What series is collected the most today?

Vetter

I know when I was young the Lincoln Cents were popular with the “younger” group and the Morgan’s were the hot coin with the older/ wealthier group. I’m just curious what coins are collected by date/ mintmark today?

hfjacinto

I think for collectors its either Lincoln cents or American Silver Eagles.

For the average person, its US state quarters, I don't know of anyone that doesn't have a set.

cmerlo1

Moderns that have been run over by multiple cars in parking lots.

Kliao

At least when I got started it was wheat cents that later turned into buffalo nickels. Overall I would say Morgans are still number one.

Fraz

@cmerlo1 said:
Moderns that have been run over by multiple cars in parking lots.

I have some ATBs that I threw under a MacLaren.

NeophyteNumismatist

By the looks of every local and national coin show it's Morgan Dollars. Nearly every dealer table is littered with them. They are the hay in the haystack, and it actually fatigues me at shows. But, I know that dealers would not carry such volumes if they did not sell...so I have to assume they are making hay (and there are less collectors of the needles).

keyman64

This topic comes up from time to time.
A good way to get an idea to the popularity (for slabbed coins at least) is to go into PCGS Registry sets and take note of how many sets there are in the different categories of interest. That should give you a rough estimate on popularity.

Extremeengineer

@Fraz said:

@cmerlo1 said:
Moderns that have been run over by multiple cars in parking lots.

I have some ATBs that I threw under a MacLaren.

Even if they were real they have no value post run over since the extra a makes it counterfeit.

I would think that Lincolns would still be at the top, but maybe Morgans have overtaken them.

may

@Extremeengineer said:

@Fraz said:

@cmerlo1 said:
Moderns that have been run over by multiple cars in parking lots.

I have some ATBs that I threw under a MacLaren.

Even if they were real they have no value post run over since the extra a makes it counterfeit.

I would think that Lincolns would still be at the top, but maybe Morgans have overtaken them.

DisneyFan

@NeophyteNumismatist said:
By the looks of every local and national coin show it's Morgan Dollars. Nearly every dealer table is littered with them. They are the hay in the haystack, and it actually fatigues me at shows. But, I know that dealers would not carry such volumes if they did not sell...so I have to assume they are making hay (and there are less collectors of the needles).

Let's face it, are you going to tell friends you collect pennies or or you going to tell them you collect silver dollars?

P0CKETCHANGE

@DisneyFan said:
Let's face it, are you going to tell friends you collect pennies or or you going to tell them you collect silver dollars?

You should see the puzzled looks on people's faces when I tell them I collect twenty cent pieces. And I get them from collectors and dealers in the hobby too, not just non-numismatic normies.

NeophyteNumismatist

@DisneyFan said:

@NeophyteNumismatist said:
By the looks of every local and national coin show it's Morgan Dollars. Nearly every dealer table is littered with them. They are the hay in the haystack, and it actually fatigues me at shows. But, I know that dealers would not carry such volumes if they did not sell...so I have to assume they are making hay (and there are less collectors of the needles).

Let's face it, are you going to tell friends you collect pennies or or you going to tell them you collect silver dollars?

I collect half cents..... lowest denomination value, lowest bullion value there is.... I am an idiot (...an idiot in love with half cents ).

124Spider

@DisneyFan said:

Let's face it, are you going to tell friends you collect pennies or or you going to tell them you collect silver dollars?

Yes.

PerryHall

@NeophyteNumismatist said:

@DisneyFan said:

@NeophyteNumismatist said:
By the looks of every local and national coin show it's Morgan Dollars. Nearly every dealer table is littered with them. They are the hay in the haystack, and it actually fatigues me at shows. But, I know that dealers would not carry such volumes if they did not sell...so I have to assume they are making hay (and there are less collectors of the needles).

Let's face it, are you going to tell friends you collect pennies or or you going to tell them you collect silver dollars?

I collect half cents..... lowest denomination value, lowest bullion value there is.... I am an idiot (...an idiot in love with half cents ).

Small cents have a lower bullion value than half cents.

Copperindian

My guess would be the same as it was years ago - Morgans & Lincolns.

NeophyteNumismatist

@PerryHall said:

@NeophyteNumismatist said:

@DisneyFan said:

@NeophyteNumismatist said:
By the looks of every local and national coin show it's Morgan Dollars. Nearly every dealer table is littered with them. They are the hay in the haystack, and it actually fatigues me at shows. But, I know that dealers would not carry such volumes if they did not sell...so I have to assume they are making hay (and there are less collectors of the needles).

Let's face it, are you going to tell friends you collect pennies or or you going to tell them you collect silver dollars?

I collect half cents..... lowest denomination value, lowest bullion value there is.... I am an idiot (...an idiot in love with half cents ).

Small cents have a lower bullion value than half cents.

Sapyx

Given that the vast majority of people that are doing this collecting are people that we would label as "casual collectors" or "not serious", I would surmise that the answer would remain a toss-up between Lincoln cents and US State quarters.

Worldwide, I'd think the answer would still be the same - these "casual coin collectors" in the US outnumber those in every other country put together. And most collectors outside the US just collect "coins", they don't break it down and only collect one or two "series". Even the euro collecting craze in Europe is dwarfed in comparison.

DisneyFan

@Sapyx said:
Given that the vast majority of people that are doing this collecting are people that we would label as "casual collectors" or "not serious", I would surmise that the answer would remain a toss-up between Lincoln cents and US State quarters.

In that case I would think it would lean towards the state and national park quarters

Walkerfan

From what I’ve witnessed Morgans are the most popular.

winesteven

The Morgan DATE Registry set has over 1,300 participants.

The Lincoln Wheat DATE set and Basic Set (with all of the mint marks) have 655 participants COMBINED! Many of those with the Basic Set also participate in the DATE set Registry, so there really are fewer than 655.

Steve

hfjacinto

On NGC the most popular sets are Bullion with Silver Eagles ruling supreme at 18,000 sets.

But I don't think the person that collects cents is on the registry set, they most likely have a bunch of Whitman folders.

BLUEJAYWAY

In my orbit no one collects coins with any regularity. They may find in circ. the occasional Lincoln Wheatie or some silver.
For myself started with Wheats/Memorials. Migrated to Merc. dimes stayed with them for a number of years. Still favor them but also enjoy the vintage Peace dollars. And still retain error coinage from years ago.

Project Numismatics

I suspect silver eagles followed by modern proof sets and then Morgans. But I have no data to back it up other than the observation that the Mint sells a lot of silver eagles and proof sets every year.

Morgan13

If I had the money I would collect everything. I think it's all beautiful. Especially Morgan's. For me it's Morgan PL and DMPL's. I lean towards PL because theu are cheaper and almost the same as most DMPL's. Especially when your picky about them.

split37

Morgan Dollars are the most widely collected numismatica of value as is evidenced by price points to entry for amount of available pieces and conversely, enormous prices of actual scarce or rare pieces. Within the space there are many subgenres one can collect, but as a whole, Morgans reign. The registry at PCGS and NGC also supports this via number of sets and sub-categories.

Another support of this thesis is breadth of inventory at coin shows. Overwhelmingly, at every show I have ever been to, Morgans take first place in availability and representation.

There are so many quality examples that exist, one can easily see the merits of the series.

TheGoonies1985

In the USA I would think dollars & cents.

Jacques_Loungecoque

From what I’ve seen the leaders are ASEs, Morgans, and world silver bullion, (Australian, Canadian, and Chinese predominantly). Oddly enough I see A LOT of “generic” proof sets moving.

That’s what I see. Mercury dimes, and Lincolns were bigger 20 years ago but seem to have fallen off. Washington silver had a brief surge early 2000’s as well.

CRHer700

From the looks at shows, Morgans are the established kings of tables. Just what I've noticed. I mainly collect wheaties, buffaloes, and Rosies.

Dave99B

Lincoln cents, and it’s not even close.

Dave

124Spider

I have no idea, but I would be surprised if it were not Lincoln cents or Morgan dollars.

And, FWIW, of the series I collect (all significant series started in the 20th century, not made of gold, plus Morgan dollars), the Morgan dollars, top to bottom, have appreciated the most in the last several years.

emeraldATV

@Dave99B said:
Lincoln cents, and it’s not even close.

Dave

Although, keep in mind, The lincoln Cents are not as an expensive start or venture, within a hobby.
With so many minted each year, their always available to hunt. Keeps me busy anyway. it's like doing a press check.
Zinc cents are the perfect speed bump. (don't ask why)
As some may understand or will someday.

BLUEJAYWAY

Must be cents. As most of the parking lot finds come from that realm.

Zwiggy

I’d actually say that it would be quarters, I know so many informal coin collectors who still collect the various quarter designs issued in the last 25 years.

For those willing to spend money buying coins it would be Morgans and silver eagles. In general though, I feel that younger numismatists tend to collect by type over any series.

ARCO

For non modern coinage and based on the monstrously high certified coins available compared to the prices, it seems it would be lincoln cents and Morgan dollars.

jesbroken

@DisneyFan said:

@NeophyteNumismatist said:
By the looks of every local and national coin show it's Morgan Dollars. Nearly every dealer table is littered with them. They are the hay in the haystack, and it actually fatigues me at shows. But, I know that dealers would not carry such volumes if they did not sell...so I have to assume they are making hay (and there are less collectors of the needles).

Let's face it, are you going to tell friends you collect pennies or or you going to tell them you collect silver dollars?

Last person I would tell that I collect coins(other than forum friends and they already know).
Jim

OnlyGoldIsMoney

@DisneyFan said:

@NeophyteNumismatist said:
By the looks of every local and national coin show it's Morgan Dollars. Nearly every dealer table is littered with them. They are the hay in the haystack, and it actually fatigues me at shows. But, I know that dealers would not carry such volumes if they did not sell...so I have to assume they are making hay (and there are less collectors of the needles).

Let's face it, are you going to tell friends you collect pennies or or you going to tell them you collect silver dollars?

I get a lot of confused looks when I tell people I collect quarter eagles. Trying to explain often deepens the confusion.

DisneyFan

@OnlyGoldIsMoney said:

@DisneyFan said:

@NeophyteNumismatist said:
By the looks of every local and national coin show it's Morgan Dollars. Nearly every dealer table is littered with them. They are the hay in the haystack, and it actually fatigues me at shows. But, I know that dealers would not carry such volumes if they did not sell...so I have to assume they are making hay (and there are less collectors of the needles).

Let's face it, are you going to tell friends you collect pennies or or you going to tell them you collect silver dollars?

I get a lot of confused looks when I tell people I collect quarter eagles. Trying to explain often deepens the confusion.

$2 1/2 gold pieces will really get their attention.

BryceM

Around here it seems to be plastic and stickers that people collect above all else..... so probably that.

Apart from that, at all levels, if you include everyone, it's probably Lincoln cents. A few years back it probably would have been statehood quarters. In 1977, it might have been bicentennial quarters, half dollars, and dollars.

If you include coins worth more than their face value -- actually found while searching or purchased for a premium, things change. It's a much smaller group of collectors, and it will possibly be a different series. Mercs, Morgans, Buff nickels, and Walkers come to mind.

If you are discussing 5 and 6-figure coins, it's a very small group of collectors and their favorite series might be Saints.

erscolo

I for one have not collected Morgan (or Peace) Dollars since I sold mine in January 1980. I would agree that this place is the plastic and sticker set of collectors. Beyond that, I collect what I like and never think much about what others collect. Everyone has different interests, and some even collect coins of one sort or another.

mr1931S

@DisneyFan said:

@NeophyteNumismatist said:
By the looks of every local and national coin show it's Morgan Dollars. Nearly every dealer table is littered with them. They are the hay in the haystack, and it actually fatigues me at shows. But, I know that dealers would not carry such volumes if they did not sell...so I have to assume they are making hay (and there are less collectors of the needles).

Let's face it, are you going to tell friends you collect pennies or or you going to tell them you collect silver dollars?

I did face it and concluded that I would rather not have "friends" who would look down their nose at me were I to tell them I collect pennies.

HillbillyCollector

So over the Holidays, my uncle said he wouldn’t mind collecting a nice, impressive series, maybe less than 20 coins, that he could have some fun with. He also said he didn’t want a series that everyone had.
So……….. I suggested perhaps completing a set of Draped Bust $10s. Said I thought it met his requirements and assured him that not everyone would have ‘em!🤣
>
Wish I could be have been there when he actually started researching them!😂
Well, cost was one of the things that wasn’t brought up, and it will be ‘impressive’ if he completes the series.😉

DisneyFan

@mr1931S said:

@DisneyFan said:

@NeophyteNumismatist said:
By the looks of every local and national coin show it's Morgan Dollars. Nearly every dealer table is littered with them. They are the hay in the haystack, and it actually fatigues me at shows. But, I know that dealers would not carry such volumes if they did not sell...so I have to assume they are making hay (and there are less collectors of the needles).

Let's face it, are you going to tell friends you collect pennies or or you going to tell them you collect silver dollars?

I did face it and concluded that I would rather not have "friends" who would look down their nose at me were I to tell them I collect pennies.

I had a lot of fun when I was in Tiffany's previewing diamond engagement rings for my son who was planning to propose to his then girl friend. This was 20 years ago. After viewing a few rings I pulled out my PR65RB 1877 Indian Head penny I had just purchased that day and shared that it was of equal value to his rings,

ifthevamzarockin

1) Lincoln cents
2) Morgan Dollars

silviosi

I colect series, but been majority of time in errors and varieties I can say the Lincons by pass all the others. For shows and Dealears No 1 is Morgan's.

IMHO here majority go for Gold series, which it is specific for this place. On others forums, 20 Lincons to one of other coins series.

WCC

@Sapyx said:
Given that the vast majority of people that are doing this collecting are people that we would label as "casual collectors" or "not serious", I would surmise that the answer would remain a toss-up between Lincoln cents and US State quarters.

Worldwide, I'd think the answer would still be the same - these "casual coin collectors" in the US outnumber those in every other country put together. And most collectors outside the US just collect "coins", they don't break it down and only collect one or two "series". Even the euro collecting craze in Europe is dwarfed in comparison.

This

Didn't read all the posts but the Morgan dollar is too expensive for most collectors to buy in any series format unless the definition of collector is narrow.

If collecting out of circulation is excluded, I still infer it's the Lincoln wheat cent. The ASE is probably second but much of this collecting seems to be quasi-stacking. Given the supply, a majority of buyers for the most common Morgan dates must either be "investors", collectors buying multiples for "investment", or maybe impulse purchases by non-collectors from a source like coin TV. The evidence doesn't indicate there are anywhere near enough hobbyist collectors for the supply of 1881-S or similar dates.