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Opinions Please-Better Dates or Higher Grades?

Say you wanted to put together a type set. Your funds are limited. Would you look for better dates in lower grades or common dates in higher grades?

Comments

  • DAMDAM Posts: 2,410 ✭✭
    With limited funds...

    Better dates = fewer coins, image

    Common dates (depending on the grades) = more coins. image


    Even common date coins can be expensive in high grades, depending on the grade and population of the coin. You can always upgrade too later on.
    Dan
  • Steve27Steve27 Posts: 13,274 ✭✭✭
    To me better dates have more desireability, even in lower grades, than higher grade common date coins.
    "It's far easier to fight for principles, than to live up to them." Adlai Stevenson
  • To each his own.

    Personally I go for the common dates in the highest grade possible. I really like coins with great eye appeal.
  • TypetoneTypetone Posts: 1,621 ✭✭
    I always try to find a little better date (not a key) if it can be bought at zero to a small premium. Then you get a more desirable coin at only a slightly higher price. For example, I just bought an 1860 proof HD for about 15% more than the cost of a common date.

    Greg
  • FairlanemanFairlaneman Posts: 10,424 ✭✭✭✭✭
    With the limited funds mentioned. Maybe what would be a good idea is to figure out exactly what grade you could afford that you would be please with and then try to put a somewhat matched set together in the grade. Of course with a type set this could also get very spendy so maybe a little deviation could be made with the higher priced coins, like dropping a grade on them. Also Greg brought up a very good point on possibly trying to find a few semi keys for some of the more common coins in your set. My example would be to find a 18P or maybe a 25P Merc instead of the old stand by 16P. The 18P and the 25P will not ever lose value plus they are harder to find than people think and for the most part priced within reason.

    Good Luck with what ever you decide.

    Ken
  • tjkilliantjkillian Posts: 5,578 ✭✭✭
    I always go for the higher grade. Coins are to be appreciated for their beauty, not their rarity.

    Tom
    Tom

  • solidsolid Posts: 2,975
    If you want to protect your investment, then I like Greg's idea idea. If your
    interests change later, these coins would always be easy sellers with nice
    upside potential. Plus, it offers the thrill of the hunt since these coins at the
    right price will be tougher to find!

    On the other hand, the most beautiful coins for the money will most likely be
    the common dates.

    As always, it comes down to personal goals and preferences.

    Ken
  • michaelmichael Posts: 9,524 ✭✭
    for me

    COINS ARE NOT AN INVESTMENT

    in answer to your question better date lower grade or higher grade common date neither!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    for me i would pick the coin that has monster eye appeal if it is a higher grade common date BUT WITH MONSTER EYE APPEAL TREMENDOUS EYE APPEAL EXTRAORDINARY EYE APPEAL THEN the higher grade common date COIN WOULD BE FOR ME over the better date

    for me i would pick the coin that has monster eye appeal if it is a lower grade better date but with monster eye appeal tremendous eye appeal extraordinary eye appeal then the better date lower grade coin would be for me over the higher grade common date



    just make sure wahtever you pick it is extraordinary eye appeal be uit better date lower grade and/or higher grade common date

    to make it even simpler all the coins you gets should ALL HAVE TREMENDOUS EYE APPEAL EXTRAORDINARY EYE APPEAL if not do not waste your time or money buying anything else

    keep it folded in your pocket


    sincerely michael
  • jcpingjcping Posts: 2,649 ✭✭✭

    I go for the higher grade and avoid the most common date in the series.
    an SLQ and Ike dollars lover
  • TypetoneTypetone Posts: 1,621 ✭✭
    Michael:

    I agree with you, but it avoids the question. If you had a certain amount of money to spend. Would go go for higher grade common, or lower grade better date. Assume equal magnificant, glorious, eye appeal. OK, maybe the lower grade better date has an extra mark somewhere.

    Greg
  • DatentypeDatentype Posts: 1,677 ✭✭✭
    Better dates will hold their value better.
  • jcpingjcping Posts: 2,649 ✭✭✭

    Between an MS64 common date and an EF40 better date, it is hard to say "Better dates will hold their value better."
    If you change the word from "better" to "key", then I agree your statement.
    an SLQ and Ike dollars lover
  • DatentypeDatentype Posts: 1,677 ✭✭✭
    jcping, are better dates not considered key dates or is the year WWI & WWII ended considered a better date?
  • cladkingcladking Posts: 28,694 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It's hard to believe that there is a correct, or at least a knowable answer to this question.
    It also comes very close to asking what one should collect. One should collect what he en-
    joys and one should buy his type coins with rarity, grade, and price all taken into consider-
    ation. Of course how the coin will look in the set should also have some bearing on the de-
    cision.

    If the question is which will have better price performance a rare date or an equally valuable
    rare grade in the same series than that's much more complicated and likely depends on the
    series. The question is really an imponderable since it's not possible to know. Surely the de-
    mand for quality is higher now than it has ever been before in coin collecting. It would hardly
    be illogical to predict that this demand will subside in the future and bring down the price of the
    rare grade. By the same token coin prices are getting strong and if prices continue upward more
    people will be priced out of date/mm sets and form type sets which are often higher grade. Old-
    er series are more likely to be collected in lower grades since the coins are often still attractive
    even in MS-60 or XF. The high prices will mute demand in the high grades and the result will
    likely be that rare dates will do better. Many of the later coins are unattractive in lower grades
    and some are so unattractive that they will likely be used mainly as fillers. These are sometimes
    distressingly common in low grades also which are unlikely to ever be actively pursued by large
    numbers of people.

    In short it depends on the series and who is collecting it now and their reasons for collecting it,
    but this must be seen in the light of who will be collecting it in the future and their motivation.

    Actually Typetone hit what I'll generally look for in a good type coin; the best date that doesn't re-
    quire a substantial premium.
    Tempus fugit.
  • DennisHDennisH Posts: 13,995 ✭✭✭✭✭
    In my series (Morgan dollars), I'd much rather have a rare date than a rare grade.
    When in doubt, don't.
  • jcpingjcping Posts: 2,649 ✭✭✭

    Of course, in my collecting series (standing liberty quarters and Ike dollars), I prefer to have a rare date than a rare grade. For my type set, there must be a line to draw "what is the minimum grade to put into my type set." Since I only put one coin per type into the set, I prefer to get a high grade one within the budget. For future re-sell-ability, I try to not to buy the most common one in the series.

    For standing liberty quarters, I would suggest folks to pass 1930-P MS6xFH and 1929-P MS6xFH for their type set. Go for 1929-S, 1927-P or 1925-P with the same grade. There is not much premium for these common but not so un-common dates. Of course, I would like to have a 1927-S MS66FH in my type set, but the price is 100X and thus it is not in the scope of the discussion.

    Comparing a nice 1919-S AU50 and a nice 1929-S MS65FH, their prices are in the same ballpark, I will go for the 1929S MS65FH for my type set. Since I only put one coin into my type set, I prefer to have a nice uncirculated one. It's my personal choice image
    an SLQ and Ike dollars lover
  • michaelmichael Posts: 9,524 ✭✭
    typetone/greg i totally agree with you with that extra mark!!

    that is why i like early 20 th century and 19 century coins say for example a barber half/quarter/dime ms

    that is gem mintstate totally eye appealling coin but just a common date per say even though no date in true gem barber half/quarter/dime with amazing eye appeal is common so you get the great gem coin eye appeal and any like that any date is a better date even if not a key date!

    and also three cent nicks in proof and ms gem
    barbers proof ms gem
    type two three cent silvers gem ms
    superb gem proof ms lib nicks
    gem ms dmpl cc and o mint morgan dollars
    gem ms copper nick indian cents
    colored proof gem rb and brown indian cents
    colored gem early commems
    seated half dimes gem ms
    capped bust half dimes gem ms totally undervalued
    satin proof gem buffs
    seated dimes gem ms and proof
    seated quarters gem proof cameo
    proof and ms gem trade dollars
    seated proof gem halves


    for me all the abovecoins andi am sure there are many more examples but this list is a start are for me again undervalued coins if they have the right look to them!

    sincerely michael


  • coolkarmacoolkarma Posts: 512 ✭✭
    As most, I'd choose something in between. I prefer "semi-keys" in higher grades. This gives you more coins, nicer looking coins, and the possibility of appreciation. For me, it also gives a reasonable "thrill of the hunt". My two cents.

    CoolKarma
  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 24,396 ✭✭✭✭✭
    In the case of series that are heavily collected by date, such as Morgans, Buffalos or Lincolns I would go for the better dates. They are likely to have the greatest marketability in good times and bad. For series that are not heavily collected by date, half dimes and trimes come to mind, go for common dates in high grade. Always keep marketability in mind! Ignore hype!.
    All glory is fleeting.
  • khaysekhayse Posts: 1,336
    Definitely not key dates. Also definitely not the nicest, most common date.

    Looking at my collection I've chosen to spend my money on slightly better date coins
    in MS64 rather than getting a common coin in MS67.

    If I was working on a type set I would probably want one example of a super grade (where I'd have
    to settle for a common date).

    -KHayse
  • For a type set, I will always go with the higher grade, as I am trying to give
    a representive example of the coin. Maybe resale would be better with a
    better date, but my budget can't handle too many nicer semi-keys, if any for
    the older stuff.

    I also personnally am happier with an example in the book, then only having
    a few, superior coins. My type set has a 1793 Chain Cent in PCGS Poor 01.
    I'm sure that most people would never consider a coin that bad (Except for
    Braddick's best of the worst; and if I ever find a FR02 I would be proud to have
    him have it), but since I can't afford a VF, I'm happy with what I have. (And that
    is the key; be happy with your collection.)
    Robert Getty - Lifetime project to complete the finest collection of 1872 dated coins.
  • LincolnCentManLincolnCentMan Posts: 5,347 ✭✭✭✭
    If you want something pretty to look at, higher grades. If you want something that's easy to liquidate, better dates.

    David
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