That is a question people have been asking me. If your criteria was so detailed and it was,
why the massive deletions? Part of the answer is emotional, part intellectual and part is
due to the input of collectors that I respect and admire. Swimming in the deep end of
the coin pool while having the money from the sale of a home, is a lot like sending a kid to the
candy store with a $20 bill. It is difficult not to go a little crazy. I knew that I wanted the collection
to make money, over a 10 - 15 year period and It was difficult looking that far ahead for the right answers.
I have always known that quality of the coins was an essential part of the plan. Also I knew that Classical
type coins were key in assembling the Collection. However, how many of each series, how many proof vrs MS
xoins, toned coins vre snow white coins. There were a lot of questions and few answers. Thus I began this adventure
with all of you along side to create what I hoped would be a successful undertaking, long after I was gone. About midway
I asked several very astute collectors, to evaluate the coins in my Collection. The verdict was this, too many white coins and
coins, though in high grade were not key dates or significant changes in design. What I would normally like to collect, while
certainly pleasing to the eye, were not always the coins best suited to achieve my profit goals.
It is always difficult to cull nice coins from ones collection. However, this must be done in a rather ruthless and determined manner.
There were several od these waves of deletions, with the total number of coins that were sold off or auctioned around 15. Many of these
were inexpensive or mid range coins. Some of the coins just were over represented in the collection and I saw that high grade modern
coins such as Franklin and Kennedy halves as well as smaller denominations such as Seated Liberty, Barber, Mercury Head and
Roosevelt dimes were condition scarce to rare. Further, by adding the element of outstanding toning, they represented a new and important
direction for the Collection to follow. As one looks at the collection, a number of these more modern coins are plate coins in the PCGS
COINFACT Program. If PCGS thinks these coins worthy of showing on there prestige venue, who am I to disagree.
Thus the program shall continue on the following tracks:
1. More collector grade gold , particularly in the larger denominations.
2. More toned Classical Type Coins.
3. All modern coins, to be very high grade and of spectacular toning.
Thus, what would be considered a common series, individually, become
scarce or rare, when considering grade, luster, strike and toning. Of course
the added benefit of Full Bell Lines, Full split bands and full Torch on Roosevelt
dimes will add to the rarity and value of the coins in the collection.
4. Expand the number and variety of dime size coins. I have never collected
this denomination before, but they are lovely and large enough in size to still
appreciate the design beauty of each coin.
Will I ever have another mass extinction of Collection coins. Who knows?
If I find that I have lost focus or the collection does not appear to be what I
hoped it would look like, then yes, another mass extinction could very well
happen. This adventure that we are taking will have unexpected and strange
twist and turns, but perhaps, that is what makes coin collecting so much fun..
