JAA's Journal

A journal by JAA

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Entries in this journal

Saluting the "Greatest Generation"

Lest we forget today is the sixty-eighth anniversary of D-Day. Pictured is a 50th Anniversary of World War ll commemorative silver dollar. To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
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Special NGC Label and Pedegree for San Francisco Eagle Set

I just recieved an email from NGC indicating that they will have a special label and pedegree for the SAN FRANCISCO EAGLE SET According to the email "NGC is offering a unique San Francisco label. Coins from these sets will be pedigreed as SAN FRANCISCO EAGLE SET." Here is a link to details on the NGC web site: http://www.ngccoin.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?IDArticle=2790&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sanfrancisco_label_collectors&spMailingID=4337190&s
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Gold Love Tokens

Due to their small size United States gold dollars were often used by 19th century jewelers to manafacture "Love Tokens". In his collectors Journal entry "The Lighter Side of California Gold Tokens" http://www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=11448 Cal Gold "Token" Guy reports that California Gold Tokens and California Denomination Gold Pieces were heavily holed for jewelry. United States Gold Dollars were another common raw material for jewelry. Due to their small
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Royal Burmese Animal-Shaped Weights (1044 - 1885) Additional Information

This Collectors Journal entry presents additional information and a front view photograph of my Two Tical Burmese Beast Weight. This photo gives a clearer view of some of the important symbolic facial features, such as the lion face, horns, antlers, and all-seeing third eye. Please see my previous Collectors Journal entry "Royal Burmese Animal Weights (1044 - 1885)" for background information on this specimen and an additional photograph. http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail
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Royal Burmese Animal-Shaped Weights (1044 - 1885)

The Royal Animal Shaped Weights of the Burmese Empires are one of the most interesting and unusual numismatic collectables. I purchased the Beast Weight pictured in this journal entry from a local coin dealer in the early 1960's. At the time I was told that it was "Burmese Lion Money". Since that time I have learned that my so called "Lion Money" was in reality a "Royal Burmese Beast Weight". During the eleventh through eighteenth centuries the Burmese Empire was one of the superpowers o
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Mystery Package from NGC

A few minutes ago the mailman rang my doorbell and handed me a Priority Mail package from NGC. This was a real surprise since I currently have no coins in for grading and have already received my plaque for 2011 Best Presented Registry Set. When I opened the package I found a copy of "The Expert's Guide to Collecting & Investing in Rare Coins" by David Bowers but no note or explanation as to why the book was sent to me. Then I remembered that this book was the first place prize for last
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Grandma's Gold (The Other Side Of The Coin)

This journal entry features a photo of the reverse of the 1856-S Quarter Eagle featured in my Collectors Journal entry "Grandma's Gold". For the story behind this coin and a photo of the obverse visit my Collectors Journal entry "Grandma's Gold" at http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=11309 To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
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Grandma's Gold

My feature coin for this Mother's Day journal entry is a 1856-S Quarter Eagle that my paternal grandmother saved from the melting pot in 1933. My grandmother was born in Bialystock Poland in 1896 and immigrated to this country as a teenager. She married my grandfather in 1916 and together they ran a small tailor shop. Over the years my grandparents put aside a small number of gold coins including this 1856-S Quarter Eagle. In 1933 U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order
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The Penny with a Soul

My feature Primitive Money for Saturday April 21 is the West African Gizzi Penny. (1880's until the late 1930's) Gizzi Pennies (also known as Kissi Pennies) were smelted and hand-forged by native blacksmiths of the kizzi (Gizzi), Bande, Kpelle and Loma tribes of West Africa (present day Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia). Long strands of iron were twisted together and the ends hammered into a "T" shape at one end, and a rounded blade at the other. Generally considered to be a degraded form o
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West African Manilla (Copper Armlet/Bracelet Money)

My feature Primitive Money for Friday April 20 is the West African Manilla (15th to mid-20th century). Manillas are copper or bronze horseshoe shaped armlets, which served as a general purpose currency in West Africa (Guinea Coast, Gold Coast, Nigeria) from the 15th century to the mid-20th century. Manillas were used for ordinary market purchases, bride price, and as burial money. Cowry shells, valued at a small fraction of a Manilla, were used for smaller purchases. Copper was the "red gold
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Egg Yolk and Chicken Blood

My feature Primitive Money for Thursday April 19 is the (thirteenth to sixteenth century) "Domed Ngon Hoi" of the Kingdom of Lannatai (present day Thailand). Ngon Hoi were the earliest coinage of South East Asia. Flat Ngon Hoi were the only form of metallic money in use in South East Asia at a time when no such thing as national borders existed. By the thirteenth century Flat Ngon Hoi had evolved into a dome shaped piece of silver or silver alloy. Domed Ngon Hoi formed the subsidiary coinage o
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Siamese Porcelain Money of 1760 - 1875

My feature Primitive Money for Wednesday April 18 is Siamese Porcelain Coins. Siamese Porcelain Coins were used in Siam (Thailand) between 1760 - 1875. They come in many shapes, sizes and designs. Siamese Porcelain Coins are actually gambling tokens that were made in China for use by the Chinese in private gambling houses in Sia, but were also used in the surrounding area as small change. The gambling houses were "tax farms" where every year, or some say every three years, the government a
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Siamese Bullet Money of 1237 - 1886 (1 Baht Silver Bullet) Additional Photograph

This picture gives a better view of the turned together ends of Siamese Bullet Money. For background information on Siamese Bullet Money, and the history of this specimen please see my previous Journal entry: "Siamese Bullet Money of 1237 - 1886 (1 Baht Silver Bullet)" http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=11105 To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
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Siamese Bullet Money of 1237 - 1886 (1 Baht Silver Bullet)

My feature Primitive Money for Tuesday April 17 is Siamese Bullet Money. The bullet money of Siam (Thiland) was issued from 1237 to 1886. To produce these bullets molten silver or gold is poured into a wooden form and shaped into an elliptical bar. Then two shallow parallel crosscuts are made in the bar, and it is hammered into a nearly round shape. The ends of each piece appear turned together so that the finished money is almost round - very much like a real bullet. Stamps are made by han
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Siamese Canoe Money / Lats

My feature Primitive Money for Monday April 16 is Siamese Canoe Money or Lats.(13th - 16th century Kingdom of Lanchang) Lat or Bar Money was the coinage of the 13th - 16th century kingdom of Lanchang, in what is now northern Thailand. Lats money was uncoined copper, white medal or silver ingots that came in many varieties. Leech Money, Tigers' Tongues, Boat Money, and Canoe Money are all forms of Lats. Canoe Money is usually pointed or tapered at each end, the center sometimes is hollowed o
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Cowrie Shell Money

My feature Primitive Money for Sunday April 15 is the Cowrie Shell. (1200 BC to mid 20th century) Historically, many societies have used cowries as money. The cowrie is the most widely and longest used currency in history. The use of Cowrie Shells as money dates from ancient times (1200 BC). As a form of money it spread from China and India eastward to the Pacific Islands. It traveled across and encircled Africa to the west and even penetrated into the New World. As late as the middle
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National Coin Week: - April 15th through 21st

Change in Money: Cowries To Credit Cards If you have been checking the ANA web site or reading any of the numismatic papers you know that National Coin Week started yesterday (Sunday 4/15/2012) and runs through Saturday April 21st. The theme for this year's National Coin Week is "Change In Money: Cowries To Credit Cards". I have had a long standing interest in Primitive Money and have been collecting interesting examples of them for over fifty years. In honor of National coin week I plan t
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The New NGC Registry Image Uploading Enhancement Also Works for Collectors Journal Images

Thankyou NGC for freeing us from the 200 KB image restrictions for Registry and Collectors Journal Images! On 4/10/2012 NGC anounced "TWO ENHANCEMENTS TO THE NGC REGISTRY" ngccoin.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?IDArticle=2674&Registry To Quote NGC: "Registry enhancements include image uploading and more scores for XF, AU, Plus- and Star-graded coins. In an effort to provide the best experience for Collectors Society members, we have made two enhancements to the popular NGC Registry. Th
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New Die Variety

1944 S 50C with obverse of 1921 On January 30, 2012 coin928 posted a Journal entry describing what he believed was a new die variety of the 1944 S US/Philippine Fifty Centavos. http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=10460 In my journal entry of the same date http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=10463 I responded that the coin appeared to be a new die variety but that I would really like to see pictures of a mint stat
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The American Numismatic Association Library is an Invaluable Research Tool!

Education, information and research are critical to the full enjoyment of numismatics. The American Numismatic Association (ANA) library is the world's largest numismatic lending library and an invaluable research tool. If you are a serious numismatist and are not familiar with the American Numismatic Association Library you really need to check it out. ANA Library Home Page: http://www.money.org/explore/library ANA Library Research Services: http://www.money.org/explore/library/research
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Liberation of the Philippines: Manila The Approach March (Picture of XIV Corps Crossing Heavy Pontoon Bridge)

The photo attached to this Journal entry was taken by my father in early February 1945 during the approach march to Manila. The Central Plains of Northern Luzon are crossed by many unfordable rivers. The main bridges over these rivers were destroyed by the Japanese to slow the American advance. One of the major problems the XIV Corps faced during the drive to Manila was logistical in nature, deriving from the speed of the advances, the distances covered, the chronic shortages of motor transp
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Hand Written Basso AEROGRAMME

Photograph of hand written Aerogramme dated March 7, 1986 from Aldo P. Basso author of "Coins, Medals And Tokens Of The Philippines 1728-1974". See my Collectors Journal Entry: "My Numismatic Library - Basso Catalog and Hand Written Letter by Aldo P. Basso" for additional information regarding this letter and photograph of the outside of the Aerogramme. http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=10957 To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here.
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My Numismatic Library - Basso Catalog and Hand Written Letter by Aldo P. Basso

For the serious collector building a personal numismatic library is an essential part of the hobby. One of my prize posessions is a "Like New" copy of Coins, Medals And Tokens Of The Phillippines 1728-1974, Second Edition by Aldo P. Basso, and a hand written letter by Mr. Basso. http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=10892 On the inside cover of the book is a stamp reading "AL Zaika, TOKEN COLLECTOR, PO Box 65, Bellmawr, N.J.". The hand written lette
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There Ought to be a Law!

Buyer Beware, The Flim Flam Man is alive and well on eBay. There has been a lot of talk in the Journals lately about great buys on eBay. While this may be true for the knowledgeable collector eBay can be a dangerous market place for the novice or overly trusting. In my area of collecting, US/Philippine coins, some of the claims of rarity and asking prices are borderline criminal. For example one of the current eBay listings is a 1944 D Ten Centavos in NGC MS62 which is listed at a sta
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The Liberation of the Philippines: Manila the Approach March (Picture of Destroyed Highway and Railroad Bridges)

The picture attached to this Journal entry was taken by my father in early February 1945 during the approach march to Manila. The picture shows one of the many highway and railroad bridges which were destroyed by the Japanese to slow the American advance. After securing Ft. Stotsenburg and the important Clark Field Air Base the XVI Corps attacked south through the Central Plains toward Manila. (See my earlier Journal entry for historical details and picture of Ft. Stotsenburg http://coins.ww
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