Where to find Classic U.S. Silver Commemoratives < MS60?

Greetings, fellow CT'ers.

In my quest for classic U.S. silver Commemoratives, I notice that most websites tend to focus on MS64 and above.

Question #1: Would you tend to agree with that statement or am I wrong?

Question #2: If that is true, why is this? Not much interest and/or demand?

Question #3: Can anyone recommend any websites that might have nice, but lower quality, commemoratives? (Raw or slabbed)

(Note: I'm sure I could find some at my LCS and coin shows)

 

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There is one dealer at a LCS here who has some circulated. However, most never entered circulation at all. Only a limited few were released into circulation after failing to be sold at a premium.

What exactly are you looking for? Simply cheaper BU coins or circulated coins? If circulated, simply due to price or are you going for a low grade set?

 

I'm a "Type Set" kind of guy.

"Circulated" coins are fine for my purposes as I just want to collect the designs that I really like. As long as the coin is problem-free and adequately represents the beauty of the artist's design, I'm good with it.

I think that translates to no LOWER than VG, but probably more like XF/AU, and even getting into MS for a design I particularly like as long as it isn't too expensive. (For me, right now, that means ~$50-$100 per coin)

 

Look for "vest pocket dealers" a lot of geezers like me go metal detecting and door knocking gets us permissions for a lil' dirt fishin'.I always ask if they have anything to sell also.Ask in small banks/credit unions.....

 

Ask @green18

he is the Commem guy!

 

Like Chris mentioned above, you're not going to get a wide variety of examples in circulated condition because the mint didn't always release unsold quantities into circulation. Sometimes they were melted and sometimes (Like with the Iowa Centennial) a certain number were set aside to be sold in the future. The most common circulated examples I've seen have been The Maine Centennial, the Columbian Exposition half dollar, Stone Mountain, and Monroe Doctrine Centennial. By far, the Columbians are the easiest to find in circulated condition. I've found all of my circulated classic commems at local and regional coin shows.

 

the booker t. washington half dollar commems coins seem to circulate a lot. i have found several and in good (EF to Au) shape as well.

 

I would agree. I do happen to own for some reason a 1926 Sesquicentennial half in Good. I have no idea what that story is. Must have been a pocket piece.

 

There is a market all of its own for circulated classic commens as they rarely circulated. Lower grade doesn't necessiarly mean lower prices and in a lot of instances can very easily mean higher prices. It will just depend what ones you are looking for, but the majority are much easier to find in any MS grade than circulated grades

 

I have 8-9 in a group I bought a number of years ago...all came back from IGC has Au or Unc but had been "cleaned"...they all have a grey toning..trying to get things on my website, those will be coming in the next week or two..don't wqnt to get too commercial here and be frowned upon by the members and administraton of this site...which I thoroughly enjoy...

 

You and me both!

Bummer. Half of life is timing, so they say...

 

I know a guy on another forum who's doing a Lowball set of these. You should see them in P01.

 

Alot of the reason they are hard to find, is when the price of silver surpassed collector value, they were melted. The higher grades were still worth more than the price of silver so they remain, some of them are really hard to find. Someone mentioned Booker T Washingtons, there are some of those that a rare and hard to find. I just completed the set, and although I did buy a couple on ebay, most all were from brick and more shops, One in particular, I watched for for several months and one never came up for sale in any grade.

 

I would approach finding these coins in the same way I'd approach finding any coin that's not a true rarity: look on eBay, go to shows, find a dealer and set up a want list, and check any online dealers you trust.

One thing to keep a particular eye out for is counterstamped Stone Mountain halves. There's a tremendous amount of history behind them, and they exist with counterstamps corresponding to every state in the Confederacy. Many of these do sell for more than mid grade MS coins, but they're highly collectible.