<< <i>Very nice set. Do you have another goal lined up? >>
This is an excellent question and one I've been mulling over quite a bit. Along with the Peace Dollar set I decided to work on a 20th Century type set, which also is nearing completion. It actually isn't terribly challenging to complete such a set, but I've been doing quite a bit of switching and swapping to find the sort of coins that I feel truly represent the individual series. Beyond that, I've been dabbling with the idea of a basic US design type set, but such a set has all sorts of show-stoppers like the half disme, early gold, and the chain cents. I also can't seem to get too enthused about coins in the Libery Seated series. I've leapfrogged back to early type coins and I've picked up a couple of very cool CBH halves, and recently completed a deal to obtain a really, really cool Flowing Hair dollar.
I'm not sure that type collecting is really going to get it done for me though for several reasons. First, some coin types just aren't that interesting to me and it's hard to drop money on a coin just to fill up a spot. Second, it just doesn't seem right to represent some series with a single example. CBH coinage and early dollars are just too interesting. Finally, it's impossible to dig deeply enough into each series to really have a good feel for it.
For the time being, I think I'll slow down and concentrate on finding those really special pieces that speak to me. The advantage of buying fewer coins is that the ones I do buy can be more carefully researched, more valuable, and they are also usually more interesting. I'd like to pick up one or two ancient gold pieces. There's enough to explore in that arena to fill up several lifetimes. Those waters can be a bit daunting though with almost everything trading without the protections of third-party grading & certification. I've toyed with doing an esoteric series like 3 cent nickels or gold dollars. There can be little demand for the collection when sale time comes around though.
The next coins on my immediate list are small eagle and heraldic reverse early dollars. Budget-wise that should tie me up for several months.
I'm a bit late on this yet I had to add my compliments!! Congratulations on assembly and presentation of your Peace set. It's just gorgeous! And the photographic presentation excellent.
Thanks for the link and sharing the images. It's extremely educational as a reference for comparison and in evaluating my own set and sharpening my visual grading skills....
It's certainly inspiring me to keep my eyes open for the upgrades in my own set- though I'm a long ways off from having a set of your quality!
Cheers to you from a fellow Peace (and Buffalo) enthusiast!!
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
I'd like to thank everyone for their fantastic comments and encouragement in this thread. I can't tell you how much I've learned during this process. FWIW, I think Peace Dollars are a perfect beginner's series to start to understand grading, varieties, buying & selling, and learning the peculiarities of imperfect but fascinating coins. The series also has enough depth to keep almost any numismatist busy for many, many years.
And, just for fun, here's my newest dollar:
This one just sends me head over heels each time I look at it. The coin came to me in a very interesting manner. It has a tremendous back story, but I'll save that for another day.....
So, improvements to this set are becoming fewer and farther between, but I'm very happy with the latest three additions. Two of these came to me via Larry Shapiro (PQPeace), and as always, I'm grateful for his eye. I think they represent their respective issues nicely.
In the case of the 1928, my old MS64 was a fine coin, but gem keys are so very cool. When I saw this one on Larry's site I pulled the trigger. When it arrived I was thrilled! I've not seen its equal at that grade:
In the case of the 1922-S, the MS64+ coin that I had previously was fine, but a gem seemed eventually attainable on my budget. There have been several of these moving around the market, but over the past several months none of them really knocked my socks off. They seemed to be only marginally better than what I had. Larry told me about this one and it arrived today. It is exceptional for grade and worthy, I think, of the big price jump from 64+ to 65:
The 1926-D replaced an MS65+ coin that I had acquired in a Heritage auction. This coin was a real enigma to me. It was nice, but its grade didn't seem to fit my own understanding of Peace Dollar grading. The green-bean people liked it. I showed it to Mark Feld at a show and he was very happy with it as a 65+. I'm not one to argue with him! This one showed up in the recent Legend-Morphy auction. I broke my own rule and bid on it based on the photo alone. Without the hard-bound catalog and the excellent photography I never would have. It came a bit on the expensive side, as many nice ones do, but it did not disappoint in-hand. It seems strong at MS66, but the green-bean people didn't see it that way. In this case, I've been over it several times and I just think they're wrong. I do not regret one bit winning this and I think it's a splendid specimen:
For no particular reason, I've gotten caught up in the photography of these and this was a fun little PhotoShop project. It makes a wicked-nice screen saver:
That is just such a cool set and one of the nicest ones around. Now go get a 34-d doubled die obv to add the only major/red book variety, getting both of the different rev in UNC is very very hard to do.
Thanks for updating and sharing. This has been fun to see just in the past 6 months. Nice photoshop work, I wish I could figure out how to take pictures like some of the people on this board. Nice job!
Stunning set! I have always loved the Peace Dollar.
Did you know that the Peace Dollar was supposed to be a 1 year commemorative and could have easily been a half dollar ... at least that is what I read once.
I really enjoyed viewing your collection individually, your buying experiences, and then finally seeing the collage of the entire collection. Very cool and thank you.
Seated Half Society member #38
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress, running like a water color in the rain...."
BryceM, much like you, I really wanted to put a set of Peace $'s together, so, not having a 'huge'udget (huge is a relative term here, but to obtain a set like you have now, that's huge to me...just tried to keep mine as uniform as possible). Not wanting to 'pay the tuition', like you did (and sooo many others), and knowing I could not assemble in all MS (for now), I got a Dansco, bought only coins slabbed by our hosts and ATS (a few are ANACS, but solid for grade). I just cracked them out and filled the Dansco, knowing I WOULDN'T have whizzed, problem coins (the keys are in AU for now), BUT, it's not as uniform as I'd like, but I'm happy with it for now. I have been wanting to put another, blast white set together, all in our hosts slabs, with as little 'spotting' as possible, which is so prevalent on this series. Just a killer looking, all white set, as you have assembled, BryceM.
Looking at your set just lit that fire under me, to start my 'real' Peace $ set , so, before the day is over, I'll have added my first Peace $ purchased for MY 'big set' (gonna be tough to find real, blast-white, with no spotting (and might as well upgrade a few in my Dansco, as well). Just as an aside, I wonder how many of the 17 higher-ranked sets are as uniformly put together as yours is (too lazy/comfy/sedated now to want to look...but to match that blast-white, nary a spot, nary any toning look you achieved....it's really just a fabulous looking set you've assembled.
With that little 'pilgrimage' out of the way, I have to say....your set is EXACTLY what I'd like MY future set to look like. Simply an amazing set! There is more toning on just ONE of my current Peace $'s than in your ENTIRE set! No real 'milk spotting', barely ANY toning......it really is a gorgeous set to look at, BryceM! Congrats on being the owner of such a fine, handsome set!!!!
Thanks for the gushing praise, but this set probably isn't quite as rosy as you might think. The 1921 has a couple of ugly spots, but I look past those due to its strike. The 1922 has some milkspots around the date. The 1923-S is toned enough to not match well. The 1924-S is a touch splotchy and the 1926 is worse (replacing it is maybe my next project). The 1928-S isn't quite as nice in-hand as the photos may suggest. It's a little on the dark side and the portrait is sort of mottled. That coin might actually be better after a dip, but it won't be me doing it.
The toning on the 1925-S, the 1926-D, and the 1934-S are to me subtle, acceptable, classy, and terribly nice when seen in-hand.
One thing that I've heard, that I agree with, is that this series is just horrible in much below MS64. At 64 or 64+ and better, the coins really gain some nice eye appeal. It's fantastic that there are no real show-stoppers in terms of absolute rarity. It's tough to get excited about a set when you know it will never be 100% complete. I can't even imagine how fantastic these must have looked right out of the mint. As a series, they aren't really that old, they've been little-respected for most of their history, and so very, very few were saved in nice condition. There might be a lesson here for the long-term future of certain moderns.
Thanks for the gushing praise, but this set probably isn't quite as rosy as you might think. The 1921 has a couple of ugly spots, but I look past those due to its strike. The 1922 has some milkspots around the date. The 1923-S is toned enough to not match well. The 1924-S is a touch splotchy and the 1926 is worse (replacing it is maybe my next project). The 1928-S isn't quite as nice in-hand as the photos may suggest. It's a little on the dark side and the portrait is sort of mottled. That coin might actually be better after a dip, but it won't be me doing it.
The toning on the 1925-S, the 1926-D, and the 1934-S are to me subtle, acceptable, classy, and terribly nice when seen in-hand.
One thing that I've heard, that I agree with, is that this series is just horrible in much below MS64. At 64 or 64+ and better, the coins really gain some nice eye appeal. It's fantastic that there are no real show-stoppers in terms of absolute rarity. It's tough to get excited about a set when you know it will never be 100% complete. I can't even imagine how fantastic these must have looked right out of the mint. As a series, they aren't really that old, they've been little-respected for most of their history, and so very, very few were saved in nice condition. There might be a lesson here for the long-term future of certain moderns. >>
BryceM, while I never said it was PERFECT (is there one?), I did notice/mention the few spots a few of them exhibit, and the few with toning....BUT, it's about as uniform as one could find, without dropping bigger $$ on the set (I'm a blast-white guy, and the toning yours display is perfectly acceptable, for a blast-white guy, IMO). Yes, it isn't a perfect match, but c'mon, you did one helluva job on that set (as has been echoed in other's posts), and I'd be PROUD to own it!!
Looking back, it seems 2013 was a tremendously good year for me both in the hobby and in "real life". We are certainly blessed to live circumstances which allow time and resources for this hobby.
Since my last update, a few cool dollars have found their way to me. I have shared some of these on the boards here before, but here they are again to keep the thread updated. In June, Mark Feld previewed a very nice 1921 for me and he was quite enthusiastic about it. When it arrived, I was elated. It would be hard to imagine a coin with more character and meat on it. The colors are nothing short of amazing. In hand, the luster is deep and flashy, even through the reverse toning. It doesn't match the rest of the set. So what. I can't imagine ever improving on it.
Larry Shapiro has been instrumental in finding many of my nicest coins. Shortly before the Summer ANA we discussed a 1925-P. It came to me on approval and did not go back. Finding a nice 67 coin that was uber-solid for grade was a goal I'd had ever since getting serious about the collection. The coin it replaced was very close to 67 status itself, so not just any coin would qualify. This one is just gorgeous - like it was gently lifted off the press a few minutes ago. The little bit of die polish around "IN GOD" is something I've seen on one or two other 1925 coins. Beyond that, and a single reed-mark in the hair, this coin has very little to complain about. The cheek and fields are completely devoid of luster breaks - something ultra-rare on a Peace Dollar. The in-hand look is closer to the TrueView than my photo.
At the Summer ANA, Steve Twitty had a nice 1924-S coin at his table that really spoke to me. In principle, I'd prefer a full gem, but this one could easily be mistaken for one and, quite honestly, most of what I've seen in 65 holders doesn't float my boat. This one is pretty cool.
My previous 1926-P coin always bothered me a bit due to some ugly toning splotches and a bit of chatter. I took a chance on this one after seeing it on Stuppler's website. After reviewing it in-hand, it looked like a keeper. It has a different surface quality than many Peace dollars - more satiny than flashy. I really fell in love with the gorgeous portrait and clean fields. It does have luster, just less in-your-face than some. It also came with a gold PQ sticker, for whatever that's worth.
Last month, quite unexpectedly, Larry and I talked about a coin he found at a show. I'd been musing about updating the 34-S, but honestly didn't expect to bump into one so quickly. This is another coin that is offered a few times a year in gem grades, but mostly these are coins that don't appeal to me. This issue commands a premium a little out of proportion to its actual rarity due to its perceived key date status. That's fine, but I didn't want to pay up for one that just barely made the cut. This example is pretty tremendous in-hand. There are some slight luster breaks on the portrait that are over-exaggerated in my photo. The TrueView shows it pretty well, but the two photos together give a good feel for what it really is. Luster is crazy strong. Overall eye appeal completely overwhelms the soft strike and minute hits.
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.
Lovely looking updates. I particularly like the 1921. As a person who put together the Peace dollar set in the late 1980's in (rattler) MS64-5, I Love the set you've put together. It is Fabulous!!!
What's next is to continue to look for better and better coins. The nice thing about Peace dollars is that there are plenty that come and go in the market. In most big auctions there are one or two that are interesting and dealers occasionally get in a special piece. I've gradually expanded my comfort level when it comes to the more expensive issues but there is a ceiling and it isn't all that far away. I don't really see myself hunting for 5-figure coins. Over many years I possibly could, but the majority of what churns around in the market at the highest levels (or at any level) are weak-for-grade coins. Even so, there's enough here still to work on for the next 3-4 years.
nags,
Like Crypto said, RW Burdette's book "A Guide Book of Peace Dollars" is a great reference. I'd recommend the 2nd edition as it contains a bit more information. Both are still available at Amazon, etc. Burdette's book contains actual research (somewhat refreshing), and puts to bed many of the rumors about how the low-relief design was created, how the broken sword was removed, and he gives a good account of the 1964-D issue. I have a copy of Wayne Miller's "Morgan and Peace Dollar Textbook" from 1983. It's obviously dated (and perpetuates some silly rumors), but his analysis of the various issues is still relevant. Reading it gives some historical context from a time when it was still possible to sort through bag quantities of dollars. I recently spoke with Mr. Miller over the phone.... seems he's mostly just running a mom & pop B&M in Montana now. There's actually a decent amount of information available on-line too.
I don't know if anyone cares or is still interested, but a few changes and upgrades have happened in my Peace dollar set in 2014. In retrospect, there was actually much more activity than I remembered. I suppose it happens with all sets, but they eventually mature to a point that it's hard to find better pieces that are within a realistic budget. A person also becomes rather picky and sets off to battle certain windmills when looking for coins. I'm still learning certain things about the series as well. Unlike most series, Peace dollars are generally best enjoyed white and flashy. However, there's a lot to be said too for a pleasing, original, natural patina. I'm afraid many of the white dollars on the market aren't that far removed from a dip bucket and they can sometimes change in their holders. Such worries aren't important when buying truly original coins. More on that another day....
The first coin of the year was this MS66 1935-S which I acquired from Larry Shapiro. I thought it had a decent shot of getting a sticker, but it wasn't to be. Still, I think it's an outstanding coin that is a great piece for the 24th and final position in the set:
In June, I was the lucky high-bidder on this 1922-D at the Legend Morphy auction. They don't often feature many Peace dollars, but when they do they're often quite nice:
I really looked forward to the August ANA show as my one big show for the year. I picked up this nice 23-S from Larry Shapiro's table. This one was a huge improvement over the prior coin and fully deserving of gems status in this oh-so-difficult San Fransisco issue:
In October Larry found me a nice 1927. My prior coin in 64+ was actually quite nice and it was difficult to find one that was clearly superior. This one really hits the spot for me:
I wasn't really planning on acquiring any other "big" coins in 2014, but I randomly came across this coin on Rare Coins of New Hampshire's website. Before wandering to their site I'd never even heard of them. I simply couldn't stop thinking about it and when it arrived, it was even nicer than described. 1935-P coins come nice, but this one is oh la la! This is easily the most pleasing Peace dollar of the year:
The final upgrade of 2014 is a 1925-S in 64+. It's virtually impossible that I'll ever own an MS65 (finest known) 25-S. In my heart this new coin is technically nicer than the prior coin in 64, but it doesn't have the same warmth or personality. It demonstrates a rather mushy strike (as almost all 25-S coins do) but it's lustrous and far from ugly. Maybe I'll keep them both!
The 21-P sticks out like a sore thumb doesn't it? I love it! Rules can be broken for pieces like that one:
Further upgrades are becoming difficult, both in terms of expense and the availability of coins that meet my criteria. I can't imagine adding more than 3 or 4 more during 2015. The 22-P, 23-D, 26-S, 27-D, 27-S, 34-P, and 34-D have realistic room for improvement if truly better specimens come along. The 26-P is one that I'm unsure about. It's more satiny than lustrous (probably an early die state), but it's technically nice with outstanding strike & detail. If a coin in the same grade with superior eye appeal wandered past I might pull the trigger.
Great set you have there. If you have a list of Peace dollars that you have recently upgraded that you are looking to offload, shoot me a PM? I am not currently working on a Peace dollar set, but my Type set could use a high grade example.
Some may think this would be an easy undertaking - just a fistful of cash. May be true, if all that a person is after...is the MSxx on the slab. But to truly pick each coin, on it's own merits, IS what makes this set stand out.
Comments
<< <i>Very nice set. Do you have another goal lined up? >>
This is an excellent question and one I've been mulling over quite a bit. Along with the Peace Dollar set I decided to work on a 20th Century type set, which also is nearing completion. It actually isn't terribly challenging to complete such a set, but I've been doing quite a bit of switching and swapping to find the sort of coins that I feel truly represent the individual series. Beyond that, I've been dabbling with the idea of a basic US design type set, but such a set has all sorts of show-stoppers like the half disme, early gold, and the chain cents. I also can't seem to get too enthused about coins in the Libery Seated series. I've leapfrogged back to early type coins and I've picked up a couple of very cool CBH halves, and recently completed a deal to obtain a really, really cool Flowing Hair dollar.
I'm not sure that type collecting is really going to get it done for me though for several reasons. First, some coin types just aren't that interesting to me and it's hard to drop money on a coin just to fill up a spot. Second, it just doesn't seem right to represent some series with a single example. CBH coinage and early dollars are just too interesting. Finally, it's impossible to dig deeply enough into each series to really have a good feel for it.
For the time being, I think I'll slow down and concentrate on finding those really special pieces that speak to me. The advantage of buying fewer coins is that the ones I do buy can be more carefully researched, more valuable, and they are also usually more interesting. I'd like to pick up one or two ancient gold pieces. There's enough to explore in that arena to fill up several lifetimes. Those waters can be a bit daunting though with almost everything trading without the protections of third-party grading & certification. I've toyed with doing an esoteric series like 3 cent nickels or gold dollars. There can be little demand for the collection when sale time comes around though.
The next coins on my immediate list are small eagle and heraldic reverse early dollars. Budget-wise that should tie me up for several months.
Congratulations on assembly and presentation of your Peace set. It's just gorgeous! And the photographic presentation excellent.
Thanks for the link and sharing the images. It's extremely educational as a reference for comparison and in evaluating my own set and sharpening my visual grading skills....
It's certainly inspiring me to keep my eyes open for the upgrades in my own set- though I'm a long ways off from having a set of your quality!
Cheers to you from a fellow Peace (and Buffalo) enthusiast!!
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
And, just for fun, here's my newest dollar:
This one just sends me head over heels each time I look at it. The coin came to me in a very interesting manner. It has a tremendous back story, but I'll save that for another day.....
Great eye for good looking Peace dollars.
My fav, the superb 25-S!
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
In the case of the 1928, my old MS64 was a fine coin, but gem keys are so very cool. When I saw this one on Larry's site I pulled the trigger. When it arrived I was thrilled! I've not seen its equal at that grade:
In the case of the 1922-S, the MS64+ coin that I had previously was fine, but a gem seemed eventually attainable on my budget. There have been several of these moving around the market, but over the past several months none of them really knocked my socks off. They seemed to be only marginally better than what I had. Larry told me about this one and it arrived today. It is exceptional for grade and worthy, I think, of the big price jump from 64+ to 65:
The 1926-D replaced an MS65+ coin that I had acquired in a Heritage auction. This coin was a real enigma to me. It was nice, but its grade didn't seem to fit my own understanding of Peace Dollar grading. The green-bean people liked it. I showed it to Mark Feld at a show and he was very happy with it as a 65+. I'm not one to argue with him! This one showed up in the recent Legend-Morphy auction. I broke my own rule and bid on it based on the photo alone. Without the hard-bound catalog and the excellent photography I never would have. It came a bit on the expensive side, as many nice ones do, but it did not disappoint in-hand. It seems strong at MS66, but the green-bean people didn't see it that way. In this case, I've been over it several times and I just think they're wrong.
For no particular reason, I've gotten caught up in the photography of these and this was a fun little PhotoShop project. It makes a wicked-nice screen saver:
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Erik
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Congratulations on the new additions. They're gorgeous!
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
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Did you know that the Peace Dollar was supposed to be a 1 year commemorative and could have easily been a half dollar ... at least that is what I read once.
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Looking at your set just lit that fire under me, to start my 'real' Peace $ set , so, before the day is over, I'll have added my first Peace $ purchased for MY 'big set' (gonna be tough to find real, blast-white, with no spotting (and might as well upgrade a few in my Dansco, as well). Just as an aside, I wonder how many of the 17 higher-ranked sets are as uniformly put together as yours is (too lazy/comfy/sedated now to want to look...but to match that blast-white, nary a spot, nary any toning look you achieved....it's really just a fabulous looking set you've assembled.
With that little 'pilgrimage' out of the way, I have to say....your set is EXACTLY what I'd like MY future set to look like. Simply an amazing set! There is more toning on just ONE of my current Peace $'s than in your ENTIRE set! No real 'milk spotting', barely ANY toning......it really is a gorgeous set to look at, BryceM! Congrats on being the owner of such a fine, handsome set!!!!
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Thanks for the gushing praise, but this set probably isn't quite as rosy as you might think. The 1921 has a couple of ugly spots, but I look past those due to its strike. The 1922 has some milkspots around the date. The 1923-S is toned enough to not match well. The 1924-S is a touch splotchy and the 1926 is worse (replacing it is maybe my next project). The 1928-S isn't quite as nice in-hand as the photos may suggest. It's a little on the dark side and the portrait is sort of mottled. That coin might actually be better after a dip, but it won't be me doing it.
The toning on the 1925-S, the 1926-D, and the 1934-S are to me subtle, acceptable, classy, and terribly nice when seen in-hand.
One thing that I've heard, that I agree with, is that this series is just horrible in much below MS64. At 64 or 64+ and better, the coins really gain some nice eye appeal. It's fantastic that there are no real show-stoppers in terms of absolute rarity. It's tough to get excited about a set when you know it will never be 100% complete. I can't even imagine how fantastic these must have looked right out of the mint. As a series, they aren't really that old, they've been little-respected for most of their history, and so very, very few were saved in nice condition. There might be a lesson here for the long-term future of certain moderns.
Rob
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<< <i>Notsure,
Thanks for the gushing praise, but this set probably isn't quite as rosy as you might think. The 1921 has a couple of ugly spots, but I look past those due to its strike. The 1922 has some milkspots around the date. The 1923-S is toned enough to not match well. The 1924-S is a touch splotchy and the 1926 is worse (replacing it is maybe my next project). The 1928-S isn't quite as nice in-hand as the photos may suggest. It's a little on the dark side and the portrait is sort of mottled. That coin might actually be better after a dip, but it won't be me doing it.
The toning on the 1925-S, the 1926-D, and the 1934-S are to me subtle, acceptable, classy, and terribly nice when seen in-hand.
One thing that I've heard, that I agree with, is that this series is just horrible in much below MS64. At 64 or 64+ and better, the coins really gain some nice eye appeal. It's fantastic that there are no real show-stoppers in terms of absolute rarity. It's tough to get excited about a set when you know it will never be 100% complete. I can't even imagine how fantastic these must have looked right out of the mint. As a series, they aren't really that old, they've been little-respected for most of their history, and so very, very few were saved in nice condition. There might be a lesson here for the long-term future of certain moderns. >>
BryceM, while I never said it was PERFECT (is there one?), I did notice/mention the few spots a few of them exhibit, and the few with toning....BUT, it's about as uniform as one could find, without dropping bigger $$ on the set (I'm a blast-white guy, and the toning yours display is perfectly acceptable, for a blast-white guy, IMO). Yes, it isn't a perfect match, but c'mon, you did one helluva job on that set (as has been echoed in other's posts), and I'd be PROUD to own it!!
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Since my last update, a few cool dollars have found their way to me. I have shared some of these on the boards here before, but here they are again to keep the thread updated. In June, Mark Feld previewed a very nice 1921 for me and he was quite enthusiastic about it. When it arrived, I was elated. It would be hard to imagine a coin with more character and meat on it. The colors are nothing short of amazing. In hand, the luster is deep and flashy, even through the reverse toning. It doesn't match the rest of the set. So what.
Larry Shapiro has been instrumental in finding many of my nicest coins. Shortly before the Summer ANA we discussed a 1925-P. It came to me on approval and did not go back. Finding a nice 67 coin that was uber-solid for grade was a goal I'd had ever since getting serious about the collection. The coin it replaced was very close to 67 status itself, so not just any coin would qualify. This one is just gorgeous - like it was gently lifted off the press a few minutes ago. The little bit of die polish around "IN GOD" is something I've seen on one or two other 1925 coins. Beyond that, and a single reed-mark in the hair, this coin has very little to complain about. The cheek and fields are completely devoid of luster breaks - something ultra-rare on a Peace Dollar. The in-hand look is closer to the TrueView than my photo.
At the Summer ANA, Steve Twitty had a nice 1924-S coin at his table that really spoke to me. In principle, I'd prefer a full gem, but this one could easily be mistaken for one and, quite honestly, most of what I've seen in 65 holders doesn't float my boat. This one is pretty cool.
My previous 1926-P coin always bothered me a bit due to some ugly toning splotches and a bit of chatter. I took a chance on this one after seeing it on Stuppler's website. After reviewing it in-hand, it looked like a keeper. It has a different surface quality than many Peace dollars - more satiny than flashy. I really fell in love with the gorgeous portrait and clean fields. It does have luster, just less in-your-face than some. It also came with a gold PQ sticker, for whatever that's worth.
Last month, quite unexpectedly, Larry and I talked about a coin he found at a show. I'd been musing about updating the 34-S, but honestly didn't expect to bump into one so quickly. This is another coin that is offered a few times a year in gem grades, but mostly these are coins that don't appeal to me. This issue commands a premium a little out of proportion to its actual rarity due to its perceived key date status. That's fine, but I didn't want to pay up for one that just barely made the cut. This example is pretty tremendous in-hand. There are some slight luster breaks on the portrait that are over-exaggerated in my photo. The TrueView shows it pretty well, but the two photos together give a good feel for what it really is. Luster is crazy strong. Overall eye appeal completely overwhelms the soft strike and minute hits.
Not really looking for much these days but if I were, it might be a toner.
Dave
What's it been, three years of hard work and searching?
bob
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.
U.S. Type Set
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
<< <i>I was kicking around the idea of doing a peace dollar set. Any particular books you found to be particularly helpful? >>
For Peace dollars, it is RWB's guide to Peace Dollars and then everything else.
What's next is to continue to look for better and better coins.
nags,
Like Crypto said, RW Burdette's book "A Guide Book of Peace Dollars" is a great reference. I'd recommend the 2nd edition as it contains a bit more information. Both are still available at Amazon, etc. Burdette's book contains actual research (somewhat refreshing), and puts to bed many of the rumors about how the low-relief design was created, how the broken sword was removed, and he gives a good account of the 1964-D issue. I have a copy of Wayne Miller's "Morgan and Peace Dollar Textbook" from 1983. It's obviously dated (and perpetuates some silly rumors), but his analysis of the various issues is still relevant. Reading it gives some historical context from a time when it was still possible to sort through bag quantities of dollars. I recently spoke with Mr. Miller over the phone.... seems he's mostly just running a mom & pop B&M in Montana now. There's actually a decent amount of information available on-line too.
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
My Jefferson Nickel Collection
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
actually looks fabulous for the assigned grades.
Before you crow about this set just remember you still need one of Daniel Carr's 1964-D fantasy strikes!
The first coin of the year was this MS66 1935-S which I acquired from Larry Shapiro. I thought it had a decent shot of getting a sticker, but it wasn't to be. Still, I think it's an outstanding coin that is a great piece for the 24th and final position in the set:
In June, I was the lucky high-bidder on this 1922-D at the Legend Morphy auction. They don't often feature many Peace dollars, but when they do they're often quite nice:
I really looked forward to the August ANA show as my one big show for the year. I picked up this nice 23-S from Larry Shapiro's table. This one was a huge improvement over the prior coin and fully deserving of gems status in this oh-so-difficult San Fransisco issue:
In October Larry found me a nice 1927. My prior coin in 64+ was actually quite nice and it was difficult to find one that was clearly superior. This one really hits the spot for me:
I wasn't really planning on acquiring any other "big" coins in 2014, but I randomly came across this coin on Rare Coins of New Hampshire's website. Before wandering to their site I'd never even heard of them. I simply couldn't stop thinking about it and when it arrived, it was even nicer than described. 1935-P coins come nice, but this one is oh la la! This is easily the most pleasing Peace dollar of the year:
The final upgrade of 2014 is a 1925-S in 64+. It's virtually impossible that I'll ever own an MS65 (finest known) 25-S. In my heart this new coin is technically nicer than the prior coin in 64, but it doesn't have the same warmth or personality. It demonstrates a rather mushy strike (as almost all 25-S coins do) but it's lustrous and far from ugly. Maybe I'll keep them both!
The 21-P sticks out like a sore thumb doesn't it? I love it! Rules can be broken for pieces like that one:
Further upgrades are becoming difficult, both in terms of expense and the availability of coins that meet my criteria. I can't imagine adding more than 3 or 4 more during 2015. The 22-P, 23-D, 26-S, 27-D, 27-S, 34-P, and 34-D have realistic room for improvement if truly better specimens come along. The 26-P is one that I'm unsure about. It's more satiny than lustrous (probably an early die state), but it's technically nice with outstanding strike & detail. If a coin in the same grade with superior eye appeal wandered past I might pull the trigger.
Indian Head $10 Gold Date Set Album
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Now that this set has become difficult to upgrade, what's next? A set of Walkers or SLQs also looks great blast white...
<< <i>Really nice set! >>
+1
You added some fantastic coins in 2014, hopefully 2015 is just as good.
GrandAm
Some may think this would be an easy undertaking - just a fistful of cash. May be true, if all that a person is after...is the MSxx on the slab. But to truly pick each coin, on it's own merits, IS what makes this set stand out.
Thank you for sharing!!!