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coinsbygary

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Journal Entries posted by coinsbygary

  1. coinsbygary
    It has only been two short months since I returned from a short-term mission trip to Thailand. However, in that time I have been as busy as ever adding coins to my collection, and more specifically my 7070 type set.
    The highlight of my work year is the payout of my annual bonus the last payday in February. With my bonus I usually buy at least one high ticket coin for my collection. Of course my wife had other ideas on how to spend the money and consequently we will be getting a new couch.
    With some of the bonus money I bought an NGC MS-64+, 1857 obverse stars Seated Liberty Dime. This dime is well struck with full star lines. It has natural russet toning with patches of darker toning on the reverse. On the obverse there are areas of fine die-polish lines showing through as light golden toning to the left of the rock and around Lady Libertys head. Rounding out my description is either struck through grease or raised pocks from die corrosion on Lady Libertys left forearm.
    The next coin I bought on which I remarked in a previous post is a PCGS MS-63, 1855 CAC approved, slanted 55 Braided Hair Half-Cent. This coin has burgundy toning with a purple-blue hue on the reverse. The coin is well struck with nice eye appeal and few distracting marks.
    Next on my list is an extremely well struck large-cent that I will never tire of looking at it. That coin is an NGC MS-63, 1838 modified Matron Head Large-Cent. This coin has lovely chocolate-brown toning with patches of luster showing through the toning on both the obverse and reverse. A splash of darker toning on Lady Libertys cheek rounds out this very beautiful coin.
    Looking to spend my E-Bay bucks on an inexpensive coin for my Inspirational Ladies custom set, I bought an NGC MS-66, 1959 so-called 50-cent Heraldic Art Medal commemorating the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The two allegorical female images clasping hands across the seaway represent the friendship that exists between Canada and the United States. Soon I will be writing a more in-depth post on this piece.
    Last Friday, my wife and I had the opportunity to attend the Central States Numismatic Society show. The highlight of the show wasn't so much the beautiful olive-toned PCGS MS-63, 1851 N-2 Braided Hair Large-Cent I picked up, but the fellowship we enjoyed at the show.
    If you ever get a chance to visit a major coin show, by all means stop by the ANA's booth. There you will most likely find John and Nancy Wilson manning the booth. John and Nancy are a few of the most delightful and interesting people you will ever meet. Whenever my wife and I are at a show, we always make it a point to stop by and visit them. Life-long leaders in the numismatic community and married for more than 40 years, they are both still serving the numismatic community into their retirement years. In my estimation, the ANA could not have chosen two better ambassadors to represent them. Congratulations Nancy on your best of show exhibit of Santa Clause Obsolete Notes! Your award is well deserved!
    While we were talking with John and Nancy another person interjected himself into the conversation. This person looked awfully familiar to me but I just could not place the face. Finally, he was introduced to us as Walter Ostromecki, the president of the ANA, and all sorts of lightbulbs lit up! We spent a few minutes talking with Walter about the ANA in general, and more specifically about the ANAs new website. The conversation was light and good humored. At the suggestion of John and Nancy, Walter signed his editorial page in a recent edition of The Numismatist for us.
    Later in the day we caught up with Dave (Collectors Society user yankeejose). Dave and I spent a few enjoyable hours talking coins while my wife who was very gracious, got bored. At any rate my wife and I enjoyed looking through the displays.
    One display that stood out to us featured a Hmong necklace that was used as currency up until the 1980s. It seems the Hmong people traded silver by weight for goods and services. We both identified with this display since our sister church is Hmong. Furthermore, I visited a Hmong district when I traveled to Thailand. That display proved very interesting and it got our peoples choice votes! I talked to one of the judges about doing a display myself one day. Since some my virtual displays have been rewarded, it might be nice to get an award for a regular display.
    Trying to find the coins on my want list was more problematic though. Finding an affordable high-grade no-motto Seated Liberty Quarter (1856-1861) was apparently impossible. Same thing for a Braided Hair Large-Cent except for a smaller dealer who had several candidates. It was hard to choose, but I finally settled on the 1851 I made reference to earlier.
    That coin has dark, olive colored toning on the obverse. Libertys neck also seemed a little course and the dealer explained that this was likely due to struck-through grease. When I got home I discovered that this is very common for large cents of this date. The reverse has lighter colored olive toning with a substantial amount of red coming through. Both the obverse and reverse have nice luster underneath the toning.
    In summary, I will have to slow down a bit (yeah, I said that before) but the last two months have been a lot of fun with the CSNS show just the icing on the cake!
    Gary

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  2. coinsbygary
    A very attractive 1855 MS-63 BN half-cent has found a home in my collection.
    The NGC Collectors Society Dansco 7070 Type Set has slots for the Draped Bust Half-Cent (1800-1808), the Classic Head Half-Cent (1809-1835), and the Coronet Half-Cent (1849-1857). Since I already own the Draped Bust and Classic Head Half-Cents, all I needed was the Coronet Half-Cent to complete my set. That was until yesterday when the piece pictured in this post arrived in the mail. With the half-cent portion of my collection complete I intend to focus on nice large cents for my collection.
    Gary

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  3. coinsbygary
    ...Finally after more than 40 years, a youthful fascination becomes reality.
    As long as I can remember, I have been interested in numismatics. Working odd jobs as a youth I recall spending a large portion of my paycheck on coins. Some of those coins I still own today. I also enjoyed reading about my hobby in Coins Magazine.
    I loved that magazine and I couldnt wait until the next months edition arrived in the mail. I often read it from cover to cover. As a youth, I discovered that reading is the gateway to passion and I began to dream of the coins I wanted to collect. Some of those dreams I realized, while others I have not. For instance, I still dont own a Stella... sigh... oh well.
    Unfortunately, time is beginning to erode much of what I read from those old issues of Coins Magazine now some forty-plus years later. However, of all the articles I read, one article still stands out. That article featured the National Currency banknotes from the banks John Dillinger robbed during his yearlong crime spree in 1933 and 34.
    What a neat idea for a currency collection! This article had everything! It featured one of the most notorious mobsters of all time in John Dillinger and it was regional to the Midwest where I grew up. Incidentally, one of the banks John Dillinger robbed was in my home state of Wisconsin. However, the coolest aspect of all was that the article featured small-size National Currency of the type circulating in 1933 and 34. Additionally, this article also represents the first time I had learned of currency with the name of the bank and its charter number printed right on the note! Furthermore, this single aspect makes it possible to trace the currency to the point in time and specific banks John Dillinger robbed. This got me to thinking that I might like to own select National Currency banknotes and a dream was born.
    As with most dreams, unless you think about them on a daily basis, you will likely need a catalyst to re-ignite them at a future date. My National Currency catalyst came in the form of an e-mail for a recent Heritage currency auction highlighting a PCGS choice-63 PPQ (premium paper quality) National Currency twenty-dollar banknote from my home state capital of Madison, Wisconsin. At first I thought anything featured in Heritages e-mail would certainly be too expensive for me to bid, but curiosity led me to click on the link anyway. To my surprise, I found that the Heritage listing was well within my reach and I placed an internet bid near the upper end of Heritages estimated value. This placed me as the high bidder for the lot.
    Since a live auction followed the internet auction, I looked for alternatives should I lose my primary lot. To my delight, I found a five-dollar note from my boyhood stomping grounds of Sheboygan, Wisconsin! Furthermore, this lot came up for auction after the Madison note meaning I would have already known that I had lost the Madison note. Therefore, rather than place an internet bid on the Sheboygan banknote, I decided to wait for the live auction to place my bid.
    On the night of the live auction I anxiously waited to see if my bid for the Madison note would be challenged and to my surprise there were no additional bids on the lot. As a result, I won this lot for less than Heritage's estimated value! Since I had never participated in Heritage's live auction up to this date, I thought why not go for the Sheboygan banknote?
    Unlike the twenty, the five had fierce competition. However, I was determined to win this lot as my competitive adrenaline, compelled by my dream of owning National Currency banknotes began to flow. In the end I had the high bid and won the lot with a final hammer plus buyers premium about twelve dollars higher than Heritages value estimate.
    As an aside, the live auction felt very much like a real auction and this is by design to drive up the final hammer. Thus, it is vital that you know how much you want to spend and stick with it. If you let the emotion of moment capture you, you will more often than not spend too much money. This could have been especially dangerous for me since I am not as well versed on the paper money side of numismatics. Ultimately, I did not spend a lot of money and my first internet live auction was a lot of fun and a good learning experience. Therefore, notch up another boyhood dream realized.
    As an extra bonus, the Madison banknote is a type 1, while the Sheboygan banknote is a type 2. Type 1 banknotes have the banks charter number printed in black on both the right and left sides of the obverse. Variety 2 banknotes in addition to having the charter number on both sides, adds it to the banknotes serial number. I think this is what drove the cost of the five dollar note up to within forty dollars of the twenty.
    Now I will eventually have to add Baltimore for my kids and Bremerton, Washington for my wife. Furthermore, I will have to get the five dollar banknote graded with a few other odd notes I own. Interestingly, while NGC allows PCGS coins into their registry, they only allow NGC graded notes into their paper money registry.
    Now if anyone can help me, Id like to locate the Coins Magazine article I read as a young boy. The best I can tell is that it was published sometime between 1970 and 1976 and most likely between 1973 and 1974. Otherwise, I'll have to call Krause. Please forgive me for posting a banknote journal on the coins side of Collectors Society, but I am first and foremost a coin collector! Remember, whatever you like to collect, happy collecting!
    Gary

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  4. coinsbygary
    ...Or is it rather in the skill of the photographer.
    About two years ago, I spent a goodly sum of money to upgrade my photography equipment. If they say replication is the highest form of flattery, then Brandon of BRG Collection fame has spent a lot of time blushing. That being since he has helped countless persons, including myself, to take higher quality pictures of their coins. Now I dont quite consider myself in his league, but in two years time I have come a long way and I have the pictures to prove it.
    When I bought my current set-up it was basically the same equipment Brandon uses to take his pictures, the same bellows, lens, and a comparable camera in the Nikon D3100 (Brandon uses a Cannon). Additionally, I have the same Jansjo LEDs that he uses with the exception that I also use daylight lamps. Now one might think, same set-up equals same quality. Well the real truth is that while my pictures were better, they were no-where near the quality of his or even my own pictures now two years later. So what gives?
    Well in two years of trial and error and thousands of pictures the key is in the skill of the photographer. This skill is especially apparent in the way the photographer sets up his lighting. I hate to say that lighting is everything, but lighting is everything. The equipment you use can be of lower quality IF you have good lighting. Through trial and error I learned how to take pictures of different coins minted with different metals and differing surface conditions.
    Furthermore, macro photography magnifies and sharpens the finest of a coins detail allowing the luster and die polish to pop. When I learned how to take good macro pictures, my pictures improved accordingly. Still this took lots of trial end error to get me to the point I am today.
    At any rate two years ago, I photographed an 1853 arrows and rays quarter dollar for my Dansco 7070 Type Set. That quarter with a crusty surface was certified XF-40 by PCGS. In other words, the coin has very little eye appeal in the hand. The pictures I took two years ago with my current equipment were better than my previous attempts, but the photographs were still un-appealing.
    Now fast forward two years and Im working towards re-imaging all my coins and I got to my 1853 quarter and nailed it. I even made the crustiness look attractive in this attempt. Notice the sharpness of the coins surface details when compared to the original picture. I had considered upgrading this coin but now I like it so much that I may not do it.
    Now Im not trying to improve the appearance of the coin with editing tricks but I do want to accurately accentuate all the coin's features. I feel that this attempt is the last re-do for this coin.
    In summary, Im not saying that I have arrived, but that in two years I have made significant progress in honing my macro photography skills. I am attaching the new photograph to this post and Im going to post the old one in the thread. Like anything a person wants to be good at, it takes time and practice.
    Gary

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  5. coinsbygary

    I Feel Your Pain

    By coinsbygary,

    Jackson I'm sorry about the loss of that very attractive 1947-D Walker, I know how you feel. I just recently fell prey to the "snooze ya loose" syndrome.
    I was eying an AU-53 1830 large cent for my type collection on a dealer's web site. The coin had great surfaces, a very strong strike, and for the life of me, I couldn't identify the rub that warranted an AU-53 grade. There was one draw back though and I hesitated. Asking for clarification to a small mark on the coins obverse I sent an e-mail to the dealer and before I knew it, the coin was gone.
    Really nice early coppers are hard to come by and I have been perusing hundreds of listings looking for just the right coin at a price I could afford. At any rate I'm still on the prowl, and kicking myself for letting that coin go.
    Shortly, thereafter I was looking through some e-bay listings for a bust half-cent to add to my type collection. I soon stumbled upon an XF-45 1806 half-cent with really crummy listing pictures. I put the coin on my watch list anyways and waited. Before the end of the listing, the seller put the coin on sale and with my e-bay bucks, I got it for a really nice price. The carrot that enticed me to take a chance on this coin was the sale.
    When the coin arrived I found that the coin looked very nice in hand with a strong strike and very little wear for an XF graded coin. However, when I went to photograph the coin I noticed all the little warts that circulated early coppers can have. Macro photography has one drawback and its that it catches everything on the coin's surface without discrimination!
    Well it didn't take me to long to get over those warts and I really fell in love with my coin! This coin on the heels of missing another coin made me at least temporally forget about the one I missed. Now I only think about it when I look for it's replacement!
    Oh, by the way, shortly after I bought the half-cent I discovered that the coin was recently auctioned by Stacks-Bowers. To my delight, I found that with the e-bay bucks I got the coin for less than the Stack-Bowers final hammer!
    Jackson, I know this one hurts but the perfect prescription to ease your heartache and disappointment is the next pristine coin that doesn't get away! I found my half-cent the perfect prescription for my loss!
    Gary

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  6. coinsbygary
    For several months I had been toying with the idea of buying a Morgan Dollar coin clock offered by a seller named CoinClocks. Just recently, I finally broke down and pulled the trigger on it.
    As a collector of Morgan Dollars and an admirer of the design, I was naturally drawn to this clock that features the obverse of the coin as its face. Furthermore, this clock has an "Old West" look and feel to it much as the coin did 122+ years ago. (The date on the clock is 1893). Encircling the image of "Lady Liberty" are the cities in which the Morgan Dollar was minted with Carson City, the symbol of the old west, prominently on top.
    The reason it took me so long to buy the clock was that it isn't a coin, it just looks like one. Furthermore, my regular coin purchases have been somewhat sparse the last couple of months because of a tight Christmas budget and the final payment for my trip to Thailand later this month coming due in December. Since I couldn't buy all the coins I had been spying out, I certainly wasn't going to buy a clock. Now with Christmas out of the way and any new coin purchases waiting on my annual bonus, I decided the time was right to buy the clock.
    When my clock arrived, I was surprised at how big eighteen inches is. With this clock hanging on the wall, it is easily visible from anywhere in the room. The clock is also heavy and I found that I needed a heavy duty wall anchor to hang the clock. This clock has darker coloring and as a result I'm going to have to adjust the lighting in the room to fully bring out its features. It's almost like I'm buying the clock and re-modeling the room around it! Good thing my wife likes it! The new couch she has been wanting me to buy with my annual bonus will have to match the clock!
    Aside from all this CoinClocks has been an excellent person to deal with. The hardest part in the transaction was waiting for my clock to arrive since CoinClocks custom made my clock upon my order. He is also very good at his craft and I heartily recommend him. If you don't like Morgans, no problem, he can craft a clock from most any coin you choose! If you are interested in a clock for yourself or just want to look, please PM me and I'll be happy to pass the information I have along to you.
    Gary

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  7. coinsbygary
    Yes, I was finally able to rid my 7070 Type set of no-grades with three coins totaling 9 cents in face value. Those coins are an Eric P Newman pedigreed 1859 AU-58 Indian Head Cent, an 1853 MS-62 half-dime with arrows, and a 1861 MS-64 silver three-cent piece.
    For the better part of 2014, my 7070 typeset has been the primary focus of my new coin purchases. Of the 13 coins I purchased, there are seven new coins, two upgrades, and four details upgrades. Of course I made other purchases of note in 2014, but my passion has been for my typeset.
    Towards the end of last year, I decided to focus on buying quality coins in the highest grade I could reasonably afford. For instance, if all I could afford was a VF, I would set my sights on what I believed was a VF with nice eye appeal for the grade. Next, if I was going to buy attractive coins, it made no sense to display them with crummy pictures. Consequently, I set about to re-image most of my coins.
    At first, my plan was to complete the set, then go back and upgrade the no-grade coins. As a result, I purchased seven new coins for my set including a 1998-S SP-69 Kennedy Half-Dollar and an 1876 PF-62 CAMEO quarter-dollar. However, before long I just could not stand having three no-grades left to upgrade.
    At that, my priority shifted from completing the set to getting rid of the no-grades before moving on. Therefore, just last week I purchased the remaining nine cents in three separate purchases. Two of the coins I purchased were from e-bay sellers and the other from Heritage.
    In addition to coins with eye appeal, I try to look for coins with something unique. I found that extra something in an 1859 AU-58 CAC Indian Head Cent in that it is pedigreed to Edwin P Newman. Although I was looking for a coin in the MS-62 range, I thought this coin with a strong AU-58 grade gave me just about everything I would want in an MS-62.
    Recently, I was debating on whether to go with a lower grade 1851-O silver three-cent piece or a higher-grade type coin. I posed this question to NGC Collectors Society user RichH who collects silver three-cent pieces. He suggested that while the 1851-O is appealing, that I should go with a higher-grade coin. The two dates he suggested were 1861 and 1862 for their string strikes. With that, I bought an 1861 MS-64 silver three-cent piece that is just dripping with luster. Now what about that something unique, well I found it in the coins date as the year the Civil War began.
    Thank you Rich for your insightful advice, I now own a very attractive three-cent piece that I am never going to have to upgrade. A short time ago NGC Collectors Society user Jackson opined in a journal posting that he bought a coin, Just Because. I may yet buy that 1851-O silver three-cent piece Just Because.
    The last coin of the three is an 1853 MS-62 half-dime with arrows. Though I did not find this coin as attractive as the others, it displays clash marks that I have never seen before.
    Half-dimes are notorious for clashing but what makes this coin different is the tripling of the reverse bow around Libertys head. Perplexed at how this might occur, I posted the coin on the boards to see if someone could explain this. The answer seems to be that the dies rotated during subsequent clashings. Curiously, doubling from the obverse die also appears on the reverse.
    The last two coins are regular upgrades of existing coins. The first coin was a small-date 1837 AU-55 no-stars half-dime. In this coin, I have attractive toning, a strong strike with no distracting surface marks, and the original Gobrecht design without having to buy the very pricey dollar. In other words, this coin has everything.
    For one reason or another, I have found very few attractive Seated Liberty Dollars so you can imagine my excitement when I found that Just Right upgrade. That coin is an 1860-O XF-45 no-motto Seated Liberty Dollar with even toning and wear, and no distracting marks except for what appears to be a strike-through on the reverse.
    Next year my focus for this set will be early coppers. I expect that many of them will be no better than VF. The challenge then is to find coins with clean surfaces and an even strike. That will be a tall order, but I am up to it if I get coins I will never have to upgrade!
    Gary

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  8. coinsbygary

    Worth the Wait

    By coinsbygary,

    My most recent acquisition is worth the wait. Especially sweet is that I could of bought a nice example of this same coin at any time during the last eight or nine months.
    I have an interest in collecting the entire series of 1870 Spanish Provisional Government coins. The copper coins come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, and 10 Centimos. The silver coins come in denominations of 50 Centimos, 1, 2, and 5 Pesetas. There is also a gold 100 pesetas that is very rare. Needless to say I probably wont be adding that coin to my collection.
     
     
     
     
     
    I have been spying out a nice MS-64 BN example of the 1 Centimo on E-Bay for quite some time. Interestingly, the seller advertised this coin as a former Heritage coin, so I looked it up. What I discovered was that the starting bid for the coin was twice the cost of the coin on Heritage. With that I placed the coin on my watch list and waited for the seller to lower the starting bid.
     
     
     
     
     
    The seller of the MS-64 coin kept re-listing the coin at the same starting bid for eight or nine months. Finally, last Sunday evening another seller listed a MS-65 RB example of the the 1 Centimo as a true auction and I set up a snip at 1 dollar higher than the MS-64 coin. When the hammer went down Sunday evening, I was delighted to own a nicer coin at $25 less than the starting bid of the MS-64 example.
     
     
     
     
     
    As a series these coins are very difficult to find in MS condition. However, they are much easier to find in lower circulated grades. Of many millions minted, NGC only grades 27 mint-state coins in BN, RB,and RD and there are only two MS-66 RD coins that are higher graded than mine.
     
     
     
     
     
    For the series I currently own this coin, the 10 Centimo in MS-64 BN, the 2 Peseta in AU-53, and the 5 Peseta in XF-40. Incidentally, I am watching a AU-55 example of the 5 Peseta on eBay in which the seller wants more than $700.00. Needless to say I will keep my XF-40 piece, thank-you very much!
     
     
     
     
     
    Gary

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  9. coinsbygary

    An Unlikely Purchase

    By coinsbygary,

    My latest NEWP is an XF-45 1860-O Seated Liberty Dollar to upgrade a VF-35 1842 dollar from my collection.
    What makes this purchase unlikely is that I was not looking to add a new Seated Liberty Dollar to my collection nor was I looking to upgrade the one that I currently own. However, while I was browsing a dealers listing looking for other coins, this coin kind of swept me away.
     
     
     
    What struck me about this coin was its clean original surfaces, the boldness of its devices, and light even wear which seems more consistent with an AU-50 grade than an XF-45 grade. Additionally, you wouldnt think there was much difference between VF-35 and XF-45, but these two coins clearly show otherwise.
     
     
     
    There is one problem with my new coin though and its a small gouge on the reverse, do any of you have an idea as to what would have caused it? I am posting a picture of the new coin, a blow-up of the gouge, and a picture of the old coin on the chat board in which you can clearly see how much better the new coin is. Over time, I have looked through a lot of Seated Liberty Dollars and I can tell you that there really arent that many nice circulated examples out there. Since I dont need two No Motto Seated Liberty Dollars for my 7070 type set, Ill probably be selling the old coin later this fall.
     
     
     
    Did you know that casually perusing coin listings can be hazardous to your wallet? Oh well, at least the old coin will subsidize the new one and Ill be left with a better coin for my type set. Gary

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  10. coinsbygary
    The Coin of the Month for August 2014 (Volume 3, Number 12) is an NGC MS-62, 1846 Bavarian 2 Thaler commemorating the completion of Ludwigs Canal connecting the Main and Danube Rivers.
    This coin (KM #822) with an unknown mintage is 38mm in diameter and weighs 37.12 grams. It has a silver fineness of .900 with an ASW of 1.0740 oz. The edge inscription signifies a monetary equivalency of 3 ½ Guldens (Drey-Einhalb Gulden) and a weight of 1/7 fine silver Cologne Mark (**VII E F M**). The Cologne Mark is a unit of weight equivalent to 233.856 grams or 3600 grains (480 grains/troy ounce). This coins engraver is Carl Friedrich Voight.
     
     
     
    The first attempt to build a canal joining the Main and Danube Rivers dates back to 793 AD. The main objective of the canal was to create a navigable waterway between the North and Black Seas. Due to bad weather and unfavorable soil conditions, this work was never completed.
     
     
     
    Under Ludwig I, King of Bavaria, construction of a new 172-kilometer canal between Kelheim and Bamberg began in 1836. After 10 years, work on the canal was finally complete and Ludwigs Canal opened to commercial traffic in 1846.
     
     
     
    With the advent of the railroad, commercial traffic on the canal began to decline. Eventually, having suffered the effects of declining use, neglect, and war damage the canal closed in 1950. Today only 60-kilometers of the waterway remains and much of that has been converted into a scenic bike trail.
     
     
     
    For a long time I have wanted to post this coin as the Coin of the Month. However, information on this coin is sparse and I have had trouble identifying the images on the coins reverse. At first, I thought the images might be that of Hercules and Bavaria. Then again, other imagery on the coin seems to suggest that they are representative images of the Main and Danube Rivers. Then I figured the female image holding the rudder represents the Main River and the male image holding the paddle, the Danube. Today I found out that I was wrong on all counts.
     
     
     
    Since information on the coin itself is sparse, I decided to research the canal instead. Today, I located a picture of a monument using imagery similar to that of my coin. That monument commemorating Ludwigs Canal is located north of Erlangen on Castle Hill. Additionally, this was the site of the canals dedication on July 15, 1846. Subsequently, after a few more Google searches I discovered the key to deciphering my coins imagery and my search was over!
     
     
     
    The female image on the reverse is Danubia, the personification of the Danube River. The male image is Moenus the river god of the Main (Moenus is the Latin word for Main). Both images are wearing a laurel crown indicating successful completion of the canal. Danubia and Moenus are shaking each other's hand signifying the completion of the canal by joining the Main and Danube Rivers. In their left hands, Danubia is holding a rudder and Moenus is holding a paddle suggesting that the newly completed canal is a navigable waterway.
     
     
     
    Danubia and Moenus appear sitting on jars of pouring water. This imagery implies that they are representative figures of their respective rivers. The joining of the poured waters may symbolize the North Sea of the Main River connecting to the Black Sea of the Danube River and becoming one. The obverse of the coin features a right facing bust of King Ludwig I of Bavaria.
     
     
     
    PCGS has a total population of only four of these coins, one MS-65, one MS-62, one AU-58, and one AU-50. NGC has a total population of three coins, two MS-62s and an AU-58. A NumisMaster value of $950 for this coin in MS-63 condition and low populations from both major third-party graders suggest that this coin is rare. Conservatively, my guess is that there are less than one hundred of these coins left today. This leads me to believe that these coins were handed out, and/or sold at the canals dedication and not minted for general circulation. This may also be the reason that there is no mintage information for this coin.
     
     
     
    In the end, when you research your coins, leave no stone unturned. This may prove a little tedious but let me assure you that you will not regret it! Now until next month, happy collecting!
     
    Gary

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  11. coinsbygary
    This coin is the one I didn't want to get away by waiting until I arrived at the ANA show on Friday.
    Back in April I scoped out a 1877 MS-62 proof-like quarter at the Central States show that I really liked. At the time I did not have the funds to purchase it and I bought a MS-63 1863 Indian Head Cent instead. With that, I followed the dealers web page hoping the quarter wouldn't sell before I had the chance to buy it and to this date the coin had not sold.
     
     
     
    In the mean time the dealer added a 1876 PFCAM-62 quarter to his inventory. When I compared the cost, I noticed that he was selling the proof for only $55 more than the 1877 coin. Since $55 was the only thing separating me from owning a true proof coin at the same numerical grade over a proof pretender, I decided to buy the proof coin instead. Thus, I bought this coin the week before the ANA show rather than risk having it sell at the ANA show before I got a chance to attend the show myself in person.
     
     
     
    The cloudy/smoky appearance of the obverse fields is actually faint toning. It's kind of like the milk spots that you find on some SAE's. In the hand, the fields on this quarter appear as beautiful mirrors and the toning does no detract from the beauty of this coin. In fact you almost have to look for the toning to find it. However, once you shine a bright light on the coin to photograph it, the smoke like toning becomes much more pronounced.
     
     
     
    I may mess around some more with the lighting, but I kind of like how the pictures turned out. It's funny but every coin you photograph is different and a bear to get the lighting just right. There is NO cookie cutter way to photograph coins.
     
     
     
    Interestingly, the seller of this coin found a way to mask the toning and highlight the mirrors on this coin. The hairlines didn't even show on the sellers pictures. Tilted at a certain angle in the hand, the coin actually does look like the sellers pictures.
     
     
     
    The hairlines on this coin were probably caused by either the way my coin was packaged (tissue paper on silver is devastating to the coin)and/or by the way it was stored. A proof of this type in say PF-67 will not have the hairlines this coin has. The 67 may have toning, but much more attractive toning.
     
     
     
    Otherwise, I am very happy with this coin and it matches my current objective to obtain quality coins for my collection with eye appeal. The strike on this coin is phenomenal and what you would expect for a proof coin. So without any further ado may I present to you my latest NEWP!
     
    Gary

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  12. coinsbygary

    An Unusual Find

    By coinsbygary,

    Over the years, I have retrieved Indian Head Cents, Buffalo Nickels, and War Nickels from circulation. Adding to those finds are hundreds of wheaties and an occasional silver coin. However, I have never found a proof coin in circulation... That is until now.
    Summer is a great time for day tripping and occasional stops along the way for fuel and refreshments. If you pay cash for your purchases, more often than not by the time the trip is over, you come home with a pocketful of change.
    Now my wife and I are members of an evangelistic pantomime drama team and last Friday we left for a day trip to a youth camp to do a show. On the way to the show, we stopped at a Speedway station to buy gas. While there, I went into the convenience store to buy a couple of bottles of water for my wife and I and paid for them in cash.
    Now it is usually my habit to examine my change before placing it in my pocket. However because I was in a hurry, I put the change in my pocket without looking through it.
    On Sunday morning while we were getting ready to go to church, I cleaned out the pockets of my shorts before throwing them down the laundry chute. When I stepped towards my dresser to put the coins from my pocket in a dish, I noticed the reverse of a Montana State Quarter with a much more reflective surface than usual.
    Now I was in a dimly lit room when I first noticed the quarter and thought to myself that it must be proof-like. I also noticed that the feel of the coins rim was much sharper than usual. At that, I flipped the coin to examine the obverse finding that it was just as reflective as the reverse. Then I saw the S mintmark and thought not proof-like but PROOF! I had just retrieved my first proof coin from circulation!
    I know that every serious coin collector has heard of PVC residue but how many of you have heard of sweat residue. Now it gets a little hot in front of stage lights and I was beginning to sweat during my performance with a proof coin unknowingly in my front pocket. Therefore, not surprisingly, sweat residue is exactly what happened and the picture I am posting clearly shows it.
    Normally, I am not a strong proponent of cleaning coins and I do not have any acetone on hand. However, I have heard that olive oil can safely remove some forms of residue and I gave my coin an olive oil bath. Well this worked pretty well and I am posting the after pictures of my coin with the before pictures.
    Now, if you are wondering what am I going to do with the coin, I am not going to submit it for grading because as you can see its banged up a bit. I am also not returning this coin to circulation. Instead, I am going to keep it as a memento of an enjoyable day and my first circulated proof find.
    All this begs to question, how did this coin find its way into circulation? Did some kid raid their parents collection to buy candy? The world may never know! Happy hunting!
    Gary

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  13. coinsbygary
    For most of my collecting life, I have collected nothing but US type coins. Then in 2008, I expanded my collecting objectives to include world coins. Later I began collecting tokens and medals that fit a specific narrative I wanted to pursue. Today my collection is going places I never could have imagined as I have recently added a handful of ancient coins to my collection.
    The featured coin this month (Volume 3, Number 11) is a NGC choice AU Roman Empire Double Denarius dating AD 244-249. The obverse of my coin features a right facing bust of Otacilia Severa who was the wife of then emperor, Philipp I the Arab. The reverse features a left seated image of Concordia, the goddess of harmony. To the Romans, Concordia represented peace and harmony between classes of people and in particular between the patricians (nobles) and the plebeians (commoners). Later Concordia came to represent harmony within a marital relationship.
    In Concordias right hand is a patera. A patera is a shallow bowl used in religious ceremonies to pour out sacrificial libations. In her left hand, Concordia is holding a double cornucopia. From this, I can surmise that the double cornucopia signifies the abundant benefits to the people of peace and harmony.
    As is the case with many allegorical coins featuring seated images, the seat is symbolic of a kingdom, empire, or nation and the person sitting thereon as having authority over it. Thus, the seat on this coin seems to represent the Roman Empire and Concordia seated thereon as having authority to bring peace and harmony to the empire.
    From what I can discern, the coins of the Ancient Roman Empire served two main purposes. One, they were used as a medium of exchange in commerce and two; they were used to disseminate propaganda. For instance, where a coin features the bust of the ruler on the obverse and a personified deity on the reverse, the people see that ruler as a god, identifying him with the personified deity on the reverse.
    In the instance of this coin, the empress, Otacilia Severa is identifying herself with Concordia. Interestingly, it was during the reign of Otacilia Severas husband Philip that the persecution of Christians ceased across the Roman Empire.
    The obverse of another of my ancient coins features a right facing bust of Philip I. On the coins reverse is an image of Roma, the personification of Rome holding Nike (the goddess of victory) in her hand. Since Philip I was born in Syria of a Syrian father, I can reasonably deduce that he sought to identify himself with Roma to shore up his political support in Rome.
    Another of my collecting objectives is to trace the spread of western culture and philosophy through coins. While today we do not worship the ancient gods and goddesses per se, I find it fascinating that modern coins still feature many of those same ancient personifications. The presence of these images on modern coinage is a strong indication of how ingrained ancient Greek and Roman philosophy is to our psyche today. Examples of these are the idealized values of Liberty, Concordia, Fortuna, Justice, Fame, and Victory. National personifications include Britannia, Hispania, and Roma/Italia. Remarkably, the aforementioned instances are only a small portion of the many more examples to be found in numismatics.
    When I searched for a modern coin using an image of Concordia I used the keyword Concordia to search through a PDF copy of Krauses Catalog of World Coins. What I found is a 1970 Italian 1000 lire coin commemorating the 100th anniversary of Rome as its capital. Consequently, I purchased a NGC MS-66 example of that coin to go with my AD 244-249 ancient coin also featuring Concordia.
    This all reminds me of the words of Solomon written in the Book of Ecclesiastes, There is nothing new under the sun. Now until next month, happy collecting!
    Gary

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  14. coinsbygary
    The day I stop learning or wanting to learn is the day I need to do something else.
    I have enjoyed the many responses to my last post about an 1870 half-dime I recently purchased. I particularly liked the comments concerning the photographs I took of the coin. That said, I want to personally thank users wdrop, Walkerfan, and RWB for their input.
    There are many people on these boards whose opinions and experience I greatly respect. If they say people listen when EF Hutton speaks, I listen when the users on the Collectors Society boards speak.
    For one reason or another I have had a devil of a time photographing this coin. Listening to the users I already mentioned, I began to think that I could do better. With that I went to my old 5000 kelvin lamps and adjusted my white balance accordingly. I previously had my lights at a low angle relative to the coin. In the past I have had success with the lighting at this angle but not this time.
    This time I set both lights so that they pointed as straight to the coin as possible. This literally bathed my coin with light and I had to set my f-stop one step up from the previous setting of f4.5 to f5.6 and my ISO back to 100 from ISO 200.
    I must say that the results are phenomenal as the natural colors popped while at the same time the contrast remained sharp. I hope you like the latest version I am posting and I want to admonish you all, no matter what it is, to keep learning!
    Gary

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  15. coinsbygary
    I believe that this half-dime combines both eye appeal and value. As such it is a perfect candidate for my 7070 type set.
    Most of you that follow me know that among other things Im a type coin collector. Well My latest new purchase for that set is a single year 1837 no-stars/small-date PCGS AU-55 half-dime. With this coin I believe that I balance eye appeal and value which are now the prime objective for this set. Furthermore, this coin is as close to a Gobrecht Dollar as I am likely to come even though there is no eagle on the reverse. For that I will have to get a nice flying eagle cent!
    On another note everyone have a happy and safe Fourth of July!
    Enjoy!
    Gary

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  16. coinsbygary
    Just a month ago, I had no clue I would be featuring a coin from the Saddle Ridge Hoard as the Coin of the Month. Nevertheless, here I sit today as an improbable owner of a coin recovered from the greatest buried treasure find in the history of the United States.
    When I first heard the news of the Saddle Ridge Hoard, I found myself spellbound by many of the storys elements. Adding to my fascination is the incredible odds against anyone uncovering buried treasure of this enormity and value. Then theres the human-interest side of the story with John and Mary stumbling onto the hoard while walking their dog. Finally, John and Mary seem like people I can identify with, ordinary people simply paying their bills while trying to lead respectable lives.
    Subsequently, when I heard that the family chose Kagins to distribute the hoard through Amazon, I set up an e-mail notification to inform me of the sale. At that point, there was no indication of what anyone could expect to pay for the coins.
    Almost certainly, coins of this magnitude would be out of my reach to obtain. Up until now, the only coins in my collection I had spent over $2000 to acquire were an MS-62 1897-S Double Eagle when the price of gold was close to $2000/oz and a VG-10 1893-S Morgan Dollar. Although I did not know how much of a premium the Saddle Ridge coins would command, I thought they might rival those of the SS Central America and the SS Republic shipwrecks.
    While working on my computer late in evening on Tuesday, May 27 I received my e-mail notice from Amazon and immediately linked to the sale. Confirming my suspicions, I found the price of the Saddle Ridge coins too steep for my budget. I simply could not afford to pay five or six thousand dollars for a common date MS-62 or 63 double-eagle. Its not as much that I wouldnt have paid the price, as it is the price was just too high. The XF and AU coins were more reasonable; however, I did not like the surfaces on many of those coins.
    Lately, I have been buying the nicest looking coins in the grades I can afford. In other words, I am beginning to focus more on coins with eye appeal. This leads me to my Coin of the Month and a surprising PCGS UNC Details-Cleaning, 1889-S Double-Eagle with eye appeal.
    While perusing the Saddle Ridge Coins, it wasnt long before I thought about sorting the listing from the lowest priced coin to the highest. It was there at the bottom rungs of the listing where all the un-gradable coins resided. At first glance, two things surprised me. First, the affordability (from the perspective of my budget) of the coins at $2575 per coin, and secondly the large number of details graded coins for sale. (Later I found out that there were just over 200 details graded coins in the hoard).
    This got me to thinking, Maybe I can afford one of these. With the advantage of joining the sale shortly after it began, I pretty much had my pick of details graded coins.
    When I first looked at the picture of the coin I bought, I was impressed with the lack of distracting contact marks on the coins surfaces. IMHO, without the cleaning, I think my coin grades at a minimum of MS-64. Next, from the PCGS picture provided the cleaning is barely noticeable with only a few hairlines and a side-swept look in the luster just underneath Miss Libertys truncated neck. In addition, there appeared to be the remnants of a thumbprint just in front of and on Miss Libertys face. At that, I pulled the trigger and bought the coin.
    With my expectations sky high and thinking I pulled off the coin-buying coup of the century, I was disappointed when my coin arrived. Stunned, I came face to face with why my coin is details graded. I found that the cleaning hairlines were much more numerous and the thumbprint more pronounced than indicated in the PCGS picture.
    Now what? Two facts are abundantly clear. First, it is this coin or no coin. To become a part of the Saddle Ridge story, I had to buy a details graded coin. Next, this coin is still the best of the details graded coins. Therefore, I am very pleased to be part of such a compelling numismatic story.
    Now for a teachable moment, how could PCGS so effectively mask my coins problems? Well, I discovered that the angle of the light relative to the surface of the coin and the lens makes all the difference on the final image.
    In the message board thread of my post, I am posting a side-by-side comparison of the lighting angle relative to the coin and the PCGS picture. With the lights and camera lens stationary, I simply rotated the coin underneath the camera lens until the hairlines either disappeared or reappeared. I often do this to rotate the luster on the coins I image to where I like it. Thus, in a manner of speaking PCGS imaged this coin to look its best and I am doing likewise.
    Next, I wonder if John and Mary rather than the professionals at Kagins conserved this coin. I just cannot imagine a professional leaving a thumbprint on a coin unless the thumbprint is that of the coins original owner. Now wouldnt that be something if it were true?
    In summary, I wonder what the dog gets out of all this. Is not the dog partially responsible for locating this hoard? I wonder if the dog gets a chew toy for Christmas or leads the life of doggie luxury. Did the dog alert John and Mary to the buried can by lifting its leg on a nearby stump? Alternatively, did the dog lead John and Mary to the hoard by playing fetch with the stick used to dig the can out? Inquiring minds want to know!
    Gary

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  17. coinsbygary
    This months Coin of the Month (Volume 3, Number 9) is my first column featuring a coin I do not own. Instead, it is an NGC MS-66+ 1951-S Washington Quarter from the personal collection of NGC Collectors Society member Yankeejose.
    I am featuring Yankeejoses coin for reasons that shall become apparent in the body of this months post. Therefore, I am blending a narration on the Washington Quarter with a show report of the recently concluded 75th Central States Numismatic Society convention.
    Our day started with a drive to Schaumburg, Illinois just as the bourse floor opened on Thursday April 24. After registration, my wife and I went to NGC's table with a submission of foreign coins and my selection of five free photo-proofs from my award winning set, The Use of Seated Imagery in Numismatics.
    Our next stop took us past the educational displays where my wife and I marveled at a series of ancient coins dating from 600 BC. From there we perused a seven-case display based on the two-cent piece. An interesting narrative accompanied some of the highest graded two-cent pieces available. Finally, as Christians we found a theme based exhibit of ancient coins from the cities of the seven churches in the Biblical book of Revelations quite fascinating.
    From there we stopped at dealer Gary Adkins table with my 7070 typeset want list. On my list were a copper-nickel Indian Head Cent along with a no-motto and with-motto Seated Liberty Quarter. Gary first showed me a nice MS-61 Indian Head Cent and a gorgeous proof-like Seated Liberty Quarter. Unfortunately, the quarter was outside my show budget.
    Then I asked Gary if he brought a PCGS MS-63, 1863 Indian Head Cent I had observed over the past month on his web site. At that, he removed the coin I wanted to see from a nearby display case. The overall eye appeal of the coin swept me away and it was a sale in spite of weakness on the front four feathers. Who knows, I may yet add that lovely quarter to my collection.
    Casually walking the bourse floor we stopped at a Spider Press Exhibit manned by two retired Bureau of Engraving and Printing employees. There my wife and I entered a raffle for one of one-hundred special edition 75th anniversary prints printed on the spider press. To our delight, we both won a print and subsequently sold one to a proxy-buyer for $25 while keeping the other for ourselves.
    Like last year, we had an enjoyable lunch at the local IKEA store. Blending a little domestic business with our attendance at the CSNS show, we bought a dresser for my son. As an extra bonus, we got a coupon for a free lunch when we spent more than $100 on my son's dresser. Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch?
    Later that afternoon we met Yankeejose at the show. One of the coins he was interested in purchasing was a certified upgrade for his details graded 1950-S/D Washington Quarter. Having got everything at the show I wanted, my wife and I went on a scavenger hunt for a certified 1950-S/D Washington Quarter. Unfortunately, this coin is scarce and as far as we could tell, there were none to be found.
    While on our scavenger hunt, I stopped by a dealer that specialized in Civil War Tokens, Conder Tokens, and So-Called Dollars. Unfortunately he had nothing there of interest to me. Overall, the show seemed a little flat to me. However, I did notice more dealers selling ancients and tokens at this show than at any other show I had attended.
    Last year I had offered to image Yankeejoses quarters for the price of a dinner. Thus, I arranged to take my photography gear with me and photograph his entire collection of Washington Quarters in my hotel room. This was a new experience for me and the first time I offered my services to image any other coins than my own.
    I found that imaging Yankeejoses collection turned out to be much more challenging than I had anticipated. First, I did not have the time to focus the camera on every coin with the precision I am normally accustomed. Next, I ran into technical difficulties transferring more than one hundred images to his laptop. Finally, time did not permit me to photograph every coin Yankeejose brought. This forced us to concentrate on imaging only those remaining coins with the most eye appeal, including the one I am posting as Mays Coin of the Month.
    Earlier in the evening Yankeejose treated my wife and I to dinner at one of his favorite Mexican restaurants. More than anything, we enjoyed our time with Yankeejose just talking coins and getting to know him on a more personal basis.
    The next morning after a continental breakfast, I attended a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Numismatists for encouraging fellowship and devotions. The Fellowship of Christian Numismatists is a group of Christian dealers that meet as often as they can when traveling to various coin shows. After the meeting, my wife and I traveled home with my new Indian Head Cent, an extra $25 in our pockets, and having spent nothing on food.
    Now as promised a short narrative on the Washington Quarter:
    With the nation in the clutches of the Great Depression and little to celebrate, the Treasury Department moved ahead with plans to issue a commemorative coin to celebrate the 200th anniversary of George Washingtons birth in 1932.
    For the design, they sought the Commission of Fine Arts and the Washington Bicentennial Commission for recommendations. Through a contest, the commission recommended a design submitted by Laura Gardin Fraser, the wife of James Earle Fraser, designer of the Buffalo Nickel. However, the Treasury Secretary passed over this recommendation in favor of a design by John Flanagan.
    The Treasury Department originally intended to commemorate George Washington on a half dollar, but Congress having other ideas decided that the coin should be a quarter-dollar. Perhaps due to the Great Depression, Congress thought that a quarter would find its way into the hands of more Americans than a half-dollar. Instantly popular with the public, the Washington Quarter replaced the Standing Liberty Quarter in 1932, and except for 1933, continues to this day.
    Snubbed at the time, Laura Gardin Fraser finally got her recognition in 1999 when her design appeared on a $5 gold coin commemorating the 200th anniversary of George Washingtons death. Now without further ado, I present Yankeejoses 1951-S Washington Quarter.
    Gary

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  18. coinsbygary
    I will have more to say on this very different show experience later but I couldnt wait to display the newest addition to my 7070 basic type set.
    I have always loved Indian Head Cents and this one charmed me from the git-go. I had spied out this particular cent from Gary Adkins and Associates website but felt I needed to see it in the hand before I bought it. When I got to the show I went to his table where he had a very nice MS-61 example and I asked him if he brought the coin from his website with him. To my delight he had and my picture does this coin no justice as it is absolutely gorgeous in the hand.
    Gary

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  19. coinsbygary
    After a long and cordial run collecting Eisenhower Dollars, it is time for me to part ways to pursue other interests.
    Several Years ago I started on a quest to complete a set of circulation grade Eisenhower Dollars. I set a goal for this set to have the best-graded coins I could afford after which I aggressively bought the coins necessary to complete the set.
    Along the way, I discovered that high-grade non-silver MS-66 and 67 Eisenhower Dollars were scarce and focused on buying one MS-67 Eisenhower Dollar, the 1971-D, to represent the grade for the entire set. Even so, I found that I could still have a nice set made up of mostly MS-66 graded coins.
    Nice coins were readily available in this 23-coin set and it didnt take me too long to complete it. Since completing the set though, I have made very few upgrades and the set has sat idle for a long time. With a complete set made up of the best coins I could afford there has been no place to expand the set or grow. In other words it is one of the few sets I had that I can say was complete.
    Now there are sets I have completed that are among my numismatic favorites like my 20th Century Type Set which for all practical purposes is complete. However, this set represents my collecting passion for type coins. For my entire collecting life, my favorite area of numismatics has been type coins. Furthermore, I still occasionally upgrade the coins in that set.
    My decision to liquidate my Eisenhower Dollar set does not mean that I dont like the series because I do. Moreover, I had fun putting the set together and I learned a lot about the series. The only problem is that I dont have a sustainable passion for the series as with my type coins and theme based custom sets that have an ever expanding and almost inexhaustible supply of different coins.
    In summary, I am keeping those Eisenhower Dollars that fit into another of my sets like the MS-67, 1971-D that I previously mentioned. Therefore, for now I say so long IKE, its been fun. Thanks for the fun times we had together.
    Gary

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  20. coinsbygary
    This month my Coin of the Month feature (Volume 3 Number 8) will touch on three events. The first event relates to the coins origin in the Ukraine and represents my hope for an acceptable and peaceful resolution to Ukraines ongoing conflict with Russia. Next, this coin commemorates the 2009 International Year of Astronomy and corresponds to my fascination with space exploration. Finally, there will be a lunar eclipse on the night of April 14/15, 2014 that directly correlates to the person depicted on the coins reverse, Yuri Drohobych (1450-1494).
    This months coin of the month is a 2009 copper-nickel 5 hryvnia from Ukraine commemorating the International Year of Astronomy. It has a weight of 16.54 grams and is 35mm in diameter. The coin's mintage is 45,000.
    A small Ukrainian coat of arms appears prominently on top of the coins obverse dividing the legend, National Bank of Ukraine. The coin's denomination of 5 hryvnia is inscribed on an unraveling scroll along the bottom of the obverse with the date 2009 in exergue just above it. To the right of the scroll is a small mintmark representing the National Bank of Ukraine Mint.
    An illustration of the cosmos with a representation of our solar system featuring the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter serves as a backdrop to this coin's obverse. Orbiting the planet earth is its moon.
    The female figure to the left of this coins obverse is the mythical goddess of astronomy and astrology, Urania. Urania is one of the nine daughters of Zeus called a Muse. The nine Muses were the goddesses of the various performing and musical arts. Urania is the granddaughter of Uranus and Gaia through Mnemosyne her mother. Uranus (Greek word for heavenly or heaven) is the titan god of the sky from whom Urania probably got her name. Urania also had the power to foretell the future according to the arrangement of the stars. The identifying attributes of Urania are a celestial globe and a wand that she often uses to point towards the globe. She appears on this coin holding a globe in her right hand while pointing to another globe with her wand. Today there are a number of astronomical observatories around the world that use the name Urania within their name. Her image also appears on the official seal of the United States Naval Observatory.
    Dividing the reverse of this coin into thirds, the top left quadrant features the official logo of The International Year of Astronomy. Against a background of charted stars or possibly a planetarium, is an image of an adult holding the hand of a child and pointing towards the stars. Underneath the logo is the legend, The International Year of Astronomy. One of the stated goals of the International Year of Astronomy was to introduce the next generation of astronomers to astronomy.
    The bottom half of the reverse portrays astronomical books, charts, and instruments. Among the astronomical instruments are a number of spyglasses, a compass, an orrery, and an armillary sphere. An orrery is a mechanical model of the solar system. The one depicted on this coin uses a candle in the place of the sun and the orbit of one planet. An armillary sphere is a spherical representation of the sky with the earth at its core. As such, the armillary sphere is useful as a navigational apparatus.
    The top right quadrant of the reverse features a bust of Ukrainian astrologer/astronomer Yuri Drohobych (1450-1494). Yuri Drohobych, a genius in his time, was also a philosopher, scientist, writer, and medical doctor. Among Yuri Drohobychs many accomplishments is his accurate prediction of two lunar eclipses. Incidentally, the timing of this post coincides with the coming lunar eclipse on the evening of April 14/15, 2014.
    Finally, I hope you get a chance to view the eclipse this week. While the earths shadow blocks the light of the sun, the effect of the earth to bend the sun's light will make the moon appear blood red. Unfortunately, the weather around where I live probably will not be favorable to viewing the eclipse. I hope that you have the best conditions possible to view the first of four total eclipses of the moon between now and September 28, 2015.
    Happy collecting.
    Gary

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  21. coinsbygary
    Garys March Coin of the Month (Volume 3 Number 7) features a copper NGC AU-58 1790s 1/2 penny Conder Token (D and H-36D).
    During the late 18th Century, the widespread use of merchant tokens in the United Kingdom filled a void left by the government's failure to mint enough coins for commerce. These tokens provided an effective means for merchants to advertise their wares or in the case of this token, propagate a political cause.
     
    Now lets say that you owed a debt you could not pay. The worst thing that could happen to you is that you will lose your home. Furthermore, you may even have to file for bankruptcy. However, if you lived in the late 18th Century you could be looking at a prison sentence until your debt was paid in full.
    Consequently, since incarceration in debtors prison directly affected your ability to earn money, you may well be serving a long sentence. Because 18th Century prisons were privately run, you also had to pay a prison fee. So with the prison fees added to your original debt, your debt only compounded. Because of the capriciousness and injustice of this system, English philanthropist John Howard advocated for prison reform.
    Another of those 18th Century philanthropists was a print shop owner by the name of William Gye from the City of Bath in southwest England. In 1794, William Gye issued a token bringing attention to the poor conditions of the imprisoned debtors he visited weekly at Ilchester Gaol (gaol is British for prison). From his print shop in Bath, William Gye took donations to aid the debtors in prison and distributed his tokens as change.
    As the movement for prison reform began to catch fire, other merchants issued tokens using similar reverse devices to those of William Gyes original token. In all, there are some thirteen varieties of this Conder Token. My token without a date or identified merchant has as its edge inscription, Payable at London or Dublin. Given the distance between London and Dublin my token shows the extent and popularity of the prison reform movement in the United Kingdom.
    The reverse of my token based on Gyes original design has as its central device a seated woman representing benevolence. Surrounding Benevolence is a number of jars representing plenty. Benevolence with her right arm stretched out towards the prison is directing a young boy with a key to open the prison door. In her left hand, she is holding an olive branch representing peace or specifically in this case, a paid debt. Underneath the prison window is a basket for express purpose of receiving donations from passer-bys. Overhead in rays of glory as if from God is the command to Go Forth. The legend inside a beaded circle and delimited by a small ornament reads, Remember the Debtors in Goal. As an aside, it interesting to note that the word gaol is misspelled goal on the token.
    On the obverse of this token is a bust of prison reformer, John Howard F.R.S (Fellow of the Royal Society). The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge is a learned society for science of which John Howard was elected in 1756. Each member of the Royal Society has the right to use the initials F.R.S. after their name.
    Born in 1726 John Howard grew up in a family of considerable wealth. Later he apprenticed as a wholesale grocer only to find himself deeply dissatisfied. As a young man devout in his faith and probably in search of his calling, John went on a grand tour of the European continent in 1748.
    Then after the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake, John Howard departed on a ship destined for Portugal only to be imprisoned when French privateers captured his ship. Subsequently, John returned to the United Kingdom in a prisoner exchange with France. Thus, it is likely that John Howard's experience as a prisoner had a profound impact on his life's work as a prison reformer.
    Appointed as the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire in 1773, John Howard found himself in a unique position to examine the conditions of the prisons under his charge and effect changes. Over time, John Howard visited hundreds of prisons across the United Kingdom and Europe, publishing his findings in a 1777 report entitled, The State of Prisons. On a number of occasions, the House of Commons called on John Howard to testify before a select committee. John continued his work as a reformer visiting prisons around the world and publishing his findings. He died in the Ukraine in 1790.
    Upon news of his death, a large number of merchants chose to commemorate John Howard by featuring his bust on their tokens. These tokens heightened the publics awareness of the conditions in their prisons and in particular debtors prisons. Subsequently, the passage of the Debtors Act of 1869 and the Bankruptcy Act of 1883 ended the practice of imprisoning debtors altogether in the United Kingdom.
    Gary

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  22. coinsbygary

    Cold Hard Cash...

    By coinsbygary,

    My post today is more of a light humored stab at this ridiculous winter. I know this post doesnt feature a coin but bear with me, I think you will enjoy it nevertheless.
    Cold hard cash is exactly how you would describe my featured five dollar British Antarctic Territory note. This note represents a few of the things I dislike (winter) and some that I love (Britannia).
    I dont like the cold, especially this current winter. You see, I work outside for a living which makes my job a breeze in the summer! However, this winter I am really paying the piper for my summer enjoyment. The last two days here were teaser days with the temperature reaching 45 degrees. I was practically running around in shorts and a t-shirt. Next week its back to the deep freeze again with highs of 15 degrees. Oh well, sooner or later, and I fear much later spring will prevail.
    The things I love about this note is Britannia on the obverse and a penguin on the reverse. Penguins are among some of my favorite birds. The continent of Antarctica, though cold, intrigues me but only from a distance. My lifes goal is NOT to visit Antarctica.
    Thus overall this COOL note both literally and figuratively represents the frozen tundra I must endure for the temperate and comfortable summer in Wisconsin.
    Enjoy and hang in there, summer will EVENTUALLY arrive! By the way I got this cool Antarctica note on E-Bay for about ten bucks.
    Gary

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  23. coinsbygary
    Februarys Coin of the Month is not rare; it has a mintage of 664,833,000. It is not made of silver or gold; it has a bi-metallic composition of stainless steel with an outer ring of bronze plated steel. This coin is not old; it has a date of 2008. This coin is not valuable; you can buy one on EBay for a dollar.
    In fact, it is unlikely this coin will ever be more valuable than the cost of NGC encapsulation. Nevertheless, I consider this coin priceless for the memories it represents.
    Februarys Coin of the Month is an NGC MS-64 Brazil 1 Real coin I plucked out of circulation on a 10-day mission trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil five years ago in January. Although I have researched the coin's allegory (Effigy of the Republic), this coin is more about my personal testimony than about anything else. Thus, in this months column I intend to chronicle the events of those 10 days rather than the coins description and historical context. By the time you finish reading my testimonial, you will know why this coin is so important to me.
    My wife and I as part of a 10-member team departed from Chicago via Toronto for Sao Paulo, Brazil intending to minister to orphan children. Our host family in Brazil was members of our church 10 years prior before they themselves became missionaries to an international school (PACA Pan-American Christian Academy) in Sao Paulo.
    Our plane landed in Sao Paulo on a Friday afternoon. From there we proceeded to our housing, had our first Brazilian dinner, and attended an evening briefing before finally bedding down.
    Awakened in the middle of the night by severe abdominal pain, my missionary journey took a sudden and unexpected turn. I called my host to take me to the emergency room at Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo. There my doctor ordered a number of tests to diagnose the source of the pain.
    Miraculously, the pain subsided before I received any pain medication and I thought to myself, Lets get this over with so I can go home and re-join the team. Even my doctor who had an idea of what I had marveled at my calm saying, People in your condition are usually writhing in pain.
    Then the diagnosis came and I had acute pancreatitis caused by blockage from a gallstone. Now not only was I not going home, I was going to have surgery to remove the gallstone. The next thing I remember after my surgery was the surgeon telling me the procedure was a success.
    With the subsiding pain and subsequent diagnosis, I knew this was where God wanted me to be and that he used the pain to get me to the hospital. It never dawned on me how sick I was until much later when I learned that left untreated; I would have been dead in a matter of a few days.
    Not coincidently, I also learned there was no better place in the world to have this surgery than right where I was. The non-intrusive (no cutting) laparoscopic procedure to remove the blockage was done by the very surgeon who pioneered it. I also learned that my surgeon traveled all around the world to train other surgeons on this procedure.
    The following day after my surgery, my doctor told me that my blood tests showed a rapid improvement in my condition. However, I still needed to remain in the hospital until the swelling in my pancreas subsided.
    Two things now stood out in my mind. The first, I thanked God for his healing power in my life and the next, I had a choice. Would I complain about spending my mission's trip in the hospital or would I try to discover Gods purpose for me here? Fortunately, I decided on the latter to begin a mission to the hospital staff.
    Meanwhile, the rest of the team went on with the mission as planned. Although I was one of its leaders, the team went on without missing a beat! This is where our pre-trip training really paid off.
    My wife on the other hand, had a rough go of it and I tip my hat off to her. The team visited me once and I think my wife was only able to visit me by herself on one other occasion.
    I cannot say enough about our hosts. With only a few of the hospital attendants speaking English, our host church arranged to have translators sit with me on a 7X24 hour basis. Thus, I enjoyed a number of fascinating conversations with a variety of interesting people. Moreover, our host church provided me with a number of Portuguese New Testaments that I in turn handed out to the hospital staff.
    Because of the steady improvement in my condition, my doctor released me from the hospital after only a week to re-join the team for the final three days of the mission trip. Before I left, I presented my doctor with a signed Portuguese New Testament expressing my heartfelt thanks for his care. After I returned home, I followed up on my recovery with my primary care doctor and had my gall bladder removed a month later.
    Now five years later that trip still has a profound and lasting impact on my life. To experience God's healing power and see him work in so many different ways is nothing less than amazing.
    In closing, many of you who read my columns know of my Christian faith because it occasionally enters into my numismatic writings. However, in this case the coin is only memento to something much bigger and more important in my life. If you have any questions concerning my Christian faith or the details of the events chronicled in this post, feel free to comment on the chat boards and I will do my best to answer your questions.
    Please join me next month when I delve into the allegory of a Conder Token that makes a political statement concerning debtors prison.
    Gary

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  24. coinsbygary

    I Am Honored

    By coinsbygary,

    Before I get started, I want to congratulate all the winners of this years awards. That said I also want to thank all those who have congratulated me for the Most Informative Custom Set. Your kind comments mean more to me than you know. I also wish to thank the judges for recognizing my set among the 72,000 other sets in the Collectors Society Registry.
    The last time I won a major NGC award other than a journal award was a best-presented set award four years ago. At that time, I wrote a post entitled, I Am Honored. Now four years later, I am still honored but with a slightly different twist.
    This time is much different for me in that I feel honored to know many of the other award winners. For instance I know all three (RichH, VUMC409, and jgenn) of this years journal award winners. Each of them, on numerous occasions, has commented on my posts as I have on theirs. Congratulations guys, NGC could not have selected three more worthy journalists! Furthermore, I have the utmost respect for each of these people and their knowledge of numismatics. When they talk, I listen.
    Next, I know four of the five winners of the Best Presented awards, two of which I know closely and the other two from their occasional posts on the Collectors Society boards.
    JAA/USA Philippines Collection and coin928 have been very supportive of my collecting interests. I have appreciated their encouraging friendship and look forward to many more years of continued friendship with them. Additionally, when it comes to coins of the Philippines you will not find two people that are more knowledgeable then they are. Together, they are responsible for four major set awards and a journal award over the last two years. That is a quite an accomplishment and I congratulate them on their awards.
    I only know of SPHansen and Eagles-R-It from their occasional journal and message board posts. Their sets are impressive and worthy of the awards they have received, congratulations!
    Finally, they say a person is known by the company he or she keeps. Well Id say that I keep pretty good company here at Collectors Society and this is why I am honored and privileged.
    Gary
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  25. coinsbygary
    Garys January Coin of the Month (Volume 3, Number 5) is a NGC MS-64 RB, 1795 Great Britain Halfpenny Conder Token (D&H-23).
    The Industrial Revolution at the end of the 18th Century dramatically changed the labor market throughout Great Britain. This resulted in an increased need for small copper currency. However, the supply of government issued coins failed to meet the needs of commerce for the newly industrialized British economy. In response, a large number of merchants throughout the British Islands issued copper tokens redeemable for goods and services. This resulted in thousands of differing merchant tokens circulating throughout the British Islands. Those tokens commonly referred to as Conder Tokens are named after James Conder who first cataloged them.
    The tokens were a hit with both the storekeepers and the buying public. Most of the merchants loved the tokens because they could use the device designs on the tokens to advertise their business. Other merchants used the tokens to make a political statement and this token falls into that category.
    John Stride, a grocer and tea dealer operating a business in the small port town of Emsworth in Hampshire County issued this 1795-halfpenny token. The obverse device features a profile bust of Admiral of the Fleet, Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe and commemorates The Glorious First of June naval battle with France in 1794. The reverse device features Britannia seated on a globe over the sea holding a spear in her right hand and a laurel branch in her left. The reverse legend reads, Rule Britannia while the edge inscription reads, Emsworth Halfpenny Payable by John Stride.
    In the last decade of the 18th century, all of Europe was in fear of the French Revolution reaching beyond the borders of France. With France already at war with four of her neighbors, she finally declared war with Great Britain on February 1, 1793. This action resulted in Great Britain placing a naval blockade on Frances seaports. Suffering from the effects of a famine and in desperate need of food and supplies, France turned to the United States for help. The United States in response sent vital grain and provisions to France via a convoy protected by Frances naval fleet. On June 1, 1794, the British fleet under the command of Fleet Admiral Howe engaged the French fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse 400 miles off the French island of Ushant.
    The fighting was furious with heavy casualties on both sides, which in the end resulted in a tactical victory for Great Britain and Frances fleet severely crippled. However, the French could also claim a strategic victory in that the convoy of supplies arrived safely in France. Naturally, both the British and French press had a different spin on The Glorious First of June with both sides claiming victory.
    This famous naval battle leads into the allegory of this token. When a person sits on a representative object like a throne representing a country or a seat in a government, that person is in effect ruling over the persons represented by that object. This token features Britannia representing Great Britain as having mastery or dominion over the worlds oceans by sitting on a globe set upon the waters. The spear represents her enforcement arm and the laurel branch victory. As if there were any room for interpretation, the legend, Rule Britannia makes the allegory of this token quite clear.
    Gary

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