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coinsbygary

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Journal Entries posted by coinsbygary

  1. coinsbygary
    Strategies for building inexpensive sets with key dates and having fun doing it.
    Not all my collections are contained within my registry or signature sets. For instance, I have a complete date and mint Mercury Dime set housed in an intercept shield folder (less the over dates). Most of the coins in this set grade good or very good, with higher grades in the later years. One coin in the set, the 1916-D, is NGC certified AG-3. The design for the Mercury dime is one of my favorites and plugging holes in an album took me back to my early years of collecting and the fun I had.
    Most series of coins have key and semi key dates, and the Mercury Dime series is no exception. While I could justify not buying the over dates, there is not getting around the 1916-D. When I started this set, I had to decide how I was going to handle this key date. I decided on purchasing the 1916-D first, buying the best specimen I could afford. The advantages to this strategy are:
    1. I get the hard coin out of the way. The coin I purchased on E-Bay cost me $415. Buying the key date early allowed me to save money with a higher quality coin. Today I see coins grading FR-2 offered on E-Bay for $550.
    2. If I ever decide to upgrade, I can do it for less by buying the higher-grade coin and selling the lower-grade coin.
    3. I usually insist on purchasing key coins that are certified to guarantee the authenticity of the coin I buy. With the 1916-D this is very important since this coin is frequently counterfeited.
    Having the 1916-D, I purchased the folder and populated it with the loose dimes I already owned. Next, I bought a 200-coin lot of un-searched dimes for $60 and populated 30 to 40% of the slots in my folder. With the duplicate coins, I assembled a few short sets and resold them on E-Bay. This left me with having to purchase a few common dates and the scarce dates such as the 1921 and 1921-D dimes.
    After I completed the set, I went through and graded each of the coins according to an old grading guide in my library; ?New Photo Grade, a Photographic Grading Guide for United States Coins? by James F. Ruddy. In 1972, this book was the official grading guide of the ANA. This gave me hours of fun while helping me to develop my grading skills.
    In all I had a set that gave me hours of fun at relatively little cost. My only problem is that I have one empty slot in my folder, the 1916-D. You can have 80 coins in a folder, but when you look at it, all you notice is the empty slot. I guess that I will have to get over it or crack the coin out of its holder (this is not going to happen).
    Some time ago, I thought to start an Indian Head Penny collection. Currently, an 1877 Indian Head Penny, PGCS graded AG-3 is waiting in my collection for me to start. Happy collecting everyone!
  2. coinsbygary
    The history of Liberty on our coins in a nutshell and remembering the meaning of the Fourth of July.
    The fourth of July is a perfect time to reflect on the freedom and liberty we enjoy in the United States. The themes of freedom and liberty are an integral part of the designs of our coinage since their first minting in 1793. Our nation founded on western ideals has its origins in ancient Greek and Roman philosophies and religious freedom. To understand our coinage, we need to understand its origins.
    Libertas, Latin for Liberty, long being a Roman deity along with other personified virtues, became a goddess in 238 BC when Tiberius Gracchus ordered the construction of her first temple on Aventine Hill. Ever since then she has been appearing on coinage from around the world.
    Symbols associated with the goddess Liberty is the pileus, Phrygian cap, and the rod. When a Roman slave became free, he shaved his head and wore a pileus, a conical felt cap much like the Phrygian cap associated with freedom and the pursuit of liberty. During the ceremony with which the former slave was declared free, the lictor of the magistrate laid a rod on the head of the slave and with certain formal words declared him free. This ceremony known as ?Manumissio vindicta? is Latin for ?freedom by the rod.?
    As a fledgling Democratic Republic, our founding fathers wrestled with what designs our coins should have. Coins featuring reigning monarchs were prevalent at that time and there was a consensus that our coinage should not have images of living persons. Therefore, our first coins minted in 1793 featured Lady Liberty with a cap and pole. Since then the obverses of all our circulating silver coinage has featured an image of Liberty (except for the silver three-cent piece) until the Washington quarter in 1932. The reverse of our coins often featured a bald eagle, symbolic of strength and freedom in flight. Frequently, the eagle has arrows and an olive branch in its talons. The olive branch represents our desire and preference for peace while the arrows symbolize our willingness to go to war to defend liberty.
    The picture collage below features four representations of Liberty. The first, a 1795 half-dollar, features a young and vivacious Liberty with the wind of freedom blowing through her hair. Therefore, this design is named ?flowing hair? and currently it is a favorite among collectors, including myself. The second coin, Jefferson?s Liberty, features a more mature image of liberty. After complaints to the mint about the ?flowing hair? design this ?draped bust? design was adopted. The third coin, Jackson?s Liberty, features Lady Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap and is called ?capped bust?. The fourth coin, Van Buren?s Liberty features a ?seated liberty? design. Liberty dressed in a Roman toga appears seated and at rest or at peace. In her left hand, she holds a pole with a Phrygian cap on the end and symbolizes the emancipation of a large group of slaves. Liberty?s right hand supports a shield with the word ?Liberty? brazen across it showing that while at peace, she is vigilant and ready to defend liberty at any time. Throughout the history of the United States, our coins have been endearing symbols to remind us of the virtues of freedom and liberty.
    Over the course of human history, freedom has been the exception, rather than the rule. Political and religious freedom has often come with the shedding of blood on the battlefield and is never free. Many people living on the face of the earth today do not enjoy the freedom we do, and we should never take it for granted or we may lose it. Today take time to reflect on the brave men and women in our armed forces as many of them are spending their July 4 on foreign battlefields defending liberty. God bless the USA! Happy 4th of July to all!

  3. coinsbygary
    Winning my first Teletrade lots and buying "certified" vs. buying "raw".
    Many of you may be surprised, but in 35+ years as a coin collector, I made my first purchase through Teletrade last Sunday. To be fair to myself, I have been a collector for longer than Teletrade has been in business, but barely, a mere 12 of 35 years. In fact, until I joined Collector?s Society, I had never heard of Teletrade and only heard of Heritage in passing. Because of your enthusiastic reviews of Teletrade, I thought ?Why Not?? and established an account. Last Sunday, June 21, I participated in my first auction.
    Perusing Teletrade?s lots, I thought it good to place bids on two of their more inexpensive lots. When placing bids on coins, I use NGC?s Fair Market Value as a guide even though I think this guide is over-priced. If I can get a coin at FMV or less, I consider it a good purchase. With this in mind I placed my first bid on a very attractive Red/Brown 1908 PCGS MS-64 Indian Head Cent that I felt should have been Red. I won the coin and with buyer?s fees and postage, I acquired the coin for slightly less than FMV. To maximize value, I try to buy coins that will cross over into multiple registry sets. With the 1908 Indian Head Cent, I have a quality coin for both my 20th century type set and my basic US type set.
     
    My other lot, a bi-centennial 1976-s PCGS MS-67 silver quarter, half and dollar, I won for 54% less than NGC FMV. Tallying the registry points on these three coins, I had a whopping 1074 points for my type sets at slightly over 18 points for every dollar I spent. Talk about value, this was it.
     
    I got to thinking about the second lot. Had I purchased the coins raw and submitted them, it would have cost me more than what I paid on Teletrade, especially considering I had no guarantee of a MS-67, a high grade for these coins. Now I enjoy submitting coins for grading, but this gets very expensive, AND I have been disappointed in the past by some of the grades I received. When I can, I always buy certified coins for my sets. The advantage of this is that you get a known coin for a known price, no body bags here. However, some certified coins are quite scarce. This is especially true for my Britannia and Wilhelmina 10 Gulden sets. In these cases, I have to try to hand pick the best examples I can and hope for the best. This can be expensive and frustrating, but as I chronicled in past journals it can be exhilarating also. With great risk comes the possibility of great gain.
    Now with a successful Teletrade transaction under my belt, I can say with surety, I?ll be back doing business with them again. Happy Collecting! Gary
  4. coinsbygary
    My first year as a member of Collectors Society
    Many of us have heard the clich? ?what a difference a year makes.? This saying, though a clich?, has a lot of truth to it and my first anniversary on May 31, 2009 as a member of ?Collectors Society? is no exception. A year ago, I joined Collectors Society with the express purpose of directly submitting my raw gold coins to NGC for grading. Now a year later, my collection resembles nothing of what it once was.
    I have been a coin collector for about 35 years. In that time I focused mainly on US type set collecting. Having a large number of raw coins, I wanted to enhance my collection by certifying my coins. In the past, I had ignorantly submitted my coins to lower tier grading companies. Having done a little homework I found that NGC and PCGS were the only legitimate choices I had. Trying PCGS before without renewing, I decided to try NGC.
    I remember my first submission, three out of the five coins in my free submission, returned as PFUC-70?s. To say I was delighted was an understatement. As a percentage of coins in a submission grading 70, this submission stands as my best. Now a year later, I have 11 coins that grade either PFUC-70 or MS-70. These coins reside in a special signature set called ?Gary?s 70?s.? Though I have purchased many 70 graded coins, ?Gary?s 70?s? is only for submissions.
    For my first two to three months in the society, all I concerned myself with were submissions. Then towards the fall of 2008, because of my fascination in the beauty and imagery of ?Lady Liberty? I started a signature set called ?female images on coinage from around the world.? At that time, my set concentrated solely on designs. As I began to research and compile the history of my coins, my collection started to focus more on allegories and the persons commemorated in history. This is when I changed the name and focus of my set to ?Inspirational Ladies.? Since then NGC has honored me by naming ?Inspirational Ladies? the ?most creative? set of 2008. The beauty of this set is that it is still growing, and now has over 50 coins. From this set, I have spun off a number of registry sets, namely ?Gary?s Britannia?s? and ?Gary?s Golden Wilhelmina Guldens.? Other signature sets include a bird themed set called ?For the Birds? and a set commemorating famous African-Americans called ?Prominent African Americans.?
    One of the features I enjoy about Collectors Society is the journals. I enjoy reading about others who share their passion for collecting coins. Many of the tips and insights I read about, I have integrated into my own collection. Because of the contributions of others within the Society and my love of writing, I started to share my own experiences with the Society through journaling. Since January 2009, I have made 27 of my own journal posts. My hope is that as I receive enjoyment and insight from other journals within the Society, that others experience the same from my journal posts.
    As I stated earlier, I had many of the coins in my type sets graded by lower tier grading companies. To be included in my NGC registry sets, I had to get them crossover graded. Unfortunately, many of those coins turned out to be problem coins. Now I find myself having to purchase new coins to replace my problem ones. The silver lining in this is that though expensive, I will eventually have a type set populated with quality coins.
    I think the greatest benefit of the past year for me is that membership in Collectors Society has helped me to organize and catalog my collection. Registry sets provide the benefits of both organization and fun competing with other collectors.
    I do not know what the next year holds for me in terms of coin collecting, but renewing my membership for another year, I am going to find out. Happy collecting all!
    Gary

  5. coinsbygary
    Collecting Britannia's part three and other joys and laments.
    On my April 28, 2009 post, I reported submitting three 2009 Britannia?s for grading with all three returning as MS-69?s. As of today, the NGC population report still only shows four coins graded at that level. That submission proved to be very profitable for me. The first of the three coins filled the 2009 slot in my Britannia registry set. The second, I traded to another collector one for one, giving me a coin I needed at no extra cost. The third coin I sold, netting nearly $30.00 in profit. Numismatically speaking, I hit the jackpot.
    My latest foreign submission, revealed only a few days ago, left me disappointed. Of the five coins I submitted, three returned something less than I had been hoping for, the other two, a pair of French 10 Euro coins returned PFUC-69?s. While I expected the Euros to grade 69, I was hoping for 70?s. It almost seems as if NGC is hesitant to give foreign coins a 70 grade, maybe there are not enough graded foreign coins for a large number of 70?s, or perhaps, foreign coins are not of the same quality as US coins. Maybe the truth is somewhere in between, who knows? The problems I have are with the other three coins.
    A few months back on the recommendation of another member, I thought it good to purchase a Chinese 1997 10Y coin featuring two peacocks. While shopping for the coin, I found MS-69 examples on EBay selling for about $90.00. This seemed a little more than I wanted to spend so I searched for raw coins and found them selling for half as much. Before I purchased the coin, I researched it on the NGC population report finding 18 MS-69?s and 2 MS-70 examples. Based on the strength of the population report I thought, hey buy the raw coin, and I am almost assured a 69. When I received the coin, I examined it and knew I would not get a 69, let alone a 70, I figured 68 and got a 67. Fortunately, I intended for this coin to populate my MS-65+ ?For the Birds? signature set, rather than a registry set. What really annoys me about this though is seeing my lone 67 among the 69?s and 70?s on the population report.
    The one coin on my submission I understand the least is a 2007 Britannia. Before I sent the coin to NGC, I closely examined it for any marks or weaknesses and found none. Expecting a MS-69, I got a meager MS-65, thus upgrading my registry set from a 64 to a 65 and netting 9 points. I wish I knew what NGC saw in this coin that I did not. I know NGC is in the business to certify coins, meaning the more coins they certify the more money they make, but I wish there was some kind of bullet point list of what they are looking for when they certify these coins. With such a list, perhaps I can avoid sending sub-par coins in for certifying to begin with. The best option as always continues to be for me to train myself.
    The last coin on the submission I sent as a filler coin to round out the five coin minimum submission. I sent in the best 1998 Britannia I had, hoping for a 68. What I obtained was a 66, meaning I got one point less than the 67 I currently own. A total waste, this was the last thing I wanted to do. I should have been more patient and waited on my submission until I had the coins I really wanted to send. Of all the lessons I have had to learn, patience is the hardest. If only I could wait for graded coins to come on the market, I would save myself a lot of trouble.
    Britannia?s, unlike SAE?s are far scarcer in grades MS-69 and 70. Having a collection of Britannia?s entirely populated by 69?s is saying something. Maybe this is why I go to the trouble of submitting raw coins; it says more of my skill in choosing coins than simply buying all ready graded coins. It?s the old adage that with increased risk comes increased rewards. Therefore, in closing, I keep pressing on, looking for quality raw coins, while at the same time keeping an eye out for all ready graded coins I need. If I see a 69 on the market I need, I?m going to snap it up. Happy collecting all! Gary
  6. coinsbygary
    How the diversity of collecting brings richness to our hobby!
    What is it in the mind and heart of the individual collector that causes them to collect one variety of coin over another? What is it that draws some people to this year?s Lincoln cents and others to choose First Spouse gold coins? Of course, value and cost have something to do with it, but I would argue that what motivates the individual collector most are their individual tastes regardless of cost. In my case, I?d go head over heels to buy the next First Spouse coin, but I have no desire to collect this year?s Lincoln cents, even though I like the designs. In fact, just in case I cannot continue with the gold versions, I currently collect the medals also.
    What I can answer with certainty is with the diversity of coins available to collect, there is something for just about everyone who loves to collect. There are coins to fit everyone?s tastes and budget, all that one need is a love to collect.
    One of the things I enjoy most is reading the journals of other collectors who share their collecting passions. From reading past journal posts, I get the feeling there are many people who love the new Lincoln cents, people who cannot wait to get their hands on the next MS-67 variety. Although I may not be interested in their collecting interests, I do share their common passion for collecting. Collecting passion, the common link that joins us all together, makes reading about their next purchase and submission enjoyable.
    Half a year ago, I donated a number of coins to a church yard sale to raise money for a mission trip. Most of my coins at that sale sold, with the bulk of them going to a single buyer. Yesterday our church sponsored another yard sale with that buyer returning hoping to find other coins for sale. Recognizing him from the last sale, I remembered that he collected Morgan Dollars and we struck a conversation. From last fall, I remembered that his prized Morgan was an 1893-S PCGS certified example in G-06 condition. We started talking about that coin and then about other coins in the series he was hoping to acquire. After a while, we covered issues of concern to all collectors, regardless of collecting interests. Of those issues, we talked about grading companies, coin cleaning, counterfeits, and buying coins on E-Bay. I even went on to share summaries of recent journal entries I read.
    Though I personally do not collect Morgan dollars, I noticed a certain joy and gleam in my friend?s eyes as he talked about his collecting passion. This comradely and diversity among collectors is what makes this hobby so much fun. A new purchase without sharing it with others takes a bit of the pleasure out of the hobby. For this reason, I am happy to be a part of Collectors Society and their collecting community. I enjoy reading of other collector?s purchases and submissions, and hope they enjoy my journals also. I am so thankful for the diversity of collecting interests found in coin collecting and soon I will be sharing my experiences with my latest interest and registry set, ?Gary?s Golden Wilhelmina Guldens?. Try to say that 10 times fast, I bet you can?t! Happy Collecting!
    Gary
  7. coinsbygary
    I have notice my coin is on the way after ordering it May 6!
    On May 6th I decided to order the Anna Harrison First Spouse gold coin from the Mint. Today I got my e-mail notice stating my purchase is on the way! When I ordered the coin I thought I'd be doing good if the mint got the coin to me next month, but eight days? That must be close to record time! Even at that it is a little odd because I ordered the Harrison dollar coin and medal set early last month and I am still waiting on that. Oh well, I'll gladly take what ever I can get from the Mint. Happy Collecting!
    Gary
  8. coinsbygary
    Building a top rated registry set is more difficult than I had anticipated.
    One of the most intriguing registry sets in my collection is the current First Spouse gold coins. Two features about this series captivate me. The first being, since the coins feature our nation?s First Ladies, they fit nicely into my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set. The second is that they contain ? oz. of pure gold. Moreover, there is something appealing to me about that yellow metal. To say I have gold fever is an understatement.
    I originally intended to collect the First Spouse coins that featured the allegorical ?Lady Liberty?. Then I started purchasing other coins in the series because I liked the designs. Finally, seeing this as an opportunity to methodically add gold coins into my collection, I decided to collect them all despite them being so expensive.
    Now, since I am collecting this series, I thought I might like to have a top rated registry set. Nevertheless, to compete in this registry, my set must consist entirely of PFUC-70 coins, since there is a fair supply of PFUC-70 coins in the marketplace. With this in mind, I began to develop strategies for obtaining PFUC-70?s to populate my set. My strategy includes purchasing raw coins from the mint and submitting them to NGC, purchasing already certified coins, and playing the gold market to sell my 69?s and purchase 70?s.
    The first thing I did was purchase a 2007 PFUC-70 Jefferson?s Liberty to replace a 69 I already owned. Because of this coin?s mintage and the fact that it was issued when gold was much cheaper, I could acquire this coin for a reasonable price. To free up funds to purchase the 70, I sold the 69. Since I did not own the Martha Washington or the Abigail Adams coins, I purchased them raw and submitted them to NGC for grading. Martha Washington returned with a 70, and I added her to a PFUC-70 Dolley Madison already residing in my collection. Mintage figures on these coins also made them relatively inexpensive. Later, I purchased a PFUC-70 Abigail Adams for a reasonable price and I intend to sell the 69 soon. While this worked well with the 2007?s, the 2008?s are quite another story.
    Currently, I have two remaining PFUC-69?s in my collection, Jackson?s Liberty and Louisa Adams. Both coins I purchased directly from the mint. The problem I have with these coins that I did not have with the others is that the price of gold is much higher, making these coins much more expensive. Secondly, the mintage numbers on these coins make them scarcer, adding to their value. Another problem that I did not anticipate is the disparity in value between 69 and 70. Where this disparity is $100 or less, there is no big deal, but with Louisa Adams, the disparity is $500.00. Now follow me through this scenario and you will find like me that it is insane. Purchase coin from mint, $629.00, Submit to NGC, $15.00 plus postage, upgrade to 70, $1100.00, sell 69 at something less than cost. For the cost of upgrading, I could just about buy another coin from the mint, hoping to hit the 70 jackpot! The truth is, now I am in the big leagues, and I cannot keep up. To be a 70?s slave, I cannot afford.
    For now, I will wait and see what happens as I focus on my other more inexpensive sets. As time passes, the values will likely settle down and make upgrading to a 70 reasonable again. It is amazing that I can even keep up with this set at all. Regardless, I currently own a fine set with nice coins, and as I buy more coins from the mint, I am sure to hit more 70?s along the way. Oh and by the way, I ordered Anna Harrison before the mint raised her price. I think I like the mint's new pricing scheme.
    Happy collecting to all!
    Gary
  9. coinsbygary
    A picture is worth a thousand words
    Old Green Holder or OGH refers to a previous generation PCGS holder. I am not sure of the dates these holders were used except that it seems the holder itself is a collector item and commands a premium in the market place. For the life of me it seems the holder is almost more important than what is in it, kind of backwards, isn't it. Rattler refers to the first generation PCGS holder. At any rate I am posting of a picture of a coin I bought for the coin that happened to be in an OGH. Always buy the coin and not the holder is the prevalent advice from most collectors that I pretty much adhere to.

  10. coinsbygary
    Two beautiful coins that will grace my collection.
    I receive a free newsletter in my E-mail featuring numismatic news and information from numismaster.com. Periodically, they feature articles on foreign coin designs and provide links to foreign mints. Frequently, the Perth Mint buys advertising space on the newsletter. Many times, I have perused the Perth Mint?s website to see what?s cooking in Australia.
    One particular newsletter highlighted coin designs from France and provided the web link to ?Monnaie De Paris?, France?s mint. The coins featured in the newsletter were of no particular interest to me, but I was curious as to what I would find on the website. Checking through the site, I found two really cool coins that would fit well in my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set. Still, another coin on the site commemorating the ?Concorde? I may have to buy just because I think it?s neat.
    Because the design of these two silver coins about the size of a US silver dollar was so striking, I decided I wanted them for my signature set. The first thing I did was check E-Bay for any on sale. After going through E-Bay?s listings proved fruitless, I decided to buy the coins directly from the mint. For the most part, I am somewhat hesitant to establish accounts with any firm I am not familiar with on the Internet. Nevertheless, after consideration and the recommendation from numismaster.com, I decided to establish an account and purchase the coins.
    Well, the coins arrived this week, and they are stunning. My two proof coins were well packaged and struck. I cannot wait to send them into NGC for grading; I think that at least one of them has a chance of grading PFUC-70.
    The obverse of the one coin features Marianne as ?The Sower? and the reverse commemorates the 50th anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights. On the obverse of the other coin is a bust of the goddess ?Europa?. The reverse commemorates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. With the Brandenburg Gate as a backdrop, the wall is crumbling down, changing into doves flying free. The denomination of each of these silver coins is 10 Euros.
    I am providing pictures of my recent purchases, and I hope you agree with me on the beauty of these coins, especially the ?Europa? coin. If anyone is interested in the ?Monnaie De Paris? website, write me a few lines, and I will send you the link. Wishing all of you a happy collecting experience, Gary.

  11. coinsbygary
    My continuing journey to a top Britannia registry set and putting these tough times in perspective.
    Despite all the bad that is happening, there is some good too. I had this post on Britannia collecting ready Sunday, but because of all that is going on within the Society, I felt the timing was not right. For those going through adversity I have encouragement.
    In January I came across adversity of a different kind, while traveling in Brazil on a mission trip, I took seriously ill. I was hospitalized there with a potentially life threatening illness. Due to gall stone blockage, I contracted pancreatitis. By the grace of God, this condition was quickly diagnosed and my healing rapid. Thankfully, I was released from the hospital four days before returning home.
    While in Brazil I pulled a 1 real coin out of circulation, that coin will always memorialize my stay there and what God has done for me. I sent the coin to NGC for certification and it pulled a grade of MS-64. This coin is not worth the $2 I claimed on my submission, but in terms of sentimental value, this coin is worth much more. The coin will eventually go into my signature set and if you wish to see a photo of it, the certification number is 2756113-009 and you can view it on NGC?s certification verification.
    I make no bones that I am a Christian, so I want to use a Bible verse to illustrate a point. The verse, Romans 8:38-39 states, ?For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.?
    Now for the illustration, if you have to sell a portion of your collection to get by, do not let this fact crush your collector?s heart. Remember, what does not crush you will only serve to make you stronger. Keep the fond memories you forged building the collection to encourage you. Continue to add to your collection, as I said my Brazilian coin of little value means much more to me than how much the coin will fetch at auction. I am sure you all have coins in your collections that mean more to you than filling a slot in a registry set. Do not let this economy separate you from the joy you have in collecting coins. During economic tough times, focus on these things. The economic pendulum will eventually swing back and we will once again be vigorously adding coins to our collections if we just do not lose heart. Had I died in Brazil my collection would have went to my wife and eventually my children, who have vowed to liquidate the entire collection. Now that is putting things in perspective. Hang in there Mr. Thompson and do not lose heart.
    Now a portion of the good news I have to share with my collecting community:
    Almost two months ago, I opined on a journal post about collecting Silver Britannia?s. Since then many things have changed including the first NGC coin grading MS-70. Additionally, there are changes within my registry set worthy of commenting on in a journal post.
     
    One of my strategies in building a competitive registry set is to purchase large lots of coins and submit them to NGC for grading. I decided to start replacing the lower grades in my set first, and then work from there. Recently, I purchased five 2009 Britannia?s, three 2008?s, and three 2006?s. Inspecting the coins I found two 2009?s and one 2006 with the characteristic scuff marks on the queen?s cheek. It seems because of the high relief on the obverse, and the coins moving in their holders, scratching is frequent on the high points of this coin, especially on the queen?s cheek. Since MS-69?s are my goal, I decided to leave those coins out of my submission and instead focus on the three 2009 Britannia?s, three 2008?s, and two 2006?s.
    Last Friday my coins cleared quality control, and I must say I am happy with the results. All three of the 2009 Britannia?s made MS-69, one of which will plug a previously empty 2009 slot in my set. Of the three 2008 submissions, I have two MS-67?s and one MS-68. For whatever the reason the NGC population report shows the highest grade for 2008 Britannia?s is MS-68, so for now the MS-68 will do nicely in my set, upgrading a previous MS-64. Of the two 2006 Britannia?s, one was MS-67 and the other MS-68. Of course, I would have liked a 69, but more importantly, the MS-68 upgrades a MS-62 in my set.
    Another strategy I employ that makes upgrading easy is purchasing existing certified coins. Last week I purchased a 2002 PCGS MS-69 Britannia on E-Bay. The advantage to purchasing certified coins is that I do not have to purchase large lots of raw coins. This spares me from having to spend money to buy the coins and then get them graded. I used this coin to upgrade a MS-67 in my set. All told, I boosted my points total by 432 points!
    From here on out, the going gets a little rougher. Next on my list for upgrading are two 67?s and a 64. After that, I have five 68?s left to upgrade. To spare myself a large expense I will have to be more discreet about the coins I submit. I do not want to submit three coins to upgrade a 68 and have them return as 67s. Along the way to upgrading my set, I have to hope for the elusive MS-70 in one of my submissions. Knowing that such coins exist only encourages me to try to find one for myself.
    Gary
  12. coinsbygary
    Chiming in on the hot issue of the day
    I am not judging the merits of what "namvette68" is proposing. Neither am I unsympathetic to the plight of other collectors forced to sell their collections to make ends meet. The economy is as it is and we are all in it together. All of us, if we are not selling coins to live, have at least thought about the circumstances that would force us to sell. What I am suggesting is that Collectors Society has other forums where this kind of thing should be taken up. The chat boards seem designed perfectly for the back and forth dialog that will be needed to get this thing off the ground. If what namvette68 is suggesting gets going there will need to be significant off line discussion of how the plan is administered. To get things started I do not fault namvette68 for using a journal entry to get the "word" out. But after getting the word out, things need to move to a more appropriate forum, where haggling over the details can be done. For what it's worth I do appreciate the points CPM & C made regarding community.
    Gary
  13. coinsbygary
    I'm getting better at predicting the grades I get on my submissions!
    I always enjoy preparing my raw coins for submission to NGC, especially my latest submission. Before sending my coins in, I usually take photographs of them and try to predict the grade each one will receive. Especially enjoyable, is predicting what grade my proof coins will receive, knowing that they will likely be either PFUC 69 or 70.
    Recently, I purchased four proof First Spouse gold coins, Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Elizabeth Monroe, and Louisa Adams. My ultimate goal for collecting the First Spouse series is to build a complete registry set with PFUC-70 coins. Furthermore, these coins fit nicely into my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set.
    I believe the most cost effective way to build this set is to buy the coins directly from the Mint, hoping that they grade 70, rather than purchasing already graded 70?s. The exceptions are Martha and Abigail; I purchased them for less than what the US Mint currently charges for First Spouse coins. The coins that I submit and return as 69's, I can always upgrade later. If, for some reason, I cannot continue to purchase the gold issues, I can always build a registry set with the medals.
    As a coin collector, I am continually working on developing my grading skills. What better way to develop these skills than to compare myself with professional numismatists. Trying to predict coins that grade between MS-63 and 67 are the most challenging for me, and I admit, I have a long way to go. Predicting coins that will grade between 69 and 70 are a little different. Knowing that a coin will likely not grade below 69, I look for features on the coin that will put it over the top.
    In my dreams, I would love to spend a day in Florida with one of NGC?s graders on the job. I would probably ask them their reasoning for the grade they assign each coin certified that day. More often than not, the feature I think they look at most is the sharpness of the relief, especially on proof coins with no bag marks. You can tell the difference between a sharply struck coin and one that is not. My guess is that the difference in this instance is the difference between 69 and 70.
    With the sharpness of the relief in mind, I assigned my grade to each of the coins. Martha, Elizabeth, and Louisa get 70?s, and Abigail gets a 69. Of the four, I thought Louisa was the strongest candidate for a 70. Yesterday my coins cleared quality control. Excitedly, I pulled up my submission to find I got three of four predictions correct. Martha and Elizabeth got a 70 and both Adams got a 69. I was a little dumbfounded, the candidate I thought was the strongest, got a 69. Oh well, back to the drawing board, the day I stop learning and growing is the day I?ll probably be bored with coin collecting and give up. On second thought, to be fair to myself, NGC?s graders have seen hundreds of these, while I have only seen one. Three out of four, not too shabby I would say.
    In all I have two 70?s from this submission that do not have to be upgraded, and of eight coins I own, half are 70?s. Happy Collecting to All!
    Gary

  14. coinsbygary

    What Gives?

    By coinsbygary,

    I don't understand how the US mint operates or in this case doesn't
    What gives with the US Mint? My UHR double eagle order status was listed as "in process" and the coin listed as "in stock and reserved" with an expected ship date of 2/6/09. Today 2/6/09, I get an e-mail from the mint stating my order is "back ordered" with an expected ship date of 2/21/09. Which is it? I thought in stock and reserved meant they have my coin and need to ship it and back ordered means they do not have my coin , but expect to have it a future date. What is so hard about knowing whether you have an item in stock or not? Why is there a difference between the emails and my order listing taken from the mint's web page? Where's the rocket science in this? How could the mint be so unprepared for this, knowing how popular this program was going to be? If someone can tell me, I sure would like to know. At any rate, I do have something to look forward to, I have a submission with NGC scheduled for grading and another I am sending soon. Perhaps I will have these coins graded and back to me before I see my UHR double eagle!
  15. coinsbygary
    Discover the hours of pure fun you will have assembling one of these sets!
    I thoroughly enjoy building registry sets. I have been collecting for more than 30 years and just ?discovered? registry sets less than a year ago when I joined Collectors Society. I started assembling competitive sets with a goal of completing a few of them with the best coins I can afford. Other sets I am targeting for healthy competition. Still others I use to store coins that buttress my overall points standing. However, there are those I use as feeder sets to pursue my real passion for collecting, my signature sets.
    There are several reasons I enjoy building my signature sets over my competitive sets, the main reason being is that I determine the theme and the coins that fit the theme. In many respects, my signature sets represent what I enjoy about coin collecting, my personality, and what interests me. Filling slots determined by Collectors Society, while fun is mechanical and non-flexible. Let?s face it competing depends on the amount of money you are willing to spend to build a quality collection. That is why my goal is simply to complete a few of my sets.
    Another reason I love signature sets is that I love allegories, and I enjoy deciphering allegories for the ?story? the coin is trying to ?tell?. All sets have an option for owner descriptions; I use the owner description to tell the coin?s story. While it is true you can add descriptions to any of your coins, the signature set is the only place they can all be together in one location.
    I mentioned in a previous paragraph competitive sets are non-flexible, not so with signature sets. With signature sets, you can evolve your set from one thing to quite another. For instance, my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set started with only allegorical coins. It has evolved to include historical, monarchal, and athletic women that inspire. I even have general and special coin slots to define either a group of women or that unique coin that reminds me of someone special. The only downside, if you can call it that, is that you never complete your signature set unless you narrowly define it, just ask ?Jackson? about his ?High Seas? signature set.
    If I were to meet any of you, we could talk for hours about our next purchase or a possible upgrade, maybe even the dream coin we would purchase if we had enough money. However, just as my signature set is a window into what makes me tick, so it is with others who are assembling signature sets. I have never met ?Jackson?, but we could sit down and talk about maritime history. The same is true with ?Revenant? who is building a set called ?Modern World Silver Bullion?. We could talk about how he assembled those meticulous owner descriptions.
    If you have never considered assembling a signature set, maybe now is the time. Collectors Society allows coins to be in multiple sets. You need not buy new coins to do it; I have a set dedicated to nothing more than my MS-70 submissions. My sets have given me untold hours of pure enjoyment, give it a try!
    Happy Collecting! Gary
  16. coinsbygary
    The final word on my Ultra High Relief.
    As I am writing this journal, my Ultra High Relief is on its way home with a grade of MS-69, Early Releases. Once home, it will be photographed and taken to the safe deposit box, ending a seemingly long and interesting journey for me. One of my final acts will be filling out the survey the mint sent me on the ?UH1?.
    While I am a little disappointed with the grade, getting a 70 is like winning the lottery and totally depending on the coin you receive from the mint. I feel sorry for those five people from the population report that got 68?s. For the most part, I have a good track record with gold submissions. Of three first spouse submissions, two have returned 70?s. Of three commemorative half-eagle submissions, I have two of three returning 70. Not too bad, I?d say.
    Over time, I am developing an eye for the 70 versus 69. While I cannot point to any discernable defect in the 69, the 70 seems to have a certain ?look? about it that puts it over the top. Of course, I will never be 100%, but I am improving with each submission. However, with my Ultra High Relief, there were discernable defects. Near the eagles head on the border of the reverse, there are fine scratches. While I was hoping NGC would overlook this and focus on the devices of the coin, I knew that with those scratches it could never be a 70.
     
    Do not get me wrong, I am still delighted with my coin, and I will not be looking to towards upgrading it. After all 69 or 70, it is still ?my? coin, and I am proud to own it. Kind of like kids, not perfect, but still your kids. Think of what it would be like sending your kids in for an upgrade, absurd. Now I am not trying to compare kids to coins, my kids are infinitely worth more to me than all the ?stuff? I own, but in this case, my Ultra High Relief is my kid coin. I may buy another if the mint increases the one per family limit, but this one is worth keeping.
    Move over MS-62 1924 St. Gaudens, the ?Lady? has arrived. My Ultra High Relief is now a proud member of my award winning ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set. On another footnote, I received the accompanying book yesterday, it is well put together and fascinating, and I will read it from cover to cover. Kudos to the mint on that, happy collecting all!

  17. coinsbygary
    Honesty is the best policy
    In my experience, I have found people who collect coins to be among the most honest people I have met. It is in part, this sense of honesty and comradely that attracts me to this hobby.
    I to have made foolish purchases on EBay, I purchased a double eagle and a 3 dollar gold piece that turned up being counterfeit. These two coins would have meant a significant loss to me had those people I purchased them from not been honest and refunded my money. Since then, I have made it my policy when I buy gold on EBay to buy certified coins only. It is true that most often, I pay a little more, but if I pay fair market value or less, I consider it a good buy.
    I collect coins for fun, but dealers make their living off them. Since this is the case, I really do not mind paying a retail price for coins. In return for this, I demand that I be treated fairly and honestly. I have found when I treat people with the respect they deserve, they will in turn bend over backwards to help me, and get me the best possible deal available. If someone is not up front and honest with me, I simply do not have any dealings with them any longer.
    In another respect because I am a Christian, I try to live my life according to the precepts of the bible. Almost two years ago, I attended the ANA?s ?World?s Fair of Money? in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I had a blast; any of you that get a chance to go to one of these should. While there I stopped by a dealers table and bought a PCGS graded MS-64 Washington Dollar with missing edge lettering. An hour or so later I noticed that the dealer had given me a PCGS graded MS-65 dollar. I went back to the table and pointed this out to him. I do not know if he thought I came back to gloat over him, but he gruffly said ?keep it?. Insignificant, maybe, but I prefer to live my life with the highest integrity, living black and white as opposed to grey.
    Recently I have had several coins returned to me in body bags. Shortly, I will be selling most of these coins and I fully intend to point out the defects on every one of them, even at the cost of a few dollars to me. What price can I put on a clear conscience? In living above the fray, I am contributing to the overall integrity of the hobby we all enjoy. You will not find me buying an 1893-S Morgan dollar for $17.00. Happy collecting! Gary
  18. coinsbygary
    Suffering the consequences of mistakes made years ago.
    From my journal post on March 1, I described many of the lessons I learned over the years on building a quality coin collection. In that journal, I documented a desire to get my entire collection certified. Foolishly, I sent the bulk of my raw coins to NTC (Numistrust Corp). In the past year since joining Collectors Society, I discovered the joy of building registry sets. With the registry accepting only PCGS or NGC graded coins (NCS accepted in Signature sets); I decided to crossover grade my NTC coins.
     
    Having to crossover grade my coins gave me an idea for a little experiment. I would submit half my coins cracked out of the slabs and the other half submitted in the slabs. I was interested in comparing NTC with NGC on grading raw coins. Curious and anxious to get my coins into registry sets, I mailed the cracked out coins to NGC.
    The results are in and they are not pretty.
    1. 1876 20-cent piece NTC graded VF-20; NGC no grade, improperly cleaned.
    2. 1831 Bust Half NTC graded AU-55, artificial toning; NGC no grade, improperly cleaned.
    3. 1859 3-cent silver NTC graded AU-55; NGC no grade, damaged.
    4. 1898 1 cent NTC graded MS-63 RB; NGC no grade, artificial color.
    5. 1835 ? dime NTC graded XF-40; NGC no grade, improperly cleaned.
    6. 1896 Barber quarter NTC graded AU-55; NGC no grade, improperly cleaned.
    7. 1900-s Barber half NTC graded VF-30; NGC no grade, improperly cleaned.
    Now for the good news.
    1. 1909 vdb cent NTC graded MS-64 RB; NGC graded MS-64 RB (The only match).
    2. 1923 Peace dollar NTC graded MS-65; NGC graded MS-64
    Years after this monumental mistake, I am living with the painful consequences. I must sell these coins and purchase replacements. How could NTC be so inept at not finding these problems? Even I was suspect of a few of the coins, but I sent them in anyway hoping that they would grade. It is no wonder they are out of business. As for NGC, they are a first rate grading company, and occasionally, in my case, painfully so. Because of NGC?s high standards, we all reap the rewards in our collections.
    Now, because of my collecting priorities, I will not replace these coins anytime soon. The proceeds from the sale of these coins will go towards my signature sets and my Britannias. Shortly, I will send NGC the other coins remaining in NTC slabs I want to keep, selling the rest intact in their slabs. I have two other coins in ANACS slabs that are not problem coins. I expect these to crossover well.
    Fortunately, I bought most of these coins more than 20 years ago when slabbing was a fledgling business. I may even realize a small profit from the sale. Back then, I bought a good portion of my coins through mail order (another potential problem with a lesson to learn). All told, today I am a more experienced and wiser than I was when I purchased these coins, and I am learning what to look for in problem coins.
    For now, I will lick my wounds and get back in the saddle again; man do I love this hobby!
  19. coinsbygary
    Strategies for building a top rated set!
    One of my favorite coins to collect are silver Britannias. The reason I like them is that they are allegorical, featuring ?Britannia? the national personification of the United Kingdom. Another reason I like them is the design changes every year based on a single theme, ?Britannia?. However, another more nostalgic reason is my wife?s British heritage. You can imagine my delight when I found that Collector?s Society added the series as a competitive set. Most of my Britannias, having been graded, I immediately added to my set, the others I submitted for grading. This became my first set with 100 percent of the slots filled!
    Now with my set filled, I am looking to the competition. The best I can hope to do is purchase the entire series in MS-69 condition. My problem according to the NGC population report is there are few Britannias graded, let alone those graded MS-69. I am not sure about the PCGS population report, but I suspect much of the same. Currently there are no coins graded in MS-70 condition. The person who gets just one coin in MS-70 condition will have the best set. Unable to purchase NGC or PCGS certified coins to upgrade my collection, I must develop another strategy to upgrade my collection.
    I am considering purchasing raw coins in large lots, submitting what I feel are the best and selling the rest. Buying coins in larger lots will allow me to purchase them for less. While I am sure this strategy should achieve my goals, I have two problems. The first problem is I am not a professional grader, even if I submit the best coins, they may not return with MS-69 or 70 grades. Another problem is selling the rest of the coins at what I am sure will be a loss. Maybe I should get every coin in the lot certified. This will take some of the guessing out of the submission with lower graded certified coins tending to sell better than raw coins.
    The best way to take the guessing game out of the equation is to purchase already certified coins. To do this, I have Britannias saved as a favorite EBay search. If a certified coin comes up for bids, I will know immediately. I have already purchased a 2005 in MS-69 condition and a 2001 in MS-67 condition from EBay listings. However, these listings are infrequent, and I cannot solely rely on them to build my collection.
    I think the best way to proceed is to upgrade my lowest graded coins first. For instance, I currently have a 2006 Britannia graded MS-62. If I submit another 2006, and it returns as say an MS-68, I replace the 62 with the 68 and start working on the 64?s in my set until I have all 68?s and 69?s.
    As you can see, these types of dilemmas are what make this hobby so much fun! Hopefully, in time, if I am patient, I will have the top rated Britannia set. Maybe, just maybe, I will find that elusive 70. I am sure it exists as a raw ?diamond in the rough? out there some place. May the one who is fortunate enough to find it win! Enjoy the best hobby in the world!
    Gary

  20. coinsbygary
    The only fly in the ointment to an enjoyable day when my UHR arrived.
    Yesterday evening I received an email from the mint stating that my UHR is on the way. Typically, I receive my items the day after notification. As fate would have it, I worked the graveyard shift last night, assuring I would be home to sign for my delivery. Returning home, I slept on the couch to make sure I would hear the doorbell. Early this morning I heard a heavy truck approach my house and the UPS man (brown really did it for me today) nearing the door to ring the bell. I went to open the door just to see him walking back to his truck, my valuable parcel sitting on my doorstep. Glad my UHR finally arrived; I was perplexed as to why the mint did not require me to sign for my UHR. If I had been at work, my UHR would have sat on my doorstep until I arrived home. If anyone of you still have UHR?s on the way, be careful of how they are delivered to you.
    As I opened the box (like a kid on Christmas day), I was awestruck by the beauty and size of the presentation box, what an appropriate way to house and display such a beautiful coin. It is almost a shame to have to send it to NGC for grading, knowing it will never go back in the box. As a partial resolution to this situation, I took photographs of my UHR displayed in its box, taking photos of the obverse and reverse along with several photos of this amazing coin outside the box.
    My only regret now is that I did not mail my UHR priority or overnight. I hope it arrives by Monday for early releases. Naturally, every submitter wants their fine coins to return MS-70, and should mine not return that way, it will still be one of the finest additions to my collection. I could not be happier with this coin. It was certainly worth the wait and all?s well that ends well. I hope all of you find a similar joy in your UHR?s and may they come back to you as 70?s. Enjoy these photos of this truly fascinating coin.

  21. coinsbygary
    As there are lessons to be learned in life, there are also lessons to be learned in coin collecting!
    Over my years of coin collecting, I have made many mistakes. Most often, my mistakes have cost me money. The positive aspects of these mistakes are the lessons learned that have made me a better coin collector (I wish I knew what it takes to call myself a numismatist). For instance, at one time I used to buy raw gold coins from e-bay listings. Two of my purchases ended up as counterfeits. Since education is the best way to protect myself, I bought books dealing with counterfeit identification. Fortunately, the two e-bay sellers were reputable and refunded my money. After that, I established a policy with myself of buying certified gold and non-common coins only (lesson learned). Now because of the NGC registry, I only buy NGC or PGCS certified coins.
    About four years ago, I decided that I wanted my entire collection graded. Joining PCGS?s collectors club, I made my five free submissions. Four of the five coins returned graded, the other one returned in a body bag (rim ding and a lesson learned on problem coins). For whatever a reason, I did not participate in PCGS?s registry and let my membership lapse. Still wanting to get my coins in slabs, I took my coins to my local dealer. This is where I discovered that one of my e-bay purchases were counterfeit. How embarrassed I was to have the dealer proclaim my coin was a fake (1882 $3 gold, a popular coin for counterfeits). Still figuring that the cost was formidable to get my entire collection graded, and desiring to have my problem coins graded (lesson on problem coins not quite learned) I shopped for a company to grade my coins and ended up with NTC (Numistrust Corp., bad choice). I made my first submission and for the most part, I was happy.
    Fast forward to May 31, 2008, the day I joined Collector?s Society. It took being involved with a professional organization to discover my mistakes. I had allowed far too many problem coins into my collection. Do not get me wrong, problem coins do have a place, especially high-end rarities (two of which I will post in this journal entry), but I had allowed too many common date problems into my collection. Now I must sell these problem coins and replace them at a cost to complete my registry sets (problem coins lesson finally learned).
    Now my problem is what to do with my NTC slabs. Grading companies come and go, but in the end, the cream rises to the top, and you get what you pay for. NGC and PCGS are going strong and NTC is no longer in business. I had no other choice, but to spend the money for cross grading that I could have spent buying new coins (lesson on grading companies learned). Now I will prepare my coins for cross over grading and will make future journal entries on how that process goes, it should be an educating experience.
    One lesson I thankfully did not have to learn the hard way involves where best to store my coins. For years, I had kept my coins in a safe that was in my house. Then I read an article in Coins magazine on the subject suggesting the best place to store coins is in a safe deposit box at the bank. The article suggested taking digital pictures of my coins, enjoying the pictures while my coins are secure at the bank. My own Mom thought I was nuts for storing my coins this way and told me to get them in a safe deposit box. Finally, I did the wise thing and moved my valuable coins to a safe deposit box for $30.00 a year, a small price to pay for peace of mind.
    In the end, all of life is a growing and learning process, whether I am maturing in my spiritual life as a Christian, or as a person, or as a coin collector. The shame in life and coin collecting is missing our learning moments (problem coins) and having to learn the same lessons over again. Making the most of every learning moment makes me a better Christian, person, and coin collector (someday I hope to be comfortable calling myself a numismatist while I have no problem calling myself a Christian).
    The problem coins pictured, fit well into my collection, even though they will never be in a competitive registry set. One of the coins resides in my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set as a rim damaged NCS AU details 1908 Austrian ?60th Anniversary of Reign? 100 Corona gold piece. This coin with one of the most beautiful designs in all of numismatics on the reverse has the rim ding showing on the obverse only! The other coin, an ICG graded VG-8 1795 ?Flowing Hair? half dollar with scratches and adjustment marks fits well into my type set, though it cannot be recognized as such. The prohibitive prices of these coins in comparable grades as non-problems, made buying them as problems the only way to go for me. In fact, I got the 1795 half for about half the cost of a comparable non-problem coin. For a coin grading VG-8, it has more eye appeal and detail than many of the non-problem VG?s. Maybe I will put this coin into my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set as the allegorical ?Lady Liberty?.

  22. coinsbygary
    A journal entry that mislead me, but turned out well
    Today I saved $50.00 on a coin purchase because of a journal posted by Collector?s Society member ?davidricher? written yesterday. For those of you who read his journal, he stated that the mint would BEGIN shipping UHR?s April 24 and then only to those who placed orders on Jan 22. This afternoon I received an e-mail from the mint stating that they have begun to ship Feb 22 and expect to deliver UHR?s ordered between Jan 22 and Feb 23 BY April 24. I believe the information in the journal, though false, was an honest mistake. Based on the information in ?davidricher?s? journal I placed an order for one each, Elizabeth Monroe and Louisa Adams gold proof coins yesterday afternoon. Now you are probably wondering how I get from a journal entry on UHR?s to a first spouse order, let me explain.
    I do not have to tell anyone out there who has a 401K retirement account that the stock market is in the tank. I think I have lost 30 to 40 percent of my money in the past 6 months. I do not look at my statements for fear that I will get depressed, angry, or both. It will probably take a long time for me just to break even again. If you are a coin collector, I do not have to tell you that the price of gold is sharply rising either. The UHR I purchased on Jan 22 for $1189.00 now sells for $1339.00, $150 more than my order one month ago on Jan 22. If I continue to work and earn a decent salary in this current economy, I see a GOLDEN opportunity. Where else can I invest in a rising commodity and fuel my passion to collect coins at the same time during a poor economy? Now to be fair I do not buy coins primarily as an investment. I buy them for the enjoyment they bring me as a hobbyist. Unless I need to liquidate them to survive, I have no intention to sell them. Therefore, I will never realize a profit. With that said it feels nice to have my coins appreciate. If only I could move the money from my 401K to gold coins, but then again, how could I retire if I am not willing to sell? No, my strategy is to give investing in the stock market a break and take the extra money I earn and buy gold coins.
    Now, since my UHR order supposedly moved to April 24, and I did not have that charge on my credit card for the next billing cycle, I purchased the coins yesterday for $629 each. With the mint?s new pricing guidelines in place, the same coins listed today for $654 each, saving me $50! Generally, though, when I take a course of action based on incorrect information, things do not usually turn out well. Before I make a decision based on Collector?s Society journals, I need to verify the content of the journal, even though I believe them to be well intentioned. I still may be in trouble though, if the mint ships my UHR before the first week in March, I will see both charges on my credit card. I will have to deal with that when and if the time comes. For now ?davidricher?, if you are out there, thank you, because of your journal entry, I will get a better deal on two fine coins!
  23. coinsbygary
    It just does not get any better than this!
    What an incredible coin-collecting weekend! NGC and Collector?s Society are the best. I sent three submissions to NGC for grading. They posted on the web site as received on Feb 16. I made one world submission and two US submissions. The world submission posted finalized/shipped Feb 20 and the US submissions posted finalized/shipped today. The turnaround time at NGC is incredible!
    To top that off, I am delighted with the grades my coins received. My world submission consisted of 4 proof coins and 4 MS coins. All the proof coins graded PF-69, two of them being gold coins from Canada! The MS coins returned three 67?s and a 68. Of the eight combined coins on the US submissions, two returned as PF-70 and one returned a grade of MS-70! The two proofs were a 2008-w Van Buren?s Liberty and a 1999-p SBA dollar. The MS-70 was a 2008-s 50-cent Bald Eagle commemorative. I could not wait to enter these coins into my registry and signature sets. Only a fellow coin collector understands that kind of excitement.
    If that was not enough, I received my plaque for the 2008 ?Most Creative Signature Set, Inspirational Ladies? on Saturday. The plaque now proudly hangs in my living room. I still find it hard to believe that I won this award because my peers are the best collectors in the world! This also serves to humble me in that my registry and signature sets were considered for awards, being among some of the finest sets in the world. Winning this award encourages me to keep building and improving my sets. My dilemma now is which five coins from my winning Signature Set to send for photo proofing.
    The only blight in an otherwise perfect weekend is my UHR double eagle order. People have already received and had their coins graded. My order, just 7 minutes after they went on sale is still not here. The last I heard is that it expected to ship Feb 22. I do not know what is wrong with the mint?s website, but the feature that tracks orders is not working. I called the mint and they verified my order, but gave me the pat answer of possibly 6-9 months for them to complete the order. I get this sinking feeling that something is wrong and see my ?early releases? designation in jeopardy. I still have a little time though and now hope for the elusive MS-70 grade. I have a hard time believing in the mint?s policy of first in, first out. The next time I get one of them pop up surveys from the mint, they will get an ear full.
    All told, it does not get much better than this! I am posting a photo of my four world proof coins from my submission. They will make a fine addition to my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set. Isn?t coin collecting the best hobby there is?

  24. coinsbygary
    The joy and focus in assembling a registry set
    One of my favorite categories of collecting is type coins. I put together a set of major designs (no die varieties) that fit into a picture frame size Capital Holder. I can remember my joy when I purchased a 1799 Bust dollar to fill that last hole (a single hole in a set drives me crazy, kind of like a 1916-d Mercury dime hole in a Whitman folder).
    Since then I have discovered the registry set. One of the cool advantages of registry sets is that these sets help you organize your collection. It also gives you goals to attain. My PCGS and NGC coins I have transferred into ?Gary?s Type Set?. Several other coins I have need crossover grading from holders not eligible for the registry. Yet still other ?problem coins? will never fit into any registry set. Six of my problem coins I listed on EBay and with the proceeds purchased an NGC 1930-S MS-64 Standing Liberty quarter. Not a bad trade off, since one of the coins sold was a Standing Liberty quarter. Now I have five coins I need to purchase to take the place of those I sold.
    The largest advantage of the registry set may be the focus on quality coins. Purchasing quality coins to fill slots in the registry only improves the value, quality, and appeal of my collection. This does not mean I only purchase MS-64 and higher coins. It only means I buy the best my budget allows. An affordable VF coin with good eye appeal can be an acceptable alternative to an MS-64. Since type collections focus on the type, I can purchase cheaper higher quality non-key dates.
     
    Now my registry set has slots for die varieties, giving me an excuse to purchase new coins to fill those slots and further increase my collections value. The only problem I have with my registry set is that there is no slot for my VF-20 PCGS 1799 Bust dollar! Since that is the case, I know I have a slot in my journal to post it. Enjoy collecting coins! The possibilities are near endless.

  25. coinsbygary
    My latest submission, my view on the NGC/PCGS registry debate, and a recent purchase.
    Wow! Nine days from received to finalized shipped! My NGC world submission received Feb 2, 2009 shipped today Feb 11, 2009. My only wish is that my UHR double eagle order from the mint could be half as fast! As with any submission, there are surprises and disappointments. The disappointment, a 2006 silver Britannia, returned as a MS-62. I bought the coin on EBay and should have returned it, knowing there was a chance it might even return ungraded. I bought it from a listing with a ?stock photo?. When buying raw coins on EBay, insist on high quality photos of the coin you will receive in the listing. My biggest problem is, when it comes to buying coins, especially those on EBay, I am not patient. I should set myself hard and fast rules for buying on EBay and pass on the coins that do not follow those rules. Inpatient purchases always ends up costing me more and in this case getting a less than desirable coin. Onto the surprises, a French, 1995 Centennial of Cinema, Audrey Hepburn, silver proof 100 francs commemorative coin with a touch of cloudy toning returned a grade of PF-68 UC. I expected it to grade PF-67. An Austrian 1995 ?Olympic ribbon dancer? silver proof 200 shillings coin returned a grade of PF-69 UC. Of course, there were those coins that graded what I expected. For all I spent, my MS-62 Britannia fills a hole, but only earns 3 points for my registry set.
    I have enjoyed reading the recent journal entries debating the NGC, PCGS registry issue. The first point one should remember is NGC and PCGS are the best grading companies in the industry, hands down. Next, all grading is subjective to the grader; however, NGC and PCGS have the most consistent grading standards, a point that makes them the best. The problem I have with PCGS is that their registry is not inclusive and accepts only PCGS graded coins. One reason I love the Collectors Society registry is that it is inclusive. Because of its inclusiveness, there is a larger supply of graded coins in the marketplace with which to choose and purchase! Most often, when I make a coin purchase, I purchase graded coins rather than roll the dice on a raw coin that it will grade well or worse that I miss some defect and have it return ungraded. Buying from a larger pool of graded coins takes the guessing game out of buying coins. With all that, I do prefer coins in NGC holders.
    Now onto one of the joys of coin collecting, the occasional purchase of a high-grade, key coin. This past week I purchased a PCGS 1893 MS-63 Isabella quarter in an old green holder (OGH). From the high quality photos on the EBay listing, I thought that this coin was under graded. The coin has a strong strike and nice eye appeal and I think it should grade MS-64. I paid a lot for it, but in this case, I did not mind because quality is worth a few extra dollars to me. This coin will make a nice addition to my ?Inspirational Ladies? signature set. Additionally, I earn 1073 points in my silver commemorative competitive registry set as opposed to 3. I wonder if I should have it crossover graded, then again, it is a PCGS graded coin so I am reluctant to do so. If I were to sell it, I would have it crossover graded, but then again, it is not for sale. Enjoy the photo I have attached, it does not do the coin justice. I may crossover grade it because there is a scuff on the reverse side of the holder partially obstructing the view of the coin!