Any one else into old coppers?

Hello there!

I have been coin collecting for years now, since I was 16 and have recently gotten into the old coppers. There is something about holding something that someone almost 300 years ago touched. I, sadly, can't afford the high end 'gem' pieces (though I do drool over them on eBay and what not) but I make do.

Right now the pride of my copper collection is a 1798 Liberty Bust Cent. This little 'lady' had been sitting in my favorite coin shop for a while and I would go in and fawn over it. It isn't the *ahem* 'prettiest' piece, it's a bit worn from use on the bust...but what I love is the back! There is a die clash running along the bottom of the coin...and 1/100 fraction on the bottom was once a 1/000 but with a 1 restamped.

I am currently hoping to win a few bids on eBay for a 1794 Liberty Cap. That one is like the one coin I have wanted for a long time now and have saved to hopefully win it.

Anyways, I wanted to get to know everyone here...and get to know other copper collectors :high5:

Happy collecting

 

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Hey there Sundance! Welcome to CoinTalk. I too love the old coppers (you can see the few I have in my coin pictures in the link at bottom). My favorite is the Draped Bust design. Another thing I appreciate about all the old coppers are their large size and relatively heavy weight. I agree with you that it's fun to contemplate who held them and how they were used. It's just too bad that they have become so popular now and so expensive. You'll have to post a picture of the coin you end up buying.

 

BTW - you might want to look out for CT member "Handsome Toad"! He is an avid early copper collector and will talk your ear off with his extensive collection. :blah: We tolerate him along with a strange pointy eared guy named spock. He'll post cryptic comments that require a special decoder ring. :mouth:

 

I also enjoy early coppers. I particarly like the drapped bust half cents, though it's becoming difficult finding nice pieces.
Guy~

 

heh will have to remember that user :whistle:

Will do my best to post pictures but right now my camera is a packed away in a box after I moved.

Here is a link to one of the Caps I am bidding on (so long as none of you try to out bid me *LOL*). See I have this thing for die clashes...I love them! They are so neat so when I saw this I knew I had to pony up the dough:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140272376222&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DBidding

Yes I know it isn't the prettiest...but right now I just need one to fill the spot :hail:

 

welcome, I enjoy old coppers as well. Post pic's if you can.

 

sundance:
That is a pretty neat looking '94!
Good luck.
And, welcome to the forum.

 

Welcome to cointalk!

I think you will find several of us around here who enjoy old coppers. Some are better than others, but never seen one I did not like.

 

Yeah I am the same way...walking in a coin shop is hard on the wallet! I see all those lovely Liberty's just begging me to take them home and love them :kewl:

Though I must admit, I am a copper person at heart but I am privately lusting after a Saint Gauden's Double eagle *LOL* There are a couple in a shop I frequent and I am sure they are getting tired of wiping up the drool I make

 

sundance:
I know what you mean, a few years ago at every show that I attended, I 'visited' a certain dealer's chain cent.

He was very patient with me, and let me hold it each show. Then the day came, and I walked over and saw that it was gone!

I still miss visiting it!

 

Welcome Sundance ! Sure, I love the Early American Coppers.

May I suggest checking out the Early American Coppers club ? I've learned a lot from these guys. I attended the convention in Dallas earlier this year. I have never seen a coin show remotely like it. LOTS of expertise in that room. LOTS of interesting presentations.

Here's the link :

http://www.eacs.org/

Great bunch of guys.

 

I think that's a die break, not a die clash.

Good luck ! It's an interesting piece.

 

That's true. They're also tricky from a grading perspective. That's a double whammy against the uninformed... so education is even more important in this area than some others.

If ever the phrase "buy the book before the coin" was vital, this is the place !

 

Ooo...what a great site! Sure wish I lived where those meetings are held...need to come to Cali...we have great weather :hug:

I am new to those whole 'clash/break' collecting...all I know is I love the look of it...

I am looking forward to the coin mart that is coming in November...will have to make sure I bring lots of money...now where to get that?

Oy isn't that the truth! Someone could hand you an old copper and impress you with the date and try to sell it for waaay more than it's worth.

 

@ Catbert

First, as to the 1794 LBC, Chuck (seller) is very knowledgeable with them so if he attributes it or defines it, I won't ever question it . . . . unless I plan on bidding. I always check someone elses attributions since it's easy to make a mistake, which I have done and will continue to do. :goofer: The best reference site I've found is Tom Deck's website:

http://www.largecents.net/

Tom is an awesome guy and loves to talk copper! :thumb:

Secondly, your 1798 you picked up. With the 1798's there is not one known to have a 1/100/000 corrected fraction so what you see is probably corrosion or a ding. If it is a corrected fraction then it's a one-of-a-kind. If you will post a pic, I can tell you what variety it is and then you'll know what it is fer sure.

As to me and what I collect, I've been building a DBC collection, along with the earlier pre-federal & state issues. I've got 4 Virginia Pennies, 3 Fugios, 5 Connecticut Cents, 9 New Jersey Cents, 2 Massachusetts Cents, and various Colonial issues (English, French, Spanish) and 4 1783 George Washington Tokens (post dated tokens minted around 1820-40), 1781 North American Token, 1788 Barbadoes Penny, 1792 Kentucky Starry Pyramid Token, 1793 Bermuda Penny, and a 1794 lettered edge Talbot, Allum & Lee Cent. I also have a few older foreign coppers that I thought were kewl to include in my collection, and then there is my tiny LBC collection, which is 1 1794, 2 1795's and 1 1796 and all are well circulated but attributable. My DBC collection is only about 30% complete but it's a work in progress and I keep buying the state issues, then don't have money left to buy ones I need for my DBC collection, but I get what's available at the time that are reasonable since I'm not rich.

I started my collection in April so I've not done bad but now it's getting harder to find ones I don't have, although I am missing a lot of the more common varieties, since I figure I can pick those up anytime or sometimes I'll pick up a common one in a group or when I misattribute one :kewl: which is very easy to do with the lousy Ebay pics sellers normally post.

Ribbit

Ps: Welcome to CoinTalk. :hail:

 

You leave that lovely Liberty Cap alone :kewl: That one is mine

Thanks for letting me know that he a good seller...I am waaaay leery about purchasing coins I cannot see before hand. I have a love/hate relationship with eBay. :hammer:

 

Hello Sundance! Like you, I am an avid copper collector. I'm currently trying to put together a complete date set from 1794-1856, and I'm about 75% complete.

 

p.s. you might want to check out Shawn Yancey's website. He has lots of affordable large cents, his prices are a bit high but fair, and he has great customer service... http://earlycoppercoins.com

 

p.p.s. I'll second our favorite amphibian's recommendation of Tom Reynolds, and add Doug Bird to the list (who doesn't have a website last I checked).

 

I also forgot about Gary Hahn:

http://www.early-copper.com/index.html

Gary is into "weird" coppers, which include cuds, cracks, and the abnormal. I have so much fun looking around his site. :thumb:

Ribbit

Ps: Tom's last name is Deck, not Reynolds.

Pps: Sundance - can you post a pic of your 1798 DBC that way we can attribute it?