Is there an aspect of coin collecting that you prefer to avoid?

[RWB]

Is there are part of the hobby that you intentionally stay away from or deal with only very reluctantly?

 

This might be a coin series or a more general part of acquiring, holding or selling.

[wdrob]

 

Modern ASE's, AGE's, Platinum Eagles, etc... any modern day bullion acting the part of a coin.

 

 

 

 

 

[cpm9ball]

Since I was forced into retirement a few years ago...............BUYING!

 

Before then:

19th & early 20th century gold...........know just enough about them to make stupid decisions.

 

Anything smaller than a quarter.......gives me headaches.

 

Any coin minted in Great Falls, VA.

 

Chris

[physics-fan3.14]

I stay away from almost anything modern, all paper, and tokens. I know plenty of people love them, but they bore me.

[okbustchaser]

Selling. In general, if I liked it enough to buy it in the first place it's mine.

[CSdot]

I hesitate to type this as I am sure it will offend, but I don't understand why anyone would want a coin in a details slab. I know intellectually that some find comfort knowing their coins are not counterfeit, but other than that, I don't understand the point of collecting problem coins.

 

Now that I am focusing on registry sets, I do not have much interest in raw coins. I only buy coins certified by the big two.

 

[wdrob]

 

I don't understand why anyone would want a coin in a details slab.

 

There are many reasons.

1) - They may not have the option of finding a problem free coin that fits within their budget such as some of the extremely high values on Dahlonega, Charlotte, Private Mint (Templeton/Reid, etc .. gold coins.

2)- TPG's make mistakes, and I dare to say frequently. A collector might see a coin that looks so close to that which the TPG's have placed in problem free holders there is the incentive to purchase that coin at a discounted price and then re-submit it. It is not uncommon for a coin to one day receive a details grade and on another day, the same coin, recieve a problem free grade.

 

Other reasons as well.

 

 

I know intellectually that some find comfort knowing their coins are not counterfeit, but other than that, I don't understand the point of collecting problem coins.

 

 

I think that it might better be said that intellectually, a collector of historical artifacts, represented through coins, would find comfort in knowing that they have a small slice of history regardless of whether a TPG company, that spends 3 to 5 seconds looking at a coin, says that it is problem free.

 

 

 

[CSdot]

The one exception to my preference for certified coins is Bullion coins. I do not actively collect bullion coins, but picked up an Ultra high Relief Saint, and occasionally order up a Proof Buffalo from the Mint. I am just as happy with those coins in original government packaging as I would be if it came in a MS-70 First Strike holder. I have NO interest in paying extra for "Early Release" or "First Strike" or whatever they want to call it. People paying thousands extra for the TPG label on a bullion coin have me scratching my head.

[RWB]

[The "Great Falls Mint" ceased production when the Potomac gold mines failed nearly a century ago. The largest gold mine was opened in 1867 and was called the "Maryland Mine." It was located in Montgomery County, MD near the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Falls Road. The remains are in a fenced area just off the highway but hidden shafts and collapsed mine workings make the area dangerous to enter. Gold was transported across the Potomac on a rope ferry from Seneca Mill in Maryland to Seneca Ford in Virginia. Grain and flour also went across the river before the Civil War, but most commerce ended in the 1860s.

 

The "Great Falls Mint," like "The Dalles Mint" never struck any coins or melted an ounce of gold. It was largely fictitious, with great expectations of wealth and prosperity. Proprietors of the “Great Falls Mint” were so poor that they were known for wearing old clothes, hand-me-down sox, and dumpster diving for dinner.]

 

[Walkerfan]

Tokens, moderns, currency.......also it can be scary to spend a lot on an impulse purchase not knowing if it was a smart decision.

[Afterword]

I collect Peace dollars, Franklin half dollars, Washington quarter dollars and early Commemorative half dollars. I rarely, and reluctantly, purchase any other type of coinage.

 

 

[delta]

This question brings to mind a coin image I disdain, the obverse of the gold $10 indian head eagle of 1907 to 1933. It has an unindian head.

 

The face shown on the obverse looks to me like it belonged to a clueless caucasian high school kid, feeling perplexed in the school hallway, after getting out of a boring class where he'd be lucky to get a grade of C, on his way to an even more boring class where he was flunking, and dazed after not getting enough sleep the night before.

 

However, the then more-or-less contemporary indian heads on the $2.50 quarter eagle (1908 to 1929) the $5 half eagle (1908 to 1929) and the buffalo nickel (1913 to 1938) have admirably sculpted countenances.

[Raisethis2]

I have no use for collecting anything modern.

[cpm9ball]

[The "Great Falls Mint" ceased production when the Potomac gold mines failed nearly a century ago. The largest gold mine was opened in 1867 and was called the "Maryland Mine." It was located in Montgomery County, MD near the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Falls Road. The remains are in a fenced area just off the highway but hidden shafts and collapsed mine workings make the area dangerous to enter. Gold was transported across the Potomac on a rope ferry from Seneca Mill in Maryland to Seneca Ford in Virginia. Grain and flour also went across the river before the Civil War, but most commerce ended in the 1860s.

 

The "Great Falls Mint," like "The Dalles Mint" never struck any coins or melted an ounce of gold. It was largely fictitious, with great expectations of wealth and prosperity. Proprietors of the “Great Falls Mint” were so poor that they were known for wearing old clothes, hand-me-down sox, and dumpster diving for dinner.]

 

As a kid, I remember hearing the stories about the gold mines rumored to be in the area. My father's boss had his huge (!) estate very close to the Falls Rd./MacArthur Blvd. intersection, and we used to spend a lot of time hunting through the surrounding woods and hills looking for caves which were scattered all around the southern and western parts of Montgomery Co. One of the largest caves we found was on a hillside overlooking the C&O Canal on the MD side of Great Falls, but we never found any gold.

 

Thanks for expanding on this, Roger.

 

Chris

[jom]

Intentionally avoid? In no particular order:

 

1) Franklin Halves. Ugly.

2) Peace Dollars. No like.

3) Copper. Especially RED copper...to vulnerable to change.

4) I have sets of Ikes and Washingtons but if I did it over again I wouldn't bother. See #1.

5) Morgans. I've owned a couple but always sell them. Boring.

6) PL coins. I don't like die polishing as it reminds me of hairlining.

7) Saints. See Morgan. There are just SO many of them you get bored of them. I dunno...weird.

8) Most modern bullion silver and gold. I do like the gold Buffalos and some of the $5/$10 Commems though.

9) I never cared for classic commem except a few such as the Oregon. I find most of the designs ugly.

10) Currency. I actually would LOVE to collect it but grading it scares me...so I've avoided it for years...unfortunately.

 

Wow...that's a bigger list than I thought it would be.

 

jom

[West August-migration]

Discussing CAC on message boards. Gives me a popsicle headache every time.

[CSdot]

I don't understand why anyone would want a coin in a details slab.

 

There are many reasons.

1) - They may not have the option of finding a problem free coin that fits within their budget such as some of the extremely high values on Dahlonega, Charlotte, Private Mint (Templeton/Reid, etc .. gold coins.

2)- TPG's make mistakes, and I dare to say frequently. A collector might see a coin that looks so close to that which the TPG's have placed in problem free holders there is the incentive to purchase that coin at a discounted price and then re-submit it. It is not uncommon for a coin to one day receive a details grade and on another day, the same coin, recieve a problem free grade.

 

Other reasons as well.

 

 

I know intellectually that some find comfort knowing their coins are not counterfeit, but other than that, I don't understand the point of collecting problem coins.

 

 

I think that it might better be said that intellectually, a collector of historical artifacts, represented through coins, would find comfort in knowing that they have a small slice of history regardless of whether a TPG company, that spends 3 to 5 seconds looking at a coin, says that it is problem free.

 

 

 

I was going to qualify my response to say more power to those who can cherry pick a coin and get it out of a details, but then I started to consider those who buy the now good coin. How do we know whether it was the 1st TPG company grader who made a mistake by putting a good coin in a details holder, and not the 2nd TPG company grader who made a mistake by putting a good coin in a graded holder? I a not blaming you or anyone for cherry picking, but what a mess. You would hope that the determination of whether a coin was cleaned or altered would be something the professional graders could agree on.

 

It is either cleaned or damaged or no. As to AT, I tend to think theTPGs should err on the side of finding for NT, unless there is clear evidence it was not. In other words, I think the tie (on the issue of NT vs. AT should go to the submitter.

[BillJones]

I stay away from modern coins that have received ultra high grades like PR-70 and especially MS-70. Most of these coins are way over priced, and their prices are driven by registry set collectors who are determined to pay whatever it takes to reach the top spot.

 

Generally the registry set competition is something to avoid. With the modern sets you end up getting buried in the over priced pieces I mentioned above. With the older material you get buried by the guys who know how to work the system (I'll explain that if anyone wants to know.) or by those who have collections that are worth many millions of dollars. It is simply impossible to keep up with the "Godzilla collectors" no matter how hard you try.

 

I got the top spot on the gold type set from 1795 to 1933 for a single year. I am proud that I was able to do that once, but it will never happen again. In order to do that I would have to upgrade my late 19th and early 20th century Mint State gold pieces to Proof. The cost of that is prohibitive.

[cpm9ball]

I don't understand why anyone would want a coin in a details slab.

 

There are many reasons.

1) - They may not have the option of finding a problem free coin that fits within their budget such as some of the extremely high values on Dahlonega, Charlotte, Private Mint (Templeton/Reid, etc .. gold coins.

2)- TPG's make mistakes, and I dare to say frequently. A collector might see a coin that looks so close to that which the TPG's have placed in problem free holders there is the incentive to purchase that coin at a discounted price and then re-submit it. It is not uncommon for a coin to one day receive a details grade and on another day, the same coin, recieve a problem free grade.

 

Other reasons as well.

 

 

I know intellectually that some find comfort knowing their coins are not counterfeit, but other than that, I don't understand the point of collecting problem coins.

 

 

I think that it might better be said that intellectually, a collector of historical artifacts, represented through coins, would find comfort in knowing that they have a small slice of history regardless of whether a TPG company, that spends 3 to 5 seconds looking at a coin, says that it is problem free.

 

 

 

I was going to qualify my response to say more power to those who can cherry pick a coin and get it out of a details, but then I started to consider those who buy the now good coin. How do we know whether it was the 1st TPG company grader who made a mistake by putting a good coin in a details holder, and not the 2nd TPG company grader who made a mistake by putting a good coin in a graded holder? I a not blaming you or anyone for cherry picking, but what a mess. You would hope that the determination of whether a coin was cleaned or altered would be something the professional graders could agree on.

 

It is either cleaned or damaged or no. As to AT, I tend to think theTPGs should err on the side of finding for NT, unless there is clear evidence it was not. In other words, I think the tie (on the issue of NT vs. AT should go to the submitter.

 

I certainly know how you feel!

 

Without providing any specifics, I had one coin that went from one well-known TPG (problem-free) to a major TPG (problem) and finally to another major TPG (problem-free upgrade).

 

Chris

[Conder101]

Third Party Grading.

[jom]

I was going to qualify my response to say more power to those who can cherry pick a coin and get it out of a details, but then I started to consider those who buy the now good coin. How do we know whether it was the 1st TPG company grader who made a mistake by putting a good coin in a details holder, and not the 2nd TPG company grader who made a mistake by putting a good coin in a graded holder? I a not blaming you or anyone for cherry picking, but what a mess. You would hope that the determination of whether a coin was cleaned or altered would be something the professional graders could agree on.

 

It is either cleaned or damaged or no. As to AT, I tend to think theTPGs should err on the side of finding for NT, unless there is clear evidence it was not. In other words, I think the tie (on the issue of NT vs. AT should go to the submitter.

 

You are correct in that you don't know the past history of the grading of any particular coin. Sometimes you can find pieces in auction records that later got regraded but most of the time you don't know.

 

As to buying "problem" coins. Some people don't care the condition of the coin. As long as they like it (that includes liking the PRICE) it doesn't matter. Many times coins are cost prohibited and one simply can't afford a better piece. For example, I've seen this $5 gold coin on eBay that's been on there forever it seems. It's clearly a very nice MS coin but it has damage. At the right price I'd consider it because it does look nice otherwise. Then again, if I can buy a no problem XF that might be better for me. It comes down to what you like.

 

As to AT: The TPGs don't err of the side of NT or AT. They do not look at that way. They only consider if the coins, to them, is market acceptable. Another words the TPG asks themselves whether they want to guarantee that coin into future in case the coin changes in the holder of whatever. They don't bother with all the NT vs AT thing because no one has really came up with an idea definition of what "NT" actually is.

 

jom

[RWB]

[The "Great Falls Mint" ceased production when the Potomac gold mines failed nearly a century ago. The largest gold mine was opened in 1867 and was called the "Maryland Mine." It was located in Montgomery County, MD near the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Falls Road. The remains are in a fenced area just off the highway but hidden shafts and collapsed mine workings make the area dangerous to enter. Gold was transported across the Potomac on a rope ferry from Seneca Mill in Maryland to Seneca Ford in Virginia. Grain and flour also went across the river before the Civil War, but most commerce ended in the 1860s.

 

The "Great Falls Mint," like "The Dalles Mint" never struck any coins or melted an ounce of gold. It was largely fictitious, with great expectations of wealth and prosperity. Proprietors of the “Great Falls Mint” were so poor that they were known for wearing old clothes, hand-me-down sox, and dumpster diving for dinner.]

 

As a kid, I remember hearing the stories about the gold mines rumored to be in the area. My father's boss had his huge (!) estate very close to the Falls Rd./MacArthur Blvd. intersection, and we used to spend a lot of time hunting through the surrounding woods and hills looking for caves which were scattered all around the southern and western parts of Montgomery Co. One of the largest caves we found was on a hillside overlooking the C&O Canal on the MD side of Great Falls, but we never found any gold.

 

Thanks for expanding on this, Roger.

 

Chris

 

My Dad took me to the mine several times in the mid-1950s. Some of the engine structure and wood framing still existed as did the vertical shaft down to the gold vein tunnel. There were piles of crushed rock/quartz tailings on the surface, but no gold. (My Dad was a Maryland State tax assessor back when assessments were done by visiting every property, every 2-3 years and noting changes. He seemed to know "everyone.")

[wdrob]

I was going to qualify my response to say more power to those who can cherry pick a coin and get it out of a details, but then I started to consider those who buy the now good coin. How do we know whether it was the 1st TPG company grader who made a mistake by putting a good coin in a details holder, and not the 2nd TPG company grader who made a mistake by putting a good coin in a graded holder? I a not blaming you or anyone for cherry picking, but what a mess. You would hope that the determination of whether a coin was cleaned or altered would be something the professional graders could agree on.

 

It is either cleaned or damaged or no. As to AT, I tend to think theTPGs should err on the side of finding for NT, unless there is clear evidence it was not. In other words, I think the tie (on the issue of NT vs. AT should go to the submitter.

 

To be quite frank, I am having a tough time trying to understand your having any concerns in that respect at all. You have already stated that you are in it for the registry.

 

Now that I am focusing on registry sets, I do not have much interest in raw coins. I only buy coins certified by the big two.

 

Bill Jones described the registry environment very well above. All you should be concerned with is getting the highest TPG coin for a certain slot so you can increase your position.

 

Some of the greatest collections in this entire world are Raw Coins! They collected the history and not the plastic.

 

 

 

[cpm9ball]

[The "Great Falls Mint" ceased production when the Potomac gold mines failed nearly a century ago. The largest gold mine was opened in 1867 and was called the "Maryland Mine." It was located in Montgomery County, MD near the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Falls Road. The remains are in a fenced area just off the highway but hidden shafts and collapsed mine workings make the area dangerous to enter. Gold was transported across the Potomac on a rope ferry from Seneca Mill in Maryland to Seneca Ford in Virginia. Grain and flour also went across the river before the Civil War, but most commerce ended in the 1860s.

 

The "Great Falls Mint," like "The Dalles Mint" never struck any coins or melted an ounce of gold. It was largely fictitious, with great expectations of wealth and prosperity. Proprietors of the “Great Falls Mint” were so poor that they were known for wearing old clothes, hand-me-down sox, and dumpster diving for dinner.]

 

As a kid, I remember hearing the stories about the gold mines rumored to be in the area. My father's boss had his huge (!) estate very close to the Falls Rd./MacArthur Blvd. intersection, and we used to spend a lot of time hunting through the surrounding woods and hills looking for caves which were scattered all around the southern and western parts of Montgomery Co. One of the largest caves we found was on a hillside overlooking the C&O Canal on the MD side of Great Falls, but we never found any gold.

 

Thanks for expanding on this, Roger.

 

Chris

 

My Dad took me to the mine several times in the mid-1950s. Some of the engine structure and wood framing still existed as did the vertical shaft down to the gold vein tunnel. There were piles of crushed rock/quartz tailings on the surface, but no gold. (My Dad was a Maryland State tax assessor back when assessments were done by visiting every property, every 2-3 years and noting changes. He seemed to know "everyone.")

 

Roger, I didn't realize that you're a long-time resident of that area. I wonder if our paths ever crossed? Did you ever go to Rockville Poolroom on Montgomery Avenue or Bethesda Billiards on Old Georgetown Road? Probably not! Dickerson Quarry? Ocean City? Sugarloaf Mountain? Point of Rocks? CIA on GW Parkway?

 

Chris

[johnny9434]

id say current/modern commems, its just not my bad of tea.

[CSdot]

I do not have any interest in error coins. I have some good friends who collect nothing but error coins, and spend a good amount of money doing it, but error coins are not for me.

 

Another area that does not interest me is VAMs. I have a nearly complete high grade date set of Morgans, but I just have no interest in researching the VAMs. Maybe one day I will catch the VAM fever, but so far it has alluded me.

 

I generally pass on Modern coins. I have an example of each for my type set, but I have no interest in getting more than one.

 

Beat to coins. I would rather have a high grade common date (MS67FT 1945 Mercury dime) than a beat to sh/t key date (P02 near cull 1916D Mercury dime).

[michael]

ttt all great responses

[RWB]

"I didn't realize that you're a long-time resident of that area. I wonder if our paths ever crossed? Did you ever go to Rockville Poolroom on Montgomery Avenue or Bethesda Billiards on Old Georgetown Road? Probably not! Dickerson Quarry? Ocean City? Sugarloaf Mountain? Point of Rocks? CIA on GW Parkway?"

 

There was a little pool hall back of the town barber shop in Damascus with the obligatory pinup calendar of Marilyn Monroe. Us "country boys" weren't allowed to go to the big city of Rockville. Ocean City was the big summer vacation and Sugarloaf mountain and the Stronghold were active weekend places to visit and have a picnic. (I had the pleasure of photographing and cataloging all of FL Wright's drawings for the mountain.) Point of Rocks was just a quick stop on the way to Brunswick to watch the steam engines and tour the working roundhouse. Ridgeville was the place to see coal trains pulled & pushed by as many as six snorting locomotives as the came up the grade.

 

Bethesda was the home of Hot Shopps curb service. A Mighty Mo' and real milk shake cost 55 cents. Silver Spring was alien territory -- all major shopping was done in Frederick or on very rare occasions at Hutzlers or the Hecht Co.

[cpm9ball]

"I didn't realize that you're a long-time resident of that area. I wonder if our paths ever crossed? Did you ever go to Rockville Poolroom on Montgomery Avenue or Bethesda Billiards on Old Georgetown Road? Probably not! Dickerson Quarry? Ocean City? Sugarloaf Mountain? Point of Rocks? CIA on GW Parkway?"

 

There was a little pool hall back of the town barber shop in Damascus with the obligatory pinup calendar of Marilyn Monroe. Us "country boys" weren't allowed to go to the big city of Rockville. Ocean City was the big summer vacation and Sugarloaf mountain and the Stronghold were active weekend places to visit and have a picnic. (I had the pleasure of photographing and cataloging all of FL Wright's drawings for the mountain.) Point of Rocks was just a quick stop on the way to Brunswick to watch the steam engines and tour the working roundhouse. Ridgeville was the place to see coal trains pulled & pushed by as many as six snorting locomotives as the came up the grade.

 

Bethesda was the home of Hot Shopps curb service. A Mighty Mo' and real milk shake cost 55 cents. Silver Spring was alien territory -- all major shopping was done in Frederick or on very rare occasions at Hutzlers or the Hecht Co.

 

Point of Rocks was our shortcut from Dickerson Quarry to get to West Virgina where you could buy beer at 16.

 

Now, be honest. You didn't go to the Hot Shoppes on Rockville Pike in front of Congressional Plaza because all of the rich girls lived in Bethesda and went to Montgomery Blair HS with Goldie Hawn.

 

Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake and French Fries with gravy were my staples at the Rockville Hot Shoppes.

 

Chris

[RWB]

"Hot Shoppes on Rockville Pike in front of Congressional Plaza"

 

No, the Hot Shoppes on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. We didn't go to the inferior "branches" when we drove that far.

 

Going "out of town" was also good for checking Buffalo nickels since I was exposed to an entirely new local circulation of coins. The Damascus Firemen's Carnival was another good nickel hunting time. Lots of "out of town" visitors and lots of new coins. Found a 1916/16 and all the others except the 1918/17 there in change when I helped at the food stand waiting on customers.