How many collections are you working on at the same time?

Oh gosh, several. These are the categories I am focusing on currently, could change today or years from now. I never know.
1. German States coinage. Current collection ranges from medieval to 19th century.
2. Central/South American silver minors, being most successful with Bolivian examples currently.
3. German notgeld coins, smattering of notes I find attractive.
4. Modern U.S. Silver commemoratives. Filling in the 80's and 90's quite nicely as they are quite affordable.
5. Large world (mainly 19th century) coppers, with a subsection of post Conder tokens. I see large Russian coppers in my future.
6. Random ancients leaning heavily toward Roman coinage. Currently the smallest collection I have with a mere 13 examples due to my pickiness when it comes to ancient coins.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

My collection has many aspects, but I’m usually working on just one project at a time.

 

Can't improve much on that answer.

 

I envy your focus!

 

1. SLQ in AU - almost complete
2. US Half Cents - moribund for now.
3. Each Roman emperor in decent shape with a mix of denominations
4. Carthaginian only because I traveled with Hanno.
5. Unfocused Ireland - years ago I would bring back bags of 5p coins as US vending machines thought they were quarters.
6. Roman sesterii of women.
7 Thinking about a type set of sorts for various ancient civilizations.

 

A Panamanian quarter Balboa works as one even now. Of course composition and weight are almost exactly the same as a US quarter.

 

Hard to focus on just one area to collect. Some projects in the works are:
1. US type set covering everything except Capped Bust gold and the more expensive early issues, for example the chain link cent, 1796 quarter etc.
2. Classic silver and gold commemoratives.
3. Fractional currency.
4. Conder tokens.
5. California gold.
6. Ancient Greek coins.
7. US Patterns.
Thank goodness for lay-a-ways.
Happy New Year.

 

I've thought about something similar, but I always assume that I'm missing way to much knowledge to figure out a way to have a good, comprehensive strategy. If you come up with something, then I'd like to see the list!

As a bit of a compulsive collector, I learned long ago that I need to focus on one thing at a time to have any chance of completion. My current sole focus is a collection of 110 selected individuals on Roman coins from Julius Caesar through Theodosius I. Currently at 65/110, but of course, the remaining ones are the most expensive ones .

 

I understand the compulsiveness! I am working on about as many Emperors as you and I have about a dozen to go to complete my set but, as you say, those remaining are the expensive ones. There are some Emperors beyond my financial reach.

Uranius Antoninus anyone?

 

I solved that problem by coming up with my own definitions of what constitutes an "Emperor".

- If a person is proclaimed emperor by their armies or provinces, but never actually makes it to Rome, then they weren't really an emperor (Pescennius Niger, etc problems solved)
- If a person is proclaimed emperor, even by the Senate, but dies in battle before doing anything other than fight, then they weren't really an emperor (Gordian I/II, Florian, etc problems solved)
- If a person is proclaimed co-emperor by their father as a child, and then they die as a child, then they weren't really an emperor (Diadumenian, etc problem solved)
- Etc, etc

If I had unlimited cash then I'd get them all, but this is a good way avoid spending tons of money on coins of people that amounted to little more than historical footnotes!

 

This makes a lot of sense. For me, however, if a coin was minted I want it.

 

On that note - What about Maximinus Thrax? Never went to Rome. Proclaimed emperor by the Senate. Died in battle (sort of). Was emperor for 3 years. Did the empire just not have an emperor for 3+ years?

Edit: I guess after he was executed, his head was brought to Rome on a pole...does that count as making it to Rome?

 

He made it 3 years with the majority of the Empire recognizing him as emperor, so he definitely makes the list in my opinion. Plus, he was reportedly 8 ft tall, that's a tidbit that's too hard to pass up when showing other people my collection!

And, the factor that really motivates my tendency toward eliminating people from the list, Thrax's coins are affordable for me, so I feel no need to eliminate him. As for his son, while technically in my price range, his storyline doesn't amount to enough to justify the cost for me.

 

Recently decided to narrow my focus from "everything" to things that I'm most interested in. That being said I am trying to finish up a number of folders

National park quarters
All Lincoln cents pre-shield
All Jefferson Nickels
All Roosevelt Dimes
1964-1988 (I think) Washington Quarters

All from circulation.

I like coins that have to do with Egypt, especially ancient Egyptian symbols and what not.

Coins from my birth year - 1981

Then also just whatever shiny thing I can't resist but I'm trying to cut back on that.

 

Lincoln Cents-Completed for dates/MMs
Indian Cents-by date/MMs, no varieties. Almost complete in mostly MS and a few proofs, missing 1877 and a couple of the 1871 and 72 Shallow/Bold N varieties.
Buffalo Nickels-circulated, missing five date/MMs.
Mercury Dimes-circulated, complete except for 1916-D.
Standing Liberty Quarters-circulated, missing four date/MMs. Haven't decided if I'll go for the 1916.
Walking Liberty Half Proofs-complete, all seven coins, average grade PF-65.14.
Braided Hair Half Cents, business strikes, 1849-1857-complete in AU grades
Capped Bust Half Dimes, 1829-1837, by date and die varieties-actively collecting aggressively, 30 coins out of 91 die marriages and 31 remarriages.
U.S. Type Set, including colonials and pre-Federal coinage and the affordable pre-1933 gold but without all the modern, non-circulating commemorative coinage (for example, the ATB quarter is represented but none of the commem dollars). Basically if it circulated in what is now the continental US, I'm in, like Spanish cobs would be in but Canadian coinage would not. Set contains business strikes and proofs but only if the BS date of a proof actually circulated-will never be complete but around 137 coins in this collection so far. Five coins in the set are candidates for upgrades.

I'm pretty disciplined about keeping to my existing sets and not buying one-offs (Ooh-Shiny!). But I will admit to being currently tempted by some classic ancients like the Athenian owls and some others. Successfully resisted temptation so far because I am too ignorant of the field to be spending money in it, yet.

 

2019 Apollo 50th anniversary set
2001-2003 Canada 50c Festivals
1987-1988 Japan proofs
And however unfocused…. everything else as time to find deals and money to actually act upon them Got my fiancé interested and she wants coins with cute animals on them.
I got her a set of lunar goats for the holidays.

 

No sets currently. I've completed Lincolns, Buffalos, Rosies, Barber and Walking Lib. halves. Trying to get back to just buying single coins, but am discouraged by prices, jump between 64-65, etc.

 

SLQs
walkers - 1 to go
Bust Halves, but not intensely

 

I've always been very focused. Am realizing now that having another 1 or 2 going at the same time opens up some opportunities.

 

Good question. No real reason for these as I just want something to collect.
1-NGC war nickel set
2- Mercury dime, Standing Liberty Quarter, and a Walker just because.
3-Anthing that catches my eye
4-For my birthday this year a type 1 $20 liberty