Give me ideas on a U.S series to start for my father and I!

coinguy89 · March 22, 2005 6:12AM

This is mainly for my father and I. We will put in about $50 to $100 a month to buy one coin towards acquiring the whole collection. Working with the more common pieces up to the more expensive pieces as time progresses. He thought of this last night and I thought it would be a really neat idea. He also said that once it's complete we'll set them all up to be framed, and he'll give it to me.

We're trying to decide which series to get into. We're also going to need a book on that subject so we can become masters at it and know all we want to know. This should be really fun and exciting. We hope to get started with our first purchase in April. It's going to be a blast. Thanks a head of time for your suggestions.

Edited to add: It doesn't have to be a U.S series so to say. Just something with some collectablity and something that can be fully completed.

Purple73 · March 22, 2005 6:16AM

I'm doing this very thing with my dad. We are doing Walker Halves.

coinguy89 · March 22, 2005 6:21AM

<< I'm doing this very thing with my dad. We are doing Walker Halves. >>

What conditions are you guys talking? Certified? Toners? What?

xbob · March 22, 2005 6:24AM

You might want to look through your Red Book with your Dad to see if anything "speaks to you". Maybe you will share an appreciation for a particular coin design or series to collect. Another idea - you could do year sets based on significant years in your family history.

I think it's great what you are doing but it's hard tell you what you should collect.

Based on your monthly expenditure though, you should do Washington Quarters! Just kidding (although it is a nice choice), pick something you both like and have fun. Post what you decide to do and best of luck with it!

Purple73 · March 22, 2005 6:25AM

Were doing a Raw set in a Dansco album. Nothing Monsterous like MS 66's or nothing. Just a nice EF-AU set. Something we both can chip in on.

coachleonard · March 22, 2005 6:28AM

how about every one-cent type coin from the liberty cap (1793-96) type through the Lincoln Cent? The early large cents are really going
up in price, but a worn but very identifiable liberty cap is still do-able for around $100. After the Liberty Cap series, you can get very decent to super nice examples of major large cent and small cent types for the $50-$100 range. Sadly, for the $50-$100 price range, that eliminates the two 1793 cent types.

michael · March 22, 2005 6:30AM

a type set of business strike civil war coinage 1861-1865

this would be fantastic and really historical and definately within your parameters of cost and a great vlaue opportunity set!!

you would most likely be able to get most all coins from silver dollars down to indian head cents

you could also expand to include all the civil war dates of lets say indian head cents 1861-1865 copper nickel and bronze indian head cents

Russ · March 22, 2005 6:34AM

Anything but early date proof and SMS Kennedys. They blow.

Russ, NCNE

ER · March 22, 2005 6:35AM

<< Anything but early date proof and SMS Kennedys. They blow.

Russ, NCNE >>

I disagree.

coinguy89 · March 22, 2005 6:38AM

<< a type set of business strike civil war coinage 1861-1865

this would be fantastic and really historical and definately within your parameters of cost and a great vlaue opportunity set!!

you would most likely be able to get most all coins from silver dollars down to indian head cents

you could also expand to include all the civil war dates of lets say indian head cents 1861-1865 copper nickel and bronze indian head cents >>

That sounds incredibly appealing. We both love the Civil War and as you all know i'm into cwt's. Is it within our limits to start with? I haven't looked at a price guide in months.

tjkillian · March 22, 2005 6:38AM

Proof Bust dollars by die state would be cool. There are not a whole lot of them for the series. They are large so you can see them. A complete set of them by die state would look really cool in a frame. After you complete that set, you can set you goals to a complete mint state set of Bust Dollars. Cardinal has a good start on his set, but he is missing that last year of issue. That one is slightly tougher than the others, so I would do that one last.

Tom

mhammerman · March 22, 2005 6:42AM

Trade dollars, they are a short set and there is a nice variety to choose from. You can get chops and different variations and they have considerable history.

Russ · March 22, 2005 6:43AM

ER,

You're only disagreeing to encourage more competition against me. That's mean!

Russ, NCNE

Prethen · March 22, 2005 6:48AM

A series that too many people hate...3-cent nickels (1865-1889). Since they're largely out of the public limelight, they're relatively cheap and, I think, a cool series with some interesting history.

coinbuf · March 22, 2005 6:55AM

A fun and short series is 2 1/2 gold indians. The only stopper is the 11-D, I have that set in a capital plastics holder. Those gold coins on the black background are really cool looking.

Chris

carl · March 22, 2005 6:55AM

If your looking for stuff to do together then try collecting things like Lincoln Cents, Jefferson Nickels, Roosevelt Dimes and things like that. You two could go to a bank together and buy a bag of pennies for example and spend many days or nights looking through them together. Get a book like Looking Through Lincoln Cents and not only look to complete a book but start a side collection of error coins. This would mean you two could do the same with any of the common modern coins together lots of the time and not just when there is a coin show or a trip to a dealer. Also, modern coins are a lot more available at coin shows, dealers, flea markets, garage and yard sales therefore making it more of a thing to do together. Sure is nice of you two to want to spen time together doing things. Wish my did was still alive so I could do things like that.

prooflike · March 22, 2005 6:57AM

how about silver washington quarters or modern .50 commemmoratives

markglicker · March 22, 2005 7:00AM

I would recommend Washington Quarters 1932-64. You can aquire some very nice specimens in the $50-100 range. Even the key dates are withen reach, in high AU grades.

ChangeInHistory · March 22, 2005 7:28AM

If you're staying with the EF-AU range, I agree that Washington Quarters would be a great set. They've really grown on me. I have a raw MS-64-67 set complete from 1940-1967 (yes I'm trying for 1932 to current and some of the clad dates are surprisingly tough!) I'll settle for nice AU-55-58's for the key dates.

Barber halves in G-VG is an acheivable set. Staying with nice full rims can make it interesting.

Large Cents without all the varieties can be a nice challenge in Fine and better. Stay with nice planchets. Very underrated.

I like xBobs suggestion that you both sit down with the Redbook and agree on what is acheivable and what is not.

Whatever series you decide on, try and buy the key dates 1st. Yes I wish I took that advice when I started my Washington set!

bgrice · March 22, 2005 7:37AM

<< A fun and short series is 2 1/2 gold indians. The only stopper is the 11-D, I have that set in a capital plastics holder. Those gold coins on the black background are really cool looking.

Chris >>

Not enough coins(15) to make it worth it for a long term project in my view.

paigowjohnny · March 22, 2005 7:45AM

<< Anything but early date proof and SMS Kennedys. They blow. >>

Amen !!

Rollerman · March 22, 2005 7:53AM

If you like them, a year set (one coin for each year minted) of Morgan dollars in AU to MS63 is a fun set. I have one in Raw and one is certified, but the 1893, 1894 and 1895 dates are expensive and missing from my certified set. I had so much fun with it, that I continued through the Peace and Ike dollars stopping with the big coins in my raw set.
If any of the mints have significance to you, collecting all the Morgans made at say, the New Orleans mint could be fun.
Another set that looks nice and is easy to complete is the American Silver Eagles. It can get a little pricy if you get all the proofs too, but impressive to look at.
As someone else wrote, thumb thru a Redbook with your Dad and see if anything jumps out at you. If you find something, write back and ask what problems you might run into with your choice.
It's all good!!

Pete

mirabela · March 23, 2005 5:20AM

I like the civil war type set idea. You could do that, or pick a (cheaper) year to do an entire type set, $.01 to $20. There are definitely some years in late 19th & early 20th century where an XF-AU type set won't be prohibitive. Further, you could branch out within that, to include pieces from each of the mints operating at the time.

MadMonk · March 23, 2005 5:21AM

TYPE SET!

GoYankees · March 23, 2005 6:47AM

I've always liked Mercury Dimes.
The only expensive key date at any grade is the 1916-D.
The 1921s are affordable at the lower circulated grades.
Start off with the 1940s mercs. Use pop reports to determine the highest affordable grade you can afford for each date/MM.
For example, a '44-D is common in 66FB but a '45 is rare in FB at any grade.

Franklin Halves are nice too, because they are a short set with affordable coins in good grades.

Just my two cents.

vega1 · March 23, 2005 8:06AM

MadMonk beat me to it.... type set, they rock!

goose3 · March 23, 2005 8:16AM

Do a set of Monitor Tokens in XF!!!

Nickelback · March 23, 2005 1:47PM

Well, I'm biased but Jeffs are the way to go. My other recommendation is the Civil War era type set. Actually, if your Pa is interested in Civil War history a token collection might be in order...good luck!

1907Quarter · March 23, 2005 10:49PM

U.S. Philippines Type Set! The Redbook can give you an idea and there is a relatively new registry on both NGC and PCGS if you collect by slab. Fabulous design(see my signature), the coins are now becoming in vogue and lots of variety. Speak to tonelover if you're interested!

Coppernicus · March 23, 2005 10:53PM

Get a Dansco US Type album (#7070) and try to complete it in VF or better. Fun and for most of the coins, not too expensive.

Mike

Give me ideas on a U.S series to start for my father and I!

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