New Post on Kennedys, and General Thoughts
GritsMan
Posts: 2,599 ✭✭✭
Greetings Everyone!
I have been enjoying reading the forum for a month or two now, have learned a HUGE amount, and have pondered if I have anything to add. Probably not, but here goes.
I have two areas of collection, all in the Modern Crap categories. One is 1/2-oz eagles (gold unc and plat proof), though I tearfully missed out on the infamous 2006W Unc plats this year. Another thread on that.
My second area, which has been much more fun, is just getting back into looking through rolls, something I used to do as a kid. I started doing this recently based on a) having a 4 year-old son and b) the startling news (from this forum) that silver Kennedys could still be found in rolls. I started looking through rolls here in Montana and found that, sure enough, about 1% of them were silver clad. I also looked through two $1000 bags and found not a single silver coin! Doing this, though, got me interested in seeing how many dates of Kennedys I could find. I managed to fill up an entire Dansco (excluding proofs) except for about 5 coins. This just amazed me and I began looking more closely at the series. I am surprised how low some of the mintages on Kennedys are. I shunned them as a youngster because I was used to finding SILVER and the clad stuff just seemed like crap. But now, I think these halves have interesting stories. Two questions:
1) I am wondering why no one has done an authoritative book on the series along the lines of Bowers' Morgan book? I think it might be very interesting.
2) I can't help thinking that Kennedys might one day occupy the same place that Morgans occupied in the early 1960s--collectors rushing to get bags from banks or the Treasury? Yeah, I know the coins aren't silver, but hardly anyone uses them anymore; they are big; and they've got an extensive history. Many of the mintages are comparable, too. Just a thought.
3) Okay, three questions. The third is: what would all of you vote as the ugliest strike of Kennedys? My vote is the 1971, but I'd enjoy hearing your inputs.
By the way, my most interesting Kennedy find so far has been a 2005 P, which isn't supposed to be in circulation. I know several of you have made many similar finds. I haven't yet found a 1974 double, though I probably just am not experienced enough to spot it.
Enough for now. Thanks to everyone for willing to share on these boards.
Oh, and what the hell does LOL mean? I keep thinking "Little Old Lady", but it doesn't make sense in context.
I have been enjoying reading the forum for a month or two now, have learned a HUGE amount, and have pondered if I have anything to add. Probably not, but here goes.
I have two areas of collection, all in the Modern Crap categories. One is 1/2-oz eagles (gold unc and plat proof), though I tearfully missed out on the infamous 2006W Unc plats this year. Another thread on that.
My second area, which has been much more fun, is just getting back into looking through rolls, something I used to do as a kid. I started doing this recently based on a) having a 4 year-old son and b) the startling news (from this forum) that silver Kennedys could still be found in rolls. I started looking through rolls here in Montana and found that, sure enough, about 1% of them were silver clad. I also looked through two $1000 bags and found not a single silver coin! Doing this, though, got me interested in seeing how many dates of Kennedys I could find. I managed to fill up an entire Dansco (excluding proofs) except for about 5 coins. This just amazed me and I began looking more closely at the series. I am surprised how low some of the mintages on Kennedys are. I shunned them as a youngster because I was used to finding SILVER and the clad stuff just seemed like crap. But now, I think these halves have interesting stories. Two questions:
1) I am wondering why no one has done an authoritative book on the series along the lines of Bowers' Morgan book? I think it might be very interesting.
2) I can't help thinking that Kennedys might one day occupy the same place that Morgans occupied in the early 1960s--collectors rushing to get bags from banks or the Treasury? Yeah, I know the coins aren't silver, but hardly anyone uses them anymore; they are big; and they've got an extensive history. Many of the mintages are comparable, too. Just a thought.
3) Okay, three questions. The third is: what would all of you vote as the ugliest strike of Kennedys? My vote is the 1971, but I'd enjoy hearing your inputs.
By the way, my most interesting Kennedy find so far has been a 2005 P, which isn't supposed to be in circulation. I know several of you have made many similar finds. I haven't yet found a 1974 double, though I probably just am not experienced enough to spot it.
Enough for now. Thanks to everyone for willing to share on these boards.
Oh, and what the hell does LOL mean? I keep thinking "Little Old Lady", but it doesn't make sense in context.
Winner of the Coveted Devil Award June 8th, 2010
0
Comments
Russ, NCNE
-Paul
There aren't any BU rolls of halfs in FED storage except a few late date issues
and the 2001 and later coins. If there's ever a run on these people will have to
settle for mostly circs on the older ones and ungly coins for the later issues.
There is a very authoritative book; The Kennedy Half Dollar Book- Wiles.
I agree with the '71 as the worst struck. The '76-P is the most frustrating to find
as a gem because there are so many tantalizingly close. It seems everytime you
flip one of the incredible gems over there will be a big flaw on a gem surface on
the other side. '71-P's regularly appear gem in sets about every 75th coin. They
are distressingly tough in rolls because of the numerous poor strikes.
The great thing about searching rolls of halves is you can sometimes run into the old stashes with either plenty of silver or higher grade older coins. Here's a 1971 I found a couple summers ago- nice coin, but you can definitely see the striking weakness through the date and RT of LIBERTY.
and it sets us apart from practitioners and consultants. Gregor
Hey, thanks everyone for the perspective. Love that 71 photo, too. It inspires me to look harder for quality!