Numismatic Goals for 2026

bosox

So, what are your collecting goals going forward? What White Whale are you looking for?

For me, I am trying to decide how serious I am about completing the classic Canada gold sets. The proof will be if find and buy a 1916-C sovereign, the rarest coin in the set, with less than 50 known. I will be looking for one of the PCGS examples in 64, of which there are 8 (there are none in 65). If I find one available, then I will see if I reach for it. The two monsters in 66 are beyond my economic reach.

pruebas

I’ve got a list 2 miles long, but what I buy mostly depends on what other collectors decide to sell or what gets newly discovered in my areas of interest.

Money plays a factor as well…. 🤑🥴

cinque1543

As I mentioned previously, I started to build a 9-coin set of French 20-franc gold Napoleons. I have 4 coins so far, and was hoping to add to the set in 2026. But given the current price of gold, I’ll probably be sitting on the sidelines. The market is just too pricey.

Göttinger

As usual I'll keep an eye open for nice renaissance and baroque era low denomination coins from the cities of Braunschweig, Hannover, Göttingen, Hildesheim, Northeim, Einbeck, Hameln and other places in southern Lower Saxony. A medieval coin from the Bishopic of Hildesheim would be nice aswell.

I should also keep my habit of saving all the money from recycling bottles & cans plus the spendable coins I find on the ground (circa 675 Dollars this year).
Usually I use this "free" money to buy a gold coin towards the end of the year, but this december gold is just too expensive for me.
So if I keep on saving, hopefully I can get a nice coin next year. A 40 Lire from Parma would be great, but a Sovereign (joung head Victoria), a 5 Dollars (Liberty Head) or a Prussian 20 Mark (1913 / 1914) are also pretty neat options.

Coinlover101

I have a toe in betaalpennings and am contemplating whether I should put a whole foot in. Reference books from the low country clearing houses would be a great help but I dont know if they exist. Reference material is my next step before I take the plunge.

OnlyGoldIsMoney

My main goal is to add coins I need for my 1840-1907 $2.50 Liberty set in PCGS/CAC....increasingly difficult at this point.

For my "One per Century" set I need to add a 3rd Century B.C. example. Otherwise I will try to upgrade coins already in that set covering 27 centuries.

cinque1543

@OnlyGoldIsMoney said:
Otherwise I will try to upgrade coins already in that set covering 27 centuries.

A coin-per-century set is such a great idea. For each century, how do you determine which coin you want?

The_Dinosaur_Man

I'll be content to set up at more shows and sell more books. I'll keep up with my half dime and seated dime collections and add world coins as needed to get proper measurements of their diameters

OnlyGoldIsMoney

@cinque1543 said:

@OnlyGoldIsMoney said:
Otherwise I will try to upgrade coins already in that set covering 27 centuries.

A coin-per-century set is such a great idea. For each century, how do you determine which coin you want?

cinque1543, I have no set rules except for trying to add one gold or electrum coin per century. Availablity and affordability determine what I add. I strive to add larger diameter coins like the British Guinea, Spanish 8 Escudos or US $20 Double Eagle. During the earliest period Ionian/Lydian coins are the only types available. Later in the Hellenistic period you have numerous choices in gold. For periods like the 1st through 7th century AD the choices are more limited - Roman (aureus), Byzantine (solidus) or Sassanian (dinar). Post 1300 AD choices expand as various kingdoms/empires in Europe, Africa and Asia were minting gold coins.

Hallco

Continue to research, educate myself with this segment of the coin universe, add to my excessively humble collection with only pieces I find truly interesting or eye appealing and comment on the forum when I feel inspired.

Boosibri

Don’t lose the big ones

cinque1543

@OnlyGoldIsMoney said:

@cinque1543 said:

@OnlyGoldIsMoney said:
Otherwise I will try to upgrade coins already in that set covering 27 centuries.

A coin-per-century set is such a great idea. For each century, how do you determine which coin you want?

cinque1543, I have no set rules except for trying to add one gold or electrum coin per century.

Nothing wrong with an eclectic collection. The history in all those coins must be astounding.

You mentioned that your set covers 27 centuries, so I guess your oldest coin is from 700 BCE or thereabouts. Just curious, what is that coin?

OnlyGoldIsMoney

@cinque1543 said:

@OnlyGoldIsMoney said:

@cinque1543 said:

@OnlyGoldIsMoney said:
Otherwise I will try to upgrade coins already in that set covering 27 centuries.

A coin-per-century set is such a great idea. For each century, how do you determine which coin you want?

cinque1543, I have no set rules except for trying to add one gold or electrum coin per century.

Nothing wrong with an eclectic collection. The history in all those coins must be astounding.

You mentioned that your set covers 27 centuries, so I guess your oldest coin is from 700 BCE or thereabouts. Just curious, what is that coin?

Here is my 7th century BC example.

cinque1543

@OnlyGoldIsMoney said:
Here is my 7th century BC example.

Nice. Thanks for sharing.

MEJ7070

-Put a dent in Brazil 960R set (but don’t rush to do it and keep standard high)

-Ditto for for Foreign Coins in Early America set.

-Build some type of “set” of scarce Mexican minors…..I have no interest in going after common dates so a standard date set won’t be for me, but I do enjoy putting “sets” together, so coming up with some parameters for the issues to go after is on my to do list.

SimonW

-Mostly the same for me the last six years. Minors of the Spanish colonial mints. XF and up (or the best grade I can find, some don’t show up in high grade.)
-Any Guatemala pillar minor, milled or cob (emphasis on Reals and 2 Reales.)
-All milled pillar minors from Peru
-All milled pillars from Bolivia
-All Bolivian Republic (not proclamation)
-Types of Mexico and early coinage (cobs and portraits)
-Early Santiago 1/2, 1, 2 minors

Also, lazily collecting:
-One per monarch English (back burner set)
-One per Ruler Roman ancient (back burner set)

I also have:

-US box of 20
-Box of twenty “story coins” ones with a cool story.

These two are complete but evolve over time as I find coins with cooler stories or nicer pieces.

I also pay attention to pedigreed coins when I can.

Too much? 😂

I have a few white whales:

1830 IL Bolivia 2 Sol
1831 2 Sol
1751 1/2 or 1 real from Peru

pruebas

@MEJ7070 said:
-Put a dent in Brazil 960R set (but don’t rush to do it and keep standard high)

-Ditto for for Foreign Coins in Early America set.

-Build some type of “set” of scarce Mexican minors…..I have no interest in going after common dates so a standard date set won’t be for me, but I do enjoy putting “sets” together, so coming up with some parameters for the issues to go after is on my to do list.

The problem is that you cannot know which Mexican minors are scarce or rare without many years experience and watching auctions as the catalogs are all wrong.

Richard Long solved this problem for gold with his book (though it is now 20 years old), but minor silver remains an enigma to most.

There is one book that discusses some of them, but the book is rarer than the coins (I don’t even have a copy despite knowing the author).

threefifty

There is one book that discusses some of them, but the book is rarer than the coins (I don’t even have a copy despite knowing the author).

Is that the book "A Minor Challenge"? I was asking around a few places a year or two back for that one, didn't get very far.

MEJ7070

@pruebas said:

@MEJ7070 said:
-Put a dent in Brazil 960R set (but don’t rush to do it and keep standard high)

-Ditto for for Foreign Coins in Early America set.

-Build some type of “set” of scarce Mexican minors…..I have no interest in going after common dates so a standard date set won’t be for me, but I do enjoy putting “sets” together, so coming up with some parameters for the issues to go after is on my to do list.

The problem is that you cannot know which Mexican minors are scarce or rare without many years experience and watching auctions as the catalogs are all wrong.

Richard Long solved this problem for gold with his book (though it is now 20 years old), but minor silver remains an enigma to most.

There is one book that discusses some of them, but the book is rarer than the coins (I don’t even have a copy despite knowing the author).

Oh I definitely know that I know nothing as a complete newb/rookie on this side of the fence……especially when discussing the intricacies of such a niche area.

So definitely didn’t mean to insinuate that I’m just gonna come prancing along and just figure it all out haha. In the meantime I’ll be continuing to pay close attention to what you guys are saying.

For me personally, the murkiness and lack of concrete information youre describing adds to the allure. I was taught coins from my grandfather and he was as pure a Red Book collector/devote as you would ever find. (He could flat out grade though). So I collected that way until I became a young adult, when I put my first registry set together (Barber quarters) and learned real quick that mintage figures and market availability of quality examples are two entirely different things, for a myriad of reasons.

Anyway, your point is very well taken, and appreciated.

pruebas

Let me give you an example. I bought the finest known 1859-PiMC 4 Real (NGC AU53) on eBay 13 years ago. (Yes, @Abuelo I do buy on eBay!) The coin has 5 known in all grades, and when I was collecting Republic 4 Reales, I had an AG example that I paid $1000 for from a dealer. The only other highish grade example is a Details coin, but unslabbed (and I’ve seen it).

I no longer collect 4 Reales, and I’d love to sell the coin, but no one would pay what it’s “worth” as no one knows how rare it is. And a 53 as finest known? What kind of risk would someone take on that? I couldn’t sell my AG for a profit back when I got the AU either. The Potosi specialists (who actually live in San Luis Potosi) wouldn’t pay even what I paid for it.

If there were a few specialists collecting these now, a few might fight for it at auction. But there isn’t and I suspect at auction it’s going to a dealer for cheap.

So even if you know what is rare, when it comes time to sell, how do your buyers know that said coins are rare and finest known?

I got out of Mexican silver minors for mainly this reason (that and it’s an impossible task). All I have now are a few “wonder coins” like that 4R.

pruebas

@threefifty said:

There is one book that discusses some of them, but the book is rarer than the coins (I don’t even have a copy despite knowing the author).

Is that the book "A Minor Challenge"? I was asking around a few places a year or two back for that one, didn't get very far.

Yes, that’s it. Never even seen it. And I even bought some of his coins!

BTW, it took Richard Long at least 20 years of research to create his book (pre-internet). And it got a poor review in The Numismatist when released, despite him being very pro-ANA for years and having worked there in the early years. Needless to say, he never did anything for ANA from that point onward.

Abuelo

Mexican minors, both in reales and decimal, are not heavily collected so you could get very rare coins for nearly free, but you will likely lose money. Like @pruebas example. I do not know anyone who is trying to complete a 4 reales set.

anthonythecoinman

@Abuelo said:
Mexican minors, both in reales and decimal, are not heavily collected so you could get very rare coins for nearly free, but you will likely lose money. Like @pruebas example. I do not know anyone who is trying to complete a 4 reales set.

This is interesting and I have noted this for my own curiosity!

bosox

OT - several of my Canadian trials and patterns resemble the remarks by @pruebas above. How do you get fair market value when few know how f'ing rare they are.

Abuelo

@bosox said:
OT - several of my Canadian trials and patterns resemble the remarks by @pruebas above. How do you get fair market value when few know how f'ing rare they are.

I guess the fair market value consideres that the coin has X demand. If there is no demand, the value is not there, no matter how rare. Sad but true.

pruebas

@bosox said:
OT - several of my Canadian trials and patterns resemble the remarks by @pruebas above. How do you get fair market value when few know how f'ing rare they are.

You need to write the book (which you did). And I need to do the same.

I’d be happy to buy your coins!

bosox

My question was rhetorical. Demand trumps supply every day. I can only hope the info in my books raises some demand. Regardless, I would not change a thing. It has been a great ride learning about and owning these treasures.

bosox

Love well-researched coin books. @pruebas , let me know when you publish. I want an autographed copy. Now get on it.

SonnyD

Honestly I have no idea.
Kinda burned out a little, does that happen to anyone?

Boosibri

@pruebas said:

@MEJ7070 said:
-Put a dent in Brazil 960R set (but don’t rush to do it and keep standard high)

-Ditto for for Foreign Coins in Early America set.

-Build some type of “set” of scarce Mexican minors…..I have no interest in going after common dates so a standard date set won’t be for me, but I do enjoy putting “sets” together, so coming up with some parameters for the issues to go after is on my to do list.

The problem is that you cannot know which Mexican minors are scarce or rare without many years experience and watching auctions as the catalogs are all wrong.

Richard Long solved this problem for gold with his book (though it is now 20 years old), but minor silver remains an enigma to most.

There is one book that discusses some of them, but the book is rarer than the coins (I don’t even have a copy despite knowing the author).

I had the book and sold it because I didn’t find it very helpful in figuring out which was rare and which wasn’t.

syl

Well, bosox's books were both well-researched and well-accepted. He brought many "rarities" to the forefront and are greatly appreciated by the Canadian collecting community. Some of his specimens are remarkable.

anthonythecoinman

My Goals for 2026 I guess is similar to 2025!

1) More Thalers from my usual place or "source" -- a coin shop.
2) Chinese Coins
3) Other interesting crowns like from Mexico!

Zohar

1) Stay disciplined trying to buy the best I could afford/find
2) Prune where needed
3) Stray away from core Habsburg set for neat type crowns

Happy new year!

lordmarcovan

I still need a Caballito peso, for one thing. Not a Gem or anything- just a 62-63 with nice luster would do it for me.