Classic Commems
jfriedm56
Posts: 2,821 ✭✭✭✭✭
Working on my 2nd “box of 20” Classic silver commems. About half way there with some new purchases. Really a fun and diverse set to assemble. What are your thoughts on the current state of this niche in the market? I know it was popular, then fell out of favor for quite some time. Like a roller coaster it saw wild swings up and down. Do those who collect or have followed this series, see any upward trend as I’ve heard from certain dealers whom I’ve purchased from that there seems to be a renewed interest and appreciation for them. Your thoughts? Just wondering. I am enamored by this series. Thanks Zack.
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Comments
Very nice @jfriedm56
I have only been collecting them for about 6 months but the competition is fierce to win them at auction. I saw one dealer clear out all 20-25 that he had posted on his site during the FUN show. Sales must have been brisk there.
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
It's an interesting series. I did the 50 piece (BU) set in a Dansco years ago. There are some really great coins. There are also some dogs like "York County". A box of 20 seems like a better approach to avoid the dregs.
I did the full 50 piece set in MS65 (since disbursed). I like most of the designs although I agree that a box of 20 is the better path as there are some uninspiring coins in there.
However, the availability of the set makes it not that satisfying to put put together as a set. I don't ever see an upward trend in value (beyond other numismatics) because the coins are SO available.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
I had the number one 144 piece set for 4 years, I do not recommend that as the 50 piece type set, carefully assembled based on your love of white vs color coins, is a more prudent approach.
I've heard the following comments from the big dealers over the years: commems move with the overall coin market (not true anymore), they are very common coins in high grades because they never circulated like "real coins" and are not truly rare, and Laura once asked me why all her commem customers were doctors, to which I had no answer. LOL
Commems and Early Type
@pcgscacgold
@Morgan White
@lermish
@CommemDude
Thank you all for your responses. The only thing I can say in response to your comments is that I really like the classic series so much and love collecting them, that this will continue to be a focus of mine for some time to come. My goal is to build as many boxes of 20 as possible along with my other coin collecting endeavors. Thanks again.
Zack.
Nice coins. If you have any interest in doubled dies, there is a DDO for the Stone Mountain commem [FS-101] with doubling in the date and "Stone Mountain."
Just remember...the advice you receive on the site is worth every bit of what you paid for it.
I don’t collect the DD’s, but thanks for the suggestion.
I've always thought they were underappreciated. They are a fun, diverse set. But I think they are more likely to become less appreciated than more. Lol
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
I have appreciated commems since I started collecting. I finally "finished" my 144 coin set this January thanks to @PeakRarities and @Davidk7 . The word finished is in quotes since I want a few mre upgrades.
Since I resumed collecting circa 1992, commemoratives seem to have been on a permanent downward trend. While that means I have lost a ton of money on my purchases, it also means that I have been able to purchase higher grade coins. Yeah, I know gradeflation exists but I still think that prices have fallen faster than grades have inflated. As far as the future goes, it's hard to see why there should be strong (or even a weak) upward price trend. But @jfriedm56 , because you are on the buying side of the market, this may be exactly what you want to hear.
There are some interesting books written about commemoratives that makes collecting the series even more fun_. Commemorative Coins of the United States : A Complete Encyclopedia by Q. David Bowers is a very good book. Yes, it's old but the stories it tells about how the coins were marketed are as true today as they were back then.
@Mark, thanks for your insight. By saying you’ve lost a ton of money on your purchases, how do prices you paid in the nineties compare to those of today? As an example of what I’m asking, a coin like the 1925 Stone Mountain in a PCGS 67 grade. What would be the price comparison when you purchased as opposed to today? I have no reference point for comparison. Just wondering if I’m paying more now than you paid at the height of their popularity. Thanks Zack.
I put together the 50 piece type set in MS-63 to 66 with average coming in at MS-64. Financially it’s been a loser. Some of the better ones, like the Hawaiian, have done well, but others, like the Delaware and Sesquicentennial have dropped a ton. Since I bought the gold types too, I more than made up for the losses with the two Pan Pacific $50 coins, but most collectors can’t afford those.
@jfriedm56 ....trust me, you are paying way less than we did in the 1990s. There were 7 antietam MS68s for many years, and we all knew who had them. I paid 21k for a stunning rainbow coin from a certain famous card, in a rattler and eventually cac approved, and was thrilled to unload it for that same price ten years ago. My MS67 Stone Mountain was light gold, in an OGH, and cost 2k...... compare that to dozens more graded into existence and now costing around $700.
Commems and Early Type
I can't answer for a coin like an untoned Stone Mountain in 67, but I was also around in the early 1990 when @Mark started his set, and I owned quite a few early commems at that time. My recollection is that untoned coins in the highest grades have not held their value the way really nicely toned coins have. So, while a white Stone Mountain in super gem grade has no doubt gone up in value, it has lost value relative to a really nicely toned Stone Mountain in 65 or 66. Again, just my experience and the experience of others might be different.
At this time I only have a handful of classic commems, but I still love the series overall, I just wouldn't sink money into them.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Thank you all for your honest perspectives on this series. Makes me want to rethink my goals going forward, and maybe limit myself to some of the more popular series such as Oregon and Texas.
There are a number of attractive designs over the years, but collecting them as a full series has never appealed to me.
Several of the designs have over a dozen date/mm combinations, and some of the mintages are well into the hundreds of thousands or even over 1 million coins. That is exceedingly high for coins that were produced for collectors. I'd much rather pull together a set of proof barber dimes, quarters or halves, where the mintage for all but the 1892 was under a thousand coins.
If I had to pull together a collection of silver commems, I'd probably do a nautical set of all the coins that prominently feature ships...the Columbian, Delaware, Hudson, Huguenot, Long Island, Norfolk, and Pilgrim.
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
@jfriedm56 You asked about prices in the 1990s compared to today. One of my largest apparent losses is a MS65 Sesquicentennial I purchased from Bowers and Merena in 3-93 for $8,000. It's a nice white coin and, frankly, I have no idea of its value today because it might upgrade. I don't know because I don't really submit coins to PCGS. I replaced it in my collection with a MS65+ for around $1600 in 2025. Since you looked specifically about Stone Mountains, I purchased a white MS66 from Bowers and Merena in 7-96 for $770. It's now replaced with a toned 67+ I bought in 5-16 for $2200. Here are a few more prices (all white, all from Bowers and Merena): Connecticut MS65 11-92, $975; Grant MS65 4-93 $1950; Hawaiian MS65 6-95 $6500; and Maine MS65 11-93 $1095.
While I don't like losing money on these coins, I get an immense amount of pleasure from them, so I guess its worth it. And, as I said before, the falling prices made it possible for me to purchase coins that in the 1990s I thought I'd never be able to afford--a Lafayette in MS66, an Isabella in MS67, and so on.
Thank you for sharing your information and experience @Mark.
During the time you were paying those prices for those commems I was also buying commems for my set. Those coins were sold decades ago, but I can recall actually telling folks at shows that I thought classic commems were going to go up in value shortly, and I believed it!
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
@Mark, thanks for your candor on some of the prices you paid some 30 years ago. You are much more deeply invested in these than I am or ever will be. But, it sounds like you have some strikingly beautiful and expensive coins. And I know the enjoyment you get from them as we all do from what we collect. Most of the 30 or so I’ve assembled so far are +10 to-20% of PCGS current price guide, so I’m ok with what I’ve invested in them. And like you, and I’ll say it again that I get much enjoyment from this series. Thanks again for your perspective.
Zack.
Thankfully I am paying a fraction of the cost of your collections. I’m ok with the prices of my purchases and really haven’t sunken too much into them, relatively speaking. I enjoy the series and will continue to add new pieces when they become available. Thanks for your feedback. Zack.
Just to give one data point, I bought this PCGS MS65 Hawaiian for $4k in 2022.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
@lermish That is an extremely nice 65 Hawaiian! I really like the toning. It's much prettier than my 65 Hawaiian.
In my set, I ultimately replaced my 65 Hawaiian with a 66+ CAC I purchased from Heritage for about $8750 in 1-20. Interestingly, about 2 weeks after I purchased it, I got a call from Heritage. They had a buyer and offered me a profit but I declined. After I declined, the Heritage representative told me I made the correct decision. Here is the TrueView:
Very nice Hawaiian @Mark. Here is my OGH 66CAC example. Priced roughly the same now as yours.
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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
Nice commems op 👌
By pure luck, I became interested in the Classic 50 coin Type set seven years ago when it seems that prices bottomed out, or so. I chose to buy mainly white lustrous ones, roughly graded around 66 - more common ones 67, tougher ones around 65.
Even though most were apparently dipped, it seems the dipping was gentle enough that every one had a CAC sticker. Most cost me $500 - $1,500 each. My sense is the current value is roughly about 35% higher now than when I bought them, but like almost every collector of these commems, we buy them for their beauty and stories, not for profit!
Here’s a hotlink to my set, currently ranked #15.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/commemoratives/commemoratives-major-sets/silver-commemoratives-50-piece-type-set-circulation-strikes-1892-1954/publishedset/189058
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
Everyone’s input has been appreciated. I’ve always heard that this series was popular and expensive in the past, but had a huge falling out. You guys are in deep and I get that. I believe we’re at different levels of collecting these. I’m doing this out of complete enjoyment from a series I had never thought about collecting until 3 years ago. Thanks for this discussion and insight. Looks like I’m on the same path as before.
By the way here are two new ones I purchased with the 2 others.
Zack.
I gotta San Diego, there nice
Great coins op. Love the history behind the coins in the series.
Nice coins - Classic Commems a real fav area. San Diego pieces a real fav.
Great Hawaiians there. Man, its been to long since I've rolled thru a commem thread.
There are some great books the classic commemoratives including Breen/Swietek (sp), Bowers and the Whitman Red Book. There even one by Don Taxi which shows the early designs which were not used.
Since the big money is in toners, which not in my area of interest because of the sky high prices, I have a “readers’ type set” in MS-63 to 66. I will lose money on it no matter when it is sold, but I shall enjoy it as a collector. The most I have ever paid for a commemorative half dollar was $2,300 for a Hawaiian in MS-64. It’s in the “wrong holder,” NGC.
I completed a 50 piece type set around 1998 when the Registry was initiated in 1998. PCGS had a great deal to kick start the idea. If you had a complete set they would admit it to the Registry, pedigree the set, encapsule and cross it for free. At the time my set of 50 was in both PCGS and NGC holders and all of the coins crossed, some at a higher grade. I jumped at the deal and it was included in the first Registry which was published in magazine form in 1998, 1999, and 2000. As it turned out there were only a handful of entries and my set was ranked in 2nd place. I have upgraded the set over the years to gem but the rank has fallen to around 35. The set has gone down about 15% over the years but I didn't collect them as an investment but always wanted a set since I saw them in a 1966 Redbook when I was a boy. They were expensive back then so I didn't get a chance to collect them until the late 1990's when I graduated from pharmacy school. The set is pedigreed "The Overland Trail Collection." The coins vary from a blast white to colorful pastel toning.
Overland Trail Collection Showcase
Dahlonega Type Set-2008 PCGS Best Exhibited Set
@mrcommem, beautiful examples! Absolutely prime toned pieces.
I get no respect, no respect at all. I collect classic commems, you know, and classic commem collectors get no respect, no respect at all. I mean, when I went to a coin show and asked where the classic commems were, the dealer pointed and said go through that door. So I did...it was to the parking lot! I tell ya, it ain't easy being a classic commem collector!
USAF (Ret) The purpose of Bourbon is to make you feel like you should feel WITHOUT Bourbon. Remembering RickO, a brother in arms.
Really nice Commems. Slabbed Classic Commems MS64 and above been strong retail sellers for me. Many investors stacking them. Picked up a few CACG lately, new project.
I understand prices are much less now than when you collected, but looking on Fbay and other sources for completed sales, I think your price of costing around $700. for a 67 is actually low. PCGS pop. report show only 397 in 67, with 123 higher. And Price Guide at $1100. So maybe at these levels, popularity in this series is picking up with new collectors being more interested in these now- just saying.
Rodney! I love Rodney.
Really nice commems
If I were starting all over again, I'd look for MS65-66 pieces and save a lot of money by not chasing the higher numbers or getting obsessed by the registry
Commems and Early Type
Here are a couple in my collection which I find attractive. These are toned. Most of my other commemoratives are white.
This is graded MS-65
This is in an OGL holder. It's graded MS-63. The dealer who owned it tried for an up grade a couple of times, but it didn't work. I paid a premium for this, but he still lost money.
@BillJones, my focus is primarily MS65-MS67 that are basically white with minimal toning. I realize that these were probably dipped at some point after their minting and I’m ok with that as I prefer that look as intended. A lot of the toning I’ve seen is downright ugly. Spotty, blotchy dark nasty looking pieces. I really just enjoy looking at what I have and they’re fun to collect!
Zack.
Some of the toning you don't like came from storage in the original holders in which the coins were issued. Here is a Delaware commemorative half dollar and an example of that type of holder. Collectors call it "tab toning." Sometimes it's nice; sometimes it isn't, especially if the coin has been left in the holder for too long. The coin and the holder did not come together.
@BillJones, that toning is ok, but not what I'd be looking for. As I said previously, I prefer white, but wouldn't mind the toning on mrcommem's examples with rainbow toning. Only dilemma is now that I've progressed with white pieces, adding toned pieces would look out of place, IMO.
I really do like classic commemoratives, but I forced myself to stop at a Texas 13 coin set in MS67 CAC toned.
Really nice commems. Certainly a fav.
i wonder whos got a complete set of commems. in/with the original packaging?