I have built a Registry set over a period of nearly 10 years and had a #1 set for three years. Then came the inevitable let down for all who aspire to be #1.

Before I moved to Washington State, about (2003), I was buying mostly better date, lower MS and AU gold coins with low pops. This lead me to having three coins dated 1979 (two quarter eagles and an eagle) of which the eagle was later sold. From these two quarter eagles, my 1879 Registry Set began to take shape about 2004.

Putting this particular set together is always a challenge because many of the coins in this set are quite difficult and expensive to find. Especially the half eagle, eagle and double eagle from Carson City Mint which mintages of range from 1,700 to 17,000 pieces, none of which are easily found, even in large auctions.

This set is also unique in that the silver minor coins are extremely low mintages also, except for the Morgan silver dollars which are all quite available, despite the 1879-CC being quite expensive. Anyhow by 2009, I had clawed this set up to a #1 registry rank, mostly with coins that I could afford, when I finally found them.

I have tried to keep most of the gold issues in this set at AU58 grades or higher, except the CC gold. After finally reaching first place with this set in 2009. I held the first place position for three years. However, in coin collecting registries, all things are inevitable, especially unless you have extremely deep pockets. Knowing this, I lost #1 set position in 2012. In fact the new #1 set outscores my set by double the points which I have in my set and effectively makes me uncompetitive, despite my having 12,000 registry points in this set.

At my age and fixed income, it is doubtful that I will ever regain #1 status on this 1879 Mint Set which is okay. All things come and pass in a sort of natural progression in coin collecting. I am just happy to have retained this set ranking for as long as I had it.

It is a fact of life with coin collecting, that despite the level which any one collector may attain. he/she is always hearing footsteps from the sets directly behind them and eventually most top sets will lose their claim to #1 set with few collectors regaining the #1 position again after losing it

I am okay with this and will continue as before because the challenge is in finding the coins, not the ranking that one attains..

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