CoinsbyGary

A journal by coinsbygary

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About this journal

When I was a young boy, my cousin introduced me to the hobby of coin collecting. Because I was also interested in photography, I used to frequent a local camera store. Along with camera supplies, this store had a rotating display case full of coins that I enjoyed scrolling through. My very first coin purchase was an 1881-S Morgan Dollar in BU PL condition; this coin was old, shiny, and inexpensive at just $12! Now 35 years later, I still own that 1881-S Morgan Dollar, even though it is still worth less than $100. I loved looking through the Red Book dreaming of the coins I would buy if I had the money, especially the coins in the back of the book where the gold listings are. As a teenager, I was beginning to show signs of gold fever.

Working through high school, I spent the bulk of the money I did not save on coin purchases. My first gold purchase as a teenager was an 1881 BU Half Eagle for $105 from a mail order ad in "Coins" magazine. Since then I have had this coin graded, and it resides in my Gold Liberty type collection graded at PCGS MS-62.

My next gold purchase as a youth stretched my resources. I purchased an 1858-C VF Half Eagle for $350, and my attraction to this coin was that it had a low mintage from an obscure branch mint. I also enjoy the comradely among fellow coin enthusiasts, and once I invited a kid to attend a coin show with me who was much younger than I was. As fate would have it, this kid happened to be the son of my mother’s boss. This boss always said to my mother how impressed he was with me taking his son to that show. As for me, I enjoy the company of fellow coin collectors, whoever they may be.

Two other purchases I made as a teen were an 1876 20-cent piece and an 1885-CC Morgan Dollar from the Lavere Redfield hoard. Since then my collecting has been sporadic, depending on my life situation. However, the passion has always been there. Gold has still not lost its luster with me, and today I am a very active collector. The cousin that introduced me to coin collecting years ago no longer collects. For a different twist on my collection, visit my website at: coinsbygary.com

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Entries in this journal

The George Washington Bicentennial Medal

Writing descriptions for the coins and medals in my sets is time consuming for me. First comes the hours of trying to uncover even the most obscure of information about the subject which I am writing. Finally, I have to figure out based on a theme what to write and what to leave out. Then I have to present my description in a readable, grammatically correct way as not to bore the reader. Its quite exasperating but at the same time enjoyable. With a week off from work, I have time to get things d
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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The First Coin Description of My New Custom Set

This year I am starting a new custom set based on the coins and medals of Laura Gardin Fraser. The Alabama Centennial coin is the first description in this exciting new set. I will have much more to post about this set later and if you want to follow my progress, use this link to view my set. https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=19449 The 1921 Alabama Centennial half-dollar represents two significant firsts in United States coinage. One, the obverse of the coin
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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The End of a Seemingly Long and Interesting Journey

The final word on my Ultra High Relief. As I am writing this journal, my Ultra High Relief is on its way home with a grade of MS-69, Early Releases. Once home, it will be photographed and taken to the safe deposit box, ending a seemingly long and interesting journey for me. One of my final acts will be filling out the survey the mint sent me on the ?UH1?. While I am a little disappointed with the grade, getting a 70 is like winning the lottery and totally depending on the coin you receive f
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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The E-Bay Phenomenon

E-Bay can be good resource for purchasing coins, but there is one caveat to be aware of, Buyer Beware! I find the electronic store a fascinating phenomenon. Consider this; if dealers were overcharging their customers in brick-and-mortar coin shops, it would not be long before they went out of business. For a brick-and-mortar business to survive it has to have robust sales. A dealer running a coin shop with high overhead costs in a community with a limited amount of potential customers cannot c
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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The Coins and Medals of Laura Gardin Fraser

My new custom set is coming more into focus with this set description. Every pioneer who paves a new trail, marks a trail for others to follow. Laura Gardin Fraser (1889-1966) is the first women ever to design a US minted coin or for that matter any other world coin (The Numismatist July 2013, p. 35). As a result, this has opened the way for many other talented female sculptor/medalists to break into what had been exclusively the realm of men. That said, I dont get the impression that Laura Ga
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coinsbygary

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The Coin that Almost Was

A lot has happened at the US Mint since 1979 On my post, dated 11/14/09, I established how the ?Libertas Americana? medal influenced the ?Liberty Cap? design on our earliest coinage. However, the ?Liberty Cap? design very nearly found its way onto our circulating dollar coin in 1979. Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro, himself influenced by the ?Libertas Americana? had a ?Liberty Cap? dollar ready for minting in 1979 to replace the Eisenhower Dollar. However, due to political considerations, Pre
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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The Centennial Medal of the American Numismatic Society

This is the second of what I hope will be three finished descriptions this week. This set is coming along rather nicely and I added the Grant Dollar to the Laura Gardin Fraser set two weeks ago. I hope that you enjoy my post, I am learning a lot about the Fraser's and I believe the cumulative descriptions are beginning to give me a glimpse into the heart of Laura Gardin Fraser. The American Numismatic Society was founded in New York on April 6, 1858, to advance numismatic knowledge. In 1958 th
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So-Called Dollars

The Branding of the Medallic Art Company

The branding of the Medallic Art Company really began with the founding of the Art Students League of New York in 1875. In the early 20th century New York City became the arts center of America. It is no wonder with instructors like Augustus Saint-Gaudens, James Earle Fraser, Daniel Chester French, and students like Laura Gardin. (This same Laura Gardin would later marry James Earle Fraser in 1913). The Medallic Art Company of New York was founded in 1903 by French brothers Henri and Felix
coinsbygary

coinsbygary in So-Called Dollars

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The BIDE-A-WEE Medal

Bide-A-Wee is Scottish for "Stay A While" and is the name of an animal rescue and adoption center in Manhattan founded by Mrs. Flora D'Auby Jenkins Kibbe in 1903. Bide-A-Wee still exists today and has a policy of not euthanizing the animals in their care except for pain and suffering. As a result in 115 years of operation they have been able to place over a million dogs and cats into loving homes.  A collector favorite, the Bide-A-Wee medal was awarded to persons in grateful recognition of
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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The Best of All

I have been to a total of five ANA Worlds Fair of Money shows and this year's show was far and away the best I have attended. That said, I have good memories of all the shows I attended. My first show was 2007 in Milwaukee. There I saw a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, a 100 kg gold coin, and Chet Krause's extensive collection of Wisconsin National Currency. Next for me was the 2011 show in Chicago to view M.L. Mosers spectacular collection of Morgan Dollars. Incidentally, I had the opportunity to
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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Award Medals

The Awards & Honors for My LGF Collection Keep Piling Up

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! Nothing I collect has drawn more attention from outside interests than my Laura Gardin Fraser collection of coins and medals. For instance, my set entitled “The Coins and Medals of Laura Gardin Fraser” won NGC’s “2016 Most Creative Custom Set” award. Additionally, I’ve had numerous requests relating to this set, from permission to publish my pictures to a request to repatriate an awarded medal back to the recipient’s family. I’ve also had solicitation
coinsbygary

coinsbygary in Award Medals

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The Agony and Delight of Axial Photography

Over the last few weeks, I haven’t had much time to write blogs. This is because I’ve been working on my photography skills and, in particular, axial photography. I have learned a lot, and now I have several excellent examples of coins photographed using axial photography. The first thing I did was to craft a holder for my glass reflector. Then I reinforced the edges of the glass with electrical tape to prevent the glass from accidentally shattering. For the holder, I used a cardboard box t
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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The 1957 Oklahoma Semicentennial Medal

Thematic coins and medals based on western subjects were a favorite of both Frasers. James Earle Fraser was born in Winona, Minnesota on November 4, 1876. In 1880 his family moved to Mitchell in the Dakota Territory. It was here in the vast openness of the American frontier that James love of the West grew. In the case of Laura Gardin Fraser, I believe it was her love of American history, the allure and excitement of the American frontier, and her love of horses that inspired her rendition of th
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The 1952 West Point USMA Sesquincentenial Medal

Over her long and distinguished career Laura Gardin Fraser had a very cordial relationship with the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Both Frasers loved America and the Armed Forces of the United States. Many of their military related commissions not only included medallic art, but also full size sculptures and smaller bronzes. There are three significant works Mrs. Fraser completed for The United States Military Academy. The first is a 1952 bronze medal commemorating the
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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The 1928 Lindbergh Medal

On May 4, 1928, the Congress of the United States passed a joint resolution authorizing the striking of a gold medal to be presented to Charles A Lindbergh. This medal was to commemorate him for the first non-stop transatlantic flight between New York and Paris on May 20-21, 1927. In a ceremony held on August 15, 1930, President Hoover presented the Congressional Gold Medal to Charles A. Lindbergh. The resolution also provided for the striking of no more than 10 million bronze medals to be sol
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coinsbygary

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The 1923 Morgan Horse Club Award Medal

I have finally completed all the write-ups for The Coins and Medals of Laura Gardin Fraser. This medal was the last write-up for me to complete. Next year I'll have more medals waiting in the wing to add to this set including the 1912 National Institute of Social Sciences medal and the scarce 1930 Endecott Massachusetts Bay Tercentenary medal. As a young girl, Laura Gardin had always enjoyed her family's summer home in New Jersey where she especially enjoyed riding her horse. It was here that
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coinsbygary

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The 1920 Army Navy Chaplains Medal

I know I posted about acquiring this medal earlier, but since then I have had this medal graded. I am also including in this post more of the background information associated with this medal. The last time I posted I started a lively thread on the merits of certifying medals (Actually user RWB in response to my post did). The final grade of this medal represents one of many reasons I am grading the medals in my Laura Gardin Fraser set. I am thrilled with the MS-63 grade this medal received. Bef
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coinsbygary

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The 1913 Better Babies Medal

As America entered the 20th Century, our nation began to turn its attention towards addressing a number of social issues. Among the issues we addressed as a nation was our high infant mortality rate. As a means to educate and encourage parents concerning the proper care and hygiene of their children, contests were held at popular public venues. These contests were then used to measure child development among the contestants and gather statistics. Cash prizes and a medal were awarded to the paren
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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That Special Time of Year

Spring and graduations are in the air with a numismatic tribute to my daughter. Spring is a special time of the year, as the cold of winter yields to the warmth of spring and new life blossoms up from the earth. Spring is also a time when young and old alike begin fresh chapters in their lives as they graduate from one phase of their life to another. This spring is especially significant to me, as a week from yesterday my daughter will graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University with a mast
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coinsbygary

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Thank You Veterans

A Numismatic tribute to our veterans. On this Veterans Day, I want to take the opportunity to thank the men and women of our armed forces who have both served and are currently serving our nation. We all can be very proud of these fine Americans. I especially wish to thank those who have served in times of war. I am a veteran of the United States Navy and feel blessed that I never received the call to take up arms for our country. However, I was prepared, and in a position to go. Thank you
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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Summertime Fun

Every year in August my local coin club sponsors a picnic for the members of the club. Out of a total of just over 100 members, 20-30 people typically come out to the picnic along with their spouses. The club supplies the meat and drink and the members bring a dish to pass. If you have good people and good food you usually have a good time.  If that was all there was to the club picnic, I’d be totally happy. What really sets this outing apart is the bingo games for spectacular numismatic pr
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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Sometimes You Just Have to Trust Your Gut

In a recent blog post, I mused over having to fill out one of those dreaded NGC submission forms. As with most things I procrastinate over, I eventually got around to it. I have also written about The American Bar Association medallion I bought from a seller on E-Bay who thought it was a fake. Well, today is the moment of truth. That medallion finally made it to NGC, and the grade was released today.  If you remember, I wrote in my blog post on April 4, 2020, that I purchased an American Ba
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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Sometimes it seems as if I am One-Dimensional

While I am currently concentrating on Morgan Dollars, I have not lost sight of my other goals. Greetings all, three of six of my last posts highlighted my latest rage, primarily New Orleans minted Morgan Dollars. With my enthusiasm focused singularly on one registry set, it seems that my other sets were overshadowed. However, it would be wrong to confuse overshadowing with inactivity. With an eye towards all my sets, whenever I have had the opportunity to add to my collection in accordance wit
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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So Long IKE, its Been Fun

After a long and cordial run collecting Eisenhower Dollars, it is time for me to part ways to pursue other interests. Several Years ago I started on a quest to complete a set of circulation grade Eisenhower Dollars. I set a goal for this set to have the best-graded coins I could afford after which I aggressively bought the coins necessary to complete the set. Along the way, I discovered that high-grade non-silver MS-66 and 67 Eisenhower Dollars were scarce and focused on buying one MS-67 Eis
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coinsbygary

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Silver Dollars may be Taking the Oxygen out of Most Everything Else

If you were to represent the pool of money available to buy coins as a pie, silver dollars are currently taking a much bigger piece of the pie. No one can deny the sudden surge in value of high-grade common date silver dollars. Conversely, there is evidence showing that the inverse is true concerning copper and smaller silver coins thus proving that with every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In other words, for the savvy collector there are some good deals in the marketplace.
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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