The Coin you'd buy if you had $250, $500, or $1,000

Ok, here's a little question to throw out ot the crowd. Your Uncle George just left you some amount of cash. (For all those times he never paid you to rake the leafs.) He demands you buy a coin with it. There's just too many coins for $100, so let's start a little higher.

What do you buy if he gives you $250?

What if ponied up $500, what then?

And finally what if he gave you a $1,000?

 

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$250-1999 Wide AM Lincoln Cent
$500-1849 $1 Gold
$1000-High grade 1890's Education Note

 

Nice topic.

For $250, i'd most likely get a low/mid grade Classic Head Large Cent that hopefully is problem free.

$500 would be a draped bust half dollar from 900fine

$1,000 would be a ancient, probably be this http://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?vpar=54&zpg=55666 gotta throw a ancient in there!

 

For $250 proof V nickel
For $500 Bust half set
For $1000 Nice obsolete collection

 

$250 - The most attractive 1926 Oregain Trail I could find

$500 - Best grade 1853 Seated Half Dollar Arrows & Rays

$1000 - Best looking Franklin set I could put together.

 

$250 - Nice AU+ Trade Dollar
$500 - Nice pile of barber silver
$1000 - Nice set of Seated dime, quarter and half proof coins

 

$250- Nicest half-cent I could muster
$500- Nicest '09-S VDB I could get
$1000- an XF 1875-CC 20 cent piece (maybe not quite XF but close)

That would complete my denomination (w/o gold) type set and get me a VDB. (i'd also finally have a CC minted coin)

 

What would you buy?

 

$250 - '38 PR65 Mercury dime
$500 - '38 PR65 Cameo Lincoln cent.
$1000 - '38 PR65 Walking Liberty half.

I'd pick up the quarter and nickel out of pocket.

 

why all '38? my dealer has a 38 merc. for $800

 

$250 - Nice AU Indian Head Quarter Eagle
$500 - Tube of ASEs
$1000 - Higher grade AU Indian Head Gold Eagle ($10)​

 

In all three cases: A bullion coins. I can't just "buy" coins for my collection quickly. They come when they come. Bullion I can buy at any time (and do!). Not likely the answer you were looking for, but my honest reaction upon reading your question, and if you forced me to answer, I would likely answer "a coin for my dansco", "an XF/AU middle-date large cent", and "a type coin for my collection", for $100, $500, and $1000 levels respectively....Mike

 

$250 Lettered Edge Large Cent in Good
$500 Lettered Edge Large Cent in Very Good
$1000 Lettered Edge Large Cent in Fine

In some ways I have a one track mind and in others, diversity (of grade).

 

$250: Nice BU Half dime (atleast MS-64)
$500: 1916-D Mercury dime in AG-3 (no problems)
$1000: 1909-S VDB cent closest to $1000

 

I don't know, actually. Random.

 

I had to laugh when the first answer included a bill. I would do the same thing to uncle George.

$250 - 1918 Illinois (Lincoln) commemorative
$500 - $2 1918 Battleship (SF)
$1000 - $1 1896 Silver Certificate

 

250 - 1997-00 1c WAM
500 - 1932 D 25c
1000- 1921 $1

 

$250-1879 CC Morgan in VF20

$500-Roll of ASE (stole this one from Krispy, but I think it's a great idea)

$1000-1923 S Standing Liberty Quarter in VF-XF

 

While I am into paper like you and others, and the notes you guys listed are excellent choices, the OP stipulated what coin purchases we'd make and posted this in the Coin Chat forum, so I stuck with only coin responses. We could also hold a Paper survey along these lines in the paper money forum. Here we go...

 

$250 - bright white, PCGS MS64FBL, 1962 Franklin Half Dollar
$500 - rainbow toned, NGC or PCGS 1880-CC (rev of 78) in MS grade
$1000 - low population California Gold, PCGS MS grade

And I might save a little for flowers to go to good old Uncle George's widow, Aunt Martha