Crack out for Dansco 7070???

Eric_Babula

So, I started a Dansco 7070 Type Set a bunch of years ago. I got a decent start, but the coins are very mis-matched. I do have a few coins that could fit into that Dansco Set and would be upgrades to the fillers I currently have in the Album, but they are in slabs. The big dilemma for me is, do I crack them out and put into the Album? Or, do I try to find raw coins to fit in the Album? Do I match quality of all coins? Do I just let it be the mis-matched set it is, and upgrade as I can?

What is the breaking point as to whether you are willing to crack a coin out of of its slab in order to fit into an Album? Is there a price point? Is there a grade, where you just wouldn't do it? Or, would you NEVER crack a coin out of a slab (blasphemy!)? Would you rather find, or have someone help you find, raw coins that would fit the bill? And, who would you trust to find those raw coins for you?

Do you just NEED to make sure the Album coins all kinda match (say, all in VF - AU range, or MS-62 - MS-64 range)? I kinda really like the idea of all the coins kinda matching in quality. But, I also realize that I might not ever be able to accomplish this, due to funding. Do I just put in the best examples I have, for now (and, crack out if I have to), and have a mis-matched set, until I can afford to upgrade at some point? As I look at what I had, I don't really like the look of such mis-matched coins in the Album (right now, they're anywhere from G-4 (cleaned) to MS-66ish). I'm more inclined to want maybe XF-40+ or AU+. Maybe AU-53 - MS-65 range??? But, again, funding may stop me on some types.

How have others been doing this? I know there's no right or wrong, and that I need to do whatever makes me happy. I'm just curious as to what others (with modest financial means - I know if funds are unlimited, I could do whatever I wanted) are doing.

And, since we're on the subject, what's the best technique (are there websites or video tutorials?) to crack a coin out of a slab without damaging it?

And, NO!!! I'm not asking all of this to play the crack-out game for re-submission! I truly want to make a Dansco 7070 Set that I'm proud to show off! (PS - I do have some coins in slabs (not necessarily PCGS or NGC) that I would consider possibly re-submitting for potential upgrade if I were going to sell them, but that's a different topic for a different day.) Ok, that should be enough questions for you......discuss!

jedm

Ok, so there are a lot of questions here and I have little experience to offer, but will give my opinion non the less. I have not been interested in type collecting for the last ten years or so; however, I do have albums where in the past I had been more likely to crack out a coin to fill a hole (mostly ANACS, IGC, some lower grade NGC and even a few SEGS, and self slabber stuff). I don't remember ever cracking a PCGS coin to put in an album except for proof Kennedy halves, and I don't do that anymore either. (However I may when I get new pages for my half dollar Dansco album.

Over the last few years when I buy a graded coin it will not get cracked and I don't even feel tempted to because if the coin is not a real high dollar (to me) coin I most likely already have a duplicate in just a slightly lower grade that fills the hole in my set, or the slabbed coin is a key date and more costly coin and I am ok with the hole being there and I simply note with a label on the Dansco page the grade and verification company.

As to how to crack out a coin? I have a small like 4" vise on my workbench and simply put the slab in some newspaper and put it between the jaws of the vise and slowly tighten 'til it cracks. Never had to search for a coin that flew off somewhere or had any damage whatever.

Rob41281

I don’t purchase very expensive coins for my 7070. I do prefer to buy slabbed coins especially for earlier type, crack them and save the labels. The way I have done it so far is to have the coins condition improve as the types progress. So my draped large cent will be the lowest graded large cent and the braided will be the best. With the dimes my capped bust might be a G4 or 6 and each type will improve until I have an unc coin in the mercury and Roosevelt slots. Keeps costs somewhat down and I think has a nice look.

lkeigwin

I love large cents and decided to build a Dansco album about 10-12 years ago. Many I bought raw...being especially alert to avoid problem coins...and cracked-out graded coins valued around four or five hundred dollars or less.

Then came the tough ones. The really pricey coins from the 1790's and a few in the early 1800's (like the 1804). I drew the line there.

My Dansco is now complete, save the 1793 Liberty Cap (still hoping), but several physical holes exist. I don't have the guts to crack-out multi-thousand dollar coins in PCGS holders. I've come to accept that compromise.

As for cracking-out coins...PCGS slabs split very easily with dikes or bolt snips. Hard plastic. Snip a 1/4" at the edge and just pull the pieces apart. NGC uses softer plastic which crushes rather than cracks. Those I wrap in a cloth towel and softly rap edges repeatedly with a hammer. The slab cracks so cleanly it is difficult to see any slab damage whatsoever. (I've posted pix here before.)
Lance.

Dave99B

There are several questions here. The one that jumps out at me the most concerns building a ‘mis-matched set’. For me personally, I don’t enjoy looking at a set with wide-ranging grades. My eyes always go to the lowest grade examples. It sort of ruins it for me. I am a set collector, but I always choose and stick to a grade that I can afford to complete. Usually I land in either the VF or XF range for circs, and either MS64 or MS65 for mint state...at least in the sets I’m interested in.

A completed set in the same grade is a work of art, and it shows great patience and skill on the part of the collector.

GOOD LUCK!
Dave

Walkerguy21D

I guess I built mine with an eye toward value, rather than matching grades, focusing on the best grade
w/o breaking the bank.
I also tried to focus on first year and last year pieces where it made sense. I also like toners when they are
available.
20th century coins are readily found and affordable in MS and Proof, so that's the grade I have
for those..... early 19th century generally VF-AU. Does anyone REALLY care that my Suzie B or Ike dollar doesn't match my Seated dollars?
I also have coins that do double duty - like some of the large cents. Date set, and Type set.
I keep them in my type set as they are nice examples, but I'm not buying duplicates for my date/major variety set.

OnWithTheHunt

My 7070, still missing the classic head large cent and the two seated dollars, is mainly comprised of circulated coins. I have tried to match coins of the same general type, (Indian cents, seated 10C, 25c and 50C , etc) for a consistent look. Finally have accumulated sufficient funds to start looking for the more expensive stuff. Once those are acquired, I can start upgrading.

lkenefic

I'm sure @Bailey can weigh in on this. He has about the best 7070 I've ever seen. There is something to be said for a matched set. I'm in agreement with @Dave99B insomuch as I'm putting together a mostly XF-AU set. There are a few exceptions. My Morgan and Peace dollars are low MS, for example. Also, as I'm looking around for certain tougher holes to fill (Classic Head LC, Capped Bust quarter, etc), I'll likely come down to VF as a jump in price to AU is cost prohibitive.

To cracking or not to crack... I buy coins, not plastic. Some of my pieces were purchased raw and some were cracked. For my Half Dollars, I wanted the overall "look" to be consistent with 100-150 year old silver (original surfaces) with a touch of mint luster in the devices. Three were cracked from slabs, and one was not... all grade XF40-45...

One thing is for sure, each type set is unique to the collector (some of my coins are remnants of my collection from when I was 12yo and was gifted a silver dollar from my grandfather... the Morgan dollar). Whatever you do, just make sure you realize you're in it for the long haul... enjoy!

Stork

Limited to a few of your questions...I have two albums in the crack-and-fill playing field. The 7070 is about $400 max and grade irrelevant. The 7460 (Japan Type) is $800 max and grade sensitive in that there is no way I'm putting an older, red or blast white coin in an album. This resulted in my follow-on set ATS as a custom registry for a 7460 in slabs for 'coins too nice to crack'. My own personal choice for an album is look and eye appeal--though going for first or last year, or semi-key dates is fun in theory, I like eye appeal. That can be toned, white, XF to MS. I don't match. I like the variety of having coins across the gamut, and the ability to add coins with sentimental value (like a VF Indian Head cent that was a gift though easily upgradeable).

Basically this all boils down to personal choice. Why have an album? The unfettered freedom of the coins? A 'family portrait' of the set in hand vs encased or by photo album? Having a 'look' or 'feel' to the collection? Don't get me wrong, I love my 'slabbed 7460' too as I have much nicer coins there, hard to mess with the protection of a slab stuffed into an Intercept baggie, stuffed into an Intercept box . Which is why I have both.

GaCoinGuy

I have cracked slabs for my first 7070, but prefer not to for the one I am working on now. I imagine that once I get to the early dollars, I will get slabs just to ensure authenticity. I shoot for F-XF, but some of my moderns are MS-65 or higher or pulled from proof sets. My modern Lincoln, I pulled from a proof set for the color.

oih82w8

Non-cracker here. I keep my coins safely ensconced in their drool-proof holders, placed into a Pelican case. My chinese-fakes are placed into my 7070 album for viewing.

Eric_Babula

After thinking about it, I think I'm leaning toward maybe doing something with different ranges - older/harder coins get AG-VG, mid-19th C. get VF-AU, and more modern get XF-MS. I'm thinking I might crack out some, but limit to a couple hundred bucks, maybe. Won't be a game-killer for me if I don't recover all of it when the time comes to sell - hopefully not for another 30 years or so!

GaCoinGuy

If I remember correctly, someone here was working on a type set of counterfeits.......don't remember who, though.

BryceM

Hmmmm. For a series, I like roughly matching grades. For a type set, especially one including coins from different centuries, a wide range of grades bothers me not at all.

As for cracking out coins to put them in an album..... haven’t done that yet. I have a 7070 that I’m working on halfheartedly but I buy those raw.

You can always do a virtual album like the gorgeous 12-piece type set @asheland posted today.

ricko

I would leave slabbed coins intact and build albums or other sets separately....That being said, do what you want with your coins.... it is your hobby and what others do is their preference....Cheers, RickO

LanLord

@ricko said:
I would leave slabbed coins intact and build albums or other sets separately....That being said, do what you want with your coins.... it is your hobby and what others do is their preference....Cheers, RickO

I pretty much agree. In the past I did crack coins out for my 7070. Then eventually, they went back into plastic tombs.

coinbuf

Do what makes you happy, I have several coins in my 7070 that were cracked from slabs, however I would be hesitant to do so with high value coins or coins that I was not super confident that I could get them back into a slab in case I needed to sell.

Eric_Babula

@coinbuf said:
Do what makes you happy, I have several coins in my 7070 that were cracked from slabs, however I would be hesitant to do so with high value coins or coins that I was not super confident that I could get them back into a slab in case I needed to sell.

So....only crack out MS-64 coins if I'm certain that it would re-grade as MS-64 again in 20-30 years? I can do that!

I do have some coins that are in old slabs from a lower-tier TPG, that I think would grade at least at what they are currently listed at, if not a point higher, in a PCGS or NGC slab. But, even if they did upgrade by a point, they'd only be maybe a $200 coin. So, maybe it's not such a big deal.

savitale

Personally I do not hesitate to crack out a coin if I prefer to have it in an album. Yes, it is a financial loss. It would cost about $30 per coin to have them regraded and there is always the risk of getting a small downgrade or getting a Details grade. If $30 per coin is important to you, don't do it. Otherwise go ahead, coins have been raw for a couple thousand years less the past 30 or so.

The "uniformity" problem is particularly acute with a type set as there can be more than 1000x range in price across the different types at a given grade. Few folks would chose to include a VG Morgan Dollar to match their VG Seated Dollar. Even fewer will Dansco their MS64 Seated Dollar to match their MS64 Morgan Dollar. My choice is to accept a variation in grade across the set, but each coin is an attractive example given my budget limits.

Eric_Babula

Thanks for all your comments, everyone! When I get my set updated, I'll post pics. It will be nothing like some I've seen in the forums I read, but it'll be mine, and I'll enjoy it, whatever it ends up being.

sparky64

I was ready and willing to crack out for my 7070 but it never came to that.
Finishing it was a satisfying accomplishment but it won't win any beauty contests.
It would just get the participation ribbon.

GaCoinGuy

@sparky64 said:
..................
Finishing it was a satisfying accomplishment but it won't win any beauty contests.
It would just get the participation ribbon.

Mine as well. Several of the coins in my 7070 have been cleaned at some point in the past and a couple have minor issues, but these came from my wifes' grandfathers collection, so they are there for that reason and will never be replaced.....(at least in this particular album.)

I really need to photograph mine one of these days.