How to buy a 20c piece

Okay, I've read what my Mega Red has to say, and I've looked at a hundred coins online (mostly on eBay). Only want one as a type so date & mm don't matter. Condition matters, but I'd like to spend no more than a few hundred.

To my surprise, relatively few are certified. Why would that be? Any other tricks of the trade pertaining to these? I know next to nothing so I'm all ears, thanks.




Well there's one I can't afford! Weird that LIBERTY is rendered in raised lettering on this type, so it wears off faster.

 

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I'd guess the common dates if circulated aren't worth the cost of certification, and the CC's are somewhat scarce.
My example was purchased raw, VF-ish, yes they are a little tricky to grade, can't tell you much more than that. But they are an interesting coin.

 

A very interesting and short lived type coin. Basically a low cost coin that is not collected by type. Had to find, difficult to grade but not a lot of interest.

 

lets start with.... good luck... Not an easy coin to find certified with a clean grade under 200 and higher grades are outragious. I ended up with a nice VF details for about 150, but I hope to upgrade it someday lol

 

Your certified posted coin price explains why you can't afford that coin.

I'm posting a link to a lesser value coin, https://www.ebay.com/itm/1857224721...7Wd9yE+0hDJcthuXm1JW3QZg==|tkp:Bk9SR5KXzLLnYQ

Do you think that a meager budget would afford that coin certified?

 

I still need to get my own pictures of this. I recently bought it on ebay for 95.00. It is original and about ag03. I didn't necessarily get it for the type. I bought it because it was lowball and original. And most lowball have old problems I didn't want.

 

with patience, you should be able to find a 75-S in xf for between 200 and 300; the problem is finding a NICE one as many have been abused like so much 19th c silver. A lot of folks also want one for type, so that issue (the NICE ones) tend to get snapped up quickly. The 75-cc should really be more affordable than it is due to a high mintage but the CC cachet will cost you.

 

One way not to buy them is to listen to me. I love the 20 cent pieces and have collected as much of the set that I could afford since high school in the 1960s. I have paid too much for them, and I am buried financially.

Still, if you want some tips, here goes.

The 1875-S is by far the most common date with a mintage of over 1 million. If you are looking for a type coin, that's the way to go. Here's the one in my set. This is graded MS-63 in an old green label holder.



If you want something a bit more exotic, the 1875-CC is actually the second most date and mint combination. with a mintage of over 100 thousand. The trouble is a lot of them are poorly struck on the top of the eagle's left wing and the corresponding area on shield on the obverse. I would look for one that is fully struck.

This one is fully struck, but it has funky color. It's graded MS-62.



It does not often work like this, but the two Philadelphia Mint coins, 1875 and 1876, are scarcer than the branch mint coins. You will pay a premium for them, but not a huge one. This 1875 is graded MS-64.



This 1876 is graded MS-65, and this is best 20 cent piece I have in my collection in terms of preservation. The reported mintage was only 14,750, but the actual number that the mint issued into circulation was even lower than that. Many of them were melted.



If you want to go Proof, they are out there, but they are expensive. The 1875 is the most common. It was reported that the mint made 2,700 of them, probably anticipating a large collector demand. It didn't work out and a lot of them were melted. The Red Book says the Proof mintage was 1,200. This one is a PR-64, Cameo.



If you want to get more exotic, the 1877 and 1878 are Proof only dates. The 1877 is believed to be the scarcest collectable date. A few years ago, someone or a group messed with the market these coins and set the price to the moon. I got caught up in that. I am buried into this one, but it's my own fault. This one is graded PR-64. The Red Book says the mintage is 510, but the specialists say it's more like 350.



And here is the "less exciting" 1878. I like this quiet little coin. The Red Book say the mintage 600. The specialists say it's round 500. This was the last of its kind.



Now that I have discouraged you with some expensive coins, let's talk about the more affordable pieces in the circulated grades.

I have seen some really over graded stuff in slabs recently. If you buy one in EF, it should have a full LIBERTY. I would look for an 1875-S. If you are willing to spend around $500, I'd look for a nice AU. Get one with some luster and look for one that pleases you. Don't let the grade on the holder convince you to buy it. You should like it.

 

My wife explained why I can't afford that coin!

No idea, but that's not a coin I'd be interested in. As a type collector in this category I'll likely be going for a common date.

 

Thanks yes, I'm in the $300 to $400 ball park for this coin and I do hope this thread doesn't ramp up the demand! I'll wait until the excitement dies down

 

Mr Milton, thanks for your thoughtful and comprehensive reply. Much to chew on there! And those examples are spectacular. They tempt me to increase my budget—for condition, not rarity.

Here's one which makes no sense to me. XF Dets but the shield is worn almost totally smooth. Needless to say, not one I'll be pursuing.

 

Yes, the coin in the previous post is an example of the type of coin serious collectors should avoid.

 

@Marsden If you find you can’t afford a specific coin you have two choices. You either don’t buy the coin or you save your money until you can afford to buy that coin.
I have done this a number of times in the past and it always works for me.

 

Remember what your mama said, patience is golden! Good luck.

 

I was lucky enough to get an 1875 S for under $200 a while back. It's been graded by NGC VF 35. I like it. I just checked it out with NGC and their "NGC Price Guide Value is $215. Take your time and maybe one day you will see the one your wife won't complain to much for spending $200 - $250.
I'm lucky. I'm a retired CPA and my wife is a retired school teacher. I've been taking care of our finances for over 40 years. We have 2 homes, 4 cars, 3 children and somewhere about 20 grandchildren. Between our retirement, social security, annuities and other investments, my wife doesn't complain. She just replaced all the flooring in one of our homes and I don't complain unless she complains about me spending money on coins.

 

Mine was $145. VG-10. Not the best example but it fills the slot.

 

My first 1875 was a Philadelphia in an ANACS slab with VF30 Details and corrosion and tooling - as others have noted, "serious" collectors will avoid those, but I am game for bargains and don't mind details as that's how I can have coins that are "above" my budget level. As my budget has improved I more recently purchased a really nicely kind of rainbow toned from Sam Sloat in Westport, CT, for $475 (after a little negotiation) in an ANACS slab graded AU53. I also have a couple of the 1875 S examples - I'd think you could find a straight graded F or maybe even VF in your price range there. One thing I would do is look at VCoins, USA Coin Book and elsewhere (in addition to eBay) as sometimes you find bargains in the wild.

 

This 75-s would be a pretty good type coin.

 

This 1876 is sort of an oddball grade:

 

I had one twenty years ago and sold it off, wish I would’ve held on to it. Now I keep my eyes on the auction blocks waiting for the right one to come along again.