New Classic Commem's :)

Nice coins and photos.

Bruce

 

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Thanks for the encouragement, Green! I also check Heritage, PCGS and NGC, 2011 redbook, and greysheet to make sure I am getting coins at reasonable prices. Are commemoratives in Old NGC/PCGS holders conservatively graded?

 

Henry, part of me wants to say, "yes they are". Many folks say that coins graded back in the early days of the TPG services were judged on a different basis then they are today. The standards of grading were more strict with less leeway given to a particular coin based on it's variety or rarity. But then you have to think......these older holders have been knocking around for many years. With all these older holders passing through the hands of many dealers and auction houses, why weren't these particular coins "cracked" out and resubmitted in later years. The crack out game is played all the time. Why not these older fellows? Could it be that maybe they were over graded? Maybe there's a problem with the coin? Maybe...maybe not. That's why it is incumbent upon us, the collector, to learn how to grade for ourselves and not trust too much to what the TPG's are assigning as grades. The old adage of "buy the coin, not the holder" rings most true indeed.......

 

Care to grade mine?

 

Part of me wants to say mint state. But the other part of me says AU-58.

Gotta nice one there Simms.....

 

I'd be inclined to say the part of you that is leaning towards AU would be right.

 

I wil go with AU-58 as well. Great design on that San Diego. TC

 

You really can't go wrong with these, even at today's prices. Mid nineties , due to health reasons I was forced to sell off 95% of my collection , which included many First generation TPG encapsulated commems . Oh, to have them today .

 

Those are beautiful commems - congrats! The Rhode Island design is sort of interesting, kind of art-decoey looking but what do I know.
Classic commems are wonderful to collect and there are so many interesting stories. I just purchased a Cincinnati 1936-S in MS64, and it took awhile to find this.
How the Queen City became America's music center and why Stephen Foster is on the obverse in kind of bizarre and corrupt.
Any true to contrary belief, "Swannee River" was not written by Stephen Foster, but by Ed Norton.

The market for commems right now are at a trough, but you would have to believe it will come up. Those at high grades (MS65, especially MS66) have taken gradual increments.
increments, but not much else.

My favorite commem is the Bay Bridge with bear profile. Most folks like the Oregon and Texas. I also think the Monroe reverse is pretty cool.

 

He's my favorite actor.

 

Very Nice! Congrats and thanks for sharing!

 

Funny you should mention. Picked this up last Sunday at a local show. Thought it had character.....

 

Simms: I'll give your SD Commem an AU-50 or maybe a 53. Can't say better based on the pics provided, especially the soft focus of the reverse shot. I assume this is a "D" mint mark but its so darned blurry or poorly struck I can't say. The California Tower towards the top looks 'crunchy' for lack of a better word and soft at the base... but ultimately the pics are probably forcing my decision to be so much more conservative than the others so far.

 

Character indeed! Two of them.

Nice pick up. One more to check off the list. :thumb:

 

Well, I'd like to have one holdered in mint state.....

 

I know you'll get that one some day... and will share it with us when you do too.

 

Too bad Ralph couldn't get the intial $100 question on the $99,000 answer. Too funny.

Anyway, I am also lookling for a Gettysburg in a nice MS64 or below. A reasonbably nice one is not easy to find. In general, collecting early commems is a great challenge, but enjoyable.

 

Thanks for the responses on the grade, I will try and get some clearer pictures up after work. The mint mark is an S, but even in hand its more like a blob. I think I will try and get a nice Texas one next.

 

Thanks for the reply and looking forward to the new pics. Perhaps try removing the coin from the flip so the camera can focus on the surface of the coin better.

 

Yup, I'd like to see the reverse again with sharper images.