Time To Buy A Key Date Rare Coin

Well what series are you interested in? Want to buy a 20$ St gauds or a Carson City Trade dollar. A proof or business strike. Some information on what you would like. Big coin,small coin.

Well, not knowing any of your collecting interests, it is hard to find a starting point.

The standard 1877 IHC, 1909 s v.d.b. Wheat, 1916 D Mercury, 1885 nickel etc. Personally, I have a hard time spending the money on those because they aren't really rare. Hundreds on ebay at any given time.

This is just a personal preference question. I seem to chase rare early dates. Examples I like to search for:

1809 large cent in problem free condition, 1815 half dollar, 1809 and 1811 dimes, 1790s large cents, draped bust halves......

I think the reason my collecting habits have evolved this way is because every shop you walk into has the standard "keys" in the case. You don't see a lot of the coins mentioned above. So, I guess it's the thrill of the chase.

My advice if you are going to pick up a standard "key" date is be very finicky. Whatever the grade, make sure it stands out in the crowd and is attractive amongst others in its class. Otherwise, it will be tough to get rid of if you decide to sell.

I recommend a 1909 S VDB in MS grade.

First, I congratulate you on doing such an awesome job in being able to "create" $2000 and being smart enough to get opinions here, as well as wanting a single killer coin.

A key to making a decision that is based partly on expectation of a coin that will hold or increase in value is heavily influenced today by "Registry" Sets. Those sets listed by PCGS or NGC. Any collector can enter their ownership of specific sets that are graded by these two firms (although PCGS doesn't accept NGC coins in their registry).

There is a surprisingly large number of collectors who attempt to assemble the best possible set based on those TPG top rated coins. When a coin is at the top of the population report (easily seen at either TPG, although I recommend Heritage for the fastest all around comparisons) the prices sometimes get scary high.

I myself buy coins directly below the TOP POP, simply because exceptional coins can be had for a fraction of what the TOP POP's will sell for.

Keep in mind that a coin graded MS-Whatever is only the starting point of choosing a great coin. If you look at the selling prices for almost any coin (again, at Heritage), you will see the exact same "grade" by the same TPG might be worlds apart in actual money spent. You might see a Morgan dollar in the same grade and from the same TPG that sells for as low as $800, and for as much as $3000 for the "same" item.

That's because some coins, regardless of grade, are just plain ugly. Many 1964 Kennedy halves, Both P&D, are really tough to find in bright white silver with no spots at the MS66 grade. I've seen those sell for $200, even though you can go on ebay right now and find some ugly ones that get relisted time and time again for $100.

So you simply need to really do only ONE thing when you buy that wonderful $2000 coin. You need to LOVE it. I mean absolutely love it. You need to dream about it. You need to worry that someone will bid higher. You need to be willing to pay 20-30% more than the "normal" price range because the coin is just so God-wonderful neat.

When you get a coin like that that you love, it is very likely that a lot of other people will love it too, and if there is a chance at an increase in value, that's the kind of coin that might do that.

Get a big giant MS-65 common date Saint Gaudens in your hand, make sure it has NO copper spots, no milk spots and no marks (regardless of the TPG grade) in any easily seen space, and you will have a hard time NOT buying that, for under the $2000...

...or the Red 1864 or 1865 MS two-cent with no carbon spots...

...or the ... I think you get the message.

I do the same thing as well, but I tend to spend as I go. The coins I want are in the $100-500 range, so I don't need to save up too terribly long for them. Congratulations on reaching your goal with such good self control!

As for your question, Seated dollars are a good choice and investment. As more collectors shift to type collecting to bypass the pesky keys, the premiums for choice AU+ Seated dollars will rise.

Nice, problem-free, accurately-graded Seated dollars are tough to find, especially since many issues have a very low mintage.

Top Pops are very poor investments as they are conditional rarities. As more are found and certified, the price will drop. I don't like key dates because you don't get a lot of meat for $2000, if you know what I mean. They don't have historical intrigue or interest nor rarity that justifies their cost. A Saint Gaudens will be closely tied to gold value, plus they are auite common, so I don't recommend that route.

A coin in which the whole type is scarce (seated dollars, large-size Capped Bust quarters, draped bust dollars, etc) will always hold their value. Rarities with historical importance (Dahlonega gold, early Federal issues) are always popular, and their values would hold. A nice high-grade, problem-free pre-1808 large cent (my recommendation is 1794-1798) is also a good buy because they are quite scarce, and the values are increasing because of EAC. All of these suggestions also have historical interest on top of scarcity, which I find more appealing than a key date whose value stems from the need to complete a set.

Congrats on your success! I've been thinking of trying to do that with coins on ebay as a little side thing. Especially since I already have an ebay store for my main business, so I could take advantage of the cheaper fees.

Anyway, I don't think you'd get the best bang for your buck with gold as the inherent value means you can only get something somewhat rare in the smallest denominations. I personally like older coins, but it sounds like you are fond of series from the first part of the 20th century. For that I'd go with a nice 1909S VDB or maybe a 3-leg 1937D buffalo. I'd stay away from the 1916 D dime or 1916 SLQ as $2000 isn't enough to get you a high grade in those. My feeling being that if you've worked this hard for your money get a really nice example of a moderately rare (in the loose sense) coin rather than a low grade of a more valuable one.

First of all I would recommend buying a rare MS coin not a super rare low mintage low grade one . It's still a hard question because even though you put your nose to the grind stone and saved $2,000 you might find yourself a little short , and wind up having to compromise your purchase .
To make a long story short save up another grand or two and buy something that will knock your socks off .
( AND OURS TOO )

If you're just looking to buy one coin with that $2000, you can always get one of these:



I paid a little more than $2000 for it, but you should be able to find one as nice for around $2000. Yeah, I know it's almost a cliche, but it is the coin most people think of when you mention coin collecting and "rare" coins and I think every collector should have a nice example.