How importnant is it to have a "matched set"?
jmj3esq
Posts: 5,421 ✭
I have been working on my 50 piece early commemorative half dollar set for a few years now. My set ranges from coins that are blast white to dark toned. I have some rainbow toners and some crusties. My question is, how important do most here feel is having your set with all coins similarly white or toned? Take a look at my set at the link below and tell me what you think. Im just curious.
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In fact, I think many matched sets are boring.
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One example would be monster toners, whether they are Morgans, MPLs, ASEs, etc. Of course, in this case, matched means strong color, not that the colors are all the same.
Another example would be pieces with different designs, e.g. patterns, HTTs, Conders, etc.
It's really nice to see coin after coin in these sets IMO.
<< <i>I think the importance of a matched set is over rated.
In fact, I think many matched sets are boring. >>
10000% agree. There are times when it looks nice, and there are times when it gets boring....particularly if higher end uncirculated sets.
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For most purposes, no real great reason for it in my eyes.
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I am not keen on a "matched set." This can involve buying the same coin, albeit maybe in a different grade, or maybe the same coin in the same grade, but with a different look. Every time you buy or sell a coin, you pay the bid / ask spread on said coin, if not more, with a possible exception of transactions by large fish in this pond. The only people who benefit from ideas which cause you to have multiple transactions for similar items are those from whom you buy and to whom you sell them.
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Given that, I'd say your set is in fact "well-matched".
NOTE: Some issues can be exceedingly rare with (monster) toning, so it's typically not possible to match a
set viz-a-viz toning, depending on how one defines that. OTOH, some collectors can be pretty strict about
no white coins, or vice versa.
EDIT: I like messydesk's answer above.
Having a mixture of brilliant coins and CAM/DCAM coins in a proof set (particularly 1950-1972) really does not provide eye appeal.
All brilliant coins or all CAM/DCAM coins provides a much better eye appeal.
You can then go even further in this area and get into toned vs. untoned brilliant coins; and toned vs. untoned CAM/DCAM coins. For some reason a mixture of toned and untoned can be eye appealing. So can all toned and all brilliant.
Same thing can be said for SMS coins for 1965-67, though this area has so many different types of coins [a wide range of finishes/appearances and a wide range of quality] that you could spend years trying to assemble representative sets of all the different looks. SMS sets can be fugly and can be breath taking in their beauty.
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<< <i>Just concentrate on buying nice coins and you should be fine. >>
Excellent advice for 90% of the questions that come up here.
<< <i>I think the importance of a matched set is over rated.
In fact, I think many matched sets are boring. >>
Couldn't have said it better myself and
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<< <i>Just concentrate on buying nice coins and you should be fine. >>
Great advice but you aren't answering the OP's question.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
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<< <i>Just concentrate on buying nice coins and you should be fine. >>
Great advice but you aren't answering the OP's question. >>
The inference would be "not that important", as I read it.
<< <i>I have been working on my 50 piece early commemorative half dollar set for a few years now. My set ranges from coins that are blast white to dark toned. I have some rainbow toners and some crusties. My question is, how important do most here feel is having your set with all coins similarly white or toned? Take a look at my set at the link below and tell me what you think. Im just curious. >>
In this particular situation, I think the coins are reasonably well matched. Even though the coins aren't all toned vs white, the toning is very even and the lustre looks good.
If you had other toners such as rainbow, tab, target, end-roll etc. the set would be less well matched and less cohesive IMO. Good job!
That said, it is quite interesting to see coins that are from (or could be from) the same proof or mint set. They just look very good together! I have a barber quarter and half that are that way and they are a couple of my favorites.
I like the variety. In my bust half set I have colorful pieces with different tone appearances, ones in "original dirty gray", a few lustrous white ones, both early die state and late. All around an AU target.
Lance.
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<< <i>Just concentrate on buying nice coins and you should be fine. >>
Great advice but you aren't answering the OP's question. >>
The inference would be "not that important", as I read it. >>
Are you saying that collectors putting a matched set together don't concentrate on buying nice coins?
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
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The white coins show off all the details, while the toned examples look prettier.
<< <i>If your goal is to have a matched set, then it's important. For the 50 pc. commems, I have my own ideas for which coins should be white (Iowa), which should be darker (Pilgrim), which should have a little peripheral toning (Gettysburg, Lafayette), which should have a little more color (Columbian, Isabella). All a matter of personal taste, probably developed as I looked at a bunch of coins over time. In my eyes, there's no way to match them all, in terms of color, without having some looking wrong. I'd rather have them all match how I perceive they should look. >>
This.
I'm primarily a type collector and I have my own ideas about what each coin should look like. I like my Barbers to have nice rim toning, my Peace Dollars to be mostly white with clear fields, my Rosies to have some nice color, and my early pieces to have character.
A color matched + original early US proof set is a thing of beauty that carries a nice premium. If a choice/gem US type coin collector required that
the toning all matched, they'd probably never be able to complete the set. If you're only into white or dipped coins then it's prety easy to match any set.
But on the other hand, white/dipped sets don't seem to bring any premium. They are the sum of their parts.
If a dealer tells you your set is worth less because it is not a "matched set" that is a strategy to get you to accept less for your coins for no legitimate reason. When a dealer sells the coins there is an almost 100% chance he's going to break up the set. Very few sets are sold "intact."