So I'm thinking about putting together a set of silver "war" nickels. I've been looking at both ngc/pcgs price guides as well as prices realized on the auction sites. Taking what seems to be the going rates and combining that with how much I'm willing to pay for a nickel; it looks like there are about 3 ways I can go with this: 1) Do a set in matching MS66 2) Do a set in matching MS64 Full Steps (6) 3) Do a hodge podge set of mixed grades depending on year/mm (64FS, 65, 65FS, 66) staying under around $40/coin What do you think? If it were your set which way would you go and why? Cheers EDIT: I should note that I'm pretty much excluding the 1943/2 P as it's just cost prohibitive in every MS grade
Strike is really important to me because it lasts compared to color or brilliance which can fade. I would go for best strike in MS, which would include Full Steps.
Well, I do things a bit differently, but it seems if you want to keep it around $40 per coin, that would mean you are looking to spend around $440 for your set. So what I would do is search for something like a 45D in 67 FS. Take your time, pick one that is good for the grade, and do the best you can with the price. It will take time to find the right coin at the right price and you will wind up with a set of 1 war nickel, but it will be a quality coin. In addition owning a true quality coin, IMHO, this also gives you the best chance for price appreciation. Quality never goes out of style.
Best strike = full step? Not exactly accurate lonegun. Fullsteps are a product of the die wear. Some years in the jefferson series are extremely rare or non existent in fullstep due to heavily worn dies. Doesn't mean there aren't strong strikes. Also, you can have seriously hammered strikes that will not meet the FS designation. Any nick or chip across the stairs will void FS. OP... I think you need to decide what your end game is first. Meaning, are you going for a competitive registry set? Does eye appeal, toning/color play into at all? Are you willing to buy raw nickels? These are some things that would determine how you go about collecting them. The war nickel series overall is a very well-struck series and plentiful. In general, war nickels with FS in 65 and under do not carry much of a premium over non FS. With a couple exceptions. A graded MS66 set can get pretty pricey. So I suppose it's how much do you want to spend? It is very easy to find raw gem sets in the old plastic Capital holders or similar for a very reasonable price. I have somewhat of a passion for Jeffersons, especially toners. However, I am a raw collector. Some members here (Lehigh) and others are die hard Jefferson collectors and take the graded/registry route. Good luck with your new nickel collecting! Here are a few threads for reference: These first two show off some beautiful sets in the Capital holders. http://www.cointalk.com/t212158/ http://www.cointalk.com/t216002/ http://www.cointalk.com/t202696/ http://www.cointalk.com/t205951/ -greg
A great set to cellect! I am also one of the biggest fans of Jefferson especially toners. For me, I kinda like having a variety..a couple blast white, a few graded FS, a few MS67's, and plenty of different toners! For me it is about enjoying my coins, and having a full set all in the same grade and all blast white for example just seems generic, cold, and not really enjoyable. I also do not care about registry this or having the best that so if it means buying a nice raw toner that is a 64+ in my opinion instead of a graded 66FS with less eye appeal to me, I'm taking the former every time. Eye appeal is number one in my book, not investment potential or having a coin that is a 66 just cause thats what a piece of plastic says it is. Thats just me though. So as Greg said, it is up to you! If consistency is important to you go with a set all the same grade. If investment potential is important, go with a mid-MS FS set, or a high grade non-FS in the highest grade you can afford. Thats what makes this hobby great..you can buy what you want and what makes you happy! Different strokes for different folks!
I can respect wanting to do it that way and while I understand quality vs quantity; for me the balance between the two falls somewhere in the ranges that I listed. While I enjoy coin collecting, I am a stacker first and the north of 20:1 ratio of $40 coin that contains just shy of $2 worth of pm's is pushing the limits of what I can handle. As perto89 said, different strokes for different folks and I would never begrudge anyone of wanting to buy a coin like you describe. However for me personally, the only way I would ever spend $440 on one nickel is if it was somewhat similar to the ATB bullion. If they came out with a jumbo sized Jefferson or buffalo nickel that said five cents on it but was really say a 10 ozt chunk of silver then I might be down for that. In my case I think I want a full set. If I was more of numismatic investor or speculator looking to turn a profit I might be more inclined to go with your suggestion but as strictly a collector I think I'll enjoy more a full set in albeit a slightly lower grade. Thanks for all the info. Yes, I took a peek at the ngc registry sets and saw Lehigh's set. Very impressive. In my opinion I think he should be number one instead of number 2 if for no other reason than he had pictures, info and comments for all his coins. To address some of your questions though. I'd say my endgame is to have a full set of the pm containing nickels that I can enjoy without crushing the bank account. While I want high quality examples that are nice to look at they don't need to be top pops or anything like that. As I said I have kind of this arbitrary ratio when it comes to the numi side of me. While not set in stone (as illustrated by the ~$40 nickel price limit) I have kind of a mental block of going past about 10:1. For that reason; given current pm prices; I will probably never own something with a higher price tag than say a $100 half or a $250 morgan dollar and in all honesty I try and strictly limit those types of purchases. Registry sets? Yes I would probably fill one out for fun but I have neither the desire or intent to nor any illusions of competing for an award winning set. Top spot--heck based on what I saw I probably don't want to spend the money to crack the top 50. Toning and color does play into it and a few cool colored ones would be nice to mix it up but it's not an ultimate goal. I think untoned white coins are just as nice. Buying raw? I'm way too much of a newbie for that and don't think I yet feel near comfortable enough with my grading skills to tackle that and wager more than a few dollars on me being way off on the grade. Maybe when it comes to buying one or two dollar AU/MS60 coins but much beyond that I don't yet have the skills. Thanks again for the info and I'd just like to say that some of the toned coins you post are really amazing. You along with wingedliberty and robec post some really impressive stuff. Cheers
This is an excellent project. If I were in your position to make a set up ( of which I have several ) I would pick the most attractive of each of the 11 coins you need that you can afford and that jump out to you. That way when you look at it it won't just look like a holder of war nickels but each one will always speak to you. The heck with grades. They are somebody elses opinion. If you must know the grades, Why not send them in after you feel you have completed the set and be surprised.
Thanks for the kind words. I can picture the bullion angel on your shoulder yelling at the collector angel on the other shoulder. One of the reasons I do like Jefferson's, is they are underrated and plentiful right now. There are so many great deals and gems to be had when buying raw. If you decide to try that route, I would suggest checking out the old war nickel sets in the Capital holders that I mentioned. Beautiful sets can be had for south of $100. If you want to be safe, buy from a quality good seller, with quality images, and a return policy. The first sign of a good war nickel set is the luster. It should be blazing. Personally, I gamble a lot on bad images. Win some, lose some. Whatever you decide, be sure to share them with us! -g
+1 That's a great idea too. Recruiting the players individually will certainly boost the talent of the overall team. If you have a good eye for talent of course.
