Is the Mercury Dime Crowd Here as Active as the Crown Over There?

[fcloud-migration]

My main focus in collecting is Mercury Dimes, and I do most of my posting across the street. The Mercury Dime Crown over there is a very nice group of people whom discuss their coins with a passion. Is the group here as active?

 

I know by looking at the registry some of the same collectors are listed in both crowds.

 

My set is "Start Here." It has mostly PCGS coins and a couple of NGC coins. The set is not complete and I have a few circulated Mercury Dimes in the mix (to act as place holders to be updated in the future. I think the coin is more important than the holder, but would like to know what you think...

 

I have been collecting since the early 1960s. The first coin book I purchased was the 1964 Red Book, and even in times of not adding to my collection I kept up with reading Numismatic News and a few other publications mixed in now and then. Back in the late 1950s my mother would give me bus fare. And to this day I remember being truely impressed with the brand new Mercury Dimes on the occation of getting one for bus fare.

 

Anyway, Mercury Collectors, please share a story of why you like the coins.

 

Tony

 

[Wihlborg]

Hi Tony,

 

I collect Mercury Dimes, but it is not really one of my specialties. I am concentrating on my early silver commem. set at this time. I do have a bunch of nice mercury dimes though. I like white or nicely toned coins and I don’t really care if they have full bands or not. If the coin is nice I will but it with or without full bands.

 

Attached is a scan of my 1941 it is graded MS-65 in an old NGC holder.

 

John

[Wihlborg]

Here's the reverse.

[sanmary]

I love Merc's in addition to a few other series. If I can find the time I'll post a few for you to drool over. Keep looking and be very selective as many diamonds in the rough are out there that won't break the bank.

[Fairlaneman]

The community here on these boards seems to be somewhat hostile against Merc collectors. Okay not really but there just has not been much interest from the beginning here about Merc Dimes. Very few posts or posters have shown up.

 

Ken

[Beijim]

I love Mercurys. It's funny, I hadn't been a fan of toned coins at the outset, but after seeing the way some Mercury dimes tone up, I'm coming to appreciate why folks are willing to pay an obscene premium for them.

 

Unfortunately, my interest in Mercurys developed recently enough that I have no worthy anecdotes to share. I can say, however, that what attracts me to the coin is the combination of its distinctive design with its bogus name.

 

I love the art deco quality of Liberty's headpiece. I find the coin's sculpting overall quite pleasing. And then there's the fasces. I mean, who ever heard of a fasces? Finally, there's the fact that we call it by a totally ersatz name wholly unrelated to its design. Unless Mercury was a cross dresser, there's been a serious mistake .

 

Regards,

Beijim

 

[BodyBag]

The Mercury Dime series is the first and ONLY series I have ever completed! Mine are all raw, in a Dansco album. I tried to match the coins grade-wise as the dates get "newer", so as you look at my set, you don't see a VG next to an MS63, I think this makes for a nice presentation.

I don't collect Mercs in slabs, other than for my type set, as i think the slab swallows up the coin IMO. I'd go with ANACS if I collected slabbed Mercs, due to the smaller holder.

[TomB]

I love Mercs! Actually, any design that is attractive and that I can find nicely toned really makes me happy.

 

I don't participate in either Registry for Mercs and I don't find as many Merc threads here as at PCGS, however, I think you will find that most of the members here like this issue very much.

 

Here is the reverse to an NGC MS67FB 1937 Merc I bought at the ANA in NYC last year. It has drop-dead color and I bought it way cheap!

[Wihlborg]

Beautiful color on that coin Tom!

 

John

[TomB]

Thanks, John!

 

I also meant to write about how pretty your Merc is. It obviously has a beautiful, subtle patina that gives the coin an accentuated, concave look and almost matte-like color. Very attractive and original. That is the constant attribute of all the other coins you have shown me!

[Fairlaneman]

Basically the reason that not too many posts are made on either forum is that many Winged Liberty, better huh, collectors do not collect the whole series in Mint State coins. Early on I tried to build a matched set, as someone here stated they did, but ran into all kinds of problems finding some of the dates so just finally gave up on that. Then after returning to the hobby five years or so ago the intention was to build a complete set of AU coins. Well it was finally found out that some of the AU coins are much harder to find than the MS counter parts so the AU set was bagged and a Mint State set was started.

 

Through the years a whole set, almost as a 21D has never been owned, has been put together but not at the same time. This adventure that is taking place right now will accomplish the whole set goal that has escaped me so far.

 

It is a little strange that quite a few folks think that nicley toned Mercs, opps Winged Liberties, are really expensive. As Tom has pointed out some really nice toned coins can be bought for a song and a dance. Patience is needed but the coins are out there for the taking.

 

Another observation that has been made is that it seems many more collectors of this series have surfaced in the last year or so. Maybe Adolph's pretty little lady will finally get its dues. Only problem with this is that some dates just plain do not have many nice examples to fill the collector needs. Some fairly high prices have been observed for collector type grades lately.

 

Enough rambling for now. Here is one of those toned Winged Liberties that Tom was speaking of. A lowely 66FB coin but the price was right. Under 30 bucks. What more can you ask for ?

 

Ken

[Fairlaneman]

and just one more of those under 30 buck coins. Gold/Brown rim tone really does it for me.

 

Ken

[LucyBop]

 

sweet coin Tom!

[TomB]

Thanks, Lucy.

 

Ken, nice coins!

 

The dime that I posted, while not under $30, was still just over $100. I think that that represents a great buy. The obverse is pewter with light blue clouds rolling across it. I don't have an image handy of that side.

[Beijim]

That there's real purdy. Like creme caramel.

 

Hmm. Maybe I need to lower the meds.

 

Beijim

 

[fcloud-migration]

Thanks for the information.

 

Ken and Tom, I see some really pretty coins out there.

 

Ken--I know what you mean with the hostility comment.

 

 

[Fairlaneman]

Thanks Tom.

 

By no means did I want to give the impression that these coins can be picked up that cheap all of the time. It just does not happen that way. Just got real lucky on those two I guess. Since most of my buying is the Ebay variety the pictures have a lot to do with whether people will bid or not. As with most folks some real duds have been snagged also. In your case with the dime shown that was a real bargain in which most people would agree. Very pretty coin.

 

Attached is a 43S in 67FB that certainly cost more than 30 bucks. It was right up there in the range of 100 to 125 which is still a bargain for a coin like this.

 

Tony I was just kidding and ribbing the folks a bit. I really do not think there has ever been a Negative or Hostile comment made about Mercs on these boards that I have seen. Well maybe a couple I have made but none by anyone else.

 

Ken

[Wihlborg]

Thanks Tom. I really appreciate your kind comments about my coins.

 

John