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What Would You Rather Own - An IKE Specialists Take

Great thread below started by Mitch. Of all the comments, I was struck by the fact that most would have taken the Trade Dollar. Now I don't know anything about mint state Lincoln cents, so I got to pondering would I rather have an MS67 71P IKE or the Trade Dollar?

The analogy of the IKE to the penny should work. The 71P IKE was minted and saved by the zillions. It was plagued with production problems. There are probably truckloads of unsearched bags out there. No 67s have yet been graded and only a handful of 66s.

I would take the IKE hands down, even if I could never sell it. A true MS67 IKE is a beautiful smooth coin. Every 71P I have ever seen or heard about ranges from ugly to OK with something to be desired. Even the 66s have mutiple planchet scratches and some bag marks. A smooth beautiful 67. I would pay up. $10,000 would not be too high, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get it for that.

The Trade Dollar? First I don't really like circulated coins, even AU ones. An accurate grade to me is much more than a number on plastic. It really has to do with eye appeal and more. I would much rather have a more common date Trade in say MS63. The only reason to take the AU Trade would be if I was a date/mm Trade collector and needed the key date. But, in that case I believe I could always find one to buy in the AU grade. The 71P IKE, if you passed once, you would never see it again.

So, I think my analogy works. I would take the Lincoln. Even if I could never sell it. Even if it is the only coin I could have in my collection.

And, here's the key. If you have or make an accurately graded example in PCGS MS67RD, I would be happy to take it in exchange for an 1877CC TD in AU. PM me if interested.

And except for IKEs, I'm not really even a modern collector.

Greg S.

Comments

  • CocoinutCocoinut Posts: 2,512 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Greg,

    Knowing how poorly made the 1971-P Ike was, I'd take an MS67 over the 1873-CC trade dollar in a heartbeat. There are over 50 1873-CC's graded AU55+ by PCGS alone. I doubt that there will ever be that many 1971-P Ikes in 67, regardless of how many remain unsearched. In the area I lived in back in the early 1970's, the Ike dollar actually saw some circulation, and seemed to be widely dispersed. I remember trying to find nice "P" mint coins, and being frustrated. The '71-P could be found with decent luster, but was always baggy, and I think the '72-P was the worst coin ever made by the US Mint - dull color, baggy, the type 2's were weakly struck - truly a coin that appeared to have been made in AU condition.

    Greg, with your fondness for Liberty nickels and Ikes, which of these would you rather have: a 1913 Liberty nickel in PR65 (of which 4 are known today), or that yet-to-be-made 1971-P Ike in MS67?

    Jim
    Countdown to completion of my Mercury Set: 1 coin. My growing Lincoln Set: Finally completed!
  • tradedollarnuttradedollarnut Posts: 20,162 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Even I would take the MS67 Ike over the AU trade dollar. That's really not a fair comparison! image

  • shirohniichanshirohniichan Posts: 4,992 ✭✭✭
    How about if the choice were between an 1971 Ike in MS-66 or an 1873-CC trade dollar in AU?
    image
    Obscurum per obscurius
  • TypetoneTypetone Posts: 1,621 ✭✭
    TDN:

    I believe it is as fair as comparing a 63D Lincoln in MS67RD to the AU Trade Dollar. Perhaps that is not a fair comparison either. But, I do believe it highlights the tension between buying an absolute rare coin in average condition with a common as dirt coin in condition rarity. I'm just saying that this is tough analysis and a hard choice. I am also saying that grade really means more than a number on plastic.

    Another example. Would I take the AU Trade Dollar or a 58 Washington in MS68. If I could never sell either, I would take the Trade in this case. In my opinion there would be little apparent difference between the 58 in MS68 and a high end MS67 that could be bought for $100 or less. In the case of the Lincoln, it seems that most are unappealing, and that the rare appealing one would be a find indeed.

    Cocoinut:

    Please. I think you know the answerimage

    Greg S
  • TypetoneTypetone Posts: 1,621 ✭✭
    Shiro:

    That would be a tough choice. I would probably go with the IKE if it were a high end piece. But some of the sixes have issues. Since both are about the same price, I would have to figure out which is harder to replace. I don't know enough about Trade Dollars to be able to answer that question.

    Shiro and TDN:

    I am interested in buying an attractive type Trade Dollar in the nest year or two. I probably would like to spend about $2,500. What would you two recommend.

    Cheers

    Greg S
  • braddickbraddick Posts: 24,126 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm not instantly sure the value is the same between that 71 MS66 Ike and the AU58 Trade, but if so, I'd take the 71 Ike.
    I can always find the Trade $. The Ike is more difficult to locate. I also like the appeal of high grade coins. Now, a MS66 Trade dollar? I'll take it! I'll even let YOU pick the date!

    peacockcoins

  • I'd take the Ike also, but my reasoning here is quite different. I'm not an Ike collector, but I've helped one of my friends looks for good examples and I've looked through my mint sets too.

    The Ike set is such a short one, that grade points are EXTREMELY critical. The Lincoln set is an extremely large one, so a single coin means less in comparison.

    David
  • shirohniichanshirohniichan Posts: 4,992 ✭✭✭
    Typetone,

    I'm not the best one to ask about this. I like odd varieties that are extremely scarce to rare for specific date and mintmark combinations but relatively inexpensive when cherrypicked. The 1873 and 1874 are underappreciated but hard to find in higher grades, while the 1874-S through 1878-S are fairly plentiful. Your choice will depend on what you like about the coins-- the highest grade possible, the best grade rarity "bargain", the one with the most absolute rarity for the price, etc.

    Oh, and did you want a chopmark with that? image
    image
    Obscurum per obscurius
  • wondercoinwondercoin Posts: 16,954 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Greg: I agree with Shiro. You made the question too darn easy as witnessed by TDN quickly taking the Ike image

    How about a 1971(p) in PCGS-MS66 or a $2500 valued "cc" Trade Dollar? Now that is interesting image Wondercoin.
    Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
  • TypetoneTypetone Posts: 1,621 ✭✭
    The question may be too easy, but I don't think it's really all that different from the Lincoln choice. Perhaps some will want to rethink their choice.image

    Greg S.
  • DHeathDHeath Posts: 8,472 ✭✭✭
    Sometimes I get so dissappointed with the imperfections in my collection that I am tempted to sell the whole lot. It's just so hard to find something you can look at for 30 minutes and still think it's perfect. That is why AU coins are just so underwhelming to me. Why not just build type sets in as high a grade as possible, instead of a drawer full of medium grade stuff. I'll tell you Greg, I've sold all my Ikes two different times just because I wasn't satisfied with the quality (65's and 66's), but I always end up buying more because I really am drawn to them. Some day someone will uncover a 71-P Ike that is as beautiful as the silver coins, all satin with no marks. When they do, I'll be a buyer.
    Developing theory is what we are meant to do as academic researchers
    and it sets us apart from practitioners and consultants. Gregor
  • keithdagenkeithdagen Posts: 2,025
    Trade Dollar again. In the grade I can afford (AU), most of them are still ugly. Maybe they get better as the grade goes up. TDN's are nice, but I don't feel like selling off my entire collection for one either.

    Keith
    Keith ™

  • braddickbraddick Posts: 24,126 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Maybe a little OT, but a favorite passtime of mine is to graze through the "Trade Dollars" listed on eBay. It's amazing at what others before have done to these poor little coins!

    peacockcoins

  • How bout a 1971-P Ike in MS67 or a 1873-CC trade $ in MS67.... Oh silly me, I titally forgot the finest known was a MS64.
    SO how bout a 1871-P Ike in MS67 (none known?) -VS- a MS65 1873-CC Trade $, none known...


    Lets be fair image
    Sean J
    Re-elect Bush in 2004... Dont let the Socialists brainwash you.

    Bush 2004
    Jeb 2008
    KK 2016

  • dbldie55dbldie55 Posts: 7,731 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If the question is which would you take, if you could never sell it: A MS66 1971-P Ike (or MS67) vs. any other coin of any value that you appreciate, I would take the other coin. For someone like me that thinks no different of a MS67 Ike vs. a circulated Ike, if you cannot sell it, then there is no gain in the Ike.

    If you were offered (the coin is free) a choice, to do as you please, I would take the more valuable one. If the more valuable one was the Ike, I would take it and sell it and buy something I would want to own.

    I have no desire to own a PCGS MSxx Ike, or PCGS MSxx 1963-D cent. If given one, I would sell it and buy something that appealed to me, probably worth much less.

    If you collect to keep forever, then why would you want something that is meaningless to you? The 1971-P Ike or the 1963-D cent in MS67 grades are no more meaningful to me than the ones I currently have in my Dansco's.

    The is no overall point to any of these threads as each person has their likes and dislikes and will choose to collect what they want. I certainly have no problem with Greg wanting a finest known 1971-P Ike, or someone who dreams at night about "making" a MS67RD 1963-D cent, but none of their arguements will make me want one.

    Just my take.
    Collector and Researcher of Liberty Head Nickels. ANA LM-6053
  • supercoinsupercoin Posts: 2,323
    1. 71-P Ike
    2. Trade Dollar
    3. Really good BLT sandwich and a beer
    4. Memorial Cent

    Of course if my icon was a cent, the order might be different. Or if I was really hungry/thirsty. image
  • tradedollarnuttradedollarnut Posts: 20,162 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Koin Kollector - I'm gonna have to take you out to the woodshed - you keep forgetting the Vermuele NGC MS65 1873CC!! image
  • khaysekhayse Posts: 1,336
    Tad,

    If you were stuck in the meeting I'm in now, that BLT would e
    higher on the list image

    -Keith H
  • TDN,
    Please dont. image I was speaking PCGS, of which there are 2 ms64.(i know you know this, you own one of them)
    Besides who would pay that kinda money for a NGC MS67 1971-P Ike? imageimage
    Sean J
    Re-elect Bush in 2004... Dont let the Socialists brainwash you.

    Bush 2004
    Jeb 2008
    KK 2016

  • BigD5BigD5 Posts: 3,433
    I ditto dbldie55. I'd take just about any other coin except an Ike. The Ike could be an ms/68, 69...whatever, it wouldn't matter to me. How many of those Ike's were minted? image This grade rarity stuff is funny. image
    BigD5
    LSCC#1864

    Ebay Stuff
  • supercoinsupercoin Posts: 2,323
    About 48 million 1971-P Ikes were minted, or a bit more than 1/3 of the mintage of your icon at 119 million (if it's a 1936 Buffalo, that is).

    So if it was the Trade dollar vs. an MS68 common-date Buffalo, which would you pick? image
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