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RichH

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Journal Entries posted by RichH

  1. RichH
    My run is done..
    A few days ago I finally found the 1962 Proof set in the NGC Multi-Coin holder. This completed a run of 11 consecutive proof sets in the NGC multi-holder format from 1954-1964. The "hunt" took 22 months beginning with the first set purchase (the 1964) in Sept of 2013.
    Completing this set was a good side adventure for me, and filled a gap in my collection, as basically these are the only certified Lincolns (both Wheat and Memorial), Jeffersons, Roosevelts, Franklins and Kennedys that I own. So 6 design types were covered, and oh yes ,these are also my only certified proof coins.
    Collecting this set brought back fond childhood memories as my early collection included a few of these Proof Sets in the original Govt issued packaging, and I remember the excitement of receiving them in the mail, that one set on a yearly basis...much different that today's mint with its' flavor of the month issues.
    I also like the fact that the year 1964 is the last year of US coin issues that I will collect, with my primary focus continuing to be 19th Century business strike issues. That 1st Kennedy silver half dollar sure does seem like it was issued just yesterday, but unfortunately much time has passed.
    It is also important to mention that I would never have thought to collect these if not for finding a previous article written on this NGC board. To me, the multi coin holders have that "proof set feel", plus are now graded and encapsulated. Ten of the sets are housed in the NGC multi holder storage box, with the 11th man, the 1964 set, carefully wrapped for protection in a coin cloth.
    Here is a summary of my NGC multi coin holder proof set holdings:
    1954 all PF66
    1955 all PF 67ex 5C PF68
    1956 all PF 67
    1957 all PF 67 ex 50C PF66
    1958 all PF66
    1959 PF66 25C 50C, PF67 1C 10C, PF68 5C
    1960SD all PF66
    1961 all PF67
    1962 all PF67
    1963 all PF67
    1964 all PF68
    A few comments, eight of 11 sets are all of the same grade, interestingly, this was not that that important to me, rather I was looking for sets with a minimum lowest coin grade. For example, I passed a couple of times on a PF 66 set for 1962, knowing that PF67 would be available if I was patient.
    The best set is unquestionably the 1955, and the only set I did not wait for an upgrade on is 1954, my birth year. I have also seen a 1953 set in PF66 or PF67 but it was never the goal to go back another year, even though biologically it should be pointed out that I was around that year.
    Only if opportunity knocks may I may add a complementary 1960 LD set but only if all are in PF67. The other "variety" set that is out there is of course the 1964 with Accented Hair 50C and I would certainly buy that in anything PF66 and up. Again, these are nice to haves, but not "must haves".
    Time wise, two years is very quick for me to complete a numismatic goal, by comparison, my completed Indian and Flying Eagle Sets took 15 years to achieve (for the eagles only the 1856,1857, 1858SL. 1858LL and 1858 8/7 , the basic 5). and my completed MS piece set took about 5 yrs So again, I strive for patience and quality, its a marathon, not a sprint.
    With retirement last year, my coin purchases have slowed, and I am much more budget conscience. Amongst other sets being worked on, I am currently playing around with Washington Quarters 1932-64 as Flanagan's design is, to my eye, by far the best of the current "Presidential" issues that so need complete re-design.
    This is also my final collector's journal posting on the board, it has become way too acrimonious, with the sheer joy of collecting dampened by one to many caustic remark and unnecessary brouhaha. I certainly will remain a member of the NGC Society, as it is a great mechanism to structure a collection.. The most difficult post I wrote is when I lost my best friend, Bogart, and received wonderful , encouraging, comments from many on the board. In January, we added a new pooch to our household , "Vegas" , another mini schnauzer that has wonderfully filled an important gap ( I guess like these sets, only much the better !).
    I do hope everyone is having a great summer, happy collecting, and please take care.
    Cheers !
    Rich

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  2. RichH
    as long as its NGC or PCGS ....
    First, congrats to all NGC Registry Award Winners -- WELL DONE !
    In the IT word, when you are technology agnostic it means that you are open to buying computing components that work with each other without any special adaptation. In the coin world I consider myself HOLDER AGNOSTIC as long as the certified coin is housed in a NGC or PCGS holder, with the lone exception being that I will also purchase the old ANACS small holder coins when opportunity knocks.
    I thus consider the NGC registry to be agnostic on the US issues as it allows both of the two major brands to be listed with equal registry value, this being a big plus for me, as 1- I can see how the entirety of my sets are scored and 2- it fits with my philosophy of buying the coin, not the holder.
    At the FUN show I was in attendance when PCGS previewed its new search engine tool that was positioned to allow for more efficient searching for collectors, and was clearly aimed at PCGS registry set participants. True, if all you are collecting is PCGS holders, but for me the tool covers half the marketplace.
    I fully realize there are many loyalists to both brands and that is certainly the choice of each collector to collect only one of the brands, but for me, I am buying coins, not holders, and certainly not registry rankings and points.
    Happy collecting and much success in 2015 to all !
    Rich
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  3. RichH

    So less can be more

    By RichH,

    or maybe Blue has turned Red, no, no I mean Red turns Red Brown, that's it!
    This March at the Baltimore Show I cherry picked a raw 1900 Indian Cent that came back MS65RB from NGC. A few weeks ago at the November Baltimore Show I then sold my long ago acquired 1900 PCGS MS65RD Registry Indian Cent for a tidy profit and have now taken it from my inventory and replaced it in my Somerville registry set with the new 1900 NGC MS65RB.
     
     
     
    What, less points and substituting an intentionally downgraded coin in a registry set ?
     
     
     
    Why would I commit such folly and reduce my registry ranking and points?
     
     
     
    Well a few reasons,
     
    1- except for 3 additional MS65 RDs, respectively 1902,1903,1909 plus a stray 1892 MS64 RD and 2 MS65 BRs all of my remaining Bronze Indians are now of the Red Brown color classification.
     
    2- The 2 Brown coins are going nowhere, both are MS65s, the 1st is the key date 1877 the 2nd my pedigreed 1875 Eliasberg coin, purchased raw MS64BR and in-attendance in 1996 on the night history was made when the famous 1913 Eliasberg Liberty Nickel broke the $1M barrier, thereby rendering one Q David Bowers to tears of joy. Historical Footnote: Buyer's fee was but 10% in 1996, and every coin was sold raw from the May 20-22 sale.
     
    3- My Indian Cent set was completed in 2007 and has slowly dropped out of the top 10, oh well... Except for a couple of upgrades and a few major varieties purchases (which don't show up in the registry) I have moved on from Indian Cents to other areas of interest.
     
    4- I also like the fact that if I can do the same with the remaining RDs, the set will be almost fully matched and also let me take some well earned profit.
     
    5- Most importantly, I have always thought 64 and 65 RBS to be the best value for Indian Cents, they are, to my baby blues, prettier than the Reds, and they certainly are kinder to my pocketbook.
     
     
     
    Thanks for reading, and much continued success to all !
     
     
     
    Rich
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  4. RichH
    There's Gold in them there hills......
    Hi All,
     
     
     
    About a week late in posting this entry, but attached are a few pics of the trip.
     
     
     
    Visiting Dahlonega was certainly worthwhile. Of note, the Gold Museum now houses a complete Dahlonega Gold collection in addition to a great collection of scales and other mining tools, pics and memorabilia.
     
     
     
    The complete Dahlonega gold set was housed in what appeared to be a customized Capital Display holder. Visitors could photo everything in the museum with the exception of this display.
     
     
     
    In scoping out the visit, I had read that there was also a historical marker for the mint which I was found, it resides near the current administrative building of North Georgia College which sits on the original mint building site. Fire had destroyed the mint building in 1878, and all that remains of the original structure are some block walls in the basement rooms.
     
     
     
    Prior to the visit, our friend Coin928 mentioned he had picked up a copy of "The Neighborhood Mint" and sure enough the museum had the book , and as a nice bonus, they also had the new 3rd addition of Douglas Winter's "Gold Coins of the Dahlonega Mint". Throw in a tee shirt for my wife Susan and that was an easy sale.
     
     
     
    Speaking of numismatic reading, I invite all to check out my offerings of Auction Catalogs and the huge Labor Day Sale I am running this weekend in the Numismatic Marketplace. Knowledge is the key to this hobby, and these catalogs provide plenty of research material, lots written by Q. David Bowers. There are all sorts of denominations covered, from Colonials to Bust, Liberty Seated and Barbers, to Gold including Dahlonega and Charlotte issues, to World coins, Treasure Gold from the Brother Jonathan, and more, lots of great collections from catalogs in the 1990s. Most have the accompanied sell price listing, a great benchmark for pricing.
     
     
     
    Another highlight was that the museum has a 20+ minute documentary film, and it was exceptional, with great info on the history of the region and the gold rush of the 1830's. .
     
     
     
    My numismatic collection takeaway will be to try and add one Dahlonega gold to my collection down the road, which will fit well in my Somerville 19th Century with Gold Type set. They are all relatively pricy but I can see adding a AU $2.50 Qtr Eagle maybe the 1844D or 1846D or possibly the $5 Half Eagle also AU maybe a 1847D or 1848D as reasonable targets. You can really feel the history when visiting Dahlonega with the coins coming to life adding to their collectability and charm.
     
     
     
    Other Dahlonega notes: 1- we stayed at the Holiday about a mile out of town and it was very nice, 2- visited one of the local wineries and that was fun, 3- also in middle of town was an old time ice cream parlor, couldn't resist a root beer float. Finally lots of antiquing if you like that plus lots of good eateries and of course loads of southern hospitality. Didn't do the mining tour ( wine ALWAYS wins ) so certainly lots to do.
     
     
     
    The next day, before taking a flight back to NJ we were able to fit in and visit Stone Mountain, and so glad we did. Towering 400 feet above the ground, the granite Memorial carving of Jefferson Davis, Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson is visually amazing. The carving is simply majestic, the photos are from probably 450 yards or so as we didn't have time to photograph from a closer distance. Stone Mountain is probably 30 minutes or so outside Atlanta and an amazing park that I could easily spend more time enjoying.
     
     
     
    I have owned the 1925 Stone Mountain Commemorative on more than one occasion, will definitely now purchase again, this time at high grade , minimum MS-66.
     
     
     
    In closing, I find that visits to places like Dahlonega and Stone Mountain vividly reinforce the history of our country and, as numismatists, the linkage to our coins It has been a great 1st summer in retirement from a travel perspective, 1st the New Hampshire White Mountains and the site of where the Old Man of the Mountain once resided, then this trip. I definitely will need to close this aspect of touring America out by visiting Mt Rushmore in the not so distant future.
     
     
     
    Attached are a few photos.
     
     
     
    Cheers !
     
     
     
    Rich

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  5. RichH

    Monday Morning Musings

    By RichH,

    Just a few random thoughts
    Just a few random thoughts on a lazy Monday morning, ( I guess everyday is lazy for me now in retirement).
     
     
     
    Reading about the ANA show and the US Mint's latest offering fiasco wasn't all that surprising to me as I saw the crazies and the lines at the Spring Baltimore Show. What did Gordan Gekko say about greed?
     
     
     
    Speaking of movies, caught one of my favorite comedies that I hadn't seen in a long time, Trading Places with Eddie Murphy. One favorite scene is when the Duke brothers explain to Billy Ray what a brokerage house does and how they always make money regardless if their clients are buying or selling, yup, you got it, kind of like Auction Houses......PS - Billy Ray said they were like bookies, got that Mortimer ?
     
     
     
    I followed the on-line Heritage sale on Saturday morning and pricing, in general seemed very soft with lots of bargains to be had in the denominations I followed from the colonials through quarters. These are coins that typically go from the $500 to say $1,500 range and in general was definitely a buyer's market.
     
     
     
    FMV especially for modern coins is way out of line. Everybody know the difference between historical and ahistorical and how the definition might be applied to coins? Enough said on this....
     
     
     
    The stock market took a nice little tumble last week, not sure how much can be attributed to poor earnings, how much to profit taking, and how much to world events that few in this country seem to be watching or understanding.
     
     
     
    My best weekend purchase no doubt was ordering Kevin Flynn's new book on Liberty Seated Half Dimes. I have Blythe's current definitive reference for the series, and it will be of great help to add a new cross-reference for the series.
     
     
     
    If you are buying coins and do not have a good reference library its kind of like going into a gun fight with a knife, not good odds unless you are Britt, aka James Coburn in the Magnificent Seven.
     
     
     
    Soon traveling down to the Peach State to see my mom who is not doing well, was planning on staying in Dalton for a few nights and attending the Blue Ridge Show but that has all changed. Will try to get a quick visit in to Dahlonega , check out my property doings in Blairsville, and then a quick trek to Stone Mountain before leaving. I finally have the pronunciation of Dahlonega down, my northern pronunciation was all wrong, but now I'm speaking Southern, yup , I got Pecan down now also....
     
     
     
    Thanks for reading
     
     
     
    Cheers!
     
     
     
    Rich
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  6. RichH

    Another coin titler ?

    By RichH,

    Maybe, just maybe...
    Maybe, just maybe, we can look deeper and find a hidden meaning and lesson's learned in Mr Decker's posts
     
     
     
    So, with apologies to Hercule Poirot......
     
     
     
    First Mr. Decker, I forgot to thank you regarding your previous 1804 Dollar post. You were right, I traveled to local coin shops in NJ, and then Pa. and NY while fly fishing. I asked the shop owners if they had any Silver Dollars dated 1804 that they would be willing to trade.
     
     
     
    I've been watching that show Down East Dickering on the History Channel and was ready to make me a deal. Nobody had this 1804 Dollar coin but one coin shop in Pa. close to Kishacoquillas Creek (true name everybody, not making that up) had a couple of 1804 pennies that they told me they would trade , but even though I'm a relative newcomer to the hobby I felt they were fooling me as the coins ( they called them large cents) were too big and clearly irregulars and mentioned they came in varieties (like Heinz I guess) and referenced some guy Sheldon Cooper or was it just Sheldon and copper ?
     
     
     
    Then he really got me going and showed me something called a half cent, one dated 1804 with what looked like a knife coming out of her chin, no thanks... He mentioned another guy Cohen and pointed to a few and said See One and See Two and See Three , I said I don't need to C-1 or C-2 or see any for that matter this is AMERICA !!
     
     
     
    But then suddenly it hit me, this must be it, the hidden meaning and the mystery solved ! Specifically, Mr Decker knew I wouldn't find a 1804 Silver Dollar, but I might find a few 1804 Copper Large and Half Cents to purchase. I thereby conclude that Mr Decker with the loupe, under the banker's lamp, is an Early American Copper variety collector that is looking to spur interest in his series of expertise.
     
     
     
    So now its past my bedtime, to all, keep up the good work , never stop learning, and have fun collecting what you like, and like what you are collecting !
     
     
     
    Finally, am I the real Mr Decker ?
     
     
     
    Attached , my MS63BN 1826 C-1 Half Cent with diagnostic die file lines to the right of the date
     
     
     
    Cheers !
     
     
     
    Rich

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  7. RichH
    Coin arrives in the nick of Trime
    I received today the 1859 CAC MS-63 3 Cent silver I had ordered last week. Initially I had received a package from the seller on Monday, but when I opened it, my jaw must have dropped as I was looking at a 1926 MS65FB CAC Mercury Dime, certainly a nice coin, but not a trime by any means.
    I called the dealer and he was quick to make amends. I sent the Mercury back, and was credited with my shipping plus an addition "inconvenience" credit and all is now well.
    This is now the 10th 3CS in my Somerville set, and I really love these little guys. My 3CS collecting goal is not completion, as business strike dates after 1862 were in very low mintage, hard to find and very expensive. In fact many past collectors have chose to collect the post 1862 dates in proof or a proof/unc combo. Rather, I will finish out the four remaining coins between 1851 and 1862 and probably move on, or as my favorite bandito Calvera, aka Eli Wallach said to Chris, the great Yul Brenner in the Magnificent Seven, Ride On !
    With the 1851-O and the 1862/1 overdate this would be a consecutive run a 14 trimes a nice accomplishment. Right now I have a grade range of MS-65 (1), MS-64 (6), MS-63(2) and MS-62 (1). The collecting goal was a grade range of MS63-MS64.
    All coins are nicely toned and well struck for date, that is part of the hunt. The present purchase is interesting because of the lack of die cracks and clashing, very unusual for these coins. I hope to complete the set by end of 2016, basically, find the easier 1852 and one other remaining date next year and wrap the set up the following year. If I can pull this off, seven years of hunting for these 14 gems. I mention all of this as I try to be patient and preach patience, and also have a workable plan that meets my budget constraints.
    Continued success to all !!
    Rich

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  8. RichH
    How is everybody doing against their collecting goals ?
    I am a "planner", others may not budget and target goals to the extent I do, so with tomorrow the last day of June, for me, its time to make sure basically on-track with annual goals.
    Right now I'm way ahead overall, only behind on my Buffalo Set and my 19th century Type Set. My Flying Eagle Cent variety set also stagnant as is my small cent pattern custom set, but these not the highest priority, and I will wait for opportunities down the road.
    Biggest unplanned purchase was my Saddle Ridge buy, and biggest disappointment was my failed bid on the Newman Colonial Coppers sale, I really wanted one of the NJ Horse Heads for my collection, the Newman pedigree a nice bonus, but not to be...yet. I've done my NJ Copper research and will now wait for another buying opportunity. Good news is that the failed Newman bid led to my buying a Saddle Ridge piece, so I'm always staying flexible and watching for opportunities.
    Attached is a pic of a NJ Newman Horse run wild
    Finally, I wish everyone continued learning and success in whatever it is you collect. Lots of positive enthusiasm on this board and always great sharing with others.
    Cheers !
    Rich

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  9. RichH
    Lots of Summertime Registry Stuff
    I just returned from a great vacation in the New Hampshire White Mountains. My wife and I hiked a few trails, sipped the local brews (well me, she is hard to get away from the Pinot Grigio), and of course pursued and caught a bunch native wild brookies on the fly, they are not big but lots of fun on a 3 wt.
    On to coins, and to remember the 2000 NH state Quarter, I have attached a pic of where the Old Man in The Mountain once stood, (he fell in 2003) watchfully overlooking Profile Lake. Today, park visitors can look through an installed profiler , and marry up the image of where the Old Man of the Mountain once resided, pretty cool. Also, visited the Flume Gorge nearby, a true natural wonder !
    Next,I already booked a few shows, finally getting back to FUN in Jan, my RCI timeshare works well , and I am locked in for the final Orlando show before it moves to Tampa. I also will be in GA in August visiting my mom, and checking out my property in Blairsville so added the Blue Ridge Show in Dalton to the trip.
    I will shortly be making plans to attend the NH Coin Show in Manchester in Oct and Balt as always in November, gotta love retirement at 60, OMG I will be 60 in less than 4 weeks and life is good, with my buddy Bogarts absence the lone negative. All on the board that read my GOOD FOR A SCENT journal will be happy to know that we are hopefully on track for another mini schnauzer this November and that will be the best of all !
    Regarding the registry, just got back last month eight 1/20 oz Pandas from NGC grading , 4 came back 70 , the other 4 were graded 69. The set sits at # 4 , pretty funny, my highest ranked set !
    I also terminated my 19th Century type set without gold, and re-created it with Gold as I am scheduled to receive my Saddle Ridge Hoard coin this week. Kagins was easy to work with and held delivery until my return from vacation. I am pretty finicky on my registry sets, I have a self imposed 1 coin to 1 set rule so expanding to the full 19th century set seemed the best route for me.
    Oh, and finally, the reason that stimulated my urge to post, just checked the US Mint website and see that my $5 Unc HOF commem is on the way. I am now sitting at 195K points and soon rockets will flare, bells and whistles will go off whoo whoo !!!
    Hope everybody is having a great summer. I read the Wissahickon Fathers Day journal the other day, much reflection, my dad a WWII vet passed a few years ago and I always think of the opportunities to succeed that I was afforded.
    As always, thanks for reading,
    Rich

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  10. RichH
    Brother Jonathan (BJ) vs Saddle Ridge (SR)
    Every once in a blue moon I get smitten (more likely bitten) by the gold bug and the romantic lure of treasure gold.
    What was it that Seinfelds Kramer character said about LA ? Oh yes, to quote:
    Jerry, its L.A.! Nobody leaves. Shes a seductress, shes a siren, shes a virgin, shes a whore !
    Yup, this sale got me, and after the prerequisite hemming and hawing, I final purchased a 1879S $20 Double Eagle. Now let me say right away that the coin is probably
    right now, this very second a bit overpriced but I see this as still a decent buy based on my Brother Jonathan experience, specifically:
    The Brother Jonathan lot I purchased ( the May 1999 Bowers sale) hammered for $4.1K including the juice. I sold it at the Stacks January 2009 sale for $6.4 K after the seller fee for a 56% gain in 10yrs, so it averaged 5% not figuring in the compounding yada yada...... not great, and not bad......
    In the catalog, Mr Bowers was very right in stating that once off the market they will become dispersed, and even single coins will be hard to find. To validate, I checked records from the major auction houses and this holds true, not a lot of BJs hit the block very often.
    I strategically stayed in the same grade range, MS62 on BJ, went MS62+ on the SR. this equated to same price range.
    The 1865S $20 dominated the BJ sale, a total of 415 lots some of which had 5-10 UNC coins ranging from 1 MS66 to a bunch of AU details, I approximate around 500-550 total coins for the date. For the SR hoard and the 1879S $20 , only 43 total, this I see as is a big plus, as this date wont get overwhelmed by the new coins hitting the populations. but certainly not as scarce a date.
    I don't have the SR coin in hand yet, but it definitely looks like much fewer hits, in fact the BJ coin had a deep gash to the cheek focal point that inhibited much more price appreciation, and that is why I stopped my appreciation and sold her. Although my BJ was well conserved, I gotta believe that, in general, staying in the ground long term is much easier than in salt water on gold.
    So , concluding, I am guessing that over time SR price appreciation will be decent, possibly slightly better than the BJ sale for the date I picked. The Saddle Ridge Hoard label will probably be somewhat difficult to find as they disperse into estate collections and are held long term by many. I also think the marketing ( cool box, pamphlet etc) will help in making it a family keepsake, and help keep many off the market. Also, the selling via Amazon may also help if some buyers are not active coin collectors but bought the story.
    Thanks for reading, What do you guys think ?
    Cheers !
    Rich
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  11. RichH

    Good For A Scent

    By RichH,

    Lost my best friend
    Although I still read the board and occasionally comment, I haven't posted any journals lately. mainly because even though I have recently retired I haven't been very motivated to write as I recently lost my best friend, my faithful mini schnauzer Bogart to cancer.
    Bogart, or "Bogie" was truly my best buddy. I have previously read ( and I am paraphrasing) "that in a way its a blessing that dogs don't live too long, else the pain would be too great to bear as we grow to love them more and more each day we have them". For me, this sentiment rings so very true, and I find myself thinking of him constantly.
    In Bogart's memory I have a attached a pic of Civil War Store card die 1284, "Good for a Scent" used in tandem with Joseph Merriam's "Die Sinker and Letter Cutter" ( Boston, MA-115) obverse. This token is one of the most famous Civil War Pieces, and possibly down the road I might add one to my collection.
    Thanks for reading,
    Rich

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  12. RichH

    My big score

    By RichH,

    Bundled the purchase of 4 Proof sets in one internet deal
    Hello friends,
    As I have previously written, I have added to my collecting goals the completion of Proof sets from 1954-1964 in the NGC multi holders.
    After diligently searching ebay for months I had found the 1955, 1958, 1960 (small date cent) and 1964 sets with the 1955 PF 67/ PF68 (the nickel) set clearly the crown jewel of these holdings.
    Constant ebay searching resulted in no new purchases for over two months, not necessarily a big deal as I didn't think this would be easy. But an expanded search on google for the 1956 Proof set led me to a May 29 2010 posting on Collectors Universe Board authored by Dan Chapman and a discussion of the multi coin holders and a link to his web-site vintageproofs.com.
    To my surprise I found that the website had four of the proof sets I had been seeking, the 1957, 1959, 1961 and 1963 dates.
    I quickly did my homework, checked grades, pricing and made a fair deal with for all of the sets.
    Dan was easy to work with, payment was made easy via payal, and in a week the sets arrived nicely packaged. After a delay in getting 2 of the sets scored in the NGC Registry( they were held by another registry user ) the sets are now scored and I am one happy camper -- thank you for your help Alison !
    I am not one to care about the holder ( as long as it is NGC or PCGS ) and I believe you should always "buy the coin not the holder" however keeping the coins as a "proof set" and not as individual proof coins somehow very much appeals to me. Add in the fact that the coins are mostly graded PF67 with a few outlier PF 68s and PF66's and the quality far exceeds any sets I can find raw in the original mint packaging, which I so fondly remember from my youth. ( I guess I'm still coming to grips that it is now 50 years since the 1964 Kennedy Half dollars were first introduced and another 10 years further from the 1954 set).
    In researching the proof sets it is clear that the 1954-64 era encompassed a huge coin collecting growth period for our hobby. To validate the point, Proof sets sold grew from annual mintage of around 50,000 in 1950 to about 129,000 in 1953. Then, in 1954 sets nearly doubled to 233,000 and almost doubled again the next year to 378,000. From there it is a graph that would make any sales manager green with envy, 669,000 sets in 1956, 1,248,000 sets in 1957, a slight dip to 875,000 sets in 1958 ( recession I believe), then 1,149,000, 1,692,000, 3,028,244, 3,218,000 3,075,000 and 3,951,000 proof sets sold respectively from 1959 through 1964.
    The 1964 mintage total is especially interesting, as only three subsequent years ( 1976 the bi-centennial) , 1981 and 1987 exceeded this total , with the 1976 mintage of 4,150,000 plus another 4 million of the 3 coin set the high water mark of Proof sets. The mint has subsequently increased ( or diluted ) the proof set offerings depending on one's perspective plus increased the numerous commemorative offerings thus giving lots of other new product alternatives to collectors. Regardless, it is quite clear that the halcyon proof set growth years the 1950s and 1960s are but a distant memory and long gone... just like a Mickey Mantle home-run of the time !!
    With regard to pricing, the underlying, basic 1954-1964 proof sets in the original packaging are finally showing a bit of positive price movement after years of lying dormant. For all years discussed, only a very small percentage of the population has been graded by the major services as incurring certification costs and breaking up sets to receive a PF65 is not a sound financial move on most submittals. Pricing for graded proof coins can get pricey in grades PF68 & PF69, plus heavy premiums are paid for cameo coins of this era.
    For pricing on the multi coin holders I have generally found that the sum of the parts (the individual coins ) is greater than the price of the multi-holder sets so this is another good reason to buy them this way.
    One final point/ benefit, I purchased NGC's multi coin holder storage box for these sets, The box is 8"*5'*4" or 160 cubic inches and holds 10 sets or 50 coins. An NGC box of 20 is 10"*2.5"*3.5" or 87.5 cubic inches or 218.75 cubic inches (2.5 boxes) to hold an equivalent 50 coins a savings of 27% for those that are storage space challenged like myself. .
    As always, thanks for reading and happy collecting !
    Rich
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  13. RichH

    She's a beauty !

    By RichH,

    NGC Journal Award Plaque just arrived, I am very honored with this award
    This chilly Saturday afternoon in snow covered northern NJ a package from NGC arrived and I was initially thinking that my annual membership renewal was enclosed.
    I was pleasantly surprised to see that instead, my 2013 Journal award had arrived. The 8*10 plaque is a glossy black with gold lettering and is just outstanding, a DPL PF70* to be sure !
    Already in 2014 I have read some simply outstanding journals, with great posts by newcomers adding to the vibrancy of the registry.
    Going forward, I believe the NGC Journal Award will be tougher and tougher to win as our registry is blessed with some very knowledgeable numismatists that are continually sharpening their writing skills and are wonderfully sharing their collecting triumphs and knowledge.
    Congrats again to all the award winners and much continued success & new adventures to all in 2014!
    RichH
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  14. RichH

    A Few Good Points

    By RichH,

    For a Few Good Collectors - my parody on the never ending saga
    NGC rep: You want accurate points?
    Collector Kaffee : I think I'm entitled to them.
    NGC rep: You want accurate points?
    Collector Kaffee: I want the truth!
    NGC rep: You can't handle accurate points! Son, we live in a collector's world that has graded holders. And those graded holders have to be scored by men with magnifying glasses. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Collector Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Collector Santiago and you curse the Society. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's low points, while tragic, probably saved collections. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves collections...You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me scoring your coin's points. You need me scoring those points.
    We use words like Star, stike, modern rarity...we use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending scores. You use 'em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a collector who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very NGC Registry I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I'd rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a coin and sell it on e-bay. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!
    Collector Kaffee: Did you order the high points for modern coins?
    NGC rep: (quietly) I did the job they have paid me to do.
    Collector Kaffee: Did you order the high points?
    NGC rep: You're g%ddamn right I did!!
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  15. RichH
    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all on the NGC Board
    On the first day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    A Feuchtwanger Token in an NGC Holder
    On the second day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    Two 2 cent Pieces
    and a Feuchtwanger Token in an NGC Holder
    On the third day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    Three Type III Trimes
    Two 2 cent Pieces
    and a Feuchtwanger Token in an NGC Holder
    On the fourth day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    A Four Dollar Stella ( I wish ! )
    Three Type III Trimes
    Two 2 Cent Pieces
    and a Feuctwanger Token in a NGC Holder
    On the fifth day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    Five Seated Liberty Half Dimes
    A Four Dollar Stella ( I wish ! )
    Three Type III Trimes
    Two 2 Cent Pieces
    and a Feuchtwanger Token in an NGC Holder
    On the sixth day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    Six Pine Tree Sixpence
    Five Seated Liberty Half Dimes
    A Four Dollar Stella ( I wish ! )
    Three Type III Trimes
    Two 2 Cent Pieces
    and a Feuchtwanger Token in an NGC Holder
    On the seventh day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    Seven 7 tail Morgans from 78
    Six Pine Tree Sixpence
    Five Seated Liberty Half Dimes
    A Four Dollar Stella ( I wish ! )
    Three Type III Trimes
    Two 2 Cent Pieces
    and a Feuctwanger Token in an NGC Holder
    On the eighth day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    Eight Spanish Reales
    Seven 7 tail Morgans from 78
    Six Pine Tree Sixpence
    Five Seated Liberty Half Dimes
    A Four Dollar Stella ( I wish ! )
    Three Type III Trimes
    Two 2 Cent Pieces
    and a Feuchtwanger Token in an NGC Holder
    On the ninth day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    Nine 09 Lincolns
    Eight Spanish Reales
    Seven 7 tail Morgans from 78
    Six Pine Tree Sixpence
    Five Seated Liberty Half Dimes
    A Four Dollar Stella ( I wish ! )
    Three Type III Trimes
    Two 2 Cent Pieces
    and a Feuchtwanger Token in an NGC Holder
    On the tenth day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    Ten Barber Dimes
    Nine 09 Lincolns
    Eight Spanish Reales
    Seven 7 tail Morgans from 78
    Six Pine Tree Sixpence
    Five Seated Liberty Half Dimes
    A Four Dollar Stella ( I wish ! )
    Three Type III Trimes
    Two 2 Cent Pieces
    and a Feuchtwanger Token in an NGC Holder
    On the eleventh day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    Eleven Arrows with Rays Quarters
    Ten Barber Dimes
    Nine 09 Lincolns
    Eight Spanish Reales
    Seven 7 tail Morgans from 78
    Six Pine Tree Sixpence
    Five Seated Liberty Half Dimes
    A Four Dollar Stella ( I wish ! )
    Three Type III Trimes
    Two 2 Cent Pieces
    and a Feuchtwanger Token in an NGC Holder
    On the twelfth day of Christmas
    my true love sent to me:
    12 Peace Dollars
    Eleven Arrows and Rays Quarters
    Ten Barber Dimes
    Nine 09 Lincolns
    Eight Spanish Reales
    Seven 7 tail Morgans from 78
    Six Pine Tree Sixpence
    Five Seated Liberty Half Dimes
    A Four Dollar Stella ( I wish ! )
    Three Type III Trimes
    Two 2 Cent Pieces
    and a Feuchtwanger Token in an NGC Holder !!!! (WHEW)
    Merry Christmas to all !!!

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  16. RichH
    One last 2013 coin addition, next year's plan TBD
    This late season December Buffalo purchase of a nicely struck 1935 probably ends my 2013 coin acquisitions. I started this Buffalo set in March and it has come along way, but I have noticed that I haven't focused all my energy on it as with other previous sets such as my Indian Cents and Two Cent pieces. As I make up my mind on this set, I may focus next year on just the later dates, from 1934-38 with the possibibility of reverting to just the "short set" down the road.
    So next year will also be an exciting and interesting time as I try to figure out the best path forward for my collection.
    Thanks for reading and safe and happy holidays to all.
    Cheers !
    Rich

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  17. RichH
    GSA grading result in, coin arrives safely thru Northeast storm
    Hi fellow collectors,
    As an update to the Nov 12 journal I posted on the Balt Show, I wrote that I purchased a crescent obversed toned 1881 CC GSA and was hoping 63* to validate the puchase price
    Well, last week I saw that I indeed received the 63* grade and today the coin safely arrived, finally ! I rarely submit raw coins, in fact this was my only grading submission to NGC in 2013 so very happy with the result.
    The 1881CC is a better date and is my 2nd GSA purchase, complementing the 1884CC 63* purchased earlier this yr.
    The coin is also obverse crescent toned, this one from 11-3 o'clock with lovely blue and gold rim toning. I will post a pic when my photo skills improve, in the mean time NGC did a goood job with their image.
    I am only going to hunt obverse toning on these coins. It will take longer to complete the set this way ( probably a good $ thing ) but I love both the hunt and the challenge of a nicely matched set.
    In closing. my collecting this set was inspired by this board, particularly the writings of Mr Bo Jingles, so a big "thank you" Mr BJ.
    Thanks for reading, and Happy Thanksgiving !
    RiohH
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  18. RichH

    1964 Set proved "Proofetic"

    By RichH,

    NGC Multi-coin Proof set collection grows
    In September I posted an article describing a NCG 1964 multi-coin holder Proof set I added to my collection. I really liked the look of the holder and this way of collecting proof sets.
    Subsequently I bid on ebay and also purchased the NGC multi-coin holder box in anticipation of future proof set additions.
    The years that I am targeting are 1954-1964, with 1964 being the final year of regular issue silver coinage and the 1st year of issue for the Kennedy Half. I have now added two new proof sets in the NGC multi-coin holder, 1958 and 1960. Both sets are graded PF66.
    Regarding the 1960 proofs, this set has the small date cent. I won't add the 1960 large date in an individual holder to the registry, unless, of course , there is a 6 coin multi-holder set out there with both 1 cent varieties, I would be jumping all over that !
    These NGC multi-coin holder sets are also hard to find for the date range I am targeting, but that is what makes the hunt challenging.
    You really have to search e-bay carefully to find them, especially in an open auction.
    I also think for this era, Proofs graded PF66 are an acceptable grade although I will add higher graded sets and potentially upgrade if I can find better sets. Matched sets (all coins graded the same) also don't matter to me. I'm really happy I started collecting these proof sets as these dates are from my childhood. Add in the fact that the sets are low cost, and cover 20th century coin designs that I do not collect and this all adds up to lots of fun.
    Thanks for reading, and Happy Collecting !
    Rich

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  19. RichH

    Baltimore Show Recap

    By RichH,

    New coins, new Club, new friends
    Last week I attended the Baltimore Whitman Show on Thursday and Friday. As usual, I departed my home in Northern New Jersey mid morning and arrived in Baltimore around 3PM. This works well, as I avoid the morning commuter traffic and still gets me to the show for a few hours on day 1.
    So after checking in to the Holiday Inn, I promptly walked over to the show and checked out the bourse for about 2 hours. The show had only opened to the public at 12PM and there seemed to be a good "buzz" on the floor..
    Most dealers keep their same booth location year after year and there about 8 or so that I always like to stop and say hello. When I do this, I always make sure that they are not too busy and I'm not interrupting any sales.
    The show yielded two nice Buffalos, one of which I had a dealer hold for me after I had spotted it in his inventory a few days earlier. The two Buffalos now put my set ranking at number 77 which I think pretty good, having only begun the set earlier this year. There are now 10 Buffs in my herd, with a newly purchased, beautifully toned NGC 1938D/D in MS67 leading the points stampede. This puts me right about where I thought I would end the year, and if I can add another 5-10 coins to this set in 2014 I will be very happy.
    The other purchase that I will mention is a raw 1881 GSA CC that I submitted at the show for grading. I'm hoping it comes back MS63*, as it has the lovely crescent obverse toning that I covet. Today I received an email from NGC that the coin was received for submission, not bad service as NGC sure does receive lots of coins at the show.
    Another show highlight was attending my 1st Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) meeting.
    The club meeting started Friday at 9AM which is when the show also opened to the public. I was amazed at the club turnout as there were about 40+ members in attendance, this apparently being the largest attended Baltimore meeting to date. The club has a great balance between dealer and collector, so this should be a good forum to gain in-depth knowledge on Gobrecht's masterpiece. The level of expertise this club possesses is quite impressive and I look forward to this new journey as to date I have only focused on Liberty Seated Half dimes, but will surely take the next step to Dimes next year as my 19th Century Type set progresses.
    Finally, staying at the Holiday Inn was great, especially mingling in the lounge in the evenings where I made new collector friends. It always amazes me what series my fellow collectors choose to work on. For example, one collector was pursuing 16th century Martin Luther related coinage, wow !
     
    As always, thanks for reading and happy collecting !
    Rich
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  20. RichH
    My 1st NGC Multi Coin holder Proof Set
    In continuing the search for the JFK Accented Hair varieties on e-bay (see my journal from earlier this week) , I came across a NGC multi coin 1964 Proof set that caught my eye. As my currently construed collection is 100% classic coin focused (except for a few modern uncirculated gold commemoratives that I half heartily dabble in), this represented an entirely new registry collecting area.
    Before bidding I calculated that the starting bid represented the NGC market guide less 27% for the 5 coins. I watched the set for two days..... still no opening bid !! With 20 minutes to go I opened at the required amount, watched anxiously, and lo and behold I won the bid clean !!! I think at the price I won the set I don't have much long term downside, plus I think I am protected by what I believe will be rising silver pricing in the long run. The point being, do your homework , have a philosophy, and bid to the point that you think is economically a good buy.
    This doesn't always guarantee you will be right, but at least you put some thought into your purchase.
    I really like the NGC multi-coin holders especially for the "old" proof sets which I define as 1964 and prior. Can someone please comment as to why NGC discontinued them ? Lack of demand I guess, was the multi- coin holder grading price equivalent to a 5 coin submittal?
    I will consider adding other proof sets in the multi-coin holder as I find them. I think problem free PF66 and above are decent grades for the 1954-64 date range` that I want to focus on. The coins very much remind me of my childhood collecting and I like this bit of nostalgia.
    I also noticed that NGC offered a box to house the oversized slabs in, so it appears they tried pretty hard to market, not sure what caused the reversal. There are lots of Proof sets in the original packaging from these dates, I have 4 of these that I have been slowly cherry picking. The packaging in the cellophane can eventually erode, and although I am sure there are some great rainbow sets out there due to the erosion, it would be nice if NGC considers re-marketing. I for one will inquire if I get a bit more serious with these sets.
    Last point, as I mentioned in my Accented Hair JFK article, the 1964 silver coins are now 50 years removed from circulation. We all have our own definition as to when the "modern coin" era begins. I have now moved my definition to extend to 1964 ( I previously pegged the end as 1938 to coincide with the "last Buffalo", the nickel version, of course ...
    Hope everyone had a great weekend !
    Cheers,
    Rich

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  21. RichH
    almost 50 years ago , JFK and the 1964 PF Accented Hair Variety
    Hi everyone,
    I recently returned from a great vacation last week in Hilton Head, SC. The low country is quite beautiful and except for the fact that I got skunked flyfishing for tailing redfish I had a great time (actually I always have a great time fishing whether I catch or don't catch fish).
    One thing I was able to do on vacation was catch up on my reading, and I devoured both of O'Reilly's "Killing Kennedy" and "Killing Lincoln" works, both great , enjoyable reads !!!
    Anyway, to tie to coins, the Kennedy assassination is now 50 years this November ( time flies) and even though I was a nine year old at that time, I vividly remember exactly where I was and how to this day this tragedy may be the most significant historical event of my lifetime.
    The Kennedy read led me to the 1964 90% silver Kennedy half dollar issue and additional coin research to the Proof
    "Accented Hair" variety .
    The "Accented Hair" variety is a very small portion of the total Proof mintage of 3.9M, its estimated that only 1 to 3% are of the "Accented" variety.
    The variety is easily diagnosed on the obverse by the"wishbone" hair effect above the ear and the truncated "I" in Liberty serif, and on the reverse by the "broken rays" and straight "G" in Gasparro's initial. A pretty cool coin ! From my research, the story goes that Jackie Kennedy did not like the hair depiction on JFK's bust and the US mint retooled the die to make her happy, (she was Jackie Kennedy for goodness sake) !
    In checking out NGC pops and pricing about 1.5% of the total estimated "Accented" coins have been submitted to NGC, or around 3,000 pieces as compared to approx 16,000 PF of the standard coin or only 0.4% submissions. This is of interest and fully explained by the fact that the Accented variety is approx $80 in PF66 compared to $25 in PF 66 without the variety .
    My opinion is that the "Accented" variety may have some potential next year on its 50th anniversary, especially in grades over PF 66 and in PFCA and PFUC grades. I will add a few of these to my collection as practical ( see pic of my 1st purchase), a great reminder of that infamous day in history.
    Thanks for reading,
    Rich

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  22. RichH

    Trime Time

    By RichH,

    Cool coin added in the summer
    Recently added the 1862/1 3 cent silver variety to my Somerville Set. Three Cent Silvers are a great 19th century set to collect as they were only produced from 1851 to 1873. The set features 3 Varieties, "1851-53, No outline to Star", "1854-58 Three Outlines to Star", and "1859-73 Two outlines to Star". The only mintmark in the series is the 1851-O. and the referenced coin in this post the only major variety for the series. What's interesting about this coin is that the variety can be easily ID'd by a die crack extending from the "1" in the date to the rim. This particular coin also exhibits nice circular crescent toning in golden brown, blueish hues. Additionally, great die clashing on both the obverse and reverse. With such a tiny coin, die clashing very common for the set.
    The underlying 1 is viewable with 7X magnification ( at least to my eyes), (I cant pick it up with 4X). Also, if you are reading this post and noticed a point change with the addition of the variety to the set ( it was previously display only) , "You're Welcome". If you state your case to NGC, ie , research the pop reports for both PCGS and NGC, explain significance of the variety, etc they may adjust their thinking. This coin , being the only major variety for the set is highly desired and collected as part of the set by trime specialists, indeed most of the collections above me had the coin in their sets and in a better grade than my 63. That being said I searched for 3 years for the "right" coin and think its PQ for the grade , CAC also green stickered for what that's worth.
    Finally, many collectors only go after the dates up to and including 1862 in MS, and the remaining dates in Proof, as UNC mintages dropped like a rock after this date ( reference the red book for mintages). Amazing to me how many collectors are going after these dates in UNC to complete this set. I am only going to complete to 1862 and then may go Proof on the others, or at least get 1 proof for "closure". David Bowers in his 2005 US Type Set Red Book wrote " After 1862 Mint State coins are rare for most dates. I have never seen a full set of mint state pieces". Clearly this has changed and Registry collecting certainly a catalyst for this "new collecting".
    Not posting the pic as it is not very good, but if curious you can take a peek under my set's listing.
    Cheers !
    Rich
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  23. RichH
    Maybe I'll play a little hardball with the registry
    Good article in this weeks Numismatic News that went into detail on the scheduled 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin program. The program will have 3 designs , $1 silver, clad half-dollar and $5 Gold. I buy/collect but 1 modern coin issue, the $5 Gold Commemoratives in Unc. so I will definitely be watching for this release. Last time a baseball related $5 commemorative was released was in 1997 for Jackie Robinson and the UNC $5 was not popular with only 5,174 issued. Today it is one of the key Unc $5 issues.
    My biggest conundrum is always whether to keep in the original mint packing or submit for grading. Case in point, I purchased this year's $5 MacArthur gold in Unc but have yet to submit, not sure if and when I will do so.
    This new issue will commemorate 75 years of the baseball Hall of Fame being open to the public. Coin designs are not yet finalized, so I will be watching for final selection.
    Thanks for reading.
    Happy collecting !
    Rich
  24. RichH
    But just by the hair of a curl on the bison's head
    With the addition of this 1926 Buffalo I jumped into the top 100 for the first time at #99.
    I started my Buffalo Nickel set in March of this year with a #220 ranking. With a completed Indian Cent collection that was finished way back in 2006 at # 8 and having now slipped to its present #15 ranking, I committed to putting together a representative Buffalo set with a top 25-30 long range goal.
    One interesting piece of information that I was able to garner from the registry is that no collector presently has both Buffalo and Indian Cent collections that are ranked in the top 25. I found this out by looking at each of the top 25 Indian Cent collectors full profile. I was surprised by this as I believe the sets are complementary. I noticed that some Indian Cent collectors either collect the early large cent coppers or half cents or then pursue the Lincolns. On the other hand, Buffalo collectors will also collect Jefferson, Liberty and Shield nickels
    My premise is that makes a lot of sense to specialize in what you know, in this case either copper or nickel, with the experienced collected gaining an understanding of the unique look, feel, and strike of each metal.
    This is what I also did as I immediately moved into 2 cent pieces when the Indian set was completed. I quickly got a good feel for what a PQ RB specimen would look like and the transition from Indians to 2 cent pieces was relatively easy.
    Buffalos on the other hand offer a totally different challenge and I have been very careful to choose only coins that have the eye appeal and strike I have targeted for each date as I gain knowledge of the metal's characteristics.
    Finally, I may have bitten off more than I can chew but I recently added my first Morgan CC GSA along with my 1st $2.50 Indian Head Qtr Eagle. I did this for 2 reasons, 1- I have now expanded my horizons to all 4 metals with the addition of gold and silver, and 2- I love the "western theme" of Indian Cents, Buffalo nickels, Carson City minted Morgans and Pratt's classic $2.50 design. I have no aspiration of attaining greatness in either the GSA's or Quarter Eagles, I will pursue crescent toned MS63's for the GSA's and problem free MS62's for the Qtr Eagles and see where my sets eventually land.
    Thanks for reading, and hoping everyone has much success in their coin collecting adventures.
    Cheers !
    Rich

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  25. RichH
    I haven't made a purchase for over a month but couldn't resist this coin's.....
    I haven't made a purchase for over a month but couldn't resist this Carson City Morgan's great crescent rainbow obverse toning. This picture doesn't due this coin justice as the luster just jumps off this NGC 1884CC GSA MS63* graded Morgan. I looked at a bunch of GSA's the last few months, and when a bid on a Buffalo nickel I went strongly after fell through, this coin became the "consolation prize" and I couldn't be happier ! The coin came boxed with the original GSA 1972 packaging and the registration slip. My dad had purchased one of these for me but it was sold (too quickly) many years ago with the rest of my coin collection to pay for college expenses. Now that I have this piece it is unlikely to depart my collection so fast.
    When you open the box you are immediately struck by the inscription which reads as follows,
    " As we approach America's Bicentennial, this historic silver dollar is one of the most valuable reminders of or national heritage" RICHARD NIXON
    Wow !!! two things, first the coin really makes me think of my dad and all the great times and life's teachings he gave me, and two, boy am I getting old !!!!
    I will add to the GSA set when I can find pieces that match the crescent obverse rainbow toning that this coin possesses. The toning provides an incredible contrast to the portrait of Miss Liberty, fully dramatizing George Morgan's masterpiece.
    Happy coin hunting !
    Rich

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