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 Replies: 30 / Views: 3,611 |
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
I've collected American Silver Eagles since their inception in 1986. I prefer the NGC specimen's simply because I can see their grade difference between a 69 and 70, most of the time. I've only started adding 70's to my set for the last 15 years and I simply have no desire to obtain the earlier examples at what I consider ridiculous prices for my upgrades to the 70. I enjoyed the different offerings like the Ultra Cameo, the Special Finish, the Burnished, and the Reverse Proofs, and added those to my set, as well. When the "struck by" started being offered a few years ago, I was not a big fan of those. Not being able to see where they were minted, except for the slab itself, seemed a bit disingenuous. But I bought those too, wanting to keep my set complete. At the beginning of this year the only ASE I didn't have was the 95W. I expected to see a 2017 bullion, burnished, ultra cameo, with perhaps another special finish or reverse proof. In the last six months, because of what was discovered in mint reports, we now have a whole brand new group of "struck by" that were not even mentioned for other years, or for this year. All of a sudden I didn't have and needed (all struck by) a BUNCH of coins. I needed 2015 (P) selling at well over $500 (confirmed mintage just under 80,000) for a 69 and you could buy a small house for the cost of a 70, a 2015 (W), a 2016 (P) and (S) , and a 2017 (P) and (S). Many of these are selling for over $200, and a set of the three 2017 is about the only ones that can be bought in 70 for a vaguely reasonable price - $450 for the set. With the cost to purchase what I need spurting above $1000 to get those "struck by" I'm really becoming tempted to drop the ASE set altogether, keep what I have, and see if these "struck by beasts" become more reasonably priced over time. I would appreciate your opinion on what you are planning to do, or have done, in this regard. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4901 Posts |
I collect NGC graded ASE's. The "struck by" labels that you mention are meaningless since the coins are all the same no matter where they were struck. Add to this the Mint admission that their mintage numbers per Mint were in error. Stick to collecting ASE's that are distinguished by mintmark or finish. If you want to add ASE's that are additionally labeled as being from certain sets that works also....bullion ASE's are all bullion ASE's...all those from one year are all the same. Biggest scam there is....struck by...but, you are entitled to collect what you want to spend money on... |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7191 Posts |
My ASE's are mint issues or raw. I don't buy into a TPG variety that cannot be distinguished by sight. |
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Pillar of the Community
7234 Posts |
I'm sure the prices will drop when all the dealer start backing up with tons of inventory as people aren't falling for this "struck by" hype - after all is said and done,without the fancy label holders, they are just bullion coins.
I say, in this case, the old saying of "buy the coin not the holder" is never more evident.
Edited by Mark1959
06/25/2017 12:16 pm
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Moderator
 United States
54281 Posts |
I, personally, love the ASEs, but never buy the "struck by", "first strike", "early release", "first releases", "first day of issue", autographed labels, show releases, etc. None of those are needed to complete a collection of dates and mint marks. You, the collector, set the criteria for being included in your set. For example, you might collect only normal strike coins and "reject" the reverse proof or burnished issues.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4211 Posts |
I also have a set of ASE's but mine are raw in a CAPS album. I am only missing the 2008 reverse of 07 and have ZERO plan of buying into this false hype of which mint the bullion coin was minted at. I was very happy with my set before this whole thing started and just as happy with my set now. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
2668 Posts |
Are you willing to spend $1000 on 'false hype'?  |
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Valued Member
United States
124 Posts |
Ha, what's next, minted on Thursday label for those that love Thursdays for some reason. The OCD collectors will want a label coin for every day of the week, minted on Monday label, minted on Tuesday label etc. This is getting stupid. Is the same coin , only difference is the date. Jesus people, stop it, your embarrasing non OCD collectors. It's ok, you don't have to buy every label out there. Just one per year, simple. Buy one with the best label you like and that's it, ignore the rest.
Edited by alvaro77
06/25/2017 3:16 pm
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Pillar of the Community
7234 Posts |
Quote:
Ha, what's next, minted on Thursday label for those that love Thursdays for some reason. Better watch out what you reply - NGC may just start printing up grading labels with "Thursday Specials" AND with Rick Harrison's picture on it!!  |
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Valued Member
United States
338 Posts |
I just buy one every year for my Dansco set.
Not interested in proofs or other issues.
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Rest in Peace
 United States
17900 Posts |
I agree with the theory of buying the coin rather than the holder. However, if you actually search the 2015 (p), for example, you will see hundreds of them sold for the $500 Mark and higher over the last many months without any reductions in the sold for prices.
If no one was interested in them, those prices should be bottoming out by now. Yet every month more hundreds sell. I simply look at what else my $500 would buy, and that unidentifiable struck bys become much less attractive.
I guess it's just hard to drop an essentially complete set simply because of scarcity that's suddenly created.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4901 Posts |
When it comes to labels you just have to pick your poison. There are a crapload of none coin specific labels out there and you would go crazy if you thought that all of them are needed for a complete set. Check out the curved baseball dollars with a zillion baseball players signatures on them...does it make the coin unique? Ummm nope...
If you have a 2015/2016/2017 etc. bullion coin that is all you need for that issue. If you want to have them all slabbed MS69 or 70 for a collection that's fine...if you just want them to fill an album spot that's appropriate...
It doesn't matter where they were made or what time of day they were produced....no mint mark then they are all the same.
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CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives
United States
12272 Posts |
I'm a type collector by nature, preferring to build my collections with differing designs vs. assembling date and mint mark combinations within a series.
Applying this mindset to your situation, I would say that if there isn't any visible design difference in a coin - even if just a date or mint mark - then the coin is not different and therefore not needed for a complete collection. I would ignore the "struck by" and not feel that my set was any less complete.
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3210 Posts |
Look I like collecting ASE's like most, but I keep it simple and buy a choice bullion example for my dansco and I buy a proof version from the West Point mint since West Point is literally 25 minutes from where I live. I keep both of my sets in separate dansco albums; 1 for regular bullion strikes, and 1 for the proofs. I don't get into all the other gimmicks such as obv proof, rev proof, San Francisco strikes, first strikes, etc. it just becomes too complicated and expensive if you try to get EVERY single one released, especially all of them in MS/PF 70, then we're talking a small fortune. Edited by Imthealphaomega
06/26/2017 10:14 am
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12822 Posts |
I've only collected ASEs in OGP (or raw, for bullion) and intend to keep it that way.
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
One of the reasons that I collect the ASE to include the different mints and different finishes (special, ultra cameo proof, reverse proof, burnished) is because it is the only set I continue to collect that dates past 1964. I like to keep about 50-60 coins on my want list all the time. That insures that I'll be able to choose a coin from that list, and change that list, as items are purchased. It gives me a fair chance of obtaining one or two coins a month, which I'm perfectly happy with. The ASE are the only coins on my want list that are USUALLY in a lower price range (by my standards, not yours, perhaps). Right now my want list includes the 9 coins I still need for my 1934-47 WLH collection, the 5 coins I still need for my 50 Piece type set of Classic Silver Commemoratives, and an additional listing of type that, unfortunately, has few easy pieces in the grade and condition I'm looking for. Consequently, I've used the ASE as my go-to coins when nothing else on my want list is showing up. I'm not interested in expanding beyond the 50-60 number because I very much enjoy collecting toward a goal. I've finished a good number of my goals in US coins already, and some of the coins that I'm still after are going to be expensive enough that I'll only be able to purchase one coin every two months (or more). I know that going after another inexpensive goal would help me survive the withdrawel from ASE, but most of everything that I had any interest in collecting in the more moderate price ranges has already been done. I agree with the majority who only collect the REAL different ASE that you don't need a slab to tell you what it is. I think I'll just have to travel that route from now on. Paying $500 for something that's worth $25 (or less) out of the slab is indeed insane. Thanks to all of you who helped me get to that decision. |
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Replies: 30 / Views: 3,611 |
Posted 06/25/2017 11:23 am
