Classic Head $5 Set Complete
Wahoo554
Posts: 1,139 ✭✭✭✭✭
Over the past few years I’ve been working on a full set of Classic Head $5’s in circulated grades (I am omitting the Crosslet 4 as it just doesn’t really interest me). I recently added the last piece I was missing a couple months ago. My requirements for the set were that all coins had to have CAC approval, and each coin had to be special in some respect. Here is a photo of the set all together followed by a brief discussion of each individual coin:
- 1834 XF45 CAC. I stumbled across this coin on Coinfacts and was determined to add it to the set. The Trueview accurately captures the in hand color. I had to trade a special coin to get it, but this coin is a highlight of the set and was well worth it to me.
- 1835 VF35 Gold CAC. I bought this coin from @coinlieutenant. It is a wonderfully original coin with nice color and I grade it a solid XF45.
1836 XF40 CAC, HM-2, R4+. I really love this coin. I bought this coin at the annual Raleigh summer coin show. I was rushing through the show due to a busy work day and stumbled across this coin at a small table in the back. It has wonderful deep red toning and strong luster for the grade, especially on the reverse. I didn’t realize it was a scarcer variety until some time afterwards.
1837 VF30 CAC. This was my second Classic Head $5 pickup. I bought it from Doug Winter when he auctioned the Sunnyvale Collection of Classic Head $5’s. If I could go back in time I would have bought several other coins from that sale. It seems Classic Head $5 prices substantially increased by 30 plus percent within a month or two of that sale, and they haven’t shown any signs of coming back down as far as I can tell. This is a better date in the series, and this example is a wonderfully original crust bucket with deep toning and lots of detail for the grade.
1838-P AU50 Gold CAC. This is yet another gold CAC example that came from @coinlieutenant. Last time I checked I think there were less than 10 gold CAC examples for the entire series. This coin has fantastic color, hammered strike and strong luster. I’d say it’s a 53-55. This was the last coin I picked up for the set, and it was surprisingly tough to find the right 38-P.
1838-D XF40 CAC, NGC fatty. I got really lucky with this coin. I won it in a DLRC auction at the very beginning of the pandemic, when I knew far less about quality than I do now. I didn’t even realize the holder was a selling point. What drew me to this coin was its deep original color, which blew me away when I first saw it in hand. Under a light the coin has really pretty orange color with notes of electric blue in the devices. An all time favorite.
1838-C AU50 CAC. Last but not least, the elusive 38-C. This is an extremely difficult coin to find nice, and I missed out on several opportunities for a nice example until I picked up this coin from Doug Winter. The coin has excellent color, sharp details, choice original surfaces, and lots of luster that peaks through the crusty surfaces.
Comments
Fantastic set, each coin is truly lovely. Congratulations!
What a gorgeous $5 set! Amazing…
Dave
My Lord! Incredible set you have put together. Would be very tough to upgrade any of them. Thanks for sharing with us. First shot if you sell 😎.
Terrific set. Your 38-C is a monster.
Bravo! It is so tough to find crusty, eye-appealing coins with nice color, and every single coin in your excellent set hits the mark. I would be very proud to own any one of these coins, and the 38-D and 38-C are among my bucket list coins. Congratulations!
I’m going to toss out the “L” word here - I love that set.
Congratulations!!
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Amazing set @Wahoo554 That is a great accomplishment. One that I hope to achieve some day. Thanks for sharing. As others said, that 1838-C is a jaw dropper. WOW!!!!
Successful BST with drddm, BustDMs, Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino
$5 Type Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/type-sets/half-eagle-type-set-circulation-strikes-1795-1929/album/344192
CBH Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/everyman-collections/everyman-half-dollars/everyman-capped-bust-half-dollars-1807-1839/album/345572
Amazing!
Great eye for quality coins here. Second chance if you ever sell!
Incredible set and great write up. Can’t decide which is my favorite, but I’m leaning towards the 34.
MY GOLD TYPE SET https://pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/complete-type-sets/gold-type-set-12-piece-circulation-strikes-1839-1933/publishedset/321940
Phenomenal! Just wow! Congratulations—you’ve assembled something special.
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
Wet nice!
Great-looking set… and an exceptionally ‘38-C to boot!
Great job putting your set together. I'm with @MFeld I love this series. Have a way to go myself to finish it off. That 3
'34 looks REALLY nice!
Mark
Love this set, congrats. I have always thought a date run of classic head $2.5's or $5's are the only realistically achievable "sets" to complete (without an unlimited budget) in early gold in collectible grades. Adding the branch mint coins is a bonus. You put a lot of effort into finding the right coins and it shows.
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That took determination, focus and at least five dollars. Sweeeeet.
Your 35 calls to me. Excellent collection you have there. Thank you for sharing.
What a great labor of love. Beautiful coins with great stories as well.
Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your achievement.
Each coin has great character. Thanks for sharing.
This is an absolutely incredible set - one of the best I’ve ever seen bar none. Excellent work waiting for this level of quality and putting it all together.
This Wahoo isn’t cavalier with his selections! 😉
Just a lovely collection. Big congratulations!
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
Phenomenal, well done my man!
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What a wonderful collection ... thank you for the images and a little of the backstory!
All have really great appeal ... just lovely!!
“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
Wonderful surfaces on that set! Simply amazing how well you matched them.
Coin Photographer.
Impressive 👍
awesome set. congrats. thanks for the write up. the c and d don't come easy and you got nice examples too. the color of the 34 is off the charts. love it
It’s refreshing to see a great set like this posted. I feel we get a little “distracted” at times from what’s really important which is great coins. (Not that those other things aren’t important btw.)
Well done!
Great set.
Sunshine Rare Coins
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That's a stunning group of coins.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Thanks for all the kind words everybody. It’s a fun series to collect, and Ive really enjoyed putting this set together.
That is a very nice set. You are proving what collecting is about. Collecting what you want to collect not what someone else tells you to collect.
There are so many directions that you can go with coins. I love the C and D mint marks on the Obv
Lafayette Grading Set
Spectacular! I am impressed.
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great set and you did an awesome job putting them together.
Love it!
outstanding !! congratulations on a wonderful set !!!
Top 10 Cal Fractional Type Set
successful BST with Ankurj, BigAl, Bullsitter, CommemKing, DCW(7), Downtown1974, Elmerfusterpuck, Joelewis, Mach1ne, Minuteman810430, Modcrewman, Nankraut, Nederveit2, Philographer(5), Realgator, Silverpop, SurfinxHI, TomB and Yorkshireman(3)
I appreciate the story going with each coin. Trying to find gold coins from this era with natural surfaces is a tall order, but you have put together a nicely matching set of them. Thanks for sharing.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
I've found myself revisiting this set/post several times. It really is wonderfully done. I have one Classic head gold, coincidentally an 1834 XF45 CAC coin, just like here. I'm fond of my coin. This coin that is the same grade is SO much nicer and blows mine away. Once again, congrats OP on a beautifully done set with a great eye for quality.
What a wonderful set! Congratulations on your significant accomplishment!
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Congratulations! I tried to put that set together in the 1980's. I never did get the 1838-C. I sold the coins in the early 1980's.
Great, original set, as confirmed by CAC!
I love the old slabs, too!!
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Wahoo554
Great set, nice and original coins.
And the added bonus of the CAC sticker
Congrats!!!
BUT
I'm one of those guys that see that in order for it to be a "complete set" it has to contain the 1834 crosslet 4 coin.
That would, in my opinion, make it a "complete set"
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
Thanks for the compliments on the set. I understand your opinion that the Crosslet 4 is needed in order for the set to technically be “complete.” I’m not competing with anybody, so “completeness” here is just determined by my own personal goals and interests for the set. If the Redbook were written anew today, I question whether the Crosslet 4 would even be considered a major Redbook variety. The Crosslet 4 adds a fun additional challenge for Classic Head collectors, but I’m not tempted considering the high price tag.
+1
I’m working on a set right now and I’m going to complete it my way and I couldn’t care less what the Redbook, registry, or other collectors say. My set = My way.
Wouldn't an 1838 Classic Head $10 have been a magnificent one year type coin before they switched to the Liberty Head???
Totally agree. This would be a great idea for a fantasy coin overstruck on a half ounce AGE or even an old $10 gold coin. @dcarr would do a great job.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
stunning set!
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I have been hoping for some type of Classic Head DC item for a few years. An 1834-D (obv) $5 and $10 on a $5/$10 Liberty. Even have a couple host coins ready if/when it happens.
Successful BST with drddm, BustDMs, Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino
$5 Type Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/type-sets/half-eagle-type-set-circulation-strikes-1795-1929/album/344192
CBH Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/everyman-collections/everyman-half-dollars/everyman-capped-bust-half-dollars-1807-1839/album/345572
To complete "the Red Book set," here is an example of the 1834 crosslet 4 half eagle. This was the last coin I bought for my set.
Crosslet 4 detail
Plain 4 detail
@Wahoo554 Great looking set for sure!!! Congrats on putting together such a nice set.
@BillJones Love the 1834, she is a beauty!!!
Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
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Nice!!! Great series, great set.
Yea, it’s okay, but I had to pay too much for it. It had been in an AU holder where it belonged, but now it’s in an Unc. holder. I knew it was over graded and over priced, but the rest of my set is AU-55 or better, up to MS-63. Sticking an EF in that slot would have messed up the look of the set, so I buried myself in that coin. Sometimes, as Dr. Sheldon wrote in Penny Whimsy, “the bug bites hard.”
The number of survivors of that variety is quite low. “Coin Facts” says it’s 125 total pieces with 12 Mint State examples. My coin is not one of them.