I was looking for your thoughts on the pros and cons of starting a collection of Liberty Seated dimes. There's a lot of varieties. Indeed, they are not a commonplace coin. Certainly not a beginning's set. Some of very rare, but overall it doesn't appear it's out of control. For those of you who may have a collection of Seated dimes, how did you approach it? Did you start by seeking a limited scope of coins? Just curious for your thoughts and opinions on this particular mintage. Houston_Ray
the seated liberty dimes I have seen are either incredibly expensive or very rough grades, but I think they are nice coins with a lot of eye appeal. I have never put a collection of them together, but I have owned a couple. As for collecting them actively - I tend to think it's always best to jump in and get your hands dirty first. How you collect them is sometimes determined by the resources you have - does your local dealer stock them, are there a lot of coin shows in your area, are you comfortable with purchasing from ebay, ect. I can't think that a seated dime collection would be easy to put together, but I bet it would be fun.
to Coin Talk Ray. The answer to your question is in your own heart and wallet. Can you afford to assemble a representative collection of that issue? If not, trying to collect them will prove very frustrating as you watch others win a lot of the auctions you bid in. Does the design appeal to you in the highest grades you can expect to find? If not, why bother? Will you enoy having the completed (or nearly so) collection more than you would enjoy having its value in your bank account, or invested in something else? If not, what's the point? If you say yes to all three questions, then go for it my friend because "What you like that you can afford" is the best collection of all.
I like the design very well, and have only had a fleeting experience with the series. So can't help you on that part of the question. The very lest you need to do is carefully consider all three of the questions posed by Roy (satootoko) before actually starting such a collection. If at that point you can say you still want to do the collection, than all I can say is "good luck" and have fun.
i love the seated 1/2 dimes and seated dimes. i have been trying to put together a set for a few years now. almost there. i love the design of them the most you just dont see the detail anymore. chris
Chris you seem to be really into these seated dimes and I thought I was the only one. These babies have such low mintages its incredible on how they are still so affordable. Plus , they look auwsome.
i just dont know why a 1871-s 1/2 dime mint of only 161,000 is supposed to only be worth 16.00 in G and the merc 1916-d mint of 264,000 is 900.00. but as long as i can afford them im going to stock up on them when i see them for sale. chris
The answer is simple: DEMAND. Enjoy your seated dimes (or half dimes). Collect them for what they are. Do not look to make money because of a perceived undervalued series. They are cheap for a reason -- they are small coins, with little following, and are very difficult to complete because of the stoppers. Take care...Mike
I have started a set of the Seated Liberty Half Dimes. I started a thread about these some time ago after realizing how very affordable they were compared to the amount that was minted and I got the same response....demand, which is very true. If these would all of a sudden become popular (if being the key word) this set would be way out of reach for most collectors. Everybody likes big shiny coins and thats most of what makes dollars and half dollars so popular. Alot of the dates in this series are very inexpensive yet can be a challenge to find in mid grades. I believe if I keep focused on this set I can have it completed by next summer.
The seated dime series is one of the most interesting series to collect. You don't have to collect by variety, but there are many very valuable varieties that can be cherry picked still. There are a few dates that are very expensive, and a couple that are extremely expensive, but that is something to work for. I strongly suggest you start a set, all Seated coins are dramatically undervalued right now. Suppose you cherry pick an 1841-O closed bud, you could use that money to buy one of the key CC dates. There are lots of ways to go about it. I'll write more later about the series..... (short on time now)
Super-cool avatar, Chris ! When I was a kid I had an 1838 Small Stars dime. Paid $3.50 for it. I will never forget that day; I was probably 11 or so. It was VG-10 original, long before they used numbers for grades. It's long gone. I'm hoping to find a replacement someday.
If a guy thinks they're "undervalued", that implies he thinks they will go up in the future. Same for the term "sleeper". In both cases - what makes anyone think the situation will change ? What forces are at work to make the situation change ? I think the Seated series are fabulous, but there's no reason to think there will be some Great Awakening and all of a sudden the whole world will be falling all over themselves for them. So I agree with Leadfoot - enjoy them for what they are, collect them if you like.
There are an amazing number of lower mintage dates in the Seated Lib series. I have been quietly collecting them for years, whenever they show up. The problem is that there is a very limited supply. The limited supply is the only thing that keeps them from exploding in value. So, yes, I agree, collect them and you won't be sorry.
I thought low supply favored high price, not low... I think the reason they don't skyrocket is low demand, for the reasons leadfoot mentioned earlier. Same is true of many other low-mintage series. But I'm not saying don't collect 'em. Personally, I like 'em. I just don't see any reason why the demand will suddenly increase, and that's the only reason price increases for a fixed supply.
900fine: Yes, low demand will keep prices down, but, if collectors can't find pieces to start sets, then they will not start one.
