Building a Winning PCGS/NGC Registry Set with Not Expensive but Here It Is: From a $2 1960 Cent to Apollo 11 Moon Money Top Pops

For Top-Tier Collectors, the Registry Set Competition Drives the Market. Here’s How This Specific Piece Fits Into a Top-Ranked Set.

For top-tier collectors, the Registry Set competition drives the market. Here’s how this specific piece fits into a top-ranked set. I have spent years chasing that perfect balance every competitive registry collector knows intimately. You need the expensive key date that anchors your set. You also need the not expensive, overlooked, misattributed, or poorly stored piece that quietly costs you points every single month. The forum thread that inspired this article was titled simply, “Not Expensive but Here It Is.” That is exactly where registry championships are won and lost.

In my experience grading and building registry sets, nobody ever lost a #1 ranking because they failed to buy a $10,000 rarity. They lost because they left a $20 slot in MS-63 when a MS-67 was sitting in a PVC binder. It was in a cracked mint set holder. Or it was in a 3-ring binder of foreign coins nobody had looked at in 40 years. The thread we are synthesizing here is not a random show-and-tell. It is a masterclass in the registry set phenomenon. Collectors pulled out 1982 Lincoln cents with brown edges, 1960 small date and large date cents bought for $2.00, Apollo 11 Moon Money tokens, 1944 shell case copper cents, Bicentennial sets, and a cheapest coin in a PCGS Book set that needed a VF upgrade. Every one of those posts is a registry lesson.

I have examined hundreds of registry sets on PCGS Set Registry and NGC Registry. The pattern is always the same. The top 10 sets in any category are separated by fractions of a point. A single upgrade from MS-65 to MS-67 RD, or from a tied pop to a sole top pop, can move you from #4 to #2 overnight. That is why I focus on PCGS/NGC registry points, pop reports, top pop hunting, and upgrading collections with surgical precision. The not expensive piece, when correctly identified, conserved, and graded, becomes the highest return-on-investment slot in your entire set.

Why “Not Expensive” Is the Most Dangerous Phrase in Registry Collecting

When a collector says “not expensive,” what they really mean is “not yet discovered by the registry market.” I have seen this repeatedly. A coin that was $15 at auction in 2009. A $5 raffle ticket win at a coin club. A $2.00 pair of 1960 cents. A token that sells for $63 in MS-69 RD on eBay. All of these are dismissed by casual buyers. For a registry competitor, dismissal is opportunity.

The Psychology of the Cheap Slot

Registry points are not based on what you paid. They are based on grade, rarity, and population. PCGS and NGC assign points based on the grade achieved relative to the finest known and the population of that grade. If you can buy a coin for $2 and it grades MS-67 RD in a series where most examples are MS-64 RD, you have just bought points at a discount that no key date will ever offer you. The key date might cost $5,000 for 10 points. The cheap variety might cost $20 for 8 points. That is the math that wins sets. It is also what gives a coin real collectibility beyond its price tag.

What I Look For in a Forum Show-and-Tell

• Misidentified varieties: Small date vs. large date, copper vs. zinc, shell case vs. regular composition
• Original storage that preserved grade: Mint set holders, small plastic sets, velvet boxes, even imperfect PVC that did not destroy the coin
• Pedigree and provenance hints: A sticker from a person, an Armstrong Family Collection connection, a Vietnam veteran’s Military Payment Currency
• Upgrade candidates: A coin listed as the cheapest in a PCGS Book set that a collector already knows needs replacing with a VF

Every post in that thread gave me one of those four signals. Let us break them down the way I would before I put a coin into a registry set.

The 1982 Lincoln Cent Trap: Small Date, Large Date, and Registry Points You Cannot Ignore

The original poster opened the thread cleaning out a 3-ring binder with PVC pages of mostly foreign coins. Inside were a couple of pieces, including a 1982 set. One 1960 piece was getting a little brown on the edges, which the owner said he kind of liked. Another collector immediately warned him: please get those 1982 cents out of PVC and into something better for long term storage. That warning is registry gold.

Why 1982 Is a Registry Minefield

I’ve examined 1982 Lincoln cents under magnification more times than I can count, and 1982 is never simple. In 1982 the U.S. Mint changed the cent composition mid-year from 95% copper, 5% zinc to 99.2% zinc, 0.8% copper. At the same time, there are small date and large date varieties for both Philadelphia and Denver. The 1982-D small date copper cent is a famous rarity, but even the common 1982 small date zinc and copper cents matter for registry points because PCGS and NGC track them as distinct slots in many Lincoln cent registry sets. A sharp strike and original mint condition luster are everything here, because most survivors are dull or spotted.

Here is what a competitive collector must do:

1. Weigh every 1982 cent. Copper cents weigh 3.11 grams, zinc cents weigh 2.5 grams. Do not guess from color. In my experience grading, toning and brown edges on a 1960 or 1982 can fool you completely.
2. Identify date size correctly. The small date has a distinctly smaller, more delicate “2” in 1982. A misattributed date will be rejected by PCGS/NGC or, worse, placed in the wrong registry slot and earn zero competitive points.
3. Check the pop report before you submit. If the pop for MS-67 RD small date zinc is only a handful, a top pop in that grade is a trophy. If the pop is 200, you need MS-68 RD or higher to move the needle.

PVC, Brown Edges, and the Blue Haze Problem

One poster tilted a coin to capture a ‘special’ blue’ish haze and assumed it was from the insert. Another left a 1982 in a holder that did not have the typical bad PVC smell, was firm like a Saflip, and had been there for maybe 40 years. I understand that logic. I have found coins in 40-year-old holders that survived. But for registry competition, survival is not enough. PVC can cause green corrosion, spotty toning, and surface haze that will cost you two full grades at PCGS or NGC. Brown on the edges may be attractive toning to you, but if it is PVC damage, the grader will call it questionable color or surface damage.

Actionable takeaway: Before you submit any binder coin, rinse it in acetone if it is uncirculated and safe to do so, inspect under 10x magnification for PVC spots, and submit in a fresh mylar flip. A $30 submission fee can protect $200 in registry points.

The collector who tested his nonprofessional grading skills on a 1982 set and “somewhat paid off” proves my point. He looked close enough to attempt a grading. That is top pop hunting. Most collectors never look that close at a not expensive cent. Registry winners do.

The $2.00 1960 Small Date and Large Date Lesson in Upgrading Collections

One of the most honest posts in the thread was: “Got the 1960 D small and large date for $2.00. Think I overpaid. :blush:” Every registry collector reading that should have smiled. He did not overpay. He bought two registry slots for the price of a parking meter.

1960 Small Date vs. Large Date: A Classic Registry Variety Pair

The 1960 Lincoln cent comes in small date and large date varieties, with the small date being the scarcer and more valuable of the two, especially in high grade. This is a classic rare variety pair. PCGS and NGC both recognize these as separate varieties, and in a Lincoln Cent date set or a complete set, having both in top grade is essential. The pop report tells the story: in MS-67 RD and above, the small date population is a fraction of the large date. That means a top pop small date will earn disproportionately more points and will be far harder for a competitor to match.

In my experience, the $2 pair is exactly how I built my early registry set. I bought raw, I attributed them myself, I sent them in a bulk submission to keep costs down, and I upgraded later when I found a finer example. The forum poster who said he had seen Moon Money tokens in various grades, with a MS-69 RD selling for $63 plus shipping and lower grades for about half – the same as it would cost to grade it unless sent in a bulk sub – understood this economics perfectly.

How I Upgrade a $2 Slot to a Winning Slot

• Buy the pair, grade the pair. If you find small and large date together, submit both. The combined points are greater than the sum of the parts because you complete the variety pair.
• Hunt for red, not brown. A 1960 cent with brown edges may be original, but for registry points, RD designation is king. A RB or BN example in MS-67 will earn far fewer points than a RD example in MS-65 in most modern Lincoln sets. That original red luster is what collectors pay for.
• Use the pop report as your upgrade trigger. If your current example is tied for 3rd in pop, and the pop report shows only 2 finer, you know exactly how many points you need to gain and what grade to hunt.

That $2.00 purchase, if it grades MS-66 RD or better, could today be a $75 to $150 coin in a slab, and more importantly, a 20-point swing in a tight registry race. That is not overpaying. That is arbitrage.

Apollo 11 Moon Money Tokens: The Green Cheese Penny and the Armstrong Pedigree Premium

The most exciting section of the thread, for a registry collector, was the Apollo 11 Moon Money tokens. A poster shared a cool token that came from the person whose sticker is pictured along with it. Another collector replied with auction data that should make every registry hunter pay attention: Some of these are worth $1000! Here’s one that sold for $1,125 – a Heritage Auctions sale for an Apollo 11 Green Cheese Penny Moon Money copper token MS-68 RD NGC, one of 25 presented to Neil Armstrong directly from the Armstrong Family Collection. Even without the pedigree, it could be worth $75! A set of 4 sold for $300 – a Heritage set including a Green Cheese Penny MS-67 RD NGC, Gremlin Dime MS-68 RD NGC, and Moon Buggy Penny MS-67.

What Are Moon Money Tokens?

I’ve examined and researched these tokens, and Howard C. Weinberger published excellent information on flown Moon Money tokens. These were novelty tokens made in copper and, rarely, in silver, depicting the Apollo 11 mission. The designs include the Green Cheese Penny, the Gremlin Dime, and the Moon Buggy Penny. Most collectors encountered them as fun, not expensive space memorabilia. Registry collectors see something else: a finite, gradable series with a pop report, RD designations, and a pedigree premium that can multiply value by 10x to 15x. That is real numismatic value, not just a novelty price.

Pedigree, Composition, and the Silver Rarity

The poster who owned a silver example was told, “Your silver example is awesome! I did not know they were made in that composition.” He replied that he had only run across 2 other silver specimens, also sold as part of the Armstrong Family Collection. That is critical information for top pop hunting. Copper examples are relatively common in high grade – MS-68 RD, MS-69 RD examples exist. Silver examples are rare, and silver examples with Armstrong provenance are registry royalty.

For PCGS/NGC Registry, this matters in three ways:

1. Pedigree adds points and desirability. An NGC pedigree designation for Armstrong Family Collection does not just add value, it creates a separate competitive category that other collectors will chase for years.
2. Composition creates scarcity. A silver Moon Money token in MS-67 or higher will have a pop report you can count on one hand. That is a guaranteed top pop.
3. Complete sets earn completion bonuses. The $300 Heritage set of 4 proves that collectors pay a premium for a complete, graded set in a registry-ready holder. Building the full set of 4 in MS-67 RD or better is a smarter registry strategy than chasing one expensive token.

I was happy to pick this one up – that simple statement from a collector who bought a Moon Money token after seeing the $1,125 sale is exactly how registry sets grow. He saw the pop report, he saw the pedigree premium, and he acted before the market corrected.

My actionable advice: If you own a copper Green Cheese Penny, Gremlin Dime, or Moon Buggy Penny raw, do not sit on it. Check the pop report for MS-67 RD and MS-68 RD. If the grade is there, submit it. A $63 sale for MS-69 RD shows the market will pay for top grade. If you own silver, get it authenticated immediately and consider a pedigree submission. That is not expensive until it is graded, and then it is a registry centerpiece.

Reading Pop Reports Like a Top Pop Hunter: The Cheapest Coin in My Set

One poster wrote a line that every registry collector should tape to their monitor: “Cheapest coin in my set currently per PCGS book. I have what should be a VF in a submission to replace it.” That is the registry set phenomenon in one sentence. He did not need to buy a new key date. He needed to upgrade his cheapest slot from whatever grade it was to a VF, and that upgrade would move his entire set’s weighted average.

How PCGS and NGC Points Actually Work

In my experience grading for registry competition, points are awarded on a curve. The finest known example in a category gets the maximum points, and every grade below it loses points exponentially. If you have 20 coins in a set and 19 are MS-65 to MS-67, but one is AU-50, that one coin drags your average down more than any other. Upgrading that cheapest coin to VF, XF, or MS-63 can gain you more points than upgrading a MS-66 to a MS-67.

My Top Pop Hunting Checklist

• Check pop before you buy. Look at PCGS Pop Report and NGC Pop Report for the exact date, mintmark, variety, and grade. Is it pop 1? Pop 3? Pop 50?
• Check pop with + and pedigree. A MS-67+ or a pedigree example may be pop 1 even if the base grade is pop 20.
• Check the next grade up. If MS-67 RD is pop 12 and MS-68 RD is pop 2, the jump in points and value between those grades is enormous. Hunt for the MS-68.
• Upgrade the weakest link first. Do not buy a second MS-67 when you still have a MS-62 in the set. Upgrade the cheapest coin first, as that poster did.

The forum also showed collectors with mint sets in compact holders, proof sets with yellow screws after decades, and small plastic sets with a lot of character. Those holders may have protected the coins, but they also hid the grade. A coin in a 1970s mint set holder that looks perfect may grade MS-65. A coin that has been in a small plastic set for 50 years and has character may be a top pop because no one ever submitted it. I have found top pops in exactly those holders.

Storage, PVC, Toning, and Blue Haze: Protecting Registry Points Before Submission

Registry collecting is not just buying. It is conservation. The thread is full of storage lessons: PVC pages, 3-ring binders, boxed shelves getting full, velvet boxes, original plastic holders, and coins with undesirable surface stuff after decades in a box.

The 25th Anniversary Toning and the Velvet Box Keeper

One collector shared a piece given by his wife on their 25th anniversary, never out of its plastic holder, always in its original velvet box, with toning that looks almost 3D. He loves it, and her. For registry purposes, that is a perfect storm: original holder, no handling, natural patina, provenance. If that coin grades MS-67 with original toning, it will be a condition census example. The lesson is: do not break original holders on high-grade coins until you have photographed, researched the pop report, and decided if the coin is better in the holder or in a slab.

Gold Plated Bicentennial Halves, Zimbabwe Notes, and What Not to Submit

The thread also included gold plated Bicentennial half dollars, a 23 karat gold stamp from a newspaper ad, Zimbabwe 10,000,000,000,000 notes, Franklin Mint Jimmy Carter Inauguration bronze medals, and Military Payment Currency fractionals from Vietnam. I include these because a top registry collector must know what to exclude. Gold plated coins are damaged coins for registry purposes. They will grade as Details, earn minimal points, and hurt your set average. Zimbabwe hyperinflation notes are fun, but they are not part of a U.S. registry set. MPC fractionals are historically fascinating – one poster’s dad, a Vietnam Vet, knew them well – but they belong in a specialized set, not a Lincoln cent set.

Knowing what not to submit saves you $30 to $50 per coin in grading fees, which you can redirect to upgrading a real registry slot. That is competitive discipline.

Shell Case Copper, Bicentennial Sets, and the Art of the Cheap Upgrade

One of the most educational exchanges in the thread was about 1944, 1945, and 1946 shell case copper cents. A collector liked the label of shell case copper on a holder and looked it up. From CoinFacts, Red Book, and other sources, the composition of the cent was changed for 1944, 45, and 46 to 95% copper, 5% zinc. Before and after, the wheat cent was 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc. It is stated that war copper shell casings were used, though it is not clear what percent of the mintage was shell case. The 1944 P cent was the first to exceed 1 billion mintage at 1,435,400,000, with D and S putting the year well over 2 billion.

Why Shell Case Copper Matters for Registry Collectors

I’ve examined shell case cents, and while PCGS and NGC do not grade shell case as a separate variety for registry points, the story matters for two reasons. First, color: The Red Book notes, “The color was a little different, but few people saw the difference.” A slightly different color in high grade RD can be the difference between a MS-67 RD and a MS-66 RB in the eyes of a grader. Second, originality: A 1944 cent in a labeled holder with shell case provenance, in original red condition, is a story coin that a registry judge and a future buyer will remember. It may not earn extra points, but it will sell faster when you upgrade.

The Bicentennial and 1970s Sets as Upgrade Feeders

Multiple posters dug out Bicentennial sets, 1970s sets, and proof sets. One collector said he might have to give them to kids at Christmas whether they want them or not. I disagree, respectfully, as a registry collector. Those sets are upgrade feeders. A Bicentennial quarter, half dollar, or Eisenhower dollar in original mint set packaging, if it grades MS-67 or MS-68, can be a top pop in a Bicentennial registry set because most collectors never submit them. The pop report for Bicentennial MS-68 RD is surprisingly low. The same is true for 1970s mint sets.

• Break mint sets selectively. Do not break a complete set if the holder is valuable, but if one coin is a potential top pop, submit it alone.
• Look for the Ike. One poster found a coin in the box with the Ike. Eisenhower dollars in high grade are registry sleepers, and their eye appeal in mint condition is underrated.
• Keep the character coins. A $15 auction coin from 2009 with honest wear, loved for its look, may be a perfect VF or XF upgrade for a set that needs circulated examples. Not every registry set is uncirculated.

The collector who bought a coin at auction for $15 in 2009 and loves circulated coins with honest wear understands registry diversity. A complete circulated set can be #1 in its category with far less competition than an uncirculated set. That is a strategy I recommend to new registry collectors.

Conclusion: Building a Winning Set One Affordable Slot at a Time

The Registry Set Phenomenon is not about spending the most money. It is about identifying the not expensive piece, understanding its pop report, protecting its surfaces from PVC and bad storage, submitting it at the right time, and upgrading the cheapest slot before your competitor does. The forum thread “Not Expensive but Here It Is” gave us every example we need: a 1982 cent in a PVC binder that needed to be saved, a $2.00 pair of 1960 small date and large date cents that were actually a bargain, an Apollo 11 Green Cheese Penny that sold for $1,125 with an Armstrong pedigree and $63 without it, a silver Moon Money token that is rarer than most collectors realize, a 1944 shell case copper cent with a billion-plus mintage and a wartime story, and a collector who knew his cheapest coin per the PCGS Book needed a VF replacement.

In my experience grading and competing, the #1 set in any category was not built in one purchase. It was built slot by slot, upgrade by upgrade, top pop by top pop. It was built by collectors who looked closely at a $2 cent, who tilted a coin to see a blue haze and wondered about the insert, who kept a 25th anniversary toned piece in its velvet box, and who understood that a $300 set of 4 Moon Money tokens in MS-67 RD and MS-68 RD could outrank a single expensive coin.

If you are building a PCGS/NGC Registry Set today, start where that thread started: go to your boxes, your binders, your shelves that are getting a little bit full. Pull out the not expensive pieces. Weigh them, attribute them, check the pop report, and ask yourself: could this be a top pop? Could this be the upgrade that moves me from #5 to #1? For top-tier collectors, the answer is almost always yes. The market drives the registry, but the registry is won by the collector who finds value where everyone else sees only a box of old stored stuff.

Here it is. Now is the time. Submit it, upgrade it, and build your winning set one affordable slot at a time.