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Entries in this journal

ZERO-BASED "WANTING"

A Revised Approach to Creating My 2008: 15 Most Wanted List In the past, when creating my "List", I would start with the previous year's list and adjust/ remove existing items; then add any new coins that struck my fancy. While reviewing my coin inventory listings in November, I decided to take a different approach for 2008. A zero-based approach: -I ignored the 2007 list entirely. -I then reviewed each coin series and noted each coin that I would most like from that series. -I then pr
Wissahickon Collection

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YOU NEVER KNOW.....

WHAT MIGHT POP UP!!! A recent purchase was an 1861 Half Dime, MS-62 NGC. It's initial appeal was primarily nice luster and very pretty, light gold toning. Once I had the coin in hand, it had a rather unusual look; so out comes the loupe, and here's what I found: -Very strong die clashing on both sides of the coin. -The obverse strike was especially sharp on central devices (head, torso, and foot details). I'm now thinking, "this little beauty is really undergraded!" -Obverse perip

YOU NEVER KNOW....

When That SPECIAL Coin Will Pop Up!!! I'm so excited that I can hardly sit still in front of the keyboard! Earlier this week, I called a favorite dealer about a couple of coins on his website. As we were talking, I casually asked about any new additions he might have to his Half Dime inventory. He paused for a second, and than said, "Do you need an 1853-0 N/A in AU? HELL YES, YOU GOT ONE?! (I yelled to myself) "I'd be interested." I calmly said to him. "We just got it, so it hasn'

YOU CAN HAVE THE COIN IF YOU PROMISE TO LOVE ME

New Acquisition Arrives! I can't imagine a dealer requiring the above condition for change of ownership, but that was a transaction requirement when this coin last changed hands. The coin in question is a "holed" 1922 Peace Dollar with VF-35 details. The offerer of the coin was my father, and my mother was the recipient, during their early dating years. Mom recently cleaned out a safe deposit box and sent me two coins; the 1922 and a more worn 1923-S dollar. Only the '22 comes with a stor
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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WHEN IS IT TIME TO SELL?

How Do You Know? For a number of months, I have been contemplating disposing of a large segment of my collection. Over the last 2 or 3 years, my interest in my Morgan Dollar set has waned significantly. The set has been complete for, oh I do not remember how long- 5 years?; 8 years? I ceased seriously looking for upgrade pieces some time ago. Seldom do I look at the set (1 or 2 times per year), and I stopped examining the coins for VAMS years ago. As I thought more about selling, I viewed
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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WHAT IF......

You contacted a coin dealer about a coin that you purchased from him, and he said... Thursday, I called a dealer about a recently purchased coin. I first had to listen to a computer give me a list of options, as to why I was calling. I fell into the "all other " category. I was then transferred to a human where upon I explained the problem. A recently purchased silver coin has some very light spots appearing in the peripheral lettering, that I didn't notice when the coin first arrived. M
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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WHAT A DOLLAR WOULD BUY....

Back In The Fifties. Last night, I had another of those WAKE UP WITH A MEMORY OF THE PAST moments. When I was a kid, my parents could not afford many luxuries. So Mom and Dad made a big deal out of little extras so that they became special. One such SPECIAL was sirloin steak with button mushrooms on Sundays. Mom was great at making creative inexpensive meals all week, so steak it was on Sunday! With the drippings, she made a light gravy that I loved. I have no idea what was in it, excep
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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VISION- IV: FINAL CHAPTER

Coin collecting has similarities to sculpture. Our vision sculpts our collection. In my case, there have been (with hindsight) clear transitions from "accumulation" to "collections" to "one collection". It has been only in recent years that I began to view my coins as one collecting entity, as opposed to a collection of Buffalos, Walkers, Barber Dimes, etc. Most of us collectors add and delete coins from our collections at various times. Over the years, I've sold a few coins, while buyin
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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VISION III

Beginning to see our coinage as links to the world. As my collecting continued, I gradually began to appreciate that our coins carry a significance greater than serving as a medium of exchange. They were "markers" of history- a reflection of what was happening at any point in time with our nation and our world as a whole. For example, a great number of our "errors" such as overdates seem to occur at times of world crisis, like wars. Low mintages, and even lack of mintage at all in the 1930's
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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VISION - II

"MY EVOLVING VISION IS A DIRECT RESULT OF MY COLLECTING EXPERIENCES." As stated previously, I began collecting coins in 1974. For me, this was a satisfying, but solitary adventure. I persued this hobby alone for the first 6 years. It is my firm belief that this was a severely "Vision-limiting condition". The following factors were strong influencers of the direction and scope of my Numismatic "Vision". -Collecting friends and partners: After 6 years, I finally "roped" 4 co-workers into
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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VISION - I

The blindness of a beginner. For the past few months, I have been thinking about the need for "Vision" in one's collecting pursuits. Then, about a month ago, Oldtrader 3 posted a journal entry that provided the catalyst that organized my thoughts. To start at the beginning, I began collecting coins in 1974. It was an impromptu beginning rather than a planned entry into the hobby. Not much thought went into my collecting, just, "This looks pretty. I'll buy it". My "vision" extended no fu
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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TOOTH FAIRY MONEY

Another Childhood Memory A recent trip to the dentist triggered a childhood memory. Mom and Dad did not have much money when I was growing up. My less than straight teeth, today, attest to the fact that braces were financially out of the question. There was no paying a dentist to pull baby teeth, so Dad made a game of the extraction process. He tied one end of some string around the loose tooth and the other end to the door knob. I do not remember the game, but somehow he would get Mom a
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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TO REVEAL, OR NOT TO REVEAL?

That Is The Question. Last year, I joined a bridge club at the local Senior Citizen Center. Over time, the group has dwindled to just 4 people. We play weekly, and have become friends. Our conversations are filled with talk of past careers, families, health issues, politics, and hobbies. Often, I've been asked, "What do you do for fun besides Bridge?". I mention an interest in golf, and various sports, but have always steered the conversation away from any mention of coins. I like thes

TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

Sometimes, it works for me, and some times it fights me. Though it is not one of my focal collecting areas, I keep an eye out for business strike 3 Cent Silvers dated 1863 and later. The earlier dates show up with reasonable frequency, but I don't often spot the later dates. Well, I got lucky in mid-October, and stumbled upon a very attractive 1867 AU-58 on a dealer's website. It arrived a week later and was just as pretty in hand. I was thrilled with the purchase, and feeling quite fortu
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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THIS COLLECTOR'S REGISTRY FANTASY!

Show Me The Truth. (Journal Entry Now Completed.)As I have stated in previous Journals, the Registry has provided me with tremendous fun and entertainment:-opening and closing sets; playing "what if".-comparing my sets to those of others.- stimulating ideas for new collecting areas to explore.-great entertainment value when not making new purchases or running down a new "acquisition target".From the competitive point of view,, looking to improve one's own rankings vs. others is always fun, espe
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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THIRD PLACE

Can Be Nice, But... I have been searching for an attractive 1926 Peace Dollar for a couple of years. A number of coins were scanned; many I found to be unattractive, or priced wrong, or something just was not quite right. I came close to making a purchase on a couple of occasions, but as of the new year, I am still looking. Thursday night I was looking at the Pinnacle website, and there was a new listing of Peace Dollars! They are absolutely beautiful!!! I viewed these coins again and again
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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THIRD PLACE

Can Be Nice, But... I have been searching for an attractive 1926 Peace Dollar for a couple of years. A number of coins were scanned; many I found to be unattractive, or priced wrong, or something just wasn't quite right. I came close to making a purchase on a couple of occasions, but as of the new year, I am still looking. Thursday night I was looking at the Pinnacle website, and there was a new listing of Peace Dollars! They are absolutely beautiful!!! I viewed these coins
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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THERE'S NO ACCOUNTING FOR TASTE

Why does one coin type appeal to a collector, while a similar denomination or design leaves him disinterested? Recently I brought a large group of coins home from the bank for a weekend visit. While looking through the collection, I began to notice what seems to me, at least, to be a bit of an oddity. And that oddity is my collecting preferences.   This is what I noticed: I love Barber Dimes and Quarters, but have no interest in the Half. I own but one for my type set.   I am an e
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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THE TOES ARE IN A LITTLE DEEPER

I Added The 1909-S This Week. My venture into the Indian Cent series continued this week as I found a nice MS-61 Bn example in a dealer's inventory. It arrrived today, and I am more than pleased. The coin is a nice even reddish tan color with smooth surfaces and a nice strike. I really like the look of my mini-collection, and have enjoyed the search. However, I have not yet been bitten by the BUG. So I will stick with the plan to stay ankle deep before making a collecting commitment to

THE REPLACEMENTS ARE COMING!

What Took You So Long? I completed my set of Barber Quarters on January 18, 2007, and wrote a journal entry about it. In June, 2008, I sold my 1915-S MS-63 NGC quarter. It was a lustrous, well-struck, white coin with light gold tint. So why sell it, you ask? The coin had a small spot on the obverse that just bothered me. Whenever I viewed the coin, my eye always focused on the spot. So, I sold it and began looking for a replacement. 15-S is not a rare date, so I thought, this should be a
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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THE NUMISMATIC EMBERS ARE STARTING TO GLOW

The Second Purchase Of The Year Is A Rarity That Has Long Been On My Want List. After 18 months of numismatic abstinance, I've now made coin purchases in March and April. I found the right 1912-S Five Cent to fit my collection, after searching for a number of years. Typically, I stumble across either circulated examples or pricey MS65's, or problem coins. This is also my first CAC coin. It is an MS-63 with a great strike, minimal marks, and muted luster under gray/brown toning, which give

THE JOY OF COMPLETION

"What is it about looking at a complete, matched set of coins that brings such pleasure?" I'm sitting here; glass of wine in hand; looking at an attractive group of coins lined up on the desk; and feeling pretty good about today's numismatic accomplishment. For today, the last coin needed to complete a set, arrived in the mail- an 1875-CC, 20 Cent, NGC-63. My 4 coin uncirculated set is now complete! I've been searching for this coin, in this condition for a couple of years, now. It's anot
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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THE GIFT

Merry Christmas, Collectors! Virtually all children are born with the gift- inquisitiveness. Their "gift" can be a "curse" to nearby adults who are harangued with the constant "why, why, why". Some lose the gift, with time; some set it aside. And, some of these reacquire it later. In numismatics, I call these people "Collectors". We, collectors are blessed with the gift of looking at a coin and being able to see the beauty, rarity, oddity, history, uniqueness, and perhaps most important
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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THE CHANGING PERSONALITY OF COINS

"Many Faces of Eve" Complex. All coins start their lives as discs of commerce- each one equal/ the same. Some are plucked from economic channels and begin their careers as numismatic objects. As a collectible, they are different than an "every day spending" coin. They join a collection as a new kid on the block. They receive our attention; are judged as to how well they will fit in. A few join as a Star of the collection immediately. They were acquired with that intention. They enter
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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STATEHOOD QUARTER COLLECTING AND FAMILY TIME

Creating a "Family Heirloom" A few days ago, I was looking through the few rolls of Statehood Quarters that I put away before losing interest. Obviously,this is not a prime collecting area for me. I began thinking about how many rolls and partial sets of these coins are tucked away in households all over the country. What a shame- All of the government money and effort that has gone into promoting these coins, and it appears that we are not going to reach "escape velocity". My thoughts t
Wissahickon Collection

Wissahickon Collection

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