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Message:: [QUOTE="19Lyds, post: 1601288, member: 15929"]I'm getting into this game a little late but for the grading aspect, all you really need is a minimum of 8 with a possible max of 9. Kennedy's saw little circulation (just like the Eisenhower Dollars), as such, worrying about XF45 - PO01 is a little pointless as very few of those are around anyway and you'd probably NOT want them in a collection. Unless, of course, you were going for a low ball collection but then that can get quite expensive. The Typical BU Kennedy grades around MS64. MS65 and MS66 are not uncommon with the exception of a few years in the 70's and 80's. Those coins will cost you up to $100. A 1971 in MS66 could easily break the $100 barrier while a 1984-D might come close. Generally, the others can be had for between $10 and $100. There are a LOT of different date/mm coins for this collection! I count 90 from 1964 through 2012 excluding proofs and varieties. However (lest I get distracted), generally speaking, having good solid AU58, MS62, MS63, MS64, MS65, MS66 and MS67 graded coins should cover the entire series. The sole exception is the 1998-S SMS Silver Piece which usually grades from MS68 to MS69. MS60 and MS61 are rarely given although some do exist. So, at the minimum, if you have the above 7 slabs, you should get a reasonable idea on grading. Additionally, grading usually concentrates on the "focal areas" of the coin. For the Kennedy Half, the Cheek and fields on the obverse while the upper part of the shield and the fields on the Reverse. Both are subject to full rims which is why the 1971 philly coin gets so expensive. They had notoriously weak rims and as such, if the rim is missing, the MS66 grade is just a wish. MS67 graded coins can have a lot of subjectivity in that "some" hits and dings can exist, just as long as they are not too deep and too frequent. I've seen MS67 coins where I felt they deserved an MS66 but few of the grading companies are going to cough up money for a single point difference in grade and they'll defend their decisions by keeping your "regrade" fee's. Learning to grade Kennedy Half Dollars simply takes some experience in the field by looking at a LOT of coins in the same grade. I don't really believe that settling on the above 7 slabs will do you any good in the grading arena "unless" you're happy with MS64. MS64 is a respectable grade but it has little actual market value. In other words, you'd be better off simply finding the best looking coins out of roll searching for face value. You'd be pleased with the results and, once your set is complete, THEN go through and look for slabbed upgrades and relplace on an "as needed" basis. I realize that roll searching isn't your thing and neither is buying mint sets BUT, given the size (in numbers) of the Kennedy Half Dollar collection, my advice is to get started as cheaply as possible and at the same time, get a feel for what the Kennedy Half "really" looks like. This can only be done, well for me at least, by in hand comparison. Once you've got this experience under your belt, you'll have a better appreciation for the high dollar and expensive coins which are out there in the market place. Who knows, maybe you'll even start an interest in varieties since the Kennedy Series is simply loaded with varieties. Some are fairly awesome (like the 1974-D DDO) and some are meh like the Accented Hair Proof. Some are quite common, like the 1966 DDO's and some are just danged hard to find like the 1972-D No FG. Whatever you decide, in about a year, you should have all the experience you need.[/QUOTE]

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