Searching roll after roll and coin after coin has produced two coins I could never afford graded.

Hello collectors. I am a great fan of the Ike dollar, when in high grades I should say. The Ike dollar has been known as an ugly coin. With the number of knicks, scratches and poor strikes I would agree but, when I look at a high grade Ike it does begin to change my opinion.

I started collecting the Ike dollar when the mint started making the S.B.A. dollar, it was also the same time I started collecting coins all together. I would hit every dealer and show, looking through their Ikes. I found that good examples were hard to find and when I would find a nice one I made sure to buy it. Well it was about that time that third party grading started getting big, although it still didn't make financial sense to send in the modern Ike. I waited and sat on my Ikes until the time was right. My first submissions were the B.U. silver dollars. My 1972, 1973 and 1974 all came back a MS-67. My local dealer and myself where surprized at the high grade and at the time it was. I then sent in some of my business strikes and this is where I really got the drive to make a quality set. I sent in 8 coins that I had hand picked and thought would grade at least MS-65 but they didn't. Only one out of the 8 came back MS-65 and that was a 1976-D type two.

I did not give up though. I have slowly built up my collection and with the help of the internet have found new Ikes to go through. Recently I purchased a roll of 1971 Phillies and found 4 worthy of sending in. Those that collect Ikes know that the 1971 is one of the hardest to get in MS-65 or better. Not having mint sets to pick from they are not preserved in high numbers. Also the mint had a number of problems that prevent them from minting quality coins. This roll was exceptional though and when I saw what one of them graded I could not believe what I now have. NGC has graded one of my 1971 Phillies a MS-66. I now have a top pop coin that I got from a roll.

Now the second coin that I have been focusing on has been the King of the Ikes, the 1972 Philly type 2. Just finding a type 2 at a dealers shop or at a show is rare. Over the past 5 years I have purchased a total of 6, 3 raw and 3 graded. Of these 6 I found 2 that I sent in to NGC. I was thinking both were MS-64 quality but to my surpize I own another top pop. NGC has graded my type 2 a MS-65.

This latest submission has moved me up 5 spots to 13. Wow, what a challenge, but by putting in the time to search many raw coins I have built a top quality collection on a budget.

Happy searching everyone.

Pictures coming soon.