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brg5658

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Journal Entries posted by brg5658

  1. brg5658
    250th addition!
    In early 2011 I started a thematic collection of coins, tokens, medals, and all things "numismatic" related to horses. The set reached the 250th item last week when I added a new British Medal -- nearly 4 years to the day of when I first created the set. The reverse of the medal is pictured below, and I will post pictures of both sides in the chat forum.
    This new addition is number 31 in the series of historical medals issued by James Mudie in 1820. In his reference (Mudie J. An Historical and Critical Account of a Grand Series of National Medals. London 1820, pp. 125-126) the medal is described as:
    OBVERSE: His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge
    REVERSE: Entry of the English into Hanover, which is here allegorized by Britannia giving succour to the Hanoverian Horses.
    ===========================================
    A bit more historical information from the Numismatic Chronicle (1888, Volume 8; pp. 262-263).
    This is one of Mudie's series of national medals. Adolphus Frederick, Duke of Cambridge, son of George III and Queen Charlotte, born 24 Feb., 1774, was in 1793 appointed colonel in the Hanoverian army. He served in the campaign of 1794-5, and in 1803 was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the King's German legions, a force in British pay, and destined to relieve Hanover then menaced by the French armies. The Duke of Cambridge, however, soon transferred his command to Count Walmoden, and coming to England was charged with superintendence of a home district. In 1814, when the French were expelled from Hanover, the Duke again took command of the electorate, which under the Treaty of Vienna was elevated to the rank of a kingdom, the Duke being appointed Governor-General in 1816. He continued to discharge these important duties till the year 1837 when the death of William IV. placed Hanover under the rule of the next male heir, the Duke of Cumberland. The Duke afterwards took up his residence at Cambridge House, Piccadilly, where he died 8 July, 1850. He was very popular in this country, and for many years was regarded as emphatically the connecting link between the throne and the people.
    ===========================================
    PCGS SP65, 41mm (BHM-777, Eimer-1058, Mudie-31)

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  2. brg5658
    Where did they go?
    I am trying to view my custom sets (including my horse set) and they are not showing up tonight. Even from collection manager, when I click on the set, it shows that there are no coins in it!!! Can this really be? I hope this is just a fluke...I have spent hundreds of hours on putting that set together and organizing it.
    In a bit of a panic...

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  3. brg5658
    Horses galore...
    Saturday of this last weekend was my first time to the MOON Show in the Minneapolis, MN area. I went with no particular idea of what to expect, but after my normal "one-time-through browse", I stopped back at the few tables that caught my eye. In the end, I only purchased one coin for the day, but it was one that was on my want-list for quite some time.
    I found a nice example of a Half Crown that features the small rendition of St. George Slaying the Dragon on the reverse splitting the date (see close-up image below). The fact that St. George is on a horse is one draw for my collecting niche -- another draw is that I simply have a hard time saying no to a coin with this amount of eye appeal that also pictures Queen Victoria. It was a nice perk that it was also a better date of the small half crown Jubilee Head series.
    This coin also marks a pretty significant milestone in my horses collection -- number 200! I'm glad to have such a striking coin as the 200th addition to my custom collection. As always, I will post the full size images on the Chat Boards for all to see.
    Thanks for looking!
    -Brandon

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  4. brg5658
    Doesn't get much better than this one...
    When I started my horses collection 2 years ago, one of the first resources I browsed was the Dalton & Hamer (D&H) reference for Conder Tokens. There are many designs featuring horses, and I have a list that I regularly look for. Well, about 10 days ago, one on that list came up for sale on eBay, and I was determined to get her home to my collection!
    The token in my sights was a Lancashire (Rochdale) 1792 issued piece. The obverse features the Arms of the Clothworkers' Company with a lovely detailed ram crest. The legend reads "ROCHDALE HALFPENNY 1792". The reverse shows a mounted dragoon (infantryman) with sabre galloping to the left -- the legend reads "PRO REGE ET PATRIA" (translated as "for King and County"), and the text "QUEENS BAYS" is in exergue. The edge is inscribed with "PAYABLE IN LONDON" with the reminder engrailed.
    This token is listed in D&H as "scarce", with an estimated mintage of between 75 and 150 tokens. The real wow factor for this piece is its level of preservation. It survives in almost original state, and is graded by NGC at an almost unbelievable MS66RB. It exhibits surfaces of lovely browns interspersed with lustrous red areas.
    Of interest is that the dragoon (horse) design is used on pieces from several counties, not just this Lancashire token. Among them being:
    Norfolk DH-7, 46, and 47
    Somersetshire DH-87
    Warwickshire DH-60 and 61
    Yorkshire DH-64
    This token will take a spot among the herd as my 177th certified numismatic item featuring a horse. She will be one of my most treasured items for many years to come. As always I will post larger images on the Chat Boards.
    Happy collecting!!
    -Brandon

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  5. brg5658

    My first NGC submission

    By brg5658,

    A good experience
    For my first 14 months on the NGC Collectors Society webpage I had only the free membership. After those first few months, I decided that having a paid membership was worth the information available in the census reports. When it came time to renew that basic membership, I went one step further and decided I would get the premium membership so that I could submit my first 5 coins for grading to NGC. That certificate was set to expire on 1/13/2013, so I had to get my act together and get that submission made.
    I have a fairly large group of raw horse-related coins, and so I decided to send in a selection of 5 coins from among those. Nothing high dollar here -- just some coins that I'd like to add to my horse custom set. I thought for a while, and in the end I sent 5 coins, but only 3 different types (I sent a single of one design, and a pair of two other designs). The turn-around from my door round-trip back to my door was 20 days. In particular, the dates were:
    1/2/2013: Sent via Registered Mail to NGC
    1/7/2013: Received by NGC
    1/8/2013: Scheduled for grading
    1/15/2013: Graded and passed quality control
    1/15/2013: Finalized/Imaged/Shipped from NGC to me
    1/22/2013: Received the coins back from NGC
    Overall it was a good learning experience, and I'm happy with the results of this undertaking. I'm posting below my favorite coin of the bunch, and I'll post images of all 5 of the coins (with grades) on the Chat Boards.
    I am hoping this year to submit a dozen or so coins in addition to my 5 coins for my premium membership certificate. Now that I've experienced the process and realize how painless it is, let the fun begin!!
    All the best, and I hope everyone is enjoying their 2013 so far!
    -Brandon

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  6. brg5658

    A new coin

    By brg5658,

    Been on my radar for a while
    I was able to pick up a coin that has been on my radar for quite some time. Namely, Ireland released a silver 15 Euro coin in 2010 that pictures a mare and her foal. It was issued in a quantity of 15,000 pieces, and the image of the horse is a flashback to the Irish half crown from 1928 through the 1960s. It is quite a stunning coin in hand (I posted pictures below).
    I was reflecting today on how much difference a year makes in the collecting world. Last year at this time I was finishing up the descriptions, pictures, and making the final touch-ups to my Horse Themed custom set. It was a set that was 69 coins strong at the time of the NGC Registry awards cut-off. One year later and the set is up to 146 coins, and the coming winter will make a perfect time for me to fully describe all of the set additions.
    I have met many great people on this forum, and I am thankful to have such a place to share this great hobby of ours. As we go into the coming week, I wish you all a very wonderful Thanksgiving.
    All the best,
    -Brandon

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  7. brg5658

    Reining in the herd...

    By brg5658,

    Updating all of the information in the horse set is a LOT of work!
    It has been quite some time since I have written a journal. This is for a number of reasons, but needless to say I have continued to add a few coins to my horse-themed set. Besides a few new additions, I have been systematically updating the coin descriptions and compiling the coin composite photographs and the accompanying historical photos. The past three days have been particularly fruitful for this task, as I have been jet lagged. This journal comes as I sit in a lecture hall in Sicily, for a course I am helping to teach.
    I have made it through 60 of the horse coins thus far, and the remaining 8 will hopefully be completed by the end of this week. This has really given me a new respect for all of those sets which I look at where there have been detailed and extensive comments given. This part of a custom set is particularly enjoyable, as you have the opportunity to draw together all of the coins to one common theme. December 1st will mark the 8 month mark since I started the horse set, and it has been an educational and unique experience, quite different from type-set collecting or series-set collecting. If you have not created a custom set, I really do encourage you to do so. The options are limitless, and I have to give credit to gherrmann44 (Gary), as his "Inspirational Ladies" set has been one of the many "inspirations" for me along the way.
    This will likely be my last journal until after I return to the US next week, but I wanted to include here a couple of the new additions to my herd.
    One I am particularly in love with is a new MS65 1865 Hannover 1 Groschen. The rearing Saxon Steed is represented on many many coins over the years, but I am simply drawn to this design as a beautiful and simple one. The obverse of the new addition is shown below, and as always I will include a larger photo on the Chat Boards.
    I have also added three Civil War era tokens to the set recently. Three of them are Civil War tokens proper, with the fourth being a store card for the Hussey's Post Service (all 4 are dated 1863).
    If you haven't checked out the herd for a while, I welcome you to and also please feel free to offer comments and suggestions for additional coins. The set has grown faster than I thought, but it seems to be harder and harder to find new additions as I snag the more readily available coins.
    Without further ado, I will end the journal here with a picture of that new Hannover 1 Groschen.
    Happy collecting,
    -Brandon

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  8. brg5658
    A more difficult "horse" type coin...
    In the past week I was able to pick up an example of an Italian type coin that has been on my radar for quite some time. It is admittedly "crusty", but the design is simply stunning -- as I can say for many an Italian coin.
    This is a wonderful type coin minted in Italy from 1926-1934. However, for collectors, it was effectively minted from 1926-1930, as the 1931-1934 pieces are exceedingly rare with a mintage of only 50 pieces from each year. The 1928 mintage was relatively high (6.8 million coins), but regardless of the year, this is a particularly difficult coin to find in collectable grades of AU and higher, and gem mint state examples are few and far between. This particular example exhibits a nice "crusty" original look, and I was very happy to find it as an affordable example of the type in my horse themed set.
    To complicate matters, for the years 1927-1929, this coin design comes in two varieties. One has the edge lettering * FERT * (one star separation; referred to as KM# 68.1) while the other has the edge lettering * * FERT * * (two stars separation; referred to as KM# 68.2). While this difference is subtle, the pricing is quite different, particularly for the 1928 coin. According to Krause, the 68.1 version (which is the one I have) is books at around $300 in AU, whereas the scarcer 68.2 version of the coin books at around $1400.
    The obverse of the coin features the bust of Vittorio Emanuele III, King of Italy from 1909-1946. The reverse features a woman riding in a biga (a chariot drawn by two horses used in ancient Rome for sporting events, transportation, and ceremonial occasions). This two horse chariot is the analogy to the larger and quite possibly more well known quadriga, which is drawn by 4 horses instead of 2. A quadriga design is also featured on Italian 1 Lire and 2 Lire coins of this period, and I have a 1916-R 2 Lire graded MS62 holding that spot in my set.
    As always, I will post larger images on the chat boards thread. I hope everyone is having a good summer and avoiding the horrendous heat that has been sweeping across our nation.
    Be well, and happy collecting!

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  9. brg5658

    1773 Louis XV Jeton

    By brg5658,

    Tiny horses, but they are there!
    Every now and again I come across a piece that has horses on it, but they are very small. If I like the piece enough, I will still pull the trigger. My newest addition is just such a piece.
    I first saw this jeton at auction a while back from Heritage. At the time, I had two other coins on layaway, and so I wasn't able to pull the trigger in the auction. I kicked myself for not bidding on it, and I thought I might never see another with such great toning and strike.
    About 2 months after the Heritage auction, it came up for sale on eBay. I added it to my "watch" list, and as soon as I could scrounge up the funds, I was going to snag it. It was listed on eBay at a decent mark-up to it's original Heritage price, but it was one of those items that you just suck it up and tell yourself "I'm not going to let it get away this time". It was on my watch list for around 3 weeks, then it disappeared, the listing saying it was "no longer available". That wording always makes me think that the piece was probably sold either at a coin show of a dealer or that someone sent the seller an offer and the transaction was completed off of eBay (sans fees).
    Well, much to my surprise it showed up yet again about a week ago on eBay from the same seller as before. This time, I didn't even think about it, I just clicked on the "Buy It Now" button and started counting the days until it arrived in person. It finally arrived over this past weekend, and I had a chance to image it.
    I have not done a lot of research on this piece yet, but I do know that it is not particularly rare, with estimates probably in the 10,000 pieces range. The obverse features Louis XV, who was king of France until 1774 (one year after this jeton was struck in 1773). The reverse features a personified France, with troops standing by and celebrating the strength of the French Army. Three horses with riders are featured in the lower right of the reverse design.
    ========================================================
    The best description I could find was the following:
    F.888, 1773 (Silver)
    OBVERSE: LUDOVICUS XV. REX. CHRISTIANISS.
    "Louis XV, the most Christian king" Head of Louis XV facing right [No. 351]
    REVERSE: PRAETERITI. MERCES. PIGNUSQUE. FUTURI
    "A reward for past and a pledge for the future"
    IN EXERGUE: EXTRAORDINAIRE. DES. GUERRES. 1773
    DESIGN: France supported on a column, standing facing right, with an army shield with two crossed swords.
    ========================================================
    As always, I'll post larger images on the chat boards. Thanks for reading, and happy collecting!
    -Brandon

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  10. brg5658

    A milestone...

    By brg5658,

    100th coin added to my horses set
    This will be a short post, but an exciting one for me. Today I received my 2012 Sacagawea Dollar proof coin in the mail. I have been excited for this new design for several months, and it was fun to finally see one in hand. It seems fitting that this coin also happens to be coin #100 in my horses themed set!
    I truly love the Sacagawea dollar design, and it is one of the few coins that I collect as a series. I opted for the proof version for my horse collection, and when I find the MS examples they will of course be added to my complete set of Sacagawea dollars.
    I hope everyone is having a good week.
    Happy collecting!
    -Brandon

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  11. brg5658

    1700 German Coin

    By brg5658,

    A new rearing horse!
    I caught some sort of bug for these old German State coins with the rearing Saxon Steed. I just got this one today, and I have another nice 1818 3 Mariengroschen on the way.
    This coin was minted in 1700 when the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneberg was overseen by Georg Ludwig, more commonly known today as King George I of Great Britain and Ireland. George I was born on 28 May 1660 and died on 11 June 1727. He was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698 to his death.
    George was born in Hanover, in what is now Germany, and inherited the titles and lands of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg from his father and uncles. A succession of European wars expanded his German domains during his lifetime, and in 1708 he was ratified as prince-elector of Hanover. At the age of 54, after the death of Queen Anne of Great Britain, George ascended the British throne as the first monarch of the House of Hanover. Although over fifty Roman Catholics bore closer blood relationships to Anne, the Act of Settlement of 1701 prohibited Catholics from inheriting the British throne. George, however, was Anne's closest living Protestant relative. In reaction, Jacobites attempted to depose George and replace him with Anne's Catholic half-brother, James Francis Edward Stuart, but their attempts failed.
    During George's reign, the powers of the monarchy diminished and Britain began a transition to the modern system of cabinet government led by a prime minister. Towards the end of his reign, actual power was held by Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's first de facto prime minister. George died on a trip to his native Hanover in 1727, where he was buried.
    An interesting historical tid-bit is that this coin was minted in 1700. This was the same year that the territories forming the electorate introduced - like all Protestant territories of imperial immediacy - the Improved Calendar. It was called the "improved calendar" by Protestants, in order not to mention the name of Pope Gregory XIII (it is more commonly known as the Gregorian calendar). So Sunday, the 18 February of Old Style was followed by Monday, the 1 March New Style. So, arguably, this coin was issued during the shortest year in the history of this German State, at only 355 days in length.
    Happy collecting!

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  12. brg5658
    Been far too long since my last journal.
    I realize it has been months since my last journal post. Despite this, I still regularly read all of the journals here, and I have enjoyed seeing everyone's collections grow. I can't believe it's May already...where the first 4 months of this year went I'm not sure.
    For this post I just wanted to share a little good news. When I first started my thematic horses set last year (on April 1, 2011 I believe), one of the first things I did was go through my 1901-2000 Krause Standard Catalog of World Coins. I sat down with post-it arrows and flipped through the almost 1500 pages marking coins that featured horses. There are a lot...I don't dare count them...
    Immediately I started on the journey of adding coins to my watch list of auctions, picking up some of the easier to find pieces right away, and learning the virtue of patience for many others.
    Well, one piece that alluded me for several months was the 1 Drachma Greek coin minted for only two years in 1910 and 1911. I knew the 1910 was the piece that I would likely target, as the 1911 is significantly more expensive and scarce. Despite the 1910 coin being minted in a quantity of more than 4.5 million coins, I was dumbfounded at how hard it is/was to find a piece grade AU or better. Finally, back on the 23rd of April I was the high bidder on an NGC graded AU55 example for less than $100. This was quite a feat considering an MS62 examples goes for around $300 at the low end, and often nice AU coins can have better eye appeal than lower MS coins anyway. It arrived from Greece today (I always find it cool to get a coin in the mail from abroad!) Though the sellers pics were not stellar, it was clear that the coin had nice luster and toning -- and, in hand it did not disappoint.
    Below is the newest member of my herd. The slab is scuffed worse than any other coin I have ever owned, so even after a good 10 minutes of buffing and polishing, a few of the marks are still visible. The obverse features the bust of King George I of Greece who reigned from 1863 to 1913. The reverse features what is described as a "Mythological figure Thetis with shield of Achilles, seated on sea horse". Both the obverse and the reverse have a bit of a gold tone/patina, with just a blush of orange toning above the sea horse on the reverse.
    I hope all are well, and Happy Collecting!
    -Brandon

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  13. brg5658

    Catching up

    By brg5658,

    What a difference 2 months can make...
    It has been quite some time since I have written a journal. Indeed, it is a whole new year. At the time of my last journal I was finishing up the last few details of the coin descriptions in my horse themed set. Thanksgiving was just behind us, and Christmas was just around the corner. The hu-bub on the boards was still centered around the US Mint 25th Anniversary ASE fiasco, and the cut-off date for the NGC Registry Awards was closing in.
    Now, a short 2.5 months later how things have changed. Some changes are good, some are bad, and some just are that, changes.
    I want to thank everyone who sent me personal notes of congratulations for the Most Creative Custom Set award of 2011. I did not expect to even be in the running, as my set is still quite small at right around 70 coins, and less than a year old. Nonetheless, I am proud and grateful to NGC for the recognition. It really has been one of the most enjoyable collecting years for me, as in addition to the custom sets, I have also found the chat board, forum, and many good friends in this hobby. And while I have now spread my wings to several coin chat sites, NGC is my home base for my collecting journey.
    To end this brief post, I present one of my newest additions to my horses collection. It is a small coin, about the size of a US dime. It is dated 1740, and was issued by the German State of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel. I purchased it in an auction based on the strike and the design -- the sellers photos had absolutely no hint of possible color. When it arrived in the mail I was floored by the beautiful blues and greens. As always, I will post a full size image on the Chat Boards.
    Best wishes in the coming year,
    -Brandon

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  14. brg5658

    A rare coin

    By brg5658,

    A pattern beauty with a mintage of 500 coins
    I have been scouring auction sites and the BAY for the past 3-4 months looking for the perfect example of the 1950 Monaco design for my horse-themed set. This design is absolutely beautiful, and features a highly detailed horse on rider on the reverse. In the process of researching this design, I learned a thing or two about the types of this coin available.
    A couple of the coins I found were listed as being "ESSAI" coins. This essentially boils down to the word used by French speaking countries to denote a "Pattern" coin. These strikes are limited to very small mintages, and they are generally struck in a precious metal. About 2 weeks ago, a seller from Greece posted an entire selection of these ESSAI beauties on the BAY in high grades. The one I decided on was the 100 Franc SP65 coin shown below. It is struck in Silver and bears the small text "ESSAI" beneath the horse on the reverse. The total "Essai" mintage of this coin is a mere 500 coins!!! The Cupro-Nickel circulation version of this coin was struck in a mintage of 500,000 coins...quite a difference.
    As usual, I will post a larger version of the photo on the Chat Boards so you can get a better look at the Reverse Design detail.
    ---------------------------------------
    SIDE NOTE: I couldn't resist the curiosity of also purchasing a "Piefort Essai" example of the 50 Franc coin. "Pieforts" are again pattern type coins, struck usually in twice the normal weight and thickness as the circulation coins. In the case of this one (and maybe for all "Pieforts"?), the orientation of the coin is medal orientation instead of coin orientation. I haven't photographed that one yet, but I will also likely add this example to my horse-themed set side by side with the one shown here.
    I hope everyone is having a good week.
    All the best,
    -Brandon

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  15. brg5658

    A new undertaking

    By brg5658,

    A lot more work than I thought...
    About 2 weeks ago, I started thinking about creating a website to display some of my raw (ungraded) horse-themed coins. I've amassed quite a few, and I don't think I will be able to get them all graded in the near future. However, I still wanted to be able to show them off and also keep an online index of which coins I have acquired and which ones I may still be missing.
    Well, after a lot of investigation, and deciding to err on the side of "simplistic" instead of "bells and whistles" I finally have a site up and running where I have posted some of my collection. Of course, a large part of the work was also imaging my raw coins, and compiling the photos. I also decided to host the images on a site separately from the site itself because of size limitations. Long story short, I'm excited to post here and get some feedback from all of you.
    You can explore my site and check out some of my horse-coins at this website:
    http://sites.google.com/site/brg5658/
    ----------------------------------------------
    On another note, I added a graded coin from Mali this weekend. It is an MS65 graded 10 Francs coin. I wasn't expecting to find one of this particular coin graded, but I stumbled upon this and decided to pull the trigger. It's a gorgeous yet simple coin. Below is the horse side of the coin, and as always I'll post the full coin picture on the Chat Boards.
    I hope everyone had a good weekend.
    -Brandon

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  16. brg5658

    A history lesson

    By brg5658,

    Who knew collecting coins would be so informative!!
    Last weekend I placed a bid on a coin, and didn't think about it again until I found the email in my box that I had won it. It was a coin that I hadn't really seen before, but fit my horse-themed set. I did some research before placing a bid, and I knew I probably wouldn't find another one for a while as it was only a two year type coin, from 1741 and 1742.
    Nonetheless, it came in the mail today, and you can read a great deal of detail about the history of the man on horseback on this coin in my Horse set description. As always, I will post larger and complete photos on the Chat Boards.
    I hope everyone is having a good weekend.
    Cheers,
    -Brandon

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  17. brg5658

    8 horses, 1 coin

    By brg5658,

    New addition to my set
    This coin has been on my list for a while, and one finally popped up on eBay for sale at a reasonable price.
    Mintage: estimated 100,000 pieces
    Composition: 92.5% Silver
    Identification: KM# 965a
    This coin was issued by Great Britain in Copper-Nickel as both a BU coin (mintage 1,835,000 coins) and proof coin (est: 100,000 coins). It was also issued in a Silver Proof coin (which is what this one is; est 100,000 coins). Finally, it was issued in a small mintage of only 2,500 coins in Gold.
    The obverse of the coin features a young bust of Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by 8 horses with bugling riders. The reverse features a Crown in the center surrounded by 40 bugle bells commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It exhibits stunning cameo and frosted devices on both the obverse and reverse. A great design!
    I'm expecting a couple more deliveries between tomorrow and Saturday, so I'm hoping to be able to work on my pictures and descriptions a bit this coming weekend. As always I'll post a larger compilation photo of the obverse and reverse on the Chat Boards.
    Cheers,
    -Brandon

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  18. brg5658

    3 Newps

    By brg5658,

    Past the 50 mark
    Tonight I was able to take some photos of my most recent additions to my horse-themed set. Below you will see the three most recent additions.
    The first is a 10 cent piece from 1953 Spain. This coin was minted during a historically interesting period in Spain, and I hope to write some details in the coin description very soon.
    The 2nd is the reverse of a 1961 Heraldic Art Medal commemorating the Centennial of the Statehood of Kansas. This one has particular meaning to me as I was born in and spent the first 24 years of my life in Kansas. It's a beautiful coin featuring a rendition of the Seal of the State of Kansas, and the motto "Ad Astra Per Aspera" -- translated as "To the stars through difficulty".
    The last coin shown is a $1 proof issue from the Sovereign Poarch Creek Nation of American Indians in Alabama. I was pointed to this beautiful coin by nunfa0. A lot of members here are starting to know me as "that horse guy", and I've been getting some great pointers and links. I appreciate all of these!!!
    I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm trying to enjoy the nice weather while it lasts...as I'm sure we'll be covered in snow within a few short weeks.
    Cheers,
    -Brandon

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  19. brg5658

    New addition

    By brg5658,

    Beautiful 1828 horse
    This post will be quick and short. The past week I have acquired a couple new coins to add to my horse-themed topical set. The one that I have been waiting for most to arrive in hand came today. It was everything I thought it would be, and I'm happy to add it to my set.
    The coin is an 1828 16 Gute Groschen, a part of the German States issues for Hannover. It has exceptional luster, some reverse toning, and great eye appeal. I just love the detail in the mane and tail of the horse, and it is the third coin in my set with a rendition of the Saxon Steed. Some form of this design has been used on the coinage of the Saxon States of Germany as far back as the 1600s. Below is a zoomed in view of the horse image, and as always I'll post a large compilation photo on the Chat Boards.
    I hope everyone has a great weekend.
    Cheers!

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  20. brg5658

    A new red beauty

    By brg5658,

    Galloping past 40 coins...
    This week I have added a couple new coins to my horses set. These coins put me past the 40 coin mark for the set!
    I have been looking for a Venezuela coin featuring the horse on the national arms shield for quite some time. I was patient, and picky about this one, and I'm happy with the coin I finally picked up. I purchased a 1965 25 Centimos piece from Teletrade graded MS65 by NGC. It's a superbly clean coin, and has great detail. I love the steely look of it, and it's size is petite at 17 mm, or about the size of the U.S. Dime.
    The second coin I acquired was through a trade with a fellow Collector's Society member. Specifically, brolytiz has a superb set of Lithuanian coins from 1925-1938. Lucky for me, he also had some extra examples. As a part of a trade, I am happy to add to my horses set a 1936 2 Centai piece graded MS64 RED by NGC. It is a beautiful coin, and features the same left facing mounted horseman/knight as my 1548 Lithuanian/Polish half grosz (also in my horses set). This is a symbol of Lithuania that has stood the test of time and is still used on their coinage to this day.
    I hope everyone is having a good week. I will post large photos of both new coins on the Chat Boards link. Below is a small version of the Lithuania .
    Cheers!

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  21. brg5658

    The cornerstone

    By brg5658,

    Patience is a virtue...
    Purchased from Catbert on 6/16/2011. He was kind enough to send it off for grading to NGC before then sending it along to me. It is one of the most stunning examples of a Conder Token I have ever seen. Exactly 2 months after I had verbal acceptance of my offer, I received it today (8/16/2011). I will say, patience was definitely a virtue in the case of this one. Many thanks to Catbert for his willingness to work with me, and ultimately for his being willing to part with this beautiful piece of history.
    It is now the cornerstone of my Horse-themed set, and will be my avatar on coin forums for the foreseeable future. It will remain the #1 listed coin in my Horse-themed set, and will be the only coin/token/medal to feature oversized photos of both the obverse and reverse. All other entries will eventually feature the composite photo of the obverse and reverse, and a 2nd photo with some historic significance. You can see my gallery here: coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetGallery.aspx?s=5705
    ------------------------------------------------
    This particular token is the D&H 342 version, even though NGC has given it the incorrect D&H 339 attribution. The attribution to D&H 342 is definitive, as the token has the larger boar on the obverse, and the text "PONTHON" is very evident on the dividing exergue line. This particular token is a bronzed proof, with absolutely stunning surfaces, razor sharp details, and pristine edge lettering.
    Dalton & Hamer list this token as being "Scarce", which corresponds to a mintage of approximately 75-150 pieces, or a comparable Sheldon Rarity of about R4. Listed in Bell's "Commercial Coins 1787-1804" as "RARE", he estimated a mintage of 75 or less struck of these. In summary, this token is quite scarce in general, and given the high grade of this particular specimen, it is possibly one of the finest surviving examples available.
    Historical context: Christopher Ibberson was the proprietor of this famous old hostelry in High Holborn in the West End of London. It was originally just called the "Blue Boar" and was a starting point for coaches heading North, and the tokens themselves advertise ?Mail and Post Coaches to all parts of England?. Ibberson himself must have been a considerable businessman, as the records of the Old Bailey show him twice sitting on the Middlesex Grand Jury: in 1790, and again in 1792. The same records show that the George & Blue Boar was well known locally. In September 1796, Charles Scoldwell stood trial for the theft of two tame ducks, valued at 3s. During cross-examination, the driver of the stage coach from Bedford, who had brought Scoldwell to London, was asked: Is there a more public inn in Holborn, or more coaches go from any inn, except the George and Blue-Boar? to which he replied 'I don?t believe so.' In the event Scoldwell got more transportation than he had bargained for.
    The Ibberson tokens include a rendering of St George and the Dragon by Ponthon, and a neatly impressed edge inscription, though this was a process which Boulton was gradually abandoning, relying instead on the precision of manufacture and the full weight of his tokens, for their security against counterfeiting. Ibberson ordered half a ton of tokens in December 1794, but by February 1795 wrote again to Boulton, this time to cancel his order ?as in consequence of what appeared in the Gazette a few evenings ago, there is not a doubt but the Circulation of the new Halfpence will be Stopped.? In the event, it was not the Circulation but Ibberson?s tokens themselves which were stopped.
    ------------------------------------------------
    FROM DALTON & HAMER:
    The Ibberson tokens of this design are indexed in Dalton & Hamer with numbers 338 through 343.
    338. An artist's proof in tin of the obverse die of No. 339 without the boar (unique).
    339. Obv: St. George killing the dragon, crest, a boar. HOLBORN LONDON (Exergue: C. IBBERSON)
    Rev: MAIL. & | POST COACHES | TO ALL PARTS OF | ENGLAND (in four lines with a laurel)
    Edge: PAYABLE AT THE GEORGE & BLUE BOAR LONDON.
    Also stuck in silver
    339a. Same as 339, but with milled edge.
    340. Obv: Same as 339 (or very similar).
    Rev: A cypher R W on a shield, hanging on a tree, &c.
    341. Obv: Same as 339 (or very similar).
    Rev: No.? | SIX | PENCE | 1800 (unique, in British museum).
    342. Obv : Similar to last, but the boar is larger, and with PONTHON in minute letters on the exergue line.
    Rev: The same as No. 339.
    Edge: The same as No. 339.
    Also struck in silver.
    343 and 343Bis. Obv: An imitation struck by Taylor of Holborn about 1870, has a small boar, and is
    without saddle-cloth. Ex: G. JBBERSON. Rev: Similar to No. 339, but the letters are narrower. Edge: Plain (in collar).
    Struck in brass, copper, and white-metal. 343 Bis is similar, but reads C. IBBERSON.

  22. brg5658

    Oldest one yet

    By brg5658,

    1760 years old horse coin
    I have been looking at the ancient coins for a while, trying to find one with a strong strike and with enough history to merit a position in my horse-themed set. There are several ancient coins from Greece featuring the winged horse, but most of these Pegasus coins are well out of my budget. Some of the very old "quadrigus" Roman coins feature a chariot being drawn by 4 horses (thus the QUAD part of the name), but again these are often priced for several hundred dollars for a reasonably struck example.
    I did a lot of browsing of ancient coins, mostly Roman, just by using Google and clicking from page to page. There were a few that caught my attention, and I did a little more research on them to find some history and context. One of the Roman coins that featured a prominent horse image is that struck during the reign of the 34th Roman Emperor, Decius (reigned from 249-251 AD). Examples of this coin are generally well struck, feature an obverse with a very classic looking emperor bust, and display the Emperor on horse-back on the reverse.
    Below is the example I recently added to my collection. It is graded NGC Choice Extra Fine, with 4/5 Surface and 4/5 Strike components. The obverse bust is sharp, and the horse and rider is well centered and quite detailed. Not bad for a coin that's been around more than 1750 years.
    Also, if you haven't taken a look at my horse-themed set for a while, I have been working on composing all of the photos in a consistent style. They all feature the horse side of the coin prominently, the non-horse side in 1/2 the size of the horse side, and a coin description or photo of the label of the holder. In the 2nd photo slot I have made photo compilations related to the subject matter of the coin itself. This has been a fun task to pass the time, as I've had to cut back on purchases so my coin budget can recover from the July Heritage auction.
    Happy collecting!
    http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=5705

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  23. brg5658

    A couple newbies

    By brg5658,

    Been a while since I've written...
    I was away the past week or so, taking a break from work and visiting some family. I ventured back to where my parents and siblings all live in the middle of the Great Plains, where temps were over 110 more than half of the week I was there. Needless to say, I spent most of my time indoors as I'm a softie living up in Minnesota for the past 8 years.
    When I returned back to the slightly cooler temps of the Northland, I was greeted by several arrivals in the mail box. I made some upgrades to my 20th Century Type set, after working a good deal with a fellow Collector's Society member. In particular, I upgraded my Buffalo Nickel to an MS67 1937 from my 1938-D MS66. I also upgraded to an MS68 Silver Ike dollar. For my US Type Set, I also added (as part of the same transaction) a PF66 1907 Liberty Nickel. This is the lowest mintage year of all of the proof Liberty Nickels. While it isn't the rarest, it is still a great coin. This is now one of the highlights of my collection, and I absolutely love the coin.
    In addition to some upgrades, I also had a couple horse-themed items in the mix. Below you will see the reverse of one of my newly added beauties. This is the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Expo Medal, sold during the expo in Omaha, Nebraska. It is a nice example, and I was pleasantly surprised to see how gorgeous it is in hand and how high the relief is. There is a spot on the obverse just to the left of the bust (see full picture attached to the Chat Boards post), but otherwise the coin is clean and appealing. The reverse features an American Indian hunting the bison in very high relief. It's a gorgeous design, and bears the date 1848 (50 years prior to the Expo).
    I hope everyone is off to a good start this week. I can't believe it's August already!
    Happy collecting.

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  24. brg5658

    1791 Conder Token

    By brg5658,

    The horse-theme set breaks into new territory
    Last week I was browsing listing on the BAY and came across an absolutely beautiful chocolate-brown token from 1791 Yorkshire that I just couldn't pass up.
    This is a common Conder Token, with 5 tons estimated to have been struck. There are trifling variations in the dies used for this token, and there are also several mules. This is a superbly struck example of the token, graded as MS65BN by NGC. It exhibits great detail and overall chocolatey beauty.
    OBVERSE: The design is taken from the equestrian statue of William III standing near the south end of the Market Place. It was erected by public subscription in 1734, and was at first in a large square, but this took up too much space, and it was replaced by a close railing with four lamps placed around it. The statue was executed by Scheemaker. The pedestal bears the inscription: "This statue was erected in the year 1734 to the memory of King William III, our great deliverer." The inscription is "GULIELMUS TERTIUS REX." which translates at "King William the Third". The bottom bears the date of "MDCLXXXIX" which is 1689 in Roman Numerals -- the year in which King William came to the throne as the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
    REVERSE: The reverse presents the Arms of the town of Hull, originally known as Wyke-upon-Hull, and subsequently Kingstown, or Kingston-upon-Hull: incorporated by Edward I, and made a county of itself by Henry VI. The text is "Hull Halfpenny" and it bears the date of striking of 1791.
    EDGE: The edge is stamped with the text "PAYABLE AT THE WAREHOUSE OF IONATHAN GARTON & CO". Garton and Shackles were linen drapers in the Market Place in Hull.
    While this is a new arena for me, I can definitely see why people LOVE these gorgeous tokens!
    Picture: http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinView.aspx?sc=105820
    Cheers,
    -Brandon
  25. brg5658
    Three more added to my herd
    Hello all,
    I don't want these journals to start sounding monotonous, but I wanted to share my three most recent beauties with those who have been following this set. It seems that all of my recent purchases are coming in the mail in waves.
    The three I am describing here are too many to post in one picture, so I will not post a picture here, but rather you can click on the "Discuss on Chat Boards" link as always and see the three horse coins.
    1) 1950 Monaco Piefort Essai 50 Francs -- This coin is struck in double the weight and thickness of the circulation version. It has a total mintage of 325 pieces, and is graded SP63. It has a fair amount of toning, and even has some dark blues near the crest of the knights helmet. I don't know if it is normal or not, but this particular curiously has a medallic orientation (whereas when you flip the coin on the East-West axis the reverse image is properly oriented -- this is contrary to the "coin orientation" where when you flip the coin on the North-South axis the reverse maintains proper orientation).
    2) 2007 Poland 10 Zloty -- This bar shaped "coin" commemorates 450 years of the Polish Knight. It is a part of the Polish series of commemorative coins struck to signify the historical impact of the cavalry (horse) on the history of Poland.
    3) 1935 Great Britain 1 Crown -- Struck to commemorate the 25th Anniversary (Jubilee) of the beginning of the Reign of King George V of the United Kingdom, this coin features a unique image of St. George slaying the dragon. This particular rendition of the common image is among the minority of the portrayals as the horse is facing left instead of the more common right image portrayed on most other St. George coins.
    Happy collecting!
    -Brandon
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