I started this set (Capped Bust Lettered Edge, 1807-1836) in 2019 and just passed the halfway point, so I figured it would be fun to share the coins thus far as well as my observations below in case it is helpful. ETA: I cropped out all the coins in a cool collage trying to make them look more like a "raw" digital album in one post, but appeared all blurry after uploading for some reason. Oh well, I tried. Photo Credits: Bob Campbell - 1813, 1827 Lance Keigwin - 1824
Some observations from the road: This is the first set I have attempted that wasn't raw, and I admit I miss being able to hold the coins when viewing. Especially with L.E. halves, not being able to view the edge feels like I don't have access to a really cool aspect of this type. The goal of this set overall is/was originality, some flash/luster, and colorful toning when I could find it. After buying and selling 2-3 times the quantity of coins seen here in the process of narrowing down to the current lineup, I've learned the following: Finding originality and luster in circulated grades is not easy- it's most often getting one at the expense of the other. Personal confirmation of the known fact that most early silver has seen some sort of conservation- whether it be acetone, washed off... something. But not all have, and finding the ones that are truly original is a real joy. Since I purchase most coins online from images and only attend a couple regional shows per year, purchasing CAC coins helped to eliminate the worst of the "market acceptable" bunch, but they definitely still have an allowable "threshold" for conservation. This journey revealed a lot of conserved stickered coins that didn't stay in my set for that reason. In other words, it is a helpful tool but not an all-encompassing solution if you're after originality. I knew that going in but figured I would mention it. All of the above coins are either what I believe to be strictly original, or have careful enough conservation to not ruin the coin for me. This aspect has been the single most challenging part of building this set as it is incredibly hard to tell from pictures, even on coinage with a visibly thick skin. Hopefully the above is helpful to someone out there- I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for taking a look and hopefully in the coming years I'll be back with a completed set.
Good looking collection, and the presentation is fantastic! Do you buy the coins raw, have them photographed, and then send them in? What are the Certificate Numbers? They do not correlate with PCGS or NGC serial numbers.
Damn, coin porn award of the year, great pics for sure! That's a stunning set of Bust Halves, you're doing great! I'll take this opportunity to show my one and only, definitely not as nice as yours but I like it!
Hi Cherd, thank you for the kind words. All coins were purchased certified and and photographed in the holder by myself or the individuals credited for the images I didn’t take. All that hadn’t been verified by CAC were sent in and passed. The certificate number is the number you enter on the PCGS app to pull up the Cert. I wasn’t restricting this set to PCGS or CAC but didn’t end up with any NGC coins in it so far for some reason. Hope that answer your question.
Ah, I see. I entered the numbers as serial numbers through the PCGS website, I guess the app numbers do not directly correlate. I'm primarily an ancients collector (NGC is the only game in town), so when I see coin pics without prongs on the corners, I immediately assume that they were photographed raw .
A great accomplishment so far with lots of eye appeal! And there is plenty of good info learned (and shared for others). You have developed a careful eye for these and I look forward to the continuation of this set!
Thanks for sharing! The more bust halves the merrier. Thanks all and thanks Paddy- yes I agree. It’s really unfortunate to not be able to see the edges of these and explore the varieties.
