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Your Weird Quirks
KellenCoin
Posts: 1,249 ✭✭✭✭✭
I enjoy buying a variety of items for my collection, but I would say that I have three main collecting specialties:
-Numismatic Literature
-Sample Slabs
-Coinage from 1943
Admittedly, these are relatively unusual specialties, but I enjoy it. But thinking about what I collect made me wonder: What are some of your less common collecting specialties?
Fan of the Oxford Comma
CCAC Representative of the General Public
2021 Young Numismatist of the Year
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Mine are as follows...
-Peace Dollars
-Old, odd, or unique numismatic holders
Any type of beautifully toned coin.
I still have a sweet spot for early commems.
Silver/silver clad Kennedys.
I end up with a lot of widgets.
Mine are too many to list
Quirks that is
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
-Shield Nickels
-Counterfeits
-PL coins
PL Coins Morgans or Business Strikes of non-Morgans graded as PL
Weird Pop 1 Coins
Recently acquired an NGC 1881-P Morgan AU58PL in one of the oldest NGC holders - Fits both Categories above
A 1903 Morgan In PL still eludes me at a reasonable price
A type set of different "types" of error coins all from one date in all denominations, going on 400 + examples
In Life way too many to count, currently gold mining in the desert .........
-Renaissance coinage
-Esp. Early Walkers
-Choice or better
-Vintage slabs
-Numismatic literature
-Keeping fastidious records
-Having everything in chronological order
-Must have precious metal content
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Type set collector... Coins that end in 8 wherever possible
Successful trades.... MichaelDixon,
Off-subject interests:
Coins without rims. I just like how they look whether it's modern or 18th century.
I'll periodically purchase on zinc and iron coins. The basest of the base metals.
Quirks:
My toning needs to be earth toned and radially symmetrical.
IG: DeCourcyCoinsEbay: neilrobertson
"Numismatic categorizations, if left unconstrained, will increase spontaneously over time." -me
What kind of literature do you have? DM
Fan of the Oxford Comma
CCAC Representative of the General Public
2021 Young Numismatist of the Year
"U.S. Strange Denominations"
Working on both 2-cent and 3-cent nickel sets, would love to get another 20-cent. Don't know why....But the history is just so well defined, I guess. "They started making them on this date....and ended at this date.....and we'll never see them made again."
Walker books by Ambio, Fox & Swiatek. Redbooks, some of QDB and RWB's books. I also like the Coin Collector's Survival Manual by Scott A. Travers. Last year I bought Pleasure and Profit a book by Robert W. Shipee--a retired banker who made money building and selling a type set......I really enjoyed it. I like Magazines, too. I have saved magazines most of my adult life. Coinage, Coin World, Coins, etc, I have FAR tooo many....
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Autographed numismatic literature as well as numismatic books with embossed tinted plates. Some of these are truly amazing as the inks used were infused with copper, silver and gold and the plates tone just like the real coins. Most were made in Germany and England in the mid to late 1800's.
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
Over time, I guess my collecting has been quirky. I've gotten into Three Cent Nickel proofs, Close AM and Wide AM Memorial cents, plain-edge Presidential dollars and Sacs in the past...
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
I don't generally like coins that were made for collectors. This includes proofs, mint sets, "widgety" modern bullion issues, etc.
Some classic commems are OK though......
18th-19th century British coin scales
19th century mechanical counterfeit coin detectors (for U.S. gold, or silver quarters and halves)
Numismatic literature (ca. 90% U.S.-related)
Antique electrotypes
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
I collect only modern US error coins. If I own an off-metal/wrong planchet error it must be combined with another error such as double struck or off center, or it must be a proof, or struck on aluminum.
For all the choice XF and AU barber halves and quarters I've owned I still get more aesthetic enjoyment out of holding a filthy old tobacco toned saddle-smooth VG10. It's just a quirk.
Lincolns, Whitman Bookshelf Albums.
POST NUBILA PHOEBUS / AFTER CLOUDS, SUN
Love for Music / Collector of Dreck
There are a few times when I have specifics for coins. When I bought an NJ copper, it had to be 1787 because I was born in 1987. For a bust dollar, the 17** was important, so I didn't consider anything 1800 or later.
Old world coins with a clear date
I am primarily a collector of US coins and I am fascinated by world coins that date further back than US coins. They are often inexpensive as there are fewer world coin collectors than collectors of US coins and consequently lower demand. I bought an old Hungarian coin at a recent show dated 1678 for only $25. It's worn, but the date and basic details are there. I suppose that's a weird quirk of mine.
Gold error coins, toned gold coins, gold in old holder. Maybe one day I will find a coin that meets all 3 criteria? Doubtful, as toned gold and gold error coins are both pretty rare.
Generally when I receive a coin on approval I give it the nightstand test. I leave in on the nightstand and when I wake up if I look at it first thing I generally buy it
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......
In recent years (the last dozen or so) my collecting has been mainly quirky... A love token or two, some silver items, any coin that for some reason intrigues me...and coin literature. Cheers, RickO
That's cool, I like it
I haven't figured out exactly what I want to collect or focus on.
My husband said that ever since I received my grandpa's coins that "All it has done is cost us more money", lol (only because I went to the Sacramento Coin Show and picked up a few things)
Over-dates, over-assayer, die variations and other varieties of Mexico 8 Reales from 1791 to 1821.
Quirky, I know
Old slabs
Love tokens
Unusual scarce bullion
Spoons
etc.
My YouTube Channel
I think 200 year old coins are more historically interesting in grades good to fine than they are uncirculated.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
I accumulate/collect non-Numismatic Errors.
Tear drop SLQs, shooting star SLQ. Do they count?
That's what I tell myself when I look at my checking account balance.
Exactly! The fact that well-travelled coins cost less than boring 'saved' ones is an incredible and surprising bonus.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
I tend to pick up any unusual numismatic oddities... Often they're cheap and crude. I can't seem to not purchase stuff like this when I see it.
I have a few coins from my childhood -- mostly from pocket change. Athenian Tetradrachm and Rhodian eagle-head statrs from merchant receipts. These were commonplace in markets along the coastal provinces in Asia Minor where my Dad was the Administrator.
East German aluminum
Not trolling here...I buy if can get it for almost nothing