One Super Rarity versus Many Nice Coins

[rkkay-migration]

If you had $100,000 to play with and you planned to put it into coins, would you buy one or two super rarities or a bunch of nice, but much more common, coins? I'd go for the one or two super rarities, as I have a very narrow range of taste as far as coins are concerned.

[EVillageProwler]

I'd hold out for a nice version specimen of one of my dream coins.

 

EVP

 

[291fifth]

Just make sure you pick a popular, mainline series for your high priced choices. Don't go picking something that is esoteric like patterns. An old time time dealer once gave me his definition of patterns: "Patterns are pseudo-coins that trade at a loss between dealers."

[TomB]

I don't know that there are only one or two coins that I would want enough to drop that kind of money on them. If the money had to go into coins then I think there are several in the $10k-$20k range that I would get and then fill it out with a larger number of less expensive coins that I find way cool.

[Tradedollarnut]

I would try to find a coin that had a story behind it. Get the auction catalog it appeared in and find some historical references that tie in with that type of coin.

 

Coins in a vacuum are just hunks of metal....

[michael]

for me

 

i would BUY NO COMMON COINS AT ALL

i would buy

coins with exceptional extraordinary eye appeal and extra special qualities a coin that is one in a million

 

something you do not usually see and coins like these have all price ranges!!!

 

might be a pastel rainbow toned proof 65 three cent nickel at $1400

it could be a $3350 ms65 barber half that is a totally original white coin with great lustre and eye appeal and never dipped

 

to a $900 poor one chain cent with no porosity or rim danage or dings and with great eye appeal and smooth chocolate surfaces

 

to a proof 67 dcam $250,000 stella with absolutely no roller marks anywhere on the coin to be found

 

and maybe a proof 65 1942 jeff nickel deeply mirrored and neatly rim rainbow toned for $350

 

a really neat monster lustre rainbow roosie silver dime for $55

 

in other words all price ranges as long as the coin has extraordinary qualities exceptional eye appeal! a coin not not usually seen,,,,,, a one in a million coin

 

saweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

 

michael

[sanmary]

Are we talking a "one-time" budget of $100k? If that was the case, I'd have to purchase a few of my dream coins, but save a little for common coins. People sometimes forget that a huge part of numismatics is artistic, hence a lot of art can be bought for little money. I'd split it up!

[rkkay-migration]

TDN has a great answer. Coins with a history are awesome. Michael, you always put a lot of thought into your answers. Thanks. As for patterns, I have to admit, I've been bitten by the pseudo-coin bug.

[gmarguli]

Assuming this was a "one shot" deal and I wouldn't have another $100,000 to spend on coins,but rather back to my normal coin budget, I'd probably want one nice coin (mint state Chain cent). During the normal course of collecting I will have many chances to pick up nice lower priced coins, but the opportunity to have the cash to buy one super coin won't likely come along often if ever.

[BOILER78]

Definitely the Garrett Schoolgirl dollar. I'd make a 100k downpayment and pay the balance in installments

[Oldtrader3]

I would buy some of the most original, nicest, semi-key "condition" rarities that I could find for the classical coin types that I collect. Many of these coins can be bought for $2,000-5,000. So, for $100K, you could end up with 20-50 coins that are among the best examples of type or denomination available, but not the most expensive.

[GDJMSP]

With $100k I could buy several super rarities that would fit my liking - they just wouldn't be US coins. In the world coin market a dollar goes a heckuva lot further.

[Hoot]

I'd probably try to get a nice specimen of a 1926-S buffalo nickel. That said, that does not mean an MS65 specimen, necessarily. I've seen some great MS64's and at least one fantastic AU58 (the one that got away!). I may even try to round out my set with half to two-thirds of the money, then seek to pick up a few keys to the Jefferson set. I'd want to go a-hunting for excellent coins on every front. I want coins with excellent strike and great lustre or an even patina from non-damaging wear from circulation. I'd love to have a nice type collection of circulated large cents with excellent chocolate-=brown surfaces!

 

So, in short, not one super rarity!

 

Hoot

[Beijim]

The 1915-S Pan Pacific $50 gold commemoratives. One each of the round and octagonal examples would be sweet.

 

Beijim

[reid1836]

I would probably buy a mixture of upper grade key dates from as many different series as I could.

[Please Delete-migration]

If I was worried about a return on that 100k (actually, I don't spend money on coins if I have to worry about a return but hypothetically...), I think I would go for key dates in historically popular series in nice MS grades (not super grades but in the 63,64,65 range) or high circulated grades (EF/AU) if I had to drop down do to cost. I would pick series such as Buffalos, Mercs, Lincolns, Morgans.

 

If I was spending it for pure enjoyment, I would fill a bunch of holes in my collection with nice coins ranging from keys to commons and buy some nice, dream coins along the way. A 100k would go a long way.

 

[Dog97]

To me, owning just one $100,000 coin wouldn't be any fun at all. I would get tired of looking & playing with the same old coin all day. I can't even think of any in that price range I would want.

I like my collection like it is now, with a bunch of $1,000 coins. Ones that I can take to the job site & toss up to my men on the roof and say look @ what I just got or ones I can take to the beerjoint and say check this out & toss a nice DMPL CC slab out on the pool table.

I'm just a collector & I think the more the better.

[Coinosaurus]

I would go for the one big coin, since I already have too many little ones

[BillJones]

The "action range" for collectable numismatic items is $500 to $2,500. Coins that fall below that are sometimes too common to be of great interest. Coins that go WELL beyond that range get into an area of the market that can get very risky during a major downturn.

 

I'd vote for a nice group of coins mostly in that range. It would be OK to have a few pieces that are more. Perhaps up to $10 or $12 grand for your most expensive piece and few hundred for some others would be OK.

 

I would not buy one $100,000 coin or even two $50,000 pieces. Personally I'd get bored with only one or two coins to look at. Even if you don't enjoy looking at your coins and only want them as an investment (kind of a stupid way to do things IMO, you should be buying stocks and bonds instead.), as it is with most all investments, diversity is the key. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket.

[Newmismatist]

I'd start with a Coiled Hair Stella - Would I get any change???

[jhar]

With $100k I would be in the market for Proof Morgans, Mint State Bust & Seated Dollars, High grade DMPL Morgans. The list goes on

[jom]

Hmmm...

 

I'd probably try to find some nice MS63 or nice AU58:

$5 Indians: Particularly: 09-O, 11-D, 12-S and the rest of the S-mints.

$10 Indians: AU58 20-S Eagle and a MS63 30-S Eagle

 

That should cover it.

 

jom

[jtryka]

I guess I would be a mix, since right now I am more into set collecting. I would buy the last 8 Morgans I need for my Dansco album, and then use the rest to go a long way towards the other half of my Saint set (the HR would be expensive, but I don't think it actually qualifies as a "rarity" though).

[truthteller]

$100k would buy me 5 super colored high grade commems right now. Two years ago, it would have bought me 15. Next year, it might buy me 1. Should I sell into this market?

 

TRUTH

[keithdagen]

$100k would buy me 5 super colored high grade commems right now. Two years ago, it would have bought me 15. Next year, it might buy me 1. Should I sell into this market?

 

TRUTH

 

Hell yes!!!

[Oldtrader3]

I don't think $100K would complete my Saint set. It certainly would go a long way toward that end, but the 1927-D is a stopper. All AU and MS grades of the Saints with dates in the 1930's get a little pricey as well.