The "keystone" of my collection . . . . . post yours . . . .

ZoidMeister

A "keystone" to one's collection is a coin or medal at the top of the collection, one that given one's current and / or anticipated future economic condition, will probably never lose its status as the pinnacle piece.

Your keystone could due to its design elegance, its condition, its rarity, its price, or any combination of the former.

I've been able to acquire quite a few "nice" pieces over the past few years, but I don't feel that I ever captured a true keystone piece - until this week.

Here is my latest arrival and the keystone of my exonumia collection. It's a very rare 1805 medal by Friedrich Loos. It commemorates Dr. Franz Joseph Gall, the creator of the pseudo science of phrenology.

Only one has been certified by PCGS.

Let's see YOUR keystone.

Z
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lermish

Love this post and love your medal. I don't own the keystones yet to post. Below are the current placeholders though until I can find the Draped $10 worth the money and until I can find 1875-P Chopped T$ at all (probably never for a real one...)

pcgscacgold

Most recent pick up is my keystone

willy

My latest addition to my Type set.

humanssuck

alefzero

Maybe my 1798 BB-114/B-26 in AU55

But in terms of absolute rarity, 1900 Lafayette DuVall-4E PCGS AU50

Cladiator

Lightside:

Darkside:

lkenefic

So far....

Barberian

In terms of value and appearance...

In terms of rarity...

ZoidMeister

If allowed to subdivide my collection, this would be the keystone of my Papal Medal collection.

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Bullsitter

My favorite piece, die cracks on reverse.

DCW

Great post! I just love seeing everyone's treasured pieces. Especially if they are a part of a focused collection. My "keystone" or "cornerstone" for my core collection, which is the tokens and medals of Joseph H. Merriam are these two pieces:


As you can see, they are at opposite ends of the spectrum, though it might surprise you that the bottom one is probably worth twice as much as the top one!
The first represents the original storecard of Merriam, featuring the iconic "Good For A Scent" die. This is a scarce token, but in the realm of exonumia not really all that rare. What drives the price is its popularity. Even mainstream coin collectors sometimes find the urge to add it to their collections, and there aren't nearly enough to go around.
The bottom piece is considered unique after nearly 160 years of Civil War Token collecting. Coupled with the same dog obverse but now muled with the only known example of the "Excelsior Club" die, it was extremely fortuitous and costly to acquire this piece.
Both are from the collection of the late, great numismatist, Stephen L. Tanenbaum.

1630Boston

ricko

I have had a few 'keystone' items over the years - still have them. In my current collecting mode - that I have practiced for the last couple of decades - I tend towards 'special' acquisitions. Could be design, condition, date, metal - something that significantly appeals to me beyond the usual coin or medal. Currently, the keystone seat is occupied by this one.

For many years, it was this one....

Cheers, RickO

Floridafacelifter

Great thread- here’s mine!

Floridafacelifter

@humanssuck said:

Awesome 1895- love the black and white/ what’s the grade?

humanssuck

@Floridafacelifter said:

@humanssuck said:

Awesome 1895- love the black and white/ what’s the grade?

Thanks. I collect morgans and always wanted one, and when I saw that one I just had to have it. Its a 65+DCAM

Downtown1974

Great looking coins!
I really don’t have one coin that I consider the keystone or centerpiece of my collection. No junk, but nothing that I find myself in awe over. Just a collection of mediocrity.

lkenefic

@Floridafacelifter said:
Great thread- here’s mine!

Mic drop...

Floridafacelifter

@humanssuck said:

@Floridafacelifter said:

@humanssuck said:

Awesome 1895- love the black and white/ what’s the grade?

Thanks. I collect morgans and always wanted one, and when I saw that one I just had to have it. Its a 65+DCAM

That is one amazing 65+DCAM- I would have guessed 66/66+

oih82w8

Not my most expensive, but would take some strong hands to let her go.

ZoidMeister

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I had no idea when I started this thread . . . . .
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( stolen from @Bullsitter )

@ricko said:
I have had a few 'keystone' items over the years - still have them. In my current collecting mode - that I have practiced for the last couple of decades - I tend towards 'special' acquisitions. Could be design, condition, date, metal - something that significantly appeals to me beyond the usual coin or medal. Currently, the keystone seat is occupied by this one.

For many years, it was this one....

Cheers, RickO

@Floridafacelifter said:
Great thread- here’s mine!

@Bullsitter said:

My favorite piece, die cracks on reverse.

@DCW said:
Great post! I just love seeing everyone's treasured pieces. Especially if they are a part of a focused collection. My "keystone" or "cornerstone" for my core collection, which is the tokens and medals of Joseph H. Merriam are these two pieces:


As you can see, they are at opposite ends of the spectrum, though it might surprise you that the bottom one is probably worth twice as much as the top one!
The first represents the original storecard of Merriam, featuring the iconic "Good For A Scent" die. This is a scarce token, but in the realm of exonumia not really all that rare. What drives the price is its popularity. Even mainstream coin collectors sometimes find the urge to add it to their collections, and there aren't nearly enough to go around.
The bottom piece is considered unique after nearly 160 years of Civil War Token collecting. Coupled with the same dog obverse but now muled with the only known example of the "Excelsior Club" die, it was extremely fortuitous and costly to acquire this piece.
Both are from the collection of the late, great numismatist, Stephen L. Tanenbaum.

@alefzero said:
Maybe my 1798 BB-114/B-26 in AU55

But in terms of absolute rarity, 1900 Lafayette DuVall-4E PCGS AU50

SmEagle1795

My centerpiece, one of the finest Eid Mar denarii, struck by Brutus to commemorate his assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, 44BC:

asheland

This one for me.

Weiss

@Floridafacelifter said:
Great thread- here’s mine!

Guys, I think we have a winner.

Floridafacelifter

@Weiss said:

@Floridafacelifter said:
Great thread- here’s mine!

Guys, I think we have a winner.

I dunno…… Mr. Elite is lurking out there with his 1933 $20

Weiss

@Floridafacelifter said:

@Weiss said:

@Floridafacelifter said:
Great thread- here’s mine!

Guys, I think we have a winner.

I dunno…… Mr. Elite is lurking out there with his 1933 $20

@SmEagle1795 's Eid Mar has entered the chat!

Weiss

1932 Poland 10 Zlotych
NGC PF65 Pop 1/0

From a 2-year type with a circulating population of about 9 million pieces and 1,000 pieces graded, NGC shows 2 in MS65 with none higher, PCGS shows nothing above MS64.
This is the finest of only two known proofs:

DCW

@SmEagle1795 said:
My centerpiece, one of the finest Eid Mar denarii, struck by Brutus to commemorate his assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, 44BC:

God, I love this piece!

Floridafacelifter

@DCW said:

@SmEagle1795 said:
My centerpiece, one of the finest Eid Mar denarii, struck by Brutus to commemorate his assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, 44BC:

God, I love this piece!

Me too- always wanted one haven’t had the correct opportunity

SanctionII

Great thread.

Fantastic coins.

The best of the best in my collection would compare to the coins shown in this thread like a 50 year old one person row boat to the newest, biggest, fastest yacht of a Saudi prince or a Russian oligarch.

crazyhounddog

RedSeals

Someone else did this, so i'll copycat:

Liteside:

Darkside:

BryceM

There are some pretty amazing coins in this thread. For me, these three come to mind. I don't think I could pick just one:

seanq

The one coin I could have called a keystone, I sold a few years ago to free up funds. Here is that coin, followed by the one I replaced it with, which is more of a keystone light.

NGC64RB:

raw coin in my current set

Sean Reynolds

VegasDan

I think these are beautiful coins but I like the $10 Indian I bought at $293 an once years ago much better.Since I no longer have one this is my second choice!
My $5 Indian.

TurboSnail

[(ricko'sNoTone1995wProofASE.jpg ""

willy

Funny that there are (3) 1797 $10 Gold pieces in this thread already. They must be way more common then I thought, So I will post my second keystone coin.

I guess that ended up with 3 coins hard to decide.

Crypto

Not halo coins by most people’s standards but honest & scarce old branch mint gold

breakdown

Cool thread. Right now, probably one of these two for me:

Ex. Pittman

oih82w8

Some serious eye-candy in this thread.

coinsarefun

I no longer own my cornerstone pieces as most will be sold off soon on Heritage.
But, I do plan on keeping these indefinitely. As I am enamored with them no as the day I owned them.

2 Daniel Carr Pieces. Once struck over gold and one overstruck on large cent.

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And the pieces were overstruck on gold coins and two silver coins were stuck and I have ownership of the
silver dies. All having RL counterstamp on them. I also have the video of each coin being struck.

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My last piece is one I waiting one since 2008 and finally coming to an agreement he would sell.

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Twobitcollector

ZoidMeister

Many know that I am also a huge fan of counterstamped coins. I have been fortunate to have secured several pieces that are in constant competition with each other for "keystone" status.

Here are the top contenders.

75th and 100th Anniversary Western Reserve Numismatic Society counterstamped

Stamped 25 years apart.
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1938 Felix Schlag Jefferson Nickel design competition counterstamp of a 1993 250th Anniversary Thomas Jefferson Commemorative Dollar

Centered and off center.
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Which do you think deserves top billing?

Z

Catbert

I like the last pic with Monticello off center best!

Catbert

@Twobitcollector said:

That’s got to be the most eye appealing 60 graded coin I’ve ever seen. So nice!

Meltdown

This is a hard act to follow... This is the keystone of my modest Morgan collection.
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ModCrewman

Here's mine, by a significant margin:

My "signature piece" would be this one (though worth significantly less):

Pedzola

If I were to sell my whole collection I think these 2 would be the last to go.

asheland

@Meltdown said:
This is a hard act to follow... This is the keystone of my modest Morgan collection.
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I love that Morgan! 👍

willy

@Pedzola I really like that color and look on your 1802/1 $5. That is the way I like my old Gold to look. The 1838-D is not to shabby either. Looks more like a 64 to me.