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"WHAT CONSTITUTES WORLD-CLASS COLLECTION"?

Deb048goldDeb048gold Posts: 192
in PCGS Set Registry Forum
PCGS lists all-time finest and current finest as the top 5 in each registry set. If a collector builds as an example 10 to 20 diversified coin sets that each consistently rank in the top 10, would you consider that a world class collection? Is there such a standard, and if not what are your thoughts on the criteria even though we all know were not going to be Eliasbergs.

Comments

  • RegistryCoinRegistryCoin Posts: 5,117 ✭✭✭✭
    Like America's Game's finale, "The World Series", "PCGS All-Time..." is just "terminology", not to be confused with the world outside.
  • Deb048goldDeb048gold Posts: 192
    I understand the all-time and current best for individual sets . My question is should we give weight to multiple diversified sets with consistent quality standards and rankings?
  • RegistryCoinRegistryCoin Posts: 5,117 ✭✭✭✭
    I don't think that there's a need to adjust the scales. Although there are some awesome multiple-collections in the registry, there are probably some non-registered "Eliasberg-like" collections in the making, that may someday be recognized as world-class.
  • saintgurusaintguru Posts: 7,724 ✭✭✭
    Most of the following: (liberal interpretation)

    1) 85% or more completed, depending on the series

    2) a proliferation of coins at or near TOP POP grade

    3) the majority of key dates in the set, in better than 'hole-filler' grades (this varies for individual series')

    4) GREAT LOOKING COINS for the assigned grade! (just because a coin is ms65 doesn't mean it's got eye appeal or is a great coin. There can be huge variants within the same grade)

    5) Here's a tricky one...consistency of grade...with early series' this may be unavoidable, but with late 19th-20th century coins consistency is key.

    6) Clearly if many of these criteria are met, there still may be a large number of qualifiers; in that case keep ratcheting up all the standards until the lessers are culled out...I would say top 5%, if measurable, is fair. A set with a larger percentage of TOP POP coins certainly gains distinction.


    These are guidelines, IMO. There are other qualities, but these are the major categories if one wanted to quantify guidelines.
    image
  • tradedollarnuttradedollarnut Posts: 20,162 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If a collector builds as an example 10 to 20 diversified coin sets that each consistently rank in the top 10, would you consider that a world class collection?

    I understand what you are saying. Instead of a few individual collections of stunning quality, 10-20 collections of medium high quality. I think it would definitely depend on the sets involved. If they were all 20th century, I would say the answer is NO. After all, there are very few 20th century rarities that cannot be reasonably acquired in moderately high grade.

    If it were high condition census sets 1793-1836, including gold, then the answer would be a resounding YES!

    Early Dollar Set
  • Deb048goldDeb048gold Posts: 192
    image

    I would agree!!
  • tradedollarnuttradedollarnut Posts: 20,162 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Here's a followup question:

    Would such a collection require one or more extreme rarities to be considered World Class?

    Take the Richmond Collection, for example. It contains such items as the 1870-S dollar, 1884 and 1885 trade dollars, 1927-D $20, 1894-S dime, etc. This collector tried to buy MS63 and under as a rule [until some later transactions]. Without these ultra rarities, would this set of moderately high grade uncirculated/proof coinage be considered World Class?
    Early Dollar Set
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