Top 10 coins every collector should own

Monstavet

Just curious what people think are the Top 10 US Coins that every collector of US Coins should own (at once, or at some point in time). Additional rules would be that I am not talking about 1933 Double Eagles, 1804 silver dollars, or 1894-S dimes. I mean important coins that most collectors could own in some condition. I have not completed my list, but I think would start with the following:
1) A St. Gaudens double eagle - any year or condition
2) A Carson City Mint Coin - any denomination
3) a three-legged Buffalo
4) a Walking Liberty Half...

Hmmmm....what else should I include.....

Your list could include whatever you want, or be more specific for years, condition, etc. What do other people think? What ten coins should everyone own?

kobrakoins

I have # 2 and 4

Bulldog

MONS,

I would have to say that it should be a KEY DATE coin for 10 series of coins, in the highest grade avilable for the budget!

Russ

Everybody should own one of these:



The poltergeist Kennedy! Bwuahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!

Russ, NCNE

relayer

I couldn't come up with a list of just ten.

This 143 coin type set gives you one of each major design noted in the Redbook.

Demon Description
$0.01 Fugio Cent
$0.01 Liberty Cap Left Half Cents 1793
$0.01 Liberty Cap Right Half Cents 1794-1797
$0.01 Draped Bust Half Cents 1800-1808
$0.01 Classic Head Half Cents 1809-1836
$0.01 Braided Hair Half Cents 1849-1857
$0.01 Flowing Hair Chain Cents 1793
$0.01 Flowing Hair Wreath Cents 1793
$0.01 Liberty Cap Cents 1793-1796
$0.01 Draped Bust Cents 1796-1807
$0.01 Classic Head Cents 1808-1814
$0.01 Coronet Head Cents 1816-1857
$0.01 Flying Eagle Cents 1857
$0.01 Flying Eagle Cents Lg Let 1858
$0.01 Flying Eagle Cents Sm Let 1858
$0.01 Indian Cents 1859 No Sheild
$0.01 Indian Cents 1860-1909
$0.01 Lincoln Wheat Cents 1909-1958
$0.01 Lincoln Steel Cents 1943
$0.01 Lincoln Memorial Cents 1959 to Date
$0.02 Shield Two Cents 1864-1872
$0.03 Liberty Head Three Cent Silver V1 1851-1853
$0.03 Liberty Head Three Cent Silver V2 1854-1858
$0.03 Liberty Head Three Cent Silver V3 1859-1873
$0.03 Liberty Head Three Cent Nickel 1865-1889
$0.05 Shield Five No Cents 1883
$0.05 Shield Nickel Var 1 1866-1867
$0.05 Shield Nickel Var 2 1867-1883
$0.05 Liberty Head Nickel V1 No Cents 1883
$0.05 Liberty Head Nickel V2 with Cents 1883-1913
$0.05 Buffalo Five Cents 1913 V1 Raised Ground
$0.05 Buffalo Five Cents 1913-1938
$0.05 Buffalo Five Cents 1937 3 Leg
$0.05 Jefferson Five Cents 1938-1964
$0.05 Jefferson Five Cents 1942-1945
$0.05 Jefferson Five Cents 1965-
$0.05 Bust Half Dime Regular Strikes
$0.05 Flowing Hair Half Dimes
$0.05 Draped Bust Half Dimes 1796-1805
$0.05 Capped Bust Half Dimes 1829-1837
$0.05 Liberty Seated Half Dimes V1 1837-1838
$0.05 Liberty Seated Half Dimes V2 1838-1853
$0.05 Liberty Seated Half Dimes V3 1853-1855
$0.05 Liberty Seated Half Dimes V4 1860-1873
$0.10 Draped Bust Dimes 1796-1807
$0.10 Capped Bust Dimes V1 1809-1828
$0.10 Capped Bust Dimes V2 1828-1837
$0.10 Liberty Seated Dimes V1 1837-1838
$0.10 Liberty Seated Dimes V2 1838-1853
$0.10 Liberty Seated Dimes V3 1853-1855
$0.10 Liberty Seated Dimes V4 1860-1873
$0.10 Liberty Seated Dimes V5 1873-1874
$0.10 Liberty Seated Dimes V1 1875-1891
$0.10 Barber Dimes 1892-1916
$0.10 Mercury Dimes 1916-1942
$0.10 Roosevelt Dimes 1946-1964
$0.10 Roosevelt Dimes 1965 to Date
$0.20 Liberty Seated Twenty Cents 1875-1876
$0.25 Draped Bust Quarters 1796-1807
$0.25 Capped Bust Quarters V1 1815-1828
$0.25 Capped Bust Quarters V2 1831-1838
$0.25 Liberty Seated Quarters V1 1838-1853
$0.25 Liberty Seated Quarters V2 1853
$0.25 Liberty Seated Quarters V3 1854-1855
$0.25 Liberty Seated Quarters V4 1866-1873
$0.25 Liberty Seated Quarters V5 1873-1874
$0.25 Liberty Seated Quarters V4 1875-1891
$0.25 Liberty Seated Quarters 1838-1891
$0.25 Barber Quarters 1892-1916
$0.25 Standing Liberty Quarters V1 1916-1917
$0.25 Standing Liberty Quarters V2 1917-1924
$0.25 Standing Liberty Quarters Recessed 1925-1930
$0.25 Washington Quarters 1932-1964
$0.25 Washington Quarters V1 1965 - 1975
$0.25 Washington Quarters V2 Bicen. 1976
$0.25 Washington Quarters V3 1977-1998
$0.25 Washington Quarters V4 1999-2008
$0.50 Flowing Hair Half Dollars 1794-1795
$0.50 Draped Bust Half Dollars 1796-1807
$0.50 Capped Bust Half Dollars V1 1807-1836
$0.50 Capped Bust Half Dollars V2 1836-1837
$0.50 Liberty Seated Half Dollars V1 1839-1853
$0.50 Liberty Seated Half Dollars V2 1853
$0.50 Liberty Seated Half Dollars V3 1854-1855
$0.50 Liberty Seated Half Dollars V1 1856-1866
$0.50 Liberty Seated Half Dollars V4 1866-1873
$0.50 Liberty Seated Half Dollars V5 1873-1874
$0.50 Liberty Seated Half Dollars V4 1875-1891
$0.50 Barber Half Dollars 1892-1915
$0.50 Walking Liberty Half Dollars 1916-1947
$0.50 Franklin Half Dollars 1948-1963
$0.50 Kennedy Half Dollars 1964 Accented Hair
$0.50 Kennedy Half Dollars 1965-1970
$0.50 Kennedy Half Dollars 1971-1975
$0.50 Kennedy Half Dollars 1976
$0.50 Kennedy Half Dollars 1977-
$1.00 Flowing Hair Dollars 1794-1795
$1.00 Draped Bust Dollars 1795-1803
$1.00 Gobrecht Dollars 1836-1839
$1.00 Liberty Seated Dollars 1840-1866
$1.00 Liberty Seated Dollars 1866-1873
$1.00 Trade Dollars 1873-1878
$1.00 Morgan Dollars 1878-1921
$1.00 Peace Dollars 1921-1935
$1.00 Liberty Gold Dollars V1 1849-1854
$1.00 Liberty Gold Dollars V2 1854-1856
$1.00 Liberty Gold Dollars V3 1856-1889
$2.50 Draped Bust $2 1/2 1796-1807
$2.50 Capped Bust $2 1/2 1808-1834
$2.50 Classic Head $2 1/2 1834-1839
$2.50 Liberty Head $2 1/2 1840-1907
$2.50 Indian Head $2 1/2 1908-1929
$3.00 Indian Princess $3 1854-1889
$4.00 Stella $4 1879-1880
$5.00 Draped Bust $5 1795-1807
$5.00 Capped Bust $5 1807-1812
$5.00 Capped Bust $5 1813-1829
$5.00 Capped Bust $5 1829-1834
$5.00 Classic Head $5 1834-1838
$5.00 Liberty Head $5 V1 1839-1866
$5.00 Liberty Head $5 V2 1866-1908
$5.00 Indian Head $5 1908-1929
$10.00 Draped Bust $10 1795-1804
$10.00 Liberty Head $10 V1 1838-1866
$10.00 Liberty Head $10 V2 1867-1907
$10.00 Indian Head $10 V1 1907-1908
$10.00 Indian Head $10 V2 1908-1933
$20.00 Liberty Head $20 1850-1866
$20.00 Liberty Head $20 1866-1876
$20.00 Liberty Head $20 1877-1907
$20.00 St. Gaudens $20 1907-1908
$20.00 St. Gaudens $20 1908-1933
$1.00 Eisenhower Dollars 1971-1975 Silver
$1.00 Eisenhower Dollars 1976
$1.00 Eisenhower Dollars 1977-1978
$1.00 Susan B. Anthony Dollars 1979 to Date
$1.00 Sacagawea Dollars 2000 to Date
$0.50 Modern Commemorative 50c
$1.00 Silver Commeorative (Illinois)
$5.00 Gold Commemorative $5 (Smithsonian)
$10.00 Gold Commemorative $10 (Lib of Congress)
$5.00 Gold Ealge
$10.00 Platinum Eagle

mdwoods

1. A Buffalo Nickel
2. A draped bust coin
3. A Matte proof Lincoln
4. A Barber coin
5. A Morgan Dollar
6. A Peace Dollar
7. A Mercury Dime
8. A Standing Liberty Quarter
9. A Franklin Half
10. A Walking Liberty Half

Not neccessarily in that order. I would buy the most common highest grade coin I could. mdwoods

goose3

Some not so cheap ones but....

Chain Cent
56 Flyer
77 Indian
9 SVDB Linc
55 DDO Linc
3 legged buffalo
1916 SLQ
20.00 gold piece
1893s Morgan
1916d dime

A roll of each would be nice!

DHeath

1 - Flowing hair wreath cent
2 - Draped bust half dime
3 - 1800 Half Eagle
4 - Draped bust half
5 - Capped bust half - lettered
6 - Proof trade dollar
7 - FE Cent
8 - Proof Indian cent
9 - Proof Barber half
10 - $10 Indian


That'll get me started!

keets

..........not in any particular order.

1. any DMPL morgan
2. a bust half at least AU
3. trade dollar EF or better
4. twenty center MS
5. a proof walker
6. a $10 indian MS
7. a major error coin like a 3-leg, 1955 lincoln or a 1971 no-S jefferson
8. a $5 washington commem MS69
9. chain cent in any grade
10. two-cent MS

al h.

TomB

1. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
2. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
3. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
4. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
5. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
6. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
7. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
8. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
9. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
10. An attractive coin they like and can afford.

Did I miss one?

Russ

Tom,

What about an ugly coin I like and can afford. See above.

Russ, NCNE

DoubleDime

I agree with TomB

Dog97

Not in any order and I know there's more but this is what I like:
#1 Morgan dollar.
#2 CC Morgan dollar.
#3 DMPL CC Morgan dollar.
#4 Toned CC Morgan dollar.
#5 Error Morgan dollar.
#6 MS66+ Type 1 Buff nickel.
#7 Toned Barbers.
#8 Original Cameo Barber Proofs.
#9 MS64+ 21 Peace dollar.
#10 Problem free 09-S VDB Lincoln.

cladking

<< <i>1. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
2. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
3. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
4. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
5. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
6. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
7. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
8. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
9. An attractive coin they like and can afford.
10. An attractive coin they like and can afford.

Did I miss one? >>




No. That's all of them but I'd add that you have to have at least two of
them in a logical order to constitute a collection.

I'd recommend all ten and suggest even more of the same wouldn't hurt.

supercoin

I believe there are at least 10 major Ike types, that'd be a good start.

bennybravo

Gotta go with the 3-legged Buffalo as a standout. I also like the choice of a Fugio as someone has suggested.A great historical coin!I think everyone should own at least 1 choice uncirculated or better Morgan Dollar.Non-collectors are always in awe when you show them a beautiful BU Dollar, and usually they're pretty amazed when you tell them that these 1800's dated, like new condition coins can be had for $30-$40 bucks.I would also add a choice to Gem uncirculated Walking Liberty Half Dollar, and a $20 Saint for the sheer beauty of their designs.

ccr

1) Morgan Dollar
2) Peace Dollar
3) Franklin Half
4) Wheat Penny
5) Indian Head Penny
6) $20 St Gaudens
7) $5 1795 or 1796 Turban Head gold piece ( I`ll never be able to afford these but, I like them )
8) Braided Hair large cent
9) Braided Hair half cent
10) Walking Liberty half dollar

KlectorKid

a Key-date.. I have yet to get 1

theFonz

Interesting, every collector should find room for atleast one Proof wheat cent in a cam or dcam.






theFonz

michael

a great value coin with exceptional eye appeal in your price range

sincerely michael

DHeath

B&M has one of the coins on my list. Maybe next Christmas.

Half-Eagle

coppercoins

I have a hard time defining anything that all collectors should have, since all collectors aren't generalists who collect plastic encapsulated coins. I have my specialty and other people have theirs. There is no "top ten" list of coins that "all collectors" should own. I notice a Morgan dollar on some people's lists - I wouldn't have any need for one. I notice a "CC mint" coin on someone else's - they never minted cents in Carson City, another I would have no need for.

I agree with TomB....the top ten coins from each person's collection are the ten coins they like to showcase the most, regardless of their date, mint, denomination, and grade...and most of all, value. The value of a collection is what the collector puts into it, not just it's marketable selling price. There is WAY too much emphasis among the slab happy collectors on money and market value. For a dealer I can certainly understand this to an extent, but collectors should collect what makes them happy, not just what will resell at a higher price.

mrcommem

How about a gold coin from each mint? For instance....


1849-C Gold dollar AU50
1857-O Quarter Eagle AU55
1854-D Three Dollar AU50
1891-CC Half Eagle MS62
1886-S Eagle MS63
1912 Double Eagle MS63
1984-W Olympic Eagle MS 68
1908-D Half Eagle MS63


Could be a tough set with the Charlotte and Dahlonega issues.

lclugza

My choices would be the following, in either MS or Proof:

Walking Liberty half
Saint-Gaudens $20
Standing Liberty quarter
A CC Morgan dollar
A world (foreign) gold coin
A Mercury dime

And in any halfway decent grade:
A colonial coin
A Capped Bust half
A large cent
A 20 cent piece

coppercoins

<< <i>How about a gold coin from each mint? >>



That would be nice if the people being generalized and stereotyped gave a hoot about gold coins. My top ten would be copper. How about that?

relayer

OK, if I had to pick 10, it would be these:

Classic Head Cents 1808-1814
Flying Eagle Cents 1857
Shield Two Cents 1864-1872
Shield Five No Cents 1883
Liberty Seated Twenty Cents 1875-1876
Barber Quarters 1892-1916
Walking Liberty Half Dollars 1916-1947
Morgan Dollars 1878-1921
Indian Head $5 1908-1929
2000 $10 Library of Congress Gold/Platinum Commemorative

JoyofCollecting

Someone (relayer) finally mentioned a liberty seated coin, but it was probably because of the twenty cent denomination and not the relative importance to our coinage history. As much as I personally love them, it says an awful lot that for a coin design that lasted for about 53 years and was included on at least six denominations....that liberty seated coins are hardly even noticed or mentioned in this thread.

I understand why...most people just don't care for them or the series are too long, hard etc. And....we definitely should all collect what we like and enjoy.

Please send all those nasty seated dimes my way!!!

nwcs

Here are my top 10, in no particular order (though ordinally listed):

1. Any date $20 St. Gaudens in uncirculated condition
2. Any MS-63 or higher walking lib
3. A 1909 VDB cent in MS-63+
4. MS-65FB mercury dime
5. Any MS-65 morgan dollar
6. A half cent
7. A large cent
8. A 2 or 3 or 20 cent piece
9. A proof set
10. A mint set

halfnut

some real nice coins listed and I could not expand on these list's, but I can add to stay away from all MS66 Kennedys there bad real bad

cointagious

the correct answer is a blend of tom bush's and bulddog's answers. great lookin' key dates from the series that appeal to you and are within your budget...it's o.k. to stretch a little

CharlieB

Any coin with "exceptional eye appeal" that you enjoy collecting
and that has upside potential over time.

Yes, you can have it both ways.

Russ

<< <i>That would be nice if the people being generalized and stereotyped >>



You mean like this?



<< <i>There is WAY too much emphasis among the slab happy collectors on money and market value. >>



Russ, NCNE

shirohniichan

Here are 10 coins I want in my permanent US collection, but they may not be for everyone:

1. Spanish pillar dollar (America's first silver dollar)
2. draped bust type (any denomination)
3. capped bust half (still cheap, and served as America's workhorse bullion coin between the bust and seated dollars)
4. 1857 large cent
5. 1857 FE cent (both to mark a big change in US coinage)
6. Buffalo nickel (classic design)
7. St. Gaudens double eagle (ditto)
8. steel cent (in commemoration of WWII)
9. US trade dollar (only US coin to lose its legal tender status)
10. 20 cent piece (America's failed attempt to fully adopt the decimal system)

Oak

OK, I'll play this one. While I think we all agree that you should collect what you like, I think what we are after are, what are the "classics" of numismatics. My pics are an attempt to combine timeless designs with historic appeal, affordably, that would appeal to a non collector or beginner. In no particular order......

AU+ Indian Head Gold
AU+ Trade Dollar
Morgan GEM
Bust Type AU+
Flying Eagle XF+
Barber Type AU+ (Oh Great Classic of Classics)
3c Silver AU+
Type I SLQ XF+
WLH MS and Lustrous
Buffalo GEM


Of these, every mint should be covered AND one major error should be included.

Honorable mention goes to the cute little 20-center from out west.

Monstavet

Hear, Hear! Russ! No where did I say these coins all had to be in slabs...no where did I say that had to be worth a lot of money or be good investments. It is fine if you want to specialize only in copper cents or holey coins or whatever. While many collectors end up specializing in a certain series or two, even those specialists often dabble in other areas or in more broad Type Sets, and many specialists have a least a little interest or appreciation for series of coins that they do not personally collect. For the general collector, or even a beginner collector, there are certain specific coins, or Types that stand out as coins you should own or know about in order to have an overall appreciation of US Coinage. If you think those ten coins are ten different die varieties for Flying Eagle Cents...fantastic! I don't agree, but that is fine! No point in bashing a whole lot of people on this forum because you don't like slabs, or nickel coins or gold.

The reason I started this thread is because I am currently trying to decide where to go with my own collections, and was curious to see what other people like. I am just looking for ideas.

mbbiker

#1 $20 saint
#2 walking lib half
#3 morgan dollar
#4 any CC coin
#5 proof set from date of birth
#6 20 cent peice
#7 any US coin dated before 1800
#8 2 cent peice
#9 buffalo nickel
#10 a state quarter from their home state. (in silver proof)