My newest subject in US Type Kingdom..and a question

[classicalman-migration]

Was a bit more than I wanted to pay, but I figured AU/BU would be out of my league for a while. Very nice for the grade IMHO.

 

Seated Half

 

Now for the question: I started with my type set (non-gold) in the modern era, getting higher grades in MS which were very affordable and with full strikes. I have yet to obtain a FH Standing Liberty, but that will come. I know the Barber series will come tough (and VERY expensive) in MS 64 or better. It doesn't matter to me if all of my coins grade the same, but I have been thinking that it would be nice to get one sample of a series, (i.e. Barber, Seated Liberty, etc) in MS with the others in AU/EF/VF where possible and affordable. To me, affordable is under $300, but with occasional "splurges" on ones I just "have to have" Should I stay with that thinking, or perhaps go with MS in all series, but with dates that are more common.? So far,(20th Cent.) I have been getting my better coins in the more rare dates, although not keys. Maybe someone out there can relate to my thoughts on this.

[TomB]

It looks like a truly nice coin and a nice purchase.

 

As for your strategy, I think whatever gives you the most enjoyment from the set and the hunt is what you should do. I am also working on a complete type set and in my set I have some examples that are PF instead of the MS counterpart. This is done because some issues are just more available, with positive eye appeal, as PF and also some coins fit the nexus of my budget and eye appeal criteria more often as PF issues. Additionally, many of the older types are circulated coins. They are simply out of my league in uncirculated grades.

 

As for the dates of the coins, I don't really pay much attention to them within each type. I go by the eye appeal of the individual coin and I require very high eye appeal. By doing that, I cannot always get a semi-key to fit my set.

 

Above all, do what makes you most satisfied and enjoy it, it is a very long commitment.

[keithdagen]

Great coin -- tough issue to find getting it to look good.

 

On my Type set, I initially decided to get all the 20th Century material in MS-65 or better, then AU-58 or better back through the Seated material, then everything else in the nicest grades I could afford.

 

Recently, I looked at that philosophy again, and was looking at my MS-64 1921 Peace Dollar, and realizing how much I liked it, and realizing how hard it was going to be to replace it with a nicer looking Peace Dollar, figured out that I needed to change my plan.

 

Now, I've decided that I'll stick to the original plan, but try to keep the individual coin cost under $1,000. So, I can keep that Peace Dollar and not worry about upgrading it unless I find a coin better than the one I currently have. For the 20th Century, the only coins that really affects in my plan were the Barber Half, the High Relief Peace Dollar, and most of the gold issues. For the Seated era, the only pieces that really changed were the No Drapery Half Dollar and the $10 Liberty Head of 1838.

 

I've held off on buying gold for a long time because the prices had risen, but it looks like they are starting to get back to levels that are a little more reasonable.

[Oldtrader3]

Barber halves are almost as much of a challenge to find in nice AU58 condition as they are in MS63 or better. Plus, they are a lot cheaper. There has always been a strong market for nice AU Barber halves (and AU Seated Halves for that matter). I have several type sets in the Registry and have been buying AU55/58 pieces for many of my 19th Century coins. You may have to exceed your $300. limit on some coins, but not many if you stick to nice AU coins for the older series. Plus, they are always saleable.

[classicalman-migration]

Thanks all, for the input. Tom, I like the idea of eye appeal regardless of rarity or grade. Although I have been doing that of sorts, some of what I consider "eye appeal" also means original toning for the older coins, and that sometimes gets kind of ugly. But to me, they seem .....well......"old". after all, they are over 100 years old! KD, the gold issue is a bugger for me also, but I am in no hurry, and I may start with the smaller issues when I get around to them. One other thing, you may remember me from the PCGS Open forum...I helped you make your 10,000 posts come much faster by taking over your threads in the middle of the night!!!

I also realize that the Barbers are going to be a tough nut as well, since the MS ones are limited in numbers and now collectors have "discovered" the AU. Makes getting one reasonable a long shot at best.

[EVillageProwler]

Nice coin; looks very wholesome, which is more than I can say for the bulk of the larger Seated coinage.

 

BTW, did you change your handle?

 

EVP

 

[TomB]

I was thinking the same thing about the handle. Is your ebay name the name you use(d) at PCGS?

[classicalman-migration]

Is your ebay name the name you use(d) at PCGS?

 

Yes, but PCGS forum registry wouldn't allow the * that I use in my eBay name to separate the maddog from the ale. That's been bothering you a while hasn't it, Tom? That's the second time you have wondered about my "familiarity". But we digress....so, I will post a pic of my AU Barber dime that I bought early this summer. Although a bit expensive (around $100), I really enjoyed its looks, as it was a very clear clashed die variety. which to my eyes is really cool!!

[TomB]

Hmmmmm.....

 

I don't remember ever asking what your user name was for either PCGS or ebay. Are you certain it was me? I went back and checked all the private messages I sent to you and could not find a single instance where I asked what your other user names were, if any. I also don't remember ever asking you what your name(s) might be in a thread. Obviously, I could be wrong on this point, however, I think you have me confused with someone else.

 

I had noticed in your link to start this thread that your ebay name was very similar to a PCGS name that I was familiar with but I didn't ask anything about it until EVP did in this thread.

 

Am I wrong?

[berylcoin-migration]

That half is a great circulated type coin. It has all the qualities I'm looking for in coins for my own typeset.

 

As for collecting strategy, I look at a typeset much the same as I would look at a series. Most seem to think of a typeset as a key-free collection (unless you specifically select key dates), but there are certain coins that are "key types" financially. I considered getting the 20th century coins in higher MS grades, but eventually decided that money could be better spent on the so-called "keys" in the 19th century. Among the types that are vaguely within my financial means I consider the twenty cent piece and seated dollar to be key types of the late 19th Century. Hopefully, the money saved by getting nice circulated 20th century coins will allow me to stretch on the keys and acquire examples that will match or exceed the quality of the lower priced types.

 

Obviously, as I move on to earlier coins financial realities will likely force my grade preferences down a bit, but I will try my best to drop them uniformly. In my mind's eye the final result is a relatively well matched set with "key types" that at least equal the quality of their less expensive contemporary types.

 

I considered rarer or semi-key dates as well, but with no dealers or shows nearby I had trouble finding adequate coins in a reasonable time frame. I have to take what I can get.

 

Luckily for us, there are no hard and fast rules for typesets.

 

BC

[keithdagen]

KD, the gold issue is a bugger for me also, but I am in no hurry, and I may start with the smaller issues when I get around to them. One other thing, you may remember me from the PCGS Open forum...I helped you make your 10,000 posts come much faster by taking over your threads in the middle of the night!!!

 

Yes, I remember those nights last summer pretty well.

 

On the gold, I'm looking to try and keep similar rules, although I'll look for really nice AU's that are mark-free to try and help keep the costs low. A few years back, I put together a nice set of 20th Century MS-62s, but I've since sold those.

[TomB]

Oh, yes, I forgot to mention the cool dime you have in your attachment. It looks like it was struck from heavily clashed dies.

[classicalman-migration]

Tom, now that I did some searching of my own it is MY memory that is bad, I apologize, although I meant it as a joke, it was Michael that seemed to fine my original postings here familar for some reason. Also thanks for the kudos on the dime, the reverse stands out just as much, and under a loupe the head is visible in outline in almost its entirety. something I find COOL. One other thing, and this is to others who may read, I have Merc dimes with obvious clashing marks on the reverse in the field right of the fasces in UNC/AU from '40-45 Philly mints. Should anyone come across any more from the 30s or earlier, I would be MOST interested in purchasing them!!

 

 

 

Keith, those were the days, huh? Now, when I am bored in the middle of the night at work I just read here or PCGS or where ever.

 

Berylcoin, we think a bit alike, although there is one semi-key that really hasn't seemed to appreciate as much as others, and I find them not really common (at least so far) the 1930-s SLQ in 64 or better, either full head or not. It had a relatively low mintage, and compared to other issues its price isn't that bad. I know it was the last year of series, however, it wasn't until 32 that the Washington quarter came out, and the Depression had just started, so I can't see that THAT many were put back...