Design, Toning, Patina and RD vs BN

We are all unique in our tastes. We may share a common taste for many of the same things-such as coins/medals in general-but what we find appealing is divergent.

I could write a book on all of the different ways that numismatists collect-series, by date, by color, type, one of each, by mint, by medal, theme, country etc etc etc...but we all have our style and preferences.

I have assembled sets by theme which have hundreds of coins--and other times I collect a series by "short set" because I don't want to invest the money, time and effort into assembling every issue and mintmark of the same design.

My most recent short sets were of the 1900's Barber Halves in VF/XF and then the Buffalo nickels 1934-1938 in MS66 and above.

Having finished those sets, removed from the registry and set aside, I now have begun 2 more. The SLQ One-Per-Date set is a registry category but I added my own parameters again in that they all must be AU grade.

The other set I am building was an Indian Head Cent Short Set. I initially set it for just the 1900's coins but have since decided to extend it from 1890 thru 1909 as I am enjoying the collecting of the varied looks of the coin and the parameters I set to increase the challenge is still somewhat easy in our internet age. All coins must be MS64 and all must be "BROWN."

Why brown? The truth is, I am just weird and the appearance of bright red/orange copper is less attractive to my eye than the deep chocolates, purples, wood grained look and/or depth of design that an aged looking copper coin has.

On the plus side is that the browns most often cost about 1/3rd of the price of a RED, but often I end up with a coin with "exceptional eye appeal" and end up forking out more for my coins than your plain brown examples.

So if I can find a coin in the look I prefer and at a lower cost, for me that is a win/win and if my collecting choices don't jibe with someone else's --then good, less competition for the coin's I'm hunting.

The latest addition--an 1891 MS64 BN....Happy Hunting everyone

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