Question for Ike Collectors

I have always wanted to assemble a relatively basic Ike Collection in a Dansco. Recently, I went through and made a list of coins that I think would make a "complete" set and it conformed well to the Dansco 8176 book...the only change being is I want to get an example of all 3 types of the 1972. I figure I will get a slabbed Type 2 and put the Type 3 in one of the unlabeled slots at the end.

So, my question is...are mint sets (except for 71 and 72) the best way to get relatively clean circulation strike Ikes? I know these coins are prone to dings due to the really low relief and large size. I'm not looking for a ultra gem set...but I would like to track down nicer looking coins for this project. Any suggestions?

 

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I did my complete set with mint sets, and a Brown and Blue boxed Ikes. I did the full set, including proofs, in gem grade. It was neither hard, nor expensive.

 

I really don't know the year on mine. But it's a TYPE 1

 

Ok. That's sorta what I was thinking. I figured it would be an inexpensive fun set with a lot of different visual appeal due to the mixture of silver and clad BU and proofs.

 

I think that's a type 0.

 

The Dansco set (with proof only issues) contains 32 pieces and four empty holes on the last page. I did my set a while back by getting pretty much all slabbed examples and cracking them out. They were all pretty cheap in relatively high grades because there are plenty of submissions looking to get top pop grades, but fall just short. The prices for the grade just below top pop are very reasonable and easy to find. I spent a good amount of time looking for a matched set of pieces with light blue or lavender toning and completed the set for about $200-250. It is now a really nice collection of higher grade examples with similar looks. Be careful if buying a completed set, the large proofs are almost always filled with album slide marks.

 

I'm not a big crack out guy...but maybe that's the best way to do one of these sets.

 

Sounds like a question for @19Lyds.

 

My set cost about $250, and I didn't do any crack-outs. I got really nice looking coins from the boxed and mint sets, and filled in the blanks with nice raw coins. The set was all over 65-- as long as you avoid the 66-68s on the tougher dates, they are cheap enough. Proofs as 69s are really easy.

 

IIRC, there are a couple dates where even a 65 will cost quite a bit. Things have really changed since 25-30 years ago when nobody was paying attention to Ikes.

 

A type 1... LOL

 

I like buying complete with proof danscos. I have 2 or 3 so far. Buy them complete when you can find them for a good price with nice condition coins and go variety hunting. Its much more fun than filling holes IMO

 

I prefer the hunt and assembling the sets myself. That's where the fun is for me.

 

You also have 40% silver business and proof strikes from 1971 to 1976.

 

That is one of the reasons I like this set...lots of variety.

 

It should be a fun set to put together. If you are lucky, you may have a few dealers near you that don't care about Ike's and they keep them in a box for just a hair over face value. I've picked up some really nice GEM's for $1.15 - $1.25 each. But I enjoy the hunt as well.

Of course, I won't find any of the 40% or proofs in that box, but the others are all there. The 1972 Type 2 has still eluded me as well.

 

Technically they are types. If you like varieties my method is the bomb diggidy. A friend once bought a complete dansco and made $15k off of it because a few of the business strikes graded very high as well as a few 70 proofs

 

I said variety...not varieties. I meant variety in the sense of the dictionary definition not the coin collecting one

 

I suddenly realize this may have come across a little "snarky." That was not my intention.