1932 Mint Set advice

[Revenant]

Well, Monday night my step-father's mother passed. She also happens to have been a receptionist at the doctor's office that I went to often as a newborn (I wasn't a very healthy baby). See was a very wonderful unique woman and a fighter. Doctors said the cancer would kill her in 6 months and she made it 19.

 

My step-father talked to me today and asked me if I could help him build 8 mint sets. 8 birthyear sets for his 2 sons, my mother's 3 children (myself included) and himself, my mother, and his mother. All of these sets except 1 are modern sets. I've collected and looked at these sets a lot because I've considered buildng them myself. The problem I'm faced with is the 1932 set, his mother's set. I just don't know much about that year. What grades to go for, what prices I should expect, etc. The biggest problems I have are the eagle and double eagle. How rare are they? what should I look for? what should I be worried about? I have never shopped for old gold coins. This set presents me with several problems and I'd appreicate any input on how to go about it.

 

From what I'm being told, we'll probably start working on this in 2 to 3 months. He's going to finance it, I'm going to help track down coins and since I'm basically the family registry member, the coins and set will be added to my registry.

[bsshog40]

You may have an issue here as to the only coins I think were minted in 32' was a cent,quarter, and double eagle. AM I wrong???

And to add the $10 Indian head.

[Oldtrader3]

The 1932 Eagle is one of the most common dates and will not be a problem to buy. The 1932 double-eagle, on the other hand, will probably cost between $15,000 and $150,000+, depending on grade. Double eagles minted after 1930 almost never were issued to banks and most were recalled and melted in 1933.

[MunkyMan95]

I'm very sorry to hear of your loss. Hope all is well.

 

1932, what a year to be born, numismatically speaking. There are the 1932D and 32S quarters which can get very expensive in higher grades.

 

Coinfacts.com says about the 1932 double eagle: "Very rare - most appear to have been melted."

 

I just checked Heritag'e archives, and the cheapest 1932 Saint on there sold almost 7 years ago, a PCGS MS63 for over $17,000.

 

The 1932 eagle is another story. They're not too expensive in low MS. Heritage has sold many of them, the most recent a PCGS AU55 for just under $700.

[Revenant]

I'm very sorry to hear of your loss. Hope all is well.

 

Everything is fine to my knowledge. I'm up a college still, couldn't leave. All my information has come second hand through my mother. It was one of those deaths that surprised nobody though. They tried to remove the tumors over a year ago and it's believed she suffered a stroke during the operation. After that she was never "all there" ever again. We think she was just waiting for my mother and step-father to get married. Shortly after their marriage in mid-November she started a more rapid decline.

 

I had been worried about the Double Eagle. That being the casee we'll probably try to complete the set sans-the-saint.

[BillJones]

The last time I asked for a quote on a 1932 eagle in "major certification holder -63", the quote was $1,600. That was quite a switch from $650 I paid for the one in my collection in 2003.

 

I've always like the 1932 eagle despite the fact that it is most common date in the series. It's the only U.S. gold coin from 1930s that is affordable.

 

I would advise those of you who might want to buy one of the coins to be selective. A great many of the coins in slabs are over graded. The reason is, as the most common date in the series, the coin was often supplied to mass marketers in the "right grade" even if the coin in the holder is not, in fact, the "right" grade.

 

Here's the coin -

 

[bajablu]

Man Im sorry to hear about your loss. My grandma and aunt just passed aswell. Its rough but as long as they had good life, thats all that matters. I think building birth year sets is a great way to honor her and when you look at it, be prepared to always think of her. My grandma was born in the last week of 1909, its rough doing a birth set from then. Lots of key dates.

Good luck to you and your collecing adventures, & at school. My families thoughts and prayers are with you.

[TomB]

I'm sorry to read of your loss. If you will be making Year Sets, as opposed to Mint Sets, then you can pick up a nice MS64 Washington quarter for $100 or so. However, if you want an MS64 1932-D or 1932-S Washington quarter then you will be pushing $8,000 for the pair.

[bajablu]

MS64 is great. but if your limited by a budget, you can get something like these...

the holders need to be replaced or just scraped, they are scratched to all heck. they are key dates, but for the money and the look, you cant go wrong.

 

 

[harvey8542]

Sorry to hear about your loss. I hope all is well. Please remember to post pic's as you go.

[Revenant]

Thanks for all the condolences and the information. I’ve passed both along to my step-father and he really appreciates it. From what I’ve told him he thinks this must be a great group of people; which it is.

 

While I find some of these numbers rather painful to think about, availability of money probably isn’t going to be the deciding issue when building this set. I’ll probably do my best to track down prices for coins at a variety of grades and prices, let him decide what he wants to go for and what he wants to pay for it and then find coins in line with what he wants. The main driving force for this set is probably going to be what grade can be purchased for a price he’s willing to tolerate (not necessarily the highest affordable price). That said he is aware that he will probably have to lay down several hundred dollars for some of these coins and he’s willing to do so under the right circumstances for the right coin, but the double eagle has been ruled "something to think about in the long term." He was a coin collector himself some years ago (this was largely brought to an end by what his ex-wife did in the divorce) and he knows what he likes.

 

You don’t have to worry about pictures, Harvey. I always post images it just takes me a while sometimes.

[stinkycheese1]

Well, Monday night my step-father's mother passed. She also happens to have been a receptionist at the doctor's office that I went to often as a newborn (I wasn't a very healthy baby). See was a very wonderful unique woman and a fighter. Doctors said the cancer would kill her in 6 months and she made it 19.

 

My step-father talked to me today and asked me if I could help him build 8 mint sets. 8 birthyear sets for his 2 sons, my mother's 3 children (myself included) and himself, my mother, and his mother. All of these sets except 1 are modern sets. I've collected and looked at these sets a lot because I've considered buildng them myself. The problem I'm faced with is the 1932 set, his mother's set. I just don't know much about that year. What grades to go for, what prices I should expect, etc. The biggest problems I have are the eagle and double eagle. How rare are they? what should I look for? what should I be worried about? I have never shopped for old gold coins. This set presents me with several problems and I'd appreicate any input on how to go about it.

 

From what I'm being told, we'll probably start working on this in 2 to 3 months. He's going to finance it, I'm going to help track down coins and since I'm basically the family registry member, the coins and set will be added to my registry.

 

Reverent, just a tip on buying those eagles and double eagles.

 

Only buy the gold raw if its from a reputable shop with someone knowledgeable in authentication. There are too many common gold fakes out there.

 

Otherwise, only buy gold slabbed by the top three, PCGS, NGC, and ANACS.

 

Also, enjoy! I've yet to own a $10 eagle, I'd love to own the indian one. Looks like a nice coin.

 

[Revenant]

Reverent, just a tip on buying those eagles and double eagles.

 

Only buy the gold raw if its from a reputable shop with someone knowledgeable in authentication. There are too many common gold fakes out there.

 

Otherwise, only buy gold slabbed by the top three, PCGS, NGC, and ANACS.

 

Also, enjoy! I've yet to own a $10 eagle, I'd love to own the indian one. Looks like a nice coin.

 

Oh don't worry, I have no intention of spending several hundreds of dollars on a raw coin in my ignorance. That would have to be one of the worst decisions I've ever made. I just don't give myself that much credit.