US Classic Commemoratives Collecting

Just started collecting US Classic commemoratives. Have waited several years due to other coins I have been collecting. I would appreciate any pointers or good web sites to purchase from.

 

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Good time to get into that area IMHO. Prices have been weak for quite some time. My bad habit is Oregon Trail halves. I don't collect US anymore, but still find myself buying MS65 examples that I find pretty and at a good price. I cannot help myself, it is, to me, the stereotypical, greatest US coin ever struck. I might own a dozen or so now, but still buy on occasion.

 

Be sure to buy the highest grades that you can possibly afford........nothing lower than MS65, but MS67 if you can. ~ Chris

 

Having been biting by that bug lately, I look for TPG commemoratives in slabs. They are usually around the same price as getting them raw. My search started with different companies offering me commemorative coins and then once my interest was piqued I did online searches for them. I use the following pricing guideline:
https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/united-states/silver-commemoratives-1892-1954/71/
Hope this helps a little.

 

Any photos...?

 

Not of mine sorry. I suck at photographs. They are common, though. Ebay has quite a few for sale right now I see. I look for original, lustrous surfaces and around $200 for a 65, and they just sucker me in time and again.

One of those weird coins like my avatar I simply love, and want to own more than one.

 

Thanks

 

I love the Oregon Trail as well, Antietam is my #1, Oregon is a close 2nd.

For some reason though i have accumulated about 10 Stone mountain Halves of various grades, Raw and slabbed lol

 

I don’t know if you do business with any local dealers. I have a good friend that runs a local coin shop that I frequent. Not long ago I wanted some early commemoratives. His glass cases were all full of fine slabbed proofs and gold. All the flashy stuff. I said to him I wanted to up my early commemorative game. He walked over to his safe and came back with maybe twenty early commems for me to peruse..... All I am getting at is don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t see them on the shelf.

 

This is a good time to be very picky with every coin. Don't rush. Look for that coin that makes you say WOW.

 

I’ve purchased many from Northeast Numismatics over the years. Good photos and sometimes you can make an offer on their coins.

 

My two favorites..Texas Half-Dollar and Oregon Trail Half-Dollar Commemorative's. I consider both the pinnacle of the U.S. Commemorative program. I probably have a dozen of each and all are slabbed. Chris is right get the highest grade you can afford; but shoot at the very least MS-67. After that than you are looking at astronomical prices in any Third party grading company. But you will enjoy them; trust me to anyone who is thinking about either of these coins...they are worth it.

 

I'm more of a MS64 collector on the older coins unless the price is under 200.00,
Thinking about doing a Dansco book on the classic commemoratives. I just like buying coins that are graded so that's what I am leaning towards buying graded coins

 

The classic commems are my focus these days. I'm 31 coins away from what I call "the 144 collection" which is each year and mint of the halves from 1892-1954 (Columbian-Washington/Carver) including the Isabella .25 cent and Lafayette 1 dollar not including the Norse. Fun stuff. Beautiful designs all. My favs are Oregon of course and Antietam.

 

I agree. The Classic Commem series to me is like an extended version of a Type Set. Each issue has an interesting history. Take your time, eventually you will find every coin available whether at a coin show, on eBay, at Great Collections, etc. I did the short version of the series (did not go for each year and mint mark) and completed it in about 18 months. I should have taken a bit more time, I was impatient to fill the last few missing coins, especially the Hawaiian.

 

Study well, never be to quick to purchase, better to be safe than sorry hindsight is 20/20... Good luck

 

Buy this book:

"The Encyclopedia of United States Silver & Gold Commemorative Coins 1892 to 1954" by Swiatek & Breen

It is the bible of early commems, and loaded with information.

Decide if you're going for the full 144 set, or if the 50 set will satisfy. I'm 3 shy of the 50 set, but I'm continually looking for upgrades to what I have, and I'm sure I will slowly get the 144 set.

If you're an MS64 kinda guy, that's cool, but before you buy a 64 of something, check prices on the 65's & 66's of that coin. Many commems have a $5 difference in grades, and going up a notch or two won't break the bank. The Cleveland, Long Island, and even most of the BTW's & W/C's fall into this category (among others).

Also decide what you want the complete set to look like. I started with a blast white Illinois (aka Lincoln). Then I realized I liked them with some toning, so I started buying toned coins. Now I have a mix of blast whites and toned, and I wish I never bought the whites. There is an NGC registry that the owner very diligently put together essentially a color-matched 50 set. It's stunning IMO. I was (am) too impatient to wait for the exactly right coin to come along, and I also will but a coin if the price is a steal (or close).

There are a ton of different directions you can go with a commem collection, and I'd advise trying to plan ahead with what you want out of your collection. As you get into it, you'll find that as these coins commemorated a specific event or person, there is a lot of exonumia [sic]related to each coin (ribbons, pamphlets, medals, original packaging, tickets to events, etc.). You can go nuts with some of them!

Most importantly, have fun with it!

 

With all that's going on with "The old south" they want to destroy that monument. Which bad or good I think makes this coin more valuable. Also any of the Civil War commemorative coins may be going up in price in the near future. IMHO

But back to the original post I think you'll like collecting these. I have the short set almost complete I'm missing the most expensive ones (5) of them I think. All mine are MS65 or better and to do that with the coins I need makes them expensive. Such as the Hawaiian coin, the Old Spanish Trail, Gettysburg, Hudson and the Cincinnati. Have fun with it!

 

I am so happy people are still interested in early commems. I collect them and appreciate the beauty, history and challenge in completing a set. They are down but will make a comeback. Recently you don’t see as many on sale compared to 10 years ago as I feel dealers are trying to avoid a loss from the price drop. My favorite is the bay bridge

 

Just purchased a large collection of coins from a retired individual and found what I think is a MS66+ Stone Mountain. I will find out, sent it to NGC for slabbing. It is the only Classic Commemorative i own and am looking forward to receiving it.
JUST A SIDE NOTE: NGC IS OFFERING 20% OFF GRADING FROM 7/27 THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. (they will be getting a LARGE chunk of my collecting funds)
Semper Fi