I really don't know why I do what I do...

Greetings Collectors,

I just rolled back into town after a short trip to the country with my two boys 12 & 14. We went out to my dads for a few days and took a pile of firearms and literally "shot" a couple hundred dollars in various types of ammo. They had a bunch of fun but my mind was on my coins. The 38,44,45 & 30-30 shells were a small part of a very large hoard left over from my dads pawn shops but I still could not keep from thinking of what I could have bought "numis-wise" had I sold all those boxes. Don't get me wrong, there was nothing close to compare to the joy my boys got out of all the "blown to bits" paint cans and other destroyed items,IE fence posts, bottles, trees etc. But I can't keep from thinking for a day, much less three. So what do I do when I get back? I got in at 10:30 PM and quickly logged on to Heritage to see if there was anything that I couldn't live without.

I have so many coin series that are in need but yet what do I buy? A Mercury dime. I only had less than a half an hour but checked to see if there was anything I could cop for my 1853 mint set but found nothing. I then went to my 1901 mint set and all I saw was a Barber Quarter in AG-3 for several thousand dollars. No way on that one. Then it was on to the MS-66 holes in my Walker "short set". Nada. Then came the proverbial Franklin halves. Still nothing. I then went down a couple notches to see if any Mercury dime rattlers were available that I did not have. 11:00 PM was fast approaching and I was "batting zero". Then I started looking at other merc's. I have always wanted the 1st year of issue and there was a couple of 1916-P's in 65-66 with full bands but I can't see buying something that there are several thousand of. That's when I started looking at the other pops on the remaining mercs that were available. And mind you, the remaining minutes were flying by before "hammer time". Now the Mercury dime is a series that I absolutely adore but most dates even in 65 & 66 have thousands graded by both major graders but I spied a coin that looked awesome and the pops were very respectable, as in, "very low". So anyway I snagged a 1923-P NGC MS-65. This coin is gorgeous. It doesn't have the "full split bands" in the center but "north & south" bands are sweet & fully split. I can't wait to take my own pics. At NGC the count was 23 in 65 with 23 graded higher and PCGS has 24 at MS-65 with 17 graded higher. But low pops and brite white this had to be the fastest "high" and the quickest "crash" in the history of Numismatics. Naw, I'm still a little "buzzed" and the thoughts of having a coin that very few own higher will actually give my "high" some viagra staying power. I'm very pleased with the pics and can't wait for the coin to arrive.

I guess my whole point is that I needed this coin like I needed a hole in my head but yet I still bought it. And of course I also broke my vow of staying away from coins for these few short days I was away as I actually bought another piece to my 1853 mint set, as in an NGC AU-53 $5 P-mint gold Liberty on Sunday night when I arrived at my dads. This coin also ended on eBay around 10:50 PM. (now I am afraid that if I buy another coin shortly before 11 PM I sure nuff have a problem) Get this. My excuse for slipping back to my dads office was, I had been watching this coin for the last 20+ days. Go figure. At least one of my last three buys was for this mid-1800 mint set.

So now I am still waiting on my 1960-D Franklin PCGS MS-65 FBL, along with this $5 Liberty and now I have a Merc I didn't need on the way as well. I am starting to get that "ill" feeling again for what ever it's worth.

But I'm glad to be home and the boys and I are going to catch some pre-high tide waves today (Mon) and then I will be "mailbox watching" in the late afternoon. Ain't it good to be alive & livin in Florida and collecting coins to boot.

I leave you with the reverse of my last New Orleans Ten.(1847)

Happy Collecting to all!

WKF