Oh, heaven help me... I've finally gone hog-wild and done it, after years of thinkin' about it...
lordmarcovan
Posts: 43,530 ✭✭✭✭✭
I started a date set of Bust halves! 
Just a one-a-year set; nothing fancy- I am not doing die varieties or anything like that.
In fact, I am going for holed Bust halves.
Are you surprised?
These won't go on the Holey Coin Vest, most likely, unless they replace the large cent date set on the back of the vest (which I doubt I would do). More than likely, I'll just pin 'em to a cork board or something, until the set has advanced to the point where I will decide how to display it.
I looked, and the only real stopper to a one-per-year date set will be the rare 1815/2, of course, which unfortunately is the only variety for that year. I will do all the Capped Bust coins and will probably include the Reeded Edge pieces as well. I am limiting myself only to coins holed between about 10:00 and 2:00 (in other words, at or near the top of the obverse), and not going after coins that were holed through the date or the center. I am going to allow myself to buy coins that were plugged or have partial holes near the top, though- I can drill the plugs out or "finish" a hole without feeling guilty. I'm also avoiding coins with soldered-on loops; they have to be true "holeys".
This should be fun. I have always loved Bust halves, and thought about doing a date set for years (of UNholed coins). I may yet attempt that one day. But in the meantime, I just noticed somebody is apparently breaking up a set of holed ones and selling 'em on eBay. I've gone and bought seven in the last 24 hours, and have bids out on two or three more. (Already had an 1827 on my vest).
The availability of so many holed ones at one time pushed me over the edge. What's really neat is that one can often get nice pieces that would otherwise grade as high as VF or even EF (without the hole) for a song- sometimes less than G4 price. But there is a healthy market for Bust halves, even in the holeys.
Anybody got any holed or plugged Busties? Lemme know. I will soon be in a position to swap duplicates, too, since I have put out some bids on multiple lots.
The large cent set on my vest is five pieces away from completion, and I had a lot of fun with it. I foresee the Bust halves being even more fun than that.
I just put my wantlist in my sig line.
Just a one-a-year set; nothing fancy- I am not doing die varieties or anything like that.
In fact, I am going for holed Bust halves.
Are you surprised?
These won't go on the Holey Coin Vest, most likely, unless they replace the large cent date set on the back of the vest (which I doubt I would do). More than likely, I'll just pin 'em to a cork board or something, until the set has advanced to the point where I will decide how to display it.
I looked, and the only real stopper to a one-per-year date set will be the rare 1815/2, of course, which unfortunately is the only variety for that year. I will do all the Capped Bust coins and will probably include the Reeded Edge pieces as well. I am limiting myself only to coins holed between about 10:00 and 2:00 (in other words, at or near the top of the obverse), and not going after coins that were holed through the date or the center. I am going to allow myself to buy coins that were plugged or have partial holes near the top, though- I can drill the plugs out or "finish" a hole without feeling guilty. I'm also avoiding coins with soldered-on loops; they have to be true "holeys".
This should be fun. I have always loved Bust halves, and thought about doing a date set for years (of UNholed coins). I may yet attempt that one day. But in the meantime, I just noticed somebody is apparently breaking up a set of holed ones and selling 'em on eBay. I've gone and bought seven in the last 24 hours, and have bids out on two or three more. (Already had an 1827 on my vest).
The availability of so many holed ones at one time pushed me over the edge. What's really neat is that one can often get nice pieces that would otherwise grade as high as VF or even EF (without the hole) for a song- sometimes less than G4 price. But there is a healthy market for Bust halves, even in the holeys.
Anybody got any holed or plugged Busties? Lemme know. I will soon be in a position to swap duplicates, too, since I have put out some bids on multiple lots.
The large cent set on my vest is five pieces away from completion, and I had a lot of fun with it. I foresee the Bust halves being even more fun than that.
I just put my wantlist in my sig line.
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I think you'll come up with a very nice holed set of Bust Halfs. Just don't settle for plugers
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I wouldn't drill out one of those "expertly repaired" plugged coins that had the missing detail reengraved over the plug. But if I need to pop out an amateurish plug for a holey coin I need, I will.
I will keep an eye out for ya! Keep us posted on your progress.
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-YN Currently Collecting & Researching Colonial World Coins, Especially Spanish Coins, With a Great Interest in WWII Militaria.
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Really cool!
If I'm still kickin' then.
What kind of a discount do you realize when buying holed coins? I assume it's significant.
When you start getting back to the late medieval stuff in the world coins, some will fetch an amazing price even holed. There was a holed 1601 Scottish gold "Sword and Scepter" piece I really wanted for my hat, but it went for well over $600. So far my 1794 Liberty Cap cent is probably the most expensive holey I have bought, at $135 or thereabouts.
No, wait- I think I paid $160 or so for the 1860 $3 gold piece on my hat. But that has some bullion value. Of course that Bust dollar is gonna be expensive when I get one. But generally speaking, this hole, er, whole holey madness is just a whim that I don't spend a lot of money on. I spend more than most sane people would, true, but it it's fun.
Besides the coins we discussed earlier, I pick up a holed 1870 $1 Gold piece today. Small hole at 12 o'clock.
Louis