RWB

Here is the response. Simple, direct, honest.

Struck through Gen Tso's Chicken....

I saw it on Foxx Gnews -- along with the report that the earth is flat.

The Treasurer of the US, not the Sec of Treasury. Individual mints had complained about having to fill orders for single coins from individuals and the time it took to send replies, wait for payment, then mail the coins via registered, etc. The problem became worse when new silver designs were introduced in 1892 and then even worse with Lincoln cents, Buffalo nickels, etc. The Philadelphia Mint had staff to handle medal and proof coin orders, but not circulated coins for individuals. The other mints had no facilities, so the work had to take time from other duties of clerks. The eventual solution was for the Treasurer of the US to be sent a supply of coins from each mint, and then fill orders. The Treasurer had staff to handle cash and operating the Cash Room at Main Treasury in Washington. (The Treasurers had already been quietly giving out gold $1 and $3 to VIPs visitors and members of Congress....See RAC 1909-1915 for details...These were used by wives, daughters and girlfriends for jewelry.)

Everyone here is anxious to help others and provide truthful information. Bring your questions here first, before looking at the mass of liars on video posts.

If yu can get dead people to autograph your slabs, that will definitely increase their value. Here's a web site to start --- https://www.walmart.com/browse/patio-garden/shovels/5428_4091_4689569_3042426_3441876

Yep. Much of this witch hunting began with Director Kimball.

I have the Seven Pillars of Wisdom but not the Seven Books of Tyrant.

As can be seen from the first post, coins we think of today as valuable were considered ordinary and worth face or a little more. With no information about the Pratt $5 pattern, it would have been worth $5. (There was no pattern $2.50.) Also, it appears that none of the SG $5 patterns survive -- only the hubs.

Could be partially oxidized nickel...?

A lower-end lab grade XRF runs about $15k. Like any precision instrument, it must be properly maintained, calibrated and used by people who understand what they are doing AND understand how to interpret the raw results. The hand held units, especially ones run by jewelers are rarely correctly calibrated, cleaned, or otherwise maintained, and the operators are only slightly more knowledgeable that some phony ambulance chaser.

Most of the recyclers want to recover all the metals. The other materials go in landfills.

By about 1923, the Treasurer's office had taken over sales of coins to collectors, so the Mints no longer had to deal with coin requests from collectors. I suspect, but have not seen, that Treasury had a list of repeat purchasers.

This is the list for July 1895. Coins were bought and sold to these dealers for the Mint Cabinet of Coins. Coins were also bought at auction and by private purchase from collectors (very rarely after about 1887). Evidently, if a collector pestered the mint enough, they would provide the names of dealers who might be interested in buying a coin from its owner. (Note the address typo for H E Morey.)

This is pretty close to the "horse's mouth."

For further interest....

No denomination and it fits the style of the jewelry tokens -- I forget the name of one of the larger makers in the midwest. US Mint got occasional requests for these.

VF with EF shadow.

I rather prefer "machine" or "mechanical" because to many "strike doubling" suggests hitting the planchet twice. The other terms imply some sort of mechanical problem.

It's a jewelry token made in the 1880s.

An "autograph" and a "signature" are not the same thing.

But what about colored or painted message threads? Some of them begin to peel off sooner or later....?

How do members think the authentication and grading companies will fare in the future?

What I've suggested is a scientific study about knowledge, not coin variety or "value" in money.

Refining techniques in the late 18th and early 19th century were poor when compared to improved processes after mid-century. That left trace elements which can be used to identify the source of the gold or silver. The actual cost of collecting data would be small if we assume the authentication companies do the XRF on every early gold and silver coin submitted as a part of normal workflow. The raw data would merely be a table of dates, denominations, XRF results, and date of the test/equipment used. There would be no ownership or organized acquisition of specimens. (Note: XRF analysis can be performed through hard plastic using correct techniques. But the handheld units are not consistent enough for good results.)