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One Hundred Years Ago: What did coin collectors collect?
braddick
Posts: 23,128 ✭✭✭✭✭
So here we are on the PCGS forums, with all of us transported back to 1923.
Once you get over the amazement of time travel, what coins do you seek to collect?
Remember- you're not returning to 2023 but stuck in 1923.
peacockcoins
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For a baby boomer, 1923 was not that long ago.
Many just saved coins for sentimental reasons.
Morgan Dollars and the newly issued Peace Dollars.
Bagful of peace and Morgans right from the bank never mind all the gold to build a book to......
Honestly I would just be preparing for the depression. 7 years isn't long to save the cash to get through 15 hard years until the war is over.
But assuming I could, I would probably start out seeing just how much I could put together from circulation. Can I find a more-or-less complete seated quarter set? Will I find an 09-SVDB or 1916 quarter? But as far as buying from dealers, I would try to complete a draped bust silver set. It would be much harder than today I think, locating an 1802 half dime now is at least possible... one pops up at auction every few years. How would it be to find one in 1923?
I'll wait 10 years then grab as many 1933 $20 saints as i can and hide them well.
Or is it groundhog day? And we are stuck in only 1923?
Rules not clear....
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I would assume that a astute collector would be gathering up all the new recently minted coin from 1909, 1913, 1916, and 1921. A lot of new coins were being made with brand new designs
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
I'd be a mint employee.
Type collector, mainly into Seated. Young Numismatist. Good BST transactions with: mirabela, OKCC, MICHAELDIXON
Early federal coinage.
In that scenario, nothing. I would have no leisure time.
Knowing what I know now; Bag fulls of MS 1893-CC, 1893-S, 1895 PRs & MS 1889-CC, all the Lincoln MS RED1922, 1924-D, 1926-S and 1931-S that I could get my hand on, along with every MS 1916-D Merc.
Ten years later, while living overseas befriending King Farouk and out of reach of Uncle Sam, secure several 1933 St Gaudens $20.
USAF (Ret.) 1985 - 2005. E-4B Aircraft Maintenance Crew Chief and Contracting Officer.
My current Registry sets:
✓ Everyman Mint State Carson City Morgan Dollars (1878 – 1893)
✓ Everyman Mint State Lincoln Cents (1909 – 1958)
✓ Morgan Dollar GSA Hoard (1878 – 1891)
I’d be one of Virgil Brand’s brothers and about to inherit 368,000 coins
Bags of 1916 quarters and dimes. Gold double eagles and CC Morgan’s. A bag of 1921 peace dollars. A new Cadillac to transport everything.
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
I would have been looking for Charlotte and Dahlonega gold, as well as early low mintage gold.
Proof type 2 or type 3 double Eagles gold coin, Seated dollar in gem proof, and 1936 proof set.
I don't know but if I could travel back in time, I'd be planning on how to survive the great depression right about now! 😂 🤣
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
Coins or they wouldn’t be called coin collectors.
Finding the coins in your list would substantially depend upon where the collector lived.
I wouldn't expect to find a 09-S VDB cent in change. 1916 quarter? Probably with some looking, on the east coast. The mintage was low vs. Barber quarters but not that low given the likely number of collectors. Seated quarters? Mostly Philadelphia and maybe New Orleans on the east coast, not the scarcer "S" or "CC" dates.
1802 half dime would be effectively impossible to find. I don't think most early federal would be hard to find in NY, PHI, or large east coast city. Communication was worse but the coins were somewhat more common and also had a full century less of mishandling.
Collecting what I collect now wouldn't be an option. I'd never find anything in primary interest or side collections.
I think the proof set is about 13 years in the future, but the other suggestions are what I would say.
Collectors could always buy proof coins on the aftermarket at this time, even after the ending of proof sales. The matte proofs of the time were likely trading at a discount during the 1920s.
Young Numismatist, Coin Photographer.
Hitchin' post finds.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars
You collect moderns.
In 1923 the early date Lincoln cents, Buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes, Walking Liberty halves, and Peace/Morgan dollars would be moderns.
peacockcoins
A few rolls of uncirculated Walking Liberty Halves and a few rolls of Standing Liberty Quarters. From San Francisco, of course.
I mean I'd be doing an Izzy Switt. Hoarding new rolls. Ten years after ? Not so much.
The collecting of Morgan and Peace Dollars was not at all popular in 1923 because they were still in circulation and you could get all you wanted from your bank for face value. They didn't start being heavily collected until the 1960's when the mint stopped making silver coins for circulation.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
I'd be sure to bring the sports almanac with me
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I don't collect any US coinage. I primarily collect Peru and Bolivia pillar coinage from the 1700's. A century ago, it would have existed in somewhat larger number and somewhat better quality with less attrition, but going by few the pre-internet collections I know, the coins I have now wouldn't have been available.
I would likely collect WLH's, I have always admired them, and likely could get some in pristine condition. If my knowledge traveled with me, I would plan for the impending depression, and build financial resources. Cheers, RickO
I would probably gather up 1861 O confederate issues, as no one know about them then. (Funded by my job at the mint of course
)
Type collector, mainly into Seated. Young Numismatist. Good BST transactions with: mirabela, OKCC, MICHAELDIXON
1921 PDS Walker rolls
1921 and 1921-D Mercury rolls.
1923, hmmm ... I'd be a young version of my Grandfather. And if I knew then what I know now, I would be dangerous!
What I should be doing with that knowledge ... picking up rolls and singles of modern coins for the time ... 1919 through 1923 Buffalo Nickels, Mercury Dimes, Standing Liberties and Walking Liberties ... and pretty close to face.
And I'd be hiding them with instructions for my future self, my great children (my kids), and my great grandson, who just turned 1.
What I would probably be doing ... chasing original Uncirculated and very Choice AU Flowing Hair to Capped Bust Halves, Quarters and Dimes ... because I might be able to afford a few more of them!
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
Early Eagles and Half Eagles and a few Type 1 DEs!😉
Assuming some financial restraint is required in this scenario and I’m heading back there with just my skills to generate income:
I’d collect what I collect now (bust halves) but also albums of barber coinage and SLQ’s from pocket change. As many OBWs as I could find of the latter two to spend if needed in the depression years, but with hopes to make it through with them intact to pass down to my descendants.
Cool thread idea and interesting to ponder.
I’d be loading up on Mint State Draped Bust and Flowing Hair dollars.
“I may not believe in myself but I believe in what I’m doing” ~Jimmy Page~
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947)
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Same as present day...Find a unicorn.
I'd imagine you would want to find a fine specimen (A hard working women)
Throw a few hard working kids to pass what you were able to accumulate down to.
Your already ahead of the game knowing the future of what's collectable.
The other issue I wonder about in regard to hunting rarities is access and communication (not to mention transportation limitations) of the time period. I’m just Joe-schmo from the future- just because I know the rarities are out there for cheap compared to today doesn’t mean I’d have any realistic hope of finding or getting access to buy them.
Circulated Coins
USN & USAF retired 1971-1993
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Assuming I'd be making 1923 wages, Mercury dimes. Hard to be buying gold when making .15 to .25 cents an hour.
Now if I was making 2023 wages in 1923, game on. Gold, walkers, quarters, buffalos and of course the Mercurys.
My Great-Grand Uncle collected Indian Cents during this time... but the collection was destroyed in a fire.
Proof gold, mint state early copper, and pre-1840 mint state silver were ridiculously inexpensive.
I would collect the same thing, bust halves! I would get bags of them to eventually get in the books, known as the Neeley Hoard! It would be a dream to go through bags, spending all day attributing them old things.
I like the idea of @Jzyskowski1. I would make just a little profit in the late 1930's just in time to buy my dream 1938 Packard new off the showroom floor.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 6:23. Young fellow suffering from Bust Half fever.
Double Eagles....Saints and LIberty's.
Yes, first post to consider what you did. Seems everyone is assuming they would have the same purchasing power they have now or budgets don't apply.
Sure, coins were dirt cheap in 1923 vs. now, for good reason. The economy was on a gold standard which limited monetary inflation, which also limited financial speculation, and which also meant that coins were virtually never (if at all) bought as "investments".
In1923, there was no internet so you were essentially buying coins sight unseen based only on the dealer's written description. Also, there was no credit cards and no PayPal so you had to mail a check and wait for the coin to show up.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
My Oma spent her whole life pilfering the odd coins from my Opa's card games. Built quite a collection. So that is what one actual person did during this time frame. James
Let's have a seance with Max Mehl, I'm sure he knows. Peace Roy
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1922 no D cent stuck off center on 1861 D gold dollar?
Type collector, mainly into Seated. Young Numismatist. Good BST transactions with: mirabela, OKCC, MICHAELDIXON
1815 large cent 👌 😎 (this could change)
Collectors would have been collecting older coins that they could afford and saving nice ones from change the same as today. They didn't know which coins would be worth more than the others. Just like now we don't have a crystal ball to let us know what is the big money coin in the future.
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