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Mokiechan

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Journal Entries posted by Mokiechan

  1. Mokiechan
    Or, how to add some pizazz to a somewhat pedestrian registry set.
    Hi All,
    Hope you all enjoyed the first full weekend of Summer.
    I have been working on my 21st Century Set recently to add photos and descriptions for each coin in the set. In the vast majority of cases, the coin pictured is not the actual coin owned but is a close approximation in terms of date, mintmark, and grade. I have also used the Obverse photo to illustrate some other historical aspect of the coin. For instance my Lincoln Shield Cent is accompanied by a picture of a Civil War Token that shows a similar shield.
    Please check the 21st Century Set out if you have a moment. Just click the link below and you'll see what I have done. Your opinions are welcomed both good and bad. The concept I am using lends itself best to type sets. I will be tackling the 20th Century Type Set next.
    Thanks for your time and Happy Collecting.
    <a href="http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/MySets_Listing.aspx?PeopleSetID=96076"></a>
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  2. Mokiechan
    Between the Foreign Coin Graders and the U.S. Graders?
    Well, I picked up a package from NGC today that had 9 coins graded and one coin bodybagged. The bodybagged coin was my 1874-S Trade Dollar with chopmarks. As some of you may know, I have a custom set made up of chopmarked coins and the 1874-S was destined for that set. Since all my Foreign chopmarked coins have come back Details Graded, I was very surprised that my Trade Dollar came back with a statement that it was not deemed worthy of slabbing.
    I wonder if the U.S. guys think of the chopmarked Trade as simply a mutilated coin rather than a historically significant practice used to foster trade in areas where trust was lacking?
    Should I resubmit with a statement that I would appreciate a Details grade for the coin or simply a slab that says "Genuine" "Chopmarked" pr something similar. It just puzzles me that all those foreign choped coins would be slabbed while the Trade Dollar continues to get no respect.
    Oddly enough, PCGS seems to have know problem slabbing a chopmarked Trade Dollar. What Up!! NGC.

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  3. 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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  4. Mokiechan
    Splain Somefin To Me
    Friends, I know some of you are very experienced in the ways of NGC and can provide a logical explanation for the following. I received a Silver Jefferson Nickel back from NGC graded UNC Details due to a PLANCHET FLAW on the reverse. Now, I can understand and support a Details grade for a coin that has been doctored in some way, even if the Doctoring occurred long before the current owner held the coin. After all, a doctored coin will presumably appear nicer than it should if it had not been doctored.
    But, I don't think a planchet flaw falls into the same category. To me, a planchet flaw is something that occurs while the coin is in its production phase and the flaw should be treated as a natural feature of the coin that can be mentioned but should not prevent the assignment of a numeric grade.
    Your thoughts and opinions are sought my Friends. What am i Missing?
    Malcolm

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  5. 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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  6. Mokiechan
    But I need a little assist.
    Hi Folks,
    I received 6 brand-spankin new NGC slabs today containing chopmarked coins of the Orient, in this case, Great Britain, Peru (under Spain), Mexico (under Spain), Philippines, and Japan.
    If you click the first bar under this post, you can see the collection as it now stands. I also sent in 7 more coins yesterday so the set will soon have 20 residents.
    Here is my dilemma. Their is a US Trade Dollar in the set that has not been photographed by NGC and my own photo equipment/skills are very substandard. Is there anyone that can take a good picture of her? I will pay for postage both ways and also include additional payment for your trouble Any assist would be greatly appreciated.
    <a href="http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=5678"></a>
    Thanks and Enjoy,
    Malcolm

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  7. Mokiechan
    This coin traveled across the Pacific and back.
    I finally got the correct pictures for the batch of Trade Coins I will be receiving in a few days. This is example is an 8 Reales, dated 1786, and minted in Mexico City. It was graded VG Details and has numerous small chops across both its Obverse and Reverse. The type of Chop used indicates a coin that circulated in the Philippines.

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  8. Mokiechan

    I'm Becalmed!!

    By Mokiechan,

    In the Sargasso Sea of Numismatics.
    Hi Folks,
    It has been a fairly quiet collecting period for me lately due to the fact that I still have 27 coins in the NGC pipeline and I still have 7 more to send. According to Lisa, the first 7 of those 27 (all chopmarked foreign) will be arriving at my home in a week or so. The other 20 coins are U.S. coins that will help me complete my Jefferson Nickel Wartime set as well as add a couple of upgrades to other sets I currently maintain. The final seven coins that have yet to be submitted are also chopmarked foreign coins.
    So here's my dilemma. I am very close to finishing the Jefferson short set, I am very close to getting all my chopmarked coins prepped for my Custom set and the only sets that will continue to grow are the Sacagawea sets and the 21st century set (although not this coming year).
    I can't figure out where my next collecting focus will be. My budget is limited so I will not go for 10 Dollar Gold Pieces or Proof Morgans, etc. Maybe SILVER Kennedys, 1964-1970, or maybe
    Silver Ikes.
    Any Ideas???
    Later,
    Malcolm

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  9. Mokiechan
    I was sent to the wrong household.
    Well I got my shipping notice from Danny at NGC today and I also got my images. I anxiously opened them up to see how they looked and was suddenly looking at image after image of gold coins, 10 in all. Well I immediately checked my shipping notice to make sure I was getting MY COINS and not the Gold pieces. Mine are coming. Then I fired off an email to Danny asking him to let the Imaging Team know they sent me the wrong pictures. Imaging Team seems to be a weak link as I have had other issues with them in the past.
    Hope to see my images on Monday.

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  10. Mokiechan
    Some speculation after reading the new edition of Volume 1, Cherry Picker's Guide.
    According to the Cherry Picker's Guide, there are three recognized version of the No D cent. Types 1 and 3 are probably the result of heavy die polishing or filled mintmark, Type 2 appears to truly be a coin that never had the mintmark stamped into the field. Now, the only reason this variety even exists is because 1922 was a year in which only Denver produced Lincoln Cents.
    But, and its a big but, this sort of scenario could theoretically exist ANY year since the SF or D mints could have just as easily over-polished their dies, filled their mintmarks with gunk, or simply minted coins with mintmark free obverses in 1940, etc.
    OF course since Philadelphia has always produced Lincolns in every other year, The no-mintmark varieties from the SF and D mint will forever be hidden from our consciousness.

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  11. Mokiechan
    And well worth the read.
    I was recently reminded of a wonderful book in my Numismatic Library when I read a recent article about the start of the trial to determine the ownership of Ten 1933 Double Eagles held by the family of Israel Switt.
    Author Alison Frankel turns the saga of the legendary 1933 Double Eagle into a fascinating walk through history. Shady Mint employees, The Secret Service, The FBI, a Secretive Precious Metals dealer (Mr. Switt), King Farouk, and a British Coin Dealer are all involved in this story spanning about 70 years.
    A numismatic history that doubles as a great Detective story? You Bet! Give it a Read, I got my copy on half.com for a fraction of the cover price.

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  12. Mokiechan

    ANTICIPATION

    By Mokiechan,

    "cause these are the good old days"
    Fellow Numismaniacs,
    I'm currently suffering great pangs of anticipation for the 27, yes 27, coins currently in some stage of grading/encapsulating at NGC. Seventeen of those coins were submitted while still an ANA member so there is no ability to track their progress other than to know they are close as it has been about 5 to 6 weeks since confirmed delivery of the coins. The last ten coins were sent under my new NGC membership upgrade so I have already looked them up and seen they ahve been "RECEIVED".
    A few of the 27 will be upgrades or additions to existing sets, a few more will augment my Trade Coin collection but about half will just be extra coins to add to my holdings.
    There are 7 more Trade Coins to grade then my submissions will cease as the remnents of my pre 2008 collection will finally be liquidated, converted, traded, or given away as appropriate.
    I fondly remember those good old days in the late 60's through early 90's when the bulk of the old collection was formed. But, I must say, I am enjoying the hobby now more than ever, especially with such a lively group of fellow hobbyists in the Collector's Society.
    Malcolm

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  13. Mokiechan
    Or at least His Denver version.
    Hi All,
    I recevied two brand new 2011-D Lincoln Shield Cents in change today. These are the first I have seen and they were obtained at the McDonald's in Oceanside CA. Seems like the last three yesrs, it takes longer and longer before the current year coinage appears in my change. I have yet to get all the 2009 or 2010 quarters in change.
    Happy Fourth Everybody.
    The BeAW

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  14. Mokiechan
    is arguably the finest year in U.S. Mint History.
    I am having a hard time sleeping last night due to mass infusions of McDonald's sweet tea and I started thinking about coins and how we like to collect them. I thought about those old Whitman Snap-tite holders, the ones that had a space for the Cent through Dollar. Those were kind of the original slabs and are still available at your local coin shop today.
    So, why 1927? It just happens to be about the only year where you can pick up all the best designs of U.S. coins at a reasonable price in grades XF to MS63.
    1. Lincoln Cent, 1927P, MS63 about $20.00
    2. Buffalo Nickel, 1927P, MS63 about $80.00
    3. Mercury Dime, 1927P, MS63 about $80.00
    4. Standing Liberty Quarter, 1927P, AU55, about $100.00
    5. Walking Liberty Half, 1927S (only mint available), XF45 about $200.00
    6. Peace Dollar, 1927P, AU55, about $100.00
    For those with a bit more cash, you can also add the relatively common St. Gaudens Double Eagle for a couple of thousand and even add the Vermont Sesquicentennial for another $350 or so.
    But the basic Cent through Dollar is the set for the average budget and can probably be obtained in the conditions listed, or even a little better with judicious buying, for under 500.00.
    I think I am going to go old school and see if I can put together the set, in a snap-tite. It would be a great little set to show off to folks, mostly under 40, who have no idea we ever had such beautiful coins.

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  15. Mokiechan

    This Is A Keeper

    By Mokiechan,

    The Mint got it Right for a Change.
    I just saw the U.S. Mints design for the 9/11 National Medal and I've got to say that I am very pleased. I hope they sellout as the mintage is capped at 2 million and $10.00 of each sold will go to the 9/11 Museum at Ground Zero. I will be buying one tomorrow (when payday hits). I hope you all consider doing the same.
    God Bless America,
    Malcolm

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  16. Mokiechan
    Or how a Collector of Low Means by No Means can still Thrive.
    I love to read everyone's journal entries. Especially the journals that are highly informative (Thanks WKF) or the ones that describe a new acquisition. I know we all take real pride in our collection and especially those triumphant times when we've obtained a real gem at a bargain price.
    Well, I think I got a nice bargain today. As some of you are aware, I recently discovered that the Lincoln Memorial Cent in my 21st century set was actually a Lincoln Anniversary Cent so I removed the offending coin from my set and checked Ebay for a quick replacement. I targeted a PCGS 2006-P SMS Lincoln Cent in MS68 condition. Well this morning, I found out I was the winning bidder at $4.95 with $4.05 postage for a total cost of $9.00. Even though the postage is a little high, I am very pleased with the overall price and can't wait to add it to the set. BTW, my high bid was $5.95.
    Happy Collecting Everyone!!

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  17. Mokiechan
    A late night session results in the removal of a coin
    I was adding some pictures and descriptions to my 21st Centry type Set yesterday when I realized that the Lincoln Memorial slot in my set was actually being filled with one of the 2009 Lincoln 200th anniversary cents. I think I know how this occurred and how it was accepted into the set. When I start a new set, I always have a few of the coins already and CHOOSE them from my holdings. When NGC put together the set, the Lincoln Memorial was the defacto Cent so they set it up with no ending date since they had no idea that design would end in 2008. So the program sees a 2009 cent and accepts it even though though it is the wrong type.
    So My Bad but with a little help from NGC. I will rectify this error this coming weekend, I already have a couple of satin finish, MS68 Lincolns on my radar. They can be had for around 10.00-12.00. So they represent both a very small hit on the budget and a problem corrected.
    Happy Collecting everyone AND

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  18. Mokiechan
    And led to the utter Destruction of a very nice Pen Holder.
    Friends, many years ago, when silver was in its absolute doldrums, I picked up a nice pen set at auction that contained two Morgan silver Dollars in a plexiglas frame. One morgan was displayed obverse-up and the other was reverse-up. all in all, a very attractive piece picked up for about 15 dollars.
    Flash forward to today. For some reason, I decided to take the frame apart and find out the date and mintmark of each dollar. since they were clearly uncirculated, I also thought I might send them to NGC for slabbing,since they both appeared to be at least MS63. Well, getting the frame apart was very easy and the hidden side of each dollar were equally pristine except for a LARGE SQUARE of double-back tape on the back of each Dollar.
    I'm sure the conservators at NCS could easily clean that up but the dollars are very common, 1882-S and 1888-P that it's not worth the expense. I think I'll just take them to my local coin dealer, when silver starts ins climb again, and cash them in for something interesting. I'll miss that Pen Set, it looked really nice sitting on my desk.
    Happy Father's Day to all you Dads, soon-to-be Dads, and Dad-like
    mentors. You all Rock!!

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  19. Mokiechan
    A sacrifice to the Gods of Symmetry.
    I eliminated the classic commemorative set from my list of competitive sets today. The set has been bothering me for awhile because I have no hope of ever completing it and because, for some strange reason, I am obsessed with the need to complete any sets I start. The coins, all of which I love, will remain in my general coin holdings, of course. I may try and put together some kind of Custom set with a few of them, we'll have to wait and see if that is feasible.
    Sometimes being a collector is a burden but I wouldn't have it any other way.
    Condinued success in all your Endeavours my Friends.

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  20. Mokiechan
    Any Scout Leaders out there with some advice?
    I have 50 rolls of very common Wheat Cents sitting in a strongbox collecting dust and I was thinking that maybe Scouts going for there merit badge might enjoy a roll upon receiving their badge? I would like to contact the local, San Diego Area, Scout troops and see if they would like to accept the rolls for the purpose of passing them on to deserving Scouts.
    What do you think? I would particularly welcome the opinion of anyone involved in Scouting at any level.
    Thank You,
    Malcolm

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  21. Mokiechan
    It truly was the Renaissance of American Coins
    Friends,
    Happy to report I just picked up a copy of Roger Burdette's excllent Renaissance of American Coinage, 1905-1908 (red)edition. This book normally retails for about 50.00 but I was able to pick up a copy on Half.Com for less than half that price. I thought the book might be a little thrashed but it is in great condition and I can't wait to pore over every word. I already have Roger's excellent Peace Dollar book and the 1916-1921 (blue) edition so I know I am in for an enjoyable journey into a bygone era..
    Those of you who are not familiar with the 3 book Renaissance series should look for a copy to peruse soonest. Mr. Burdette is a great writer, historian, and numismatist. I still have to get the 1909-1915 (white) edition.
    Happy Collecting Everyone.
    Malcolm (the Beaw)

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  22. Mokiechan
    But what about Coin Collecting as a Competitive Sport?
    I have read all your interesting comments about this Points issue and just wanted to throw in some additional thoughts.
    For the most part the POINTS issue is only truly important for persons who are interested in both collecting coins and competing with their fellow collector for bragging rights. Some of us are ultra-competitive and some of us couldn't give a darned about the POINTS. Most of us probably fall somewhere in between.
    Within a given set, the POINTS are fair as all that collect that set have an equal chance to garner those miserly or overly generous POINTS. The fact that some of us, me included, have multiples of a particular set could actually be a detriment, for that particular sets standings, as you are taking potential gains away from yuor highest ranking set to support 1 or more lower ranking sets.
    However, this is where the competition really heats up, the overall POINT count is also very important to a small percentage of us. For example, if I had 5 sets of MS Sacagawea Dollars, I would garner many more points, at a cheaper price point, than my colleague putting together his set of MS63-66 Franklin Halves.
    My SACs are less expensive and garner many more points. So now I
    can boost my overall point total on cheap modern proofs while my Franklin collecting friend sinks below the top 500.
    Bottom Line, the POINTS are unfair if you are trying to be competitive in the overall point total battle. The POINTS are completely fair within an individual set battle.
    Personally, I don't care about the POINTS in either case and have no expectation that my efforts will garner anything more than personal pride and, hopefully, a fruitful passdown for my beautiful daughter.
    I love this board!!!
    Malcolm

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  23. Mokiechan
    One small step closer to getting all my trademarked coins under one roof.
    I hope you enjoy, this is the obverse of a Japanese Trade Dollar. The Japanese Trade Dollar functioned in much the same way as the U.S. Trade Dollar in that it was meant to circulate in China and other parts of Asia where trade was desired.
    The Japanese fancied themselves a power in Asia and did not want the Brits, the Yanks, and the French getting too large a share of the valuable China trade.
    Seems like we are all enjoying the fruits of a powerful Chinese economy nowadays as the demand for Silver increases, in no small part due to Chinese Demand.
    The reverse of this coin, graded VF Details, is nearly obliterated from the pounding of the chops into the obverse.

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  24. Mokiechan

    I FEEL LUCKY

    By Mokiechan,

    Even though the most valuable thing I have ever won is a set of KISS dolls from a company with a booth at the SD Comic Con.
    This past Friday, I received a large envelope from Heritage Auctions with a SURVEY. Yes, a survey where the top prize is $5000.00 and 2nd prize is a NGC MS63 St. Guadens Double Eagle of their choice.
    Those of you who follow this forum will recall that one of our esteemed members won a 1907 Double Eagle from Heritage by also completing a survey in 2010 (I believe). Will lightning strike twice? I doubt it, but somebody has to win and I would love to have either the cash or the Double Eagle. I can't remember what third prize was, something like waiving auction fees.
    Keeping fingers crossed. That $5000.00 would buy a lot of silver.
    Happy Collecting Everyone

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  25. Mokiechan
    There was a time when PCGS was only another potential player trying to make it in a market that barely existed.
    I was going through some of my loose holding today and I ran across another item i barely remembered even owning. I believe I received it at the time it was first distributed, I have know idea where or why. It is a SAMPLE slab from PCGS. The coin in the slab is a very common silver Roosevelt Dime that was obviously used to simply show potential customer how PCGS planned on slabbing their coins. Given the current looser grading standards, I am tempted to send it to NGC and see if it garners a 65 or 66. Just for kicks, it would be worth the relatively small investment. The picture does it no justice, the Roosevelt is actually quite attractive.
    So what do you think, Crack that slab?

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