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Thoughts on collecting Middle Date Large Cents...

Thoughts on collecting Middle Date Large Cents...

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I think there are very few United States coins that offer as much enjoyment, history, literature, variety and ways of collecting as the Middle Date Large Cents 1816-1839.
A special mention that collecting Middle Dates offers the opportunity to become intimate with one of the most wonderful references relating to coins namely
John Wright's The Cent Book; I do not not think the true beauty of this book can be appreciated without coins in hand.

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I reflect on the Middle Dates now with only two of my Middle Dates remaining in my possession, the others either sold or on consignment and my Middle Date books
having been dispersed.

The Middle Dates spanning 20+ years replete with overdates, die cracks, sundry letter punches etc. offer a myriad of sets: a date set, variety set, the varieties of
let's say one year 1817 (17 varieties) or 1822 (14 varieties), RedBook set, overdates, keys etc. A person is only limited by their imagination in the ways to enjoy
these pennies and let me add that the Middle Dates can be enjoyed across the grade spectrum.

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The Middle Date Large Cents have a rich literature of both reference books (Andrews, Newcomb, Noyes, Wright etc.) and sales catalogs (Brown, Robinson, Starr
and the recent blockbuster sales). Note: for whatever reason I don't care for the modern/recent catalogs, maybe too glossy for me.

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In my opinion the Superior Galleries Brown and Robinson catalogs are the epitome of catalogs yet to be surpassed in both care, annotation and presentation.

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oops...almost forgot my other favorite catalog...Stacks Herman Halpern Collection...bound by Gabriella Fox...

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From the Herman Halpern sale prospectus...

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Middle Date Large Cents starter kit...

1. buy The Cent Book by John Wright

2. buy Copper Quotes by Robinson 19th Edition

4. buy hardbound editions of Superior Galleries Brown and Robinson catalogs - nowadays I think the deluxe versions of these catalogs can be had for a song.

5 . Join EAC - I think the best numismatic publication PennyWise.

6. buy 4 coins in EAC VF20 - EAC VF30 - many nice coins for most budgets.

7. buy a loupe - most variety diagnostics can be viewed with the naked eye but a loupe will add to the enjoyment.

The above will give countless evenings of enjoyment and refuge from the rat race of modern life.

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There are so many ways to collect Middle Dates but for example a very wonderful set of Middle Dates to put together...

1821 N1 N2 - 1823 N1 N2 - 1834 N1 N3 N5 N6 - 1839 overdate, head of 38, silly head, booby head and petite head and
the 1828 N10 a RedBook favorite.

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You may ask why leave the Middle Dates behind? In an attempt to simplify my life I decided to concentrate on a single coin and single year...

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Comments

  • Sam123Sam123 Posts: 175
    Very nice!!!! image
    People who don't trust other people. Can't be trusted.
  • Billet7Billet7 Posts: 4,923 ✭✭✭
    I agree, very nice. I like your 1794's like crazy. It is a tough date to get nice...let alone collect!
  • AnkurJAnkurJ Posts: 11,366 ✭✭✭✭
    Nice stuff. I have almost all of the dates for my date set. But I dont have the time or patience to go through all of the varities.
    All coins kept in bank vaults.
    PCGS Registries
    Box of 20
    SeaEagleCoins: 11/14/54-4/5/12. Miss you Larry!
  • lathmachlathmach Posts: 4,720
    The middle date Large Cents have the greatest number of collectors.
    The early dates can be too expensive and the late dates too hard to attribute.

    Ray
  • Very, very nice RTS? Even an early date guy can appreciate this image

    I see the collection of '94s is looking good. Is this the next frontier?????

    PS. I do havve a soft spot for the 1836 MDs.......

    1836 N7

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  • jmski52jmski52 Posts: 22,305 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I like your collection very much!image
    Q: Are You Printing Money? Bernanke: Not Literally

    I knew it would happen.
  • phehpheh Posts: 1,588
    Phenomenal post. Thank you very, very much.
  • ElKevvoElKevvo Posts: 4,057 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great Post and thanks for the suggestions!

    K
    ANA LM
  • STONESTONE Posts: 15,275
    Meh image

    RTS, you always show your professionalism when presenting your Large Cents, and it's always fun to look at them image
  • Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 11,115 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Awesome post!
    I initially became endeavored with the transitional years 1835-39, with the various works by engravers Scot, Kneass, and Gobrecht. I have since expanded this to major varieties from 1830 - 1843, kind of a 'roll your own' middle/late date set. Still missing a nice 39/6 example....
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  • MikeInFLMikeInFL Posts: 10,188 ✭✭✭✭
    Great post, RTS! I wish you had let me know you were getting rid of your middle dates -- would love to have picked up a few of your great coins. image

    Best of luck with your '94 collection!
    Collector of Large Cents, US Type, and modern pocket change.
  • JamericonJamericon Posts: 437 ✭✭✭
    Excellent dissertation on the MD large cents RTS. Bravo! image
    Jamie Yakes - U.S. paper money collector, researcher, and author. | Join the SPMCUS Small-Size Notes, National Bank Notes, and NJ Depression Scrip
  • BarndogBarndog Posts: 20,454 ✭✭✭✭✭
    any thread started by RTS is a must-read/must-view.
  • coinnutcoinnut Posts: 1,432 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Excellent post RTS !! It's posts like yours that keep me coming back here. image
  • tydyetydye Posts: 3,894 ✭✭✭
    Great post! I love posts like this

    I just picked up the Wright book recently and enjoyed attributing my middle dates. I agree the late dates are next to impossible. I am about ready to sell my small hoard of them along with the book as I just cant seem to attribute them
  • BECOKABECOKA Posts: 16,957 ✭✭✭
    I really like the look of the head design from the 30's. If I were to collect large cents I would focus on these.
  • TomBTomB Posts: 20,697 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wonderful post and I can imagine that you truly enjoyed this niche.
    Thomas Bush Numismatics & Numismatic Photography

    In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson

    image
  • dorkkarldorkkarl Posts: 12,692 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I think there are very few United States coins that offer as much enjoyment, history, literature, variety and ways of collecting as the Middle Date Large Cents 1816-1839. >>

    i agree, & what alot of people do'nt understand is that you DO NOT HAVE to collect large cents by sheldon, newcomb, etc. why not just do a nice date set? or a set w/ redbook varieties? or just a set of coins that you simply LIKE?

    GREAT THREAD!!!

    K S
  • ShamikaShamika Posts: 18,759 ✭✭✭✭

    When I finish my Buffalo nickel collection (who knows when that will be), Middle Dates will be the next set I pursue. Not sure why, but I've always loved this homely design.

    RTS - Superb images and very informative post!



    Buyer and seller of vintage coin boards!
  • RTSRTS Posts: 1,408


    << <i>

    << <i>I think there are very few United States coins that offer as much enjoyment, history, literature, variety and ways of collecting as the Middle Date Large Cents 1816-1839. >>

    i agree, & what alot of people do'nt understand is that you DO NOT HAVE to collect large cents by sheldon, newcomb, etc. why not just do a nice date set? or a set w/ redbook varieties? or just a set of coins that you simply LIKE?
    GREAT THREAD!!!K S >>



    A Redbook set of Middle Date Large Cents is a wonderful set that should keep most persons quite busy for many, many years. There is a year of the Middle Dates that I have read referred to
    as the 1794s of the Middle Dates or was it 1798, maybe someone can comment as to this reference; I seem to remember it being 1817.

    Among the many niceties of the Middle Dates is that the lower grades are still pretty and quite attributable - a Fine to Very Fine set of Middle Dates can be quite wonderful...I think if I have learned
    anything about collecting the Middle Dates it is to try to collect coins with a similar look which is really mostly their color...to me a EF coin looks perfectly at home with a F15 coin as long as
    they have a similar look with respect to color...having drastically different colored coins I think distracts from any set.

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    My set of Middle Dates was a little helter-skelter with no real theme aside from selecting what I thought were the most interesting variety of a date (die cracks, overdates etc.),
    the rarer varieties and coins with an interesting pedigree e.g. Halpern, Brown, Robinson etc.

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  • LongacreLongacre Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
    The post of a true connoisseur (which are few and far between these days on the boards). Great pictures, comments, and collection!
    Always took candy from strangers
    Didn't wanna get me no trade
    Never want to be like papa
    Working for the boss every night and day
    --"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
  • ShamikaShamika Posts: 18,759 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>There is a year of the Middle Dates that I have read referred to as the 1794s of the Middle Dates or was it 1798, maybe someone can comment as to this reference; I seem to remember it being 1817. >>

    Not sure where the reference comes from, but I'm guessing you meant to say 1794 since there are a zillion varieties of this particular date.





    Buyer and seller of vintage coin boards!
  • RTSRTS Posts: 1,408


    << <i>

    << <i>There is a year of the Middle Dates that I have read referred to as the 1794s of the Middle Dates or was it 1798, maybe someone can comment as to this reference; I seem to remember it being 1817. >>

    Not sure where the reference comes from, but I'm guessing you meant to say 1794 since there are a zillion varieties of this particular date. >>



    I found it...John Wright The Cent Book page 13:

    For large cents, the year 1817 is commonly called "the 1794 of the late dates" due to the large number of varieties and the
    magnitude of their naked-eye differences. Such a large number of cent varieties for a single year had not been seen since 1803,
    and would not be surpassed until 1835.
    image
  • joecopperjoecopper Posts: 1,195 ✭✭✭
    A truly wonderful post - there are some gorgeous, smooth, glossy brown Middle Dates for not a lot of money.
  • BlindedByEgoBlindedByEgo Posts: 10,754 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Bravo! Well done, sir.
  • jedmjedm Posts: 2,920 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: Barndog

    any thread started by RTS is a must-read/must-view.




    This is such an interesting and informative post I just had to bump it for some of the newer crowd that may not have yet discovered the search function here.
  • Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 11,115 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Mostly it reminds me how much I miss RTS!

    Successful BST transactions with 170 members. Recent: Tonedeaf, Shane6596, Piano1, Ikenefic, RG, PCGSPhoto, stman, Don'tTelltheWife, Boosibri, Ron1968, snowequities, VTchaser, jrt103, SurfinxHI, 78saen, bp777, FHC, RYK, JTHawaii, Opportunity, Kliao, bigtime36, skanderbeg, split37, thebigeng, acloco, Toninginthblood, OKCC, braddick, Coinflip, robcool, fastfreddie, tightbudget, DBSTrader2, nickelsciolist, relaxn, Eagle eye, soldi, silverman68, ElKevvo, sawyerjosh, Schmitz7, talkingwalnut2, konsole, sharkman987, sniocsu, comma, jesbroken, David1234, biosolar, Sullykerry, Moldnut, erwindoc, MichaelDixon, GotTheBug
  • CuKevinCuKevin Posts: 1,690 ✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: jedm
    Originally posted by: Barndog
    any thread started by RTS is a must-read/must-view.


    This is such an interesting and informative post I just had to bump it for some of the newer crowd that may not have yet discovered the search function here.


    Not to mention the search function is useless in its current state.
    Choice Numismatics www.ChoiceCoin.com

    CN eBay

    All of my collection is in a safe deposit box!
  • PurfrockPurfrock Posts: 545 ✭✭✭
    As an EAC member, I share your passion for copper! At present, I'm focused on the early dates, but other series (middle/late) are tempting me.
    EAC, ANA Member
  • jedmjedm Posts: 2,920 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Not to mention the search function is useless in its current state.



    The search seems to work well for me. I found this thread by searching 1834 N5

  • KyleKyle Posts: 1,821 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Really great post, and beautiful large cents.
    Successful BST Transactions With: tonedase, streg2, airplanenut, coindeuce, vibr0nic, natetrook, Shrub68, golden, Lakesammman, drddm, Ilikecolor, CoinJunkie, wondercoin, lablover
  • oldlinecoinsoldlinecoins Posts: 183 ✭✭✭
    Great great post. Thanks for bumping it
  • Bob1951Bob1951 Posts: 268 ✭✭
    I like 'em. All of these dates are available to the average collector at prices that most collectors can afford. Kinda like bust halves. Easy to collect and neat coins also.

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