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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;johnmilton, post: 24485536, member: 101855&quot;]One way not to buy them is to listen to me. I love the 20 cent pieces and have collected as much of the set that I could afford since high school in the 1960s. I have paid too much for them, and I am buried financially. </p><p><br /></p><p>Still, if you want some tips, here goes. </p><p><br /></p><p>The 1875-S is by far the most common date with a mintage of over 1 million. If you are looking for a type coin, that&#039;s the way to go. Here&#039;s the one in my set. This is graded MS-63 in an old green label holder. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1549931[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>If you want something a bit more exotic, the 1875-CC is actually the second most date and mint combination. with a mintage of over 100 thousand. The trouble is a lot of them are poorly struck on the top of the eagle&#039;s left wing and the corresponding area on shield on the obverse. I would look for one that is fully struck.</p><p><br /></p><p>This one is fully struck, but it has funky color. It&#039;s graded MS-62. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1549930[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>It does not often work like this, but the two Philadelphia Mint coins, 1875 and 1876, are scarcer than the branch mint coins. You will pay a premium for them, but not a huge one. This 1875 is graded MS-64.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1549932[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>This 1876 is graded MS-65, and this is best 20 cent piece I have in my collection in terms of preservation. The reported mintage was only 14,750, but the actual number that the mint issued into circulation was even lower than that. Many of them were melted. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1549933[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>If you want to go Proof, they are out there, but they are expensive. The 1875 is the most common. It was reported that the mint made 2,700 of them, probably anticipating a large collector demand. It didn&#039;t work out and a lot of them were melted. The Red Book says the Proof mintage was 1,200. This one is a PR-64, Cameo. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1549934[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>If you want to get more exotic, the 1877 and 1878 are Proof only dates. The 1877 is believed to be the scarcest collectable date. A few years ago, someone or a group messed with the market these coins and set the price to the moon. I got caught up in that. I am buried into this one, but it&#039;s my own fault. This one is graded PR-64. The Red Book says the mintage is 510, but the specialists say it&#039;s more like 350. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1549935[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>And here is the &quot;less exciting&quot; 1878. I like this quiet little coin. The Red Book say the mintage 600. The specialists say it&#039;s round 500. This was the last of its kind. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1549936[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Now that I have discouraged you with some expensive coins, let&#039;s talk about the more affordable pieces in the circulated grades. </p><p><br /></p><p>I have seen some really over graded stuff in slabs recently. If you buy one in EF, it should have a full LIBERTY. I would look for an 1875-S. If you are willing to spend around $500, I&#039;d look for a nice AU. Get one with some luster and look for one that pleases you. Don&#039;t let the grade on the holder convince you to buy it. You should like it.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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