coinsbygary

Then there are the coins I originally regretted buying but over time began to grow on me like this olive toned Large-Cent. I no longer consider this 1851 MS-63 brown large cent an upgrade candidate. Incidentally, my friend who doesn't like ANY red showing through the toning on large cents does not like the reverse of this coin. Neither do I, I find the reverse of this coin has a rather dull look. That said, I am keeping this coin for the olive toning on the obverse. I also think the struck through grease on Liberty's truncated neck is interesting. As to bad or good, I only criticize my own coins and let others make their own determinations.

Early red copper coins are extremely rare. I think that many people who buy these coins, buy them because they garner the most points in their registry sets. An early copper coin can have a red surface, and a technical grade of 67, but have poor eye appeal. People sometimes overlook poor eye appeal to own a technical grade simply for registry purposes. This is not to say all early coppers graded red MS-67 have poor eye appeal but for my money I prefer the same MS-67 in brown and red/brown. I have a friend who will not own any early coppers but brown. Any Indian Head Cents other than brown or red/brown, and only accept some Lincoln Cents as red. He says, based on the reactive nature of copper, older coins in red and red/brown look unnatural. I can't argue that. I own a very attractively toned brown 1835 MS-63 half-cent that I'll put up against most higher graded red/browns and reds of the same type,
 

Early red copper coins are extremely rare. I think that many people who buy these coins, buy them because they garner the most points in their registry sets. An early copper coin can have a red surface, and a technical grade of 67, but have poor eye appeal. People sometimes overlook poor eye appeal to own a technical grade simply for registry purposes. This is not to say all early coppers graded red MS-67 have poor eye appeal but for my money I prefer the same MS-67 in brown and red/brown. I have a friend who will not own any early coppers but brown. Any Indian Head Cents other than brown or red/brown, and only accept some Lincoln Cents as red. He says, based on the reactive nature of copper, older coins in red and red/brown look unnatural. I can't argue that. I own a very attractively toned brown 1835 MS-63 half-cent that I'll put up against most higher graded red/browns and reds of the same type,
 

Congratulations! Your plaques and coin represent quite an achievement especially across two separate branches of NGC. Oh, is the ASE a Type 1 or 2?

Congratulations! Your plaques and coin represent quite an achievement especially across two separate branches of NGC. Oh, is the ASE a Type 1 or 2?

Spain also changed their currency to the decimal system intending to join the Latin Monetary Union after the 1868 Glorious Revolution and ouster of Queen Isabella II. The 5-Peseta was to be Spain's equivalency coin with the proper silver weight and fineness of the other European crown sized coins of the Latin Monetary Union.
 

Spain also changed their currency to the decimal system intending to join the Latin Monetary Union after the 1868 Glorious Revolution and ouster of Queen Isabella II. The 5-Peseta was to be Spain's equivalency coin with the proper silver weight and fineness of the other European crown sized coins of the Latin Monetary Union.
 

The last time I sent multiple submissions, NGC sent the coins back to me as they graded them. Interestingly, my world modern submission was the last submission to make it back to me.

That is totally cool! Congratulations on your rare find!

Hi Gary
I'm so happy you made to Iceland to have your daughters wedding and from the looks of your photo you had a blast. I have not been on the site for some time but I will take the time to read your post. Congrats to your daughter and son in-law and I wish them the best for the future.

This information on the Icelandic monetary system is really interesting. Especially, since I went to Iceland in October for my daughter's wedding. Concerning Iceland, I loved it! It was quite an adventure. We may return at some point in the future to visit the sites we didn't have time to visit because of the wedding. Iceman, did you get a chance to read the post I wrote about my visit? If not here's the link.   
 

That is totally cool! Congratulations on your rare find!

Jack
There is something to be said for your winning set that does not include high grades and the lowest graded coin in Very-Fine condition being a Top-Pop. Congratulations on your Potosi Mint 8-reales set winning the Best Presented award.

The Medallic Art Company has produced some gorgeous high relief and extra high relief medals over the years. Artists like French were one of the reasons why.
I love that obverse portrait. Simple, elegant, beautiful.

Entertaining as always, Gary. I love these old Medallic Art Co. medals.

Another excellent post, Gary.  I have been toying with the idea of posting my ideas about why we don't have any great, new art on our current coins.  As you mentioned in your entry, the great artists taught the next generation.  Did Laura Gardin Fraser have any notable apprentices/students?

Did o-k on the auctions. I did bid on around 8 coins and got them returned to my registry. I was not letting anything go for free.
With all deductions and sold coin removals I am at a new stage in my collecting.
A total of 1300 graded slabs are left. Total list value in collection manager is at $67,000 at a cost of $2000.
I will remain selling and buying coins till I get $100,000 value at no cost.
Happy New Year!!
Rick

I was also disappointed with NGC dropping the journal awards but like you, it was not unexpected. Congratulations on the Zimbabwean coin set winning best presented. I have always thought hyperinflation as a cause of disappearing coins was a very interesting and compelling theme. I am also glad that we are NOT rid of you because of the journal awards.  That said, some things were just not meant to be. Believe me, I would have enjoyed you catching up to me in the journal awards. It was fun while it lasted and BTW, you won't be rid of me either! 

...On another note, congratulations on your Lincoln Cent set award! Mark's photos of your cents look phenomenal in your winning set. Your set is truly pleasing to the eye and a testament to your eye in choosing coins with pleasing eye appeal. Your set is truly worthy of award and recognition!

Congratulations! Your fine set certainly deserves to be recognized and applauded!

In my estimation, Spink should have this catalog scanned into the Newman Numismatic Portal. That said, if you do a search there using only the words "Spink Auction" it will return 591 records found. I own an 1879 copper "Three Graces" Spink fantasy coin with the "Penny Black" rendition of Queen Victoria. That said, its like pulling teeth to find any information beyond that of this beautiful fantasy coin. Good luck wading through 591 records. I hope you find somewhere in those records the information you seek. Gary. https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/searchwithterms?searchterm=spink auction
The following is a link to the write-up of this fantasy coin in my collection https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/coinview.aspx?sc=611230
 

Yes there are! I have a typed letter signed by Laura Gardin Fraser concerning her sculpted abutments for the Roosevelt Bridge in Washington DC. Incidentally, these were never installed and are rumored to be stored in a government warehouse someplace. Gary

I had a positive experience with a customer service representative proving and preserving a provenance attached to two of Laura Gardin Frasers medals in my collection. Reading an article in the June 2018 issue of "The Numismatist" I read the story of a family who had charge of numerous items from James Earle and Laura Gardin Fraser's studio. Among the items were medals, plasters, and sculptures. I also found from a phone conversation with the curator, whose parents were aides to the Fraser's, that the plasters of Laura's Washington Quarter design were borrowed by the US Mint for the 1999 Washington commemorative half-eagle. For his trouble the mint presented him with a proof example of the Washington Commemorative. But I digress. Soon after the the article was published, I was contacted by my "all things Fraser" mentor-friend that the curators only lived 60 miles from where he lived and that he made an appointment to inspect the studio collection. From his inspection he recommended that I purchase two medals from the Fraser studio collection. Acting as my agent, my mentor-friend negotiated a good price for me and it was a sale. When I sent the medals to NGC for grading, I asked that the provenance be preserved. I presented them with a hand written bill of sale, a canceled check, and the Numismatist article as evidence that the medals I now owned once belonged to the Frasers. Over the phone I talked with NGC's head of medal grading over the wording of the provenance and finally settled on "Fraser Studio Archives."

Everyone needs a break, and yours is well deserved! In this season of Thanksgiving I give thanks for my supportive wife just as you do yours. Enjoy your week together! Gary

This is interesting. I think I'll pursue a little theory I'm working on. Since the age of enlightenment led to a disdain of royals and by extension the church, could it be that this led to Christians fleeing to America to escape religious persecution? I know this was true of different sects of Christianity earlier than 1790 fleeing Great Britain and persecution from the king and the Church of England. Included with that number are other Europeans fleeing similar persecutions in other European countries. Could it be that the first amendment to the constitution sprung from the experiences of people fleeing religious persecution? History has a cause and effect to it that I find fascinating as it shapes the world we live in today. As for the Age of Enlightenment and the Reign of Terror, the French Revolution had the rest of the European continent shaking in its boots as it expanded beyond the borders of France causing countless others to flee for the Americas. Very interesting stuff all marked in history by the coins we collect. Gary