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coinsbygary

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Journal Entries posted by coinsbygary

  1. coinsbygary

    An Improbable Medal Purchase

    By coinsbygary,


    So-Called Dollars
    How did a medal I never knew existed become something I had to have in less than two months? Several improbable events, that’s how.
     
    The improbable events started at the end of November as my wife, and I prepared to go on a cruise. Our 16-day cruise began in Los Angeles and ended almost 4,700 miles away in Miami through the Panama Canal. At the time, I was excited about transiting the Panama Canal. But I was especially thrilled to spend 16 days with my daughter, her husband, and my 17-month-old grandson.
     
    I was all in on the canal when we finally reached Panama City. I gobbled up as much information about the canal as possible. I took dozens of pictures of one of the seven engineering wonders of the world. To this day, I’m soaking up all things Panama Canal. I even have a wallpaper image of the canal on my laptop!
     
    When I got home, the most improbable event of all occurred. A few years ago, I decided to let my membership in the Central States Numismatic Society lapse in favor of PAN. When I went to the post office to pick up the mail, I noticed a large envelope with a return address to CSNS. Inside the envelope was their newly reformatted winter 2023 copy of “The Centinel” and a note asking me to come back. As an aside, I like “The Centinel’s” new format. At any rate, The Centinel had an article entitled “Commemorating the Big Ditch” by Juan L. Riera. The article described the opening of the Panama Canal on August 15, 1914, and the so-called dollar struck to commemorate it.
     
    Do any of you have that “gotta have” coin for your collection on your want list? After reading the article, this so-called dollar (HK-398) immediately went from never heard of to first on my want list of “gotta have” pieces for my collection. I immediately went surfing on the internet to find my new must-have. I finally settled on a nice medal from a dealer I had previously dealt with. Having a medal available in the marketplace for me to purchase is the last improbable event in a long series of incredible events.
     
    Fortunately, this medal was reasonably priced and now stands as the perfect addendum to a most memorable cruise! Add to the fact that this medal (1 of 50,000 serialized medals) was carried aboard the SS Cristobal. The Cristobal was the first ship to transit the Panama Canal on August 3, 1914. At the official opening of the canal on August 15, 1914, this medal was given to 200 dignitaries aboard the SS Ancon. The Ancon is the first official ship to transit the Panama Canal. Though this medal is 1 of 50,000, the dealer who sold me this medal estimates that only a couple hundred examples of it survive today. Perhaps the low survival rate can be attributed to the high international appeal of this medal scattered around the world.
     
    This I do know that my medal graded MS-62 by NGC is among the nicer surviving examples. The design of the Panama Canal completion medal was recommended to the John F. Newman Co. of New York (manufacturer of the Panama Canal Completion medal) by Miss Elizabeth Rodman, cousin of Capt. Hugh Rodman, U.S.N., Supt. of Transportation, Canal Zone. Though the Panama Canal completion medal was copyrighted in 1913, the official issuing date of the medal is recognized as 1914.
     
    This medal measures 38mm in diameter and is struck in bronze. The serial number marked on the reverse is 11138. The obverse of the medal features a woman standing on the prow of a ship transiting the Panama Canal. Her arms are outstretched, holding a ribbon. Under her hands are two globes, the eastern hemisphere on her right and the Western hemisphere on her left. The inscription on the ribbon, translated from Latin, is “Columbia unites the oceans.” The woman has rays of light emanating from her head. There is a banner over her head with the motto boldly proclaiming, “Prosperity to all Nations.” Though I can not find any documentation of the fact, I believe the woman is a personification of Columbia.
     
    The reverse features an inscription under the seal of the Panama Canal Zone. It reads: Commemorating the opening of The Panama Canal to the Commerce of the World Copyrighted and Bearing A Serial number is one of 50000 Carried on the Vessel making the First Passage Through the Panama Canal as Authenticated in Certificate Signed by (signed) Geo. W. Goethals Chief Engineer and Chairman lsthmian Canal Commission.
     
    A significant expansion to the Panama Canal opened on June 26, 2016. This new expansion allows much larger ships like my cruise ship, carrying 5000+ crew and passengers, to transit the canal. I am posting a picture I took of the Agua Clara locks as my ship exited the Panama Canal on the Atlantic side.
     
    References:
    Winter 2023 edition of The Centinel, “Commemorating the Big Ditch” by Juan L. Riera
    https://www.so-calleddollars.com/Events/Panama_Canal_Completion.html


  2. coinsbygary

    With Friends Like These

    By coinsbygary,


    Canadian Peace Dollars
    ...Who needs enemies, or so the saying goes. Recently, a fellow coin club friend who collects modern coins notified several club members and me of a new Canadian-minted coin that I was unfamiliar with. The UHR-proof coin he referred to is the stunningly beautiful 2023 Canadian Peace Dollar. This coin has selected rose-gold gilt surfaces with an obverse luster that pulsates as the coin is tilted in the light. Having already spent what I budgeted for coin purchases this year, I just had to grit my teeth and pony up for this coin. It was just too beautiful to pass up.
    In jest, I told my friend at the last club meeting that it was all his fault for making me purchase this coin. His answer? “I love spending other collectors’ money!” Now, he may have spent my money, but I get to keep the coin! When I finally viewed the coin in my hand, I was glad that I had bought it. Truth be told, “With friends like these, I am truly blessed and thankful.” It is nice to know other collectors have my back. To show my gratefulness, I hope to reciprocate their kindness back to them.
    The Royal Canadian Mint has been issuing .999 fine 1-ounce silver peace dollars yearly since 2020. A 2019 medal features the “Peace” Canadian obverse designed by Susan Taylor and a “Libertas” US reverse designed by John Mercanti. Each year the Canadian Peace Dollar has featured the same design with a different surface finish.
    There are several similarities between the US Peace Dollar and the Canadian Peace Dollar. Since the mint documentation that came with my coin describes this coin better than I could, the following paragraphs are directly copied from that documentation.
    In 2019 the Royal Canadian Mint made history when it brought together former engravers from both the US Mint and Royal Canadian Mint to create the Peace & Liberty Medal. The “Peace” side of this medal, which was crafted by retired Royal Canadian Mint Senior Engraver Susan Taylor, was then selected as the face of a new, legal tender Canadian Peace Dollar.
    Like De Francisci, Taylor used family to help create her rendition of Liberty. In Taylor’s case, her daughters Erin and Sarah modeled for the design. Erin wore up-swept hair adorned with flowers for her wedding, which served as the inspiration for the maple leaves in Peace’s hair. Taylor combined both daughter’s facial features to create Peace’s profile.
    Taylor had more to say on the inspiration for her Peace design: “Initially the [Ottawa National War Memorial] Cenotaph was the primary direction, and then the US Peace Dollar design was introduced as a reference. This reference to the US Peace dollar was very helpful, since it evoked a clear and elegant message of not only peace but also of harmony and grace. This is what I tried to portray in this Peace design. In these troubled times, we need to strive for harmony in our relationships with each other and to respond with grace and compassion.”
    Like the 1921 US Peace Dollar, the Canadian Peace Dollar series comes struck in high relief—Ultra High Relief, to be exact—and has featured a variety of finishing effects over the years.
    The following information I gleaned from the COA.
    This coin has the serial number 2178 and a total mintage of 6,000. The Latin motto over Peace (Pax) reads “From sea to sea.” This coin is struck in ultra-high relief. It is 36.15mm in diameter and weighs 31.39 grams. The obverse (the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on coins has always been considered the obverse) features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II engraved by Susanna Blunt.
    In closing, I have much to be thankful for, like my coin club friend, who referred me to the 2023 Canadian Peace Dollar. In fact, I am grateful to God for so much more that I can’t name everything. Finally, I wish everyone who blogs here and the ANA staff a Happy Thanksgiving. Gary.

  3. coinsbygary
    Summer 2022 has ended with a couple of numismatic events that I thoroughly enjoyed. The first was the ANA summer show in Chicago. The other, just this week, was my coin club’s annual picnic. Both were significant and, for that matter, the year’s numismatic highlights. 
    First, there is nothing like a major coin show for buying new coins, viewing educational displays, making new friends, and catching up with old friends. The annual ANA Worlds Fair of Money is one of the year’s best shows, and whenever it is in Chicago, I try to attend.
    This year instead of driving to Chicago, I took the bus my coin club chartered. There is nothing like riding 2-plus hours with your club friends talking coins. Furthermore, riding to Chicago on the bus was much cheaper than driving. 
    Once there, I took care of business first. I went to the US Mint area to buy the just-released Liberty silver medal. Desiring the ANA provenance, I took the medal to NGC with several other submissions for grading. Because the medal went on sale Thursday and I went to the show on Friday, I didn’t know if one would be available when I got to the show, so I ordered one online Thursday.
    As an aside, I found the online ordering process with the US Mint much better than in the past. No hang-ups with the website and shipping that same day. It doesn’t get much better than that. Now, if I’m going to whine about how messed up the US Mint is for placing orders, I ought to let them know when things are working as they ought. Later that afternoon, I told the new US Mint director in person how pleased I was with the latest ordering experience. The smile on her face beamed from ear to ear.  
    After window shopping dealer tables and viewing displays, I was tired and had to sit down. I eventually stopped by the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists table. Having introduced myself as a fellow PAN member, I had a pleasant conversation with W. Thomas Corey. We mainly talked about other PAN members and persons I thought he should know. I also attempted to visit ANA member World_Coin_Nut’s table, but he was away at the time. However, I had a brief but pleasant conversation with his wife. Overall, I had a nice afternoon and enjoyed chilling on the bus ride home. 
    Currently, member dues for my coin club are $5 per year. Attending the club’s picnic means I get more from my annual dues than I paid. The club paid for subs, chips, and a cookie for my wife and me. Oh, and I paid for my drinks which amounted to two bottles of bottled water. I often wonder where my club gets the money for all the club activities I take advantage of. Then I remember that my club hosts two regional coin shows a year. 
    One of the highlights of the annual picnic is the BINGO games we play for coin-related prizes donated by a generous local coin dealer. There were 8 games to be played by 30 people in attendance, with one grand prize. The grand prize this year and in past years has been a small gold coin, usually a 1/10 ounce gold eagle. As was pointed out by the member calling the game, there would be only 8 winners and 22 losers. My wife and I always brace for the worst. Last year we won NOTHING ☹. Still, we left with a smile on our faces having had a good time.  
    Each game increases the odds for the losers since the winners are ineligible to play after they win. However, everyone plays the last game for the grand prize. As fate would have it, my wife finally won something this year. She won a 50 State Quarters Coin & Die Set. The set included a Kentucky State Quarter with the die that struck it and a COA with all the pertinent information about the die. The quarter has a considerable amount of residue on the coin’s surface. This all begs to question of how it got there. One clue is found in the COA, which states that the accompanying quarter is “one of the first acceptable production coins struck with this die.” I am guessing that the planchet wasn’t washed or something of that sort. 
    That brings me to the final BINGO game for a 1996, 1/10-ounce, $5 gold coin. The game started very slowly for me. However, since it was a full card game, I had plenty of time to catch up. After about ¾ of the way through, I started hitting all the numbers on the card. Finally, I was down to one number, hoping nobody else would call BINGO. The following number was called, and I yelled BINGO! I had just won the gold coin! My wife and I beat the odds this year and brought two of eight prizes home. It seems as if it’s feast or famine for us! And that’s OK. It’s all about fun and fellowship anyway!
    Ultimately, I realized that it’s more fun to yell BINGO than to take home a prize. To have to fill a full card was very satisfying. It made winning that much sweeter! Finally, if anyone wants to know the name of the generous dealer who donated the prizes, please send me a personal message. Otherwise, the $5 gold coin should cover next year’s dues! Gary





  4. coinsbygary
    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 solicitations from cold contacts to purchase scarce medals, one of which is in my collection today. Furthermore, I am privileged to own two medals previously owned by the Frasers. 
    On top of that, I gave a Money Talks presentation on Laura Gardin Fraser at the 2019 ANA World Fair of Money show in Chicago and a podcast interview with Coin World magazine. Still, it’s the contacts and friends I have made along the way that means the most to me. 
    Now, I am being honored by a museum. The Vrijheids Museum (Freedom Museum) in the Netherlands asked me to loan them a medal from my collection for an exhibit they will be running until October 2022. That medal is Laura Gardin Fraser’s 1913 Better Babies Medal. The exhibit will detail the worldwide rise of eugenic philosophy in the early 20th century. 
    The Better Babies contests sought to educate parents in early childhood development and hygiene to combat the high infant mortality rate at the dawn of the 20th century. Better Babies contests were conducted at well-known venues like county and state fairs. Babies entered into the competitions were judged against specific scientific standards of early childhood development. The Better Babie medal was among several awards that parents and their babies could win by entering these contests. One of my problems with Better Babies is that infants were being judged at fairs, much like livestock. Thankfully, today, a healthy baby is a parents’ reward through well-baby exams measured by scientific standards at the pediatrician’s office. 
    Another problem with Better Babies and other programs like it was that they opened the door to eugenic movements here in the US and around the world. Sadly, the logical end to eugenics leads to racism, forced sterilizations, abortions, human breeding, and ethnic cleansing. Some say that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. History demonstrates this to be true with Better Babies. 
    Coins and medals have stories to tell. Sometimes I wish that Laura Gardin Fraser hadn’t been tasked to design this medal. Then again, collectors hoping to uncover history through the coins and medals they collect must chronicle the good with the bad. We are not to whitewash history but to tell the truth and learn from history. I have learned things in the coins and medals I collect that they didn’t teach me in school. I hope that the Freedom museum will do likewise with its eugenics exhibit. 
    I’ve had several e-mail conversations with a museum intern to iron out the details of my loaning them the Better Babies medal. The top issue was how my medal would be portrayed in a eugenics exhibit. The following paragraph will quote the intern’s response word for word, to which I heartily agreed. 
    From January 2022 till October 2022 we will have an exhibition in our museum about a group of people European societies classified as “antisocial”. In occupied Europe during world war 2, people who received this label could be sent to concentration camps and/or be killed. Most of this was done in the name of eugenics, as these “antisocial” people were not viewed as having the “right” traits (according to some people), which meant they should not reproduce (sadly, similar to Jewish people). We would like to show that not only Nazi Germany had a eugenics movement, but many countries around the world as well. With your medal, we would like to show how eugenics movements came into being in other countries. With our exhibition, we would like to warn visitors about eugenics movements and the seemingly innocent thoughts that precede them. We think your medal would be a good addition to our story and exhibition. 
    If anyone is curious, I didn’t end up returning the “National Institute Of Social Sciences” medal to the family of its awardee, Clara D. Noyes. However, I promised to sell the medal back to the family if I found a replacement. Unfortunately, this medal is rarely available for sale, and I have not found a replacement. Interestingly, the family member that contacted me wrote a biography on Clara D. Noyes and graciously sent me a signed copy. 
    Again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Gary
    P.S. In a future blog, I’ll be posting pictures of my medal in its exhibit. I just hope that COVID won’t ruin things by keeping people out of the Freedom Museum in the Netherlands ☹  


  5. coinsbygary

    The Branding of the Medallic Art Company

    By coinsbygary,


    So-Called Dollars
    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 Weil. The proximity of the Medallic Art Company and the Art Students League soon developed into a symbiotic relationship. The Art Students League provided the medallic designs, and the Medallic Art Company struck and distributed the medals. As a collector of Laura Gardin Fraser's coins and medals, I learned that most of her medals were struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York.
    In celebration of the 1917 completion of the Catskill Aqueduct in New York, the American Numismatic Society based in New York issued a three-inch (75.6mm) commemorative medallion. It was modeled by Daniel Chester French. (Daniel Chester French is the sculptor of the seated Lincoln inside the Lincoln Memorial). The medallions were cast, not struck, in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company. Mintages were limited by subscriptions to 57 bronze and 12 silver pieces. 38mm bronze replicas of the official medallions were also struck by the Medallic Art Company. The mintage of the so-called dollars (HK-667) is unknown, but they have a rarity of R-5. (Fuld rarity scale for tokens of 75-200 pieces). My recently purchased medal is one of the so-called dollars.
    The obverse features a right-facing bust of a laurel-crowned woman in high relief. As such, this beautiful young woman probably represents Greater New York. The reverse features a male figure with water gushing out of a vase resting on his shoulder against the faint outline of the Catskill Mountains. The reverse represents the 92-mile Catskill Aqueduct that still supplies New York City with 40% of its water. The reverse inscription reads, "To Commemorate the Completion / of the Catskill Aqueduct / An Achievement of Civic Spirit / Scientific Genius and Faithful Labor / 1905 New York 1917."
    Daniel Chester French died on October 7, 1931. In 1932, the Medallic Art Company struck a tribute medal to him using the obverse laureate head of the 1917 medal. The reverse without any devices has the following inscription, "A / token in / remembrance of / Daniel Chester French / National Sculpture Society / February 10, 1932 / Medallic Art Company / New York." The obverse head became known as the "French Head" when in 1932, Clyde Trees, president of Medallic Art Company, chose this obverse device as the company's official trademark. Soon the iconic French Head appeared in the company's advertising, on its stationery, and quite often on medallic work. This continued until Medallic Art & Mint (The combined Medallic Art Company and Northwest Territorial Mint) was bought out by Medalcraft Mint, Inc. in 2018.
    An intriguing golden thread links Laura Gardin Fraser, Daniel Chester French, and the Medallic Art Company. In 1929 Laura Gardin Fraser designed the National Sculpture Society Special Medal of Honor. This medal was struck by the Medallic Art Company and presented to the Society's first recipient, Daniel Chester French, for his seated Lincoln sculpture.

  6. coinsbygary
    Featured in this months edition (Volume 2 Number 10) of The Coin of the Month is an NGC MS-65, 1903 Danish 2 Kroner coin (KM-802) commemorating the 40th anniversary of the reign of Christian outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed This coin is 31 mm in diameter and weighs 15 grams with a mintage of 103,392. It has a silver fineness of .8000 and an actual silver weight of .3858 oz.
    The obverse of this coin features a right facing bust of Christian IX, King of Denmark. The dates of his reign, 15 November 1863 to 1903 appear around the inner circumference of the coin. Underneath the left portion of Christian IXs bust is the coins date of 1903 and a heart signifying that it was minted in Copenhagen. The initial P to the right of the date represents mint master Vilhelm Buchard Poulsen and the initials GJ underneath the right portion of Christian IXs bust represent this coins engraver, Knud Gunnar Jensen.
    Often in order to understand a coins design, you need to understand the times of its issuance. Therefore, to understand this period in Denmarks history, its people, and its ruler is to understand the allegory of the 1903 2 Kroner 40th anniversary of reign commemorative coin.
    For illustrative and comparison purposes I will contrast this coin with the gold 20 Kroner pictured as an inset in this months photo collage. I find it fascinating that two coins with similar designs have such diverse interpretations. The 20 Kroner gold coin came into existence as an international trade coin at the founding of the Scandinavian Monetary Union with Sweden in 1873 and Norway two years later. The Danish 20 Kroner circulated at par with the gold coins of the other member nations.
    Both the 20 Kroner and my 2 Kroner feature the feminine allegorical figure Dania who represents the spirit of Denmark. Coins with seated feminine personifications can signify several things, and first among them is that Dania, as portrayed on the 2 Kroner, is at rest representing peace. Next, the seated position generally represents a person of authority much like that of a monarch seated on a throne, a god or goddess, or perhaps some other high government official.
    Oftentimes a shield accompanies the seated personification signifying either a national value, as is the case of Lady Liberty for the United States or a coat of arms representing the nation issuing the coin. The shield as a piece of defensive armor represents preparedness and protection from all potential foes, domestic and foreign.
    The Danish coat of arms emblazoned on the shield of the 2 and 20 Kroner coins, feature three crowned blue lions and nine hearts. Historians believe that the hearts at one time were the petals of the white lotus, which is a type of water lily. However, this was lost over the years and became the hearts of today due to worn and crudely made signets during the Middle Ages.
    The sheaf of wheat on the 2 Kroner and corn on the 20 Kroner represent the agrarian nature of Danish society and Denmark's agricultural exports. While other European nations were fueling the industrial revolution of the 19th Century, Denmark was leading the way in the agricultural revolution. Universal education and other political reforms of the late 18th to middle 19th Century eventually lead to new agricultural technologies, innovations, and co-ops.
    It is at this point that the allegories of the 2 Kroner and the 20 Kroner become dissimilar and take on different meanings. Dania, as illustrated on the 20 Kroner is seen holding a scepter in her right hand signifying Danish sovereignty. At her feet is a dolphin, the dolphin is an ancient omen of good luck and fair weather symbolizing Danish naval prowess. Since this coin was meant for circulation outside of Denmark, the allegory of the coin was directed towards foreigners.
    The 40th anniversary of reign 2 Kroner, however, was meant to remind Danish citizens of the benefits of living in Denmark under the reign of Christian outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed The legend on the reverse delimited by flowers and translated, With God for Honor and Justice reveals the true intent of this coin and defines the allegory.
    Rather than holding a scepter as on the 20 Kroner, Dania is extending her right arm. Extending the arm, especially for someone in authority can signify power and leadership. A person may also extend their arm to give someone directions or to show them the way. It can also signify things like acceptance, welcome, vulnerability, transparency, and compassion. Seizing upon these definitions, I believe the purpose of this allegory was to remind the people of the benevolence of their government. Interestingly, it was during the reign of Christian IX that the following social programs were introduced
    * 1891--Old age pension law; means-tested pensions for persons 60 years or older, financed by the state and communes through general taxation.
    * 1892--Sickness insurance law; public subsidies to recognized voluntary insurance funds.
    * 1898--Employers liability act; in order to ensure workers compensation in case of industrial accidents. (THE DEVELOPMENTAL WELFARE STATE IN SCANDINAVIA: LESSONS FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD, STEIN KUHNLE AND SVEN E.O. HORT)
    Tensions between Denmark and Germany were high when Christian IX ascended to the throne in November of 1863. Consequently, Denmark found themselves at war with Prussia and Austria in 1864 over the disputed duchies of Schleswig-Holstein. After about eight months, Denmark was soundly defeated. The bitterness of this war caused a shift in national priorities from colonialism to domestic development. The effect of this shift brought peace and prosperity to Denmark, and hence the dove as the international symbol of peace on the 40th anniversary of reign, 2 Kroner.
    In summary, while Christian IX resisted many of the reforms of the late 19th Century, he no doubt enjoyed the political dividends of peace and prosperity in Denmark during his reign.
    Coins are historical artifacts. For my part, I am simply researching the historical context of the coin and connecting the dots as I see them. Thats it for now, so until next month, happy collecting!
    Gary

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  7. coinsbygary

    Destination: Iceland

    By coinsbygary,


    World Coins
    Whenever I visit a foreign country, I make it my practice to cherry-pick examples of that country’s coins from circulation. For an expensive visit to a foreign country, coins make an inexpensive souvenir that only costs you the exchange rate of your dollars. They also make a memorable keepsake of your visit and interesting conversation pieces with your numismatic buddies back home! Sometimes I save examples of the circulating paper money when I travel. However, paper money is convertible back to dollars, and coins generally are not.
    A few weeks ago, I found myself in Iceland for my daughter’s destination wedding to the man I now proudly call my son-in-law. At first, I thought the idea of a destination wedding was crazy, and I had to warm up to it. However, not attending this wedding was never an option. With that, my wife and I boarded an IcelandAir Boeing 737 in Chicago for Reykjavik. Today, this happy event is in my rearview mirror, and I would not have wanted it any other way. 
    Iceland is a spectacularly scenic, volcanically formed island. For those who love hiking and outdoor activities visiting Iceland should be on your bucket list. While here, we also witnessed the northern lights. If you see them in the continental US, you don’t see them like you do here. The island is literally dotted with volcanoes, waterfalls, and glaciers. If you think you might like to take a dip in 40-degree weather, there are geothermally warmed pools like the Blue Lagoon. Before flying back to the states, my wife and I had a relaxing dip in what seemed like 80-90 degrees silica mineral water. 
    Add the phenomenal wedding, and Iceland is like a romantic fairy tale. I am posting with the coins a picture of the black wedding chapel, the northern lights, and li’l-old-me in front of an inactive volcano! (Black is practical color as it absorbs the heat from what little winter sun there is).
    The coins of Iceland come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 Kroner coins. They are simple in design, and except for the 1 Krona (Bergrisi the rock giant), they feature the four mythological guardian spirits of Iceland (Landvættir) on the coin’s obverse. They were first written about in AD 1220 in the Heimskringla (Old Norse kings’ sagas). Written in the pages of this book is the tale of a would-be invader of Iceland, devious King Bluetooth. King Bluetooth had a sorcerer turn himself into a whale to spy out the vulnerabilities of the island. At every corner of the island, the whale was confronted by a fiercely protective Land Wight. 
    On the Eastern side of Iceland, the wizard whale was turned back by Dreki the dragon. On the North, there was Gammur the griffin. On the West, Griðungur the bull, and on the South, Bergrisi the rock giant. Needless to say, the wizard whale returned to King Bluetooth with an unfavorable report, and Iceland was saved from an imminent invasion. Today these four landvættir grace the Iceland coat of arms around a shield displaying the flag of Iceland.
    As an island, Iceland’s economy is partially dependant on the sea. Featured on the reverse of the 1 Krona is a cod, the 5 Kronur, two dolphins, the 10 Kronur, four capelin, the 50 Kronur, a shore crab, and the 100 Kronur, a lumpfish. 
    I am also including a link to a silver 500 Kronur coin commemorating 100 years of banknotes in Iceland. The obverse features Fjallkonan, “The Lady of the Mountain.” I have had this coin for many years in my seated imagery collection.
    In the photograph of the coins, I have included the diameter, metallic composition, and the exchange rate of the Iceland Kronur. Below are the references I used to research the coins I brought home from Iceland. Gary. 
    https://www.cb.is/financial-stability/oversight-of-financial-market-infrastructures/banknotes-and-coin/valid-coins-in-circulation/ 
    https://guidetoiceland.is/history-culture/folklore-in-iceland#ghosts-in-iceland
    https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/coinview.aspx?sc=232749





  8. coinsbygary

    Contrasts in Lighting

    By coinsbygary,


    Coin Photography
    A few days ago, I was contacted by a friend concerning a medal that he had photographed by someone other than me! 😊. To be exact, he didn’t like what he got and wanted to know my thoughts on the photography. Now, if a person asks me questions about photography, they will always get more from me than they asked! The pictures my friend sent lacked details. The devices were hazy and had a strange blue hue. The fields on the medal were basically flat. Because the medal had a reverse proof finish, I photographed a 2013-W reverse proof SAE from my collection to make a few lighting comparisons.
     
    First, I photographed my SAE using a 45-degree axial reflector. This transparent reflector directly underneath the lens reflects about half the light from a perpendicular lighting source to the lens. The remaining light passes through the glass and is absorbed by the black surface inside its holder. From my picture, notice that I fashioned my reflector from a CD case lid.
     
    An obstacle that I always have to deal with using this method is too little or too much light. If a coin is in a plastic holder, it compounds the obstacle. Getting just the right light is difficult because the light is often hazy, and the focus is not consistent over the entire surface of the coin. Usually, I have to use a diffuser on the lighting source, adding yet another variable into the mix. The picture I am posting of my SAE under this form of lighting is my third take. Despite the difficulty experienced, this is my favorite image of the SAE.
     
    Next, I photographed the SAE using my lens aperture LED ring light. Because this light is precisely perpendicular to the coin, the picture is much like the one using axial lighting. However, axial lighting is reflected, and this light is direct. You will notice the mirrored surface of the coin is much more reflective than the picture using axial lighting. This type of lighting is advantageous when photographing darkly-toned copper coins. In fact, I used this light to photograph the Conder Token pictured in my last ANA post.
     
    Standard lighting will always be at an angle other than 0-degrees because the camera is in the way. This method of lighting is perfect for capturing the luster of your coin. You will notice the luster present on the obverse field of my SAE in front of Lady Liberty. Because the lighting is at an angle, the highly reflective surfaces on the coin appear black. If this were a standard-proof coin, the fields would be black, and the devices would be silver because of the non or less reflective surface of the devices. Most often, I use two lamps to better light the surface of the coin and reduce the effect of shadows.
     
    Recently, I imaged a chocolate-brown, lightly toned Conder Token that I had difficulty capturing the fine details. In the end, I used one standard light in front of the token to finally get the results I was looking for. Basically, I use whatever form of light that will give me the result I want, and it often takes a lot of shots to get it right.
     
    I hope you have enjoyed my post and my pictures. I am also posting a non-silver Ronald Reagan reverse proof dollar using axial photography. Which is your favorite SAE picture? If I ever photograph your coins, I might ask you this question. You can be sure that my friend didn’t have a choice. Love it, or hate it, he had to take what he got ☹






  9. coinsbygary

    My Most Recent NGC Submission

    By coinsbygary,


    NGC Submission
    Lately, there has been much criticism and suspicion about the length of time it takes to get your coins graded. And my recent submission is no different. Like me, at the end of the day, when all your coins have been returned, you will probably ask yourself if it has been worth it? In the end, I weighed my worth against the grades I got, the price I paid, and the wait I had to endure.
    On April 22, 2021, I mailed a 13-coin submission to NGC. On August 10, I received the last of my coins back in the mail. In that one mailing, I had four separate submissions graded in the following order. The first two were Christa McAuliffe commemorative coins graded under the US-modern tier. The next was a silver 5-ounce Tuskegee Airmen Quarter in an oversize holder. The largest was an 8-coin submission under the world-economy tier. Finally, the last two coins I received back were two coins under the world-modern tier.
    In the end, the cost was never going to be an issue because of last year’s award as one of three awarded journalists. This only left me with two considerations which were in a manner of speaking linked together. The wait was worth it if I liked the grades, and if I didn’t like them, it wasn’t.
    Most of the coins were related to my 1868-70 Spanish Provisional Government set and my 1933-38 Second Spanish Republic set. The others were new purchases and a few that had been lying around in flips.
    Having all those grading credits tempted me to send in coins that I otherwise might not of. However, I had a duplicate raw coin that I considered sending in with the submission to sell. In the end, I determined not to send it because I thought it might get a details grade. Why waste the credit if I didn’t need to? Instead, I’ll save it for my 2021 Morgan and Peace Dollar.
    This turned out to be a good decision because, in 13 coins, I had no detailed grades and three top-pops, of which two were 70’s. Most of the other grades were reasonably expected, with only a few exceptions. The following is a chart detailing my hope, my expectation, and the final grade:
    Coin
    Hope
    Expected
    Final Grade
    2021 UNC Christa McAuliffe
    70
    69
    69
    2021 PRF Christa McAuliffe
    70
    69
    69
    2021 SP Oversize Tuskegee Airmen
    70
    69
    70
    1947-S Philippine MacArthur Peso
    65
    64
    63
    1870(70) SNM Spanish Provisional 50C
    20
    15
    12
    1870(70) SNM Spanish Provisional Peseta
    VF
    VF
    25
    1870(73) DEM Spanish
    Provisional Peseta
    58
    AU
    55 (Top-Pop)
    1934 2nd Spanish Republic 25C
    65
    64
    64
    1937 2nd Spanish Republic 5c
    65
    64
    63
    1937 Menorca 25C (Spanish Civil War)
    64
    63
    63
    1938 2nd Spanish Republic 25C
    67
    66
    63
    2019PM B.V. Islands Silver $1 Una and the Lion
    69
    69
    68 (rev proof)
    2020 France 2E Proof Medical Research
    70
    69
    70
     
    Overall, my expectations were met with a minimum of disappointments and three top-pops! Was this worth the wait? Determine for yourselves, but as for me, I think this was worth the wait. Gary.


     

  10. coinsbygary
    The New York University Hall of Fame for Great Americans is a 630 foot outdoor colonnade featuring the sculpted busts of 98 out of the 102 honorees elected into it. The Hall of Fame was conceived by Dr. Henry Mitchell MacCracken, (Chancellor of New York University from 1891 to 1910) and was formally dedicated on May 30, 1901. The Hall of Fame for Great Americans currently stands on the campus of the Bronx Community College. (New York University closed due to financial difficulties in 1973). [1] [2]
    The first of its kind in America, the inspiration for the hall is explained by the following paragraph copied directly from the Mary Lyon Medal COA: The spirit of The Hall of Fame is reflected in the following lines from the Old Testament: "Let us now praise famous men, by whom the Lord hath wrought great glory....All these were honored in their generations, and were the glory of their times..." Carved in stone on the pediments of The Hall of Fame are the words: "By wealth of thought, or else by mighty deed, They served mankind in noble character. In worldwide good they live forevermore."
    Mary Lyon (1797-1849) served as an educator and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1905. A pioneer in higher education for women, Mary Lyon opened the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (now College). The original curriculum included mathematics, English, science, philosophy and Latin. Under her guidance and with her constant labor, the school gained a national reputation for its enlightened curriculum and high academic standards, a reputation maintained to this day. [3]
    The practice of issuing accompanying medals for the Hall of Fame honorees came about through a coalition between New York University, the National Sculpture Society to oversee and approve the designs, the Medallic Art Company to manufacture the medals, and the Coin and Currency Institute to market them. A full page add in the October 1962 issue of "The Numismatist" introduced the 1 3/4 inch medals for sale in either silver or bronze. Issued at a rate of about one or two per month, the issue price of the silver medal was $14 while the bronze medal sold for $3. The program which began in 1962 ended in 1974 with 96 medals created by 42 sculptors. In addition to the smaller silver and bronze medals, there were also larger 3 inch bronze medals available for purchase.
    The success of the Hall of Fame medal program was due in part to the art director at the Medallic Art Company, Julius Lauth. Julius knew which sculptors identified with the theme of each medal and as a result the commission for the medals was first offered to the sculptor who had completed the bronze bust on the colonnade. Therefore, since Laura Gardin Fraser did the bust of Mary Lyon in 1927, she got the commission for the accompanying medal. Mrs. Fraser completed the sketches for the Mary Lyon Medal and had them approved by the by the art committee before her death on August 14, 1966. [3] [4] [5]
    At Mrs. Fraser's death, Julius Lauth assigned sculptor Karl Gruppe to finish the models for the Mary Lyon medal based on the sketches done by Mrs. Fraser. Karl Gruppe, an associate of Laura Gardin Fraser in her Art Students League days was chosen to complete the medal because his artistic style was similar to that of Mrs. Fraser's. [4]
    The following is a description taken from the 1967 dated Mary Lyon Medal COA: "The obverse is a fine classical profile portrait of Miss Lyon; the reverse is a typical scene depicting her continuing role as an educator, and is a capsule story of her dedicated life".
    Over her long career as a sculptor, I find it interesting that Laura Gardin Fraser was equally capable of designing medals that were feminine in nature as is the Mary Lyon medal and masculine as is the obverse of the Oregon Trail commemorative. Of certainty, Laura Gardin Fraser was a truly remarkable sculptor.
    1 Bronx Community College, http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/halloffame/
    2 Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_of_Fame_for_Great_Americans
    3 Mary Lyon Medal COA
    4 Medalblog, Hall of Fame Series - The Most Successful Medal Program by D. Wayne Johnson, December 3, 2012
    5 Hall of Fame at New York University Medal Series by D. Wayne Johnson 2004, Medal Collectors of America; http://www.medalcollectors.org/Guides/HFGA/HFGA.html

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  11. coinsbygary

    The Three Graces on the Cheap

    By coinsbygary,


    World Coins
    In December of 2019, the United Kingdom launched a series of commemorative coins based on the classic works of “The Great Engravers.” The inaugural issue features the classic “Una and the Lion” engraved by William Wyon. When this coin was first issued, you could find the 2-ounce silver version on e-bay for less than $500. From then on, the resale price has sky-rocketed. Recently, I saw an NGC PFUC-68 Una and the Lion on e-bay sell for $4000.00! Fortunately, I bought mine long before the numismatic community realized what it had in this coin. Subsequently, I had mine graded by NGC at PFUC-69. Obviously, I’m pretty happy that for a change, I hit the numismatic lottery! By the way, mine is not for sale! 
    The second coin in the Great Engravers series was issued a few weeks ago. It features “The Three Graces,” also engraved by William Wyon. This coin is taking no one by surprise. It is picking up where Una left off. The least expensive 2-ounce, 5-pound Three Graces coin I tracked was recently sold on e-bay for $2750.00. It’s quite a mark-up for a coin with a mint issue price of 250 pounds ($348)! Even the wannabe Alderney version of the Three Graces is selling for over $1000.00! 
    Now for a lover of classic numismatic art such as myself, this is quite a dilemma. Do I cough up the money for the new UK or Alderney coin? Or, is there another option? Thankfully, there is another option for me. There is a saying that goes like this, “The least expensive car you could buy is the one you already own.” For me, the cheapest coin or, in my case, the medal I could buy is the one I already own. Several years ago, I purchased a bronze fantasy coin featuring the Three Graces for less than $100. True, my fantasy coin is a wannabe of a wannabe, but this medal has everything I could want because, after all, it’s the art that I love! 
    For their 2001 auction, Spink & Sons commissioned INA ltd of Birmingham to strike various fantasy coins. Many of these fantasy coins featured designs that were never officially issued by any governmental entity. My medal is designed by Donald Golder and features an image of Queen Victoria on the obverse and the Three Graces on the reverse. This crown-sized (38mm) 1879 dated medal was struck in silver and bronze. The bronze version has a Krause catalog number of X#81a and a mintage of 790. 
    No crowns were officially issued by the UK in 1879. Furthermore, the likeness of Queen Victoria on my medal has never been used on a coin. It has, however, been used on a postage stamp. The 1840 one penny stamp, nicknamed “Penny Black,” is the world’s first adhesive postage stamp. It features a left-facing profile bust of Queen Victoria. The medal’s obverse legend combined with the reverse translated from Latin reads, “Victoria by God’s grace makes them become one.” The Three Graces on the reverse reinterpreted from Greek mythology by the original engraver, William Wyon, represent Ireland, England, and Scotland. 
    The 1801 “Act of the Union” united Great Britain (England and Scotland) and Ireland under the United Kingdom. William Wyon’s Three Graces was designed to appeal to a sense of national pride after the hard times relating to the UK’s defeat of Napoleon. His pattern coin dating 1817 was never issued. With only 50 known patterns, this coin is occasionally offered at auction in the six figures. Check out this beauty offered by Heritage. https://coins.ha.com/itm/great-britain/great-britain-george-iii-silver-proof-pattern-three-graces-crown-1817-pr65-ngc-/a/3096-30318.s? 
    Though my fantasy coin isn’t an exact replica of the original pattern, the imagery is the same. Instead of a rudder and palm frond, my medal displays a ship on the waters to allegorize English dominance over the seas. Instead of using a lyre to represent Ireland, this fantasy coin uses a shamrock. 
    In Greek mythology, the Three Charites or Graces were generally known for fertility. They are believed to be the daughters of Zeus and Hera. One is named Aglaia for Brightness, another is named Euphrosyne for Joyfulness, and the third Thalia for Bloom. 
    So there you have it. I might add the silver version of this medal to my collection should it become available, but the others? While I rather have the real McCoy, I just can’t pony up the money needed to purchase the others. CoinWeek has a great article on the modern coin rarity phenomenon that makes a lot of sense. Ultimately, the author makes a great point about the demand for classic designs. He maintains that if the market supports a fair price for these collector coins, then the worldwide mints should meet the anticipated public demand. US Mint, are you listening?  https://coinweek.com/world-coins/the-coin-analyst-from-una-and-the-lion-to-the-three-graces-classic-royal-mint-motifs/ 
    I am also posting the obverse of a 2010 San Marino two-euro coin featuring one of the Graces from a 1482 Sandro Botticelli painting entitled Primavera or “Allegory of Spring.” As for spring, I was ready for it weeks ago. Bring it on! Gary




  12. coinsbygary
    When I first look at a coin, I often ask myself, "What's this coin trying to tell me about itself?" Sometimes that coin's story is in its date, mintage, mintmark, die variety, and metallic composition, to name a few. However, I almost always find my coins' design features far more interesting than its technical characteristics. If they say a picture is worth a thousand words, I want to know what my coins' allegorical images intend to communicate.
    To help me research and understand the symbolic images on my coins, I ask myself five questions. They are:
    *       I want to know "WHO" designed or commissioned my coins' minting. For instance, knowing that Augustus St. Gaudens designed the 1907 double-eagle tells me volumes about the artistic and symbolic images featured on that coin.
    *       I want to know "WHAT" my coins represent or the message they convey other than a means of exchange. As an example, the Roman goddess Libertas or Lady Liberty appears on most of our classic coins. This message expresses the importance of personal freedom and liberty to our culture and society.
    *       The "WHERE" of my research focuses on the nations and people issuing my coins. A country and its people tell me a lot about a coin's design. Conversely, a coin says a lot about the people and country circulating it.
    *       The "WHEN" is the year and historical context of my coins. Coins don't pop up randomly in history. World events, at any point in history, have an impact on coin designs. Not only did the Standing Liberty Quarter represent a renascence in coin design, but it conveyed a message to the world of the United States' standing in World War I.
    *       The "WHY" is the purpose of minting the coin. The ancient Romans used coins to disseminate propaganda. In polytheistic societies such as Ancient Rome, the Roman Emperor featured on the obverse of a coin wanted to identify himself with the reverse's deity. The effect of this was to have the people see him as a god.
    Now you don't necessarily have to answer all the W's to make an informed conclusion concerning your coin, but you need most of them. The following is a portion of an article I wrote for the PAN publication, "The Clarion." To read the rest of the story, you'll have to get a copy of the October 2020 issue. See which W's you can pick out in the clip below.
    A sentence in the Declaration of Independence reads as follows, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This concept of liberty, eloquently described in the Declaration of Independence, has been at the core of who we are as Americans ever since.
    At the minting of our first coins, the architects of our constitution had to find a way to illustrate the values set forth by the Declaration of Independence onto our national coinage. For this, they chose the Roman goddess Libertas. Libertas or Lady Liberty is the Roman goddess of liberty and personal freedom.
    A liberated slave in ancient Rome received a conical cap called a pileus to symbolize their emancipation. The pileus, however, has been confused and interchanged with a Phrygian cap. The Phrygian cap became associated with a form of government during the French Revolution. We adapted the Phrygian cap to represent liberty during the Revolutionary War. Consequently, Lady Liberty often appears on our classic coinage wearing a Phrygian or Liberty cap.
    The coin I have pictured is a proof 1863 United States quarter. The central device on the reverse of this quarter is our national bird, the bald eagle. The obverse features a seated image of Libertas or Lady Liberty as she has become known.
    The obverse of this quarter employs several symbols to communicate the message of Liberty. The rock on which Lady Liberty sits could represent the country in which we live (The United States of America) and her power to bestow liberty on the inhabitants thereof.
    The imagery of a liberty cap atop a liberty pole goes back to ancient Rome. A group of senators assassinated Julius Caesar in 44 BC. After his death, the assassins marched through the streets with their weapons held high. One of them lifted a pileus surmounted on the tip of a spear to symbolize that Rome was free and no longer under the rule of Julius Caesar. Incidentally, there is an ancient Roman coin with a pileus on the reverse and a downward pointing knife on each side to commemorate this event. The obverse features conspirator Marcus Brutus. Like the raising of the pileus at Julius Caesar's demise, so is the raising of liberty caps on poles all around the colonies after the American Revolution.
    The shield held by Lady Liberty's right hand has 13 vertical bars and one horizontal bar. The vertical bars represent the 13 original states holding up one horizontal bar representing the federal government. Engraved on a scroll emblazoned across the shield are the letters LIBERTY to show Lady Liberty's willingness to defend it. Finally, by looking over her shoulder, Lady Liberty demonstrates her preparedness to meet any threats she encounters.
    Today liberty appears on our regularly circulating coins in name only. In place of a representative image, try to think of the contributions to our freedom made by presidents Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Washington, and Kennedy whenever you pull their images out of your pocket. If you carry an Eisenhower dollar as a pocket piece, go ahead and pull that out also. Gary
    The following is a link to the Ancient Roman coin I referenced: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Brutusides.jpg

  13. coinsbygary
    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 top sliced at 45 degrees towards the light source to hold the glass pane. The holder cost me nothing to make. However, it did cost my wife a glass pane from one of her pictures.
    Next, I made a diffuser for my light source cut from the side of a plastic milk jug. To prevent side light from illuminating the coin, I used a single-use pair of sunglasses from my eye doctor when she opened my iris. Conveniently, the sunglasses roll up like a tube. Finally, I used a lens hood I already owned to prevent side lighting from interfering with the camera lens. Folks, this is an excellent example of professional photography on the cheap!
    My set-up picture shows a portion of the light shine through the glass onto the back of the holder. The images of the camera’s viewfinder show the reflected light from the glass illuminating the surface of the coins. Since there is less light to work with, the film speed is ISO 400. The aperture is f4, and the shutter speed is 1/125. If this is done correctly, the area of the picture around the coin will be mostly dark. All you want to see in the viewfinder is the coin!
    Since plastic holders have reflective properties of their own, they can be challenging to work with. Therefore, axial photography works best on raw coins. Notice the haze and a hot spot in the viewfinder picture showing a 2011 French proof coin mounted in an NGC holder. This is light reflected from the surface of the holder interfering with light reflected from the coin. The 2004 and 2017 raw quarters only show light reflected from the quarters. Incidentally, the quarters are from my change dish.
    I have spent a lot of time learning to edit the photographs of certified coins to remove the interference from unwanted light. To reduce the effect of unwanted light, I have found the milk jug diffuser to be helpful. However, the quarters needed very few edits because of limited or no interference from unwanted light. I am also posting a raw 1856 Belgian 5 centime coin commemorating the 25th-anniversary reign of Leopold I, King of the Belgians. The coin is struck in bronze to illustrate the use of axial photography on heavily toned bronze coins.
    I hope this blog sheds a little light on axial photography. I always say that the proof is in the pudding. For your viewing pleasure, I am posting several pictures using axial photography.
    The 2011 French 10 euro proof coin commemorates the author of Les Miserables, Victor Hugo. The reverse inscription is roughly translated, “Cossette looked up, she saw the man coming to her with this doll as she saw the sun coming.”
    The reverse of this coin was incredibly hard to photograph because of its surface characteristics. The obverse, however, makes for a pleasing picture. Notice the mirror fields on axial photographs resemble the in-the-hand look of proof coins. Photos of proof mirrors typically show black when taken by direct light. The reverse of this coin has a frosty flat field showing black contrasted by the mirror of Victor Hugo’s image etched into the design.
    Other pieces for your viewing pleasure are a 1937 Spanish peseta and a 2019 Great Britain five-pound coin featuring Una and the Lion. Enjoy, Gary.










  14. coinsbygary

    My Best Submission Yet

    By coinsbygary,

    It’s been a while since I posted about a submission I dreaded to send but finally mailed to NGC in June. As of August, NGC posted the grades of the last two coins of a nine-coin submission.
    This submission may have been the best I have ever sent. I divided the submission into four parts. The first is the WORLD-MODERN tier with three coins, followed by the WORLD-ECONOMY tier with two coins. Next is a single medal under the TOKEN-WORLD-VALUE tier, and finally, a three medal TOKEN-EARLY-BIRD tier to round out the submission.
    There was a twist in the WORLD-ECONOMY tier that I had not anticipated. The coin in question is a 1937 Spanish Second Republic peseta that I hoped would grade MS-63. Before NGC finalized the grade, they recommended that NCS should conserve the coin. The invoice they sent me was puzzling because they listed the grade of the coin at MS-64. However, because of my grading credits, I agreed to have this coin conserved that I originally purchased for only $8.00.
    Now, I would not have usually sent such an inexpensive coin in for grading, let alone conservation. However, this coin fits nicely into my Spanish peseta custom set. After conservation, the 1937 peseta received a final grade of MS-64+. The top-pop coin in the NGC census is MS-65. Considering the before and after pictures, I’m glad I gave my approval for NGC to conserve it. Now, an otherwise dull coin has come back to me, revealing spectacular luster.
    The other coin in my two-coin WORLD-ECONOMY tier is an 1869 Spanish 50-centime coin for my Spanish Provisional Government registry set. This coin is next to impossible to acquire in mint state condition. Good examples of raw circulated coins are also hard to come by on E-Bay. My hope for this coin was to have it graded VF-20. However, I knew this coin could go either way between F-15 and VF-20. I was thrilled when NGC graded the coin VF-20.
    I had been eyeing an MS-64 German medal for my seated imagery custom set on E-Bay for several years. However, in all those years, the seller never came down on his high asking price. Later, I bought a raw medal for approximately 40% less than the E-Bay medal in my watch list. After holding this piece for a couple of years, I finally sent it in to have it graded under the TOKEN-WORLD-VALUE tier. This medal came back to me graded at MS-65.
    My WORLD-MODERN submission features two coins for my Inspirational Ladies custom set and one for my Spanish peseta custom set. I had hoped for the 2001 Spanish 2000 peseta coin that I purchased to grade MS-65. Instead, I was delighted to get a top-pop grade of MS-68 for this beautifully toned coin.
    Late last year, I purchased a 2019 Great Britain “Una and the Lion” silver five-pound coin. Since I purchased this coin, the value of the coin has skyrocketed. Naturally, I had hoped for a PF-70 grade but realistically expected a PF-69. Unfortunately, I ended up with the expected PF-69 grade. Notwithstanding, this coin today is worth at least twice as much as what I paid for it. The last coin in this tier is a 1998 German 10-mark coin that received an expected grade of MS-64. Both these coins are currently residing in my Inspirational Ladies custom set.
    Rounding out my total submission is a three medal TOKEN-EARLY-BIRD tier. A while back, I lost an E-Bay auction for an “American Bar Association” medal for my Laura Gardin Fraser custom set. The biding had gone over $500 when I gave up. Shortly after that, I found another medal listed on E-Bay for a Buy-It-Now price of less than $100. The only caveat was that the seller thought the medal was a fake. I thought otherwise and quickly snapped it up. I was hoping for an MS-62 grade but figuratively did cartwheels when I got a fully authentic MS-64 grade.
    The other two medals are the silver “Society of Medalists #1” medal by Laura Gardin Fraser and the “Edmond H. Harriman Memorial Medal” by James Earle Fraser. Both of these medals I would have liked graded MS-67, but the “Society of Medalists” medal returned with a grade of MS-66. Incidentally, the “Society of Medalists” medal is a silver restrike of the bronze medal using the original dies, and it has a reported mintage of 125. Both these medals are now part of my Laura Gardin Fraser custom set.
    Overall, I couldn’t be happier, especially since there are no “details graded” coins and medals in the entire submission. Gary









  15. coinsbygary
    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 Bar Association medal from an E-Bay seller who thought it was a fake. Of course, I thought otherwise. Because the item was offered for hundreds of dollars less than I could otherwise purchase it, I decided to take a chance and buy it. At that, I finally sent it to NGC for authentication and grading. 
    If you’re like me, you are constantly checking on the status of your submissions. After the status changes to grading/quality control, the wait for finalized/imaged/shipped is almost unbearable. Then your status changes and NGC releases the grades. Now unless NGC is in the practice of encapsulating fakes, my medallion is authenticated with a grade of MS-64! 
    I trusted my gut on this, and after hoping for a grade of MS-62, its time for “happy dance!” Presently, other of my coins and medals are waiting on grading. For now, I’m sitting on the edge of my seat, anticipating more good news. Below is the write up of this medallion for my Laura Gardin Fraser custom set. 
    Every year since 1929, The American Bar Association awards this medallion designed by Laura Gardin Fraser for "Exceptionally distinguished service by a lawyer or lawyers to the cause of American jurisprudence." This medallion is an unawarded 75mm example of the ABA medallion struck in gilded bronze. From the reverse picture, it appears as if the gilt did not uniformly take. This medallion is also struck in two sizes 100mm and 75mm, of which the 100mm is scarcer. It's struck in bronze, 24k and 14k gold, and gilt bronze. 
    The obverse features a bust of Chief Justice John Marshall (chief justice of the supreme court between 1801-1835). The motto "TO THE END IT MAY BE A GOVERNMENT OF LAWS AND NOT OF MEN" is contained in the Massachusetts Bill of Rights and written by John Adams. The reverse features a seated image of Justitia holding a scale in her right hand and a downward pointing sheathed sword with her left. Laura Gardin Fraser's monogram appears below Justitia. Gary

  16. coinsbygary
    There are some things I don’t particularly care to do. When it comes to those things, I usually procrastinate getting them done. Preparing submission forms to send coins and medals to NGC for grading is something I always procrastinate. I just don’t like itemizing the submission form, looking up the market value, separating my medals from my coins, modern vs. classic, etc. Then packing them up and running to the post office is such a pain in the neck. Well, today I finally said, “This is the day” and I grabbed the first item to be submitted.
    The first item in my submission is a 55mm 1876 William Barber classic, Centennial Medal struck in white metal. Since I just recently finished experimenting with my lighting, I thought, “Why not try a few of those new techniques on this medal.” Well, that’s all it took to successfully kick the submission can down the road a little farther!
    The first set of pictures was so-so in that they did not significantly improve on the pictures I already had. Then I had the hair-brained idea to try something that I typically have a hard time getting just right to see if I might get lucky. Why not? After all, the alternative was to get back to work on that submission. Besides, the best time to take pictures of coins is in their raw state and this would be my last crack at it. This medal though not classified as a proof has mirrored fields. Why not try to see if I could get the full effect of those mirrors in my picture?
    The best possible placement for lighting is perpendicular to the object you are photographing. As you can see with my set-up, that is kind of hard to do given that the camera is in the way. There are two workarounds that are quite effective in redirecting the light to simulate a perpendicular lighting source. The first is axial lighting as described in Mark Goodman’s excellent book on coin photography entitled, “Numismatic Photography.” The second is to tilt the coin towards the lighting source. I chose the second as the easiest thing to do.
    The tricky part in this is to minimize the reflections and there WILL be reflections. Now I used a soft cloth to tilt this medal toward the lighting source about four degrees. Then I tried my best to position the reflections to a place on the medal where they are not distracting. On the obverse, the reflection was under the date 1876. On the reverse, it was in the middle of the 13 radiating stars! Perfect, I thought, because the reflection made the center of the stars look like the sun!
    Now when you tilt a coin relative to the camera you will run into issues with focusing the camera and distorting the shape of the medal. Because of the tilt, the camera will see the round medal as slightly oval. To improve the focus, I moved the camera farther away from the subject effectively making the image smaller relative to the frame. Then I corrected the oval camera distortion using Photoshop Elements 2019. Please notice the picture on the back cover of Mark Goodman’s book showing the coin tilted towards the light to see that his set-up is similar to mine. Now I use lights on both sides of the medal but since the medal is tilted towards the one, it is tilted away from the other. Thus, the lamp tilted away has little or no effect on the picture.
    I am posting two pictures of my medal. The one that has darker fields is a picture showing the medal perpendicular to the camera. The other one with the lit-up fields is a picture showing the medal perpendicular to the lighting source.
    I just had to post this! Now back to my submission? Nah, but I will get to it soon unless I run into more distractions! Gary




  17. coinsbygary
    It’s been a long time since I've written an original blog here. It's not that I didn't have anything new to say but that I've had other responsibilities and distractions getting in the way. However, behind the scenes, I have been accumulating bits and pieces of news about my Laura Gardin Fraser collection.
    The first big bit of news came to me in the form of an e-mail from my LGF go-to guy. It seems that my friend is moving and wanted to lighten his load. Then as I read further into the body of the e-mail, he went on to offer me ALL his research on Laura Gardin Fraser. I about fell off my chair. Are you kidding? Of course, I want it!
    Not long after that, the research arrived in the mail. It included several old editions of the National Geographic magazine featuring medals that LGF designed for them. On top of that, there were two large folders containing newspaper clippings, quotes, emails and other records that will prove invaluable to my research. Over the years, he has been very generous about sharing information with me and he is a good friend. I finally met him in person one year at the Central States show and took him out dinner. Now he has dinner for life anytime our paths cross again!
    The American Bar Association awards a Laura Gardin Fraser designed medal every year for, "Exceptionally distinguished service by a lawyer or lawyers to the cause of American jurisprudence." Awarded versions of this medal are next to impossible to come by and very expensive when available. I have several different Ebay searches set up and an unawarded version of this medal became available early in January.
    This medal is a gilded bronze version of the ABA gold medal. From the picture, it appears that the gilt did not uniformly take on the medal. I believe that this caused the seller to call this medal a fake in his description. My first thought was who would strike a 73mm medal that would have been more expensive to produce than the price the seller was asking? I ran this through my LGF go-to friend and he didn't think it was a fake either. With practically nothing to lose, I bought it for significantly less than I could expect to pay for an awarded medal. Now I'm going to submit this medal to NGC for authentication at some point in the near future.
    Next, for several months I've been tracking a 1970's silver restrike of Laura Gardin Fraser's 1930 inaugural issue of the Society of Medalists medallion on Ebay. Of a maximum mintage of 700, the 72mm, 7 ¼ ounces .999 silver medallion has a reported mintage of only 125. The listing for the medallion was a buy it now that I have seen go for less in other auctions.
    Finally, the seller sent me an offer to buy it for less than the BIN asking price. Even so, the medallion was still listed for more than I wanted to pay. However, he had the "make an offer" button highlighted and I sent him a fair offer. For several days he had not replied and I thought the offer expired. That was until I found an invoice for the medallion in my inbox and it was a sale.
    This all brings me to the last bit of news and the reason for the title of this blog. Recently I received an e-mail from so-called dollar dealer Jeff Shevlin about an item I had on his watchlist. In an effort to update his list, he wanted to know if I still wanted the so-called dollar he had for me on his watchlist. I replied that I already had the piece in question and that he should take it off the list.
    Just for curiosities sake I went through his inventory to see if he had anything else of interest and I found a medal commemorating the centennial of Oregon statehood. Interestingly, the reverse of that medal is a variation of the Conestoga Wagon obverse (US Mint definition) on the Oregon Trail Memorial Half-Dollar. Since this medal is related to my collection, I bought it.
    Naturally, the first thing I did was to research the medal I just bought and found a publication describing it on the Newman Numismatic Portal. Additionally, I found it has a mintage of 5000. My new 1959 gilded so-called dollar is also graded by NGC at MS-67. Besides James Earle Fraser's Society of Medalists 1952 issue #45 and a 1998 ANA convention medal I had not known of any other use of the Oregon Trail Conestoga wagon on other numismatic medals. That was until I found the medal I am writing about and another 2009 medal of the Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association for the spring ANA National Money Show in Portland.
    Now I will have to collect all the medals I am still missing, the 2009 PNNA medal and the 1998 107th ANA convention medal. To sum it up, so far according to my count there are four medallic variations on the Oregon Trail Memorial Half-Dollar. It would appear that good designs never go away but keep coming back for more.
    The links below are to the 1998 ANA convention medal from The Numismatist and the other is an article about my new purchase from the Newman Numismatic Portal. The pictures of the 1998 and 2009 medals are screenshots of the medals I do not own. Gary
    https://reader.exacteditions.com/issues/44218/spread/85
    https://archive.org/details/PNNAnews2013Q2/page/n9/mode/2up






  18. coinsbygary
    Last month I received a notice that the bank I stored my coins at was closing and I had until February 4th to vacate my safe deposit boxes. Fortunately, I was able to rent another box close by and for cheaper than the boxes I had. Having secured a new and bigger box, the next step was to transport the coins to the new location.
    I was very uncomfortable transporting my coins from one location to the other and in particular standing at the teller window with my coins in a shoebox waiting to close out the old safe deposit boxes. You see, my bank had the misfortune of being held up last year and I did not want something like that to happen with thousands of dollars' worth of coins in my hand. Fortunately, both the clearing of the old boxes and the transfer to the new box went off without a hitch.
    That said, moving my collection did present a wonderful opportunity to reimage many of my coins. This meant that coins which haven't seen the light of day in years could now be easily reimaged to reflect the refining of my photography skills.
    Now, instead of driving from one bank to the next I made a detour home for pictures. To tell the truth, it sure felt good to hold these coins in my hands again after not looking at some of them for years. Now I like the security of a safe deposit box but if I want to easily view my coins, I will need to buy a home safe.
    After reimaging and editing my coins I thought to organize all my pictures into power-point presentations mirroring my NGC registry sets. For instance, I started with my 1834-1933 gold type set minus the 1907 high-relief St. Gaudens double-eagle. All the coins in the presentation are organized according to the definition and order of my NGC registry set. Thus, when I decide to sell my set and pull it down from the registry, I will always have my former coins to look at assembled as a set. To tell the truth, this is all I  had with the online registry since all my gold coins are off-site and not all that easily accessed. So, if I have the pictures why do I need a home safe? All these are important questions we need to answer for ourselves as we assess what level of risk we are willing to live with.
    Oftentimes, when I get to thinking one thing leads to another and I began to think about eventually dissolving my entire collection before I pass away so as not to leave my wife and kids with that responsibility. Don't worry, reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated.
    What got me thinking this way is that my wife and kids have no interest in collecting coins. Thus, I think it is unfair to leave the liquidation of my collection to them when I am much more knowledgeable in the buying and selling of coins. Another point to consider is that who is more likely to get the most for the coins? I can't rationalize around that one, it's me.
    None of this is going to happen anytime soon as I am still actively collecting but at a much slower rate. Still, it is good and necessary to have a plan in place to make this happen before I am bedridden or worse. For my wife and kids, I'll offer them any coin from my collection they want for sentimental reasons. The other coins will be offered to certain collectors who might be eying my coins for their own collections. Otherwise, the low-cost coins will be handled through e-bay and the rest to a major auction house.
    In the meantime, I'll eventually have all my coins organized into power-point and word documents to enjoy for the rest of my life! Please enjoy this slide reimaged and made for my personal presentation! Gary.   

  19. coinsbygary
    Let me preface my post by stating that I was not interested in purchasing the recently sold out enhanced reverse proof ASE. That said, I think the finish on the ASE is exquisite. As such it is a remarkably beautiful coin that I would be proud to own. Still, ASE’s are not among the coins I regularly collect. 
    However, there are a few comparisons I’d like to make between the 2019-S enhanced reverse proof ASE and the British 2019 proof 5-pound “Great Engravers” two-ounce silver coin that I now own. But first, a few words concerning my newest acquisition.
    The first coin in the British “Great Engravers” series is modeled after William Wyon’s 1839 gold 5-pound, “Una and the Lion”. William Wyon is among the most talented engravers ever to live and his 1839 coin is one of the most sought after and beautiful coins in the world.
    The obverse of the 1839 5-pound gold coin features the 1838 young head bust of Queen Victoria. This bust continued to be featured on British coins until 1887. Queen Victoria herself was so enamored by this portrait that she is quoted as saying to William Wyon, “You always represent me favorably.” With that assessment, I couldn’t agree more. The 2019 coin features a bust of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Jody Clark 
    The allegorical reverse of this coin remastered from an original die features Una representing Queen Victoria and the Lion representing England. With her scepter, Queen Victoria is shown leading her country. The Latin legend reads, “May God Direct My Steps.” Of this design Richard Sainthill (1787-1870), a prominent antiquarian and coin collector says the following: “The design, expressive though simple, and the quietness and effect of the figure of her Majesty, of the lion, and of the draperies, have never, in my opinion, been excelled. The perfect portrait of the Queen in Una and on so reduced a scale, is truly astonishing and captivating.” Again, it is hard to disagree with this assessment. 
    Now for my comparisons between this coin and the 2019-S enhanced reverse proof ASE. The comparison starts with my coin weighing twice as much as the ASE. My coin measures 40mm in diameter and weighs 62.42 grams with a silver content of .999 fine silver. This makes my coin much thicker than a standard ASE which in my opinion allows for a slightly higher relief. My COA has a low serial number of 0158. My coin has a mintage that is 1/10th that of the 2019-S ASE (3000 coins). Most importantly, I purchased my coin for about 1/10th of what I could currently expect to pay if I bought a certified reverse proof 70 ASE. 
    To be completely fair I am a little biased because “Una and the Lion” is one of my favorite coin designs. Still, I hope that those fortunate enough to get the 2019-S ASE are as happy with their purchases as I am with mine. Gary  

  20. coinsbygary

    How Did I Get Here?

    By coinsbygary,

    Numismatics has always been an obsession with me. It’s either all in or all out. While I have been able to maintain an even keel on almost all my sets, it has not been easy as she goes with my new custom set, “The Beginning, Dependability, and End of the Spanish Peseta.”
    This year most of my custom sets have seen some activity including my Inspirational Ladies set with a new French coin commemorating Joan of Arc and a Fantasy Crown featuring, “The Three Graces.” All my sets have had aesthetic upgrades meaning new and reformatted pictures. Having more time to spend on coins is one of the benefits of being retired. Other big purchases this year have included the Apollo 11 commemoratives less the gold coin and two upgrades to my 7070 type-set. The most recent addition to my type-set just this week is a PCGS MS-64 1906 Barber Quarter with a green bean. 
    Trying to keep a promise to my wife, I have sold some of my doubles this year to buy the aforementioned coins. Interestingly, I have been pretty successful in keeping our household budget spreadsheet balanced. However, starting a new and unexpected set has sent me catapulting off into obsession oblivion! Thus, I think there should be a danger label with all coin sales, “Danger, Buying Coins Maybe Detrimental to Your Budget.” 
    All this begs to question, “How did I get here, and why the Spanish Peseta?” To get those answers, I need to go all the way back to 2013 and my seated imagery set. It was then that I discovered coins featuring Hispania in a seated position on the 1870 Spanish Provisional Government coins. While I only needed one of the copper coins and one of the silver coins, I thought it would be nice to collect them all. Today I only lack the two scarcest silver coins.
    I have held all these coins over the years without having the bulk of them entered into either a custom set or a registry set. As far as the registry set, none currently exists for these coins. That was until I sent an e-mail to NGC asking for a set a few weeks ago. NGC has responded and shortly there will be a set for my set-less Spanish Provisional Government coins. 
    Up until last September I couldn’t imagine myself being here today having completed a nice 16 coin Spanish peseta set complete with write-ups totaling over 10,000 words. That was until purely by chance I noticed an 1868 bronze 5-peseta pattern for auction on E-bay. I knew of these copper patterns and have always wanted one. As you all know, I won the auction, had it conserved, and graded at MS-63. This had the effect of striking a match in an oil refinery and I was off to the races.
    Now I had to have a so-called home for the Spanish Provisional Government coins in my collection and only intended for limited custom set of just those coins. That was until I was intrigued by the following paragraph on the Royal Spanish Mint’s website: “The currency is a faithful reflection of history. Within its small dimensions, all the coordinates of the moment in which it was coined are enclosed and are always an inexhaustible source of information. The aesthetic, political, religious conceptions and the economic situation of the people are indelibly reflected in these small metal discs. Therefore, the 134 years in which the peseta has spent in the economy of Spain have seen transcendental events happen in the conformation of what is now the life of the Spaniards. Kings, artists, and conquerors have passed through the hands of the citizens; The peseta has become a key piece of popular iconography: longed for, hated, idolized ... in short, the history of the peseta is, in large part, the history of Spanish men and women entering the modern world.”
    Wanting to capture the essence of that paragraph, I enthusiastically expanded my set and used the paragraph as a road-map for the write-ups. Having bought the coins I needed and read and re-read the many articles and pieces on Spanish history, I believe that I have met the set objective and now it is finished.
    There is another aspect about this set that is unlike any of my other custom sets and that is that I don’t have to buy any more coins for it. It is complete as a set. My other sets are more open-ended in that when I find a coin that meets the set objective, I add it, much like the coins for my Inspirational Ladies set. Of course, this means I’ll have to come down from my Spanish Peseta high. It is always nice to buy a lot of new coins. However, it’s a huge letdown when you’re done. I’m currently suffering from coin withdrawal. ):
    The following is a link to my completed custom set: https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=28027 
    Furthermore, I’m using a picture of my new Barber Quarter as my blog photo. Whew, now I can go out and blow leaves around   Gary

  21. coinsbygary
    A few months ago, I purchased a Spanish Provisional Government 1868 5-peseta copper pattern from an E-Bay seller in Argentina. The listing picture wasn't too good and it seemed like the pattern was a little suspect. Still, this piece is scarce and I have wanted one for quite some time. If I could get it on the cheap, all the better. With what I thought was a fair bid, I won the piece for about half what I could expect to pay for a certified piece.
    When the pattern arrived, I was very happy with it except that there were areas of the piece with a tarlike sticky residue. The residue was trapped in some of the crevices, lettering, and knife edges of the piece. I knew that I wanted it certified and I decided to submit it to NCS for review, conservation, and grading. 
    I got my 5-peseta pattern back last week, conserved and graded MS-63. According to the population report, there was one MS-62, one MS-63, and two MS-64's. Add mine to it and its two MS-63's! Looking at my pattern in the hand, the overall look didn't show significant change except that it looked a lot sharper. The tar was successfully removed from the legend making the letters look much sharper. The knife-edges of the rim were clean and sharp only leaving a lightly stained surface with no pitting or metal corrosion. The real change was in the mountain area of Hispania's left elbow. Some of the other offensive toning was subdued but not removed. NCS states that they cannot reverse or remove copper toning. 
    I offer this pictorial evidence of before and after conservation. The before photo of the mountains is slightly out of focus but it shows the most significant changes. The mountains and in particular Hispania's fingers are clean and much more detailed. The crevices are all clean and sharp. In the hand it makes a tremendous difference. What detail, like it just came off the dies! 
    There is one more thing that I found quite interesting. Sometimes when digital cameras have either lighting or surface anomalies issues they can't focus correctly on the subject. In this case, if you look closely in the center of the before mountain picture, there is horizontal detail where there should be vertical detail like the mountains of the after picture. 
    I have used NCS on several occasions and in some instances, I have not liked the results. Over time I have become better in selecting candidates for conservation. This piece was a no-brainer for me and I am delighted with the results. Gary





  22. coinsbygary
    When I research the coins in my collection I often pour through websites like “Numista” that list dates, mintages, and basic data about world coins. As I have previously posted, I am assembling a Spanish peseta collection. While I was going through the copper issues of the 1870 1, 2, 5, and 10-centimos coins I noticed some anomalies in the years these coins were minted. Interestingly, sometimes you learn more from the questions you ask than you do by the information you absorb. Below are some of the conclusions I drew that you just cannot read in a book. I love connecting the dots in history and drawing my own conclusions. Below are what I think is a compelling argument for my interpretation of history.
    The 1 and 2-centimos coins minted in 1870 would not be minted again until 1906 and 1904. However, the 1870 5 and 10-centimos coins were minted only seven years later in 1877. After 1879, they would not be minted again until 1937 and 1940. 
    Why is there such disparity in the minting of the aforementioned coins? The answer isn’t economic because there were sufficient coins circulating to meet public demand in 1877. Rather, I believe that they were minted in 1877 for political reasons.
    Since the ascension of Queen Isabella II to the throne of Spain in 1933, her reign and in particular her line of succession in the House of Bourbon was constantly disputed. The first pretender to the throne was Isabella’s uncle, Carlos V.
    Under the influence of Maria Christina, Isabella’s father King Ferdinand VII worked with the Cortes Generales (Spain’s parliament) to establish a family line of succession in place of the existing male-only line of succession (Pragmatic Sanction of 1830). Since Ferdinand had no sons Isabella II become queen upon his death and her mother Maria Christina became regent. 
    Snubbed by this change in the law, Carlos V would never become king. This led to the first Carlist War (1833-1840) to depose Isabella II and make Carlos V the King of Spain. Supported by France, the United Kingdom, and Portugal this insurgency by the Carlists was repelled. The Carlists as a political party survived well into the 20th century. 
    After the exile of Queen Isabella II to France, House of Savoy, Amadeo I was appointed King of Spain on November 16, 1870. With his appointment, the Carlists saw an opportunity to claim the throne of Spain albeit by force. Hence the Third Carlist War (1872-1876). After a failure to effectively govern, Amedeo I abdicated his claim to the throne on February 11, 1873. This triggered the founding of the First Republic of Spain. Unfortunately, anarchy prevailed until Isabella II’s son, Alfonso VII was appointed King of Spain on December 29, 1874. With broad public support, the Carlists were effectively quashed. 
    The Basque Country and Catalonia were Carlist strongholds. It is in these regions that in 1875 the Carlist pretender to the throne Carlos VII issued his own 5 and 10-centimos coins proclaiming himself the legitimate king of Spain. These coins were of the same size and composition as the 1870 Spanish Provisional Government coins. With a 5-centimos mintage of 50,000 and a 10-centimos mintage of 100,000 these coins effectively circulated with the already circulating Spanish Provisional Government coins. For the most part, they mostly circulated in the Basque Country. Most sources seem to agree that these coins were minted in Brussels. 
    Answering the claims of Carlos VII, Alfonso XII, reigning King of Spain oversaw the issuing of 5 and 10-centimos coins of his own. 1877-79 saw respectable mintages in the millions of both the 5 and 10-centimos coins. The reverse legends of both these coins read, “Constitutional King of Spain.” The obverse legends read, “Alfonso XII By the Grace of God.” Thus, these two coins left nothing to interpretation as to who was the legitimate king of Spain. Spain finally enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity leading up to the end of the 19th century. 
    While the legends on the Alfonso XII 5 and 10-centimos coins are standard legends used before the Glorious Revolution of 1868, it didn’t hurt to have Alfonso XII’s bust on millions of coins that everyone in Spain handled. To proclaim him the constitutionally appointed king on the face of the coin is the icing on the cake that Carlos VII could not claim.
    The following is the Numista link detailing the coins I have been referring to. https://en.numista.com/catalogue/espagne-27.html#c_espagne142
    So, do I have a case that will stand up in the courtroom of history? Gary.


  23. coinsbygary

    The Mighty Peseta

    By coinsbygary,

    Here I go again, just as I got started on a new collection with a narrow scope, things began to get out of hand and now I am now faced with a giant. Is there a cure for my collecting obsession? Do I want to be cured? Probably not and hence my dilemma as the scope and of necessity, the expense expands. Oh, how I love it!
    As I previously wrote I intended to start a new set based on the 1869-70 coins of the Spanish Provisional Government. I thought this would be easy because I already owned most of the coins. As I began researching my new collection it expanded to include the entire history of the peseta as I will summarize towards the end of this post.
    As of today, I don’t know why this topic captivates me but it does. Perhaps the key to knowing this is in how Spaniards view their own coinage. Consequently, the title of my new set has changed to, “The Birth and Durability of the Spanish Peseta.” I am posting a link to my new set with the coins I currently own plus an upgrade of the 1870(70) 5-Peseta and a new purchase of the 1869(69) 1-Peseta. Incidentally, the 1-Peseta will be the cornerstone coin of my new collection.
    https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetGallery.aspx?s=28027
    The 19th Century saw the decline of Spain as a world power. By the mid 1820’s Puerto Rico and Cuba were all that remained of Spain’s colonies in the America’s. And in Cuba a war for independence from Spain was looming (Ten Years’ War 1868-78). Much of Spain’s Queen Isabella II’s reign (1833-1868) was plagued by politically motivated uprisings and scandals. To make matters worse Queen Isabella II proved to be incompetent as a ruler. This all came to a head in 1868 with, “The Glorious Revolution” ending in the exile of Queen Isabella II to France.
    Following the revolution, a provisional government was put in place to restore order and form a new government. Many of the political reforms under consideration included financial reform. On October 19, 1868, Minister of Finance, Don Laureano Figuerola modernized Spain’s currency according to the standards set by the Latin Monetary Union. Gone were the escudos, pesos, reales, and maravedi’s of the past and in were the decimalized currency of pesetas and centimos, whereas 100 centimos equal 1 peseta.
    From 1868-2002 Spain has been governed under two republics, four monarchs, and a dictator as a result of a civil war. Through all this turmoil the peseta has survived for 134 years until 2002 when Spain adopted the euro as their national currency.
    Perhaps with all this history in mind is why the Royal Mint in Madrid, Spain posted the following concerning the sunsetting of the peseta in 2002 on their website. “The currency is a faithful reflection of history. Within its small dimensions all the coordinates of the moment in which it was coined are enclosed and is always an inexhaustible source of information. The aesthetic, political, religious conceptions and the economic situation of the people are indelibly reflected in these small metal discs. Therefore, the 134 years in which the peseta has spent in the economy of Spain have seen transcendental events happen in the conformation of what is now the life of the Spaniards. Kings, artists and conquerors have passed through the hands of the citizens; The peseta has become a key piece of popular iconography: longed for, hated, idolized ... in short, the history of the peseta is, in large part, the history of Spanish men and women entering the modern world.”
    With my post are some of the pictures of my most recent purchases. The first is a commemorative set issued at the sunsetting of the peseta featuring the original 1869-70 design. The other is an NGC MS-65 1869 one peseta coin. Gary.





  24. coinsbygary
    As a result of my Money Talks presentation at the Words Fair of Money I came into contact with Coin World writer Chris Bulfinch. Chris wanted to talk with me about an article he was working on concerning Laura Gardin Fraser. At the end of that conversation he asked me if I would be willing to do a podcast interview with him of which I was only too happy to do.
     
    Last week that interview was posted on Coin World's website as episode 027. After listening to the interview I think it went pretty well. The first 19 minutes of the podcast was dedicated to a conversation between the hosts of the podcast Chris Bulfinch and Jeff Starck. My interview then occupied the rest of the podcast which was almost 43 minutes in length.
     
    Finally I want to thank the ANA for putting me in touch with Chris who was unable to attend my Money Talks presentation but followed up to contact me through the ANA. This was a lot of fun for me and I am amazed by the people I have worked with and come into contact with over the years through my Laura Gardin Fraser collection. It is truly a privilege and a blessing to be involved with so many of the fine people associated with this hobby! Gary
     
    The following is a link to my podcast: https://www.coinworld.com/coinworld-podcast
  25. coinsbygary
    Since I am starting a new NGC Collectors Society custom set based on the Spanish Provisional Government coins of 1870, I thought to re-image all the coins in the set. It’s funny how when you give your coins another look that you notice new things about them. Or, is it that you haven’t looked in a long time and simply forgot. Either way its part of what makes this hobby fun for me.


     
    One of the coins I re-imaged is an NGC 1870 MS-65 Red 1 Centimo coin. This coin represents the lowest denominated copper coin of the series. It only weighs 1 gram and measures 15.5 mm in diameter. I was already fully aware of a couple of major die cracks and a few other smaller ones on the reverse of this coin. However, it only recently dawned on me that several of the marks in the field of the reverse were in fact die clash marks.


     
    Die clashes occur when the hammer die strikes an anvil die without a planchet in the collar and the dies leave their impressions on the opposite dies. The fields of the coin are typically incuse meaning that the fields on the die are relief. This is why the impression occurs in the fields because the devices on the die are incuse. Subsequently, that impression is transferred to every coin struck thereafter with that die pair. This can happen with any size dies but I have found it most prevalent on very small coins. Still, many of the Morgan Dollar VAMs are indeed die clashes. I have also found that the heaviest clash marks occur on the anvil die which is typically the coins reverse. That said I have a few coins with clash marks clearly visible on both sides of the coin.


     
    Having just noticed the clashing on my Spanish coin, I thought to do an overlay of the obverse on the reverse. There is a slight die rotation that you can see in my overlay picture. A side by comparison of my overlay and without overlay pictures clearly show how the clash marks line up with an outline of the main obverse device.


     
    In my pictures I have also pointed out a few of the major die cracks as if they needed pointing out. The other arrows point to the reverse clash marks. Maybe some of those cracks occurred as a result of the clashing. Interesting stuff to ponder. Gary