I've got a strong urge to buy a coin today. I've got about $50.00 to play with. I'm a lover of early coinage (I prefer non-slabbed coins). I mostly focus on Large Cents, but love the Draped bust series and alike. Colonials are also an interest, but I mainly stick to higher grades on those. I've been looking on E-Bay and such for about two hours and just can't find anything that grabs my attention. Have you seen anything recently that you'd like to share? FYI - My last purchase was a beautiful Large Cent - 1798 - S-169 (R3) VG7. Just wanted to give you an idea of my tastes. I've bought quite a few coins from fellow Coin Talk members as well. Please help!
I'm not an expert on those series, but from what I experienced when doing my type set, it is difficult to find eye appealing early Large Cents for $50 or less. The later dates are doable in lower grades. A details coin might also be doable for an early date. If nothing presents itself, consider "banking" the money and coming back after saving up a little longer.
Well.... Since I am spending your money, I rather like this seated half dime! 1853 SEATED LIBERTY SILVER HALF DIME - 06402 $55.00 $6.75 shipping
The advice I always give: always avoid details coins, if at all possible. To the OP - while I understand the "urge" to buy a coin, sometimes waiting and saving and being patient is the better alternative. Even if its hard.
I don't like the big staple scratches across the obverse, or the hairlines from an old brushing. I'd avoid that coin.
Details coins are tricky. The generic advice of avoiding them is well intentioned. However, there are times when a details coin is almost unavoidable (particularly with early Large Cents), is the only affordable option to complete a set, or is still quite attractive but has a minor issue that prevents it from straight grading. If the price is right, a details coin can be a decent option.
$50 worth of chuck E. Cheese tokens? or just one token to satisfy the urge to buy something or impulse shop?
Also @BostonCoins have you considered looking for a world coin? You can find some great pieces of history for well below your budget.
For $50 ? Nope. Save up your money to buy a higher graded coin. Down the road you will be much happier.
There's a bunch of folks over in the Error Coins subforum with some DEFDAM-1 through DEFDAM-5 . . . . . . Never mind . . . . . . .
The coins that I bought because I had an urge to just spend my money were all regrets. Wait until something jumps out at you
Depends on the nature and severity of the issue. An old, light scratch of a small patch of hairlines from a slight cleaning are acceptable to me whereas coins corroded to a crisp or scrubbed with steel wool are basically junk to me. This is a very nice AU coin that would be a pride and joy in anyone’s collection. There is a minor scratch that will probably make it go “details”. I really don’t mind it. Only arrogant purists or people who can afford to buy finer would turn their noses at this coin. This Morgan has a few (and I mean just a few) hairlines from a cleaning. Otherwise it is MS-67 quality. Why pay $700 for a ubiquitously common and depreciating coin when you can buy one with a barely-noticeable issue for $50? Again I don’t mind. Sometimes the slab is just wrong, but again the arrogant purists will turn their noses at these coins. Sometimes the coin is simply prohibitively expensive in higher grades, and the coin you cherrypick has some more-significant issues. I am extremely happy with this coin (head of 1793). Sometimes the damage is part of the coin’s story that makes it more interesting than an otherwise problem-free coin would be. Sometimes the coin is just so rare that you have to settle. The 1919 DDO Dime is one of those with less than 40 known known examples, of which the vast majority are VG and below. Then there are the coins that are just ugly. No amount of rationalization in your mind will make you happy with the coin. These are the kinds to avoid.
