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coinsbygary

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Journal Entries posted by coinsbygary

  1. coinsbygary

    Reflections

    By coinsbygary,

    Reviewing my journal entries of the past year showing how far I have come.
    Early this morning with everyone else quietly asleep, I took time to read many of my journal posts of the past year and reflect. January 1 is a good time for reflection, because it is the end of one year and the beginning of the next. For those of you contemplating journaling in 2010, journals are a wonderful way to chronicle your collecting journey. In them, you store your thoughts, feelings, accomplishments, and impressions that otherwise would be forgotten. My journals help me to establish a collecting roadmap by reviewing where I have been to help determine where I am going.
    One of the things I find so amazing are the things that were so important to me early in 2009 that are now of no significance. For example, 2009 started with all the commotion over the Ultra High Relief double eagles. There are several journals I posted on that issue and the entire ruckus with how the mint handled the ordering period. I remember my concern with whether I would get the early release designation or not. Now I shake my head and wonder, ?What was all the fuss?? In the end, I did get the early release designation and the mint eventually ironed out their problems to the tune of over 100,000 UHR?s.
    The greatest benefit to me in journaling is that it is a means to measure my growth within the hobby. Early in 2009 as chronicled in my journals, signature sets were all the rage in me spurred on by winning the award for the ?most creative? signature set in 2008. Don?t get me wrong, that award means the world to me, but my infatuation with it blinded me to other areas of collecting. As the year progressed, my journal entries began to show a change in my perspective out of a narrow view of collecting towards a broader one as evidenced by the variety of registry sets I collect.
    In my journals, I have documented my failings and triumphs as a collector. These journals help me to remember the many lessons I have learned. This in turn saves me time and money by not repeating my mistakes. I firmly believe, the day I stop learning and growing within this hobby, is the day I hang it up.
    Journals are an important means with which to communicate with other collectors. I have enjoyed the feedback I receive from other collectors after reading my journals. This helps me immensely as a collector. In turn, I like to give other collectors' feedback on their journals.
    Now a new year is here with a completely new set of lessons and growth, and I wonder what the main collecting issues will be in 2010. One thing I do know is that I will continue journal, as my journals are a real treasure to me alongside my coins. May you all have a prosperous new year in which you not only add coins to your collection, but knowledge and growth as a collector.
    Gary
  2. coinsbygary
    Cool coins that enhance my collection!
    By limiting my coin collection to type collecting, themes, select series, and upgrades, I have found purchasing and selling coins to be systematic and focused. Conscience of my collecting goals, I made several purchases over the last couple of weeks. With one of my purchases I upgraded a 1913 Netherlands Queen Wilhelmina 10 Gulden gold coin from MS-63 to MS-64. Graded coins in this series are scarce, therefore even a meager step in my quest for a MS-65 or better set is a big deal. Frequently, when I populate my sets, I buy the best coins I can at the time and upgrade them as better coins become available. Having sold the MS-63 coin, the net cost of the new coin was relatively low.
    When it comes to buying United States type coins in lower MS grades or circulated condition, there is a near endless supply from which to choose. Furthermore, they are generally obtainable any time I want to add them to my collection. This makes planning for type coin purchases somewhat easy. As for buying First Spouse gold coins, they come up for sale on preset dates and although costly, are a planned expenditure. However, when it comes to purchasing world coins for my theme collections, I have to be ready to buy them whenever they become available. Budgeting for these purchases can be difficult because I never know when or if they will appear for sale.
    I am always on the lookout for coins that fit into my theme collections, and I continuously peruse numismatic publications and E-Bay listings for possible candidates. One of the coins I recently bought was the Krause Publications ?Coin of the year? 2008 Latvia 20 Lati gold coin commemorating motherhood. Another was a 1986 Philippines 25-peso coin commemorating Philippines President Corazon Aquinos first working visit to Washington. Both of these coins are destined for my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set and both were unplanned purchases. Recent sales of SAE?s will pay for the Latvia coin, but I will need to have other sales to cover the other purchases.
    The 1986 Philippines coin, minted at the Franklin Mint, has a mintage of 1000 and came to me in a sealed cachet documenting the first day the coin was struck on December 10, 1986. Since this coin came to me sealed, I am debating on whether or not to have it graded because I?m not sure I want to break the seal to grade the coin. Fortunately, signature sets have user-defined slots. With a little trick I learned from Jackson; I populated the slot using a body-bagged coin, then I uploaded the pictures, and soon I will write the ?Owners Description?. The obverse and reverse of this coin highlight the busts of two world leaders I have great respect for, Corazon Aquino and Ronald Reagan.
    The 2008 Latvia coin currently on its way to NGC for grading is 22mm in diameter, has 10 grams of .999 fine gold, and a limited mintage of 5000. The design of this coin is based on 1922 plaster by sculptor Teodors Zalkalns and has a bust of a woman on the obverse wearing a scarf representing motherhood. The items on the reverse signify fertility and plenitude.
    When the other coins I purchased arrive, I will detail them in a later journal along with other observations and musings. Until then enjoy the pictures of my latest purchases, and as always, happy collecting!
    Gary

  3. coinsbygary
    I may not make any friends, but I feel this needs to be said.
    According to NGC, when they judge the journal posts for their annual awards, they judge them according to the following criteria:
    1. Writing talent
    2. Creativity
    3. Enthusiasm
    4. Numismatic Knowledge
    5. ?..and most importantly, the sharing of a personal sense of the collecting journey.
    Of lately it seems that the journal postings have veered off from what NGC has intended for their use. The intention of NGC as described above is that journals are to be a diary of the collecting experience. As such, the journal forum is not intended for dialog on the topic of the day. For those conversations, NGC maintains a chat board.
    We all have pet peeves, and posting can give us the soapbox we desire with which to voice our opinions. We need to resist this in order to preserve the integrity of the journal post. The chat board is the perfect forum for vetting on any number of topics. There is even a water cooler discussion area for just about any topic. I only wish I had practiced what I preach. For example, I read a recent post detailed six disturbing trends in the collecting community. I felt so strongly against the points detailed in that post, that I had to write a rebuttal and post it. While my arguments may have been well thought out and reasoned they did not meet the criteria set forth by NGC. I should have replied by sending my rebuttal via e-mail to the author of the post.
    The journal post is about life stories, experiences, and sharing knowledge for the betterment of the entire community. The journal postings are for the good experiences as well as the bad. Since collecting is a large portion of many of our lives, how does it enhance or take away from our relationships? I particularly like it when people write about sharing coin collecting with their children, spouses, or friends. I enjoy reading about members who go to coin shows cherry picking coins from a dollar box to find that one treasure. I take pleasure when people share their enthusiasm and pictures about their latest purchase and how it fits into their collection. When someone learns something through experience, I have often gleaned pointers that have helped me to avoid pit falls. Information about your latest submission can be very informative; I?m always rooting for people to get the best grades for their coins! I love telling stories and history about coins, and I believe my recent post on finishing my 20th century type set encompasses all the points detailed in NGC?s criteria.
     
    In so much as E-Bay is an integral part of the collecting community today, it will come up as you detail your experiences. When it does try to detail the experience, but avoid the opinion. When it comes to opinion, I say, ?Let the reader decide?. I understand there is a fine line between the two and it can be hard distinguish between the two, especially if you have had a bad experience. Try to avoid tripe one-liners, they only serve to sour the community and discourage journaling. If this means I do fewer postings, then so be it. I thoroughly enjoy your postings of substance, as they serve to enhance my collecting experience. Come on, I know you have something more to talk about than NGC, PCGS, E-Bay, USPS, and the commodities market. Yes, these things are part of coin collecting too, but when they consume the journal posting board, there is something awry.
    Finally, let us try to self-police the posting board. I fear if NGC has to intercede, that none of us will be happy. If at any time you notice me off target, send me an e-mail, I can take it when I am wrong. Oh, and by the way feel free to rebut this post by sending me an e-mail, I?m game, and I will be happy to engage in a dialog. Happy Collecting to all!
    Gary
  4. coinsbygary
    Six consecutive First Spouse coins purchased from the mint, six PF-70 Ultra Cameos!
    As a series, the current First Spouse gold coins have a small, but committed following, of which I am one. There are many reasons few people collect these coins; the primary being the cost to assemble a complete set is prohibitive, especially with the current price of gold. In fact, if the price of gold continues to rise, I foresee the Mint discontinuing the series or continuing it with a different base metal. Then for whatever reason, there is just not an enough interest within the hobby to collect these, despite the availability of nearly identical bronze medal versions. Nevertheless, I think the presidential dollar and spouse medal sets, released in special mint packaging are a bit more popular, and at about $9 each, is much easier to collect.
    As a collector of First Spouse coins, I see several advantages in collecting them. Among them are low mintages and a base metal of gold. Because of the gold content, these coins will always have value as a commodity and their rarity should give them value as a coin. Unfortunately, because of low demand many are sold at near melt value. This is one reason why my goal is to collect them in PF-70 condition, in hopes of giving my set a little more ?coin value?. Then there are personal reasons to collect these coins. I feel the contributions of our nation?s First Ladies are worthy of commemoration because of their selfless service to their husbands and our country often done within the shadow of their husband?s presidency. These things, combined with my love for history and the diversity of the designs makes this a compelling and interesting series to me.
    Just about one year ago, I decided to collect all the First Spouse gold coins in proof condition. My intention then was to continue purchasing them for as long as my finances enabled me. My goal was to buy the coins directly from the Mint and submit them for grading, any coins grading PF-69 or lower, I would upgrade at a future date. As many of you know upgrading your coins can be an expensive proposition, and the First Spouse coins are no different. The Mint is currently selling the coins raw for $729, a bit pricey to be sure, but PF-70 coins are often offered as a ?buy it now? on E-Bay for over $1000. At that price, I am not biting, even though I have a lower grade coin to sell to help finance the purchase. A week ago, I thought to browse through a few dealer web sites to see what they were offering. To my amazement, I found a Louisa Adams PF 70 coin available for almost $200 less than the lowest E-Bay listing! Of course, I scarfed that one up, and to finance it, I will sell the 69. If you want information on the dealer, contact me, and I?ll give you the name.
    The cheapest way to build this set is to buy the coins raw and grade as perfect 70?s. In a phenomenal run, the last six coins I purchased from the Mint all graded PFUC-70! Was this good luck or something else? I think it was a combination of both. Coins struck on fresh dies have much finer surfaces than those struck on worn dies. I purchased all these coins on the first day of issue and while there is no way to assure buying coins struck with fresh dies, I think buying them on the first day gives you a better chance.
    Finally, with 13 coins to date, I have Andrew Jackson?s Liberty to upgrade and Abigail Fillmore to purchase next month. Income tax refund money will finance Abigail Fillmore, and I?ll see how the finances line up for next time! Happy Collecting all! Please enjoy this photo collage of my last six purchases.
    Gary

  5. coinsbygary
    The US Mint has a website dedicated to the next generation of collectors, today's kids!
    The following is a link to the US Mint's kids webpage. From there you are linked to many fascinating pages. I linked to the 50 state quarter page and even found lesson plans for teachers to use in educating our children! I can see in this outstanding web site that the US Mint is doing everything they can to ensure coin collecting will go on well into the future! Yes there is a bright future ahead!
    http://www.usmint.gov/kids/
    Gary
  6. coinsbygary

    My response:

    By coinsbygary,

    Re:Buy coins for love, not as an investment
    The following is my line-by-line reply to Augustus, but first I wish to preface my response by saying that I buy coins because of my passion and love for the hobby and I only buy coins that fit into my collecting goals. I also recognize that coins as an investment are highly speculative. However, I am comforted to know that for the most part my collection is not a depreciating asset like my car.
    1) Technically speaking coin collecting or for that matter just about anything is only a generation away from extinction. That said I am thankful the US Mint is beginning to understand this. When I was younger, there was little being offered by the mint with the exception of proof and uncirculated sets. As a teenager in 1975, I was thrilled when the bicentennial coins were released, especially the silver clad issues. Then in 1982, the mint started issuing commemoratives again and I bought a couple of 1982 silver George Washington commemoratives. In 1992, I started buying silver proof sets because of silver returning to our circulating coins, albeit as proof only issues. Then the floodgates opened with the 50 state quarter program and the opportunity for collectors of any means to have fun plugging slots with quarters pulled from circulation. I am saying all this to show that the mint is working hard to encourage the next generation of collectors with interesting and educational coins. Additionally, I have read postings in this forum of Collectors Society members sharing their collecting experiences with the next generation. I see at the very least a remnant of enthusiastic youthful collectors preparing to take the mantel of the hobby well into the future.
    2) While it is true that paper currency is fading as a medium of trade, I do not make the correlation between that and collecting. For that matter, every year I hear rumors of the demise of the Lincoln Cent, and every year United States produces hundreds of millions of them along with millions of dollars of small paper currency. I simply cannot bring myself around to purchasing a $1.25 cup of coffee at convenience store with a debit card. With $50 and $100 bills that rarely grace my wallet, perhaps Augustus may have a point with the exception that the government is printing money to finance deficit spending.
    3) Counterfeiting is a menace and has the potential to undermine our hobby. With that, I am thankful that NGC and PCGS guarantee the authenticity of the coins they grade. With these safeguards in place, I do not lose a single night?s sleep. Protect yourself, buy raw coins from professionals you trust or buy certified.
    4) If there are changes in our currency and we go through hyperinflation, I would rather have my silver and gold coins over worthless paper.
    5) I love collecting proof coins because of their artistry and beauty. I understand that there are often market adjustments down from the mint issue price. If I wait for the dust to settle, I can sometimes acquire them for less than issue price. In the case of commemoratives, if I were looking for investment opportunities, I would buy the uncirculated versions because of their lower mintages.
    6) As for intrinsic value, I am a theme and type collector and I assign my own intrinsic value to my coins understanding that perhaps few others will agree with me in my valuation. From a purely mechanical perspective, a coin?s only true value is what the open market will bear.
    Happy Collecting All!
    Gary
  7. coinsbygary

    FINISHED!

    By coinsbygary,

    After nearly a year, and a significant investment of time and money, Gary?s 20th Century Type Set is complete.
    Just under a year ago, I embarked on a journey to complete a non-gold, circulation only, 20th century type set. There are several reasons I decided to assemble this set, the first is that I am a type collector. Secondly, from a practical perspective, the set has 39 coins, 30 of which I purchased in ?mint state? for under $100, many for under $50. Fueled by a competitive nature, I had as my goal to compete for the 2009 Best Presented Set, and I enjoyed strategizing about how best to position my set to compete without top population coins. Finally, there was my love for coinage history and allegory. That combined with my familiarity with the events of the 20th century, made preparing my owner descriptions a lot of fun.
    Since the 2009 annual contest deadline, I acquired the last six coins to complete my set, finished the owner descriptions, and uploaded the pictures. Additionally, I upgraded the AU-58, 1917 Type 1 FH Standing Liberty Quarter to MS-64 and the AU-58, 1906 Barber Dime to a MS-63, 1916 Barber Dime. Now the entire set is in mint state condition, except for the AU-53 1912-D Barber Half.
    I am sure most of you are familiar with the ?hockey-stick? type rise in coin valuations, especially in MS grades. For instance, my Standing Liberty Quarter has a gradual rise in valuation from circulated grades through MS-64. Then from MS-64 to 65, in an exponential rise, my coin doubles in value. Many of the coins I purchased for this set were graded one to two points below the grade where the coin suddenly rises in value. This purchasing strategy gave me the balance between eye appeal and value that I was seeking. It was never my intention to compete on a point?s basis with this set, because I knew I could not afford it. That is why I focused on other things, like owner descriptions and pictures to put me over the top.
    I knew that it was virtually impossible for me to complete my set before the deadline, so I focused on acquiring what I considered were key coins to make the set ?seem? complete. In a way, the final six coins did not complete the set, but enhanced it. My intention at the contest deadline was to have all the pictures and owner descriptions done for the 33 coins in the set at that time. I remember posting about how pleased I was to have given this set my best effort. Now, I am thrilled that NGC has recognized my set as the number two ranked of five best-presented sets of 2009!
    Now my set is finally complete, with 14 pages of a Word Document in owner descriptions. Included in the descriptions are brief biographies of six presidents and two famous Americans. With early 20th century issues, I explore my coins allegories and 19th century American history. Many of the coins in my set contain information about current events at the time of the coin's issuance. I talk about mints and varieties where applicable. Sometimes I delve into the sentiments of my coins? designers. If a particular coin is of personal significance, I include that in my description also. Only after my set was nearly finished, did I realize how strongly the themes of liberty and freedom weaved their way through my set. This, I had not intended when I started to assemble this set and found my set themes to be a pleasant surprise. I had always been told our coinage represents our values as a nation, now I know it. If you have the chance, stop by my page to look at ?Gary?s 20th Century Type Set?, even if only to view your favorite coins. I think you will enjoy it.
    Now with my set complete, I do not foresee any major edits. However, I may discover something new in time that I will want to include in my owner descriptions. One example of that should be of particular interest to my friend Six Mile Rick. This may seem odd, but I never seemed to care what the shaft of wheat and the cotton bough in Liberty?s hair on the Morgan Dollar and Liberty Nickel meant. I stumbled onto the symbolism one day as I was conducting my research. The shaft of wheat and the cotton bough represent the North and the South respectively during the reconstruction period after the civil war. That the wheat and cotton were in lady Liberty?s hair showed that the nation was re-uniting under liberty, designated by the liberty band on the dollar and the coronet on the nickel. Furthermore, the Phrygian cap on the Morgan Dollar showed that everyone was free. Please enjoy the photo collage of my MS-62 Morgan Dollar and my MS-63 Liberty Nickel. Notice the symbolism in Lady Liberty.
    Gary

  8. coinsbygary

    Another view

    By coinsbygary,

    As much as I sometimes hate to admit it, collectors with deep pockets are a necessary part of the registry.
    I have read all the recent postings on the issue of dealers and persons with deep pockets, and I understand where they are coming from. However, I feel that people with more money to spend have an integral and necessary part in the registry. I?m not sure what advantage a dealer has in maintaining a registry, unless he or she is a collector also. The title dealer by its very nature suggests that their inventory is constantly rotating. If I were a dealer, I would concentrate more on maintaining a good web site, especially since a web site is better suited to sales than a registry set is. Therefore, the rest of my post will address the dealer/collector as a collector.
    Do I wish that I had a lot more money to spend on coins, yes? Do I wish that I could compete in the top registries, emphatically, yes? However, if I cannot do it, I am glad someone else can. Registry sets encourage professional grading, conservation, and collecting into sets. For instance, let me use this year?s grand prize winning set as an example. Any one of those proof Morgan Dollars in ?Chappell Collection? is worth more than my entire award winning, ?Gary?s 20th Century Type Set?. Nevertheless, I am glad someone has the resources to bring a set like that together. Those coins should be preserved as a set, rather than spread across the world. This is more than collecting coins; this is history and a numismatic legacy. This set is truly a museum quality set. If NGC encourages this collector by establishing registry sets to populate and a pedigree to boot, I say fantastic! Furthermore, this set is one coin short of 100% NGC certified coins! From my perspective, I took joy in simply viewing this awesome set as I cleaned the drool from my keyboard!
    Where I may have somewhat of a problem, is when a collector obscures a set. From a security standpoint, I can see it, but if a collector obscures a set to keep the competition guessing, there is where I have a problem. I feel that you should lay your coins on the table and let the grades fall where they may! Where I have the biggest problem is with NGC when they give one of their major awards to an obscured set. Obviously, the set isn?t obscured to the judges and they get to enjoy perusing it, but I can?t, what is with that? Once again, from my perspective, if I have a set that receives a major award, I want the whole world to see it!
    There are ways though that NGC levels the playing field so that everyone has a crack at competing. That said; let me preface my prior comment by saying that if a set has a large number of coins or a sizable following and several key dates Joe Collector probably cannot compete. Nevertheless, with the diversity and number of sets NGC makes available, just about anyone can find their own little niche. For instance, I own a small set with one key coin and next to no following. With few coins graded and none that are priced out of this world, I competed with a person I know has a larger budget with which to buy coins than I do. I competed and won with strategy and higher grades, just as it should be.
    Finally, I want to wish my lovely wife of 28 years a happy Valentine?s Day! I love you very much! The coin pictured is from my signature set and is dedicated to my wife. The coin is a gold 1971 MS-66 Mauritius 200 Rupee ?Mauritius Independence? commemorative coin. The attached photo should be all you need to see and know why I choose it to dedicate to my wife.
    Gary

  9. coinsbygary
    What I can do to ensure that people have fewer "Postal Moments"!
    I think we have all had our own ?postal moments? at one time or another, and I am no exception. Some time ago, I bought a Britannia on E-Bay and the parcel arrived at my house in a timely manner. The only problem is it arrived empty! Stamped on the empty packaging was the following, ?received unsealed and received empty?. Whether my parcel was damaged on the post offices? sorting machines or the coin was stolen, I could only conjecture. All I knew was that my coin was lost. Fortunately, the seller refunded my money when I sent a picture of the package back to him. In my case, the incident turned out OK, albeit disappointing, however I felt bad for the seller.
    Often when things of this nature occur, I try to find the ?teachable moments? in them. While I cannot control how people package items they send to me, I can control how I package coins I sell.
    Because of the human element, I try to do what I can to protect myself. My first rule of thumb is that I try to avoid using bubble packaging. Have you ever noticed how flimsy the paper flap is on those things? If I use bubble packaging, I always reinforce that flap with nylon reinforced paper tape. In the case of my empty parcel, this had not been done. Instead of bubble packaging, I prefer to use a paper cushioned rugged mailer manufactured by a company called ?Caremail?. This envelope has no plastic in it and is manufactured with 95% recycled paper. A package of 25, 6 by 8 ?-inch ?Caremail? mailers can be purchased at Amazon.com for $14.49. Even with these, I paper tape seal the openings.
    If the parcel is not insured or registered, I seal the address with clear tape so that if the package gets wet, the ink does not run. Clear tape is prohibited on registered mail, so I make sure the address is bold and will not run. When I use mailing labels, I do not trust the adhesive on the labels, but reinforce it with clear tape. I always use labels on bubble packaging because if you ever noticed the ball point pen pokes through the paper. I also like to put an invoice with the recipients address inside the package with the coin to ensure the address is in more than one place.
    I always use delivery confirmation and insurance on items valued over $50. If an item is lost, tracking numbers such as these go a long way in located the lost item. For items under $50, I usually send them with delivery confirmation only.
    Had these steps to secure my purchase been followed, I may have my coin today. In the end, there is no way to eliminate the risk; however, you can minimize it. May all your coin purchases be delivered to you safe and secure!
    Gary
  10. coinsbygary
    Two coins I absolutely had to have at any price.
    What do you do when you have been hunting for a coin for over a year, and it finally comes up for sale on E-Bay? Does that coin become a ?must win? that you are willing to pay almost anything to acquire? This situation presented itself to me twice in the last month and in both cases, I paid whatever it took to acquire the coins. On the surface this may seem like lunacy, but when the coins are rarely available for sale, and fit perfectly into my collecting goals, it makes perfect sense.
    In most cases, I refuse to get into a bidding war with other collectors, but prefer to wait for another opportunity. To prove my point, say I am looking for a 1916-D Mercury Dime in AG-3 condition and it is available for sale on E-Bay. Since these are regularly for sale on E-Bay, I can afford to let the overpriced example go to someone else, knowing that there will be others to bid on soon. However, when I know a coin has not appeared for sale on E-Bay in a year, I am often willing to pay whatever it takes to acquire the coin, knowing it will not likely be for sale again soon.
    The first coin I had to win was a 1993 ?World at War Commemorative? 50 Tala coin memorializing Anne Frank from an island nation I never heard of before called Tokelau. I have been seeking this coin for my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set for over a year. I missed an opportunity to purchase one for sale in January 2009 because I was overseas in Brazil at the time and not paying attention to my watch list. Now a year later I can hardly believe my eyes when my watch list shows one for sale. Sometimes you can pick coins like this up on the cheap because they are not particularly valuable and few know of their existence. Unfortunately, that was not the case with this coin because the listing was alongside other coins in the ?World at War? commemorative series that another bidder seemed interested in acquiring as a whole. In the end, the other bidder drove the price up for me, but since this coin was a ?must win?, I paid the price. Now with the coin happily in my possession, it is on its way to NGC for certification. When you think about it, the hunt is part of what makes collecting coins so much fun.
    Many of you know that I collect Silver Britannia?s issued by the United Kingdom with a goal of collecting the entire series in MS-69 or greater. These counterparts to the Silver American Eagle are much scarcer, with the mintage held at 100,000 annually. Additionally, Britannia?s graded MS-69 and higher are very rare. Part of the problem with Britannia?s is poor packaging at the Royal Mint that leaves hairlines on the coins? relief. With MS-69 Silver American Eagles in plentiful supply assembling a collection of 69?s is not terribly difficult to do. However, the NGC population report lists ?five? 1998 Britannia?s at MS-69 and PCGS lists ?seven?. With such low population numbers, I tried submitting raw Britannia?s for certification with varying results. While I did have a few coins return with MS-69?s, most of my submissions were meager at best. Therefore, I decided to give up on this option because of the high cost of submissions. With few options remaining, I decided to wait it out for examples to appear for sale on E-Bay. Six of the twelve of Britannia?s in my collection are MS-69, with four MS-68?s, and two MS-67?s. Overall, this collection is nice, but still falls short of my goal. Last week I won one of the PCGS 1998 MS-69 examples, replacing one of my MS-67?s, and I could not be more satisfied. Any certified Britannia for sale on E-Bay is scarce let alone one certified MS-69, so this coin easily became a ?must have?. Bidding for this coin remained low until the end when another bidder pushed up the final price, but when it comes to meeting one of my clearly defined collecting goals; it?s a no-brainer.
    While most price guides list the value of these coins significantly lower than what I paid, the real value is much closer to what the market is willing to pay to acquire these coins. That someone else is willing to drive up the price shows me that the value of the coins I purchased is pretty much what I paid. As always, Happy Collecting!
    Gary

  11. coinsbygary
    Multi-coin holders are a great way to present coin sets that have sentimental meaning.
    Several years ago, I thought to buy proof sets to mark my children?s birth years. As a result, I purchased a 1984 set corresponding to my daughter?s birth year and a 1988 set for my son. As far as cost, I do not remember how much I spent for the sets, but it could not have been more than $15.00 each. However, to get them into the NGC registry, I would need to submit them for grading.
    When I started submitting coins to NGC almost two years ago, certifying these sets was understandably a low priority. After all the highest grades I could realistically hope for were PF-69 UC. Along with point values that are nothing to brag about and the cost of grading more than the coins values, it was just not worth it.
    Now that most of my raw coins are certified, I thought it would be nice to establish registry sets for my kid?s birth years. This is when I first considered getting the coins mounted in a multi-coin holder. Since the coins, were issued in a single holder, it was a natural to have them certified into a single holder also. Since NGC accepts coins in mint packaging, I did not have to crack them out to submit them. Therefore, when I made my last submission, I sent the 1984 set as a single submission.
    Now a month later with the set back in my hands, I must say that I am most impressed. The labeling shows that the set is a ?1984-S Proof Set?. Underneath the title is an inventory of the coins with their respective grades. Overall, I am happy with the grades I got, seeing as rather than cherry picking single coins, I sent the set in as a whole, thus accepting whatever grades came. With three 69?s and two 68?s I only get 100 registry points, but the sets' value is much more than the points I earn, since it represents the year my daughter was born. Now every time I look at it, I think of her. Somehow, looking at single certified holders gives me nowhere near the effect that a multi-coin holder does in reminding me of my daughter.
    My next submission will include a 1988 proof set for my son, completing both my kids? birth year registry sets. Below is a photograph of my multi-coin holder. For those special sets you have why not consider getting them mounted in a multi-coin holder, I think you?ll be impressed. Happy Collecting!
    Gary

  12. coinsbygary
    How did I change from one collecting goal to another?
    I remember the first registry set I established when I joined Collector?s Society about a year and a half ago. At that time, I wanted to start a complete collection of uncirculated Silver American Eagles because I liked the design and could acquire the coins for a reasonable amount of money. In other words, completing a set of primarily MS-69 coins was a very achievable goal. With that in mind, I created the set and began purchasing the coins to populate it.
    When starting a set, I first populate it with coins I already own. I remember the news of the first die variety in the series, the 2008 reverse of 2007 Silver American Eagle. Realizing that this could be hot, I purchased one for $215 on E-Bay a few short weeks after news of the variety hit the streets. The seller had five of these, and I could kick myself for not buying them all, since today the coin has a fair market value of $540. Oh well, with the heart of a collector rather than an investor, it did not occur to me at the time. I was glad to have this among the first coins to populate my set, since I usually like to acquire the more difficult coins' first.
    I remember purchasing the first coins for my set with enthusiasm, until I was distracted away from my SAE set and onto my signature sets. Now after having not added any coins to my SAE set in a year, I am thinking that I might liquidate the set. How did I get from where I started to where I am now? If the reasons for starting the set are still valid, why am I discontinuing? I think the answer is that at the core of my collecting heart, I am primarily a type collector.
    As a type collector, I love variety. Collecting a complete set of SAE?s does not offer me much variety, interestingly enough though, I love collecting Britannia?s, the United Kingdom?s version of the SAE. The reason I love collecting this series is that the reverse design changes every year. Furthermore, my signature sets give me the freedom to populate them based on themes of my choosing creating diversity with coins from around the world. Another series I collect with zeal is the ?First Spouse? gold coins; again, these coins offer lots of variety. As icing on the cake, I recently submitted three of these for grading and they all returned as PFUC-70!
    This does not mean that I am adverse to series collecting, but that my collecting budget is focused on my collecting passion. I had fun assembling a set of low-grade Mercury dimes, and I have enjoyed plugging a Jefferson nickel folder with pocket change. However, neither of these will bust my bank, save the 1916-D Mercury dime of course.
    As a type collector, I?ll probably end up hanging onto the ?Reverse of 07?, a MS-70, 2007-W, a newly purchased 2006-P reverse proof, and a 2003 PCGS, Jessica Lunch signed American Heroes Edition SAE. However, I will likely sell the others. Fortunately, I did not invest a whole lot of money in this set.
    Pictured below are the 2006 reverse proof and the Jessica Lynch SAE. I bought the reverse proof simply because it is a cool coin and a one-year type that I got on the cheap. I bought the Jessica Lynch American Heroes SAE for my ?Inspirational Ladies? type set. Both coins fit well into my type collecting goals. You have got to love a hobby where your primary reason for collecting a coin is that you think it?s cool! Happy collecting all!
    Gary

  13. coinsbygary

    I Am Honored

    By coinsbygary,

    Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure this is not a dream!
    It is hard for me to find the right words with which to express how I feel after discovering that I won the award for number 2 ?Best Presented Set? and the ?Journal Award? for 2009. Just imagine that, a ?Journal Award? winner at a loss for words as I am now, preposterous! The only thing that I can say is that I am honored and humbled.
    I am honored that ?Gary?s 20th Century Type Set? is counted as one of the five ?Best Presented? sets alongside the winners of the other major registry set categories. That a 15th ranked set is even mentioned in the same breath as the grand prize ?Morgan Dollar Proof Set? is truly amazing. This shows that the contest really is open to all, and that a little guy can be recognized alongside the big guys. Thank you NGC for seeing the worth in all the registry sets, regardless of their valuation.
    My main motivation for creating ?Gary?s 20th Century Type Set? is a love for coinage designs, history, and writing. Nevertheless, to say that winning an award was not continually in the back of my mind would be a lie. Therefore, while still surprised, I cannot say that winning the award was entirely unexpected. That said I am glad that VUMC409 won the top spot in our category because as evidenced in his recent post, he was ?un-expectantly? surprised. I know how that feels because I was ?un-expectantly? surprised last year with the ?Most Creative Signature Set Award?. Take it from me VUMC409; the plaque is a LOT nicer to hang on your wall than the certificate.
    I am humbled to be numbered with all the current and previous ?Journal Award? winners. I have personally benefited and enjoyed each and everyone?s contribution to journaling. Now I have a responsibility to continue in the highest intent and purpose of Collectors Society?s journaling blog. The icon by my name and journals will serve to me as a reminder when I have the urge to use journaling as a forum to vent.
    Finally, I am honored, humbled, and proud to be a member of the most vibrant collecting community in the world. Congratulations, to all the award winners this year!
    Gary
  14. coinsbygary
    I made several good purchases in October, but absolutely need to get spending under control!
    October has been a banner month for me in terms of collecting, as I upgraded one coin, purchased three outright, and added the Lincoln Chronicles set to my collection. The funny thing is that I told myself two coins ago that I would temporarily freeze my purchases. Now throw in a new camera and October gets very expensive. I guess all this proves that I am addicted to this hobby. However, there is a rational for violating my own rule. Let me explain.
    My month started with an upgrade to my Wilhelmina ?10 Gulden? registry set. I upgraded a NGC MS-66, 1917 ?10 Gulden? coin with a PCGS MS-67 one. This upgrade is especially significant because NGC grades just two coins at MS-67 for the entire 11 coin series. This type of purchase makes good sense from the standpoint that upgrades, for the most part, are economical when you sell the coin you are upgrading. In that situation, you only pay the cost of the upgrade rather than the cost of the coin.
    Back in April E-bay started a new program by which you earn E-bay bucks for every purchase you make. E-bay bucks earned the prior three months became payable October 9. One week previous to October 9, I had been watching an MS-61, 1907-O Barber Quarter for my 20th Century type set offered as a ?buy it now? for the equivalent of Numismedia fair market value. Fortunately, no one purchased the coin, and I got a discount of over $20 on the coin. At this point, I said to myself ?Enough, no more purchases for a while?.
    Part of my problem is that when I stop purchasing coins I should stop looking. Perusing E-bay listings I found a great deal on a NGC MS-63, 1924 Standing Liberty Quarter for my 20th Century registry set. Not wanting to pass up a good deal, I pulled the trigger. My rational for this purchase was that it is only a couple hundred dollars, and I spend that much at the grocery store. The only problem with this flawed reasoning is that you cannot eat coins. Now did I quit buying, well not exactly.
    You see, after I paid for the previous purchase, E-bay sent me a coupon for 8% off my next purchase of up to $100, and oh, by the way, the coupon expired in two days. As the gears in my head started turning, I asked myself, ?What can I purchase to best take advantage of this offer?. Looking again to my 20th Century typeset I found that I still needed the big gun, a high grade Barber Half. High grade Barber Halves are pricey and could easily become the most expensive coin in the set. Not wanting to pay BIG MS bucks, I found an acceptable NGC AU-53, 1912-D Barber Half. Again, with the coupon I saved more than $20, purchased a coin at less than Numismedia fair market value, and paid about what I planned for the Barber Half slot in my set.
    Most of you are aware that October 15 was D-Day concerning the Lincoln Chronicles set. For whatever reason, until now I have had no interest in either the Lincoln Commemorative Dollar or the Lincoln Cents. Nevertheless, I was caught up in the hype and thought, ?What the heck, it?s only $60 with postage?. When the set became available, I forgot to place my order, but remembered I wanted to place an order after reading your journals. Therefore, I placed the order with great ease that evening and avoided the hassles I just read of concerning the cumbersome ordering process. Now that I have the set in my hands, I am surprised with how much I like it.
    Several months ago, I contemplated upgrading my camera without taking any action. With all the talk within the society concerning photography, I could not resist. I bought a Canon PowerShot G11 and that camera took the photographs on my post. Now we will see if I can make it through November with my self-imposed moratorium. I can do other things, such as getting my submissions up to date and working on my slot descriptions. I will let you know what happens in November, but there are some things more important than coins that I need to be spending my money on at this time. The old adage is true that there is an infinite amount of choices and a finite amount of money. Regardless, I have made some very good buys this month and am happy with the state of my collection at this time. Happy collecting all!
    Gary

  15. coinsbygary
    See if you agree with me on this one!
    For much of my collecting life my focus has been on coinage issues of the 19th century. I so loved the various renditions of Liberty on 19th century coins that I often neglected those of the 20th century. That was until I started a 20th century typeset in the registry last summer. This is when I discovered anew the artistry, beauty, and symbolism of the ?American Renaissance coins? issued early in the century. Indeed, there are no coins like them anywhere, proved by the reuse of the Buffalo nickel, Walking Liberty half, and St. Gaudens double eagle designs on today?s coins.
    The coins of the early 20th century that I especially like are the Mercury dime, Standing Liberty quarter, and Walking Liberty half. I have found few coins that are more beautiful than are these when they are in MS condition.
    Of those three, I have a newfound fondness for the Standing Liberty quarter. Perhaps the reason I am only now discovering this coin, is that in conditions less than MS this coin becomes somewhat ugly as do each of the afore mentioned coins. However, in MS condition the features and boldness of the design are nothing less than stunning.
    With an eye to upgrading less than MS coins in my collection, I periodically peruse EBay listings for upgrade candidates to my collection. Already owning a 1917 AU-58 ?Type 1? Standing Liberty quarter, I found a stunning MS-64 ?full head? example that so took me, it fell into that must have category. When listing on EBay, never under estimate the power of good photographs to improve your chances for a better sale. I have rarely seen photographs in a listing that are better than the ones in this listing. Because the coin looked under graded with lots of eye appeal, I paid more than the fair market value to acquire it with an eye to possibly submitting it for re-evaluation.
    Having just received the coin yesterday, I am posting my own photographs of it. On the obverse of the coin, notice the sharpness and detail of design in the head, robe, and shield; observe the clarity in the lines and stars on the wall. On the reverse, I have rarely seen better definition in the eagle?s breast feathers than on this coin. What do you think a candidate for MS-65? I hope you agree with me that this coin is stunning and a candidate for MS-65. Happy New Year to all and happy collecting!
    Gary

  16. coinsbygary
    2009 in review and my goals for 2010.
    2009 has been a banner year for my collection. I have spent more money on coins this year than during any other year prior. My first full year in the registry is part of the reason for my increased spending. After establishing the sets I wanted to collect, I feverishly went about populating them. With the focus of filling slots and my proclivity to compulsiveness, I very nearly completed a 20th century type set and completed a Wilhelmina 10 Gulden gold set and a Britannia Two-Pound silver bullion set. Furthermore, I am current with the First Spouse $10 gold coins and submitted the last three coins in the series for grading last week.
    To be fair to myself, I have grossed more in coin sales this year than any previous year. I could not have purchased the coins I did without first selling the coins that no longer fit into my collecting goals. I also sold a good portion of my problem coins from other TPGers and upgraded them to either NGC or PCGS slabs. Of course, whenever I upgraded a slot in my registry, I would sell the lower grade coin to help subsidize the higher-grade coin. Even so, I think my purchases far outweighed my sales. The good thing about buying coins though is that they tend to hold their value and increase over time, so I feel my money is not going down a huge sinkhole. My collection also serves as a reserve if my economic situation takes a turn for the worse, or I need it to supplement my income when I retire.
    What are my plans for 2010? Now that I have established the areas and sets I want to collect, I will focus on periodic upgrades. Recently, I upgraded a Type 1 Standing Liberty Quarter and Barber Dime in my 20th century from AU-58 to MS-64 and 63, respectively. I?ll post a photo of the quarter when I get it; I think you will agree it is absolutely stunning. Additionally, the goal for my Wilhelmina set is MS-65 and my Britannia set MS-69. Currently, I need six coins in each to attain that goal.
    I know I will not be able to spend the money on coins next year that I spent this year. My wife wants upgrades on our house, and I agree she should have them. New purchases will focus on First Spouse coins for as long as I can afford them. Mary Lincoln is due out next year and she will be a fine companion piece to the Lincoln commemorative of this year. In case I cannot keep up, I can always fall back on the medals.
     
    I still own quite a few problem coins, mostly gold and 19th century stuff. Rather than sell them, I think I will cross them over to purple slabs and use them to populate my gold and 19th century sets for the price of grading. I can always upgrade them in the future when funds permit. There are also have several world coins I need certified for my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set.
     
    Finally, I will spend more time polishing the coin descriptions in all my registry and signature sets. This gives me countless hours of fun and enjoyment for no additional cost. I may also start a new signature set based on an aviation theme. In closing, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope that you will all meet your collecting goals in 2010!
    Gary
  17. coinsbygary
    Should I play the population reports to get the highest grade on my coins?
    I have often wondered whether it would be in my best interest to be a member of both NGC?s Collectors Society and PCGS?s Collectors Club. With submission privileges for both services, I wonder if I could use the large samplings in both population reports to predict which service might give the highest grade on a particular coin. Case in point, I have written in the past of the tendency of PCGS to grade Queen Wilhelmina 10 Gulden coins higher than NGC. However, there is one point I did not mention, and its why there are so many more of these coins graded with PCGS than NGC? Could it be in part that people recognize which service will give the higher grade and send their coins there? With the intense competition for grading between NGC and PCGS there must be a constant pressure on both to grade coins higher.
    Naturally, the coin buying public, me included, wants the highest grade possible on my submissions because one grade point could mean hundreds or even thousands more dollars on the open market. Both grading services know this, and it increases the pressure on them to grade coins less conservatively. The danger comes when the loosening of grading standards gets to a point where the market looses confidence in the grading services and prices begin to plummet accordingly. This is where grading services such as NTC have graded coins higher to compete with NGC and PCGS, but later failed because the buying public recognized that their coins were over graded. Just As dross is skimmed off the top in refining gold, so too are third party graders skimmed from the market place leaving pure gold in its place.
    This disparity between grading services has given rise to second opinion services like CAC. While I do not currently own a CAC coin, their effect on the market keeps the existing services honest. This in turn keeps confidence high in slabbed coins throughout the collecting market place.
    All grading services, CAC included, are subject to the human element of a professional grader. As in all human ventures, mistakes are made and a second opinion helps to minimize this factor. However, with all this, there will always be disparities. If I were a dealer, I would be sending my raw coins to the service I thought would grade me the highest, because after all it is my livelihood on the line. Nevertheless, as a collector with most of my raw coins certified, I have thrown my lot with NGC. With that, I will not be crossing over either NGC or PCGS slabs for a higher grade. All other slabs though are fair game. Thanks NGC for the inclusive registry that allows PCGS slabs. This is one of the primary reasons I have thrown my lot with you. Sorry Society, no pictures this time, but as always, happy collecting.
    Gary
  18. coinsbygary
    Just came in the mail today!
    I love collecting firsts and lasts, whether the first or last year of issue, a new composition or variety, or a new mint. Today I received my latest purchase, and a first to the newly opened Denver Mint; a UNC details 1906-D half-eagle. This coin is a nice addendum to WKF's recent journals concerning the Denver Mint. The coin has scratches that are apparent, but in my opinion, does not distract from the overall look of the coin. Enjoy my photo, and as always, happy collecting.
    Gary

  19. 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

  20. coinsbygary
    With my "Magnum Opus" type set ready, let the judging begin!
    I have come a long way since April 3, 2009. On that day, I posted a journal about the joy of building a signature set and said that registry sets were ?mechanical and non-flexible?. That statement could not be any further from the truth, and it took building a registry set that I can be proud of to discover just how wrong I was.
    The big drawing card in signature sets for me is that I define the theme and the coins within the set based on what interests me. The set then becomes a source of pride because it is an expression of my personality. With the slots in competitive registry sets defined by NGC, I thought that I would not be able express myself within them. That was until I started working on my 20th Century Type Set early this past summer.
    The first thing I did when I started this set was to populate it with coins I already owned. Then I started purchasing coins to fill the other slots. One advantage to a type set based on coins issued during the 20th century is that I can acquire high-grade coins at reasonable prices. Therefore, I meticulously sought after coins that graded primarily between MS-61 and 67 that have nice eye appeal. My objective for purchasing lower MS graded coins was to balance eye appeal and value. This set that currently has 33 coins only has three coins grading below MS, with the 1912-D Barber Half grading the lowest at AU-53. Coincidently the aforementioned Barber Half is also the most valuable coin in the set. Even at that, I still feel that there are no real underachievers in this set.
    Next, I started taking the best pictures possible in order to put the best ?face? on my set. This labor of love cost me countless hours in trial and error to acquire that one picture that looked just right. If you think that time was all I spent on photography, think again, I spent a good sum of money upgrading my photographic equipment.
    Finally, I got started on the research needed to write my coin descriptions. This part may have been the most fun, because of what I learned about my coins. However, writing the coin descriptions was difficult because I struggled with how to present my coins. Being a bit of a perfectionist, I have edited most of my coin descriptions multiple times. Making sure all my bases are covered, I solicited a little outside help in writing my descriptions. Hoping to get a small return on my investment from sending my kids off to college, I sent them the coin descriptions, just in case I need to make any last minute grammatical edits before the competition deadline. Additionally, I have asked other society members for their input, and they have been gracious in giving me their honest opinion.
    Combine all these aspects together and I have my ?magnum opus?. I have finally found the expression I value so highly in my signature sets, in the content of the coin descriptions and my writing style. I cannot count all the hours in blood, sweat, and tears that I have poured into this effort. This project has truly been a labor of love. I am not sure how the NGC judges will regard my set, but ?Gary?s 20th Century Type Set? represents my best effort, and I am proud of what I have created. If nothing else, I hope that all the society members that are currently spit polishing their sets for the competition will be as proud of theirs, as I am of mine. Now I can get back to work on my signatures sets after neglecting them for so long.
    I am attaching a photograph of one of my favorite coins in this type set. This red/brown MS-64, 1908 Indian Head Cent is a perfect example of the balance between eye appeal and value in that I purchased it for less than $100. As you will note the coin has lots of red in it and plenty of eye appeal. Happy Collecting All!
    Gary

  21. coinsbygary
    A lot has happened at the US Mint since 1979
    On my post, dated 11/14/09, I established how the ?Libertas Americana? medal influenced the ?Liberty Cap? design on our earliest coinage. However, the ?Liberty Cap? design very nearly found its way onto our circulating dollar coin in 1979.
    Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro, himself influenced by the ?Libertas Americana? had a ?Liberty Cap? dollar ready for minting in 1979 to replace the Eisenhower Dollar. However, due to political considerations, President Jimmy Carter chose to memorialize Susan B Anthony as the first non-idealized female depiction on our circulating coinage.
    As a young collector in 1979, I had hoped for the Liberty Cap Dollar, as were many other people within the coin collecting community. Even Frank Gasparro personally favored the Liberty Cap Dollar, but US Mint employees serve at the pleasure of the President, and the Susan B Anthony Dollar went into circulation in 1979. The collecting community that is the bread and butter of the US Mint was snubbed for political considerations. I still remember how disappointed I was.
    Much has changed at the US Mint since then as the floodgate of commemorative coins opened wide in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan. Additionally, the mint began issuing silver and gold American Eagles in 1986 that are still popular today using classic designs! For a collector who loves classic designs, I could not be more thrilled!
    As with the old commemoratives, too much of a good thing has saturated the market with commemoratives no one wants. Under the leadership of Mint Director Edmund C Moy, the US Mint has streamlined its offerings and retooled as evidenced by the recent successes of the Lincoln Dollar Commemorative coin and cents, and the St Gaudens UHR, all coins that I currently own.
    In a quote taken from the book that comes with the UHR, Edmund C Moy states, ?I hope the world will look back and declare the 21st century the unsurpassed neo-renaissance of American coin and medal design?. So far, I could not be happier with the coins coming out of the mint, from the 50 state quarters, to the presidential dollars and first spouse coins, all the way to the UHR. Of particular interest to me are the classic designs used on the first spouse coins of widower presidents!
    Under the leadership of a mint director that understands the value of classic art in coin designs, I still hold out hope that Frank Gasparro?s rendition of the ?Liberty Cap? design will find its way onto a coin at some point in the future. Attached to my post today is a picture of the coin that almost was.
    On a side note, I want to wish everyone who has spent countless hours preparing their sets for the upcoming competition all the best. Regardless of the results, Collector?s Society has become a much better community because of the efforts of everyone in the community! Happy collecting all!
    Gary

  22. coinsbygary
    Thanksgiving and my most recent collecting experiences.
    Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays to stop and take stock of your life. Nobody can really say that they are self-made; each of us needs other people in our lives in order to prosper. The term thanksgiving implies that we give thanks TO the ones who have contributed so much to our lives. I give thanks to my parents for raising me, to my doctors for keeping me alive after a life threatening illness, to my employer for giving me a job to do, etc. Above all these, my ultimate thanks are to God, who has provided for all my needs. When it comes down to it, I have my next breath because of Him and when it comes to keeping my children from harm, there is none more capable. Therefore, while God has promised to meet all my needs, I cannot consider coin collecting a need. That I am enjoying such a great hobby is beyond what I need to live, and I am truly thankful to God.
    Many of you know that I put a self-imposed moratorium on coin purchases last month, well that lasted all of three weeks. I just purchased a MS-67, 2007 Silver Britannia, upgrading a previous slot by two points! My goal for this set is to populate it with coins grading MS-69, but this purchase means the lowest grade in the set is MS-67 rather than MS-65, which was a real eyesore in my set... Furthermore, this is saying something for a series where coins grading MS-69 are rare in the marketplace. With enough patience and time, I may yet realize my goal.
    Over the last several months, I have spent countless hours preparing my 20th century type set for the upcoming competition. This past week I finally completed all my coin descriptions. With the set ready, my efforts are concentrated on fine edits and photo touch-ups. It seems that every time I read my descriptions, I think of a better way to describe my coins. Also consuming a lot of time is photography. It seems for every ten pictures I take only one is worth keeping. Even rarer still is a knockout photograph that takes your breath away. With today?s post, I am attaching one of those knock out photos that I hope you agree is stunning.
    Speaking of photography, I think my skills and procedures have risen exponentially because of all the recent journals written on the subject. I wish to thank all those who have written on the subject in this forum.
    Lastly, when I reviewed my purchases during the year, I found that I have purchased nearly 100 coins this year. I have started two gold collections this year, the first spouse set and the Wilhelmina Netherlands 10 gulden gold set. I have truly been blessed.
    Please enjoy this picture of the obverse of my NGC graded MS-64, 1923 Peace dollar. Happy collecting and Thanksgiving!

  23. 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

  24. coinsbygary

    Thank You Veterans

    By coinsbygary,

    A Numismatic tribute to our veterans.
    On this Veterans Day, I want to take the opportunity to thank the men and women of our armed forces who have both served and are currently serving our nation. We all can be very proud of these fine Americans. I especially wish to thank those who have served in times of war. I am a veteran of the United States Navy and feel blessed that I never received the call to take up arms for our country. However, I was prepared, and in a position to go.
    Thank you to everyone within the Collectors Society community who have fought in our nation?s wars or served in times of peace, ever vigilant and prepared. Your service and sacrifice are not forgotten. We have the freedom to collect coins and pursue our passions, largely because our service men and women have secured our freedom to do so.
    Take time soon to thank the veterans in your lives for their service, believe me, they will appreciate it. Enjoy this PF-70, 2005-P United States Marine Corps commemorative coin. Even though I am a sailor at heart, this coin represents one of my favorite military photographs, the raising of the United States flag on Iwo Jima. At least the Marine Corps is part of the Navy Department! Let us never take our freedoms, secured by shed blood for granted. Happy Collecting!
    Gary

  25. coinsbygary
    Good books that enhance your coin collecting experience.
    As I wrote last week, the previous month was an active one for coin purchases. However, last month I made a few other numismatic purchases that often fall under the radar screen. The internet is an invaluable source of information with which to research your coins, and I have used it to find a wealth of information. Nevertheless, for some things there is no substitute for a good library as I still enjoy thumbing through my old Red Books. The purchases that I am referring to besides the coins are books. Last month I purchased three books for my library, they are, ?Grading Guide for Modern US Coins?, ?Fascinating Facts, Mysteries, & Myths about US Coins?, and the first edition of the Official Red Book ?A Guidebook of United States Coins Professional Edition?. All three of these books I have found to be very useful. If you are interested in any of these books, I am including a brief review and link to each in my post.
    The first thing that caught my eye concerning the book ?Grading Guide for Modern US Coins? is that it is based on NGC grading standards. One of the things that often frustrate me about submitting coins for grading is knowing EXACTLY what the graders are looking for. This book at 144 pages gives tips and pointers on every United States coin, both proof and uncirculated from 1965 to 2003. The book also covers commemoratives along with the silver, gold, and platinum eagles. Additionally, the book contains population information on the coins but does not cover grading on any coin below mint state. One thing I do not like about this book is it does not cover any coin before 1965. The link for more information on this book is http://www.whitmanbooks.com/Default.aspx?Page=81&ProductID=0794819109
    To get a perspective on ?A Guidebook of United States Coins Professional Edition?, the book is 9.25x11 inches, 383 pages, and weighs 2.3 pounds. This book is literally packed with information, photos, raw data, and valuations on every US coin. I have not begun to scratch the surface of information contained in this book. The photography is excellent with 1600 photographs and the information relative to the Red Book is greatly expanded. One neat feature about this book is that it gives the number of certified coins, average grade, and percentage of MS coins for each coin. As a resource, you will be hard pressed to find as much information in one place. The down side of this book is that it is large, clunky, and especially hard to handle if you are working in front of a keyboard. To get much more in depth information on this book go to the following link.
    http://www.whitmanbooks.com/Default.aspx?Page=81&ProductID=0794828426
    While the previous mentioned two books clearly fall into the category of reference books, the third book ?Fascinating Facts, Mysteries, & Myths about US Coins? is plain fun. This book has lots of pictures and insets with various fun facts about our coins. You will find entire chapters on the St Gaudens double eagle, the Buffalo nickel, the 1913 Liberty nickel, the Standing Liberty quarter, and much, much more. This book is written almost akin to a story with chapters and it is an easy read. There are many ways you could read this book, you may read it as a novel, thumb through it and look at the pictures, read the facts in the insets, or even read chapters of particular interest. I heartily recommend this 239-page book.
    http://www.krausebooks.com/product/fascinating-coin-myths/united-states-coins-books
    Oh, by the way, just as an update, my self-imposed moratorium on coin purchases in November is holding up! One week without buying a coin! Withdrawal symptoms are setting in! Happy collecting All!
    Gary