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If you had one series to collect....
1040taxman
Posts: 153 ✭✭✭
Good morning:If you had just one series to collect (cent,nickel,dime,etc.) what would it be and why.I find it interesting to know what your reasons are.Thanks,TOM
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">Franklin Halves
">Kennedy Halves
If I had to choose a different series, it would probably be Large Cents. Collected Half Cents for a long while and always likes Large Cents. The Robinson Brown feat of completing the variety run twice is as encouraging as Jack Lee's Morgan sets.
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There is a nice 93-S (25) that I hope lasts until after New Years and if I can sweet talk Mrs. curly enough, ...who knows.
Just like what I collect now.
"Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."
~Wayne
Bruce Scher
ps..and old,low mintages,and for the most part inexpensive in fairly high grade
Seriously, I elected to devote my collecting time and resources exclusively to the half dimes, of all series, perhaps 25 years ago, and have stuck with them ever since. I sort of backed into the half dimes, after previously completing a set of five cent nickels; it was a natural progression.
The half dimes certainly offer a challenge, yet they are typically easier than other denominations of the same design. In addition, once you have completed a date/mint set, you can enter the wonderful world of 'die marriage' collecting and continue with the series you enjoy. This expands the Capped Bust half dimes, for instance, from just nine different dates to fully 91 die marriages - a real challenge.
And if that is not challenge enough, the early half dimes (Flowing Hair and Draped Bust) offer 32 different die marriages, and these include both the 1792 half disme and the 1802, for those who enjoy a real challenge.
Trade Dollars.
I was in a local shop the other day. They have three empty old Whitman Trade Dollar folders. The owner and I talked over what it would cost to populate one of those, at decent circ. grades: $5K. <sigh>!!
The serious collector base is strong and well educated in the series, and the new collector interest the past few years is promising. The Busties have real character with die cracks, die breaks, die clashes, lots of overdates, many mint errors, etc.
I only started collecting Classic Commems because I was not finding Busties that I liked, and could buy for the right price. Recently, I started paying up so I bought a few Halves.
David
a historical fantastic series with many classic stand alone coins that are rarer and yet way less expensive than so called current million dollar restruck novadel unofficially midnight minter made at the federal mint in philly san fran and denver federal mints
beautiful coins with many die varieties proof only restrikes and original coins and coins as far back as the 1830's in proof with cameo contrast!!
color designations and wildly colored coinage from brown rb even red coins and also many rb and bn wildly colored coins
from proofs with cameo to deep mirrors to no mirrors to sharp strongly struck coins to weakly struck proofs to many highly questionable proofs
and a great history lesson as there are many eras from the middle 1830's classic head proofs that are basically diplomatic presentation proofs to the proof only dates of the 1840's where no half cents circulated just proofs struck for collectors and dignatories to the later proofs of the 1850's and some of these 1850's proofs have as deep mirrors and crisp strong strikes as many modern copper proof coins
and the 1856 kind of a neat date for the proof half cents as it is a transitional year as you can have a pattern proof 56 flyer which costs around 20kfor a nice close to gem proof coin and available by the ton and yet have a proof half cent close to gem with better eye appeal and mirrors that is an official fereral mint issue coin at less than half of the price of the 56 flyer and yet lots more unavailable than the 56 flyer in proof
and both coins side by side both copper coins of the same date and proof yet totally fifferent designs and sizes cool
or better yet just to have one cameo classic head half cent in proof the magical 1834 king of siam proof set date a true dimpomatic presentation issue proof year half cent would be wild and extremely historical and downright scarce!!
the 1834 proof half cent almost as rare as an 1804 dollar at a lot less money and more important to boot abet not as glamourized in print and the 1834 proof half cent actually minted the year it is dated and for the prestige of the new up and coming powerful nation to show the rest of the world our new trade and growth as representated by our coinage
and the classic head is such a beautiful classic design
so for a proof half cent collector one from the 1830's of the diplomatic era one proof half cent from the proof only years of the 1840's and one from the later 1850's wirh deep mirrors and a good look
or even just one proof half cent for type a collection in and of itself
so many considerations for many tastes and budgets
but the ultimate proof half cent is would be a gem cameo 1834 diplomatic presentation proof half cent
Hhhmmm, let me see...Well, I'll have to think about that for a while...NOT!!
Lincolns, baby!! All day everyday!!!
Jack
Edited to mention that the 06-O & 09-O quarters below in my Signiture Line are needed as they are both in my set but are in ANACS "MS details Net AU 50" holders and I'd like to have the entire set in PCGS holders.
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Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
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They have tremendous historical significance, they come in a wide variety of sizes, metallic compositions, design motiffs, and make a great looking set. Many are genuinely exceedingly rare compared to what are typically considered rare federal issues, yet they are often far more affordable - so I believe there is value there.
Thats a compelling story, IMO.
<< <i>Conder tokens just like I'm doing now. But I would expand my collecting target to include all of the English tokens including the edge varieties. That would account for over 3000 varieties. That should keep me going a long time. >>
I was thinking about Civil War Tokens! (over 11,000 varieties)
<< <i>I was thinking about Civil War Tokens! (over 11,000 varieties) >>
A very good choice. They were my second choice, but I tend to prefer the patriotics and I am not as interested in newer coins as much as I am the late 18th early 19th century issues.
Standing Liberty Quarters
years now. If I had to stick with a single series, though, I'd pick this one anyway be-
cause it's got almost everything from circulation to unobtainable rarities. It's a hugely
underresearched area so there are always possibilities of new discoveries and new
ways to collect them. There are more varieties than with the other moderns with the
possible exception of Lincolns or Kennedys. It's a pretty large set even if you don't
include the states issues but it is still small enough to be manageable.
You can collect the Classic series 1909 to 1933, the Wheat set 1909 to 1958, the Memorials 1959 to present, or the whole thing.
There's different styles of "proofs"; Matte 1909 to 1916, 1936 to 1942, 1950 to 1955, 1956 to 1964, the SMS's, and 1968 to present.
Lincoln cents were made with different metals depending on the times.
There's plenty of die varieties and errors, many cherrypickable for profit, and many yet to be discovered.
There's an entry point for every budget.
You can buy a few rolls and look through them with your kids; or have your kids go through the "goodie box" at the local coin store.
Develop a good eye, and they're better than the stock market!
They'll always be the second or third most popular coin series; the reasons are locked in American history.
Other Lincoln collectors are usually blocks, not miles, away. And it seems most hobbiests collected Lincolns at one time.
The knowledge, experience, and enjoyment you can gain as a collector is nearly limitless.
PC
Lane
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
I still go to banks and buy a $50 bag of pennies, go through them and then return them to a different bank.
(Just think of city streets clogged with a hundred thousand horses each generating 15 lbs of manure every day...)