Finding the Diamond in the Rough - The Fine Art of Cherrypicking

"Cherrypicking" Coins

Your mission (should you choose to accept) – find that perfect coin! The right date, the right mintage, the right design, the right condition… everything a numismatic cherrypicker seeks out when looking for coins to add to their collection. Cherrypicking is a term used to describe the practice in numismatics of sorting through coins, oftentimes buckets full of dealers’ old stock, in hopes of finding scarce or unusual coins. Some numismatists just desire to add these special coins to their collection, while others are looking to turn a quick profit.

The best cherrypickers have a keen eye and know exactly what they are looking for, either through past experience or by having done extensive research. Rather than trying to find what everyone else is looking for, they tend to specialize in specific series of coins, concentrating their efforts on just a few coin types. This allows them to sort through hundreds of coins in short periods of time – and then they move on. Eventually, this approach can lead them to exactly what they are looking for – and when they find that special coin, the payoff can be rather handsome!

Like anything worth doing, cherrypicking can be time consuming, requires a lot of patience, and doesn’t always pay off. But for many cherrypickers, the joy of the hunt is enough to keep them going.

Every day, customers come into the SilverTowne showroom and "cherrypick" through hundreds of coins, looking for items of interest to purchase. For anyone wishing to cherrypick through old coins from the comfort of their easy chair at home, SilverTowne offers Grab Bags of specific coin types. Choose from a variety of 90% silver coins (including Mercury Dimes, Barber Quarters and Barber Half Dollars), or other Grab Bags containing Wheat Pennies, Buffalo Nickels, Eisenhower Dollars and more. For something unique, you can also pick up mixed bags of Foreign Coins. Whatever coins you’re after, be sure to visit www.silvertowne.com and 'pick' your favorites today!