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NGC Journals

CoinsbyGary

A Virtual Christmas Card for NGC and my Fellow Society Members

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year! Shortly before I graduated from high school in 1976, I bought an 1858-C Half Eagle through a mail order ad in Coins Magazine. Up until that time, this coin was the most expensive coin I had bought at $350.00. Today I still own this coin even though it is details graded VF-30 in an ANACS holder. That following Christmas the dealer with whom I purchased the coin from, sent me a Christmas card that I would like to share with you, my collecting communit
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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W.K.F.'s Journal

The 4-Coin Lincoln Cent Proof Set & some news on '09 Proof Eagles...

For all of you "Lincoln Cent" collectors out there & those wishing for a miracle... Greetings Collectors, I also wanted to share the fact that Congressman Gary C. Peters Dem. Mich wrote a letter on Nov. 12th to Mint Director "Moy" and also wrote a "Dear Colleague" letter to the other 434 members of Congress asking them to "co-sign" his letter to Moy. In his letter to the U.S. Mint Director, Peters wrote. "We understand that there has been extraordinary demand for the "business strike
W.K.F.

W.K.F.

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Followers and Following

Bet ya got some nice coins.

What is the best one worth? What will it be worth in 2 years? Friends & Society, Well hello and I hope everyone has finally ate the last of their turkey. Over the last year I have paid a lot of attention on coin values. There has been a significant amount of new coin buyers added to our challenged purchasing that are causing havoc in the realised market of coin values. I would call them stock-coin buyers. They buy some coins at a good fair price, and sell when the value drops.Of course the
Six Mile Rick

Six Mile Rick

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CoinsbyGary

Building a Registry Set I can be Proud of

With my "Magnum Opus" type set ready, let the judging begin! I have come a long way since April 3, 2009. On that day, I posted a journal about the joy of building a signature set and said that registry sets were ?mechanical and non-flexible?. That statement could not be any further from the truth, and it took building a registry set that I can be proud of to discover just how wrong I was. The big drawing card in signature sets for me is that I define the theme and the coins within the set ba
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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Just coins's Journal

Important new policy for coins listed on Ebay

Pictures of slabbed coins on Ebay.... I had a auction canceled because of a listing policy error on Ebay recently. In the email Ebay sent me it states, "Listings for certified coins must include images showing the "full" front and back sides of the authentication slab." In fact I did show both sides of the coin I was selling, but cut off the bottom edge of one side of the slab picture! So I thought this is why you, Ebay canceled my listing. But then...... This started me thinking and I found
Just coins

Just coins

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LJRambo!!!

Watch for theives passing clad coins in the silver proof packaging

Check your back dated silver proof sets if you buy them from EBay. Someone put clad coins in my Red 1999 Silver proof set. I have a set of PF 70 silver state quarters which is missing the dreaded Delaware Pf70. So I?ve been buying 1999 silver proof sets for grading. I have purchased 5 or 6 silver proof sets from EBay. I try to be cautious and buy them from people who have good feedback. Sometimes I try to buy them from sellers who don?t have a lot of coins sales in their feedback. I go
LJRambo111

LJRambo111

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C'MON NOW!

SECURITY? - WHAT SECURITY?

There is no such thing........believe me Hello all!   The Holiday season is back. W.K.F. has a point. Everyone wants to have something nice. A few would go as far as trying to steal it. I am fortunate to only have a mere $60-$70K in my collection. My friends all know I have it (and where). My collection represents a major percentage of my net worth. If I were to lose it I'd be devastated. The coins in my small collection, are for me, my son, and my friends to admire. They are somewha
namvette68

namvette68

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Electric Peak's Journal

Commemorating the Season

For once I got pretty much what I was expecting. A few months ago I was going through a portion of my collection I seldom do - the less valuable items like modern proof sets and commemoratives. I was disturbed to see that a couple of the coins were developing an annoying milky haze. I decided to take them to the next Baltimore show (last month) and submit them to NGC for grading & encapsulation. I was expecting 1 or 2 68UCs and the rest as 69UC, with any 70s as a bonus. The coins arrived
Electric Peak

Electric Peak

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LJRambo!!!

The 2006 20th Anniversary Reverse proof is selling for 25% cheaper thann the 2008 W Proof Buffalo

Yesterday?s coin is a rarer coin and today?s best value; do you want to know what it is? In my opinion, it?s mostly forgotten and a better looking coin. The Buffalo fury is on. I have seen an EBay auction sell a 2008 W Mint mark PF70 Buffalo sell for $3,999.95, what?s behind the fever? Is it the current price of gold or is it the Rarity of the 2008 Buffalo? It can?t be the mintage number. Because the MS 70 W mint mark on the Buffalo uncirculated version is half the mintage of the proof version
LJRambo111

LJRambo111

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W.K.F.'s Journal

"Tell Santa that you want"...

Anything Gold or Silver! Greetings Collectors, I am set up to get e-mail "alerts" from a company I have done business with on numerous occasions. This company is "Apmex". That is short for American Precious Metals Exchange. I have mentioned them before here but I felt it worth mentioning again, as at 2:16 EST, Gold pushed through $1200. It has since settled back just a few moments ago to $1198.30. Silver is up nicely as well to $19.14. I am always searching the "web" for the very lowest prem
W.K.F.

W.K.F.

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Izzydad's Journal

Coin of the Month for December

And the coin of the month for December is... an 1898 Barber quarter. It has stunning cartwheel luster with a full sharp strike. It has nice green and red toning. This piece was graded MS-66 by PCGS and is in an old "rattler" holder. This coin was also awarded a green CAC sticker.
Izzydad

Izzydad

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CoinsbyGary

The Coin that Almost Was

A lot has happened at the US Mint since 1979 On my post, dated 11/14/09, I established how the ?Libertas Americana? medal influenced the ?Liberty Cap? design on our earliest coinage. However, the ?Liberty Cap? design very nearly found its way onto our circulating dollar coin in 1979. Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro, himself influenced by the ?Libertas Americana? had a ?Liberty Cap? dollar ready for minting in 1979 to replace the Eisenhower Dollar. However, due to political considerations, Pre
coinsbygary

coinsbygary

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W.K.F.'s Journal

"T'is the Season for Thieves"

A few security tips for collectors... Greetings Collectors, Now that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas is less than a month away. As all of you know, our economy is not in the best of shape and not wanting to cross over into a political rant, all I am going to say is, if current policy remains unchanged, we are all in for alot more of the same, at least until 2010. Having said that, the criminal element still thrives, and I fear, it will grow even stronger. It seems that burglars, pick-pockets
W.K.F.

W.K.F.

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When I’m Wiser and I’m Older

Trying to Finish with Something

Trying to go out with a bit of a bang. It just kind of hit me today that I hadn't bought a coin or really even gone looking for anything in over a month. My last purchase was on October 26th and after that I just barely had time to think about coin collecting. I had some work to get done and that doesn't really bother me, but it would bother me to let this collecting year (which I see as beginning and ending on December 10th) end without me making some kind of final purchase or final collectin
Revenant

Revenant

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W.K.F.'s Journal

"Revised" Mint Numbers for 2008-W Coins...

A very "pleasant" surprize for those of us who collect/invest... Greetings Collectors, I was going to include this info in my previous post but I tend to "title" a post one way and then talk about it (the title) & and a "ton" of other stuff. This makes the post much too long for some. Many of you have grown accustomed to my "ramblings". I am sure there are a few who when they see the length, say, "I ain't gonna read all that". To those of you who feel that way, I apologize. The main re
W.K.F.

W.K.F.

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W.K.F.'s Journal

"PICS" Coin only VS Coin & Holder...

The survey results and an "Opinion" on... Greetings Collectors, A week or two ago I posted a question relating to whether you, the collectors, had a preference of when viewing sets of others, (or your own) would rather see a photo of "just the coin" or one that showed the "coin & the holder"? While there were some of you, I would have liked to have heard from and didn't, there were many, some close friends, and others I have never corosponded with, that did indicate a preference. I know
W.K.F.

W.K.F.

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CaptBrian's Journal

Collecting vs. Investing

What am I? Please tell me, investor or collector. I began "collecting" years ago for an investment stance. Figuing precious metals would increase in value over time. And so they have. Not [as advertised] actually keeping up with inflation. nice increase, but not what one would expect listening to gold and silver sellers. I got together a nice stash 18 years ago, and have sold much of it off to come into graded coins all the while expecting to pawn them off to the first buyer who co
CaptBrian

CaptBrian

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Greywolf44-migration's Journal

Early Release

Mint verus graded. Was remembering the discussions about Early Release and First Strike Gold coins. As I was making my rounds in search of coins I saw this ad MS70 Early release American Buffalo NGC price $1399 free shipping. Mint price $1460 plus cost of grading and shipping and no assured MS70. Have a good one everyone, I am still eating left overs.........   Grey Wolf
Greywolf44-migration

Greywolf44-migration

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CaptBrian's Journal

First Strikes

Are "First Strikes" more desireable, and more valuable? I was to understand that even though the "First Strike" [blue label] coins were not from the mints 'first strikes', but the first coins to be graded by the graders during the first month of issue. In addition, I understood, that the 'first few coins' could have clearer images than those struck with worn dies. I am sure the difference is minute, but so is differences between PF/MS 69's to '70's. ANY comment supporting or defacing this
CaptBrian

CaptBrian

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jiml-migration's Journal

Are Entertaining Journal Entries a thing of the Past ???????

I used to read all the journal entries and enjoyed most of them. Now I guess times have changed!!!!!!!It seems as if all the more talented and entertaining writers have stopped making entries in our journal, this trend started in late 2008 and looks to continue into 2010.Not to change the subject but if you didn't know it about 95% of the people that are collecting American Silver Eagles for instants could care less if it is a First Strike or an Early Release or if it is in fact graded. Most do
jiml-migration

jiml-migration

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neverman's Journal

An Extremely Thankful Thanksgiving

Even though things were less than perfect... Greetings!! I hope all of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday. Mine was a little less than stellar as my sewer backed up the night before;thus we had to move the dinner to mom in laws house. Also, my kids were outta town, so I missed them very much this year. But, not all is lost. So much to be thankful for. I have risen above the muck of bad financial times, even afforded myself a new (used) vehicle, and am in the final stages of getting
neverman

neverman

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jackson64's Journal

Celebrating Holidays, Numismatist Style

a new ornament for the tree Our family is big on tradition. Since I was a little kid we have had certain family traditions that even now I still hold onto and have tried to pass to my kids. For example, on Thanksgiving, all of us adults are required to find a Bible verse that mentions thanksgiving or gratitude..we then take turns reading them before the family prayer and the feasting begins. Another long-held tradition is buying a Christmas tree the Friday after Thanksgiving. I know it see
jackson64

jackson64

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LJRambo!!!

Is the 20th Anniversary proof coin a special label or special coin.

If we only buy coins based on the coin and we don?t consider the label then we shouldn?t embrace the 2006 UC Proof Gold Eagles slabbed 20th Anniversary. I love it, because it?s one of my rarest! In my opinion the guidelines NGC set up for slabbing all coins with their proper pedigree are one of the best in the industry. If we look at the rules and guidelines that were set up for the 20th anniversary coins it shows a well thought out process. In fact I believe it was one of the best. Did you
LJRambo111

LJRambo111

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