physics-fan3.14

Looking over the lots, there are a lot of really pretty coins in really high grades. These are probably near the top of the census and thus conditionally rare, but most of the coins in Part I seem to be common dates and issues. https://www.ha.com/c/search-results.zx?N=3183+792+4294945101+&limitTo=all&ic5=CatalogHome-ActionArea-Search-071515

Well, clearly one of the TPGs made a mistake. The one that slabbed them has a guarantee, and certifies them as genuine. If you really feel that they are counterfeit, perhaps show them to an expert in the field and get a fifth opinion?

The ones posted in the article are all modern or ultra-modern. Were there any classics in there?

I have it bookmarked, myself. I have the PCGS one bookmarked too, but all the pictures are gone from that one.

Why is it concerning? Even the newest professional graders still have incredible credentials. Every profession does this - starts the new people off with the easiest tasks. You have a brand new lawyer - do you want her to take the car crash lawsuit, or the multi-million dollar merger? Get some experience on the easy stuff before you work up to the hard stuff.

I was unaware of the compositional change that Zebo has been talking about. If there was an alloy with a significantly higher silver concentration, then that will produce a whiter gold. I'm fully on board with Zebo's explanation for the color difference (I was assuming they were the same composition).

Sounds like an exploration of those interesting stories that often get shoved to the side. Are you going to be covering well known counterfeiters as well? (Henning, Omega, etc?) As always, I look forward to buying a copy!

Not sure if you're talking about design differences, but the immediately apparent difference to me: the top one is a nice, attractive, original orange gold, the bottom one is a cleaned white gold stripped of all patina. One of these I would want, one of these I would not.

Yes, sports cards too: https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/ccg-to-start-sports-card-authentication-and-grading-division/

Well there's a face I haven't seen in a long time. How ya been, James?

What if we think this is a silly idea and want to write our congressmen and tell them to vote against this nonsense. Do you have a template for that?

Is this the Bruce Morelan specimen that sold for $10 million last time?

Is this really a hoard? Sounds more like someone selling a collection that had been kept in a bank vault, not a hoard.

It looks like the luster just drips off that coin. Very nice.

If a coin is only worth $100, I'm not going to spend $35 to get it graded. I'm quite sure there are thousands and thousands of 67s in rolls and mint sets that just haven't been submitted because it isn't worth it. I'd wager that for many of the ones that ended up graded as 67, the submitter was thinking it was a 68 or a 67 FT. My rule of thumb is, its generally not worth it to submit a coin that is worth less than $300, unless there is some other reason I want it in a slab. For example, I've submitted inexpensive coins because I need them to complete my Registry set. Didn't make financial sense, but I did it anyways.

What sort of stuff do you mean? Like packaging materials, promotional materials around the release? Or do you mean contemporary artwork or artefacts? I personally am mostly a coin collector, I don't usually get the paraphernalia surrounding the coin. But, if you're making a display showcase, that sort of thing can really bring it to life.

Now that is a pretty dang cool piece of history.

This coin looks like a very nice prooflike coin. Many times throughout the years, prooflike coins have been advertised as proofs or specimen strikes. This happens for two reasons: people don't understand that prooflike strikes are a natural part of the life of a die, and aren't an intentional special strike. They look great, and I think they are desirable, but there is nothing inherently special in their manufacture. And also, if you hype it up as a proof or specimen (no evidence required!) then you can sell it for much, much more. Without some evidence that this is a specimen (some contemporary documentation describing its status, the reason for making it, who it was given to, what ceremony it was part of, etc. - and no, a letter from Breen doesn't count!), then we as numismatists just cannot accept it as a specimen. Without documentation, its a very nice prooflike example and worth a fraction of that asking price.

The problem is, WC, these "attributions" are for cameo and ultra cameo proofs. Anyone buying them is already paying a premium for the strength of the cameo. I find it really hard to believe that there is going to be a demand for these T attributions. A very strong cameo already gets a very strong price - no matter what die it came from.

It's avaiable to read for free on the NNP: https://archive.org/details/insideviewhobby1984bowe/mode/2up I will add it to my list!

If he wrote the book, he can put whatever prices he wants in there! I haven't read his Red Books, I still have his original guide for Franklins. However, this press release is actually talking about a much, much older book: https://www.amazon.com/Cameo-Brilliant-Proof-Coinage-1950/dp/096285770X As far as I know, it has been out of print for decades. I'm really curious why NGC is suddenly starting to designate these varieties.

The National Numismatic Collection is in Washington. That's the capitol, that's were the Smithsonian is, that's where the collection is. Now, you could argue that the capitol should be more centrally located, but that's not going to happen. There was no reason to think about accomodating other museums - they sent the samples to the Smithsonian! Private museums are not their concern. The Connecticut Library, ANA, ANS, and other significant collections have examples of pieces because some collector bought them - not because the mint gave it to them. And, they definitely had no concern for the public or collectors! That wasn't their job. We as collectors have a slightly different perspective, but you have to think: the Mint is a Factory. They make what they're told, they melt what they're told. It's no different than Apple or Tesla. Is it Tesla's job or concern to send an example of each model to museums around the country? No - they are there to stamp out a product.

Do they have to come in those god awful holders, or can you get them in normal holders? Seriously, that is one of the worst eyesores I've ever seen y'all put out. Whose idea was that?

Well, well, well - the story gets a little more interesting!I was doing a bit of reading about the Detroit Money Museum, and its founder Nathan Shapero.I stumbled upon a token the museum issued, and knew instantly that I needed to own it as a companion piece. On the reverse is a fairly generic name and title - but the obverse! The obverse shows a money tree! The money tree shown here is of the Japanese variety, but I thought that it was absolutely brilliant that the place that used to own my money tree issued a token with a money tree. Coincidentally, there just happened to be an Ebay auction with one of these tokens. I won the auction just moments ago, and normally I'd wait to take my own pictures but I was so excited to show you this cool little piece.

Unfortunately they aren't mine, those are just from Wikipedia. I'm not sure how much gardening you do, but if you try to grow nougat, it grows into a snickers tree. You have to be very careful with the watering, however.