1903 Indian Head Cent - Newbie Lessons Learned

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by mcz0804a, May 7, 2018.

  1. mcz0804a

    mcz0804a Member

    I was sorting through my coins and came across a 1903 Indian Head Cent. I was shocked by how many details I could see in a 115 year old coin. Sharp letters, Some detail in the headdress feathers, Individual leaves in the wreath, Even can still count lines at the top of the shield. I was excited to get on here and sow it off. But, I know how annoying it is for noobs to get on here and post out of there butts. So I decided to do some quick (5 minute) research first. Well lets say I learned a couple things.

    #1) PCGS Photograde is a pretty cool app/website. It is super helpful to be able to ballpark a grade with some amazing quality pictures. And while I understand the app/site doesn't cover EVERY grading, it is a good starting point.

    #2) PCGS Photograde will humble you pretty quick. Especially if you have no clue like I did. I was pretty excited on condition. That excitement faded quickly when I hit F15 and it was almost exactly like mine. That ALOT lower than I expected. I mean, I wasn't expecting MS or AU, but I thought maybe VF.

    #3) It doesn't matter. In the grand scheme of things, I'm not collecting for value. Yes, having a valuable collection is cool. But that will come with time by naturally growing in the hobby. Even though the grade is low, it is still one of my favorite coins in my collection.

    As with all things in life, feedback is a gift (Wood Badge'rs should get a chuckle). Any advice or expansion on these points would be GREATLY appreciated.



    v/r,
    Mike

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  3. Kentucky

    Kentucky Supporter! Supporter

    Good attitude, even coins with a resonable amount of wear can still be attractive.
     
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  4. Randy Abercrombie

    Randy Abercrombie Supporter! Supporter

    I adore your enthusiasm. You are collecting for the right reasons. Yes it is a beautiful piece of 115 year old history. And it is fortunate that it lies in the hands of someone who appreciates it.
     
  5. swish513

    swish513 Penny & Cent Collector

    There's nothing wrong with a worn coin. It has a story to tell. A been there, done that story. MS coins can talk about sitting in a collection while a F15 coin can talk about all the goods it purchased, hands it touched, etc.

    Welcome to the exciting world of coins!
     
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  6. JPeace$

    JPeace$ Coinaholic

    The fact that finding a 115 year old coin and being excited about it means you've caught the fever!

    Buy yourself a Redbook and look through all the US coin series. You're bound to found one that continues your interest.
     
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  7. NumisNinja

    NumisNinja Active Member

    The thing about Indians is they aren't going to be worth much unless they are key dates, and you likely won't just stumble upon those. The only exception being if they are really high grade, which again you wouldn't randomly find any of those either, as they wouldn't have ever been circulated.

    The first thing is just looking to see if you can see all of Liberty on the headband. If you can't read all the letters, it's not worth getting excited over.
     
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  8. Wheatmaster101

    Wheatmaster101 U.S. Cent Collector

    I can't see myself "stumbling upon" an Indian Head cent in any condition. Do you "randomly" find IHCs? I would be pretty excited if I did find ANY IHC unexpectedly.
     
  9. mcz0804a

    mcz0804a Member

    That is an excellent point! And one that I was discussing on another post about a couple French emergency coins I have. I'm glad you helped me transpose the lesson in my head, Thank you.

    I actually have a couple of older ones, and remember loving reading them. And the 2019 edition just got released, so perfect time to get the new one! What are your thoughts on the "Mega Red"? It looks like it could contain some cool supplemental material.


    Nope, I can't even tell it ever said "LIBERTY". And you know what? That's OK with me. I'm still going to be guiltlessly excited about it.
     
  10. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    Indeed. How nice is it to open a thread and read a very reasonable post from someone who actually accepts both what they've learned and that there's a lot more to learn? At the same time, how sad is it that no arguing, conspiracies, nonsense, BS, etc, etc has become the exception as opposed to the norm?


    Welcome to the forum, sir. Glad to have you on board. :)
     
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  11. mcz0804a

    mcz0804a Member

    Thank you, and I'm glad to be here.
     
  12. SilverDollar2017

    SilverDollar2017 Morgan dollars

    Nice find! I certainly don't stumble across IHCs every day.
    Yes, PCGS Photograde is a very helpful website. If you ever have any questions about grading, you can post in the US Coin Forum.
    Glad you're collecting for the right reasons. I recommend you purchase a Red Book. It will be one of the most helpful books about coins you've read.

    I'm glad to open a thread and finally come across a level headed new member who's not trying to make money off of a 1955 LWC DDO that's actually machine doubling.

    Welcome to CoinTalk. :)
     
  13. mcz0804a

    mcz0804a Member

    I actually have a couple of older Red Books, and remember loving reading them. And the 2019 edition just got released, so perfect time to get the new one! What are your thoughts on the "Mega Red"? It looks like it could contain some cool supplemental material.
     
  14. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    Welcome!

    I agree with all the positive commentary above. It sounds like you've got the right attitude, and while a midgrade 1903 Indian cent is a reasonably humble coin in terms of monetary value, it's historical and collectible. (And I personally find that more interesting than most of the modern, miniscule "errors" we see posted here so often).

    We all have different budgets and tastes, and finding your own path is a good thing. This hobby can be enjoyed on any budget from tiny to huge, and there are good and not-so-good choices within all of those price tiers.

    "Buy the best you can afford" is reasonably sound advice. Being a low-budget collector with a sense of what's a good value within his own budget can be better than being a deep-pockets guy who's just throwing fat sums into his collection without having enough knowledge about what he's doing.

    Your Indian cent makes me nostalgic for the time I put together a Dansco album of them in G-VF condition, back in the early 1990s. It's one of the few US series I've completed, though I didn't have the 1869 overdate and the more esoteric varieties- just the basic Red Book dates. (Yes, I did get the 1877 and 1909-S.)
     
    Last edited: May 8, 2018
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  15. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    PS- they're mighty fun to dig up, too. Even when they're not in that great a shape, I do love poppin' 'em out of the ground. :)

    2007-12-15
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    2009-04-19
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    2013-05-27 (IHC find @21:05 approx in the video)
     
  16. JPeace$

    JPeace$ Coinaholic

    I own a Professional Edition of the Red Book 2nd edition. I like it because it's easier than a regular Red Book and has some more information. I've thought about buying the Mega Red, but haven't looked through one to see if the information provided is worth the additional expense.

    • Collect what you like and how you like
    • Learn
    • Ask questions
    • Have fun
     
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  17. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    I too have thought about getting the "Mega Red", and think it's probably worth the price, but I haven't had one just yet.

    (US coins form a relatively small part of my collection, so it's not as high a priority for me as it would be if I collected US only. But "buy the book before the coin" is sound advice, even if I don't always follow it, myself.)
     
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  18. mcz0804a

    mcz0804a Member

    Hmmmm... You may have just inspired another whole thread... Ideas, Ideas.

    I have learned this from my many other collections. 1:64 (Hot Wheels) scale diecast Corvettes, Scouting memorabilia, and all the sub collections that go with them.

    You know what, I bought a Harbor Frieght metal detector and could never get the hang of it. Granted, unrealistic expectations (I had just finished watching alot of treasure hunter shows) and buying a cheap knockoff probably didnt help any. I wish I could afford a Garrett.

    I didn't know a Professional Edition existed. I may have to just pick up the Mega Red and do a rookies review of it.



    Thanks for all of the advice.
     
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  19. NumisNinja

    NumisNinja Active Member

    It'd be nice if dug coins had a "buried treasure" premium on them. Unfortunately the opposite is true. I realized it's much easier to just pay $20 or so per coin for 1890s-1909 (less the S of course), rather than try to detect for them or take what falls in your lap. I mean all coins are cool no matter how you get them, but you'll appreciate IHCs in higher grades the more you get into them.
     
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  20. Granbeck

    Granbeck Active Member

    Loved watching your video. In my retirement, I have taken up coin collecting, metal detecting, and magnet fishing. It's fun to find anything that belonged to another human at one time. Thank you for this video.
     
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  21. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    And I hadn't heard of "magnet fishing" before... very interesting. Thank you.
     
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