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#1
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What makes a coin exceptional?
Have you ever looked at a coin and seen something in it that made it seem
different and better than most other coins of that date and type? Likely yes. but what is it that makes the coin seem better? Now, I'm NOT referring to grade here, though grade does occasionally play into this question. Let me give some examples from the series I collect, and then maybe collectors of other series will add in their opinions. Half cents: Surfaces seem to be what makes a half cent exceptional. A half cent with clean surfaces in any grade is worth a premium. An 1807 with full or partial dentils is exceptional. An 1825 with all stars showing centers is exceptional. Off center half cents still showing the date are exceptional. Early proof cents: Any 1859 showing full mirrors is exceptional. I know where one of these is and I'm saving up for it. Red proof matte lincoln cents are exceptional, ESPECIALLY the 1909VDB. Proof 3cn: Any proof that shows fully struck hair is exceptional. Mostly, the hair seems soft and smooth. I wonder where this comes from, as the master die clearly has full hair. Liberty 5c: Any business strike that has fully struck corn ears on both sides is exceptional. Even those with only the right corn ear fully struck are worthy of note. BEWARE of retooling on the ears!!!! Any well struck 1912-S is exceptional, almost all are weakly struck. Early Proof Nickels: A shield 5c proof with no die cracks and full mirrors is exceptional. An 1866 proof with all the rays CLEARLY delineated is exceptional. A matte proof buffalo that looks like a proof is exceptional. :-) Bruce |
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#2
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A coin is exceptional if I own it. Otherwise, it is boring and common.
Bruce Hickmott wrote in message . .. Have you ever looked at a coin and seen something in it that made it seem different and better than most other coins of that date and type? Likely yes. but what is it that makes the coin seem better? Now, I'm NOT referring to grade here, though grade does occasionally play into this question. Let me give some examples from the series I collect, and then maybe collectors of other series will add in their opinions. Half cents: Surfaces seem to be what makes a half cent exceptional. A half cent with clean surfaces in any grade is worth a premium. An 1807 with full or partial dentils is exceptional. An 1825 with all stars showing centers is exceptional. Off center half cents still showing the date are exceptional. Early proof cents: Any 1859 showing full mirrors is exceptional. I know where one of these is and I'm saving up for it. Red proof matte lincoln cents are exceptional, ESPECIALLY the 1909VDB. Proof 3cn: Any proof that shows fully struck hair is exceptional. Mostly, the hair seems soft and smooth. I wonder where this comes from, as the master die clearly has full hair. Liberty 5c: Any business strike that has fully struck corn ears on both sides is exceptional. Even those with only the right corn ear fully struck are worthy of note. BEWARE of retooling on the ears!!!! Any well struck 1912-S is exceptional, almost all are weakly struck. Early Proof Nickels: A shield 5c proof with no die cracks and full mirrors is exceptional. An 1866 proof with all the rays CLEARLY delineated is exceptional. A matte proof buffalo that looks like a proof is exceptional. :-) Bruce |
#3
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"James McCown" wrote in message m... A coin is exceptional if I own it. Otherwise, it is boring and common. Bruce Hickmott wrote in message . .. Have you ever looked at a coin and seen something in it that made it seem different and better than most other coins of that date and type? Likely yes. but what is it that makes the coin seem better? Now, I'm NOT referring to grade here, though grade does occasionally play into this question. Let me give some examples from the series I collect, and then maybe collectors of other series will add in their opinions. Half cents: Surfaces seem to be what makes a half cent exceptional. A half cent with clean surfaces in any grade is worth a premium. An 1807 with full or partial dentils is exceptional. An 1825 with all stars showing centers is exceptional. Off center half cents still showing the date are exceptional. Early proof cents: Any 1859 showing full mirrors is exceptional. I know where one of these is and I'm saving up for it. Red proof matte lincoln cents are exceptional, ESPECIALLY the 1909VDB. Proof 3cn: Any proof that shows fully struck hair is exceptional. Mostly, the hair seems soft and smooth. I wonder where this comes from, as the master die clearly has full hair. Liberty 5c: Any business strike that has fully struck corn ears on both sides is exceptional. Even those with only the right corn ear fully struck are worthy of note. BEWARE of retooling on the ears!!!! Any well struck 1912-S is exceptional, almost all are weakly struck. Early Proof Nickels: A shield 5c proof with no die cracks and full mirrors is exceptional. An 1866 proof with all the rays CLEARLY delineated is exceptional. A matte proof buffalo that looks like a proof is exceptional. :-) Yep. Half cents, early proof cents, proof 3cn, Liberty 5¢, and early proof nickels are exceptional to me, too. In any condition. Bruce |
#4
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Bruce Hickmott wrote:
Have you ever looked at a coin and seen something in it that made it seem different and better than most other coins of that date and type? Likely yes. but what is it that makes the coin seem better? Now, I'm NOT referring to grade here, though grade does occasionally play into this question. Let me give some examples from the series I collect, and then maybe collectors of other series will add in their opinions. [snip] I follow where you're going, but I'm generally burned out on US coins. After collecting most of a set of Morgans, Mercuries, etc., I got fed up with the long prices and crappy quality of many overvalued coins. A few remain in my collection, but by and large I sold it all off (probably one reason I'm not on RCC much these days.) I picked up a few foreign coins and found in them the beauty I thought largely lacking in the domestic issues. Since that time my collection of world crowns and minors has eclisped even the glory days of my domestic collection and grows steadily, with new and exciting discoveries (on just posed under Unusualy Find Baht over Yen.) Many foreign coins are far lower in mintage but also far more accessible to collector on a limited budget. Then there's the numismonia angle, like countermarks and trade coinage which tells some tale, rather than just lay there and look beautiful. Frank Rose wrote a short, but lovely book on Chopmarked Coins. The investigation of these unusual artifacts has propelled me into the directions of reading history and doing research to better understand what was going on in the New World, Old World and Cathay over the past 400 years. It's all thrilling stuff and it provides the spark I could never find in US coins besides niggling over toning or grade. There are very few MS grade coins in my collection, but one has a soft spot in my heart and I keep it in a PCGS holder just to keep it looking the way it does, I'll probably never see it's like again. http://www.dragonswest.com/coins/m24.jpg To each their own and vive la difference! |
#5
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Bruce Hickmott wrote:
Have you ever looked at a coin and seen something in it that made it seem different and better than most other coins of that date and type? For me (as most of my coins are Circulated and many Well Circulated), it often comes down to the surface and a lack of big circulation marks as being most pleasing to me. -- Stujoe Email: http://tinyurl.com/wu00 Grading Challenge, Coin News, Virtual Coin Museum and mo http://www.CoinPeople.com |
#6
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"Stujoe" wrote in message m...
Bruce Hickmott wrote: Have you ever looked at a coin and seen something in it that made it seem different and better than most other coins of that date and type? For me (as most of my coins are Circulated and many Well Circulated), it often comes down to the surface and a lack of big circulation marks as being most pleasing to me. I like silver coins with either a bright white lustrous surface (that looks kinda milky and silky at the same time...see the link!)... http://www.coinpeople.com/forums/alb...php?pic_id=441 and http://www.coinpeople.com/forums/alb...php?pic_id=442 But i also love silver coins with an even dark tone...(preferably with a nice hint of blue)... http://www.coinpeople.com/forums/alb...php?pic_id=443 I also like coins with very high relief. Sylvester. |
#7
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I've been looking seriously into old coins this year and I have
developed a liking of lightly circulated slightly toned coins. This change in my preference from blast white BU old coins to circulated toned coins I find exceptional. I've been hovering over my local coin store counter looking at the standing liberty quarters, they are well worn but I feel they have a certain quality maybe even a personality that draws my interest in them. I think my appreciation of old US coins comes from the start of my collecting Ancient coins. Ed |
#8
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On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 20:23:31 -0500, "Bruce Remick" is alleged
to have written: Yep. Half cents, early proof cents, proof 3cn, Liberty 5¢, and early proof nickels are exceptional to me, too. In any condition. Bruce But within what you collect, what makes a coin exceptional? Bruce |
#9
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For me (as most of my coins are Circulated and many Well Circulated), it
often comes down to the surface and a lack of big circulation marks as being most pleasing to me. -- Stujoe I agree. Something just catches your eye. When you see it, you know it's the one you want to keep. Doris |
#10
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"Bruce Hickmott" wrote in message ... On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 20:23:31 -0500, "Bruce Remick" is alleged to have written: Yep. Half cents, early proof cents, proof 3cn, Liberty 5¢, and early proof nickels are exceptional to me, too. In any condition. Bruce But within what you collect, what makes a coin exceptional? Bruce Other than an an extreme rarity (which I don't have) it has to be the grade and/or overall appearance, in my case with large cents. Not very original, but I couldn't think of any other criterion. I have a 1813 in F15 with flawless satin surfaces that I am at least as proud of as other cents from the 1850's in AU. Bruce |
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