Early Days of PCGS Set Registry

lilolme

The pcgs set registry started as a booklet. I think this is the second one. Inside it notes that the set registry was launched in 1997. The pcgs set registry went online in 2001.

I find it kind of interesting how much it has changed from this booklet idea. Also how coin 'shopping' has changed.

A lot of old thoughts come around when seeing this again tucked away.

PTVETTER

I put me Mercury dimes set on line in 2001!

gumby1234

I put my Roosie set together, except for 3 to 4 recent upgrades WAY before there were registry sets.

lilolme

I resisted the online thing for years. Finally got talked into it before I sold it.

I remember back at this time I would get some 'mailers' from a few dealers with their new inventory. It is a different world today.

lordmarcovan

I was there in the early days of the online Registry (my 2001 join date on these forums dates to my early era of Registry activity), but not in the printed booklet days there.

ricko

Nice old numismemento.... Technology has advanced so fast over the last few decades.... I actually got into the computer field after the Navy... Then it was manufacturing core memories for computers. Some of the large one's weighed thirty pounds and took weeks to build. Now, memory is on a chip and mega-multiples of what could be done back then. Cheers, RickO

alefzero

I started over at NGC. Got the plaque for the Best Presented Set (Prooflike Morgans) the first year. Started a little later at PCGS. It was online at that point but, unlike NGC, only accepted PCGS certifications. So I was on the sidelines for a while. When I did my own registry, I made sure to include all of the major TPGs. But it is more hobbyist oriented than a marketing thing for a grading service.

keyman64

A TON HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN. WOW

DennisH

Here is the 1998 summary:

lilolme

@DennisH said:
Here is the 1998 summary:

Hey cool. Does it mention if it is the first one?
Mine only says it started in 1997 and I guessed that the 1998 issue was the first issue due to printing time and stuff. But could have just started it with an immediate first issue in 1997.

DennisH

It doesn't say it's the first one in those exact words, but what it does say gets that message across. And as I recall (I joined the Registry program in 1997), 1998 was the first of what turned out to be just a couple of issues. I don't have a 2000 issue, which I seem to recall wasn't published at all, and 2001 turned out to be the last one – presumably because the Set Registry program had exploded in popularity, and participation and the cost of printing and mailing these would have been huge as well.

lilolme

@DennisH said:
It doesn't say it's the first one in those exact words, but what it does say gets that message across. And as I recall (I joined the Registry program in 1997), 1998 was the first of what turned out to be just a couple of issues. I don't have a 2000 issue, which I seem to recall wasn't published at all, and 2001 turned out to be the last one – presumably because the Set Registry program had exploded in popularity, and participation and the cost of printing and mailing these would have been huge as well.

Thanks and I agree that it reads like the first one (and what I was guessing).
The booklet may have ended in 2001 due to going online also and as you note more to track and update.

lilolme

They also used to put out these.
However, these key going for sometime longer as I have one dated 2008. I do remember going up to the table and asking for one and was told they were no longing doing the pop book due to being available online.

1northcoin

@lilolme said:
The pcgs set registry started as a booklet. I think this is the second one. Inside it notes that the set registry was launched in 1997. The pcgs set registry went online in 2001.

I find it kind of interesting how much it has changed from this booklet idea. Also how coin 'shopping' has changed.

A lot of old thoughts come around when seeing this again tucked away.

Thanks for sharing. Is there a link to the entire book page by page? It would be interesting to see the contents.

Any added pages that you could post would be welcome such as the introductory pages and any index.

lilolme

@1northcoin said:

@lilolme said:
The pcgs set registry started as a booklet. I think this is the second one. Inside it notes that the set registry was launched in 1997. The pcgs set registry went online in 2001.

I find it kind of interesting how much it has changed from this booklet idea. Also how coin 'shopping' has changed.

A lot of old thoughts come around when seeing this again tucked away.

Thanks for sharing. Is there a link to the entire book page by page? It would be interesting to see the contents.

Any added pages that you could post would be welcome such as the introductory pages and any index.

I don't know of any online reference information. It would be neat if pcgs had them scanned and on NNP.

The booklet does not have any index or TOC. Has the From the Editor that DennisH showed above but called Work In Progress. Then a page for Rules of the Game and what you get for registration. Next is starts listing the various categories and the sets. 59 pages total. The categories will show up to 5 top set names but some only had one name or even none. Categories:

When I started to type the list I didn't realize how long it was. But once in the middle of it just could not quit.
Oh well only time. Probably many typo's.

US coins Mint State and Proof 1792 to 1964
US gold Mint State and Proof 1795 to 1933
US copper, nickel & silver type Mint State and Proof 1792 to 1964
Half cents Mint State 1793 to 1857
Large cents Mint State and Proof 1793 to 1857
Early large cents Mint State 1793 to 1814
Middle date large cents Mint State & Proof 1816 to 1839
Late date large cents Mint State & Proof 1840 to 1857
Indian cents Mint State 1859 to 1909
Indian cents Proof 1859 to1909
Lincoln cents Mint State 1909 to1964
Lincoln cents Proof 1909 to 1964
Two cents Mint State 1864 to 1872
Two cents Proof 1864 to 1873
Three cent nickel Mint State 1865 to1889
Three cent nickel Proof 1865 to 1889
Shield nickel Mint State 1866 to 1883
Shield nickel Proof 1866 to 1883
LIberty nickel Mint State 1883 to 1912
Liberty nickel Proof 1883 to 1913
Buffalo nickel Mint State 1913 to 1938
Buffalo nickel Proof 1913 to 1937
Jefferson nickel Mint State 1938 to 1964
Jefferson nickel Proof 1938 to 1964
Barber dimes Mint State 1892 to 1916
Barber dimes Proof 1892 to 1915
Mercury dimes Mint State 1916 to 1945
Mercury dimes Proof 1936 to 1942
Roosevelt dimes Mint State 1946 to 1964
Roosevelt dimes Proof 1950 to 1964
Barber Quarters Mint State 1892 to 1916
Barber quarter Proof 1892 to 1915
Standing liberty quarter Mint State 1916 to 1930
Washing quarter Mint State 1932 to 1964
Washing quarter Proof 1932 to 1964
Barber half Mint State 1892 to 1915
Barber half Proof 1892 to 1915
Walking Lib half Mint State 1916 to 1942
Walking Lib half Proof 1936 to 1942
Franklin half Mint State 1948 to 1963
Franklin half Proof 1950 to 1963
Seated dollar Mint State 1840 to 1873
Trade dollar Mint State 1873 to 1878
Trade dollar Proof 1873 to 1885
Morgan dollar Mint State 1878 to 1921
Morgan dollar Proof 1878 to 1904
Peace dollar Mint State 1921 to 1935
$2 1/2 Indians Mint State 1908 to 1929
$2 1/2 Indians Proof 1908 to 1915
$3 gold Mint State 1854 to 1889
$3 gold Proof 1854 to 1889
$5 Indians Mint State 1908 to 1929
$5 Indians Proof 1908 to 1915
$10 Indians Mint State 1907 to 1933
$10 Indians Proof 1908 to 1915
$20 St Gaudens Mint State 1907 to 1932
$20 St Gardens Proof 1908 to 1915
Silver commemoratives 50 piece type
Silver commemoratives 144 piece
Gold commemoratives Mint State 1903 to 1926