I Just Opened Up A Can Of Worms

I have a combination of proofs and uncirculated coins in place for my moderns. There's a couple of coins plucked from circulation too. I think you can mix and match and have it come out nice.

One thing I have tried to do is to have grades progress. So, as coins go from older to newer, there's a natural progression from toned VF/XF to BU uncirculated or proof. It kind of emphasizes the progression from old to new.

7070 is a lot of fun in my opinion but there's a couple coins in there that - as SuperDave says - are going to put me inthe poorhouse!

Ken

I have added up what I have spent on my 7070 album and I have to say everything that has been said here is true, I have spent more on coins for this one album than I paid for the vehicle that I drive daily and I am talking about thousands more not a couple hundred dollars more. When I started my album I said I would put no coin less than a AU-50 in any slot and they all had to be problem free, and once they are in the hole that is where they will spend the rest of their life as long as they are under my care. I ask you to look for a "Problem Free" classic head large cent in AU-50 or above condition and just look at how much you are going to have to pay for this one coin (I had this hole filled but after allot of arguing with family members over my Grandfathers collection I decided it wasn't worth all the hastle of arguing over it with everyone so it was added back to the estate even though it was given to me before my grandfather had died). Anyway I can tell you even though I said I would not upgrade any coins in the album once they were in the album, there is quite a few in there now that are replacements for other coins that were in the same hole previously. As you grow in numismatics your taste grows also and its hard to be satisfied with a coin that you just don't like the look of even if it meets the grade you were looking for originally when you see another one that would look so much better in its place

I am staying away from proofs in my 7070 but that is just my personal preference. I like the challenge of finding a problem free business strike. I am pretty satisfied with the moderns I have but once you start lining these coins up next to each other and you see one as inferior, it can become quite an obsession to upgrade.

Brian, you have alluded before to previously owning a really nice Classic Head Large Cent. I always wondered what happened and now I know. I am sorry you lost it that way. You and I both know that is a really tough one. I have a 1814 VG-8 in my 7070 that came out of an old ANACS holder, but it is much better than the others I have seen and would cross at a higher grade now I am sure. I've seen a lot of junky ones on ebay lately going for serious money. I bought it in a Heritage auction. My goal was to get one without corrosion and mine is free of that or any other problems. I honestly can't foresee upgrading it even though it is the lowest graded coin in my 7070, but who knows?

The 7070 is quite the challenge. I attempted one, and used a mix of proofs and BU for the moderns, I was trying to keep a fair balance of the different mints if you can believe that. I had a blast with the 20th and 21st century coins, and then I got to some of the 19th Century coins.....and totally lost interest. I just wasn't excited about spending hundreds of dollars on 20 Cent Pieces and Seated Liberty dollars. I ended up selling the album, and most of the coins in it. I wish they'd just do a 20th Century Type album. But to answer your question, I say don't limit yourself to just proofs or just MS. Buy whatever catches your eye for that particular coin. It's next to impossible and EXTREMELY expensive to attempt a matching 7070.

what is a 7070 collection? I'm thinking 70 coins spanning 70 years?