How do you collect? Sets, Theme, Grade, Random ?

FrankH

Poll is anonymous. Be interesting to see how folks arrange their coins.

lkenefic

...a little of everything, I suppose??

I was a Type Set collector for a while but my real passion is Early copper... an endeavor that insures that I'll never complete a "set"... I guess it depends on how one defines "set"...

ricko

Years ago I was a set collector - CC Morgans, ASE's, AGE's, Kennedy halves, Franklin halves.... No more. Now, random collector.... and enjoying it. Cheers, RickO

jackpine20

I voted theme. I think of type sets as themes, and date/mint mark as sets. I have collected sets, Indian Cent and Morgan $, but now mostly sold off. Now, I am focusing on early nineteenth and eighteenth century date sets and mint sets in affordable grades. If I could vote for both set and theme, I would rest soundly, knowing my affiliation was well represented.

Batman23

As a YN I filled books "sets" with change finds. As a young adult I completed my Lincoln Dansco set. Now I collect by themes. A Type set, a certain date, the Alaska/Denali Quarters, the Bat quarters, etc.

Walkerfan

Classic renaissance era sets in Choice to Gem.

Manifest_Destiny

Right now my only collection is a set of Seated quarters (110 piece basic set, not including the 73cc NA) . I have the whole set and I'm in the process of upgrading to at least VF (Fine will be ok for the rare ones). I have probably 80% in VF currently.

jesbroken

For collecting, I have a theme, currently it is early coppers. But if just buying, it can be by attraction.
Jim

lkenefic

@ricko said:
Years ago I was a set collector - CC Morgans, ASE's, AGE's, Kennedy halves, Franklin halves.... No more. Now, random collector.... and enjoying it. Cheers, RickO

I started out this way too... Lincoln Cent Whitman folders and then IHCs and Morgan Dollar albums of various iterations (Date, Date/MM). I think I've completed my last "Set" though with the 7070. I guess now I randomly collect early copper... ;-)

Jzyskowski1

Random but

I collect a little of this and some of that. Albums, bullion, old stuff, moderns and world coins. Also currency

asheland

A little of everything!

Tramp

I say random but I do themed and sets but had also targeted MS-64 grades and above e.g. Morgan CC, GSA and Lincoln cent set RD or RB. However recently I've complete a nice F - XF Mercury Dime set and on my way to completing a nice Lincoln cent set in XF - AU, nice chocolate brown.

I also like collecting the high grade keys and rarities.

BillJones

I answered “sets,” but the sets are sometimes of my own invention. I collect the political Hard Times tokens, but very few merchant pieces. With Civil War tokens, it’s more random, some are what I called “mini sets” years ago. Examples are Monitors, sanity fairs, placing symbolic value on tokens, Lincoln, the unpatriotics, anti-slavery etc. Other sets - one for each British king or Roman emperor. U.S. type set.

It goes on and on.

Cougar1978

I like low pop quality slabbed world coins.

• super deal vs US
• Beautiful Designs
• Sell well on bourse and shows
• Low pop vs US Classic
• Bullion issues like Mexico Libertad

bagofnickels

I collect mostly in sets. Type sets, albums, short sets. I prefer uncirculated pieces for them and tend to favor the sets that let me collect coins in gem or near gem condition.

CoinHoarder

Although I have several sets put together over the decades, and still own them, I collect randomly now.

Mostly cheap low grade silver dollars, both slabbed and raw.

Also, hand picked "junk" silver, which doubles as pleasing numismatic acquisitions, as well as a store of silver.

Also, a little bit of gold every now and then.

At this phase of my collecting interest, I have zero interest in any coins that do not contain silver or gold.

Dropdaflag

What if you have more than one answer?

ctf_error_coins

Theme with super tight focus and set of rules.

Shurke

I voted sets—haven’t finished one yet, but I’ve been working on Mercury dimes for a few years now.

If not sets, I’d probably just collect varieties and die states of coins I like. I have an affinity for doubled dies, even quite minor ones.

semikeycollector

@Cougar1978 said:
I like low pop quality slabbed world coins.

• super deal vs US
• Beautiful Designs
• Sell well on bourse and shows
• Low pop vs US Classic
• Bullion issues like Mexico Libertad

Yes, I'm very intrigued by some of the scarcer South African coins.

semikeycollector

Any new sets of classical US coins will be just a handful of much better date coins, which are nice for the grade. I have only 4 Liberty $5 gold, but each coin is very special. All coins are AU or better, PCGS and the most common issue as a date has about 100 known.

I am not rolling in money. I have been collecting for well over 50 years. I sell off mostly other coins to get these.

BillJones

@Dropdaflag said:
What if you have more than one answer?

In order:

Themes - The historical themes that inspire my collecting goals.
Sets - After I define them.
Grade - I go for grade balance. I strongly avoid a Good or AG beside an EF or AU.
Random - I avoid that as much as possible. That rare time that I broke that rule was the purchase of an Athens owl because I liked it. The closet I have to it are a couple of Roman Republic pieces.

Theme? Here is an example. Political Hard Time Tokens to the Classic Head $2.50 and $5.00 gold pieces. This is a “set concept.”

Hoarderofcoins

All about hoarding in my world... love hoarding any rolls I get my hands on... love the pennies, love new things from the mint... gonna pass them to Jr. one day..

Dave99B

Years ago, random. Last 25 years, sets.

You random guys will eventually come around. 🤣

Dave

FrankH

Or have BEEN around. Variety is the spice of chili dogs you know.

erscolo

Time frame and sets. I do not have anything prior to 1930, and pretty much only Lincoln Cents until 1937. After that, all mint state, all issues through the Dollar, clad and silver commemoratives, silver eagles. No gold, platinum or palladium.

percyb

Actually Types now and fill-in sets.

124Spider

My collecting started in the early 1960s with Whitman folders, collecting coins from change. It was a good time to be a kid with no money, since there were so many types of coins still in circulation (including all years of Lincoln cents; buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes, standing Liberty quarters and walking Liberty half dollars; and Morgan and Peace dollars when your parents visited Nevada).

So I was always a collector of series/sets.

But I have grown weary of the endless upgrades my obsessive/compulsive trait brings on, buying coins I don't actually care about to replace ones that are not so pretty.

So now I'm doing a "box of 20," slowly picking cool coins to add to the "set." The next one, I think, is going to be a Pine Tree shilling, but that may have to wait a while for me to not buy coins for long enough for me to be comfortable spending as much as a reasonably nice one costs.

BryceM

I've completed (and sold) one series at high grade. I've assembled a complete, but rather pedestrian set of Walkers. I've assembled the majority of a US type set. I've dabbled in the Commems that speak to me, and I have a smattering of gold. I also have a bit of foreign stuff, and a couple of ancients. So...... I have no idea how to answer.

OnlyGoldIsMoney

By my nature I collect in sets.

One US set - Lib $2.50's 1840-1907 by date and mint mark, striving for 95% completion

One non-US set - 1 gold or electrum coin per century - 7th Century BC to present, 100% completion is practicable.