Secured my final San Francisco Walker needed for my short set.

The 20 coin short (1941-1947) set may be considered a relatively easy set to put together, when compared to the intermediate set (1934-1940) and, especially, the early set (1916-1933), but finding well-struck, lustrous, S-minted, 1940s coins is not an easy task by any means.
The last nice 1943 S MS 66 coin that I saw and that I really liked sold almost 3 years ago back in December of 2013.
I decided to pull the trigger on this one, because the strike is about as nice as I've seen, luster looks great, fields and devices are smooth and it has some interesting warm, golden toning about it; albeit NO CAC sticker.
Now, I only have 8 'easier' coins left to contend with that are considered 'widgets' and were all both well-produced and mass-produced. Four of which are Philly coins----the 1941 P, 1942 P, 1945 P and 1946 P. And the other 4 are Denver coins----the 1943 D, 1944 D, 1945 D and 1946 D.
Only the 1943 D and 1944 D will be slightly more challenging.
The theme of my short set has always been gem or better and well-struck, lustrous coins. I also try to find nice original pieces, if/when they crop up, and IF they meet my other criteria. I also look for OGHs and no-line fatties, when I can get them.
Just TWO coins in my set are 'only' gems and the rest are premium gems with just one superb gem. I may add a couple more superb gems (MS 67s) before I'm done---likely the 1941 P and 1942 P coins would be good candidates.
I can see the short set finish line, now, as I am 60% complete with all of the difficult strike rarities secured and in place.
It's been challenging but still plenty of FUN.
I always advocate buying the tougher dates FIRST and that strategy has worked well for me, so far.

The last nice 1943 S MS 66 coin that I saw and that I really liked sold almost 3 years ago back in December of 2013.
I decided to pull the trigger on this one, because the strike is about as nice as I've seen, luster looks great, fields and devices are smooth and it has some interesting warm, golden toning about it; albeit NO CAC sticker.
Now, I only have 8 'easier' coins left to contend with that are considered 'widgets' and were all both well-produced and mass-produced. Four of which are Philly coins----the 1941 P, 1942 P, 1945 P and 1946 P. And the other 4 are Denver coins----the 1943 D, 1944 D, 1945 D and 1946 D.
Only the 1943 D and 1944 D will be slightly more challenging.
The theme of my short set has always been gem or better and well-struck, lustrous coins. I also try to find nice original pieces, if/when they crop up, and IF they meet my other criteria. I also look for OGHs and no-line fatties, when I can get them.
Just TWO coins in my set are 'only' gems and the rest are premium gems with just one superb gem. I may add a couple more superb gems (MS 67s) before I'm done---likely the 1941 P and 1942 P coins would be good candidates.
I can see the short set finish line, now, as I am 60% complete with all of the difficult strike rarities secured and in place.
It's been challenging but still plenty of FUN.
I always advocate buying the tougher dates FIRST and that strategy has worked well for me, so far.


Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
0
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Coincidentally, the '43-S is the only Walker I need to complete my short set.
My simple criteria: Find nice MS65 Walkers under $200.
But like you say, it's tough to find nice S-mint examples... yup, I busted my budget on a '44-S ($221) and a really nice CAC '42-S ($283). No regrets.
Successful BST transactions with forum members thebigeng, SPalladino, Zoidmeister, coin22lover, coinsarefun, jwitten, CommemKing.
Way to go on your set!
I think you did well from the images -strike and luster look very good and I don't see much in the way of marks. Might be some dings on the sun (hard to tell) but that aside, it looks like you have a keeper. Your remaining dates should be fairly straightforward - Tiso and Shapiro and Pinnacle probably have some good examples.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
The 44-S, that's another tough one too.
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
My registry sets
U.S. Type Set
The short set P mints from 41-43 are achievable in MS67. A lot of inventory has hit over the recent past years. You should be able to do well on those given today's prices.
Andrew Blinkiewicz-Heritage
Breakdown, Mark & JBN. Getting your blessing is great. And I agree---67s are priced right, now. Common Walkers in all grades seem to be.
Thanks Erik & Clark. Erik----I really like the quality of the coins that you've posted. You and I have very similar tastes and preferences, so it seems. Don't let anyone fool you regarding the 1942-D. It is the TOUGHEST Denver coin in the short set. I bought a really nice one but in an NGC slab. I actually bought it from the guy who outbid me in an eBay auction. His winning bid was around $230 and I paid him $285---quite a premium but worth it imho. I saw a really nice one in an old fattie for $180 before that....shoulda bought it, when I had the chance. Simply NOT an easy issue.
Thanks, Ricko, Wabbit and Michael.
Congrats, Andrew---your set sounds wonderful. I always enjoy your posts and you are wise far beyond your years.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
COCollector---sounds like you have a very nice set----I'd like to see it. Most of my coins are MS 66, except for my 1941-S and my 1942-S---they are 65s. I REALLY paid up for my 1942-S at $525....probably coulda got it for $475 or $450 but it was in a rattler with a green bean and is well-struck and under-graded imho. So, I just hit BIN, as I didn't want to fool around and lose it. Generic ones sell for around $275.
Breakdown, Mark & JBN. Getting your blessing is great. And I agree---67s are priced right, now. Common Walkers in all grades seem to be.
Thanks Erik & Clark. Erik----I really like the quality of the coins that you've posted. You and I have very similar tastes and preferences, so it seems. Don't let anyone fool you regarding the 1942-D. It is the TOUGHEST Denver coin in the short set. I bought a really nice one but in an NGC slab. I actually bought it from the guy who outbid me in an eBay auction. His winning bid was around $230 and I paid him $285---quite a premium but worth it imho. I saw a really nice one in an old fattie for $180 before that....shoulda bought it, when I had the chance. Simply NOT an easy issue.
Thanks, Ricko, Wabbit and Michael.
Congrats, Andrew---your set sounds wonderful. I always enjoy your posts and you are wise far beyond your years.
You did the right thing by hitting the BIN and not worrying about the extra dollars. For an S mint mark it was certainly worth it. Happened to be trolling through new listing on ebay one slow afternoon and saw an NGC 47 Walker that had the most amazing toning I have ever seen and was in an old fatty. I saw it literally within 6 minutes of it being posted. I opened a second web page to see if I had enough cash to pay for it and what the price guide was, then went back to buy it (not 2 minutes total) and it had sold. I think about that coin often, but never think about the extra bucks I spent on a coin that knocked my socks off.