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Mohawk

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Journal Entries posted by Mohawk

  1. Mohawk
    An eventful year...but I guess I just couldn't stay away!!
    Hello everyone!!
    Last year in September, I announced my retirement from the Registry and I took down all of my sets to sort of do some soul searching, both in the numismatic frame of life and in everything else. It was an eventful year, and I accomplished a lot, including finishing my Master's degree and getting enrolled in a Doctoral program.
    I've been on since my retirement as a seller on the Money Marketplace and over time I have realized how much I missed the other parts of everything on here. Things like conversations with fellow collectors, sharing my coins with you guys and enjoying the different projects that we all undertake as parts of this vibrant community.
    So, I've decided to return with the new knowledge and perspective that I have gained with my year away. First off, I'm going to focus a lot more on specific areas that I really and truly love. My areas of specialty will be much as they were before: the Ottoman Empire and Germany. To this I will be adding some projects revolving around the coinage of Queen Victoria. I've also dumped all of my modern sets aside from my Chilean 5 and 10 Pesos that I will be putting back up, and some international moderns that will make appearances in some custom projects I'm considering. But the vast majority of my efforts will be with the Ottoman Empire, Germany and my Vickie projects.
    I realized before that lack of focus was my main stumbling block to happiness and success here on the Registry. I've also realized that I can enjoy all sorts of coins through my selling so that I don't necessarily have to collect them myself.
    I've also decided that, once again, I am an NGC ONLY collector and grader. I've never stopped grading with NGC, but I added another company who I will not name (though some of you on here know which one) into the mix and I was extremely unhappy with the results from them. NGC is the best in the market my friends, and I have the experiences to prove it from this past year. So please, stick with the best and save yourself the headaches I've had in the past year!
    In closing, it's so good to be back and please take a look at my resurrected sets in the Turkey and Germany categories and know that there is more Ottoman and German goodies to come!!!
    ~Tom
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  2. Mohawk

    It's time to retire

    By Mohawk,

    Something I didn't really think I'd say at 34......
    Hello all,
     
    I haven't been on here in quite a while......lots of things have changed in my life very quickly over the past month and a half, and it's caused me to re-evaluate some of the things I've been doing in my life up to this point. It hasn't been anything really horrible, these changes. I'm not sick, nor is anyone in my family, thank God! Things are just new and different, mostly in a good way.
     
     
     
    One of the things I've looked at was how I was pursuing my participation in this wonderful hobby of ours. I've been thinking a lot about this, and I've realized some things I was doing that maybe weren't so good. I realized that there were coins that I liked, but I wasn't pursuing them because I didn't think they'd work well as a Registry Set. I also realized that I was ignoring nice circulated coins, because they wouldn't be as good on the Registry. I was depriving myself of pursuing some coins that I really enjoy, such as Indian Cents, because I felt that they weren't "exotic" enough to be a part of my Registry collecting. Mainly, what I've realized is that the Registry, which started out as so much fun and excitement, has reached a point with me where it's become not very good for me.
     
     
     
    So my friends, I've decided to retire from the Registry here on NGC at least temporarily and possibly for good. I need to get back to the basics with coins, back to the classical way of things with some good old Dansco and Whitman albums and some beautiful circulated coins. I need to get back to who I was back when I started out with coins in a serious manner in 1999, and this is the way for me to do this. I'll likely be taking down my sets here over the next little while to make way for those who are actively pursuing Registry participation. The last thing I want to do is allow my sets to become some of those irritating "zombie sets" that we all adore so much!
     
     
     
    In closing, my time here has truly been wonderful. I've met some amazing people, both collectors and people at NGC, and learned so much from all of you. I wouldn't trade these things for the world. In closing, thank you all for everything over the past few years and best of luck and continued success to all of you as you go forward with all of your goals in life, not just those in numismatics.
     
     
     
    Best Regards and Farewell(at least for now),
     
    ~Tom
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  3. Mohawk
    Congratulating a major milestone
    Hello all,
     
    I just wanted to share with everyone that I completed my first 100% Completion Registry Set today, my Ottoman Empire Nickel 20 Paras. While I still technically need one non-competitive issue ( which is so rare I may never get an opportunity to buy one, but if I did I would pounce on it!!) I have all of the issues which are scored and one of the non-competitives. This set has been a labor of love, and has been in the making as a collection since 2009 and a Registry pursuit since 2012. So, if you're of a mind, please give my first complete set a look and check out some absolutely gorgeous coins!
     
     
     
    http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/SetListing.aspx?PeopleSetID=139000
     
     
     
    I hope all of you guys are reaching your goals as well!!
     
     
     
    Best Regards
     
    ~Tom
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  4. Mohawk

    A pleasant surprise!

    By Mohawk,

    And I thought I was done with American coins!
    So, as many of you know, I haven't been an active collector of many American coins for quite some time. In fact, I made myself so completely miserable trying to collect Classic US coins that I thought I was done with American coins for good....and then this last week happened.....
    My girlfriend's parents had a 2011 25th Anniversary Silver Eagle Set that they were looking to sell to help fund a down payment on a new vehicle. Initially, my girlfriend and I were going to take the set to our favorite dealer and sell it to them. But then I saw it and got to thinking about it, and realized that the Silver Eagle really is quite a handsome coin.....and I bought it instead!! They gave me a good price and I paid them more than a dealer would have, so it was good for everybody. It was a nice surprise to find a new growth of interest in a part of numismatics I was done with for good. So, in addition to all of my other projects, I'm now going to do something with Silver Eagles which will likely be a set of the proof issues and maybe the uncirculated mint marked issues as well. So, I guess my lesson for the week is just this.....in our great hobby, never say never
    Until next time!
    ~Tom (Mohawk)
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  5. Mohawk
    Had a good submission!!
    Well....my girlfriend had her 5 free NGC grades, and we recently used them to send off some world coins. We both split our grades up 3 and 2 when we get them, as we both become due to rejoin at different times of the year. So I used my one of my 2 grades for my 1327 yr 7 Ottoman 20 Para, and it came back an AU 50!! For a coin that is unknown in any mint state grade, I think I did pretty well!!
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  6. Mohawk
    Another pretty sweet Ottoman rarity!!
    I'm pretty new to the Journal thing, but since I got some nice feedback for the last one, I thought I'd share another coin.
    This time, it's a 1336 yr 2 silver 5 Kurush. The western date on this coin is 1919, and it has an interesting story as well. Like many other nations, the Ottoman Empire issued huge amounts of coinage in the first years of it's participation in World War I ( aside from 1915 dated 5 and 20 Paras, of course!). Those huge mintages in 1914, 1915 and 1916 led to a serious decline in the need for new coinage in 1917, 1918 and 1919, especially since the Ottoman Empire lost huge amounts of territory, and thusly users of Ottoman coinage. This led to most of the coinage of the last Sultan, Mehmed VI, who reigned from July 1918 to November of 1922, being very scarce to rare today....and this one is one of the rarest!! The 1336 yr 2 5 Kurush had an extremely small mintage of 2,000 coins, and very few of those still exist today. Adding to the significance of this coin, 1919 was the final year that the Ottoman Empire minted silver coinage. My coin is an MS 62, and as far as I know it's the only one NGC has ever graded. There's a 5 Kurush Competitive set in the works. Since it's not live yet, I have no idea what this little baby will score......but I'm thinking it might another one pointer, in a good way
    Thanks again everyone for the great response to my first Journal, and making this community the amazing place it is!!!
    'Til next time!
    ~Tom

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  8. Mohawk
    Finally tracked down a major Ottoman rarity!
    Hello all,
    So, I told myself that when I finally tracked down this coin, I'd become more active on the journal-message board side of things. So here's my newest Ottoman beauty!
    The 1327 regnal year 7 ( 1915 in Western dating)20 Para had a mintage of 800 coins, split between two different types. My coin is the first type, with the name Reshat next to the Tughra on the obverse. How the mintage exactly breaks down between the two types is unknown, but I've read a theorized breakdown of 500 of the first type and 300 of the second. Adding to the rarity of this coin is the large number of them defaced by the rebel states of Hejaz and Nejd ( present day Saudi Arabia) in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire that began in late 1916 and eventually led to the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I. Due to the low mintage, the defacement by the rebel states and just regular circulation and other sources of attrition, almost the entire 1915 mintage of 20 Paras is gone today. I actually missed out on one of these a few years ago, and had been kicking myself ever since as this coin is RARE!! Really rare, to the point where it's a non-competitive issue on the Registry and scores 1 Registry point. But, thankfully, I got a second chance and didn't miss it! I usually wait to debut new coins until after they've been to NGC, but I couldn't wait this time!! So please welcome my new little beauty!!

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  9. Mohawk

    And the reverse

    By Mohawk,

    The reverse of my 1327 yr 7 20 Para
    Just what the teaser says.....

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  10. Mohawk
    Why can't I get a coin I like in the Retro Holder?!
    First off, I love the NGC black Retro Holder, and was quite sad when they introduced it for the limited time last year because none of the coins I collect were eligible for encapsulation in that holder. Now, this year, they offer it again for the 2013 West Point Eagle set, and even then only in bulk submissions. Though I don't collect silver eagles, I can imagine those collectors who can't submit in bulk experienced similar frustration. Now, I look on the home page last night and I see they're offering it for the 2013 Reverse Proof Gold Buffalo, and for other gold Buffalos. I got to thinking....I bought this year's lovely Platinum Eagle and I did a little research and found that it is the same size as the 1 Ounce Buffalo, so I stupidly got my hopes up and emailed NGC seeing if there was any way that I could get my Platinum Eagle in the Retro Holder and was told no. It's the same size!! Needless to say, I'm getting quite tired of NGC offering this very attractive holder only for particular coins.....and ones that I ( and others I'm sure)don't collect. I just wish that I could get a coin I like and collect in the Retro Holder. I'm really starting to get quite sick of not being able to get the holder I want when I pay good money for my membership dues every year and every time I send a coin off to be graded. I'm tired of having to settle.
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  11. Mohawk
    Just a little thought that I've had recently.......
    I've been thinking about this recently. I have so many coins that would just look wonderful in that black core Retro holder......it's just a shame that they only offered it for a few US Moderns for such a limited time. This is the first journal I've written on here, and it might be the last but I thought I'd take the temperature of the community on this issue. My ideal situation would be one where submitters could choose between a black or white core when they send their coins for grading. I wouldn't even mind if I had to pay a little more for it or if I had to send coins in a particular tier to get the black/white option. Hopefully, I'll get some responses from the community on this, and I also hope that the kind people at NGC take notice of this journal and the responses and give my little idea some consideration.
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