Shiny New Coins Vs. Old Dirty Ones

I'm trying to build a US type set with the older coins (say, prior to the 1940s) that will all resemble these examples:







I suppose these are indicative of why I'm so attracted to the older coinage.

I, too, prefer the old to the new, if only because they could make a gazillion of the new ones, but the number of old ones is distinctly limited.

It's hard to tell which is the better investment, however, since most coins that would cost what an ounce of silver bullion costs are typically pretty worn examples of not-too-uncommon dates/mint marks.

So, the best advice is to settle on what most speaks to you and collect 'em. Then in a year or two or ten, when you wake up one day to find your tastes have changed, you can collect the others!

I've got some of both & like 'em all. The modern coins for the detail, the older coins for the better looking (IMO) designs. If money was no object I think I'd go for the old coins in the high grades, might as well get the best of both worlds.

I have a pretty funny story when I thought of a way to clean some change... I realized once that I had left some coins in my pants pocket, ended up going through the washer and drier. I took out the coins when I heard them clinking together in my pockets. I took them out and they were pretty shiny and cleaned up. I remembered right there that the pants I had worn the other day, I had put some change in the pockets that I remembered were a little dirty. So that got me thinking... I got a sock and a bunch of old dirty coins, all pennies, mostly 70's and 80's, and put them all in the sock. I put the sock in with the wash and waited till the cycle was all done. When the washer stopped, however, I just realized that I forgot to tie off the sock!
I looked all around the washer after taking all the clothes out. Couldn't find the sock, or any trace of pennies! I just put it out of my mind for a few days. Then one day, when my brother was doing the wash, he noticed a sock sticking ever so slightly underneath the drum part of the washer. (our washer is suspended horizontally and rides on a rubber drum.) He pulled it out and there were some of my coins! I don't remember exactly how many I originally put in the sock, but it was heavy enough to slip underneath the drum of the washer. I am sure some coins are still lost somewhere inside the washer at this very moment. That is the last time I try washing coins that way.
I think I will just stick with not washing coins period.

PSPVinyls, that's hysterical !!!