Bills or coins to collect $15 or less? 0

[SteveJCline]

I am looking for cool coins or bills to collect that are $15 or less, perhaps some older coins or coins that could see an increase in value as time goes by. Looking to make my coin collection more diverse, any suggestions help. Thanks!

[VKurtB]

Oh Steve, if we had those answers, we'd all be doing it already. Recent trends indicate that there may be no such thing at this time. This hobby has a demographic problem such as older collectors are dying faster than new ones come in. The trends are down. Even the hyper-high end, which used to be a sure winner, has been backing off a bit lately. Demand levels are simply too soft for the amount of material out there. That's why people look at your question and then not answer it. The news is not great, and some, for obvious reasons, don't want to discourage you.

Edited September 6, 2020 by VKurtB

[Alex in PA.]

Steve, refreshing to meet a collector on a budget.  EBay will be your best bet but for $15.00 you're gonna get some crappy stuff.  Good luck on the hunt.

[Coinbuf]

Well first off the definition or idea of what constitutes "cool" and "diverse" are going to be somewhat different for everyone so in asking for input just be aware that you may have something else in mind than I would.  However if you keep your eyes open and search around there are coins and paper money that can be bought in your budget range from time to time.  Now most of those items will be very common raw coins and usually low grade and/or perhaps damaged/cleaned items, while not impossible slabbed coins in that dollar range will be harder to find.  As an example you can purchase a raw Mercury dime in FV grade for under $10.  And if you keep a keen lookout you can find some slabbed material, I recently bought these two Lincolns for $30.  While not something I collect many world coins can be bought in your budget range also.

 

[Just Bob]

Do some reading and studying first.

I know it is tempting to jump in and start buying anything and everything, but, without educating yourself on circulated vs mint state, cleaned vs original surfaces, counterfeit vs real, you may be setting yourself up for some serious disappointment. That is not to say that you couldn't go on Ebay, bid on a few nice looking coins, and come out a winner, but, the odds will be more in your favor if you know what to look for first.

That said, raw BU Lincolns, Jeffersons and Roosevelts can still readily be had for a few bucks, and plenty of nice circulated older coins are still inexpensive and plentiful. Buffalo nickels and Indian cents are two that come to mind in that category. Of course, you will have to spend more for the scarcer dates, but you can get many of the more common ones in some pretty nice condition for not a whole lot of money.

And, as Coinbuf mentioned, there are hundreds of world coins that are available for cheap. In fact, many dealers at coin shops and shows will have a bin, bowl, or bucket of world coins that are marked 2, 3 or 4 for a dollar.

Main thing: enjoy what you collect, and collect what you enjoy.

[JKK]

I echo JustBob/Coinbuf on the assorted world coins tin. Here's how that works: the dealers get those in bucket quantities and they go through them very, very quickly. Each coin gets a glance. If it might be silver, looks older than a certain date (for most probably 1900), or otherwise somehow stands out as worth further notice, it gets set aside. Anything else gets less than half a second of the dealer's eye time. Some inevitably slip through the cracks. Those are your opportunities. If you read multiple scripts and dating systems, it gets better still, because the dealers may or may not. A typical cost is five or six for a dollar, so for $15 you could go home with a crapton of coins. Then comes the fun and learning of looking them up: okay, what the hell did I get? That's some serious budget collecting and your money will go very far. The dealer is delighted, because he might have paid a nickel each, so his margin is high; plus if the store or booth is very busy, you're occupied and don't need to be waited on.

[VKurtB]

1 hour ago, JKK said:

I echo JustBob/Coinbuf on the assorted world coins tin. Here's how that works: the dealers get those in bucket quantities and they go through them very, very quickly. Each coin gets a glance. If it might be silver, looks older than a certain date (for most probably 1900), or otherwise somehow stands out as worth further notice, it gets set aside. Anything else gets less than half a second of the dealer's eye time. Some inevitably slip through the cracks. Those are your opportunities. If you read multiple scripts and dating systems, it gets better still, because the dealers may or may not. A typical cost is five or six for a dollar, so for $15 you could go home with a crapton of coins. Then comes the fun and learning of looking them up: okay, what the hell did I get? That's some serious budget collecting and your money will go very far. The dealer is delighted, because he might have paid a nickel each, so his margin is high; plus if the store or booth is very busy, you're occupied and don't need to be waited on.

One added benefit for the dealer if you do this: having you actively rummaging through his “bin stock” makes his table look busy while not absorbing much of his time and attention. That makes his table look “active”, and it is a psychological truism that activity breeds more activity. It’s a win-win for you and the dealer. I have a few dealers for whom I am regular “bin diver”.

If you’re in the market for an “off the U.S. beaten track” idea, consider commemorative 2 euro coins. Quite a massive and interesting series, and if you go to Europe, your duplicates become pocket change.

Edited September 6, 2020 by VKurtB

[James_OldeTowne]

In the $15 and below range, your best options might include Roosevelt dimes, short-set of Mercury dimes and Walkers, full set of Kennedy half-dollars, post-1940 Washington quarters, Jefferson nickels, and of course, post-1931 small cents - all of these NON-certified sets.  Another venture might be some sort of extended type set that could easily extend back to the 1840s.

[Conder101]

As several people here have indicated there are a lot of possible things to collect at a $15 per coin budget.  The second part of your request 

On 9/6/2020 at 2:20 PM, SteveJCline said:

perhaps some older coins or coins that could see an increase in value as time goes by.

Is not too likely.  Most of the coins in this type of price range have a large markup by the seller and a significant discount when being purchased by the dealer.  It HAS to be this way because most of these coins are common, and will sit in stock for a long time before someone comes along wanting to buy them.  The dealer needs that big discount and markup to be able to make any money off the deal.  But that discount means that anything you buy is going to have to go up a LOT just to break even when you sell it.  And that really just doesn't happen on common coins.

So collecting at that price range, collect because you enjoy it, not with the hope of a future profit.  You MIGHT get lucky, but the odds are you won't.