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Some characteristics/qualities that help define a truly great collection....
coinguy1
Posts: 13,485 ✭
I just posted this to the U.S. Coin Forum and thought I would do the same here.
The following article, which was just posted to our website, was recently written by Scott Schechter of Pinnacle Rarities.
A number of you know Scott as Pinnacle's main photographer, a true coin enthusiast and someone who likes to work with clients. He also happens to be an excellent writer, in my opinion. I think this article makes for some interesting reading and hope that (at least some of) you folks will enjoy it:
What Makes a Collection Great?
At Pinnacle Rarities, we deal with most advanced and sophisticated collectors of US coins. They purchase the highest quality coins available in the market, and they are all very specialized buyers. Most have narrowed their interests down to one or two series, or types of coins. Some are building more comprehensive Type Sets, but they also have an underlying goal or strategy that focuses their buying. But, have they done enough to ensure that they will build great collections?
Unfortunately, the answer may be, “no.” If you’re buying high-quality PCGS and NGC coins, and you’re working to complete a set, then you will be certain to build a very good collection. A great collection, however, is a special thing. In a great collection, each coin complements the others in some way, so that the whole is greater than its parts. Each coin is somehow more special and more interesting as a result of being paired with other coins. Of course, certain criteria for “judging” a collection will always be a subjective, but we believe that the traits of a great collection can be generally defined. We’ve compiled a list of the characteristics that all great collections seem to share so that you may better understand this elusive quality.
1. The Collector’s Preferences are Obvious
This is the single most important characteristic of a great collection, but in some ways the hardest to understand. When we look at a great collection, we should be able to say, “this collector likes flashy coins,” or “this collector was strike conscious.” The best collectors know what they are looking for, and they seek out those coins. They pass on coins that may fill the hole, but aren’t quite up to their standards. If a collector has done his job properly, an experienced dealer will be able to determine what the collector’s goal was. We’ll know what he liked, just by looking at his coins.
This does not mean that all the coins need to be matched in appearance. For example, a collector of Walking Liberty Half Dollars who wants a fully struck hand on Liberty may buy white and toned coins, so long as the strike is full. If a collector wants wildly toned coins, they may have very different looking coins in his collection, so long as the meet his standards for wild color. But, if a collector’s preference is for blast white coins and he wants to build a great collection, he should not have any toned coins in his set.
2. The Set is of Matched Quality
Great collections consist of great coins through and through, from the first date to the last, from the most common coin to the rarest. A great collection does not drop down in quality on the key dates. We now see some Registry collections with ultra grade (MS/PR68+) examples for the common dates and more pedestrian grades on the keys. This does not necessarily create a situation where all the coins complement each other. It detracts from the keys as they become the lowest quality examples, while still the most expensive.
3. There are Signature Pieces
This is an important characteristic of great collections, but most collectors don’t take this into consideration. A “signature coin” is one that embodies all the qualities and attributes that the collector has deemed important. But it is also a scarce coin that is not usually found with these attributes. For example, if you are building a Long Short Set of Walking Liberty half dollars with an emphasis on strike, your signature coins might be fully struck 1935-D and 1941-S issues, dates that rarely come with sharp detail. In referring to a collection, numismatists will recall these special coins. They serve as a shorthand to remembering the collection, its contents, and its overall quality. It is these signature coins that keep their pedigrees and are always the centerpiece of the collection in which they reside.
4. The Set is Complete
This is as straightforward as it sounds. A great collection includes all the dates, rare and common, generally included in sets of their type. No exceptions. Over the past few years, with the growth of NGC and PCGS Set Registry programs, set composition has become fairly well crystallized. You can follow these generally accepted guidelines to determine what coins belong in your collection.
5. The Set is Finished
This takes the concept of completion one step further. A collection that is finished cannot be easily added to or upgraded. Not only is it complete by issue, as outlined above, but the coins are of sufficient quality or similarity that a better example (for that collection) cannot be easily found. This shows that the collector has done his work, filling in each hole with the best coin for the spot. There aren’t any coins that do not belong, as these have been culled long ago. Maybe some other higher grade or true wonder coins are out there, but they wouldn’t match the overall appearance and surface quality of the other dates in the set.
These five pillars of great collections shouldn’t confine you. Rather they should aid you in defining your collecting goals and help you make more intelligent acquisitions for your collection. It is often the hunt for that next perfect coin that collectors enjoy most about their hobby. By keeping these traits in mind, you can confidently search out your next signature piece.
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Comments
<< <i>A great collection includes all the dates, rare and common, generally included in sets of their type. No exceptions >>
So no matter how nice the rest of one's collection is it can't be called a "great collection" if it doesn't have an example of every coin?
It follows that there can only ever be one "great collection" of Seated Half Dimes or Seated Dimes. At least for the Seated Quarters there can be four or five complete collections assembled.
I like the overall definition for many sets...but those last two points are tough for some early sets.
RELLA
who boasts of twenty years experience in his craft
while in fact he has had only one year of experience...
twenty times.
<< <i>So no matter how nice the rest of one's collection is it can't be called a "great collection" if it doesn't have an example of every coin? >>
Aren't you speaking of PARTIAL collections, there?
On a more serious note, as I posted, in part, on the other forum:
<< <i>The article was written as a general framework for collecting. ....... there certainly are limits and a number of practical considerations to keep in mind. >>
***** this is what collecting and the growth of the hobby is all about just what the article says*****
important
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, as without new collectors doing sets and collecting there is no coin hobby!
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this article suggests to me that are basically many ways to build a great collection!!
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but overall a collection built with some thought to it
some type of set building parameters whatever they might be
as(((((defined by the collector)))) which is building the set
will make the set to whomever looks at it and apprecaites it....synergistic
in other words the sum of the whole is greater than its parts
(((((((((((((((((the above is what i think the article is saying)))))))))))))))))0
i give this article 5 stars plus a bag of chips!!
michael