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Name a Coin that doesn't get enough love
braddick
Posts: 23,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
For me it is the small date 1970-S business strike cent. A scarce variety that is often overlooked yet I think shouldn't be.
What is a coin you think is overlooked and underrated?
peacockcoins
13
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Doubled die Washington quarters, especially the 1942-D (obverse). It has a very wide spread, but the letters are thick (and both impressions are at about the same depth) so it doesn't jump out at you (at first).
^
I admitedly didn't even know that variety existed.
peacockcoins
Territorial gold $10s and 20s.
I know these coins aren't cheap but find it a lot more interesting than Liberty Head 10s or 20s.
California Fractional Gold coins get even less love.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
Voltaire: Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero.
The 1982 NO P dime absolutely gets no love.
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Agree. Also, the 1943/2 war nickel.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
Voltaire: Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero.
The No 'P' Washington quarter gets no attention or love either.
Remember when they were first discovered? There would be full page ads
in Coin World marketing these as investments.
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@braddick The difference between the 82 no P and the no P quarter is that the dime is the only US coin struck for circulation that had the mintmark omitted from the die. The quarter is just overpolished.
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Well maybe a little love because I love them.
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I'd say as a series, the 3 cent nickels don't get much attention.
I love half cents, so I am biased. But, I think as a group the whole denomination is under rated and doesn't get the love it should.
I am a newer collector (started April 2020), and I primarily focus on U.S. Half Cents and Type Coins. Early copper is my favorite.
It's a large specialty with a widely differing preference between the individual coins and the small size explains much of it. My internet search claims about 590 varieties in the BG reference guide while the front page of my Heritage search identifies one coin as BG-1072. I don't own this guide or know how distinctive these are vs. another series, but it's not a small number.
With that being said - the 2 cent coppers don't get mentioned very much either.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
It's due to the coin attributes. 3CN is a small base metal coin with a design most collectors don't find particularly appealing. A few legitimately scarce dates (1884 and 1885 to my recollection) but these coins are nowhere near cheap, just cheaper than practically all other (roughly) comparably scarce US federal coinage.
That's what explains most of it for the vast majority of examples anyone is going to give. In the example I gave (Territorial $10s and $20s), it's not a federal coin. If these were included in type sets like the 1879 stella (which is actually a pattern), it would be a lot more expensive.
It's a die variety and a common one. I'd rate it as one of the most overpriced coins in the world for its availability and relative collectible attributes. It's similar to the most widely collected common 20th century key dates which is my explanation for its current perception.
1846 small date half eagle.
1921-P Morgans
Two Cent Piece. I love the design.
Three Cent Silvers.
Also 1881-S Morgans. More common than dirt!
Sorry, but those coins are way too expensive. I saw a couple of them when I was dealer that I really liked, but my financial comments were different in those days. When I had the funds, after I retired, I considered buying a $50 gold slug, which I know you didn't mention. The grading really put me off. I guess major rim bumps and nicks are not problem.
After getting a lecture from dealer about how I couldn't afford one, I gave up on the idea. I had no idea that I looked so poor when I go to the major shows. I did not have the heart to tell her after her speech, that I had a 1796 and an 1808 quarter eagle in my collection.
Dealers should learn that you can't judge a book by its cover. When I was dealer, I had collector ask me about an early dollar. I had my doubts, but when he pulled out a stack $100s that could choke a horse, I was glad that I had learned my lesson about books and horses.
$10s and $20s are a lot cheaper (though also more common) than the $50 slug. I agree the latter coin is not "overlooked".
Here is a recent sale of an example which I consider a quality coin for a decent price, relative to what else can be bought from US coinage for the same money.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/territorial-gold/1853-20-assay-office-twenty-dollar-900-thous-au55-pcgs-k-18-r2-pcgs-10013-/a/1359-5552.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515
The 1979 P Susan B. Anthony dollar wide rim beats all of them.
Jefferson nickel, with enough time, patience and a little luck you can still find every date in circulation.
The design changes to the 1921 Morgans make it less desirable. I personally have never liked them. I like Morgan dollars thou.
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This
Liberty quarter eagles from the 1840’s
Latin American Collection
The Cheerios Sacagawea dollar.
And I bet we're all doubling checking our albums, right about now. I just did! 😉
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
It's far scarcer than the '16-D dime.
And I don't think of it so much as a "die" variety as an "unintentional type coin". It is the only post-'79 dime without a mint mark.
There are lots of interesting trade dollar varieties. But without geeking out too much, there are two that should be popular but I don't see discussed that much.
The 76-S DDO is probably not very popular/widely discussed because there are so few known it's not really collectible, just a holy grail type of coin.
However, the 76-CC DDR is only somewhat scarce and has a huge doubled die that is easily visible to the naked eye. I don't see it mentioned very often but it seems to hit a lot of checkpoints that should make it popular.
(Not my coin, just a TV and info from Coinfacts)
Chopmarked Trade Dollar Registry Set --- US & World Gold Showcase --- World Chopmark Showcase
Or quickly checking eBay to potentially cherry-pick!
peacockcoins
EmeraldATV’s coins.
Type collector, mainly into Seated. Young Numismatist. Good BST transactions with: mirabela, OKCC, MICHAELDIXON
I think these guys are in the top ten of "redheaded step children" of coins that need some love. The history alone seems to be overlooked, which warrants more love! 🇺🇸
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
They don't, and they're so interesting. The die cracks ,worn die strikes and later soft strikes illustrate the learning curve at the mint regarding the cupronickel alloy, and hint at the attempts to resolve one of the hardness issues by playing with die spacing, a technique that would be tried later at the new Orleans mint with Morgan dollars.
Edit for misspelling.
I doubt it, but even if so, you're making an irrelevant comparison. Typical of those you make regularly. Comparing a die variety (82-P NM dime) to a generic date/MM combination. It's not even close to scarce. It's an R-1 with 1250+ MS just in the current TPG data, by a multiple. Anyone can buy this coin in better MS in multiple any day of the week.
It's also from the pre-1999 (SQ) series which almost certainly ranks dead last in collector preference, as evidenced by the Heritage data.
How many collectors really care about that, other than you? Why would type set collectors want to pay the current price to buy a duplicate type of a coin they can buy as a "BU' for 50c or less?
That, and the tens of millions minted that made them so common they were basically bullion for a long time. They're starting to gain some respect now, due to passing of their hundredth anniversary and the rising price of silver since the early 2000s, but it's a gradual gain. They were an interesting addendum to the series, not as interesting as the aborted 64d peace dollar, but interesting nonetheless.
So why do you think people collect coins?
That question could be the topic of a very long thread.
A thread could go on forever and ever because we are each unique.
But the short answer is that every coin is unique as well. If every coins were a '16-D dime nobody would collect. But they're all different with different amounts of wear and of different origins and types, different compositions, mints, ages, and desirability.
If you want to have the last US dime made by a die with no mint mark it will be an '82-NMM. If you don't want one you can acquire a '16-D or anything else you desire.
I'd say the 1970-s doubled die cent is inexplicably not given enough prestige amongst variety collectors. It is nearly as strong as the 1969-s ddo, and probably just as rare. But there is a cool story about the 1969 issue from San Francisco which involves confiscation by the secret service, and it is many times the price of the 1970.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Middle Date Large Cents... 1816 to 1839
The earlier Draped Bust series gets the most love. Ms. Liberty depicted with long flowing hair and a carefree whimsical look... the Middle Dates depict Ms. Liberty as the matured aunt that pinches your cheeks and tells you how much you've grown since the last time she saw you...
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Amen.
Gold dollars seem under appreciated.
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1960 small date Lincoln Cent
I think the proof 1960 Small date over large date Lincoln cent falls into this category.