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 Replies: 27 / Views: 3,706 |
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Valued Member
United States
461 Posts |
I have just started collecting again and I decided that I might want to do commemoratives. Back in like 2002 or 2003 I sold off my entire collection while I was in college to pay bills. I had a really nice collection too at the time (I believe I got around $2000 wholesale for it with a retail probably closer to $3000-4000, I know small change but it was years of collecting for a young kid, for it with probably a current day value of $10000 for it now days). When I first started collecting I started with just your generic silver rounds as I love silver and at the time I remember silver was like $4-5 and ounce so I would buy a couple a week. I then started collecting Franklin half dollars because at the time a BU gorgeous example of the coin only ran $8-10. I did do a complete collection of Franklin halves in all years and mints. It was just an easy set to complete that was silver and not a design in circulation. But then I found my love which was a type set, I remember trying to put together the nicest type set (my favorite coin of all time is the Standing Liberty quarter I spent like $175 for a gorgeous example 1917 T1 and was so sad when I had to sell it). This is what I like is the different types of coins (large cents, Half Cents, Half Dimes) and different designs. I remember doing a Roosevelt dime set just because again it was an easy set to do and a lot of it was silver something I love. I bought back a little of my type set again about 5 years ago and then had to sell most of it again when I was unemployed for awhile. Starting over again I decided I don't want to just do a single design set again as I find that kind of boring and it just seemed I got into it because of my love for silver and because some of the sets were easy to do. If I wanted to do a set I would want it to be a coin set for a coin I love like the Standing Liberty quarter or Walking Liberty half but the problem is I would want the examples to be AU at worst and those sets would cost a small fortune in those grades. So I am just happy with having a gorgeous example in my type set and maybe one or two more beautiful examples. So I started my type set again and in my Dansco type album it has a spot for 4 commemorative halves and one commemorative dollar. As I started to put together a set again getting the pieces I love like silver dollars (Morgan and Piece), large cents etc... I started to look at adding those commemoratives. I of course went with the Colombian expo half dollar (I have always had this in my type set it being the first commemorative ever) and then I picked up a beautifully toned 1986 Liberty half (one of my favorite modern commemoratives even if it is a clad) I am also a sucker for beautifully toned coins and paid a little too much for a clad commemorative. I then picked up the 1983 George Washington commemorative half a nice silver half and one I always like in my type set with the Colombian as it starts the modern commemorative era. So all of a sudden I am going through and looking at all these commemoratives trying to decide which ones to put in my type set and I realize this is the set I want to do and what I want to collect. It fits the things I love like silver and multiple designs to choose from and there is plenty to work on and even some nicer higher priced items. A few questions which do you prefer more the older commemoratives or the modern one? I like older coins and there is a few beautiful designs in there (I love the Oregon trail and California jubilee I saw) but they are also more pricey as far as I can see plus they have a lot of mediocre designs mixed in. Then of course there is the modern set which has some gorgeous designs but the halves to me are such a let down as they only did the 2 silver halves and the rest are clad. So it would be mostly a silver dollar set if I did one. Which do you collect or prefer? Also I am fan of the dansco albums so I can see the different designs, is there a dansco album or maybe an harris album that does the commemoratives? I also see most resellers get a lot of these commemoratives slabbed and I like slabs but prefer albums is there anyone who does like a slabbed album so I could put a few slabbed coins in one? |
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CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives
 United States
11260 Posts |
Welcome! Lots and lots of good questions! Here are a few answers that I'm able to provide. Quote:
Which do you prefer more the older commemoratives or the modern one? I'm not always good at choosing, so I've assembled sets of both. I was never a collector who filled albums with coins of the same design â€" I like variety! Each of the US commemorative series provided ample variety to ensure that I enjoyed the pursuit. I don't have a real preference between the classic and modern coins, as each series has its merits and coins that I really enjoy viewing. If I had to dispose of one or the other, however, I would keep my classic set as it was much more difficult (and fulfilling) to assemble. While the classic series is definitely more expensive to collect on a per coin basis (assuming nice uncirculated examples are collected), the potential for future price appreciation favors it as there are far fewer classic commemorative coins in nicely preserved condition available vs. the modern issues â€" there will always be a solid demand for nice examples of the classics! Quote:
Is there a dansco album or maybe an harris album that does the commemoratives? There are Dansco albums for the classic series (1892 to 1954) as well as the modern series (1982 to present). So, whichever way you decide to go, you'll be covered. Quote:
Is there anyone who does like a slabbed album so I could put a few slabbed coins in one? Yes, there are albums specifically designed to hold slabbed coins should you decide to go that route. I am personally familiar with the albums from two different manufacturers: Eagle and Lighthouse. Some simple internet searching should locate all the details you need. Hope that helps! I'm sure many other knowledgeable collectors will be adding their valuable thoughts and insights. Good luck! Whichever way you go, I'm sure you'll enjoy assembling a commemorative set â€" they're great coins! Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
13554 Posts |
 to the CCF and back to the wonderful hobby of coin collecting. I enjoyed your introduction story and truly extend my best wishes as you begin to re-establish your collection. You will find many commemorative fans here ... both modern and classic series. Each of us has our own reasons for why we purse what we collect ... and I'm certain you will find your own happy way to pursue the hobby. For me ... IMHO and respectful opinion ... the classic silver commemorative type set is the greatest series of USA coinage ever minted ... filled with history, great designs and ... yes ... a few less than optimal coins. I am personally chasing them ... you can find some posts regarding my searching for MS and circulated sets. Whatever you choose ... know that you have found a friendly place ... populated by some true experts ... and we look forward to your contributions to the CCF family. David
Take a look at my other hobby ... https://www.jk-dk.artToo many hobbies .... too much work .... not enough time. |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
The commems series is true a great one. Like commems mentioned there are albums for the slabs and I would highly recommend the light house ones, I use them myself and love them. Get the ones that hold 54 though, if you get the smaller ones youll find yourself needing more albums sooner. Might as well save yourself the trouble too and just start on both the modern and classic sets. I started with just a few moderns then said I just wanted a classic or two and now I'm working on full sets of both. You can try and fight it but youll get sucked in. The faster you accept that the quicker you can get working on them 
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Moderator
United States
14463 Posts |
My first commemorative was from the 1984 Olympics in LA. I don't specifically collect commemoratives, just those that peek my interest.
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Valued Member
United States
141 Posts |
Here are two of the commemorative coins I like.   1928 Hawaiian and 1921 Missouri 2*4 |
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Valued Member
 United States
461 Posts |
I really like that Missouri, I am not a big fan of political heads on coins (I think our current set of coins Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Washington and Kennedy is the ugliest set of coins we have had in our US history and sadly some of those designs are 75-100 years old with almost the rest being over 50 years old or more, and this was coming from an era when we had the most beautiful coins in our history the 1920's with the Walking Liberty, Standing Liberty, Buffalo and Mercury all gorgeous coins). I like the more atheistic classical figures like Liberty, or Native American or deities or figures like on the front of the Oregon trail commemorative. I am really a big fan of a lot of the modern commemoratives many of them are gorgeous. After seeing what commems said about Dansco having books I went on ebay and saw a few. I saw a page that could be added to my current type set for the modern commemorative halves and then I could get a book for the early commemoratives and one for the modern Silver dollars. I think that would be perfect with me not being that much of fan of clads I could just add that page to my current type set and that would allow me to the modern clad halves and not have to do an entire book for them. I will wait to buy the books until I have a few coins to put in them or I will go crazy as I hate empty books. It bugs me so a lot of times I will end up buying filler coins that are f or vf or even just g just to fill the pages until I get something nicer. I have done that with my type set a little adding a filler Barber quarter, dime, V nickel, Buffalo nickel, Standing Liberty quarter. But I was thinking with the type set once I replace the coins for something nicer I can take those fillers and make my little boy a type book of his own with the fillers (he will be 3 in October) as that has to be fun as heck for a little kid to see all the different coins. I don't want to do that with the commemoratives because then I don't want to end up doing 2 sets of them haha so I better wait before adding the books until I have a handful of coins to fill them with or I will be tempted with cheaper fillers. I looked at my type set I had maybe $90 worth of coins left in front my last purge and I already spent twice that in the last 2 weeks to improve it, I want to grab a Peace dollar next for it (got a Morgan nice MS61 on Monday for it, was looking through my records wow how prices have changed the last time I bought a Morgan for it they were $26 for a MS grade this one cost me $50). Now the decision which commemorative dollar to put in my type set, torn between Ellis Island, that Franklin flying a kite, Boy Scout, Jamestown or Yellowstone. |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21635 Posts |
I visited San Diego, and had to get the Exposition Commemorative. The scene on the coin can be found on Google maps, terrestrial photos.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Sel The San Diego is an amazing design. I used to live there and the reverse brings back a lot of great memories. Sirdizzy. If your looking for a vote for which to include I would vote for the Jamestown out of those 4. Beautiful coin with a ton of historical significance. Definitely agree about the books too, I try and have something for them before making the order. I have a hard enough time with empty holes for coins that havent been released yet like my Presidential dollar one, much less just having an empty book I havent started. For the half dollar if you arent a huge fan I would suggest a type set for the half dollars. That way you could have them all and fill it at minimal expense. https://www.danscoalbumstore.com/mo...-p-2060.html |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
620 Posts |
I been collecting on and off for 51 years. I still collect what I like and what I have fun hunting down. A sidebar to coin collecting is I have met some great people along this coin filled road. I started with nickles then did a set of Peace dollars, followed by Franklin halfs and Walker half dollar sets. I have always liked commems and started on the classic halfs a few years ago. I been collecting Modern commems since around 1983. The label I have put on myself is Hobbiest, Not a hard core collector, not a dealer and I dont buy coins to flip for a profit. I collect because its #1 FUN, #2 I really like the designs on many coin, #3 the friends I have made through collecting. |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21635 Posts |
basebal21: My daughter in law used to live less than a kilometer from the scene in Balboa Park as depicted on the coin, right under the landing approach path to Lindbergh Field.
There one or two YouTubes that show exactly how low the aircraft fly over the houses on their landing approach.
She now lives in Sydney.
Edited by sel_69l
09/10/2012 08:24 am
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Valued Member
United States
461 Posts |
Captain Morgan I am the same way, I collect because I love coins and I find it very enjoyable to do so. But when times have gotten rough or I have needed money I have found myself having to sell them off, I hope to never have to do that again.
Right now I am rebuilding my type set and I love the idea when I upgrade a coin in my set to add the downgrade to a set I am doing for my 3 year old boy, that way when he gets older he will have a nice starter type set of his own.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Sel they do get some low flyers out in SD or used to anyway. I wasnt to far from where Top Gun used to be based and the F-14s would regularly come by. Used to sit on the back fence as a kid and watch them. Your daughter sure knows how to pick great weather places to live as well
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21635 Posts |
The view she had over the Harbour, out over the Naval base and out to Point Loma was fabulous. Didn't get the heat quite so much in summer, as experienced a few miles inland. Received all of the benefits you could expect from the sea breezes.
Next best thing to Coronado.
Many years ago, saw F14's flying over Sydney. They took part in celebrations when a carrier visited Sydney at that time.
Seen B52's and F15's over Sydney as well.
See A380's on a daily basis over our house, on their way to Singapore. I remember as a kid with the Qantas Super Constellations doing the same route.
Edited by sel_69l
09/10/2012 8:27 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Sel amen to that. Right on the shore is beautiful out there especially with that navy base, well how it use to be. Used to be quite something with the pacific fleet and the subs being there but now its mostly been moved to hawaii and just not the same. The fighters are gone too and the army took over the old top gun base which used to have 1 of the greatest air shows I've ever seen. Everything from stealths to c-130s and you could go on most or sit in the cockpit (supervised of course)
Edited by basebal21
09/10/2012 10:10 pm
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Valued Member
United States
469 Posts |
I think that it was 1970 or 71 and I read and article about them in Coinage Magazine. I didn't know anything about them and just thought they were neat. For what ever reason the first one I bought was a Cleveland. Then I bought several different Oregons including a 34-D, 37-D and a 38-PDS set. I had several others but can't remember now. The only UNC/BU that I have left is a Main. I traded most of them away. When gold was $600 in 1980 and on the way up I traded the 34 & 37 & $100 for a Canadian Maple Leaf. Weather it was a good trade then or not I'm not sure but I still have the Maple Leaf and I know what that's worth now. I got started on circ commems when I got onto ebay over 10 years ago and haven't looked back. |
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Replies: 27 / Views: 3,706 |
Posted 09/07/2012 7:35 pm
