What is the hardest denomination to put together a type set for?
Vasanti
Posts: 458 ✭✭✭✭
Excluding super rarities like the disme, of course. For me, it seems to be quarters. Buts quarters and nice seated quarters seem very difficult.
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Large cents?
peacockcoins
Type set? I'd guess half dollars off the top of my head. The 1796-1797 Draped Bust Small Eagle half dollars are $50k+ in VG and that is if you can find them.
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I'm not sure if I completely understand the question. I'll go out on a limb and say seated dollars.
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
$4 dollar gold
Martin
I’m in the middle of doing a U.S. type set. Let’s say I want to get everything I can in the “less than $10k” per coin bracket. It seems that early quarters are really hard to get in nice grades when compared to say, halves. They seem to come up for sale less often in nice shape with good surfaces.
Quarter eagles are challenging due to the 1796 no stars.
Less than 10K per coin?
You should NO problem putting together a nice type set!
Or did you mean 10K for the entire type set?
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
@alaura22 — you can certainly put together a nice type set for 10k per coin, but it won’t be complete.
So, lets take the COMPLETE U.S. TYPE SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1792-1964) for an example
It requires 133 coins
So your telling me that you would not be able to complete this set for $1,330,000.00 dollars?
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
Gold or no gold in this type set?
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
It depends on if he means he doesn’t want to spend more than $10k on any one coin, or if the balance of the $10k saved on the cheapies can be applied towards the expensive early stuff.
$10k won’t get you much of a 1796/97 half, a ‘96 quarter, or a ‘93 liberty cap cent, among others.
The No Stars is the biggest one, but the other four early quarter eagles are tough too. Don’t forget the 1808, which is second to the 1796 with respect to cost, at least it was for me. When I was working on 12 early gold type coins, the quarter eagles, as a group, were the toughest.
Per coin. With that constraint, there are some coins that are unattainable.
If one ignores gold, proofs, and the "big 4", nice DB HE quarters are fairly scarce, but certainly attainable within the $10k, as are the others. Assuming circulated coins are the objective for early dates. Just peruse the type prices in the Price Guide to get an idea.
Big 4 = DB SE 25c, DB SE 50c, chain 1c, 1/2 disme.
Yep, the Big 4 are just off the list. I just can’t seem to find nice early quarters.
Perspective... I've got just about $10k into my entire 7070, but its in VF to low MS (mostly circulated business strikes), has no gold, and I literally plucked a few from pocket change...
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I don't collect US coinage now and haven't for a long time, but I still look at a lot of US coinage though it's online and not in person.
Except as noted in other posts where the coins can't be bought for $10K or only as "dreck", I don't consider any difficult. It just depends upon the parameters. Sure, if the buyer is looking for early quarters with the same or similar eye appeal to much later dates that will be harder.
I think this is my issue. I just scored a really nice Arrows and Rays half. I couldn’t for the life of me find a quarter that looked as good.
I've seen mid AU that I think look nice, but this was in the Heritage archives (I think) though it was from recent sales.
With your budget, I'd expect you could find one at auction or through a want list with a dealer without waiting too long, again depending upon your criteria. By "too long", maybe within one year.
Do you have a grade range for the coins Or individual coins or types?
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
It's so variable. I really try to get the highest grade possible. For harder to find capped bust and seated type coinage, I usually end up in the MS62-64 range. For easier to find capped bust and seated type coinage, I usually end up in the 64-66 range. More modern and common stuff (late 19th and 20th century), I'm generally pushing to get the highest grade that I can without spending a ridiculous amount of money that is outside of irresponsibility. Take a St. Gaudens Double Eagle, for example. I have no problem spending the money for a common date MS66, but I'm not going to spend the tremendous amount of extra money for an MS67 just for the one point upgrade.
This will give you an idea, its my current US Type Set:
https://pcgs.com/setregistry/alltimeset/313664
I totally agree with your plan. I too will not chase the MS67 coins that are sometimes 5 times the price of a MS66 coin.
That said you might want to investigate the Everyman's Mint Type Sets. With a top grade of MS64 for all the coins in that set.
I have a Dansco Type Set ( currently ranked #10) for my coins that are the highest grade that I can afford and the EMS that I have with coins up to MS64, fun set and for the most part somewhat affordable.
Good luck with the challenge and have fun
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
Large cents, they are expensive and difficult to find.
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It's always been a little annoying to me when you can assemble 90% of a set for 10% of the money.
I really, really want to own a small eagle half-dollar someday, but it's on the very edge of what I'll feel comfortable spending and the rising cost of the (rarely) available coins seems to be outpacing my willingness to pay up for one.
Where are you looking? I ask as I have never failed to see this type in at least XF every single time I have looked. I'm not looking for it that often but often enough, over time. Last time I checked maybe a few weeks ago, I recall seven on eBay, same number (I think) on Collector's Corner, and five on Heritage. Yes, duplicates between Heritage and Collector's Corner + eBay and Collector's Corner, though I didn't perform a match coin-by-coin.
It's not unique to this coin either. Earlier this year, Heritage had five 1798 MS dimes up to MS-64 in their Marketplace. Collector's Corner recently had most dates of the Capped Head QE with some duplicates. No, not "gem" but these aren't common coins either. On the few occasions I've looked, I've also seen the 1796 "No Stars" QE, in some grade.
There are only a low proportion of US coins which are actually hard to buy generically, due to the price level. Scarcer coins like the 1796-1797 half become difficult depending upon the individual collector's criteria but that's a specific preference.
I didn't say that they were impossible to find, only that owning one at all requires a significant financial outlay, especially for a type coin.
Just because there are a few out there at any given time doesn't mean they're commonly offered, when compared to other type coins. Coin Facts states there are maybe 200-300 small eagle half dollars in existence in all grades. There might be 5 or 10 or a dozen being offered at any one time, but realistically, most of these aren't priced to sell. As you say, if you're even the slightest bit picky or budget conscious, the pool of candidate coins is incredibly small.
The OP asks which is hardest. The scarcity of target coins and the scarcity of available funds can be equally "hard".