So I've been snatching up all types of silver coins and normal coins for my collection these passed 3 days and I'm tired of buying coins only to have them look like cr*p in the designated space in the books I have. So I want to start buying slabbed coins, what would you recommend buying just to start my collection off, I would want something relatively cheap ($20 and under) and something not that many people can say they have or really any coins you guys think would be good to start off with. Would want coins that say "Hey I'm a coin worth more than face value" lol.
It depends on what you like. A lot of silver Roosevelt dimes are under 20. Along with nice looking late date AU mercs. Jeff nickels. For a tad more ms63 Peace common dates.
You don't need it to come out of a slab to have a nice coin. Really you are just paying a premium for what sounds like plastic that will be thrown away if you are putting them in an album anyway. What kind of coins are you looking for? Are you trying to do a type set?
Agreed, MS66 Jefferson Nickels and Roosevelt Dimes. And if you are looking for something to set them apart, try to find them with nice original toning.
Well the difficult thing with slabbed coins is most of them are going to be over $20 unless they are modern clads that were graded in huge bulk lots. To slab a coin you usually have to pay 25-50 depending on the tier. However, you can sometimes find some neat things in slabs for under $50 or so. One thing you might consider is Civil War tokens. Those can be found in cheaper slabs sometimes and they are very unique and popular. Like KoinJester said though, you could certainly find some common stuff like lower mint state mercs, and rosies. Do an advanced search on eBay for BIN under $20 and see what happens. You might find a few interesting things, and then you will also know approx what is available.
Well I love pennies, half dollars, and just any old coin (before 1940). Oh and I won't be taking them out of the holders.
Slabbed isn't a magical fix, so perhaps instead of letting that money burn a hole in your pocket, it would be a good idea to slow down, take some time to learn, and discover what you really like and want to collect before buying more.
There are a lot of real nice Lincolns out there for $10 to $15. Most Lincolns wheats 1937 to 1958 in MS66 can be had for less than $20 in NGC or PCGS.
I was going to suggest this book too. Don't be turned off by the title - it has great suggestions on how collect coins, specifically what a collector should be looking for on a particular coin when making a purchase.
I've always recommended Buffalo Nickels as the most fertile ground for the collector wanting to learn. I can think of no other series where you can affordably learn so much about planchet quality, poor die maintenance, variations in strike, spotting / corrosion of the coinage, grading by wear versus by detail, and be challenged by rare dates / varieties while acquiring so many of the dates at most any price point you choose. I also very much like the CWT recommendation from schafer11.
I'm working on a 1965 SMS set in PCGS slabs (my wife's birth year) since the raw sets always seem a bit underwhelming. Getting all SP66 and above. I have a SP67 Jefferson on the way now...
I ordered that book from ebay for $6. Hopefully it answers all the questions I will have and the ones I have now. Thanks for your help!
Kind of a contradiction. Something uncommon enough that not many people can say they have one, is not likely to be in a $20 or under slab.