Coin collecting

Are we related? Your cousins sound like my cousins! Seriously, welcome to Coin Talk.

 

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I'm sure that someone elsewhere has already said this, but buy the coin, not the holder. With the decline in grading standards, even at the top tier TPGS, you need to base your purchases on the quality of the coin in front of you. Never discount the importance of eye appeal, either.

 

The Overton (die marriage) on your bust half is O-112. This gives it a rarity rating of R.3, meaning 201-500 examples estimated to exist today. So a bit on the scarcer side if you are interested in such things.

 

If you are set on a new 2020 Red Book you might as well wait and get the new 2021. I just pre-ordered a shipment but they don't ship until April. If you want to wait your local book stores should have them sometime mid to late April.
And yes by all means PLEASE post pictures of that 1943 Copper Wheat Cent we would all love to see it.

 

@Tx_BoneCollector

In addition to the Red Book purchase you might want to find a local coin club in your area. They're always looking for new members and there's a wealth of free advice at every meeting.

Joe

 

Blessed are those who believe, yet have not seen. That said, post some pictures Tx........

 

I will post pictures tomorrow because I’m at work right now but I will say this it’s not magnetic and my dad got it as a kid so believe it or not I trust my dad more

 

"Trust but verify" Ronnie Reagan

 

Here’s the best pictures I could take with my phone

 

That looks pretty good after comparing it with genuine examples on the internet.

This one has a very similar die pairing to yours.

Regardless of what you want to do with it, you need to get it professionally authenticated then insured and secured.

This news article is why.

 

You should change the background to grey or black instead of the brown you are using. Rest your cell phone on something to stabilize it. This will also let you use the zoom function on your cell phone to get a closeup. Taking the photo is only part of the process. You need to use a photo editing app on your computer to crop out the background so you just see the coin. There are other options in these apps but just start with the 'crop' feature.

Lastly, I can see your phone flash reflected on the coin image. Try to eliminate that by using other lighting.

Keep trying different approaches and you'll get better at it.

 

Wow @Tx_BoneCollector ...... Last one of those that went to market made big news. I sure do hope that proves to be a genuine piece. And yes, before you do anything, that coin will have to be authenticated by one of the grading services. Understand too that this is one coin frequently faked by the Chinese. Not that I think yours is, but you will eliminate that question once it is slabbed.

 

If it is an expensive coin, do a little research first; looking at price guides, how to grade, ... If you are new to this then I'd be hesitant to spend a lot of money until you feel comfortable that you are paying a fair price for a legitimate coin.

 

Thanks guys it’s a very special coin to me just like my dads 1818 large cent, and I’m still trying to figure this new phone out and trying to get use to the camera functions

 

If considered genuine by a nationally respected dealer, I bet PCGS and/or NGC would be more than happy for the chance to certify this for free as their name would be part of this famous rarity's provenance.

Just given the potential, I'd take vacation time to get to a respected dealer anywhere in the country to further investigate this coin's authenticity.

The coin in it's current status does no one any good - the owner or the hobby.

 

New Orleans Morgan Dollars are very affordable. You could get a few certified pieces and make yourself a grading set. You can see a lot of coins at shows to compare and hone your grading skills.

 

I think it depends on what you want out of your collection. If you're collecting just for the joy of it or just to own a piece of history, then I'd say find a set you find particularly interesting and start by trying to complete that. A lot of us have Dansco 7070 albums and work to complete those; they include a slot for every type of coin ever minted in the US.

However, if you hope to one day profit from your collection, I think your best bet is to stick with graded coins (at least until you have learned to grade for yourself and are able to spot fakes). For the most part, silver or gold coins have held their value the best in the past, unless colonial copper is in your budget. But don't expect to turn a quick profit; it can be several years before you see prices rise.

Most collectors I know tend to do a little of both. We'll buy certain coins because we believe they're likely to grow in value, but we'll also spend our money on a lot of coins because we just like them. We are collectors, after all.