Set Description
I began collecting $5 Liberties With Motto in the Spring of 2005. Initially, I was attracted to the excellent price value of the $5 Liberties compared to $20 and $10 coins of comparable rarity. Where else can you find beautiful gold coins with less than 50 known examples for less than five figures (for example the 1876 and 1876-S). <br /><br />Once I had collected about 20% of the series, I began to enjoy them not just for their price points but also for the unbelievable variety of strikes, finishes and colors on the various coins in the series. <br /><br />It is very interesting to contrast the excellent strikes on most of the Philadelphia mint issues with the "soft" strikes on many Carson City coins. It is also interesting to note the variations in coloration that occured over time at most of the mints.<br /><br />When I first began the collection, it appeared that the easiest sub-series to collect would be the Philadelphia coins followed by Denver, San Francisco, New Orleans and finally Carson City. Interestingly, that has not proven to be true. Eight of the last ten coins that I needed for a complete set were Philadelphia issues. Of the six coins I still need to complete my set (11/2009), five of the six are from Philadelphia.<br /><br />Another anomaly in completing the set has been the difficulty in finding high grade San Francisco Mint coins from the 1890's. It is possible to find very attractive low grade mint state coins from San Fran but I have found it virtually impossible to find coins approaching condition census. <br /><br />This set is still very much a work in progress as I continue to upgrade coins and search for the "elusive six" that I have not yet acquired. If I'm lucky, I'll have it completed in the next two or three years. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
