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Mokiechan

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Journal Entries posted by Mokiechan

  1. Mokiechan
    There is a gentlemen doing business in Colorado that makes amazing reproductions of US coins. Even though his copies are exquisite, he gets away with not affixing the word COPY anywhere on his coins because he creates Fantasy pieces.  I own two of his Peace Dollars, one dated 1918 and one dated 1965.  The 1918 is in high relief (like the 1921) but also includes the infamous broken sword that caused so much controversy before the Dollar was released.  The 1965 Dollar is obviously meant as an homage to the fabled 1964 Peace Dollar, but is given a fantasy date so as not to run afoul of the actually minted 1964 version. 
    Mr. Daniel Carr, the creator of these pieces, takes pains to overstrike these fantasy pieces on genuine Peace Dollars.  Mr. Carr does this same thing with Morgan Dollars (he has produced a 1964 Morgan) and with a large variety of other US coin types.   I also own his 1858 Braided Hair Large Cent, overstruck on a genuine Large Cent of the era and a club medal struck for the Colorado Springs Numismatic Society, which was overstruck on a 1976 D CN Eisenhower Dollar.  You can even see the outline of Eisenhower on the Obverse, it kind of reminds me of clashed dies.   So bottom line, Mr. Carr is prodigious and his efforts sell well on his website as well as on Ebay.  
    I happen to like his products, I am glad he is able to skirt the Copy law, I am assuming, since he only produces fantasy dates, no one can ever be fooled.  What do YOU think?
     
     
     
     


  2. Mokiechan
    As you're all aware, the US Mint is giving us all an incentive to purchase their proof sets, and uncirculated set in the form of 3 different Lincoln Cents with a West Point Mint Mark.  One of the W Lincolns, standard proof, is already in the wild and will soon be slabbed by the tens of thousands, the other two, a reverse proof, and an uncirculated version.  This is a very smart marketing decision by the Mint, they have guaranteed themselves higher sales for each of the three sets and they have also created some needed excitement in the collecting world.
    My problem, and I speak only for myself, is the idea that the mint is creating a scarce (rare) coin in an unnatural way.  When you look at the history of the Lincoln Cent, certain rarities stand out, the 09-S VDB, the 22 w/o visible mintmark, the 55 Double Die and a few others.  In each case, some unplanned set of circumstances led to the creation of the rarity, it did not occur due to some prior decision by the Mint.  Now obviously the W Cents are going to have a mintage of several million for each coin, but most collectors of the W Cent will want all three and, at least in the early stages, these Cents are going to be pricey.  How high they go and how far they eventually drop is something I cannot speculate about.  I do want to get one of them or my Lincoln Type Set, representing another mintmark, but I am going to be patient and wait for that, hopefully, large drop. 
    So Mint, please do not start making this a habit, I don't want to see a series of W nickels next year, etc.
     
     
     


  3. 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.

     
  5. Mokiechan
    So, I had put together a little custom set of the 4 Lincoln variations from 2009 , the 2010 Union Shield Lincoln, and the Lincoln President Dollar.  But, as I was putting together the set, I decided it should be a Lincoln Type Set.  At first I thought, add the Lincoln Illinois Half Dollar, the Proof Lincoln Bicentennial Silver Dollar,  along with the Wheatie Proof and Memorial Proof (just ordered).  Now, I am thinking I also need a VDB, a Steel Cent and a Lincoln Memorial Zinc Cent (Since I already ordered a Lincoln Memorial Bronze Proof.   I know I have missed some variety, so if you can think of anything else to add to my type collection LET ME KNOW. 
    Ok, Do I have to add a Lincoln Shell Case Cent too?   Collecting is the ultimate obsession. I should be able to find a reasonably priced Lincoln Illinois at the National Money Show, gotta be NGC and Gotta be under 125.  Now I'm starting to ramble.  OUT, Mokie
  6. Mokiechan
    There has been a tremendous amount of excitement associated with the West Point Mint in recent months due to the release of the FIRST EVER W Mint Lincoln Cents and the release, into the general economy, of 10 Million W ATB Quarters.  But there is a largely forgotten W mint product that has been slowly dwindling in mintage.
    Back in 2006, the 20th anniversary year of the silver eagle, the mint started producing, what they describe on their website as the American Silver Eagle One Ounce Uncirculated Coin.  This rather generic title implies the coin is no different than the silver eagles you can by in bulk at your local coin dealer.  Why would someone pay a premium for something they can get, in bulk, for spot plus a small %?  

    What makes these Silver Eagles so special is their Burnished finish.  Burnished coins have a soft matte finish that harkens back to the Matte Proofs of yesteryear but without the double strike. To produce a burnished finish, the silver blanks are cleaned then polished in a drum, similar to a rock tumbler.  By doing this, the planchets are smoothed and all surface scratches, blemishes, etc. are removed.  This process also gives each planchet the trademark soft matte finish, which remains true after the coins are struck.    The 2019 Burnished Eagles have been released.  I think this special issue deserves attention for both its beautiful appearance as well as its increasing rarity.   Consider buying one for your collection before the coin community catches on.

    In 2006 the mint sold 468,000 of these Uncirculated Eagles and mintage peaked the following year but has been in decline since:
    2007- 621,333
    2008- 533,757
    2009 - None Produced
    2010- None Produced
    2011- 409,776
    2012- 226,120
    2013- 222,091
    2014- 253,169
    2015- 223,879
    2016- 216,501
    2017-176,739
    2018- 131,935
    2019 -  Still Lower??

  7. Mokiechan
    I used to frequent the NGC site about 8 years ago.  Back then I had a different handle.  I just found my old journal entries and they are interesting reading as I see the things that concerned me back then.  I will be gradually adding new content to the site as a thought or two strike.  In the interim, glad to be back and happy to see some folks from that time are still here.
    Mokie
     

  8. Mokiechan
    The weather was great, despite a forecast of some rain, the walk from the trolley station to the convention center was pleasant, and the ANA National Money Show turned out to be all that I expected. I had two purposes for attending the NMS. First, I had signed on as a volunteer for Saturday but knew the heavy lifting would be at the end of the show, when we had to pack up our considerable amount of "local sponsor club" stuff for storage until the next show in May.  So, I had duties to be sure, helping out at the exhibits area, manning the club booth, and walking the show in my ANA Ambassador shirt to answer questions and to point people toward the museum exhibit where one could view a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, an 1804 Dollar, a 1933 Eagle (one of about 20 legal to own), and the fantastic 1943 Bronze Cent.  There were several other exhibits as well, but those were the most popular.
    Just interacting with the attendees was the  best part of volunteering.  I especially enjoyed interacting with YNs and their Parents as they came to our club booth during their treasure hunt.  We were question #1 on their form, "What was the first year the United States produced coins?"  The possible answers were 1776, 1793, 1804, or 1812. I probably assisted about 15 Juniors with their form and with a wee bit of coaching, they were all able to get their first question correct.  Our  booth had a big box of foreign coins and each YN was able to choose two coins as soon as they got the correct answer.  Seeing their eager faces and their happy parents, made the whole volunteering experience worth much more to me than it probably did to them.

    But volunteering was only half the purpose.  Second, I had a want list and was determined to find, an NGC slabbed 1918 Lincoln Illinois, a raw 1925 Canadian Cent for my Whitman folder, and an NGC slabbed NO-VDB Cent, 1909-1917.  So many temptations along the way, I could have easily blown my entire budget before I even spotted any of my wanted items, but I persevered and finally found the 1918 Lincoln, in MS65, with a CAC Bean to boot.  Now that particular purchase pretty much blew my budget but luckily I had already had an offer accepted for the 1925 Canadian Cent, from EBAY, that same morning.  I never did find the Slabbed NO-VDB, but they are plentiful on EBAY and I will buy it soon.  Finally, I saw something that brought waves of nostalgia to my little collector heart, it was the SILVER STORY with Silver Certificate, Morgan Dollar, Peace Dollar, and Silver Flakes for a price I could not pass up, so I took the last of my budget and bought it too, just $50.00. 

    Freebies were a little scarce on that final day of the Con, political campaigning for the ANA Board was occurring so I got a very nice token from Mr. Donald Kagin, he is running for ANA President, and I also received a poker chip issued by Mr. Thomas Uram, who is running for ANA VP.  Both men spent some time talking with my partner and I at the PAN booth, I like their enthusiasm for the Hobby and I also like their can-do attitudes.  To top it all off, I met and shook hands with one of my all-time Numismatic heroes, Mr. Clifford Mishler, I told Mr. Mishler how much I loved his stories of convention trips over the years and I only wish I had asked him to take a photo with me. 

    I can't  wait until August of 2020 when ANA returns to Pittsburgh.  I can guarantee you, I will be there on the floor again doing my Ambassador duties. 
    One interesting note, as I was searching the bourse for my 1918 Lincoln/Illinois, it became apparent that PCGS slabs outnumbered NGC slabs by at least 5 to 1 all over the floor. 
     



  9. Mokiechan
    Revenant's recent post about FUNKO POP figures has me thinking about the many parallels between the current numismatic market and the comic/pop culture market.  Earlier today, I saw a press release from Coin World about plans to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Carson City Mint.  According to the Press Release, on 01 August, The Carson City Mint Building will fire up one of its Coin Presses and mint 200 copies of the 1870-CC Half Dollar (with the word COPY stamped in the field, in pure silver).  If you want to obtain one of the first 200, you must buy a ticket to the release party, $140-$150, and then you must participate in a lottery to find out what your number of the 200 struck, will be yours.  On 02 August, a further 2800 will be struck for the general public to buy for their retirement portfolio.  I am assuming the numbers from 201-3000 will be sent either randomly or based on your order date.   Anyway, getting back to the original point, this kind of parallels the Comic Market of the 90's and 00's.   A lot of hype, a lot of "limited editions", and a lot of cost for something that is probably doomed to become relatively valueless over time.  Even with pure silver content, they will each have less than an ounce of silver, and will be worth about $7 at current spot.  $140 cost to get a piece of silver worth $7.  Sounds like the ultimate deal to me. 

  10. Mokiechan
    Nowadays, a lot of us, including me, buy most of our coins via the internet.  This is way different from when I started collecting back in the late 1960's.  In those days, even Department Stores had a coin and stamp counter, Heck even the local Woolworth's had a section of the store where you could buy a Red Book, a Lincoln Cent Folder, and all the other associated supplies.  Local coin shops, at least in the Pittsburgh area, were plentiful, and there was always mail order through a dealer you might have spotted in Coins Magazine, or the Numismatic News. Those days are gone, for the most part, but the local, regional, or national coin shows are still around and are still one of the best ways to fill your want list, meet your fellow collectors (I really do feel completely at home surrounded by my fellow hobbyists), and even learn a thing or two.   The Pennsylvania Numismatic Association (PAN) is hosting their Fall show this week, 17-19 October, in beautiful Monroeville PA. There will be about 120 dealers, ANACS will take your coins for grading, and there are a number of speakers, to include Clifford Mishler, holding forth on the 18th.  As if that wasn't enough, here are the top 11 reasons you should attend the Fall PAN show:

    1.  Parking is Free, Admission is Free, Spending time at the traveling Burns Library is Free, Distinguished Speakers are Free, and the KidZone is Free (for all YNs under 18).
    2.  Clifford Mishler is going to speak about the remarkable Chet Krause on Friday afternoon.  Cliff is a personal Numismatic Hero of Mine.
    3.  The weather should be excellent with no rain, or snow, or other natural calamities in the forecast.
    4.  Monroeville is conveniently located off the Pennsylvania Turnpike for those of you coming from other parts of Pennsy.
    5.  Monroeville is just a Parkway, a tunnel, and a Parkway from beautiful downtown Pittsburgh.
    6.  The concession stand in the convention center actually has moderate prices, an excellent breakfast burrito, and a $5 soft drink you can refill for free all day long.
    7.  The convention center is adjacent to the Monroeville Mall, which is WORLD FAMOUS for being the Mall featured in George Romero's Dawn of the Dead.
    8.  Clubs including the Harrisburg Coin Club, the West Penn Coin Club, the Liberty Seated Collectors Club, Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society, PAN, and the Barber Coin Collectors Society, will be present to answer your questions and solicit your membership.
    9.  There will be outstanding competitive exhibits available for your viewing pleasure and you can vote for Best of Show.10. Did I mention Ben Franklin?  Ben Franklin, His Honourable Self, will be appearing throughout the show to provide wisdom and selfie opportunities.
    11. Finally, the bourse floor is populated by a number of dealers selling slabbed coins, raw coins, medals, ancient coins, currency, books, and supplies.  If you want it, you will find it.

    I hope to see you there, if you do make it, stop by the KidZone table and say Hi, I will be there all day Saturday. 

     


  11. Mokiechan

    Senior Momentum!!!

    By Mokiechan,

    Have any of you had this experience?  You are searching for your sunglasses and you find you've been wearing them, pushed up on your forehead the whole time, Or, you can't find your wallet and you suddenly realize it is in your pocket.   If so, you can probably understand how this happened. 

    About a week ago, I started panicking when one of my prize chop marked coins could not be found.  I looked EVERYWHERE, I even spoke to a friend on this board about the lost coin and thought, maybe I left it at the coin club meeting during show and tell and somebody stole it.  I was going crazy, thinking I did not want to buy coins again until it was found and just feeling generally miserable about the lost coin.  As an aside, I even took the coin out of my NGC Collectors Society Custom Set because I did not feel good about having missing, possibly lost, coin displayed to the world.  

    TODAY, I found it, in plain sight, in the very NGC Slab Box where it is always located.  Somehow, I did not recognize it, and just started searching everywhere else after my inventory did not reveal the coin in its normal box.   OMG, I am actually mortified at myself, so much wasted energy looking for something that was never missing.  Thank Goodness I did not contact the Club President and ask her to request an anonymous return of the coin.  It is a small club and I would have never felt good about going there again.  Finally, Thanks My Friend, for giving me some comfort while I was in a major freakout.

    Have you had a similar thing happen?  if so, let me know, so I feel less an insufficiently_thoughtful_person.  
    Later, Mokie
  12. 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?



  13. Mokiechan
    If you are like me, one of your favorite things to collect are type coins, particularly those type coins from the 19th Century.  Well, unbeknownst to many, the Mint recreated some of the most beautiful type coin designs starting in 2007.   These coins were the bronze corollary to the First Spouse series of 1/2 ounce Gold Coins differing in their size and with the mottoes, denomination, and gold content information removed.  The reason they exist is because the President at the time of his Presidency had no spouse.  The enabling legislation specified that in the absence of a spouse, a symbol of Liberty, at the time of the President's term, would be used in place of a spouse. 

    So if you want a pristine set of Nineteenth Century coin design, at least the obverses, then these bronze beauties are the way to go.  I assembled the whole set for approximately $40.  I wish the Mint would have done Silver versions but I am happy with what they provided. 

    2007  
    Thomas Jefferson's Liberty (1801-1809)
    Draped Bust  -  Gilbert Stuart/Robert Scot
    1/2 Dime to Dollar   

    2008
    Andrew Jackson's Liberty (1829-1837)
    Capped Bust - John Reich
    1/2 Dime to Half Dollar
    Martin Van Buren's Liberty (1837-1841)
    Liberty Seated - Christian Gobrecht
    1/2 Dime to Dollar

    2010
    James Buchanan's Liberty (1857-1861)
    Coronet Head - Christian Gobrecht
    Gold Coins- Quarter Eagle, Half Eagle, and Eagle
     
    Reference:  A Guide Book of United States Coins, 2020 EditionFirst Spouse Bronze Medals - http://firstspousegoldcoin.com/first-spouse-bronze-medals/




  14. Mokiechan

    My Most Favorite Island

    By Mokiechan,

    Whitman Folder #9088 is a remarkable little folder, a typical 3 panel folder, that has transported me back in time to a wild island off the coast of North America. 9088, the Newfoundland Coin Type Collection consists of 7 denominations for 1 Queen, and 3 Kings of England.  Her Provincial coin collection starts with Queen Victoria in 1865 and ends with King George VI in 1947.   In 1949, Newfoundland joined Canada and became her 10th and last Province. 

    As I may have mentioned in previous blogs, I have a great affinity for Canada and enjoy collecting her coins and ephemera.  I became aware of the possibility of collecting Canadian Provincial issues after completing my Dansco Canada Type Album.  The provincial issues available, in order of their output are Newfoundland (20 coins), New Brunswick (5 coins), Nova Scotia (2 coins), and Prince Edward Island (1 coin).  Of course, these numbers do not count the numerous varieties available within each set.  I chose to start with Newfoundland because it has the greatest number of coins, it has the only Gold coin, and it has the only coin folder. 

    Newfoundland is also a fascinating place in its own right.  L'Anse aux Meadows, on the northeast coast of Newfoundland, is the site of the only confirmed Viking settlement in North America.  Gander on the east coast was the town where 38 Planes, refused entry to the United States, sheltered in the aftermath of 9/11.  The hospitality shown by Gander residents and numerous other Newfies, for the 6000 + passengers is heartwarming and has been the subject of books and documentaries.  

    The Newfoundland $2 gold coin was minted from 1865 to 1888 but was only minted in 6 years between 1865 and 1888.  This was the only gold coin issued by any of the provinces, they chose the denomination because a silver Dollar was considered to heavy for a pocket and a $1 gold coin was considered to small and light.  The $2 was deemed just the right size.  My example is graded AU 55 by NGC.  I am happy to have completed my Newfoundland type set.  Now I move on to New Brunswick, 2 coins down 3 to go.  Completing the Newfoundland set has been a wonderful experience, I hope all your collecting endeavors are equally enjoyable.

    Designer: Leonard C. Wyon

    Weight: 3.328 grams

    Diameter: 17.98 mm

    Fineness: .917 gold, .083 Copper  .0981 oz


     
    Haxby, James A. : A Guide book of Canadian Coins and Tokens, 1st edition



  15. Mokiechan
    I am getting really excited as October nears and the PAN Fall Coin Show beckons.  We had a planning meeting last night and I presented some things I am planning on doing ifor the KidZone, to include our usual auction with our newly minted auction dollars.  Last May, we could not find our auction dollars so had to use carnival tickets instead.  We also could not find our Wheat Cents and had to scramble to find sources on the bourse.  .  So we now have a whole new batch of auction dollars that I have been printing over the past few weeks and the aforementioned 9000 Cents donated by a PAN member with a PAN dealer committing to another 1000 Cents (Plus the Remainder from Last May).  Suffice it to say, we are going to have plenty of Cents on our table for the YNs Cent Albums.  PAN also purchased 120 one-a-year Lincoln Folders, 1909-2009 at Cost from a national dealer.  They are really nice folders and they will make the Penny Table so much more fun since we can also add Memorial Cents for the first time.   We've got coloring books coming from the Mint, we have Ben Franklin appearing at the KidZone and judging the "Color Ben" coloring contest.  We have loads of donated items, Copper Rounds and T-Shirts for each registrant, and 50 great auction lots to spend their auction dollars on. All For Free!!!!
    I actually went through the donated cents this morning, they were all rolled up so it took me awhile to go through, I checked maybe 2 or 3 dates per roll and found a very good mix with Cents as early as 1910, since I did not find a 1909  (although there is a good chance one was among the mostly unchecked cents), I threw a VF 1909 Lincoln into the bucket so I can honestly tell the Kids, somewhere on the table, is a VF 1909 Cent, and maybe more .   The KidZone will be operating all day, Saturday, October 19th, if you make it to the Fall PAN show, stop by and say Hi, I will be there manning the KidZone Registration all day.  For more details, go to the following link.  It should be updated shortly with information about this October's KidZone auction Lots, etc. 
    https://pancoins.org/pankidzone/
    .



     
     
  16. Mokiechan

    Deja Vu??

    By Mokiechan,

    As a result of a recent post, I did some research on the ATB Quarter Series and found out that when it's completed in 2021, the legislation requires the return to the original Washington Quarter Obverse (I wish it were Laura Fraser's Washington Bust) but changes the reverse to depict General Washington crossing the Delaware River before the Battle of Trenton.  This all sounds wonderful until I was reminded that Washington Crossing The Delaware has already appeared on the reverse of the 1999 New Jersey Quarter.  Since the ATB legislation was written long after the 1999 quarter was issued, one wonders how that slipped through and if a significantly different scene will be used in its stead?   I think there are a lot of different Washington Scenes that could be used on the reverse, maybe Washington taking the Oath of the Presidency, Maybe young George Washington at the Forks of the Ohio, or maybe even an Eagle, like it might have been depicted in the late 1700's.  What do you all think?  Should we reprise the 1999 New Jersey Quarter or should we be more creative?  



  17. 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
  18. Mokiechan
    or Why can I not find a single 2009 quarter in change...
    Hi All,
    I got some change at the bank today for a community yard sale I am participating in next Saturday. Besides fives and ones, I also got two rolls of quarters. Since I had them in hand, I figured I would take my chances and try and find some 2009 quarters to fill my extra whitman page.
    Unfortunately, I did not find a single 2009 in either roll. I did find a bicentennial quarter, more of them seem to be popping up lately, Maybe they are part of old change jare that people are cashing in due to the economy? It wasn't silver so certainly nothing worth keeping.
    I guess Southern California is just awash with older quarters. The 2010s are going to be a beaw.
  19. Mokiechan

    EBAY RanT

    By Mokiechan,

    From a Guy with 100% rating and 700 plus feedbacks.
    The latest and greatest on my missing nickel.
    Dear beaw,
    Thank you for writing eBay in regard to the case that you have filed. I am more than happy to help you with that.I understand your frustration regarding this matter and apologize for the inconvenience it caused you. I would be happy to put your claim on hold to give the seller a couple of days to provide you with the correct tracking number. The claim will be placed on hold for 3 days. If you have received your item or a valid
    tracking number after two days you can update your claim with that information. If you have not received the item or valid tracking information please don?t hesitate to email us back and we will be happy to resolve the matter for you at that time.
    It is my pleasure to assist you. Thank you for choosing eBay.
    Sincerely,
    Marvelyn L.
    eBay Customer Support
    I've been reading the various entries about EBAY and generally agree with those of you who state Caveat Emptor is the way to operate in that environment. I only by PCGS and NGC certified coins from EBAY so, aside from the issue of never really seeing the coin until it arrives, I have been generally happy with the coins I have received. My problem has come on those rare occasions when something I shipped does not arrive at all. 3 examples from the past 12 months.
    1. I ordered a franklin half, pcgs graded, from a seller in northern california who chose to put my coin in a plain business envelope with nothing but a copy of my invoice accompanying. Long story short, the envelope got eaten by the sorting machine and I received a SLIVER of the plastic holder and a portion of his envelope. He apparently received the rest of the coin since his half of the envelope had his address. EBAY did rule in my favor and refund my payment, the seller was only willing to refund the cost of the coin, not the shipping cost. One for me. But will not do business with such a sloppy packager again.
    2. I ordered coin supplies from a very prolific dealer on ebay who shipped via UPS. The package never arrived and the seller refused to file a claim, on my behalf, with UPS. He had a tracking number that showed delivery to my home but I definately never recieved the package. EBAY ruled in his favor, understandable given the tracking information, but I wish he had been at least willing to file a complaint or tracer with UPS. Never do business with him again.
    3. Currently ongoing, purhased a NGC Buffalo Nickel from a dealer who also advertises extensively in Coin Magazines. After about 10 days, I wrote the seller, via Ebay, and asked if the item had been shipped and if he had a tracking number I could check. NO RESPONSE. I filed my claim with Ebay a couple of days later and after about 5 days he provided a USPS tracking number. I checked the tracking number at the USPS website and it came back as no status. I know you can get a tracking number simply by picking up one of those little delivery confirmation or insurance forms. I do not believe the tracking number was ever actually used. I eleveted the complaint and EBay is supposed to make a decision in, probably less than 24 hours. Will let you know what occurs.
  20. Mokiechan

    Chopmarks!!

    By Mokiechan,

    are more than mutilation.
    Every coin we encounter in circulation has its history and the older the coin, the more more history has accrued. One of my favorite collections is my set of Chopmarked U.S. and Foreign coins.
    A lot of people think they are simply mutilated coins but I prefer to think about the many hands through which the coins have paseed and the many merchants that placed their mark on the coin.
    I have the following chop-marked coins in my collection:
    1. U.S. - Trade Dollar
    2. France - Piastre De Commerce
    3. Spain - 8 Reales
    4. Great Britain - Trade Dollar
    5. Japan - Trade Dollar
    6. Japan - Silver Yen
    7. Mexico - 8 Reales
    8. Philippines - 1 Peso
    Happy Collecting Everyone.
     
    9 China - Various Crowns

  21. Mokiechan

    Statehood Quarters

    By Mokiechan,

    Posting my thoughts
    Now that we have put the Statehood Quarters behind us and are looking, sort of, forward to the upcoming National Parks series, I just want to weigh in on my top 5 statehood designs, since to go beyond five is to include mediocrity.
    1. Hawaii - The only statehood quarter that really works well with the actual state incorporated into the design. The noble warrior reaching his hand out to those beautiful islands is both simple and striking with more than a nod to the wonderfl 1928 Half Dollar.
    2. Nevada - Seeing those charging Mustangs makes you think immediately of the old west and our pioneer spirit. They could have easily evoked sin city, they chose to take the high and right road.
    3. North Dakota - What can I say, I am a sucker for American Bisons and this design depicts them foraging on the Great Plains, another wonderful American image.
    4. Maine - I love the lighthouse, the rocky shoreline, and the solitary sailboat, it all says Maine with a surprising uncluttered design.
    5. Kansas- Yet another well executed Buffalo.
    Give me your thoughts.
  22. 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???
  23. Mokiechan

    Hiding in Plain Sight

    By Mokiechan,

    Or are they just waiting in a vault somewhere
    It is so frustrating. I bought an extra page for my Whitman bookshelf album to hold circulation finds of the 2009 quarters. So far, and we are well into 2010, I have only found the American Samoa and Puerto Rico Denver Mint quarters in circulation. When I was filling my States album, I ALWAYS managed to at least find one of each quarter, although not both mints, before the end of each calendar year. I cannot believe how difficult it has been to find these Territory quarters. I've already bought my album for the National Parks and Monuments quarters. I guess I just bought myself another decade of frustration. But I love the chase!
    BeaW

  24. Mokiechan

    Scarce? Hardly.

    By Mokiechan,

    I just need to be patient.
    I have been working on a Winged Liberty dime date set for a few months now and have found the 1918 and 1925 seem to be very difficult to find. I recently bid on a 1925 which was bid up to, what I thought, was a highly unreasonable 50% over the listed numismedia value. Now I understand those values are just general guidelines but I also note that most coins, on Ebay or Teletrade, do not normally exceed those listed values by too much and often are obtainable for quite a bit less.
    What is up with those two dates? I know I will find them sooner or later at a price I can afford but this collecting bug makes me very impatient and i find myself checking Ebay twice a day and carefully checking Teletrade when I get their latest auction announcement. They are NOT scarce, they just have cycled out of the market for a time and will return soonest. He Hopes.
  25. Mokiechan

    A Thought or Two

    By Mokiechan,

    A little rumination on the allowance of PCGS coins in the NGC registry
    I have been a collector for over 40 years but have only recently begun exclusively collecting coins certified by NGC or PCGS. Truth be told, the reason it took so long for me to enter this area was a kind of silly prejudice that I could HOLD my coins while those poor souls with slabbed coins could only gaze at their hermetically sealed beauties from outside it's plastic cell. Silly yes, but that's what I thought.
    Now that I am getting older, I have begun planning for my eventual demise and am feeling the need to make my collection as convertible as possible to my heir. Certified coins are the ideal way, at least in the present market, to ensure she has a chance of a fair deal. For that reason, I have liquidated vast amounts of my collection to create my registry sets.
    For me, since I have zero chance of ever winning a significant category, the registry sets provide a very convenient way to organize my collection and to provide a rough retail (insurance) market value. Of course, the lure of the chase is also enhanced by seeing my list of coins and planning my upgrades. It doesn't matter to me if the coins are NGC (which I prefer) or PCGS as they are both respected in the numismatic community. I am very thankful that NGC has the confidence to stack its coins against the PCGS coins. I applaud NGC for that and I will always look for an NGC coin first before adding any coins to my collection.