70 Proof Set - 10-Piece (No Gold) - Montage

10/10, fantastic set. I'm very envious of your coins.

Thanks for the compliments guys! And thanks for not kicking my butt all over the place about the photos!

Jaobler: No special significance for the the year of 1870. What happened is that I started acquiring a number of early Proofs and a several happened to be from 1870. Then I realized that I had an interesting mission to accomplish. I have no real desire to collect coins dated after 1889 and the Proofs seem quite plentiful in the 1880's. I wanted something that would be a bit of a challenge with a relatively low mintage (1,000 set minted). I also wanted to do something that would be as early as practically possible for me to go after.

The gold Proofs are off-limits unless someone wishes to bequeath me about a quarter million dollars!

It took me about 4 years to assemble it. I don't plan on purchasing any upgrades.

Nelrak: 3CN, Shield nickel, Liberty nickel, and Indian cent Proofs are extremely available. Don't get less than PF65 and great mirrors if at all possible. The silver coins have lower mintages and greater desirability generally and will cost a little to a lot more. It's all available though.

Thank you for your compliments about my set. I didn't know at first that I was going to do it either. In fact, I kind of surprised myself by completing it. I strongly encourage you to go down the Early Proof path. There's a lot to learn and they are some of the most beautiful U.S. coins available to collect.

Nelrak: Boy....where do I begin?

First, let me say that I'm thrilled that you're anxious to go down this path. Good for you! You're dead-on right about those mintages and relative low values. It's ridiculous when you look at how much other coins that have huge survivor rates and their prices. As the coins get bigger in size, so do their prices (especially noticeable to the Early Proof collector)!

Let's just say I specialize in this area. Myself and probably others on this board (and other forums) can offer you tons of advice in this area. I would say, do NOT buy any RAW Proofs until you know what you're looking at. Personally, I still get "nervous" when I look at a raw Proof because you have to wonder WHY is it not already slabbed? Usually, the answer is because there's a problem. Sometimes the answer is because the dealer broke it out of the holder because he disagreed with the grade. Other times, it's purely innocent and it just came out of an old time collection and it's ripe for the picking. Expensive and/or fragile coins like that today should be suspect if not already holdered, especially if you're new to the Proof collecting thing.

Okay...that aside. If I'm buying a Proof, it better be ALL THERE. This means that the mirrors need to be at least medium deep and not overly subdued by toning. The toning should not be splotchy, too dark, or generally unattractive. White coins should automatically pose a red flag to you that it's likely been dipped or cleaned is some other manner. Make sure the coin doesn't have any dip residue or other problems due to a bad dip (such as yellow/brown toning around the rim of the coin). There should be no marks, spots, dings, etc. anywhere in the prime focal area. Any hairlines should be minimal for the grade and not distracting.

Please don't hesitate to ask questions. If you can show us pictures of a potential purchase that would greatly assist us in what we might think or do. Can the dealer allow you to take pictures/scans? Don't feel pressured to buy before it gets slabbed. Yeah, you might pay more, but it might save you some serious grief, too. Chances are the dealer is not stupid and he won't sell you a PF65 coin for PF63 money, but then again that's what the Cherry Pick is all about!

Keep us up-to-date!

If at all possible try to get high resolution photos at various angles. At certain angles, the light will reflect off the mirrors and show them off. At other angles, it should show better detail. The key is to show enough detail so the hairlines are visible. Be sure you careful review the coins in hand and tilt them around in a 100W incadescent bulb (or halogen) to see the hairlines and any other possible problems.

This is an amazing set Prethen.