My return to coin collecting after a 30 year hiatus was prompted by the passing along of my grandfather and father's coin "accumulation". In that accumulation was over 100 Morgan dollars. What I am kicking around is the idea of taking that accumulation and turning it into a legit collection. Aside from toning, these Morgans are in very good shape VF+. I'm not looking to go all AU or UNC, in fact I like natural toning. Is there a way for me just to trade Morgan for Morgan along the F-XF level (sans key dates, variations and errors)? Any thoughts on this? I hope you get where I'm coming from. Any guidance would be appreciated. Stan
I would go through and pick the higher examples out along with the rarities and automatically decide how you are going to protect them from there you can sell extras and purchase the ones you don't have or since their a tradition, KEEP THEM ALL but still, protection is your first priority I suggest CoinEdge holders, I feel they are really nice and showcase the coin well, but for some reason they never hit it off with others on this forum
There are several people selling Morgans in the Open Forum. Maybe they would do some trading for ones they didn't have. You never know.
Yep, it would be a killer to get all dates and mints. But who says you have to ? A set is what you call a set. It's your set. Enjoy. It's reasonable to get just one of each year. Choose an easier mint if you like. The only really tough years are 1893 and 1895; all mints are pricey there. Above all, learn to grade 'em.
take your time and study. i am working on the full date and mint set (sans 1895) but grades will vary from g-ms65. it will take yrs to finish. consider also that you may have some VAM's in your morgans which you own. ask questions and get a feel for what you would like for your set. i wish you the very best and never hesitate to ask for advice from other collectors. there are a lot of morgan fans here..sincerely...steve
If you can find a local coin dealer you trust, you might be able to trade the coins you don't want for the coins you need. You would only have to pay the bid/ask spread and the cost of any upgrading or key dates.
Some VAMs are valuable. Just looking for them is very instructive. Consider the book "Encyclopedia of Morgan and Peace Dollars" by Van Allen and Mallis. Remarkable book.
Thanks for all of the great info. I do value the collection that was passed on to me and I struggle with the sentimental value of these coins. Aside from having a beautiful design the knowledge that my grandfather set these aside in the 1920's when it could have gone to buy stuff for my dad and aunts make them really special. I guess I was looking for a way to leverage what I had (Morgans, Peace, Walkers, Franklins and Kennedys), focus and expand on just one coin type. I'm not sure with the way the market is going right now, if the timing is right for this kind of "trade up" strategy. Hmm... The one thing I found interesting when I raised this question was that many CT members place weight on sentimental as well as monetary value (especially in a world where a roll of lincolns would go for $1200) That's refreshing and reassuring. I'll look over my collection and check into the reference book. (scratches head)... yeah, I'm gonna have to rethink this. Keep the suggestions coming. Thanks for the ones I've already gotten. Makes me glad I joined up. Stan
It's good to have you here, Stan ! BTW... I love your avatar ! I used to collect those stickers, when I was a kid.
Personally, I don't worry about timing too much with modestly priced pieces. There will always be tons of Morgans at every show. I don't think they have skyrocketed, nor will they. Silver will keep climbing, and common Morgans will slowly climb IMHO. Great to have you. Great forum. One of the cool things about picking a single series is you truly develop expertise. One way to do that is to have a personal "grading set". Pick coins exemplary of each grade in your range. Gaze on 'em frequently and train your eye to see the differences in grade. For instance, one good way to appreciate the difference between circulated and uncirculated is to compare AU55 with MS65. BIG difference. Then compare a really good AU58 (with barely any rub) to an MS62 - maybe one that is graded low due to weak strike. You'll see the difference between loss of detail due to wear vs weak strike. The more extreme the difference, the more stark the comparison (best for beginners). Your own coins are your training tool !
Welcome Stan!! Your story is very similar to mine. I finished the set that my grandpa and dad started. Only I finished it 4 years ago. That was a wonderful feeling putting that last Morgan into the Dansco albums. In fact the first thing I did was buy the new albums, the coins kept falling out of the old Whitmans they had. You might consider a date set instead of a date and mint set, it's a good way to start and way cheaper. You can avoid the killer coins until you decide one way or the other about how you want to collect. There is also a generic "Silver Dollar" album if you just want to pick out the best coins and put them in a nice album. Just remember....enjoy!!
Just have fun with it. Morgans are my favorite set I'm currently working on. It'll actually be a sad day when it's completed, unless I decide to start over again. The only suggestion I have is save up for those keys now if you wish to complete a set. A few have nearly doubled in price over the past few years. Most others will always be available as reasonable prices. Best of luck! Guy~
