Best type grade

anoldgoat

Today I was thinking about something a few sellers have said, "VF this is the Most Popular Grade for collectors". Now the only series i collect is Lincolns. Is VF mainly for Lincolns or for all coins in general. I would asume the collector first wants a nice looking coin for the best price, ie "Bang for the Buck". So the best bang for the buck, "grade", would be different for each series.

Comments

or off the page in 10

mike

mbbiker

If i can afford it my favorite grade is AU 55-58 but if i can't afford an AU then a VF would be my next choice still enough of the coin left to see what it was made made to look like but it's a low enough grade that most people can afford it.

wingedliberty

I like EF45.

Brian.

intocoins

Its almost impossible for the average working man or woman to collect certain series in Mint state . As an example you could put a vf set of Buffalo's together for about 2 to 3 thousand . A mint state set would cost you untolds amount of money. Generally speaking vf is an exceptable grade at which a coin can really be appreciated at least by me that is.

rainbowroosie

No doubt AU-58 is the best grade...many are better than MS-64 coins (with a chunk out of the cheek)!

goose3

The best grade (to me) for my son's book is the grade JUST before the large jump in price!

tsacch

i like my types to be au58 to ms 62, depending on cost

anoldgoat

One thing you all mentioned was your favorite grade. But what series do you collect? Does VF apply to all series of coin from the same era?

Geoman

Good question. VF is okay for me with Lincoln's as I just have a circulated set. However, VF is NOT okay with me for Walking Liberty Halves. Too much of the body is worn. So it really depends on the coin design, and what gets worn first. EF for Walkers, VF for Lincoln's, and F or VG for Franklins.

anoldgoat

Why didn't i say...



<< <i>The best grade (to me) for my son's book is the grade JUST before the large jump in price! >>



Who ever said english was hard?

anoldgoat

Why i ask

After my first earth shattering insight i had this even greater revelation. Type collectors probably do more research than any other group to get thier best "Bang for the Buck".

?

intocoins

Hey anoldgoat,

I guess i get what you are saying. Who would collect state quarters in vf right? Unless your Braddick of course.

I guess for classics vf is the most popular cause anything lower and letters are not readable and horns dont show and bands arent visible etc....

If i'm collecting moderns i want to go mint state all the way. It's all about the benjamins. Most people can afford vf and they are a great looking set when put together.

Baley

heh, the "best" grade is the one right before the big jump in price, that's exactly right! (IMHO)

(if value, that is bang for the buck, is important, instead of competition or owning "the best")
generally, for me,

for post 1950 moderns that might be MS or PF 66 or 67 or 68

for 1916-1950, maybe MS 63 or 64, or proof 63 or 64

for 1892-1916, maybe it's AU58 or MS62

for 1838-1892, maybe VF or EF is the best choice

for 1807-1838, give me some nice problem free Fines and Very Fines!

for 1800-1807, attractive Very Goods are pretty cool!

pre 1800, all I'm asking for is a solid Good, and even a nice AG might do it!

MastaHanky

I think AU58 and MS64 are the best grades in general.

The price jumps between MS64 and MS65 can be tremendous.

Steve27

Obviously the series you collect makes a big difference, and how you collect makes a big difference as well. Type collectors tend to go for ms64 because of a perceived price jump between 64 and 65, but I would think that would only hold for post 19th century coins.

BillJones

I'd say that EF and AU are really good collector grades for scarcer material. It all depends upon your budget. If you can afford Mint State coins or have the discipline to build your collection slowly, by all means go for the Mint State level. Otherwise, pick grades that allow you to get some quality but yet are not so restrictive that you lose interest in your collection because of inactivity.

When I was putting together my early type coins, I wanted only original pieces that were choice for the grade. If I could afford AU that was my goal, but for items like the Chain Cent, Fine was the best I could afford. My goals limited me to only two or three good coins a year. Most collectors want to fill their want lists much faster than that. I could go slowly because while I enjoy buying new coins, I LOVE to look at and study what I have. Some collectors are strictly acquisition oriented. Some even decide to sell off a set as soon as they have completed it and mover on to something else. That’s not my style, but that’s right for me but maybe not for you.

I’d say that it is a good idea to stay away from low grade material unless you can tolerate it. While I don’t recommend coins as an investment, everyone should put at least some thought into your “exit strategy.” Low grade coins always beg to be improved, at least for me, and when prices go up, they are often the last pieces to participate in a upward moving market.

LanLord

With Lincolns, a set of VF graded coins would be pretty nice looking. But at some point you begin to wonder why not MS ( at least I did) so I went with vf to xf in the years up to about 1930, and then I have started with MS coins. This is a problem if your goal is a set of coins with the same "look".

Then there is always the old advice, just buy the keys, so get a 1909s, 1909sVDB, 1914d, 1922 and 11995555 in the highest grade you can

BillJones

Sadly there are also two levels of "VF." There is the VF that the ANA Grading Guide sets, and there is the VF that the slab services will give you on coins like the 1914-D and 1909-S-VDB, which usually look like "Fine" or less to me.

I don't think that most collectors should ever buy an 1909-S-VDB that is not certified. There are just too many counterfeits. Still if you are working on a VF set, you may need to buy an EF graded coin to match it.