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coinsbygary

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  1. coinsbygary

    My Life as a YN

    By coinsbygary,

    Today as a 58 year old coin collector I occasionally think back on my years as a YN (young numismatist). I have very fond memories of those days and the coins I collected, many of which I still proudly own today.
    Those were the days when I could spend the lion's share of the money I earned doing odd jobs on coins. At no other time in my life could I do this as I did when I was a YN because my parents provided the cloths on my back, a roof over my head, and plenty of good food to eat! The only stipulation they made was that I save half the money I earned and pay for things like gas for the car, insurance, and blue jeans! Yes, my parents paid for my dress cloths but as for the jeans they didn't like, well for those I was on my own. All these stipulations I gladly agreed to.
    I got my first job when I was 14 years old as a golf caddie at the local country club. I made a whooping $3.85 plus tips for 18 holes! When I was 16 I got a job working on a farm for $1.50/hour. Since the farm job was a summer job, I started working at a restaurant in the fall for $2.10/hour busting suds (dishwasher). With this my parents stipulated that I maintain a B average at school to keep my job. To buy more coins, I heartily agreed to this also.
    As a youth I had two main interests, coins and photography. I was very fortunate to go to a school that had a dark room for me to develop and print my own pictures. Of all the places to buy my first coin, I bought it at a photographic supplies store. This store in addition to photographic supplies had a glass display case full of various numismatic items. There I bought a proof-like 1881-S Morgan Dollar and a crisp uncirculated $2 star note. Both of these I still own today.
    As a YN I was interested in collecting silver dollars and numismatic oddities such as the half cent, 2-cent piece, 3-cent silver and nickel pieces, and the 20-cent piece. I was also interested in coins bearing the mint marks of obsolete mints such as New Orleans, Carson City, Charlotte, and Dahlonega. To top that off I loved the coins listed in the back of the Red Book where all the gold coins resided. Throughout all my life, gold coins have never circulated and the fact that they were obsolete in circulation attracted me to them.
    In the early 70's it was difficult to buy coins unless there was a dealer in town. Unfortunately, the photographic supply merchant only sold coins on the side. There was no internet either, thus if you wanted to follow numismatics you had to subscribe to any of a number of hobby periodicals. Growing up in Wisconsin, those were Krause Publications like Coins Magazine and Numismatic News. What these publications offered in addition to interesting articles was a mail-order marketplace for coins.
    It is through mail-order that I bought an 1885-CC Morgan Dollar from the Lavere Redfield hoard, an 1876 20-cent piece, an 1881 half-eagle (my first gold coin), and an 1858-C half-eagle. At that time, the Charlotte half-eagle cost me a whopping $350! It took a lot of hours working at $2.10/hour to buy that coin! Adding up the cost of all those coins, it was pretty amazing what I bought with the money I earned!
    It was a pretty rare event that the small town in which I lived hosted a coin show and I remember only one such opportunity to go. At the first and only coin show I attended as a YN, I bought an 1828 half-cent. Now my only regret is that I should never have sold that coin. All the other aforementioned coins I still own today.
    I also purchased a few books as a YN, first and foremost among them was the Red Book of United States Coins. I literally wore out the binding of my Red Book paging through it and dreaming of the coins I wanted to buy someday. I also purchased the official ANA New Photograde Guide for Grading US Coins. I still find the Photograde Guide a useful book today!
    Today I own coins from all the US Mints along with a Morgan Dollar collection that is 68% complete including a VG-10 93-S. Additionally, I have a complete Dansco 7070 type set with gold coins that I am currently upgrading. Later in my life as I started assembling topically themed sets, I began collecting medals and world coins.
    Finally, if I were to have any advice for YN's today, I would tell them to dream big and to start building on and realizing some of those dreams today! Furthermore, todays YN's can't read enough books about the coins they want to collect.
    Lastly, my parents were wise to not sacrifice my school work for coins. You see, if you excel in your school work today you will only help yourself to earn enough money to realize many, if not all, your numismatic dreams tomorrow. Still living the dream, I recently won a type 1 double-eagle and as such it represents one of the coins I dreamed about when I thumbed through my Red Book some 40+ years ago. Happy Collecting to all and by all means enjoy this wonderful hobby that we share together.
    Gary

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  2. coinsbygary
    Over her long and distinguished career Laura Gardin Fraser had a very cordial relationship with the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Both Frasers loved America and the Armed Forces of the United States. Many of their military related commissions not only included medallic art, but also full size sculptures and smaller bronzes.
    There are three significant works Mrs. Fraser completed for The United States Military Academy. The first is a 1952 bronze medal commemorating the sesquicentennial of the USMA. Struck by the Medallic Art Corporation, this medal was presented to the parents of the cadets who entered the academy that year. A small insert reads, "A memento of the United States Military Academy to the parents or guardians of the cadets who entered the Military Academy in the Sesquicentennial Year".
    The medal's obverse displays the flaming torch of leadership, the sword of valor, and a laurel wreath representing victory. The reverse emphasizes the United States Military Academy Coat of Arms set underneath a rising sun. Across the face of the Union Shield is a sword and the helmet of Pallas Athena. Athena is associated with the arts of war and her helmet represents wisdom and learning. Perched atop the shield is a bald eagle clutching a bundle of 13 arrows and a scroll. The scroll bears the academy's motto, "Duty, Honor, Country" and the words, "West Point, MDCCCII (1802) USMA. In front of the eagle's right wing is an oak branch signifying strength and on the left an olive branch signifying peace. [1][2]
    Laura Gardin Fraser's next work for the United States Military Academy was the 1957 Sylvanus Thayer medal. This medal exhibits a profile bust of Sylvanus Thayer on its obverse and the coat of arms on the reverse. The Sylvanus Thayer medal is awarded annually by the USMA Association of Graduates to an outstanding citizen who in service to America exemplifies the USMA values of duty, honor, and country. Sylvanus Thayer known as the "father of the Military Academy" served as the United States Military Academy's Superintendent from 1817 until 1833. Under his leadership the USMA became a pioneering engineering school whose graduates were largely responsible for the construction of the nations initial rail lines, bridges, harbors, and roads. [3][4]
    Laura Gardin Fraser once said that, "A sculptors life is measured in large chunks of time." Three 9x4 bronze relief panels chronicling almost five centuries of American history represents one of those large chunks of time in Mrs. Fraser's life. The following is quoted in an interview with Dean Krakel concerning the aforementioned panels, "I began this project making little vignettes of historical figures in clay. We seem to know so little about American history, and so having begun this in 1935, I began to accumulate an interesting collection. I started doing events from history and animals purely American like--the skunk. Then I started sorting and organizing my figures in chronological order, placing them on large tablets. These became like the leaves of a book. This essentially is how I started the project. For a long time I thought I was doing them for love of my country, as no one or institution seemed interested."
    Eventually, the United States Military Academy took an interest in Mrs. Fraser's panels and they were cast into bronze. Then finally in 1964 after nearly 30 years, they were unveiled at the dedication of the Academy's new library in the portico of the library's entrance. The first panel begins with the exploration of Leif Ericson and extends all the way through to the Declaration of Independence and Revolutionary War. The second panel includes westward expansion, the development of American political parties, and the Mexican, Civil, and Indian Wars. Panel three illustrates industrial development, modern inventions, labor unions, the depression, the World Wars, and the atomic bomb. [5]
    1 The United States Military Academy West Point, http://www.usma.edu/news/sitepages/coat %20of%20arms%20and%20motto.aspx
    2 Medal Commemorates West Point Sesquicentennial by Fred Reed 10/4/99, http:// www.pcgs.com/News/Medal-Commemorates-West-Point-Sesquicentennial
    3 The United States Military Academy West Point, http://www.usma.edu/wphistory/SitePages/ Home.aspx
    4 Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvanus_Thayer_Award
    5 End of the Trail, The Odyssey of a Statue by Dean Krakel

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  3. coinsbygary
    On May 4, 1928, the Congress of the United States passed a joint resolution authorizing the striking of a gold medal to be presented to Charles A Lindbergh. This medal was to commemorate him for the first non-stop transatlantic flight between New York and Paris on May 20-21, 1927. In a ceremony held on August 15, 1930, President Hoover presented the Congressional Gold Medal to Charles A. Lindbergh.
    The resolution also provided for the striking of no more than 10 million bronze medals to be sold to the public at no cost to the treasury. Moreover, a commission was established to manage the sales. The profits from the medals were to be used for purchasing the Lindbergh homestead in Little Falls, Minnesota ($250,000) and for the construction and equipping of a Lindberg museum in St. Louis, Missouri ($250,000). Any profits exceeding the budgeted $500,000 were to be spent on aviation research. The sale of these medals continued into the 1970's. My medal is one of the later medals as determined by the different methods of mint packaging over the years. [1]
    The following excerpt is copied from a notice in the January 1929 issue of The Numismatist announcing Laura Gardin Fraser as the designer of the Lindbergh gold medal; "A profile sketch of Col. Charles Lindbergh will be drawn by a woman artist chosen to design the medal, authorized by Congress, commemorating his transatlantic flight. When the young American flyer, who is known as the most photographed man in America, could not produce a suitable portrait of himself in profile, tentative sketches were submitted by artists.
    Mrs. Laura Gardin Fraser of Westport, Connecticut, has announced that her sketch met with approval and that Colonel Lindbergh will sit for his portrait at her New York studio. When designed the medal will have on one side a profile of the Colonel with his flying headgear on. The other side will represent an allegorical figure flying through space. The American flag will serve as part of the background while the rest of the background will be made up of stars emblematic of Colonel Lindbergh's flight through night as well as day.
    (Note: The picture I use as this medal's reverse was taken at the Fraser's New York studio. Though nobody can tell for sure, the hands shown holding the background are believed to be those of Laura Gardin Fraser.) [2]
    Along with Charles A. Lindbergh, the Fraser's brushed shoulders with, or counted as friends, some of the most influential Americans of their time.
    Early in their marriage James was a fan and personal friend of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and if he was in New York, he seldom missed a Yankee home game.
    James Earle Fraser learned more from Augustus St. Gardens than just art, he also learned to play golf. At the Fraser home in West Port, Connecticut, James liked to drive golf balls from their 1.5 story, 30 x 60 foot studio. Memorable to Laura was Jimmy at their studio with Admiral King, Admiral Halsey, General Marshall and General Arnold all laughing and taking their turns hitting golf balls. [3]
    One of the Fraser's closest friend was poet Edwin Arlington Robinson. Edwin was a frequent house guest of the Frasers and they often dined out together and spent their evenings playing poker. Once Laura, as described in "The End of the Trail", cleaned out both Jimmy and Edwin with a royal flush.
    Another time the Fraser's received an invitation to Thomas Edison's home for lunch with others of his luncheon guests. Over lunch, Mr. Edison simply sat and dreamed away as his guests ate and talked.
    Laura sculpted a relief portrait of her close friend, Mrs. E.H. Harriman the wife of railroad magnate E.H. Harriman. A profile bust of Mrs. Harriman designed on a plaque won Laura the Saltus Medal of the National Academy of design in 1928. A sampling of the other names the Frasers met or were friends are names like Roosevelt, Ford, Byrd, and Hershey. [4]
    1. The Numismatist, April 1928, pg. 234-235
    2. James Earle Fraser & Laura Gardin Fraser Studio Papers, The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Box 6/Folder 4
    3. End of the Trail, the Odyssey of a Statue by Dean Krakel, pg. 51-52
    4. End of the Trail, the Odyssey of a Statue by Dean Krakel, Chapter 3

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  4. coinsbygary
    I know I posted about acquiring this medal earlier, but since then I have had this medal graded. I am also including in this post more of the background information associated with this medal. The last time I posted I started a lively thread on the merits of certifying medals (Actually user RWB in response to my post did). The final grade of this medal represents one of many reasons I am grading the medals in my Laura Gardin Fraser set. I am thrilled with the MS-63 grade this medal received. Before mailing the medal to NGC, MS-63 was my estimation of the best case scenario.
    Both Laura Gardin and James Earle Fraser loved America and the United States Armed Forces. During World War 1 Laura served her country in one of only a few ways available to women. An independent minded woman, she served as a captain in the American Volunteer Motor Ambulance Corps transporting wounded soldiers.[1]
    I believe this experience made Laura Gardin Fraser uniquely qualified to design the 1920 Army Navy Chaplains Medal. The obverse of this medal perfectly illustrates the compassion of The Good Samaritan typical of Army chaplains who ministered to wounded soldiers on the front lines. I used The following excerpt from the Federal Council Bulletin Vol. 3 No. 5 May 1920 to support my claim.
    The Chaplains Medal
    The medal to be given by the Protestant churches united in war work to all their chaplains of the American Army and Navy who served in the war is the work of Mrs. Laura Gardin Fraser, of New York, one of the best known of American medalists.
    The task which was given to Mrs. Fraser was to produce a design which would express the spirit of the men who served as chaplains and which should represent both branches of the service. That the sculptor has achieved a notable success and produced a medal of rare distinction and beauty is the judgment of competent artists and critics.
    In the design for the chaplains medal, Mrs. Fraser has chosen to represent an army chaplain in the act of supreme service, ministering at the risk of his own life to a wounded man. To those familiar with experiences at the front, the danger of the situation will be at once apparent. In the center of the design the gas mask is seen, ready for immediate adjustment. Indeed, the suggestion is that the chaplain has, perhaps, momentarily removed it, the better to succor the wounded man. Each detail of the chaplains equipment has been carefully scrutinized and pronounced correct by more than one who served at the front. Strength and sympathy are expressed in the finely modeled figure of the chaplain. The figure of the wounded man represents one of those who served the big guns and were frequently stripped to the waist when in action. This choice of a subject appealed to the sculptor for its artistic possibilities. The very strength of the splendidly modeled back seems by contrast to accentuate the helplessness of the wounded gunner.
    The fine record of the men who served as chaplains in the Navy, many of them constantly passing back and forth through the submarine danger zone, ministering to the crews of the naval vessels and the soldiers on the transports, is recalled by the representation of the battleship on the reverse of the medal. The design of this side, with the cross as the central feature, is dignified and strong.
    If the thought occurs that not all the chaplains were privileged to serve as the chaplain represented on the obverse of the medal, the answer is that the design expresses the kind of service for which every man who entered the chaplaincy in both the Army and Navy was ready and eager.
    The striking of these medals is the realization of a suggestion made soon after the armistice in the Executive Committee of the General War-Time Commission of the Churches. The Committee approved the proposal and made it one of the tasks committed to the General Committee on Army and Navy Chaplains when the War-Time Commission dissolved.
    It is hoped the medals will have a permanent value for those who receive them. They are the gift of the churches which worked in closest fellowship during the war in carrying out their common tasks through the War-Time Commission. The medals are intended to convey in tangible form a message of grateful appreciation from the churches to their chaplain sons who were ready to give up life itself, if necessary, in the service of their fellows in the Army and Navy. The churches are proud indeed of the splendid record the chaplains made.
    A word of gratitude should be said for the interest taken by the sculptor in her task. Mrs. Fraser brought to it an understanding sympathy without which so satisfying a result could never have been obtained. The medals are to be struck in bronze by the Gorham Company of New York.
    The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America originally budgeted $25,000 towards the production of these medals [2]
    1 The Numismatist; July 2013, pg. 35
    2 Federal Council Bulletin Vol. 3 No. 4 April 1920

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  5. coinsbygary
    This is the second of what I hope will be three finished descriptions this week. This set is coming along rather nicely and I added the Grant Dollar to the Laura Gardin Fraser set two weeks ago. I hope that you enjoy my post, I am learning a lot about the Fraser's and I believe the cumulative descriptions are beginning to give me a glimpse into the heart of Laura Gardin Fraser.
    The American Numismatic Society was founded in New York on April 6, 1858, to advance numismatic knowledge. In 1958 the Society had reached its 100th anniversary. To celebrate the occasion Laura Gardin Fraser, winner in 1926 of the Societys J. Sanford Saltus Award for distinguished accomplishment in medallic art, was commissioned to design the medal. A formal celebration of the Societys Centennial was held on April 12, 1958, at the auditorium of the Society's neighbor, the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The accompanying medal represents a continuance of the celebration and will be named the Centennial Medal of The American Numismatic Society. [1]
    The Centennial Medal of the American Numismatic Society was made to order through the American Numismatic Society. This 89mm bronze medal struck by the Medallic Art Company had an original purchase price of $3.50. [2]
    I am not sure how it came about that Mrs. Fraser got the commission to design the Centennial Medal of The American Numismatic Society. Nor am I in any way suggesting that there was any impropriety involved. However, I am discovering that many of Americas most prominent sculptors of the early twentieth-century were part of a small and tight knit community centered in New York at the Art Students League. Consequently, the lions share of commissions came to the members of this community. As an aside, I like to think of this community as the legacy of Augustus Saint-Gaudens since many of the accomplished sculptors of the early twentieth- century trained and apprenticed there under his instruction.
    One of those Art Students League sculptors was Anna Hyatt Huntington. Laura Gardin Fraser and Anna Hyatt Huntington were not only associates of one another, but friends. In 1923 Anna Hyatt married philanthropist, Archer Huntington. Archer Huntington was the president of the American Numismatic Society between 1905 and 1910, after which he was the Societys honorary president and council-member until his death in 1955. [3]
    Due to Annas health, the Huntingtons bought a 9,100 acre tract of land just south of Murrells Inlet, SC originally intending for it to be their winter home. Born of an artistic and natural vision, the Huntingtons opened a sculpture and botanical garden on their property in 1932 that they named BrookGreen Gardens. BrookGreen Gardens was built in part as place for Anna and other sculptors to display their works of art. Today BrookGreen Gardens is a registered national historic place with 1445 works of American sculpture. [4]
    One of the 1445 sculptures in BrookGreen Gardens is an enormous granite sculpture of Pegasus and a rider in the clouds completed by Laura Gardin Fraser in 1954. The basis for the granite sculpture was Mrs. Fraser's 1927 sculpture entitled Air. This much smaller sculpture features Pegasus being ridden by Apollo which is symbolic of mans spirit and aspirations. [5]
    Therefore, I think it was Pegasus that brought this around full circle resulting with the commission for the medal going to Laura Gardin Fraser. Pegasus was a favorite subject of Mrs. Frasers and she has the following to say about the design features of the Centennial Medal of The American Numismatic Society: The Science of Numismatics engages the imagination of the artist who creates a design in sculptured form, and the artisan who reproduces that model in permanent metal. When Nature petrified the first forms of animal and plant life, Nature made the first dies. The obverse of the American Numismatic Society Centennial Medal shows the potential archeologist, who, having broken the stone asunder, discovers a petrified animal form in one half and in the other a perfect impression of it, or the die.
    Since tablets, coins and medals constitute the authority for historical data and our earliest civilizations expressed themselves in terms of their particular mythologies, on the reverse of the medal I used the Pegasus as a symbol of the arts, to indicate as in a vision, that numismatics was a science from the era of Pegasus to the geo-physical year of the harnessing of the atom.
    To the fore of this mission are the artisans who are in the act of forging a medal, using such tools as are the basis of modern medal making. [6]
    1 The accompanying COA for the Centennial Medal of the American Numismatic Society
    2 The Numismatist, April 1958, pg. 406-407
    3 The American Numismatic Society, http://www.numismatics.org/Archives/HuntingtonBio
    4 Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookgreen_Gardens
    5 medallicartcollector.com
    6 The accompanying COA for the Centennial Medal of the American Numismatic Society

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  6. coinsbygary
    Writing descriptions for the coins and medals in my sets is time consuming for me. First comes the hours of trying to uncover even the most obscure of information about the subject which I am writing. Finally, I have to figure out based on a theme what to write and what to leave out. Then I have to present my description in a readable, grammatically correct way as not to bore the reader. Its quite exasperating but at the same time enjoyable. With a week off from work, I have time to get things done around the house AND to write! I hope you enjoy my latest post!
    Among the greatest of accolades an artist can receive is if a group of his or hers peers recognizes them for their artistry. This honor was effectively bestowed on Laura Gardin Fraser when a special committee of sculptors selected her design for the official 1932 medal of the United States Commission for the Celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of George Washington. That committee made up of a virtual whos who in American sculpture consisted of Daniel Chester French, Herbert Adams, Lorado Taft, and A. A. Weinman. With the committees selection, the National Commission of Fine Arts unanimously approved Mrs. Frasers design to be struck by the United States Mint under the supervision of Mint Director Robert J. Grant.[1]
    On page 4 in the January 1934 issue of The Numismatist is the following description of the medals design features. Obverse, bust of Washington in military uniform in center. Above, Washington, Under bust, in small letters, Laura Gardin Fraser, Sculptor. Below in a straight line, 1782, 1932 separated by the Washington coat-of-arms. Reverse, figure of Liberty holding a torch in her uplifted right hand and a sheathed sword in her left hand. Above, to the left of the figure an eagle with outspread wings, and above, 13 stars grouped in two lines. Straight across lower half of medal in two lines separated by the figure, Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land. The reverse also shows that the eagle is perched atop a fasces.
    The Washington Bicentennial of Birth medal struck in platinum, silver, and bronze is 75.5mm in diameter. An exact duplicate of the bronze medal but only 58mm in diameter was struck by the US Mint for sale to collectors. The medal in my collection is the 75.5mm bronze variety. The 75.5mm bronze medal was to be used by the United States Commission for the Celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of George Washington as a medal of award in connection with national essay, oratorical and declamatory contests sponsored by the commission.[2]
    The platinum medal is one of a kind and the first ever struck in platinum by the United States Mint. Struck from the master dies, this medal weighs in at a full pound. In a ceremony on the south lawn of the White House on December 1, 1932, the platinum medal was presented to President Herbert Hoover, Chairman of United States Commission for the Celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of George Washington.
    Laura Gardin Fraser was present at the Philadelphia Mint on February 4, 1932 for the striking of the platinum medal and had this to say as expressed by Charles Engelhard, whose company donated the platinum for the medal. After scrutinizing the medal as it came from the press in the Medal Room of the Philadelphia Mint, Mrs. Fraser expressed her complete satisfaction with its artistic success. She pointed out that the use of platinum retained without impairment all the finest details of the sculptors art in plaster, retaining the design without need of oxidation or other artificial treatment in order to successfully carry out the work.[3]
    Mrs. Fraser was very good at keeping a diary. She wrote not only of James and hers work, but also of their social life. In November of 1930 Mrs. Fraser wrote about beginning her work on the Washington Medal. In December of 1930, she wrote of completing the Washington medal for the competition. Concurrently, she wrote about celebrating James 54th birthday in November with a party at Tide Hill Tavern, near Westport, Connecticut and moving to their winter home in New York City the next day. In December Mrs. Fraser writes, A Merry time! A beautiful, crystal clear, cold, wonderful Christmas![4]
    1 The Numismatist, October 1931, pg. 738
    2 The Numismatist, January 1934, pg. 4
    3 The Numismatist, January 1961, pg. 18-20
    4 End of the Trail the Odyssey of a Statue by Dean Krakel, pg. 44-45

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  7. coinsbygary
    Thematic coins and medals based on western subjects were a favorite of both Frasers. James Earle Fraser was born in Winona, Minnesota on November 4, 1876. In 1880 his family moved to Mitchell in the Dakota Territory. It was here in the vast openness of the American frontier that James love of the West grew. In the case of Laura Gardin Fraser, I believe it was her love of American history, the allure and excitement of the American frontier, and her love of horses that inspired her rendition of the Oklahoma Run on the 1957 Oklahoma Semicentennial Medal.[1]
    The motivation for James and Lauras love of the West impacted their interpretation of it. In an interview with Mrs. Fraser, Dean Krakel, the author of End of the Trail the Odyssey of a Statue writes in his book; There is a mood not only to our lives but to our studio and to everything we have ever done. I saw the frontier in a different light from Jimmy. I saw it with all its glamour, excitement, and motion and so created my Oklahoma Run. Jimmy saw the spiritual mood, the tragedy and emotional undercurrents of the frontier and so created his End of the Trail.
    Late in his life, James Earle Fraser received a commission from the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds to sculpt a relief panel of the 1889 Oklahoma Run. With his health failing and near death James asked Laura to finish the panel which at the time was only in the preliminary stages of design. Based on James sketches, Laura finished the 4 x 20 foot panel in 1955, two years after his death. The relief panel features more than 250 figures composed primarily of horses and riders. Unfortunately, due to several disagreements it was not delivered until after Lauras death in 1966 and a decade after the 1957 Oklahoma semicentennial celebration. The "Run of 1889" relief panel that is a model for the obverse of the Oklahoma Semicentennial Medal currently resides at Oklahoma City's Bicentennial Plaza.[2][3]
    Mrs. Fraser brilliantly captures a snapshot of all the chaos, excitement, and fast movement of the Oklahoma Run featured on the obverse of the Oklahoma Semicentennial medal. Up for grabs on April 22,1889 was 2 million acres of land and 50,000 people simultaneously vying for it. As mentioned in a previous paragraph, Mrs. Fraser captures all the glamour, excitement, and motion of the American frontier on the obverse of this medal.[4]
    The highest relief devices on the obverse of this medal are the largest and most detailed images. The horses have their muscles flexed in full gallop and give an impression of fast motion. As the relief lowers so does the size and detail of the images until the images forming the lowest relief are very small and numerous. This gives the medal a three dimensional look to the action portrayed on the obverse. At the highest relief is a cloud of dust which frames the devices. A few wagons, one just behind the central horse and rider and a covered wagon towards the back adds diversity to the devices.
    The following is a description of the reverse as given by the editor of The Numismatist, Elston G. Bradfield in the June 1958 issue of The Numismatist; Reverse: Around, at top, OKLAHOMA SEMI-CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION, at bottom, OKLAHOMA CITY; in center, two dramatic figures facing left, one representing energy and progress and the other imagination and vision; woven into the design are symbols of each activity that is derived from the earth, the air, fire and water. Harvesting is suggested by the scythe, mining by the pick, electricity by the wheels, animal husbandry by the cow and sheep, and power by the waterfall, oil wells and atomic symbol. The figure of Vision reflects the reverence that comes to him from on High. The symbol of the arrow piercing the symbol of atomic energy was the theme of the Oklahoma Semicentennial Exposition, Arrows to Atoms in 50 years. To the left of the central figures is 1907 and to right, 1957. In exergue, ~ PROGRESS ~ VISION~." Certainly, Laura Gardin Fraser employed numerous and appropriate symbols to tell the story of Oklahoma on the reverse of this medal.
    This medal is struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company and is 76mm in diameter. Distribution was by the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce at a cost of $7.50 each.[5]
    [1] End of the Trail the Odyssey of a Statue by Dean Krakel; Chapters 2 & 4.
    [2] The Numismatist, July 2013, Canine & Equine the Art of Laura Gardin Fraser, pg. 36-37.
    [3] End of the Trail the Odyssey of a Statue by Dean Krakel; Chapter 4.
    [4] Wikipedia, Land Rush of 1889; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rush_of_1889.
    [5] The Numismatist, June 1958, page 664

  8. coinsbygary
    Before Laura Gardin Fraser married James Earle Fraser on Thanksgiving Day of 1913 she was an admiring student under his tutelage at the Art Students League in New York City. After three years as a student she joined him as an instructor at the school in 1910. It is here that she honed her skills as a sculptor, receiving several awards for her work.[1]
    Perhaps on account of James teaching Laura learned that to be successful as a medallic artist she needed to simplify the design, employ appropriate symbols, use care in spacing all the elements, and execute the design with style. Accordingly, I believe Mrs. Fraser meets or exceeds each of the aforementioned objectives with her 1930 Hunters Medal. This medal also has the distinction of being the inaugural issue of the Society of Medalists.[2]
    The Hunters Medal is struck in bronze and is 72mm in diameter. It has a mintage of 3,235 and a reported 125 re-strikes with the same pair of dies struck in silver and issued in the 1970's.[3]
    The following is quoted by medalist and sculptor Laura Gardin Fraser concerning the Hunters Medal. There are many persons who desire to collect medals but are unable to do so because the medal is used in most instances as a specific award. The scope of the subject matter which bears no relation to a particular person or occasion embraces many forms of expression and the sculptor has a large field of choice. In this case, I felt that a sporting subject would be a departure from what one has been accustomed to seeing in medallic art. Therefore, I chose the hunter with his dog because it presented the opportunity of telling a story embodying a human and animal element. It has been studied as to correctness of detail so that it should have an appeal to those who are interested in out-of-door life. The ruffled grouse forms the reverse. It may be considered as a national game bird and is distinct in character and very decorative. It is hoped that there is sufficient merit in the rendering of this work to appease the collector whose interest is in the art of the medal.
    The Circle of Friends of the Medallion (1909-1915) laid the groundwork for the formation of the Society of Medalists under the auspices of the American Federation of the Arts in 1930. The Society of medalists provided a forum for prominent sculptors to exhibit their medallic art. The resulting medals were then made available to the collecting public. From 1930-1995 the Society of Medalists issued a total of 129 medals at a rate of two per year. In addition to the regular issue medals there were also five special issue medals. All the SOM medals were struck by the Medallic Art Company.[4][5][6]
     
    The Medallic Art Company then headquartered in New York City was founded in 1903 by two Frenchmen, Henri and Felix Weil. Today, based in Dayton, Nevada, the Medallic Art Company is Americas oldest and largest private mint. The medallic Art Company specializes in making academic awards, maces, and medallions. Among their most notable awards is the Pulitzer Prize, the Peabody Award, the Newbery medal, and the Caldecott medal. The Medallic Art Company has also struck the inaugural medals of eleven presidents.[7][8]
    1 The Meadowlark Gallery; http://www.meadowlarkgallery.com/FraserLaura.htm
    2 The Medal Maker; http://www.medallic.com/about/medal_maker.php
    3 medallicartcollector.com
    4 Wikipedia "Society of Medalists"; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Medalists
    5 Wikipedia "Circle of Friends of the Medallion"; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Circle_of_Friends_of_the_Medallion
    6 PCGS "Enduring Society of Medalists First Issue Continues to Attract Collectors" by Fred Reed - September 9, 1999;
    7 Wikipedia "Medallic Art Company"; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medallic_Art_Company
    8 The Medallic Art Company; http://www.medallic.com/

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  9. coinsbygary
    This past weeks Central States Numismatic Society show was full of unexpected surprises. For me, the unpredictability of this years show made it one of the most exciting CSNS shows I have attended.
    The day started off Thursday morning with a 2 1/2 hour drive to Schaumburg, Illinois where I met a collecting friend who was to sell some of my excess coins through his E-Bay store. One of those coins was a 1924 MS-62 double eagle that I bought about ten years ago. As I recently posted, I just upgraded the St Gaudens Double Eagle in my 7070 type set. Since I bought the old coin when the spot price of gold was much lower, I was looking to make a handsome profit even if the coin would only fetch slightly more than today's spot price.
    As we talked about the fees I was facing to list this coin on E-Bay, we came to the conclusion that we might be able to sell it at the show, avoid the E-Bay fees, and net slightly more money. In fact, my friend already had a dealer in mind and asked me if I would take a check in payment for the coin. Since I had no plans to spend a lot of money at the show this year, I told him a check would be fine.
    While my friend was attempting to market the double eagle I went about to look for any Laura Gardin Fraser medals I might find on a predetermined $200 show budget. Window shopping around the bourse, I walked up to a dealer selling National Currency notes. When the dealer asked me about my collecting interests I told him that I didnt normally collect notes. However, I explained to him that I was interested in buying a note from the city where my children were born and perhaps a note from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Sifting through his inventory, I found a $10 note from Green Bay and a $5 note from Baltimore, Maryland where my children were born.
    The Green Bay note was outside my show budget and I was going to pass on it when my friend walked up to me and placed the cash proceeds from the double eagle in my hands. Let me just say that a collector with an unexpected bundle of cold hard cash on a bourse floor is a dangerous thing! Thus, since I am a Packer fan and I own a share of Packer stock, I bought both notes and blew my show budget sky high! Now what was I to do? Call it a show and bring the money home, or buy something else? Well, I must say that buying something else was far more appealing to me then to just simply bring the money home!
    When I thought that I might be able to upgrade an MS-62 quarter eagle in my type set, I went about the bourse floor looking for a nice MS-63 or 64 example. After a bit of searching, I found a dealer with eight coins that met this criteria. Of four MS-63 and four MS-64 coins one coin stood out to me and it was a sale.
    Later, my wife and I went out to eat and shopped at a local Ikea store where we bought two lamp stands for our living room. The next morning I went to the meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Numismatists. Finally, my wife and I spent about two hours looking over all the collector exhibits. Perusing the exhibits is one of our favorite things to do at a show with the added benefit of not spending any money to do so!
    When we got home I went to my bank and deposited the $200 I took down to the show and... $250 more from the proceeds of the double eagle sale. All in all, I bought a couple of notes, a quarter eagle, and two lamp stands returning with $250 more than I took with me! That has never happened before and may never happen again! Incidentally, I didn't find any new medals for my Laura Gardin Fraser set, but returned with items I had no intention of buying before going to the show.
    Gary

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  10. coinsbygary
    Since I started my collection of Laura Gardin Fraser coins and medals, the 1920 American Army and Navy chaplains medal has been at the top of my list to purchase. These medals rarely become available for sale and the last one I bid in 2015, I lost. Since then I had e-bay searches set up to locate others that may become available.
    Though these medals are scarce, they don't cost too much since the demand is low. It's just that the people who own them rarely sell them. With a pocket full of e-bay bucks I searched for ways to spend my bucks when I came across the medal with a BIN price that just had listed only hours earlier with one watcher. I didn't give it a second thought and quickly snatched what will be the cornerstone of my medal collection.
    This medal struck by the Gorham Co. was awarded to all the Army and Navy chaplains of World War 1. It is also fitting that Laura Gardin Fraser should design and sculpt this medal. Both Frasers loved America and the armed forces of the United States. Laura had a long and cordial relationship with the West Point Military Academy that I will write about later. Interestingly, during WWI Laura volunteered to drive ambulances transporting wounded soldiers. Thus the obverse reveals her passion reminiscent of the Good Samaritan depicting a chaplain giving a wounded soldier a drink.
    As a Christian in the United States Navy in the late 70's early 80's, this medal kind of has a personal connection. On top of the chaplain of our ship providing spiritual assistance he also provided humanitarian assistance. The post Vietnam War era created a huge refugee problem. While at sea and 100 miles off the coast of Vietnam in the South China Sea we rescued dozens of refugees, many of them children from certain peril. It's hard to imagine what would make a person put out to sea in nothing more than a rickety wooden raft in hopes of being rescued. Only God knows the numbers of people never found. Of the ones we rescued we really adored the kids, and although the Vietnam War still triggers passionate emotions, I am proud to have been a part of that operation.
    Gary

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  11. coinsbygary
    When it comes to collecting coins over the course of a year, I typically focus on only one segment of my collection at a time. For instance, three years ago it was Morgan and Eisenhower dollars, two years ago it was my custom set, The Use of Seated Imagery in Numismatics, last year it was completing and upgrading my Dansco 7070 type set, and this year it's my new custom set, The Coins and Medals of Laura Gardin Fraser.
    Lately Ive written much about my new custom set because it consumes most of my spare time in research and represents the bulk of my new purchases. Still opportunities to buy coins and medals for other parts of my collection do arise from time to time. What is amazing is that lately those opportunities have been both frequent and diverse.
    Two of those opportunities consisted of upgrades to raw coins I already owned, but had not submitted for grading. The first is an 1856 Belgian Five Centimes coin commemorating the 25th anniversary of Belgium independence and the reign of its first king, King Leopold I. The obverse of this coin features a seated image of La Belgique or Belgica and as such fits very well in The Use of Seated imagery in Numismatics.
    The other is a Heraldic Art Medal commemorating Hawaii becoming a state in 1959. The obverse features a Polynesian girl wearing a grass skirt and lea standing on a beach looking out over the ocean. When I look at this piece I think of Hospitality and as such it is a fine addition to my Inspirational Ladies set. Incidentally, both the raw pieces would have graded lower. Additionally, not having to submit them saves money for the Laura Gardin Fraser medals I intend to submit.
    Though my 7070 type set is complete, I still want the coins in it to be the best I can afford within my budget. For those upgrades I have a dealer/friend that frequents many of the big shows looking out for potential candidates to my set. He has a good eye for coins with pleasing original surfaces that represent both quality and value. My latest addition through him is an MS64RB 1864 large motto 2-cent piece he acquired for me at the last Baltimore show.
    Even though I have my friend looking out for me, I still buy a few coins for the 7070 set on my own. With the price of gold relatively low Ive been upgrading the gold coins in this set. Just recently I purchased a MS-64+ 1911-D St Gaudens Double Eagle. This coin has beautiful orange peel surfaces with nice luster. The coin it is replacing is an MS-62 double eagle.
    Finally, I had as a goal to have the eleven coins of my Netherlands Wilhelmina 10 gulden set to be graded MS-65 or higher. I started this set seven years ago and for the last two years only lacked the scarce 1898 in MS-65 or higher. Most of those two years, I scarcely gave this set a thought and then wham, not only did I have the opportunity to upgrade to MS-65 but before me was an opportunity to buy the only MS-66. Though the coin was probably a bit over priced, I snapped it up as fast as I could. Now the set is complete and perhaps the best of its kind in the world. Six of the eleven coins are graded MS-66 and six of the coins are the top pops. For a while, I thought I'd never get there, but here I am showing that you need to be both persistent and patient when it comes finding the perfect coin! Happy collecting!
    Gary

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  12. coinsbygary
    My new custom set is coming more into focus with this set description.
    Every pioneer who paves a new trail, marks a trail for others to follow. Laura Gardin Fraser (1889-1966) is the first women ever to design a US minted coin or for that matter any other world coin (The Numismatist July 2013, p. 35). As a result, this has opened the way for many other talented female sculptor/medalists to break into what had been exclusively the realm of men. That said, I dont get the impression that Laura Gardin Fraser was particularly pugnacious about breaking down barriers. Rather, I believe it was her love of sculpture and artistic expression combined with her artistic prowess that marked the trail for others to follow. Thus, as a result of my admiration of Laura Gardin Fraser as a person, pioneer and artist I created this set entitled, The Coins and Medals of Laura Gardin Fraser.
    Even though Laura was the wife of famed Buffalo Nickel sculptor James Earle Fraser, she was certainly a sculptor in her own right. Some have incorrectly claimed that Laura Gardin Fraser's success was based on an undue influence from her husband, but the truth is that James had always encouraged her to be individualistic. Laura is quoted as saying this about her husband, He was a great teacher, Laura recalled. Jimmy had the rare quality of being able to recognize what someone felt. He never liked to work in one specific manner. He encouraged individualism. Everyone loved him--especially me. (The Meadowlark Gallery) Thus, I intend to showcase many of Lauras coins along with some of her 100 plus medals in the body of this set (The Numismatist July 2013, p. 35). Through her numismatic creations, I hope to catch a glimpse of Laura Gardin Frasers heart.
     
    There is a considerable amount of research available on James Earle and Laura Gardin Fraser including the James Earle and Laura Gardin Fraser studio papers at the Dickinson Research Center and Syracuse University Libraries. Given all the past research done on Laura Gardin Fraser, I am unlikely to unearth anything new that had been previously unknown. Thus, within the narrative of my owner comments, I intend to offer my own opinion of Laura Gardin Frasers life passion and work based on the coins and medals themselves and on known facts about her. Where I have Lauras own comments on a particular piece, I will quote her directly. For who better can describe the intention of the medallic art than the artist themselves.
    I also intend to gather my facts from reliable sources such as The Numismatist, various websites like The Meadowlark Gallery and books from my personal library such as End of the Trail: The Odyssey of a Statue (1973) by Dean Krakel. Then when I make an opinion based on a known fact I will name the source in parenthesis.
    From a numismatic standpoint, this set will prove to be quite a challenge. While the coins are all readily available, many of the medals are not. The medals can be divided into two categories. The first are those medals intended for sale to the general public, such as the Society of Medalists and the Hall of Fame for Great Americans series. The second are those medals given out as an award. This category includes such medals as the 1913 Better Babies medal and the 1920 American Army and Navy Chaplains Medal. As a category, the second will be much more difficult and expensive to acquire. Difficult in that examples of these infrequently appear for sale and expensive as they tend to be much rarer. Therefore, this set will likely be years in the making and probably never complete. Still much of what I enjoy about this set is the hunt for new pieces.
    If they say a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth a thousand times more. Thus I am posting a link to a 1929 film made by The Medallic Art Company entitled, The Medal Maker. At one time this film was thought to be lost, but has since been found and restored by the Medallic Art Company. The film features the making of the 1929 National Sculpture Society Special Medal of Honor from its creation by Laura Gardin Fraser to its inaugural presentation to Daniel Chester French. The Medallic Art Company has edited the film to be narrated by the 11th and final chief engraver of the US Mint, Elizabeth Jones. The film can be viewed at The Medallic Art Companys web site via the following link.
    http://www.medallic.com/about/medal_maker.php
    Finally, I find it most interesting that prior to 1921 no woman had ever designed a United States coin and then only 60 years later to have Elizabeth Jones become the chief engraver of the US Mint. Consequently, I can reasonably conclude that women have gained a much more prominent role in numismatics based on their artistic skill. This then is as it should be.
    This is a link to my new set, as always there is much more to come!
    Gary
    https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=19449

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  13. coinsbygary
    This year I am starting a new custom set based on the coins and medals of Laura Gardin Fraser. The Alabama Centennial coin is the first description in this exciting new set. I will have much more to post about this set later and if you want to follow my progress, use this link to view my set. https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=19449
    The 1921 Alabama Centennial half-dollar represents two significant firsts in United States coinage. One, the obverse of the coin portrays the conjoined busts of Alabamas first governor, William Wyatt Bibb and then current governor, Thomas E. Kilby. This made Alabama Governor Thomas E. Kilby the first living person to be featured on a United States coin. Next, the coin was sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser and as such she became the first women ever to design a US minted coin or for that matter any other world coin (The Numismatist July 2013, p. 35).
    These and many other factors, including the date, origin, and politics surrounding the issuance of this coin tended to overshadow the artistic talent of this coins designer. Now, after nearly a hundred years, those other factors dont seem to be nearly as important as they once were. Instead, what impresses me most about this coin is the artistic skill used by the coins designer, Laura Gardin Fraser to create a truly remarkable coin.
    The obverse of this 1921 Alabama Centennial Half-Dollar as stated before features the conjoined busts of William Wyatt Bibb and Thomas E. Kilby. The bust of Thomas E. Kilby was likely modeled after a relief portrait of him done by Mrs. Fraser (Meadowlark Gallery). The relief of both busts are finely detailed and give the coins obverse depth and contrast. This is especially evident on the left cheek of Governor Kilby. Every curve and valley seems to give his bust depth and a life-like look. This look may be summed up by the difference between using a live model versus a two-dimensional photograph or painting to create the plasters used to make the hubs.
    In the lower obverse field is an array of 22 stars representing Alabama as the 22nd state admitted to the Union. The rim toning, likely the result of being mounted in a paper album, is natures contribution to the appearance of this coin. The rim toning attractively accents the obverse and focuses the viewers eyes on the white central-devices artistically rendered by Laura Gardin Fraser. Two contact marks on Kilby's forehead at the hairline are the only distracting marks on an otherwise pleasing obverse.
    The main device on this coins reverse is a rendition of the state seal adopted on December 29, 1868. This rendition of the state seal features an eagle perched on a Union Shield clutching a bundle of four arrows in its talons. Held by the eagles beak is a banner on which is written Alabamas motto, Here We Rest. Interestingly, it took two years after the official centennial celebration in 1919 before the coin was finally released late in 1921.
    Throughout the early history of our coinage many of the eagles appearing on US coins seemed more symbolic than true. What I mean by that is that the eagles portrayed on our early coins were in the semblance of an eagle. Interestingly, the images of eagles on US coins became more life-like in the early 20th century during what President Teddy Roosevelt called a renascence in American coinage (US Mint). Certainly the eagle on the reverse of the Alabama Centennial Half-Dollar is representative of this renascence.
    Mature bald eagles have over 7000 feathers (American Bald Eagle Information). This presents any sculptor with the problem of making their eagle look like a fully feathered bird. Laura Gardin Fraser brilliantly achieves this on the Alabama Centennial Half-Dollar by layering the feathers on the eagles wings and breast rather than displaying them in rows. This also gives the viewer a sense of motion. This motion starts at the head in the ruff of feathers at the base of the eagles neck. The neck feathers on this coin appear to be ruffled, and contribute to the life-like look of this eagle. Bald eagles have the ability to puff up and rotate their feathers to either insulate or cool their bodies. They may also puff them up when they feel threatened (American Bald Eagle Information). Finally, the primary feathers are long and subtly waved as if the wind is blowing over them. This also contributes to the sense of motion and gives the image depth that makes the eagle appear life-like. I was able to capture this in the lighting of my picture. To contrast this coin I am also picturing a two-dimensional drawing of the Alabama State Seal of 1868.

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  14. coinsbygary

    Worth the Wait

    By coinsbygary,

    Two and one half months after I made a commitment to buy an 1802 NGC XF-40 Large Cent, my wait has finally ended!
    Though I waited about two and a half months from the commitment to buy until delivery, this story really began at the ANA show in August. This is when I purchased a 1901 MS-63 gold eagle. You see, it was then that I asked the person I bought the eagle from to look out for a nice VF-XF Draped Bust Large Cent to complete my 7070 type set. Thereafter, I personally decided to put an end to my search and wait until I got word on a prospective coin.
    When you think about, you have to be able to trust your want list to a person or dealer who has a good eye for quality coins. The 1901 gold eagle and some other coins my friend had on hand for other clients convinced me of his knack to find coins with nice eye appeal. Add to this the nice deal I got on the 1901 eagle and I have no problem trusting this person to select quality coins for me sight unseen.
    Another plus about this deal is that I don't normally buy early coppers and as such I am not familiar with the market for them. Having someone in your corner who knows something of that market and is someone you can trust is a real comfort.
    As time went by, I kind of forgot about the coin. That was until I got a call from my friend at the Whitman Show in Baltimore about an 1802 NGC XF-40 Mervis Collection pedigreed coin. Part of this coin's appeal is that at one time it was part a complete set of large cents according to Sheldon variety. In 2013, the Mervis Collection of Large Cents won the NGC award for best classic set.
    Another appealing feature of this coin is a long die crack on the coin's obverse. That crack starts at 12:00 and cuts through the top quarter of the coin before ending at about 3:00. The surfaces are all evenly colored and original. Except for weakness in the reverse legend, the coin has a small planchet flaw in the D of UNITED and what appears to be a clash or crack running from the top left of the wreath through the A & T in STATES. Another crack from the wreath through the E in UNITED rounds out the reverse features of this coin.
    After viewing a few photographs of the coin, I decided to go ahead and purchase the coin. However, there were a few flies in the ointment so to say. When I got the call, I had already made a big coin purchase only a little more than a week earlier. Add to that the coming of Christmas and my kids needing a little help, I was in a pickle to buy another pricey coin. Fortunately, this did not turn into a show stopper as we worked out an agreement whereby I could pay for the coin in three monthly installments.
    Now with my set complete, I only need to make some choice upgrades to achieve the level of quality I desire for this set at the amount of money I can afford. This is where another set of eyes really comes in quite handy!
    For now I hope you enjoy my images that for an early copper are quite impressive. Believe me, I have combed through dozens if not hundreds of listings only to discover that there are relatively few coins of the quality I now have!
    Gary

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  15. coinsbygary
    I am already finding the new ANA searchable database of The Numismatist quite useful in finding information I thought didnt exist or was lost.
    A few years ago I bought a three medal set of ANA convention medals enclosed in a plexiglass holder. The 1969 medals struck in bronze and silver commemorate the 78th annual convention of the ANA held in Philadelphia, Pa.
    The main attraction to these medals designed by US Mint Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro is the obverse rendition of Lady Liberty reminiscent of the 1781 Libertas Americana medal. Interestingly, the design of the 1969 ANA medals was to be a prototype for a new small-size dollar in 1979. However, Gasparros liberty cap design was overruled by Congress and President Jimmy Carter in favor of Susan B. Anthony. At that time I was a YN and I remember being very disappointed that Gasparros Liberty Cap design was not chosen. Thus, with no dollar coin to collect, I opted for the 1969 ANA convention medals instead.
    After I bought the medals I searched for any information I could find on them. This led me to check out a book from the ANAs library that I thought might shed a little light on the subject. Unfortunately, the information I found in the book was sparse and incomplete. With apparently nowhere else to look, I mailed the book back to the ANA and my search temporarily ended. That was until...
    ...Until the recent launch by the ANA of a searchable database for every issue of The Numismatist. Naturally, the first thing I did after signing up was to read Volume 1 Number 1. Then, I thought to give the database a trial run and I reopened my quest to find any pertinent information about the medals.
    My first search query, 1969 ANA medal returned too many links. Then I narrowed my search by adding the word convention and the number of links shrunk considerably. On about the third link I had my, Eureka, I found it moment! What I found was three pages (pages 973-975) of the June 1973 issue of The Numismatist with all the information I could ever want on my medals and then some!
    Another link returned a two-part article by David Lange chronicling how the Susan B. Anthony Dollar came about. Those articles are found in the 2010 January and February Issues of The Numismatist. For future reference, I found 93 references to Laura Gardin Fraser that will be very helpful in piecing together my new collection based on her work.
    Now without any further ado, May I present a small sampling of the information I gleaned from an article written by ANA historian, Neil Harris in the June 1973 issue of The Numismatist.
    There are three medals and two looped pendant badges that make up a complete set of 1969 ANA convention medals, and all of them were manufactured by the Medallic Art Co. of New York. The pendant badges are struck in bronze measuring 38 and 19 mm in quantities of 2,300 and 500 respectively. The 38 mm pendant is suspended by a ribbon to a gilt bordered name plate with a rear pin clasp. The 19 mm lady size pendant is suspended by a ribbon with a rear pin clasp. Each conventioneer received one or the other badges with their $3 registration fee. With a total convention registration of 7,722 I'm not quite sure how this worked out.
    Separate from the badges is a three medal set that includes a 38 and 19 mm bronze medal along with a 38 mm silver medal. The inscription on the edge of the 38 mm bronze and silver medals is that of the manufacturer, MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. along with the medals serial number (the serial number of my medals is 259). Furthermore, the edge of the silver medal has the inscription, .999+ PURE SILVER. The three medals are attractively housed inside a plexiglass holder with a ribbon swatch across the face. The mintage of the three medal set is 400 and the original issue price was $15.00.
    The obverse of the three medals portrays Frank Gasparros rendition of Lady Liberty likened to that of the Liberty Capped Half Cent of 1793 and the previously mentioned 1781 Libertas Americana medal. The Liberty Capped Half Cent was among the first coins produced by the newly opened 1792 Philadelphia Mint. Around the rim of the medal is thirteen stars representing the thirteen original states and the legend 1969 Annual Convention, Philadelphia.
    There are several reverse devices featured on this medal. The main central device is an eagle symbolic of the United States. In back of the eagle is the newly dedicated Philadelphia Mint with a glory radiating from behind it. To the right of the Philadelphia mint is Independence Hall located in Philadelphia representing our independence. Finally, the seal of The American Numismatic Association is just below Independence Hall and to the right of the eagle. The top rim features the legend 78th ANNIVERSARY while underneath the eagle on the bottom rim is the legend, AMERICAN NUMISMATIC ASSOCIATION.
    The fourth US Mint in Philadelphia was dedicated on August 14,1969 in conjunction with the 78th anniversary convention of the American Numismatic Association. The fourth mint can produce a million coins in thirty minutes while it took up to three years for the first mint to produce that many coins. Thus the theme of this medal with a representative device of Americas first coins on the obverse and the fourth mint surrounded by a glory and iconic images on the reverse shows the heritage and growth of coinage in America prospered by independence and freedom.
    In summary, I hope you find the ANAs searchable database of The Numismatist as useful as I have!
    Gary

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  16. coinsbygary
    This past year has been a phenomenal year for my collection and in particular my 7070 type set. In just this set alone, I have both added and upgraded a total of 21 coins! That amounts to almost a quarter of the coins within the entire collection!
    Believe it or not, this came to me as a surprise along with the sum money I spent. When you assemble a collection with a coin here and a coin there you can amass quite a number of coins in a relatively short period of time. And that when my only intention was to upgrade certain gold coins, carefully select quality early coppers, and fill in the miscellaneous odd coins remaining to complete the collection.
    Having met all these goals, I am thinking that I might have bit off a little more than I could chew when I made them. Now Im not complaining, but maybe I didnt realize how ambitious my goals were at the time. Regardless, I have acquired a lot of really nice coins this year.
    I am ending the year with the final piece needed to complete my type set. That coin is an XF-40 1802 No-Stems S-231 Large Cent with a pedigree to the NGC award winning Mervis Collection of Large Cents 1793-1814, Complete by Sheldon Varieties. I am looking forward to taking delivery of this coin very soon.
    The second to last coin I bought is a CAC stickered MS-64 1908 Liberty Half-Eagle with beautiful satin-like luster. As a type coin I singled out the 1908 Liberty Half-Eagle for an upgrade because it is the last coin of the venerable Liberty Head obverse beginning 70 years prior with the 1838 Eagle. Since the 1838 Eagle is not a collectible coin for me, I am very pleased with the 1908 Liberty Half-Eagle.
    My type set is not the only set that saw activity this year as I added a total of 7 tokens, medals, and coins to my seated imagery custom set. This included a couple of scarce pieces, the 1853 HK-6 so-called dollar commemorating the Crystal Palace in New York and an 1835 Bavaria 2 Taler commemorating Bavarias first railway.
    Additionally, I am starting a new custom set of coins and medals designed by Laura Gardin Fraser. I have already bought a couple of the medals and soon I will be looking into whether NGC will certify them. This set already has 2 coins. The first coin is a proof 1999-W half-eagle commemorating the death of George Washington and the second is the 1947-S Philippines 50 Centavos Douglas Macarthur commemorative. Although I started this set this year, 2016 will see a lot of activity in this set.
    I also want to upgrade several more coins in my 7070 set for 2016. Those will be coins currently grading VF to XF that I can easily afford to upgrade to either AU or MS. I may also upgrade the Liberty Head and St Gaudens double-eagles that were not a part of my gold upgrade project this year.
    Other gold purchases in 2016 may include the gold renditions of the Mercury Dime, Standing Liberty Quarter, and Walking Liberty Half-Dollar. I will have to take more time to think on those, but that decision may go the way of the high-relief $100 gold Liberty this year. When I saw the sticker price on that coin, I passed on it because it infringed on my higher goals.
    I am currently pondering what to do about my Morgan collection. For several years now this set has been idle. I am thinking of re-working this set to include just the coins grading higher than MS-63 and populating the rest of the set with attractive circulated Morgans. I simply do not care for Morgans grading in the low MS range because of excessive contact marks. There will of course be exception clauses for toners and GSAs that grade in the MS range up to MS-63.
    Thus, I will be very busy in 2016! Hopefully though, Ill be able to scale back my ambitious goals to be less of a strain on my pocketbook. In closing, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
    Gary

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  17. coinsbygary
    There are those collectors who will under no circumstances have details graded coins, medals, and tokens in their collections. Then there are collectors like me who will make exceptions for them under certain conditions.
    About a year ago I wrote about replacing three details graded coins in my 7070 type set. I particularly remember how pleased I was with the replacements and finally having the entire set free of problem coins. Then when I purchased a Classic Head Large Cent earlier this year, I went out of my way to buy a problem free coin. I ended up with an attractive VF-30 1814 Classic Head Large Cent for my 7070 Type set.
    Now within the space of two months I purchased an UNC-details improperly cleaned 1853 HK-6 So-Called Dollar and an AU-details excessive hairlines 1835 Bavarian Taler, so what gives? First there is a big difference between a type set and a theme-based custom set. For my the type set I am looking for the best grade within a type that I can afford. When I am buying coins for any of my custom sets, I am looking for certain design features.
    That said, I still try my best to buy problem free pieces for my collection but under certain circumstances, I will make an exception. Those circumstances are defined by my self-imposed exception clauses.
    The first clause is if the cost of a problem free coin is too high. For instance, I bought a Saddle Ridge Hoard coin which was improperly cleaned. Had I not bought that coin, I would not have been able to afford any of the problem free coins. Therefore, it was that coin or no coin.
    The next clause is if the coin is rare. This was the exception for my two aforementioned recent buys. For the most part rare equals too expensive. However, the demand for these two pieces is low enough that they fall under the radar screen of most collectors. That said, there is one thing I cant get around and it's that the two pieces I bought rarely become available for sale. Not knowing when or if I would see these pieces again, I bought what was available at the time. As an extra bonus, because they were details graded, I got them for a bargain price.
    The final clause is if environmental defects make them ungradable. By defects I mean defects by natural causes and not improperly cleaned, dipped, plugged, repaired, whizzed, artificially toned, etc. For example, I bought an 1860-O half-dollar recovered from the SS Republic shipwreck. In this instance, the seawater damage adds to the allure of this coin.
    Now I could have applied this clause in my search for a Classic Head large Cent because the planchets in this series were of such low quality as to lead to corrosion. However, since the coin I bought was neither too expensive or rare, and I bought the coin for my type set, I decided to go with the problem free coin instead.
    Every once in a while, you will find a coin that is still attractive in spite of the improper cleaning. This was true in the case of the so-called dollar I bought from Jeff Shevlin as a result of meeting him at the ANAs Worlds Fair of Money show in August. Though the cleaning hairlines are visible they are not distracting. Therefore, I consider this so-called dollar as improperly cleaned in name only and I am delighted to have it in my collection.
    The Bavarian Taler destined for my seated imagery custom set is another story. This coin I recently acquired through an auction and even though the listing described the piece as having excessive hairlines, the listing pictures did not show them. Taking the listing pictures at face value, I thought that I might luck out and ergo I aggressively bid the coin and won. When I first saw the coin in hand I was taken back by the hairlines. In fact unlike the so-called dollar, the hairlines on this coin were very distracting.
    Finally, this is not a dig on the lister since I knew what I was getting and I acquired the coin at a discounted price. It is however a reminder that listing pictures may no always be what they seem.
    As a photographer, I know how to make a coin look its best and to adjust the lighting in such a way as to make the hairlines in effect invisible. Unfortunately, my picture without the hairlines makes the coin look flat and a little dull. The devices on this coin are much more robust and three-dimensional when taken with the distracting hairlines visible. When you manipulate the lighting and the coin positioning there are trade-offs that you just cant get around.
    As a comparison I am also accompanying my post by a comparison between the flat and robust versions of my pictures.
    Gary

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  18. coinsbygary
    I was so impressed by Alan Lastufkas, Most Improved post that I thought it was high time I kick it in gear and improve upon a few images of my own. Thus, this post features an image upgrade of one of my all time favorite coins, the Austrian 1908 Franz Joseph I, 60th Anniversary of Reign 100 Corona.
    Every one of the images of this coin I photographed several years ago and at the time I considered them to be satisfactory. Nevertheless, what was satisfactory then is no longer so today, especially considering the quality of the pictures I take today. This left me with no choice but to re-mage many of the coins in my collection. However, before I get into the photography aspects of re-imaging this coin let me present a little background information.
    I bought this coin raw from a German dealer through E-Bay in 2008. Subsequently, I sent it to NCS to have it encapsulated. The coin received an AU-details grade for rim damage. However, since I bought this coin solely for its reverse design, I am glad that the rim damage is only visible from the obverse.
    When I purchased this coin the only way I could afford it was if it had a problem preventing it from obtaining a full grade. Recently, an AU details (hairlines) example of this coin sold through Heritage for just about four times what I paid for mine. Ergo today, I would be hard pressed to purchase this coin at all.
    Although I am working towards replacing most of the details graded coins in my collection, I have made an exception for coins like this one that are either very scarce or very expensive.
    Along the way I decided to encapsulate my coin in a NGC holder. When I got the coin back there was a splotch of dried glue on the surface of the holder. I should have returned the holder, but for some reason didnt. This became a real obstacle to re-imaging this coin because it would take a lot of time and effort to carefully remove the glue without permanently damaging the holder. Then theres always the hassle of retrieving the coin from the safe deposit box. Finally, Alans timely post became the straw that broke the camels back.
    With that, I decided that enough is enough and I retrieved the coin from the safe deposit box. Once I removed the glue I thought that re-imaging my coin would be a piece of cake. Unfortunately, nothing could have been further from the truth.
    I began by used three Jansjo lamps as my source of lighting. I placed them close to the camera lens and perpendicular to the coin about 120 degrees apart. Then I photographed the coin using three different f-stops and two different shutter speeds. In the end after all those samples, I could not find a single image that I was totally happy with. However, if these were the best images I was going to get, I decided to save the best of the worst.
    After that, I tried adjusting the angle of the Jansjo lighting in reference to the coin and the images got worse. Then I tried using diffused daylight lamps, but to no avail. Finally, I decided to throw in the towel.
    It was then that I felt the weight of the coin shift in its holder. I looked closer at the fingers holding the coin in place and noticed that the coins thickness was much thinner than the fingers holding it. Thus, I could shake the holder and alter the coins position. This meant that the lighting was perpendicular to the holder but NOT necessarily to the coin.
    Could this be the source of my frustration? The only way to find out was to photograph the coin one more time. I banged the holder on a flat surface to get the coin to rest flatly on one side of the fingers. Then, returning to my original lighting configuration, I shot two sets of pictures using different f-stops and the rest as they say is history. It is so amazing to me that a tilt of just a few millimeters can make all the difference in the world.
    After hundreds of hours working on my photography skills I learned that the learning never stops. That said, some things always seem consistent. First, my best shots are done with my original Jansjo lighting configuration. Next, if I am getting crumby pictures I need to look for another solution other than radically adjusting the lighting. Finally, the diffused daylight lamps are only good for narrow applications where a softer effect is desired.
    I hope that you enjoy my before and after shots including the best of the worst and the best of all. If re-imaging my coins wasnt fun, I wouldnt do it. However, having already paid for the coins and the photography gear, I consider this a very fun and inexpensive way to enjoy my coins.
    Gary

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  19. coinsbygary

    The Best of All

    By coinsbygary,

    I have been to a total of five ANA Worlds Fair of Money shows and this year's show was far and away the best I have attended.
    That said, I have good memories of all the shows I attended. My first show was 2007 in Milwaukee. There I saw a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, a 100 kg gold coin, and Chet Krause's extensive collection of Wisconsin National Currency.
    Next for me was the 2011 show in Chicago to view M.L. Mosers spectacular collection of Morgan Dollars. Incidentally, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Moser in person and as an extra bonus of our meeting he signed his collection brochure for me. To top it off, I came home with an AU-50 1828 half-cent and a panda for my wife.
    I had mixed feelings about the 2013 show in Chicago as I observed a long line of people at the US Mints booth to buy reverse proof buffalos for the express purpose of flipping them. Yet it was at this show that I met Collectors Society user yankeejose and attended the Friday PCGS luncheon as his guest. This made the show much more enjoyable as we spent a considerable amount of time just talking coins. Furthermore, I came away from this show with a gorgeously toned MS-63 1870 half-dime for my type set.
    Then there was the 2014 show, and who can forget the Kennedy Half-Dollar fiasco. Yet once again this show was more about people than anything else. Here I met Collectors Society users coin928 and JAA USA/Philippine Collection. In my estimation there are no two people in all of numismatics who are as knowledgable and passionate about USA/Philippine coinage than these two gentlemen. It is always a joy for me to converse with people who are passionate about what they collect, no matter what they collect.
    This all brings me to this years show. To begin with, I decided to attend the show on Wednesday instead of Friday as I had done in the past. Going to the show earlier in the week allows for a better selection of coins available for sale.
    When my wife and I arrived in Chicago, we quickly checked in and soon afterwards met up with yankeejose. I had been looking forward to this show for quite some time because I knew Collectors Society user RichH would be attending the show with yankeejose. Thus, as with the previous two shows, I had the opportunity to personally meet somebody I had only electronically conversed with before.
    One of the things that my wife and I always make a point of doing is to look at the collectors exhibits. Im finding that the exhibits seem to get more creative and informative every year. This year though, I was also looking for some ideas to possibly exhibit some of my coins at a future show. I have won a number of awards for my virtual sets, but it would be nice to win one for a show exhibit.
    While my wife and I were perusing the exhibits I observed coin928 doing the same. Immediately, he and I picked up where we left off a year ago. One thing that I did not know was that Collectors Society user JAA USA/Philippine Collection displayed his award winning Manila Mint set as a collector exhibit. Incidentally, I really enjoyed his exhibit.
    Like last year, I did not buy any coins at the show. Instead I bought this years show medal that coincidentally had the same serial number as the medal I purchased last year. I also bought the 2013 show medal at this year's show to make a complete set of Chicagos three year ANA show run.
    That said, I did have an opportunity to examine a nice PCGS MS-63 1901 $10 gold eagle. After examining the coin, I expressed my interest to purchase the coin from the coin's custodian and we settled on a deal a few days later. By the way, I will be posting a picture of that coin with this post.
    Unlike the coin I recently bought sight unseen, I had the opportunity to examine this coin in the hand before deciding to buy it. This coin in my estimation is an exceptional coin at MS-63. The luster is fantastic and the contact marks look more like scuff marks than dings. As an aside, this coin is more like the MS-63 Indian Head Gold Eagle I should have cherry-picked instead of the MS-63 Indian Head Gold Eagle I bought sight unseen.
    Since I was already intending to buy the gold eagle I set my sights on an inexpensive coin to add to my seated imagery set. This is when I stopped at Jeff Shevlins so-called-dollar table and began looking through 11 boxes of so-called-dollars hoping to find a nice piece to add to my collection. Unfortunately, I didnt see anything of interest. However while I was looking through Jeff's boxes, Jeff's wife and my wife had a pleasant non-coin related conversation. On our way home, I mentioned to my wife how pleasant both Jeff and his wife seemed to us.
    Once again, based on good customer relations and a pleasant experience, I emailed Jeff a want list of a copper piece I lost in a Heritage auction and the same piece, but less rare, minted in white metal. He replied back to me that he had the white metal piece but didn't bring it with him to the show. With that, I bought the piece for my seated imagery set and I'll be posting it later.
    One thing I noticed about this show is that it seemed larger and busier than all the previous shows I attended. More importantly, this show was all about coins and collecting without the distractions of the two previous years.
    Unlike any other show, this year when I left the show I felt like I could have used another day to explore the show. Until now I had never felt that way and thats what makes me say that this year's show is the best yet.
    That said, there is one thing that is still a miserable constant. That thing is the over-priced food court on the show's grounds. My wife and I spent $31 for a drink and a plate of stir-fry on rice that tasted more like cardboard than food. Oh well, nobody goes to the show for the food they serve anyway! Happy Collecting!
    Gary

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  20. coinsbygary
    Then buying the grade sight-unseen regardless of the plastic or the coin is especially bad! That said, I am embarrassed to admit that in my zeal to upgrade an XF-40 Indian-Head Eagle that I am guilty of doing just that.
    As a type collector, my main focus is to obtain the highest graded coins I can afford for a particular series. Thus very few, if any of the coins in my set are key dates or even semi-keys and most of the coins are quite common.
    With the price of gold currently down, I had determined to upgrade all my gold coins to MS-63 unless either my budget limited it or I was happy with the coin I already owned. Since I already owned an XF-40 Indian-Head Eagle, I deemed an MS-63 eagle an acceptable upgrade.
    1926 and 1932 Indian-Head Eagles are probably the most common dates in the entire series. Prices for these two coins grading MS-63 are quite reasonable. Furthermore, the population reports for both NGC and PCGS indicate that they are in good supply.
    This is the point where I made my first mistake. I should have researched each gold type separately to see if MS-63 was the best grade I could afford. If I had done my homework, I would have discovered that MS-64 is also an affordable grade for both the 1926 and 32 Indian-Head Eagle.
    In addition to not adequately researching the coin I wanted to buy, I was impatient. For those lacking patience, having a pocketbook flush with cash after just selling a few coins can sometimes result in rash purchases. When I was a young boy with money to spend in my pocket my mom oftentimes wisely remarked that the money was burning a hole in my pocket. As it turned out, there was no rush to buy another coin. Thus, what I should have done was to wait and cherry pick the MS-63 with the most eye appeal. After all, what is the hurry since there is such a good supply of coins.
    Rather, I went for the cheapest MS-63 I could find and that sight-unseen without returns. This proved fatal when the coin finally arrived and I was not entirely happy with it. Do not get me wrong, I am not disputing the grade, I am only saying that I did not like the coin. A word to the wise, stock listing pictures are always better and maybe higher graded than the coin you receive.
    To be more specific about the coin I bought, I found the luster on it to be flat and unattractive. Furthermore, I found numerous contact marks and deep cuts in places that distracted my eyes from the beauty of the coins devices. Again, not to dispute the grade but I think that those marks are common for the grade. Good research would have made me aware of this fact before I spent one red cent.
    Along with a lack of patience, I also have a cheap streak. Another word of advice, if you wanna be cheap you're in the wrong hobby. Rather, a person should focus on value. At times there is a fine line between the two and this time I fell on the wrong side.
    Moreover, impatient people typically refuse to invest the proper time needed to research the coins they would like to buy. You can only help yourself by researching the coin you want and the more time you spend doing this the more you help yourself.
    Dissatisfied with the coin I had, I continued to peruse E-Bay listings until I found a coin grading MS-64 CAC that I fell in love with. Though this coin would cost me $450-$500 more than the other coin, I did not think twice before I pulled the trigger on it. Yes, I ended up spending a lot of money that I did not need to, but at least I can probably sell the MS-63 at a profit when the price of gold goes back up. Otherwise, I might trade the MS-63 eagle for another coin that I like. In the end, I should have listened to my own advice and I hope that I won't be making this mistake again.
    From my side to side comparison you will easily see why I like the MS-64 so much better. The luster is robust, the contact marks are not as numerous, and the cuts are not nearly as deep. Clearly, I will never have to upgrade this coin and my goal will always remain to buy the best coin I can afford.
    Gary

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

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  22. coinsbygary
    In my last post, Buying and Selling Part 1, I described how I sold circulated gold coins to acquire mint-state gold coins. In this post I will talk more about the proceeds from the other sales to finance two upgrades and a new purchase.
    First the upgrades, and I'm not talking one or two grade points higher, but coins that are priced approximately six times higher than the coins they are replacing. The first coin is a PR-66 Three Cent Nickel replacing a common date MS-62. The other coin of which I previously wrote was too good to pass up, is an MS-63 Half-Cent replacing a common date AU-50.
    With most upgrades I prefer to subsidize the new purchase with the existing coin. However, because of the buying/selling ratio associated with the aforementioned coins, they might as well be stand-alone new purchases. Thus, these new purchases made it vital that I should sell coins that I was not replacing, such as the Silver American Eagles I referenced in my last post.
    I bought the PR-66 Three Cent Nickel coin from Gary Adkins Associates. Although I didnt originally intend to buy this coin, I got an e-mail offering a 5% Fathers Day discount through Garys website on his entire inventory. Well, I couldnt very well pass up an offer like that, so I decided to upgrade my existing MS-62 Three Cent Nickel coin. Since Three Cent Nickel coins aren't very popular with collectors, I was able to buy a high grade classic proof coin for a price that I could reasonably afford. As an aside many dealers sell the same coins offered on their websites as they do through their E-Bay stores. Since the E-Bay fees don't come into play on their websites they will often sell the coins for less on their website than they do through E-Bay.
    As I previous posted, the MS-63 Half Cent was an opportunity that I just couldnt pass up because of its brilliant toning and exceptionally strong strike. Furthermore, the E-Bay listing employed high quality listing photos leaving no doubt as to the coin I was buying. On most E-Bay listings with a best offer option, I almost always submit an offer. However, since this was a PQ coin and I didnt want to give anyone else an opportunity to snap it up, I gave him his Buy it Now price. Talk about an upgrade, this coin is replacing an AU-50 with poor eye-appeal! It very literally was a no-brainer.
    The new purchase was VF-30 1814 Classic Head large cent. I have been looking long and hard for this type before settling on the coin I finally purchased. Searching through E-Bay and auction house listings I discovered that for various reasons Classic Head large cents often have impaired surfaces. Classic Head large cents are in relatively good supply, but non-problem coins are scarce and thus very expensive. In fact, there are a lot of good buys out there for common date problem coins. However, considering my collecting goals, I was not going to buy a details graded coin of this type for my 7070 set.
    Considering the amount of money I wanted to spend on this type, I finally settled on purchasing a Classic Head large cent in either VF or XF condition. That decision further narrowed the number of coins available. Other issues impacting my choice included the quality of strike and eye appeal. In the end there were three coins I was considering, an 1810 VF-20 in an upcoming Heritage auction, an 1810 XF-40 through Great Collections, and a 1814 VF-30 on E-bay. All three coins had pluses and minuses associated with them and I had to decide which plus was the most important.
    The first coin eliminated from contention was an 1810 VF-20 Classic Head Large Cent currently listed in Heritages upcoming summer FUN auction. The-pre auction bidding rose to a point where the coin approached the asking price of the 1814 VF-30. Pure economics eliminated this coin as I thought why buy a VF-20 coin when I could have a VF-30 for a similar price.
    This narrowed my choice to two coins, the 1810 XF-40 and the 1814 VF-30. The 1810 featured visible star lines on 10 of the 13 stars, clean fields with lots of luster, and very little wear on the reverse. With all that going for it, this coin still lacked one very important thing in that there was noticeable weakness in the four locks of hair between Libertys eye-brow and ear. On the other hand, the 1814 has good facial details and displays all four of Libertys locks while there was only one lock clearly visible on the 1810. Additionally, the 1814 has reverse wear consistent with its grade.
    When deciding on which coin to buy I determined to buy the coin with the best bust features. Thus, would I pay $700 more for an XF-40 coin with weaker hairline features or a VF-30 coin with a little more reverse wear and better hairline features? In the end I decided that I needed to be happy with the coin and I made a best offer on the E-Bay listed 1814 VF-30. Now that I have that coin in hand, I am all the more convinced I made the right decision. Interestingly, the 1810 did not sell the first time around on Great Collections, perhaps suggesting that there were others with the same impression of the coin I had. The coin did finally sell though in a subsequent auction with a single bid.
    In closing, I hope you all get the coins that you really want!
    Gary

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  23. coinsbygary
    Not long ago I posted My Collector Profile and expressed my affinity towards type collecting. Subsequently, I reviewed my entire collection for coins I could sell, and with the proceeds I bought several coins that I am really excited about.
    As a part of that review, I looked to upgrade a few circulated gold coins to mint-state condition. The first was an Indian eagle from XF-40 to MS-63 and the other an Indian Head half-eagle from AU-55 to MS-62. Finally, I upgraded a type-2 gold dollar from AU-50 to AU-58.
    The other part of my review involved doubles and coins I no longer collect. Of the coins I no longer collect were a 2011 Silver American Eagle anniversary set and a 2008 reverse of 07 SAE. Years ago I lost interest in SAEs and sold most of the SAEs I owned. However, I held onto the reverse of 07 just in case I ever decided to start collecting SAEs again. Today, I saw this coin as an opportunity to buy something I really want. Thus, I sold the coin at roughly double the price I bought it.
    With the 2011 SAE anniversary set I got caught up in the hype, first purchasing it directly from the mint and then turning around to have it graded by NGC. Out of five coins graded, only two came back as 70s, but of those two coins the one was the reverse proof. Now, as with the reverse of 07, I saw selling these coins as an opportunity to buy the coins I really wanted. Incidentally, I more than doubled my money on this set also.
    In the past when it came to selling coins, I have either sold the coins myself on E-Bay, traded or sold coins with another collector, or consigned the coins to an auction. This time however, I decided to sell the coins through NGC Collectors Society user Yankeejoses E-Bay store. In the end, I thought I got the best price possible on E-Bay for the coins I sold.
    With the price of gold reasonably low, I am selling the circulated gold coins I bought before the price of gold rose to over $1000/oz in order to buy the higher grade coins I prefer. Though the current market interest in my circulated gold coins is not what I would have liked, I can still sell the three aforementioned coins for a small combined profit.
    Over the years I found that MS gold coins perform a lot better than circulated coins when the price of gold goes higher. Thus, I feel that in todays market higher grade gold coins are somewhat of a bargain which in part is the reason I am upgrading these select coins now.
    Even still, there are other gold coins in my collection that I'd like to upgrade. However, Ill have to wait on those because I bought them when the price of gold was much higher. One option is to buy the higher grade coins now and hold onto the others to sell at a later date. The problem is that I dont currently have the financial resources to pursue this option. Notwithstanding, I may yet decide to do this, but for now upgrading MS-62s to MS-63 and perhaps 64 is not a high priority.
    Unfortunately, most gold coins grading MS-63 and below have low eye appeal. The problem much like with Morgan Dollars is contact marks and hairlines. When it comes to nice looking common date gold coins figure on grades north of MS-64 with a price tag to match. On other coins such as the type 2 gold dollar you're looking at a hefty price tag for any mint state coin. Thus my new gold coins are about the best I can afford in terms of eye appeal and grade.
    Type 2 gold dollars are notorious for being poorly struck and the coin I bought is no exception. The advantage I gained by upgrading my previous coin is in a little more frosty luster on the reverse devices. On the obverse the legend is especially weak but there is a little more detail in Libertys hair just above her eyebrow. Furthermore, there is frosty luster in the protected areas of Libertys head piece.
    Both the 2 1/2 and 5 dollar Indian Head gold pieces look nice to me in lower mint-state grades. The incuse devices distract my eyes from any significant marks in the fields, especially on the coins obverse. Thus, I am very happy with an MS-62 example of the half-eagle I bought that goes up significantly in value in grades MS-63 and higher.
    The Indian Head eagle suffers from being larger and heavier. Since the coin is much larger and the fields are more open, contact marks are more critical to this coin's eye appeal. The MS-63 eagle I bought gives me value in that the marks for the grade are not significant enough to be distracting even though I could have bought an MS-64 example of this coin.
    I will talk about my other purchases at length in part two of this post. Until then, happy collecting!
    Gary

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  24. coinsbygary
    My new half-cent is perhaps the most gorgeous half-cent I have run across.
    I wasnt looking to buy this 1835 Half-Cent piece, but I came across it searching e-bay listings and couldnt pass it up. Fortunately, the coin it replaces in my collection was targeted for an eventual upgrade. In the new piece I get exceptional color and a very strong strike. In other words this coin has exceptional eye appeal. It also fits my plans to add the best looking coins for the price I can afford into my 7070 Type set.
    Gary

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  25. coinsbygary
    The definition of profile is to describe, write about, give an account of, portray, depict, sketch, and outline. That said, could someone easily write about, give an account of, portray, depict, sketch, or outline my collector profile by the coins currently in my collection?
    This is exactly the question I am asking of myself as I examine the state of my collection. More specifically, which coins in my collection represent my core passion as opposed to those I bought on a whim? If I were to be honest with myself, Id have to admit that there are currently a number of coins in my collection that I bought impulsively. It is those coins that effectively blur my profile. Furthermore, they are a distraction which causes me to lose focus and needlessly spend money.
    One of the first things a person must do before they start buying coins is to determine what coins they'd like to collect. Potential collectible coins may include US coins, world coins, type coins, series, moderns, classics, die varieties, error coins, tokens, medals, etc. IMHO a collection of coins needs to have purpose and order. Furthermore, the individual collector needs to become an expert on those coins he or she wants to collect. Developing my collector profile has helped me to bring purpose and order to my collection.
    For me I love type collecting, theme-based collecting, pedigrees, allegorical coins, premium-quality coins, sentimental coins, and coins with a story. At the core of the aforementioned list is variety. Theme-based sets stand on their own no matter if that set has two coins or a hundred. However, they are also open-ended. For instance, I will never run out of possible additions to my seated imagery set, yet if I never add another coin, it stands complete. Open-endedness also insures that I probably won't get bored with the set.
    Type sets bring a lot of variety to coin collecting, such as coins of a specific denomination, century, mint, or base metal. Allegorical images add mystery to a coin and oftentimes, the allegories on coins link them with specific places and periods in history. As a person interested in history this aspect of coinage fascinates me. Coins with pedigrees such as hoards and shipwrecks come with separate storylines all their own. Premium-quality coins are aesthetically pleasing to look at and I am determined to buy the best coin, within the best grade I can afford. In a nutshell this is my collector profile. This brings me describe a few coins from my collection to which I either yielded to the numismatic hype or bought on an impulse.
    In the fall of 2011 the Mint released the five-coin 25th anniversary Silver American Eagle set and I ordered a set directly from the Mint. Then I had it graded as a set by NGC. However, I also remember the feeling of possibly being left out had I not ordered the set. Consequently, I momentarily lost sight of my collector profile. As it stands, since the SAE anniversary coins dont fit into my collection as type or theme-based coins I should not have bought them at all. Now Im probably going to sell the set at a slight profit and spend the proceeds on a profile coin. On another occasion, my daughter bought me the two-coin West Point SAE set that I will probably keep for sentimental reasons.
    Morgan Dollars became attractive to me because they offer a multitude of sub-set type options. First, some of them were minted at obsolete mint facilities such as New Orleans and Carson City. Next, many of the Carson City dollars have the GSA hoard pedigree. Additionally, the Redfield hoard adds a different pedigree twist to a vastly popular collector series. Morgan Dollars also have some of the best examples of toning in numismatics, thus satisfying my profile by being aesthetically pleasing. Finally, since many of the Morgan Dollars didn't circulate, I even started a theme-based set based on MS-65 and 66 examples with an average cost of $200 or less.
    I started collecting Morgan Dollars in 2010 with a type set based on toners and the New Orleans Mint after which I decided to complete the entire business-strike series as soon as I determined that it was doable for me. Thus for three years I bought Morgans with a vengeance, even adding a VG10, 1893-S to my collection. About two years ago I decided to take a break and hadnt bought but a handful of Morgans since. Now I wonder if the number of sub-types in this series somehow clouded my profile, especially since I dont have a passion for series collecting. For now I will be thinking long and hard before I sell off my Morgans, considering that if I start down that road there will be no turning back.
    In summary, it is a good thing for me to periodically audit my collection based on my profile because it keeps me disciplined and my collection from getting cluttered.
    This all brings me to the latest addition to my 7070 type set that perfectly fits my profile. That coin is a PF-62 Cameo, 1863 Civil War era quarter with aesthetically pleasing light golden toning, distinct cameo devices, and a strong strike. Additionally, I have added three coins to my theme-based seated-imagery set. Finally, I encourage all of you to stayed focused on the coins that fit your profiles, whatever those coins may be.
    Gary

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