If you had $2000 to spend on 10 coins for a young collector...

lclugza

If you had $2000 to spend on 10 coins for a young collector (let's say your 10-year-old grandson), what 10 coins or coin sets would you buy to give to him to start his collection? Only rules are, each coin or coin set has to cost at least $25, and you can't spend over $2000 total. What would you buy, and what would be your reasons for buying those particular coins (or coin sets)?

prooflike

All MS PCGS certified:

1. Walker Half
2. FB Mercury Dime
3. Morgan $
4. Peace $
5. red IHC
6. Buffalo Nickel
7. Barber Half or quarter
8. NC Liberty Nickel
9. Two center
10. a three center

these make an affordable 'classic type set'

jp

Make them all gold coins and this kid would be happy.

Thanks grandpa

nwcs

In this scenario, I recommend buying as many key dates as possible within the budget. They're hard for anyone to get who is not wealthy and much harder for a young collector till they begin working in the real world (to get real cash). And it provides an easy path to filling a set. So some of the keys I can think of that would be neat would be 1893S Morgan, 1916D Mercury, 1909S VDB cent, and so on. Failing that, then I would choose 10 cool coins that may not be particularly rare but would have that wow factor. Such as a St. Gaudens $20, a very high grade morgan, a type 1 standing liberty quarter, a high grade VDB cent, high grade walker, and then spend the rest on books.

fantasiize

Raw:
Morgan P,D,S,CC in MS
WLH in MS
Merc in MS
Buff in MS
Wash silver in MS
IHC in MS
Lincoln in MS

Certified:
same as above, take out the 21d and the P or S and add an inexpensive gold coin (XF?) and a proof or MS Franklin

mbbiker

I would say

coin - why

#1 $20 saint - gold
#2 GSA dollar - lots of history (CC mint)
#3 1796 cent - one of americas first coins
#4 1916-D merc. dime - key date
#5 roll of 1955 dimes unc - "key date" of the series
#6 Red 2 cent peice - odd denom.
#7 1932-d quarter - key date
#8 1932-s quarter - key date
#9 20 cent peice - odd denom.
#10 any money left should be put towards books (cherrypickers guide) - great way for a YN to fund there collecting.

itsnotjustme

All PCGS Certified
In the grade before the money grade... many of these would need to be AU55/58 range, some could be MS63/64/65.

Half Cent (Any Variety)
Large Cent (Any variety, but different than half cent)
Two Cent Piece
Three Cent Nickel or Silver
Shield Nickel
Seated Half Dime
Bust Dime
Standing Liberty Quarter
Barber Half
Morgan Dollar

This will show him all the denominations, less the 20 cent piece and gold coins. Many of the main designs (Bust, Seated, Barber) are represented by a single coin, although often many denominations were made in that type.

I would also consider lowering the grade a little to add a Peace Dollar, Twenty Cent Piece, and Indian or FE cent.

Lucky Kid!

relayer

I'd get 44 modern commemorative dollar proofs in 69DC for under $1500. He could register his set and continue to add to it over the years.

Spend the remaining $500 on the last 4 years statehood quarter silver proofs which is another active series.

So by the time he's 18 he'll have a couple of nice collections

Singapore

I agree 100% with Prooflike - a classic type set of mint state PCGS coins would look fantastic, would be a great introduction to the hobby and could spur his interest into a specialty of his choosing. Not a bad trifecta.

Singapore

MICHAELDIXON

I would have to agree with nwcs and go with key date coins. The 1916 D mercury dime, 1885 and 1886 Liberty nickels, 1893 S Dollar, and a 1955 double die Lincoln. You won't get a lot of coins, but what you do have will have the tendency to appreciate faster than common date coins.

SarasotaFrank

I would also be inclined to go for key dates in decebt to high grades depending on how much that chews up the budget. For example, a 16D, 21 & 21D Mercury would give a new collector a huge leg up on a set that after you knock off the key dates, isn't that tough to accummulate - and in fairly high grades for the balance of the set.

Another example would be Peace Dollars - picking up the tough dates and leaving the realtively easy ones to be filled in by a young collector. Lincoln cents would be a challenging set, as there are nearly 100 years of Lincs, and only a handful of jey dates, unless you seek every variety.

Considering there are only really two tough coins in the 66 year Washington set, this would be another good example that would allow a young collector to really make progress and not get frustrated.

ccr

1) 1921 Peace Dollar in MS 62+ is nice and catchy
2) V-Nickel
3) Buffalo Nickel in MS
4) Early S-Mint Morgan Dollar in MS 65 (1878-1882 your choice of one of these years )
5) Merc Dime
6) Flying Eagle Penny
7) Indian Head Cent
8) Large Cent
9) Barber Half
10) Franklin Half

KAJ1

A nice PCGS/NGC 1914-d Lincoln.

A Ms66rd PCGS 1909-vdb Lincoln.



Kevin

MrKelso

Iwould bend the rules slightly and buy him 2 MS60 grade 1875 $20 Gold Liberty coins if i could find them for around $900 and buy a few books with the balance on the History of Gold in America and a Good Coin Book.
Then sit back and let time take over on your investment for him.

Lakesammman

I wouldn't give him anything but the opportunity to earn the $2000 - they'll appreciate it more in the long run, will care for the coins, and are more likely to have a long term interest in coins instead of hawking this windfall for spending money. You can still enjoy time with them coaching them how to wisely spend their hard earned money.

Don't mean to rain on your parade, just my opinion....

KlectorKid

I would not make him earn it but more show he does apreciate coins and I would give it to him slowly... 2 hundred a month or so and let him/her pick.... Or i would give it to my self and buy a lot of nice coins!

TGray22

I'd put the $2000 into a savings bond or at the very least put it in a bank account seperate for them and let it build interest.

lclugza

I would divide the $200 as evenly as I could among the following coins:

Large Cent
20 cent piece
Barber Half
Seated Half
Bust Half
Trade Dollar
Mercury Dime
Walking Liberty half
Standing Liberty quarter
Liberty quarter eagle

Fairlaneman

First he would go to a coin show and a few shops with myself to see if any real interest in the hobby is shown. Then if interest is shown atleast some sort of work would be done for the money, atleast part of it. Then with some guidance he would be allowed to go out and buy ten very nice original Merc Dimes.

If no interest is shown I like the idea about the Gold pieces or the Savings Bonds which could be turned into money to further his education at the proper time.

Ken

KlectorKid

Well it depends on the age, for very young quantity seems to be more of a factor. So use about 500 and buy him/her alot of little things and put the rest in an account or if hes/shes older buy him a few very nice coins maybe some gold a proof merc maybe a cam 3cn something intresting. A pattern even, if they show intrest in them.

coinkat

I agree with Fairlaneman on taking him to a coin show and dtermining whether there is interest. The rest of my answer will be much different than anything else posted...

1. England 1849 Godless Florin MS63
2. England 1904 Florin MS63
3. England 1903 Florin MS63
4. 1879-S REV 78 Morgan MS63
5. 1880-CC Rev78Morgan MS63
6. 1904 Morgan MS63
7. 1892-O Morgan MS63
8. 1888-0 Morgan DDO EF 45
9. BU roll of 1982 Washington Quarters
10. BU roll 1955 Roosevelt Dimes

Interesting combination... but no rules were posted about a requirement that the coins be U.S. only and there was nothing about not being able to purchase rolls of coins...