Can anyone help me appreciate modern coins?

stevepk · December 13, 2012 3:38AM

I was born in 1980, which means I saw the same coin designs my entire life until I was 19 years old with the introduction of the state quarters. As a child, it was always the same penny (yeah, so it's technically a cent, whatever), nickel, dime, and quarter with half dollars and dollar coins rarely to be seen. I first gained interest in the hobby around age 8 with the introduction to the indian head cent, buffalo nickel, mercury dime, Franlkin half dollar, Morgan dollar, and Peace dollar. As a kid, I would go to coin shops and marvel at the oldest coins I could find even though I could not afford them. These designs were different and far more aesthetically appealing than what I had been seeing my entire life.

Now that I am older, I still have the same appreciation for coins of long ago with older designs. I can now go back further as I have disposable income which I never had as a kid, teenager, or broke college student. I have completed a US type set going back to the draped bust era and have even dabbled in the flowing hair series with a nice 1795 half dollar. I find my 1787 Masschucetts large cent to be very interesting. I really like seated liberty coins and early copper.

I have never gained an appreciation for modern coins. I have little if no appreciation for any clad coin. I have no appreciation for copper plated zinc Lincoln cents. I have no appreciation for modern proof sets. I have limited appreciation for silver washington quarters. I have no appreciation for Jefferson nickels and very little for Roosevelt dimes. I have no interest for modern doubled dies (maybe with the exception of the 1955 cent). Even modern commemeratives fail to grab my attention. When I go to a coin show, my eyes seem to ignore anything minted after about 1950.

Can someone say a few words to help me appreciate clad and modern coins? As of now, I see them as boring pocket change with absurdly high mintage figures and poor designs. Maybe my eyes need to be opened, because as of now, I just don't see it.

airplanenut · December 13, 2012 3:56AM

Some people have no appreciation for

<< coins of long ago with older designs >>

Collect what you like.

stevepk · December 13, 2012 4:00AM

<< Some people have no appreciation for

<< coins of long ago with older designs >>

Collect what you like. >>

Maybe someone could post an image of a modern coin that would help me appreciate the modern era. I feel I am biased towards pre-1950 coinage and am trying to be more open minded.

TomB · December 13, 2012 4:06AM

Not all coins are for all folks. Even if one attempts to be open-minded they still may not feel a pull or attraction to a niche area. If I had interesting images of modern US coins I would post them, but my collection and business are intimately tied to classic silver type. Modern coins are still neat, in my opinion, but I don't feel the same pull to them.

19Lyds · December 13, 2012 4:07AM

Nothing I could say will ever change your appreciation (or lack of) for modern coin designs. They are rather boring in their simplicity and the switch to CnClad made them even more boring!

However, finding high grade examples can be quite challenging. Especially for the early years of the late 60's early 70's.

Modern Proof Sets after the 70's are so high in manufacturing numbers that they are without a doubt..........boring. I'd like to get rid of the ones I currently have.

Modern Doubled Dies can be quite exciting. Some are very rare while others are quite common. You'd have to follow the modern market to understand this though which given your current collection, isn't going to happen.

pf70collector · December 13, 2012 4:11AM

Don't like any of my showcase moderns in my sig link box of 20?

coinsarefun · December 13, 2012 4:13AM

<< Don't like any of my showcase moderns in my sig link box of 20? >>

I do

pmac · December 13, 2012 4:16AM

I've resurected ericj96's thread about moderns. He also has written a wonderful book about investing in modern coins. The thread is now longer than the book.

coinsarefun · December 13, 2012 4:18AM

I like these big hunks of silver

Unc's and Proofs

btw......can't be all that bad, after all there is a book out now

LindeDad · December 13, 2012 4:22AM

Yeah they are kind of plain.....

Lehigh96 · December 13, 2012 4:22AM

<< 

<< Some people have no appreciation for

<< coins of long ago with older designs >>

Collect what you like. >>

Maybe someone could post an image of a modern coin that would help me appreciate the modern era. I feel I am biased towards pre-1950 coinage and am trying to be more open minded. >>

Here is a couple

notwilight · December 13, 2012 4:29AM

Modern vs classic is a bit like politics.

1. Once a person makes up his mind, others won't change it with their opinions or well chosen facts.
2. It isn't worth arguing about.
3. There are a minority of people who can appreciate both sides.

--Jerry

sparky64 · December 13, 2012 4:32AM

These got me going again after a long mid-life break.
I gravitated towards type collecting ever since.
I agree with collect what you like and keep an open mind about veering into another direction.

mkman123 · December 13, 2012 4:35AM

all depends on your tastes.....me I really like older coins

19Lyds · December 13, 2012 4:52AM

Here's some nice Eisenhower Doubled Dies.

19Lyds · December 13, 2012 4:56AM

The Kennedy had some really impressive Doubled Dies as well:

not to mention some beautifully contrasting cameo coins in the 40% Silver Arena:

stevepk · December 13, 2012 4:59AM

Thanks for the input so far!!

A few comments on what's been posted:

Proof Silver Eagle:
Beautiful coin, but I cannot see myself paying strong money for what is essentially an elaborate bullion coin
Maybe I'm being a bit harsh for calling it bullion, but these were not struck with the intention of being spent
Still, very nice! Low mintage figures would make them even more appealing.

Monster Toned Silver Eagles:
Absolutely beautiful coins with a wonderful array of eye appeal! However, I cannot bring myself to pay a strong premium over an ordinary silver eagle because of the color. Maybe I should visit a Taco Bell, stock up on napkins, and find the perfect window seal facing the sunlight.

1998-S Kennedy Half:
Snooooooooooooooooooooooozzzzzzzze
Maybe I need to learn more about this one.

Bicentinnel Ike graded MS68:
I have plenty of IKE dollars aquired at face value or close to it. I even set one aside and put it in a coin world holder! Still, considering the high mintage figures, I cannot bring myself to pay strong money for one. The MS68 grade does little for me. A the last of the large dollars, IKE dollars do have some appeal to me, especially at face value or close to face value.

MS68 Deleware quarter:
does nothing for me, even when graded MS68

Enveloped Sacagewea dollar:
does very little for me
I'm happy with the bank wrapped roll I got from the bank in 1999.

1968 Kennedy Proof:
Beautiful cameo coin, and fits in a United States type set to boot!
One of the nicest modern coins I've seen so far despite approaching the very beginning of the 'modern' era

Just in case someone posts a modern high relief $20 remake:
You've got me on this one! This is an absolutely beautiful coin!

Keep them coming!

RYK · December 13, 2012 5:05AM

There are a lot of different ways to appreciate modern coins. Like you, I have no interest in coins found typically in "pocket change", with a few excpetions. For some reason, mostly nostalgia, I have always enjoyed the Bicentennial quarter.

However, there are many NCLT types, commems, special issues, etc. which I have enjoyed collecting over the years and still enjoy.

By the same token, my draw to coins has always primarily been for scarce, obsolete and old coins, but that does not mean that I like them all. I have little interest in Morgan dollars, Indian head gold, and capped bust coinage, as examples.

tahoe98 · December 13, 2012 5:11AM

...are you sure that you're a coin collector?...............

19Lyds · December 13, 2012 5:12AM

"Strong Money" is a relative term as I would consider $5.00 strong money for a CnClad IKE and would only pay that amount if it were a variety which I could either add to my collection or flip.

For the MS68 BiCentennial, I'd consider $500 Strong Money and since there were a bazillion of these made, would never consider paying that amount. Heck, I'd never pay much more than melt for a raw one and as such would consider $25 strong money.

coinsarefun · December 13, 2012 5:17AM

<< 

Proof Silver Eagle:
Beautiful coin, but I cannot see myself paying strong money for what is essentially an elaborate bullion coin
Maybe I'm being a bit harsh for calling it bullion, but these were not struck with the intention of being spent
Still, very nice! Low mintage figures would make them even more appealing.

Monster Toned Silver Eagles:
Absolutely beautiful coins with a wonderful array of eye appeal! However, I cannot bring myself to pay a strong premium over an ordinary silver eagle because of the color. Maybe I should visit a Taco Bell, stock up on napkins, and find the perfect window seal facing the sunlight. >>

Good luck with those Taco Bell napkins to create those posted

SanctionII · December 13, 2012 6:14AM

I like both moderns and older coins.

I enjoy collecting nice examples of coins that I remember seeing in circulation when I was a YN (started at 7 in 1963 and continued through college graduation in 1978). I started collecting again as an adult in 1998.

I never gave much thought to post 1965 clad coinage until I joined the forums. I do look for modern clad coinage that is of high grade with eye appeal (these can be very hard to find but when you find one you can really appreciate the quality of same compared to low quality examples of the same date, for example a 1969 Philly quarter in GEM or better grade, compared to the horrible quality of most of these quarters).

Search past threads for Modern or Clad and you will find multiple threads that are very informative and that have pictures of some really nice coins.

Collect what you like and have fun.

Zrider · December 13, 2012 6:24AM

Zrider · December 13, 2012 6:28AM

habaraca · December 13, 2012 6:35AM

would you appreciate it if someone gave you

4 million brand new quarters???

I would LOVE them babies just before I spent them.....

Fountainhead · December 13, 2012 6:39AM

I note the CCAC (Citizens' Coin Advisory Committee) feels much the same way as the OP, complaining that U.S. Mint designs are best suited for postcards, not coins. Sometimes I look at an ancient Greek coin - whether a four-horse chariot or a single sprig of parsley - and think, "Wow, why can't the U.S. Mint do that?" and thus appreciate why Theodore Roosevelt cajoled St. Gaudens into the coin biz.

DIMEMAN · December 13, 2012 7:06AM

Nothing to appreciate in any of the current modern POC coinage........so in a word no I can't...sorry.

JBN · December 13, 2012 7:07AM

Some thoughts:

As has been shown here, the WLH obverse design appears on the SAE. That series has been going since '86, has some rarities, and is heavily collected. I don't collect them, but always marvel at their large size and super-superior strike compared with the originals minted from 1916 to 1947.

The exceptional James Earle Fraser buffalo nickel has been reprised as a gold bullion coin. A dazzler in the half and one ounce sizes.

I like half dollars in general/as a collectible denomination, and I have the Kennedy half dollars in Capital holders (although I need to get the last 10 years or so). While the obverse is a bit of a snooze as you state, I find the reverse to be an appealing design. You can get mint sets at shows for very little money, and build a good looking set. My holders are hanging on my rec room walls - to me it is a nice look.

Collect what you like.

WingedLiberty1957 · December 13, 2012 7:25AM

Have you ever looked at modern colorfully-toned Proofs?
They can be quite inexpensive and very beautiful.

DHeath · December 13, 2012 7:36AM

I was born in 1957. Generally speaking, I have always been infatuated with the coins of my youth, which were Peace dollars, Franklin and Kennedy halves, Washington Quarters, Mercury and Roosevelt Dimes, Jeff Nickels (and the occasional dateless Buffalo) and wheat back Lincolns. Like everyone else in the United States, my grandfather put up silver when the coins changed. That's how I came to learn about collecting. I imprinted on those designs as a child. Since you were born in 1980, there was no numismatic event which might lead you to "feel" about circulating coins the way I did. Collect what you like. I never cared much for the seated lib design, or that guy on the Barbers (smiling).

Stuart · December 13, 2012 7:37AM

Modern Coins are accepted by most retail outlets and businesses for monetary exchange.

DHeath · December 13, 2012 7:41AM

Modern Coins are accepted by most retail outlets and businesses for monetary exchange.

Wasn't an 1804 dollar accepted at a movie theater in Georgia?

TwoSides2aCoin · December 13, 2012 9:16AM

If I can't impress a woman with these freshly minted Gold Buffaloes, it's doubtful I'm going to be able to help you. On the other hand, she thinks I'm hot.

mingot · December 13, 2012 9:25AM

<< If I can't impress a woman with these freshly minted Gold Buffaloes, it's doubtful I'm going to be able to help you. On the other hand, she thinks I'm hot. >>

Nah she's just smart enough to pretend the gold doesn't impress her

jmski52 · December 13, 2012 11:35AM

It's ok with me if you decide that you can't appreciate Moderns. It's ok if you think bullion coins are just bullion. Some people can't get past the idea that if a coin doesn't circulate, it's still a coin. It's ok with me if you think that, too.

I like just about all US coinage. I collect the stuff. Sometimes I'll switch horses and dive into something new just for the heck of it. It's all good.

Whatever you collect, try not to disparage what someone else collects - for whatever reason. Some people just can't resist disparaging Moderns because they don't collect them, and that's only a reflection on their personality, nothing more.

lkeigwin · December 13, 2012 11:45AM

I was born 29 years before you, stevepk. Even though my childhood was filled with silver and copper coins I feel the same way about today's coins. There is nothing that appeals to me.

Don't try to hard to like them. Go with your gut.
Lance.

ambro51 · December 13, 2012 12:28PM

I think you're just fine ignoring modern stuff.

Coinosaurus · December 13, 2012 12:42PM

I used to think moderns were dumb. But I have a more open mind after reading posts from CladKing and SanctionII over the years. There's a lot more to it than meets the eye at first glance. I still don't care for them, but I have a better attitude about people who do.

Elcontador · December 13, 2012 12:59PM

Look at several hundred well circulated Shield Nickels. After that, anything would look good.

DeliaBug · December 13, 2012 1:20PM

I am not a fan of moderns but I have to appreciate those who are as if it wasn't for modern coin enthusiasts back in the day we'd have no MS anything from back then.

candy2012mustang · December 13, 2012 1:40PM

Although I mostly collect foreign coins, I have recently found an interest in 40% silver Ike dollars.

Nice large brand new silver coins with a interesting semi-high relief reverse design. You can find the blue packs for close to melt...

How can you beat that??

knoxy4 · December 13, 2012 1:56PM

Personally as a new (youngish - 25) collector with limited funds I like the modern coins because of the crisp details of the coins that I can still afford rather then paying and arm and a leg for some nice older coins. I'd rather get nice AU/Unc Washington's for a dollar over melt all day and have really found myself to become a fan of the '92-'98 silver proofs as well.

I like the history and collect-ability of the older coins but know that I am waaayyy out priced of most of those markets for anything more then just a good or maybe fine coin. I like a MS modern coin much more then a practically worn smooth older coin, and right now those are about the only ones I can afford

jmski52 · December 13, 2012 10:24PM

When I was a younger collector I remember having the notion that, if I had only been born in 1895 or so, I could have bought a couple rolls of 1909-S vdbs when they first came out, and then I'd have 2 rolls of Uncirculated Gem Super-Keys, and they would be worth a FORTUNE!!!!

That was awhile back. When roll collecting became popular, I'm sure that was the same thought that most people had at the time when they were salting away all of those BU rolls in plastic tubes. Who doesn't have those type of thoughts?

So here we are, in 2012 trying to justify why anyone in their right mind would mess around with those worthless coins being made today, that can be had for nominal money in any quantity you want, in uncirculated condition by the roll or bag.

When I was a younger collector, after I had assembled a few semi-complete books of Lincolns and Jeffersons and Roosevelts, I found that one of the things I enjoyed was looking at my collection - all nice & neat, assembled into their Whitman blue folders. I don't know why, but I found it to be enjoyable just looking at the albums.

That was before the evolution of the coin business into a contest over finding the most pristine specimen ever recorded in human history. At the time, it was certainly nice to replace a beat-up specimen with a nicer one, but nobody was paying $1,000s of dollars over a grade or two up.

To answer your question more directly, I've asked for some Dansco Albums as a Christmas present this year. My plan is to cut out the coins from all of the Mint Sets, Proof Sets, First Day Covers and miscellaneous accumulations of coins that I've stashed, and to make a few nice Dansco Albums for my grandson. They won't be worth much in my lifetime, and maybe not in his either. But I assure you that I'll have some fun looking at the albums when I'm doing them, and after they are completed. And I'm sure that my grandson will have some fun as well.

There were a couple of threads by Darth50 a couple years ago, in which he and his cousins were left a nice coin collection assembled by their grandfather and left to them as a family. It was one of the most fascinating threads I've read on this forum.

What Modern coins are today is no different than what those classic coins were to Darth50's grandfather then.

Does that help?

Overdate · December 14, 2012 12:41AM

Many modern commems have nice designs and are available in unc. or proof at small premiums to melt.

Baley · December 14, 2012 1:05AM

Can I help you appreciate modern coins, once you've gotten a taste for the historical pieces? I doubt it.

The designs as well as the themes represented on recent years' output all seems to be looking back in commemoration of our past, with lots of recycled designs and the new ones look like they were done on a computer rather than by a sculptor

the coins are genereally perfect or nearly so, so one example to study represents the appearance most of that mintage, and almost all of the mintage is saved and preserved, so there is neither significant attrition (a little abuse, a little melting), nor differentiation among the coins, unless pocket worn or colorfully toned

If you can buy the moderns, get them into high grade plastic with the right bells whistles and stickers you can grind out a profit, so many appreciate that about moderns, some of them use the profits to buy old coins.

Moderns ARE pretty, make great gifts for non-collectors and starting collections for new collectors, and if they're NCLT precious metal and can be had near spot, then there are two attractions for future value, bullion and numismatic

however if what you really like are old, circulated, real people's spending money in the US economy 150 or 200 years ago that are tough to find in decent condition and decent prices, and if you enjoy the pursuit of each-one-is-different scarcities such that you cannot simply open a web page and order numerous ones exactly like it, then your interest in moderns might be limited to buying a few examples that strike your fancy from the mint or third parties, and mostly paying attention to pictures of next year's mint output, and not trying too hard to overcome your preferences for the coins of older US history

TwoSides2aCoin · December 14, 2012 1:14AM

Seriously though

what's not to love about people ?

cladking · December 14, 2012 4:20AM

There are a lot of things that can attract an individual to a specific collectible. Common among them
are aestetics, intrinsic value, age, completeness, historical importance, ubiquitousness, quality, and
scarcity. If the chief thing that attracts someone to coins is age then he'll simply never like anything
modern no matter what is made already or in the future. It's very common for collectors to have a cut
off date beyond which they won't collect. It's very common in US collectors for this date to be 1965.
Many won't collect any coin after their birth or some other date they deem significant. It's pretty un-
likely that someone who values metallic content or aestetics above all else will be collecting Roosy dimes
or most clad anytime soon.

But, many people have other reasons for collecting and do see things like historical importance in some-
thing like a 1974 reverse of '73 quarter or even a well circulated and still attractive bicentennial. Some
people, like me, are interested in the economy and what circulating coinage can tell us about it. We
don't just see an AG 1966 quarter but can see where it's been and how it got to us. Many people ap-
preciate quality and rarity and in clad quality is a rarity. The typical old clad was poorly made by worn
out dies and then got banged up even before it got into commerce. Try finding that same 1966 quarter
well made by new dies and not SMS.

There are a lot of real world advantages to collecting moderns or any circulating coinage. Chief among
them is the ability to look at virtually unlimited examples of most coins you collect. Few bust collectors
can be nearly as familiar with the nature of his collectibles than a zinc cent collector. But there are num-
erous other less visible advantages as well. Rarity can usually be had at a fraction of the price for any
old rarity because the competition is much lower. Lower prices mean less need for slabbing so even
modern rarities can still be found for a few dollars. Lower prices means one's dollars go farther in ass-
embling collections.

It doesn't apply so much to US coins but there's a new reason to collect moderns; exploding prices. Col-
lectors all over the world are discovering that some of these coins are simply quite scarce. Everyone
simply assumed all the "debased garbage" was made in huge numbers sothey must be common. But
now a few collectors are seeking them and they just aren't out there.

ambro51 · December 14, 2012 4:38AM

What a difficult composition to try and read.....

leothelyon · December 15, 2012 12:53PM

Hi

Sure.

Leo

Jinx86 · December 15, 2012 1:07PM

This piece just came in today, it may not be a US coin but it sure jumps out at you. Just about the same weight as a silver dollar but smaller and thicker this sterling Norway 1982 100 Kroner is a great work of art. There are many world coins(modern) that are truely great to behold in mint state.

dpoole · December 15, 2012 1:09PM

They are not readily affordable for most of us, but the reverses of the Mint's proof platinum bullion series are as artistically pleasing and significant as the Mint has devised since the glory days of St. Gaudens and the SLH quarter, IMHO.

Can anyone help me appreciate modern coins?

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