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coinsbygary

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Journal Entries posted by coinsbygary

  1. coinsbygary
    Since I am starting a new NGC Collectors Society custom set based on the Spanish Provisional Government coins of 1870, I thought to re-image all the coins in the set. It’s funny how when you give your coins another look that you notice new things about them. Or, is it that you haven’t looked in a long time and simply forgot. Either way its part of what makes this hobby fun for me.


     
    One of the coins I re-imaged is an NGC 1870 MS-65 Red 1 Centimo coin. This coin represents the lowest denominated copper coin of the series. It only weighs 1 gram and measures 15.5 mm in diameter. I was already fully aware of a couple of major die cracks and a few other smaller ones on the reverse of this coin. However, it only recently dawned on me that several of the marks in the field of the reverse were in fact die clash marks.


     
    Die clashes occur when the hammer die strikes an anvil die without a planchet in the collar and the dies leave their impressions on the opposite dies. The fields of the coin are typically incuse meaning that the fields on the die are relief. This is why the impression occurs in the fields because the devices on the die are incuse. Subsequently, that impression is transferred to every coin struck thereafter with that die pair. This can happen with any size dies but I have found it most prevalent on very small coins. Still, many of the Morgan Dollar VAMs are indeed die clashes. I have also found that the heaviest clash marks occur on the anvil die which is typically the coins reverse. That said I have a few coins with clash marks clearly visible on both sides of the coin.


     
    Having just noticed the clashing on my Spanish coin, I thought to do an overlay of the obverse on the reverse. There is a slight die rotation that you can see in my overlay picture. A side by comparison of my overlay and without overlay pictures clearly show how the clash marks line up with an outline of the main obverse device.


     
    In my pictures I have also pointed out a few of the major die cracks as if they needed pointing out. The other arrows point to the reverse clash marks. Maybe some of those cracks occurred as a result of the clashing. Interesting stuff to ponder. Gary   





  2. coinsbygary
    The history of Liberty on our coins in a nutshell and remembering the meaning of the Fourth of July.
    The fourth of July is a perfect time to reflect on the freedom and liberty we enjoy in the United States. The themes of freedom and liberty are an integral part of the designs of our coinage since their first minting in 1793. Our nation founded on western ideals has its origins in ancient Greek and Roman philosophies and religious freedom. To understand our coinage, we need to understand its origins.
    Libertas, Latin for Liberty, long being a Roman deity along with other personified virtues, became a goddess in 238 BC when Tiberius Gracchus ordered the construction of her first temple on Aventine Hill. Ever since then she has been appearing on coinage from around the world.
    Symbols associated with the goddess Liberty is the pileus, Phrygian cap, and the rod. When a Roman slave became free, he shaved his head and wore a pileus, a conical felt cap much like the Phrygian cap associated with freedom and the pursuit of liberty. During the ceremony with which the former slave was declared free, the lictor of the magistrate laid a rod on the head of the slave and with certain formal words declared him free. This ceremony known as ?Manumissio vindicta? is Latin for ?freedom by the rod.?
    As a fledgling Democratic Republic, our founding fathers wrestled with what designs our coins should have. Coins featuring reigning monarchs were prevalent at that time and there was a consensus that our coinage should not have images of living persons. Therefore, our first coins minted in 1793 featured Lady Liberty with a cap and pole. Since then the obverses of all our circulating silver coinage has featured an image of Liberty (except for the silver three-cent piece) until the Washington quarter in 1932. The reverse of our coins often featured a bald eagle, symbolic of strength and freedom in flight. Frequently, the eagle has arrows and an olive branch in its talons. The olive branch represents our desire and preference for peace while the arrows symbolize our willingness to go to war to defend liberty.
    The picture collage below features four representations of Liberty. The first, a 1795 half-dollar, features a young and vivacious Liberty with the wind of freedom blowing through her hair. Therefore, this design is named ?flowing hair? and currently it is a favorite among collectors, including myself. The second coin, Jefferson?s Liberty, features a more mature image of liberty. After complaints to the mint about the ?flowing hair? design this ?draped bust? design was adopted. The third coin, Jackson?s Liberty, features Lady Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap and is called ?capped bust?. The fourth coin, Van Buren?s Liberty features a ?seated liberty? design. Liberty dressed in a Roman toga appears seated and at rest or at peace. In her left hand, she holds a pole with a Phrygian cap on the end and symbolizes the emancipation of a large group of slaves. Liberty?s right hand supports a shield with the word ?Liberty? brazen across it showing that while at peace, she is vigilant and ready to defend liberty at any time. Throughout the history of the United States, our coins have been endearing symbols to remind us of the virtues of freedom and liberty.
    Over the course of human history, freedom has been the exception, rather than the rule. Political and religious freedom has often come with the shedding of blood on the battlefield and is never free. Many people living on the face of the earth today do not enjoy the freedom we do, and we should never take it for granted or we may lose it. Today take time to reflect on the brave men and women in our armed forces as many of them are spending their July 4 on foreign battlefields defending liberty. God bless the USA! Happy 4th of July to all!

  3. coinsbygary
    A web site where I make the rules is on line. Now I have the prerogative of putting raw coins in my sets if I so desire!
    Greetings all, when NGC issued eviction notices to all the PCGS world coins in the competitive registry, I had wished that I had my own web page so that I could display my coins as complete sets. Its not the loss of points that annoys me as much as its the structure of my sets where one coin description is dependent on another.
    When I wrote of my dilemma in a post, I got a response from Collectors Society member VUMC409, who offered to construct a website for me. VUMC409 was very generous in his offer, and I accepted it.
    VUMC409 worked on my web design as I tepidly worked my way through godaddy.com to purchase a domain name and web hosting with word press for my blog. All told, the costs involved were not that excessive, but watch the add-ons because they add onto the cost in a hurry. I purchased the domain name for two years figuring that if I dont like it, Im not locked into it.
    I found Web design to be way outside my comfort zone and at times during the process I wondered what I had gotten myself into. However, with VUMC409s help I managed to muddle my way through it to the starter site I have on line today.
    I am beginning my site simple with my Wilhelmina Guldens set and I plan on many more additions later. My home page will explain everything. Because I am starting my set with small European gold coins, I am reposting a journal on the subject dated 9-19-2009 on my blog. So take a ride, kick the tires, and tell me what you think.
    In conclusion, I want to thank VUMC409 for his efforts in making my web site a reality. I also want to thank NGC for shaking the nest, causing me to spread my wings and fly.
    coinsbygary.com
    Gary
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  4. coinsbygary
    Just a short post this time, but I had to share my latest acquisition.
    Greetings all, I just wanted to share a cool medal I came across on E-Bay. This medal was engraved by William Barber, and minted by the US Mint to finance the 1876 US Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. I will have much more to say about the medal later, but from the first time I saw it, I had to have it. Naturally this medal is destined for my Inspirational Ladies custom set.
    This medal is struck in white metal and as you can see has rather unattractive toning. I will be sending it to NCS for conservation and encapsulation tomorrow. I am posting a picture of my medal before conservation and I will post it after conservation for comparison. This medal will also be featured in a future coin of the month post. Until next time, happy collecting.
    Gary

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  5. coinsbygary
    1885 was a very good year for my Morgan Dollar collection, but not so for the Carson City Mint.
    A number of significant events occurred in 1885; among them were the births of World War II Admiral Chester Nimitz and General George Patton. In 1885, the magazine ?Good Housekeeping? hit the newsstands and Mark Twain?s ?Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? was on the way to become a best seller. In 1885, we saw significant advances in medicine with the first surgical appendectomy and an effective vaccine against rabies. On the social and business scenes, the US ?Salvation Army? organizes, and technological giant American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) becomes incorporated. In 1885, the Washington Monument was dedicated and the ?Statue of Liberty? arrived in New York. However, in the middle of all these significant events and a new administration in Washington, the Carson City Mint closed in 1885 simply because its administrators were of the wrong political persuasion.
    With this as a historical backdrop, I recently completed an 1885-year set of Morgan Dollars. Among Morgan?s, 1885 is a relatively easy year to assemble in mint-state condition. My year set started with the most difficult coin, the 1885-CC. Current Fair Market Value lists this coin in MS-64 condition for $720, and I acquired this coin in the mid 70?s as part of the ?LaVere Redfield? hoard for around $90. Two other coins, the 1885 and 1885-O have a Fair Market Value of $215 each in MS-65 condition. Both coins I recently purchased for ?Gary?s MS-65 & 66 Morgan Gems? custom set. This leaves me lacking only the 1885-S and the more I thought about it, the more it seemed a shame not collect the entire year set. Subsequently I began perusing E-Bay listings for the 1885-S Morgan Dollar and briefly considered a MS-62 example for $272. I declined to buy this coin because it cost more than I wanted to pay for a coin that does not otherwise fit into my collection. Furthermore, there are still a few more coins left to purchase for my custom set. After searching through several E-Bay listings; I bid on and won an acceptable AU-53 example for slightly less than FMV and less than half the cost of the MS-62.
    Because I love coinage history, I am fascinated at the pedigree of my 1885-CC Morgan Dollar. First is the coins? origin in Carson City, Nevada. Nothing says ?old west? like a Carson City Dollar minted with silver most likely mined from the Comstock Lode. Additionally, the 1885 dollar was the last coin minted at Carson City until 1889 when a new presidential administration came into office and the mint re-opened. The Carson City Mint minted silver and gold coins through 1893 and served as an assay office for some time thereafter.
    The second half of my coins pedigree pertains to my coins? previous owner LaVere Redfield. LaVere Redfield was a man who liked hard currency and did not trust banks (kind of sounds like a lot of us today). From his estate in Reno, Nevada, he amassed a hoard of over 400,000 silver dollars and stored them in the basement of his house. In those days, silver dollars were readily available at face value through local banks and casinos. It is said that LaVere Redfield bought his dollars by the $1000 bag, and dropped the bags through a coal chute into a hidden area of his basement. This accounts for the excessive bag marks on many of the coins from the hoard. After his death in 1974, his heirs auctioned the entire hoard for 7.3 million dollars and from there the coins were sold to individual collectors like me.
    Below is a photo collage of my 1885-CC Morgan Dollar, so until next time, happy collecting!
    Gary

  6. coinsbygary
    Amazed my set won the 2008 Signature Set award for "Most Creative"
    I had just returned from a short term mission trip to Brazil on January 13, on January 14 I linked up to my signature set "Inspirational Ladies" for the first time in about two weeks. To my surprise, I saw the "2008 Most Creative Signature Set" icon on my set listing. A sudden rush of joy, surprise, pride, and a bit of disbelief overcame me. I still look at my set listing and the judges comments next to the award icon on the winners page with a little awe that I actually won. I remember when I thought it would be nice to win the "Most Informative" award when I completed my reasearch for bio write ups on the women in my set and write ups on the allegorical coins decyphering the meaning of the allegories. However, I did not have enough time to complete the write ups before the deadline and thought "oh well maybe next year". Now, without even thinking myself in the running, my set is named the "2008 Most Creative Signature Set". In many respects this award is better than the other one in that when I began putting this set together I never thought to be going for the "most creative" award. I simply thought this as a fun way to share my passion with like minded people. My set description described my passion and Collectors Society gave me a forum with which to share my passion with other collectors as I in turn enjoy veiwing other collector's signature sets. For mine to be selected for this award above the other sets in the signature series is an honor. I wish to thank NGC and Collectors Society for selecting my set for this award. In a way by selecting my set, NGC and Collectors Society is recognizing the important roles and significant contributions women have in history. This set is by no means complete as I have a number of raw coins needing to be certified and purchases of other coins to make. I simply see this set as a growing set in the years to come because of the countless women memorialized on coins around the world. Finally, the last coin in my set with a slot name of "Special" is a tribute to a very special lady. Gary
  7. coinsbygary

    2011 and Beyond

    By coinsbygary,

    2011 has been a banner year for changes in my collection, but what about plans for 2012.
    What a difference a year can make, one year ago I wrote of my commitment to continue purchasing "First Spouse" gold coins, but now a year later, I only collect the medals. Subsequently, since I discontinued the "First Spouse" series, I decided to put those coins that no longer meet my collecting goals up for sale. As a result, I reinvested the proceeds from that sale back into my collection and in doing so, greatly improved my gold type collection.
    Some goals, however, do not appreciably change, as I focused on improving my current "Wilhelmina" 10 gulden registry set by upgrading three of the eleven coins in that set. One of those new coins has a NGC population of one with none higher. With an eye towards the goal of MS-65, I will remain on the lookout for acceptable and affordable upgrades to this set in 2012.
    I have also added two new sets to my collection that I had not anticipated. At the beginning of 2011, I had planned on a set of 22 Gem-BU Morgan Dollars averaging $200/coin. However, this goal quickly grew into a complete set. At one point in the year, I realized that I was adding one coin per week to my collection without being consciously aware of it. This reminds me of the old Lays potato chip adage, "No one can eat just one." Clearly, as my buying binge would suggest, it is also true that "No one can buy just one coin." Still needing 15 Morgan Dollars for my set grading at MS-63 & 64 and costing less than $200/coin, I have lots of low-hanging fruit I can add to my collection in 2012.
    This leads me to my next unanticipated set of MS Eisenhower Dollars. Needing a break from the Morgan's, I discovered how challenging and fun assembling a set of high-grade IKE Dollars could be. After watching overpriced E-Bay listings for months, I won a 1973-S PCGS MS-68 Eisenhower Dollar last week Monday on Teletrade at a final hammer price with buyer's premium and postage 58% lower than Fair Market Value! This latest purchase leaves me with only three coins left to finish this set that I anticipate finishing sometime in 2012.
    One problem with a complete Morgan Dollar collection is what to do about the key dates. Selling my old details graded gold coins, I raised enough money to purchase a VG-10 1893-S Morgan Dollar. With just four "First Spouse" coins left to sell I should have enough money from the proceeds of those sales to purchase a few other Morgan keys in 2012.
    While certainly not in the forefront, I nonetheless added a few type coins to my basic type set and a number of ladies to "Inspirational Ladies" in 2011. Of course, these goals will continue into 2012. Along those lines, I also plan to purchase selected US Mint products in 2012 and I particularly like the Francis Scott Key National Anthem commemoratives due out next year.
    I also plan to continue my "coin-of-the-month" posts in 2012. I have really enjoyed doing these posts, and my hope is that you enjoy reading them. One side benefit to these posts is that they often serve as owner descriptions for that coin.
    Speaking of owner descriptions, there is so much more along those lines that I can do for my collection that does not cost me a cent and is a lot of fun. My problem is mustering the motivation to get started. It is always much more fun to buy a new coin, however, once started I am laser-beam focused on the end-result of informative and interesting owner descriptions.
    Only God can tell what will occur in 2012, but with a new year comes new hope. Accordingly, I wish you all a blessed Merry Christmas and a happy and successful New Year, but until then, happy collecting!
    Gary
  8. coinsbygary
    ...Finally after more than 40 years, a youthful fascination becomes reality.
    As long as I can remember, I have been interested in numismatics. Working odd jobs as a youth I recall spending a large portion of my paycheck on coins. Some of those coins I still own today. I also enjoyed reading about my hobby in Coins Magazine.
    I loved that magazine and I couldnt wait until the next months edition arrived in the mail. I often read it from cover to cover. As a youth, I discovered that reading is the gateway to passion and I began to dream of the coins I wanted to collect. Some of those dreams I realized, while others I have not. For instance, I still dont own a Stella... sigh... oh well.
    Unfortunately, time is beginning to erode much of what I read from those old issues of Coins Magazine now some forty-plus years later. However, of all the articles I read, one article still stands out. That article featured the National Currency banknotes from the banks John Dillinger robbed during his yearlong crime spree in 1933 and 34.
    What a neat idea for a currency collection! This article had everything! It featured one of the most notorious mobsters of all time in John Dillinger and it was regional to the Midwest where I grew up. Incidentally, one of the banks John Dillinger robbed was in my home state of Wisconsin. However, the coolest aspect of all was that the article featured small-size National Currency of the type circulating in 1933 and 34. Additionally, this article also represents the first time I had learned of currency with the name of the bank and its charter number printed right on the note! Furthermore, this single aspect makes it possible to trace the currency to the point in time and specific banks John Dillinger robbed. This got me to thinking that I might like to own select National Currency banknotes and a dream was born.
    As with most dreams, unless you think about them on a daily basis, you will likely need a catalyst to re-ignite them at a future date. My National Currency catalyst came in the form of an e-mail for a recent Heritage currency auction highlighting a PCGS choice-63 PPQ (premium paper quality) National Currency twenty-dollar banknote from my home state capital of Madison, Wisconsin. At first I thought anything featured in Heritages e-mail would certainly be too expensive for me to bid, but curiosity led me to click on the link anyway. To my surprise, I found that the Heritage listing was well within my reach and I placed an internet bid near the upper end of Heritages estimated value. This placed me as the high bidder for the lot.
    Since a live auction followed the internet auction, I looked for alternatives should I lose my primary lot. To my delight, I found a five-dollar note from my boyhood stomping grounds of Sheboygan, Wisconsin! Furthermore, this lot came up for auction after the Madison note meaning I would have already known that I had lost the Madison note. Therefore, rather than place an internet bid on the Sheboygan banknote, I decided to wait for the live auction to place my bid.
    On the night of the live auction I anxiously waited to see if my bid for the Madison note would be challenged and to my surprise there were no additional bids on the lot. As a result, I won this lot for less than Heritage's estimated value! Since I had never participated in Heritage's live auction up to this date, I thought why not go for the Sheboygan banknote?
    Unlike the twenty, the five had fierce competition. However, I was determined to win this lot as my competitive adrenaline, compelled by my dream of owning National Currency banknotes began to flow. In the end I had the high bid and won the lot with a final hammer plus buyers premium about twelve dollars higher than Heritages value estimate.
    As an aside, the live auction felt very much like a real auction and this is by design to drive up the final hammer. Thus, it is vital that you know how much you want to spend and stick with it. If you let the emotion of moment capture you, you will more often than not spend too much money. This could have been especially dangerous for me since I am not as well versed on the paper money side of numismatics. Ultimately, I did not spend a lot of money and my first internet live auction was a lot of fun and a good learning experience. Therefore, notch up another boyhood dream realized.
    As an extra bonus, the Madison banknote is a type 1, while the Sheboygan banknote is a type 2. Type 1 banknotes have the banks charter number printed in black on both the right and left sides of the obverse. Variety 2 banknotes in addition to having the charter number on both sides, adds it to the banknotes serial number. I think this is what drove the cost of the five dollar note up to within forty dollars of the twenty.
    Now I will eventually have to add Baltimore for my kids and Bremerton, Washington for my wife. Furthermore, I will have to get the five dollar banknote graded with a few other odd notes I own. Interestingly, while NGC allows PCGS coins into their registry, they only allow NGC graded notes into their paper money registry.
    Now if anyone can help me, Id like to locate the Coins Magazine article I read as a young boy. The best I can tell is that it was published sometime between 1970 and 1976 and most likely between 1973 and 1974. Otherwise, I'll have to call Krause. Please forgive me for posting a banknote journal on the coins side of Collectors Society, but I am first and foremost a coin collector! Remember, whatever you like to collect, happy collecting!
    Gary

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  9. coinsbygary

    69's Full Of 70's

    By coinsbygary,

    The results of my 25th Anniversary SAE submissions are in, and I am nowhere near Kamakazy's royal flush.
    My 25th Anniversary SAE grades are in, and it is a full house, with the three mint-state coins grading MS-69 and the proofs grading PF-70. While I am a little disappointed with the overall results, I am ecstatic that the reverse proof is PF-70! Of the five coins in this set, the reverse proof is my favorite coin. The mirrored devices and frosty fields make for an extraordinarily beautiful coin that in my eyes stands head and shoulders above the rest.
    My fascination with coins struck in reverse proof started with the 20th Anniversary SAE. I remember receiving the US Mint's flyer in the mail and quickly dismissing it because I did not know exactly what a reverse proof coin was. Much later, having seen photographs of a 2006 reverse proof SAE, I regretted not purchasing it.
    Two years ago in an effort to make up for my mistake, I purchased a 2006 reverse proof 68 as a type coin. At that time, I recall that PF-70's were very expensive and even now, one sold in November for $546.25 at Heritage. For $169.00 my 68 was a very attractive alternative.
    Now fast-forward two years and I have a chance to upgrade the 2006 coin with a bonus of four additional coins for $300! For a month leading up to the 25th anniversary sale, I debated whether I would purchase a set at all, but as the purchase date approached, I was caught up in the hype. Therefore, with a renewal coupon to cash in for grading, I decided to purchase one set and take whatever grades I got.
    Obviously based on my perspective, purchasing and grading a 25th anniversary set has paid off. Only time will tell what the value of my coin will be, but consider this, the 2006 reverse proof with a mintage of 250,000 and a NGC population of 9,255 coins grading at PF-70 representing 19% of all the coins NGC has graded lists for $550 FMV. As you can see, the 2011 reverse proof with a mintage of 100,000 has a lot of potential for growth with very little, if any downside.
    In summary, while it would have been nice to have a royal flush, I think I can live with the grades I got. After all, a full house more often than not is the highest hand on the table. Additionally, for now, I think I will also hang on to my 2006. In closing, I hope that you are all happy with the grades you get, and I wish you the best.
    Gary
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  10. coinsbygary
    The Buffalo Nickel since its release in 1913 is still a collector favorite. Today the legacy of the Buffalo Nickel and its sculptor live on in the 2001 American Buffalo Silver Dollar and $50, .9999 fine, Gold Buffalo. As such, when collectors hear the name of James Earle Fraser they almost invariably think of the Buffalo Nickel.
    Likewise, but to a smaller degree are some of the medallic works of Laura Gardin Fraser and in particular her rendition of “Fame” featured on the obverse of the National Institute of Social Sciences gold medal. The National Institute of Social Sciences gold medal, first awarded in 1913 continues to be awarded today on an annual basis. The obverse image of Laura Gardin Fraser’s portrayal of Fame appears prominently at the head of every page on the National Institute of Social Sciences website. As such the image of this beautiful medal is permanently associated with the National Institute of Social Sciences and it is a legacy to the artistic abilities of Laura Gardin Fraser. [1]
    The National Institute of Social Sciences was founded in 1912 under the charter of the American Social Science Association incorporated by Act of Congress, January 28, 1899. From Article II of their constitution the object of The National Institute of Social Sciences is to, “promote the study of Social Science and to reward distinguished services rendered to humanity, either by election to the National Institute, or by the bestowal of medals or other insignia.”
    Consequently, the annual awarding of their gold medal is one of their primary functions as an organization. This medal is of such importance that its design is set forth in Article XI of their constitution as follows: “Presentation medals shall bear the Figure of Fame resting on a Shield, holding wreaths of laurel. The shield to bear the name of the Institute. In the left hand, the figure to hold a palm branch. The reverse to show a torch with a name plate and Dignus Honore, the motto of the Institute.” The Latin phrase Dignus Honore is translated, “Worthy of Honor.” [2]
    It is said that within the context of armed conflict you will find both the best and worst of humanity on display. To recognize the humanitarian contributions of those persons involved with the war effort during Word War 1, the National Liberty Committee of American Social Science Association adopted the following resolution dated January 18, 1918: “In view of the fact that, except in the army and navy, no provision has been made by any competent authority for the recognition by a medal or other suitable insignia for notable humanitarian or patriotic services for the national welfare: Therefore, the executive committee of the American Social Science Association, one of the oldest of nationally incorporated bodies, recommends that a medal to be designated "Liberty Service" medal be authorized. The committee further recommends that the National Institute of Social Sciences be empowered, in accordance with the object of its organization, to award and bestow said medal upon such person or persons as have rendered or may render notable services which merit such special mark of distinction and recognition.” [3]
    The effect of the National Liberty Committee resolution was that Liberty and Patriotic Service medals were awarded to a number of individuals, both civilian and governmental for their service in a time of war from 1918-1920. The medal in my collection is a bronze Patriotic Service Medal awarded to the Director of the Bureau of Field Nursing Service of the American Red Cross, Clara D. Noyes. The following is the text of her medal citation and response.
    July 1, 1919
    To Miss Clara D. Noyes,
    As Director of the Bureau of Field Nursing Service of the American Red Cross at national headquarters, you rendered to your country and its wounded a service of high and inestimable value. During the entire period of the war you had charge of the distribution and placing of all the Red Cross nurses assigned to the army, navy and public health. Under your direction, 19,877 nurses have passed through your bureau.
    American Red Cross, Washington, D. C.
    My dear Dr. Johnson:
    It is with keen appreciation of the honor conferred upon me that I acknowledge the receipt of the citation and the Patriotic Service Medal, presented to me by the National Institute of Social Sciences, in recognition of the services I have performed during the war as Director of the Bureau of Field Nursing Service of the American Red Cross. In the selection and assignment of approximately 20,000 nurses to military and civilian duty, I was always keenly alive to the privilege that had been accorded me. Any work or anxiety connected with this responsibility has been more than offset by the devotion, the courage, and the fine character of service rendered by the nurses while engaged in the care of our sick and wounded soldiers and sailors, and the civilian population of our allies. In the name of the nurses I represent, and my own, I again thank you for the honor conferred upon me.
    Believe me, Very Sincerely yours, Clara D. Noyes, Acting Director, Department of Nursing. [4]
    According to Medallic Art Company historian D. Wayne Johnson, Laura Gardin Fraser utilized one of eleven monograms when signing her medallic creations. Of interest to me is that she signed this medal “Laura Gardin Fecit,” which is reminiscent of C. GOBRECHT F. on the Gobrecht Dollar. Thus, as long as the National Institute of Social Sciences awards their gold medal, those persons associated with the institute are reminded that “Laura Gardin made it.” [5]
    As I become more familiar with the work of Laura Gardin Fraser and by extension the work of her husband, James Earle Fraser I am able to see certain similarities in their medallic art. For instance, except for the flame, the torch on the reverse of this 1913 medal is exactly the same as the torch on the obverse of the 1914 American Museum of Public Safety Edward H. Harriman Memorial Medal modeled by James Earle Fraser. Furthermore, I also see similarities in the fonts both Frasers used on their medals. When I mentioned this to a friend who is much more knowledgeable in all things “Fraser” than I, he suggested that if James couldn’t expeditiously finish a medal, Laura would complete the minor devices of the medal such as the torch and legend on the aforementioned public safety medal. Accordingly, it seems that not only did the Frasers have a good marriage but that they were also an artistic team complementing each other.
    1. http://www.socialsciencesinstitute.org/
    2. Proceedings of the ... annual meeting of the National Institute of Social Sciences., 9th:no.1 (1922) pg. 99-100
    3. Journal of the National Institute of Social Sciences Volume IV April 1, 1918 pg. 173
    4. Journal of the National Institute of Social Sciences Volume VI July 1, 1920 pg. 103
    5. http://medalartists.com/fraser-laura-gardin.html

  11. coinsbygary
    When I research the coins in my collection I often pour through websites like “Numista” that list dates, mintages, and basic data about world coins. As I have previously posted, I am assembling a Spanish peseta collection. While I was going through the copper issues of the 1870 1, 2, 5, and 10-centimos coins I noticed some anomalies in the years these coins were minted. Interestingly, sometimes you learn more from the questions you ask than you do by the information you absorb. Below are some of the conclusions I drew that you just cannot read in a book. I love connecting the dots in history and drawing my own conclusions. Below are what I think is a compelling argument for my interpretation of history.
    The 1 and 2-centimos coins minted in 1870 would not be minted again until 1906 and 1904. However, the 1870 5 and 10-centimos coins were minted only seven years later in 1877. After 1879, they would not be minted again until 1937 and 1940. 
    Why is there such disparity in the minting of the aforementioned coins? The answer isn’t economic because there were sufficient coins circulating to meet public demand in 1877. Rather, I believe that they were minted in 1877 for political reasons.
    Since the ascension of Queen Isabella II to the throne of Spain in 1933, her reign and in particular her line of succession in the House of Bourbon was constantly disputed. The first pretender to the throne was Isabella’s uncle, Carlos V.
    Under the influence of Maria Christina, Isabella’s father King Ferdinand VII worked with the Cortes Generales (Spain’s parliament) to establish a family line of succession in place of the existing male-only line of succession (Pragmatic Sanction of 1830). Since Ferdinand had no sons Isabella II become queen upon his death and her mother Maria Christina became regent. 
    Snubbed by this change in the law, Carlos V would never become king. This led to the first Carlist War (1833-1840) to depose Isabella II and make Carlos V the King of Spain. Supported by France, the United Kingdom, and Portugal this insurgency by the Carlists was repelled. The Carlists as a political party survived well into the 20th century. 
    After the exile of Queen Isabella II to France, House of Savoy, Amadeo I was appointed King of Spain on November 16, 1870. With his appointment, the Carlists saw an opportunity to claim the throne of Spain albeit by force. Hence the Third Carlist War (1872-1876). After a failure to effectively govern, Amedeo I abdicated his claim to the throne on February 11, 1873. This triggered the founding of the First Republic of Spain. Unfortunately, anarchy prevailed until Isabella II’s son, Alfonso VII was appointed King of Spain on December 29, 1874. With broad public support, the Carlists were effectively quashed. 
    The Basque Country and Catalonia were Carlist strongholds. It is in these regions that in 1875 the Carlist pretender to the throne Carlos VII issued his own 5 and 10-centimos coins proclaiming himself the legitimate king of Spain. These coins were of the same size and composition as the 1870 Spanish Provisional Government coins. With a 5-centimos mintage of 50,000 and a 10-centimos mintage of 100,000 these coins effectively circulated with the already circulating Spanish Provisional Government coins. For the most part, they mostly circulated in the Basque Country. Most sources seem to agree that these coins were minted in Brussels. 
    Answering the claims of Carlos VII, Alfonso XII, reigning King of Spain oversaw the issuing of 5 and 10-centimos coins of his own. 1877-79 saw respectable mintages in the millions of both the 5 and 10-centimos coins. The reverse legends of both these coins read, “Constitutional King of Spain.” The obverse legends read, “Alfonso XII By the Grace of God.” Thus, these two coins left nothing to interpretation as to who was the legitimate king of Spain. Spain finally enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity leading up to the end of the 19th century. 
    While the legends on the Alfonso XII 5 and 10-centimos coins are standard legends used before the Glorious Revolution of 1868, it didn’t hurt to have Alfonso XII’s bust on millions of coins that everyone in Spain handled. To proclaim him the constitutionally appointed king on the face of the coin is the icing on the cake that Carlos VII could not claim.
    The following is the Numista link detailing the coins I have been referring to. https://en.numista.com/catalogue/espagne-27.html#c_espagne142
    So, do I have a case that will stand up in the courtroom of history? Gary.


  12. coinsbygary
    The story of this coin starts at work on a summer afternoon in Wisconsin. Working at various cell sites throughout the region, I occasionally have the opportunity to observe different kinds of wildlife. On one of those occasions, I heard what I though to be a hummingbird fly by my ear only to find that it was a large praying mantis.
    Immediately, I had noticed that the praying mantis had landed on the chain link fence surrounding the cell site. I have seen praying mantis's before but this bug was huge measuring almost two links on the fence! I moved a little nearer to take a closer look and observed the big bug turn its head to look at me. Talk about creepy, just let a huge bug stare you down and see how you feel about it. At that point with cell phone in hand, I took several pictures of the big green monster.
    Now fast forward a year or so to May 2015 and one of the most frightening experiences a young person can go through, meeting the parents of their boyfriend or girlfriend. In this case it was my son's girlfriend and we decided to meet the first time at a restaurant for my birthday. Whats more, breaking the ice for both parties is always a little awkward. Seeking to discover common points of interest, came the normal questions, what do you do, where did you go to school, where are you from, etc? Yet, I felt it was up to me to make her feel comfortable and at this point I wasn't making much progress.
    In the course of the conversation I found out that my son's girlfriend had studied zoology in college and loves animals. I do not remember how the conversation turned to praying mantis's but when it had I showed her the cell phone pictures of the praying mantis I encountered at work. She was thrilled with my pictures and stated she had only dealt with immature, much smaller, praying mantis's. Immediately, the atmosphere of our restaurant date eased considerably. Since our conversation was two way, I had no problem telling her of my interest in numismatics.
    That following Christmas, my son brought his girlfriend to our annual Christmas celebration at my mom's house. Present were my three sisters, my children, and many of my nieces and nephews along with the grand nieces and nephews. Since we have such a large extended family we have a custom of drawing one name from a hat to buy a gift valued at about $25 to exchange. My son's girlfriend decided to participate in our family custom for 2016 and drew none other than yours truly! I usually feel sorry for anyone that draws my name. Everyone knows I collect coins and there are very few things a person could buy for me valued at $25!
    Because of the weather, my son couldn't make the celebration at my mom's house this year and we decided to meet at a restaurant to exchange gifts and make plans to see the movie "Rogue 1." At dinner my son's girlfriend gave me a small box. Inside was a 2012 Canadian $10 coin featuring you guessed it, a praying mantis! Immediately I made the connection and appreciated her thoughtfulness towards me.
    For my part, I would have never bought this coin on my own and to tell the truth, I didn't even know it existed. In fact, my son's girlfriend searched e-bay for any coin featuring a praying mantis and only found this one. This then is what makes this a coin of great value, the idea and thought came long before the coin. I hope that you all had a blessed Christmas and I wish you all a very prosperous 2017.
    Gary

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  13. coinsbygary
    For several months I had been toying with the idea of buying a Morgan Dollar coin clock offered by a seller named CoinClocks. Just recently, I finally broke down and pulled the trigger on it.
    As a collector of Morgan Dollars and an admirer of the design, I was naturally drawn to this clock that features the obverse of the coin as its face. Furthermore, this clock has an "Old West" look and feel to it much as the coin did 122+ years ago. (The date on the clock is 1893). Encircling the image of "Lady Liberty" are the cities in which the Morgan Dollar was minted with Carson City, the symbol of the old west, prominently on top.
    The reason it took me so long to buy the clock was that it isn't a coin, it just looks like one. Furthermore, my regular coin purchases have been somewhat sparse the last couple of months because of a tight Christmas budget and the final payment for my trip to Thailand later this month coming due in December. Since I couldn't buy all the coins I had been spying out, I certainly wasn't going to buy a clock. Now with Christmas out of the way and any new coin purchases waiting on my annual bonus, I decided the time was right to buy the clock.
    When my clock arrived, I was surprised at how big eighteen inches is. With this clock hanging on the wall, it is easily visible from anywhere in the room. The clock is also heavy and I found that I needed a heavy duty wall anchor to hang the clock. This clock has darker coloring and as a result I'm going to have to adjust the lighting in the room to fully bring out its features. It's almost like I'm buying the clock and re-modeling the room around it! Good thing my wife likes it! The new couch she has been wanting me to buy with my annual bonus will have to match the clock!
    Aside from all this CoinClocks has been an excellent person to deal with. The hardest part in the transaction was waiting for my clock to arrive since CoinClocks custom made my clock upon my order. He is also very good at his craft and I heartily recommend him. If you don't like Morgans, no problem, he can craft a clock from most any coin you choose! If you are interested in a clock for yourself or just want to look, please PM me and I'll be happy to pass the information I have along to you.
    Gary

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  14. coinsbygary
    With all my recent coin purchases, I had racked up quite a few E-Bay Bucks. Thus, I was able to upgrade two coins in my 7070 type set based solely on E-Bay Bucks. With the remaining balance I bought a Conder Token for my seated-imagery custom set at a 32% discount.
    The first upgrade is of a 2007-D, First Day of Issue, Washington Presidential Dollar grading Brilliant Uncirculated by NGC. I got this dollar as a gift when I first signed up for NGCs Collectors Society back in 2008. However, from the beginning this coin and its whopping 12 registry points only served as a placeholder. Because I dont collect prezzies upgrading this coin has never been a high priority. Nevertheless, the E-bay Bucks presented a great opportunity to get a new coin for free and add 896 points to my 7070 registry type set.
    That coin is a 2007-S, Washington Presidential Dollar graded PFUC-70 by NGC. Though this coin has a high grade, I dont particularly like its surface. US Mint proof coins seemed to have reached their heyday in the 90s as demonstrated by a PFUC-70 1998-S Washington Quarter I purchased for my 7070 set a little more than year ago. The devices on that Washington Quarter are lightly frosted with sharp details. On the other hand, the obverse bust on the Washington Presidential Dollar has a snake-skin like texture with poor hair and facial details. To photograph this coin I had to use defused lighting to soften the snake-skin effect and give it a more pleasing appearance.
    One of these days, I may have to buy a high grade satin-finish SMS prezzie for this registry slot even though it maybe worth fewer points. Quickly browsing through several E-Bay listings, I found that satin-finish prezzies grading MS-69 can be much more expense to purchase. Therefore, I will not be upgrading this upgrade anytime soon, if ever.
    The second upgrade is of a 2005-S PFUC-69 Sacagawea Dollar. Since this coin only adds 143 points to my 7070 registry set, I thought I might like to upgrade it. Like the prezzies, I don't collect Sacagawea Dollars and I needed a little more incentive to upgrade it. That said, I love the satin-like surfaces of SMS coins and in the Sacagawea Dollar I found an opportunity to buy a high grade coin with very pleasing surfaces. Thus, the upgrade is a 2005-P dated MS-69 SMS Sacagawea Dollar. This coin has lustrous matte-like surfaces blended with contrasting satin features. Furthermore, I netted another 477 points for my 7070 registry set.
    Finally, I purchased an MS-63, 1794 Ireland Half-Penny Conder Token (D&H 351) for my seated-imagery custom set. This token has clean surfaces and sharp details. Issued by ironmonger William Parker of Dublin, Ireland the obverse of this token features a women sitting on a chest while holding a cornucopia and leaning on an anchor. I am currently trying to identify the women symbolized on the obverse, and the three most likely candidates are Hibernia, Hope, and possibly folk hero Grace OMalley. For now I'm sticking with Hope based on the obverse legend, May Ireland Ever Flourish. Interestingly, I can also make a compelling case for folk hero Grace OMalley of whom the British called a pirate. Yet her shipping business produced a great deal of wealth.
    The reverse features an ornate-iron stove. Certainly, this item is one of the many things that one could purchase from William Parkers hardware store. Regardless, my guess is that it might take quite a few of these tokens to buy this stove even in 1794 Dublin, Ireland!
    Gary

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  15. coinsbygary
    A diversity of winners from year to year is good for Collector's Society.
    I've given this matter some thought, and from year to year I've noticed certain traits to the sets that are awarded. Naturally, every year there are those dream sets that make most people, including myself, drool over. Even the journal awards seem to follow certain trends. This causes me to conclude, and this is only my opinion, that the judges get together before the contest to determine the criteria by which they will judge the thousands of sets they will have to weed through and eliminate before settling on the winners. I also believe that the criteria by which they judge the sets changes from year to year.
    A few years ago I thought I had this criteria nailed down. I've won the journal award and the best presented award figuring if I continue in the same vein with the rest of my sets, I ought to get an award every year. Not so, I have a world set patterned after my award wining set passed over for two years now. There are even a few top pops in this set that might qualify it for the drool category, but no such luck. I even redid all my photos, but even this did not matter.
    Thinking on it a little more, it is good to change the criteria from year to year because of the diversity of sets that are brought to the attention of the entire community through the annual awards is good for the hobby and broadens everyone's perspective on the hobby.
    From a journaling perspective, I think my writing has improved in the last two years, so why no award? Perhaps it is for the same reason that good sets are also passed over. Maybe if I keep posting and maintaining my world registry set the judging criteria will swing back my way. Who knows, but I can always hope. Only one team wins the Superbowl and the rest place their hopes on next year. Last year my team won the Superbowl, this year maybe my team goes home. Of course I hope for a repeat every year, but realistically that will not happen.
    Now its back to to focusing on my collection by acquiring new coins and presenting them in a manner I can be proud of.
    Gary
  16. coinsbygary
    What I wouldn't give to know the criteria by which my coins are graded. At least I have some solace knowing my coins are consistently graded.
    In December of 2009, I bought a MS-64 1917 Type 1 Full Head, Standing Liberty Quarter. I remember my glee when I reported the same in a post and suggested that I might submit it for a re-grade. My SLQ is blast-white and has good luster. Additionally, it has extremely sharp devices with very few contact marks. To go with a full head, are full toes and fingers, it just had to grade better than MS-64.
    The reasons for re-submitting my coin are simple; first, based on my impressions of the coin, I felt it was under graded. With my coin in a 10-year old holder, I thought I had a good chance at a higher grade. After all, were not grading standards to have supposedly slipped in recent years? Next, a one-point gain represents a near doubling of my coin?s worth and a $527 increase in value between 64 and 65. Finally, my 20th Century Type set would see a net gain of 835 points.
    Because the market relies so heavily on their professional opinions, I see why graders have to be above reproach. NGC?s graders or PCGS?s for that matter, have the power to cause a coin to increase in value by hundreds and thousands of dollars based on ?their? opinion. That?s scary stuff when you think about it, leaving in the hands of a few people a multi-million or billion dollar industry.
    I recently submitted my SLQ for re-grading, and as you may guess by the title of my post, I am somewhat less than pleased with the results, as there was no change in grade. To me this was a no-brainer for at least MS-65. The picture collage I am attaching to my post features my MS-64 type 1 SLQ alongside my MS-64 type 3 SLQ with a recessed date. As you can see, the type-1 has a much sharper strike with more eye appeal. My only guess as to why my 1917 SLQ is the same grade as my 1930 is that I am comparing apples and oranges. It seems that NGC grades the quarters separately based on the merits and unique features of each type.
    In this case, whether or not I agree with the grade, the silver lining is that NGC appears to be consistent with their grading over time. Take into account these factors; first NGC cracked my coin out of its old holder, suggesting that the coin went to the graders raw. Secondly, with a ten-year span between submissions, it is very unlikely that the same trio of graders examined my coin. While I cannot comment on the facts surrounding recent posts regarding grading standards on SAE?s, I can take comfort in knowing that my coins will be graded fairly with consistency. As far as my MS-64 SLQ goes, it is worth keeping no matter what the grade, as I said before, I will say again, my SLQ is ?absolutely stunning?.
    In the future, I will think long and hard before submitting a coin for a re-grade. While I am happy to have spent what I did to verify my coin?s grade, it gets very expensive to do this on a frequent basis. In the mean time, I will focus on honing my own grading skills. The best way to increase my skills is to read up on grading. I am thinking of buying a book by AMOS Publishing called ?Making the Grade?. I?m a little hesitant to buy it though, because it costs $30.00. If any of you know this book and can recommend it, please let me know. Until next time, Happy Collecting!
    Gary

  17. coinsbygary
    It has only been two short months since I returned from a short-term mission trip to Thailand. However, in that time I have been as busy as ever adding coins to my collection, and more specifically my 7070 type set.
    The highlight of my work year is the payout of my annual bonus the last payday in February. With my bonus I usually buy at least one high ticket coin for my collection. Of course my wife had other ideas on how to spend the money and consequently we will be getting a new couch.
    With some of the bonus money I bought an NGC MS-64+, 1857 obverse stars Seated Liberty Dime. This dime is well struck with full star lines. It has natural russet toning with patches of darker toning on the reverse. On the obverse there are areas of fine die-polish lines showing through as light golden toning to the left of the rock and around Lady Libertys head. Rounding out my description is either struck through grease or raised pocks from die corrosion on Lady Libertys left forearm.
    The next coin I bought on which I remarked in a previous post is a PCGS MS-63, 1855 CAC approved, slanted 55 Braided Hair Half-Cent. This coin has burgundy toning with a purple-blue hue on the reverse. The coin is well struck with nice eye appeal and few distracting marks.
    Next on my list is an extremely well struck large-cent that I will never tire of looking at it. That coin is an NGC MS-63, 1838 modified Matron Head Large-Cent. This coin has lovely chocolate-brown toning with patches of luster showing through the toning on both the obverse and reverse. A splash of darker toning on Lady Libertys cheek rounds out this very beautiful coin.
    Looking to spend my E-Bay bucks on an inexpensive coin for my Inspirational Ladies custom set, I bought an NGC MS-66, 1959 so-called 50-cent Heraldic Art Medal commemorating the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The two allegorical female images clasping hands across the seaway represent the friendship that exists between Canada and the United States. Soon I will be writing a more in-depth post on this piece.
    Last Friday, my wife and I had the opportunity to attend the Central States Numismatic Society show. The highlight of the show wasn't so much the beautiful olive-toned PCGS MS-63, 1851 N-2 Braided Hair Large-Cent I picked up, but the fellowship we enjoyed at the show.
    If you ever get a chance to visit a major coin show, by all means stop by the ANA's booth. There you will most likely find John and Nancy Wilson manning the booth. John and Nancy are a few of the most delightful and interesting people you will ever meet. Whenever my wife and I are at a show, we always make it a point to stop by and visit them. Life-long leaders in the numismatic community and married for more than 40 years, they are both still serving the numismatic community into their retirement years. In my estimation, the ANA could not have chosen two better ambassadors to represent them. Congratulations Nancy on your best of show exhibit of Santa Clause Obsolete Notes! Your award is well deserved!
    While we were talking with John and Nancy another person interjected himself into the conversation. This person looked awfully familiar to me but I just could not place the face. Finally, he was introduced to us as Walter Ostromecki, the president of the ANA, and all sorts of lightbulbs lit up! We spent a few minutes talking with Walter about the ANA in general, and more specifically about the ANAs new website. The conversation was light and good humored. At the suggestion of John and Nancy, Walter signed his editorial page in a recent edition of The Numismatist for us.
    Later in the day we caught up with Dave (Collectors Society user yankeejose). Dave and I spent a few enjoyable hours talking coins while my wife who was very gracious, got bored. At any rate my wife and I enjoyed looking through the displays.
    One display that stood out to us featured a Hmong necklace that was used as currency up until the 1980s. It seems the Hmong people traded silver by weight for goods and services. We both identified with this display since our sister church is Hmong. Furthermore, I visited a Hmong district when I traveled to Thailand. That display proved very interesting and it got our peoples choice votes! I talked to one of the judges about doing a display myself one day. Since some my virtual displays have been rewarded, it might be nice to get an award for a regular display.
    Trying to find the coins on my want list was more problematic though. Finding an affordable high-grade no-motto Seated Liberty Quarter (1856-1861) was apparently impossible. Same thing for a Braided Hair Large-Cent except for a smaller dealer who had several candidates. It was hard to choose, but I finally settled on the 1851 I made reference to earlier.
    That coin has dark, olive colored toning on the obverse. Libertys neck also seemed a little course and the dealer explained that this was likely due to struck-through grease. When I got home I discovered that this is very common for large cents of this date. The reverse has lighter colored olive toning with a substantial amount of red coming through. Both the obverse and reverse have nice luster underneath the toning.
    In summary, I will have to slow down a bit (yeah, I said that before) but the last two months have been a lot of fun with the CSNS show just the icing on the cake!
    Gary

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  18. coinsbygary

    A Fly on the Wall

    By coinsbygary,

    Have you ever wanted to be a ?fly on the wall? and listen in on a conversation? I had just that exact experience last Friday at the ANA?s ?World?s Fair of Money?.
    Greetings all, I had a fabulous day at the ANA?s "World's Fair of Money? in Chicago. On my arrival at the convention, one of the items on my ?must see? list of things to do was to view ML Moser?s collection of pristine Morgan Dollars at NGC?s table. Walking towards the display, I noticed several people huddled around the display viewing Mr. Moser?s collection. Finding a place to stand and view one of two display cases containing Mr. Moser?s coins, I overheard a part of a conversation that made my ears perk up! In that conversation, I heard the ?ML Moser? being introduced to somebody else by a representative of Heritage Auctions. I could not believe it, what an opportunity to meet the owner of the finest collection of NGC graded Morgan Dollars that there is! Asking if anyone objected to me listening in, I continued as Mr. Moser described several of the coins in his collection to the Heritage representative. I listened with delight as Mr. Moser with a sense of pride described his 1881-S MS-68+ star date with a population of one, and none higher in the NGC population report. I also watched as the Heritage representative with a sense of glee personally inspected a few of the coins. Then, as I was getting ready to leave the display, the Heritage representative asked me if I collected Morgan Dollars, at which I excitedly answered, yes! At that, the Heritage representative asked Mr. Moser to sign one of his brochures for me! The NGC brochure describing Mr. Moser?s collection was signed ?Gary, happy hunting, ML Moser." Leaving the display, I had to pinch myself to see if what was happening to me was real.
    Then there were the rare coins to view including a 1913 Liberty Nickel, 1804 Silver Dollar, and a gorgeous specimen of the AMERI. 1793 Chain Cent. Another highlight there for me was a collection of Gobrecht pattern dollars. At the APMEX table, I did wrist curls with a 354-ounce bar of solid gold! Of course, the gold bar was secured in a heavy plastic case with a hole in the side in which you placed your hand to lift the bar; and naturally, an armed guard was close by. Never before have I had something worth 654 thousand dollars right in the palm of my hand! Another table at which I spent considerable time was with a dealer demonstrating and selling coin microscopes. I was very impressed with this fascinating little instrument with which I could examine the finest details of my coins. If they say the difference between boys and men is the price of their toys, then this toy has me intrigued. While I was tempted, I need to take more time to consider buying this toy. If I eventually get it, I will be sure to do a post on it.
    My wife is very gracious to me when it comes to my hobby and me. With her by my side at the show, she seemed graciously tolerant of every table I stopped at. Interestingly though, she also is a collector of sorts and loves collecting ?Cherished Teddy? figurines. When we walked by the PandaAmerica table she noticed a Chinese Silver Panda and asked me if I could purchase one. At that time, I had not purchased anything yet, so I told her if I had any money left at the end of the day I would return to buy it for her.
    I went to the show with a list of four Morgan Dollars in MS-64 condition I was looking for valued in the low $100s. Of that list of four coins, I had hoped to purchase two. However, the same problem I had in the past while shopping for certified early coppers, I encountered with the Morgan?s. It seems that dealers when traveling to shows travel with the best coins in their inventories. I could probably have purchased each of the dates I was looking for, but only in MS-65 condition or higher. In a strange twist of irony though, I encountered a dealer who had affordable early coppers, and I managed to purchase an AU-50 1828 ? cent for my type set! Additionally, this coin has sentimental significance attached to it. When I was a boy, I purchased an 1828 ? cent at my very first coin show. I later sold it because it was deemed cleaned and unable to be certified at a full grade. Nevertheless, I regretted selling that ?-cent and this new one purchased at the ?king? of coin shows more than atones for that mistake. Curiously, the dealer I purchased the coin from was based in Chicago, meaning he could bring nearly his entire inventory had he wanted.
    Having purchased the 1828 ?-cent my wife asked me if we could go back and buy the panda. Even though I do not collect pandas, how could I say no to her, so I purchased a 2011 MS-69 silver panda? Having seen most of what I wanted to see, it was about time to go home. On the way out, my wife noticed a colorized panda and asked if I could buy that one also. Feeling emboldened by buying one panda, I was not about to buy two. On our way to the car, my wife said in these exact words, ?I should have nagged you more for colored panda." She even mentioned it after we got home, and I finally said, ?Look, there are no colors on the panda except black and white?! Appropriately, I am going to put the properly colored panda into my ?Inspirational Ladies? set dedicated to her.
    Finally, I do not know if ML Moser reads these journals, but I want to thank him personally for putting together such a fine collection and for being willing to share it. I also wanted to thank him for his signed brochure that will always be a fond memento of the show. Some people collect autographed photographs of sports figures, but I collect brochures autographed by famous coin collectors! I am also posting a picture of my wife?s panda with this journal post, so until next time, happy collecting!
    Gary

  19. coinsbygary
    For Novembers Coin of the Month column, I am using four coins to illustrate my heartfelt thanks to all the veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
    Those coins, all certified by NGC, are a 2005-P MS-70 United States Marine Corps silver dollar, a 2010-W PFUC-69 Disabled Veterans silver dollar, a 2011-P PFUC-69 Medal of Honor silver dollar, and a 2011-W PFUC-69 Medal of Honor five-dollar gold piece. Each of the dollar coins conforms to the dimensions, weight, and composition of a standard US silver dollar, and likewise, the five-dollar coin matches that of a standard US half-eagle.
    Initially called Armistice Day, Veterans Day coincides with the end of hostilities in World War I on November 11, 1918. By Presidential Proclamation, the first observance of Armistice Day occurred on November 11, 1919. Subsequently, in 1938 by an act of Congress, Armistice Day became an annual observance celebrated on November 11. Later through the efforts of World War II veteran Raymond Weeks, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. Henceforth, since Armistice Day was originally intended to honor those who died on the battlefield in World War I, Veterans Day today celebrates the service of all veterans.
    The first of my tribute coins to our veterans is the 2005 Marine Corps commemorative dollar. The central device of this coins reverse is the United States Marine Corps insignia. Directly beneath the insignia is the Marine Corps motto Semper Fidelis which is Latin for Always Faithful. On the obverse of this coin is a representation of the February 23, 1945 raising of the flag on Iwo Jima atop Mount Suribachi. This moment, captured forever in time by a photograph is arguably one of the United States Marine Corps proudest moments. Against an enemy ordered to fight to the death, the invasion of Iwo Jima was one of the fiercest fought battles of World War II. Casualties were high on both sides, and of the six men who raised the flag, three of them fell in battle before the final fall of Iwo Jima on March 26, 1945. This battle exemplifies the highest ideals of the United States Marine Corps, ideals that continue in the Marine Corps today. The Marines have always been faithful to us in defending our freedoms; let us always be faithful in supporting them, Semper Fidelis.
    My next tribute coin is the 2010 Disabled Veterans commemorative dollar. On the obverse of this coin are the legs and boots of three veterans, one of whom has an amputated leg. Around the upper rim of the coin is a banner with the inscription, They Stood Up For Us. The reverse features an oak wreath wrapped by a ribbon with a forget-me-not flower at the base of the wreath. The oak wreath is a symbol of strength, and the forget-me-not, which dates back to World War I, represents those who were disabled during combat. Currently, 1.6 million service men and women have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars at some point. Of those, 45% have applied for disability benefits. This represents a significant number of men and women who are bearing the physical and/or psychological scars of war. The phrase in the middle of the wreath on this coins reverse asks us to honor the disabled defenders of freedom. Accordingly, let us honor those who have stood in the gap for us on the battlefield by standing in the gap for them at home, and giving them the love and support they both need and deserve. May they never be forced to carry the physical scars and psychological burdens of war alone.
    The Medal of Honor is this nations highest military decoration. It is awarded for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. There are currently three different medals, all illustrated on the obverse of the 2011 Medal of Honor commemorative dollar. The medal to the left is the Army Medal of Honor, the one on the right the Air Force Medal of Honor, and the one in the center the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Medal of Honor. The reverse of this coin features a soldier under enemy fire carrying a wounded soldier to safety. For me, this represents the Code of Honor our service men and women live by to leave no one behind, even at the cost of his or hers life. The Holy Bible states that, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. This then is the type of honor, valor, courage, and love that all Medal of Honor recipients display. To date, less than 3500 Medals of Honor have been awarded. However, I would like to believe that to one degree or another, there are many more displays of these virtues that go on unrecognized on the battlefield. We as a nation can be proud of the people that make up our Armed Forces and the courage they exhibit in the face of grave danger.
    The final coin of my tribute is the 2011-W Medal of Honor five-dollar gold piece. The obverse of this coin features an image of the original Medal of Honor established in 1861. On the coins reverse is a likeness of the goddess Minerva carrying a Union shield in her right hand and the flag of the United States in the other, behind her are Civil War era munitions and a cannon. In Roman mythology, Minerva is the goddess of war, wise counsel, defense of towns, and heroic endeavor. The shield is representative of the Armed Forces of the United States; the flag is the banner under which they fight. As a defensive shield, is our military then defending a piece of cloth, or a plot of land? Rather they are defending the people represented by the flag and the freedom and liberty of that people. The men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States then deserve our heartfelt thanks and gratitude. Freedom comes at a high price and is not free, but for the men and women of our nations military, it is a price worth paying.
    As a veteran of the United States Navy during the cold war, I had often thought about how I would react if the call came to go to war. On my ship we spent countless hours training and preparing for such an event. Thankfully, for me, that call never came. However, today, scores of men and women are answering the call to arms, and many will pay the ultimate price on our behalf. Our veterans have given so much; let us not fail to show them the proper gratitude they deserve.
    Happy Veterans Day, November 11, 2012.
    Gary

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  20. coinsbygary
    There are some things I don’t particularly care to do. When it comes to those things, I usually procrastinate getting them done. Preparing submission forms to send coins and medals to NGC for grading is something I always procrastinate. I just don’t like itemizing the submission form, looking up the market value, separating my medals from my coins, modern vs. classic, etc. Then packing them up and running to the post office is such a pain in the neck. Well, today I finally said, “This is the day” and I grabbed the first item to be submitted.
    The first item in my submission is a 55mm 1876 William Barber classic, Centennial Medal struck in white metal. Since I just recently finished experimenting with my lighting, I thought, “Why not try a few of those new techniques on this medal.” Well, that’s all it took to successfully kick the submission can down the road a little farther!
    The first set of pictures was so-so in that they did not significantly improve on the pictures I already had. Then I had the hair-brained idea to try something that I typically have a hard time getting just right to see if I might get lucky. Why not? After all, the alternative was to get back to work on that submission. Besides, the best time to take pictures of coins is in their raw state and this would be my last crack at it. This medal though not classified as a proof has mirrored fields. Why not try to see if I could get the full effect of those mirrors in my picture?
    The best possible placement for lighting is perpendicular to the object you are photographing. As you can see with my set-up, that is kind of hard to do given that the camera is in the way. There are two workarounds that are quite effective in redirecting the light to simulate a perpendicular lighting source. The first is axial lighting as described in Mark Goodman’s excellent book on coin photography entitled, “Numismatic Photography.” The second is to tilt the coin towards the lighting source. I chose the second as the easiest thing to do.
    The tricky part in this is to minimize the reflections and there WILL be reflections. Now I used a soft cloth to tilt this medal toward the lighting source about four degrees. Then I tried my best to position the reflections to a place on the medal where they are not distracting. On the obverse, the reflection was under the date 1876. On the reverse, it was in the middle of the 13 radiating stars! Perfect, I thought, because the reflection made the center of the stars look like the sun!
    Now when you tilt a coin relative to the camera you will run into issues with focusing the camera and distorting the shape of the medal. Because of the tilt, the camera will see the round medal as slightly oval. To improve the focus, I moved the camera farther away from the subject effectively making the image smaller relative to the frame. Then I corrected the oval camera distortion using Photoshop Elements 2019. Please notice the picture on the back cover of Mark Goodman’s book showing the coin tilted towards the light to see that his set-up is similar to mine. Now I use lights on both sides of the medal but since the medal is tilted towards the one, it is tilted away from the other. Thus, the lamp tilted away has little or no effect on the picture.
    I am posting two pictures of my medal. The one that has darker fields is a picture showing the medal perpendicular to the camera. The other one with the lit-up fields is a picture showing the medal perpendicular to the lighting source.
    I just had to post this! Now back to my submission? Nah, but I will get to it soon unless I run into more distractions! Gary




  21. coinsbygary

    A Golden Opportunity

    By coinsbygary,

    Over the last several years I have been feverishly working to upgrade the gold coins in my collection since the spot price of gold has fallen from its peak valuation in the fall of 2011.
     
    In the last two years or so I have been able to upgrade several of the MS-62 and lower graded gold coins in my collection to 63 and 64. To date, I have been happy with the quality of the MS-63 and 64 gold coins I bought and I consider them to be the final upgrades for my gold type set. With the spot price of gold being relatively stable over the last few years, I have had the time I needed to buy these expensive coins at a price I can afford.
     
    This golden opportunity has also allowed me to add several nice circulated classic gold coins and varieties to my collection. Except for the 1907 high-relief St Gaudens Double Eagle, I fully expect to add all the major 1834 to 1933 US gold varieties to my collection.
     
    This brings me to the 1897-S MS-62 Type 3 Liberty Double Eagle in my collection. Over the last several months I have been looking for an acceptable MS-63 or 64 example. The problem is that I have not found a coin in those grades that is all that much better than the 62 I already own. The problem has always been the location and severity of the contact marks on the obverse. Dare I consider a gem-uncirculated MS-65 upgrade?
     
    According to both PCGS and NGC population reports, PCGS grades a total of 8,204 Liberty Double Eagles in MS-65 and NGC grades 9,221. For the most part, gem condition Liberty Double Eagles are very scarce and as a result very expensive. Now if all those 65’s were spread evenly across all the dates I would not be having the following conversation.
     
    Of the total MS-65 populations from both grading services, 65% of PCGS’s and 64% of NGC’s population are 1904 double eagles. With thousands of 1904 MS-65’s in the marketplace, the 1904 double eagle presents a wonderful opportunity for the type collector to own a gem quality gold coin at a relatively low price. This then is where a lower and stable spot price comes into play when making my decision to upgrade my current double eagle.
     
    In 2011, I bought my current double eagle when an ounce of gold was at its peak valuation. At that time I suspected that gold would continue to rise. Now they say that hindsight is 20/20 and since I bought this coin, gold has fallen to roughly the level it has held for more than a couple of years. Now when I decide to upgrade any coin in my collection I usually sell the lower graded coin to subsidize the higher graded coin. However, in this case I am going to hold onto that 1897-S coin until the price of gold goes back up.
     
    With that settled, I went on the hunt for an MS-65 double eagle to replace my 62. After looking around a little, I found about twenty-five 1904 MS-65’s on Heritage’s website as “Buy It Nows” with a few having a “Make Offer” option. Like all the rest of the grades not all MS-65’s are created equal so I picked the coin I liked the best and made an offer for $100 lower than the BIN.
     
    Now Heritage was supposed to contact me in three days and when they didn’t I thought they had declined my offer. That was until 11 days after my offer when I received an invoice in my e-mail box for the coin I wanted! With that I upgraded an MS-62 coin to 65 for only $32 more than I paid for the 1897-S! Essentially, I just got a 3-point upgrade for free! If I were to sell the MS-62 at a loss it would then cost me about $600-$700. Still not that bad for an upgrade to a coin of this magnitude.
     
    This all reminds me of the UNC-Details 1889-S Saddle Ridge Double Eagle I bought for about the same price as the two coins I am writing about. When I compare the Saddle Ridge coin to the 1904, I think the Saddle Ridge coin has a shot at MS-65 were it not for the cleaning below Miss Liberty’s truncated neck. The cleaning may not be all that apparent in the PCGS photo but in the hand it is front and center.
     
    Unlike the 1904, 1889-S double eagles are very rare in MS-65 with a NGC valuation of $36,000 and a PCGS valuation of $30,000! I only paid a small fraction of that price for this coin, about 1/14 to 1/15 of the fully graded coin! Thus, I am thrilled to own this coin even though it has been cleaned. The moral of the story is don’t even think of cleaning your coins, you may do them irreparable damage perhaps costing you thousands and at the same time representing a great deal for me (lol)! Merry Christmas to all!




  22. coinsbygary
    If you settle for Proof 69, you can get our latest commemorative for a great price!
    Today I received a NGC PFUC-69, 2010-W Disabled Veterans Commemorative Dollar in the mail that I bought from a dealer for $50.00 postage paid. At $50.00, the cost was much less than I could expect to pay had I bought the coin from the mint and sent it to NGC. Let me explain, to buy the coin from the mint will cost you $44.90 with postage. Then to have the coin graded will cost you $12.50 for a total of $57.40. Add postage to and from NGC and the cost easily goes over $60.00. Furthermore, I got the coin in my hands much quicker than I would have otherwise.
    At $50.00, how does a dealer make money? The answer is he doesn?t. I suspect dealers buy the coins in bulk directly from the mint and send them to NGC, probably at a negotiated rate. Finally, they sell the PFUC-69 dollars at or near cost and those that are PFUC-70 at double cost or more. The dealer I bought this coin from was willing to sacrifice the 69?s to make his money on the 70?s. For the collector that can settle for a 69, this is a great deal. I will be on the look out to see if the same dealer offers a similar deal on the Boy Scouts Centennial Dollar.
    This coin pays tribute to those brave men and women in our armed forces who are permanently disabled. The obverse of the coin shows the legs and boots of three soldiers with one soldier missing a leg, lost in war. On the top rim of the obverse is a banner with the phrase, ?They Stood Up For Us?. The reverse features an oak branch wreath tied by a ribbon with a ?forget me not? at the base. The blue ?forget me not? flower gets its name from World War I when soldiers noticed them growing on the graves of their fellow comrades killed in battle. The oak branches tied into a wreath represent strength. In the middle of the wreath is the phrase, ?Take This Moment to Honor Our Disabled Defenders of Freedom?.
    The people that know me know that I am supportive of our armed forces. Today?s soldiers are thrown into extremely difficult situations and asked to do a job that appears nearly impossible to do, yet I believe what they are doing is necessary and important. A young man that I have worked with as part of a drama team is getting ready for deployment to Afghanistan. Randall, our prayers are with you and may God bless you and keep you from harm. Though you are not a disabled veteran, you are most certainly standing up for us as the banner on this Disabled Veterans Commemorative Dollar states. Know that we are behind you 100%.
    Gary

  23. coinsbygary
    After purchasing an 1893-S Morgan for my collection, it is time for a brief break to pursue a newfound love.
    Greetings everyone, with a little encouragement from E4norbi, I have found a new appreciation and love for the Eisenhower Dollar. It?s not that I got up one morning to discover I liked the Eisenhower Dollar, but rather it?s something that has developed over time. In other words, it is a culmination of events along the way ending with E4norbi?s latest post to propel me over the top.
    These events started for me when I was a boy, as much of my collecting today has its roots in my childhood. I first started collecting coins around the time the Eisenhower Dollar was first minted. Because I loved the Morgan Dollar, it was only natural for me to be excited about a new circulating dollar coin, especially after the dollar?s long absence from circulation. Since I was young and naive, I remember buying an Eisenhower Dollar that had been gold-plated. Today, I would never consider buying anything like that. However, at the time I thought the coin was really cool.
    When I was young, everything about space exploration mesmerized me. I remember exactly where I was when I first heard the announcement on July 20, 1969 that ?The Eagle has landed?. Further endearing me to the Eisenhower Dollar is its reverse featuring the mission patch of Apollo 11 (however, this does not translate to the SBA Dollar because I favored a classic design on the smaller dollar).
    Now fast forward 35 years or so, and I?m writing the owner comments for the Ike?s in my type sets, while enjoying every minute of it. Add to this, the many interesting numismatic twists in this series and I?m hooked. Therefore, I have started a complete set of circulation issue Eisenhower Dollars. With some of the proceeds from my ?Phase 1? sale, I purchased a NGC MS-68, 1972-S silver Eisenhower Dollar as the first new coin of my registry set.
    Much of the Eisenhower Dollar?s design relates to manned space flight. For it was President Dwight D Eisenhower, who on July 29, 1958 signed legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Furthermore, the original design concept for the Apollo 11 mission patch featured on the reverse of the Eisenhower Dollar came from Apollo 11 astronaut, Michael Collins.
    Sadly, now 42 years later to the day that Neil Armstrong and Edwin ?Buzz? Aldrin walked on the moon, the space shuttle Atlantis landed for the last time at Kennedy Space Flight Center. This landing officially ends the 30-year-old space shuttle program and effectively places on indefinite hold any future manned space exploration. Therefore, as a tribute to NASA and manned space flight, I offer this photo collage based on the original charter of NASA symbolized by an olive branch carried by an Eagle representing America.
    Gary

  24. coinsbygary
    2013 has been a very good year for my collection. In 2014, I plan more of the same with the exception that I will have to scale back my new purchases significantly.
    2013 has been a phenomenal year of upgrades to my Netherlands eleven-coin Queen Wilhelmina 10 Gulden set. In comparison to other years, 2013 has also been the best year for upgrades since starting this set in 2009. I began 2013 with three coins below my target grade of MS-65 and now there is only one MS-64 left to upgrade. At the end of 2012, four of the seven coins were NGC top graded coins and today that number is seven of eleven! Thats right, all three of my upgrades in 2013 coins were on top of NGCs population report meeting my secondary goal of buying the best coins available. Naturally, these types of goals carry over from year to year since it is impossible to predict when buying opportunities will occur. Thus in 2014, I will make upgrades to this set as new coins become available.
    In 2013, I started a new custom set entitled, The Use of Seated Imagery in Numismatics. I am very proud of this set and aggressively purchased new coins, tokens, and medals for it in 2013. Today that set has 49 coins with accompanying owner comments for most of the pieces. In 2014, I plan to scale back my new purchases somewhat and complete the owner comments. As an aside, I sent an email with a link of my set to the editor of the E-Gobrecht, the monthly newsletter of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club and he may feature my set in his newsletter soon.
    My Morgan Dollar and Inspirational Ladies sets were slow goes in 2013. However, a few of the pieces I added, I had been searching a long time to obtain. My goals for both of these sets in 2014 will be more of the same, except that Id like to be a little more aggressive in completing my Morgan Dollar set.
    No getting around it, domestic purchases will trump coin purchases in 2014. I put off too many things for too long to ignore them any longer. I was brutally reminded of this when my 18-year-old dryer broke down a few days ago. Consequently, my wife and I promptly went to the Best Buy store to purchase a new washer and dryer set. As far as the house goes, Im still paying off a loan to repair the flooding in my basement from a year ago. Furthermore, this coming year I plan to add new gutters. Mind you, these are only a few of the things I will need to do for the house in 2014.
    At any rate, upgrading coin photos with my new macro rig purchased in 2013 and owner comments are free activities that will keep me connected to my collection in 2014. However, to end 2013 with a bang and begin 2014 with austerity, I added a rare and expensive coin to my seated set that will become the cornerstone of that set. Please enjoy this photo of a recently graded MS-62 Bavarian 2-Taler coin commemorating the completion of Ludwig's canal (my rare and expensive cornerstone). May you all have a healthy and prosperous 2014.
    Gary

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  25. coinsbygary
    Because of my Laura Gardin Fraser collection an article in the June 2018 issue of The Numismatist entitled, “Fraser Finds”, aroused my interest. The author of that article went on to describe his pure joy at the Fraser finds comparable to that of discovering lost treasure. For my part I found this article fascinating. Never could I have imagined that Tom Rochovansky and his wife Nancy were preserving so much of the Fraser’s work as a legacy to them.
    Normally for me this is where the story ends. Later I was to find out that this was in reality where the story began. A friend of mine who has been invaluable to me in both researching and acquiring many of the Laura Gardin Fraser medals in my collection contacted me about the article. He went on to say that he lives within driving distance of the Rochovanskys and made an appointment with them to inspect the finds for himself.
    When my friend returned from inspecting the Fraser’s studio pieces he sent me a report of his findings. I was somewhat disappointed that there didn’t seem to be anything of interest to me in the report. Later my friend on a subsequent visit discovered two Items that he missed on the first visit that I was VERY interested in purchasing. Those pieces were a bronze 1912, 131mm cast medallion honoring John Cardinal Farley on his elevation to the cardinalate of New York. The second is a bronze 1915, 64mm Rosemary Hall 25th anniversary medal. I’ll have more to say about these medals later but for now, as Paul Harvey would say, “The rest of the story.”
    This is where having a friend that knows something about medals is indispensable. After finding out about these two medals I told my friend that I was interested in purchasing both of them. The price for the Rosemary Hall was about what I could expect to pay and well within my budget. The asking price of the Cardinal Farley medallion on the other hand was a stretch for me and just outside what I wanted to pay. With that my friend was willing to negotiate a fair price on my behalf to the Rochovanskys based on his knowledge of the market and it was a sale! Two medals once owned by Laura Gardin Fraser are now in my personal collection! Indeed, both of these medals truly represent a “Most Excellent Provenance”!
    I mailed a check directly to Tom Rochovansky with a hand written note thanking him and inviting him to peruse my set. After receiving my check, Tom gave me a call and I had a wonderful conversation with the curator of the Frasers studio artifacts. Tom went on to say that he personally knew Laura Fraser as a child and often referred to her as Aunt Laura. I asked him if I could conduct an interview with him about his experiences with the Frasers and he was very willing for me to call him at a future date. Now who could ask more than the prospect of acquiring first-hand information about the Frasers?
    In a bit of numismatic history Tom Rochovansky went on to say that he loaned the plasters for the 1999 200th anniversary of the death of George Washington half-eagle to the mint. In return the mint sent him one of the half-eagles that he incidentally still owns. The mint also returned the plasters which are also still in his possession. Finally, Tom told me about some of the non-numismatic items he still has, one of which I may be interested in purchasing at a future date when I will likely make-up a display case of this collection.
    Finally, I was not the only person to benefit from the “Fraser Finds” article in the Numismatist. Another of my friends introduced to me through the same person who contacted the Rochovanskys acquired several plasters, one of which is the obverse of the Oregon Trail commemorative half-dollar. He has also written of his purchases in the July 22 edition of “The E-Sylum” complete with pictures. Lest you think our common friend didn’t find something for his collection, think again. There are now three very happy collectors with their purchases and Tom Rochovansky glad to place a few of the Fraser artifacts into good homes.