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 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,125 |
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New Member
United States
12 Posts |
Poll Question
Just curious what everyone considers a priority. Is the grade more important or is the error/variety more important? Do you consider the grade first? Do you consider the error first? Does it matter?
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
17890 Posts |
Hi Rmahoney and  to the Forum! You've actually set quite an interesting poll! Personally I don't really collect error coins, although I keep one of I happen to find it in circulation. If I was buying something like a Seated Liberty dollar for my US type set, and was offered one with a lamination or strike through error, I'd probably pass on it and wait for a 'normal' coin to turn up. As far as variety and grade go, I'd be happy to get a coin with a scarce variety such as a 1970s small date cent in VF or EF condition even though my 1970S large date specimen is Uncirculated and lustrous. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
8728 Posts |
It's not that simple. Lots of factors, denominations, the mintage for said denomination, what the error or variety is. I lucked up on a horribly damaged and low grade "King of Vams" Morgan dollar for 30 bucks and sold it for 550. A Morgan in the same condition in an 1887 might bring 25 bucks right now. So, there are many factors and if you are interested in this hobby, you need to study and take some major time to understand what different things are worth. I suggest picking a particular type of coinage and sticking with it until you can learn the differences. Study and read the many different posts on this and other sites and learn before you make any major moves. This can be a hard knocks hobby that will cost you dearly if you do not know what you are doing. -makecents-
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
10484 Posts |
To put it bluntly - It starts off as what what you like to collect, then the next step is what you can afford.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
An impossible question to answer in less than several paragraphs, I'll pass.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6997 Posts |
I go by....buy the highest grade your comfortable with and buy what you like.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10484 Posts |
Quote:
.buy the highest grade your comfortable with and buy what you like. But then again there is a different scale if you are married........  |
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Valued Member
United States
250 Posts |
I think it depends on what you are collecting. When I was filling in albums, I looked for the highest circulated grade. Now that I am collecting Flying Eagle varieties, I am first trying to fill a variety set that has some tough varieties to find in pristine condition. I was able to get a low grade 1857 Snow 7 and was happy with just getting a coin. Once my set is complete, I will look for upgrades if they exist.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
I could not vote.
To get to an overall value of a coin,
each component that contributes to the value
should be assessed on it's own merits
to determine in the mind of the buyer how much should be paid.
Some value components add value, others detract.
Some collectors would value some of those components more highly than other collectors.
Therefore, it is essential that such coins should be closely inspected in hand before a decision to buy.
Such a coin will certainly be closely examined and be appreciated or be disappointing many times
when it is in the ownership of the collector.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10034 Posts |
When I want a specific variety, then I start looking for it. When I find one, if I like it, then I buy it. But the coin and ot the slab. I value the opinion on a professional slab about as much as I value the flavor of mud in a mud puddle b/c the companies use nothing verifiable to grade coins with. In the 90s they put profits ahead of everything else and abandoned their own tech-based, (they touted it as being more accurate), and newy developed method for grading b/c they found out if they used it, then they would only be paid ONCE to grade a specific coin. They went back to what they had called an inferior method (what they use today) which uses subjectivity. THis way people pay them more than once to grade the same coin. They crack out and re-submit the coin hoping for a higher grade (even when sending to the same to the same company). The companies can put anything they want to on a slab b/c they are totally unaccountable (the PCGS "guarantee" is touted but an objective review finds it does nothing for the customer unless they graded a fake as legit). The companies also do not have a good reputation for properly attributing varieties unless the variety is something unmistakable such as the famous 1955 DDO penny etc. Proof of a 1 in 3 (being generous) mistake on the rookie level Kennedy half dollar No FG variety being mislabeled by PCGS is below. Their lack of expertise has cost collectors literally thousands of dollars (also shown in the essay). All data is linked to the PCGS website to be verified by the reader. To read the essay click the link in my signature, and wait for the download link to load. See the following. Bobbie has it as a sticky someplace, but I could not find it! http://goccf.com/t/462680#4036923 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12477 Posts |
It depends entirely on the coin you are searching for. It would be too subjective to broadly fit any of the given options.
In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020
In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020
In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024
Edited by spru
12/04/2024 03:59 am
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New Member
Canada
2 Posts |
I think it's the story behind the coin not the grade or the error or variety because in my experience a coin with a good back story usually will have one or more of these qualities because a coin with a back story will have a deeper connection to its owner a memory they treasure
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New Member
Canada
2 Posts |
When I was younger, I stumbled upon a coin in my grandparents' penny jar that instantly caught my eye. It wasn't shiny like a brand-new penny, but it had this mesmerizing rainbow-like hue to it, almost as if it held a secret. To me, it looked amazing—completely different from the dull copper coins surrounding it. I asked if I could keep it, and my grandparents, probably amused by my fascination, told me I could.
I never spent that penny. I didn't even toss it into a jar of my own. Instead, I tucked it away in a safe place, like some sort of treasure. Years later, as I delved deeper into coin collecting, I rediscovered it and decided to research its origin. To my surprise, it wasn't just any penny; it was a 1985 pointed 5 Canadian penny—a coin that might not be worth much in monetary terms but is a gem for collectors due to its rarity and unique design.
That penny taught me an important lesson early on: sometimes, the real value of a coin isn't its face value or even its market value, but the story it carries and the joy it brings. For me, it's a little piece of my childhood and a reminder of the magic that comes with curiosity.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1760 Posts |
@masterjester |
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Replies: 13 / Views: 1,125 |
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Posted 12/03/2024 7:08 pm
