Not for the Morgan Dollar but for the IKE

Okay, it is summer vacation which means I get caught up on a lot of reading. I decided to start going through all of the Coin World Magazine editions that they have in digital format. (I?ve only had a subscription for a year or so.) It makes for great early morning reading when the entire world is still quiet and peaceful. Anyway, I?m sure not going to remember which volume all of these articles are in so I?m cataloging the articles related to US coins I find significant. Well, wouldn?t you know I find out that there two die combinations for the 1971S Silver Proof Eisenhower Dollar. I knew about the three variations in 1972 circulation dollars and the Type 1 and 2 1976 Variations. I?ve read a lot about the Ike?s but this was the first time I?ve come across this 1971S Proof Variation.

Interestingly enough, both NGC and PCGS only lists two varieties, not variations, for the 1971S Silver Proof IKE, DDO FS-103 and DDO FS-106. These are not die marriages and so I am not too particularly interested in them.( In both cases the coin appears in all three forms, Proof, Proof Cameo, and Proof Ultra Cameo.) Die marriages refers to the die pairs used to mint coins. (Remember Sheldon and Newcomb wrote two key books on the die pairs for Early American Cents.) The common die marriage for the 1971S Silver Proof Dollar has a high relief reverse where the islands are obscured below Florida. The second die pair identified (Coin World, Vol. 48, Issue 2486, December 03, 2007) has a lower relief reverse with the islands below Florida clearly pronounced. Needless to say, I?ve been checking all of the 1971S Silver Proof Ikes I can get my hands in a hunt for this second die marriage. I haven?t had any luck yet but I?m still looking.

My $5.00 dime set is growing a bit quicker than I expected but I?m happy with its growth. I picked up three more dimes this week, a 1963D PCGS MS64, a 1964D PCGS MS63 and a PCGS 2011P MS66FB. All three are still in the mail but by this time next week I should have them listed. I?m actually pretty excited by this set. My collecting strategy is totally different than my other sets where I am looking for the best possible coin I can afford at a specific price. With this set it?s is simply $5.00 or less regardless of FMV for the coin. The possibility of putting together a respectable set that I can pass along to kids just getting started bodes well for the hobby. I?ve been reading a lot of stuff on the internet where clubs and shows are really making major efforts to encourage young collectors with various activities that will keep their interest. Oddly enough almost everything I?ve read also points out that these young collectors will lose their interest in collecting in their high school and college years. (Damn, that sounds real familiar.) Ultimately, the goal most of these youth programs is to kindle a spark in kids so once they are older and they remember how much fun they had collecting coins they can rekindle their passion and become life long collectors. I am most impressed with these realistic views and approaches.

Changing trains of thought once again, I?ve reading ALL of the other journal entries of late, sort of just getting caught up. I am incredibly fascinated with the horse theme with which BRQ5658 has come up. I put right up there with Gary?s ?Inspirational Ladies Collection?. And like Gary, I too am impressed with the photographic presentations BRQ5658 has given us. Naturally with ample free time on my hands, I jumped right on the bandwagon playing with my digital camera and a photo editor to give my pictures more life. Alas, yet another fun activity tied to this wonderful hobby. I even realized it was time to change the name of one of my sets. After roughly 2 years now, I hardly think a ?New Beginning? fits any more so my 1959 to present Lincoln Proof Cent Set is now called ?Making Cents of My Life?. Yea, I know it?s a corny pun but since I was born in 1959 it seemed to fit. Anyway I?m still playing with various formats that will really make the pictures of the coins jump off of the screen. (I?m also realizing that I am artistically challenged. It?s no wonder why my wife picks the colors and I just paint the walls.)

So I will leave you today with my latest attempt at photographic presentation of my 2011S PF70UC-ER Lincoln Cent.

Dennis