"BEST OF" Awards for World Sets?

[jackson64]

Dear NGC, I was wondering...since there has been such an expansion in the World Sets categories..will we ever be getting Plaque Awards, or Best of The Registry Awards for world collections?...

 

How about just, Best Overall World Set...Best Presented World Set...etc...

 

it may also increase interest in competition in these categories...which may also lead to more world submissions to NGC for coins to add to these sets...hmmmm

[Revenant]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that ALL competitive sets (US or World) were already elligible for the "Best Presented, "Best Modern," and "Best Classic" Categories. What you seem to be suggesting would be to split these categories and (I guess) double the number of recipients. I don't know if there's a need for that.

[jackson64]

I wasn't aware of any world sets ever winning any awards...other than the Rank #1 in the single category awards..

[RareSov]

Well, if they split it then it means more awards to give out

 

Could be good and bad

 

Be nice to set the World sets apart and create a few awards just for it, and keep the US stuff how it is

[World Colonial]

The number of registered sets for most or all of them is so low that it makes me wonder why there would be any awards given out at all. One of the reasons for this is because the number of graded specimens for most issues in these registry sets is also low and this in turn is presumably true because those collectors prefer raw coins over graded coins or at least are not willing to pay the grading fees because the market value of most of the coins does not make it worthwhile..

 

Two of the series I collect are South Africa Union and ZAR. I do not want either series included in the registry because it would serve no purpose other than possibly making the coins more expensive to buy if it did anything at all. At the same time, compare the census numbers here to those of every other world coin issue. For some reason, collectors of these series have a preference for graded coins and I am also one of them. The census numbers are higher in most instances and sometimes much higher even though I would not consider most of the issues with registry sets to be scarce at all. From the standpoint of the registry set, it would seem to make more sense to select sets based upon the census populations above any factor.

 

Me personally, I would not want to win an award for any set even if it was eligible. And the reason for this is that I have no illusions that my collection in any series is the best or anywhere near it. I have almost 200 graded South Africa coins (almost all Union) and though most are high grade (AU or above and mid to high grade proofs), I'm not under any illussion that my collection even cracks the top 100 whether overall or any segment.

[jackson64]

The reason I suggested possibly, "Best Overall"..or Best Presented"..is mainly because of what you reiterated...most of the series or categories only have 4 or 5 different people per category...but there are hundreds of sets overall...I just thought that it would be a nice thing to do and possibly lead other Registry Members to branch out into some of these great World coin series........

 

For the few extra bucks to make 2 or 3 extra plaques they could potentially draw a lot of new competitive sets and submissions to the world area..

 

Your value of registry competition may not be very great -world colonial-( and I completely understand and respect that) but I believe that the registry and awards are highly prized by others....why else would someone pay $1000 for a 2-3 year old coin, with millions minted, in PF70 when the same coin can be purchased for $20 in PF69?

[World Colonial]

I understand that people have different opinions on the value of the registry awards and I have no problem with that. And though I do not have a problem with it, I just wonder what would be the point.

 

What confuses me is why anyone would want an award or to win it for a category which is clearly not competitive. In the example which I believe you are giving - US moderns - I have no interest in this field but at least there is a real effort to compete and those who "win" are what I would describe as real "winners". They really do have the best or at least one of the best collections that can be built for their speciality.

 

But in the world coin sets, I do not think anyone or at least hardly anyone who would win such an award can really make that claim when it is known that most of the best collections are not competing at all and this is true even though the owners or their holdings are not public knowledge. We can know this by the fact that the rarest issues would almost certainly be excluded from them. We can also reach this conclusion by the entries in the Signature sets which I have looked at many times. Though many are nice, hardly any are substantial much less remotely complete in any way.

 

The example of my collection of South Africa Union is one of them. By most standards, my collection is a very good one as it would take years to replicate it (since 1998 for me though it would probably take less time now) even for someone who has and is willing to spend the money.

 

But even so, I would still rate it on the third or even fourth rung (unofficially) behind a world class and elite collection. The world class collections would have the patterns and really rare circulation strikes and proofs (which apparently seem to NEVER come up for sale) while an elite collection would have a substantially complete collection of issues listed in a standard reference such as Krause (except for the rarest issues) but in high grade (which also seem to come up for sale infrequently or not at all). My collection meets neither of those criteria.

 

But if by any chance one of the reasons you want these awards is to increase the level of competition, I can see some logic to that, though I am personally dubious it will actually work.

[Revenant]

If you don't mind my interjection, it seems like World Colonial is thinking of the "Best in Category" certificates, while Jackson is talking about the "Best Presented," "Best Classic," and "Best Modern" awards that receive the plaques. The world sets already receive the "Best in Category" awards so that's hardly an issue.

 

I think that in time as the number of world sets grows we might see Jackson's idea become a reality. At present though, I think world colonial might have a point but only in some respects. I disagree with the idea that all of the US categories really experience compeitition and I don't like the idea that a low number of sets means that the #1 isn't deserving. There's only about 10-12 sets in the 1932 mint set category which my step-father and I won this year. We didn't have to beat many people, but I don't think that makes the set we built less of an accomplishment.

 

I'm just glad that NGC also offers the Journal Awards so a guy like me with nothing in the way of a truely impressive set can feel like he's accomplished something. Being the son of an English teacher finally paid off! (and yes, I can raise a stink and be irritable but I did feel truely honored to have received that plaque)

 

-William

[World Colonial]

Your comments bring up reasonable points and since I do not compete in the registry and probably will not, I think that whatever those who do and want to should be reasonably accomodated.

 

My personal goal for something like South Africa as I used for an example is to build one that is in the top 100 or something like that and yes, I admit that from a registry standpoint my definition of this set is very ambitious. There are about 600 Union coins listed in the Krause manual spread out over three monarchs with business strikes and proofs for each which to most people would make it at least six sets. And this would probably be further divided by denomination at least for issues like Crowns and gold. Except for the 1923 and 1924 sovereign which are major rarities, many collectors would have an opportunity to complete these sets.

[jackson64]

World Colonial..the awards are titled.."Best of The Registry"..and make no reference to being the best sets in existence..just a little something for those of us who have joined or take part in Collectors-Society....

 

It was just a thought....but it appears to have an underwhelming reaction so I guess it was not a very good thought..

[RareSov]

No its a great though IMHO there is the main US registry which is huge, and there is THE REST. Splitting them up seems bound to happen at some point.

[Revenant]

It was just a thought....but it appears to have an underwhelming reaction so I guess it was not a very good thought..

 

It wasn't a bad one, but like I said, 1) I'm not sure that they're excluded, they might have just not won yet and 2) In relative terms, there aren't that many World sets yet.

 

Don't me mad at us.

[Doogy]

Dear NGC, I was wondering...since there has been such an expansion in the World Sets categories..will we ever be getting Plaque Awards, or Best of The Registry Awards for world collections?...

 

How about just, Best Overall World Set...Best Presented World Set...etc...

 

it may also increase interest in competition in these categories...which may also lead to more world submissions to NGC for coins to add to these sets...hmmmm

 

it is a great idea, and would allow more attention to be paid to them; i'm sure many folks would like to partcipate, but aren't aware that they exist.

 

 

[Guest Joiseygirl]

Since the World Registry has expanded and will continue to expand, we will be opening up or adding to the awards categories for World sets for this year's competition (2009).

 

Thank you for all of your input.

 

Amy T. Lorenzo

'Joiseygirl'

[jackson64]

thanks Amy..obviously great minds think alike..