The Year Is 1966 And You Have A $100 Coin Budget

The year is 1966 and you have a $100 budget to buy collector coins, what do you get with $100 in 1966?

 

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I don’t have a Redbook that old. And that pre-dates my life of coin addiction by 4-5 years..... I’m sure a high quality 16-D Merc would be my first choice. Pretty confident that would be followed by a 55 doubled cent and if neither of those were available, an MS 09-s, VDB cent. Those were my three dream coins when I was a youngster. And a hundred buck may as well have been a million bucks to me back then.

 

Well, since owning gold was still illegal unfortunately, I would purchase a Draped Bust half dollar or dollar, and some of today's key dates as Randy mentioned. With $100, you could probably buy anything at all.

Also, why 1966? You happen to have a time machine that we aren't aware of?

 

I would have bought Bust quarters with the $100.

 

$100 in 1966 would have gotten me a new bike, baseball glove, bat, shoes, and a few more Mallow Cups.

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I'd probably go for some of the early seated liberty pieces such as the 1844 and 1846 dimes or fill some holes in Dansco's 7070.

 

In 1966 a $100 USD is equalent to $780.17 In 2019 money.
That 680.2 % inflation .

However in that time peroid an 1950 D Jefferson nickel value in the red book which are a guide not gospel were $35.00 in MS.
Now in today's money a 64 ms 50 D can be had for $15/20 tops.
That said even in 1966 where coin values were lower some have gone the other way.... tnis same time peroid one could get a chocolate milkshake,burger and fries for a quarter....

 

The same thing I was already buying in 1966...draped bust cents...just more of them.

 

I’d go purchase the earliest dollar type coin I could.

 

Again what everyone fails to see is that a $100. In 1966 was probably a weeks pay for many people...ok again look at my figures. 100.00= in buying power 780.12.
A pair of Jack Percells tennis shoes cost $5.25 which were pretty much top of the mark shoes in 1966.
So I do understand the op post qusstion ,what I want you who didn't live at this time is....this was a much different time.
As one today wouldn't spend a weeks pay on coins....nor would one in 1966!
And yeah if I had that sort of wealth to spend in 1966 I buy an 1867 half dime.

But again I was 12 Y/O and my collecting habits were coins, as well other priorities, like baseball cards @.05 cents a pack!
I can truly understand how people who were not alive at this peroid cannot grasp the value of a $1 durring the early 60's ,when all they know is present values.