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coin928

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Journal Entries posted by coin928

  1. coin928
    Every year around this time, I review my sets and pick one to focus on for documentation.  This year, the choice was pretty easy.
    I completed my U.S/Philippines Ten Centavos set in 2016 with a very low grade 1915S that I had purchased as a raw coin ten years earlier.  At the time, a total of just ten 1915S 10 centavos had been graded by NGC, with only two of those grading above AU58.  The odds of obtaining an NGC graded 1915S were virtually zero, and raw coins didn't come up for auction very often, so I just decided to grade the only one I had.  Just ten days after it received a VG-8, a better looking raw coin came up for auction. I won it and had it graded in August 2016.  That same month, yet another raw 1915S popped up on eBay.  This one was much better looking than the one I had just sent for grading, so I bid aggressively and won it.  This third coin now resides in my set with a grade of AU55.  The current total population is now 13, so these three coins have been the only additions in the past 3 years.  I have acquired one more raw example since then, but have yet to have it graded.
    I’ve been able to upgrade seven other coins since then, one in 2018, and all of the rest in the past 6 months.  Six were upgraded to MS65 and one to MS66.  I acquired a very nice looking raw 1904 in August for a good price on eBay and it far exceeded my expectations when NGC graded it MS66.  Getting back to the title of this post, I had added an NGC MS64 1907S to my set in 2013.  That grade always seemed very conservative to me, but it wasn’t until this year that I finally decided to have it reviewed.  Sometimes your best upgrade is already in your set.  (Before and after photos are below)
    There is now a full description for the set and all 30 coins have two photos and date/mint/coin specific information.  More upgrades are possible, but I expect they’ll be coming a lot less frequently.
    Thanks, for reading.


  2. coin928
    It all depends on how you ask the question…
    What year did a P mint mark first appear on a U.S. coin struck for circulation? --- 1942 What year did a P mint mark first appear on a coin struck for circulation? ---------- 1941 What year was the Philadelphia mint first identified on a circulating coin? ---------- 1895 I submitted 43 coins to NGC at the World’s Fair of Money in Philadelphia this year.  The majority were raw coins for grading, but some were regrades, some for attribution, and one for conservation, regrading and attribution.  I finally got them all back in October and they allowed me to complete three sets that I have been working on for the past 15 years.  Two of these sets apply to the phrasing in question 2 above, and the third set to question number 3.  Taken together, they contain ALL of the15 coins struck before 1942 that explicitly identify the Philadelphia mint as their source.
    The sets listed below each have fairly extensive set descriptions as well as photos and descriptions for each coin in the set.
    Competitive Set: Curaçao/Suriname - contains 14 coins struck by U.S. Mints, two of which are dated 1941 with a P mint mark. (The set isn’t technically complete, but it is for my purposes.) Custom Set: Netherlands East Indies - Minted by the U.S. Mint - contains 20 coins struck by U.S. Mints, two of which are dated 1941 with a P mint mark. Custom Set: Ecuadorian Coins Struck by Mints in the United States - contains 34 coins struck by mints in the United States, 11 of which were struck between 1895 and 1934 that identify the Philadelphia mint by name or abbreviation. PHILADELPHIA is fully spelled out on the reverse of the 1895, 1914, and 1916 Dos Decimos de Sucre. I will continue to upgrade these sets as time and money permit, but for now I have at least one good NGC graded example for each of these coins.
    Thanks for reading and good luck to all vying registry awards.
  3. coin928
    Crossovers can be risky, but sometimes it all works out well.
    Some of you already know, but for those of you who haven't heard, I have taken over editing and publication of "U.S./Philippine Coins" originally written and published by Lyman Allen. The most recent edition of which was edited and published by Tom Culhane. Sadly, both of these knowledgeable men are no longer with us, and the responsibility for producing the 8th edition has passed to me. I hope everyone will be pleased with he results.
    One of my major goals for the next edition is to provide good photographs for all of the cataloged Allen varieties. This has turned into a surprisingly time consuming task, but with help from fellow collectors, and the folks at NGC, I'm getting very close to a complete set.
    While at the recent World's Fair of Money in Anaheim, I spent a significant amount of time at the NGC booth reviewing Allen varieties with David Lange. David and NGC have been extremely helpful and their contribution will be reflected in the book. I own quite a few of the Allen varieties and submitted ten of them at the show for photographing. I also submitted seven more for attribution, four of which were crossovers. The results of the crossovers are shown in the composite photo below.
    The 1915-S/S Allen-2.13a is a bit of a special case. I first crossed it to an NGC holder in early 2013, but that variety had just received an Allen number in in the 7th edition published in 2012. Consequently, I didn't even look for the S/S before submitting it for crossover in 2013. I have an MS62BN, so I was attempting to sell this coin to a dealer at the 2015 ANA show in Chicago when I noticed that it was actually the S/S variety. Needless to say, I decided I should hang onto it. I had it verified in 2015, but didn't submit it for Variety Plus attribution until this year. It's taken a while, but I'm pretty pleased with the final result of this crossover.
    I have some regrets about having the 1917/18 S crossed from the old style ANACS holder to NGC. The original label also included the word "PLATE," which was verification that it had appeared in the 6th and earlier editions of "U.S. Philippine Coins" as the example for the Allen-2.15c variety. It will however appear again in the 8th edition, so all is not lost.
    Crossovers from ANACS can be risky since they are "cracked out" before they are seen by the graders. Fortunately, both received a nice upgrade, so I'm very pleased with the results.
    Now, back to working on the book! You can follow my progress at http://www.uspicoin.com.

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  4. coin928
    Lyman L. Allen passed away on June 10, 2016 at the age of 75.
    It is with heavy heart that I write today to inform you of the passing of noted numismatist Lyman L. Allen. His obituary can be found on the web site of the Nevada Appeal at:
    http://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/obituaries/22481921-113/lyman-allen
    The text is short though, so I am including it here:
    -------------------------------------
    Jan. 25, 1941 ~ June 10, 2016
    Lyman L. Allen, 75, passed away at home June 10, 2016. He was born January 25, 1941 in Miami Beach, Florida to Lyman L. & Pauline Allen. He served the U.S. Navy on the USS Intrepid. Lyman was a coin collector and had a coin shop in Virginia City for several years. He was preceded in death by his son Edward Allen. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Clare Allen, son Elliot Allen & daughter Victoria Allen Keller, grandchildren Alex, Adam, Danny & Shelby.
    A Memorial Service will be held at Walton's Chapel of the Valley in Carson City on Saturday June 18, 2016 at 11:00am.
    -------------------------------------
    I never met Mr. Allen in person, but we did talk on the phone and corresponded via U.S. post many years ago. He was a dedicated numismatist and literally wrote one of the defining references on the U.S. Philippine series. The six editions of his book "U.S./Philippine Coins" published from 1994 through 2008 are probably the most utilized books of any avid collector. Mr. Allen formally defined the U.S./Philippine varieties in his book and his "Allen" numbers are used by NGC, PCGS, and ANACS on their labels.
    For more information on Mr. Allen and U.S./Philippine varieties, please see:
    My previous journal post from January, 2013 entitled "Variety is the spice of life"
    http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=12963
    Two Custom sets featuring Allen Varieties:
    https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=12256
    https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=1802
    I will have more information concerning the next (8th) edition of "U.S./Philippine Coins" in a future post.
    Lastly, I leave you with a picture of Mr. Allen from the 5th edition of his book.

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  5. coin928
    Official NGC Recognition of the US/Philippines 1944S 50 Centavos Type I Obverse variety began on September 30, 2015.
    A little over four years ago, I wrote a journal entitled "New Variety" (http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=10460)in which I described the characteristics the two different obverse varieties of the 1944S US/Philippine 50 Centavos. I'm not going to repeat that journal post here, but rather just describe the process of obtaining variety recognition by NGC.
    I talked to NGC several times at Numismatic shows in 2012 and 2013, but was generally told that if the coin didn't have an Allen number, then NGC would not recognize it. I even petitioned to have an Allen number created for it, but the ownership of the Allen Guide was in transition at the time. The NGC policy softened over time, and after discussing the variety with Mark Salzberg, the Chairman of NGC, at the 2014 ANA World's Fair of Money, I submitted one of these coins for grading in August, 2014. After my conversation with Mark, I was hopeful that the coin would have the variety attribution on the label when I got it back, but no such luck when it arrived. In August of 2015, I again discussed the coin with Mark Salzberg at the 2015 World's Fair of Money in Chicago. As soon as I sat down to talk with Mark, he remembered me from our conversation one year earlier, and as soon as he saw the coin, he knew exactly why I was there. I was greatly impressed, and this time, the results were much better. I got the coin back in October 2015, and the variety attribution "OBVERSE OF 1907-1921" was prominently displayed on the label.
    The variety is now included in the NGC Variety Plus program for US/Philippine coins even though it still doesn't have an official Allen number. The Variety Plus page (http://www.ngccoin.com/coin-varieties/philippines-under-us-sovereignty/1944-s-usa-phil-50c-obverse-of-1907-1921-5713) was very well done too and it contains two very high resolution pictures of my coin.
    I submitted two more coins in January of this year and got them back in March, one graded MS64 and the other as MS65. All three are pictured below with my first one in the middle. As of today, these are the only three with the Variety Plus attribution. Although this variety is not particularly rare, high grade examples are. The design was most likely changed because the coin did not strike well, so coins of this variety were among the first to be struck and probably the first to be released into circulation. I strongly suspect there was more than one obverse die used to strike these coins, but certainly a very small number considering the total mintage of 19,187,000.
    The process took longer than I expected, but I'm glad I kept at it. Now all we need is an official Allen Number.
    References:
    * "U.S./Philippine Coins" by Lyman L. Allen 7th Edition 2012 updated and edited by Tom Culhane, Union NJ, 2012
    * "U.S./Philippine Coins" by Lyman L. Allen 6th Edition 2008-2009 published by Lyman Allen Rare Coins Virginia City, NV 2007

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  6. coin928

    Ancient Islamic Coinage

    By coin928,

    My finds at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar.
    I'm currently in the second week of a three week business trip to Doha, Qatar. My first trip here last October consisted of little more than 20 consecutive days of work and sleep. I saw the hotel, the adjoining shopping mall, and the client's office. This time however, I have a bit more free time and last weekend I was finally able to tour the City. I took the "Doha Bus" which is a hop-on, hop-off tourist bus and one stop where I spent several hours was the Museum of Islamic Art. The Museum itself was designed by world renowned architect I.M. Pei and just seems to float on the bay. The museum is completely free to visitors, and their collection contains many objects dating back as far as 1400 years.
    I toured all three floors of the collection and was pleasantly surprised to find a case containing beautifully preserved early Islamic coinage. The seven coins pictured below are the only ones I saw on public display and span a date range from 936AD through the 1300's. I haven't had any time to research them, but I decided to go ahead and post them for any collectors who might find them interesting.
    I would love to hear from anyone who can add historic and numismatic information.

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  7. coin928

    NCIS (That's not a typo)

    By coin928,

    Don't you just hate it when TV shows get their facts wrong? Especially when it's critical to the story line. Gibbs needs to give Abby a serious reprimand, or at least hire a new fact checker.
    I've been petty busy for the past month and I'm finally getting caught up on the shows I recorded on my DVR, so I apologize for not posting this at the time this show first aired. If you're an NCIS fan, I hope you appreciate my presentation, and even if you're not, I'm sure you will appreciate the message.
    I was watching the NCIS episode entitled "Day in Court" that first aired on November 17, 2015. About halfway through, Abby came running in with some breaking news about the case...
    Abby: "I tracked the serial numbers from the Twenty Dollar Bills that were found on the girl's body. They're all relatively new. They were printed at the Philadelphia Mint only 62 days ago." The camera then pans to the computer monitor in the screen capture shown below. The ten Twenty Dollar bills are numbered LE0235967A through LE0235976A.
    At this point Gibbs should have said something like "Really!? Anybody else got a problem with that?" Then after the camera pans across a group of blank faces, he slaps Tony on the back of the head (since he would never do that to Abby) and says "Rule 17, people! Follow the money. The United States Mint produces coins. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing(BEP) prints our paper currency. On top of that, these serial numbers are one digit short. There should be 2 letters, 8 numeric digits and a trailing letter. Even if we forget about the missing digit and assume the letters are good, numbers like this were only assigned to series 2009A $100 bills printed in July, 2012 at the Dallas office of the BEP for distribution by the Federal Reserve branch bank in Richmond Virginia." The whole case would then fall apart, Abby would sink into a deep dark hole of shame, and the episode would shift from a murder investigation to figuring out how counterfeit $20 bills were distributed by the Richmond Virginia Federal Reserve Bank.
    Footnotes:
    1. Gibbs currently has no Rule 17, but it seems like "Follow the Money" would be a good one.
    2. Check out http://www.uspapermoney.info/serials/ if you're curious about when and where your paper money was printed.
    Merry Christmas everyone!

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  8. coin928

    Mad dash to the finish.

    By coin928,

    I'm not sure what possessed me, but about a week ago I decided to create an entirely new set before the close of the Registry Awards deadline today. I had no idea just how much work that would be or I never would have attempted it!
    Nearly four years ago, I read a really good article by Jeff Starck in Coin World entitled "The U.S. Mint Goes to War." I already have a Custom Set organized around the entire set of foreign coins struck by the U.S. Mint and other private mints in the USA, but isolating just those coins that were produced at the time of World War II seemed pretty compelling.
    Once I started looking at it, there were still quite a few foreign coins struck by the U.S. Mint in the years of 1939 through 1946. A total of 187 by my count struck for 26 different foreign countries or colonies. That's not including varieties, and not including the five denominations of U.S. coins struck in each of those years. The busiest year was 1944 when the mint struck coins for 13 different countries/colonies in addition to those for the U.S.A.
    I currently have roughly half of that number in holders, so I built the set fairly quickly and spent much of the long weekend and all free time yesterday and early this morning researching, writing the set description, upgrading the individual coin descriptions, and editing the pictures to give the set a uniform look and feel.
    Yesterday, with less than 24 hours to go, I received an email from the ANA announcing that every issue of "The Numismatist" from 1888 through the most recent was now available online. Talk about a spectacular resource that I wish I had had access to a week ago! I was still able to dig out a lot of good information, but I feel like I just barely scratched the surface of what's now readily available to any ANA member.
    I reviewed the set one more time this morning and realized that 34 of the 97 coins are top population (i.e. none finer) and 15 of those are THE finest known specimen for PCGS and NGC combined.
    If you'd like to check the it out yourself, the set is named (big surprise) "The U.S Mint Goes to War," under "Thematic & Topical Coins." The direct link is
    https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=19880
    The coin pictured below is my MS67RD One Cent piece minted by the Denver mint in 1944 for circulation in Curaçao. The "D" mint mark appears just to the right of the date. These pictures were taken before I had it graded and it is one of my favorites from the set. It is now the finest known example by two grade levels.
    Good luck to all in the judging.

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  9. coin928
    The Maria Theresa Thaler
    I was driving to work this week, listening to our local NPR station when a story came on that piqued my interest. "Today, the almighty Thaler. The Honors College at the University of Houston presents this program about the machines that make our civilization run, and the people whose ingenuity created them."
    "The Engines of Our Ingenuity" is a local radio program produced by the University of Houston that tells the story of how our culture is formed by human creativity. Each show lasts just a few minutes, and a different episode is broadcast 5 days per week. The show first aired in 1988 and has been locally and nationally broadcast ever since. As of November 19, 2015, 3031 new episodes will have been aired.
    I've been listening to this show for years and on Tuesday I found it even more informative that usual. I've seen Maria Theresa Thalers, all dated 1780, at every coin show I've ever been to. They are outside my area of interest and so prolific that I never bothered to find out anything about them. I will forever view them differently after hearing their history. If you're interested, transcripts and audio of every episode can be found on the Engines web site at (http://www.uh.edu/engines).
    After hearing about Maria Theresa and her Thaler, I decided to see if there were other episodes with a numismatic theme. Below is a list of all of the episodes I found that may be of interest to folks reading this journal.
    Episode #
    1347 - Inventing Money: (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1347.htm)
    1689 - Numismatics (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1689.htm)
    2003 - Counterfeit: On making money without delivering the goods (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2003.htm)
    2380 - Isaac Newton's other life as Master of the Royal Mint: (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2380.htm)
    2733 - American culture and the inscriptions on U.S. Coins (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2733.htm)
    2801 - The Maria Theresa Thaler (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2801.htm)
    2986 - Simon Stevin and The Rise of Decimal Currency (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2986.htm)
    And a few more that are indirectly related...
    0915 - In which power and gold shape California (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2986.htm)
    1485 - Ship of gold in the Deep Blue Sea (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2986.htm)
    1486 - What is gold worth today? Not as much as it was (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2986.htm)
    1648 - Building a dirigible to get to the California gold rush (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2986.htm)
    1656 - Electric power comes to Telluride, Colorado (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2986.htm)
    1901 - Philipp Deidesheimer and the remarkable timber square set (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2986.htm)
    This radio show is a great local gem that is available to anyone who wants to learn more about the history of "the machines that make our civilization run, and the people whose ingenuity created them."
    I do not own a Maria Theresa Thaler, so I apologize that I have no picture to go with this post.
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  10. coin928

    A Member of The Family

    By coin928,

    After owning it for 16 years, it was time to have it graded.
    I can't believe it's been over a year since I last posted a journal entry. I hope to be a little more prolific in the future.
    This 1895 Liberty Head five dollar gold coin pictured below has been in my family for many years. I don't know exactly how many, but I'm reasonably certain that my paternal Grandfather acquired it before 1933, and probably sometime in the 1920's. He was not a collector, but rather a hoarder of silver and gold coins. If you've read my bio, you know that my Grandfather is the person responsible for starting me down the path to becoming a coin collector and numismatist. Beginning in the early 1960's he would give each of his grandchildren a couple of Morgan or Peace dollars at Christmas time. I am the oldest of all of my siblings and cousins, so I actually benefited the longest from his generosity.
    He passed away late in 1973, but it wasn't until mid 1974 that we realized just how many coins he had stashed away in the attic of the family home. Being the oldest child, my father was the executor of his will and with me being the only serious coin collector in the family, I was was given the task of dividing the entire coin hoard equitably between my Father, and his three siblings. There were at least 500 each of silver dollars, half dollars, quarters and dimes. Several thousands coins in all, the hoard included:
    - Morgan and Peace Dollars
    - Barber, Walking Liberty, and Franklin Half Dollars
    - Barber, Standing Liberty, and Washington Quarters
    - Barber, Winged Liberty, and Roosevelt Dimes
    - Three gold coins (Two $5 and One $10)
    All of the dimes, quarters, and half dollars were probably obtained from pocket change since the majority of the dates were between 1930 and 1964 and all of the coins with earlier dates were very well worn. There were roughly two Morgan dollars for every Peace dollar and I think many were obtained during trips to Nevada in the 1950's and 60's.
    Being the executor, my father gave each of his three siblings one of the gold coins, keeping none for himself. This aggravated me at the time, but in hindsight this is the fairest thing he could have done and makes perfect sense. This coin came into my possession when my Aunt passed away in 1999 from pancreatic cancer. I would greatly prefer that my Aunt was still with us, but I am glad to have at least one of the three gold coins from my Grandfather's estate.
    From a numismatic perspective, this coin is a relatively common date AU, and was probably also taken from circulation in the 1920's. As a piece of family history however, it is priceless, which is why I decided to send it to NGC for grading and encapsulation. It now has a well defined value and will be protected from any further degradation in the new scratch resistant holder. With a little luck, it will remain in our family for many years to come.
    Thanks for reading.

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  11. coin928
    And it certainly won't be my last. I'm already planning for next year.
    As a member of the Philippine Collectors Forum (PCF), I've wanted to attend the annual ANA show for many years since this is where the PCF holds its annual meeting. The stars aligned, and this year I was finally able to make everything work out. I spent two and a half days at the show and could easily have added another day. Surprisingly, the highlight for me was not the coins. It was the people!
     
     
     
    I planned in advance to meet up with fellow Collectors Society members JAA USA/Philippines Collection (JAA), gherrmann44, Yankeejose, and Vesel. It was great to finally meet JAA and gherrmann44 in person. My only regret is that there was so much to talk about and so little time to do it. Vesel and I have been best friends ever since the 7th grade, so as fellow collectors, this was a great opportunity to get together in Chicago and have a good time.
     
     
     
    I attended five "Money Talks," and all were excellent and well worth the time spent. The speakers were all knowledgeable and very well prepared. These talks are free with the show admission or ANA membership, and I strongly encourage all who attend next year's show to work a couple of these talks into your schedule. There's plenty there to interest even the most advanced collector.
     
     
     
    The PCGS luncheon provided good food at a great price (free!), conversation with fellow collectors and the opportunity to hear from some true numismatic legends like Q. David Bowers.
     
     
     
    The PCF (also free for the price of admission) was well attended and chocked full of great information. The talks by the PCF members were well presented and very informative. I was able to meet and converse with other like-minded US/Philippine collectors and true legends in Philippine Numismatics including Ray Czahor and Neil Shafer himself.
     
     
     
    The bourse floor provided even more opportunities to meet people. I connected with several dealers I would never have met if I hadn't attended this show. One of the best connections I made at the show was with Mark Salzberg. Mark is chairmen of NGC and for one hour on Wednesday and again on Thursday he was offering expert consultations to Collectors. I wasn't even aware of this until JAA told me about it. I just happened to have 6 coins with me that I was going to ask the folks at the NGC about anyway, and here was a chance to go straight to the top! Of the six coins I asked him to look at, three were deemed worthy of submission and two suggested for a grade review. All five were submitted right then and there. I'll follow up with another post when I get them back.
     
     
     
    Except for a trade with JAA, I didn't acquire any coins at the show until late Saturday morning. I just happened by a dealer with nothing but world coin bargain bins, and a BU Cuban 1916 One Centavo caught my eye. At $3.00, it seemed way too good to pass up. Then I realized everything in the bins was uncirculated AND 50% off, so my $3.00 bargain BU was actually only $1.50! We began digging in earnest and came away with 26 world coins that had all been minted by various branches of the US Mint. All BU and all for a super bargain price! At least 10 of these will be taking a trip to NGC in the next few months.
     
     
     
    It was a great show!

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  12. coin928

    Time to Eat Crow

    By coin928,

    In light of a document I recently discovered, I must amend a journal I wrote nearly three years ago.
    On November 27, 2011 I wrote the Journal entry entitled "Obverse or Reverse?" (http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=9876) in which I came to the conclusion that contrary to conventional wisdom, the shield/date side of the coins in the US/Philippine series should be designated as the obverse and the figure/denomination side should be the reverse. This was a reasonable conclusion given the Allen catalog and other documents and resources available to me at the time. Unfortunately, it was not the correct conclusion.
    While doing research for a completely different (and as yet unwritten) journal entry, I came across a document that was not available to me in November 2011. Google has digitized an amazing number of obscure documents, and sometime after I wrote my previous journal entry they digitized the one that contains the definitive information I wish I had had in 2011.
    Document No. 144 of the 58th Congress, 2nd Session of the House of Representatives entitled "Stability of International Exchange" was published on December 17, 1903 and is a massive tome of 523 pages. It is essentially a 36 page report authored by Hugh H. Hanna, Charles A. Conant, and Jeremiah W. Jenks on establishing a fixed relationship between the moneys of the gold-standard countries, and the silver based countries of the day. The remainder is just supporting documentation divided into 14 separate appendices. Buried deep in Appendix J, on page 414 is a section entitled "The Execution of the Philippine Coinage Act." which is itself an excerpt from a report prepared by Col. Clarence R. Edwards, Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs.
    From my previous journal, The Philippine Coinage act of 1902, states in "Sec. 82. That the subsidiary and minor coinage hereinbefore authorized shall bear devices and inscriptions to be prescribed by the government of the Philippine Islands and such devices and inscriptions shall express the sovereignty of the United States, that it is a coin of the Islands, the denomination of the coin, and the year of the coinage."
    The remainder of this journal contains the words of Col. Edwards concerning the execution of Sec. 82 with respect to the design elements of the US/Philippine coinage:
    VI.--The Execution Of The Philippine Coinage Act.
    In anticipation of legislation providing for a special coinage system for the Philippine Islands, the Philippine Commission, in December, 1901, adopted a resolution appointing Commissioners T. H. Pardo de Tavera and Benito Legarda a special committee to confer with competent persons and obtain suggestions and designs from native artists, if possible, for the Philippine coins. The report of this committee, including photographic designs, was forwarded to this Bureau by the civil governor of the Philippine Islands soon after the appointment of said committee, and was retained here pending Congressional action. Among the same were designs by Mr. Melecio Figueroa, of Manila, who had taken a prize at a competitive examination in Madrid and who had studied art in Rome, which were preferred by the Secretary of War and officials of this Bureau, and which may be described as follows:
    There were two Figueroa designs for the obverse, to express "that it is a coin of the Philippine Islands," one for the silver and the other for the nickel and copper coins, and one design only for the reverse, to "express the sovereignty of the United States," the latter a shield surmounted with an eagle with outstretched wings, unmistakably American, and at the same time so different from the devices on the United States silver dollar, fifty-cent piece, and quarter as not to be easily confounded. This device is surrounded by the legend "United States of America. 1903."
    The first of the obverse designs is the entire figure of a Filipino woman lightly clothed in loose costume, with tresses floating in the wind. She holds in her right hand a hammer which rests on an anvil. In the background is seen the Mayon volcano, a perfect cone, therefore typical in that none other of such symmetry exists. The legend for the peso, surrounding the figure, being, "One peso Filipinas."
    The other obverse design substitutes for the female figure as described the figure of a man seated by an anvil, with one elbow resting thereon, and grasping a hammer in the right hand, while the left rests on the left knee. Both figures are well proportioned, the pose natural and graceful, and the figures well modeled. The design conveys the thought that it is by earnest labor that the Filipinos must work out their destiny, under the guidance of the United States.
    [...]
    On December 18, 1902, the Philippine Commission prescribed the Figueroa obverse design of the native woman for all the silver pieces and the other obverse design of the sitting Filipino for the copper pieces, the reverse being common to all.
    The final act of Congress--Philippine coinage system--was passed March 2, 1903. On March 7 the Secretary of the Treasury submitted for inspection and approval a specimen of the new peso coin for the Philippine Islands.

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  13. coin928
    *"Obscured sets are not eligible for awards and will not receive a rank. They are placed according to their score."
    Check out the news story at http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/news/ViewArticle.aspx?IDArticle=4055&Obscured-Sets-in-the-NGC-Registry.
    I've now got the highest rank in seven more competitive sets, but other sets with higher scores are still listed above mine. I appreciate what NGC has done, and I think they're on the right track, but it does taint one's improved rank a bit. It's a lot like all of the sports records that have an "*" by them to indicate that the record may be questionable or qualified in some way.
    If folks want to keep their sets obscured for whatever reason, that's fine with me. Just don't include them in the registry at all as long as they're obscured. After all, what's the point now that these sets are not ranked and are not eligible for awards.
    I really hope that the new NGC policy will encourage those with obscured sets to open them up. It's nice to have a #1 set, but I'd rather have an open registry.
    **OK, I did add one coin last night (picture below), but without the new policy it would only have bumped me up to #2 in USA/Philippines 5 Centavo series.

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  14. coin928
    Probably not the ones you're expecting though.
    Both of these coins were designed by famed sculptor Laura Gardin Frasier and were struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1947. The "S" mintmark appears just below the date on the reverse. They were struck in very shallow relief and can be extremely difficult to obtain in high grades. These coins represent several firsts.
    - First coins minted for the newly independent "Republic of the Philippines."
    - First commemorative coins honoring General Douglas MacArthur.
    - First (and currently the only) MacArthur 50 Centavo to receive a Star designation.
    Virtually every coin I own has a story, and these are no different.
    The 50 Centavos is a very recent acquisition. I was perusing eBay one morning last week, and this coin popped up as a Buy-It-Now, so I did some quick research. A truly staggering number of these coins have been graded by NGC. Of the 1,772 graded, the vast majority are MS65 (1,535). 134 have been graded MS66, 6 have received the lofty grade of MS67, and only one of those 6 has been awarded a Star for exceptional eye appeal. This one was quite a find! Last summer I acquired a really nice bright white MS66 and the price of this one put me off just a little, so I didn't pull the trigger right away. I went and took my morning shower and contemplated whether I should go for it or not. I finally decided that I would really regret missing the opportunity to acquire THE finest known 1947S MacArthur 50 Centavos graded by either NGC or PCGS, so I hopped out of the shower and hot footed it back to the computer and bought it.
     
    It arrived earlier this week and it is a beauty! I always take high resolution pictures of my coins as soon as I can, and much to my surprise this coin appears to be the Allen R-1a doubled die obverse variety. To the right and just below MacArthur's chin, the letters "DOU" in DOUGLAS and the letters "ARTHUR" are noticeably doubled with the second strike slightly down and to the right of the first. It's not only the finest known, it's also one of the three known varieties. I'm REALLY glad now that I decided to go for it! Unfortunately, NGC does not notate the varieties for this coin on the label. PCGS does, but I'm not going to cross it just to get the designation on the label.
    About a year ago, a seller posted a beautifully rainbow toned NGC MS66 1947-S MacArthur Peso with a Buy-It-Now price just a hair under $1,000. It's been rolling over every month since then and it's still out there if anyone is interested. That price is way over the top, but it did spark my interest. In September last year, another seller I buy from frequently offered a raw toned peso as an auction on eBay. It looked really nice and a few others saw it too, so the price got bid up a bit, but I managed to win it. It looked really nice in hand, but since I already had a nice bright white MS65, it took me another five months to send it in for grading. I was hoping for an MS65, and was elated when I saw it had received an MS66. This coin has beautiful peripheral toning that the picture does not do justice. As of this writing, NGC has graded 345 pieces with a scant 15 receiving a grade of MS66 with none finer. PCGS has graded only 2 finer at MS66+ and MS67+. This is a truly stunning coin and well worth the money and effort spent to have it graded.
    Both of these coins are what I like to call "coins of opportunity." I wasn't actively looking for them, but they were just too good to pass up.
    Thanks for reading!

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  15. coin928
    ...And a lucky sixpence in her shoe.
     
    We've all heard this before, but did you ever wonder what it means and where it came from?The something old and something new pay homage to the past and to the present. Something borrowed is a reminder to appreciate family and friends in times of need, and blue is the color representing fidelity. The sixpence is intended to bring good luck and financial prosperity to the marriage.This little poem was born in Victorian England and migrated across the Atlantic where the word "penny" is often substituted for "sixpence." This is an unfortunate alteration since it is actually the silver in the sixpence that makes it lucky!The tradition of using a lucky talisman to ward off evil spirits that were "particularly active" at rites of passage began in the middle ages. At that time, any sort of lucky charm (like a coin) would do. During the 1600's it became customary for the Lord of the Manor to give his bride-to-be a piece of silver as a wedding gift. This was symbolically represented by a sixpence which had come into existence as a silver coin in the 1500's. As time passed, it became a tradition for the bride's family to include a sliver sixpence in the dowry given to the groom. It has also become common to choose a date that has some significance to the bride.My daughter is getting married in one week, and what better gift for her collector/numismatist father to give her than a lucky sixpence to tuck in her shoe!The notion of this gift was planted in my mind many years ago when I read a two-part article in Coin World entitled "The lucky little sixpence." There was no prospective husband on the scene at the time, but I figured I should get on with the task of locating a coin just in case I wasn't around when the big day finally did arrive. The first thing I had to do was determine a date that had some significance.My daughter was born in 1987, but the last sixpence was minted in 1970, and the last silver sixpence was minted in 1946, so finding one minted in her birth year was out of the question. I decided to look for one minted 100 years earlier, since it would be from the time of Queen Victoria herself, and it would also qualify as something old.As it turns out, 1887 was an interesting year for the British sixpence. This was Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee year and to mark that milestone, the Royal Mint produced coins with a special commemorative reverse. Unfortunately, the commemorative reverse did not include the words "six pence." Much like America's 1883 "Racketeer Nickel," unscrupulous individuals found that if they gold plated the new coins; they could pass them off as one of Queen Victoria's special Jubilee gold half sovereigns, which was worth 20 times the value of the sixpence. When the ruse was discovered, the mint quickly withdrew the special sixpence and changed the reverse back to a version of the earlier reverse which clearly displayed the words "SIX PENCE."I couldn't decide which "one" to get, so in 2006 I found a nice example of each and both are pictured below. I introduced my daughter to coin collecting when she was young, and while she did indulge me at the time, her interest waned as she grew. She does remember the story of Josh Tatum and his exploits with the 1883 "No Cents" nickel though, so she appreciates the parallel nature of this pair of 1887 sixpence.This wedding is defiantly putting a crimp in my collecting budget, but I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end.Thanks for reading and wish us luck next weekend!To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  16. coin928
    Time to sell a few coins!
    Weddings are expensive propositions, and the father of the bride gets to foot the majority of the bill. It's time to clean up the sets a bit anyway, so this has given me a little added incentive.
    I created a custom set titled "On the Auction Block" (coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=15005) for the certified coins I'm willing to part with. Please PM me or send an email to coin928(at)live(dot)com if you see something you're interested in. Just replace the (at) and (dot) with the appropriate symbols first
    I'm going to post this on the message boards too as soon as I figure out how. PM me on that topic too if you have suggestions.
    As you might imagine, most are US/Philippine coins, but there are a few others too. One of which is the nice 1863 Indian Head Copper-Nickel Cent pictured below.
    Happy hunting.

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  17. coin928

    It's been a while.

    By coin928,

    Sometimes life just gets in the way of what's really important. Numismatics!
    I haven't written any journals lately, but I hope to be a little more prolific later this year. I received my wooden plaque from NGC a few weeks ago, and I realized that it's been almost two months since the Registry Awards were announced.
    I know I'm very late, but I'd like to thank NGC for the Best Presented Set Award and the five Photo Proofs that come with it. (I've already selected ten candidates that I now need to pare down to five.)
    As nice as the award from NGC is, the kind words from fellow collectors is even better. My thanks to JAA and Gary especially and my apologies for not responding sooner. Your research and journals are what I aspire to.
    I hate to post a journal with no picture, so I leave you with a photo of a coin I recently had graded. The NGC population for this coin is 2/0 and PCGS is 0/0. More about Emilio Aguinaldo as time permits.
    Stay tuned, I have one more journal that I MUST post today!

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  18. coin928
    The full magnitude of the devastation left by Typhoon Haiyan as it crossed The Philippines is just now being realized. The survivors there desperately need all the help we can provide.
    I have no direct connection to the Philippines, other than my love of their history as it became entwined with our own, and the coinage that resulted. Through my numismatic endeavors of the last 10 years, I have purchased many coins from dealers in The Philippines, and I've never been disappointed with their service, their friendliness, or the quality of the coins I have received. I hope that all of my numismatic friends there are well.
    I just made a donation directly to the Philippine Red Cross through PayPal, and I would like to urge others in our community of collectors to do the same. There are many ways to provide aid, and the following links list quite a few:
    http://us.cnn.com/2013/11/09/world/iyw-how-to-help-typhoon-haiyan/index.html
    https://www.paypal-donations.com/pp-charity/web.us/campaign.jsp?cid=28
    http://www.redcross.org.ph/donate
    I always like to include a picture with my posts, and this one seems most appropriate for this topic on Veteran's Day. It is the obverse of the 1947-S commemorative honoring General Douglas MacArthur, "The Defender and Liberator of The Philippines."
    Thank you for reading this post and many thanks to all of the Veterans who have served our country.

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  19. coin928

    My exercise in minutia ...

    By coin928,

    ... may be complete.
    I recently sent eight coins to NGC for grading and while waiting for their return, I decided to do some research. The coins are all from the same set, and I've only handled a few of them, so virtually all of my information has come from books, magazine articles, and the internet (mainly pictures, and eBay listings). I was getting close to completion and with books and papers piled all around me I was sitting at the computer writing the set and coin descriptions when my wife walked up. Very innocently she asked "Whacha doin'?" While this seems like a simple question, I always get caught off guard and assume there is some deeper interest. I should have just said something equally simple like "Writing" but instead, I enthusiastically replied "Researching and writing about the Culion Leper Colony coinage minted between 1913 and 1930!" I realized my mistake immediately when her face went blank and she slowly backed away without another word. Undaunted, I typed on. Later, while talking to my daughter on the phone I mentioned my now completed research. She's a fourth year medical student so I thought she might show more interest, at least from a medical perspective but alas, not so. Just dead air, so we moved on to other topics. Given the current level of interest in my efforts, I fear I may have gone way off the deep end, but just in case there are others here with similar interests, I invite you to read on. The rest of you may just want to slowly back away...
    Almost a year ago, JAA did a very nice introduction to the Culion Leper Colony coinage in his journal post "Culion Island Leper Colony Coinage" (http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=12377), so I won't replicate any of that or my own set description here. In my recent research, I mainly focused on the many varieties for these coins and found that all of my sources are at best incomplete, and in some cases contradictory. In the description of the set, I have enumerated the 16 date/denomination issues, and the number of varieties that may exist for each. In the individual coin descriptions, I've gone into even more detail about each variety and how to identify them. I've never seen some of these variations, so the descriptions are really just my best reconciliation of information from the various sources based on my coins and pictures I've seen. If you'd like to have a look at the results, please check out this exercise in minutia in my Culion Leper Colony set at:
    http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/SetListing.aspx?PeopleSetID=147941
    As always, I welcome your feedback and comments, particularly if you can shed some light on the ambiguities that I am as yet unable to resolve.
    Thanks for reading, and happy collecting!
    (I leave you with a picture of the best of the eight Culion coins I recently had graded)

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  20. coin928
    My thanks to NGC for the five Deluxe Photo Proofs!
    On January 12, 2013, I received a Best Presented Set award for my US/Philippines One Centavo set. In addition to recognition in the registry and a nice wooden wall plaque, I also received a coupon for my choice of NGC Coin Imaging Services for five NGC certified coins. One can choose from either NGC Photo Vision Coin Imaging (http://www.ngccoin.com/imaging-services/photo-vision.aspx) or NGC PHOTO PROOF Coin Imaging (http://www.ngccoin.com/imaging-services/photo-proof.aspx). Photo Vision Coin Imaging is available for any NGC graded coin at a cost $15 per coin, whereas PHOTO PROOF Coin Imaging is limited to nearly all US coinage and select Canadian and British coinage at a cost of $65 per coin.
    Fortunately, US/Philippine coinage from 1903--1945 falls into the set of coins eligible for PHOTO PROOF Imaging, so that was my choice. My coupon covered the substantial $325 imaging fee, but the cost of shipping and insurance for the round trip to NGC was on me. It took a while to decide if I wanted to foot the bill for shipping and insurance, and once past that decision, even longer to decide which coins to send. I finally narrowed it down to four coins and one medal that are distinctive in some way and are also most representative of my US/Philippines collection. My choices were:
    - 1931-M One Centavo graded MS66RD (NGC population 1/0)
    - 1938-M One Centavo graded MS65RB (Allen-3.02a - RPD variety and exceptional strike)
    - 1945-D Ten Centavos, Doubled Die #1 graded MS63 (Allen-9.05b - NGC population 1/0)
    - 1907-S Twenty Centavos graded MS64 (NGC population 4/0)
    - 1920 Wilson / Manila Mint Opening Silver So-Called Dollar graded MS62.
    All except the 1931-M were purchased raw and self submitted to NGC. Of the five pieces, the 1920 is probably the least worthy of being immortalized in a Photo Proof, but it is one of my personal favorites.
    My coins arrived at NGC on July 22nd and were back in my hands on August 5th along with my five new Photo Proof brochures. I was expecting a longer turnaround time, but pleased that they came back so quickly.
    The Photo Proof brochure is a laminated 8.5" x 11" bifold presentation piece and is impressive in both color and content. The brochure contains 7 pictures of the coin, a lengthy description of the entire US/Philippine series, and a detailed description of the specific coin. There is a picture of the front of the holder on the cover, and inside are large pictures of each side, a detail image from each side and an "actual size" photo of each side. The images are beautiful as you would expect, however the "actual size" photos seem slightly smaller than actual size. David Lange's descriptions are excellent and it's nice to have written opinions from a well respected numismatist and expert in this area about each of these coins. All five are good, but I am particularly pleased with the one for the 1938-M One Centavo. It provides written recognition of the ALLEN-3.02a variety even though NGC does not provide for this recognition on the holder label as a variety plus designation.
    Overall, I'm very pleased with the Photo Proof brochures and the very quick turnaround, but at $65 each, I probably won't have any more done unless I win another registry award.
    I leave you with a picture of the five Photo Proof brochures.

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  21. coin928
    ... according to the COIN World front page article in the June 17, 2013 edition.
    eBay had provided quite a vibrant marketplace for certified First Republic Cuban coinage and the vast majority of my Collectors Society registered coins were obtained there. Cuban coins minted between 1915 and 1961 inclusive are identified as being from the "First Republic," and the Collectors Society designates each Cuban registry set as such. These coins were all minted by the US Mint in the USA and are not embargoed by the US Government. eBay however, took it upon themselves to ban ALL Cuban coins on April 9, 2013, embargoed or not.
    I hope eBay can cure their current case of anal-cranial-impaction before too long. Until they do though, there is a good opportunity for other auction sites to fill the void and make money on a market that eBay has chosen not to participate in.
    The image below is the obverse of my 1934 ABC Peso. (It was obtained on Teletrade.)

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  22. coin928
    How is that possible?
    I recently acquired this 1977FM 50 Piso coin on eBay for a very reasonable price. With a mintage of 6,704 pieces, proof specimens are not rare, but with only two certified by NGC this one seemed too good to pass up.
    I find this commemorative coin particularly interesting in that it is directly or indirectly associated with no less than six different mints.
    1. The obverse inscription "INAUGURATION OF THE SECURITY PRINTING PLANT AND MINT COMPLEX" refers to the 1977 opening of the new coin minting facility in Mania.
    2. The coin was actually minted by the Franklin Mint in Philadelphia.
    The devices on the obverse include the designs by Melecio Figueroa for the coins issued during the periods of 1903-1935 when The Philippines was an insular Territory of the United States and 1936-1945 when it became The Commonwealth of the Philippines. These coins were minted by:
    3. The Philadelphia Mint (third building) from 1903-1908 and again in 1944.
    4. The old San Francisco Mint from 1903-1920 and again in 1944 and 1945.
    5. The Denver Mint in 1944 and 1945.
    6. The old Manila Mint in the Intendencia from 1920 until the beginning of world War II in 1941.
    1977FM 50 Piso Proof coins were originally issued as individual proofs, as part of a two coin proof set and as part of the full Proof Set which contained examples of all eight denominations minted by the Franklin Mint. These 50 Piso coins were also issued by the Central Bank in fully brilliant proof like condition as part of the eight coin "Brilliant Uncirculated Specimen Set" also minted at the Franklin Mint. Only 354 specimen sets were issued, so examples of this set are quite rare.
    A mintage of 10,000 matte finish coins are also listed in the Krause catalog, but I have yet to see even one which appears to have a true matte finish. Based on the availability of fully brilliant specimens, I suspect that these 10,000 coins were actually minted for circulation from proof like dies, and appear fully brilliant. This makes a true specimen set example extremely difficult to identify once it's been removed from the original Franklin Mint packaging. I've been trying to get resolution on this issue for several years, but have yet to find any other explanation as to why there are so many fully brilliant specimens available and apparently no true matte finish specimens to be had. I would love to hear from anyone who could shed some additional light on the subject.
    This particular coin is a beautiful, well preserved proof. It is a bit hazy tough due to the deterioration of the original packaging used by the Franklin Mint in the 1970's and 1980s'. This is typical of these coins and very few specimens do not exhibit this hazing. It is one of only two graded by NGC, with the other graded PF69UC.
    I leave you with a picture of my latest acquisition.

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  23. coin928
    It's not that obvious what belongs in each one.
    My goal is to provide good pictures along with interesting and appropriate descriptions for all of my Collectors Society registered coins and sets. I've got the good picture part pretty well under control, but the description aspect requires significantly more effort than I anticipated. 100% of my coins have descriptions, but many of them are what I call "throw down" descriptions. Some contain just the facts (catalog number, mintage, date acquired, etc.), and others have just a one liner, so I've got my work cut out for me.
    I've had this goal for several years now, but I really started applying myself about the middle of last year, by focusing on my USA/Philippines One Centavo set. That effort paid off with an NGC 2012 Best Presented Set award, so I feel pretty good about all the time spent. That recognition also comes with a nice wooden plaque which arrived yesterday and it has given me new resolve to finish the task.
    Now that I've moved on to other sets, I'm running into some issues that I haven't yet determined how to resolve. I've come to the conclusion that an "appropriate" description really depends on the role that each coin plays in a set. Some of my coins participate in as many as 6 different competitive or custom sets and a single description just doesn't work well. For example, I have a 1905 Proof 50 Centavos that fills slots in all of the following sets:
    USPI - Type
    USPI - 50 Centavo series
    USPI - Proofs Complete
    USPI - Complete
    USPI - 1905 Proof Set
    Foreign coins Struck at United States Mints (a custom set)
    You might think that including the mintage in the coin description would always be appropriate, but in the case of the 1905 Proof set, the mintage is the same for every coin in the set and would be best presented as part of the overall set description. Saying something about the design and the artist that created the coin would be desirable when the coin appears in a Type set, but would be highly redundant in the case of the 50 Centavo series set. It's obvious that good descriptive information about the specific coin (color, strike, state of preservation, distinguishing marks, etc.) is appropriate, but beyond that, everything else really depends on the context in which the coin appears.
    It seems like we either need the ability to supply a description for each slot in our sets (separate from the individual description associated with the coin that fills that slot), or additional, context sensitive descriptions associated with each coin that would only appear when it is viewed in a specifically designated set. That way, I could provide an informative and appropriate description for a coin in a type set and a different, yet equally informative and appropriate description for that same coin when it appears in a series set. Otherwise each individual coin description may become very large and highly redundant.
     
    Any thoughts or comments greatly appreciated!
    I'll leave you with a picture of my 1905 Proof 50 Centavos...

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  24. coin928

    YIKES!

    By coin928,

    I need to get another coin. Quick!
    I added three coins that I just had graded and noticed that my overall rank has improved to 666! That's not all though, check the picture. I clicked on the "Total Coin Registry Points" link and not only is my rank 666, so is my average coin score. YIKES!

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  25. coin928
    High mintage figures often imply common coins, but also provide the opportunity for some highly collectable varieties!
    Lyman L. Allen literally wrote the book on U.S. Philippine Coinage. Entitled "U.S./Philippine Coins," it is now in it's 7th edition. It is a guide book to the entire series and major die varieties as well as a price guide. Mr. Allen self published his book every other year to keep the prices and population reports relatively fresh. My earliest copy is an autographed 4th Edition (2004-2005) published in late 2003. I don't know exactly what year he published the first edition, but if I extrapolate, it would have been roughly 1998. Mr. Allen sold the rights to his book in 2010, and the bi-annual publication schedule was interrupted. The book was updated and edited by Tom Culhane and the 7th edition was finally released in 2012.
    An important part of this book is the definition of the major die varieties and as you might imagine, they are identified by their ALLEN number. The early editions contain detailed descriptions and pictures of most of these varieties. Unfortunately, none of these pictures are present in the 7th edition. Hopefully they will be restored when the 8th edition is printed. Until then, a copy of both the 6th and 7th editions are necessary to properly identify die varieties.
    Mr. Allen numbered every regular issue with a two part number. The major number identifies the denomination/design, while the minor number is a sequentially assigned integer representing the date. Varieties for a date are identified by one or more trailing letters. For example, the 1908-S One Centavo is also known as ALLEN-2.06, and the 1908-S/S variety is identified as ALLEN-2.06a.
    Both PCGS and NGC recognize some, but not all of the 64 varieties currently listed in the 7th edition. Both services now identify the variety on their label using the ALLEN number. NGC includes this service as part of their "Variety Plus" program. The list of varieties recognized by NGC can be found at: ( http://www.ngccoin.com/VPSubCategory.aspx?subid=67&category=american-overseas-territories&cointype=philippines-under-u.s.-sovereignty ). PCGS changed their policy recently, and now recognizes nearly all of the current Allen varieties. They've even created a complete registry set which includes the varieties at ( http://www.pcgs.com/SetRegistry/SetComposition.aspx?c=5099 ).
    I have nearly all of the Allen varieties, but many are in low grades and don't warrant submission to NGC or PCGS. I do however have 13 certified varieties which I've placed into a custom set ( http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=12256 ).
    The picture below is of my complete set of certified ALLEN-9.05, 1945-D 10 Centavo varieties. With 137,208,000 minted by the US Mint in Denver, it's not surprising that there are a number of die varieties. Pictured are:
    9.05 - Normal date
    9.05a - Repunched mint mark D/D Even within this variety, at least 4 sub-types exist with various orientations of the initial and secondary mint mark punches. Over the years, I have acquired examples of North-South (near), South-North (far), South-North (near), and Northwest-Southeast orientations. This particular coin is a toned gem with a South-North (far) orientation doubled mint mark. The toning is a subtle and even combination of electric blue with orange and gold highlights. The toning is much more dramatic than the scanned images can convey.
    9.05b - Doubled Die Obverse type 1. This variety is easily identified by the dramatic doubling of "UNITED", "STATES", all four digits of the date, and the bottom tip of the shield. This particular coin was graded before NGC began placing the Allen number on the label. It is one of the three finest known, and is currently the only uncirculated specimen graded by NGC. (A second coin, which was graded later, is identified as ALLEN-9.05b on the label and is included in my custom set.)
    9.05c - Doubled Die Obverse type 2. This doubled die variety is not nearly as dramatic as 9.05b, but can still be identified with minimal magnification. There is a very slight doubling of "45" in the date, doubling of all of the letters in "UNITED", doubling of the letters "STAT" in STATES, and slight doubling of the letters "MER" in AMERICA. This particular coin exhibits a typical soft strike although the dies were not heavily eroded due to extended use that is typical of the 1945 D issue. This coin is currently the only specimen to have been graded by either NGC or PCGS.
    In addition to the three varieties that have been cataloged, there is at least one other significant obverse doubled die variety in which the the text "Commonwealth of the Philippines" is noticeably doubled.
    I hope to continue growing my set of certified Allen varieties as time and resources (i.e. money) permit.

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