Posted 09/05/2019 10:32 pm
I have to admit:
I am a junkbox junkie myself.
I will spend hours just to cherry pick one or two coins from thousands.
At coin shows or at coin shops, both good.
My strategy:
a) any ASW silver coin at or below melt
b) any 19th century or earlier bronze or silver coin including medieval and ancients, in fine condition or better.
c) These days, I tend to concentrate on the $5, $10, $15 and $20 junk boxes.
d) decades of experience a great help. Reviewing my four Krause catalogs 1600- 2000 occasionally also helps.
Over a period of about 40 years, I have added about 2,000 World coins to my collection in this manner.
Some of my best pick-ups are:
a VF silver tetradrachm of Ptolemy 12th, (55-51 BC) (long time ago),
an MS63 1947 Peru 20 centavo piedfort copper off metal strike mintage 300
an EF 1923s SLQ (about 20 years ago).
All of these came out of $5 junk boxes. It pays to open your mind to the whole of numismatics - you never know what you may find.
I am a junkbox junkie myself.
I will spend hours just to cherry pick one or two coins from thousands.
At coin shows or at coin shops, both good.
My strategy:
a) any ASW silver coin at or below melt
b) any 19th century or earlier bronze or silver coin including medieval and ancients, in fine condition or better.
c) These days, I tend to concentrate on the $5, $10, $15 and $20 junk boxes.
d) decades of experience a great help. Reviewing my four Krause catalogs 1600- 2000 occasionally also helps.
Over a period of about 40 years, I have added about 2,000 World coins to my collection in this manner.
Some of my best pick-ups are:
a VF silver tetradrachm of Ptolemy 12th, (55-51 BC) (long time ago),
an MS63 1947 Peru 20 centavo piedfort copper off metal strike mintage 300
an EF 1923s SLQ (about 20 years ago).
All of these came out of $5 junk boxes. It pays to open your mind to the whole of numismatics - you never know what you may find.
Condition well above average in each case.
