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Villarreal

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Journal Entries posted by Villarreal

  1. Villarreal
    Part 2
    hi coinman....
    to address your point, but for the sake of brevity, 'I put the coins in my pocket'...should have included every thing you mentioned....I wasn't brutal but the coins saw a lot of attention...
    I was not trying to lower coins incrementally, I started with coins that graded the 64 - 66 spread most fell in....and as JTO stated....the 58 has the appearance of a higher grade with high point wear or 'breaking the luster'....every coin I submitted had high point luster 'broken'....that was my criteria for wear....even as slight as it was...
    NGC thought differently and gave me the grades I posted....thanks for your input everyone...
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  2. Villarreal
    Part 2
    @ yehrah, I tried that joke on Erin, good thing she didn't hear me...
    Re the Morgan Set:
    When I said I couldn't work the set anymore, I meant I could not afford upgrades or the 1893 S (AU55 or 58) to my Morgan set, basically all are 5 figure purchases each. Rick says it well, one has to find series and budgets that match. Now, the Morgans will fund projects or buy whatever we need as I have decided to slow down and smell more roses in my business life.
    I am more a fan of classic and silver coinage, preferring that to collecting our modern coins. Don't get me wrong, I have most of them also, I just don't do them certified except proof (dansco/to be handed down to grandkids).
    In place of Morgans, I now have been working on everyman sets and find them just as competitive and challenging. With AU58 being the highest grade allowed, the playing field widens and money isn't the only factor in assembling a #1 set. Even finding modern AU58's becomes challenging, as not many get certified in the circulated grades (1964 up).
    My focus in collecting has shifted from investment to enjoyment. A full grade G4 chain cent has more stories to tell than a MS67/68 pristine Morgan dollar.
    I'll take a good story any day.
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  3. Villarreal

    Making 58s

    By Villarreal,

    Do it yourself 58s
    As I previously wrote, I have enjoyed working on the everyman sets. Modern AU58s are tough, exception being higher price mint errors in circulated.
    I needed around 17 newer coins, and I had lots of mint packaged singles from mint sets. I figured, heck, I'll just make some 58s. I carried them around in my pockets when I could, big and small, business and proof (for silver issues), mixed together. I looked at them under my microscope and felt each coin had been frictioned and nicked to a 58.
    After a couple weeks total time in my pockets, I packaged them up, with a note explaining what I had done. I sent them off to NGC and my results are such:
    1-PF61
    2-PF/MS62
    2-MS63
    5-MS/PF64
    4-MS65
    2-MS66
    1-MS67
    Not a 58 among them...!!!

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  4. Villarreal

    Good Bye Lucky 13

    By Villarreal,

    Breaking my Morgan Set
    Morgan Dollars have been a favorite of mine for over 20 years. I have collected and upgraded, trading and selling as I went. I was lucky enough to assemble a respectable set, placing to a high as #9 set, to holding #13 now for a few years. Missing the 1893 S, I couldn't bring myself to settle for a mid grade coin. All but 2 of my original set were Unc, the 1892 S and the 1895 O were AU58.
    I found myself in the dilemma of the high cost of upgrading/completing this set. I was approached and asked if I would sell some keys, and the offers were quite fair. I sold my 1889 CC MS62PL, 1884 S MS61, and my 1892 S AU58. Even after selling those three keys, I was surprised to find I did not drop from the #13 spot.
    I was called again this week, and I met with a buyer in Baltimore pre show. He bought 8 Morgans last night, and I know I will lose my spot. I had held the coins for over 10 years and was satisfied with my returns. Although I love the series, I found I really could not work it.
    She's gonna love that vette.
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  5. Villarreal

    Twenty Five Cents

    By Villarreal,

    Doing it the hard way!
    As a salesman, 'breaking the ice' with a buyer can mean an easy profitable outcome. I have used jokes many times, but on my recent sales trips, I used a numismatic riddle which stumped every buyer.
    I asked, "If I have 3 coins in my pocket, and together they total 25 cents, but I DON'T have a nickel or dime among them, what do I have?
    I had brought a 2 cent, 3 cent, and a 20 cent coin with me. When no one came up with a solution, I would toss the 2 cent piece up as a hint. Most people had never seen or known the US Mint had ever released one. The second hint further baffled them when I would add the 3 cent piece making 5 cents, throwing in the stories behind both coins.
    Now, the buyers were really perplexed, as they said surely there wasn't a 20 cent piece. As I flipped the double dime to them, bulging eyes tried to take in the strange coins in front of them.
    Later, while going through my sales pitches, they would go back to the "I can't believe they made coins like that" comments I got used to hearing.
    As I would leave the dealerships, I would wink to my partner as she stuffed nice orders in the brief case, and say "That's how it's done."
    It turned out to be a great round of visits...!!!
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  6. Villarreal

    1804 Restrike Large Cent

    By Villarreal,

    Top Pop
    It's been a super busy summer for me. Being in the motorcycle industry in summer means constant travel and little time home for our hobbies.
    I had decided to certify my large cents to keep a little excitement going in the numismatic life. I had assembled a raw large cent collection a while back, technically the last century (). The 1804 is always a tuff one and I hadn't found one yet. I chanced upon a restrike on Ebay back in 2004. It was a buy it now at $800 for an 'uncirculated' coin. I bought it and it sat in a dansco for years.
    I submitted it to NGC a few months ago and it came back as a 'lacquered' coin. I had always wanted to try NCS and this was a coin right up there alley. It was there a month or so, conserved and sent to NGC. Got the grade the other day.
    NGC awarded it a NGC MS66 BN. I checked the population report. One other MS66RD and one other MS66BN.
    KAPOW!!!
    Good Luck with all your coin endeavors...!!!

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  7. Villarreal

    Dreams that come true

    By Villarreal,

    1889 CC bought au/raw
    After reading about those buying raw coins and being disappointed, I present the other side of the...uh...proverbial coin. I preface this by saying, early on, I preferred raw coins and had a great looking set of Morgans in Dansco albums. I was searching for the 1889 CC and found one (on 8/19/2002) on Ebay that i watched and tried to snag at the last minute. It was sitting at $1700 or so and with 3 seconds left, I threw a $3500 bid on it. I won it for $1895. By the pictures posted, I felt it was a strong AU58 and even cleaned would have been worth the bid and then some. I was happy with the coin and it resided in the Dansco for a year or so. After winning a few large collections on Ebay that contained many certified morgans and gold coins, I decided to send in the Morgan keys that I had. I took them to a coin dealer friend who submitted them for me. Imagine my surprise when my friend called me a couple days before Christmas to tell me the grades on my coins. The 1889 CC came back as MS62PL, the one pictured with this post. (sorry about the 'paragraph', not sure how to html)

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