The Island of Misfit Coins, all of those wonderful rarities or special specimens that I wish I could build a collection around, but even though I try and focus my collecting, these I just couldn’t resist!
Ryan’s Rarities
AD 202-205 AR Denarius Plautilla
Ch AU
Strike: 5/5
Surface: 4/5
My first graded ancient coin and the first I purchased for myself. I would love to do a collection of Empresses or female/non-dude portraits on ancient coins. What a stunning specimen this is, the workmanship on the face, hair, and quite frankly all around staggers me! The little bit of crazy toning mostly on the obverse makes it a no-brainer to have been holdered, although I completely get the appeal of handling ancient coins with one’s own hands!
The obverse depicts the Empress Plautilla on the obverse along with her name and title, “PLAUTILLAE AUGUSTAE,” or, Empress Plautilla. The reverse shows her and the Emperor Caracalla clasping hands, spouses out of political alliance reinforced by the lettering “PROPAGOIMPERI,” or, propagate the empire. She would later be murdered by the same man whose hand she shakes on the reverse of this stunning coin.
Certification: NGC 6826405007
1945 Roosevelt - Daniel Carr
MS 69*
*ICG
While my collection lacks a 1964 SMS, I present in its place another issue not meant to exist, engraved by a US Mint engraver and struck just for fun on US Mint equipment, Daniel Carr’s 1945 Roosevelt Dime! Overstruck on 1946-1964 Roosevelt dimes, Carr deftly shows off his skills as an all-star engraver with the warmth and subtle life he gives the expressive visage of the President behind the March of Dimes. While not attributed, I dare say we’ve got full bands to boot!
This is my first ICG coin, and at the time of writing these words, my only. With only one coin from ICG I am at this point unprepared to comment on their accuracy and condition of coins in their holders. In this case, this is a coin struck by a private individual sold directly to a collector, not one minted industrially by a government to be circulated in change. Daniel Carr even gives along with the mintage figures those “bag-handled” and those in high-grade condition. This one was obviously the latter, and in this single instance, I agree with the grade of MS 69. I would advocate however for a Full Bands designation given it has, especially from a distance, perhaps the clearest delineation between each of any Roosevelt dime I’ve seen, but perhaps because it’s an artistic overstrike they do not issue the strike designation. Either way I’m extremely happy to have this coin in my collection, part of an already exceptionally low mintage and in such a high grade! The upper hemisphere of the reverse almost turns into a prooflike finish, an amazingly lustrous piece!
Mintage: 248
Certification: ICG 5496850201
1953-S Franklin
MS 66+
I am incredibly proud to have such a well-struck example of this issue in my collection. The definitive date for the series in FBL, the thing is damn close, and I find myself hoping the plus is an attestation to its supreme strike quality, like at least the graders thought it was significant enough to be worth mentioning! Though not in the name, a feature this coin has more clearly than many 53-S half dollars in FBL holders is the curl of hair in front of Franklin’s ear on the obverse, a feature equally eager to disappear from a strike as the lines on the bell! The hint of golden brown toning sits pleasantly at the edge on both sides. One day I would like to do a short set of S-mint Franklin halves in FBL to go with this stunner!
FBL: 75
10/2025
Mintage: 4,148,000
Certification: NGC 6818838006
1958-D 1c Daniel Carr DDO VDB
MS 69 RED
A fantasy strike created by Daniel Carr struck over 1958-D Lincoln cents. The obverse replicates the significant doubled die obverse (second only to the 1955) of which there are less than a handful of examples. It is worth noting that the 1958 DDO was not on a Denver mintmarked die, which was added again for fun and itself is a D over horizontal D. The reverse sports designer Victor David Brenner’s initials in the original spot centered on the bottom
Mintage: 289
Certification: ANACS 7729146
1984 Manx 1/10 oz Gold
PR 70 DCAM
Struck for the Isle of Man by the Pobjoy mint, this stunning first-year-of-issue coin sports a stunning engraving of Archangel Michael slaying a dragon and on the reverse a portrait of a young Queen Elizabeth II.
Mintage: 20,000
NGC 3085997088
1994 2$ 1/15th oz Gold Maple
MS 69
Only issued this single year in 1/15th oz size and $2 denomination, and a wee mintage to boot! I truly appreciate the 24k fractional gold pieces from the Royal Canadian Mint, they have such a fun history of sizes and designs!
Mintage: 3,540
Mintage: NGC 4496655007
2014 $5 Double Horse Privy
RP 69
The key date for the Canadian Silver Maple!
It is worth noting that the frosted background is not the same as even to that of the 2014 reverse proof on the (single) horse privy issue. This one somehow feels more patterned and more digital, as can be seen in swirling lines of the matte pattern in the obverse photograph to the left of the leaf above 9999.
Mintage: 500
Certification: NGC 8200783003
2021 1/10 Gold Onza
MS 70
Mintage: 850
Certification: NGC 6536507010
2023 Silver Onza
RP 69
I love reverse proof coins, and was lucky enough to indulge/covet one into my collection by being the only bidder at a non-SEOd ebay auction! Reverse proof libertads are key dates in any year, with by far the most limited mintages of the modern Mexican Libertads!
Mintage: 1,500
Certification: NGC 2915981008