coinsandmedals

Wow, I am sorry to hear you went through such a tough time. We were very fortunate here in Northern Mississippi, but I know many people temporarily lost power. The extent of the damage here was not even remotely close to what your area experienced. Hopefully they can get the work done quickly, and kiddos can have their play area back soon. 

@coinsbygary this is incredibly generous of you. I will send you a message shortly. 

@coinsbygary I haven't tried it yet, but I found a license for the 2019 version of photoshop elements in the Walmart discount aisle for $10. I have it installed on my computer, and it seems to have a lot more editing ability than what I am used to. It may take me a bit to figure it out, but it never hurts to have more tools at your disposal. Any tips would be much appreciated! 

I haven’t tried axial photography, but I hope to in the future. I have several nicely toned pieces that I can not fully capture with my current setup. 

Excellent photos, by the way! The clash marks are apparent on the half-dime. 

@coinsbygary I agree. Dark copper can be very tricky to photograph. I've learned a few lighting techniques over the last year that have helped me, and I hope to learn more at the 2022 ANA summer seminar. The 2019 and 2021 seminars were canceled due to COVID, but luckily the ANA scholarship I received transfers to the 2022 event. I have had a fair amount of experience with raw and certified coins. Glare and fine hairlines on the plastic are the two biggest obstacles to overcome with graded coins. The real challenge is when you come across a dark, albeit slightly toned, copper piece in a holder that looks like it was used as a hockey puck. If I did not know better, it wouldn't be a wild notion that some dealers actively try to scuff up their holders. 

What type of software do you use to edit the pictures of non-round coins? I used 3-D paint because it is free, but I imagine there is a more effective way of doing this. 
 

@gherrmann44 You make an interesting point about veteran collectors. I assume this applies to a world in which most dedicated websites have transitioned to social media platforms? I find this hard to imagine, but stranger things have happened. I understand the need to keep operating costs low, but it seems to me that the bulk of established dealers using social media primarily do so for free advertisement. I mentioned that some younger dealers do their business entirely on these social media platforms in my original post. However, from talking with them, it seems like their end game is to eventually build and maintain their own website. Apparently social media platforms like Instagram have a few significant limitations that are best addressed by dedicated personal websites or outlets like eBay, where security is a bit more rigid. The fees at eBay are a limiting factor that may make the development of a dedicated website more appealing. At the very least, social media platforms are powerful advertisement tools that cost next to nothing to maintain.

I live in an area devoid of any noteworthy brick and mortar shops. The closest “coin shop” is over an hour away, and his inventory is severally lacking unless you are looking for bullion. I have several working relationships with dealers across the globe whom I have never met in person. It is not unusual for them to send me unsolicited items for review or give me a call when something interesting comes their way. Most have offered and often do bid on my behalf at smaller auctions without a large online presence. On a more personal note, we frequently chat about other non-numismatic topics, and at times our wives join the conversation. Several have invited us to their home should we ever find ourselves in their neck of the woods. My point is that you can develop trusting relationships with dealers without ever setting foot in their shop or even meeting them in person. That said, I would prefer to meet these people, but I lack the needed funds for all of that traveling. Oddly enough, our next European vacation has a designated stop for this specific reason, and my wife is entirely on board with the idea!  

In your view, is it the mass migration to the digital world generally speaking that runs the risk of isolating veteran collectors or the increased involvement of social media platforms? If the latter, do you see this more so as an issue of unfamiliarity or lack of trust? You mentioned your coin club, but it seems like clubs would be at higher risk to migrate to social media platforms because of thinner margins compared to dealers. Do you think we will gradually see a shift in trends towards less dedicated dealer websites and more dependence on social media platforms?

1 hour ago, Revenant said:

I'm still seeing a lot of dedicated websites and I've seen a trend towards dealers making their own sites to leave eBay. I buy a lot of my currency from a company that developed their their  own app that I have on my phone that can give me push notifications when they run a "10% off your whole order" sale. So I'd say it's a mixed bag.

Oh for sure, and my post was not meant to mitigate the migration to dedicated websites but more so to point out the extension to social media platforms. I assumed the former would occur; however, I never gave the latter much attention. That said, the app idea is entirely new to me and very cool! Is this a larger outfit? 

I converted to the non-PVC flip way of life a few years ago, and I have not looked back. I have found that the Saflip brand does the job well, and they also have 2 ½ flips for my larger pieces. Good quality flips can be expensive, but I enjoy seeing the entire coin and the far more generous space for note-taking on the inserts. Speaking of which, I have some work I need to do for a few of my newest additions! 

4 hours ago, Revenant said:

Always have to be careful in marriage - come-uppance will come.  

Indeed!! 

Oh yes, my wife often jokes about me getting a “big boy” job. I can’t complain as I often teased her while she was working on her graduate degree. 

It seems my path was a bit different than yours. I was torn between med school and Ph.D. programs my senior year. I was fortunate enough to be extended multiple offers from both med schools and Ph.D. programs, but I didn’t have a solid idea for what I wanted to do. I eventually decided to pursue a master's degree to continue my research, which I soon found was my real passion. Fast forward a few more years, and I’ve nearly finished my Ph.D. with no regrets. 

The only holdup, for the time being, is my inability to bring older participants into my lab due to COVID protocols. Luckily, I have figured out a way to move my study mostly online, I just need the final nod from the IRB, and I am good to go! I’ve already finished several pilot studies for my dissertation, and I’m reasonably confident I know how the new data will turn out. That said, I have been preemptively working on my document. If all goes well, I should have no issues finishing the results and discussion sections a few weeks after data collection is complete. Of course, this assumes my teaching endeavors will not be overly burdensome. 

I am more than ready for my “big boy” job and the accompanying pay increase. It’ll be nice to finally move beyond the monthly stipend lifestyle to something more liberating. 

Congratulations on reaching such an impressive milestone! Your journal hits pretty close to home, especially the part about graduate school. In the last year of my Ph.D. program, I am all too familiar with the monthly stipend way of life. Coming from a very low socioeconomic background and being a first-generation student to graduate high school, much less obtain my Ph.D., I truly have a lot to be thankful for. That said, I am eager to transition to the postgraduate version of myself with a full-time job and a little more financial freedom to pursue my numismatic interests. Your journey helps bring hope to realizing that goal. Thank you for sharing! 

4 hours ago, ColonialCoinsUK said:

That's interesting as Droz made a number of modifications at the Paris mint and some of the French coins have a lettered edge - I wonder which came first??

Admittedly, I know very little about French coinage. I do know, however, that Droz’s 1786 Ecu de Calonne had a lettered edge, but the coin was never adopted for circulation. The technology to impart the lettered edge was somewhat operational for hand operated presses by December of 1798. We know this because records indicate that Matthew Boulton, James Watt, and Thomas Jefferson visited the Paris Mint to see Droz demonstrate his new contraption. It is here that the Boulton and Droz chapter begins. 

Of course, it is worth noting that lettered edges appeared on numerous coins, medals, and tokens, well before Droz’s invention. The distinguishing feature here is that the new collar allowed the edge lettering to be applied simultaneously while the obverse and reverse were struck. The collar also resulted in a perfectly round coin, which is a consistency that evaded most at the time. The technology was indeed a remarkable improvement for hand presses but proved impractical in its current design for Boulton to use with his steam-powered mint. Despite all the money, pleading, and legal pursuit Droz left the Soho Mint without ever fixing the issue. Luckily Boulton had a team of skilled engineers, and they were able to solve the issue unaided by Droz.

That was a long-winded reply that didn’t answer your question. I would assume one could find coins/medals/tokens with a lettered edge before the 1780s, but the edge lettering would have been applied as a separate step. I imagine the modifications that you mentioned were implemented after he left Soho in March of 1791 and later rejoined the ranks at the Paris Mint. I’d be interested to learn more about his involvement with the Paris Mint if you have any information to share. 

I think it is fair to say that writing and organization are my numismatic Achilles heel as well. I tend to be a somewhat organized person, but the COVID world has taken a considerable chunk of the time I usually set aside to stay organized. I have slowly turned into my old statistics professor from grad school. He had piles of paper all around his desk, but he had some form of organization in all the disarray. I always got a good laugh when he would stop mid-sentence, pull a paper out of the middle of the stack, and proclaim, "I've been looking for this all day". I fear that I am slowly trending in that direction in terms of both work and numismatics. 

7 hours ago, ColonialCoinsUK said:

The only British coin by Droz I have is a pattern sixpence from 1790.

Many of the top engravers seem to have moved around Europe quite freely despite the wars going on!

I like your sixpence! I have bid on a few of them over the years, but I haven't successfully obtained one yet. 

There is an interesting story about Droz and his move to London. As it turns out, he brought an entourage with him, which no doubt further inflamed the already suspicious Royal Mint officials. Long story short, Droz was carrying a secret new contraption in his luggage, which was used to apply a lettered edge to coins. It was this new technology that initially caught the attention of Boulton and soon became a selling point in his attempts to secure a coinage contract from the government. Droz's move brought a lot of skepticism, and his luggage was subsequently seized by customs officials and later inspected by Royal Mint officials. From the contemporary correspondence, it appears Boulton nearly had a full panic attack over the entire situation. Luckily the Royal Mint officials overlooked the gadget, and his luggage was eventually returned. At the time, his contraption was of the utmost importance. Ultimately it played little role in the Soho mint's happenings, mostly because Droz was too despondent to do the work he was already paid to do. 

Congratulations on the award!  I find myself in a similar situation of having more coins worthy of being graded than the $500 voucher will cover. For now, I am saving up a few more dollars in hopes of submitting it all at once to save on shipping charges. I have about two dozen Ex. Watt Jr. and Boulton pieces that I want to be graded and a bunch of "stuff" that should be graded before I sell it. It can be a delicate balancing act. Please share with us what you end up sending in and how it comes back! 

5 hours ago, ColonialCoinsUK said:

Very interesting, particularly as the recoinage of 1816 happened at the end of the Napoleonic period. This period in France appears to lack the small denominations with only a single issue (1808BB) of the 5 centimes being in copper so I assumed there was plenty of the earlier small denomination coinage still available - I could easily be wrong as there doesn't seem to be much of that about either and certainly not in high grade.

There are many other things I would like to collect however I have enough trouble just collecting coins - does auction catalogues count??!

Quite a bit did happen in terms of minting between 1742 and the early 19th century. I may be biased, but Matthew Boulton's Soho Mint was a game-changer on so many levels for the lower denomination currency. I am not very familiar with French coinage, but I know Jean Pierre Droz had grand visions for coinage reform in France well into the late 1780s. Of course, he later secured a coveted spot within the French Mint, but that is about the extent of my knowledge of his pursuits after he left Soho. By most accounts, Droz was a dark stain on the Soho Mint's history, and beyond his artistic merits, I do not hold him in high esteem. 

17 hours ago, Ray, USMC said:

The obverse on the 1942 has the date above the flat part of the picture. the reverse is the same and is similar in size to a us half dollar. The others (hope I read these right) 1950 3d ruel , 1959 6d ruel,1954 1s scIwns, 1940 2s floren and a 1941 2s6d coroin I probably have the letters off as I am not sure the are English letters. Are these Irish coins as well?

It looks like your question has already been answered, but here are a few helpful links for your coins. 

1942 Penny

1950 3 Pence

1959 6 Pence

1954 Shilling

1940 Florin

1941 1/2 Crown

On 1/16/2021 at 11:30 AM, Ray, USMC said:

The coin has a rooster or some kind of bird on it kind of fancy reverse. I don't have a picture of the reverse but if you need one I will attempt to take one.

I am not able to see the picture that you uploaded, but maybe I can help nonetheless. Below are images of an Irish Penny and Farthing that you can use to compare with your coin to identify it. 

2 hours ago, gherrmann44 said:

Pristine coins and a top-notch collection! I look forward to your future posts. A guy in my coin club collects Irish coins but his are medieval coins. I photographed a few of his coins for him and for conversation pieces I'll post them here.

I appreciate the sentiment! You are much more skilled at photographing silver than I am. If I had more time and money, I would likely broaden my horizons a bit, but I have more than enough to handle as it is. Thank you for sharing! 

15 hours ago, zadok said:

impressive n im not easily impressed....irish copper n bronze r very difficult to find pristine, partly due to the corrosive ocean salt environment that used to permeate everything, also there were few true irish collectors for many decades and preservation standards were a bit lax...yes i too am a devoted ireland coin collector...one of my most favorite areas of collecting....challenging n so many rare dates....missing one coin in my free state n republic collections.....again congrats on ur upgrade....

My Irish copper collection closely mimics my English pursuits, with a limited scope from the 17th to 19th centuries. I find the Soho pieces most intriguing and accessible Armstrong and Legg pieces are my next favorite era of Irish coppers. I briefly explored modern coinage, but I found myself more interested in the earlier coinage. Perhaps that will change for me some day. 

10 hours ago, ColonialCoinsUK said:

Beautiful coins and you have a very impressive collection - even more so given the quality of the coins. I have had a long standing interest in Irish coins & history although as I started as a sixpence collector this tends to be silver (free state) rather than copper/bronze - the one exception is this token from 1846 as this appears to have been issued by my family which is a bit odd as most of the family is from around Cork!

I have spent the last year or so trying not to buy certain banknotes issued in Northern Ireland.

Thank you for the compliment, and congratulations on your journal award this year! Oddly enough, I got my start with mercury dimes, which evolved to large cents, which has permanently evolved to Irish and English copper. Once infected by the copper bug I never got over it. If I have learned anything from this hobby, it is that you never know what might catch your eye. The token itself is intriguing, but the added family connection brings it to a whole new level. Very cool, thank you for sharing! 

@Just Bob thank you! I have yet to figure out how to properly capture the color of toned copper. The pictures make this coin look much darker than it really is. 

Minted in 1954 correct?

Did they list the 1945 date during the entire submission process? I only ask because I wonder if someone in quality control just read the back of the coin and "corrected" the label. It is an interesting piece nonetheless. 

These are all excellent points. Here is my take on the whole thing. I almost entirely collect copper coins. If a copper coin is in an older holder and has nice eye appeal I might consider paying a premium. It’s not so much the holder that would influence that decision but more so the stability the holder implies. Copper coins can change color over time. If given the choice between two red designated coins that are equal in all other ways I am more likely to select the coin in an old fatty or old green holder for a slight premium than a coin in a modern holder. The reason for this is the older holder suggests that the coin is stable and indicates to me at some level that I should not expect any major changes in color for the foreseeable future.

Sending prayers to you and your family. It seems as though your wife and son are making good progress. My sister-in-law is a nurse at Vanderbilt children’s hospital in the NICU. I can say with confidence that the medical staff in those units are very devoted to both the patient and the family. In Private they celebrate the triumphs and cry over the sorrows. I have witnessed this first hand. So rest assured, he is in good hands and his fighting spirit will prevail.