Hey All, First, some background, which after writing I realize is more of an introduction of myself to the board. The questions about the grading set follow. I'm new to the world of numismatics, with only a year or so of awareness that my country ever produced anything called a "large cent"--to say nothing of the oxymoronic--at first blush--"nickel three cent!" I haven't spent much money on numismatic coins themselves. On bullion, moreso, but my purchases of the two groups combined total less than 4 figures. What few numismatic coins I have (and any further reference here to "coins" will refer to this variety) are raw, mostly late-19th and early-20th century Latin American silver crown-sized issues, which I took a fancy to. I've since realized that, without exception, these coins have debilitating damage in the form of chemical cleaning, physical cleaning, dipping, rim repairs, etc., etc. I've sought to educate myself by acquiring all manner of literature. I have most of the in-print grading guides to US coins--ANA, Photograde, Bowers' (which with ANA is probably my favorite), and Coin World's semi-glossy, color "Making the Grade," which I've also found very helpful. I also have the PCGS book, a Canadian grading book, and the new, beautiful, British coin grading book. This last I've enjoyed immensely as there seems a cultural difference between British and American approaches to grading. Contemplating these similarities and differences, I think, has made me more keen on the American system's details, wherein the devil lies. I also have quite a few general and issue-specific texts--most of the Red Book series, the VAM book, Walter Breen's encyclopedia, and others. I also have a loupe! I attended my first show, the Lowcountry Coin Show in Charleston a few weeks ago. I had been looking forward to it for weeks. I stopped by an ATM on the way. I only stayed 20 minutes. Please don't get me wrong: It seemed a very nice show, with very good regional dealer representation, judging by the banners. But it took me all of 5 minutes to realize I had no buying gameplan, no grading competence, and thus no business being there--to purchase, anyway. I spent the remaining 15 minutes nonchalantly perusing the bourse--walking a circuit that finally brought me back to the door, whereupon I left. I had been overwhelmed--a bit like walking in a liquor store and forgetting the only thing I ever drink (when I drink), dumbfounded by the panoply of bottles and brands, all the same, but different. Prior to the show, I had "narrowed" my interests to one type each from the denominations commonly available in today's change--indians for cents, buffalos for nickels, mercuries for dimes, standing liberties for quarters--plus the Peace and Morgan dollars. While this is a significant abridgement from all U.S. types available, I saw it's far too many for this beginner. I chose to concentrate on one type, Morgans, liking their silver crown aspects, popularity, variety, and general availability. The design had not attracted me originally--like much US coinage--but I've grown to love it over the past half year or so, both obverse and reverse. (If I had my druthers, meaning independent wealth and complete insanity, I'd begin with Seated Liberty coinage.) My gameplan is to eventually collect a date and mint set, a heady goal in itself. I may divide this quest into "subsets" by mint, or decade, or somesuch. I plan to use the Bowers "Optimum Collecting Grade" philosophy, though amended where such a grade approaches anything close to 4 figures, which is fairly often. I've really begun to "hit the books," regarding this, going so far as to acquire quite a few videos on grading and numismatics in general. They are in certain respects a step up from the (educationally valuable) texts, but still cannot convey the full sensory experience that the presence of a real coin can. The Grading Set Idea Pursuant to my goals, I had the idea that my own "grading set" of Morgans might be valuable, particularly for comparison of EF, AU and MS grades, probably only needed through 65, maybe 66. While comparison to other coins in one's collection is no doubt common, I have no collection, and in building one wish to avoid the pratfalls. A grading set would seem to formalize things. I could acquire examples from common issues to keep costs down. But I have questions, so many questions. . . 1)Do you believe construction and possession of such a set would be worthwhile, as a standard of comparison? Why or why not? 2)I'm aware of the concept of market grading and its relationship to technical grading. How would this issue affect the construction and use of such a set?
Welcome to CoinTalk! Your idea of a grading set raises some interesting questions for me, such as, "How do you decide what is 'representative' of a given grade?" How do you factor "market grading" into a purchase decision? Others with a lot more experience than yours truly have hashed these questions, or similar ones, out on more than one occasion. I'm a very casual Morgan collector ("now that one looks nice, and not too expensive....") Lehigh authored an excellent thread whose title includes "grades within a grade," well worth reading, if you can find the link.
You sound a LOT like me!!!!!!!!!!! :thumb: Especially the part about "NO game plan" and What to collect?? IMHO, You might want to consider "doubling up" the "every grade of Morgans" plan to include an ordinary MSWhatever Morgan along with a "Bowers sharply struck quality" Morgan of the same MS grade to show the differences in a quality coin versus an "ordinary" coin of the same grade.
Thanks, folks. :clink: I think just writing my over-long screed helped gel things in my mind. I also think I just need to "jump in"--with all these thoughts in mind--and remember to keep it "fun."
