• 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.

MikeKing

Member: Seasoned Veteran
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    3,649

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Journal Entries posted by MikeKing

  3. MikeKing

    The 1814 SINGLE LEAF

    By MikeKing,

    Die lapping (to improve the coin for striking purposes in the US Mint, which used a SCREW PRESS in producing their coins) caused erasure of the leaves on this branch, making it a very scarce variety.
    Another interesting artifact of the way things were done so long ago, and so precious in the story it tells.

  4. MikeKing
    The 1818/9 is the most common overdate in the Bust Half series, but it's still not easy to find
    The first one I had was fortuitous in that I bought an 1818 in an NGC holder, but upon inspection, when I received it, it was an 1818/9. I sold that coin. Can't remember if it was a large or a small 9, but what I'm discussing here is the small 9. The small 9 reveals more of the 8 which lies under it. Also, there was only ONE set of dies for this particular overdate, as opposed to several for the large 9. It is therefore the more scarce, overall, of the two (although there are some die marriages of the large 9 variety that are scarcer). Here's a photo of the overdate. The whole coin may be seen in my registry set.

  6. MikeKing
    For anyone interested in a couple of closeups (this and the next journal entry).
    Closeup of the date on the 181.7 50C. Thought not to be an actual overdate, rather, just an error in keeping the working die free from any damages (like someone poking a small hole in it and mystifying collectors for the next 150 years).
    See the Reverse shot in the next journal entry.
    Photos of the full obverse and reverse are in my Capped Bust set if you'd like to view them.

  7. MikeKing
    1808 and 1808/7 are two empty slots in my Capped Bust Half collection that I've found very hard to fill. Not due to any paucity of these coins, rather, the difficulty in finding really nice ones.
    For example, I had an 1808 NGC 58 that was quite superb in many ways, but it had been dipped, and retoned peripherally, in a way I found very 'artificial'. I don't mean AT (artificial toning), but the coin just didn't have 'the look' that I'm interested in, so I sold it. Yes, at a loss! I just had to do that.
    I haven't found a good replacement since (all the good ones seem to get away from me).
    Similarly for 1808/7, though, I never had one.
    Restricted by finances right now and having to sell coins to buy coins, I wondered what I was going to do when Sheridan Downey had his next sale/auction. I KNEW there would be several coins that I'd both need and want and just couldn't find elsewhere, and maybe, just maybe, he'd have a great 1808/7.
    Yes he did!
    Just recently, he purchased Palmer's Red Book collection of Capped Bust Halves and put them up for sale. The 1808/7 was too good to be true. The price I paid for it was too much to be true also. . But you get what you pay for (sometimes), and here, certainly, I feel it was well worth it.
    Probably, though not definitely dipped at some time in it's life, toning that in hand is rather gorgeous with pearlescent grey centrally and some golden browns and blues peripherally, that just spell 'natural'. The die flow lines are strong, and the cartwheeling is inclusive of the fields entirely, which is not often the case, even in lower MS grades. Indeed, this coin never saw circulation, though it's graded an AU58.
    So, I'm real happy, and the 1808 can wait until my finances improve, and....having that overdate is quite a thrill.

  8. MikeKing
    I always figured I'd just have to settle for the 1807 large stars 50 over inverted 5 (otherwise known as the 50/20 [sic] {see my registry set for a more detailed discussion of the erroneous 50/20 designation}). I was tickled when I landed a really really nice one in AU55, and never figured I'd own those two really really difficult to find 'large stars' and 'small stars' varieties.
    And of those 'Bearded Ladies' supposedly so rare but popping up all over the place (I bought one once in a PCGS VF something holder and returned it immediately)...damn, to find one of those with the complete crack and in really nice condition would cost an absolute fortune (I've only seen one that I liked and it was priced at over 8K).
    Well...my collecting practices are taking a turn. Initially I thought I'd buy coins I always kind of wanted...like the U.S. Assay $10 piece, and all that copper, lucious copper, in my Colonial Coins set...but I've determined that I just don't know enough about any coin outside of the Bust Halves...I mean...not that I'm an expert in ANYTHING, but I know more about Busties than Gold, and I hate to say this...even copper. I just don't know enough about them to not risk getting screwed in a transaction.
    So I started selling off my copper and my gold and besides paying off some credit card bills, where the interest alone, in a year, could buy me one very nice coin...I started to re-invest myself in my Bust Half collection. Damn...am I happy I did that. The future looks BRIGHT. Yep!!! I said it...BRIGHT!!!
    First, I began to find that I was tripping over...or maybe I should say these coins were literally falling into my lap (which makes you wonder how scarce they really are). I found a great AU58, really MS62 1807 50/inverted 5, that I just had to trade up for...and of course, pay the difference in cash (Arrrgh).
    Then, I came accross this really neat and original looking AU40 Small Stars, that I also traded some coins in for...of course + some cash (yikes!).
    And THEN, I fell upon a really neat large stars, clean surfaces (basically), un-molested (basically too), also in XF40+, that just had great eye appeal (gosh...I never seem to capture these kinds of coins adequately with a camera...but what the hell...my photos end up in my registry set regardless).
    Oh yeah...and traded in coins for that one also.
    Darn, I'm devesting and investing at the same time.
    But I am sure as hell happy about it!!!
    So that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
  11. MikeKing

    Original Gold

    By MikeKing,

    I think there is a general understanding that most of the gold available in today's market has been manipulated in one way or another.
    Just try to find un-hairlined circulated or low MS gold.
    I spent hours and hours and days, looking around at the ANA in Milwaukee recently, and came up with very little.
    It's almost become a new challenge of mine, so challenging, I think I should throw in the towel before I even get my feet wet. And believe me, they are not even wet yet.
    Now, Bust Halves suffer similarly, except for a couple of things.
    Firstly, silver is not as soft as gold, and the consequences of this are easily seen if you examine even a small sample of coins.
    Secondaly, a lesser majority of Bust Halves that I've seen on the market have been wiped. That's just my opinion. I haven't done a statistical study, so what I'm saying is just through my own 'simple observation'.
    But it seems that Gold, is usually wiped. And that leaves hairlines.
    My 1834 Classic Head, gorgeous coin, better than average strike for the issue (I think), dipped, wiped and retoned. If it weren't for the hairlines, I'm sure it would have graded MS. Does that mean I won't have it in my collection...obviously not. But sure as hell when I find a piece that is original, I will buy it up in a flash. I'm talking AU now, not MS. Too much money.
    Now, I've got a couple of pieces in my small collection of gold that are original. One has hairlines that I don't believe are from a wiping, rather, from handling, and the marks consistent with the grade of MS 60. It's originally toned. Well...how do I know that, and what's original?
    I'd say that the depth of the toning, and the way it falls on the surface of the coin is consistent with something that occurred over a long period of time (a lot longer than 20-30 years), so I would hazzard to guess that indeed, the dealer who sold it to me, who felt is was >100 yrs of toning in a leather pouch, may very well be correct.
    Hey, if you think otherwise and can explain a logic that would defend otherwise, email me...please...I need to learn.
    But I'm posting this coin for the very reason that it looks like 'original gold', a rare item for anything but moderns, and also, a coin of great beauty. In fact, despite the scratches c/w the grade, the coin is absolutely stunning, and I doubt I'd find one so beautiful even in high MS grade. Show me one, please! Even though I wouldn't be able to afford it!!!
    If my strength holds up, I'll soon post another piece of 'original gold' that I have. This one of lesser grade, more marks, more heavily toned and no obvious hairlines. Also, a very interesting coin.
    I've put these coins in a Signature set I've started that I'm simply calling 'Michael's Gold'. It's just an endeavor of mine to buy some nice looking gold. Can't do everything at once, and I just can't seem to tear myself away from those darn Busties!

  12. MikeKing

    Intrinsic value

    By MikeKing,

    Or maybe I should use the phrase 'intrinsic numismatic value' as put forth by a colleague (zoins) on the NGC board?
     
    Buying a coin with intrinsic value depends on so many things, and the numbers of coins extant, to me, is one of the most important.Why? Because if there are only 23 extant, I'd be terribly pleased if it was originally toned, never wiped and grade almost irrelevant, but XF to AU would be perfectly pleasing to me, And if the price is good, you KNOW you're getting a real bargain, real value and all that steak and not the sizzle (I'm taking this term from Scot Travers) that an MS 64 whatever would have with a pop of >500 (NGC/PCGS combined), which though it looks pretty and the price tag may be the same or even a little or a lot more than your really SCARCE bargain, is no where as 'rare' as your low pop, even if lower grade, naturally toned, unwiped 'rare find'. Something you can really treasure in your collection.Now how do you determine the population? I'll never go to a coin show again without the NGC and PCGS pops printed out and in hand for the coins I like.Can you rely on them? Actually yes and no. Yes, in that it's the best way to actually see evidence given as numbers by two major grading companies. Now we all know those numbers are skewed by resubmissions, the numbers of which can be unbelievably high, I'm sure, when the next grade up jumps five fold. But at least you have a number, even though you know it's not absolute. It's probably even a bad approximation, but at least it gives you an idea about the SURVIVING population, because Mintage numbers, while also helpful, mean nothing when 90% of the coins were melted down for that year, rendering any comparison with mintage figure for a year in which most of the coins survived, irrelevant. Then, of course, are the Heritage Archives. Not the be all and the end all of total coins autioned off, but large enough an auction house and around long enough that you will get a very good idea about HOW MUCH of something is really out there. So when you look up the coin your interested in and you see that only 10 have been auctioned off in ANY GRADE over the past 10 years, as compared to 50 or so being auctioned off in ANY GRADE just in the past year...tells you something about the scarcity (or lack of) of the coin your interested in.Of course, when you're at a show, and you find THAT special coin, you really have to buy it immediately, lest it dissapears into someone elses hands, so even though there might be an Internet Cafe in the lobby, you may not have the time to go see what the Heritage Archives shows. Maybe this is where previous study would be helpful...to really KNOW your coins, and your want list. But then, if that want list is too large, hell if you're going to know the number of coins auctioned for each and every one.So to round this brainstormin of mine off, this is what I've come up with.It's easy enough to print out the NGC/PCGS pops for coins your interested in (e.g. all $2.5 Gold) and keep it in your pocket, so when you see a piece that is naturally toned and you know THAT in and of itself is a rarity, and you also see a really gorgeous higher grade flashy piece next to it, you can just look to see that the flashy piece has an NGC/PCGS pop combined of 1,000 (in all grades) and that original beauty in XF has a pop of 100 (NGC/PCGS combined) (in all grades) it makes it a lot easier to decide which one to purchase. Sorry for any grammatical/spelling mistakes as I'm hitting the send button lest this brain storming of mine gets deleted before I send it!
  13. MikeKing
    This is one of three coins I won in the Sheridan Downey auction which finalized at the Milwaukee ANA World's Fair of Money. The story is that these coins were in a vault, untouched, since the Civil War. Purchased in a probate sale by Chuck Erb, and then later passed on the Brad H. of the BHNC.
    Silvery grey patination with underlying luster, these coins are currently raw. I will have them certified, not for the reason of grading them, rather, for their protection.
    I can only place the photo of one of them here, and when certified, I'll place the photos of the rest of them in my Bust Half Registry Set.
    Since over 95% of the Bust Halves on the market today have been 'fooled with' in one way or another, I thought you might find it of interest to see something that was locked away for over 150 years and subsequently untouched by it's owners.

  14. MikeKing
    I'm continuing my self promise to layout the thinking which goes behind my next 10 purchases...no matter what. In fact, even if I've made a dumb mistake ...
    No, this is not one of my mistakes.
    This is about the curled base 2, 1827 Bust Half I just bought off ebay.
    Raw.
    Pretty chancy eh?
    1. I was looking for an 1827 curled base 2. I've been avidly looking for an 1827 curled base 2 for months now, actually, maybe even a year. They just don't show up. Period.
    On screen the coin 'looked' good, except it had a rim ding, mentioned by the seller, and not bothersome to me, except for the fact that it might be rejected by the TPG. Also, whenever you buy a coin without seeing it in hand first, you stand the risk of it having an altered surface, no matter what the TPG, and a much higher risk if it's not one of the top two TPGs and also a much higher risk if it's raw.
    2. This dealer had a return policy. This takes care of most of my concerns because I feel schooled enough through my mistakes and onward study, that I have confidence in my own in-hand assessment. There is a catch however, and that is I could still miss something (I'm not that well schooled) or the TPG could just disagree with me, in which case, it wouldn't end up in my registry set.
    3. I would own this coin whether it was holdered or not. In other words, if you are afraid to buy something in a holder and even more afraid to take it out, don't buy it. I won this particular coin on ebay and was able to examine it in hand AFTER I paid for it, trusting my own judgement to keep the coin or return it. I kept it. I kept it knowing it could still be rejected because of the rim ding, and I also knew there could be some strange reason it would be rejected. Whatever the case, I decided it would be OK to keep this coin, and I'll explain my reasons why.
    4. The rim ding was unobtrusive. At least for my eyes. And the generic equivalent of this statement would read: The 'defect' was unobtrusive. It didn't interefere with my sense of eye appeal.
    5. The surfaces were pretty clean. And consistent with the XF or slightly higher category. Nothing appeared hidden beneath the toning. It was lackluster, and I suspect at one time it may have been dipped too long, thus disrupting the flow lines, but for the reasons which follow, I would go with it. (Let me say here that if I was looking at this coin as an AU or MS coin, it's being lackluster would have been a big negative, but I wasn't viewing it as such).
    6. The strike was excellent. The stars had full centrils, the hair detail was very good, and the reverse eagle; it's beak, wings, legs and talons were well struck up. That's a major plus for Bust Halves in general. An added nicety, for which I was very happy.
    7. The toning was perfect. In my mind at least. A natural appearing rich brown that fell very nicely between the strands of hair, in the cap and cap band and around the stars, accentuating their relief. The coin didn't have that 'racoon-like' appearance Busties often get as you decend the grade levels.
    8. The edge was particularly exciting. So much so that I photographed it (before it was lost forever in third party plastic). If you're not familiar with pre-1836 Bust Half coinage, they have lettered edges (and from 1836 on they overlap and from there on they have reeded edges). The lettered edge usually reads "FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR", which this one did, but the OR overlapped the H, and there was a neat * incused after the word DOLLAR.
    9. The grade was not an issue with me, except as I stated above, i.e., if I was wanting of an AU or MS, I would have expected more luster. I was not. It seemed like a very nice XF coin.
    10. If it didn't grade by a TPG, I'd be happy to keep it raw.
    Conclusion:
    The coin graded AU50 at PCGS. Hooray! I can put it in my registry set! It was a grade I didn't expect. I must be missing something, but then again, I'm not a professional grader.
    ((edited to add: I have to say that I'm not crazy about it, but it will do))
    1827curlob
  15. MikeKing

    Being SMART

    By MikeKing,

    I'll tell you...as I examine myself...as a collector...and look back, and look at myself now, I feel like I'm walking a tightrope.
    And maybe that's a good thing.
    Because the more people I interact with on the boards, and the more coins I examine, and the more dealers I deal with, the more and more I see my own frailties. I look at my mistakes...and gosh...I still make them.
    But at least I'm the one now who's figuring out WHAT'S a mistake and what is not. And basically, how you can only really trust your own un-trustworthy self.
    Am I being too hard on myself?
    No.
    I'm being SMART!
  16. MikeKing

    PUNCH

    By MikeKing,

    No, not the cigar and not the boxing ring kind....
    The question I've been asking myself lately is " Does the coin have PUNCH ?? "Does the coin have Punch?Does it come out at you?Or, when you look at it, do you melt?Is it a pleasure to hold in hand?Is it different from the rest?You get the drift.So, if you're looking for coins with PUNCH...how can you assemble an entire set of PUNCH happy coins???If you did, then WHERE is the PUNCH????Isn't it lost???Just a question I ask.Can you assemble a collection that is one PUNCH after another???And if so, wouldn't you be knocked out before the end???Do you really want to....need to...assemble a PUNCH happy collection...Or wouldn't it be real nice if you had a few select coins that possessed PUNCH?
  17. MikeKing
    Dipping....lot's of different opinions. Most Busties have been at some time or another and retoned...some didn't retone, some have been over-dipped and ruined...
    But a dip that reveals the surface archetectonics like this one, which reveals a truly FROSTY Bust Half, is a rarity indeed. At least I think so.
    So, again, as I've said in other entries, I'll state my reasons for buying this particular coin:
    1. It's an 1828 curl 2 in mint state, and that's not easy to find.
    2. It's a mint state coin that's been dipped. This dipping revealed a great surface with regards to mint frost and cartwheel effect. Just lovely. This is also a rare find in Busties.
    3. The surfaces, well...the cheek and neck have a few hits, but there are NO HAIRLINES. And that's not an easy task, dipped or dipped years ago and re-toned, hairlines really destroy the eye appeal of a coin...to me. So, overall, the surfaces are pretty clean (except for the hits on the bust).
    4. The strike is truly excellent. It's like it borrowed silver from somewhere, but I can't figure out where???!!!
    5. It's a true uncirc. A lot of junk is getting placed in MS63 holders. This is a bona fide MS63. I'd say MS63+, but I can't, because of the hits. Maybe 1/2+ for eye appeal.
    6. The price was right. I got this at auction for a steal, quite honestly. Sometimes you can luck out.
    7. Overall eye appeal is stunning...how could I resist?
    I think that about sums it up, and hope you enjoy this coin and my reasoning for buying it helps as well.

  18. MikeKing
    I promised I'd review the things that charge me up when it comes to choosing a coin and saying YES!, for the next ten coins I purchased. Here's #5, sorry, I'm falling behind.
    I'm going to cut and paste from my registry set entry and then make a summary commentary:
    1810 50C Overton 102 R.2
    The coins I'm most recently acquiring I've searched high and low for. The optimal 1810 would be one that is well struck. This one is characteristically poorly struck centrally, in fact, the left wing of the eagle looks like it's dissolving away.
    But the coin is exceptionally beautiful. Gorgeous toning, the hair curls are just beautiful, if not impeccably void of any wear. The fields are somewhat proof-like obviously from polished dies, yet retain cartwheel luster which shimmers through the almost metallic blue peripheral toning. I would say that it was hard to find actual wear on this coin which is so poorly struck, and I suspect it could be argued whether or not there is rub on the cap and perhaps the lower drapery, but I can attest to the fact that I cannot find evidence of rub on the reverse. I am uncertain if this coin has ever seen circulation, but it's fields are not entirely clean under a glass, though, that doesn't mean it entered actual circulation i.e., used in commerce.
    *******Commentary:
    1. The overall 'look' of this coin is simply gorgeous
    2. It appears quite naturally toned and if dipped in the past, certainly had quite a bit of time to retone. And very nicely at that.
    3. The hair details on Busties always do it for me. This one is meticulously clean. The light, when you tilt this coin, just runs through the hair. I love that effect.
    4. The strike is lousy. what can you do. The left (your left) eagle's wing is literally dissolving into the background. I think, when you're collecting a whole series, it allows for you to make exceptions like this more often than not. I took advantage of that fact. The coin is stunning, to hell with the eagle's wing. Big deal.
    5. This is a difficult date to find in DECENT shape.
    (REMOVED)
    6. I can see this coin in an AU58-MS62 holder. I doubt that it's ever seen real circulation, but can understand the AU58 designation. But grade is not what really counts in this series, as I've said before, so I think I should remove point 6 as one that I used to consider when purchasing this coin.
    (REMOVED)

  19. MikeKing

    Is it THRILLING?

    By MikeKing,

    My apologies for not following up with write ups on the past few coins I've acquired, but I haven't been able to do much typing because of a neurologic problem I have.
    But I thought I'd type this one in because it's short.
    If its not THRILLING, it's worth selling.
    I re-examined the photos of all of my coins, and I can honestly say that only a fraction of them are THRILLING (to me).
    Why not keep those, and sell the rest?
    So step 2 is to re-examine these coins in hand and then make the move.
    (which means going to the bank, lugging them home...blah blah blah...)
    But something to keep in mind. A coin can be real nice, fill a slot, look good, whatever, but does it actually THRILL you?
     
    And you really have to have them in front of you, to the side of you and behind you, at different times with different lighting, and using a glass, or not using a glass, and you can say to yourself WOW.
  20. MikeKing
    And if you don't feel qualified to do so, start reading and studying and scouring for all the information you can AND READ BETWEEN THE LINES of auction descriptions and dealer descriptions and try to sell a few of those coins back and you will beging to see more of what the truth is all about.
    You'll begin to discern what is important to you and what compares to the market in terms of buying and whether this matches up or is a mis-match.
    The time will come where you will realize that you may very well know more than your dealer, then the dealer intimidation, bending of the truth for their self serving ways, consioucly or unconciously, wiy ll become more self evident.
    That throws you in a whole new persepctive.
    You still have a lot to learn, there is ALWAYS something to learn. But don't ever think for a moment, that just because someone is a dealer, especially a well known dealer, don't let them intimidate you into short-changing you're own self confidence and your own knowledge.
    And the time will come where you may very well find out that they indeed, did know more than you did about a given coin, just as you will find out they don't know dittly squat about other coins as well.
    When you begin to be strong enough to evade the illusion of a TPG, and learn to grade coins yourself, and see the insconsistencies of the TPGs, you will find that you are not just buying the coin and not the holder, but that assigned grade becomes irrellevant to you.
    And the teaching can go both ways, becausethere are so many different factors in evaluating a coin, particularly for the purposes which suite you and you alone. And it would also be estute of you to figure into this equation, the marketablity of your coins in both the near future and distant future, unless you want them buried with you.
    A smart dealer, who knows what he is talking about, and proves it over and over again with quality coins in his inventory, is someone you can really learn from...IF they are willing to give.
    And believe me, that is not hard to find.
    I've learned tremendous things from dealers that I've never even bought a coin from.
    So the bottom line is again my proverbial question why.
    Answer those questions to yourself, why this and why that, and come up with answers and more likely you will find that you've had better control of your choice and that your choice will be a better one than if you just looked at a coin and said 'it's pretty' or 'it will fill a hole', or that's the date that I want, when date only has siginificance in choosing a coin if it tells you what to look for in that years minting process, ahd whether it's rarity, scarcity AND need within your collection actually holds real meaning.
  22. MikeKing
    Anyone remember the Seinfeld episode where George says 'an egg is an egg!'?
    Well, when I'm examining a coin, and I take it out of the bank's Vault (and I only keep them there because the insurance is cheaper and the box doesn't cost much...even though it's one of the 'larger' boxes), I have two places in my house where they usually end up. Except of course if I absentmindedly put it down somewhere, like on the piano or something like that and then wonder where the ____ did I put that coin?
    The two places are either my desk (where I keep my computer and two OTT lights, one on each side, or my 'other desk' where I work on clocks as a hobby, grow some moss under a huge bell jar, and photograph and examine my coins. Sometimes I use this huge bell jar to spread the light in an interesting way by placing a reveal bulb right on it. It spreads the light down at a perpendicular line down the side of the jar and diffuses gently into whater touches it and thereby responds the light reflection of the blessed object. All makes for interesting photography.
    So how does this all tie in to 'a good coin is a good coin.'?
    Well, sitting on my desk now is a recent purchase, a silvery-golden, bright beauty, an 1809 50C Overton 103 with loads of interesting details that I have yet to write about...but will. And I finally photographed it, on my 'other' desk, where my 'other hobby' tends to dominate.
    Keeping a coin, just one, on your desk, or an area where you work alot, spend a lot of time at, well lit (as with my OTT lights), you get to see the coin now and again, at different angles, during different moods, and you can determine at that point of your obsession, your appreciation, your love of that coin. That gorgeous swirling golden lust-rous shine which changes as you move about doing your thing and then glance down at it now and then at a different angle. It's almost alive.
    The ROUNDNESS becomes part of the picture, certainly it's the FRAME, and certainly it forms the bounderies of the luster, in fact, it celebrates it, it lets it live and breath. There is LIFE in the coin.
    You see the LIFE and then that symmetrically semi-ciruclar embrace of the punched out stars, with or without centrals, points stretched to the edges of oblivion, or spindly stars with a sort of faux-great strike due to extensive die lapping.
    And then the central Bust. Oh what a beautiful form she takes, thank you John Reich...you made her...she stood the test of time. Hail to the Great One, the serveant who may have lived a somewhat miserable life but creat such eternal beauty. She could only be modified by future engravers forced to take your place after you resigned. All added or took away from your basic structure, but the basic structure remained...except for when Gobrecht took it over and brought it artistically almost a century ahed of it's time, but that's another story. Such is Genius, even if you don't like his design. It became less human, and more like a female from outerspace who had some relationship to Egypt, ballet, and nun-hood. What a combo. Really!
    Oh Gosh! Did I go on. On and on about a coin that's just that, a coin. And one helluva coin it is, thank you!
    I wonder how these gorgeous creations of John Reich would have looked had they been created with a steam press and a collar. WOW! is all I can say. Here's a chance to use your mind. It's all up to you ... all power to you. Dream away!
    So you see, as I occasionally, repetitively look down at this golden glistening jewel of a creation that was made for the purpose of circulating as MONEY, and here it is, encapsulated in protective plastic with a number on top, patiently waiting for me to return it to it's dark, cold, home at the bank, where it can finally rest and sit in the dark, sleeping away until I once again retrieve it and expose it to bright lights for the camera, or my own personal observation.
    Well, that spells out a good coin, and a good coin, is just that, a good coin. Can't get your eyes and mind of off it!
    So photograph and/or scan the darned thing, and post it on this registry set for you or anyone else to see and try to fathom it's beauty so poorly renderd by a two dimensionsl digital photograph.
    What exactly do you SEE in your coin. Is it adequate? More than adequate? Less than adequate? and WHY?
    In this process, there will be many let downs, but there will never be a let down on a coin that makes it to survive you're own discernment so that finally you can honestly say to yourself: 'this is a GREAT coin'. And a great coin is just that, a great coin! And all the others can be gotten rid of, begrudgingly or happily and with endearment for the visit and learning you obtained from it...as you structure and develop your collection into that artistic thing of beauty you find in your heart and your mind!
    The coin that does it ALL for you. THATS the good coin. And a good coin is JUST THAT, a GOOD coin!
    Well, maybe it's not entirely like 'an egg is an egg'. But it rang that danged bell in my head that goes off now and again.
    More on this coin later.
     
    1809obvers
  23. MikeKing
    I think I need to stop buying coins for awhile, lest I go broke.
    But I couldn't resist this one.This is just to remind myself that I said I would post the reasons for my buying the 'next 10 coins' for my collection. Well, I'm up to coin #4 with #5 soon to follow. If this bores you, fine, I'd be bored too, if it wasn't for the fact that I really believe, really really believe, that the more questions you ask about a given coin and the more positive answers you can come up with, the greater the likelihood it will be a 'great' coin. Irrespective of grade, mind you.The coin in question today is an 1812 Bust Half that I picked up from a dealership. 1. I've been looking for a decent 1812 for a long time, and I found a more than decent one to fit this slot.2. The surfaces are literally, almost flawless. This is a great plus, no matter what the grade. 3. The strike, I would say, is less than 'very good', so why would I want this coin? Well, my sense is that this is as good a strike as you're going to get from a very worn die, and my guess is that this coin was struck by a very worn die. The second aspect that I mentioned above, and the remaining aspects in looking at this coin are so overwhelming, that the poor strike becomes moot in my book.4. The luster is amazing, as evidenced by the flow lines you can see at the periphery. Also, the luster is much more than I would expect in an AU50. A strong point in its favor.5. The toning is light but is created by a thick skin. What do I mean by that? Well, the coin has been obviously dipped. But the dipping was a good one in that the luster is unimpeded, and a nice skin has developed around the coin. So the toning is very light, but with this coin, it allows the luster to really shine through without it looking fake or stripped. Another strong plus.6. The coin shows evidence of heavy die clashing. If you look at the reverse in my photo, you'll see the results of the clashes. There are many collectors far more educated than I am who would have a preferance for an early die state that would be free of these marks, but I love them nonetheless. In fact, I find them really exciting to look at. Another strong plus.7. The reverse die is rotated about 90 degrees. Another interesting perspective contributing to the excitement about this coin.8. The year 1812 is wrought with history...so to speak, and I think this is a great representative for the year!So overall, I am quite happy to add this coin to my collection.1812revers
  24. MikeKing
    I'm up to 3 out of 10 for giving the reasons why I purchased this (third out of ten) coin.
     
    I just edited this entry to include population data which was a determinant that influenced my buying this coin.Firstly, I'm working on a Colonial type set and could use a 1786 Connecticut Copper. But there are so many slots that could be filled for Connecticut, and I doubt I'd ever fill them all, so why this particular coin?2. The coin is almost impossible to find without significant corrosion, and this coin is not one of those. In fact, you just can't find them (OK, maybe somebody better connected than I am could find them, but I can't...except for this one). Reviewing the Heritage Auction Archives, from 1999-2007, I could only find 4 having been auctioned off, only one of those didn't appear or have a label saying they were corroded, and it was a PCGS VF30. For another one, there was no photo, just a description of the various coins in the lot, one of which was described as a VF20. The other two were corroded or cleaned.Looking at the NGC census, it appears that none have been graded at all by NGC.PCGS census says they graded a total of 12 (which can include resubmissions of course), 6 in VF, 2 higher and 3 lower. I don't know what happened to the 4th!So finding this coin, in the condition that it's in, to me, said it was a winner!3. In terms of eye appeal, it ranks well, in my opinion, due to its hard glossy surfaces and a planchet with minor imperfections and minor areas of granularity that do not detract from the overall 'look'. The color is a fairly even brownish patina which, in hand, is quite lovely to look at.4. It has history. In terms of history, this is a contemporary counterfeit, weighing considerably less than the legal CT coins of that time (the coin is rather thin, I was surprised when I handeled it raw, before having it graded). But this coin was used in commerce and it leaves me wondering why? Were people so hard up for copper coinage that they used this obviously underweight copper? Did they take into consideration and estimated value based on their knowlege of the weight either by heresay or the feel of it while holding it in their hand?5. The excitement factor. I personally like this coin very much. It sits on my desk since I got it back from the grading service (phew! it graded!) and I just can't seem to stop looking at it. I really don't want to lock it away in my safe deposit box. I think that says it all. A really nice coin!1786 CTobv
  25. MikeKing
    The NGC discussion board has a section entitled What You Need To Know, and in there, one of the members compiled links to most of the previous posts pertaining to photographing your coins.
    I think you'll find the answers to most questions over there. It's helped me a lot.