Coin novice needs help!

Welcome to CT. I would set him up with Peace Dollars, Franklin Half Dollars or a Type Set.

 

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Not a good suggestion. The 1799 and 1804 will both set you back $1000 to $2000 each even in very low ugly grade.

 

Wow, this all really has been so helpful! Thank you so much for all the warm welcomes and great suggestions. I have decided to go with the peace dollar set because my procrastination has gotten the best of me and ordering online has become out of range. This album/folder is available at a coin store near me, as well as a 1925 MS-65 peace dollar for $95.00. Does this seem like a reasonable price?

Thanks again for all your help!!

 

What a terrific idea!

Peace Dollars are not a bad idea for a lot of reasons. You can do a whole set in rather nice shape within your stated budget, although there are a couple of reachers (1921, 1928-P, 1934-S) which can become more important goals during the process, maybe for those Christmases when you had a minor windfall during the year and can exceed $200 for one.

Peace Dollars are huge chinks of silver in-hand and present a pleasurable experience just to handle. It's what I like best about Dollars - you know you're handling a serious chunk of silver, even in a slab, and the tactile experience is unlike a Dime, for instance.

But wait, there's more.

Peace Dollars are common and easy to find, and well within your budget if nice AU coins are acceptable. You'll be able to do the vast majority of it in Mint State.

What they are_not, though, is common with nice strikes and appealing surfaces. By learning what a "nice" Peace Dollar looks like, and holding to that higher standard of only acquiring well-struck coins, you can introduce a level of effort and exclusivity into the process to make each addition worth the effort as a once-a-year thing.

And the resulting collection will be maximized for individual value compared to its' peers, when you pass it on.



Now, about the MS-65. Who is calling it 65? Is it in a reputable slab from a third-party grader, or is it just a dealer's opinion? It's in a dealer's best interest to be optimistic about the grade....

$95 is a very attractive price for a true MS-65 1925-P Peace Dollar. Attractive enough to be suspicious; in a reputable slab I expect to need $150 or so to acquire one. The 1925-S is very expensive in MS65, a five-figure coin. I'd be very suspicious indeed of that one. Once you are at this level of investment, especially this early in your learning curve, I would lean strongly towards coins in reputable slabs acquired from reputable dealers even if it costs you an extra $20 for the reassurance.

And don't hesitate to ask for advice.

 

When I see MS-65, I think of a slabbed coin that wouldn't fit in a holder. If it is a raw coin that the dealer says is MS-65, see if he will guarantee it, buy it and post pictures here to get opinions.

 

AWESOME choice!

 

I love Peace Dollars. There are a few keys that will set you back more than your target price if you plan to buy uncirculated specimens.

Please don't hesitate to ask any questions. There is a wealth of knowledge among the CT members!

 

If this is your chosen series, please buy the Guide to Peace Dollars book. It's written by Roger Burdette (a well known and respected Numismatist).

Link: http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/the-official-red-book-a-guide-book-of-peace-dollars.html

This will help you when purchasing Peace Dollars.

 

Stocking Stuffer Suggestion: Does your husband have a good loupe (magnifier)?

If not, get a Belomo or Hastings triplet.

I like my Belomo 7x triplet. Big improvement over cheap magnifiers.

 

I'd like to thank everyone again for all the help you have provided! Sorry I haven't been real active in this thread, family is in town and I barely have time to sit down! I went and purchased the peace dollar album and a 1921 peace dollar. I have no idea the type of quality I got, but honestly, I just liked the look of this particular one compared to the rest!

 

Nice Au example........he's gonna love it. Compliments of the season dear Lady........

 

That is a very nice start to your new hobby. Don't you just love that high relief? Although Green has a good coin eye, I will venture that coin might tap into an MS grade.

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but the coin I see here shows the classic parallel hairlines of cleaning by brush, which greatly lowers the value of the coin. It's circulated, the detail level is VF35-XF40ish. The 1921 Peace seems to lose less value than some other issues as it's a popular and liquid coin, but I see cleaned examples in XF slabs from reputable TPG's going in the $70 range.

 

Yeah, Dave, I blew it up and see what you see. I will yield to your experience.

 

Welcome... No brainer. Your husband likes currency. Get him more of it.
In your shoes, I should hand-draw a check...good for X amount of dollars and put it in a card for him. Then make sure he takes you with him while shopping for the present he picks out. You may end up enjoying the hunt and he will learn that you probably will be better at picking suitable notes.

 

You are a tough grader Super Dave. Coin is definitely cleaned; however, IMO it is closer to XF/AU as I seem to see a line of wing feathers almost to the top tip (tip, top, top, tip) of the birdie's wing. Weak details as usual. Case of buying a coin before reading the advise. Stick to pre-graded coins or see if he wants to trade the $ in for a piece of currency for his collection. Bet it would get into an AU Details "Cleaned" slab OR at the least an XF-45 Details slab anywhere. Unfortunately, we'll never know.

 

I'm with @SuperDave on the '21. I think it's closer to XF than VF, but the telltale cleaning lines are easy to see.

Still love he high relief '21's. Very hard to find with a complete strike though.