Expanding my range for Numismatics

Time to pick a new series or type to collect and though I may never have a huge number of the coins of this type, my goal will be to have a representative sample of these in fairly high quality, and to really learn about them. To this end, I am joining a collector's club and will be going to shows sometimes and looking at some of these types of coins to see how the different tpgs have been grading them. If you are knowledgeable about them and see me sometime, let's talk so I can learn more! I possibly much later may put together a grading set, but only if it turns out that I love them and I get the moolah that would be needed to do that.

So, I have not mentioned the series or type I am jumping into, so this gives others the chance to take a guess what it might be. There is one person here on CT that should not guess, because @C-B-D has a running start on this.

As background, I have minor or modest collections going with Franklin Halves, Ike Dollars, Icelandic Kingdom Coins, Jefferson Nickels and some modern US error coins. I was attracted to the Roosevelt Dimes, but did not want an extensive collection of them. I do collect those and the modern US Quarters, primarily out of change or CRH, and at some point hope to have collected each quarter in P and D for 1999-1921. I have also had other interests in Canadian issues and such, mostly modern. With this as background, where am I headed on this, and what do you think I would like most about it?

And what would others like to collect next if they could?

 

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I love the idea of something that yellow and exotic, but methinks it might be too exotic for my current tastes

 

Try ancient coins. CoinTalk has a great forum on them:

https://www.cointalk.com/forums/ancients/

Many very historical ancient coins cost less than $50 in nice shape. Of course you can spend a lot more to get great ones. There are many educational sites for beginners such as:

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/

and there are many sites with links to other sites with interesting information, for example:

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/sitelinks.html

There is a lot more to learn, and fun to be had, with ancient coins than other series I could name. If you want to spend all your "learning" on how to grade in order to not make expensive purchase mistakes, stick with US. If you want to enjoy "learning" about history, portraits, and types, try ancients.

 

@Valentinian I kind of like that idea, but haven't yet seen anything that really drew me in yet. The one I am going into now is more keeping in line of where I have been, but allowing for at least a bit of ability to get more than a few AG or fair coins, which has been a big factor in me not picking some other ones and be more well-rounded for US issues, as it is not a modern coinage for today's times.

 

1916-1945 Liberty head dimes (oh, just go ahead and say Mercs)?

 

In the past I would have recommended $5 Indian, but their popularity apparently seems to have driven the market to appreciable increases in BIN pricing, and diminished choices. The Liberty $5 is still a good choice for relatively reasonable pricing/selection.

You probably will enjoy the $2.5 Indians

JMHO

 

I will have to look into the $2.5 Indians and see...

 

You know what I am going to say... Mint Errors!
Not varieties, just Errors

 

Stay away from ancients. Once you fall down that rabbit hole, there is no turning back (I've hanging by a couple fingers for the last few years, but haven't fallen ...yet).

If you like history and want to learn something, try early copper (half cents seem to be under represented in this group) or Bust halves. NOTE: I do not collect either series, just offering my opinion

 

Trade dollars in proof lol

 

Well even though @Valentinian beat me to it.
You can't go wrong with ancients, so many different to choose from.
I was once like you, maybe.
Got bored for the most of moderns and found what you all call the dark side.
Now, of course I do still add me some modern coins from time to time.
Like war nickels, ASE's and some world bullion. But there's something about those ancients that keeps you interested, and I love the history.

 

Capped Bust Halves.........

 

That is an idea, I might be able to afford a lower grade example or two.

 

A common year CBH in VF30/35 is roughly about $100-$125. There are coins which I don’t like in lower grades, but Busties can be really nice in VF/XF

 

^^ You may have sold me on that idea! Now to wait out some of my ebaying results... still have two open.

 

Kasia
How about a series that isn't large but for the time peroid very attractive, not that expensive, and yet mid 1800's? Provincial Canadian coins are all of the above.
The 1/2 & 1 cent Nova Scotia and New Brunswick coppers are simply eye candy.
They can be found in most grades ,and are fairly reasonable in cost. Their colors can be from a light chocolate to a dark Mahogany and even mid grades still have plenty of details. Some woodies can also be found!
There's a few variety coins to be added to the set.... another suggestion is 5 cent Canadian coins ...again plentiful, reasonable,and a nice atractive coin.

 

But if you truly want to expand the horizon bust half dimes...... 9 years its a short set...123 die marriages.... neat little coins from 1829-1837

 

Paddy, I do like Canadian coins. But for this new interest is driven by a choice to start a 7070 on PCSG and see how far I could get. Realizing I needed to see what was affordable for me and see if there were any that appealed to me to really learn about, I saw one design that said yes, though not yet screaming my name. But I realized I did not know that much about it. In looking it over, It looked promising, sort of how I felt when I realized I liked Ikes and still do, knowing I will never know enough about them.