RCC/In Pursuit of Nice Coins

In Pursuit of Nice Coins

I've been a collector of the traditional series of U.S. commemoratives for nearly ten years now, having selected the series as my primary focus when I returned to the hobby back in the early 1990s. (While I was never completely "out" of the hobby, I certainly played the role of "onlooker" during my years in college and first few years of making mortgage payments!)

Over the last ten years I have owned many of the commemorative issues more than once. When I first began collecting the series, I purchased raw mint state coins from a few select dealers that I learned to trust. From the very start, I was attracted to brilliant mint state coins rather than toned coins. Brilliant and untoned is how they left the Mint, so brilliant and untoned is how I would prefer for them to reside in my collection.

I got about half way though my pursuit when I decided to switch to purchasing certified coins in MS-63. I had begun to attend more shows and was spending my bourse time looking at lots and lots of commemoratives. In time, I came to better understand the minting differences between the issues (frosty lustre vs. creamy, strong strikes vs. soft, etc.) and realized that I was drawn to the higher mint state coins. It wasn't so much the technical grade that reeled me in as it was the "originality" of the higher mint state pieces.

Many of the lower graded pieces I had purchased (and considered purchasing), though technically mint state, simply did not posses the vitality of the higher grade pieces. The differences were typically the result of some sort of abuse by one or more previous owners. Many of the lower grade coins had either been over dipped until their cartwheel lustre was literally washed away, or had been improperly stored and now featured unsightly spots, scratches, or rim damage.

So, out went the raw coins and in came a new collection of PCGS encapsulated coins. I set out to assemble a nicely matched set of MS-63 coins. Once again, I was back on the learning curve and quickly came to realize that there are nice looking 63's and there are ugly 63's. It took longer to build my collection the second time out as I got more and more picky about the coins that I would add to my collection. I was definitely buying the coin and not the holder and patience proved to be my best ally.

I got about half way through the series once again when I noticed my "eye" was changing once more. I began spending more of my time (and dollars) on 64's, 65's, and 66's instead of my "matching set of 63's." Out with old and in with the new all over again!

Over the past two years, nearly all of my purchases have been coins graded MS-64 and higher. To my eye, they all exhibit terrific lustre and eye appeal and I am happy with each one. I don't typically examine the coins I buy with a glass (most times I forget to bring one to the shows!) because that's not how I judge a coin. I am far more interested in a coin's overall eye appeal and lustre than I am in some minor surface defect that requires magnification to reveal. I let the boys at PCGS sort out the technical differences, I buy based on aesthetics!

I've gotten way past half way this time and am now just a few coins away from completing my set. I almost feel compelled to complete it sooner rather than later, however, as I'm afraid that my eye is going to change again and send me out looking for coins in "67 or better!" That, I can't afford!

Happy Collecting!

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