JTO

I have been here for a goodly period of time and am about to turn 61 and collecting more than 50 of those years. I like the pictures of the new system as it feels like a virtual Whitman / Dansco album. That said, in a prior time, I worked my way through school as a freelance photographer. I had an infuriating time trying to learn how to crop a circular coin. When ever I searched the web on how to crop a circle from a photo I would windup in crazy-town with "Crop Circles and UFO's". But now that I have figured how to crop a circular image (coin), I really enjoy the posting and reviewing of my photos. I miss some of the functions of the old system like the data on cost, purchase location... but maybe they will bring them back in an update. Two things: 1) the how to enter coin data is only in the old control panel not the new and 2) NGC may be the new ANA registry either that or the ANA is stunningly slow. My two cents and a recent photo, John

Daniel Carr is a gifted artist and engraver. His credits run from designing statehood quarters to designing and making fantasy tokens/coins. He is very careful to avoid breaking federal law so... Each U.S. "Fantasy" coin that he makes is made on a genuine U.S. coin of the same type employing a surplus Denver Mint coining press. When he started he prompted quite the discussion at the US Secret Service but... Because the coin he strikes is struck on an original monetized coins the "fantasy" coin is not a counterfeit but a genuine coin that has been modified, i.e. Hobo Nickels. So the Peace dollar that you hold was made on a genuine Peace dollar and can therefore be argued to be a altered U.S. coin. He had to put the double date MCMXXI (1921) and Arabic 2021 to avoid counterfeiting the Peace MCMXXI high relief pattern. By placing the 2021 on his coin it cannot be mistaken with the real pattern. Each coin comes with legal language about how it is not intended nor should it be used to represent a genuine US Mint emission. The 1964-D Peace Dollar is one of my favorites, how could he make it? 1) Officially no 1964-D Peace dollars exist, all were melted. (That is had for me to believe but that is the official mint story and they are sticking to it.) 2) Just in case a real 1964-D Peace dollar pops up, his D mint mark is re-punched. Love or hate what he does, he does what he does extremely well. John

I have been collecting since I was 8 years old and turn 61 in 2 weeks. I had the usual starts and stops but for the most part my collecting was always there for me. I got more serious about a few series in 2013 when I got a new job and needed to escape to my coins. By way of back ground I am a Trauma Surgeon and have seen suffering, death and dying on a daily basis. Coins have ben my escape, my safe place, after God it is were I go for peace (this sounds weak and whiny but it is what it is.) My first passion is as a type collector of pre-1964 US coins. My set is not number 1 nor will it be but respectable at number 4 currently (https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/90973/). I got interested in putting together a set of nice Liberty Standing Quarters (SLQ) in an album, and did, but along the way picked up certified coins that I broke out for the album and the some that I just could not break out... Thus started my SLQ registry set (https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/138325/) at a less respectable #12. With this set I have sought eye appeal and full heads (holder designated or not) over grade numbers and points. i.e. my 1919-D is a 58 FH that I replaced a 64 flat head with. And I love the 20 Cent series, short and sweet. I spent 7 years chasing my 1877 with cameo appearance, now #3 (https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/185444/). My point is that the registry Mark Salzberg and the great staff of the NGC registry have reenabled my passion of albums, both the cardboard and the virtual (registry.) The NGC Registry is like a virtual Dansco or Whitman or Intercept Shield album. I find that for me the coin is only fully in the NGC Virtual album (registry) once I have photographed it and placed a cropped photo in the set on which I am working. The decision to again accept PCGS in addition to NGC makes NGC in general and Mark Salzberg in particular the bigger and better grading company, registry and man/collector. My main point is that with 53 years of collecting NGC has been instrumental in helping me to keep collecting and my wits about me. Thank you. Thank You Mark ,Thank You Registry staff and Thank You NGC for being inclusive (not PCG exclusive) and fostering our great hobby. How did I get to # 7, very slowly with no goal to get there. John

Seems to be post mint defacing to me. The only plausible mint defect, in my mind" is an under weight, thin planchette with after mint "adjustments". But... the "Monticello" is well struck. I say Nickel, Belt Sander, rough abrasion then voila. My 2 cents, John

I agree with what's been said so far. He meant marks on the reverse from New Orleans and Carson City, with a faux Mint Marks, look silly. But, worthless? No. They will always be worth the price of the silver bullion from which they were made. John PS for Chrisinjesup from a prior posting thread, I am a surgeon and worked at both the VA Directly and through the University of California. If had the privilege of training many active duty military surgeons. I fully support that only the care of our active duty troops but more importantly the critical physical and mental health care responsibility that our country owes to the veterans who have served and returned. Veterans should have the opportunity to get care in the private sector if it's better but this should not be used as some money graft by the private sector to once again abuse our veterans. Thank you again for your service, John

Dear ChrisInJesup, First, thank you for your service to me and everyone in the country. This is my Mint to TPG story. I have very mixed emotions about submitting coins from the Mint. I dutifully collected each first spouse proof as it came out from the Mint. I waited I had the complete collection (prior to the Barbara Bush coin) and hand carried the coins to Florida to the FUN show. That was 41 coins, amounting to 20.5 ounces with a price at the time of roughly$1300 per ounce for a total value of roughly $53,000. My thought was without much money on the line I submitted the coins on the first day of the show for "show grading" at full price. Starting with Washington and ending with Regan I took each capsule and placed it in in a flip, then placed the flips in chronologic order, made a sticker for each flip with a label maker and filled out two sheets with each coin ins proper order. (you know what is coming) Sooooo... 1) On the final day of the show no coins and the home office (just miles away closed) and no answer as to where they were or why I would not get what I paid for. 2) I finally gave up and flew home and awaited the outcome, better correct that today, but... 3) On Monday they had found the coins and were doing "expedited" grading (NO REFUND ON THE SHOW GRADEING FEE…) 4) When I got the coins late that week (quick but not "walk through" either) they were mostly 70's but... 5) They were all out of order with some random sequence slab numbers and... 6) Seven (7) coins were tagged with a post-it notes saying conservation recommended on a PR-69. So I think conservation + 69 = 70. But... 7) after paying for "show grading", and delivering the coins, waiting to get them back, following their recommendations for conservation, 3 out of 7 upgraded to 70. 8) With the current Mint management quality control process, it was hard for me to understand how a Mint sealed coin could need conservation much less 7 out of 41. And then, what is the point of conserving a gold coin (it won’t Corrode) if they come back in the same grade looking the same. I have been at this for 53 years and I'm no David Vagi but come on... To steal and bastardize a quote from Winston Churchill: NGC is the worst third party grading service EXCEPT FOR ALL THE REST! Am I whining, yeah, I am. But we are in to coins because they scratch some little pedantic itch we have, the need to set things in order, to completion with the ever elusive, in fact unattainable, goal of perfection. But we try and that is what makes me whine. For those who might have interest here is my "Spouse set." All issues are represented with my photos of and commentary on each First Lady, I hope you enjoy: https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/189141/ I do believe that Mark Salzberg is the finest person in the hobby, business and or obsession we love. He unlike Mr. Hall really gets why we do what we do. John (JTO)

Dear NGC Staff, Thank you for your hard work on the great Registry. My 1804 Bank of England Dollar does not seem to be in your population reports. It is a ESC-144 in MS-62 Proof Like and none of this type and grade is listed in the population report. Below are pictures of the NGC Certified coin. Thank you, John

I finally found an acceptable 1860 P $5 half eagle to add to my 1860 mint set. Oddly the 1860 D (Georgia) issue if far more available. By mintage figures for the two issues, ~20k vs.~15k, are comparable. The Charlotte is in the 15K range and rarely seen while the San Francisco is at 21k specimens minted and a tough find. Here is my new addition... John

JKK got it. The coin looks funny to me but remember the hubs for the 1921 Morgan were engraved anew because the old hubs had been discarded. As a result the 1921 never looks like a real Morgan to me (flat stars...) The only reason to fake a 1921 Morgan would be to do so in sufficient quantity to take advantage of the increased spot price of silver. So the weight is the key. If you are in the situation where you can't remove it from the holder just place a genuine Morgan of any year in a similar grade on the scale with an empty 2X2. Weigh the genuine and then this coin and compare. If you don't have a scale you can set up a balance. Usually if it is fake it will be light so the side of the homemade balance that has the fake will rise. Good luck, John

Just one more to show that you can insert the green bean. John

Very nice lighting! I have taken a less laborious approach. I take my camera and mount it on my father's (now passed) 50 year old photo copy stand. This places the film/digital image plain of the camera parallel to the coin (the camera is mounted facing straight down.) I surround the copy stand, camera, holder and coin with a automobile sun screen (reflective silver foil bubble type) and aim my lights at the sun screen. This is just another way of getting indirect lighting. I crop the coins in photoshop in the shape of a circle to remove the holder or background. Then I crop the label. I use the power point slide program to arrange the coin (obverse and reverse) and the label with any other items (green bean or comments...) Thank you for looking, John

Dear Ali, I would love to see the 18th century world (mostly Europe) silver coins have competitive sets. Such as the France ECU Example 3479130-009. I have a collection of Dollar sized coins from arround the world to illustrate the origin of the Dollar. Other examples are the Thaler's from multiple countries and city-states. Hoping, John

Hmmm... Doors are a good thing to close (my wife and I have 2 daughters). I wonder if you might have missed a decimal point on the $122.00. By my math $122.00 in cents is 122 X 100 = 12,200 coins. A roll or stack of 50 Lincoln cents is ~ three inches in length or height. I would not contest that you made a stack of that number of Lincoln cents but I think that if you did it was a bit taller than 19.5 inches. Just my 2 cents, John

Congratulations!

Obviously to have done all that I am a deeply disturbed person...