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MikeKing

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Journal Entries posted by MikeKing

  2. 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
  3. MikeKing

    Advice

    By MikeKing,

    Advice to other collectors as well as myself.
    Study and look at coins you like that are totally out of your reach financially. Then, look at the ones within your reach. Find those that are far superior in eye appeal to what you cannot seem to afford, and then you've figured out what true value really is. It's easier than you think. Just remember...your critique can be just as valid as anyone elses.
    If you can afford anything you want, then perhaps you could gain knowledge from examining the sets of coins you think you would not normally look for. Perhaps you might find that you didn't know what to look for at all, before.
    Edited to add: study, study, study...
    Edited again to add: I was looking at a current auction on the internet, and am amazed at the prices that hairlined 'MS' Bust Halves are going for. Who's the fool? And it's really sad, because there's a buyer out there getting something not nearly worth the money they're spending, especially when you can find other specimens of 'lesser' grade that are so absolutely superior to what is getting the 'big money'. Just had to vent.
    Which is the better coin?
     
     
     
  4. 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.

  5. 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!
  6. MikeKing
    This is a time where auction prices, both the reserves being set and the amount of money some coins are going for are totally out of sync with 'reality'.
    And this is a time that I believe collectors are really being tested. Where do you draw the line? How do you not get caught up in the hysteria? How do you deal with more and more coins not being within your reach?
    The answer to all of these questions is to become an even better collector. Now is the time to take your collecting skills and really determine what is worth your money and what isn't. Hopefully, in time, things will calm down and adjust themselves and then we might be able to take a big sigh in relief and enjoy our hobby.
    Just some thoughts I'm having as I watch all my bids going out the window!
  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  13. MikeKing

    Furthermore

    By MikeKing,

    I'll take advantage of being able to write down my thoughts and experiences with this instant publishing adventure. Thank you NGC.
    Taking being tested and passivity a step further...and the idea that encapsulated grading can be a fools road to eye appeal...Yes, it can be. That's not denying the impeccable beauty in high grade mint state coins, and the intrinsic difficulties of finding premium quality gems, but this is not the be-all and the end-all.Example:I was bidding on an MS62 Nova Consellatio. Totally superb. Something I've wanted for a long time. Financially, a decent chunk of money. Someone outbid me by a fraction of the next bidding increment, and had I been there, likely, I would have gone the next highest bid. Unfortunately, I was not there. Or is that fortunate?It was fortunate.First of all, you can't always have what you want.Secondly, herein lies the challenge of developing as a collector.I questioned: Do I have to have a high grade Nova?What am I collecting?What am I collecting for?What am I actually therefore looking for?Well, great copper is my answer. OK, how do you define 'great'?If I take away my pre-concieved ideas about what this Nova 'should' have been, and allow myself the privilege to see something afresh; from what I think a good planchet 'should' be, and what I expect the SURFACES to look like, and what is not just acceptable as a STRIKE but what I EXPECT from a strike of that era, and finally that knock the socks off feeling you get when you look at a coin...it's EYE APPEAL.Now it would be a lot easier for me to find a Nova of even higher grade and internally convince myself of the clout of something so 'stellar' (no pun intended) and thereby feed my self-confidence in displaying such a coin, than to display something of a 'lesser' grade, a 'lower' price; something that is more liable to 'fault' or 'fault-finding' by others.Well...no! I'm a collector. I am in a continuous process of learning. I will determine, ultimately, what is of importance to me, what has eye appeal, to me, what I believe objectively AS WELL as subjectively is 'great copper'.So here I'll display one of two coppers I purchased at auction for less than half the price of that wonderfully 'stellar' Nova, and I will do this with the self-confidence that's been distilled through time from continuously refreshing knowledge.(please excuse my using the auctioneer's photos, until I have them in hand and can photograph them myself)I can only upload one photo for this post, so I'll use the obverse of the Nova Constellatio (or Constellatio Nova) just to demonstrate what I think is acceptably 'great copper', hopefully, to make a convincing point. When something like this comes along, and you realize that you're not going to find it by looking for it, it's time for passivity to change into activity and you go ahead and obtain it.Furthermore, I really enjoy going through auction archives, looking at the copper, and feeling satisfied...very satisfied...when I see copper that sold for $325.00 that is so far superior to copper that also sold for $18,000.00. And that ain't no joke!
  14. MikeKing

    Growing up

    By MikeKing,

    There are points in the collecting career where you might stop for a moment to catch your breath and look at things differently, provided your inner compulsion to acquire coins doesn't blind you in the process.
    But that compulsion to acquire may remain and serve you well provided you allow yourself to maintain clarity of purpose.
    It's the tenacity to the clarity of purpose, the constant defining and re-defining your goals and how you go about them that gives you the chance to change within the context you so define. So when we mature in what it is that we see, and extend that maturity into what we acquire, you can then develop the best set that you can, no matter what the time factor is or what level of income you have.
    Patience is indeed the virtue that is required in all varieties of achievement. Change can occur through time.
  15. MikeKing

    How To

    By MikeKing,

    How do you go cleanly in working on your inner desire for perfection and completion...how strongly do you hold the goals in your mind and continuously assess the advantageousness or disadvantageousness of your goals.
    Feeling the disadvantages is a must if your going to build a great set, the magnificent collection. And grade doesn't matter, you can do this in vf or ex or au or ms blah blah blah as there are ugly and beautiful in each.
    If you don't feel the disadvantages, you'll never know better.
    The disadvantages is putting your money on the wrong coin, or having second thoughts, or not knowing which one is the wrong coin but just knowing there are two or three in there.
    Well, I figure, I've gotten myself from point a to b and I could take a break, or read some, or buy more coins and then where am I?
    patience really is the way...
    so what do you do when that second chance arrives? how strongly do you notice it, an what is your assessment of what's been already done?
    I don't think most numismatists are alway successfull, unless they've got a plan to follow with blinders on and apprehended self judgement.
    Maybe, I think, it's time to start going to major meetings. Maybe then I might learn something.
  17. 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!
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. MikeKing
    Something I always had in the back of my mind to do, but a couple of things helped me along. This way, I can 'look' at my collection without having to go to the safe deposit box, or even get on the computer...which can be a pain in the neck sometimes.
    Also, I think it's a good thing to have packaged WITH your collection, along with reciepts of the original purchase, for possible tax/legal/estate purposes.
    First, having a photograph of all of my coins that are in the registry.
    I finally figured out how to get a larger pic with a lower density so that it would be easy on the eyes and not so large that it goes off the page.
    Giving all the photos a black background adds to the cohesiveness of appearance, as well as making sure all photographs are the same size.
    As you probably already know (but it took me awhile to figure out), if you click 'gallery', you get a gallery view of your set, and if you click 'View Coin Details', the coin pops up on one page, enlarged, and with your commentary on the left side. It also includes the coin description, grading service and grade.
    I am slowly trying to reduce my commentaries so they fit into less space, and also correct spelling and grammatical errors so that the hard copy is as close to perfect as possible, especially because the paper I'm using is so expensive.
    I'm using a Hewlett Packard psc 2210, and I suppose most printers offer similar functions. You can do a print preview of your page by right clicking the mouse over it. I find that for the size photographs I have in my registry sets, I need to reduce the size to 70% in order to get both obverse and reverse to fit on the same page. This looks great when printed out. If my commentary has to run longer than the first page will hold, I'll use regular printer paper to print out the second and third page, if there is one. Again, it would be too expensive to do otherwise.
    The paper I'm using is Hewlett Packard Premium Plus Photo Paper with a semi-gloss finish that looks fantastic. There are cheaper brands, such as Staples brand, but I wasn't sure if the quality and longevity would be the same, so I splurged for the HP paper. It's supposed to last over a hundred years, which is more than enough, for my purposes!
    There is enough of a margin to punch three holes for a three ring binder, using a three hole punch you can get at a store like staples.
    I think this is a pretty neat thing to do, and it looks GREAT.
    I also think it gives me incentive to improve on my photography, research and writing, because putting something to hard copy kind of makes me feel like it's more 'final' than something just existing in the ether-world.
    edited to add: Of course, for something of this nature, I am using the setting for 'best' print quality and also using HP's ink cartridge that is meant for photographic printing.
  22. 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!

  23. 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.

  24. 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?
  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.