$200 to spend...I want a key date in BU, what do I buy?

dlimb2

Lets see what everyone can come up with.

tjkillian

For $200k you can get a key date, 1799 Large Cent in BU.

Tom

mirabela

You might be able to scare up a 1996 Paralympics silver dollar in BU for that much money. A key, if not the key, to the modern commem $1 series.

Pennycase

Well....
A nice 1931 S wheatie, below ms-65
1950 D Jefferson ms-65 ++++
That's about it off the top of my head, I could probably search through the price guides for an hour or two, but, i'll leave that up to you... lots of coins have a mintage below 1 million that can be purchased around 200 dollars in ms-60

coinkat

You did not confine your question to just US Coinage...

ziggy29

Define "BU." Anything uncirculated as long as it's brilliant?

MS-6x or better?

robertpr

Go for a PCGS graded FB Roosevelt. I don't know what they key date is in FB though. As far as I knew the key date was the '49-S but this may not hold true in FB.

I think the series is starting to gain momentum due to the new designators as well as the possibility that it could be replaced with a different design. I think this series surely has a lot of upward movement to do within the next 5 to 10 years, especially if the series is ended.

RGL

1939-D Jeff ... Reverse of 38, preferably FS.

aem4162

what do you collect?

goose3

myself, I would stay away from coins where the value is mainly based on a designation such as FB or where the value is based on what the plastic says. Instead, buy something that is truly a KEY date.

coincollector1989

Here is my suggestion, high grade 1970-d Kennedy would do nicely.

morgannut2

Aren't you really trying to guess what will become a key date in moderns by becoming tough say 20 years from now ( there are more collectors than coins.) I'm trying to find a coin outside of my Morgans that will have a limited supply if millions more are graded. Boy BU and the price makes it tough. In Washington quarters, I'll go with the light motto 1934 variety with 260 graded in MS60 or greater, because so many early rolls are already gone. I' d try to snipe a NGC MS65 or high end PCGS MS64 for about $200. You might wait until the prices cool off, as you can be picky with a keeper. Another is the '50 D/S or S/D in 60 to 63. I just got an '81 "clear" SBA Type 2 but the key was a bit more than$275 ( the DC is nice.) Well you got me thinking. There are some BU top 100 Morgan VAMs that are less than $200 and D. Hall says there's going to be a registry for them. The low POPs VAMs might be then be key's of the future in Morgans with huge collector base.

MadMarty

Spend the $200 on grading fees and send your Franklins back in, maybe the graders will get them right this time!

Purple73

1955 Bugs Bunny Franklin Half @ MS 65

1949-D Franlkin Half @ MS 63

For what you want to spend you can have both of these

PURPLE

fivecents

I would advise spending the $200 on a circulated key date like a 1914-D lincoln, But the question was an unc key date for $200. I would say buy an unc 1995-D olympic cycling dollar and an unc 1995-D Track & field dollar. I think the mintages are 14,500 and 23,500, plus you would have change left over.

solid

In Jefferson nickels, you can get a very nice 1950-D MS66FS
or 1938 PR66 and have something left over.

Ken

coinguy89

I would go for the Jefferson nickels right now, they're keys are very underrated.

edsondl

1997 Matte Jefferson, MS69.

Limited (for a modern) production. Now that the Jefferson nickel series is a closed set, I would expect it to gain more respect.

darktone

only $200? I think I would forget about a key date for this little bit of money and buy something that had tons of eye appeal instead......... like a nice colorful double mint set. mike

nwcs

1950D Jefferson nickel. And you'll have some money to spend on something else.

dlimb2

No way Marty...they can kiss my behind.

dlimb2

Well to reply to all of you at once...I have many of the coins you are refering to...nd love eveyone of them..and then there are the coins that some of you mentioned that I don't have...so...I have to make choices...and I agree with the nickel idea and I do like the 1997 matte....and the keys of the older ones....So when I buy a coin...my main objective is the mintage numbers...so I think for this moment in time...I will go with that 1997 matte...as I have almost all competed sets except nickels...so I know I can not afford to buy the sets anymore and I am going to settle on Keys. Thanks to all of you.

cladking

Mintage numbers? Key date? $200? BU?

You can find a nice choice '82-NMM dime for that sort of money.

There aren't many low mintage key dates in that price range.

dlimb2

cladking, that is a good one too...I like that also.

mgoodm3

For $200 you can get lots of key dates in Butt Ugly

Strat

I really like the suggestion for the 1934 Light Motto quarter in MS63-64 grade. I've sold several in MS64-66 at auction, and the price realized is always higher than I figured. Speaking of quarters, for $200 you could pick up a couple of better dates, the 42S in 64 or 65 or the 40D in 64. I've noticed the 40D is frequently on collector want lists, and I've never had too many nice ones on hand. Sounds like you're familiar with the Franklins, so you know there are opportunities there. You just might be able to land a nice 53S in 66 for around $200. Best of luck in your search.

boyhowdy

1903-O Barber dime.

You get a 100 year old type coin with the cachet of the New Orleans mint.

Steve

KollectorKing

Red 10-S penny.