The 100 Greatest US Coins....REALLY????

MrEureka

Here's the list from the PCGS website. Not sure if it's the same as in the Jeff Garrett book.

https://pcgs.com/setregistry/famous-u-s-coins/famous-u-s-coins/100-greatest-u-s-coins/composition/1576

I understand that the list isn't supposed to be the 100 most expensive US coins. The S-VDB is included, I presume, because it has long been famous and a dream coin for so many beginning collectors. But some things seem like they don't belong, and others seem to be oddly not present.

The challenge: Name one coin you would kick off the list and tell us what you would replace it with!

carabonnair

I would kick 1875 three dollar proof off the list and replace it with the platinum 1814 half Judd-44.

coinkat

I appreciate your efforts Mr. E

I think part of the REALLY????

Might be that most of these 100 coins are coins that most will never see or be able to own... Leave out the 1909-s VDB...nor appreciate mainly because they are just unable develop a connection to them

tradedollarnut

I have one that I’d kick off but I can’t say for a few weeks

MrEureka

I would definitely knock out the 1864 Small Motto 2C Proof. Rare coin, but not in the same league as the rest.

I would add the 1974 and 1974-D Aluminum Cents.

MrEureka

And I'd definitely knock out the Continental Dollar. First, because it's not really a coin. Second, because it wasn't made in the US.

Let's replace it with a 1922 High Relief Peace Dollar.

RogerB

A. Cut the list to 50 actual US coins.
B. For starters, none of these seven are coins – they are patterns and never were legal tender approved by law:

5 1907 “Ultra High Relief” Double Eagle Proof
7 1907 Double Eagle Pattern Judd 1776 Proof
11 1872 Amazonian Set Proof
13 1877 “Half Union” Fifty Dollar (Type One or Two) Proof
17 1907 “Ultra High Relief” Double Eagle with $10 gold diameter Proof
28 1879 or 1880 Four Dollar Gold “Stellas” (Flowing or Coiled Hair) Proof
63 1874 Bickford Ten Dollar Gold Pattern Proof

This is a wrong-planchet error:
8 1943 Bronze Cent

These are unauthorized items of questionable legitimacy – might be included by some:
2 1913 Liberty Head Nickel Proof
10 1885 Trade Dollar Proof

MrEureka

And I'd knock out the 1842 Small Date Quarter. If they were business strikes and as rare as they are, it might belong. But it is the more common variety for the proofs of the year.

Let's replace it with the 1955 Doubled Die Cent. It's dramatic, popular, and it got a lot of people involved in collecting other varieties and errors.

MrEureka

@RogerB said:
A. Cut the list to 50 actual US coins.
B. For starters, none of these seven are coins – they are patterns and never were legal tender approved by law:

5 1907 “Ultra High Relief” Double Eagle Proof
7 1907 Double Eagle Pattern Judd 1776 Proof
11 1872 Amazonian Set Proof
13 1877 “Half Union” Fifty Dollar (Type One or Two) Proof
17 1907 “Ultra High Relief” Double Eagle with $10 gold diameter Proof
28 1879 or 1880 Four Dollar Gold “Stellas” (Flowing or Coiled Hair) Proof
63 1874 Bickford Ten Dollar Gold Pattern Proof

This is a wrong-planchet error:
8 1943 Bronze Cent

These are unauthorized items of questionable legitimacy – might be included by some:
2 1913 Liberty Head Nickel Proof
10 1885 Trade Dollar Proof

You forgot the 1866 No Motto proofs!

RogerB

I didn't want to use 'em all at once.....:)

MrEureka

@tradedollarnut said:
I have one that I’d kick off but I can’t say for a few weeks

I didn't know you owned it. Awful coin, really.

rln_14

i have 0 out 100 of the coins on the list

BillJones

If the recent claims that the Continental Dollar was not a Revolutionary War issue at all but a made from profit medal that was made after the peace was signed, it should be dropped from the list entirely. It’s claim to fame has long been based on the believe that it was a Continental Currency coin.

ms70

I'd eliminate all the proofs & patterns. They were collector coins from the day they were created. There's a difference between a collector coin and a collected coin.

Gluggo

Heck I am checking my stock to see if I have one of the 100 on the list! Does my 1906 Double Eagle Daniel Carr coin count?

DMWJR

too much gold

yosclimber

Remove:
#75 1857-S Double Eagle From the Wreck of the SS "Central America"
Replace with:
#75 1916 5C DDO Buffalo Nickel

The 1955 1C DDO is "more classic", but the 1916 5C DDO is much rarer, which seems to be part of what this list is about.

DMWJR

Where is the 1955 DDO Cent? Who can deny its importance?

MrEureka

@ms70 said:
I'd eliminate all the proofs & patterns. They were collector coins from the day they were created. There's a difference between a collector coin and a collected coin.

I'm not sure what you mean by "collector coin".

FWIW, I rate patterns more highly if they were made for some legitimate purpose, lower if they were made for the sole purpose of selling them to collectors. But some of the stuff made purely for the collector market is still pretty cool.

topstuf

@DMWJR said:
too much gold

Not possible.

ms70

@MrEureka said:

@ms70 said:
I'd eliminate all the proofs & patterns. They were collector coins from the day they were created. There's a difference between a collector coin and a collected coin.

I'm not sure what you mean by "collector coin".

Made for the sole purpose of selling them to collectors.

cameonut2011

@MrEureka said:
I would definitely knock out the 1864 Small Motto 2C Proof. Rare coin, but not in the same league as the rest.

I would add the 1974 and 1974-D Aluminum Cents.

I agree. While we are adding moderns, I really like the 1964-D Peace Dollar and the very rare 2000-W dollars that were struck in actual gold.

Raybo

@MrEureka said:
I would definitely knock out the 1864 Small Motto 2C Proof. Rare coin, but not in the same league as the rest.

I would add the 1974 and 1974-D Aluminum Cents.

Out of the box you go right for the jugular Andy, if I had a SM proof I would be PM'ing you images of it until .....eternity!

Raybo

Font problems......

MrEureka

@Raybo said:
Font problems......

Exactly. Why elevate a 2c piece to the top 100 just because of a font problem?

MrEureka

@yosclimber said:
Remove:
#75 1857-S Double Eagle From the Wreck of the SS "Central America"

Disagree. The SSCA is one of the greatest numismatic stories of all time, and the 57-S $20 tells the story better than any other coin.

cameonut2011

@MrEureka said:

@Raybo said:
Font problems......

Exactly. Why elevate a 2c piece to the top 100 just because of a font problem?

What about the 1817/4 50c?

MrEureka

@cameonut2011 said:

@MrEureka said:

@Raybo said:
Font problems......

Exactly. Why elevate a 2c piece to the top 100 just because of a font problem?

What about the 1817/4 50c?

Thousands of people collect Bust Half Dollars, maybe hundreds do it passionately, and the 17/4 is THE iconic rarity of the series.

How many people passionately collect 2C proofs? Three?

MrEureka

@MrEureka said:

@yosclimber said:
Remove:
#75 1857-S Double Eagle From the Wreck of the SS "Central America"

Disagree. The SSCA is one of the greatest numismatic stories of all time, and the 57-S $20 tells the story better than any other coin.

Along the same lines, the GSA 89-CC could also make the list.

cladking

I'm not sure what I'd knock off since they're all great coins but some ('27-D $20?) are only on because they are scarce or low mintage. I'm sure there's room for some of the moderns even if they have to be rare like the Philly mint proof Ike, '64 clad quarter or '75 No-S dimes certainly fill this bill.

It seems there was 173 years of classics followed by 53 years of moderns then there should be at least a few later date coins.

yosclimber

@MrEureka said:

@yosclimber said:
Remove:
#75 1857-S Double Eagle From the Wreck of the SS "Central America"

Disagree. The SSCA is one of the greatest numismatic stories of all time, and the 57-S $20 tells the story better than any other coin.

To me the SSCA is a (very cool) shipwreck, sunken treasure, and diving tech story.
The "100 Greatest" is more like a "Red Book Dream List", which is unrelated.

MrEureka

@cladking said:
I'm not sure what I'd knock off since they're all great coins but some ('27-D $20?) are only on because they are scarce or low mintage. I'm sure there's room for some of the moderns even if they have to be rare like the Philly mint proof Ike, '64 clad quarter or '75 No-S dimes certainly fill this bill.

>

The dime is a good pick.

cameonut2011

@cladking said:
rare like the Philly mint proof Ike

The what?

golden

I would remove the 1842 Small Date Quarter and add the 1937-D Three Legged Nickel.

koynekwest

@yosclimber said:
Remove:
#75 1857-S Double Eagle From the Wreck of the SS "Central America"
Replace with:
#75 1916 5C DDO Buffalo Nickel

The 1955 1C DDO is "more classic", but the 1916 5C DDO is much rarer, which seems to be part of what this list is about.

Yes-I'd put the '16 DD 5c in there somewhere and I'd also find a place for the '18-D 8/7 5c and the '18-S 8/7 quarter, too.

Walkerfan

The 1916 D Mercury dime and the 1916 P Standing liberty quarter were both present, yet no 1921 S Walker....SMH.

On behalf of all Walker collectors.....I feel slighted.

davewesen

Andy, what would be your 20 greatest US Coins?

lkenefic

I suppose it's a list of unobtainium. Perhaps that's why I didn't see 1901-S Barber quarter, or 1877 IHC... I suppose they're more obtainable? But then why does the 09-S VDB make the list?

MrEureka

@cameonut2011 said:

@cladking said:
rare like the Philly mint proof Ike

The what?

And the three piece set with the T1!

Here's the T2 (1976) in silver.

MrEureka

@davewesen said:
Andy, what would be your 20 greatest US Coins?

If I were doing my own list, it would have to include colonial, pioneer and Confederate!

Raybo

@MrEureka said:

@Raybo said:
Font problems......

Exactly. Why elevate a 2c piece to the top 100 just because of a font problem?

Well, the mighty 2 Cent Piece is the best series EVER!
Something went amiss when I tried to post "#69 &76 should be higher on the list", the font went wacky and I couldn't fix it.
Thanks for asking for an explanation.

Sonorandesertrat

Knock out the Continental Dollar, and replace it with the Susan B Anthony dollar. It's nearly universally scorned by collectors and, in our upside-down world, that is a marker of greatness.

MrEureka

@MrEureka said:

@cameonut2011 said:

@cladking said:
rare like the Philly mint proof Ike

The what?

And the three piece set with the T1!

This gets me thinking. We know there’s a proof 75 dime. It’s reported but not confirmed that there’s a 3 piece silver bicentennial proof set w/o mintmarks. Could the 1975 no “S” proof cent and nickel also exist? And if the dimes made their way into proof sets, isn’t the same likely for the cent and nIckel? Everyone check your 75 proof sets!!! And if you find one, I want first shot!

Regulated

@RogerB said:
A. Cut the list to 50 actual US coins.
B. For starters, none of these seven are coins – they are patterns and never were legal tender approved by law:

5 1907 “Ultra High Relief” Double Eagle Proof
7 1907 Double Eagle Pattern Judd 1776 Proof
11 1872 Amazonian Set Proof
13 1877 “Half Union” Fifty Dollar (Type One or Two) Proof
17 1907 “Ultra High Relief” Double Eagle with $10 gold diameter Proof
28 1879 or 1880 Four Dollar Gold “Stellas” (Flowing or Coiled Hair) Proof
63 1874 Bickford Ten Dollar Gold Pattern Proof

This is a wrong-planchet error:
8 1943 Bronze Cent

These are unauthorized items of questionable legitimacy – might be included by some:
2 1913 Liberty Head Nickel Proof
10 1885 Trade Dollar Proof

I usually agree with Roger, but patterns are coins, and are avidly collected, and if you take out the things listed above, you'd have to take a hard look at the 1804 Dollar, too.

I agree where the 1842 Small Date Quarter and 1864 Small Motto 2C proof.

And I definitely think the Continental Dollar needs to come out - I'd transfer it over to the 100 Greatest Medals book at spot #2, after the Libertas Americana...

MrEureka

@lkenefic said:
I suppose it's a list of unobtainium. Perhaps that's why I didn't see 1901-S Barber quarter, or 1877 IHC... I suppose they're more obtainable? But then why does the 09-S VDB make the list?

More people collect Lincoln cents. Especially kids.

Raybo

16 and counting.................

dpoole

@MrEureka said:

@lkenefic said:
I suppose it's a list of unobtainium. Perhaps that's why I didn't see 1901-S Barber quarter, or 1877 IHC... I suppose they're more obtainable? But then why does the 09-S VDB make the list?

More people collect Lincoln cents. Especially kids.

To follow up on that: the 1909vdb was (is) the hold grail of all kids entering the hobby.

How could you NOT have that as the anchor of any 100 list???

Regulated

It's probably worth mentioning that the Continental Dollar's fall from grace really got rolling here, although it really was a long time coming...

ilikemonsters

Where's the Quint pattern? Where's the 1795 Reeded Edge Large Cent?

MrEureka

@ilikemonsters said:
Where's the Quint pattern? Where's the 1795 Reeded Edge Large Cent?

The Nova patterns all belong. Maybe the Quint as one item, the set as a second item.

I wouldn't include the 1795 RE Cent. To me, the reeding looks more like irregular marks, maybe from some sort of experimental collar. Seems more like a "gripped edge" than reeded, at least to me. And that's just not cool enough to make the top 100.

Raybo

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