• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

NGC Journals

When I’m Wiser and I’m Older

An interesting thought on the concept of "insurance."

When I shipped my box of 10G coins (and a few others) last week I was pretty happy/ content to fork over an extra $26 for Registered mail. The box in question was worth about $5,000-6,000 dollars and contained 12 years of a collecting journey. I would have a hard time finding another 1880, 1887 and 1888 in Gem or near gem grades. I do not want to lose those. However, I'm hoping to queue up 2 more submissions soon - one to NGC and one to PMG, both related to my Zimbabwe collection, that are
Revenant

Revenant in Random Nonsense

5
Why I like coins

US Mint makes me sad and I miss real coin shops!

Having a few US coins and Proof sets when I was a child has made me want to collect more US coins. I have a nice collection of US coins that I feel proud to share with my friends that collect as well. Over the years I have Silver Proof sets from the 1992 till 2019, Silver Eagles from 1986 till 2020, odds and ends of proof sets to the point of "someday I will send these in to get rated".  BUT..... there are some missing pieces.... especially with my Silver Eagles.... because certain people h
ChrisInJesup

ChrisInJesup in New

7
My submission gave me a black-eye

NCS guestions - can anyone help?

Hello Everyone, I just sent in my first ever NCS submission.  I thought that I was feeling good about it, but as I sit and think I wonder if I even did it right. Navigating websites is not one of my strengths.  But I was always impressed with how easy the standard NGC online submission form was to fill out.  However, the NCS form confused me a great deal. I have basically 3 questions to the NCS form.  I tried to call NCS once and I also called NGC's customer service for help with
When I’m Wiser and I’m Older

The 20 Mark and (Finally) Shipping the 10Gs

The 20 Mark coin arrived a while back and I was really happy with how the coin looked in hand. I’d been a little concerned about unattractive marks on an MS62, but I was very happy with the look of this one. There’s a significant number of scratches on the high points but nothing I consider too distracting or detracting from the look of the coin when I look at it in person (pictures can always be a bit hit or miss with how good or bad they make a coin look under high magnification). A
Revenant

Revenant in Gold

0
Why I like coins

My NCS batch is back and I'm pleased.

My set of coins sent to NCS first came back. I'm very pleased with the results. All the silver coins had haze, one silver showed signs of PVC damage starting and the gold coin had a rubbery substance I couldn't get off. I could see that the contaminate was in some of the devices, so I decided to let an expert do it. These coins were bought online last year at prices that would make some people jealous. Instead of me posting pics, I'll post a link since they are part of my personal collectio
ChrisInJesup

ChrisInJesup in New

2
Collecting world coins

Added a key Auction Catalogue

The catalogue for the Paramount Collection from Heritage has just arrived and I will be adding this to my collection as it has some great information on rare world coins and will no doubt get referred to for many years to come. As I mentioned in the ‘Auction Catalogs’ thread some of the standard references used in sales for the areas I have an interest in are actually auction catalogues rather than books, the main one being Napoleonic medals. I already had a copy of Bramsen (reprint, origi
When I’m Wiser and I’m Older

The 500 Lire...

I'm still slowly working on getting my father-in-law's coins organized and set up the way I want but these got my attention in a good way - some Italian 500 lire coins. It has "500" in braille in the legend / along the rim. The Italian 500 Lire, from what I read, was the first bimetallic coin and the first coin to feature braille. Seeing this got me thinking about something I read years ago about the FED / BEP / the US government being sued on the basis that the currency in the U
coinsandmedals's Journal

A new addition!

The world coin market seems to be on fire so far in 2021! Even the relatively common certified pieces that I collect are fetching 3-4 times what similar pieces brought just a year ago. I may be spoiled, but it seems ridiculous to pay such a steep price hike for relatively common coins, and as such, I have been making fewer purchases. This is not all bad, as it has allowed me to focus my attention on acquiring high-quality or unique pieces that would have otherwise been more financially difficult
When I’m Wiser and I’m Older

The 20 Lire and Soon the 20 Marks.

The 1882 20L coin arrived recently and I'm very happy to have it. It's a great addition to my growing set of smaller European gold coins from the late 19th and early 20th century - a group of coins I call my "golden nickels," because they're all about the size of a US nickel and because of what happened at around that same point in history with the "no cents" V nickels in 1883. It's a group of coins from the pre-Great War period that I think I'll always find endlessly fascinating. All
Revenant

Revenant in Gold

6
Why I like coins

Call me a geek....

So I had an email asking me HOW to program a search engine to find a coin, even a rare one. Let me start by saying... you can search for a coin with current search engines. My programming uses these current search engines to find what I want. HOWEVER..... because I'm lazy.... I use a Linux Server to do the job.... and it's a small system on my wireless network that does the searching for me. Without getting into details..... my little server uses a --script to inject what I want and the res
ChrisInJesup

ChrisInJesup in New

7
When I’m Wiser and I’m Older

Got a couple of pages sorted.

While Shandy was napping with the baby, I let Ben have the TV and sat down to continue this project. Shandy sent a picture to her parents recently to let them know where some of our important papers (like our wills) were stored and all of my Father-in-law's coins were visible in the shot, stacked up nearby. I pointed that out to them, and my wife made the comment that my FiL would like seeing that and that knowing something was being done with them. That got me feeling motivated to continue
CoinsbyGary

The Three Graces on the Cheap

In December of 2019, the United Kingdom launched a series of commemorative coins based on the classic works of “The Great Engravers.” The inaugural issue features the classic “Una and the Lion” engraved by William Wyon. When this coin was first issued, you could find the 2-ounce silver version on e-bay for less than $500. From then on, the resale price has sky-rocketed. Recently, I saw an NGC PFUC-68 Una and the Lion on e-bay sell for $4000.00! Fortunately, I bought mine long before the numismat
coinsbygary

coinsbygary in World Coins

5
Why I like coins

A slow trickle....

So my coin purchases overseas are slowly trickling in. COVID has really slowed things down. One coin I purchased was back in November and just got here. Carrier pigeon must have gotten lost LOL! Makes me appreciate the Postal Service even more. Carriers running in bad weather, bringing me gifts from other places so I can admire my prize.  But even as all those coins trickle in.... I broke my New Year's resolution.... no coin purchases. I have a few search engines programmed to let me k
ChrisInJesup

ChrisInJesup in New

5
When I’m Wiser and I’m Older

As it happens... (cheap) plastic ages! Just like I do apparently.

So I have a bunch of these old collectable miniatures that I used to play with in Junior High and High School. My sons get to slowly play with (and destroy) some of dad's ol "Robot toys" but I hold back some old special ones that were my favorites. A guy in a Facebook group was looking to buy some that I had some spares of - even unopened from back in the day - So I offered to sell and maybe get a few bucks towards a coin or note purchase. I have an open one too and he asked if i
Revenant

Revenant in Family

6
Collecting world coins

The last coin I bought

Well it has been a while since I actually bought a coin and 2020 turned out to be the first year in a long time that I didn’t pick up multiple lots at the major European auctions over the autumn. I should say this was not from a lack of trying, it is just that I was outbid on the lots I was interested in – sometimes quite spectacularly – so I was delighted when I picked up a 1809 20 Lire from the Milan mint of Napoleonic Italy in AU58 (although the mintage is 52,640 there are only 27 coins grade
Coinbuf's Journal

Gold, a time to buy or a time to sit on the sidelines?

I very much enjoy a nice cold coin especially many of the early designs, but even some of the modern designs are very nice and present well.   As the price of gold has jumped up significantly I have curtailed most of my buying on the hope that what goes up must come down, at least that is what I am hopping for anyway.  However a couple of nice opportunities did present themselves over the past year and I did pull the trigger on a nice XF $3 gold piece and just a week ago on an AU $1 Liberty Head
Coinbuf

Coinbuf in Coinbufs journal

8
When I’m Wiser and I’m Older

And now I got to order it! (The 20 Lire)

So work did come through with a bonus this year - smaller than last year but still a very nice surprise considering I wasn't expecting anything. So rather than making me wait to see what happens in Washington the wife let me order an NGC MS64 1882 20 Lire coin last night. I won't post pictures or anything because the seller watermarks their images but I'll be looking forward to getting the coin - hopefully sooner than their shipping estimate suggests - 2 weeks from California to Texas
Revenant

Revenant in Gold

0
When I’m Wiser and I’m Older

Thoughts on the 20 Lire and the display front.

So, counting the post yesterday on the PMG side this'll be three posts in three days but I guess things are finally starting to settle and I'm starting to de-stress and I feel like talking / writing again. The good news on the tax return front, other developments in the political sphere that I've referenced before, and the recent dip in gold prices have me optimistic that, in the near future, I'll get to knock a coin off my wish list, and I think its going to be an Italian 20 Lire. The
Revenant

Revenant in Coin Displays

13
When I’m Wiser and I’m Older

Well, that happened.

A number of months ago, when surprised, I just said, "Well, that happened," and Ben latched onto it and started using the phrase. Sometimes he would look to me when something happened and say, "Was that a thing that happened?" "Yup." We live in Houston as most of you who read this know and apparently, from my coworkers, news of our misery the week of President's day has been a topic even in the UK and Europe. Our water was in and out from Monday to about Thursday the 18th - but even wh
Revenant

Revenant in Family

6
coinsandmedals's Journal

Old habits die hard!

When I first started collecting coins, I purchased whatever caught my attention with little to no discipline. As I matured, I found myself focused on EAC and early U.S. type coins. Eventually, I abandoned those areas of focus and shifted my attention to world coins. More specifically, almost all of my collecting efforts are focused on English and Irish copper, emphasizing the Soho coinage. Perhaps it is this intense focus that makes my newest purchase so odd. It is not copper, it not Englis
Why I like coins

Am I competing?!? Not really!!

So to let other collectors out there understand..... I'm not directly competing against other collectors. I'm just collecting! NGC may have a competition annually.... and that's a good thing!!! But I'm trying to fill my slots when a group opens from my collection. Good example is my British Virgin Islands coins. I have all the Pegasus $1 coins and won "Best In Category" for it last year..... but now I'm in 2nd place.... because someone got a better coin grade on a coin..... GOOD FOR YO
ChrisInJesup

ChrisInJesup in New

11
Why I like coins

What to do with the winnings....(Part 2)

So I've decided what to send. Not the easiest decision because there are so many to nice coins to choose and so many countries. Last year as I tried to find more JFK coins from around the world, I was picking up coins from like Malta, San Marino, and others made me appreciate other coins from those same country. The detail that went into it some these coins were captivating. Being an admirer of carvings, these are miniature version that are easy to show and transport. So my decision was bas
ChrisInJesup

ChrisInJesup in New

4
Why I like coins

Turning into an obsession!!

As I go through my raw coins, it occurred to me that at one time I was just collecting American coins. Just looking for that next coin to fill a spot. On occasion I would pick up a foreign coin and put it in a storage box to protect it. Life was simple then. I had some slabbed coins from PCGS, NGC, ICG and ANACS. So I decided to go to these websites and learn something about their services. NGC caught my attention the most (as well as their registry), so I registered and started sending coi
ChrisInJesup

ChrisInJesup in New

9