Tips for U.S. Type collection?

Lots of great advice here. You might want to purchase Whitman's A Guide Book of United States Type Coins by David Bowers for a good, concise overview.

Also, allow yourself a little room for error; you're going to make a few mistakes starting out. Be discerning and don't rush!

 

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I'll add that sometimes it is harder to find a really nice coin in a lower circulated grade than in, say, XF or UNC. No motto seated dollars come to mind-- try locating an original one in VF! But, that's part of the fun.

 

Does anyone else have some advice on collecting the type set raw vs. slabbed? Also, how about storage and presentation - what are good options for raw vs. slabbed?

Thank you!

 

If you want to stick with raw, invest in airtite type containers (they are small round capsules) that will allow you to hold and protect the coin. Lots of people use 2x2s, but you need to make sure the staples are flat (invest in a flat stapler).

Either way, 2x2 or airtite, you can buy sheets that hold them in standard binders.

 

I forgot patience while you are doing it is a must. have fun doing it is the key.

 

I inherited a "U.S. Twentieth Century Type Coins" set from my dad. It's in an old ornate frame with a holder that fits the frame and has one of every coin issued by the U.S. Government in the 20th Century. The holder, frame, backing, something must have Sulphur or some other chemical in it, because the silver coins have toned a beautiful rainbow color, even some of the nickel/clad coins have a muted color tone to them. I have that set on the wall of my den and haven't even thought about upgrading any of the coins, although he picked well.

What I have done is I bought a Whitman U.S. 20th Century Type Coin album (the kind that has the plastic slides so you can see both sides of the coin and it offers some degree of protection.) I have gradually added to this album, the highest grade coins I can afford on my budget and most important, the ones that have the best eye appeal. As I'm ready to add a coin, I read up on it, it's history, designers, etc. which adds to the fun of finally getting the coin. This way when I pass my dad's framed set and my album down to my Grandson (a YN) maybe he'll continue the tradition with a 21st Century type coin set.

If you stay with AU-BU you should be able to get the coins at a fairly reasonable price. Now if you start with a 19th Century type coin set, that's a whole different ballpark, and can cost quite a lot of money. I've been collecting for quite sometime and while I have 19th Century Coins, I wouldn't attempt to put together a complete set. That' what I have done, now you have to look at the different posts and see which suggestion(s) fits best for you. Remember always collect what you like, you will enjoy the collection more in the long run. Good luck and happy hunting.

 

Where north of Atlanta? That's where I live! Have you heard about the Metropolitan Coin Clib of Atlanta? I would very highly recommend visiting if you have never gone.

 

Numismatic News had a pretty good list of Coin Shows, that's because they don't charge to list the show. Coin World also lists shows, but they charge to list, so their listings are much smaller.

 

1. get very familiar w the pcgs photo grade guide online. try to have it with you at shows if possible for reference. its invaluable to a beginner.

this will show you :

a. clear photo examples of the coin type in all grades for each type

b. clear photo examples of problem free and original raw coins. learn what they look like. there are no cleaned or problem coins among these photos.

2. realize that 90% or more of raw early 19th century coins are cleaned or problem coins.... and you dont want those.

3. be very fussy and buy only 1% or less of the coins you look at!

4. dont spend alot, at least not right away, preferably not for quite a while.

5 if your going low grade, try for at least problem free full rim vg coins.

 

This is not true. Several of the seated coins have been dipped or cleaned. Also, for the pre-1850 types, there are AU coins mixed into the MS coins. For example, the MS-62 1795 Half Eagle has clear signs of circulation on it. Also keep in mind that PCGS does not take into account strike weakness nor design differences (the obverse strike characteristics on an 1880 Indian Cent look nothing like that of a 1906), and this makes differentiating between the minor grades very hard. PCGS should have chosen coins with good, consistent strikes and have included text description of every grade level to point out what to look for. Get the Whitman ANA Grading Standards as a great learning tool.

Also not true. The number is closer to 50%.

At a coin show, that is a LOT of coins. Make a budget and/or goal and stick to it. But do be very picky; you don't want to buy something you regret.

 

www.coinzip.com

Speaking of which, @coinzip, are you still alive?

If you are confident in your ability to spot cleaned or otherwise problem coins, and can grade reasonably well, raw coins are a great option. If you can't, you should learn, and a great way to learn is by looking at a lot of slabbed coins.

I am actually doing two type sets right now. One is a general US circulating type set, and the other is the 50 piece classic commem type set. The vast majority of both have turned out to be slabbed coins, simply because the coins I want come with a big hunk of plastic around them.

I haven't made any final decisions on storage or display, but I am seriously considering putting the raw coins into Coin World slabs or similar and just using certified coin albums.

Absolutely this. Examine your budget, and pick the best coins you can afford within those parameters. Consider both grade and eye appeal. Look at 20 coins before you even consider purchasing one. Do not be afraid to go to a coin show and not buy anything for your set.

 

I'm right in the middle of the Alpharetta & Johns Creek area. Do you have any coin shops you frequent around here?

 

Absolutely this. Examine your budget, and pick the best coins you can afford within those parameters. Consider both grade and eye appeal. Look at 20 coins before you even consider purchasing one. Do not be afraid to go to a coin show and not buy anything for your set.[/QUOTE]

That's great advice, thank you!

 

Unfortunately, there aren't any coin shops to frequent.

 

I was afraid you'd say that. I haven't even found a bad coin shop here other than a paltry selection at a pawn shop.

 

Cherokee Coin and Pawn?

 

Haha that's the one. I had an experience there. I didn't fully understand the new rules, but even now I won't return.

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/weird-pawn-shop-experience.289898/

 

I'm sorry to hear that. I only had good experiences with them until they changed ownership. I've only been three times since the change.

 

Yep they were great years ago. Oh well that's how these things go.

 

And I'm going to say the exact opposite. Start with the easy coins, and go for the tough ones once you know what you're doing. Doing the opposite is a recipe for being taken to the cleaners, and ending up with coins that impress a newbie but depress a knowledgeable collector.

Coins often go up in value, but not, overall, more than the rate of inflation. Ideally, your income will go up over time too. Sure, I'd love to be able to go back and buy gem double eagles at the prices of my childhood -- but how was I going to scrape together $100 as a child, with an allowance of fifty cents a week?

This is probably a good time to repost Doug's favorite chart, showing the aggregate performance of a basket of "tough coins":



Do I regret not buying keys in the 1970's? Kind of, although as above, I didn't have much to work with. Do I regret not buying keys in the late 80's, or even "buying the dip" in 1991? Not so much.