The $7 experiment....

So, I have been here for a little while now and spend most of my time here reading, occasionally posting and really just soaking in as much as I can.

However, the moment of truth has arrived to see how much I have learned, test my negotiating skills and to make this experiment into a fun contest that everyone can participate in.

Here is the plan:

Testing what I have learned....
1. Attend the Contra Costa Coin Show this Saturday 10/9 held annually in Concord California, which is adjacent to my home city of Martinez.
2. Let all of you nominate a coin for me purchase at the coin show with an agreed upon value of approximately $10, in what would be a fairly recognizable grade that I could use my newly honed skills to pick out.
3. By Friday 10/8, I would like for you all to vote on which of the nominated coins you like best.
4. I will put the Top 3 voted coins on my current list of coins to purchase this Saturday.

Testing my negotiating skills....
1. Search the different tables to find where I can purchase these coins.
2. Negotiate with the dealers until I can find one that will sell me one of these 3 coins for $7 or less in the grade agreed upon.

Making this test into a fun contest....
1. I will take the names of all the people that participated in either nominating or voting for the coins for me to purchase and put them into a hat.
2. I will choose one name from the hat.
3. The name chosen will win that coin.

I hope this experiment will help me determine how much I heave learned in the last year including what I have learned here recently, how well my sales background will translate into negotiating skills as a buyer in coins and how I can show my appreciation to all of you by letting you help choose what coin will be the prize.

By no means, am I a coin expert and in fact the coins you all choose may not be a coin I am even very familiar with. However, the more knowledge about the coin you can give me before Saturday about the grade are obviously a bonus for me and to the winner of the contest. Please do not choose a coin with a melt value exceeding $7 therefore requiring me to negotiate a dealer to sell me the coin below the spot price of the metal (like silver dollars or halves). All I ask is that the winner and people involved not be offended if I do not get it in the exact grade chosen and instead help to determine how I performed by grading me based on the pictures I will post of the coin and by seeing the coin in person once they receive it.

I hope you all see this as I do and that is as good old fashion fun! Thanks! :thumb:

-Raul

p.s. If this thread is in the wrong spot I apologize but I had trouble determining exactly where to put it as sort of crosses the boundaries between a few forum areas.

 

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I would search The dealer stock of BU cents and with a loupe picked the ones with the strongest varieties. RPMs/doubled dies that are being sold for the price of a regular coin. A few I have found this way:
http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/coop49/1934P_1DO_003.jpg
http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/coop49/1949D_1MM_001.jpg
Or rolls of BU coins pre 1964. (preferably OBW) But tubes ones if the sell is not selling varieties. If so skip the tubed ones.
Check for High grade Cents with no contact marks in 2X2's I found very nice 1980's cents at a local coin shop that were the pick of the liter for 25 cents each.

 

Ok, I'll play:
1910-S Barber dime in VG.

 

Me too:
Any coin of Constantine the Great, in identifiable condition with legible mintmark.

 

Go find me a nice coin VF or better please......

Find a world coin from that country where your family (mother's or father's side) originated. Try to select a coin from that country that has some artistic beauty and/or some historical, political, or geographical significance for the country. If you tell me the country you pick, then I could specify the exact coin for you to search. It would be nice if it is a minor silver coin to keep the intrinsic value below $7.

 

A 1909-S VDB in XF lol

In all seriousness though:
I like '43 steelies so I would try to pick up a mint-state '43 Lincoln. Any mintmark.

 

My Father's side has family that came from Germany (Or what was then the Prussian Empire) and also has family the came from the Philippines in 1929. My Mother's side cam from Spain before 1900. Hope that helps and minor silver would be fine.

 

I like the ideas everyone. Keep them coming. Thanks for playing!

 

If it was me, I would look for some nice ms wheat cents, maybe a toned rossie

 

1934 Lincoln cent in MS-64. It should be easy to find a nice one and $7 would be an outstanding deal on a 64.

Good Luck!

 

BU Franklin half or a nice off center error Lincoln Cent.

 

I like the ideas everyone. Keep them coming! The BU Franklin Half might be tough since melt is higher than $7. I noticed a lot of Lincoln Cents being suggested which is a coin I have always wanted to familiarize myself with more. Thanks everyone!

 

You should be able to get a mint state mercury dime for around that price. personally, I always loved those coins.

 

Buffolo nickel

 

a nice BU example of a late 1800' south American piece.

 

I would look maybe for errors/rpm. I like looking for:
1. 1935 buffalo nickel, Double-Die reverse, bring a loop to check them out.
2. 1909 VDB lincoln wheat cent, depending on grade you might get lucky.

 

I would second the Steel penny or one of the war nickels BU

 

Jefferson Nickels are what I am most familiar with so War Nickels should be easy for me to recognize and negotiate. I am a little familiar with Buffalo's to an extent. I would need help picking out what to look for amongst coins outside of the US and I like the idea of making myself more familiar with South American coins especially Pre-1900 coinage. Steel Pennies have been nominated and seconded I see. Keep coming with the ideas and by tomorrow I want people to start voting for which ideas they like best so I can have a solid Top 3 by tomorrow night. Thanks to everyone who has participated and keep them coming!

 

Paper: The other side of numismatics

@ rrekowjr:

Why leave your opportunities to just coins? Paper is numismatics too...!

You might find something at the coin show that's printed on Paper and interests you.

After all, your avatar picture of Thomas Jefferson is a personage who also appears on the U.S. $2 notes and you already have a feel for nickels.


With your $10 budget, try to find any one of these Small Sized, Legal Tender Notes:

Series 1928 Red Seal $2 notes with Monticello back:

• F-1505 Series 1928-D Grade: AU, Book: $12.50 (146,381,364 printed)
• F-1506 Series 1928-E Grade: AU, Book: $15 (5,261,016 printed)
• F-1507 Series 1928-F Grade: AU, Book: $12.50 (43,349,292 printed)
• F-1507 Series 1928-G Grade: AU, Book: $12.50 (52,208,000 printed)

The "F" number is a catalog number, Friedberg number. You should be able find ungraded notes for less than the above stated guide book prices per grade that I've cited for you.

The stars (*) for those notes above range in book price from $70-$100, so they will likely be out of your budget range for the experiment.


If you should desire to own a star (*) serial numbered note, try to locate:

F-1513* Series 1963 Red Seal $2 notes with Monticello back. (640,000 printed)

These guide book price ChCU for $15, so you should be able to get one in your budget range if you can locate a raw example for sale.

Just wanted to offer you something from the Paper side of Numismatics. :thumb:

Enjoy the show.

 

MS Type B Washingtons

Learn how to identify and you will succeed.