| Author |
 Replies: 16 / Views: 1,859 |
|
Valued Member
United Kingdom
188 Posts |
Well you guys and gals know I'm working on a few British sets and a German set. Although I'm not sure if I specified exactly what they were precisely. But recently I've been toying with the idea of re-kickstarting a collection of US coins in addition to the other sets I'm working on. Now I've been sat thinking a long while and I was having trouble for a few reasons. Now you have to bear in mind I am by nature a date collector (i only do type sets when working on hammered coins without dates), so I want/got to make the date feature inclusive. My intial idea was to pick a decade from the 20th century and do a date set of all the denominations from a certain mint. By nature I gravitate towards Philadelphia since it's generally easier to get the coins from that mint, although there's usually more to get! But I encountered a problem or two. I thought about doing the 1900s but then I figured I really didn't want to do the Barber coinage, i'd rather do the new silver coinage from 1916 onwards. So I figured well what about the 1910s? Well there's just tons of stuff to get the Barber stuff is still in the equation, and some of the 1916 issues aren't cheap and there's no $1 pieces. Plus I was finding the 1920s more appealing anyhow as it was the golden period of US history, well till 1929 at any rate. So I've now decided to focus on the 1920s P mint issues exclusively, however a new problem now arises as the 1920s eliminates my favourite nickel the Liberty nickel out of the equation, and replaces it with probably my least favourite nickel (bar one) the Buffalo. Now I'm not bothered either way about the Lincoln cents I can happily live with those (infact I kinda like them), but I really don't fancy having to get the Buffalo nickels. I am however looking forwards to the Merc dimes upwards though! Should I just snip the bottom two denominations off of the list? I hope to be getting coins grading roughly EF across the whole set, where ever a coin is prohibitive in EF then that year will simply be skipped as i'd rather have a gap than a substandard coin ruining the look of the set. |
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
Hi Syl
You Didnt mention if the quarters will be included in your date type set,, The SLQ's can run into some serious money in EF and above, as well as the Walkers ,, the mercs are for Most dates readily available Keeping in mind that a couple of the Minor Keys are included in the 1920's
Personally I wouldnt leave out the Bottom 2 Denoms.
Rick
|
|
Valued Member
 United Kingdom
188 Posts |
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. Edited by Ætheling
06/13/2005 4:16 pm
|
|
Valued Member
United Kingdom
188 Posts |
Well the first one for the set is this one, fully paid up on and it should be with me on wednesday, fingers crossed.  (I've got a 1928 Saint reserved for me too, which I'm starting to draw funds together for, I think it's time to sell a few more old coins off). I've also found this too... Is this any good for £8? Being sold as GEF... (my grading on these needs fine tuning).   |
|
Pillar Of The Community
3147 Posts |
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! |
|
Valued Member
United States
421 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by Ætheling
but I really don't fancy having to get the Buffalo nickels.
Well, there goes my suggestion. |
|
Valued Member
United States
187 Posts |
I like your idea of skipping the date if you can't get the EF. I never really thought of it that way.
Jerry
|
|
Valued Member
United Kingdom
188 Posts |
Well when I thought of doing a set I knew I definately wanted to include the gold because lets face it, it was part of the coinage, and because I happen to like gold but I currently didn't have any gold coin collections on the go. However because of the small issue of the coinage act of 1933 alot of what were common date gold coins were melted down and are now very, very pricy, way out of my league. So I though well the chances of getting a 1929 Saint are a bit thin on the ground and frankly I dunno if i'd want to pay that much for one anyhow. Therefore I had to realistically accept that there would be gaps. Looking at the 1921 Walker also I hought well there's another gap! I'm just trying to picture the overall appearance of the set more than anything, I think i'd get more pleasure from seeing a nice row of EF (or very high VF) if it keeps the set looking uniform and retains the eye appeal. In my eyes there's nothing more irritating that seeing a lovely row of say VF/EF coins with an AG stuck in the middle of them, it just doesn't look right!  Which is a reason mre than anything why I wanted to avoid the Barber issues, not because I find them lacking in eye appeal (they are very nice coins in high grade) but I once heard someone say one rub of an AU Barber makes it look like it's in Fine. Middle grade Barbers don't look middle grade. |
|
Valued Member
United Kingdom
188 Posts |
quote:
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!
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. |
|
Pillar of the Community
Belgium
2078 Posts |
Ætheling
That is a very nice coin
Did you buy it in Europe ?
I am learning to fotograde
and am simply curious whether the coin had a quoted MS grade
I blew up the coin and it is not round so I guess it is a foto
taken at an angle.
|
|
Valued Member
United Kingdom
188 Posts |
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.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2724 Posts |
Ætheling,
May I offer one suggestion. One the "tough" Philly issues, consider the "D" or "S" coins.
|
|
Valued Member
United Kingdom
188 Posts |
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.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
Hi Syl
I think what ND meant was instead of leaving empty holes in the collection where the high dollar philly coins would go, to use a D or an S mint coin in that hole ? so that there would be no gaps !!
Rick
|
|
Valued Member
United Kingdom
188 Posts |
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.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Belgium
2078 Posts |
Ætheling
I am learning to foto grade from an american master
I asked his opinion because I thought the coin was uncirculated MS grade
He says it is a bad picture but that I may be right he can see no wear
Let us know will you ?
I hope for you it is MS grade
|
| |
Replies: 16 / Views: 1,859 |
Posted 06/13/2005 4:11 pm
