Advice On A New Collection

I think I will include the bottom two for completeness sake, because there's actually another design I'm not keen on further up that's getting in on the act, so I think the Buffs should be roped in, but i'll do them last. Although I must point out that I do like most of the designs, Walkers, SLQ's, Mercs, Morgans etc.

Based on the list I just made I think the SLQs will be the sticking point more than anything, bascically because minor denomination US coins are just not available in the UK. Half dollars and above do show up, and dollars aren't too much of a problem.

Good news on the Walker front is that the only one I have to get is the 1920 one as they weren't struck a P mint for the rest of the 20's except for 1921 but that catalogues well above $1000 in EF thus consider that one well and truely skipped.

The SLQ's I do like very much (i favour quarters anyhow) upto $70 in EF I can live with that no problem. It's about the same for high grade English coins of this period. Although there's a fair few of these to get.

I love Mercury dimes so I'm keen to get those in! But they do turn up from time to time.

I've decided to start with the top denominations though, the tough cookies of the bunch. I've just ordered two, a dealer I knew had a bit of money he owed me from a coin I returned that turned out to be not quite what we thought thus the first coin should arrive on wednesday. The second I should hopefully have purchased by the end of July fingers crossed

I'll try and stick pictures up sooner or later.

Well my friend you couldn't have picked a better coin to start with than our St. Gaudens $20 double eagle. A great number of U.S. collectors dream of that coin but still don't own one. I would say you have eliminated your first big step!
Peace dollars, to me, are one of the hardest U.S. coins to grade and after 30 years I still have problems. For the most part they were not well struck and there is not a lot of detail to guide you. We probably could have saved you a dollar or two on an XF coin but then there is that shipping charge across the pond! Keep us posted on your finds and yes, if need be, your needs!

I like your idea of skipping the date if you can't get the EF. I never really thought of it that way.


Jerry

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Originally posted by crystalk64

Well my friend you couldn't have picked a better coin to start with than our St. Gaudens $20 double eagle. A great number of U.S. collectors dream of that coin but still don't own one. I would say you have eliminated your first big step!

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Actually my favourite US gold coin of them all is the $20 Liberty, I used to have an 1894 VF one, I miss that old thing. Hence why I thought of doing the 190X period just for the $20 Lib.

The $10 Indian is my favourite of the post 1907 gold. I've wanted one a long while.

Hi

Yes I'm in England and so is the dealer who I'm buying it from.

This particular dealer never actually ever states a grade on any of his coins, he just says either 'high grade', 'medium grade', 'cheap low grade'. If it's UNC he does usually make a point of that. This coin was marked up at high grade, which from experience with this dealer usually results in a top VF to Mid EF coin. I reckno this ones high VF bordering on low EF. I can't tell for sure until the coin is in hand.

The coin is photographed from an angle.

The D and S mint coins are way out of my league in some areas that's why I conveniently swept both mints under the carpet.

I already have one really tough coin set on the go, might only be 9 coins for the full set but generally each coin retails at about $1100 a piece, except for coin number 9 which is the cheap coin of the set retailing at a respective $350.

Thus I wanted something a little easier to get stuck into. Although i'd have to admit if I did do D or S mints as a set then i'd have a heck of alot less to get once I snip the rare ones out of the equation.

Oh right! Sorry I misunderstood that.

It's an idea I certainly have considered but this might sound strange. I feel less happy with having coins from different mints all mixed in than I do having gaps. I know alot of collectors really cannot live with gapped collections but gaps (generally) really don't bother me at all.

I am trying to keep this set on the small side; currently I've got it down to 59 coins for a 'full' (in my term of the word) set.

I did it initially because I wanted to get back to collecting gold coins after a two year break from gold. However realising that there'll be periods of money shortage where I simply won't be able to buy any more coins for several mionths here and there I thought i'd give myself something more mangable to do as well. This is where the Lincs, Mercs etc fit in. I'm still collecting something!

I'm guessing it'll probably take me about 5-10 years to complete this set.

About 10-15 years to complete my Anglo-Saxon monarchs and a good few years to finish off my Henry VI set. The German set I expect will be the first to be completed within the next year or two at most.

I'll post a better picture when I get it. Stay tuned.