After 17 years of collecting I only have 8 coins...

Well, not all my coins we're sold for that reason alone. In the summer of 2007 I was invited to move with one of my relatives to Missouri and so I sold many of the coins I had collected over the years to have money for the trip. Nothing high end. Just average circulated common date things like Buffalo nickels, Liberty Head Nickels, Barber dimes and quarters, mercury dimes, standing liberty quarters, Indian Head cents etc. Unfortunately things didn't go as planned and we ended up moving back to Massachusetts. Also, although I've been collecting for 17 years chronologically speaking, when you add up all the time I've been really into this hobby, it's actually around 12 years. I started in 1996 at age 11, staying with it until I began to feel like I was losing interest in my late teens, around 2002 or 2003, and didn't start collecting again untill around 2008 or 2009.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I Also just recently took a good size chunk of my collection (about 20 coins or so) and traded them for 3 nicer coins: A Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus/VICT AETERN silver denarius probably in high EF or AU, an 1854 Seated Liberty Half Dollar in EF and an 1867 nickel 3 cent piece in VF. I consider the seated half as part of my main collection and the other two as things on the side.

 

I have sold off several completed collections myself. Three separate half dollar collections and one Morgan collection. I did save most of the CC pieces from the Morgan one. It seems once I finish them, I hold them for a year or two and then sell them. I think since you no longer search to purchase, they are no longer in the forefront, and focus; of your collecting. At one time I had three collections of ASE's going. Proofs in mint packaging, slabbed proofs and bullion pieces. I sold two of those and now just collect one MS70 and PR70 each year. Again, your interests can change at any time.

 

A pox on focus, discipline and especially systems.
Which are nothing but piles of fatigue, limitation,
instability, corruption, and internal rot.

Anarchy now!

Collect what thou wilt shall be the whole of the
law---Aleister Coinley

 

My budget decided what I could concentrate on. Early on, and some hard times in between, I had to be tight with what money I had so I specialized in Jefferson nickels. I am not bored with them but I think there comes a time when I can have more fun moving onto something else. It gets exciting all over again. To specialize in any coin and disregard the rest would have made me miss out on a lot of other neat coins.
It's kinda like this .... No sense going for a ride in the country and staring at the double yellow lines on the road the whole way.

 

Jefferson nickels are pretty cool. Especially some of the earlier proof ones with nice toning. And I don't disregard other types. I just have a preference for Capped Bust and Seated Liberty Coins. But I'll add other coins on the side as well I think.

 

I don't really have a direction any longer. Still buy a few type coins here and there till I figure it out.

 

Here's some pictures of my coins.

 

I'm surprised you only put a XF grade on the 1854 half dollar. I think it could be somewhere in the AU grade. It's got good detail on the obverse, especially the hair. Good detail on the facial features and nice detail on the cap and gown. The only weakness could be in Liberty and a few of the stars, but it's hard to tell what is actually happening there. The reverse has strong detail on the eagle's wings and forward edge plus good features on the beak and talons. The legends are up to speed for an AU consideration as well. What made you decide on XF?

 

I didn't. That's the way I bought it.

 

Then it was a solid purchase if you only paid XF money. Congratulations!

 

Thanks.

 

They look pretty nice to me. I used to buy
Peru Un Sol crowns in the late 90's because
of the Seated design on it. And because I could
get them for a few bucks over scrap silver.

 

I just looked those up, and now I want one.

 

They also struck them in 1/2 and 1/5 sizes.

 

The 1876 was the first Carson City mint coin I ever bought.

 

Its a nice xf but i do not see AU at all. Solid xf imo.