• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

brg5658

Member: Seasoned Veteran
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    4,254

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    5

 Content Type 

Journal Entries posted by brg5658

  1. brg5658

    1700 German Coin

    By brg5658,

    A new rearing horse!
    I caught some sort of bug for these old German State coins with the rearing Saxon Steed. I just got this one today, and I have another nice 1818 3 Mariengroschen on the way.
    This coin was minted in 1700 when the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneberg was overseen by Georg Ludwig, more commonly known today as King George I of Great Britain and Ireland. George I was born on 28 May 1660 and died on 11 June 1727. He was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698 to his death.
    George was born in Hanover, in what is now Germany, and inherited the titles and lands of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg from his father and uncles. A succession of European wars expanded his German domains during his lifetime, and in 1708 he was ratified as prince-elector of Hanover. At the age of 54, after the death of Queen Anne of Great Britain, George ascended the British throne as the first monarch of the House of Hanover. Although over fifty Roman Catholics bore closer blood relationships to Anne, the Act of Settlement of 1701 prohibited Catholics from inheriting the British throne. George, however, was Anne's closest living Protestant relative. In reaction, Jacobites attempted to depose George and replace him with Anne's Catholic half-brother, James Francis Edward Stuart, but their attempts failed.
    During George's reign, the powers of the monarchy diminished and Britain began a transition to the modern system of cabinet government led by a prime minister. Towards the end of his reign, actual power was held by Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's first de facto prime minister. George died on a trip to his native Hanover in 1727, where he was buried.
    An interesting historical tid-bit is that this coin was minted in 1700. This was the same year that the territories forming the electorate introduced - like all Protestant territories of imperial immediacy - the Improved Calendar. It was called the "improved calendar" by Protestants, in order not to mention the name of Pope Gregory XIII (it is more commonly known as the Gregorian calendar). So Sunday, the 18 February of Old Style was followed by Monday, the 1 March New Style. So, arguably, this coin was issued during the shortest year in the history of this German State, at only 355 days in length.
    Happy collecting!

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  2. brg5658

    1773 Louis XV Jeton

    By brg5658,

    Tiny horses, but they are there!
    Every now and again I come across a piece that has horses on it, but they are very small. If I like the piece enough, I will still pull the trigger. My newest addition is just such a piece.
    I first saw this jeton at auction a while back from Heritage. At the time, I had two other coins on layaway, and so I wasn't able to pull the trigger in the auction. I kicked myself for not bidding on it, and I thought I might never see another with such great toning and strike.
    About 2 months after the Heritage auction, it came up for sale on eBay. I added it to my "watch" list, and as soon as I could scrounge up the funds, I was going to snag it. It was listed on eBay at a decent mark-up to it's original Heritage price, but it was one of those items that you just suck it up and tell yourself "I'm not going to let it get away this time". It was on my watch list for around 3 weeks, then it disappeared, the listing saying it was "no longer available". That wording always makes me think that the piece was probably sold either at a coin show of a dealer or that someone sent the seller an offer and the transaction was completed off of eBay (sans fees).
    Well, much to my surprise it showed up yet again about a week ago on eBay from the same seller as before. This time, I didn't even think about it, I just clicked on the "Buy It Now" button and started counting the days until it arrived in person. It finally arrived over this past weekend, and I had a chance to image it.
    I have not done a lot of research on this piece yet, but I do know that it is not particularly rare, with estimates probably in the 10,000 pieces range. The obverse features Louis XV, who was king of France until 1774 (one year after this jeton was struck in 1773). The reverse features a personified France, with troops standing by and celebrating the strength of the French Army. Three horses with riders are featured in the lower right of the reverse design.
    ========================================================
    The best description I could find was the following:
    F.888, 1773 (Silver)
    OBVERSE: LUDOVICUS XV. REX. CHRISTIANISS.
    "Louis XV, the most Christian king" Head of Louis XV facing right [No. 351]
    REVERSE: PRAETERITI. MERCES. PIGNUSQUE. FUTURI
    "A reward for past and a pledge for the future"
    IN EXERGUE: EXTRAORDINAIRE. DES. GUERRES. 1773
    DESIGN: France supported on a column, standing facing right, with an army shield with two crossed swords.
    ========================================================
    As always, I'll post larger images on the chat boards. Thanks for reading, and happy collecting!
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  3. brg5658

    1791 Conder Token

    By brg5658,

    The horse-theme set breaks into new territory
    Last week I was browsing listing on the BAY and came across an absolutely beautiful chocolate-brown token from 1791 Yorkshire that I just couldn't pass up.
    This is a common Conder Token, with 5 tons estimated to have been struck. There are trifling variations in the dies used for this token, and there are also several mules. This is a superbly struck example of the token, graded as MS65BN by NGC. It exhibits great detail and overall chocolatey beauty.
    OBVERSE: The design is taken from the equestrian statue of William III standing near the south end of the Market Place. It was erected by public subscription in 1734, and was at first in a large square, but this took up too much space, and it was replaced by a close railing with four lamps placed around it. The statue was executed by Scheemaker. The pedestal bears the inscription: "This statue was erected in the year 1734 to the memory of King William III, our great deliverer." The inscription is "GULIELMUS TERTIUS REX." which translates at "King William the Third". The bottom bears the date of "MDCLXXXIX" which is 1689 in Roman Numerals -- the year in which King William came to the throne as the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
    REVERSE: The reverse presents the Arms of the town of Hull, originally known as Wyke-upon-Hull, and subsequently Kingstown, or Kingston-upon-Hull: incorporated by Edward I, and made a county of itself by Henry VI. The text is "Hull Halfpenny" and it bears the date of striking of 1791.
    EDGE: The edge is stamped with the text "PAYABLE AT THE WAREHOUSE OF IONATHAN GARTON & CO". Garton and Shackles were linen drapers in the Market Place in Hull.
    While this is a new arena for me, I can definitely see why people LOVE these gorgeous tokens!
    Picture: http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinView.aspx?sc=105820
    Cheers,
    -Brandon
  4. brg5658
    Even nicer than I thought!
    I've been looking for a nice example of the Type 1 1913 Nickel for a couple months. I passed up several on Teletrade because they were either out of my price range or I just didn't like the way they looked (I wanted a full-struck date, especially the leading "1"). I found one last week well within my price range, and still graded at PCGS MS65. Upon requesting some clearer and close-up pictures, I decided to pull the trigger. It came today, and it's beautiful by all measures. I added a picture below.
    On a different note, I got a great deal on a very scarce modern coin last night. I'm going to keep the details hush until I have it in hand, but I wanted to express a bit of my excitement here. Let's hope it isn't too good to be true, but it did ship today! Should be here next week! It will be a nice addition to one of my more competitive sets.
    I love this hobby!
    Happy collecting all!

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  5. brg5658
    Why did they go back to the less detailed Washington bust for the 2010 release?
    When I received my 2010 type coin for the new "America The Beautiful National Parks" series I noticed right away a very striking (no pun intended) difference in the obverse detail quality. Firstly, almost all of the hair detail was rounded, dull, and looked worn. Secondly, upon further inspection, I noticed the obverse bust is all-together different from the 1999-2009 States & Territories issues as is clear from the initials of the designer on the neckline (see the red ovals in the picture below).
    I'm not a Washington Quarter buff, so I'm sure this isn't a revelation. I did search some of the coin blogs, and couldn't find a clear reason why this retro-design was reintroduced. Compared with the sharp, beautiful, detailed issues of 1999-2009 (see below) this 2010 change is upsetting in terms of quality. Even the old reworked bust of the mid-90s prior to the State Quarters series was very sharp and beautiful.
    Can any of you Washington Quarter buffs out there explain the reasoning/thought process here?? Just curious...
    Happy collecting!

  6. brg5658

    3 Newps

    By brg5658,

    Past the 50 mark
    Tonight I was able to take some photos of my most recent additions to my horse-themed set. Below you will see the three most recent additions.
    The first is a 10 cent piece from 1953 Spain. This coin was minted during a historically interesting period in Spain, and I hope to write some details in the coin description very soon.
    The 2nd is the reverse of a 1961 Heraldic Art Medal commemorating the Centennial of the Statehood of Kansas. This one has particular meaning to me as I was born in and spent the first 24 years of my life in Kansas. It's a beautiful coin featuring a rendition of the Seal of the State of Kansas, and the motto "Ad Astra Per Aspera" -- translated as "To the stars through difficulty".
    The last coin shown is a $1 proof issue from the Sovereign Poarch Creek Nation of American Indians in Alabama. I was pointed to this beautiful coin by nunfa0. A lot of members here are starting to know me as "that horse guy", and I've been getting some great pointers and links. I appreciate all of these!!!
    I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm trying to enjoy the nice weather while it lasts...as I'm sure we'll be covered in snow within a few short weeks.
    Cheers,
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  7. brg5658

    8 horses, 1 coin

    By brg5658,

    New addition to my set
    This coin has been on my list for a while, and one finally popped up on eBay for sale at a reasonable price.
    Mintage: estimated 100,000 pieces
    Composition: 92.5% Silver
    Identification: KM# 965a
    This coin was issued by Great Britain in Copper-Nickel as both a BU coin (mintage 1,835,000 coins) and proof coin (est: 100,000 coins). It was also issued in a Silver Proof coin (which is what this one is; est 100,000 coins). Finally, it was issued in a small mintage of only 2,500 coins in Gold.
    The obverse of the coin features a young bust of Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by 8 horses with bugling riders. The reverse features a Crown in the center surrounded by 40 bugle bells commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It exhibits stunning cameo and frosted devices on both the obverse and reverse. A great design!
    I'm expecting a couple more deliveries between tomorrow and Saturday, so I'm hoping to be able to work on my pictures and descriptions a bit this coming weekend. As always I'll post a larger compilation photo of the obverse and reverse on the Chat Boards.
    Cheers,
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  8. brg5658

    9 more beauties

    By brg5658,

    Some beautiful world coins
    I will start by just saying that the "custom set" idea has really changed my outlook on collecting. It really makes for a different kind of "hunt" and satisfaction when you find a gem. About a month ago I started my "Horses" custom set, and while it is still relatively small, I am learning a great deal about world history, culture, and geography along the way.
    It became apparent shortly after starting the set that many if not most of the coins that would fit nicely into my set would be difficult if not impossible to find in graded holders. That being said, I have started to snag several uncirculated raw coins with hopes of eventually having them graded and formally entered into my set. However, for the time being, they will have to rest safely in their Mylar flips.
    Below is a collage of the most recent group I have received. In order from left to right, top to bottom they are:
    1. 1954, India, 1 pice
    2. 1976, Greece, 20 lepta
    3. 1981, Uruguay, 10 centesimos (and my favorite of the bunch)
    4. 1998, Russia, 5 kopeks
    5. 2000, Somalia, 10 shillings
    6. 2002, North Korea, 1/2 chon
    7. 2002, Slovenia, 10 tolarjev
    8. 2004, Nagorno-Karabakh, 50 luma
    9. 2004, Uganda, 100 lingsshil
    There are many, many more to come. Best of luck to all on your personal quests! How can you not love this hobby?!
    Cheers!

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  9. brg5658

    A beautiful lady

    By brg5658,

    Great mail day!
    So the "bargain" that I hinted at last week came in the mail today. I upgraded my 2009-D Satin Finish Native American Dollar! Yes, I know this is a modern coin, but this baby is hard to find. Between NGC and PCGS, there have been 1,162 of these coins graded. A mere 35 have been graded SP69, with none finer. There have been none available on Teletrade, and there are currently no others available on eBay.
    From about the same number of 2009-P Satin examples graded (1,261 between NGC and PCGS) a total of 74 have made the SP69 grade, with none finer. The P-mint coin *IS* available on eBay, but at *CRIMINAL* prices -- the lowest price currently is $633.
    While not impossibly rare, for the time being this coin is hard to find and I am happy to add an example in this stellar grade to my set for a non-criminal price of less than $60!!!
    Happy Monday to all!

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  10. brg5658

    A couple newbies

    By brg5658,

    Been a while since I've written...
    I was away the past week or so, taking a break from work and visiting some family. I ventured back to where my parents and siblings all live in the middle of the Great Plains, where temps were over 110 more than half of the week I was there. Needless to say, I spent most of my time indoors as I'm a softie living up in Minnesota for the past 8 years.
    When I returned back to the slightly cooler temps of the Northland, I was greeted by several arrivals in the mail box. I made some upgrades to my 20th Century Type set, after working a good deal with a fellow Collector's Society member. In particular, I upgraded my Buffalo Nickel to an MS67 1937 from my 1938-D MS66. I also upgraded to an MS68 Silver Ike dollar. For my US Type Set, I also added (as part of the same transaction) a PF66 1907 Liberty Nickel. This is the lowest mintage year of all of the proof Liberty Nickels. While it isn't the rarest, it is still a great coin. This is now one of the highlights of my collection, and I absolutely love the coin.
    In addition to some upgrades, I also had a couple horse-themed items in the mix. Below you will see the reverse of one of my newly added beauties. This is the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Expo Medal, sold during the expo in Omaha, Nebraska. It is a nice example, and I was pleasantly surprised to see how gorgeous it is in hand and how high the relief is. There is a spot on the obverse just to the left of the bust (see full picture attached to the Chat Boards post), but otherwise the coin is clean and appealing. The reverse features an American Indian hunting the bison in very high relief. It's a gorgeous design, and bears the date 1848 (50 years prior to the Expo).
    I hope everyone is off to a good start this week. I can't believe it's August already!
    Happy collecting.

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  11. brg5658

    A curious coin

    By brg5658,

    1954 Toned Quarter
    I know it's not a particularly rare quarter, and the grade is not hard to find, but something about this little coin just drew me in.
    Firstly, I had recently read the very interesting full thread on the Chat Boards regarding the history of the different types of NGC Slabs and labels. So, I knew this coin had a slab that was very short lived and was wildly unpopular, likely because of the microscopic registration number moved to the bottom of the label.
    Secondly, I don't know the full history of when NGC started and subsequently stopped including the letters "T" for toned and "W" for white on their labels, but this has always been a bit of a curiosity for me. This particular quarter is heavily toned, mostly very dark and actually black in some places. Thus, the grade on the label was noted as "MS65 T".
    The curiosity of the short-lived label/slab style together with the "T" grade, and I couldn't pass this one up for the less than $20 it cost to snag.
    I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. All the best if you have any lots you're bidding on in the Heritage Auction. I was the winning bidder on two lots in yesterdays July 2011 FUN auction, and I can't wait to get them both in hand. I'll save the journal entry for those until that time.
    Cheers!
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  12. brg5658

    A history lesson

    By brg5658,

    Who knew collecting coins would be so informative!!
    Last weekend I placed a bid on a coin, and didn't think about it again until I found the email in my box that I had won it. It was a coin that I hadn't really seen before, but fit my horse-themed set. I did some research before placing a bid, and I knew I probably wouldn't find another one for a while as it was only a two year type coin, from 1741 and 1742.
    Nonetheless, it came in the mail today, and you can read a great deal of detail about the history of the man on horseback on this coin in my Horse set description. As always, I will post larger and complete photos on the Chat Boards.
    I hope everyone is having a good weekend.
    Cheers,
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  13. brg5658

    A milestone...

    By brg5658,

    100th coin added to my horses set
    This will be a short post, but an exciting one for me. Today I received my 2012 Sacagawea Dollar proof coin in the mail. I have been excited for this new design for several months, and it was fun to finally see one in hand. It seems fitting that this coin also happens to be coin #100 in my horses themed set!
    I truly love the Sacagawea dollar design, and it is one of the few coins that I collect as a series. I opted for the proof version for my horse collection, and when I find the MS examples they will of course be added to my complete set of Sacagawea dollars.
    I hope everyone is having a good week.
    Happy collecting!
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  14. brg5658

    A new coin

    By brg5658,

    Been on my radar for a while
    I was able to pick up a coin that has been on my radar for quite some time. Namely, Ireland released a silver 15 Euro coin in 2010 that pictures a mare and her foal. It was issued in a quantity of 15,000 pieces, and the image of the horse is a flashback to the Irish half crown from 1928 through the 1960s. It is quite a stunning coin in hand (I posted pictures below).
    I was reflecting today on how much difference a year makes in the collecting world. Last year at this time I was finishing up the descriptions, pictures, and making the final touch-ups to my Horse Themed custom set. It was a set that was 69 coins strong at the time of the NGC Registry awards cut-off. One year later and the set is up to 146 coins, and the coming winter will make a perfect time for me to fully describe all of the set additions.
    I have met many great people on this forum, and I am thankful to have such a place to share this great hobby of ours. As we go into the coming week, I wish you all a very wonderful Thanksgiving.
    All the best,
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  15. brg5658

    A new red beauty

    By brg5658,

    Galloping past 40 coins...
    This week I have added a couple new coins to my horses set. These coins put me past the 40 coin mark for the set!
    I have been looking for a Venezuela coin featuring the horse on the national arms shield for quite some time. I was patient, and picky about this one, and I'm happy with the coin I finally picked up. I purchased a 1965 25 Centimos piece from Teletrade graded MS65 by NGC. It's a superbly clean coin, and has great detail. I love the steely look of it, and it's size is petite at 17 mm, or about the size of the U.S. Dime.
    The second coin I acquired was through a trade with a fellow Collector's Society member. Specifically, brolytiz has a superb set of Lithuanian coins from 1925-1938. Lucky for me, he also had some extra examples. As a part of a trade, I am happy to add to my horses set a 1936 2 Centai piece graded MS64 RED by NGC. It is a beautiful coin, and features the same left facing mounted horseman/knight as my 1548 Lithuanian/Polish half grosz (also in my horses set). This is a symbol of Lithuania that has stood the test of time and is still used on their coinage to this day.
    I hope everyone is having a good week. I will post large photos of both new coins on the Chat Boards link. Below is a small version of the Lithuania .
    Cheers!

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  16. brg5658

    A new undertaking

    By brg5658,

    A lot more work than I thought...
    About 2 weeks ago, I started thinking about creating a website to display some of my raw (ungraded) horse-themed coins. I've amassed quite a few, and I don't think I will be able to get them all graded in the near future. However, I still wanted to be able to show them off and also keep an online index of which coins I have acquired and which ones I may still be missing.
    Well, after a lot of investigation, and deciding to err on the side of "simplistic" instead of "bells and whistles" I finally have a site up and running where I have posted some of my collection. Of course, a large part of the work was also imaging my raw coins, and compiling the photos. I also decided to host the images on a site separately from the site itself because of size limitations. Long story short, I'm excited to post here and get some feedback from all of you.
    You can explore my site and check out some of my horse-coins at this website:
    http://sites.google.com/site/brg5658/
    ----------------------------------------------
    On another note, I added a graded coin from Mali this weekend. It is an MS65 graded 10 Francs coin. I wasn't expecting to find one of this particular coin graded, but I stumbled upon this and decided to pull the trigger. It's a gorgeous yet simple coin. Below is the horse side of the coin, and as always I'll post the full coin picture on the Chat Boards.
    I hope everyone had a good weekend.
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  17. brg5658

    A nice snag...

    By brg5658,

    One of my favorites
    As many of you may have read last week, I'm not the biggest fan of the 50 States/Territories/America The Beautiful (ATB) series of Quarter designs. I am grateful for their effect on the hobby, but I think the series has run its course, and the next few years of ATB quarters will really drag on.
    However, there are a few beauties among the banal. I can easily pick out 5 designs that I find beautiful and these always catch my eye as truly stunning. In no particular order, but definitely my top 5 are:
    1. Connecticut (1999)
    2. Oklahoma (2008)
    3. Hawaii (2008)
    4. Delaware (1999)
    5. Nevada (2006)
    There are a couple more that are also pleasing to MY eye, namely Vermont (2001) and Alaska (2008). THEN, there are a lot that fall in the middle for me. Some of the worst are those that are simply outlines of their respective state borders with some arcane or wishful association. Yes, I know the Hawaii quarter has the islands shown, but in a stylistic, non-cluttered, classical and artful manner. What can I say, I'm a sucker for nature and for classic/artful design.
    Some of the worst designs (again, in my opinion) are:
    46. Ohio
    47. Indiana
    48. Florida
    49. Michigan
    50. TEXAS
    Four of these bottom 5 are for the most part just the outline of the state. Boring to say the least. Texas is a strong 50th place for me...no hard feelings toward the people, just the quarter.
    BUT, on to my point now. I am happy to add to my collection an example of one of my favorite State Quarters. I snagged an example of a 2008-D Hawaii Satin Finish quarter graded SP69 (one of only 28 in this condition -- 27 from PCGS, 1 from NGC). This is the finale to the 50 State Quarters set, celebrating the addition of Hawaii to the union in 1959.
    Cheers and happy collecting!

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  18. brg5658

    A rare coin

    By brg5658,

    A pattern beauty with a mintage of 500 coins
    I have been scouring auction sites and the BAY for the past 3-4 months looking for the perfect example of the 1950 Monaco design for my horse-themed set. This design is absolutely beautiful, and features a highly detailed horse on rider on the reverse. In the process of researching this design, I learned a thing or two about the types of this coin available.
    A couple of the coins I found were listed as being "ESSAI" coins. This essentially boils down to the word used by French speaking countries to denote a "Pattern" coin. These strikes are limited to very small mintages, and they are generally struck in a precious metal. About 2 weeks ago, a seller from Greece posted an entire selection of these ESSAI beauties on the BAY in high grades. The one I decided on was the 100 Franc SP65 coin shown below. It is struck in Silver and bears the small text "ESSAI" beneath the horse on the reverse. The total "Essai" mintage of this coin is a mere 500 coins!!! The Cupro-Nickel circulation version of this coin was struck in a mintage of 500,000 coins...quite a difference.
    As usual, I will post a larger version of the photo on the Chat Boards so you can get a better look at the Reverse Design detail.
    ---------------------------------------
    SIDE NOTE: I couldn't resist the curiosity of also purchasing a "Piefort Essai" example of the 50 Franc coin. "Pieforts" are again pattern type coins, struck usually in twice the normal weight and thickness as the circulation coins. In the case of this one (and maybe for all "Pieforts"?), the orientation of the coin is medal orientation instead of coin orientation. I haven't photographed that one yet, but I will also likely add this example to my horse-themed set side by side with the one shown here.
    I hope everyone is having a good week.
    All the best,
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  19. brg5658

    Another mystery

    By brg5658,

    Don't know much about this one
    I could not pass up another medal of the "Heraldic Art Medal" series because of its absolutely stunning beauty and its perfect fit into my ever-growing horse themed set. Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to find much information about this set of medals besides this little blurb.
    "This is from the series of Half-Dollar-sized medals issued from 1959-1979 by the Heraldic Art Company. Founder Bob McNamara sought to fill the void created when the US Mint ceased production of Commemorative Coinage in 1954. Each medal is struck in solid Sterling Silver, with a weight of 262 grains. Most medals had mintages between 1800-5000 pieces."
    Anyone who can help me with more exact mintage information or with a more complete description of this series, I would be grateful.
    I hope everyone has a great weekend!
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  20. brg5658
    I have some details, but looking for mintage numbers.
    I may have ventured into murky waters with my most recent acquisition. I saw this item and was immediately drawn to its beauty, but it's not a "coin" per se. It is one of the Heraldic Art Medals released during the mid 20th Century. The description where I purchased it said the following:
    "This gorgeous coin is from the series of Half-Dollar-sized medals issued from 1959-1979 by the Heraldic Art Company. Founder Bob McNamara sought to fill the void created when the US Mint ceased production of Commemorative Coinage in 1954. Each medal is struck in solid Sterling Silver, with a weight of 262 grains. This example is certified by Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC) and is one of the finest known examples of the type. Most medals had mintages between 1800-5000 pieces."
    That last part is where I was wondering if anyone could offer me more information about the mintage numbers for this particular medal? I have scoured the web, and there is an old website that formerly cataloged all of these medals but has since been dismantled. Also, the normal Google search yielded next to nothing. I'm also unable to find these medals in the Krause listing (as they are not coins), and I don't want to buy a spendy specialistic catalog/book as this is the only of these I may ever own.
    Many thanks!
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  21. brg5658

    Bicentennial coinage

    By brg5658,

    Loving my new 1976-D MS67 Clad Quarter
    There has always been something about the bicentennial quarters that caught my eye. As a kid, I would always pull them from circulation because they looked different. I probably had $40 worth of 1776-1976 quarters separated out in a Tupperware container by the time I graduated from high school. I just thought they were "cool" and they must be inherently more rare than all of the eagle-reverse quarters out there.
    As I've gotten older, these quarters are still "different" for me. Firstly, 1976 is the year my parents were married. Thus, that year has some significance for me beyond that of being the bicentennial year. Secondly, I came to notice that there were no 1975 quarters floating around in circulation when I was a kid. For those of us who are collectors, this is well known. But, I'd dare say that if you asked an unsuspecting passerby to check their change for 1975 Quarters because they might be worth $3 (or some other rather menial amount), you would see almost everyone pouring over their change to search. As we know, there are no Quarters dated 1975. Why? Well, because the mint dated all quarters minted in 1975 as "1776-1976".
    In closing, I am very happy to add to my collection a 1776-1976 bicentennial clad quarter minted in Denver and graded MS67 by NGC. I didn't recognize the somewhat rare nature of the purchase, but the NGC population is only 93, with only 1 graded higher at MS68. That paired with the fact that I found one for 40% of Numismedia FMV made for a great purchase. Below is a picture of the beauty!
    Cheers, and happy collecting!

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  22. brg5658

    Catching up

    By brg5658,

    What a difference 2 months can make...
    It has been quite some time since I have written a journal. Indeed, it is a whole new year. At the time of my last journal I was finishing up the last few details of the coin descriptions in my horse themed set. Thanksgiving was just behind us, and Christmas was just around the corner. The hu-bub on the boards was still centered around the US Mint 25th Anniversary ASE fiasco, and the cut-off date for the NGC Registry Awards was closing in.
    Now, a short 2.5 months later how things have changed. Some changes are good, some are bad, and some just are that, changes.
    I want to thank everyone who sent me personal notes of congratulations for the Most Creative Custom Set award of 2011. I did not expect to even be in the running, as my set is still quite small at right around 70 coins, and less than a year old. Nonetheless, I am proud and grateful to NGC for the recognition. It really has been one of the most enjoyable collecting years for me, as in addition to the custom sets, I have also found the chat board, forum, and many good friends in this hobby. And while I have now spread my wings to several coin chat sites, NGC is my home base for my collecting journey.
    To end this brief post, I present one of my newest additions to my horses collection. It is a small coin, about the size of a US dime. It is dated 1740, and was issued by the German State of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel. I purchased it in an auction based on the strike and the design -- the sellers photos had absolutely no hint of possible color. When it arrived in the mail I was floored by the beautiful blues and greens. As always, I will post a full size image on the Chat Boards.
    Best wishes in the coming year,
    -Brandon

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  23. brg5658
    The 6th time is a charm.
    About a month ago I bought a little point and shoot camera with macro photography capabilities (a macro setting). More importantly, I purchased a fairly nice copy stand that's about 18" x 24" and has a telescoping camera mount that can shoot from distances of about 10" through 24". The camera and the copy stand cost me about $200 combined. The camera is a 12 Megapixel super compact little thing...I can't believe how tiny these things keep getting. I found it on sale at Best Buy for $130. The copy stand was an eBay purchase for $58 and free shipping. I purchased some very economical flex-neck LED lights from IKEA (great little guys for only $9.99 each), and I have a couple normal flex-neck desk lamps that you can get almost at any department store.
    I have to give a lot of credit for these purchases to Lehigh96 (a fellow NGC journal regular) and subsequently to Mark Goodman's great book called "Numismatic Photography, 2nd Ed.". I won't repeat too much here, because there are lots of threads on several coin sites that detail basics of coin photography.
    I will note also that I am an amateur photographer, and I shoot weddings, senior photos, and portrait sessions for a professional photographer friend when she needs a 2nd shooter. SO, I do have a Canon 50D camera, and a bag full of pricey lenses. BUT, given what you can do with these little point-and-shoot cameras and a good copy stand, I have avoided that route. The main problem with big professional cameras is that the big clunky lenses get in the way of the lighting. Lighting the coin is really the key for taking a detailed and beautiful picture.
    So now, an example of one of my obsessive undertakings. About a month ago I picked up a nice 1912 MS64 Liberty Nickel for my 20th Century Type Set. The coin has some unique toning, streaking, and an overall golden hue. I wanted the picture I took to be true to what the coin looks like in hand. So, on 6 different occasions, I have set up my lighting, photographed the coin, edited and cropped the coin in Photoshop, and updated my NGC coin photos. Yes, I am obsessive. BUT, you can see below how different lighting (direct vs. diffuse; LED vs. Incandescent) really changes the look of the coin.
    *******************************
    Photos 1-6 progress chronologically through my changes.
    Photo 1 is really disgusting. It was one of the first pictures I took, and it has terrible red-shift, is out of focus, and the lighting is quite bad. I am not proud of this one.
    I actually like photo 2 quite a bit but the shadows are harsh around the devices.
    Photos 3 and 4 are my experiments with diffuse lighting. While maintaining nice detail, you really loose the hint of luster and the beautiful golden tone present on the entire coin.
    Photo 5 lasted the longest in the set so far (I left it alone for 3 weeks) and it is a combination of diffuse lighting and direct lighting. I was still not happy with the loss of the beautiful golden toning.
    Photo 6 really is what the coin looks like in hand. I have figured out how to dampen the red-shift problems, and the gold hue and orange toning is an accurate reflection of the coin.
    *******************************
    I hope everyone has a great weekend! Until next time, happy collecting!
    Cheers...
    http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/CoinDetail.aspx?PeopleCoinID=719181

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  24. brg5658
    Three more added to my herd
    Hello all,
    I don't want these journals to start sounding monotonous, but I wanted to share my three most recent beauties with those who have been following this set. It seems that all of my recent purchases are coming in the mail in waves.
    The three I am describing here are too many to post in one picture, so I will not post a picture here, but rather you can click on the "Discuss on Chat Boards" link as always and see the three horse coins.
    1) 1950 Monaco Piefort Essai 50 Francs -- This coin is struck in double the weight and thickness of the circulation version. It has a total mintage of 325 pieces, and is graded SP63. It has a fair amount of toning, and even has some dark blues near the crest of the knights helmet. I don't know if it is normal or not, but this particular curiously has a medallic orientation (whereas when you flip the coin on the East-West axis the reverse image is properly oriented -- this is contrary to the "coin orientation" where when you flip the coin on the North-South axis the reverse maintains proper orientation).
    2) 2007 Poland 10 Zloty -- This bar shaped "coin" commemorates 450 years of the Polish Knight. It is a part of the Polish series of commemorative coins struck to signify the historical impact of the cavalry (horse) on the history of Poland.
    3) 1935 Great Britain 1 Crown -- Struck to commemorate the 25th Anniversary (Jubilee) of the beginning of the Reign of King George V of the United Kingdom, this coin features a unique image of St. George slaying the dragon. This particular rendition of the common image is among the minority of the portrayals as the horse is facing left instead of the more common right image portrayed on most other St. George coins.
    Happy collecting!
    -Brandon
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  25. brg5658

    Custom set additions

    By brg5658,

    Three new coins...
    Over the weekend I added three new beauties to my horses custom set collection.
    First: The 2008 Jackson's Liberty Medal, featuring the beautiful bust liberty on the obverse, and a great image of Andrew Jackson riding on horseback on the reverse. This medal fits nicely into the "horse" set with one of the most beautifully presented images of a horse on US modern issues.
    Second: I added a Proof 67 Ultra Cameo example of the 1976 Samoa Silver 1 Tala. This coin features a rider on horseback and celebrates the US Bicentennial (1776-1976).
    Third: I added a Proof 65 example of the 1965 Greek 20 Drachma. This coin features a nymph on horseback on the reverse, a part of the mythological heritage of Greece (see image below).
    I'm still scouring eBay for coins featuring horses in a prominent way. I have picked up about a dozen uncertified coins from various countries and hope to eventually submit these to NGC to officially add to this set.
    Happy Collecting all!

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.