Collectors of classic commems- any advice for me? (Update: I have Dansco #7094 answers now, if anyon
lordmarcovan
Posts: 43,895 ✭✭✭✭✭
Though this week brings my thirtieth anniversary in numismatics, and I would consider myself a knowledgeable numismatist, I find there are many gaps in that knowledge. Who among us doesn't find those from time to time?
One of those gaps is with US classic commemoratives. As a small dealer, I've bought and sold maybe a dozen pieces over the years: Stone Mountains, Pilgrims, a San Diego, maybe the odd Washington/Carver or B.T.W., and of course many Columbian Expo halves. However, I have zero collector experience in these and thought it might be fun to play with, both as an education and as a fun project, since my collecting has mostly fallen by the wayside, with the exception of holed coins for my Holey Coin Vest and a 1901 Victorian British Empire type set I am assembling for my daughter. So as a collector, I have a Darkside project (the Victorian set) and an oddball project (the holeys), but currently no US coin project.
I thought I would attempt to build a type set of the classic commemorative halves, in AU, in a Dansco album. For this I would buy not only raw coins but probably crack out some slabbed ones, as well. The goal would be an all-AU set with the tougher pieces grading AU50 to 53 if necessary but with an aim of getting a well matched set with as many as close to AU58 as possible. Even though I can afford many issues in Mint State, I don't think I want a part-AU and part-MS set- I want a matched set, with all AU coins.
Some questions:
- Building a raw AU set: how hard would an all-AU set be? I mean, I know that it would still require some financial challenge- a lot of these coins are expensive even in AU. But I'm talking about finding the coins- are there some issues that are more difficult to find in AU than they are in Mint State?
- The Dansco type set album for these: will I need the Isabella quarter and Lafayette dollar, or just the halves? What about the varieties like Grant with star and Alabama 2x2 and so on- are those considered separate types or just varieties? I count 48 basic types of halves, I believe (with Arkansas and Arkansas/Robinson as distinct types). Does the Dansco use alphabetical order, like PCGS and Coinfacts.com, or chronological, like the Redbook does? (I kind of prefer the alphabetical, but that's not a big issue). I am not interested in having a full set with all the varieties; just a basic type set. (Edit: I have it now. See below if you wanted to know the album inclusions yourself.)
- Toning: toning or the lack thereof is another factor I will have to consider in building a well-matched set. I am not a fan of heavily toned, mottled, or unevenly-toned coins. I do like subtle toning, pastel colors, and like most collectors, I love target toning. I am not a big fan of tab toning, however, and I know this sort of toning is primarily encountered on commemorative halves. I like white coins just fine and have nothing against dipped pieces if they're lustrous and not dull and overdipped. Because I will be collecting a raw set in a Dansco, gently-cleaned coins will suit me fine and might provide me an opportunity to save a little on some of the tougher pieces. I guess I haven't really formed a real question here, but if you have anything to tell me about toning, what to watch out for, and whether or not I am an idiot for my lenient stance on dipped pieces, let fly.
- Budget, and what to buy first: if all goes well (and something else doesn't arise to sap my current funding), I might be able to make a one-time initial investment of about $1,500 to $1,800 on this set. This means I might potentially be able to get one of the keys up front, say a Hawaiian or an Old Spanish Trail. Should I do this? After the initial investment, I won't be likely to have such large chunks to spend at a time. I shouldn't have any trouble adding the more common issues at a rate of one or two a month, but the $400-500+ pieces will give me pause and require some saving and/or selling off of other assets. On a budget of $100-200 a month, am I likely to run out of steam once I've bought all the cheaper pieces? I guess a lot of that depends on my own attitude toward the set and how hard I am willing to work on it, though, huh?
- Reference material: aside from the Redbook and Krause catalog and the Breen Encylopedia and Coinfacts.com, I have no other reference material. Is this enough, or are there any "must have" books you can think of?
Thanks. Any guiding hand you can give me in my "baby steps" as a commem collector would be appreciated.
One of those gaps is with US classic commemoratives. As a small dealer, I've bought and sold maybe a dozen pieces over the years: Stone Mountains, Pilgrims, a San Diego, maybe the odd Washington/Carver or B.T.W., and of course many Columbian Expo halves. However, I have zero collector experience in these and thought it might be fun to play with, both as an education and as a fun project, since my collecting has mostly fallen by the wayside, with the exception of holed coins for my Holey Coin Vest and a 1901 Victorian British Empire type set I am assembling for my daughter. So as a collector, I have a Darkside project (the Victorian set) and an oddball project (the holeys), but currently no US coin project.
I thought I would attempt to build a type set of the classic commemorative halves, in AU, in a Dansco album. For this I would buy not only raw coins but probably crack out some slabbed ones, as well. The goal would be an all-AU set with the tougher pieces grading AU50 to 53 if necessary but with an aim of getting a well matched set with as many as close to AU58 as possible. Even though I can afford many issues in Mint State, I don't think I want a part-AU and part-MS set- I want a matched set, with all AU coins.
Some questions:
- Building a raw AU set: how hard would an all-AU set be? I mean, I know that it would still require some financial challenge- a lot of these coins are expensive even in AU. But I'm talking about finding the coins- are there some issues that are more difficult to find in AU than they are in Mint State?
- The Dansco type set album for these: will I need the Isabella quarter and Lafayette dollar, or just the halves? What about the varieties like Grant with star and Alabama 2x2 and so on- are those considered separate types or just varieties? I count 48 basic types of halves, I believe (with Arkansas and Arkansas/Robinson as distinct types). Does the Dansco use alphabetical order, like PCGS and Coinfacts.com, or chronological, like the Redbook does? (I kind of prefer the alphabetical, but that's not a big issue). I am not interested in having a full set with all the varieties; just a basic type set. (Edit: I have it now. See below if you wanted to know the album inclusions yourself.)
- Toning: toning or the lack thereof is another factor I will have to consider in building a well-matched set. I am not a fan of heavily toned, mottled, or unevenly-toned coins. I do like subtle toning, pastel colors, and like most collectors, I love target toning. I am not a big fan of tab toning, however, and I know this sort of toning is primarily encountered on commemorative halves. I like white coins just fine and have nothing against dipped pieces if they're lustrous and not dull and overdipped. Because I will be collecting a raw set in a Dansco, gently-cleaned coins will suit me fine and might provide me an opportunity to save a little on some of the tougher pieces. I guess I haven't really formed a real question here, but if you have anything to tell me about toning, what to watch out for, and whether or not I am an idiot for my lenient stance on dipped pieces, let fly.
- Budget, and what to buy first: if all goes well (and something else doesn't arise to sap my current funding), I might be able to make a one-time initial investment of about $1,500 to $1,800 on this set. This means I might potentially be able to get one of the keys up front, say a Hawaiian or an Old Spanish Trail. Should I do this? After the initial investment, I won't be likely to have such large chunks to spend at a time. I shouldn't have any trouble adding the more common issues at a rate of one or two a month, but the $400-500+ pieces will give me pause and require some saving and/or selling off of other assets. On a budget of $100-200 a month, am I likely to run out of steam once I've bought all the cheaper pieces? I guess a lot of that depends on my own attitude toward the set and how hard I am willing to work on it, though, huh?
- Reference material: aside from the Redbook and Krause catalog and the Breen Encylopedia and Coinfacts.com, I have no other reference material. Is this enough, or are there any "must have" books you can think of?
Thanks. Any guiding hand you can give me in my "baby steps" as a commem collector would be appreciated.
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(Edit: I bid, over on Heritage, and was outbid. No Hawaiian for me, yet.)
I suppose I will have to expand beyond eBay as my primary shopping site for coins, and use Heritage and other such places. Are there any particular dealers/venues you recommend for finding AU classic commems?
There is so much history behind commems. It can keep a person busy just reading.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>Be careful. Quite a few classic commems have been counterfeited. Sometimes counterfeit coins are artificailly circulated to mask their false orgins. >>
Thanks. That was another question I meant to ask originally, but forgot. So these counterfeits are pretty deceptive? Any particular issues, or just in general?
I'm confident enough of my ability to spot casts and crude fakes like the Chinese sell, but better counterfeits might fool me, particularly as I have never handled many of these commem types.
I have never tried to build the finest set possible. I just buy the coins I like. They may be MS63 or MS66. Lower grades dont bother me as long as the coin has great eye appeal.
Its a tough call when you have a big chunk of cash to spend. I still bother myself with what to do in that case. Do you buy the rare high dollar coin or fill several spots with the more common, more afordable coins. Considering I cannot make that decision myself, you are on your own with that. Sorry.
Check out this site:
The Coin Site Early Commem Facts
I love the classic commemorative designs! If I were putting together a commemorative collection, I would strive for original, unmolested coins, but to each his own.
Good luck!
-Amanda
PS- The Dansco Album # is 7094
I'm a YN working on a type set!
My Buffalo Nickel Website Home of the Quirky Buffaloes Collection!
Proud member of the CUFYNA
In my opinion coin shows are your best bet for getting some values. AUs are fairly common; often the dealers have had them a while and are willing to hear offers. I have commems programed in my eBay searches and check them regularly. Everyone these days has been chasing the higher end graded coins. Their minimum bids usually aree too high for me. However, if you're doing this in AU, you'll see a fair amount of coins that start out with low or no minimums, as there are a lot of people who are letting coins go cheaply as they upgrade.
One note of caution: carry a 5x loop to detect for commemoratives that have been cleaned. I kind of learned that the hard way with a recent submission to PCGS. IWhen I saw they rejected it on my submission, I was ready to argue, but when I looked under the 5x, the cleaning was immistakeable.
Wishing you a lot of fun and enjoyment in your endeavor!
Happy Collecting!
I love the early commemoratives. I built a mostly white set.
Through the late 90s - about 2004 the prices were really on the rise. They seem to have slowed somewhat.
May be a good time to get in.
Here is a link to my set:
my early commemoratives
<< <i>So these counterfeits are pretty deceptive? Any particular issues, or just in general?
I'm confident enough of my ability to spot casts and crude fakes like the Chinese sell, but better counterfeits might fool me, particularly as I have never handled many of these commem types. >>
Most of the better types have been counterfeited (Lafayette, Hawaii, Spanish Trail, etc). They are for the most part much better that the crap coming out of China. Most are well documented in the standard counterfeit detection references and in many of the commem reference books such as the Breen-Swiatek book.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>PS- The Dansco Album # is 7094 >>
Amanda- thanks. I just ordered one. And I even have one coin to put in it- an AU53-ish Stone Mountain half I bought two years ago and still had lying around. Paid 26 bucks for it. Not a bad start, eh?
1. Some of the issues, especially late 30's, are very hard to find circulated. Aside from net graded / cleaned pieces, there is essentially no such thing as an AU Spanish Trail, for instance, and I think the same is true of a number or others. Things like the Norfolk come to mind here.
2. There is huge value compression in some of these until you get up near gem grades. It doesn't make much sense to pay $55 for an AU Stone Mountain when for $75 you can get a dazzling 64. There is little point in owning a San Diego in a grade below gem. A Vermont in 64 will only cost about half again what you would pay for one in AU50, and so forth. You can have an unbelievably pretty gem BTW for $45.
So, if you set a goal that goes something along the lines of eye-appealing, relatively mark-free pieces that match their neighbors well in overall look, within a grade range from choice AU to gem unc -- which probably means you are going without baggy, ugly uncs as well as scruffy AU's -- you can build a nice set in which each of the coins makes sense on its own as well as in its role in the set.
Hope that helps --
MD
<< <i>...I can't answer all of your questions, but I would suggest that you broaden your grade tolerances into the uncirculated range. There are two main reasons why:
1. Some of the issues, especially late 30's, are very hard to find circulated. Aside from net graded / cleaned pieces, there is essentially no such thing as an AU Spanish Trail, for instance, and I think the same is true of a number or others. Things like the Norfolk come to mind here.
2. There is huge value compression in some of these until you get up near gem grades. It doesn't make much sense to pay $55 for an AU Stone Mountain when for $75 you can get a dazzling 64. There is little point in owning a San Diego in a grade below gem. A Vermont in 64 will only cost about half again what you would pay for one in AU50, and so forth. You can have an unbelievably pretty gem BTW for $45. >>
Thanks. This pretty much answers my first question. I see the point you make in your example, though it's kind of funny you used an AU Stone Mountain to illustrate the point, since the one-and-only coin I have at this moment happens to be an AU Stone Mountain! (I didn't pay $55 for it, however, but rather $26, two years ago, so it made perfect sense at the time and I'm pleased). Limiting myself to AU only doesn't really make a whole lot of sense when one takes in mind the points you just made, and now that I think about it, it would actually take me longer to complete the set with this restriction. So I will rethink it.
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
I think the problem putting a set together as you'd like to today, rather than 20 years ago, is that most of the nice coins, including the MS 58's (which are often more appealing visually than MS60-62's), have almost all been slabbed. I suspect you're going to spend a lot of your time searching through a lot of significantly cleaned or otherwise unattractive coins that couldn't be slabbed. If you buy slabbed MS63's,64's, which can be very pretty and not too expensive in many cases, it hurts to crack em out to put in a book because you automatically lose the the value of the slabbing fee. But that may be the way you need to go. Some of the classic commems are fabulous coins: I love the Connecticut and Illinois for example. Good luck!!
The journey begins...... your enjoyment and personal satisfaction of the coins you buy should outweigh the "grades". For me on the Commems, its all about eye appeal.
I didn't understand the ebay comment, and I've seen lots of decent Commems on ebay. However, there is a pretty large group of competitive bidders on the popular coins, so you're likely not going to "steal" one. My personal example of this was a 5 month effort to acquire a 1936 Texas Commem. I was outbid several times and in the end I utimately found a really nice example at a coin show in the grade I wanted and for less than I'm sure it would have sold on ebay for.
The white versus toning is a whole different matter. Lots of examples of both exist. For me I like the moderately toned coins, but they generally bring a premium. I'd rather have an AU58 with toning and lots of eye appeal than I would a low end MS blast white coin.
Just my opinion on the initial investment. Buy the expensive ones first while you have the funds. That way you get at least some of the difficult ones out of the way.
One more thought, since its a type set your doing. Sometimes you can find the "3 coin sets" at a price that per coin works out to less than you would have to pay for a single coin. You could sell the 2 you liked least and help pay for the one you keep.
Anyway have fun and POST LOTS OF PICTURES !!!
Richard
Without going further I’ll give you my thoughts on your questions:
Building a raw AU set. There are lots of raw commemorative coins around, but many of them have a cleaned and are not suitable for slabbing. Some commemoratives, like most of those in 1930s are very scarce in true AU (not cleaned) because collectors stuck them in their sets and preserved them in Mint State. Some issues, like the Antietam, Norfolk and Spanish Trail are still expensive in AU, and might be hard to sell when the time comes. The short answer is I’d consider stepping up to MS-63 for many issues. You can save some money with AU for pieces like the Missouri, Hawaiian and Pan-Pac, but some commemoratives are, I think, bad buys in AU.
The Dansco Album – I think the Isabella Quarter and Lafayette Dollar are neat coins and should be included in your set. I have nice examples of both, and they are among my favorite commemoratives. I think that items like the Alabama 2X2, Missouri 2*4 and especially the Grant with star are gimmick coins. They were made to sell then and had not real historical significance. Time has not improved their desirability IMO, only their price tags. I have no interest in them as a collector, and have not spent the money on them. AND – I happed to like Eagle holders, but that’s just me.
Toning – Finding original commemorative coins is really hard. Most pieces have been dipped somewhere on the line. Some original coins, like the Lafayette Dollar come dark, perhaps because of their original holder. The toning thing might be the toughest factor for you when you are looking for coins. I like original pieces, but a number of my coins were dipped at one time or another. This is nothing wrong with dipped coins so long as it has not been done to the point of dulling the luster AND the coins are stable. (Won’t retone ugly.)
Budget – I’d say buy the right coins when you see them. A lot of people say buy the key date expensive stuff first, but that might cause you to miss some good deals on the others. And who knows? Commemorative coins have been going up in price over the few years. Back in the late 1980s they suffered a crash from which they have never recovered. They could be less expensive in the future.
Reference material – Here are some more obscure references that I enjoy. Don Taxey wrote a book years ago that shows the evolution of the commemorative coin designs. It shows drawing of the early proposals as well the finished designs. The book is not popular, I seen them dirt cheap when a numismatic used book seller had it. I think it’s very worthwhile. There are also a couple of editions of a commemorative book by Arlie Slabaugh that gives a brief history of each commemorative – both the event it commemorated and the stories surrounding their sale and issue. Once more the book is not very popular and cheap when you can find it. The last edition of it has a red, white and blue cover with a minute man on it.
I’ll expand on my advice if you like. Just pose a question or send a PM.
I can't add much to all that has been posted so far. The Society for United States Commemorative Coins provides an excellent list of books about United States Commemoratives with a brief description of the book's contents. I'd recommend visiting their website for more information.
USAROK
If your goal is to put together an attractive set on a budget, I would agree with the prior advice -- there are some extraordinarily attractive MS63/64 coins that miss a higher grade due to a couple of hits, slightly subdued toning etc.
If you want to put together a truly unique set (which seems consistent with the other sets you have put together!), go for one in EF/AU, trying to find pieces that make that grade due to a few years as a pocket piece (rather than an overly aggressive dip and modest abuse). You can probably find a third of the set with wear/toning that is reminiscent of the walking liberty era, and these are definitely cool coins.
As noted previously, the issues from the thirties (mainly 1936!) are extremely hard to locate in unabused AU condition. You should have no problem locating the following: Isabella, Alabama, California, Columbian, Grant, Huguenot, Lincoln, Lexington, Long Island, Maine, Missouri, Monroe, Oregon, Panama-Pacific, Pilgrim, Sesquicentennial, Stone Mountain, Booker T Washington, Washington-Carver, and Lafayette.
Of these, I especially like circulated versions, for example, of California and Oregon. The Isabella appears fairly frequently in unabused circulated condition, and can be quite an attractive little coin.
(by the way, as a plug for my own set, I'd point you to the PCGS Registry, where four circulated sets are listed. Pocketpiececommemorative, who posts occasionally on this board, has a remarkably complete and low grade set. My set is more than half complete, with pieces ranging from P01 through AU55. I'm always looking for downgrades, and would be happy to send my AU coins your way whenever I find a lesser specimen!)
I sent you a PM from the BST about my duplicates before reading this thread. I doubt you will be interested in any but perhaps the AU50 (not a white coin, nor too heavily toned) Alabama in the old PCGS rattler. Sorry about that.
I am in it for the look of gently worn circulated silver, the 'hunt' and notwithstanding the insane challenge of the Spanish Trail, Hawaiian, etc. that are not 'artificially worn'
Here is my effort thus far: umakem's circ commems
Braddick has some really cool coins in old holders, and one coin that is definitely out of place in his set that would go well into mine: Bay Bridge in XF
Happy hunting and there are some very knowledgeable and friendly folks here who responded to PMs when starting out in this series,
Don
Taking your time is important, but, I think that with an AU (or "less than top pop") collection, with a keen eye, you can always upgrade (not necessarily in grade, but in eye appeal) as you go along, and your original coin(s) can become "extra" if you really like them and have the budget that allows you to keep extras, or, the extras can always become a good piece for inventory, and if chosen well, will always be quite salable.
Considering the Isabella and Layfayette, do consider them part of your collection. And as far as the 2x2, 2x4, star etc, they are as much a part of the lore as any of the others, as I think you will find after you get a feel (and your chuckles) for the various marketing schemes behind the coins, these become just as desirable as those coins that are considered "legitimate" commems and had more traditional marketing approaches and/or solid reasoning behind their issuance.
As far as those issues with many dates/mintmarks (Boones, Texas, WC, BTW, etc.), of course find the best example you can, but I would tend to keep a keen eye towards those dates/mm within the specific series with the lower mintages.
As far as what to buy first, I think that you probably can't make a priority list, as the coins that fit your "eye-appeal standards" will not come up as often as you may imagine, and you probably wouldn't want to have any limits on when to buy what... just keep that part open, especially if trying to have a nice matched set.
I think you will find this even more challenging than you may first think, but also, a lot more rewarding than you can imagine. Most importantly, have fun with this great and challenging endeavor. (You never know, you may end up with 144+ beauties) Good luck!
Bruce Scher
The net mintage of Stone Mountain half dollars was quite high for the series. There were 2,314.709 minted and million returned for melting leaving a net of 1,314,709. I think a lot of Stone Mountians were sold to non-collectors who did not know how to take care of them, and some were probably spent during The Great Depression. That would account for the circulated pieces we see today.
Generally one can say that the commemorative coins issued before The Great Depression can be found in circulated condition fairly easily. (President Herbert Hoover opposed the authorization of commemorative coins, and none were issued while he was in office.) The issues after Franklin Roosevelt took office generally did not circulate, and are seldom found in the circulated grades.
The Gettysburg was issued at a time when collectors were buying commemorative coins and carefully preserving them. For that reason it’s unusual to see one in less than Mint State condition.
<< <i>Be careful. Quite a few classic commems have been counterfeited. Sometimes counterfeit coins are artificailly circulated to mask their false orgins. >>
I would love to see a set of counterfeit commems, never seen one period, though I haven't really looked-------------BigE
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
<< <i>
<< <i>Be careful. Quite a few classic commems have been counterfeited. Sometimes counterfeit coins are artificailly circulated to mask their false orgins. >>
I would love to see a set of counterfeit commems, never seen one period, though I haven't really looked-------------BigE >>
There are counterfeit Spanish Trail and Hawiian pieces outhere. Pictures are in the Breen book.
Here is the rundown, for those who also might've wondered. (One problem with buying type set albums is that you can seldom know exactly what coins they'll include before buying, and whether online or in a shop, all you ever see is a sealed album or picture of the cover.)
The Dansco #7094 includes ports for 55 coins, arranged in chronological order by date of issue, rather than in alphabetical order by type. It does require the Isabella quarter and the Lafayette dollar. It is a true type set album, in that it only requires one of each basic design types rather than varieties. This means that there is no port for the Alabama 2x2, the Grant with Star, or the Missouri 2x4. However, the quarter, the dollar, and 48 halves only adds up to 50, and there are 55 ports, with the last five on the final page being blank ports for half dollars, so anyone who wanted to add those three varieties could do so and still have two "extra" ports. Obviously, there are no ports for the gold- this is a silver set.
I have already filled one hole in the album with my raw AU Stone Mountain (AU-53ish, off-white), which I bought from Michael ("Aethelred") two years ago for the paltry sum of $26.
I will be filling a few more holes with these, from Don ("InYHWHWeTrust").
And from Wally ("Kennewickman"), I have these coming:
<< <i>1893 Columbian, dipped but not scrubbed, AU
1920 Pilgrim, BU, looks original to me
1946-S BTW, AU/BU white with nice luster
1952 Washington/Carver, AU/BU, white with nice luster >>
He sold me all the four above for eighty bucks. I figured if it is UNC, the Pilgrim alone should be worth nearly that by itself. This will leave me with two Pilgrim halves but I can pick and choose between Don's toned AU piece and Wally's possible UNC. Besides, I am a descendant of William Bradford, so the Pilgrim half is one I don't mind owning duplicates of.
Ron (RNCHSN) offered me an Alabama 2x2 but I think I will pass on it because I'd prefer to stick with the printed ports in the album for now- it is an "optional" coin in the set. I might buy one later when the set nears completion, if I ever get that far.
There is one other AU commemorative half I have owned since Halloween of 2002, but it will NOT be put in this new Dansco album, because it already has a place in my detector finds album.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/publishedset/209923
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/album/209923
With that approach, you'll have no trouble finding the coins. In fact, it will be so easy that you will be bored to tears. You'll abandon the project before you are anywhere close to finished.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Ok, I'm a bit biased as I have one of the top ten registry typesets. I think you can get a decent AU typeset with a modicum of time and hard work.
A bigger challenge would be to include the rarities instead of the commons: Grant with Star, 2x2, 2x4, 35/34 etc. which is what I've striven to do with my typeset. Note to PCGS, they do not grade the typeset registry based on the rarities. the GWS, 2x4 etc. all count the same as the plain. NGC does the opposite.
I think you will have a lot of fun doing it. Rare Coins of NH, occasionally has a good selection of very nice AU material.
If I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to PM me.
<< <i>I'm a bit confused how the typeset is 55 coins? With the Isabella and Lafayette, it should be 50. >>
If you read his entire post above, the one with pictures, he explained that.
Lord, regarding peoples' concerns with sliders scratching coins: you can simply wait until you have an entire row of coins before you put them into the album. That way you only slide the slider closed one time on the coins, also, you can push them a little deep in their holes so there will be no contact with the slider at all....when you slide it closed. I figure I'm stating the obvious, but I often read about these slider fears. Don't be scared.