Any "Lowball" Gold collectors . . . ?

ZoidMeister

I've been curious about this for a while. I wish that I had an example to start this thread out properly (I think), but I don't.

I've always been curious if a softer metal like gold ever circulated enough to render wear in the P1 to G4 range. Lots of folks have posted up copper and silver pieces with that level of wear as a part of their "lowball" collections. That even inspired me to pick up the commemoratives below.

I always see stellar gold being posted up, but not much below VF. Does anyone have and pursue "lowball" gold? Post it up if you do . . .

Something akin to these . . . ?

Thanks in advance.

Z
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Bullsitter

Lazybones

@Bullsitter

Nothing nicer than a piece of crusty old gold that did its job.

gumby1234

I think most gold did not circulate enough to be lowball coins. There was a recent thread about lightweight gold coins being stamped with an L and bought for less money when turned in. I think most people realized worn gold meant it wasn't worth face value anymore.

ricko

I recall seeing a couple of worn gold coins at shows in Seattle area.... I do not find low ball coins (of any metal) appealing though. Most likely, really worn gold coins were pocket pieces, not worn from commerce. Cheers, RickO

mark_dak

It's funny, I think I just posted this one up yesterday for the first time on another thread. Not quite a low ball but this one is mine and a real difficult one to come by. I'm glad nobody stamped an L on it! Some day it may get upgraded if those Lotto numbers will ever cooperate.

lkenefic

I'll collect certain low-ball pieces but they're usually "stoppers" for a series... for Large Cents that's 1793, 1799, and 1804. These are the three dates I never acquired because I couldn't wrap my mind around spending over 4-figures on coins with such little remaining detail that it takes an expert to identify them. I suppose it comes down to how one collects... I'm more of a Type collector, so I want there to be as much detail on the coin as I can reasonably afford...

asheland

My current lowest graded gold is VF25.

I had a VG in the past:

I sold the Dahlonega a while ago.

asheland

Kinda miss it a little.

habaraca

not graded but maybe soon, I use it as a card protector while playing poker.......

Dorkis

@mark_dak said:
It's funny, I think I just posted this one up yesterday for the first time on another thread. Not quite a low ball but this one is mine and a real difficult one to come by. I'm glad nobody stamped an L on it! Some day it may get upgraded if those Lotto numbers will ever cooperate.

Love well circulated gold. That one sets my heart a flutter.

gumby1234

I do not even understand the lowball collectors mindset. Unless they can't afford a better specimen. I think the lowball collectors are financially stable thou. What next registry sets of bent and scratched coins? LOL

MilesWaits

I don’t have any gold coins that are as worn as yours (very cool by the way) although do I do have a $10 gold Indian that I carry around in my wallet.
As far as current lowball that would be any gold spouse coin for me!

coinandcurrency242

No lowballs for me. Lowest gold coin I have is XF 45. I think it is over graded......I know the 1912 S was not well produced but dang. Not sure how I got XF 45.

BillJones

I try to avoid being “a low ball gold collector.” I owned a Charlotte $5 gold coin in VF-25 once. I came to dislike the piece and sold it for a loss. My attitude is “never again.” If I can’t afford a nice piece of gold in “my EF-45,” I won’t own it. I don’t find low grade gold attractive, except that 1858-S $5 in VG-10 is a rare exception.

ZoidMeister

@gumby1234 said:
I do not even understand the lowball collectors mindset. Unless they can't afford a better specimen. I think the lowball collectors are financially stable thou. What next registry sets of bent and scratched coins? LOL

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Hey, if you can't get "braggin' rights" at the top, you might as well go for them at the bottom, right?

Z

KentuckyJ

DLRC offered a nice 1845 $2 1/2 NGC/CAC AG-03 earlier today.

https://davidlawrence.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bb6c95248c26a76928a811a35&id=f340ad87a2&e=f8ce93329e

moursund

Nobody mentioned coin 'sweating' yet... was this not common with US issues? I would think it to result in some gnarly (although maybe not so worn down) gold...

davewesen

I like them and there are registry sets for them - some of mine ....

Smudge

@gumby1234 said:
I do not even understand the lowball collectors mindset. Unless they can't afford a better specimen. I think the lowball collectors are financially stable thou. What next registry sets of bent and scratched coins? LOL

I don’t collect lowballs either, but perhaps the challenge is to find a coin with that much wear that doesn’t detail.

pocketpiececommems

One of my favorites

pocketpiececommems

FR02

ZoidMeister

@davewesen said:
I like them and there are registry sets for them - some of mine ....

ZoidMeister

@pocketpiececommems said:

One of my favorites

Simply Awesome . . . . . .

Z

savitale

I like circulated coins that actually were used in “real life” so I have considered gold in the XF range. But my impression (which could be wrong) is that gold didn’t really change hands in commerce that much. So gold coins in very low grade probably didn’t get that way through “honest” wear, which kind of kills it for me.

pmh1nic

When I think lowball gold i'm thinking lower end MS and AU or branch mint XF. I like something with some luster and pretty fully detail.

PerryHall

@Smudge said:

@gumby1234 said:
I do not even understand the lowball collectors mindset. Unless they can't afford a better specimen. I think the lowball collectors are financially stable thou. What next registry sets of bent and scratched coins? LOL

I don’t collect lowballs either, but perhaps the challenge is to find a coin with that much wear that doesn’t detail.

Gold coins with that much wear and that can still be slabbed with a straight grade are rare. They are certainly interesting to look at and contemplate where they may have been.

pocketpiececommems

Yep. Hard to find good lowball gold

WCC

It's somewhat different for gold coinage due to the metal value, but my inference is that the interest in lowball collecting generally initially came about because the coins most of these buyers buy are common and they have limited budgets. Might be somewhat different now since these coins are worth more than many in higher quality.

PerryHall

I've seen low ball coins with the green CAC sticker. I always wondered if the value of a low ball coin is hurt by a gold CAC sticker.

pocketpiececommems

pocketpiececommems

vulcanize

Have a few that were formerly jewelry pieces but not as worn out like some of them in the pics posted in here.

bob48

@PerryHall said:
I've seen low ball coins with the green CAC sticker. I always wondered if the value of a low ball coin is hurt by a gold CAC sticker.

I have a SLQ low ball set and have always wondered about the gold CAC sticker on a low ball coin.
Is my FR02 coin with a gold CAC really a AG03 grade.
Maybe a black CAC sticker for a low ball down grade by a point.

DCW

Thing is: any coin with enough time can go down to basal state.
But they can't regain detail.

Omegaraptor

One of my local coin dealers owns a 1910 Saint in AG. Unfortunately I don't have a picture.

Probably the pocket piece of a very wealthy person at some point.

steveben

yep

1875-cc $20

1857-o $5

(no longer own the 57-o)

steveben

how can i forget this one:

i love this coin...no longer own it though.

ZoidMeister

wow, Wow, WOW . . .

Great coins. Keep them coming . . .

Z

@steveben said:
yep

1875-cc $20

1857-o $5

(no longer own the 57-o)

@steveben said:
how can i forget this one:

i love this coin...no longer own it though.

Dave99B

Love me some old well-used gold.

Dave

ZoidMeister

@Dave99B said:
Love me some old well-used gold.

Dave

Sweet one!

Z

Dave99B

Dave

Dave99B

Another ‘gem’ added to the stack via GC.

Dave

ZoidMeister

Awesome @Dave99B !

Thanks for resurrecting this thread!

Z

pocketpiececommems

This thread is like a magnet if you like lowball gold

ZoidMeister

Love your registry sets.

Z
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@pocketpiececommems said:
This thread is like a magnet if you like lowball gold

My fledgling attempt.

BillJones

@pmh1nic said:
When I think lowball gold i'm thinking lower end MS and AU or branch mint XF. I like something with some luster and pretty fully detail.

When I see some of the early and Classic Head pieces that the really big collectors post here, I start to think that I am “a low ball gold collector.” It took me 60 years to get where I am, and I feel like a beginner when I see that material.

BTW, the wear pattern on the very low grade Pan-PAC $2.50 is very interesting. Of course coins like that can only be created from long term pocket piece use, not general circulation.

PerryHall

@BillJones said:

@pmh1nic said:
When I think lowball gold i'm thinking lower end MS and AU or branch mint XF. I like something with some luster and pretty fully detail.

When I see some of the early and Classic Head pieces that the really big collectors post here, I start to think that I am “a ball ball gold collector.” It took me 60 years to get where I am, and I feel like a beginner when I see that material.

BTW, the wear pattern on the very low grade Pan-PAC $2.50 is very interesting. Of course coins like that can only be created from long term pocket piece use, not general circulation.

Saying that you're "a ball ball gold collector" sounds a little kinky.
You may want to change that to "low ball gold collector".

pocketpiececommems

@habaraca said:
not graded but maybe soon, I use it as a card protector while playing poker.......

Did you get this one graded?

Dave99B

Great $20 piece, crappy pic!

Dave

pocketpiececommems

That 1910–S Saint has the perfect look 👀