Early Quarter Eagle Set

earlyAurum

I am in the process of building a date run of early quarter eagles. I have both NGC and PCGS coins thus far. What are some important considerations in joining the registry set for this type of collection? What would be the benefits? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
earlyAurum

scottgardener

Registry sets are useful for several purposes. For particularly valuable coins such as your early quarter eagles, it is a helpful way of establishing a record of ownership. That way, if the coins are lost or stolen, it makes it easier for authorities or concerned citizens to get them back to you. With more common coins, the Set Registry and its NGC counterpart are usually done more as a form of recreation and entertainment, a sort of virtual coin album. This is fun, too, as it gives you a way of showing off your collection. But, with coins that cost as much as cars, I'd consider the documentation of ownership a bigger and more important perk.

The PCGS Set Registry only allows registry of PCGS coins. The NGC counterpart, the Collectors' Society Registry, allows both NGC and PCGS coins. I find the PCGS Set Registry by far easier to use, though the NGC site's layout looks somewhat nicer for browsing other peoples' collections as a visitor. There is no reason that you could not use both registries. I put all my PCGS coins on the PCGS registry, and I put all of my NGC coins and my more significant PCGS coins on the NGC registry. My collection tends to be PCGS-heavy.

Entering information on the coins themselves is fairly easy, except for getting pictures. Uploading the pictures from a computer to the site is easy, but learning how to photograph coins is an art form well beyond the scope of this post!

speety

Another (potential) benefit is that dealers and other collectors can see your registry and offer you pointers to some of the ones you still are missing or ones you may want to upgrade. However, some see this as a negative because they can also tell what coins you will be chasing at auction (if you are putting together a pop-top or near top-pop set) and sometimes some of the tips get annoying and are totally self-serving.

I put my set up just for fun, it's an easy way to share your collection with others.

earlyAurum

Thanks guys. I appreciate your comments. I like the fact that it serves a public record but I don't want dealers to basically have my want list. I will wait a little longer before deciding to start but overall it sounds like a good idea that is fun as well.

earlyAurum

BigRick

..."but I don't want dealers to basically have my want list..."

Easily enough accomplished if you make the set(s) private.

scottgardener

Even if you don't make it private, you do not necessarily have to point dealers to your registry entry.

If you want to give them a want list, I suppose it could help as such. (I've never had to submit a want list, because that list is so much larger than my budget at this point that it would be more helpful to keep a list of what I do have than what I don't.) However, one need not tell a coin dealer that you're "earlyAurum" on the PCGS Set Registry (or whatever name you use.)

Baley

My advice is to post some pictures or links to your such coins so's we can oogle them