Liberty Seated Dollars
Crusty
Posts: 1,126 ✭✭✭✭✭
Who else is building a Liberty Seated Dollar set? Would love to hear from people here who have built sets in the past or that are currently building a set. What approach did you take? Did you complete your set? If not how close did you get? Was it a worthwhile venture? Any regrets? Any stories that you want to share regarding a favorite coin or a key date purchase would be great. I’ll share a little bit about my set to get this thread started.
I have been building my liberty seated dollar set for roughly 3 years and it has not been easy. From the start my goal was a circulated XF full date and mint set (excluding the 1870s). I had no clue how hard it would be... The quality of my set started to improve after meeting a few guys from the LSCC about a year into the set. After finding out my initial purchases (roughly 12 coins) were all POS in straight graded plastic. I sold them off and focused on finding coins that were as original and choice as possible. Crusty original PCGS or NGC XF45 has been the goal for each coin (CAC sticker when possible). I learned a handful of things rather quickly after meeting up with my Seated dollar brothers. 1st- Choice original circulated Seated dollars are RARE. 2nd- The time to buy the coin is when you see it. 3rd- You have to pay up for quality. 4th- My goal was going to be near impossible and would take much longer then I originally anticipated. 5th- Having coin buddies who share the same series makes the hobby much more fulfilling and enjoyable.
I decided to expand my grade range from VF30-AU55 (CAC when possible) . This was a necessary change for a few reasons. The main one was coming to the realization that there are many dates that are basically impossible to find in choice XF with the look I desire. If they do exist they are buried deep in another mans collection somewhere out there. So good luck finding them.... Expanding the grade range I found acceptable, opened up the pool of coins to choose from. For the most part I have managed to keep the same general look of the set without having coins look out of place.The LSD series is hard no matter what grade range you decide to collect. If you limit yourself to a single grade like XF45 (my original goal) your making a difficult task almost impossible. (Old Chelsea) on the registry is the exception and my hat goes off to him.... But I doubt there are many others out there that could repeat what he has done in regards to quality choice XF all CACd.... I believe crusty higher end VF coins fit well with XF and lower graded AU coins with the same crusty look.
The remaining coins needed in my set are extremely tough to find(with the right look) and are equally tough to pay for on a working class budget. I recently decided for these final tougher dates. I would be willing to dip into the lower grade ranges for the key dates that remain. Problem is they essentially don’t exist.... And if they do they are tucked away by other serious seated dollar collectors collections. Luckily for me I’m in my mid 30s and hopefully have a few more decades ahead of me. So at this point I remain patient . Waiting for the keys to pop up and constantly searching for upgrades to the dollars I currently own.
At some point I hope to complete my set and pass the set on to one of my kids. I have an open offer out to (my pre teens) of 100 dollars if they can become LSD experts. I’ve given them articles and books to try and spark up some interest. Will find out soon if it works .....
Comments
Crusty you have some great coins. I have tried to limit my set to the 1840s with most in VF grade. finding original coins in VF is even tougher than XF imo for some reason. I have not been totally successful as I have a couple of market acceptable ones in graded plastic (bought from photos that looked better than the coins!) and some of my best ones are raw! nonetheless I think I will look for one from the early 1860s and a with motto example.
Excellent post @Crusty .
I sure do like them too but don't collect the series.
I only have three.
1841 PCGS VF20 CAC, and two very nice raw ones for my 7070 album.
An 1843 & 1872.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
Great post Crusty! I am a fan of LSD's and a collector as well. One of the toughest series in numismatics!
@Crusty please post some pictures of a few favorites from your collection.
Tough series indeed!
You are a glutton for punishment lol.... But I like your approach and wish you the best of luck.
Great series. Loved my set
Just shy of 10 years at this series. The giant version of this great design is such a wonderful looking coin. You have to be constantly on the lookout for nice examples. The 32 coins in my collection are from 17 different sources.
None of us will finish. The 70-S does that. 1851. 1852. 73-CC. Those typically remain unobtainable for most collectors. It is great that you are in your 30s; you will likely be exposed to nice examples for most all of the dates in the series by the time you hit 50. Abide by your 2nd item in your handful of things. All the best.
I agree with you . Trying to put together a choice original set all in VF is pretty much impossible. I only know of 2 people attempting this. One of them has been at it relentlessly for years and has made tremendous progress .
@sparky64 -
I’d love to see some pics of that 41...
@TDN-
I have much respect for what you were able to do with your MS set. I wish I could have seen it in person.
@JBN-
10 years takes a lot of dedication. Was it hard to stay focused?
Here are a few I have handy. These are without light and just show the deep crust I’m going for... but with a little light they are simply amazing....
superb examples!
These are so difficult to find unmolested. I don't know exactly what happened but it seems like at some point a few decades ago nearly every seated dollar, circulated and uncirculated, was dipped or worse. It took me a year just to find two for a type set.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
CRUSTY!!
Love the pics of a few of your PQ examples. All look extremely sweet. I couldnt agree more with your lessons to live by posted above. You have assembled an amazing set thus far with a couple handfulls left to acquire. Amazing job and awesome work thus far!!! Keep going!!!
Those are awesome and how old coins should look.
Fantastic!
Nothing easy is worth doing. Keep it up, stick with your standards and be patient. Every single coin is a victory, so...savor them. And when you are out of places to search, do more reading on the series. Pure numismatic bliss!
siliconvalleycoins.com
In the mid-eighties while collecting silver commemoratives a friend proudly showed me his Liberty Seated Dollars and explained how rare and undervalued they were. I was intrigued; my goal was to acquire a few original coins with good eye appeal. Within a few years it was crystal clear that building a date set of attractive original coins in about uncirculated or better condition would provide a tremendous challenge.
A worthwhile venture? Absolutely! It's been a fascinating journey.
Any regrets? Only a few examples that I passed on because they were beyond my means.
The story of acquiring an 1851 was published in the LSCC Gobrecht Journal.
I have met many wonderful people and made many friends through numismatics. One of the many things I particularly enjoy is reading through the spreadsheets that list the person or company from which each coin was purchased. This list includes people from across the numismatic spectrum, from prominent dealers, to virtually unknown collectors. The common thread is nearly all are or were very knowledgeable and appreciate rare coins. After collecting this series for 30 years the thrill of the hunt and acquisition still inspire me.
Having seen some of your collection it's crystal clear that you have many original examples that I'm convinced are numismatic treasures. If you continue on your path you will almost certainly complete your collection, which I assure you is a great feeling. I'm proud to share a common passion and call you my numismatic brother!
Very nice, stick with CAC only examples. Alot of LSD's have been messed with/cleaned..........
“ Just shy of 10 years at this series. The giant version of this great design is such a wonderful looking coin. You have to be constantly on the lookout for nice examples. The 32 coins in my collection are from 17 different sources.
Crusty - how many do you have left for completion of your set?!? 😏 sounds like you are getting pretty close?!?
My favorite grade is VF and I have obtained quite a few sweet VF’s over the years, but my favorite coin of all is not even in my preferred grade range at all...
Quote: “1851. 1852. 73-CC. Those typically remain unobtainable for most collectors...”
The piece below is one that is now in my set and despite being a lower grade VG10 is one that is highly cherished for several reasons as the 73cc is not unobtainable, but is however nearly non-existent in quality choice condition despite the grade...
Reasons I love this coin:
•general rarity (<100 exist) •Problem free (>50% are damaged or cleaned, repaired)
•OGH (bonus!)
•Cameo (love this look)
•perfect rims
•original surfaces
•CAC (only 7 cac’d for this rare date in all grades)
Leeroy- Your 73cc is absolutely amazing. There are no words that can describe how cool your coin is. Would love to see it in hand some day 🤤..... There are not very many humans in this world that can claim they have owned a 73cc with a PQ look.... The CAC sticker on the green holder is icing on the cake.....
LeeRoy great looking coin!
Crusty your set was amazing when I saw it in hand this summer. Stick to the XF grade range as close as you can. The over look of the set together was sweet. You have come a long way since we meet a few years ago. Good trustworthy friends to rely on are always key. I know we’ve looked out for each other when something pops up. It’s always good to have friends for advice or to give advice too. Keep up the good work, your sets amazing I am so impressed with it.
I was doing the set less the 1870 -s. I was originally doing XF myself. I fell into the trap of buying AU’s and didn’t like the mix. Xf’s and au55 or 58’s don’t mix well. I actually like the au’s better but it’s more costly.
I am fine with lower grade coin in the set. If they are choice I can always upgrade down the road. Nice problem free coins will always sell. Currently I am only missing an 1852 dollar. I had a good amount of money set aside for a net graded coin. The deal fell through, but I’m fine with that. It was a good thing I spent the money on some incredible gold and started my type set collection back up.
Will I complete the set? Not really sure, I may just keep my best run in the 50’s and sell off the rest to friends. I haven’t decided, the sets on the back burner for now.
I like seeing all the coins together. BUT all the nice coins that have been passed over the years.🙁 So I’m glad I’m doing type again.
Ive had a few of the common stuff like 42's 46, 59-o, 60-o 72 come thru from time to time, but nothing special. When I was pursuing key date's of several different series, I was looking for a 73-cc in XF. It was the time in my acquiring, that a date was a little more important than the quality, one reason budget, and probably impatient as well. I ended up buying a 73-cc in xf-40 that had been off the market for some time, I was on the fence when I looked at it, but decided to buy it anyway. after a year or so, I placed it back up for sale, tough sale, I ended up going the auction route and luckily only loss about 550 because the market was still hot. later this same coin sold for like 8k less.
I did chase the battleborn 73-cc in 55 , but couldn't afford to keep bidding (I think legend ended up buying it at the time) Some of the lscc guys were not as fond of the coin, but I actually liked it, and so did a couple of the bidders who were eyeing the 70-cc quarter from that sale as well.
I have at times, not recently since then chased a 51 and 52 business strike dollar when they came up for sale , but wasn't really serious enough with the bidding to get one. I always thought a set of these would be cool to complete, so good luck with yours.
What a fantastic set when completed. What an exercise in frustration putting the set together. Every now and then a really nice Seated Dollar shows up. Just not frequently enough IMO.
I found this 15 years back and it is long sold, but if more than one coin could be found per decade, the set would be fun to build.
It's educational to look at a list of them and see how few have a sticker.
that's a real nice series on that you have. youll enjoy that for a good long while
I have been working on this set since the early 2000's and finished my goal of collecting all of the 1840's, 1860's, and O mint coins about ten years ago. Since that time I have upgraded perhaps 3 or 4 coins in the last ten years. I have considered working on the 1850's but I just can't find the coins that have the look I am after.
My registry set linked below has pictures of most of my set coins. A few have changed over the years, but finding original looking crusty examples is almost impossible for some of the difficult dates. The challenge is in the hunt and yes, buying when you get the chance is key, as time is often more difficult to deal with than the money aspect.
Good luck in the hunt!
Seated Dollar Collection
Hi Crusty,
You have a very challenging goal and congratulations on getting so far so quickly! I'm only trying to form a partial set at this point. It would include 1854-1857 and 1861-1863, 1871-cc plus maybe1850 and 1864,1865.
The set is shown in two places: I have 1854-1856 and 1871-cc
http://www.seateddimevarieties.com/openregistry/collection.php?name=Semikey&set=50
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/dollars/liberty-seated-dollars-major-sets/liberty-seated-dollars-basic-set-circulation-strikes-1840-1873/alltimeset/149246
I used to have many common dates, sold them and picked up the 71-cc. I only want scarce dates, but cannot afford many of the keys. My grade range is G-VF so far.
There are so few of some dates in low grades, that I am ok with Market Acceptable coins sometimes. My set is on a tight budget. Have also put a lot of effort into my Seated Dimes.
A set is way beyond my financial means but I recently picked up this one, PCGS XF45. I've wanted a Seated Dollar for years and now finally have one. I really like the color and overall appearance of it.
@semikeycollector - Thanks for your response. I’ve followed your short set over the past couple years and really appreciate what your doing. Your absolutely correct Low grade key and semi key dates are extremely tough and almost non existent. At the last Long Beach show I looked at an 1871cc $1 NGC VG8. It was sold by heritage.... I decided against buying her for a couple of reasons. #1 it was only a VG8 #2 IMHO the pics looked better then the coin in hand. I tried to like it but just couldn’t get there. She had quite a bit of green PVC gunk and what I believe to be corrosion in several areas when I put my glass on her. All that being said it’s probably one of the better coins in existence for the lower grade range. Did you see or bid for her? I’ll keep my eyes open for you.... I just recently made a couple of big purchases for my set(I’ll share once I have in hand). So I’m going to be broke for a while.
Anyone attempting to collect LSD's in Mint State? What is more difficult to find, lower grade LSD's or high quality LSD's?
I can’t answer for a set, although I highly suspect the high grades in mint state would be tougher. As a Type Set collector, I need only one, so I obtained the following Proof via auction:
https://caimages.collectors.com/coinimages/42396/35024334/lf[3]1.jpg
https://caimages.collectors.com/coinimages/42396/35024334/lf[2].jpg
https://caimages.collectors.com/coinimages/42396/35024334/lf[3].jpg
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
I have debated this amongst several Seated dollar guys . I can only speak on the circulated XF coins .... very tough. The quality of the pieces can vary greatly and if your after PQ examples I believe that is what makes the set almost impossible. I’m sure it’s the same problem with mint state pieces? In VF and XF there are simply many dates that just don’t exist nice... Would like to hear opinions from others on this.
Wow! That's a beautiful 1865 Proof Cameo WineSteven! Looks even better than a 64+ to me. Thank you for sharing.
Crusty: I agree all LSD's in PQ, no matter the grade range, seem very difficult. I guess that is what makes the thrill of the hunt so appealing.