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coinsbygary

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Journal Entries posted by coinsbygary

  1. coinsbygary
    Over the last few weeks, I haven’t had much time to write blogs. This is because I’ve been working on my photography skills and, in particular, axial photography. I have learned a lot, and now I have several excellent examples of coins photographed using axial photography.
    The first thing I did was to craft a holder for my glass reflector. Then I reinforced the edges of the glass with electrical tape to prevent the glass from accidentally shattering. For the holder, I used a cardboard box top sliced at 45 degrees towards the light source to hold the glass pane. The holder cost me nothing to make. However, it did cost my wife a glass pane from one of her pictures.
    Next, I made a diffuser for my light source cut from the side of a plastic milk jug. To prevent side light from illuminating the coin, I used a single-use pair of sunglasses from my eye doctor when she opened my iris. Conveniently, the sunglasses roll up like a tube. Finally, I used a lens hood I already owned to prevent side lighting from interfering with the camera lens. Folks, this is an excellent example of professional photography on the cheap!
    My set-up picture shows a portion of the light shine through the glass onto the back of the holder. The images of the camera’s viewfinder show the reflected light from the glass illuminating the surface of the coins. Since there is less light to work with, the film speed is ISO 400. The aperture is f4, and the shutter speed is 1/125. If this is done correctly, the area of the picture around the coin will be mostly dark. All you want to see in the viewfinder is the coin!
    Since plastic holders have reflective properties of their own, they can be challenging to work with. Therefore, axial photography works best on raw coins. Notice the haze and a hot spot in the viewfinder picture showing a 2011 French proof coin mounted in an NGC holder. This is light reflected from the surface of the holder interfering with light reflected from the coin. The 2004 and 2017 raw quarters only show light reflected from the quarters. Incidentally, the quarters are from my change dish.
    I have spent a lot of time learning to edit the photographs of certified coins to remove the interference from unwanted light. To reduce the effect of unwanted light, I have found the milk jug diffuser to be helpful. However, the quarters needed very few edits because of limited or no interference from unwanted light. I am also posting a raw 1856 Belgian 5 centime coin commemorating the 25th-anniversary reign of Leopold I, King of the Belgians. The coin is struck in bronze to illustrate the use of axial photography on heavily toned bronze coins.
    I hope this blog sheds a little light on axial photography. I always say that the proof is in the pudding. For your viewing pleasure, I am posting several pictures using axial photography.
    The 2011 French 10 euro proof coin commemorates the author of Les Miserables, Victor Hugo. The reverse inscription is roughly translated, “Cossette looked up, she saw the man coming to her with this doll as she saw the sun coming.”
    The reverse of this coin was incredibly hard to photograph because of its surface characteristics. The obverse, however, makes for a pleasing picture. Notice the mirror fields on axial photographs resemble the in-the-hand look of proof coins. Photos of proof mirrors typically show black when taken by direct light. The reverse of this coin has a frosty flat field showing black contrasted by the mirror of Victor Hugo’s image etched into the design.
    Other pieces for your viewing pleasure are a 1937 Spanish peseta and a 2019 Great Britain five-pound coin featuring Una and the Lion. Enjoy, Gary.










  2. coinsbygary
    Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!
    Shortly before I graduated from high school in 1976, I bought an 1858-C Half Eagle through a mail order ad in Coins Magazine. Up until that time, this coin was the most expensive coin I had bought at $350.00. Today I still own this coin even though it is details graded VF-30 in an ANACS holder. That following Christmas the dealer with whom I purchased the coin from, sent me a Christmas card that I would like to share with you, my collecting community. I hope that you do not think me too tacky for offering you a used card; instead, I hope that you enjoy this card, just as I do.
    The Christmas card pictured below has a medal embedded within it. The medal, struck at the Franklin Mint is entitled ?The Toymakers Shop?. Issued in 1976, ?The Toymakers Shop? was sculptured by Donald Everhart from a design by Yves Beaujard. The obverse shows an artisan toymaker working in his shop making toys. Gazing through the window from the outside are three children watching the toymaker work at his craft.
    The reverse shows the toyshop from a busy winter street full of Christmas shoppers. Up against the window of the toyshop are our three children. Inside the card is the following Christmas greeting, ?May the holidays bring you the music of laughter, the warmth of friendship and the spirit of love?.
    Now I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone at NGC and all those within the Collector?s Society Community, a very blessed and Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. I wish to thank NGC for their contributions to numismatics and for establishing Collector?s Society as a community whereby hobbyists can share their collections, experience, knowledge, and passion with other collectors. Finally, I want to thank all those within the Collectors Society community who make our community a better place. God bless you all! Gary

  3. coinsbygary

    The Mighty Peseta

    By coinsbygary,

    Here I go again, just as I got started on a new collection with a narrow scope, things began to get out of hand and now I am now faced with a giant. Is there a cure for my collecting obsession? Do I want to be cured? Probably not and hence my dilemma as the scope and of necessity, the expense expands. Oh, how I love it!
    As I previously wrote I intended to start a new set based on the 1869-70 coins of the Spanish Provisional Government. I thought this would be easy because I already owned most of the coins. As I began researching my new collection it expanded to include the entire history of the peseta as I will summarize towards the end of this post.
    As of today, I don’t know why this topic captivates me but it does. Perhaps the key to knowing this is in how Spaniards view their own coinage. Consequently, the title of my new set has changed to, “The Birth and Durability of the Spanish Peseta.” I am posting a link to my new set with the coins I currently own plus an upgrade of the 1870(70) 5-Peseta and a new purchase of the 1869(69) 1-Peseta. Incidentally, the 1-Peseta will be the cornerstone coin of my new collection.
    https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetGallery.aspx?s=28027
    The 19th Century saw the decline of Spain as a world power. By the mid 1820’s Puerto Rico and Cuba were all that remained of Spain’s colonies in the America’s. And in Cuba a war for independence from Spain was looming (Ten Years’ War 1868-78). Much of Spain’s Queen Isabella II’s reign (1833-1868) was plagued by politically motivated uprisings and scandals. To make matters worse Queen Isabella II proved to be incompetent as a ruler. This all came to a head in 1868 with, “The Glorious Revolution” ending in the exile of Queen Isabella II to France.
    Following the revolution, a provisional government was put in place to restore order and form a new government. Many of the political reforms under consideration included financial reform. On October 19, 1868, Minister of Finance, Don Laureano Figuerola modernized Spain’s currency according to the standards set by the Latin Monetary Union. Gone were the escudos, pesos, reales, and maravedi’s of the past and in were the decimalized currency of pesetas and centimos, whereas 100 centimos equal 1 peseta.
    From 1868-2002 Spain has been governed under two republics, four monarchs, and a dictator as a result of a civil war. Through all this turmoil the peseta has survived for 134 years until 2002 when Spain adopted the euro as their national currency.
    Perhaps with all this history in mind is why the Royal Mint in Madrid, Spain posted the following concerning the sunsetting of the peseta in 2002 on their website. “The currency is a faithful reflection of history. Within its small dimensions all the coordinates of the moment in which it was coined are enclosed and is always an inexhaustible source of information. The aesthetic, political, religious conceptions and the economic situation of the people are indelibly reflected in these small metal discs. Therefore, the 134 years in which the peseta has spent in the economy of Spain have seen transcendental events happen in the conformation of what is now the life of the Spaniards. Kings, artists and conquerors have passed through the hands of the citizens; The peseta has become a key piece of popular iconography: longed for, hated, idolized ... in short, the history of the peseta is, in large part, the history of Spanish men and women entering the modern world.”
    With my post are some of the pictures of my most recent purchases. The first is a commemorative set issued at the sunsetting of the peseta featuring the original 1869-70 design. The other is an NGC MS-65 1869 one peseta coin. Gary.





  4. 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   





  5. coinsbygary

    In the Mean Time...

    By coinsbygary,

    Well it’s been a long time since I last wrote. Retirement has kept me pretty busy at my church having delivered the morning sermon last Sunday and again tomorrow. With all that I am doing, I have a whole new appreciation of pastors. However, I’m not writing about my outside exploits today but my numismatic ones.


     
    You see while I have been busy with church activities, I have been amassing several new purchases along the way including a new book! I also served as kind of a consultant for a Coin World writer who is publishing an article about Laura Gardin Fraser in the next issue. Oh, and I will have to write about the podcast I recorded for Coin World that is still being edited. But today I’m writing about a Spanish provisional government pattern I got in the mail this week from an e-bay seller in of all places, Argentina.


     
    First the new book. I haven’t got it yet but it is on order from Wizard Coin Supply. The book is by Roger Burdette entitled, “Girl On The Silver Dollar.” It is Roger’s contention that the girl that graces the Morgan Dollar is not Anna Williams and I have long wanted to know why not.


     
    These are indeed exciting times and without further ado, let me get into the meat of my blog.


     
    After the 1868 ouster of Queen Isabella II from the throne in Spain came a new provisional government and new coinage. Without a royal on the throne these exciting new coins featured the feminine personification of Spain, Hispania. I started collecting these coins years ago for my seated imagery collection but it has been a rough go. Because most of the coins circulated very few of them survive today in MS condition. Fortunately, I have been able to purchase all the copper coins in MS condition but the silver coins are difficult and expensive to obtain in that condition. My highest grading silver coin is AU-53. I am still missing three of the silver coins in my collection and need a miracle to get the 20-Centimos silver coin with a mintage of 5000 and a survivability today much lower. However, I digress. Back to the point of toady’s blog.


     
    Since I am a guy who only started collecting these for their design, I wanted to have at least one coin with design features as crisp as if they were just struck. In this copper pattern I get all that and them some. The relief on the pattern is much higher and sharper than that on any of the coins, bar none! When I happened upon the e-bay listing by accident I couldn’t believe it. Because it was an overseas seller, I hesitated a little. When I saw that he had an excellent feedback percentage with over 11,000 replies I placed a reasonable snip bid on what is now the first pattern in my collection. I won the auction with a bid that is about half of what certified examples had sold for at Heritage.


     
    Still this pattern has a few drawbacks with some sort of foreign residue on the obverse and around the rims and lettering but most important NO mechanical damage. There does not appear to be any nicks or scratches in any of the fields! Yesterday, I sent my pattern off to NCS for conservation that I hope leads to a good grade.


     
    With that I am starting a new custom set over at Collectors Society entitled, “The Coinage of the Spanish Provisional Government.” It is populated with all the coins I currently own including my new purchase albeit in “want” status until it is graded. There is a lot of information I have collected and saved that I will have to shake the dust from but it all leads to a great start to a new set! If you look there is a rabbit at the feet of Hispania on the pattern that is not on any of the coins. This design feature goes all the way back to Hadrian and the Roman Empire but for now I can’t remember what the rabbit signifies. I digress again! You know I’m getting excited by all the rambling on!


     
    Thus, I will leave you with a link to my new set. https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=28027


     
    Oh BTW, I’m also posting a Germania Mint medal I just purchased featuring you guessed it, “The Allegories.” Germania and Britannia are the first in the series. Germania and Columbia are next! This looks like it will be a pretty cool series of medals that I will want to collect. Gary  



  6. coinsbygary
    When I first look at a coin, I often ask myself, "What's this coin trying to tell me about itself?" Sometimes that coin's story is in its date, mintage, mintmark, die variety, and metallic composition, to name a few. However, I almost always find my coins' design features far more interesting than its technical characteristics. If they say a picture is worth a thousand words, I want to know what my coins' allegorical images intend to communicate.
    To help me research and understand the symbolic images on my coins, I ask myself five questions. They are:
    *       I want to know "WHO" designed or commissioned my coins' minting. For instance, knowing that Augustus St. Gaudens designed the 1907 double-eagle tells me volumes about the artistic and symbolic images featured on that coin.
    *       I want to know "WHAT" my coins represent or the message they convey other than a means of exchange. As an example, the Roman goddess Libertas or Lady Liberty appears on most of our classic coins. This message expresses the importance of personal freedom and liberty to our culture and society.
    *       The "WHERE" of my research focuses on the nations and people issuing my coins. A country and its people tell me a lot about a coin's design. Conversely, a coin says a lot about the people and country circulating it.
    *       The "WHEN" is the year and historical context of my coins. Coins don't pop up randomly in history. World events, at any point in history, have an impact on coin designs. Not only did the Standing Liberty Quarter represent a renascence in coin design, but it conveyed a message to the world of the United States' standing in World War I.
    *       The "WHY" is the purpose of minting the coin. The ancient Romans used coins to disseminate propaganda. In polytheistic societies such as Ancient Rome, the Roman Emperor featured on the obverse of a coin wanted to identify himself with the reverse's deity. The effect of this was to have the people see him as a god.
    Now you don't necessarily have to answer all the W's to make an informed conclusion concerning your coin, but you need most of them. The following is a portion of an article I wrote for the PAN publication, "The Clarion." To read the rest of the story, you'll have to get a copy of the October 2020 issue. See which W's you can pick out in the clip below.
    A sentence in the Declaration of Independence reads as follows, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This concept of liberty, eloquently described in the Declaration of Independence, has been at the core of who we are as Americans ever since.
    At the minting of our first coins, the architects of our constitution had to find a way to illustrate the values set forth by the Declaration of Independence onto our national coinage. For this, they chose the Roman goddess Libertas. Libertas or Lady Liberty is the Roman goddess of liberty and personal freedom.
    A liberated slave in ancient Rome received a conical cap called a pileus to symbolize their emancipation. The pileus, however, has been confused and interchanged with a Phrygian cap. The Phrygian cap became associated with a form of government during the French Revolution. We adapted the Phrygian cap to represent liberty during the Revolutionary War. Consequently, Lady Liberty often appears on our classic coinage wearing a Phrygian or Liberty cap.
    The coin I have pictured is a proof 1863 United States quarter. The central device on the reverse of this quarter is our national bird, the bald eagle. The obverse features a seated image of Libertas or Lady Liberty as she has become known.
    The obverse of this quarter employs several symbols to communicate the message of Liberty. The rock on which Lady Liberty sits could represent the country in which we live (The United States of America) and her power to bestow liberty on the inhabitants thereof.
    The imagery of a liberty cap atop a liberty pole goes back to ancient Rome. A group of senators assassinated Julius Caesar in 44 BC. After his death, the assassins marched through the streets with their weapons held high. One of them lifted a pileus surmounted on the tip of a spear to symbolize that Rome was free and no longer under the rule of Julius Caesar. Incidentally, there is an ancient Roman coin with a pileus on the reverse and a downward pointing knife on each side to commemorate this event. The obverse features conspirator Marcus Brutus. Like the raising of the pileus at Julius Caesar's demise, so is the raising of liberty caps on poles all around the colonies after the American Revolution.
    The shield held by Lady Liberty's right hand has 13 vertical bars and one horizontal bar. The vertical bars represent the 13 original states holding up one horizontal bar representing the federal government. Engraved on a scroll emblazoned across the shield are the letters LIBERTY to show Lady Liberty's willingness to defend it. Finally, by looking over her shoulder, Lady Liberty demonstrates her preparedness to meet any threats she encounters.
    Today liberty appears on our regularly circulating coins in name only. In place of a representative image, try to think of the contributions to our freedom made by presidents Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Washington, and Kennedy whenever you pull their images out of your pocket. If you carry an Eisenhower dollar as a pocket piece, go ahead and pull that out also. Gary
    The following is a link to the Ancient Roman coin I referenced: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Brutusides.jpg

  7. coinsbygary
    I could not have chosen a better time to start a high-grade Morgan Dollar collection than now. In addition, there is evidence to show that the value of low-grade, common date Morgan Dollars and the value of silver are joined at the hip.
    There has never been a better time for me to start a high-grade Morgan Dollar collection than now. Since I started collecting MS-65 and 66 Morgan Dollars in January, I have seen a monthly rise in the value of my collection, and more specifically my MS-66 coins. With five MS-66 Morgan Dollars in a collection of 17 to date, I was hoping to buy one more MS-66 for my collection. However, because the value of high-grade, common date Morgan Dollars has risen so dramatically, I will have to forgo that and finish my collection of 22 coins with MS-65 examples. Time and time again, my strategy of buying the tough coins first has paid off.
    Naturally, this begs to question why the sudden rise in value. I believe the answer lies directly and indirectly in the rising price of silver. Before the advent of bullion coins, people looked to old United States silver dollars as a means to buy silver because of their high silver content. At $40/oz., the silver value in a dollar is about $31. Presently, there is evidence showing a direct correlation between the silver spot price and low-grade, common date Morgan Dollars.
    For the sake of argument, I?ll use an 1879-S Morgan Dollar to illustrate a trend that is shared with all other common date silver dollars. As of 4/1/11, Numismedia Fair Market Value lists a G-4, 1879-S silver dollar at $32.20, or a mere $2.28 above the silver spot price of $37.91/ounce. Interestingly, the same coin on 11/1/10 with silver at $24.66/oz. was worth $16.85 (FMV 5/1/10 through 11/1/10) or in other words, $2.22 below the silver spot price. Today most collectors will not pay $32.20 for a G-4 silver dollar when they could own an AU-58 example for $37.95. These two market factors (low collector demand and high silver demand) combine to make melting low-grade silver dollars much more profitable.
    The high price of silver has broad implications for the coin market. Where the values of silver coins are not directly influenced by the silver spot price, they are indirectly. However, scarce and rare date coins have different market influences. For instance, I own a VG-10, 1895-O silver dollar worth $253 FMV. A year ago, this coin was worth $276, and the current value has not changed since 8/10. Therefore, silver market corrections have little bearing on the value of scarce and rare coins.
    An example of a coin indirectly influenced by the price of silver is my MS-66, 1879-S Morgan Dollar. This coin, like the lower grade coins had no appreciable change in value through much of last year. Starting in December of last year at $275, this coin is now valued at $356. This coin, like my 1895-O Morgan Dollar has numismatic value well beyond that of silver content. However, it is visibly clear that the current rise in silver is creating more demand for high-grade common dates. If this coin simply tracked the silver spot price, its value would only be between $290 and $300. Relatively inexpensive high-grade coins combine to offer a collector an aesthetically pleasing coin with a good potential for growth. Obviously, if there is a correction in the silver market, the value of my coin will go down some but the hope is that there will be a higher benchmark price before it reaches its previous levels.
    Of course, all this value is only on paper, and I will not see a real profit unless I sell. Since I do not intend to sell my collection anytime soon, I will settle for the paper value and enjoy the ride. Things should be interesting in the coming months. It is an exciting time to be a coin collector!
    Gary
  8. coinsbygary
    A few months ago, I purchased a Spanish Provisional Government 1868 5-peseta copper pattern from an E-Bay seller in Argentina. The listing picture wasn't too good and it seemed like the pattern was a little suspect. Still, this piece is scarce and I have wanted one for quite some time. If I could get it on the cheap, all the better. With what I thought was a fair bid, I won the piece for about half what I could expect to pay for a certified piece.
    When the pattern arrived, I was very happy with it except that there were areas of the piece with a tarlike sticky residue. The residue was trapped in some of the crevices, lettering, and knife edges of the piece. I knew that I wanted it certified and I decided to submit it to NCS for review, conservation, and grading. 
    I got my 5-peseta pattern back last week, conserved and graded MS-63. According to the population report, there was one MS-62, one MS-63, and two MS-64's. Add mine to it and its two MS-63's! Looking at my pattern in the hand, the overall look didn't show significant change except that it looked a lot sharper. The tar was successfully removed from the legend making the letters look much sharper. The knife-edges of the rim were clean and sharp only leaving a lightly stained surface with no pitting or metal corrosion. The real change was in the mountain area of Hispania's left elbow. Some of the other offensive toning was subdued but not removed. NCS states that they cannot reverse or remove copper toning. 
    I offer this pictorial evidence of before and after conservation. The before photo of the mountains is slightly out of focus but it shows the most significant changes. The mountains and in particular Hispania's fingers are clean and much more detailed. The crevices are all clean and sharp. In the hand it makes a tremendous difference. What detail, like it just came off the dies! 
    There is one more thing that I found quite interesting. Sometimes when digital cameras have either lighting or surface anomalies issues they can't focus correctly on the subject. In this case, if you look closely in the center of the before mountain picture, there is horizontal detail where there should be vertical detail like the mountains of the after picture. 
    I have used NCS on several occasions and in some instances, I have not liked the results. Over time I have become better in selecting candidates for conservation. This piece was a no-brainer for me and I am delighted with the results. Gary





  9. coinsbygary
    With the advent of the NGC and PCGS registries came new and improved ways to catalog, preserve, and display the coins in your collection. This after years of collectors plugging raw coins into albums. Yet, I feel that there was something nostalgic about plugging coins in an album that may have been lost.
    PCGS has tried to recapture that nostalgia in their registry with their coin album software. I must say that for a while I was impressed and jealous. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer NGC’s registry and I do not currently maintain a registry with PCGS. However, there was something in me that longed to present my collection in that format, especially my NGC 7070 Basic US Type Set. After all, isn’t this set based on a Dansco coin album anyway!
    Still, there has got to be a way to get the best of both worlds and I think that I have found it! A week or two ago I got an email from a coin supply vendor announcing that Dansco would for a limited time make their 7070 album available for purchase. Jumping on the opportunity, I ordered the album with no intention of ever putting a coin in it!
    When the album arrived, I photographed the front and backside of all the pages. Next, I loaded them up to Photoshop Elements and started to plug photographs of my coins into the slots. I was in essence creating my very own virtual coin album with the advantage of enlarging the page to more closely inspect the coins. Eventually, I’ll put all the pages together in a power point file or something like that. Yes, the page files are a bit large to post. But for me, I am looking for many hours of enjoyment both plugging coins and enjoying them all together in one frame well into the future!
    So far I have page 1 of 5 finished (I’ll order the gold page 6 separately) and I’m posting a scaled down picture of that page with this post. Happy Collecting!
    Gary

  10. coinsbygary
    ?Hockey Stick Valuation? is a trend where a coin steadily increases in value through its grades before reaching a point at which its cost skyrockets. This abrupt and sharp increase in price resembles a ?Hockey Stick? when it is plotted on a graph.
    There are numerous numbers of coins that display a hockey stick rise in valuation. Among the common date Morgan Dollars, this typically occurs when a coin moves from MS-65 to 66 or MS-66 to 67. Population reports can be a good indicator as to which step this will most likely occur for a particular coin. For instance, the NGC population report lists an MS-65 1898-O Morgan Dollar at 11,433 coins, MS-66 at 1,742 coins, and MS-67 at 168 coins. The FMV for these coins is $238, $500, and $1,630 respectively. Since there is a good supply of MS-65 and 66 coins in the marketplace, there is only a somewhat modest rise in valuation from MS-65 to 66. However, the population of this coin in MS-67 is not only significantly lower, but it is also at a level that makes it scarce in the marketplace as reflected by its cost. With a population of one coin in MS-68, this coin is worth $28,130!
    Never have I found this trend more profound than in circulation grade Eisenhower Dollars. Each date and mint of this series appears to have a point at which the value of the coin steeply rises. Furthermore, because of poor production this occurs at lower MS levels, especially among copper-nickel Eisenhower Dollars. For Eisenhower Dollars grading MS-67, NGC lists just 94 coins and PCGS 70 in their respective population reports. Additionally, there are no MS-68 coins from either grading service. Silver-clad Eisenhower Dollars fare much better because of superior production and handling at the mint. Most silver-clad Eisenhower dollars can be purchased for a reasonable price in MS-68 condition. However, in MS-69 these coins are extremely rare with just 24 coins combined between NGC and PCGS. At this population level, they are worth thousands of dollars, with the 1972-S being the least valuable at $2,160 FMV.
    Among the silver IKEs, the 1971-S is somewhat of an anomaly. First off, this coin was struck in lower relief than the other silver dates. Furthermore, rather than shipping the coins to their distribution centers in tubes like every other year, they were shipped in 1,000 coin bags. This poor handling subjected them to numerous bag marks. Consequently, there are only three of these coins graded at MS-68 between NGC and PCGS giving the 1971-S MS-68 Eisenhower Dollar a FMV of $5,000! Fortunately, they are much more numerous in MS-67 condition thus allowing me to purchase a PCGS example for my collection. Even so, this coin is by far the most valuable coin of all the silver issues in MS-67 condition.
    I was also able to purchase a copper-nickel NGC MS-66 1978-D, Eisenhower Dollar through E-Bay and a NGC MS-64 1972 Type 2, Eisenhower Dollar through Teletrade. With an NGC population of 181, the 1978-D MS-66 dollar is worth $138 and with a population of two, the MS-67 dollar is worth $5,560! The 1972 Type 2 has a two-step increase. At MS-64 with a NGC population of 117 coins the 1972 Type 2 has a FMV of $275. At MS-65 and a population of 18 coins, the FMV increases to $1,880. Finally, at MS-66 with no NGC graded coins and just five PCGS graded coins the FMV chimes in at $15,630! Clearly, the 1972 Type 2 Eisenhower Dollar is the key coin in this series, and I am very happy to be able to own an MS-64 example.
    My goal for collecting Eisenhower Dollars is simple, and that is to tap my head gently on the glass ceiling without breaking through. In other words, I intend to collect the entire series one grade lower than the steep rise. In the end, this will still give me a high quality, somewhat affordable set. Then, after I finish this set, I may decide to upgrade my MS-67 1976-S to MS-68. Currently, an MS-67 coin is worth $47.50 and a MS-68 is worth $400. Otherwise, so far, so good! Until next time, happy collecting!
    Gary

  11. coinsbygary
    This months featured coin (Volume 2 Number 7) is a silver proof-like 1970 Netherlands 10 Gulden coin commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Netherlands liberation from Nazi Germany in 1945.
    In more than 100 years, the Netherlands has not had a male monarch on the throne. As a result, this Netherlands 1970 silver 10 gulden coin commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of liberation features the two reigning queens of the middle twentieth century. On the reverse of the coin is a left facing profile of Queen Wilhelmina, who was the queen of the Netherlands at its liberation from the Nazis in 1945. The obverse features a right facing profile of Queen Juliana, who became queen in 1948 and reigned through the twenty-fifth anniversary of liberation in 1970. The exemplary leadership of both these women in tumultuous times makes this coin an excellent choice for inclusion into my Inspirational Ladies Custom set.
    The 1970, twenty-fifth anniversary of liberation 10 gulden coin has a mintage of 5,980,000 and a proof-like mintage of 20,000. The diameter of this coin is 38mm and it weighs 25 grams. The coins fineness is .7200 silver with an actual silver weight of .5787 ounces.
    Around the rim of the coins obverse is the inscription, Juliana Koningin Der Nederlanden which is translated, JULIANA QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS. On the coins reverse is the inscription, Nederland Herrijst for which I have discovered two possible translations with similar meanings. The first is, THE NETHERLANDS RISES AGAIN and the second, THE NETHERLANDS NOT RECONSTITUTED AS BEFORE. Additionally, around the edge of this coin is the inscription God*zig*met*ons* which is translated GOD BE WITH US. Along the lower rim of the reverse is an inscription with the dual date 1945 and 1970 delimited by the coins denomination at 10G.
    This coins designer is L.O. Wenckebach, and his initial W appears just below the hairline of each profile at the rear of the neck. There are also two privy marks on the reverse near the center at opposite sides of the coins circumference. The privy mark on the right is a caduceus and represents the Utrecht Mint. The mark on the left is a rooster, which represents Mint Master Marius van den Brandhof. Mint masters in the Netherlands choose their own privy mark, and it is said that Marius van den Brandhof chose the rooster because the rooster is a historical sign of vigilance. Whether intended or not, the rooster is the perfect symbol to represent both queens portrayed on this months coin. Thus, the following paragraphs are a short narrative on both Queen Wilhelmina and her daughter, Queen Juliana.
    World War II saw the Netherlands falling to a German invasion. Queen Wilhelmina and her daughter Juliana narrowly escaped capture by leaving the Netherlands on a British warship that the Germans nearly sank as it crossed the English Channel. A naval officer commenting on the incident said I have never seen a woman so completely calm in my life. From Great Britain, Wilhelmina inspired her people and members of the Dutch underground with late evening radio broadcasts calling Adolf Hitler the arch-enemy of mankind. Over the course of the war, Queen Wilhelmina became popular and respected among the leaders of the world. Winston Churchill described her as, the only real man among the governments-in-exile in London. Queen Wilhelmina also became the second women inducted into knighthood in the Order of the Garter. While living in England, Queen Wilhelmina survived an assassination attempt that killed several of her guards. After the war in 1945, Queen Wilhelmina returned to the Netherlands and a rapturous welcome by her people.
    In the era of colonization, the Netherlands was third to only Great Britain and France in the lands they controlled. The Dutch controlled the oil-rich Dutch East Indies or current-day Indonesia. A revolt after WWII in the East Indies brought sharp criticism on Queen Wilhelmina by the economic elite of the Netherlands. Subsequently, on September 4, 1948, Queen Wilhelmina abdicated in favor of her daughter, Juliana. Shortly thereafter, the Dutch East Indies gained their independence.
    During World War II, the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands was particularly brutal resulting in a manufactured famine. As president of the Dutch Red Cross after the fall of Nazi Germany, Juliana was instrumental in the reconstruction and relief efforts for her country. Her down-to-earth demeanor endeared her to her people. Moreover, Queen Juliana had a heart of compassion towards her people. During Hollands most destructive storm in 500 years on January 31, 1953, Queen Juliana waded through water and mud to bring food and clothing to the flood victims. Queen Juliana was also an accomplished public speaker. She frequently used her speaking engagements to advocate for philanthropic causes of which child welfare issues were among her favorite topics. She is quoted as saying, A child must be surrounded with love. No one can live without receiving love, or without feeling wanted for his own sake. In fact, no human being lives without giving love.
    Overall, Queen Juliana was a very popular queen, this in spite of various scandals from within her family and her own indiscretions involving excessive political influence from a so-called faith healer. One such scandal involved a bribe taken from the Lockheed Corporation by Julianas husband, Prince Bernard. Resilient as ever, Queen Juliana and her husband survived this scandal without abdicating the throne. Always loyal, Queen Juliana loved her husband, Prince Bernhard, up until the day she died. The thing that makes her love especially amazing is the fact that Prince Bernhard was a known philanderer.
    Interestingly, there has not been a king on the throne since King William III died November 23, 1890 and Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont became the queen regent. However, when Queen Beatrix abdicates on April 30, 2013 in favor of Prince Willem-Alexander, the Netherlands will once again have a king on the throne. Now until next month, happy collecting!
    Gary

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  12. coinsbygary
    This post is the first of what I hope will be a monthly editorial on various coins from within my collection.
    When I was a young lad, I spent countless hours combing through the ?Redbook of United States Coins? dreaming of the coins I wanted to collect. Two of many coins I dreamed of owning were the type ?1? and type ?2? $4 gold ?Stella?s? (Stella is the Latin word for star). Endearing me to both of these coins is the fact that they are an oddity, struck in gold, and are rare. The fact that they are also expensive to own did not deter me from dreaming but realistically, owning just one of these gems, let alone both coins is never likely to happen.
    Several years ago, I considered buying ?Stella? copies to supplement my gold type collection. After all what other alternatives were there other than purchasing the real thing. This was until I discovered suitable substitutes from Liberia representing both coin types that were most importantly, affordable. With that, I purchased both coins for my collection.
    The Republic of Liberia issues several coins as tributes to famous and rare United States pattern coins. Among them are the type ?1? and type ?2? Stella?s. The obverses of both coins are reminiscent of the original type ?1? Stella designed by Charles Barber, and the type ?2? designed by George T Morgan. The common reverse has a similar ?5? point star, or ?Stella? with the inscription, 1 Stella/4000 Cents. The Latin motto Deo Est Gloria (God is Glorious) is the same as the original $4 Stella and the face value of the Liberian coins is $40 rather than $4. The obverse lettering is very much like that of the original $4 Stella and has the coin?s weight and fineness delimited by thirteen stars. These two Liberian gold coins issued in 2002 are graded by PCGS at PR-69 DCAM and weighs 7.78 grams or ?-ounce AGW with a fineness of .999. The Liberian type ?1? coin has a mintage of 410, and the type ?2? has a mintage of 380. Needless to say, I am quite pleased with both these alternatives.
    The 1879 and 1880, Type ?1? and Type ?2? $4 Stella?s have an interesting and somewhat scandalous story. In 1879, Congressman John Kasson introduced to Congress a new ?goloid? composition $4 coin as an international coin that would trade equally with the French 20 franc coin, the Spanish 20 pesetas, the Dutch and Austrian 8 florins and the Italian 20 lire. Several hundred of these pattern coins or ?Stella?s? circulated among the members of Congress. However, the Stella was a solution in search of a problem and never became a regular issue coin. It seems that Congress was quite content to allow the Double-Eagle to serve as a medium of exchange in Europe. In the early 1880s, madams operating from Washington?s most popular brothels were seen wearing Stella?s as jewelry and I?ll leave it to you to connect the dots. Some things never change just as the writer of Ecclesiastes states, ?There is nothing new under the sun.?
    In summary, neither of these coins currently appears in any of my registry sets, but nonetheless, are integral pieces in my collection. I know these coins are a far cry from the real thing, but you must admit they are as close as you can get without owning the real thing. My favorite coin of the two is the type ?2?. Until next time, happy collecting!
    Gary

  13. coinsbygary
    This year’s annual ANA World’s Fair of Money is perhaps one of the most memorable coin shows I have ever attended. Every show is special in its own way but this one was the first one in which I was a Money Talks presenter.
     
    The annual ANA World’s Fair of Money is a wonderful opportunity for advanced and novice collectors alike to locate those hard to find coins for their collections. For some it is a rare opportunity to roam a large bourse floor filled with dealers from across the country selling every type and category of coins. Literally, there is something there for everyone and more importantly every budget. I ended up buying a PCGS MS-62 1859 Indian Head Cent for my type collection. I also bought a new 10x loupe and a Kennedy half-dollar Christmas tree ornament from the United States Mint. (I kindly ask the collecting purists out there to not throw their shoes at me for that one, lol).
     
    The annual ANA World’s Fair of Money is a wonderful opportunity to view million-dollar coins you would not otherwise see. Among the many coins I saw was an 1804 silver dollar, an 1854-S half-eagle, and two 1913 Liberty Head nickels. The thrill of viewing these coins never gets old. What kind of made me sad about the 1854-S half eagle is that the new owner cracked it out of its original NGC holder to a PCGS holder. The kicker in all this was that the grade remained the same. I don't know why but I was disappointed to hear this, at any rate on with the blog.
     
    I usually take my wife with me to these shows. When I point out the million-dollar coins she has a hard time believing they are worth that much. This is when I impress her with my vast numismatic knowledge (YEAH RIGHT). For instance, I had the pleasure of telling her the 1854-S half-eagle is only one of four known. More often than not she responds with the single word, “WOW.” (Wife impressed; hubby points earned, ya gotta love it)!
     
    The annual ANA World’s Fair of Money is a wonderful opportunity to learn new things. My wife and I always enjoy viewing the competitive displays. This year as a bonus for submitting a people’s choice ballot each submitter received a 2019 copper-nickel proof set! I enthusiastically told the guy who gave me my ballot that this was a pretty good deal! He agreed! At every show I ever attended I have gladly cast my ballot for the people’s choice display. However, never before have I gotten something for doing what I am always glad to do.
     
    Now I must sadly confess that my first Money Talks presentation is the one in which I was the presenter. What a wonderful experience it is to share what I have learned in numismatics with others. Now I see that this is something I want to do again …and something I will have to attend as a member of the audience. For being a presenter, I was given a certificate by the ANA and a medal from the Chicago Coin Club with my name engraved on it. There is much more I want to say about this experience but it will have to wait for a future post. Stay tuned, its coming.
     
    The annual ANA World’s Fair of Money is a wonderful opportunity to get reacquainted with old friends …and to meet new ones. To me this is one of the best aspects of being involved with this hobby. There is nothing like hanging with like-minded enthusiasts to talk nothing but coins for hours on end. No one in my close circle of family and friends collects coins and to tell the truth it gets kind of lonely. This is why a local coin club is so important to connect with others of like mind.
     
    When we arrived at the show, we met up with a dealer friend of mine and another collector who is a common friend to us both. (Actually, these two guys were friends before I met them). BTW this is the dealer who found me the 1859 Indian Head Cent I bought at the show. Since our common friend is a local resident, he took us out for an original Chicago deep dish pizza. None of those fake wannabe deep dish pizza places, but the real deal. You know, there is nothing like talking coins over a genuine deep dish pizza!
     
    Our second day at the show was the day of my Money Talks presentation. At the presentation I met with a collector friend I know from Houston. It is always refreshing and enjoyable to see people you don’t often see and very good to have him in my audience. Also, in my audience cheering me on was a couple from my local coin club. Because of my proximity to Chicago my club chartered a bus to the show, many of which I also saw roaming the bourse floor.
     
    Many of my numismatic friends are sight unseen and people I only know because I regularly blog at the ANA and NGC. Thus, you can imagine the thrill I felt when preparing for my presentation that a blogger from the ANA boards walked up to me and introduced himself! How nice it was to have him in the audience also! Now no longer sight unseen, I feel like we connected and have forged a beginning to a new friendship.
     
    Exhausted from just two days at the show we drove home after having had a very good time at the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money! Gary



  14. coinsbygary

    Tincture in Heraldry

    By coinsbygary,

    Have you ever looked at the shield on many of our 19th and 20th century coins and wondered what the lines across the top horizontal bar of our national shield represent? How about the lines on the vertical bars? Beyond the vertical bars representing the 13 original states holding up the single bar representing the federal government you may be surprised to find that the lines or the lack thereof on the bars are defined by certain colors in heraldry called tinctures.

    Tincture is a relatively small palette of colors used in heraldry dating back to 12th and 13th century Europe. These have been adapted to numismatic uses by certain patterns which represent the colors in heraldry. For instance, on the 1883 shield nickel I picture the horizontal lines across the top bar represent the color blue. The vertical bars with stripes represent the color red and the plain bars represent the color silver or white.

    In my NGC seated imagery custom set, I have an MS-64 NY 1863 NEW YORK F-630AM-1a CHRISTOPH KARL token featuring a seated image of Germania. The image on the obverse of this token has been incorrectly identified by some as “Liberty”. However, by applying tincture in both the flag and the shield the seated image is clearly not Miss Liberty but in fact Germania. Apart from the tincture, Germania is wearing a mural crown. In the 19th century mural crowns were used primarily in Europe to represent republics or in the case of this token the German Confederation.

    Following the pattern of heraldry, the flag has the black, red, and yellow bars of the German Confederation. The only problem I have found in this flag are that the bars are vertical instead of horizontal as is the German Confederation flag. I googled this discrepancy for an explanation and found that the vertical bars were easier to see by the belligerents, both friend and foe on the field of battle. Another give-away that this token features Germania is the double-headed eagle of the German Confederation coat of arms in a field of yellow as defined by the pattern of the gold tincture.

    For more information on Tincture click the following Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tincture_(heraldry)

    For more information on Mural Crowns click the following Wikipedia Link:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mural_crown

    For a detailed write-up about my token click the following link:

    https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinView.aspx?sc=257286             

    Below is the credit for the use of the tincture graphic:

    By Original:MontrealaisVector:Wereonderivative work Hagman adding DE language, 3 October 2011 (SVG switch and optimization by Perhelion)Hebrew by Ori~ - Own work based on: Tinctures.gif, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1025379

    Gary




  15. coinsbygary
    Let me preface my post by stating that I was not interested in purchasing the recently sold out enhanced reverse proof ASE. That said, I think the finish on the ASE is exquisite. As such it is a remarkably beautiful coin that I would be proud to own. Still, ASE’s are not among the coins I regularly collect. 
    However, there are a few comparisons I’d like to make between the 2019-S enhanced reverse proof ASE and the British 2019 proof 5-pound “Great Engravers” two-ounce silver coin that I now own. But first, a few words concerning my newest acquisition.
    The first coin in the British “Great Engravers” series is modeled after William Wyon’s 1839 gold 5-pound, “Una and the Lion”. William Wyon is among the most talented engravers ever to live and his 1839 coin is one of the most sought after and beautiful coins in the world.
    The obverse of the 1839 5-pound gold coin features the 1838 young head bust of Queen Victoria. This bust continued to be featured on British coins until 1887. Queen Victoria herself was so enamored by this portrait that she is quoted as saying to William Wyon, “You always represent me favorably.” With that assessment, I couldn’t agree more. The 2019 coin features a bust of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Jody Clark 
    The allegorical reverse of this coin remastered from an original die features Una representing Queen Victoria and the Lion representing England. With her scepter, Queen Victoria is shown leading her country. The Latin legend reads, “May God Direct My Steps.” Of this design Richard Sainthill (1787-1870), a prominent antiquarian and coin collector says the following: “The design, expressive though simple, and the quietness and effect of the figure of her Majesty, of the lion, and of the draperies, have never, in my opinion, been excelled. The perfect portrait of the Queen in Una and on so reduced a scale, is truly astonishing and captivating.” Again, it is hard to disagree with this assessment. 
    Now for my comparisons between this coin and the 2019-S enhanced reverse proof ASE. The comparison starts with my coin weighing twice as much as the ASE. My coin measures 40mm in diameter and weighs 62.42 grams with a silver content of .999 fine silver. This makes my coin much thicker than a standard ASE which in my opinion allows for a slightly higher relief. My COA has a low serial number of 0158. My coin has a mintage that is 1/10th that of the 2019-S ASE (3000 coins). Most importantly, I purchased my coin for about 1/10th of what I could currently expect to pay if I bought a certified reverse proof 70 ASE. 
    To be completely fair I am a little biased because “Una and the Lion” is one of my favorite coin designs. Still, I hope that those fortunate enough to get the 2019-S ASE are as happy with their purchases as I am with mine. Gary  

  16. coinsbygary

    Summertime Fun

    By coinsbygary,

    Every year in August my local coin club sponsors a picnic for the members of the club. Out of a total of just over 100 members, 20-30 people typically come out to the picnic along with their spouses. The club supplies the meat and drink and the members bring a dish to pass. If you have good people and good food you usually have a good time. 
    If that was all there was to the club picnic, I’d be totally happy. What really sets this outing apart is the bingo games for spectacular numismatic prizes! There are typically six lots of prizes donated by a local coin dealer associated with the club. Sure, there are some items that the dealer is offloading from his inventory but there are other things that are nothing to balk at. For instance, the last prize is a 1/10 oz gold eagle! To win that one you have to cover every square on your bingo card.
     
    Well, I didn’t win the gold eagle but I was glad for the person who did, he’s a pretty good guy and a very active member. However, I did win one of the other lots! I was so thrilled because I never win anything! Included in my lot is a 20th century mini type-set with a Mercury Dime, Buffalo Nickel, Lincoln Steel Cent, and Bi-Centennial quarter. Three incomplete Whitman folders, Lincoln Cent number one and two, and a Jefferson Nickel folder (no silver war nickels). Rounding out the lot is a 1685 silver Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel German 3-taler coin, 500-piece puzzle complete with ANA write-up on “The Lute Player” coin.
    Oddly, I thought the Jefferson nickel was the best item in the lot but not necessarily the most valuable. You see several years ago I started a Dansco Jefferson Nickel album that I wanted to populate with coins from my pocket change. The first thing I did when I got home was to raid the Whitman folder to populate the empty slots in the Dansco album. Now I consider myself a pretty advanced collector but some of the best fun I have with coins is stuffing those albums, no-kidding. I had a blast.
    Although the Lincoln Cent folders were incomplete, both were pretty full. For instance, number one is complete from 1932 to 1940. Number two is complete from 1941 to 1959 except for the 55-S. Again, I was surprised by how many coins my prize encompassed.
    The ANA puzzle is going to be a lot fun. I think I’ll save that one for the cold winter days ahead! I hope you are all having a great summer and one week from today I’ll be giving my presentation at the ANA World’s Fair of Money. Having finished the edits to my presentation and getting it pared down for the allotted time I’m getting stoked! Right now, I’m just practicing the presentation at home twice a day. I’ll be ready and I’m pinching myself to see if this is real, little ole me giving a presentation at a national show! It just doesn’t get much better than this.  Gary



  17. coinsbygary
    Last month I received a notice that the bank I stored my coins at was closing and I had until February 4th to vacate my safe deposit boxes. Fortunately, I was able to rent another box close by and for cheaper than the boxes I had. Having secured a new and bigger box, the next step was to transport the coins to the new location.
    I was very uncomfortable transporting my coins from one location to the other and in particular standing at the teller window with my coins in a shoebox waiting to close out the old safe deposit boxes. You see, my bank had the misfortune of being held up last year and I did not want something like that to happen with thousands of dollars' worth of coins in my hand. Fortunately, both the clearing of the old boxes and the transfer to the new box went off without a hitch.
    That said, moving my collection did present a wonderful opportunity to reimage many of my coins. This meant that coins which haven't seen the light of day in years could now be easily reimaged to reflect the refining of my photography skills.
    Now, instead of driving from one bank to the next I made a detour home for pictures. To tell the truth, it sure felt good to hold these coins in my hands again after not looking at some of them for years. Now I like the security of a safe deposit box but if I want to easily view my coins, I will need to buy a home safe.
    After reimaging and editing my coins I thought to organize all my pictures into power-point presentations mirroring my NGC registry sets. For instance, I started with my 1834-1933 gold type set minus the 1907 high-relief St. Gaudens double-eagle. All the coins in the presentation are organized according to the definition and order of my NGC registry set. Thus, when I decide to sell my set and pull it down from the registry, I will always have my former coins to look at assembled as a set. To tell the truth, this is all I  had with the online registry since all my gold coins are off-site and not all that easily accessed. So, if I have the pictures why do I need a home safe? All these are important questions we need to answer for ourselves as we assess what level of risk we are willing to live with.
    Oftentimes, when I get to thinking one thing leads to another and I began to think about eventually dissolving my entire collection before I pass away so as not to leave my wife and kids with that responsibility. Don't worry, reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated.
    What got me thinking this way is that my wife and kids have no interest in collecting coins. Thus, I think it is unfair to leave the liquidation of my collection to them when I am much more knowledgeable in the buying and selling of coins. Another point to consider is that who is more likely to get the most for the coins? I can't rationalize around that one, it's me.
    None of this is going to happen anytime soon as I am still actively collecting but at a much slower rate. Still, it is good and necessary to have a plan in place to make this happen before I am bedridden or worse. For my wife and kids, I'll offer them any coin from my collection they want for sentimental reasons. The other coins will be offered to certain collectors who might be eying my coins for their own collections. Otherwise, the low-cost coins will be handled through e-bay and the rest to a major auction house.
    In the meantime, I'll eventually have all my coins organized into power-point and word documents to enjoy for the rest of my life! Please enjoy this slide reimaged and made for my personal presentation! Gary.   

  18. coinsbygary
    Borrowing from a term in W.K.F?s recent post, there is no better way to describe learning that your coins have been ?improperly cleaned? than ?blindsided?.
    Greetings all, have you ever gotten your hopes up about a submission, only to discover your coin is ?not-gradable, improperly cleaned?? I?m sure that for many of you, myself included, this has happened on multiple occasions. I wish there were some way to take the risk out of submissions, but alas, there is none. To sum it all up in a familiar clich?, ?You win some and you lose some.? That said, I think the best any of us can hope for is to reduce the risk by educating ourselves about our coins before submitting them.
    Through painful trial and error, I have found that dipping removes a coin?s luster, making the relief look dull and flat. Concentric hairlines across the face of the coin, visible when tilted towards the light, indicate cleaning, Washed out or shiny fields with toning shadows around the dentils, lettering and devices or uneven toning are warning signs of a possible cleaning. Eraser marks that appear as clouded toning in the fields of large silver coins or evidence of polishing on gold coins are a reasonable cause for hesitation. Fortunately, with education and experience, the average collector can identify these conditions. Unfortunately, as I will prove with my latest submission, identifying ?improperly cleaned? coins is NOT an exact science, even among professional numismatists.
    My latest submission consisted of coins previously identified by NGC as improperly cleaned. Because some of these coins are somewhat valuable, I wanted to have them encapsulated to fill vacant slots in my registry sets. The following is a comprehensive list of the improperly cleaned coins and their final grades and detail grades.
    1. 1877-S Trade Dollar AU details, improperly cleaned.
    2. 1859 3-Cent Silver AU details, damaged (This coin previously returned damaged).
    3. 1835 Half-Dime XF-45
    4. 1876 20-Cent Piece XF-40
    For any of you who have seen the recent movie ?The Blind Side?, I was blindsided in a positive way when two of my previously un-gradable coins returned with full grades. This begs to question, why didn?t my 20-cent piece and half-dime grade last time? Obviously, in the end, ?improperly cleaned? is subject to opinion. All this goes to show that as long as professionals cannot agree, the collectors cannot be 100% certain their submitted coins will grade. I think the collectors that PAY to have their coins professionally examined for grade should be given the benefit of the doubt. On the other hand, I can see NGC?s side in that they warrant their grades and mistakes can cost them money and respect in the marketplace. After all the warranty IS part of what the collectors are paying for.
    Sometimes, the hardest thing for me to do is trust my gut, because I want to believe the best. For instance, my submission also included four raw coins, two of which my gut said were problems. One blindside, and one grade. They are:
    1. 1854 Half-Dime Arrows XF details, improperly cleaned.
    2. 1859 Indian Head Cent VF details, improperly cleaned.
    3. 1832 Capped Bust Quarter F details, improperly cleaned.
    4. 1853 Seated Liberty Dime Arrows XF-40
    The 1859 Indian Head Cent that my gut told me ?cleaning? based upon clear fields with toning shadows around the relief was confirmed by NGC. My original mistake was buying the coin in the first place, with my gut saying ?no?, and my heart ?yes?. I think I need my gut to win more of those arguments. The 1832 quarter had serious carbon spotting that NGC ignored, while finding improper cleaning that I missed. Upon closer examination, I could see a change in the toning around the date that easily could be construed as cleaning. The half-dime is a true blindside and I still cannot see the evidence of cleaning. In this case, the coin is not valuable enough to crack out and resubmit, so for now it will remain a mystery until I further educate myself. Happy collecting all!
    Gary

  19. coinsbygary
    January's coin of the month is a PCGS MS-65 1896 Morgan Dollar.
    Greetings all and Happy New Years, there is nothing unusual about January's "Coin of the Month". However, the date and obverse design of this month's coin is representative of the life and times of the "Silver Dollar Girl", Miss Anna W. Williams, whose story I will attempt to retell in the body of this post.
    The Morgan Dollar is one of only a few coins to have the distinction of being named after its designer George T. Morgan. Minted between the years of 1878 and 1904 and then again in 1921, the Morgan Dollar is 38.1 mm in diameter and weighs 26.73 grams. The metallic composition of the Morgan Dollar is .900 Silver, .100 Copper, and has an ASW of .77344 oz. pure silver. This PCGS MS-65 dollar with satin-like luster has a mintage of 9,976,000 and an approximate survival rate in MS-65 or better of 15,809 (PCGS CoinFacts).
    In anticipation of the return of the silver dollar as a circulating coin, Mint Director Henry Linderman hired George T. Morgan in 1876 as an assistant engraver for the express purpose of designing a new silver dollar. Shortly thereafter, Morgan finished the reverse design, but the obverse design of the new dollar would be quite another issue. Then later in 1876 through a common friend, Thomas Eakins, Morgan found in the facial profile of Miss Anna W. Williams the perfect representation of the "Goddess of Liberty" for his dollar coin.
    Miss Anna Williams, an art student in Philadelphia, was a modest 18-year-old girl. She did not crave notoriety or fame, but rather desired to pursue her passion as a schoolteacher in relative obscurity. When first asked to model for Morgan, she soundly refused. Through the encouragement of her friend Thomas Eakins, she finally agreed to model for Morgan under the stipulation that her identity remained anonymous. The official cover story would be that Morgan got the inspiration for his dollar from a Greek figure at the Philadelphia Academy of Art.
    With final approval for the silver dollar design and passage of the Bland-Allison Act occurring on the same day, minting of the Morgan Dollar began in 1878. Unfortunately, the secret identity of "Lady Liberty" on the Morgan Dollar would be short-lived and in the summer of 1879, a Philadelphia newspaper revealed Anna Williams identity and dubbed her "The Silver Dollar Girl". This in turn brought a deluge of unwanted attention to Miss Anna W. Williams, then a schoolteacher at The House of Refuge. Fortunately, for Anna, this sudden surge of notoriety eventually subsided. However, in years to follow, Anna would reappear in the limelight and her decision to model for Morgan would vex her for the rest of her life.
    In 1891, Anna Williams accepted a $60/month offer as a teacher of kindergarten philosophy at the Girl's Normal School. In spite of the unwanted publicity as "The Silver Dollar Girl", Anna became an accomplished teacher in her own rite. Anna's literary talents allowed her to publish numerous articles in current periodicals and win an award for the best original essay on psychology. Consequently, this talent called her to several cities where she gave lectures on the topic of kindergarten teaching. Later Anna became the supervisor of kindergartens in Philadelphia, a position she held for more than 25 years until her retirement. Anna rarely granted interviews, but when she did, she used her notoriety as Morgan's "Goddess of Liberty" as an opportunity to talk about the issues with which she was passionate.
    Anna returned to the limelight in 1892 when she found herself and a print of her bust the subject of an article in "The Ladies Home Journal". In 1896, Anna announced her engagement to be married. That announcement in turn was reprinted in the May 1896 issue of the ANA journal, "The Numismatist". For whatever reason, the engagement broke off and Anna never married. While there are several theories as to why this occurred, I believe the excessive publicity surrounding the engagement eventually doomed it.
    For me, this incident represents a sad chapter in Anna's life and the constant struggle for any sense of normalcy in her life. This in turn is why I choose the 1896 Morgan Dollar to represent Miss Anna W. William's story. I wonder if every time Anna handled one of these coins, it served as a constant reminder to her. Fortunately, for her, Morgan Dollars in Philadelphia circulated about as much as dollar coins do today.
    Always the schoolteacher, Anna even in retirement advocated for compulsory kindergarten education for all students in Philadelphia. Then on April 17, 1926, Anna Willis Williams died in her hometown of Philadelphia at the age of 68. Anna's obituary also appeared in the May 1926 issue of "The Numismatist".
    In summary, with all this there is still some speculation as to the identity of Lady Liberty on the Morgan Dollar. A letter sent from Morgan's daughter to her daughter is the primary reason for doubt. In that letter Morgan's daughter states, "Father always said no matter how many models posed for him that he never bid any, and that he made up the obverse himself". However, from Anna's perspective, she is quoted describing her role as Lady Liberty as, "an incident of my youth". I think regardless of what happened, Morgan was going to keep up his end of the anonymity bargain, and the model for the Morgan Dollar is indeed that of Anna W. Williams. I am also posting a photo collage of a print I purchased on ebid alongside the obverse of the 1896 Morgan Dollar from my collection. For me this is the primary piece of evidence to the identity issue of the Morgan dollar, as the resemblance is unmistakable.
    In writing this post, I realized what an extraordinary woman Anna Williams was. Therefore, I will soon be adding this coin and profile to my "Inspirational Ladies" custom set. Additionally, while I am sure Anna regretted modeling for the Morgan dollar, I am glad that she is the face of "Liberty" to countless collectors everywhere. So until next time, happy collecting!
    Gary

  20. 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

  21. coinsbygary
    How our early coins show our passion to be free!
    The end of the Revolutionary War came about when the British Commons, weary of the war, voted in April of 1782 to end the war in America. On September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the Revolutionary War. About that time, Benjamin Franklin with an idea for a medal, commissioned French Engraver Augustin Dupre to prepare the dies for the Paris Mint to strike the ?Libertas Americana? medal in 1783. The reverse design on the ?Libertas Americana? features Minerva defending the child Hercules from a leopard. The obverse design features the goddess Libertas with a cap and a pole. I believe the ?Libertas Americana? medal is the basis for the designs on our earliest coins, particularly the obverses. A complete explanation of ?Libertas Americana? with detailed stories and descriptions of both the obverse and reverse are found using the following link. http://www.coincats.com/Libertas%2008feb10%20small.pdf
    It is likely that a close friend of Benjamin Franklin?s family, Joseph Wright designed the obverse of the ?Libertas Americana? medal, and that he used his then girlfriend, Sarah Vandervoort as a model. The visual evidence of this is a side-by-side comparison between a family portrait of Sarah Wright and the ?Libertas Americana? medal. It is also likely that Joseph Wright designed the 1792 Disme and 1793 Half Cent because the obverses are very similar to the ?Libertas Americana?. The inspiration for Joseph Wright to use a cap and pole in his design is most likely from a drawing of his mother, Patience Wright holding a liberty cap on a pole. Unfortunately, Joseph Wright, ?First Draughtsman and Diesinker? at the Philadelphia mint died in 1793. However, there are similarities in all our early coins to the flowing hair design continued by the US Mint?s first chief engraver, Robert Scot.
    The flowing hair design shows ?Lady Liberty?s? hair flowing backwards to show that she is moving forward. The goddess ?Libertas? is distinguished from other Roman goddesses in the things she carried. In her one hand is a long wand called a ?vindicta? and in the other, a soft cap called a ?pileus?. Roman slaves were proclaimed free when the praetor tapped them on their shoulder with his wand and gave them a small cap or pileus as a token of their freedom. Thus, the liberty cap and pole, symbols of emancipation, became popular symbols in our defiance of tyranny during the early years of our republic.
    The medal pictured below is a Paris Mint re-strike of the original ?Libertas American? medal. This medal struck in 2006 commemorates the October 1781 ?Battle of Yorktown?. This battle was one of the last key battles that led to the end of the Revolutionary War. This medal is also eligible for certification by NGC and will eventually find its way into my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set. Next up, how we came within a cat?s whisker of the ?Libertas Americana? becoming the basis for one of our modern coins. Happy collecting all!
    Gary

  22. coinsbygary
    Recently I bought a new macro lens for my camera. The lens is a Laowa V-DX 60MM F2.8 Macro 2:1. Now I know I already have a macro lens but if I am ever going to take my coin photography on the road, I will need a much more versatile lens.
    For versatility this lens is it. I can focus in as close as 18.5cm and as far as infinity. At 18.5cm I have 2-1 magnification. The only drawbacks are that I have to focus manually and set the aperture manually. No big deal on those since I already do that. The big plus is that one lens will do a 15mm gold dollar and a 131mm medal from my camera stand.
    As with any new toy of this nature there is a learning curve to get the pictures just right. This gave me an opportunity to upgrade many of my poorer quality pictures. Looking through my collection I decided to re-image the first coin I ever bought, an 1881-S proof-like Morgan Dollar. I bought this coin as a teen and still own it today as a 60-something retiree.
    Oh the memories! I bought the Morgan for only $12 along with a gold-plated Ike dollar, A 1953c star crisp-uncirculated $2 bill, and a number of replica fractional California gold pieces. Of these I still own the $2 and probably the others but I can’t find them.
    What was really cool about this coin purchase was that I didn’t buy the coins from a dealer but from a camera store! I have always loved photography and in high school we had a fully equipped dark room that I could use. For me to be in one place that had both photography supplies and coins was tantamount to a kid in a candy store!
    That this Morgan Dollar only cost me 6 hours of “busting suds” for a restaurant at $2/hour was incredible. I just couldn’t believe it cost so little for a proof-like coin that was silver and nearly 100 years old. Oh the naivety of youth. Little did I know then that 81-S Morgan’s are quite common and inexpensive to obtain. However, at the time I thought I pulled off the coin purchasing coup of the century!
    I have never regretted buying that coin and I’ll probably die owning it. Some time back I sent it to PCGS for grading and they sent it back as cleaned without putting it in a holder. Back then they didn’t do details-grading. On the obverse of my coin you will notice cleaning hairlines under the “us” of Pluribus. Oddly, I didn’t notice the cleaning until PCGS pointed it out. This was only the beginning of my education identifying coin cleaning BEFORE sending them in for grading.
    Later I sent my 81-S Morgan to a company call NTC (Numistrust Corp.) for grading. They didn’t document the cleaning and sent it back as MS-63 DMPL. I agree with this grade and have never cracked it out and probably never will. Over the years my 1881-S has lightly toned. Incidentally, since then I only send coins to NGC for grading and will buy only PCGS and NGC certified coins.
    At any rate thanks for taking a walk with me down memory lane! For your viewing pleasure please enjoy a picture of the first coin I ever bought taken with my new toy! Also, for your viewing pleasure is a close-up of an 1880/79-CC VAM-7 Morgan dollar. As you can see my new toy will do nicely. Gary



  23. coinsbygary
    It may seem strange, but the 7/3/11 internet auction is my first with Heritage Auctions.
    Most people are creatures of habit, as they lean towards the familiar and shy away from the unfamiliar. However, in order to move ahead in life, one has to take risks and venture outside their comfort zone.
    This force of habit manifested itself in me by my exclusive use of E-Bay to add coins to my collection. For many years, I thought E-Bay was the greatest thing since Mom?s apple pie. I loved being able to dial up most any coin and have it there for me to bid on whenever I wanted. My infatuation with E-Bay though made me vulnerable to its many drawbacks. Chief among those drawbacks are sellers who know little or nothing about coin collecting. After being burned by fakes, I have learned to be more discriminate about my E-Bay purchases. Since joining NGC?s ?Collectors Society? and reading of your experiences with other venues, I am slowly but surely spreading the wealth by venturing out into other coin purchasing venues.
    Two years ago, I joined Teletrade and since then I have won twenty-six lots. I like that Teletrade is a professional auction house that deals exclusively in certified coins and currency. I also like the ?track and bid? and ?prices realized? features. Additionally, the ?Mr. Wantlist? feature informs me of coins I want for my collection in upcoming auctions. One big drawback with Teletrade though is how they handle hidden reserves, and I agree with recent posts on this subject.
    For one reason or another, it is only recently though that I signed up as a bidder with Heritage Auctions and then only because I wanted to research a previous lot. About a month ago, I bought a PCGS MS-63 1881-CC Morgan dollar on E-Bay. For curiosity's sake, I checked PCGS?s certification on this coin. A nice feature that PCGS has that NGC does not (hint, hint) is a link to previous auctions my coin appeared. Interestingly, my coin was previously auctioned by Heritage at the March 2011 Sacramento Signature Auction. I clicked the hotlink and found I needed a login to view the final realized price. Naturally, I signed up and found out to my embarrassment how much the dealer profited on a coin I could have bid on myself had I been signed up with Heritage. Oh well, I was happy with my purchase at the time, and I will leave it at that.
    That little immersion into Heritage was all I needed to whet my appetite, and I was on my way. I began by linking coins from Heritage?s e-mail alerts and perusing the other lots. Having read an article in Coins Magazine article about semi-key Morgan Dollars, I put an attractive PCGS AU-50 1888-S Morgan Dollar on my watch list. I then placed a bid consistent with previous auctions and won my first Heritage internet lot on July 3. Whenever I start anything new, I like to start small, but now with the first auction under my belt, I am ready to bite on bigger lots with Heritage.
    With all these venues available to me because of the internet, I still like the face-to-face exchange with a dealer at a coin shop or a coin show. Some things never change, except that the internet is making these exchanges few and far in between, and that?s kind of sad. Overall though the availability of coins through any of a number of venues is good for the hobby and works to keep things on the up and up. May all your auction experiences be pleasant, and until next time, happy collecting.
    Gary

  24. coinsbygary
    This month?s coin of the month comes from Austria and is part of my ?Inspiration Ladies? custom set.
    The coin I am featuring this month is widely considered as one of the most beautiful coins in the world. The obverse features a bust of Emperor Franz Joseph 1st and commemorates the 60th anniversary of his reign over the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The reverse design often referred to as ?The Lady in the Clouds? is a representation of Klymene, the Titan goddess of ?Fame."
    This NCS/NGC AU details, 1908 100 Corona gold coin with the Krause Publications catalog number of KM# 2812 is 37mm in diameter and weighs 33.8753 grams. The metallic composition of this coin is .9000 gold at .9803 Oz AGW. The designer of this coin is Rudolf Marschall, and the mintage is 16,000. I bought this coin from an E-Bay seller in Germany.
    The Latin inscription on the obverse of this coin around the perimeter is translated ?Franz Joseph by the grace of God, Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, Galicia, Illyria, etc. and elected king of Hungary.? The central device on the coin?s obverse is a right facing bust of Emperor Franz Joseph 1. Additionally, there is Latin phrase in incuse lettering around the plain edge of this coin. That phrase, ?VIRIBVS VNITIS? is the emperor?s personal motto and is translated ?With United Forces."
    On December 2, 1848, Franz Joseph 1 became Emperor of Austria succeeding his uncle Ferdinand 1. This began a reign that would last nearly 68 years until his death on November 21, 1916. Throughout his reign, various nationalists disputed the reign of Franz Joseph. One such dispute led to the Austro-Hungarian compromise of 1867, uniting the empire under one king but ceding certain rights and autonomy to Hungary. Then in 1908 (the year that my coin was minted), Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina and consequently, on June 28, 1914, Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip assassinated the heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Shortly thereafter, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia thus triggering several opposing alliances to usher in the beginning of World War 1. Franz Joseph?s grandnephew Charles 1 succeeded him on the throne at his death in 1916, and became the final emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The monarchy dissolved following World War 1 on November 12, 1918.
    The reverse inscriptions on this coin display the coin's face value of ?100 Cor.? along with the dates 1848 and 1908. The Latin phrase ?DVODECIM LVSTRIS GLORIOSE PERACTIS? appears on the lower-center of the reverse and is translated ?60 years gloriously accomplished." The central device on the reverse is an image of Klymene, the Titan goddess of ?Fame." Klymene appears at rest reclining in the clouds and leaning on a shield displaying the coat of arms of the Austrian Empire. In her right hand is laurel wreath symbolizing victory, achievement, prosperity, status, and of course fame. In the field around and behind Klymene are rays of sunlight. A heavenly or celestial setting accentuates the ?glorious reign? theme of this coin.
    Klymene is the Titan goddess of fame, renown, and infamy. Kymene was married to the Titan god Iapetos and two of her better-known offspring are Prometheus and Atlas. Another name Klymene is known by is Asia and as such was the goddess of Asia-Minor. Klymene was also the handmaiden of Hera, the wife of Zeus. In ?The Judgment of Paris? Hera probably offered Paris of Troy the ?fame? of rulership in return for Paris awarding her the ?golden apple.? Subsequently, Paris awarded the golden apple to Aphrodite in exchange for the hand of Helene in marriage. The abduction of Helene led to the Trojan War and the rest as they say is mythology.
    The coat of arms on the shield portrays a crowned double-headed eagle underneath a single crown. In the left talon of the eagle is a cross-bearing orb and in its right talon, a scepter and a sword, and these items represent the church and state respectively. The crowned double-headed eagle underneath the single crown represents that Emperor Franz Joseph 1 has authority over both church and state. The crest on the eagle?s breast represents the ?House of Habsburg-Lorraine? of which Franz Joseph is a family member.
    Finally, I hope you enjoy my post of the "Coin of the Month." This is one of my favorite coins because it is beautiful, has a strong allegory, and a fascinating relationship to world history. All these things make it an exceptional addition to my ?Inspirational Ladies? custom set. Since my coin is details graded, I may purchase an upgrade to it at some point. However, for now, I am quite content with this specimen. Here is a link to a higher-resolution picture of my coin. "http://www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinView.aspx?sc=14275" Until next time, happy collecting!
    Gary

  25. 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