I’m not saying THE favorite coin, unless you actually have one. I’m guessing I’m like a lot of folks who have multiple favorites. So one favorite — or many. Post one (or more). I’ll go first…..
This will always be one of my favourites. 161,000 struck as proof and is an absolute monster of a coin, Weight 129.59 g Diameter 61 mm Thickness 4.7 mm and is complete with official packaging and COA. All marks are on the capsule.
I have many favorites but this one has stood the test of time. As others have come and some have left the collection. This particular one has never been considered to be turned loose. As an old boat captian who loved to sail... "I lettered in sailing in college" this coin looks and has toned like one would expect to see heavy mist or fog over a fort built on the water at dawn. Its a half crown size so a fairly large coin. It has been in my collection 30 + years. As my world coin favorite.
This 1812 bust half is my favorite specimen of US coins. She's not very pretty ,been cleaned ...guility as charged! Why the things we do as kids. My father obtained this coin as a teenager. He was from a family of 5 boys. As a young man he left high school to accept a job as a runner or bill collector for the Federal Reserve . That would of been in the early 1930 's. He accepted this coin as payment on a bill. Even in the 1930's 1812 was a 118 years old. So he kept the half...and it wa given to me over 60 years ago. One must realize the value of 50 cents in the early 1930 's. For a kid whom just quite school, and took a job to help support the family.
This 1860 half dime has been a favorite, although it's a common coin. The reason the date which has this piece struck on the eve of the Civil War. I have also been drawn to this 1908 quarter eagle because of its eye appeal. I bought it from a dealer, who often bought crack-out candidates, and probably overpaid for it as a result. The coin is in an MS-64 holder, and the dealer was probably thinking MS-65 when the price of that grade was much higher. I have not been able to capture this coin's eye appeal in photos, but the piece is very pleasing. When I was shopping for a high grade type coin, I noted that the 1908 quarter eagles seemed to come conservatively graded. I avoided that date for type because of the strike issue with the eagle at the top of its wing. All genuine 1908 quarter eagles are weak there. In later years, the mint fixed the problem. Here is my coin for type, a 1925-D in an NGC MS-66 holder.
I love the Buffalo Nickel design and when this coin first came out I had to have it! This coin also was directly responsible for me finding this forum in 2006 as I was searching for information on it.
I like Errors and Variety's, Here are a couple of my favorites. 83 DDR 1955S retained interior die break (OBV) and Retained Cud (REV).
Denarius minted between 49 and 44 BC bearing the likeness of Julius Caesar. It'd be difficult to get a contemporary representation of a person that had a bigger impact on the course of Western history!
One of my favorite coins is this one.... Almost value whatsoever, but it's a 1955-D Wheat Cent I found in change. (https://www.cointalk.com/threads/what-got-you-started.396386/ ) It's what started my (and other's) collection:
I like this.... I still have the Franklin half my mother gave me in the mid-1960's to buy my lunch with at school (yeah we were dinosaurs).... Being about 9-10 years old, I had never seen a giant coin like that half dollar and I went hungry that day.... Still have that half dollar for the same reason you have kept this old wheat cent. I think it is a very cool coin.
A favorite coin for a favorite emperor, and one that I haven't shown before: Probus (276-282). Radiate (23mm, 4.11g, 12h). Serdica, 277-280. Radiate, helmeted and cuirassed bust l., holding spear over shoulder and shield on arm. R/ Emperor on horseback l., extending arm in salute and holding sceptre; to l., captive seated l., looking r.; A. Cf. RIC V 886. VF I have since removed the sticker, but I don't have a picture of the coin with it removed. This is also my largest ancient coin, my Antoninianus of Gordian III is 21mm. Not a huge difference, but this one beats it.