What would you include in a Top 10/25 list of US coins under $250?

Pretty simple, I want to generate a list of coins (either Top 10 or Top 25) that people think are a good value under $250. I want to give a small presentation on my findings to our club.

I think what we can do is just make suggestions for awhile and kind of see what repeats and start to tally results and put them in some sort of order.

At the very least it should be a fun little experiment.

Oh and make a small case for your coin if you can. A line or two, maybe even just a couple words.

Here are a couple that come to my mind.

1921 peace dollar in a nice AU-58 or so
-very popular first and only year type coin, low(ish) mintage, choice coins can be found in this grade range

1942 Proof War Nickel
-Not necessarily at the top of the budget, can be found nicely toned for good prices, one year type, silver, and low mintage.

1938 Proof Nickel
-First year proof coin, can be found nicely toned for good prices, low mintage, popular series.

1963 DDO Washington Quarter
-Can be found in mint state grades, nicely toned, and under $50. Nice spread on the doubling under light magnification.

1955 Bugs Bunny Franklins
-Can be found graded, mint state, toned, and reasonably priced. Popular entry level series over all and an easily found and interesting variety coin.

Those are all the specific coins I can think of right now, but you all get the idea. I will add more as they come to me.

Thanks for your participation if you do decide to post!

 

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Gotta have at least one gold for that price. I say a decent AU $2.5

 

1st thing to come to mind before I read yours was the '21 Peace, nice condition (AU50-58) but common date coronet large cents and half cents

 

1909 S Lincoln cent AU
1908 S Indian cent AU - MS
1857 Flying Eagle AU
1857 Large Cent XF
1956 Franklin proof Type 1
1964 Kennedy proof Accented Hair

 

Ok, if you had to pick a specific coin from those common series that had the most potential for a price gain, which would it be? Are there some borderline low mintages? Better dates? Something that would give it a slight edge?

 

Good answers by the way everyone!

 

1914 $2 1/2 Indian is the second best date. If you look long and hard you can get a good AU or borderline BU for under $250. I buy and sell these a lot, and those are my biggest profit coins.

 

1. XF+ $2.5 Liberty head gold (don't have any pre-33 gold yet and i like the liberty head design better than the Indian)

2. XF+ $2.5 Indian head gold (see #1)

3. AU 1921 Peace dollar (need one for my set)

4. GSA hoard Carson City Morgan dollar (don't have one yet, and i love morgans)

5. G-VG draped bust large cent 1796 or 97 (always wanted a large cent from the 1700's)

6. XF 1875S 20 cent coin (i mainly collect seated liberty coins and morgans, and i dont have a 20c yet)

7. G+ 1805 or 06 draped bust half (don't have a draped bust yet)

8. 1861O Seated Half (most of them were struck by the confederacy, and i can't afford a real confederate half)

9. G-VG seated dollar (don't have a seated dollar yet, but i have lots of other seated liberty coins)

10. XF+ 1934S Peace dollar (mine is F12, looking to upgrade)

 

sorry for duplication, just stream of consciousness:

1) 1/2 cent - problem free bust examples can be had for under $100
2) 3 cent silver - neat coin, problem free example for around $100
3) nickel - 1994 or 1997 matte nickel - got my ngc 69 '94 for $30
4) no drapery seated dime - unique type design
5) 20 cent - 1875-s is the go to here
6) 1927-s SLQ is a nice low mintage date
7) 1913-d barber half - again nice value for the mintage
8) problem free seated dollar - might be a bit more than $250 to get higher than G/VG and slabbed is almost a must
9) type 1 or 3 gold dollar - i think these are still under-valued/collected
10) 1972 type 2 Ike MS-64, 1971-P MS-65 or a 1976-P Type 1 MS-65

 

How about a 1940-D or 41-D NGC Jefferson Nickel MS67 6FS, both can be had for about $200.



or maybe a WWII Mercury Dime in MS67 FB for about $250

 

I think generic proof Indian Head Cents and the same for Proof Mercury Dimes.

You can find a couple of each for the price mark.

 

I like the Bugs Bunny Franklins and the 55 is a good coin in my general opinion.

I look at it like this, mainly because this was my experience and seems likely to happen again.

When I was first learning about 'real' coins and not just stacking silver, I sought out a newbie set that would be easy to complete, short series, obtainable, old and yet still modern, very affordable, silver, and something with a little heft to it.

Franklins were my natural choice. Well it only takes a cursory glance at franklins to figure out that you are gonna be missing that 55 Bugs Bunny as they turn up quite a bit in searches. It's an easy coin to obtain, but it was a door buster for me and varieties (without having to break the bank on non-normal coins like 3-legged and 55 DDOs). You can easily cherry pick this coin, and it introduces you to the other BBs in the series.

It was a great learning tool for me, I now own 4 or 5 and always on the lookout for more. PLUS the other years Bugs Bunny clashes that I definitely didn't know existed until after I owned my first BB

 

^that was a little more than a brief explanation for this coin, but thought it worth telling. I respect your opinion on the matter, just backing up my pick. And remember these can be adjusted into a list according to popularity.

 

You can get a nice Unc 1931-S Lincoln or perhaps a Fine 14-D for that price.

 

Not sure if "good value" means they're expected to increase in value or if it simply means a nice "bang-for-the-buck" coin for a collection. How about:

Later date Classic Head half cent in AU
1916 Mercury dime in 65FB
1917 Type I SLQ in AU58
1913 Type I Buffalo 5c in 65
1883 No Cents Liberty 5c in 65
1909 VDB Lincoln 1c in 65RD
1888-O Hot Lips Morgan $1 in XF
Early 2c in 63RB
Early Texas Commemorative in 65
1926 Oregon Trail in 65
Lower grade NJ or Mass. copper
Pre-1820 Bust 50c in XF
1875-CC 10c in AU
1921 Peace $ in AU with a nice strike

Several first year of issue coins, but those tend to be well-preserved, therefore affordable in high grade. I make no claims to know what will go up in value, therefore I'll recommend coins that would be fun to look at. You could do the same exercise with coins that are $100 or less, too. Make a Box of 20 challenge out of it.

 

I'll repeat the 1927-S Standing Liberty. I've seen them in nice VF-20 before about around $250 (slabbed). I may be biased, because this series is my favorite, but you get a decent circulated grade with decent detail remaining and a relatively low mintage coin.

 

1804-1806 vf draped bust half cent
Pr63 V nickel common date
32D & S washington quarter XF
Ms 65 PL morgan dollar (Early S mint)
Ms 63 common Standing Liberty $.25

 

Half Cent 1793, 1796 With Pole, 1796 No Pole, 1797 Gripped Edge, 1802/0 Reverse of 1800, 1805 Small 5 Stems,1808/7, 1811 Close Date
Large Cent 1793 all types, 1794 Starred Reverse, 1795 Jefferson Head Plain Edge, 1796 LIHERTY, 1803 Large Date Small Fraction, 1804, 1807/6 Small 7, 1823,

Flying Eagle Cent 1856

Indian Head Cent 1877, 1888/7

Lincoln Cent 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1922-D Missing D Strong Reverse, 1955 Doubled Die Obverse

Two-Cent Pieces 1864 Small Motto, 1867 Doubled Die Obverse

Three-Cent Silver 1855

Three-Cent Copper Nickel 1883, 1884, 1885

Half-Dime 1797 13 Stars, 1802, 1803 Small 8, 1805, 1838-O, 1840-O, 1844-O, 1846, 1853-O, 1870-S

Shield Nickel 1880, 1883/2

Liberty Head Nickel 1885, 1912-S

Indian Head (Buffalo) Nickel 1914/3, 1916 Doubled Die Obverse, 1918/7-D, 1926-S, 1935 Doubled Die Reverse, 1937-D 3 Legs

Jefferson Nickel 1942-D/Horizontal D

Draped Bust Dime 1804 14 Stars Reverse

Capped Bust Dime 1822

Seated Liberty Dime 1846, 1871-CC, 1872-CC, 1873-CC, 1874-CC

 

If you know where to get all THOSE coins for under $250... id take out a 2nd mortgage and invest right now!!