Raw coins at shows
CopperLad
Posts: 55 ✭✭
The only coin show I attend is in Fargo ND. I enjoy sitting at Tom Reynolds’ tables staring at raw 1/2 cents and large cents. I buy coins from him both to learn and I have confidence that he can spot fakes. Are there many other sellers at coin shows that have that many raw coins for sale? It would be fun to see rows of raw Capped Bust Halfs sold by an expert who can spot fakes.
Thank you.
3
Comments
Welcome to the forums!
Welcome @CopperLad. For the most part, outside of the Early American Copper, World Coin and Ancient Coin sections you will not see a lot of high dollar coins raw. This is not necessarily an authenticity issue, it is just what consumers tend to demand. Many ancient collectors and EAC collectors want their coins raw so that is what you will see. I know Chris McCawley often has a great display of raw as does Tony Terranova. You will likely not see large groups of Bust material any nicer than VF raw.
90% of my coin purchases are raw coins.
I strike out on a few, but a greater percentage are wins and sometimes big wins, that after a year's tally, I'm always ahead.
I'll rethink my buying strategy if and when I have a bad year.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
Thank you for the welcome.
For me raw is the most fun to view. If everyone was careful not to scratch their slabs it would help me a lot.
My YouTube Channel
Yes, some local club level coin shows in my area seem to have many. Mostly fine to xf in grade. Cleaned and problem Morgans are plenty.
I know just enough about Morgans to stay out of trouble and tend to stick to and enjoy Proof Sets.
I am taking the ANA grading class to help further my skills, and hope to take the counterfeit detection class.
Few will counterfeit a common Buff or IHC.
It is a big mine field when it comes to fakes and altered/problem Morgan, Bust Half, Trade Dollars etc...
Knowledge is power and taking the mentor/dealer/expert approach is a big step in the right direction.
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
First of all, I can’t believe I misspelled halves.
As to fakes, I think faking $20-$100 retail coins would be a great way to make money. Knock them out in your garage, leave them in the weather, let the kids play with them and sell.
Welcome.
Welcome aboard!
I like copper in all forms:
welcome to the forums as well. I like the half cents as well and am sure if you stick with the dealer learning youll do well
@CopperLad
Welcome to the forums!
Beautiful oldies. I like to look at the wear and wonder where they have been.
It makes me impatient for my next coin show.
I have newer ones in various states as well:
The breaks around the stars on the 1818 are beautiful. I have a few of those as well. So well preserved. Randall Hoard perhaps?
Welcome, CopperLad. I'm a longtime customer of Tom's - he is a good resource.
@Walkerguy21D - yummy coins you have there!
I knew it would happen.
Since Tom attributes all of his coppers for sale I decided to buy a few books and try it myself. I don’t have much luck on worn 1851s.
At least with 1/2 cents I have a chance.
Tom Reynolds is top notch, definitely a cut above. Generally I avoid shows, too many problem coins.
Tom is the man in early copper.
I personally buy raw coins at shows ... have really been stung only once (I missed a rim ding that I should have noticed).
Dave
Attribution is a tricky game. I don’t bother even trying on the post-1839 dated coins. Hats off to guys like Bob Grellman who can do this consistently even in their sleep.
A couple of Reynolds examples:
I just smile looking at those coins. Such a cool way to buy.
Doug Bird,, who is an EAC dealer, has a lot of raw material as does Victor-McCally. I have noted at the shows that Victor-McCally does seem to be stoking more certified material, however.
The trouble with buying raw coins in areas other than early copper, ancients, medieval and other foreign coins is that many of the raw pieces have something wrong with them. I am surprised that @DoubleEagle59 is able to find that much material. When I was dealer more than a decade ago, I'd buy raw coins that were okay whenever I could get them because there was money to be made in getting them certified. The trouble was there were just not that many problem-free pieces available for sale.
Bill, I should state one important fact with my purchases.
I'm in Canada, and I buy mainly raw Canadian coins.
My secret is I know how ICCS (our only professional grading service) grades and I apply this knowledge to buying raw Canadian coins and getting excellent upgrade results from ICCS.
There are limited opportunities buying US graded Canadian coins, but sometimes they are there.
Recently I purchased an NGC Victorian quarter graded xf45, that needed a quick dip and ICCS graded it ms63. Don't think ICCS goofed. Quite the contrary. NGC goofed because the so called 'xf45' was dark and had absolutely zero wear and I knew with a dip and a little bit of good fortune, there would be some underlying luster.....and there was. The ms63 grade was the correct grade. $100 purchase turned into a $1400 sale.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
The only coins I will buy raw are old copper because I have had good luck (thus far) in identifying problem free examples. I made one Indian Eagle purchase raw and it came back cleaned. The dealer did right by me with a refund but I decided to stick to graded only for gold and non-gold key coins.
Welcome to the forums! Raw coins are a blast, especially if you are working on the 7070 type album. I recently bought a Littleton coin album for the odd denominations (2 cent, 3 cent and 20 cent), so I look for nice raw examples of those types. The non-collectors get a kick out of those coins, quite a few didn't know we issued coins like that.
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
My registry sets