Feeling a bit queesy...

[jtryka]

...about all the insanity and kool-aid drinking and inane threads on both sides of the street lately. After reading the most recent installment of "DHall is supreme, let's all worship him" on the PCGS forum, and the more enlightened, if not seemingly endless discussion of the DHall events on this forum, I really long for the days when we talked about our hobby.

 

So in that spirit, has anyone else noticed that the 2003 Wright Brothers commems from the mint will include an eagle? After nearly 20 years of commem half eagles, they are coming out with a full-on fat and heavy eagle! I for one am pretty excited about it, and would be interested to see the designs when finally unveiled.

 

Anyone else want to talk about coins? Anyone? Anyone at all?

[Hoot]

I think the Wright brothers coins will be great denominationally. I'm also excited about the eagle. I just hope they don't blow it on the designs. IMO, if they put the same design on the obverse of each coin, they will have totally screwed the series. Can't there be variety, individuation, and creativity expressed in the design of these and other modern commems?

 

Hoot

[jtryka]

I agree, the designs of many of the modern "series" have been disappointing, especially those with three coins. The other thing I wish the mint would do is change the half dollar commems such that either they are silver and not clad, or if they do clad, they should take a certain amount and release them into circulation, similar to the classic commems.

[Hoot]

Jeff - I've also long wanted to see all the commemorative halfs be silver. Why they are not puzzles me. It's not like there is a dearth of silver for their mintage! Also, I agree with the idea of a circulating clad commem. That would be cool and increase interest in the coin hobby the same way the state quarters business has. In fact, if the Mint had been doin these things from the get-go in 1982, imagine the interest that would have been generated over these years!

 

I'd also like to see the Mint take some "risk" and not mass produce so many modern commems. They could use some lessons in marketing strategies. And imagine if they would make some coins in high relief! Striking silver into high relief would be vastly more possible over clad.

 

Hoot

[keithdagen]

How can you have a circulating commemorative half when we don't have circulating regular halfs???

 

[EVillageProwler]

Sorry, Jeff, if we've been so focused on the politics of the industry these days...

 

I'd love to talk coins with you, but on moderns my knowledge is sorely lacking.

 

The last moderns I bought were the gold piece that was part of the Statue of Liberty commem set. My mom gave me the clad and the silver proofs as a b-day gift many years ago. I bought the gold a few years ago just to complete the set.

 

I also bought the RFK set when the Mint first advertised it. I felt that the matte Kennedy would be good value. I was upset with myself that I didn't act on the matte nickel quickly enough when that was first advertised.

 

EVP

 

[EVillageProwler]

BTW, should I get these modern commems slabbed? The SoL gold is not in an original holder. The SoL clad and silver are, as are the proof and MS coins of the RFK set.

 

How much are they worth? (All the coins look pristine to me, but I admittedly can't distinguish amongst the super-grades.)

 

TIA,

 

EVP

 

[Hoot]

How can you have a circulating commemorative half when we don't have circulating regular halfs???

 

Oh hell, I dunno.

 

Force it on the public like the Sac $.

 

I think that circulating commems would generate a novel desire for some circulation, even in an unpopular format like the half. But like I said....

 

Hoot

[keithdagen]

None of the issues really bring much of a premium when slabbed, unless you can squeeze a 70 out of them. The SoL mintages were huge, and never performed well in the secondary market. The RFK's trade slightly higher than issue, but not by much. Say $50 when issue was around $35. The SoL's will probably fetch (raw) $95 on the gold, $25 on the silver, and $5-$10 on the clad, tops.

[EVillageProwler]

Thanks.

 

What about the matte Kennedy?

 

EVP

 

[Hoot]

I have slabbed most of my modern commems that I've collected from the Mint. I simply like the format of handling and storage better for many of them. That way, I can store them all in one box and can access them with the flip of a lid, rather than taking the Mint's package apart each time. BTW, most grade out at 68 or 69 with an occasional 67. My brother has gotten one 70, but I haven't had the luck!

 

As for the value, the Stat of Lib coins have little monitary value at all. Even the gold $5 trades for around $100 in PF69UCAM or MS69. I think they are all rather attractive coins, however. As for the RFK set, the dollar trades for around $50 in 69 and the matte finish 50 cent specimen trades for around $250-$300 in 69. Nice coins.

 

Hoot

[keithdagen]

, thought you had the MS and PR 2 coin set of the RFK, not the Matte JFK. Slab it, the value on it has skyrocketed to where it goes at least $250 depending on condition, and most of them will grade MS-68 or 69 straight from the Mint. If you can scan it, I can get you an estimated grade on that one.

[EVillageProwler]

no scanner. but, thanks.

 

evp

 

[jtryka]

EVP,

 

No need to be a modern expert, or even talk about moderns, just coins! My point with the upcoming coins was that the mint hasn't made a $10 gold piece since the LA olympics in 1984, all the rest have been $5, with the exception of the bimetallic $10 (I forget what that was for). Anyway, about the only moderns I collect are commems (beyond my whitman folders), and I usually only buy the ones I like. If the design is cruddy, I pass just because these things have a horrible track record of price performance. I suppose you could play the slabbing game, but I wouldn't do it with commems, after all the payoff is much better with state quarters in high grade slabs. Personally, most of my modern commems, are raw and in their original mint packaging, as that is how I like to collect them. I think the packaging is just as important to the history of the coin as the coin itself.