty Quarter with CAC approval for $11,010.
GreatCollections had sold a PCGS MS66 example without a CAC sticker for $8,806.60 on February 8.
The CAC-approved coin therefore brought almost exactly 25% more.
At this level, that percentage translates into a dollar difference of more than $2,200.
1989 Silver Eagle: A Modern MS70 Brings $1,125
Finally, July’s CAC results reached into modern bullion coinage.
On July 26, David Lawrence sold a CACG MS70 1989 American Silver Eagle for $1,125.
Heritage sold an NGC MS70 example for $512.40 on April 8. Another NGC MS70 brought $640.50 on February 9. Heritage’s archive confirms both comparison sales.
Against those two coins, the CACG example brought approximately 120% and 76% more, respectively.
The result also shows why “modern” does not necessarily mean simple. Once collectors focus on perfect MS70 coins, certification, surfaces, holder preference, label, and market confidence can become major price variables.
What July’s CAC Auction Results Tell Collectors
Taken together, these 12 examples cover more than 150 years of American coinage.
They range from an 1863 Seated Liberty Quarter to a 1989 Silver Eagle, and include gold, silver, nickel, and steel. They also range from Fine-15 to MS70.
Yet one theme appears repeatedly.
Collectors paid more for the specific CAC-approved or CACG-graded coins in each comparison.
Sometimes the gap remained moderate. The 1863 quarter produced a 25% difference. The 1936 Proof half showed about a 33% spread.
Elsewhere, the numbers climbed dramatically. The 1941 Proof dime brought 150% more than its comparison. The 1918-S half more than doubled the earlier non-CAC result. The 1943 steel cent sold for more than three times as much as an NGC MS67 that closed only three seconds later.
Then there is the 1924 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle.
Millions may survive. Hundreds of thousands have entered grading-service holders. Yet the GreatCollections CACG MS67 brought $47,300.
That result offers perhaps the best lesson from July.
In today’s certified-coin market, the date and numerical grade tell only part of the story. At the highest levels, collectors increasingly compete for the specific coin they believe stands above its peers.
And when several determined bidders reach the same conclusion, the premium can become impossible to ignore.
