coin928's Journal

A journal by coin928

0
  • entries
    41
  • comments
    14
  • views
    1,823

Entries in this journal

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
coin928

coin928

11

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.
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

3

Very Timely Article

An article just published in the February 13, 2012 issue of Coin World is a very timely follow up to three recent journal entries. The new article is titled "'Wilson Dollar' medal obverse die surfaces" and can be be found at http://www.coinworld.com/articles/wilson-dollar-medal-obverse-die-surfaces I don't know how long it will be available on line for non-subscribers though, so check it out soon. All of the information seems pretty good except for the description of the reverse and what it
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

0

There's nothing as lovely as a beautiful woman in a little black dress.

Her name is Elsie Stevens, and she looks pretty good considering her age! A picture is at the end of this post. I'll get to Elsie shortly, but first, some personal history. It was 1995 and I had nine years of Silver Eagles in my collection. We had 2 children under the age of 10 and money was tight, but I always managed to budget for the acquisition of one mint state and one proof Silver Eagle every year. 1995 was no different. I got my mint state coin and my 1995P proof, but the mint had
coin928

coin928

0

The red ink flowed over the World Coin Registry last night.

The word "UPDATED" should be changed to "DECIMATED" I wanted to see if the statement "Most NGC Registry World coin sets are already NGC-exclusive, so this change will affect relatively few users." was accurate, so I checked out a couple of categories that I participate in. "Cuba - First Republic, Complete Set, MS" All 14 sets that had coins in them were hit, some very substantially. Nothing but red in that Score Change column. It looks like two other sets were cleaned out by their owner ea
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

0

Obverse or Reverse?

It's not always obvious. Which side are you on? For most U.S. coins, it's fairly easy to determine which side of the coin is the obverse. For others though, this designation isn't quite so obvious. This is particularly true for the entire U.S./Philippine series minted from 1903 through 1945. Which is the obverse, the date side or the figure side? This has long been a hot topic of discussion in this niche collecting community. A very interesting paper on this topic was presented by Kennet
coin928

coin928

0

Obverse or Reverse?

Take 2 I had intended my previous journal entry to be open for discussion on the Chat Boards, but despite my checking the appropriate boxes, the link doesn't seem to appear. I had some cross-site scripting disabled which may be the cause of the problem. That is now enabled, but the only way I know to test it is with another journal post, so here it is. The attached image is of the other side of the AU55 coin shown previously. Responses to my previous journal post are welcome here, assumin
coin928

coin928

0

None Finer!

At least for now... My primary collecting interest is the US-Philippine series, but I also actively collect any coin minted by the US Mint (or by private mints in the USA) for circulation in other counties. I created a custom set for these coins several years ago. (http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=433) While reviewing population reports, I was surprised to find that quite a few are at the top of the chart, and in some cases are THE finest known, so I cre
coin928

coin928

0

New Variety - take 2

Despite my best efforts, I can not get my journal entries to post to the message boards. This is really aggravating! I have used Internet Explorer, and Firefox. I have included my message board login and left it out. Nothing has worked so far, so I am going to try Google Chrome next. In the mean time, here is the link to my previous Journal Entry which I replicated in the message boards. http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=5409905#Post5409905
coin928

coin928

0

New Variety

But what to call it? A few years ago, I acquired several 1944S US/Philippines 50 Centavo pieces that have a slightly different reverse (figure side) than normal. I wish I could claim to have discovered this difference myself, but they were actually listed on eBay by a dealer in the Philippines as having the "Reverse of 1921." This reverse is most easily identified by the shape and lines of the Mt. Mayon volcano. The earlier volcano has very prominent lines spreading down the slope from the
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

0

My Latest USA/Philippines Acquisition - the flip side

I was going to add this addendum as a follow up post in the message boards, but since there is no link, I'll just have to add it as another journal entry. I wanted to post the flip side of both medals so that I could point out one interesting observation. The reverse of all of the Silver medals I've seen seems to be rotated about 20 degrees or so, whereas the Bronze medals appear to have been struck with no die rotation. Not terribly important, but interesting. On another note, I don't kno
coin928

coin928

0

My Latest USA/Philippines Acquisition

... and a little more history. I've been planning to post this journal entry ever since I submitted my Bronze "So-Called" Wilson Dollar in late November of last year. I just got it back last week and I can only guess that it was delayed by massive quantities of Silver 25th Anniversary ASE's making their way through the system.   By sheer coincidence, "JAA USA/Philippines Collection" posted an excellent and highly related journal entry last night titled "The Mint and U.S. Military History"
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

0

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
coin928

coin928

0

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.
coin928

coin928

0
0