| Author |
 Replies: 25 / Views: 1,101 |
Page 2 of 2
|
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
6493 Posts |
Quote:
I am sorry for my ignorance but what is a lowball? A coin that grades Poor (01) on the 70-point Sheldon scale. Some collectors assemble dedicated lowball sets of all Poor 01/70 coins. The logic is something of a puzzle to me, perhaps nickelsearcher could enlighten us? |
|
New Member
 United States
20 Posts |
Quote:
That gives me the chops to provide an informed opinion - and IMO this quarter would come back PO01 That settles it; I'm sending it in! Those are credentials I can trust. You all may get a kick out of what I paid for this piece, I wasn't well versed in Washington quarters so I didn't realize what a deal it was until later. I was mainly focused on getting any coin from the shop in a low grade.   |
|
Bedrock of the Community
 United States
10504 Posts |
Great price, that's for sure.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
73937 Posts |
That's a good deal. Sweet!  Errers and Varietys.
|
|
Moderator
United States
15408 Posts |
Quote:
Some collectors assemble dedicated lowball sets of all Poor 01/70 coins. The logic is something of a puzzle to me, perhaps nickelsearcher could enlighten us? That's a good enough description Brand, although technically a lowball can be any grade PO01 through ~AG03. Most competitive lowball sets contain coins in grades higher than PO01. The appeal of lowball collecting (to me) was the challenge that is universal to all collecting - that is, the pursuit of a challenging goal that takes time and persistence to achieve. Obtaining a true honest lowball is much harder than one might think. By 'honest' I mean a coin that is naturally worn through use in commerce, is identifiable by date and mintmark, has original surfaces and is not damaged. It needs to be able to be certified problem free by a top TPG. I spent about 10 years pursuing these coins, and gained a tremendous amount of collecting joy during the hunt. As I stated above, there was a time where I had assembled that #1 PCGS Registry Lowball sets across three entire series. They have all since been sold - at quite a profit actually. To give you an idea, here is a link to the PCGS lowball set for Barber halves. Look at the 'All Time Finest' and you will find my retired Barber half set 'Chesapeake Collection' with 4 gold medals for the years it was judged amongst the handful of finest PCGS sets across all denominations and series. https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/lo...92-1915/5114Edited by nickelsearcher
01/27/2026 06:34 am
|
|
New Member
United States
20 Posts |
Quote:
The appeal of lowball collecting (to me) was the challenge that is universal to all collecting - that is, the pursuit of a challenging goal that takes time and persistence to achieve. I will add to this as someone very new to lowball collecting: A major draw to me is that lowballs have all "put in the work" as coins and done their jobs to the utmost as part of the economy. In that sense I personally identify with them, as a normal guy who works and gets tired and worn out. There's something exclusive and snobbish feeling to me about high grades on old coins sometimes; they were put away decades or centuries ago and have often never done a day's work as a coin. Only more wealthy collectors can afford to buy one, and most will never find one themselves. Pedigree is everything and only the high class have value. A good lowball feels more like a humble grandparent who has lived a full life, and may not have a huge inheritance to leave you, but is full of wisdom and love. But of course the challenge is what makes any collection fun, so the limits of "lowest possible straight grade" keep it interesting. |
|
Moderator
United States
15408 Posts |
Very well said JstnPwll - I fully concur. The chances of you or I obtaining an MS68 example of a classic coin are zero. But - with some persistence it's possible for anyone to obtain one of these 'humble grandparents'. If you open the PCGS link above, and read my set description for the Barber Half lowballs, you'll read that I included the following quote: Quote:
Hopeful that you take a moment and enjoy the photographs . honest coins which have honorably served our nations commerce. |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
36710 Posts |
Obverse should bring it down to PO-1.
|
|
New Member
United States
20 Posts |
I thought you all might like to see the result!   |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
18654 Posts |
i think it has a good shot at P01
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
577 Posts |
Awesome to see it got the poor 1!
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
3118 Posts |
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
18654 Posts |
and everyone called it  now, what are going to do with it? |
|
New Member
United States
20 Posts |
Quote:
now, what are going to do with it? Cherish it forever, it's my first official lowball and the seed to my future breathtaking collection  |
|
Moderator
United States
188052 Posts |
Quote:
I thought you all might like to see the result! Excellent! Quote:Cherish it forever, it's my first official lowball and the seed to my future breathtaking collection That works for me!  |
|
Page 2 of 2
|
Replies: 25 / Views: 1,101 |
Page 2 of 2
|
First Page
Posted 01/26/2026 8:26 pm
