What is your favorite coin and what triggered you to collect it? 1 1

[successwithcoel]

Im new here on the NGC registrar and curious to see some of everyone's favorite collectables to date.

[Coinbuf]

Welcome to the forum, just for future reference this section (the registry section) of the forum is best for posts that involve questions and suggestions and general topics that revolve around use of the NGC registry.   General questions or discussions like this are better posted in the US/world section of the forum, you are also more likely to have more members see and become involved in discussions in that section than here in the registry section.

As to your question, I only collect US coins and primarily Lincoln cents and dabble in a few type sets.  I became a coin collector at an early age when my grandmother gave me a few common date Indian Head Cents and a folder to put them in.   Sad to say that the first thing I did was to clean those poor coins to death,   but that started my love of copper coins and ultimately my focus of Lincoln cents.

 

 

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

Welcome.  As @Coinbuf said, this is technically the wrong section, but we can make it work.  

I started collecting coins in 2020.  I started coin roll hunting (CRH) for something to do during COVID.  The US coin shortage put a halt on my CRH activity, so I thought I would look at a local coin shop.  I was amazed.  I had no idea that there were so many different types of coins that the US minted.  I was completely spellbound by an 1818 large cent, because it was "so old, so big, and still so pretty."  The price of that coin almost made me fall on the floor, and I was completely unaware of the market.  I told the dealer that I loved the large cent best, but I was not ready to spend that kind of money... so he showed me an 1804 half cent.  I bought the 1804 that day for a few hundred dollars and took it home, and looked at it every day.  I studied, and I noticed that the large cents and half cents had very similar designs, but "nice" half cents are less expensive (generally)... so, I started to (and continue to) collect them.  

The Draped Bust design is my favorite design among half cents - maybe because that 1804 was a Draped Bust design. To me, the design is much more developed and beautiful than the earliest designs (which I also love), but they still have a primitive charm about them.  There are also many varieties and die states that I find interesting in the Draped Bust.

 

 

Ps.  I did go back later and bought the 1818 N-10 Large Cent, and I have bough a few other LC type coins.  But, I am glad that I went into half cents... it's not super popular, but there is a fan base - and it is a very interesting series to study.

 

[GoldFinger1969]

Can a Mod or someone at NGC move this thread to the right section ? 

[GoldFinger1969]

My favorite coin(s) are the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles, as you will probably learn from all the threads I've contributed to on those coins.   

I like both the obverse and reverse...fascinated by their history in international trade....the stories behind the hoards....how so many (or so few) came to survive to this day....the mysteries involving the bag of 1928 Saints or the entire stash of 1933's (excepting the one our fellow poster EC has ! ).

Needless to say, I've bough most books on Saints/Double Eagles including RBWs book (which led to a very active thread here) and scoured the web for other articles, posts, stories, etc.

Just wish I had more time -- and money ! -- to spend on them. 

[successwithcoel]

On 10/8/2022 at 9:24 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Can a Mod or someone at NGC move this thread to the right section ? 

Opps is thisnthe wrong area?

[successwithcoel]

On 10/8/2022 at 9:28 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

My favorite coin(s) are the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles, as you will probably learn from all the threads I've contributed to on those coins.   

I like both the obverse and reverse...fascinated by their history in international trade....the stories behind the hoards....how so many (or so few) came to survive to this day....the mysteries involving the bag of 1928 Saints or the entire stash of 1933's (excepting the one our fellow poster EC has ! ).

Needless to say, I've bough most books on Saints/Double Eagles including RBWs book (which led to a very active thread here) and scoured the web for other articles, posts, stories, etc.

Just wish I had more time -- and money ! -- to spend on them. 

This is awesome! I'm here to explore different asset classes and collectables. So much untapped potential!! 

Yes the common denominator is we need cashflow to transfers into these beautiful assets.

I'm blessed to have both ❤❤

[successwithcoel]

On 10/6/2022 at 2:43 PM, Coinbuf said:

Welcome to the forum, just for future reference this section (the registry section) of the forum is best for posts that involve questions and suggestions and general topics that revolve around use of the NGC registry.   General questions or discussions like this are better posted in the US/world section of the forum, you are also more likely to have more members see and become involved in discussions in that section than here in the registry section.

As to your question, I only collect US coins and primarily Lincoln cents and dabble in a few type sets.  I became a coin collector at an early age when my grandmother gave me a few common date Indian Head Cents and a folder to put them in.   Sad to say that the first thing I did was to clean those poor coins to death,   but that started my love of copper coins and ultimately my focus of Lincoln cents.

 

 

Oh wow thanks for the help I'm new here... 

Also Lincoln coins are amazing I just stacked a full set that was designed by the great Miles Standish. 

They are long holds for me as I respect him as a great man doing great things for the precious metals space

[successwithcoel]

On 10/8/2022 at 7:16 AM, The Neophyte Numismatist said:

Welcome.  As @Coinbuf said, this is technically the wrong section, but we can make it work.  

I started collecting coins in 2020.  I started coin roll hunting (CRH) for something to do during COVID.  The US coin shortage put a halt on my CRH activity, so I thought I would look at a local coin shop.  I was amazed.  I had no idea that there were so many different types of coins that the US minted.  I was completely spellbound by an 1818 large cent, because it was "so old, so big, and still so pretty."  The price of that coin almost made me fall on the floor, and I was completely unaware of the market.  I told the dealer that I loved the large cent best, but I was not ready to spend that kind of money... so he showed me an 1804 half cent.  I bought the 1804 that day for a few hundred dollars and took it home, and looked at it every day.  I studied, and I noticed that the large cents and half cents had very similar designs, but "nice" half cents are less expensive (generally)... so, I started to (and continue to) collect them.  

The Draped Bust design is my favorite design among half cents - maybe because that 1804 was a Draped Bust design. To me, the design is much more developed and beautiful than the earliest designs (which I also love), but they still have a primitive charm about them.  There are also many varieties and die states that I find interesting in the Draped Bust.

 

 

Ps.  I did go back later and bought the 1818 N-10 Large Cent, and I have bough a few other LC type coins.  But, I am glad that I went into half cents... it's not super popular, but there is a fan base - and it is a very interesting series to study.

 

This is an incredible coin! It's mindblowing how unaware people are of the opportunity to hold valuable tangible assets long term.

The more.the word spreads more people will see a prosperous future 

[zadok]

...fyi, in mid june 2021 there was a thread on this forum titled..."whats your favorite coin and why, irrespective of value"...u mite retrieve it n read n find it answers some of ur interests....

[rrantique]

Welcome to the forum

[GoldFinger1969]

On 10/7/2022 at 5:56 PM, successwithcoel said:

This is an incredible coin! It's mindblowing how unaware people are of the opportunity to hold valuable tangible assets long term.  The more.the word spreads more people will see a prosperous future 

Please be careful....collect because you LIKE IT and can AFFORD what you put into it.

DO NOT consider your coins "investments" or even tangible assets that will appreciate or even hold their value.  They may...they may not.  They don't pay interest or dividends and they have with very few time periods turned out to be mediocre to poor "investments" over the long haul.  We have a few threads talking about that here.

Even trophy coins like the 1933 Double Eagle and the 1908-S Saint-Gaudens MS-68 return mid-single digit returns over most holding periods.  Probably the same for other bullion and non-bullion coins.

Edited October 7, 2022 by GoldFinger1969

[zadok]

On 10/7/2022 at 7:23 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Please be careful....collect because you LIKE IT and can AFFORD what you put into it.

DO NOT consider your coins "investments" or even tangible assets that will appreciate or even hold their value.  They may...they may not.  They don't pay interest or dividends and they have with very few time periods turned out to be mediocre to poor "investments" over the long haul.  We have a few threads talking about that here.

Even trophy coins like the 1933 Double Eagle and the 1908-S Saint-Gaudens MS-68 return mid-single digit returns over most holding periods.  Probably the same for other bullion and non-bullion coins.

...it all depends on what u buy n when u buy...correctly purchased coins have outperformed all stocks n bonds over the past 30 years by multiples...regardless of dividends n interests....

[GoldFinger1969]

On 10/7/2022 at 8:59 PM, zadok said:

...it all depends on what u buy n when u buy...correctly purchased coins have outperformed all stocks n bonds over the past 30 years by multiples...regardless of dividends n interests....

That is the rarity and exception....very few are as smart and savvy as you, Zad ....by any stretch, a hobby does not usually provide competitive investment options.

Maybe a niche sector -- like toned Franklin Halfs -- because of the recent spike will find the annualized return competitive.  And our older posters here who were active in the 1950's and 1960's certainly have many coins that went up 50 and 100-fold (or more !) that helped out their financial returns. 

But for most people starting out in the 1970's or later -- ESPECIALLY after the 1973-80 metals bubble and the 1988-90 coin bubble -- it's miraculous if someone was even in the ballpark with stocks, bonds, or other financial assets.  If the trophy coins I cited above can't hit 10% a year, what can ?  I guess if someone is prescient and can tell the future they can realize that buying some penny or nickel or commemorative for a few bucks will be worth $300 in 10 or 20 years, I guess.  But most people can't predict the future.

Ancients & Foreign coins are hot right now....do we KNOW with certaintly they'll be hot in 2 or 5 years ?  Are U.S. coins turning the corner or is it just a blip ?  Even the experts can't say for sure.

[zadok]

On 10/8/2022 at 10:19 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

That is the rarity and exception....very few are as smart and savvy as you, Zad ....by any stretch, a hobby does not usually provide competitive investment options.

Maybe a niche sector -- like toned Franklin Halfs -- because of the recent spike will find the annualized return competitive.  And our older posters here who were active in the 1950's and 1960's certainly have many coins that went up 50 and 100-fold (or more !) that helped out their financial returns. 

But for most people starting out in the 1970's or later -- ESPECIALLY after the 1973-80 metals bubble and the 1988-90 coin bubble -- it's miraculous if someone was even in the ballpark with stocks, bonds, or other financial assets.  If the trophy coins I cited above can't hit 10% a year, what can ?  I guess if someone is prescient and can tell the future they can realize that buying some penny or nickel or commemorative for a few bucks will be worth $300 in 10 or 20 years, I guess.  But most people can't predict the future.

Ancients & Foreign coins are hot right now....do we KNOW with certaintly they'll be hot in 2 or 5 years ?  Are U.S. coins turning the corner or is it just a blip ?  Even the experts can't say for sure.

...u r reinforcing my position...what u buy n when u buy, the big operative words here...if i only made a 10% annualized return id quit buying, id view that as a failure...easy example, just look at the prices eric p. newman paid for his coins, most of his original 2x2s had his price on them...annualize those n see what u realize...n he wasnt even trying to make money off his coins...i at least take it into consideration....

[VKurtB]

I fear our buddy Coel is heading down a verrrrry bad track. Over 90% of people who get into coins as an investment  lose money, LOTS AND LOTS of money. A dear friend ended up dangling from the end of a rope over the bursting of the late 1980’s bubble. His note said he had let his wife and family down. The higher you fly…

Edited October 9, 2022 by VKurtB

[GoldFinger1969]

On 10/8/2022 at 7:37 PM, zadok said:

...u r reinforcing my position...what u buy n when u buy, the big operative words here...if i only made a 10% annualized return id quit buying, id view that as a failure...easy example, just look at the prices eric p. newman paid for his coins, most of his original 2x2s had his price on them...annualize those n see what u realize...n he wasnt even trying to make money off his coins...i at least take it into consideration....

It seems you buy after doing lots of due dilligence with the GOAL of making $$$.  I think most here buy coins based on what they LIKE and LOVE and NOT $$$.  And as I said, Zad, quite frankly you're a very experienced and knowledgeable collector/buyer....most people aren't that savvy.

Also, if you are like me, I want to only buy certain coins that I like (i.e., Saints).  So even if you tell me I can buy a couple of EAC's or 1940's coinage that is almost CERTAIN to triple in 5-7 years, I'm really not interested in making $$$.  I'd rather put that couple of thousand bucks into Saints I enjoy looking at.

JMHO.

[GoldFinger1969]

On 10/8/2022 at 8:20 PM, VKurtB said:

I fear our buddy Coel is heading down a verrrrry bad track. Over 90% of people who get into coins as an investment  lose money, LOTS AND LOTS of money. 

Because they tend to learn about the HOBBY during the boom and good times or when people are making lots of $$$.  NOBODY sees news articles or TV spots when the hobby is dead and nobody is making any $$$.

On 10/8/2022 at 8:20 PM, VKurtB said:

I fear our buddy Coel is heading down a verrrrry bad track. Over 90% of people who get into coins as an investment  lose money, LOTS AND LOTS of money. A dear friend ended up dangling from the end of a rope over the bursting of the late 1980’s bubble. His note said he had let his wife and family down. The higher you fly…

Very sad....people blow $$$ on stuff they don't understand.  As a money manager and investment analyst, I see it all the time (thankfully, less nowadays than decades ago).

[zadok]

On 10/9/2022 at 11:42 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

It seems you buy after doing lots of due dilligence with the GOAL of making $$$.  I think most here buy coins based on what they LIKE and LOVE and NOT $$$.  And as I said, Zad, quite frankly you're a very experienced and knowledgeable collector/buyer....most people aren't that savvy.

Also, if you are like me, I want to only buy certain coins that I like (i.e., Saints).  So even if you tell me I can buy a couple of EAC's or 1940's coinage that is almost CERTAIN to triple in 5-7 years, I'm really not interested in making $$$.  I'd rather put that couple of thousand bucks into Saints I enjoy looking at.

JMHO.

...not really i buy very few coins just to make money...i have one ngc/pcgs box that has coins in it that i dont collect, coins that r drastically undervalued that one day will pay back 500-1000% return n even those coins r purchases well grounded in solid numismatic principles, i.e. scarce to rare n in grades that r concensus like top 5 known...as to coins i do collect i study the availability of those n their historical pedigrees if applicable, how often been on the market in what grades etc...coins i believe to be true investments r coins if i dont buy when made available i may never see again, they r almost always excellent investments, their absolute value return without dividends or interest will far out surpass any stock or bond...its always a matter of when u choose to realize that return...the making money aspect is minimally considered in my purchases but i do take it into account...for instance every 1838-0 half dollar i have every owned i made money on some i purchased more than once, those r the outliers because i dont collect that area but i consider every one that comes on the market...in the areas i do aggressively collect i tend to go after current finest knowns, why not?....

[Quintus Arrius]

🐓:  What do you say to all that, Q?

Q.A.:  Well, first off, the coin I consider to be my all-time favorite is the French 20-franc gold roosters which are dated 1899-1914, (though the latter half were minted in 1921, the 1950's and even the 1960's.) I have pored over their every detail with a fine-toothed comb (high-magnification loupe) and am mesmerized with the coin's fine design and overall beauty.  I do not recall ever thinking about my obsession as an investment.  But my broker is E.F. Hutton, and Hutton says...   

🐓:  They're gone, Q!  Long gone... Kaput!  Welcome to reality.