Coinsarefun: I hear you on the 49-D. I already posted the story about that particular coin. I also thought you might like the 46-P ... particularly the reverse as well as the 59-P and the wild toned 37-P MS67+ I just added.
Erwindoc / Cladking: I am so glad you each picked the 59-P. It is one of my favorites too. I do not know exactly how it toned in that wild color scheme. If memory serves me right, I bought the coin from long time board member Don D. (who I also seem to recall sold me the amazing 46-P come to think of it). Don had some very lovely coins in his collection and I am thankful he gave me the chance to "cherry-pick" from among his beauties when he decided to sell his quarter collection many, many years ago.
TomB: Yes, the 53-S is amazing ... I agree. They just don't come that way especially from the mint sets. I actually have (2) neat 53-S coins in the set and I believe both are pictured now on the site.
Wondercoin
edited to add: Thanks Ty2 and Skyman!! Also, docg - Thanks ... 2013 I will try to make the "year of the clad quarters" ... getting my set pictured and offering some doubles for sale. What an underappreciated collection ... well you know!
Cocoinut ... Great selections and thank you on noticing the dripping luster on my 1930's "S' mint coins. In fact, I also own a finest known 1937-S MS67+ blazer that I have not had a chance to picture yet. I like it as much as the 35-S if that gives you an idea of the quality of the coin! And, I recently added that 38-S MS67+ to the gallery that you put on your list ... the coin is closer to MS68 quality than MS67+. It is a slot I will never be able to improve upon!! Which 43-P MS67+ do you like better ... the one on line 4 or the one on line 12?
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
Cocoinut ... Yes, I am not surprised that you and Coinjunkie each like the other 43-P coin better! That is my problem too as I play it in my head as well. LOL.
Oreville - Since everyone of these quarter pics was taken by PCGS/CU, I assume they are very consistent with their photography and I believe the pics do a very good job in representing the coins in hand. But, let's do this ... when you finally decide to come out to a Long Beach show for the first time ... give yourself an extra day and I can show you the entire collection and you can have lunch with myself and Lauren (and maybe Justin too if he can break away from UCLA which is not too far away from Long Beach).
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
If I had to pick just one (not an easy task), I'd go with the 1958-D.
And thank you for entering me in your generous give-a-way.......
I used to be somebody, now I'm just a coin collector. Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
Cucamongacoin - Yes, improving upon a 36-D in MS67+ (pop 1/0) is going to be a fairly tall order. Both you and TomB selected that coin ... thanks for taking the time to look at all the coins.
And, thank you AU & AG for checking them out as well and selecting that 35-S. I am feeling better and better about the purchase price every day now based upon the responses here!
Utahcoin ... I'm with you on that 58-D (selected by many collectors now on this thread). One of my personal favorites. Thanks for looking.
WingedLiberty1957 ... A great group of coins selected there to be sure! Thanks for placing the blow up photos here.
You know one toned coin that I do not believe has been mentioned at all (except by OnlyRoosies (Nick) to me verbally at the gathering of "dime men" in Orlando as perhaps his favorite) is the 54-D (MS67+). That date is a case of "they just don't come looking like that".
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
Wondercoin, you might have one of the best Washington Quarter collections that I have ever seen. How close are you to putting together a complete toned set 32-64, including all mintmarks? It almost makes me want to whip up some digital coinboards for you like I did for my Proof Lincoln collection. Keep up the great work!
OldEastside - You like blazers and super clean off-white coins I take it? And, this addresses WingedLiberty's most recent question to me ....
Twenty or twenty-five years ago, I figured out that some silver Washington quarter dates are extremely scarce (if not downright rare) in pop top grades coming as brilliant coins (e.g. 1949-D, 1952-D, 1956-D to name just a few). Likewise, finding a beautiful toner in top pop grade in many dates was an equally scarce task not only due to finding the highest graded example, but also to find the coin with lovely toning. So, I had the idea of building a "white" and a "toned" set in top grade at PCGS. Hence, why I have the variety of pics today that show many coins as lovely toners and many coins as lusterous blazers in my registry set that houses the highest graded coins for each date.
To answer your direct question Winged Liberty ... while I have nearly all the toned quarters from 1932-1964, I do not have them all in top grade yet. I have given myself a self-imposed cutoff date of (19) more years (God willing) to finish this all up (which would total about -50- years of work in building this quarter collection including the roughly 31+ I have spent so far). Now, mind you ... the collection goes from 1932-date. I have simply started the Gallery here with the silver quarters ending in 1964. It might surprise a few collectors here to know that the 1965-1998 clad Washington collection has been nearly as difficult to build in top grade as the silver quarter set (although admittedly cheaper).
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
maybe my favorite series I love the 40 and the 43-S (I believe there are 3 examples) the last shown is my pick,,,, all of these are wonderful coins. I started a Washington toner set several years ago, now I know why! Thanks for sharing these,,,
<< <i> It might surprise a few collectors here to know that the 1965-1998 clad Washington collection has been nearly as difficult to build in top grade as the silver quarter set (although admittedly cheaper). >>
I went for the top notch silver long before I had any interest in Gem clad. You could go blind trying to find even the easy dates in high grade and go bust as well. Common dates cost $20 a roll and when you searched them it was difficult to get even $15 for the silver leaving a huge cost. Dealer stock was the most viable alternative but most dealers stocked no more than four or five of each date and interest was limited enough that even this wasn't always true and the stock never turned over. I put a lot of effort into my set and the only place I came close to yours is the '46-S.
But the clads were much easier because the mint assembled all the fish in the same barrel; mint sets. Yes, there are some dates you have to look at rolls but I could look at large num- bers of mint sets at very very little cost. I'd offer to straighten a dealers stock of mint sets for the opportunity to pick my choice at full retail. I'd mix and match and didn't need the pack- aging so he'd come out ahead except for the chore of bringing me sets for hours. My costs were relatively nominal and involved things like gasoline, camping fees, and shoe leather more than cash. Then I could run down to the bank and see if they had brand new BU rolls.
Curiously it wouldnm't be so greatly higher cost to do the same thing today. Gasoline isn't 30c a gallon anymore but everthing else hasn't gone up so much. The real problem today is that few dealers have any significant supplies of sets. Many of the sets that do exist in large hoards have been cherry picked or partially cherry picked. Now you'd have to visit the smaller shops and look at the new sets coming in the door. Some of these dates are getting decid- edly less common. There just aren't many people left with five original 1969 or 1970 mint sets so they don't often walk in the door.
I guess the more things change the more they stay the same.
WingedLiberty1957 ... Not terribly surprised you moved the 49-P right up the ranks. I had owned that coin long ago, but let it go in the PCGS-MS68 holder to fund a new project I was working on at the time (pattern Liberty Nickels). I had a couple of fabulous undergrade 1949-P coins at the time (and still do) and the proceeds from that sale allowed me to buy a couple R-7/R-8 pattern nickels which I also still own in my pattern nickel collection. So I had no regrets about selling the coin back then. And, it is nice that it now has rejoined the collection.
Thank you AuroraBorealis: Thank you for looking at the collection and your comment.
PCCoins - Thank you for checking the coins out and selecting the 1949-P as your favorite coin in the set.
Ditto Relicsncoins!
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
Looking and the Gallery photos of Mitch's silver Washingtons is a treat. They are high grade and definitely grab one's attention.
As hard as it is to find silver Washingtons that look as good as Mitch's, finding similar quality toned and untoned clad high grade, eye appealing Washington quarters from 1965-1988 is even more difficult. The quality of many clad issues is low and the surviving # of gem examples is very small. Most people do not know how nice a true gem clad Washington can be. Add in eye appealing toning and you really have a nice coin.
Maybe Mitch will give us a peek at one or two of his best MS clads by posting a further reply to this thread with a pic or two.
Cladking: I loved your post! Do tell us some stories about the camping and "camping fees" in your quest for great clad coinage!
SanctionII - I really look forward to it. I need to get my clad quarters through secure plus regrading or Express or however I need to in order to get the pics over to Coinfacts. This way, all the pics are consistent (and taken by a 3rd party). On the agenda for 2013 to be sure! I did not want to "step over the line" as you did and state that clad quarters ARE tougher than silver quarters in top, eye appealing, grade. BUT, let's just say I have no issue with your viewpoint. I have been working on my mint state clad quarter set for the same 30 years I have been working on the silver quarters, inspecting myriad mint sets and bank rolls. The clad quarters (and other clad series) will have their day!!
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
Combining high grades and monster color is the Holy Grail for me. That is a very difficult combination to stumble across, and when you do the prices are through the roof ... so my hat is off to you and your collection. Some of your coins are just unbelievably rare.
<< <i>WingedLiberty1957 ... Not terribly surprised you moved the 49-P right up the ranks. I had owned that coin long ago, but let it go in the PCGS-MS68 holder to fund a new project I was working on at the time (pattern Liberty Nickels). I had a couple of fabulous undergrade 1949-P coins at the time (and still do) and the proceeds from that sale allowed me to buy a couple R-7/R-8 pattern nickels which I also still own in my pattern nickel collection. So I had no regrets about selling the coin back then. And, it is nice that it now has rejoined the collection. Wondercoin >>
Holy cow. I just looked up the PCGS price guide value of an ms68 1949 quarter. .... $18,500!!!! Is that the highest value quarter in your collection? That's got to be close to the top.
Brg5658- Thanks for looking. I am glad you selected that 64-P as your favorite toner. That coin was one of the very first PCGS-MS67 coins graded for that date and I have never seen another 64-P MS67 that is better than that coin (other than a rare SMS example).
Johnny9434 - Agree with that 58-D (that many like here). The 60-D is a nice clean brilliant coin as well. I sure wish I could find a killer toned piece for that particular date in MS67.
WingedLiberty1957 - I have a couple rare Washington quarter varieties that are worth more than that 49-P (e.g. my pop 1/0 1950D/S in MS67 that is not yet pictured on the site and my pop 1/0 1943 DDO in MS63 also not pictured yet), but a nearly $20,000 coin from the late 1940's ... that is pretty much the upper limit right now on the value of a Washington quarter (although -2- coins did fetch $23,500 each this month at FUN and of course the 32D/S are worth more in top grade as well).
Changeinhistory - Glad you mentioned that 44-D. If I am not mistaken, it is the only brilliant MS68 silver Washington quarter PCGS has ever found clean enough for the grade (1932-1964). Virtually every other MS68 is a toned coin.
PCCoins - The gallery is working fine for me. Anyone else having a problem with the gallery now?
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
Great picks RainbowRoosies (both coins discussed by me already in this thread).
Hopefully, as we discussed at FUN, I can get your incredibly toned Roosie set in my Gallery as well after you pull all the coins together for picturing!
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
Hard to choose but the 47 and 49 both spoke to me. I was hoping the 48 (birth year) would, but it was drown out by the other two. Very nice display with a bunch of Washington beauties. Congratulations on accumulatinng such a nice set.
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson
Rons: Funny you mention the 1948 ... my top "P" mint coin is a SPECTACULAR toned beauty and grades PCGS-MS68 (pop 1/0). I also have a PCGS-MS67+ that displays wild color as well in that date. Both coins need to be pictured and then placed in the gallery. When I do, I'll let you know and you can tell me which coin you like the best.
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
<< <i>Rons: Funny you mention the 1948 ... my top "P" mint coin is a SPECTACULAR toned beauty and grades PCGS-MS68 (pop 1/0). I also have a PCGS-MS67+ that displays wild color as well in that date. Both coins need to be pictured and then placed in the gallery. When I do, I'll let you know and you can tell me which coin you like the best.
Wondercoin >>
Cool! The more the marrier! Love this gallery please update as much as possible, the gallery works fine. For a brief period it wasnt working for me.
Not sure why that was PCCoins. I've asked Justin to look into it (between his classes and participating in his co-ed frat events at college). Those were the days ....
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
<< <i>Cladking: I loved your post! Do tell us some stories about the camping and "camping fees" in your quest for great clad coinage! >>
I'm not sure I have any worth telling really. I'd make big sweeping arcs mostly through the midwest hitting up banks for brand new quarters and catching shops and shows for mint sets to look through. When the weather was nice I'd camp because I enjoy camping and because it was much less expensive than motel rooms. I might be the only guy in the campground looking through rolls of quarters at night and it wasn't unusual I'd need the culls for gas money on the way back. Indeed, it wasn't unusual to sit around the campfire cutting Ikes out of mint sets for gas money.
I'd leave home with a few hundred dollars and try to come back with a few hundred face value worth of Gems but, of course, it never worked that well. My most successful trip took in the '89 ANA show in Pittsburg which was a spectacular show for clad and world moderns. The '69 mint set was in the middle of a spike to $20 and I found my very first type "d" reverse (25c) in an '81-P mint set. I'd had met some friends in a southern Indiana campground and then swung up to Pittsburg through Steubenville OH af- ter hitting a few coin shops on the way. I don't recall the name of the wester PA canmpground I stayed in the night before.
In those days it was very tough to track down Gem clad and the most effective I knew was to just spot check pocket change till I found something interesting. I'd ask the purveyor where they did their banking and then go there to pick up rolls. Hey, it worked once in a while and this was how I got a Gem bag of '82-P's. Mint sets were distributed by zip code in the old days so they bunched up in specific locations as well. I usually knew what dates to look through first when I got to the shop. I probably worked hard- er at being methodical than it payed off but, like I said, I enjoyed camping.
Mebbe I wasn't entirely forthcoming in that last post. Truth to tell November was my favorite month to travel because they rarely even collected camping fees so late. My car got 50 MPG and even better slipstreaming. I'd take my own food and cook it in the campfire.
Every nickel I saved I tried to be sure was Gem. Even the pennies I got in change were Gem by the time I got home.
So glued to my seat as if I am sitting around the campfire with you and you are telling me the story ....
Cladking ... what did you do when you walked into a bank and they told you they had $1,000 worth of 1982-P quarters sitting there but you only had $200 in cash on you? Take us through the steps on how you locked up the bag and ended up camping all the way home with the "loot" in hand.
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
<< <i>So glued to my seat as if I am sitting around the campfire with you and you are telling me the story ....
Cladking ... what did you do when you walked into a bank and they told you they had $1,000 worth of 1982-P quarters sitting there but you only had $200 in cash on you? Take us through the steps on how you locked up the bag and ended up camping all the way home with the "loot" in hand.
>>
The '82 bag I actually got right in town. It was early autumn and I'd already been all over looking for a nice specimen with no luck when I walked into the E Chicago IN licence branch to renew my licence. I got 3 brand new gemmy '82-P quarters in change. When asked where they did their bank- ing it just happened to be across the street and it was my own bank! I didn't always have to travel far for Gems. It wasn't at allunusual to have trouble getting rolls and bags but it was never more difficult than this time. I was just turned down cold. So I went home and poured over all my accounts at the bank looking for any sort of mistake and went back the next day with a stack of documentation for seven errors I had found that totaled 26c in their favor. I explained I couldn't live knowing I owed them 26c and thought they should go over their books for the last five years to straighten out the er- rors. The manager turned just a little pale and offered to introduce me to the vault manager whom he was sure would henceforth be happy to supply me with any coin I might need.
I had an interesting conversation with the vault manager. He was forewarned about what I wanted and he said he had called around to all his cohorts in the Chicago region and not one had ever had a request for clad coins much less something specific like Gems for investment. The bag I got wasn't in the least disappointing. One of the coins in it is simply unimprovable. It's about the 300th strike off of very choice dies and nearly mark free. Of course I couldn't afford to set aside 4000 quarters so I picked out the best few and spent the rest.
Usually when I cold called on banks I was lucky to get several rolls and it was unusual to be able to pick up a whole bag. I doubt I'd have done as well as I did if not for the fact that new coins coming from that bank in circulation was the result of the fact they had them in stock at the current time. I'd just tell them one of their customers gave me choice specimens and I was trying to save some for the future. Now days there aren't a lot of new coins coming into circulation so the banks are less likely to have them.
Of course there were lots of clunkers. Even when the process actually worked there'd be lots of clunkers in the rolls that I might need for gas money.
It was funny but walking across a busy highway with the '82 bag inside of a paper grocery bag I suddenly remembered a dream I'd had where a bag of quarters split open and spilled right at that spot. I grabbed it with both hands at this point.
Coinsarefun ... A handful of nice upgrades to these coins and others (the pics have yet to hit my website since I last posted to this thread) including (4) important ones in the silver Washington Quarter series discussed earlier on this thread ...
1. 1946-P (image 19). Now an MS67+ (pop 2/0). A favorite of Coinjunkie on this thread as well as a huge favorite of mine. No govt. mint sets this year so it is very tough to find a pretty toned coin.
2. 1946-D (image 58). Now an MS67+ (pop 1/0). Just an amazing coin for this date. Again, no mint sets in 1946.
3. 1955-P (image 33). Now an MS67+ (pop 1/0). A favorite of Coinjunkie on this thread as well as a favorite of mine. This date is very tough to locate even in grades higher than MS66 as the govt. mint set coins are often far too dark for PCGS to award with higher grades.
4. 1964-P (image 44). Now an MS67+ (pop 1/0). A favorite of Coinjunkie as well as brg5658 on this thread as well as a huge favorite of mine. Really difficult coin to obtain in true MS67 grade. With a pop of just 8 or so in the undergrade of MS67, this is a very special coin in the set.
Good work Coinjunkie ... I should ask you which coins you like in all of my sets and use your selections as a roadmap to future submissions
I will submit a few more silver coins to PCGS for upgrade consideration in the weeks ahead and then turn my attention to the clad (1965-1998) portion of the collection. I will try to get the clad coins photographed as well in Coinfacts.
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
First time I've seen this thread. And what an incredible set. It has the same flavor of looking over Dr. Duckor's Barber halves.
I liked what everyone else likes. The 35-s is special. I don't see why it's not a 67+ right now. The only thing I can detect on the photo might be a small tick at the temple/hairline area...assuming that's even a mark. No less than MS67+ and if that spot is not a tick, why not a potential MS68 candidate someday? If it was a later more common date you'd have figure it would have been graded 67+ or 68. Seems to me at some point you should just have the whole set regraded so the graders can compare for consistency. A number of coins should get pluses, if not better. Of the 1932 issues I liked the 1932 Philly the best. Those don't come looking nice. After the 36-d and 39-s I just couldn't keep making a list knowing it would be a 1/3 of the coins in the set.
Thanks again guys. And, yes RR, that is why I "paid up" when Richard Green quoted a five figure asking price for that 35-S when a typical coin was worth well under half that amount (and still is). There is virtually not a mark on it!
And, speaking of 1932 dated coins RR, I also have a spectacular 1932-P currently residing in an MS66+ holder that I grade solid MS67 and I will have quite a decision on which coin to keep for my #1 set if and when that coin ever achieves the MS67 grade as well. I also have a special 1932-S lovely toned coin that currently resides in an older NGC-MS65* holder that might be the nicest 1932-S quarter I have ever seen! I showed it to one of the "world class" graders recently along with a PCGS-MS65+ 1932-S I recently slabbed and I believe he liked the NGC coin better. I may just crack it out later this year and send it into PCGS raw. It is nicer than an NGC-MS66 1932-S I also currently own. 1932-S is a very tricky date to find a truly high grade example and not just a plastic buy... indeed one of the (4) PCGS-MS66 coins out there I believe graded PCGS-MS64 shortly before it regrading PCGS-MS66!
I still have a few dozen KILLER toned coins in the silver set that have not been pictured yet on my website Gallery, but will be later this year once PCGS takes pictures of them. And, these round out the dates that are currently missing from the Gallery shots.
Then, on to the clads.
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
Comments
i love color like the 49-D but that 35-S is wow!
a question that cones to mind regarding these wonderful coins.
Do any of them stand out as being photogenic to the point where they really look better in pictures than they really look in person.
Of course, the opposite also comes to mind. What quarters do you believe look so much better in person than in the photos?
It would be interesting to analyze WHY some coins are so photogenic and others are picture shy?
Erwindoc / Cladking: I am so glad you each picked the 59-P. It is one of my favorites too. I do not know exactly how it toned in that wild color scheme. If memory serves me right, I bought the coin from long time board member Don D. (who I also seem to recall sold me the amazing 46-P come to think of it). Don had some very lovely coins in his collection and I am thankful he gave me the chance to "cherry-pick" from among his beauties when he decided to sell his quarter collection many, many years ago.
TomB: Yes, the 53-S is amazing ... I agree. They just don't come that way especially from the mint sets. I actually have (2) neat 53-S coins in the set and I believe both are pictured now on the site.
Wondercoin
edited to add: Thanks Ty2 and Skyman!! Also, docg - Thanks ... 2013 I will try to make the "year of the clad quarters" ... getting my set pictured and offering some doubles for sale. What an underappreciated collection ... well you know!
Cocoinut ... Great selections and thank you on noticing the dripping luster on my 1930's "S' mint coins. In fact, I also own a finest known 1937-S MS67+ blazer that I have not had a chance to picture yet. I like it as much as the 35-S if that gives you an idea of the quality of the coin! And, I recently added that 38-S MS67+ to the gallery that you put on your list ... the coin is closer to MS68 quality than MS67+. It is a slot I will never be able to improve upon!! Which 43-P MS67+ do you like better ... the one on line 4 or the one on line 12?
In regard to your question: I love the colors on the 1943-P in row 12.
Jim
Oreville - Since everyone of these quarter pics was taken by PCGS/CU, I assume they are very consistent with their photography and I believe the pics do a very good job in representing the coins in hand. But, let's do this ... when you finally decide to come out to a Long Beach show for the first time ... give yourself an extra day and I can show you the entire collection and you can have lunch with myself and Lauren (and maybe Justin too if he can break away from UCLA which is not too far away from Long Beach).
Wondercoin
bob
And thank you for entering me in your generous give-a-way.......
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
I am a polychromatic collector ... so these float my boat.
First Place:
Second Place:
Third Place:
Honorable Mention:
Honorable Mention:
My Coin Blog
My Toned Lincoln Registry Set
but those are my favs, Congrats
Steve
And, thank you AU & AG for checking them out as well and selecting that 35-S. I am feeling better and better about the purchase price every day now based upon the responses here!
Utahcoin ... I'm with you on that 58-D (selected by many collectors now on this thread). One of my personal favorites. Thanks for looking.
WingedLiberty1957 ... A great group of coins selected there to be sure! Thanks for placing the blow up photos here.
You know one toned coin that I do not believe has been mentioned at all (except by OnlyRoosies (Nick) to me verbally at the gathering of "dime men" in Orlando as perhaps his favorite) is the 54-D (MS67+). That date is a case of "they just don't come looking like that".
Wondercoin
My Coin Blog
My Toned Lincoln Registry Set
Twenty or twenty-five years ago, I figured out that some silver Washington quarter dates are extremely scarce (if not downright rare) in pop top grades coming as brilliant coins (e.g. 1949-D, 1952-D, 1956-D to name just a few). Likewise, finding a beautiful toner in top pop grade in many dates was an equally scarce task not only due to finding the highest graded example, but also to find the coin with lovely toning. So, I had the idea of building a "white" and a "toned" set in top grade at PCGS. Hence, why I have the variety of pics today that show many coins as lovely toners and many coins as lusterous blazers in my registry set that houses the highest graded coins for each date.
To answer your direct question Winged Liberty ... while I have nearly all the toned quarters from 1932-1964, I do not have them all in top grade yet. I have given myself a self-imposed cutoff date of (19) more years (God willing) to finish this all up (which would total about -50- years of work in building this quarter collection including the roughly 31+ I have spent so far). Now, mind you ... the collection goes from 1932-date. I have simply started the Gallery here with the silver quarters ending in 1964. It might surprise a few collectors here to know that the 1965-1998 clad Washington collection has been nearly as difficult to build in top grade as the silver quarter set (although admittedly cheaper).
Wondercoin
I love the 40 and the 43-S (I believe there are 3 examples) the last shown is my pick,,,, all of these are wonderful coins. I started a Washington toner set several years ago, now I know why! Thanks for sharing these,,,
That's stunning in terms of color and eye appeal in my book.
Post above edited!
My Coin Blog
My Toned Lincoln Registry Set
AB
<< <i> It might surprise a few collectors here to know that the 1965-1998 clad Washington collection has been nearly as difficult to build in top grade as the silver quarter set (although admittedly cheaper).
>>
I went for the top notch silver long before I had any interest in Gem clad. You could go
blind trying to find even the easy dates in high grade and go bust as well. Common dates
cost $20 a roll and when you searched them it was difficult to get even $15 for the silver
leaving a huge cost. Dealer stock was the most viable alternative but most dealers stocked
no more than four or five of each date and interest was limited enough that even this wasn't
always true and the stock never turned over. I put a lot of effort into my set and the only
place I came close to yours is the '46-S.
But the clads were much easier because the mint assembled all the fish in the same barrel;
mint sets. Yes, there are some dates you have to look at rolls but I could look at large num-
bers of mint sets at very very little cost. I'd offer to straighten a dealers stock of mint sets
for the opportunity to pick my choice at full retail. I'd mix and match and didn't need the pack-
aging so he'd come out ahead except for the chore of bringing me sets for hours. My costs
were relatively nominal and involved things like gasoline, camping fees, and shoe leather
more than cash. Then I could run down to the bank and see if they had brand new BU rolls.
Curiously it wouldnm't be so greatly higher cost to do the same thing today. Gasoline isn't
30c a gallon anymore but everthing else hasn't gone up so much. The real problem today is
that few dealers have any significant supplies of sets. Many of the sets that do exist in large
hoards have been cherry picked or partially cherry picked. Now you'd have to visit the smaller
shops and look at the new sets coming in the door. Some of these dates are getting decid-
edly less common. There just aren't many people left with five original 1969 or 1970 mint
sets so they don't often walk in the door.
I guess the more things change the more they stay the same.
Thank you AuroraBorealis: Thank you for looking at the collection and your comment.
PCCoins - Thank you for checking the coins out and selecting the 1949-P as your favorite coin in the set.
Ditto Relicsncoins!
Wondercoin
As hard as it is to find silver Washingtons that look as good as Mitch's, finding similar quality toned and untoned clad high grade, eye appealing Washington quarters from 1965-1988 is even more difficult. The quality of many clad issues is low and the surviving # of gem examples is very small. Most people do not know how nice a true gem clad Washington can be. Add in eye appealing toning and you really have a nice coin.
Maybe Mitch will give us a peek at one or two of his best MS clads by posting a further reply to this thread with a pic or two.
My favorite toned one is the 1964:
Phenomenal set!
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My sets: [280+ horse coins] :: [France Sowers] :: [Colorful world copper] :: [Beautiful world coins]
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SanctionII - I really look forward to it. I need to get my clad quarters through secure plus regrading or Express or however I need to in order to get the pics over to Coinfacts. This way, all the pics are consistent (and taken by a 3rd party). On the agenda for 2013 to be sure! I did not want to "step over the line" as you did and state that clad quarters ARE tougher than silver quarters in top, eye appealing, grade. BUT, let's just say I have no issue with your viewpoint. I have been working on my mint state clad quarter set for the same 30 years I have been working on the silver quarters, inspecting myriad mint sets and bank rolls. The clad quarters (and other clad series) will have their day!!
Wondercoin
My Coin Blog
My Toned Lincoln Registry Set
<< <i>WingedLiberty1957 ... Not terribly surprised you moved the 49-P right up the ranks. I had owned that coin long ago, but let it go in the PCGS-MS68 holder to fund a new project I was working on at the time (pattern Liberty Nickels). I had a couple of fabulous undergrade 1949-P coins at the time (and still do) and the proceeds from that sale allowed me to buy a couple R-7/R-8 pattern nickels which I also still own in my pattern nickel collection. So I had no regrets about selling the coin back then. And, it is nice that it now has rejoined the collection.
Wondercoin >>
Holy cow. I just looked up the PCGS price guide value of an ms68 1949 quarter. .... $18,500!!!!
Is that the highest value quarter in your collection? That's got to be close to the top.
My Coin Blog
My Toned Lincoln Registry Set
Please fix when able to!
Johnny9434 - Agree with that 58-D (that many like here). The 60-D is a nice clean brilliant coin as well. I sure wish I could find a killer toned piece for that particular date in MS67.
WingedLiberty1957 - I have a couple rare Washington quarter varieties that are worth more than that 49-P (e.g. my pop 1/0 1950D/S in MS67 that is not yet pictured on the site and my pop 1/0 1943 DDO in MS63 also not pictured yet), but a nearly $20,000 coin from the late 1940's ... that is pretty much the upper limit right now on the value of a Washington quarter (although -2- coins did fetch $23,500 each this month at FUN and of course the 32D/S are worth more in top grade as well).
Changeinhistory - Glad you mentioned that 44-D. If I am not mistaken, it is the only brilliant MS68 silver Washington quarter PCGS has ever found clean enough for the grade (1932-1964). Virtually every other MS68 is a toned coin.
PCCoins - The gallery is working fine for me. Anyone else having a problem with the gallery now?
Wondercoin
rainbowroosie April 1, 2003
Hopefully, as we discussed at FUN, I can get your incredibly toned Roosie set in my Gallery as well after you pull all the coins together for picturing!
Wondercoin
Wondercoin
<< <i>Rons: Funny you mention the 1948 ... my top "P" mint coin is a SPECTACULAR toned beauty and grades PCGS-MS68 (pop 1/0). I also have a PCGS-MS67+ that displays wild color as well in that date. Both coins need to be pictured and then placed in the gallery. When I do, I'll let you know and you can tell me which coin you like the best.
Wondercoin >>
Cool! The more the marrier! Love this gallery please update as much as possible, the gallery works fine. For a brief period it wasnt working for me.
Wondercoin
<< <i>Cladking: I loved your post! Do tell us some stories about the camping and "camping fees" in your quest for great clad coinage!
>>
I'm not sure I have any worth telling really. I'd make big sweeping arcs mostly through the midwest
hitting up banks for brand new quarters and catching shops and shows for mint sets to look through.
When the weather was nice I'd camp because I enjoy camping and because it was much less expensive
than motel rooms. I might be the only guy in the campground looking through rolls of quarters at night
and it wasn't unusual I'd need the culls for gas money on the way back. Indeed, it wasn't unusual to
sit around the campfire cutting Ikes out of mint sets for gas money.
I'd leave home with a few hundred dollars and try to come back with a few hundred face value worth
of Gems but, of course, it never worked that well. My most successful trip took in the '89 ANA show in
Pittsburg which was a spectacular show for clad and world moderns. The '69 mint set was in the middle
of a spike to $20 and I found my very first type "d" reverse (25c) in an '81-P mint set. I'd had met some
friends in a southern Indiana campground and then swung up to Pittsburg through Steubenville OH af-
ter hitting a few coin shops on the way. I don't recall the name of the wester PA canmpground I stayed
in the night before.
In those days it was very tough to track down Gem clad and the most effective I knew was to just spot
check pocket change till I found something interesting. I'd ask the purveyor where they did their banking
and then go there to pick up rolls. Hey, it worked once in a while and this was how I got a Gem bag of
'82-P's. Mint sets were distributed by zip code in the old days so they bunched up in specific locations
as well. I usually knew what dates to look through first when I got to the shop. I probably worked hard-
er at being methodical than it payed off but, like I said, I enjoyed camping.
...And I still remember where the best sets were.
favorite month to travel because they rarely even collected camping fees so late. My
car got 50 MPG and even better slipstreaming. I'd take my own food and cook it in the
campfire.
Every nickel I saved I tried to be sure was Gem. Even the pennies I got in change were
Gem by the time I got home.
Cladking ... what did you do when you walked into a bank and they told you they had $1,000 worth of 1982-P quarters sitting there but you only had $200 in cash on you? Take us through the steps on how you locked up the bag and ended up camping all the way home with the "loot" in hand.
Wondercoin
<< <i>So glued to my seat as if I am sitting around the campfire with you and you are telling me the story ....
Cladking ... what did you do when you walked into a bank and they told you they had $1,000 worth of 1982-P quarters sitting there but you only had $200 in cash on you? Take us through the steps on how you locked up the bag and ended up camping all the way home with the "loot" in hand.
>>
The '82 bag I actually got right in town. It was early autumn and I'd already been all over looking
for a nice specimen with no luck when I walked into the E Chicago IN licence branch to renew my
licence. I got 3 brand new gemmy '82-P quarters in change. When asked where they did their bank-
ing it just happened to be across the street and it was my own bank! I didn't always have to travel
far for Gems. It wasn't at allunusual to have trouble getting rolls and bags but it was never more
difficult than this time. I was just turned down cold. So I went home and poured over all my accounts
at the bank looking for any sort of mistake and went back the next day with a stack of documentation
for seven errors I had found that totaled 26c in their favor. I explained I couldn't live knowing I owed
them 26c and thought they should go over their books for the last five years to straighten out the er-
rors. The manager turned just a little pale and offered to introduce me to the vault manager whom he
was sure would henceforth be happy to supply me with any coin I might need.
I had an interesting conversation with the vault manager. He was forewarned about what I wanted
and he said he had called around to all his cohorts in the Chicago region and not one had ever had a
request for clad coins much less something specific like Gems for investment. The bag I got wasn't in
the least disappointing. One of the coins in it is simply unimprovable. It's about the 300th strike off of
very choice dies and nearly mark free. Of course I couldn't afford to set aside 4000 quarters so I picked
out the best few and spent the rest.
Usually when I cold called on banks I was lucky to get several rolls and it was unusual to be able to pick
up a whole bag. I doubt I'd have done as well as I did if not for the fact that new coins coming from that
bank in circulation was the result of the fact they had them in stock at the current time. I'd just tell them
one of their customers gave me choice specimens and I was trying to save some for the future. Now days
there aren't a lot of new coins coming into circulation so the banks are less likely to have them.
Of course there were lots of clunkers. Even when the process actually worked there'd be lots of clunkers
in the rolls that I might need for gas money.
It was funny but walking across a busy highway with the '82 bag inside of a paper grocery bag I suddenly
remembered a dream I'd had where a bag of quarters split open and spilled right at that spot. I grabbed
it with both hands at this point.
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CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
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Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
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More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
1. 1946-P (image 19). Now an MS67+ (pop 2/0). A favorite of Coinjunkie on this thread as well as a huge favorite of mine. No govt. mint sets this year so it is very tough to find a pretty toned coin.
2. 1946-D (image 58). Now an MS67+ (pop 1/0). Just an amazing coin for this date. Again, no mint sets in 1946.
3. 1955-P (image 33). Now an MS67+ (pop 1/0). A favorite of Coinjunkie on this thread as well as a favorite of mine. This date is very tough to locate even in grades higher than MS66 as the govt. mint set coins are often far too dark for PCGS to award with higher grades.
4. 1964-P (image 44). Now an MS67+ (pop 1/0). A favorite of Coinjunkie as well as brg5658 on this thread as well as a huge favorite of mine. Really difficult coin to obtain in true MS67 grade. With a pop of just 8 or so in the undergrade of MS67, this is a very special coin in the set.
Good work Coinjunkie ... I should ask you which coins you like in all of my sets and use your selections as a roadmap to future submissions
I will submit a few more silver coins to PCGS for upgrade consideration in the weeks ahead and then turn my attention to the clad (1965-1998) portion of the collection. I will try to get the clad coins photographed as well in Coinfacts.
Wondercoin
and it sets us apart from practitioners and consultants. Gregor
<< <i> I will try to get the clad coins photographed as well in Coinfacts.
>>
You already had me sold on this thead.
I liked what everyone else likes. The 35-s is special. I don't see why it's not a 67+ right now. The only thing I can detect on the photo might be a small tick at the temple/hairline
area...assuming that's even a mark. No less than MS67+ and if that spot is not a tick, why not a potential MS68 candidate someday? If it was a later more common date you'd have
figure it would have been graded 67+ or 68. Seems to me at some point you should just have the whole set regraded so the graders can compare for consistency. A number of coins
should get pluses, if not better. Of the 1932 issues I liked the 1932 Philly the best. Those don't come looking nice. After the 36-d and 39-s I just couldn't keep making a list knowing it
would be a 1/3 of the coins in the set.
And, speaking of 1932 dated coins RR, I also have a spectacular 1932-P currently residing in an MS66+ holder that I grade solid MS67 and I will have quite a decision on which coin to keep for my #1 set if and when that coin ever achieves the MS67 grade as well. I also have a special 1932-S lovely toned coin that currently resides in an older NGC-MS65* holder that might be the nicest 1932-S quarter I have ever seen! I showed it to one of the "world class" graders recently along with a PCGS-MS65+ 1932-S I recently slabbed and I believe he liked the NGC coin better. I may just crack it out later this year and send it into PCGS raw. It is nicer than an NGC-MS66 1932-S I also currently own. 1932-S is a very tricky date to find a truly high grade example and not just a plastic buy... indeed one of the (4) PCGS-MS66 coins out there I believe graded PCGS-MS64 shortly before it regrading PCGS-MS66!
I still have a few dozen KILLER toned coins in the silver set that have not been pictured yet on my website Gallery, but will be later this year once PCGS takes pictures of them. And, these round out the dates that are currently missing from the Gallery shots.
Then, on to the clads.
Wondercoin