Core Hunt
Highest-conviction targets. Know the market, actively seek them out, and buy repeatedly when attribution, quality, and price align.
Dealer Research • Acquisition Strategy • U.S. Coins Only
NumisMaverick Buying Radar
A working acquisition board for overlooked U.S. coins, Mint products, varieties, special finishes, original government packaging, and collector material with a clear story and a disciplined exit.
The working thesis:
Favor affordable U.S. coins with a recognizable story, finite or unusual distribution, overlooked collector interest, and a realistic resale path.
Conviction Framework
The Tier System
Strong Secondary
Good inventory with a clear thesis. Buy opportunistically when condition, packaging, variety, or price creates an edge.
Inventory / Study
Keep these on the radar, learn the series, and selectively accumulate without tying up capital simply because the coins are inexpensive.
Working Acquisition Board
Coin Buying Radar
Search by coin, era, category, thesis, or status. Use the tier buttons to narrow the board.
| Tier | Target | Era | Category | Buy Thesis | What to Target | Buying Discipline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 2005-D Speared Bison | 2005 | Variety | Mintage: 487,680,000 2005-D Bison nickels overall; the Speared Bison is a die variety, so no separate official mintage. Recognizable modern Jefferson variety with a strong one-sentence story. | Clearly attributable raw examples; certified examples when the spread makes sense. | Aggressive only when attribution is solid. | ACTIVE |
| Tier 1 | 2004–2005 Westward Journey U.S. Mint Rolls | 2004–2005 | Original Mint Product | Mint product sales vary by design and roll; original Mint-wrapped survival is the more useful scarcity metric here than circulation-strike mintage. Original Mint packaging, short design run, and strong nickel collector crossover. | Sealed P/D Mint-wrapped rolls and two-roll sets. | Prioritize intact original packaging. | RADAR |
| Tier 1 | 1999 Wide AM Lincoln Cent | 1999 | Variety | Mintage: 5,237,600,000 Philadelphia cents overall; Wide AM population is an unknown subset, not separately reported by the Mint. Key modern Wide AM target with a clear attribution story. | Clearly attributable raw coins; certified examples. | Buy mispriced, not merely available. | RADAR |
| Tier 1 | 1996-W Roosevelt Dime | 1996 | Special Issue | Mintage: 1,457,000. Special W-mint issue distributed only through 1996 Mint Sets, with easy collector recognition. | Original Mint Set examples; certified higher-grade pieces. | Favor complete original context or attractive coins. | RADAR |
| Tier 1 | 1997-P Matte Proof Jefferson Nickel | 1997 | Special Finish | Mintage: 25,000 matte-finish nickels, one per Botanic Garden Coinage & Currency Set. Unusual Jefferson special finish and a natural fit with the nickel strategy. | Original Botanic Garden set or certified nickel. | Avoid problem pieces unless the price is exceptional. | RADAR |
| Tier 1 | 2004 Westward Journey Coin & Medal Set | 2004 | Low-Production Mint Product | Maximum production: 25,000 sets. Forgotten U.S. Mint product with a strong historical narrative. | Complete original government packaging. | Buy complete and clean. | RADAR |
| Tier 2 | 1998 Wide AM Lincoln Cent | 1998 | Variety | Mintage: 5,032,155,000 Philadelphia cents overall; Wide AM population is an unknown subset. Established modern Lincoln variety with broad searchability. | Raw attributable and certified examples. | Opportunistic. | RADAR |
| Tier 2 | 2000 Wide AM Lincoln Cent | 2000 | Variety | Mintage: 5,503,200,000 Philadelphia cents overall; Wide AM population is an unknown subset. Affordable entry into the Wide AM story with Cheerios-cent adjacency. | Raw attributable examples; rolls and search finds. | Accumulate inexpensively. | ACTIVE |
| Tier 2 | 1982–1983 Souvenir Mint Sets | 1982–1983 | Mint Product | No regular 1982 or 1983 Uncirculated Coin Sets were issued; souvenir sets were sold through Mint gift shops, making product sales/survival more relevant than individual coin mintages. Unusual distribution story and strong fit with the Mint Set thesis. | Complete original souvenir sets. | Condition and completeness matter. | RADAR |
| Tier 2 | 1987 Mint Sets | 1987 | Mint Set | Kennedy half mintage: 2,890,758 P + 2,890,758 D, tied to Mint Set production. Kennedy halves were not issued for general circulation that year. | Complete OGP sets; strong individual halves. | Buy cheap, intact sets. | RADAR |
| Tier 2 | 1970-D Kennedy Half Dollar | 1970 | Mint-Set-Only Coin | Mintage: 2,150,000. Business-strike Kennedy distributed only through 1970 Mint Sets. | Choice raw examples and intact 1970 sets. | Favor eye appeal. | RADAR |
| Tier 2 | 1998-S / 1999-S Matte Kennedy Halves | 1998–1999 | Special Finish | 1998-S Matte Kennedy mintage: 62,350; 1999-S Matte Kennedy mintage: 90,401. Distinctive modern Kennedy special issues. | Certified examples or intact source sets. | Be price disciplined. | RADAR |
| Tier 2 | 1973-S / 1974-S Brown Ikes | 1973–1974 | Silver Mint Product | 1973-S silver uncirculated mintage: 1,883,140; 1974-S silver uncirculated mintage: 1,900,156. Large-format silver dollar, original packaging, recognizable series. | Complete Brown Box Ikes. | Prioritize clean OGP and attractive coins. | ACTIVE |
| Tier 2 | 1971–1974 Blue Ikes | 1971–1974 | Silver Mint Product | Blue Pack silver Ike mintages: 1971-S 6,868,530; 1972-S 2,193,056; 1973-S 1,883,140; 1974-S 1,900,156. Natural companion to Brown Ikes. | Original Blue Packs. | Buy intact and attractive. | RADAR |
| Tier 2 | 1976 40% Silver Bicentennial 3-Coin Sets | 1976 | Silver Mint Product | 1976-S 40% silver uncirculated Eisenhower mintage: 4,908,319; three-coin set survival and completeness matter. Silver plus Bicentennial appeal and original packaging. | Complete original sets. | Accumulate on favorable spread to metal and retail value. | RADAR |
| Tier 2 | 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Cent Sets / Mint Products | 2009 | One-Year Design Program | Circulation mintages were enormous, so scarcity is product/format driven rather than date driven. Four one-year reverse designs plus the Lincoln bicentennial story. | Complete sets and original Mint products. | Favor complete original packaging. | ACTIVE |
| Tier 3 | Jefferson Nickels – Full Steps | 1938–Present | Condition Rarity | Condition-sensitive niche with registry demand. | Underappreciated dates with strong steps. | Only buy when strike and steps can be evaluated confidently. | STUDY |
| Tier 3 | Choice Raw War Nickels | 1942–1945 | Silver / Numismatic | Series mintages vary widely by date and mint; key semi-key examples matter more than total War Nickel production. Silver floor plus numismatic upside. | Original-looking AU/BU; better dates and mints. | Do not pay numismatic money for ugly silver. | ACTIVE |
| Tier 3 | Indian Head Cents – Choice Common Dates | 1859–1909 | Classic U.S. | Mintages vary sharply by date; common late-date issues often run into tens of millions, so condition and originality drive the thesis. Iconic, liquid type with affordable collector entry. | Problem-free VF–BU common dates. | Quality over quantity. | ACTIVE |
| Tier 3 | Buffalo Nickels – Better Dates | 1913–1938 | Classic U.S. | Mintages range from key-date lows to very common issues; date/mint selection is the edge. Recognizable series with an upgrade path beyond bulk commons. | Problem-free VF–AU better dates and varieties. | Learn dates before scaling. | ACTIVE |
| Tier 3 | Liberty Head Nickels – Better Dates | 1883–1912 | Classic U.S. | Mintages vary materially by date; better dates and problem-free mid-grades create the opportunity. Recognizable pre-Buffalo nickel series with collector depth. | Problem-free mid-grade better dates. | Avoid damaged and problem inventory. | ACTIVE |
| Tier 3 | 2005-D Jefferson Nickel – High Grade / Interesting Varieties | 2005 | Modern Nickel | Mintage: 487,680,000 for the 2005-D Bison reverse. Cheap hunting ground tied directly to the Westward Journey thesis. | High-grade raw pieces, rolls, and varieties. | Low-cost accumulation only. | ACTIVE |
| Tier 3 | 1980s–1990s Mint Sets | 1980–1999 | Mint Sets | Annual Mint Set production varies by year; the opportunity is low acquisition cost, intact OGP, and cherry-pick potential rather than absolute rarity. | Underpriced intact sets; better individual coins inside. | Buy below replacement or part-out logic. | ACTIVE |
| Tier 3 | 2000 Cheerios Lincoln Cent | 2000 | Promotion Issue | Approximately 10,000,000 Cheerios packages included a 2000 cent; surviving sealed/original promotional packaging is the more meaningful scarcity factor. Distinctive distribution story and crossover with modern Lincoln collecting. | Original packaging first; attributable loose pieces second. | Packaging premium must remain rational. | ACTIVE |
Acquisition Discipline
Buy the story. Buy the spread. Buy the exit.
The NumisMaverick radar is not a list of cheap coins. It is a list of U.S. coins and Mint products where history, distribution, packaging, condition rarity, varieties, or collector recognition can create an edge.
The goal is to build inventory that can be explained quickly, researched deeply, and eventually sold to collectors or fellow dealers without needing a speculative narrative.
Current Focus
What NumisMaverick Is Watching
Classic Nickels
Liberty Head nickels, Buffalo nickels, War nickels, better dates, and higher-grade raw coins.
Modern Jeffersons
2005-D nickels, Speared Bison varieties, Westward Journey Mint rolls, and special-finish issues.
Lincoln Oddities
Cheerios cents, 1998–2000 Wide AM varieties, and 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial products.
Mint Sets
1980s–1990s Mint Sets, unusual distribution years, souvenir sets, and Mint-set-only coins.
Ike Dollars
Brown Ikes, Blue Ikes, silver Bicentennial issues, and attractive original government packaging.
Forgotten Mint Products
Low-production sets, unusual packaging, special finishes, and short-lived collector programs.