What coins would you buy if you hit the mega jackpot lottery?

[MunkyMan95]

I've seen a lot of people posting lately about the coins they'd buy if they hit the lotto.

 

So, hypothetically, let's say that you bought a lotto ticket tomorrow and found out that you hit the $200 million jackpot. You are the only one to have the winning ticket, so you take the lump sum and walk away with $100 million.

 

What coin(s) would you buy? Would a massive amount of money change your collecting tastes?

 

 

Personally, I don't think my tastes would change, but I do think the quality and caliber of coins I purchase would take a sharp spike upward.

[jtryka]

If I had that much, I'd have no problem completing my Saint set!

[physics-fan3.14]

My tastes would stay exactly the same - half dollars. I would start at 1794, and buy gorgeous examples of every date and marriage possible, up through the present.

[cpm9ball]

Actually, it would be more like $68 million after federal taxes.

 

Me? I wouldn't like to have to file income taxes every year. So, I'd sock $60 million into tax-exempt AAA municipal bonds, and put $8 million into my non-interest bearing checking account.

 

I don't know what Muni's are paying right now, but for the sake of discussion lets say they are paying 5%. That's $3 million annually. I could live very, very comfortably on $20,000 per month. So, I would take the remaining $2.76 million and buy more Muni's. I'd keep doing that, ad infinitum.

 

As for my coin collecting interests, not much would change, although I've always wanted to expand my interests into Bust halves and Barbers. I'd still like to hunt for bargains at coin shows, and it's fun negotiating deals. Sorry, but just because I had a lot of money doesn't mean I'm going to pay an outrageous sum for a 2003 Lincoln in MS70.

 

Chris

[DC Dawg]

Fill my all-red (not red-brown) Lincoln Cent set... except for the 1922-D and no-D, which I do not believe has been found in red condition. If I found a nice 1931-S, I would be complete from 1929 to today.

 

Scott

[Coindude]

I would definitely upgrade my SMS sets. I think I would do a very nice 7070, actually two for my sons. I'd love to have a gem Peace dollar set.... and I would do some really nice birthyear sets for my mom and dad. I'm sure other things would distract me but those I would do. I like Chris' idea of socking away a lot of it for the future, but you have to consider, or at least I would, 10% off the top for the church.

[bartlesvilleok]

While I would not go crazy and spend a ton of money on overrated coins I think I would look for bargins in Patterns. There are very many out that are only a few dozen known that sale for around $1500 to $2000

[World Colonial]

My taste would not change and it would not take anywhere near $100 million to complete it.

 

I would go out and buy in top grade every South African ZAR and Union coin and pursue a complete set of Spanish colonial pillars. Probably $10 million would be enough except for the coins that are not even available because they are in public or long term collections (e.g., 1898 "Single 9" ZAR gold pond). That would take care of most of it.

[L1ncolnF4n]

Fill my all-red (not red-brown) Lincoln Cent set... except for the 1922-D and no-D, which I do not believe has been found in red condition. If I found a nice 1931-S, I would be complete from 1929 to today.

 

Scott

 

Both have been certified in red. Personally I have a 1922-D PCGS MS-63RD.

 

I would go ahead and spend about $10mil to finish my Lincoln set in 100% red top pop, maybe more like $20mil here, then put the rest in a high interest account and live happily ever after.

[Old Pueblo]

Well, I would finally get that 1909 SVDB I have always wanted.

1885 V Nickel Gem

I would place a sizable sum in gas pipe line currently yielding 7% (bwp)

I think Inflation protected treasury (tip) for the coming inflation.

The SLV has lagged the gld so I would look there.

 

[Revenant]

The one thing that sticks out in my mind would be a 1932 Double Eagle and the Double Eagles from 1924 and 1920 (grandparent's birth years). I'd probably go on to finish the 1920 and 1924 sets after that.

 

[cpm9ball]

Actually, it would be more like $68 million after federal taxes.

 

Me? I wouldn't like to have to file income taxes every year. So, I'd sock $60 million into tax-exempt AAA municipal bonds, and put $8 million into my non-interest bearing checking account.

 

I don't know what Muni's are paying right now, but for the sake of discussion lets say they are paying 5%. That's $3 million annually. I could live very, very comfortably on $20,000 per month. So, I would take the remaining $2.76 million and buy more Muni's. I'd keep doing that, ad infinitum.

 

As for my coin collecting interests, not much would change, although I've always wanted to expand my interests into Bust halves and Barbers. I'd still like to hunt for bargains at coin shows, and it's fun negotiating deals. Sorry, but just because I had a lot of money doesn't mean I'm going to pay an outrageous sum for a 2003 Lincoln in MS70.

 

Chris

 

One thing I forgot!

 

I would register with NGC as a dealer so I could make appointments to pick-up and deliver my submissions in person. I'm only an hour away.

[HiHoAudio]

Not sure, but Heritage, Goldberg and Scotsman auction catalogs would offer a world of possibilities. I could actually bid on the full page coins!

[$ilverHawk]

I would take half--$34 million and build a world class St. Gaudens set. I'd also build the best Morgan Dollar set possible. 1893-S and 1895 proof whatever grade is the highest. Then I would assemble as many type sets as possible .

 

The other half would be put into the highest interest bearing accounts availible and fund my favorite charities

[RareSov]

Mint state Australian half sovereigns.

 

copy paste job

[Schatzy]

Well there is 2 coins that I will never own unless I hit the lottery.

 

The first is the 1968 No S Roosevelt PF68 Linky $30,000 Price Tag

 

The Second is the 1964 SMS Roosevelt MS68 Linky $6,000 Price Tag

 

I was also offer the 3 guys in the top of the Roosevelt set registry an offer they couldn't refuse!!

[Conder101]

I would probably give up collecting as the challenge would pretty much be gone.

[PerryHall]

I would probably give up collecting as the challenge would pretty much be gone.

 

Many really nice coins are in very strong hands and just because you have the money, those coins may not be readily available. So, it would still be a challenge.

[PerryHall]

I'd buy the King of Siam proof set and some nice early US gold in high grade.

[Bugmann1974]

I would probably buy out my local B&M shop and start selling coins for a living

[WinstonWare]

Half disme

[PerryHall]

I would probably buy out my local B&M shop and start selling coins for a living

 

Q---How do you make a small fortune being a coin dealer.

A---Start with big fortune.

[HiHoAudio]

I would probably give up collecting as the challenge would pretty much be gone.

 

Many really nice coins are in very strong hands and just because you have the money, those coins may not be readily available. So, it would still be a challenge.

 

Especially the really nice Swiss Schutzenfest medals and proof Conder tokens. Many European collections pass from generation to generation without ever being sold.

 

Conder101, I seriously doubt you would ever really quit coin collecting. That monkey will probably remain on your back no matter how much you try and shake it off...

[WoodenJefferson]

I would find myself getting into an auction where the Big Dogs are battling over a much desired rarity and when it looks like the last player is standing...then and only then I pop out of the wood work with a pre-certified higher dollar amount bid. The gasp from the crowd and the following mumbles would make a situation as such very interesting. People would be fanning themselves with their auction catalogs as this tussle of deep pocketed numismatists battled it out on the auction floor.

 

Would they go on?

Would they concede?

Would they be on the phone with their client?

Would even I, the bigger dog fall to a whale?

Would the final results be history in the making?

What coin was it?

 

The hammer falls...will there be joy or buyers remorse?

 

Stay tuned, same time, same station.

 

[MunkyMan95]

I'd buy the King of Siam proof set and some nice early US gold in high grade.

 

King of Siam Proof Set...

 

I absolutely love that set!

[murty]

Would want to first find a safe INSURED place for the money at any interest rate.

Then I would buy a complete set of MS-67 capped bust half dimes. All die varieties if possible.

[kryptonitecomics]

Everything in Mark's (Boiler78) collection

[pendragon1998]

I kind of wonder if I might quit because, as Condor said, the challenge would essentially be gone. You could buy anything you wanted.

 

Alternately, I might just work on coins in the $500-$2000 range, but with similar themes to what I'm interested in now.

 

Of course, I'm sure I'll have to worry about corrosion from the humidity on my beautiful, private tropical island. And I'll have to make sure to always wash off the sunscreen from my hands after rubbing down my hot wife on the beach, before handling any coins.

 

 

[MunkyMan95]

But as some have pointed out, just because you have enough money to buy virtually every major rarity in the hobby, or close to it, does not mean that you could obtain those coins. They are often in very strong hands.

 

Also, just because you say you'd buy X coin or X set, you may not have a current owner that's willing to let it go.

[jtryka]

Everything in Mark's (Boiler78) collection

 

I agree wholeheartedly!