The Symphony Set posted by Alan Lastufka

[CSJournals-migration]

I started one of my first custom sets this past week. It's so liberating not focusing on "filling slots", but instead trying to build a unique, cohesive thematic set.

 

I call it The Symphony Set.

 

The Symphony Set consists of coins featuring musical designs, such as composers, musical instruments, performers, notation or lyrics, opera houses, and other related music topics.

 

My "day job" is president of a successful indie record label, so I've always been drawn to the very few coins which focus on musical designs. This past week I added the first three coins, a 2002 two euro coin from Ireland featuring a harp, a 1985 Italian coin celebrating the European Year of Music with a pipe organ and the muse of music depicted, and finally, a 1956 Austrian proof 25 shillings coin celebrating the bicentennial of Mozart's birth. The 1956 Mozart proof has a super low mintage of only 1,000 proof coins.

 

You can view all of these by visiting this custom set:

 

https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetGallery.aspx?s=9450

 

There are very few US coins featuring musical themes, I scanned every page of the Red Book and found three colonial issues, six regular US issues and I'm now making my way through the So-Called Dollars and Conder tokens, plastering my books with post-it notes on any page featuring a coin with a musical design.

 

If you know of any music related coin designs, I would love for you to point me in their direction. I have a few Conder tokens on their way to NGC now for grading that will be added to this set once they find their way back.

 

Thanks for looking. I'm super excited about this new set!

 

See more journals by Alan Lastufka

[Lastufka Collection]

Not sure why the link doesn't work, but here is the link to the custom set: https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetGallery.aspx?s=9450

[Merlin8*]

Very cool set Alan, great descriptions of your coins. Shows me how far I have to go to tighten up some of mine.

 

Best of luck with your set.

 

Merlin8*

 

 

[hunter's gold]

Rock on Beethoven. Really neat set to put toghether

[jayman1970]

Its always nice to see something different.I think it will be cool to watch your set as it grows.good luck finding the coins you seek!!!

[SPHansen]

Love the concept... and would like to help!

 

Bulgaria has a ongoing series of famous Bulgarian Opera Singers... (in fact, my icon is a coin from that series). You can find more information on them here:

 

www.bulgariancoins.com

 

Look for Famous Voices Series They are really beautiful coins...

[coinsbygary]

Neat idea, one of the coins I have in my Inspirational Ladies custom set is a 1936 Cincinnati Music Center commemorative half with Americas troubadour Steven Foster on the obverse and the goddess of music playing a lyre like instrument called a cithara on the reverse. The link to the coin is:

 

http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinView.aspx?sc=17720

 

All the best with your new collection. Keep us up to date and I'll be visiting often.

 

[SPHansen]

Oh, the Tennessee Statehood quarter (2002) has musical instruments on it (guitar, trumpet, violin and sheet music) and Duke Ellington with a piano on the 09 DCT quarter...

[BKW]

 

I like the concept as well. If you're open to putting bullion coins in your set you may want to add the 1 oz Austrian Philharmonic. It comes in gold and silver:

 

 

 

[Lastufka Collection]

Thanks for all the great recommendations. A lot of these were already on my want list, but a few were new. I just ordered the Standard Catalog of World Coins. I got three volumes ranging from 1701-2000. That should give me about 6,000 pages to browse over the coming weeks/months. =)