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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;mark_h, post: 1491591, member: 3726&quot;]Okay - here is just my opinion on using a $100 budget.&nbsp; I would first get the books mentioned and yes you should understand varieties.&nbsp; Not so much on the later dates from 1839 to 1857 for braided hair - these just know the major varieties.&nbsp; They are almost impossible at times to attribute. Then I would probably throw in Penny Wise for early dates and possibly copper quotes by Robinson.&nbsp; Now only you can decide what grade to collect in - my collection ranges from PO to AU.&nbsp; And I am pretty much happy with it.</p><p><br /></p><p>Next I would start my collection at 1808 and use a dansco album. Yep - 1808 because I really like a solid low grade coin - they don&#039;t need to VF for me.&nbsp; The reason - you can get some really nice low grade solid planchets in AG-3/G-4 coins for $100 or less. All of the classic heads can be had for less than $100 in solid low grade coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>So my set if I was doing it for $100 or less would go from 1808 to 1857.&nbsp; It would be in a dansco album.&nbsp; With $100 as the limit the key dates(or varieties)for this album would be 1823, 1834 Large 8 and stars(N-5), 1839/6, 1840/18 and 1857.&nbsp; I would probably skip the 1834 large 8 and stars and then 1839/6 - pretty much can&#039;t get those anywhere near $100. I got real lucky to get my 1834 large 8 variety for $70 and it is a problem coin - but problems I can live with.&nbsp; For the 1839 you can just use a different variety since that hole is label 1839.&nbsp; The 1834 - several other varieties could be used.&nbsp; These two are examples of why you need to understand varieties and maybe you can cherry pick them.</p><p><br /></p><p>My album would look like this:</p><p>1808 - 1814 in AG/G range</p><p>1816 - 1839 in AG/VF range</p><p>1839 - 1857 in F/VF range</p><p><br /></p><p>I would also use this <a href="http://www.largecents.net/forsale.php" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.largecents.net/forsale.php" rel="nofollow">http://www.largecents.net/forsale.php</a> site for helping me.&nbsp; Tom is a great guy and will answer questions for you.&nbsp; You get good descriptions and good pictures.&nbsp; I have other large cent dealers also - but there coins are usually, not always, in a much nicer condition that I would put in my album.</p><p><br /></p><p>Until you know more I would stay away from ebay.&nbsp; Of course on some of these coins you can buy graded as cheap as raw and crack them out.&nbsp; For Ebay a lot of the raw coins are problem coins(just my opinion) and you do not always get good pictures to show you the issues.&nbsp; I find very few coins I would bid on at ebay - of course some of the tougher varieties might be cherry picked from there.</p><p><br /></p><p>Then maybe once you complete 1808 to 1857 you will decide to do 1793 to 1807. Very expensive keys even in PO-1 condition.&nbsp; Those keys are 3-1793 varieties, 1799 and 1804 - expect to spend 100&#039;s if not 1000&#039;s of dollars for those keys even in PO-1 shape.&nbsp; But boy what an accomplishment if you complete the album.&nbsp; I have maybe 6 coins to go - 2 1793&#039;s, 1804, 1839/6 and maybe a common date variety or 2.&nbsp; I have to check it tomorrow I think I forgot to update my list.</p><p><br /></p><p>Of course of this is my opinion and I am VERY partial to large cents.&nbsp; Completing an album will provide years of entertainment.&nbsp; I find I am almost complete and I only want to replace maybe 3 - 4 screw ups on my part.&nbsp; Just take your time working the collection and don&#039;t get in a rush.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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