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Mokiechan

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Journal Entries posted by Mokiechan

  1. Mokiechan

    20 July 1969

    By Mokiechan,

    It's hard to believe it has been 50 years since Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin first landed on the Moon.  In the summer of 1969, I was an 11-year-old living in Mt Lebanon, PA and feeling the excitement of the impending Moon landing.  Back then, the Space Program was a really big deal and dominated all 4 TV channels, Mad Magazine, and of course our two daily newspapers.  There was no internet, there was no social media, or YouTube, or all the other things we expect in our daily lives today.  But the entire world was waiting with bated breath for the moment when the Lunar Module made its landing. 
    That night, a Sunday, I had been invited to a sleepover at my friend Ralph's home.  His Mom knew I had a telescope, a very inexpensive Tasco refractor, and asked me to bring it so she could view the moon.  Ralph's house was only about two blocks away, so Ralph and I started walking along Sleepy Hollow Rd toward his home on Fruithurst Dr., about halfway there, I was Egged by some Teens speeding by in their car.  I saw a white streak flying toward me, felt gooey wetness on my shirt, and thought, for a moment, I had been shot.  Strange, it didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would, but then I quickly realized it was just an egg.  Oh well, I still feel I cheated death on that auspicious night. 
    We reached Ralph's house, got me cleaned up and proceeded to watch the live broadcast on one of the three main channels.  Probably CBS since they had Walter Cronkite.  I remember they gave directions on the screen for those who wanted to get a decent picture of the footage from the TV.  I think it was the most exciting time in all my life, up to that point.   We were holding our breath just like the guys at Mission Control, we were elated when touchdown was confirmed.  Of course, when Neil  hopped onto the Moon, the whole living room exploded with cheers, in fact, we could hear other people cheering next door and across the street, I think the whole world was cheering. 
    A plethora of Apollo 11 souvenirs could be found at every store in the aftermath of the landing, I had a model kit of the Lunar Lander, I had a model kit of the entire Stack, I had astronaut trading cards, I had space helmets, a moon globe, and I even had one Numismatic item.  The medal you see pictured here, it is gold colored, and aluminum, and not very detailed but it is pretty cool, and it still reminds me of the night I cheated death and saw One Giant Leap for Mankind.  Thank You Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Aldrin, and Mr. Collins, you will always be heroes to me.
    Where were you that night?



  2. Mokiechan
    With a little Wizardry.
    I received a roll of uncirculated Lincoln Cents today with my order from Wizard Coin Supply. They are offering one free roll of Lincolns with a purchase of $35.00 minimum. I purchased a book about Commemorative Coins 1892-1954 and some coin supplies to meet the minimum. The roll shows the reverse of the cent at each end. Although it is not a great design, it sure beats the Lincoln Memorial. I think the deal is still available.
  3. Mokiechan
    The cash cow is milked again.
    Just read in Numismatic News that San Francisco mint is going to produce a 2 coin SAE set to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its current location and facility. One will be a standard proof and the other will be the reverse proof. I am assuming production will be limited. All of you dedicated SAE collectors can now count on a deluge of special issues, etc. etc. etc.
    I wish they would be more creative and produce a special proof set with new renditions of obsolete coins. A 2012 dated Walking Liberty Half, Standing Liberty Quarter, Mercury Dime, Buffalo Nickel, and Indian Head cent would be just the ticket. I know, I know, wake me up when I start drooling.
    Malcolm
    Malcolm

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  4. Mokiechan
    Thanks to Ebay and Modern coin Mart
    Folks,
    Just closed an Ebay auction that had me winning a postpaid MS69 NGC 9/11 Memorial Medal, Philadelphia Mint, for 49 dollars plus change. I had been outbid on two others within the last couple of days so it was nice to get this exquisite piece for less than 50 Dollars. I have wanted one since they were first issued but knew, as with most mint products, that patience would lead to a much better price than the mints price. Modern Coin Mart seems to have a lot of these on Ebay, they must have thought the pieces would sell well and are now facing the music and dumping the remainder.
    This is a beautiful medal honoring the courage and sacrifice of tens of thousands of individuals on a day I will never forget.
    Malcolm

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  5. Mokiechan

    A Clear Path

    By Mokiechan,

    Ahead for the Beaw's Den.
    Folks,
    As most of you have probably experienced, everytime I see a coin or collection I admire (Like JAA's Philippines coins or any of Brandon's Horses) I have an immediate compulsion to start the same collection or obtain the same coin they have. Heck, I even set up a special Ebay search for the 2007 Falklands Crown after seeing Gary's example a day or two ago. This is my chronic condition I call Collectivitus Nex.
    Well, I have given it some thought and I have decided, TRULY, to concentrate on the following sets for the remainder of my days (queue the melodramatic music).
    1. The Peace Dollar Set (one of my two favorite series)
    2. The 1st generation commemoratives halves type set (never to be finished but certainly worth the struggle).
    3. Sacagawea Dollars in all their forms (until the series runs its course).
    4. And, the 21st Century Type Set. (hope there are some updates in the next decade or so).
    This modest list should keep me very busy and very motivated for many many years. That plus actually adding pictures and descriptions will be more than enough for this Collectivitus Nex sufferer.
    Hope all your collecting endeavours are as fruitful and enjoyable as mine will be.
    Later,
    Malcolm
    PS-Two Peace Dollars arriving in the mail today, Thanks Paul.

  6. Mokiechan
    Who's helped me build my collection by buying my collections.
    As I have transitioned my collection from raw accumulation to pristine slabs, one of the most helpful dealers has been Bill Hussey of Fort Lauderdale, FL.
    I found Bill via an ad in the back of Numismatic News promising to buy any/all foreign coins at fair prices. Now, never having dealt with Bill, I monitored his continuing ads, googled his business name, and generally did as much as possible to determine his legitimacy. The first group of coins I sent Bill were some Portuguese State Mint Offerings (Age of Discovery Series) as a test to see what he would offer. Bill came through with a very fair offer and gained my confidence with a nice included letter in the envelope. I think I sent him 7 or 8 large groupings of foreign coins after that with each offer always exceeding my expectation.
    Since I plowed all his checks back into slabs, I estimate about 1/4 of my current collection is directly attributable to his return checks. I will no longer need his assistance but I will always appreciate his honesty and integrity.
    Beaw

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  7. Mokiechan

    A Corollary

    By Mokiechan,

    To jayh749's tale
    I recently registered a coin that I had just purchased on EbaY. When I hit the SAVE button, I got the dreaded message stating the coin was currently in the registry of some other individual.
    NGC would contact them on my behalf and request they "release" the coin so I could add it to my registry. In my two years with the NGC registry, this is the third time this has happened. I think one of the coins was a proof mercury dime and the other was some very generic Roosevelt dime. In both those instances, a day or two later, the coin was "released" and placed in my registry. But this most recent incident, NGC has demanded I send a photo of the coin in its holder.
    Now folks, we're talking about a very common 1958 Canadian Dollar with nothing going for it but the fact it is my birth year. Hmmm, was the coin a part of a collection owned by some New Brunswick millionaire? Will I soon be contacted by the Saskatoon Police Department with a request to make a voluntary statement? Will the RCMP demand I return this treasure to is rightful owner? One can only speculate at this point. So, I just sent NGC the EBAY listing information and the pic from the EBAY ad and hopefully that will clear me.
    I understand and support the policy to contact and confirm from the preceding owner. I just wish owners would divest themselves of registry entries when they no longer own the coin. I hope it is inadvertent, I hope there not just trying to keep a set intact that is no longer complete. I wonder how many stolen coins ARE found when registry entries are attempted???
  8. Mokiechan
    I have been following a lot on EBAY for several days and waiting to see if their would be any bidders or if it would simply timeout.  I sometimes use this method to monitor a lot I might want, but am not willing to pay the price, for one reason or another.
    Well, this lot of three irradiated dimes caught my eye, and I almost pulled the trigger at the original price but hesitated because the only Dime I was really interested in, was the Dime in the Worlds Fair holder, the other two were nice, but I already had examples.  The price was pretty good though, about $11 each when you added in postage.  The thing that made me hesitate was a thought that maybe if the lot expired without a bid, it would be relisted at a lower price, that happens sometimes, and I often buy when that happens.  

    This lot closed without a bid, and the owner did relist but at a HIGHER price, from 29.99 to 31.99 plus postage of 3.89.  Higher Price, what is this dude thinking? It puzzles me.   Maybe he raised the price because:

    1.  the old marketing concept of perceived value, if a thing is cheaply priced, the perception is the product is inferior, a higher price raises the perceived value in the eyes of the consumer.   The seller thinks the higher price will attract a better heeled buyer.
    2.  Someone told him his original price was too  low and that each of those dimes should sell for at least 15.00 each, he decided to raise the price because he thinks they're correct after doing his own research on irradiated dime sold prices.  But again, it was not a BIN sale, so if there were interest, he should have at least received the minimum bid.
    3.  He put no real thought into the price increase, he just saw that EBAY offered to relist and raised the price for heck of it.  

    What do you think?  I am still following this lot, but I am far less likely to buy it now, if he had even left the lot the same price, I probably would have put in a minimum bid.

     
  9. Mokiechan
    And it happened under 3 Flags.
    Folks,
    I read a fascinating article published by Numismatic News recently about the 1861 New Orleans Half Dollar. I was already aware of its backstory and have even owned several examples but this article:
    http://www.numismaticnews.net/article/hard-to-top-story-of-1861-o-half-dollar
    pulls it all together in a very compelling way. For those of you not aware of the story, the 1861-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar was minted by 3 separate government entities, the United States, The State of Louisiana (after secession), and the Confederate Staes of America. Research has even been able to determine which government minted a particular half dollar by the obverse and reverse die diagnostics. The 1861-O is also one of the promienent coins that sank with the SS Republic, in 1865. In an ironic twist of fate, the Republic was on the way back to New Orleans to replenish coins supplies after the war.
    Read the article and you'll want an example for your collection.
    Later,
    Malcolm

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  10. Mokiechan
    About the World Around Me
    Friends,
    Just thought I would gather a few thoughts tied together with the loosest of collections and make a journal entry out of them:
    1. Just posted my two MS PCGS 2012 Sacagawea Dollars to complete the MS set for the year. Proof set was completed with an NGC example late last month. I must say, this year's edition of the Sacagawea is a mighty fine design that really reminds me of the "Renaissance of American Coinage" period (with kudos to RWB). The Sacagawea series just keeps getting better and better and the 2012, in proof, is stunning.
    2. PCGS holders just feel cheap and unsubstantial compared to NGC holders. Probably just my bias but I can never shake that impression. I do agree the services are pretty equal in their overall grading. So, the holder is what tips the balance for me.
    3. I love my Kindle Fire, I am currently reading a great "free" book titled Penalty of Pride which provides a fictional account of a new war on the Korean Peninsula. Well written, well researched, and a the kind of book you cannot put down.
    4. Is the SAE 2012 San Fransisco 2-coin silver proof set losing steam? there was only a 6000 set increase in the last reporting day. I figured the set would top out at a little over 200K but now I am wondering if it will make that.
    5. Can't wait to get back to Pittsburgh. My Daughter and Wife will go there first, establish our beachhead while I await my retirement. My Daughter will be enrolled in the Mt. Lebanon PA School District, one of the finest in the state. My wife will be in a city she has grown to love (even though she is a native Californian), and I will be back home after 30 plus years.
    Thanks for you time.
    Malcolm

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  11. Mokiechan

    A Great 2011

    By Mokiechan,

    And a Better 2012
    Hi All,
    Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the wonderful holiday season. I have to say, without a doubt, interacting with you all, hearing your opinions, your triumphs, and your disappointments has made 2011 one of the most enjoyable times in all the years I have been collecting coins. I am so happy to have found the Collector's Society and all the wonderful people that inhabit the Corner.
    This coming year, I will continue enjoying your company while adding a few more first generation commemorative halves, that pesky 1943/2 Jefferson, and maybe work on a Peace Dollar, Mercury Dime Custom Set where each year of the Peace Dollar is matched with the mercury dime from the same year and with the same grade. All NGC of course. That might be fun as those are my favorite two U.S. coin series.
    I plan on laying low until the New Year arrives so a very heartfelt Happy Holidays from the Johnson Family to you all.
    Be Safe!!!
    Malcolm

  12. Mokiechan
    My Pittsburgh Area Numiez, the South Hills Coin Club of Bethel Park PA will be holding their 60th anniversary coin show on February 1st and 2nd.  I believe it is important, even in the age of online auctions, to attend shows, even the smaller ones.  By attending smaller shows and supporting their bourse, you are keeping many small part time dealers in the game and you are stimulating the local coin community. 
    The South Hills Coin Club show will have approximately 40 dealers and will also have door prizes and other fun stuff throughout the 2 days.   The Show hours are 1000-1700 on Saturday and 1000-1500 on Sunday.  So if you're in beautiful Western Pennsylvania, jump on the Parkway and find yourself at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.   I will be helping at the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists (PAN) each day and our table will have free foreign coins, Beaver Falls Centennial medals, and Lincoln Cents for the younger ones.  We will have a friendly handshake and lots of coin talk for us older ones.  My partner Tom may also bring a display case with his awesome display of Swedish Plate Money.   Cya There. 
    Crowne Plaza Hotel 164 Fort Couch Rd Pittsburgh, PA 15241
  13. Mokiechan
    Because Halloween is So Awesome
    Hi All,
    I was doing some random websurfing this evening when I started focusing on coins that have some kind of Halloween related theme.
    After some dead ends, I happened upon a set of 5 coins issued by Tuvalu and minted in Perth called Heroes and Villains. They are each one ounce of pure silver and denominated at 1 Dollar.
    Two of the five coins,Jekyl/Hyde and Van Helsing/Dracula meet my criteria for Halloween themed. Here is a picture of the Van Helsing/Dracula coin. Hope you enjoy.
    Malcolm

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  14. Mokiechan
    The Sample Kind.
    Cemonice's posting about different generations of NGC slab styles is a great dovetail to an article that PCGS's Alan Canavan wrote titled "What You Need to Know About PCGS Sample Slabs". As a longtime owner of a PCGS sample slab, I have always wondered if their was any enhanced collecting interest over and above the value of the common date silver Roosevelt encased within the slab.
    Alan's article basically says that this is the time to seek out these sample slabs as there is growing collecter interest in the slabs and there numbers are relatively low. Here is a direct quote from his article:
    "What really separates coin collecting from sample collecting is the fact that the coins are minted in the millions or even billions. Sample slabs are produced in lots of one thousand or less. When I say less, I am referring to numbers as low as five or ten!"
    So, I am going to hang onto my sample slab for a few more years and see if a market really develops. Who knows, maybe that Slab will far outstrip the value of its encased Silver Dime.
    http://samplecoinslabs.com/index.html/
    Happy Holidays,
    Malcolm
    PS-The included photo shows a slab similar in style to mine.

  15. Mokiechan
    Was it a trial or was it some kind of shenanigans.
    Friends,
    Found a very intersting article about the 1964, yes 1964, Special Mint Set on the Coin World site. Just goes to show you that this hobby, even after 45 years is still able to spring a surprise or two on a fairly regular basis. Read and enjoy.
    http://www.coinworld.com/articles/1964-sms-coins-are-enigmatic/
    Later,
    Malcolm

  16. Mokiechan

    A Minor Addition

    By Mokiechan,

    with apologies to the Moondoggy.
    Hi all,
    Moondoggy posted a spectacular coin but I am merely posting a rather ordinary coin that I had hoped would be an AU55. Well, she came today and she was only XF40 but what the hey, she still looks nice.
    Now I only have 17 coins in the NGC pipeline. Looks like September will be a good month. .
    Regards,
    Malcolm

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  17. Mokiechan

    A Minor Little Find

    By Mokiechan,

    Puts a Major Smile On My Face
    Hi all,
    As we all know, examining your change is one of the best ways to find little treasures that have somehow found their way into circulation. Well tonight, I found this beautiful 1946-S Dime in my change at the local McDonald's. It may be a little scruffy but Franklin sure looks good to me.
    Later,
    Malcolm

  18. Mokiechan
    And Inexpensive to Boot!
    Folks,
    I have been in a bit of coin collecting doldrums lately. I have 4 coins on a want list with JJ teaparty, I have added a couple of inexpensive Peace Dollars to my registry. But, I have not made any purchases that I would consider significant or even sexy.
    So, I have decided to put together a small inexpensive custom set consisting of the different types of El Yunque quarters available. I am not going to focus on labels, just the actual coins. By my count there are 5 to be obtained. 2012 P-D-S in mint state, and 2012 S in Clad and Silver Proof.
    I have already made my first purchase. I obtained the little gem, Clad PF69, pictured below for less than $7.00 from a dealer on EBAY. Once all the quarters are obtained, will put together the set with pictures and descriptions. should be fun and should light a little fire in my collector's heart.
    Hope all your pursuits are equally fun and those of you attending ANA please report back to us via your journal.
    Later,
    Malcolm

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  19. Mokiechan

    A nice addition

    By Mokiechan,

    To my Mercury Set
    Hi All, just picked up a nice addition to my Mercury Dime one-a-year set. It's a 1942-P MS66FB that replaced a 1942 MS64.
    She's a beauty.
    Happy Collecting Everyone.

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  20. Mokiechan

    A Nice Bump

    By Mokiechan,

    On a day I have come down with a cold.
    Folks,
    I had grown a little frustrated with the amount of Details graded coins I have received back from NGC so I decided to give myself a little break and just submit a grouping of modern coins directly from mint packaging.
    I just got the shipment back and two of them came back as MS70. MS70 number 1 is the 2004 Lewis/Clark commemorative. MS70 number 2 is the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial. The other 4 coins I submitted also were very satisfactory with one MS65, two MS69, and one PF69.
    I think I'll do it one more time and send in another batch of newbies. After that, I will plunge again into uncharted territory and submit older, long-time holdings, for grade.
    Love Ya NGC.
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  21. Mokiechan

    A Nice Ebay Bargain

    By Mokiechan,

    For a collector of small means...
    I picked up a MS66 1945-S Jefferson Nickel this weekend from a dealer on EBAY. The NGC Price Guide value is $32.50, His BIN price was $25.00, and my "Make An Offer" offer was $20.00. I thought he would split the difference and make a counteroffer of $23.00 but lo and behold, he took the offer and I now have the coin pictured below speeding to my home postage free.
    This is a pretty typical way I operate on EBAY. I always have a number of saved searches going and check them each day for coins that look to have low-ball potential. Once in awhile, with a particularly difficult coin, like the 1918 Mercury Dime, I will pay above NGC value but that's after many moons of searching through dealer stock, TELETRADE, and EBAY for the desired coin. I would estimate that half my current collection of slabs originated on EBAY, I have been a member since 1987.
    I hope all your endeavours, collecting and otherwise, are equally fruitful. The HUNT is half the fun of collecting.
    Cheers,
    Malcolm

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  22. Mokiechan
    Free Stuff is Always Welcome in the Beaw's Den.
    I stopped at our mailbox on the way home from work today and immediately saw a large fat brown envelope amidst the usual collection of magazines, Cox Cable post cards, and other assorted junk. I pulled the fat brown envelope from the mailbox,looked at the label, and saw it was from Whitman Books. I ripped open the envelope and gazed upon a copy of Clifford Mishler's Coins: Questions and Answers.
    Now I'm puzzled, I have not ordered anything from Whitman in quite a while and I certainly would not order that particular title as it is appears to be targeting the novice collector. Then I recalled a vague hazy memory of completing a survey or something similar with the Prize being a copy of the aforementioned book. Great, I love free stuff no matter how it comes my way. I thumbed through the book briefly and it actually has a lot to offer for even the non-novice collectors among us. Thank You Whitman!!!

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  23. Mokiechan
    Franklin and I come out smelling like roses.
    Just got the pictures for 10 coins that have successfully navigated the grading process. One oe my submissions was a 1964-D Roosevelt Dime that came back with a very nice MS67 grade. THe coin does have a lot of flow lines but otherwise looked very pristine under magnification. I figured it might garner a better than average grade and I was right for a change. Yay!!!

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  24. Mokiechan
    In Coin Design
    The Citizens Coin Advisory Committee has recently provided their recommendations for the Silver Dollar and Gold Half Eagle to commemorate the War of 1812, more specifically the Francis Scott Key's Star Spangled Banner. Their recommendations seem to follow a much applauded improvement in overall coin designs from the National Park Quarter, to the Indian themed reverses of the Sacagawea Dollar, to the design of the 9/11 Commemorative Medal.
    Here are the recommended designs, what do you think?
    First the Silver Dollar, then the Half Eagle on the next page.

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  25. Mokiechan
    I know this is a bit strange, but.....
    Mr. Bowers, if you read these Journals or if one of your many close freinds in the hobby do so, please please reprint your wonderful book, "American Coin Treasures & Hoards". I only read a portion of your book one time in the library and i thought it would still be available but somehow it seems to have disappeared from the collection. I would LOVE to have a copy of your book but cannot afford the rather hefty markups on Ebay or Amazon. Please consider reprinting for many fans who have loved all your books over the years. Either way, I declare to the world that You are my Numismatic Hero. Well You and Clifford Mishler.