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Mokiechan

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Journal Entries posted by Mokiechan

  1. Mokiechan

    Duke in the Hizzy!

    By Mokiechan,

    Finally!
    Well, I finally received my first Washington D.C. Duke Ellington Quarter in change today, 2009-D. I was at the mall getting change for a kiddy ride, put my dollar in the machine, and got my prize. I have now officially collected four of the 6 quarter from circulation. I have yet to find Northern Marianas or Samoa in circulation. Soon, hopefully soon I will have the whole set. I shudder to think how long it will take to get both Philadelphia and Denver examples of each. Here in California, we are awash in Denver coins.
  2. Mokiechan
    Is this the rarest dime of all???
    One of my favorite coins is the Mercury (Winged Liberty Head) dime and I am currently working on a one-a-year registry set of Mercury Dimes. It is complete except for the 1918 dime which is currently a placeholder Details graded coin. I have been using Teletrade and EBAY for many months now to find a Mercury to add that is within my budget, say less than 150.00.
    A 1918-S in AU58 appeared on Ebay a few days ago and I kind of noticed it was attracting a great deal of attention (bids) early so I thought I would blow through its 60.00 book value and just bid 100.00. Well with a little over a day to go, I have already been outbid. Amazing, how can a coin be so thoroughly undervalued by EVERY price list when EVERY time one in AU to MS63 comes on the market, the bidding blows the book value out of the water.
    I currently have my EBAY account set to flag any new PCGS, NGC, or even ANACS (for resubmission) coin that is made available. Keeping my fingers crossed but I will probably have to find a very reputable dealer with a raw 1918 I can submit. I tried that once before and the coin coin came back ungradeable due to ink residue(?).
    Wish me luck.
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  3. Mokiechan
    Or how I added the S VDB for the second time.
    Way back in the 1980's, the coin shop I frequented used to sponsor a weekly bid board that contained all manner of treasures and junk. One week, I finally spotted the one treasure, a 1909-S VDB, that I had been seeking to fill my Whitman Bookshelf Albums one remaining hole (not counting that 55DD or that 22 NO D). I placed a bid and found myself that Saturday Morning, when the board closed as the proud owner of that elusive coin, VF condition, paid somewhere in the low 200,s.
    Flash forward to the early 90's and my whole collecting focus changed from Coins to Comic Books. In a fit of madness, I actually traded my beautiful little prize for a bunch of comic books and a couple of autographed pictures of baseball players.
    At the time, the deal seemed like a fair trade but, as you all probably know, the bottom fell out of the comic book market a few ears hence while my S VDB continued to grow in value, in someone elses collection. My whole foray into Comics will forever haunt me, I think of the thousands I spent on Comics and related material and I realize those Thousands would have multiplied, not collapsed, if I had stuck with coins.
    Flash forward to last month. I have been gradually converting all my raw coins into slabbed NGC, for the most part, coins in order to bring some order to my chaotic collection and to also build something my Daughter can keep or sell with much greater efficiency. I took a Dansco Type Collection Album to my favorite coin shop and traded that album in for an XF S VDB and a couple of MS 65 Walkers. The type album had a couple of nice pieces but mostly marginal material like a holed Seated Liberty Dollar and a slightly bent Shield w/Rays nickel. Even the 1846-O Seated Dollar had previously been declared cleaned and ungradeable by NGC, before details came along. So all in all, I am happy to have an S VDB back in my life and another big horde of raw coins reenters the market.
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  4. 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.
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  5. Mokiechan
    Sportyperson is on to something.
    I think most of us can agree that the grand and glorious hobby of Numimatics needs young people to become interested in the hobby. When I was growing up (Pre Cable TV, Pre Video Games, ETC.) every 5 and 10 cent store sold coin collecting supplies and every major department store had a coin and stamp section. Those days are long over and to attract the young kids, we need to come up with something that will stimulate interest and foster healthy competition.
    Here is my thought, NGC allow children, as young as 5, to open an account under their Parent/Guardian's account and to complete basic sets (Lincolns, Jeffersons, Washington, etc.) of RAW coins without concern for their grade. For instance, my daughter would get points for having a 1950-D nickel based on the relative rarity of the coin, in the entire series, and would be awarded a slightly higher point level just for having that coin in her collection. If she finished the set, she would get a special banner in her account and a little recognition in a special junior section of NGC (5-14 years). The parent or guardian would "certify" each time a junior added a coin.
    Anyone think Sportyperson's concept is worth exploring? I do, and I am going to send my idea to NGC Customer Service. If you agree with the general concept, please also send your thoughts to customer service. We can make this happen!!!!!
  6. Mokiechan

    Slowing Down A Bit

    By Mokiechan,

    But not stopping.
    This past Sunday my Wife and I purchased, for me, a 2007 Mustang. I have had a passion for Mustangs since my earliest years and owned a 1966 for a time in the 80's. Until 2005, I considered the last good Mustang to have bee produced in 1972. Long story short, when the 2005 redesign hit the streets, I promised myself I would have a Mustang by the time I was 50 (2008), but with other spending priorities arising, I sort of let the dream go and almost thought it wouldn't happen. Then, about 2 weeks ago, my wonderful wife started pushing me to go ahead and fulfill that dream.
    After a relatively brief search, I found a beautiful windveil blue Mustang at a used car lot in Oceanside CA. I've already bought some extras for her, I plan on purchasing a few more so my collecting efforts will mainly involve finishing my Sacagawea set and submitting currently owned coins for encapsulation for the forseeable future. I Love My Mustang. Thank You Lisa, you're the best.

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  7. Mokiechan
    Or how do they stack up in the marketplace?
    Since rejoining the ANA back in 2007, I have taken advantage of the direct submission privileges on several occasions. NGC has returned several of my pre-modern commemorative halves with Details (AU or UNC) for "Improperly Cleaned". You can check my registry to see which ones.
    My question is how do these Details coins trade in the marketplace? I noticed that a lot of sellers on Ebay try to minimize the impact by glossing over the Details designation and focusing on the UNC, for instance, with pricing at the low end of the UNC scale on BIN sales. I purchased a Details graded 1918 Mercury Dime as a filler and paid, what I consider, about 50% of normal price for the attributed grade. Very few seller seem to auction Details graded coins on Ebay, BIN is definitely the preferred method.
    I am thinking Details coins, at the AU/UNC level are going to sell at something like 1/2 to 3/4 of a non-Details coin with the better coins, like a 09-S VDB, selling for closer to the AU50/MS60 price than a more common date.
    Thoughts anyone??
  8. Mokiechan
    Plus I organized all my Slabs.
    My Wife, Daughter, and I went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park Yesterday. I received 2 Shield cents while purchasing Chips and Soda at one concession. My wife received 3 more shield cents when buying popcorn at a different concession stand. Looks like they are in wide release here in the SD area. Oh BTW, the Butterfly exhibit was great and well worth the 45, or so, minute wait. I think it ended its run today or maybe tomorrow.
    This afternoon, I organized everyone of my slabs. I took the top 50 high valued coins and placed them in a couple of padded aluminum slab holders for redeposit in my safe deposit box. All the other slabs were organized by denomination and date then placed in alternate storage.
    It's nice to be organized. I think I will do this once a year.
  9. Mokiechan
    That it's DejA Vu All Over Again. OR Let Me Rant A Bit.
    A while back I purchased a 1958 Canadian Dollar from a dealer on Ebay. I tried to register the coin and it turned out someone still had it registered. Okay, minor annoyance, it seems to happen a lot here. Then by chance, I noticed a post from another member explaining how he had finally "tracked down" the dollar that had (disappeared) several years ago when it was lost during shipping from his dealer. In fact, he had ordered all of the 1958 Canadian coins, individually NGC graded, for gifting to his Mom. All 6 coins disappearing into the nameless void.
    Well, even though he never physically received the coins and even though he received a full refund from the dealer, he saw fit to register the dollar (and probably the other coins). So I was stymied when I tried to register my new purchase. Next hing you know, Amy is asking for a picture to prove I have the coin. I just ended up sending her my Ebay purchase information.
    I wrote the dude my opinion of if his actions and the coin was transferred to me a day or two later, based on my purchase evidence and certainly not based on his cooperation. Moving ahead a few months, since 1958 is my birthday, and since the U.S. coins from that year were uninteresting to me, I decided to get the rest of the 1958 Canadian coins, NGC graded, and make up my own signature set. I received the coins from GOTJA coins today, the same party I bought from originally and I now find the Quarter and the Cent are currently registered to other(s).
    I BET it's the same guy that had registered his unreceived Dollar. Hopefully he is less of a pain this time. Especially since he NEVER physically held the coins and his dealer fully reimbursed him.
  10. Mokiechan
    A Fish Story of Another Kind
    10 seconds to go, my finger was poised on the send button, I had already filled in my bid amount. 9 8 7 6 FIVE, I hit the send button, my $130.00 bid ready to obliterate my foes when..... goshdarnit, I had to confirm my bid on the next screen and my prize, my MS64 1925 Mercury Dime, had been claimed by another eager bidder for a measly $95.17. Next time I will hit the send button at the 12 second mark. Yup, that's my new strategy.
    http://cgi.ebay.com/1925-Mercury-Dime-PCGS-MS64_W0QQitemZ110514231367QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCoins_US_Individual?hash=item19bb295847
  11. Mokiechan
    Thank You McDonald's
    I took my daughter to the local McDonald's today and when i received my change, I had 4 very bright shiny cents in my hand. I eagerly turned them over and found I had scored my first, in circulation, examples of the 2010 cent. They look great, much better than the Lincoln Memorial and certainly attractive on a small coin like the cent. Let's see, I will be 101 when they change the reverse again for the 250th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, or will the Cent, in any form, last that long? My bet is No.
  12. Mokiechan
    There sure was a lot of cleaning back then.
    I recently submitted three commemorative half dollars for grading. All three had been purchased at least 25 years ago when 3rd party grading didn't exist and Photograde was the best resource on the market. I believe all three were purchased by mail order although it has been too long to have a true recollection. The coins were an Oregon Trail, a Sesquicentennial, and a Grant. All three came back UNC Details/Improperly Cleaned.
    I just sent, this past Friday, a Rhode Island and Arkansas halves, I hope they come back w/o details. On the plus side, I also sent in a Bay Bridge half I had acquired from a company in Colorado at least 30 years ago. At the time of my purchase, the coin came with a written certification stating the coin was AU. The Bay Bridge Half came back from NGC as AU55. That's a nice testament to the integrity of L and L coins.
  13. Mokiechan

    Submission Hopes

    By Mokiechan,

    Or how I hope to close out my Winged Liberty Head (WLH) date set.
    I sent 8 coins to NGC yesterday for grading. Three of them were WLH dimes intended to complete my year set. The three dimes, 1918 (AU), 1921 (VG), and 1925 (AU) have been very elusive at a decent price and condition on both Teletrade and Ebay. They are either overpriced or overbid, everytime one appears. So, I decided to go raw and take my chances with the fine NGC grading staff.
    The other coins I submitted yesterday are:
    1. 1932-S Washington Quarter, est: VF condition
    2. 1936 Arkansas Half, est: MS63
    3. 1936 Rhode Island Half, est: MS64
    4. 1893-CC Morgan, est: VG
    5. 1921 Peace, est: AU
    Hope my grading estimates hold up, wish me luck.
    BeAW
  14. 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.
  15. Mokiechan

    Tattoo Tale

    By Mokiechan,

    Or How I Managed to Turn A Visit to A Tattoo Studio into Coins.
    Every year, around the time of my birthday, I get another tattoo. Sometimes I use the available flash, sometimes I use my own design. This year, I had my own design and had gone to two separate studios and gotten quotes of 180 and 200. For that reason, I had accumulated 300 dollars to easily cover the tattoo and a 20 dollar tip. On a lark, I went to a third studio in downtown Oceanside and got a quote of 120. WOW, I couldn't believe it. Since I had to wait an hour and a half for my appointment, I decided to take that extra 80 dollars and go to my favorite coin shop. I ended up buying a VG 1921 Mercury Dime (to be sent to NGC for grading and inclusion in my registry set), a 1967 Canadian Centennial Coin Set w/silver medal, in a nice leather case, and a set of 2009 Lincoln Cents in a whitman display holder (for gift giving). So an excellent day, more coins, more skin art, can't be beat.
  16. Mokiechan

    My Top Ten

    By Mokiechan,

    U.S. Regular Series Coins - One Man's Opinion.
    I was thinking about this on the train ride home today:
    10. Sacagawea Dollar (just a really sweet portrait of Mom and Baby)
    9. Jefferson Nickel (but that reverse is awful)
    8. U.S. Trade Dollar (Seated Liberty with more Gravitas)
    7 Walking Liberty Half (Could have easily been in the top 3)
    6. Lincoln Cent - Pre 1959 (The Best Presidential Portrait)
    5. Flowing Hair Dollar (Simple but still strong)
    4. Buffalo Nickel (the perfect combination of Obv and Rev)
    3. Mercury Dime (So much beauty in such a small canvas)
    2. St. Gaudens Double Eagle (The best of Gold)
    1. Peace Dollar (Bland is overrated, this is the better design)
    Your thoughts?
  17. Mokiechan

    EbaY Tale Continued

    By Mokiechan,

    Or How All Parties were made WHole AgaIN
    Some of you may recall a recent post of mine where I mentioned 3 transactions in the last year involving non-delivery of coins or coins supplies purchased on Ebay. At the time I wrote, the most recent transaction, involving the purchase of a 1937 MS66 Buffalo Nickel, had gone to the resolution center and the ruling was in finally made in my favor, with full refund.
    Well about 10 days later, this would be this past Saturday, I received a note from the Post Office telling me I had an insured letter to pick up. This past Monday, my Wife picked up the letter and Lo and Behold it was the Buffalo, about one month late. I have since sent the payment back to the vendor and have posted positive feedback. No word from the seller. I assume he is happy.
  18. 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.
  19. Mokiechan
    Thanks to EbaY.
    I have upgraded my Franklin Half set to all MS coins, I just added the NGC 1949 MS62 FBL, NGC 1950 MS64, PCGS 1950-D MS64 FBL, and NGC 1952-D MS64 FBL. All were purchased on EBAY so are yet to actually arrive. It will be very nice to replace the AUs with these new MSs. As is my normal policy, I tried very hard to keep all the coins NGC but ended up buying one PCGS coin. That is pretty much in keeping with my ratio of about 2.5 to 1 NGC to PCGS.
    Woo Hoo, my Hana is going to get a nice set to enjoy when she gets out of high school. Daddy will get all the stuff that falls out of completed sets.
    The tough set to upgrade, to all MS, will be my 20th Century set, those Barber coins and SL quarters are going to be a bit expensive.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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

  23. 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.
  24. 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???
  25. 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