coin928's Journal

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You don’t always have to buy another coin to upgrade your set.

Every year around this time, I review my sets and pick one to focus on for documentation.  This year, the choice was pretty easy. I completed my U.S/Philippines Ten Centavos set in 2016 with a very low grade 1915S that I had purchased as a raw coin ten years earlier.  At the time, a total of just ten 1915S 10 centavos had been graded by NGC, with only two of those grading above AU58.  The odds of obtaining an NGC graded 1915S were virtually zero, and raw coins didn't come up for auction ver

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When did the Philadelphia Mint first identify itself on a coin?

It all depends on how you ask the question… What year did a P mint mark first appear on a U.S. coin struck for circulation? --- 1942 What year did a P mint mark first appear on a coin struck for circulation? ---------- 1941 What year was the Philadelphia mint first identified on a circulating coin? ---------- 1895 I submitted 43 coins to NGC at the World’s Fair of Money in Philadelphia this year.  The majority were raw coins for grading, but some were regrades, some for

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Crossover + Upgrade = Happiness

Crossovers can be risky, but sometimes it all works out well. Some of you already know, but for those of you who haven't heard, I have taken over editing and publication of "U.S./Philippine Coins" originally written and published by Lyman Allen. The most recent edition of which was edited and published by Tom Culhane. Sadly, both of these knowledgeable men are no longer with us, and the responsibility for producing the 8th edition has passed to me. I hope everyone will be pleased with he res

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The passing of an iconic numismatist.

Lyman L. Allen passed away on June 10, 2016 at the age of 75. It is with heavy heart that I write today to inform you of the passing of noted numismatist Lyman L. Allen. His obituary can be found on the web site of the Nevada Appeal at: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/obituaries/22481921-113/lyman-allen The text is short though, so I am including it here: ------------------------------------- Jan. 25, 1941 ~ June 10, 2016 Lyman L. Allen, 75, passed away at home June 10, 2016. He wa

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coin928

Perseverance Pays Off.

Official NGC Recognition of the US/Philippines 1944S 50 Centavos Type I Obverse variety began on September 30, 2015. A little over four years ago, I wrote a journal entitled "New Variety" (http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=10460)in which I described the characteristics the two different obverse varieties of the 1944S US/Philippine 50 Centavos. I'm not going to repeat that journal post here, but rather just describe the process of obtaining variety recogn

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coin928

Ancient Islamic Coinage

My finds at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar. I'm currently in the second week of a three week business trip to Doha, Qatar. My first trip here last October consisted of little more than 20 consecutive days of work and sleep. I saw the hotel, the adjoining shopping mall, and the client's office. This time however, I have a bit more free time and last weekend I was finally able to tour the City. I took the "Doha Bus" which is a hop-on, hop-off tourist bus and one stop where I spent se

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coin928

NCIS (That's not a typo)

Don't you just hate it when TV shows get their facts wrong? Especially when it's critical to the story line. Gibbs needs to give Abby a serious reprimand, or at least hire a new fact checker. I've been petty busy for the past month and I'm finally getting caught up on the shows I recorded on my DVR, so I apologize for not posting this at the time this show first aired. If you're an NCIS fan, I hope you appreciate my presentation, and even if you're not, I'm sure you will appreciate the messa

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Mad dash to the finish.

I'm not sure what possessed me, but about a week ago I decided to create an entirely new set before the close of the Registry Awards deadline today. I had no idea just how much work that would be or I never would have attempted it! Nearly four years ago, I read a really good article by Jeff Starck in Coin World entitled "The U.S. Mint Goes to War." I already have a Custom Set organized around the entire set of foreign coins struck by the U.S. Mint and other private mints in the USA, but isol

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coin928

The Engines of Our Ingenuity

The Maria Theresa Thaler I was driving to work this week, listening to our local NPR station when a story came on that piqued my interest. "Today, the almighty Thaler. The Honors College at the University of Houston presents this program about the machines that make our civilization run, and the people whose ingenuity created them." "The Engines of Our Ingenuity" is a local radio program produced by the University of Houston that tells the story of how our culture is formed by human creativ

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A Member of The Family

After owning it for 16 years, it was time to have it graded. I can't believe it's been over a year since I last posted a journal entry. I hope to be a little more prolific in the future. This 1895 Liberty Head five dollar gold coin pictured below has been in my family for many years. I don't know exactly how many, but I'm reasonably certain that my paternal Grandfather acquired it before 1933, and probably sometime in the 1920's. He was not a collector, but rather a hoarder of silver and go

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My first ANA World's Fair of Money

And it certainly won't be my last. I'm already planning for next year. As a member of the Philippine Collectors Forum (PCF), I've wanted to attend the annual ANA show for many years since this is where the PCF holds its annual meeting. The stars aligned, and this year I was finally able to make everything work out. I spent two and a half days at the show and could easily have added another day. Surprisingly, the highlight for me was not the coins. It was the people!       I planned i

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Time to Eat Crow

In light of a document I recently discovered, I must amend a journal I wrote nearly three years ago. On November 27, 2011 I wrote the Journal entry entitled "Obverse or Reverse?" (http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=9876) in which I came to the conclusion that contrary to conventional wisdom, the shield/date side of the coins in the US/Philippine series should be designated as the obverse and the figure/denomination side should be the reverse. This was a

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Wow! I gained SEVEN more #1* ranked sets over night by doing virtually** nothing.

*"Obscured sets are not eligible for awards and will not receive a rank. They are placed according to their score." Check out the news story at http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/news/ViewArticle.aspx?IDArticle=4055&Obscured-Sets-in-the-NGC-Registry. I've now got the highest rank in seven more competitive sets, but other sets with higher scores are still listed above mine. I appreciate what NGC has done, and I think they're on the right track, but it does taint one's improved ra

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coin928

High Grade MacArthur Commemoratives

Probably not the ones you're expecting though. Both of these coins were designed by famed sculptor Laura Gardin Frasier and were struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1947. The "S" mintmark appears just below the date on the reverse. They were struck in very shallow relief and can be extremely difficult to obtain in high grades. These coins represent several firsts. - First coins minted for the newly independent "Republic of the Philippines." - First commemorative coins honoring General D

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coin928

Something old, Something new, Something Borrowed, Something blue,...

...And a lucky sixpence in her shoe.   We've all heard this before, but did you ever wonder what it means and where it came from?The something old and something new pay homage to the past and to the present. Something borrowed is a reminder to appreciate family and friends in times of need, and blue is the color representing fidelity. The sixpence is intended to bring good luck and financial prosperity to the marriage.This little poem was born in Victorian England and migrated across the Atla

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coin928

My Daughter Is Getting Married.

Time to sell a few coins! Weddings are expensive propositions, and the father of the bride gets to foot the majority of the bill. It's time to clean up the sets a bit anyway, so this has given me a little added incentive. I created a custom set titled "On the Auction Block" (coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=15005) for the certified coins I'm willing to part with. Please PM me or send an email to coin928(at)live(dot)com if you see something you're interested in.

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It's been a while.

Sometimes life just gets in the way of what's really important. Numismatics! I haven't written any journals lately, but I hope to be a little more prolific later this year. I received my wooden plaque from NGC a few weeks ago, and I realized that it's been almost two months since the Registry Awards were announced. I know I'm very late, but I'd like to thank NGC for the Best Presented Set Award and the five Photo Proofs that come with it. (I've already selected ten candidates that I now n

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coin928

Devastation in The Philippines.

The full magnitude of the devastation left by Typhoon Haiyan as it crossed The Philippines is just now being realized. The survivors there desperately need all the help we can provide. I have no direct connection to the Philippines, other than my love of their history as it became entwined with our own, and the coinage that resulted. Through my numismatic endeavors of the last 10 years, I have purchased many coins from dealers in The Philippines, and I've never been disappointed with their s

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My exercise in minutia ...

... may be complete. I recently sent eight coins to NGC for grading and while waiting for their return, I decided to do some research. The coins are all from the same set, and I've only handled a few of them, so virtually all of my information has come from books, magazine articles, and the internet (mainly pictures, and eBay listings). I was getting close to completion and with books and papers piled all around me I was sitting at the computer writing the set and coin descriptions when my w

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Collecting my final reward for having a 2012 Best Presented Registry Set.

My thanks to NGC for the five Deluxe Photo Proofs! On January 12, 2013, I received a Best Presented Set award for my US/Philippines One Centavo set. In addition to recognition in the registry and a nice wooden wall plaque, I also received a coupon for my choice of NGC Coin Imaging Services for five NGC certified coins. One can choose from either NGC Photo Vision Coin Imaging (http://www.ngccoin.com/imaging-services/photo-vision.aspx) or NGC PHOTO PROOF Coin Imaging (http://www.ngccoin.com/im

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coin928

eBay bans the sale of ALL Cuban coins ...

... according to the COIN World front page article in the June 17, 2013 edition. eBay had provided quite a vibrant marketplace for certified First Republic Cuban coinage and the vast majority of my Collectors Society registered coins were obtained there. Cuban coins minted between 1915 and 1961 inclusive are identified as being from the "First Republic," and the Collectors Society designates each Cuban registry set as such. These coins were all minted by the US Mint in the USA and are not em

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coin928

One coin, six different mints!

How is that possible? I recently acquired this 1977FM 50 Piso coin on eBay for a very reasonable price. With a mintage of 6,704 pieces, proof specimens are not rare, but with only two certified by NGC this one seemed too good to pass up. I find this commemorative coin particularly interesting in that it is directly or indirectly associated with no less than six different mints. 1. The obverse inscription "INAUGURATION OF THE SECURITY PRINTING PLANT AND MINT COMPLEX" refers to the 1977 ope

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coin928

Coin and Set Descriptions.

It's not that obvious what belongs in each one. My goal is to provide good pictures along with interesting and appropriate descriptions for all of my Collectors Society registered coins and sets. I've got the good picture part pretty well under control, but the description aspect requires significantly more effort than I anticipated. 100% of my coins have descriptions, but many of them are what I call "throw down" descriptions. Some contain just the facts (catalog number, mintage, date acquir

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YIKES!

I need to get another coin. Quick! I added three coins that I just had graded and noticed that my overall rank has improved to 666! That's not all though, check the picture. I clicked on the "Total Coin Registry Points" link and not only is my rank 666, so is my average coin score. YIKES! To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

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Variety is the spice of life.

High mintage figures often imply common coins, but also provide the opportunity for some highly collectable varieties! Lyman L. Allen literally wrote the book on U.S. Philippine Coinage. Entitled "U.S./Philippine Coins," it is now in it's 7th edition. It is a guide book to the entire series and major die varieties as well as a price guide. Mr. Allen self published his book every other year to keep the prices and population reports relatively fresh. My earliest copy is an autographed 4th Ed

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