Once I realized that I couldn't assemble a top collection of all the Large Cents by date & variety, I've long since discovered that there's alot of satisfaction in saving for a nice one every now & then. They've got a whole lotta charm in whatever grades you ultimately collect. I vote copper of some sort.
Q: Are You Printing Money? Bernanke: Not Literally
I started the first spouse gold, but could not finish it due to other constraints. They look good to me, still. No real surprises. Predictable, mundane and seldom spoke about unless it has to do with "Liberty" subsets.
That gold medallic art from the 80's with Robert Frost, Mark Twain, and all them other folk makes a nice set , too. Gold is a good way to go. Modern isn't all bad. Some of it is collectible, and never impossible to acquire (a tough call for the investor types, but easy for the collectors to show off)
I'm not trying to be a smart alec Jay, but as modern gold goes, some of this stuff is pretty cool. Plus it has a little better upside than Franklins, as modern coins are concerned. They're above my budget to complete, but still at rock bottom prices for where the yellow stuff could end up in the future. They're not that hard on the eyes, either.
Trade Dollars in choice MS with a good look can be done for around 50k and would be a rare and good looking set. Throw a couple of Doubled Dies and the S/CC and the set can really pop. There are different Hub combos that can spice it up even further if you so chose and PCGS now attributes them all. My Sig line has a everyman kind of set in it. Also fun and cheap/ish(defined by harder to find the coins then the money) with a challenge would be the US Philippines coinage, not many people have gone there.
I would not mind a set of 20C pieces. One is a bear, but it is pretty much all the patience I have for full date/mint sets anymore. A graded type set would be a great set if I were to start another one. I would try and do them all in the same grade, or somthing like Semi-Key or Key dates. A key date type pretty much has little down side.
MLAeBayNumismatics: "The greatest hobby in the world!"
How about a seated type set? You could try a single denomination or multiple ones.
I prefer the quarters and halves. If you end up liking it you can add another denomination. The same idea could be applied to bust coins as well.
1839 no drapery 1840-1865 no motto 1853 arrows and rays 1854-55 arrows 1866-1891 with motto 1873-74 arrows
This way you can pick out the dates and quality you prefer out of a rather large group of coins. There are still sleepers to be found in dates, mintmarks, varieties, and condition. Many liner coins to pique the senses.
Another thought would be a US gold type set, concentrating on the more underrated pieces first. In MS64-MS66 most US gold types are well under their spring 2006 highs. $3 Indians and $5 Indians for example are about 1/2 of what they used to go for. And a choice/gem gold type set is always impressive. Unfortunately for any type sets, they are usually just worth the sum of their individual parts.
<< <i>Good answers. First off., I'm THINKING about this.
Now...many of the stuff mentioned is simply too cash intensive. i LOVE $5 Indians but they are very expensive in good grades, they are notoriously tampered with ( and I have NO clue how to tell most of the time) and lastly, I must say that there's surprisingly low interest in these. thjat's is imporatnt when considerint liquidation at some time. I owned a few really beautiful ones and had a hell of a time selling them!
I would actually NOT rule out something like great toned Frankies. They are the only moderns I like...as I'm a big Ben Franklin fan(I'm Philly born). They aren't expensive but the pursuit of really nice ones would create a challenge. Andy...not syrup...a set. Differengt pproach this time because it CAN be done well with a lower priced set.
I'm not ready...but always thinking.
THANKS>! >>
Yeah, I am surprised the $5 Indians you had were hard to sell.
Top grade Frankies with eye appeal which are nice for the grade would be quite a challenge. A nicely toned set of top grade 1933-47 Walkers would be a challenge as well -- there are plenty of white ones, but beautifully toned ones are more challenging than one would think.
I would say seated halves, get on the train before it really takes off like the bust halves. An AU and MS set is really something else, and it can be collected in parts, by date, or mint, or with and without motto, etc....
My second favorite is the date run of bust halves in MS or eye appealing high end AU.
<< <i>Now...many of the stuff mentioned is simply too cash intensive. i LOVE $5 Indians but they are very expensive in good grades, they are notoriously tampered with ( and I have NO clue how to tell most of the time) and lastly, I must say that there's surprisingly low interest in these. thjat's is imporatnt when considerint liquidation at some time. I owned a few really beautiful ones and had a hell of a time selling them! >>
In a way the $5 Indian set is harder than the St. Gaudens $20 gold set. Even the common dates are scarce to rare in TRUE Mint State with any piece in MS-64 or higher really tough. I think that is the reason why you don’t see a lot of interest in this series from set collectors. You don’t have to do research to find out that set is bear and far more of challenge than most collectors are willing to take on.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
First Spouse ( Old Hags! ) Most people hate them, But every first spouse that I have purchased sells for a profit today. Many will tell you that is because Gold is rising, that First Spouse collectors are just Lucky so far. But I think when Gold drops down, the value of these coins will hold far above bullion value! many First Spouses have mintages below 4,000. Low mintage is alway`s GOOD. It is also a never ending series. I suspect when the mint catches up with all the former ( Deceased )First Spouses, They will then Issue a new coin every time A first Lady dies from then on. Right now a collector can get the no longer for sale spouses fairly easy. then continue the series by purchasing from the mint. The spouses from 2008 through right now will all be the hardest to come by in later years. Anyway Good luck on what ever you decide to collect!!
I saw Peace dollars were already suggested. They can be collected on just about any budget, from cheap ($20 per coin for the common dates and $400 for the 1928, all others with enough hunting under $100) to high end (Heritage has auctioned some pretty impressive pieces), to anywhere in between. I'm working on a set myself as a side project, towards the lower end of the spectrum, using money I have left over after buying higher end items. (I do intend to splurge on a better 1921, because of its importance as the first year and the one year higher relief.)
Peace dollars are a great challenge to a collector at any level, in part because for such a beautiful coin it can really be ugly. There's a lot of coins out there with a good technical grade and poor eye appeal. The real challenge isn't the cost of the coins but the time and energy that will have to go into finding good quality coins. A good, beautiful Peace dollar set takes a discerning collector willing to pass on a lot of coins that could have fit the vacant spot but weren't up to par. It's a great training exercise in patience. And, if you're still interested in gold, you can do lower grade Peace dollars on the side, like I'm doing, for the experience.
Improperly Cleaned, Our passion for numismatics is Genuine! Now featuring correct spelling.
I've been thinking seriously about going after Charlotte and Dahlonega Half Eagles in dirty VF-AU
Here's why:
They are scarce and, IMO, cheap for their rarity. Throw in the caveat that they have to be dirty and original and they become truly rare.
There's a lot of history to them.. first gold rush, and the fact that they were one of the few gold coins that saw heavy use in commerce. I do love Saints, but what percentage of Saints were actually spent?
I like rare things that don't break the bank, and assuming you go for circ pieces, there's only a few that are 5 figure coins, lots of them are $2-4k in nice, original shape.
Think about it, there's less than 100 61-Ds known in any grade, and yet an AU one in nice shape is maybe a $30-35k coin these days, an XF probably in the mid $20s and that's the stopper of the series. Imagine what a Morgan with less than 100 known would sell for in that condition.
Bear's "Growl of Approval" award 10/09 & 3/10 | "YOU SUCK" - PonyExpress8|"F the doctors!" - homerunhall | I hate my car
I would collect Commems they have to go up some time
The problem with commems, from my perspective, is that the the wildly toned coins are poor value, and the less-than-wildly-toned coins are too easy. (Yes, I understand the argument that this is the market speaking. But markets do change.)
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
I would vote for a mint state set of nicely matched red Indian Head Cents, with major varieties.
I used to be somebody, now I'm just a coin collector. Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
OK, Jay, here you go. Since you're poor today and will be rich tomorrow, and because we all know how you love Saints, I suggest you build a collection of all US and World coins dated 1933. And in five years, once the collection is well on its way, and after you're rich again, and after the Langbord coins have come to market, you can add a 33 Saint. How's that for an exercise in optimism?
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Collect something where there ARE lots of problem, messed with coins, coordinate your collecting with the experts, Laura, JA, etc. Document all your efforts, problems found, sleazoid issues, etc. on here so we can all learn something. You know you only exist for our entertainment, right?
I don't collect them as I concentrate all my funds for CBH's, but If I had to pick one drop dead gorgeous and intersting design, SLQ's would take the prize.
"Discipline is never an end in itself, only a means to an end."
I am wondering why you wouldn't collect proofs. The Saint-Gaudens matte proof $10's & $20's seem ideal for you - just 16 coins, prices in gem grade don't appear really crazy yet AND with your eye you could identify all the original and "unmessed with" stuff.
This would probably not be your cup of tea, but it has been mine and I have enjoyed the hunt tremendously.
Look for 1950-1970 Cameo and/or DCAM Proof and SMS coins, raw in OGP sets or raw in after market holders.
It is surprising how hard it is to find some of these coins, yet if you luck out you can acquire a very beautiful coin for modest money.
Or if you do not want to hunt raw coins on the cheap, you could buy them slabbed, already made. Doing that will cost you a lot more money and it is not as fun.
Hey, Staingooru- just down the road from me, at the Flying J Truckstop, they've got the collectible shot glasses for both Georgia AND Florida, since we live so close to the FL border here. They even had some for South Carolina and Virginia.
If the shot glasses ain't yer cuppa tea, I think they also have ashtrays and key fobs. I know for a fact they have the fridge magnets.
(Edit to add semi-serious reply so I won't be too big a pain the arse):
If I were shopping with your money, I would play more in really attractive Darkside gold, I guess. Lots of nice stuff at or near bullion price these days, I reckon- even some scarcer and/or historical material. An eye for quality would serve you well there, naturally. I'd attempt an OFEC set in gold (OFEC= one from each country), or an "A to Z" (Austria to Zanzibar, whatever, with one coin for each letter of the alphabet- skipping X, that's, what, 25 pieces? A nice concise set with lots of room to choose different things, sorta like the "Box of 20" concept). Come to think of it, the Box of 20 has its merits, too. I also wonder how much longer US-Philippine coins are going to slumber... they seem vastly underappreciated.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
Comments
I knew it would happen.
That gold medallic art from the 80's with Robert Frost, Mark Twain, and all them other folk makes a nice set , too. Gold is a good way to go. Modern isn't all bad. Some of it is collectible, and never impossible to acquire (a tough call for the investor types, but easy for the collectors to show off)
I'm not trying to be a smart alec Jay, but as modern gold goes, some of this stuff is pretty cool. Plus it has a little better upside than Franklins, as modern coins are concerned. They're above my budget to complete, but still at rock bottom prices for where the yellow stuff could end up in the future. They're not that hard on the eyes, either.
Just a thought.
https://acoinshop.com/ —-> https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
Menomonee Falls Wisconsin USA
http://www.pcgs.com/SetRegistr...dset.aspx?s=68269&ac=1">Musky 1861 Mint Set
<< <i>Just choose something your next wife will not want. >>
Did you mean to say "next ex-wife"?
--Jerry
<< <i>In that case, how about chucky cheese tokens?
I collect those
www.brunkauctions.com
Plenty of room for appreciation, interesting subjects, some true rarity (especailly as interest grows...)and modest prices.
I prefer the quarters and halves. If you end up liking it you can add another denomination. The same idea could be applied to bust coins as well.
1839 no drapery
1840-1865 no motto
1853 arrows and rays
1854-55 arrows
1866-1891 with motto
1873-74 arrows
This way you can pick out the dates and quality you prefer out of a rather large group of coins. There are still sleepers to be found in dates, mintmarks, varieties, and condition. Many liner coins to pique the senses.
Another thought would be a US gold type set, concentrating on the more underrated pieces first. In MS64-MS66 most US gold types are well under their spring 2006 highs. $3 Indians and $5 Indians for example are about 1/2 of what they used to go for. And a choice/gem gold type set is always impressive. Unfortunately for any type sets, they are usually just worth the sum of their individual parts.
roadrunner
<< <i>Good answers. First off., I'm THINKING about this.
Now...many of the stuff mentioned is simply too cash intensive. i LOVE $5 Indians but they are very expensive in good grades, they are notoriously tampered with ( and I have NO clue how to tell most of the time) and lastly, I must say that there's surprisingly low interest in these. thjat's is imporatnt when considerint liquidation at some time. I owned a few really beautiful ones and had a hell of a time selling them!
I would actually NOT rule out something like great toned Frankies. They are the only moderns I like...as I'm a big Ben Franklin fan(I'm Philly born). They aren't expensive but the pursuit of really nice ones would create a challenge. Andy...not syrup...a set. Differengt pproach this time because it CAN be done well with a lower priced set.
I'm not ready...but always thinking.
THANKS>! >>
Yeah, I am surprised the $5 Indians you had were hard to sell.
Top grade Frankies with eye appeal which are nice for the grade would be quite a challenge. A nicely toned set of top grade 1933-47 Walkers would be a challenge as well -- there are plenty of white ones, but beautifully toned ones are more challenging than one would think.
My second favorite is the date run of bust halves in MS or eye appealing high end AU.
Seated Dollar Collection
<< <i>Now...many of the stuff mentioned is simply too cash intensive. i LOVE $5 Indians but they are very expensive in good grades, they are notoriously tampered with ( and I have NO clue how to tell most of the time) and lastly, I must say that there's surprisingly low interest in these. thjat's is imporatnt when considerint liquidation at some time. I owned a few really beautiful ones and had a hell of a time selling them! >>
In a way the $5 Indian set is harder than the St. Gaudens $20 gold set. Even the common dates are scarce to rare in TRUE Mint State with any piece in MS-64 or higher really tough. I think that is the reason why you don’t see a lot of interest in this series from set collectors. You don’t have to do research to find out that set is bear and far more of challenge than most collectors are willing to take on.
Anyway Good luck on what ever you decide to collect!!
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
If they still excite you.
<< <i>How about Saints?
If they still excite you. >>
He can't afford those anymore!
He went from a 4-legged horse to a...
Peace dollars are a great challenge to a collector at any level, in part because for such a beautiful coin it can really be ugly. There's a lot of coins out there with a good technical grade and poor eye appeal. The real challenge isn't the cost of the coins but the time and energy that will have to go into finding good quality coins. A good, beautiful Peace dollar set takes a discerning collector willing to pass on a lot of coins that could have fit the vacant spot but weren't up to par. It's a great training exercise in patience. And, if you're still interested in gold, you can do lower grade Peace dollars on the side, like I'm doing, for the experience.
I'll be sure NOT to tell you when and what I start until I have half the set.
I'm not as close as I'd like to be to start but I do think about this. Someday........
Here's why:
They are scarce and, IMO, cheap for their rarity. Throw in the caveat that they have to be dirty and original and they become truly rare.
There's a lot of history to them.. first gold rush, and the fact that they were one of the few gold coins that saw heavy use in commerce. I do love Saints, but what percentage of Saints were actually spent?
I like rare things that don't break the bank, and assuming you go for circ pieces, there's only a few that are 5 figure coins, lots of them are $2-4k in nice, original shape.
Think about it, there's less than 100 61-Ds known in any grade, and yet an AU one in nice shape is maybe a $30-35k coin these days, an XF probably in the mid $20s and that's the stopper of the series. Imagine what a Morgan with less than 100 known would sell for in that condition.
The problem with commems, from my perspective, is that the the wildly toned coins are poor value, and the less-than-wildly-toned coins are too easy. (Yes, I understand the argument that this is the market speaking. But markets do change.)
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Ever think of THAT?
Now....all I need is an extra $20 mil or so......
I'll be sure to consult with Laura too.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
<< <i>Pez dispensers.
WOOOOO HOOOOO!
Now there's a WINNER!!
I don't collect them as I concentrate all my funds for CBH's, but If I had to pick one drop dead gorgeous and intersting design, SLQ's would take the prize.
<< <i>Pez dispensers.
Or Beany Babies, I hear the market has gone down, good time to buy!
I am relatively new to the message boards.
I am wondering why you wouldn't collect proofs. The Saint-Gaudens matte proof $10's & $20's seem ideal for you - just 16 coins, prices in gem grade don't appear really crazy yet AND with your eye you could identify all the original and "unmessed with" stuff.
Look for 1950-1970 Cameo and/or DCAM Proof and SMS coins, raw in OGP sets or raw in after market holders.
It is surprising how hard it is to find some of these coins, yet if you luck out you can acquire a very beautiful coin for modest money.
Or if you do not want to hunt raw coins on the cheap, you could buy them slabbed, already made. Doing that will cost you a lot more money and it is not as fun.
If the shot glasses ain't yer cuppa tea, I think they also have ashtrays and key fobs. I know for a fact they have the fridge magnets.
(Edit to add semi-serious reply so I won't be too big a pain the arse):
If I were shopping with your money, I would play more in really attractive Darkside gold, I guess. Lots of nice stuff at or near bullion price these days, I reckon- even some scarcer and/or historical material. An eye for quality would serve you well there, naturally. I'd attempt an OFEC set in gold (OFEC= one from each country), or an "A to Z" (Austria to Zanzibar, whatever, with one coin for each letter of the alphabet- skipping X, that's, what, 25 pieces? A nice concise set with lots of room to choose different things, sorta like the "Box of 20" concept). Come to think of it, the Box of 20 has its merits, too. I also wonder how much longer US-Philippine coins are going to slumber... they seem vastly underappreciated.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
<< <i>
<< <i>How about Saints?
If they still excite you. >>
He can't afford those anymore!
He went from a 4-legged horse to a...