A Dansco Album Collection

I bet everyone thought that I only collect certified rainbow toned coins. When I first started collecting coins, I started with a Dansco Album of Barber Quarters. I have not looked at this album for over a year and every time I look at it, I am amazed at some of the mistakes that I made when I was a novice collector.

I have long considered selling off this collection, but when I look at it, it makes me remember the mistakes I have made. I see cleaned coins that I paid BU money for. I see VF coins that I paid XF money for. I see coins that I overpaid for just to fill a hole in the album. Whatever the mistake, I am pretty sure I made it. In fact, I think it would probably be easier to count the number of coins that were problem free. I consider this collection my numismatic education and the losses I incurred as the tuition.

Please let me know what you think of any individual coin or the collection as a whole. I welcome all comments and criticism and would be willing to answer any and all questions. Hopefully an examination of my mistakes might help another new collector avoid some costly pitfalls of their own.




BTW, If anyone wants to see a larger photo of a particular coin, let me know and I will post it. It might be fun to examine my mistakes one at a time. LOL

 

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Actually, Thats a whole lot better lookin set of Barbers than I have seen alot of folks post. Hard to see, but I THINK it's an 1892, top row, good looking coin from here !! They all look nice, but that one stands out.

 

It is no so much that the coins are not nice, some of them are. However, I would say that I overpaid for at least half of the coins in this collection and some badly overpaid. Since you pointed out the 1892, let us examine that one first. This is actually one of the coins that I did not make a mistake on IMO. I paid MS62 money for the coin, and although I am certain that the coin has been dipped in the past, I think that if it were to body bag it would be the rim dings and not the luster that was the culprit.



The toning at the top has formed since I placed it in the album. Some of you are wondering how I know for certain that the coin has been dipped. I purchased the coin from an E-Bay dealer who's entire inventory is blast white. It makes no difference what coin, bust half--blast white, Morgan Dollar--blast white, Mercury dime---well you get the point.

I began assembling this collection prior to getting hooked on toning. I thought blast white was what a coin was supposed to look like. Little did I know that a blast white 100 year old coin is usually a sign that something is wrong.

 

Dont feel so bad, I could buy a MS-65 RD 09-SVDB with all my tuition money. As long as we learn and don't repeat, thats part of this hobby.

 

A very nice collection. Most are better than the few Barber Quarters I have. Remember the Barbers were pretty subject to wear vs other coins. The US mint had to redesign the coin shortly after minting in 1892 as the coins wouldnt stack properly and the relief of the coin was altered. I think your 1892 is a type 2.

 

idont care what mistakes were made what a nice set of barbers

 

other than what AJ pointed out i like 1897 and 1916 the best.

 

I agree that is one nice set. I wouldn't sell it.

 

Heck I still make mistakes

 

That's a better than average collection in my opinion. You did well. Things like cleaning and rim dings aren't as important to me as others make them out to be. Perfection doesn't impress me. Your collection does.

 

Lehigh,

I admire your collection and the time you spend creating these wonderful photos. Have you posted yet (possibly ment for another thread).. your method on taking photos and editing down these sheets to look so nice? I'm very curious as to the process.

-DJ

 

Hey atleast you didn't buy junk from the rip off artists on cable TV.

 

We've all made the same mistakes. At least you can now look back on it as a learning experience. If only most of my mistakes looked so nice in the end! Nice collection.
Guy~

 

That's a very nice looking set you have there! And those Dansco albums are real classy. I'm putting together a Kennedy set, and want to start or just BUY a few other sets.

How long did it take to complete??

 

Good Eye Spock. The two finest coins in the set and the only true uncirculated examples.

The 1897 I purchased from a popular E-Bay seller who hawks NNC coins. This coin was graded MS64 which for NNC is a very accurate grade. I give it a solid MS62 possible MS63. I paid MS63 retail price for it, but I don't consider it one of the bigger blunders that I made with respect to this set. Here is the photo




The next coin is the 1916-D. This is the cream of the collection and believe it or not, I actually purchased this coin raw from a Heritage signature sale in 2001. I paid MS61 money for a solid MS63 coin. The only real score of the entire collection and the reason I am not horribly behind with regards to money invested in the set.



After this, we have no where to go but down.

 

That is a good idea and I might do that. My method of taking the photos is a little primitive, but with some very simple photoshop techniques, I am able to make the photo look like the coins. Go Figure!

 

Hey Lehigh96.
That is a mighty fine collection anyway! It would be so lucky to have any of those coins in my album.
Good work!
jeankay

 

Here is the story behind the 1892-O. I purchased this coin from an E-Bay seller for MS62 money because I believed that the coin was BU based on the photos. Because I was uneducated about the series, I did not notice that there was obvious wear on the high points of the reverse (eagle's claws). When I received the coin, I still thought it was BU until years later when my numismatic education advanced enough for me to realize the coin was AU. This seller did a very good job (IMO) of creating a look of a lustrous BU coin by photographing the coin at an angle. Another example of how a good coin photo makes all the difference.

 

Also some wear on the tip of the shield to the right, and the vertical lines on the shield as well.
It is still a nice coin regardless, and you have a very nice set.
So, you ever going to upgrade and finish the whole set Paul?

 

I'm curious about the 1899 and the 1907(the one to the left). I have bought Barbers that looked like those which turned out to have cleaning marks on them. What about yours?