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What is your favorite coin in your collection?

Mine is an 1826 Bust Half dollar.It's far from the most expensive coin I own, but I'll never part with it.About 8 years ago, I was looking at some old coins that a guy had at a local flea market booth.I hadn't been activly collecting for some time, and being about 20 at the time, I didn't have much money.I bought a few circulated walkers and buffalo nickels for a few dollars, and looked at a really nice raw bust half dollar in a cardboard/mylar staple holder that had a price of $150 penciled on it.It was the only thing he had that was really a standout coin.I didn't have that kind of money at the time to blow on a hobby, so it might as well have said $1000 dollars.I thanked him for letting me see it, moved along, and didn't even mention it to my wife.She wasn't with me at the time, and knew nothing of it.About 3 weeks later, I opened a small box from my wife for our 1 year anniversary, and inside was the very same half dollar!I asked my wife how she knew, and told her she shouldn't have went so overboard, and she explained to me that she went to the coin booth the next week, and told the guy she wanted something really nice as a gift for her husband on our anniversary.He showed her the coin, and said he would take $85 dollars for it.Anyway, being so proud of having such a nice coin, and not knowing too much about grading at the time,I saw one of those PCI ads in a coin magazine, and sent it off(back when PCI was respectable and pretty tough).It now resides in a PCI AU53 holder, and it's still my favorite, and will always be the one coin I'll never sell.Whats your favorite coin in your collection?
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Comments

  • LakesammmanLakesammman Posts: 17,381 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The only coins I will never part with is a roll of circ halves I got with my grandfather at the bank in 1965 - as a kid, I was so excited to find a roll of silver coins, esp. with my grandpa....image
    "My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose.
  • MacCoinMacCoin Posts: 2,544 ✭✭
    my favorite will change with ever new coin I buy. this week it is a 1831 VF capped bust half. its really a very nice coin and my first bust coin.. next it will be aXF 1917 type 1 SLQ. I am waiting for a 1875S 20 cent peice I bought off ebay when that come I sure it will be the favorite for a week or two.
    image


    I hate it when you see my post before I can edit the spelling.

    Always looking for nice type coins

    my local dealer
  • toyonakatarotoyonakataro Posts: 407 ✭✭✭
    bennybravo-Thanks for sharing a nice story with us.
    It's hard for me to choose my fovorite, but I recently bought a seated half from Mr.Mark Feld(coinguy 1)
    Although I haven't seen it in person yet, I'm pretty sure it's gonna be one of my favorite because it'll be the first gift from my wifeimage
  • Mine is a 1799 dollar I bought 12 years ago. It grades fine, but has a nice hole in the 12 oclock position.
    give me liberty or give me death
    my hotelsimage
  • pmh1nicpmh1nic Posts: 3,275 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Tough question because I like particular coins for different reasons; eye appeal, historic significants, great design. Do you pick F-15 1795 Flowing Hair Dollar over a AU-53 1875-CC Double Eagle or 1819/8 Bust Half with beautiful irridescent toning?
    The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice is it possible for an empire to rise without His aid? Benjamin Franklin
  • darktonedarktone Posts: 8,437 ✭✭✭
    I guess I am a like MacCoin as my favorite coin changes all the time. Some of the coins I aquired early in my collecting life as a kid will never leave my collection. My first coin of any real value was a 1908-S indian cent(VG) given to me by my Dad for reading the "Three Musquateers" the original un-edited version. I think these days it would take me a $20 liberty to read that book. Mike
    image
  • DoubleDimeDoubleDime Posts: 632 ✭✭✭
    Like pmh1nic I have a number of favorites for different reasons. One coin thats on this list is my Pilgrim Tercentenary Commemorative Half. My first ancestors to America came over on the Mayflower in 1620. Guess you could say they were "boat people" but on THE BOAT. They were Stephen Hopkins and his family and Richard Warren who came alone sending for his family later. This is on my father's side. On my mother's side I may be a descendant of another Mayflower passenger, a Peter Brown. We're not totally sure about this.
  • tsacchtsacch Posts: 2,929 ✭✭✭
    1812 bust Half, NGC 62, nice light toning.
    Family, kids, coins, sports (playing not watching), jet skiing, wakeboarding, Big Air....no one ever got hurt in the air....its the sudden stop that hurts. I hate Hurricane Sandy. I hate FEMA and i hate the blasted insurance companies.
  • meos1meos1 Posts: 1,135
    I can't say I settle one place for very long.... With that said The American Eagles are nice designs, as well as Mercury dimes, and always had this thing about the buffalo nickel. Lately, I find myself examining reverse statehood quarters. The Mississippi and Conneticut (I know, spelling) designs are really nice. I have my family trained pretty good too. Anytime I have been on here for any apprecable amount of time, a new package arrives in the mail a few days later!
    I am just throwing cheese to the rats chewing on the chains of my sanity!

    First Place Winner of the 2005 Rampage design contest!
  • cladkingcladking Posts: 28,651 ✭✭✭✭✭
    When the mint announced in 1982 that there would be a suspension of mint set
    production, I waited until I saw a real nice '82-P quarter in change and tracked the
    source to a nearby bank and bought a bag of new quarters. It was an excellent
    bag with lots of well struck coins. There were gems of three or four different die
    pairs! One of the runs was quite special and one coin from this run stood out as
    being much nicer than the others. I guess this 1982-P is my favorite coin though
    there are other contenders which I've found over the years.
    Tempus fugit.
  • Good thread Benny - and good story. I wish I had a coin with sentimental value like that, but the closest thing I can come to is my lincoln set which I've had since I was a kid. I've since graduated to other things, but I can't seem to part with my lincolns, so they just sit there in my coin box, in their original old holder, and it brings good memories now and again. Of those I collect now, I guess my favorite is my orphan Franklin Half. I bought this half because it was on auction for about 1/2 of the price that it should've been selling for and I couldn't pass it up - thinking I would flip it for a profit, I bought it. When I got it, it turned out to be one of the neatest pieces I've ever seen. The strike is extremely bold, more so than most Franklins from the 60's and reminiscent of something from the 48-49 strikes. The colors are beautiful to me, and the piece has awesome brilliance beneath the toning which gives the piece almost a "varnished" look. It's one detraction is that it has a "dig" right on the bell lines, which again are as strong as I've ever seen on a post 1960 Franklin. So, even though it doesn't have a place in the registry set, it resides with it holding a very proud place of it's own.

    Frank

    image
  • A 1937 Battle of Antietam commemorative half dollar.

    imageimageimage
  • TheNumishTheNumish Posts: 1,628 ✭✭
    On the sentimental side the coin I wish I kept was a 1943 Walker in VG. When I first started collecting coins I was building a 1943 year set and all I needed was the half. One weekend I went campng with some friends and when my dad came to pick me up he had gone to the coin store and bought one. I think the holder was marked $1.25. It was really a nice thing for him to do. I remember putting the coin in the set and how thrilled I was to have it. Don't know what I did with that set but wish I had it.

    Friday I sold a 1942 Walker in proof-67 that I just graded for $1,350 and didn't really get any charge out of it. In the past year I've probably sold 10 bags of circ Walkers and never got a charge from that. I'll just never forget the charge I got when I got that 1943 half.

  • nwcsnwcs Posts: 13,386 ✭✭✭
    I had a favorite for a while, my 1924 $20 piece. It was my birthday present to myself back in 2000. But now I'm not sure. I like so many of my pieces. Makes it hard to think of selling any of them if I should ever need to.
  • I've whittled my collection down to 5 coins, hard to pick a favorite. All PCGS except the Morgan it's in a GSA holder. Assay $50 vf20, 1799 $ AU50 "Benson", 1857-S SSCA $20 MS62 original box, Lincoln MS65 and 1881-CC $ awesome toning ( and I think I can be assured it's original in the GSA holder). I guess since I sold everything else these are all my favorites.
  • gemtone65gemtone65 Posts: 901 ✭✭✭
    One of my favorites is a unique proof 1871 trial strike for the as-issued seated dollar, in copper, graded PCGS66RB.
  • Jim:

    I'd love to see the 81 GSA dollar - got a pic?

    Frank
  • merz2merz2 Posts: 2,474
    benny
    I've watched this post every day.I finally decided to reply.I have to say my favorite coin was the 1937 PR66 CAM Lincoln.While I no longer own it,it will remain my favorite,because I made that coin.Not literally.I believe everyone dreams of makeing a pop 1 coin or at least owning one.The way I felt at the time,couldn't have been any better.
    Don
    Registry 1909-1958 Proof Lincolns
  • OuthaulOuthaul Posts: 7,440 ✭✭✭✭✭
    All of my classic commems...Can't help it...just can't pick a favorite
  • Just took this pic quick for Frank. One shot only so I could have done better. I like this one because it is a true rainbow. The colors band perfectly, not the mottled collage you usually see. The colors are very bright and vivid. The reverse has just the slightest color at the rim might as well call it white.

    image
  • LucyBopLucyBop Posts: 14,001 ✭✭✭
    Lets see, my Favorite is my 49s MS66Fbl Frankie, or maybe my 56 PR68DCAM, ooops, forgot about my 63 PR68DCAM, now that I think about it my 52p MS66Fbl is rather nice, now I'm all mixed up!
    imageBe Bop A Lula!!
    "Senorita HepKitty"
    "I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
  • I dont have a favorite because they are all kind of the same nothing really special, but next time there is a Whats Your Favorite Coin? thread I will be the proud owner of a PR-63 CAM 3 cent nickel image
    image
  • Here is mine.
    image

    While I'm sharing here is my favorite currency note.

    image
  • AWESOME COIN JIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • EVillageProwlerEVillageProwler Posts: 5,856 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This is one of those threads that re-surface every so often. But, it's such a nice thread that I kind of wish it would re-surface more often. I never get tired of telling about my sentimental favs.

    When I was a kid in the '70's, my older brother and I both collected coins. He had a paper route, and could afford the large circulated Morgan and Peace Dollars. I had my ``puny'' Lincoln cents and Jeff nickels.

    After I resumed collecting a few years ago, the first thing I did was to decide to specialize in Silver Dollars. Perhaps 3 years ago, my Mom finally decided it was time for her to share with me her ``heirloom'' that she got from her mom when her family escaped from China in the late '40's.

    I remember vividly when she gave me the heirlooms. I went to visit her, and she sat me down to tell me a little bit about her childhood. (I never get tired of those stories.) She asked me about my coin collecting. (She likes to look at my coins. Come to think of it, my Mom and I have nearly identical interests...) Then, she goes off into her bedroom and comes back with a small bundle wrapped in ratty old paper. Inside was a bundle wrapped in tissue paper. She pulls out 4 silver dollars: 3 with the old general on the obv, and 1 1896 British East Asia Trade Dollar. (All of these look undamaged, unchopped and in avg circulated condition.)

    I wasn't expecting my Mom to give them to me. (Yes, I did want them!) I was so touched when, unexpectedly, she just gave them to me.

    4 silver dollars -- that was what was left of their wealth in old China. And, that was what my Mom kept secret all these long years.

    EVP

    How does one get a hater to stop hating?

    I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com

  • I'm with FC57 that is one nice coin
    image
  • trozautrozau Posts: 3,455 ✭✭✭
    This one ...

    image
    trozau (troy ounce gold)
  • critocrito Posts: 1,735
    image
  • GilbertGilbert Posts: 1,533 ✭✭✭
    BennyBravo,

    What a coincidence that we both have chosen the same coin as one of our favorites. I too acquired a relatively common Capped bust hald that I've grown to love, but, I also have a Morgan dollar, first design of the first year of issue. Neither coin is a "big" dollar coin, but both are near and dear to me. I haven't had the half as long as the dollar, but I can say, over at least four different sales of my Morgan dollar holdings, I have been unable to part with this one. As for the half, I imagine, it too will never be a part of any voluntary relinquishment. Here are a couple "less than perfect" images, but you can get a sense of the coins.

    1826Obv

    1826Rev

    Vam17 Obv

    Vam17 Rev

    imageimageimage
    Gilbert
  • 1885 O Morgan, probably about AU. My grandmother gave me a silver dollar for my birthday every year untill she died.
  • I dont play favorites, these coins are like my kids, I wouldnt want to hurt any of their feelings!
    You can fool man but you can't fool God! He knows why you do what you do!
  • Hey crito, where do you get that Liver of Sulphur?
    You can fool man but you can't fool God! He knows why you do what you do!
  • wingedlibertywingedliberty Posts: 4,805 ✭✭✭
    All of my monster PCGS/NGC 67 Mercs that are very nicely toned.


    Brian.
  • gripgrip Posts: 9,962 ✭✭✭✭✭
    No story to tell,but this one has been my favorite for quite some time,Clashed die. This one
  • Got to love lady liberty with a leaf coming out of her nose image awesome error image
    image
  • braddickbraddick Posts: 23,974 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I love these stories.
    -Back in the mid 1980's when we were buying our first house out here in California we needed to come up with a down payment of 20% (it also allowed us to avoid the costy morgage insurance!). We were about $16,000.00 short. Our last hope was selling my then (pre-slab days) U.S. Type set (including a great VG Chain and many other super tough coins).
    I came across an honest Dealer and after a four hour negotiation, came up with a solid price.
    Well, at the end of the day, after the home was purchased, we ended up with a little left over cash. I went back to the Dealer and he was kind enough to sell me back a couple of coins at the price he paid me the week before! (No Dealer I've ever heard of since then would do that-).
    One of the coins was the first coin I ever purchased, a 1806 Bust half in (now) PCGS VG08. It has the most smooth, solid gray, hard surfaces of any coin I've ever seen.
    I know it isn't worth a ton but I don't care. It'll always stay with me.

    peacockcoins

  • jdimmickjdimmick Posts: 9,675 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Actually, I like all the coins in my collection, but probably my favorite piece, is not even part of my key-date collection per say. It resides in a small display case of artifacts that I found when I used to do a lot of metal detecting.

    One of the first truly older coins I found with my first metal detector was an 1841 seated dime. The coin is about vf-30 and in great shape. I found it about a 1" below the soil on the side of a condominium complex that had been built over an old homesite. The complex when, built covered the entire square area of a city block, and was entirely concrete and asphalt, except for a small chase that ran down the right side fence line. It was a grass area about 3'-0" wide. Coin is not actually worth much, but priceless to me.

    I still remember that day, looking for the beep. When I first uncovered it out of the ground I though it was a merc or a barber, then realizing I just found a seated coin. I can to this day, still walk back to the exact spot where I pulled this one out of the ground.

    Has always made me wonder what other coins or intresting things are sitting under the pavement there???

  • Mine is the 82-CC GSA $ my grandfather gave me 14 years ago, not the most valuable coin but has the most sentiment.
    Mark
  • lclugzalclugza Posts: 568 ✭✭
    Here's a thread I started on this exact same subject, from nearly a year ago."Favorite coin" thread
    image"Darkside" gold
  • Its hard to beat a good old fashioned Bustie
    image
  • 1907 St. Gaudens High Relief MS65
    Montgomery Collections
  • FairlanemanFairlaneman Posts: 10,423 ✭✭✭✭✭
    RR:

    Damn nice coin ! Very Pretty. image

    Ken
  • Damn nice coin ! Very Pretty.

    Thanks Fairlane its hard to beat those early busties especially the 07'-08' design.
  • Ask me on different days, and you'll get different answers.image Today it's an 1876 20¢ piece in Fine with full "LIBERTY" on the shield. I got it at a show in Memphis last February for $165, which I think was a reasonable price. It has nice original grey toning. It's especially nice to set it next to a seated quarter in similar grade to see the differences in the designs.
    The strangest things seem suddenly routine.
  • BowAxeBowAxe Posts: 143 ✭✭
    I'm getting into this thread so late that few will be likely to read this, but I feel compelled to tell it. Thank you, Benny, for the idea.

    My favorite coins are an 1852 quarter eagle and a 1917 Standing Liberty quarter--both slightly circulated and not of any great monetary value. But they were given to me by the father of one of my closest childhood friends, when I was about 12 years old (I'm now 56). This man was my role model as I was growing up in a small southwest Georgia town. His name was Jack. He owned a lumber yard and his father-in-law owned a large farm complete with lake and dam and circa-1920 millhouse. He took me with his Scout troop on my first camping trip to that farm when I was about eight. A terrible lightning storm came up during the night and we took refuge in the hay barn, sleeping in soft, fragrant hay--I recall the sensation and scent of it vividly to this day. In the company of my friend and his dad I learned priceless lessons on the ideals of family, friendship, courtesy, respect, and what the meaning of "gentleman" really is. This man faced all of life--and incapacitating rheumatoid arthritis in his later years--with a broad grin. Even if he chided us for some foolish error or infraction it was with genuine affection and good nature. I have an abiding appreciation for what it means to be taken under the wing of a natural-born teacher. Jack passed away some years ago. I miss him, and I regret that I will never be equal to his example.

    I don't know why Jack saved these two particular coins. He gave them to me because his own children showed little interest in them, while I had begun collecting by age 10. I still remain in touch with his children, and I hope one of his grandchildren or great-grandchildren will someday develop an interest in coins so that I can pass Jack's little treasures along to them. I would really enjoy that. image


    Dell
  • CLASSICSCLASSICS Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    thier kind of like your children, who could pick just one.
  • DAMDAM Posts: 2,410 ✭✭
    Cool thread. I like when this pops up.

    Mine is probably a large cent my grandparents gave me about 20 years ago. It's completely worn. You can bearly make out the type. It's special because it belonged to my great grandpa.

    Over the years they gave me, and the other grandchildren, a few coins they had stuck back. By far that was, and is still my favorite. For sentimental reasons this coin remains my favorite of all my coins. image
    Dan
  • mrcommemmrcommem Posts: 1,173 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I guess my favorite coin is my 1847 Dahlonega half-eagle shown on my icon. After that my Hawaiian Half dollar.
    image
  • Dave99BDave99B Posts: 8,529 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Favorite? That's aways tough....

    I'd have to go with the guy in the middle : THREE AMIGOS

    Dave
    Always looking for original, better date VF20-VF35 Barber quarters and halves, and a quality beer.
  • orevilleoreville Posts: 11,961 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Love all the bust halves shown here and of course, Dave99B your selection is a no brainer.

    I love benny's story with his wife finding his coin it is incredible! Now if all of our spouses could do that?????

    I like wallstreetman concern about offending all the little babies if he says he has a favorite!

    Now for me......I have well over $1000 in face value circulated walker liberty halves but for the life of me I can never understand why anyone could ever get tired of looking or owning one of them. One of the finest designs in terms of handling wear with dignity, especially, the reverse.

    But a favorite? Well that changes frequently but a 1918 US cent that I found with a 1918 Canadian dime place in the hollowed out reverse of the cent. It represents the best of both of our mutual countries and it is so neat to look at. But yes, the circulated coins I kept during my youth are still my sentimental favorites!

    My two children each have a $5 liberty gold piece (circulated of course) that was handed to them by my father-in-law who got them from his grandmother soon after he was born in 1920. I understand that his grandmother was so proud to have saved two $5 coins for her grandson that it was a sign of having some wealth especially when from the poor ghetto section of Philadelphia. So those coins were handed down from their great- great grandmother. Hopefully, I will get to see the passing of the heirloom coins from my daughters to their future children (my future grandchildren) . Cool.
    A Collectors Universe poster since 1997!

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