As if I wasn't in enough trouble with the spouse with my Jeep Rubicon upgrades and my Peace Dollars, I have to now have to thank all you Morgan Dollar collectors for putting me in the poor house. I just got the 3 mint marks from 1921 in BU condition. They have wonderful eye-appeal and I can't stop looking at them. I don't have an album yet and was wondering if anybody uses the Dansco Albums. I see there are two types: #7172 is 3/4" thick and holds Morgan Set Date 1878 - 1921. Is this album only for the year and no mint mark? The other two are #7178 (1878 - 1890) and #7179 (1891 - 1921) and each are 5/8" thick. Are these the ones for all the coins from the different mints? Also what do you do if you have the complete mint mark albums and you cannot afford to fill some of the holes (i.e. 1893-s)? Do you leave it blank, put a 1893 in it, or get a copy from pjd1966 ? I figure if I buy a different year every other month I should be done in a little over 4 years.
If I were you I would get the album that has 1 spot for each year...that way you don't need all of the mint marks...like the 1893-S 1895-P. Speedy
I think the best solution is avoid buying an album with all the holes marked, unless it exactly matches all the coins you have as an objective for your collection. You have to consider what constitutes a "different" coin in a series. Is it different because it has a different 1. date? 2. composition? 3. mintmark or mintmark location? 4. designer initials or initials location? 5. position or presence of devices (e.g., arrows, rays, stars)? 6. minor size or style differences in letters or numbers (e.g., large v. small date)? 7. strike type (e.g., business v. collector/proof/presentation)? 8. engraving errors or differences? 9. manufacturing errors or differences (e.g., overstrikes)? etc. In other words, what has to be different about a coin to deserve a separate album hole? My solution is to buy unmarked albums which enable easy shifting of coins around (air-tites in an air-tite album) and I can change my plan anytime I care to. It also displays my collection emphasizing what I have, rather than what I do not, and is far more satisfying.
Thanks braincramp. I never thought about doing it that way. I don't collect by errors or VAM and using the unmarked album pages I can do as you suggest and by-pass the expensive Morgans (1893-S and the CC's) and only collect (and show) the ones I can afford.
both my wife and I kept all our Morgans in airtites, stored in Eagle coin cases, but switched to albums a couple two or three years ago which turned out to be a mistake. We both purchased BOTH albums as you are covered in the event you find a good buy on any date or mint mark. Don't worry about empty holes as those are the driving factors in a set! Well after around 3 years many BU Morgans started to tone due to the plastic sheet sliding down and letting air into the coin. I DON'T like toned coins especially when they were lusterous and white when I purchased them so we have removed all the Morgans from the albums and placed them all back in new air tites. That is the way they will remain. Taking no more chances with my Morgans!
I have the two album Dansco set. You have empty slots? I put an extra coin in the empty holes, reverse side up. I've been hearing a lot about the plastic rubbing on the coin surfaces every time you access the coin (or another coin in the row). Didn't bother me at first with my F/VF coins. Lately I've upgraded a couple and want to avoid any rub marks or scratches. May switch to air-tites (which is where I have a few VAMs).
