Numeric grade, competition, and collecting beauty

[Hoot]

My last post made me consider what I've reflected on with collecting commemorative coins. And my strategy has underlying value that has less to do with collecting highly graded coins and registry competition (I currently do not list my "set"), and more to do with collecting beautiful pieces.

 

Currently, I have but four classic commems. This is a series that I will collect slowly, picking up only pieces that strike me firmly in the aesthetic region of my optical cortex. This is a series that I focus less on any other aspect, although I am generally looking for choice mint state pieces or above. Fact of the matter is that anything above MS65 or 66 for most of the pieces is unaffordable for me, and for much of the series, I will settle a point or two lower. But the numeric grades are only a guide, like "draw between these two widely separated lines." In this series, I am mostly concerned with beauty.

 

And with commems, as well as other series, beauty can be much harder to locate than numeric grade. What's more, I have seen many gem or super gem pieces (selling for huge dollars) that could not compare with some of the wonderfully toned beauties of lower grade. After all, the lower grade may have nothing to do with lustre, strike, and overall eye appeal - it may be due to an unfortunate nick or two that, because of the toning, may even be hard to find.

 

I know it sounds soap-boxey (boxey?) but I think that the competitive games of the registry have tainted collecting for many. "Oh gee, that 1935 buffalo is only an MS63 - not very competitive in the registry." But! look at the color! The strike! .

 

I personally am quite competitive by nature, but more and more I am tired of competing with anyone but myself. That's, in part, why I like looking for new material in the raw. It's like combing a beach for stones that catch your eye.

 

Hoot

[EVillageProwler]

Mark,

 

You're one hoot of a beach comber! I couldn't agree more with your sentiment -- well, I probably could, but don't wish to give you the satisfaction!

 

I find that as I mature as a collector, I tend to acquire pieces for my collection that also are heavily focused on the aesthetic region of my optical cortex. Admittedly, I do care somewhat about the grade -- but not in the way one might think. I love Bust coinage. My goal is to buy all original, eye appealing solidly ChVF specimens because they all look like they're EF. There is usually no clear distinction between a VF30 and EF40 specimen due to the highly subjective nature of human judgement compounded by luster and strike.

 

So, I'd rather pay ChVF money for a coin that looks EF.

 

EVP

 

[keithdagen]

That's the limitation of the Registry system. Would you rather have a set of coins grading dipped white MS-62, or beautifully toned yet AU-58? For most series, there isn't a huge jump in price between those grades, but the levels of eye appeal can be phenomenol.

 

The commem set I have going will never rank high enough to "compete," and may never get completed either, because I'm doing it the same way. Find really cool toned pieces that appeal to me.

[TomB]

I only own three commems myself and they are also in the Registry cellar in terms of grades. Two are MS64 and one is MS65 yet these three pieces are the only ones I have bought for myself and kept in the entire time I have been in coins. None of the three is monster toned, however, they all have a soul that makes me keep them.

[jtryka]

I somewhat agree, at least on the competition part. Most of my coins are just when it comes to the hard core registry participants, but I still like to list my sets, as it's a chance for me to showcase some of my coins, and allow others to learn about the areas that I collect, but may be totally unknown to them. Besides, when I upload photos I can look at my coins without going to the safe deposit box!

[PQSeated]

I collect what coins appeal to me. If I see a gorgeous lusterously rainbow toned coin grading only AU-58 or lower, and I see say a MS65 specimen, that is just average for the grade, I will go for the AU-58. I just can't justify paying more money for a less desirable coin just for competition. I guess the bottom line is collect what you like.

[RotatedRainbows]

That is one of the drawbacks to slabbing itself, many people are more concerned about the number then the coin. Years ago the ONLY thing that mattered was the eye appeal of the coin as that determined the value, it did not matter whether it was a MS 63 or MS64 it was just CH.BU and in the end the eye appeal set the value. Now you can have a dog 64 with a higher price tag then a super eye appealing 63, knowledgeable collectors will always grab the 63 because they know where the value is but so many people are fixated on the slab number that they will pay more for the lower quality piece (less eye appeal). The one good thing it does is allow some to get good deals if they don't care about the number or whether it might up grade or cross.

[coppercoins-migration]

I don't collect commemoratives, but can chime in with my perspective on slabbing, etc.

 

I personally don't buy slabbed coins and have never sent one in for slabbing. I prefer to get into the detail oriented task of grading coins on my own, picking the ones I like, and purchasing them for my collection or inventory. I have seen a number of slabbed cents that aren't worth the time of day as far as I'm concerned, but automatically have a $15-$20 price tag just for the plastic they are in and what the plastic says. MS64BN coins marked and priced as MS66RD, along with hundreds of other examples have completely steered me away from that inflated market. I prefer to handle it my way and buy what suits my needs - no registry, no slabbing, no competition. The only competition I have is time in that it will likely take most of the remainder of my life to assemble a single set of Lincoln cents, considering there are over 2,500 different ones, and many can be quite difficult to come by. I'm quite happy in my quest, and that's all that counts.

 

So...numeric grade, competition, beauty? None of the above. Pure scientific study and challenge. Spreading the word about something I have learned a lot about, and sharing the experiences I have had with others. The sheer thrill of the hunt finding something that "fits" the collection not by color or by grade, but by the mere fact that the die that minted the coin I just found is something I didn't have before.

 

Die variety hunters are a "different" breed. We typically frown on cleaned and dipped coins, but would buy one to have a doubled die or mint mark variety we didn't already have. I have done it a number of times. We can go through rolls that have already been "searched" for key dates and high grades and still find something of great value all the others missed.

 

I'll stop there.

[Hoot]

So...numeric grade, competition, beauty? None of the above. Pure scientific study and challenge. Spreading the word about something I have learned a lot about, and sharing the experiences I have had with others. The sheer thrill of the hunt finding something that "fits" the collection not by color or by grade, but by the mere fact that the die that minted the coin I just found is something I didn't have before.

 

Ah! The variety collector - true keepers of the sublime in coin collecting! Excellent. Sometimes, all of these qualities transcend one another, but the sublime is always there!

 

By the way, I just pulled my nose out of my newly-acquired Overton, Early Half Dollar Die Vaireties! (Just attributed 3 of my capped bust half dollars!)

 

Hoot