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Starting an album I will never complete: Large Cents 1793 to 1857...WARNING! Ugly coins...

lkeneficlkenefic Posts: 8,160 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

I've been intrigued with large copper coins ever since I was a kid. I've reached a point in my Middle/Late Date series that I wanted a better solution than the 2x2 envelopes to view them. So, I started looking at albums... the usual Dansco, Whitman, etc... but someone suggested these: the Wayte Raymond series of albums... and they really caught my eye. I managed to score an entire Large Cent run... more than the other albums, but it's more than a Date Set too.

In some ways, I suppose this set also addresses a question recently posed about the fate of "Details Coins"... I offer this... Sifting through the offerings of corroded, damaged, bent, holed, brushed, whizzed, tooled, graffitied, and cleaned with a Brillo-pad coins... My bar for the early pieces (1793-1796) in this collection was a readable date and as little corrosion as possible. I'm shooting for G4 details... we'll see... lol!

Here are a few...

1795 Liberty Cap, Plain Edge. I liked this one for the clipped planchet and the bold date. The coin has decent color overall but a fine microporosity is evident under a loupe. Coin might have been smoothed...

1796 Draped Bust. Tougher type coin to find nice... this one is corroded and cleaned but still has a bit of meat on it... a bold date... and I was able to buy something else...

1808 Classic Head. This old girl just looks well worn...

Collecting: Dansco 7070; Middle Date Large Cents (VF-AU); Box of 20;

Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.

Comments

  • NysotoNysoto Posts: 3,818 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Your coins in this post are not ugly at all for anyone who collects well-circulated early copper. You will get completely different responses about "details coins" with the PCGS forum vs a group of EAC members. Collecting circulated early copper is a different world, and one that I like. Penny-Wise is a great publication with some very well researched articles.

    The only question you need to answer is: Do I like the coin? Just make sure it is authentic and go for it. Don't worry about internet show and tell, registries, etc. It is your collection, and I think you will finish.

    Robert Scot: Engraving Liberty - biography of US Mint's first chief engraver
  • alaura22alaura22 Posts: 3,194 ✭✭✭✭✭

    WOW
    Funny
    I just started this set as well :)
    Good luck to both of us

    Mike
    My Indians
    Danco Set

  • U1chicagoU1chicago Posts: 6,036 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That’s a cool set and the coins you have so far are a great start. Keep collecting as you like and enjoy the journey.

  • lkeneficlkenefic Posts: 8,160 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Nysoto said:
    Your coins in this post are not ugly at all for anyone who collects well-circulated early copper. You will get completely different responses about "details coins" with the PCGS forum vs a group of EAC members. Collecting circulated early copper is a different world, and one that I like. Penny-Wise is a great publication with some very well researched articles.

    The only question you need to answer is: Do I like the coin? Just make sure it is authentic and go for it. Don't worry about internet show and tell, registries, etc. It is your collection, and I think you will finish.

    Thanks for the encouragement. I was a little facetious about "ugly"... they're definitely not the usual MS Morgan dollar and I'm drawn to them for the early pre-industrial revolution minting practices they exhibit... overdates, errors, spectacular die cracks, etc... I did Middle Dates and later in mostly VF to AU. I knew there was no way my budget could accommodate that for the earlier issues. I'm looking for a decent 1793, but will likely buy a certified one, and it will likely be the more common Vine and Bars... so, the three holes in the Wayte Raymond album will stay empty even if I owned a coin to fill the hole... I'm NOT going to crack one. Ditto for the 1804 and 1799 holes... if i ever get there.

    Best, Leo...

    Collecting: Dansco 7070; Middle Date Large Cents (VF-AU); Box of 20;

    Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
  • NysotoNysoto Posts: 3,818 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There is definitely nothing wrong with buying a details slab chain cent, 1799, or 1804, if a collector likes the coin. I would also tend to keep them in slabs for the next owner, details or graded, mainly for authenticity reasons.

    I have an assortment of early copper, some for type, and a small collection of lower grade 1794 cents, mostly in graded slabs. Even with graded liberty cap cents that are well circulated, there is often corrosion, scratches, edge dings, cleaning and various issues - just to a lesser degree than details slabs. I think PCGS does a good job of making that distinction.

    This is a 1794 cent of mine with a VG8 grade. Not original and has been cleaned in the past IMO. I like the coin

    Robert Scot: Engraving Liberty - biography of US Mint's first chief engraver
  • lkeneficlkenefic Posts: 8,160 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I've got a few slabbed early type pieces. I like the surfaces on your 1794... nice. Bold date too. Mine is weakly struck at the date but I liked the details, color and surfaces. Unfortunately, no Trueview. I also have a 1797 Half Cent in a details holder... with a TV...




    Collecting: Dansco 7070; Middle Date Large Cents (VF-AU); Box of 20;

    Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
  • lcutlerlcutler Posts: 553 ✭✭✭✭

    I've been working on a large cent set for several years, only five empty holes, but unfortunately three of those holes are going to stay empty! I just don't think the 1793 Liberty cap, 1799 and 1804 are going to happen.

  • Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 11,445 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Nysoto said:
    There is definitely nothing wrong with buying a details slab chain cent, 1799, or 1804, if a collector likes the coin. I would also tend to keep them in slabs for the next owner, details or graded, mainly for authenticity reasons.

    I sold my LC album to a forum friend last year, as I had decided many of the coins I had acquired were too valuable to crack out, or if raw, should be slabbed. I really like seeing them in an album, and considered doing a lower grade raw set in addition to the slabbed set, but the cost was too formidable.

    Successful BST transactions with 171 members. Ebeneezer, Tonedeaf, Shane6596, Piano1, Ikenefic, RG, PCGSPhoto, stman, Don'tTelltheWife, Boosibri, Ron1968, snowequities, VTchaser, jrt103, SurfinxHI, 78saen, bp777, FHC, RYK, JTHawaii, Opportunity, Kliao, bigtime36, skanderbeg, split37, thebigeng, acloco, Toninginthblood, OKCC, braddick, Coinflip, robcool, fastfreddie, tightbudget, DBSTrader2, nickelsciolist, relaxn, Eagle eye, soldi, silverman68, ElKevvo, sawyerjosh, Schmitz7, talkingwalnut2, konsole, sharkman987, sniocsu, comma, jesbroken, David1234, biosolar, Sullykerry, Moldnut, erwindoc, MichaelDixon, GotTheBug
  • EbeneezerEbeneezer Posts: 301 ✭✭✭

    I applaud your ambition! This is how a collector should be, yet so many of them refuse to begin the earlier coinage for the reasons mentioned. Which is a true travesty. I for one am exactly like yourself with those Seated Liberty dimes, 31 from complete- 15 to 20 I'll most likely not be in the care of.

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 33,991 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have been dabbling with a large cent date set for a few years. My tastes have been too lofty at times. I need to get away from the Mint State and AU pieces and look more for nice VFs, which seem to be harder to find than you might think. The type collection did give me a small head start with coins like the 1793 Chain and Wreath Cents.

    The biggest mountain for me is the 1799. I’ve watched dealers pay $1,600+ years ago for raw examples of that date which were attributable only by the reverse. I would need to find one with a date.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,780 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 11, 2024 7:36AM

    When I young, we visited the Vineland NJ historical society building. Inside a glass case they had a full set of large cents, held fast to the display board by four pins. In all theory, this “should” still be there but knowing how local historical societies operate, with some volunteers and others getting sticky fingers….”losing stuff”. (Ask me how i loaned {with paperwork that I Loaned it} I know, my Grandfathers booze still from his speakeasy in the basement…….all copper……. Mysteriously “Misplaced”. I know who took it but he’s worm food now.)

  • rec78rec78 Posts: 5,737 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The 1793 Liberty cap was the hardest one for me. I still do not have it after all these years. I did get the 1799 but the dealer would not break the set and made me buy the whole set 1794-1857. Glad I did, I got many very nice early large cents.

    image

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