So less can be more

[RichH]

or maybe Blue has turned Red, no, no I mean Red turns Red Brown, that's it!

 

This March at the Baltimore Show I cherry picked a raw 1900 Indian Cent that came back MS65RB from NGC. A few weeks ago at the November Baltimore Show I then sold my long ago acquired 1900 PCGS MS65RD Registry Indian Cent for a tidy profit and have now taken it from my inventory and replaced it in my Somerville registry set with the new 1900 NGC MS65RB.

 

 

 

What, less points and substituting an intentionally downgraded coin in a registry set ?

 

 

 

Why would I commit such folly and reduce my registry ranking and points?

 

 

 

Well a few reasons,

 

1- except for 3 additional MS65 RDs, respectively 1902,1903,1909 plus a stray 1892 MS64 RD and 2 MS65 BRs all of my remaining Bronze Indians are now of the Red Brown color classification.

 

2- The 2 Brown coins are going nowhere, both are MS65s, the 1st is the key date 1877 the 2nd my pedigreed 1875 Eliasberg coin, purchased raw MS64BR and in-attendance in 1996 on the night history was made when the famous 1913 Eliasberg Liberty Nickel broke the $1M barrier, thereby rendering one Q David Bowers to tears of joy. Historical Footnote: Buyer's fee was but 10% in 1996, and every coin was sold raw from the May 20-22 sale.

 

3- My Indian Cent set was completed in 2007 and has slowly dropped out of the top 10, oh well... Except for a couple of upgrades and a few major varieties purchases (which don't show up in the registry) I have moved on from Indian Cents to other areas of interest.

 

4- I also like the fact that if I can do the same with the remaining RDs, the set will be almost fully matched and also let me take some well earned profit.

 

5- Most importantly, I have always thought 64 and 65 RBS to be the best value for Indian Cents, they are, to my baby blues, prettier than the Reds, and they certainly are kinder to my pocketbook.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading, and much continued success to all !

 

 

 

Rich

 

See more journals by RichH

[Electric Peak]

Hi Rich,

 

I hear you. I would much rather have (in my large cent collection) an attractive BN with nice color than a spotty, fingerprinted RD that costs several/many times as much. I have some RBs, but not for the slab designation or registry. I got them because I liked the coins (e.g., CC#1 Naftzger specimens) at the prices I had to pay. I understand the desire to have nicely matched (grade, color) sets. But that's hard when some issues are common and some are rare. So I just go for the best I think I can afford at the time.

 

I saw you at the LSCC meeting in Baltimore, but you were chatting with someone and I had to run. Maybe next time...

 

Alan

[coinsbygary]

I find this also to be true with grades. For instance I am currently bidding on a coin being auctioned by Heritage. The coin is graded AU-58 with a CAC sticker. When comparing this coin with several MS-62 examples, I find this AU-58 much more attractive.

Gary

[RWB]

Good association of folly ....

[RichH]

, yes I can folly with the best of them

[Six Mile Rick]

I find this also to be true with grades. For instance I am currently bidding on a coin being auctioned by Heritage. The coin is graded AU-58 with a CAC sticker. When comparing this coin with several MS-62 examples, I find this AU-58 much more attractive.

Gary

 

Gary,

AU58 is the trump on a MS62 and MS63 any day. It takes a very slight wear to get a MS65 to grade AU58 ---- It takes a BEATING to get a MS65 to a MS62.

[Scott A]

There are so many way to collect coins. I also like to see a nicely matched set of coins when possible. And many red coins of this era do not look so attractive in their barely holding on color. And how long before they start turning too?!