How many coins of the same date/mintmark/denomination do you need?

[shirohniichan]

I collect business-strikes for the most part as my main collecting interest comes from the historic use of coins as a medium of exchange. Sometimes I will buy proofs or mint sets if I like the designs for aesthetic purposes. Sometimes I buy coins with quirky packaging.

 

This means that I may have, for example, a 1955 half dollar in a type album, another in a mint set, and another in a proof set.

 

Some collect varieties, die state varieties, toners, etc. of the same denomination/date/mint coins. When I could afford it, I bought trade dollars by type/variety both chopmarked and unchopped.

 

Do you buy only one of each coin, or do you find yourself picking up multiple examples? If multiple examples, why?

[okbustchaser]

One needs 49 1827 half dollars just to have an example of each die marriage. Then when one adds in recognized die states the number jumps to 58.

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, that doesn't excuse the fact that although I still need 3 DMs and 6 die states I currently own over 70 1827s .

[EZ_E]

The only "duplicates" I ever purchase are the sub-varieties in my type set. The Seated Liberty design outranks all other types for the sheer quantity of sub-varieties. The trime has 3 as well as the SLQ.

 

Other than this, I usually always get rid of any duplicates.

[James_OldeTowne]

Because I often use the "cascading" method of upgrading, I often end up with duplicates of various series. This is especially true when I collect a single series with multiple "looks". For example, I have at least six sets of Roosevelts in progress right now, with a couple of incomplete albums receiving cascaded coins. I have a high end white set, a high end toned set, a low end version of white, and another toned, a set of strictly matched XF coins, and a set of very low end coins, also strictly matched.

 

The cascaded sets end up being unevenly matched, and as they get completed, the go off to eBay, or get wholesaled at shows.

[physics-fan3.14]

Wow, that's a lot of different Roosie sets. Unless I'm going for varieites, I don't usually like to keep duplicates because I feel the money I have tied up in duplicates would be better spent to try and complete my collection. That being said, I do see the appeal of a toning collection, where the goal is to have numerous attractive toned coins, and where the date and mintmark are unimportant.

[Oldtrader3]

I'm not planning on offering a stickering service, so one of each usually keeps me content.

[BillJones]

I rarely collect multiple examples of the same thing. There are too many other coins I want to tie up my funds in duplicates. I do have a couple duplicates of sort. Quite often it is something like two tokens – one on a thin planchet and the same thing on a thick one. Or an Andrew Jackson campaign piece. One that has a hole and another without a hole. Duplicates are not my thing, and I don’t have my coins in albums. Therefore I don’t have to buy multiple coins to fill multiple holes in albums.

 

 

[cpm9ball]

I look at it this way. Let's say I accumulate these Morgan $'s all of which are slabbed in MS64 holders:

 

200 - 1879S, 200 - 1880S, 200 - 1881S, 200 - 1882S, 200 - 1883O, 200 - 1884O, 200 - 1888O and 200 - 1898O.

 

Then, I might have enough money upon their sale or maybe even trade them to get, both, an 1879CC and 1889CC, both in MS64. However, if I sell them as they come along, I would probably use the money to buy a tank of gas or use it for some other small, day-to-day expenditure, and I would likely never be able to afford the higher dollar coins.

 

I'll take all I can get! It's sort of like a numismatic savings account.

 

Chris

[physics-fan3.14]

Chris, that is actually a pretty good idea. Maybe that's what Binion was trying to do, save up for an 1804 dollar and a 1913 nickel?

[cpm9ball]

Chris, that is actually a pretty good idea. Maybe that's what Binion was trying to do, save up for an 1804 dollar and a 1913 nickel?

 

Binion didn't have to save for anything. He could have bought one from the casino "take" from one hour of play.

 

Chris

[SkyMan]

If it's 1958 the sky is the limit...

 

 

Since I like toning, while there is a fairly standard palette, the mixing of colors can be wildly different.

[Conder101]

I think my most extreme case of duplicates are my 50 or so 1798 large cents. That kind of thing happens when you collect varieties.

[James_OldeTowne]

Wow, that's a lot of different Roosie sets. Unless I'm going for varieites, I don't usually like to keep duplicates because I feel the money I have tied up in duplicates would be better spent to try and complete my collection.

That is a good point, but fortunately, Roosies are cheap - very cheap! I am pretty sure I haven't paid more than a couple of dollars for practically any of them. In terms of having money tied up, I do not have a single duplicate of any of my Morgan dollars that cost more than bullion or so.

 

In other words, a duplicate Roosevelt dime typically means you have $1.50 tied up at most. A duplicate 1899 Morgan (for example) could mean $400 tied up. So, guess which set I'm not cascading!