Should I collect Silver Roosevelts or Franklins?
isaiah58
Posts: 385 ✭✭✭
I looked at Mercury Dimes and decided the key dates would never be affordable to me.
I am ready to put a collection together and was leaning towards Franklins. It also looks like silver Roosevelts are also an affordable option. Any opinions towards which to start with would be appreciated.
I am fine going with AU or even middle MS state coins. Based on this, is there any benefit personally going raw or slabbed? I assume slabbed would only apply to MS state?
Thanks
Should I collect Silver Roosevelts or Franklins?
This is a public poll: others will see what you voted for.
1
Comments
Buy Better MS PCGS Franklins
You will have a better set in the long run.
And don't hurry to spend your money, take your time and be selective!
I would suggest Franklin half dollars.
You absolutely do not have to collect MS FBL (full bell line) coins, but instead could go after AU or lower MS grades, as you suggest. However, I would like to mention that in most cases there isn't all that much of a premium for a mid-grade MS Franklin half dollar (MS63-64) vs. an AU coin. If you want to place these in an album or Capital Plastics style holder then you may want to look at raw coins, as long as you can reproducibly pick out MS coins from a bunch of sliders. Otherwise, PCGS or NGC certified coins should provide security and great liquidity.
Take your time! These coins are cool and building the sets is cool, but they are also common. This means that you should be able to have some patience and pick out the better pieces for little, if any, premium. Have fun!
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Franklins. My first set was a Dansco album of Peace Dollars. Large silver coins, affordable, and it can be completed as quickly as your finances allow. It is a very satisfying set. I think Franklins would be very similar.
AU vs MS and slabbed vs raw depends on your budget, collecting goals, and time horizon.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
I tend to agree, especially on taking your ti e and being selective!
Isaiah58, how long have you been collecting?
I suggest collecting whichever you prefer and think would give you more enjoyment. That might sound obvious, but it’s all that really matters.
If you have adequate grading ability and/or deal with the right sellers, you shouldn’t need to buy graded examples.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Maybe acquire several of each and see what ends up catching your fancy more. For me, it was Roosies. Franklins just don't excite me much for reasons I can't really put my finger on. YMMV.
Eyesight can be a consideration. Halves are sure easier to examine!
bob
I chose Franklins on my last endeavor. Took me about a year and half to finish my set without breaking the bank. And I'm slowly upgrading every now and then when I find the right deal.
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc
I like Franklins, because they're bigger and more attractive, but that is my opinion. You should collect what you like.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Sage advise.
Probably Franklins. But if you like doubled dies and the like Roosevelts have quite a few of those.
Don't concern yourself with unaffordable key dates, etc. That doesn't matter. One year is the same as another more or less. Study, learn, and have fun.
If you like Mercury dimes......go for it! Beautiful coin. Forget about the keys! That comes later. Much, much later.
do the one you can grade the best, unless you don't care what they look like.
Definitely Franklins. They're big, so they have a nice heft, and are easier on the eyes as you age. Also a set is easy to complete with only 35 date/mm. This means you can take your time and find the right coin for you for each date/mm.
There's not much of a price difference between an AU coin and a midgrade MS63 coin, so I'd definitely go for the midgrade MS coins. They'll look nice in an album or a Capital plastic presentation. Obviously it's better not to get sliders, but given the price differential between high AU and midgrade MS, even if you buy one or two sliders I wouldn't worry about it if they are nice looking coins. I wouldn't worry about FBL either. On some there's little to no premium for FBL, while others PARTICULARLY the 1953-S have a large premium.
I would recommend that you buy Rick Tomaska's book: The Complete Guide to Franklin Half Dollars. I wouldn't bother with his recommendations for purchasing specific Franklins, but the book will give you a lot of info on the assorted Franklins. It was first printed in 1997, but the information as far as characteristics of the assorted date/mm's hold good.
Finally, on a purely personal note, IMO Franklin was a more interesting person than Roosevelt historically and personally.
U.S. Type Set
Is your mind set on a series set?
Consider a 1940s type set:
Bronze, steel, and shell case cents
Regular and war nickels
Mercury and Roosevelt dimes
Washington quarter
Walking and Franklin halves
Booker T Washington half
Could get them all in 64-66 for not much, add full strikes and seek a little subtle toning and the group would look more interesting and appealing than a date-mm run of the same design.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
I'm waiting for @DIMEMAN to chime in but he may not want the competition
I chose dimes for the simple fact I'm more familiar with them. I honestly wouldn't collect either choice as I tend to lean more to copper.
"A dog breaks your heart only one time and that is when they pass on". Unknown
Both are examples of the transition from gorgeous classic allegory to mundane dead guys.
But I'd say Franklins because they will still be big enough to see when age affects your vision.
Also you may want to ask which would be more fun to show off while you are not vision impaired.
Try putting together an album set of choice AU Franklins. Don't bother with slabbed coins, just look for nice, eye-appealing raw AU's. The set has enough dates and mint marks to be interesting but not so many that it will become cost prohibitive.
Franklins.
I agree with Mark.
Hey, we always want more Roosie collectors. I have lots of nice extras to sell.
My preference would be Franklins....a nice, large silver coin, available in MS grades at reasonable prices. I also would go the album route....makes a far more attractive display than slabs - and both sides can be viewed without handling. Cheers, RickO
I am turning 58 this year. I collected a bit in my late teens to early twenties. Nothing very organized, mostly whatever appealed to me. Mostly coins, a few silver bars back then as they were roughly $6 and looked cool.
The LCS I favored back then still exists. The owner's son is slowly taking over the business, which relies on bullion related businesses more and more. I trust them, Gaithersburg Coin Exchange (Maryland), 100%. I would have no problem purchasing raw coins from them if I choose that route. I plan to at minimum purchase a few raw so I can better understand the subtle differences of grades hands on. I have a handful of circulated Franklins I purchased based solely on bullion value. Only a couple of Rosies, which appear to be easier to find raw in AU or MS state than Franklins, at least at bullion value.
I am happiest as a collector when picking thru proof/mint sets and finding a unique coin with clean fields or interesting toning and saving it for a future collector.
Cameos have eluded me, but I just like the chase for perfection.
Franklin Halves are my fav of the post war series and have a good following. Big and bold with varieties and attractive toning available.
Don't discount the lowly dime. I bought an entire album of Roosie dimes thru 1965 for less than $4 per coin. Most are super attractively toned and I just sent my first in for grading. A couple of hidden varieties to boot.
There is a learning curve to every series when grading, but you get a nice appreciation for the entire post war run of coins.
Got a few toned Jeffs that just make me smile and I never cared for the series. Interesting Lincolns as well... all from hunting Franklin (and kennedy) Halves.
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I realize I already posted to this thread, but Mark (MFeld) gave fantastic advice and it should be taken to heart.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
I wouldn’t pick a late, second option if the only reason it’s in contention is that it’s also affordable. Are there other reasons you would consider dimes over halves?
Ultimately, do you want your collection in slabs or raw, say in an album or Capital Plastics case? This, along with your comfort in grading would go into which to get.
If you intend to put together a collection of ANYTHING, you first must have real interest, an appropriate budget, and staying power. Otherwise, you will walk away in short order.
Based on finances, it seems that you are considering Roosies or Franklins. However, you wrote that you like Mercury dimes more---so why not select a grade that you can afford, and do a set that is less ambitious? Like a late-date short set, or a set consisting of one coin per year?
If you stick with either Roosies or Franklins, first learn to grade the coins well (and you cannot do this by just looking at images). For AU-low-MS coins, I would not bother paying extra for slabbed coins. Almost all of the AU coins in these series will trade near melt, anyway.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
The reason I ask is that doing both could be a good opportunity to get into the finer points of grading- and not break the bank.
If you do a high-end AU set of Franklins, you can probably get most of them for a small premium over melt. This will also train your eye on the various AU grades, examining high points, etc. Maybe purchase a solid AU 58 Franklin, for reference sake and stick to that standard.
With the Roosevelts, you can get into the various MS grades and the differences between them. I think its a great way to get into the 64-68 grades and again, not break the bank. In collecting Roosevelts, I've learned a lot about how luster is a bigger factor in the 65 and higher grades, contact mark severity and location, strike, etc.
I think doing both are good ways to sharpen your grading skills on the cheap.
Whatever you decide to do, I would follow the advice of previous posts and collect what you like and be choosy, don't settle. There are tons of coins to choose from in both series, bright white headlights to heavily toned, good strikes, bad strikes and everything in between.
Have fun and post an update once you've started.
Great advice so far. I do know that it is much easier for me to see details on the larger coins. I find myself using magnification to read dates on shiny dimes, cents and nickels. I will most likely learn the most moving forward with Franklins. I am not looking for varieties or errors, though I will incorporate learning about them. This would be a hobby, versus my unemotional investment in bullion.
Go with the Franklins and you can get the Roosevelts along the way
Thanks everyone.
Franklins it will be. Just ordered:
Rick Tomaska
Guide Book of Franklin and Kennedy Half Dollars, 3rd Edition
I will ask my LCS to help me grade the couple of Franklins I already have and go from there.
At the AU level, both sets (Roosie through 1964) and Franklins can effectively be bought at melt prices. The 49-S in both sets is marginal for melt. EVen buying MS coins at melt is not hard, as a lot of sets are being turned in, and most are not worth grading. .
Id say do both. They both look great in albums if you want to do it raw and they are both relatively inexpensive coins if you go the slabbed route!
The next question will be for you is how do you want to collect the series, white or toned? Both series can tone very attractively.
I understand that I could potentially purchase a complete set, let's say around 64+, and potentially save something over individual prices. But I would learn nothing plus never have that personal relationship that putting a set together develops. Collecting, in my opinion, involves some emotional attachment. This is why I will attempt to purchase raw coins, in person.
I found an interesting thread on another forum from years ago. The majority of advice was to go with slabbed coins. I will see how successful I am purchasing raw at the 64+ level. Then if slabbed is worth investing in, work on a bulk submission of my own.
I hope to visit my LCS this week and ask to look at whatever collections they have. This will help me determine if I have any personal preference. Thanks for mentioning this.
I might also steer you over to the registry portion of the forum if you are even remotely considering Roosevelts. Lots of nice eye candy to look at and experts to help you.
Totally agree and you don't need a magnifier to look at your coin
Collecting Franklins also means examining and studying them closely. I do enjoy a larger coin. Peace Roy
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As they say... buy the book before the coin!
I would read some of the other numismatic library threads on this site and compile a list of books.
Scan ebay for some cheap copies of specialty books on Franklin Halves/Roosies when you feel the need to get deeper in the weeds.
When I wanted to know about moderns I spent several days going back years reading various posts by Wondercoin and CladKing.
Don't recall a resident Franklin specialist on the board, but when the daily threads bore me I search long departed (dead or banned) members like Russ or RogerB that have thousands of posts out there and yield alot of nuggets of wisdom.
When I find something quoted that is informative, I copy and paste to a google document. I am up to around 100 pages in total on various topics.
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I like the idea of collecting both. Variety is the spice of life.
It's also worth checking out this thread from yesterday discussing purchasing raw AU and MS Walking Liberty Halves:
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1033798/sad-state-of-affairs-in-raw-coinage#latest
@Zoins I did read that thread, it helped reinforce why I prefer to buy in person.
I picked Franklin's because they are bigger.
Roosevelts to be a contrarian.
Clad ones to be even more of a contrarian.
You had me............ and then you lost me!
You shouldn't put your finger on any coin.... it will leave a print
HAPPY COLLECTING
I'm inferring from the OP's desire to get AU to low-MS coins and ruling out Mercury dimes that budget is a consideration and assembling a set of monster coins is not his goal, rather simply enjoying putting together a set is.
I have sets of both, and can only recommend what you're more drawn to. Either way, spend some time figuring out what the nicest coins that fit your budget look like, and don't jump on the first thing to fill the empty hole in our album.
If you're looking to fill a Dansco album, consider that in addition to albums specifically for Roosevelts and Franklins, you can get blank albums for just dimes or halves. My raw Roosevelt collection goes from 1946-79 and shares an unlabeled album with Mercury dimes, which isn't complete. If I were to use only silver dimes, I would probably be able to have an (incomplete) album 1892-1964 spanning 3 types. (I just realized that Roosevelt dimes have been made for longer than Barbers, Mercs, and silver Roosevelts combined.)
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
They will never be popular but the dimes can be fun to collect.
The one case of trying to sell resulted in barely breaking after grading fees on a proof DDO that had some ugly toning. About one fifth of PCGS guide price...
A learning experience and would have been better sold raw.
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