Question about Seated Dimes...

[Carterofmars]

Any thoughts on Seated Dimes? Does anyone think that this series will gain more popularity in the future?

[DaveG]

Possibly.

 

Con: It's a very, very long series (1837-1891) and has several very expensive coins.

 

Pro: Collecting by die variety has gained popularity, especially due to Gerry Fortin's website (www.seateddimevarieties.com)

[Oldtrader3]

Just obtaining the (6) major and (2) minor varieties of seated dimes will take you awhile. The Variety I-no Stars, Variety II-no Drapery and Variety V-Type I Obverse w/ stars (1860-61) will take some time and money to obtain in higher grades. The (2) w/ Arrows varieties aren't cheap either. You may want to join G. Fortin's website before starting to collect seated dimes.

[TomB]

If you are interested in buying a few coins as type pieces then I think they are terrific, however, if you want to put a date or date/mintmark set together then the cons that DaveG has already mentioned are serious. There is a reason more people do not attempt this as a set, and are content with owning only a few examples.

[James_OldeTowne]

Here are my comments, based on building a circulated set, which is what the majority of collectors pursue. Performance of the series on the whole is pretty flat, and has been for years - but don't be deceived!

 

About 70% of the coins in the series are easy to obtain. These have performed very poorly over the last twenty years or more, and in fact, the coins today cost hardly any more than they did in the early 1980s. Their performance has definitely lagged the overall market, and I think will continue to do so.

 

About 25% of the coins in the series are much tougher, but by no means impossible. These coins have kept pace with the overall market, and are a decent investment. You will do fine with these coins.

 

But those 5%, such as the CCs, have easily outperformed the overall market, and have proven to be a solid investment.

 

So the key to me is to look at these coins from the perspective of a complete set, including those very tough 5%. From that perspective, I think these coins have actually performed well.

 

James

[mhardin2413]

okay, here is my two cents, and i might say, that two cents earned me about $10,000 in 2005. i started collecting seated dimes when i was a kid instead of playing video games (1970s). my local dealer had a bunch and every time i could come up with $2, i'd buy a new one. in the thirty years since, i managed to get all but about 8 (the 1870 cc's are the toughest). last spring, i decided that the last 8 were simply impossible, unless i were willing to pay $1000s for some ugly, low grade, raw coins. instead, i sold all my seated dimes on eBay and cleaned up--i can swear that there are some hardcore seated dimers out there who are willing to pay well over redbook averages (sometimes double) for the toughest 25%. i agree that the first 25% are easy, and they tanked when i sold them (i made a little off my purchase price, but considering that i sat on them for 30 years, i lost money). if you enter the market now, be prepared to lay down some change for the tough dates, but the rarity of the whole series can't be beat (i think i added all the mintages together once any only came up with something like 12 million, and most of those have been used to death, melted, or lost, so consided at best maybe 2 million extant...) anyway, should you decide to get into the game, FIRST pick up a copy of brian greer's seated dimes. must have.

good luck, and may the force be with you.

[michael]

Any thoughts on Seated Dimes?

 

oh my

 

yes yes..........

 

but you might not like what i got to say but it is what i truly believe and my actions of yesteryear support this supposisition

 

Does anyone think that this series will gain more popularity in the future?

 

oh my YES a totally undervalued sleeper series it will take time for collectors to move back and gain in ezperience but it will happen i would say within the next 5 years or less

 

for me i like the type collector route for tender seated dimes currently the unwanted orphan in todays super charged market

 

i love gem to superb gem proof seated dimes that are either monster deep ultra cameo and the coin has to have the right "look" to qualify and/or monster toned seated proof dimes again gem to superb gem with proof civil war era dimes the best and my all time fav date in proof and also a civil war date to boot the 1862

 

get a gem proof 1862 that is monster toned and you got one really REALLY GOOD COIN

 

also any seated dimes that are superb gem mintstate monster toned with full strikes and also killer lustre and not those secondary dipped coins that have retoned in an album a totally original toned seated dime mintstate

 

 

 

my my my my my my my my my my my my my

[michael]

and again the mintstate superb gem seated dime has to have the right "look" to the coin to qualify

[IGWT]

Michael's 10c

[supertooth]

As usual Lou---You come up with the pictures. Thanks. And Michael----That is one just plain very nice dime!!!! Beautiful. Bob [supertooth]

[mhardin2413]

i agree with the advice about high grade. it'll take a chunk of change, but you'll not be sorry. as for proofs, though, i am not as convinced that they'll take off, since there are often more proofs extant than circulated for most dates, especially pre-1885.

also, hot looking dime. i had a few like that--sigh--but i've cashed them in and gone all into commems. c'est la vie.

[Oldtrader3]

Beautiful coin, Michael.

[James_OldeTowne]

mhardin2413 brings up some great points. I agree that the Greer book is a MUST HAVE. Mine is well-worn, and one of my most frequently-referenced books. Also, as mentioned, be prepared to pay significantly more than Redbook, or Trends for the scarcer coins. I stated that these coins have outperformed the general market, though this is another where pricing guides are way out of whack (too low). Trust me, scarcer Seated dimes are a no-brainer good performer.

 

James