RWB

The quarter has obvious damage. The other two items are imitations - counterfeits made for tourist fodder.

The auction lot says nothing about "1793 Liberty cap." The description reads: "Undated 1C Large Cent--Type Two Blank Planchet--AU58 PCGS. An unstruck Large Cent planchet that has raised rims and chocolate-brown patina." It sold for $103.50 and could not possibly be mistaken for a dated coin, nor compared to a 1793 coin in value.

Please tell us were you read this part.... None of it is true, and it's helpful to know which websites are spreading lies.

That thing on the reverse of the watch fob resembles a wild boar - except for the bushy tail.

At that time the Post Office had specific deadlines for overnight delivery to major cities. I don't have a complete schedule, but there was a 7pm pickup in Washington (Treasury Building) for delivery in Philadelphia and New York the next morning. Mail was collected and sorted en route over night. A day shift took over in NYC for the trip to Washington DC. A close look shows that Kimball’s letter was entirely bluster. He cited no law, regulation or other violation, and presented no authority on his part to take any action at all. Bangs & Co. could have reasonably ignored it.

Those were the old "Flexi-Date" test coins. They automatically shifted from raised to incuse lettering in an attempt to reduce circulation wear. But -- the battery was bigger than the coin....

Here is a copy of Mint Director James Kimball's letter claiming more than 160 lots of pattern pieces in the Linderman Auction were U.S. government property, and attempting to confiscate them. Something similar was attempted in 1910 by Director Andrew. Both failed, although Andrew had dozens of pattern dies and hubs destroyed.

These are unique...every one of them... and worth face value. Now, if you could trace the damage back to specific makes of car and a certified parking lot, you could get a TPG to designate it a "Specimen" or maybe a "Special Proof" or something like that. Well, heck, it might be better than a piece of burnt toast that someone imagines looks like Mary What's-Her-Name.

Use of older dies on hand was an approved procedure until 1882. There's a thread "1877 Cent video by Rick Snow" referencing this subject. Also, an article has been submitted for publication titled "Little Letter Explains a Lot" explaining reuse of reverse/undated dies, and presenting director Burchard's letter in full.

Almost all of them were flawless when they came from the dies. After that, each coin was subject to a series of potential damaging events, including post-grading damage during encapsulation. If one had the proportion damaged at each step (from sampling), then the net true UNC-70 proportion could be calculated. (Automated system malfunction rates could possibly substitute.)

"Pattern" dimes with 1859 obverse and 1860 reverse were made several years after those dates. They were never legitimate pattern, experimental or transition pieces and not legal tender.

The Washington Star description and Masonic Rites would have located the cornerstone at the northeast corner of the monument. This coincides with the pyramidal capstones (arrows) shown in this 1890 photo taken just after dedication. Press reports from several months ago indicate these areas were examined and nothing was found. All of the monument has been removed, examined and nothing found. Since installation of the cornerstone was witnessed by thousands of spectators in October 1887, it appears that the original was removed and replaced with a solid block. The stone was, in this case, merely a ceremonial item and not structural, it seems unlikely that the original was damaged. So, it must have been quietly removed and replaced after the 1887 ceremony with the copper box stored at some unknown location.

Here's a transcription of the reported contents and a note about the box' location. (I did some minor editing to make reading the list easier.) A gap in the base seems to have been left for the corner stone, and the stone then slipped into place at the ceremony of October 27, 1887. Note that there are a few coins mentioned, but nothing especially interesting. It's odd that no request was made for a set of 1887 proof coins. It also seems strange to me that the contents is such a jumble of "stuff" with little organization or relation to Gen. Lee -- as if locals simply provided personal mementos or even personal calling cards -- kind of like "I was there." Corner-Stone Contributions. List of Articles Placed in the Copper Box. The following articles were received by Mr. W. B. Isaacs, and have been placed in the copper box which will be inserted in the Lee-monument corner-stone: From George D. Fisher – compiled history of the Monumental church. T.A. Brander – Roll of Company B. Twelfth Virginia infantry. J. B. Halyburton – statistics of the city of Richmond. P.J. White – constitution and by-laws of Lee Camp, Confederate Veterans, and programme of banquet to Lynn Post No. 5. Cyrus Bossieaux – Virginia Confederate Buttons. J. W. Tailey – battle-flag; and square and compass made from the tree over Stonewall Jackson’s grave. Charles E. and Waler B. Harwood – twelve copper coins. George T. Mattern – muster-roll of Richmond Sharpshooters, Twenty-first Virginia regiment. Carlton McCarthy – badge of the Association of Army [of] Northern Virginia. Saks & Co. – circular advertisement. M. Staples & Co. – copy of Emigrants’ Friend. Mrs. H. A. Marshall – genealogical tree of the Lee family. F. W. Jones – Confederate treasury notes. John F. Mayer – copy of seal of the Adjutant-General of the Confederate States; photograph-copy of Confederate cent; and a $100,000 Confederate bond, registered. Master Nolting – $1 Confederate note. W. T. Moseley – English penny of 1812. J. H. Capers – roll of officers and members of Richmond Commandery No. 2; individual card of Edward W. Price, general commander, New Jersey; programme of the Ancient Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine on the occasion of the laying of the corner-stone. George A. Ainalei – reports of the Chamber of Commerce for 1886 and 1887; constitution and by-laws of the Virginia Mechanics’ Institute; and by-laws of Richmond Commandry No. 2. James E. Goode – Warrock-Richardson Virginia Almanac for 1887. J. W. Randolph & English – Soldiers’ Life Army of Northern Virginia (by McCarthy); Memorial Volume of the Army of Northern Virginia; a guide to Richmond with maps of Richmond and Virginia; badge corner-stone parade; History of the First Battle of Manassas; Grantham’s Historical Account of Some Memorable Actions in Virginia, 1716. [sic 1882 reprint]. Emma R. Ball – report Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, 1887. Miss Pattie Leake – picture of Lincoln lying in his coffin. W. H. sands – programme Ancient Order Nobles of Mystic Shrine laying corner-stone of Lee monument. James Alfred Jones – Weekly Dispatch October 21, 1887 containing letter of Hon. W.W. Coreoran of General Lee. Miss Nettie Lee Brown – W. Gordon McCabe’s address at the reunion of Pegram’s battalion, picture of memorial window of Pegram’s battalion at Soldier’s Home; Gray and Blue badge. Master Frank Brown – piece of a stone wall, Fredericksburg, Va.; three bullets from battlefield of Fredericksburg, one piece of shell from Fredericksburg, one piece of wood with Minnie-ball in it from battle-field of Fredericksburg; and a cut from a tree at the Bloody Angle, Spotsylvania. Henry H. Turner – individual card. C. S. De Villiers – programme of three exhibitions by Bremond Institute for benefit of Lee monument fund; a button from coat of Captain Bremond. Blaie Meanley – individual card. William B. Isaacs – assortment of United States silver and copper coins; Richmond Directory. Carlton McCarthy – one United States silver dollar, 1886. Richmond Times – copy of paper of 23 October, 1887. J. Thompson Brown – assortment of United States fractional coins. Thomas J. Starke – one Holy Bible. W. B. Isaacs – copies of charters issued by Grand Lodge, Grand Chapter, and Grand Commanders of Virginia to its subordinates (on parchment). Grand Lodge of Virginia – fourth edition of Grand Lodge Text-Book; copy of Text-Book Grand Chapter of Virginia and Digest copy Grand Constitution of Grand Encampment United States Knights Templars and proceedings 1886. Copy of Proceedings – 1886, Grand Lodge, Grand Chapter, and Grand Commandry of Virginia. Programme of exercises observed on occasion of laying of Lee-monument corner-stone. Reprints of proceedings of Grand Lodge of Virginia from 1877 to 1822 [sic 1882], containing steel engravings of all grand masters during that period, and also engravings of Dr. John Dove and Hon. R. E. Withers. The box containing the articles to be placed in the corner-stone was sealed at 2:30 o’clock yesterday. The corner-stone was taken to the site of the monument yesterday about 1 o’clock. [Richmond Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia), October 26, 1887, p1.] An article in the Washington Evening Star October 27, 1887, p.4 states: “The corner stone is about 4 feet across and 2 feet deep, and the cap that covers it is about 1-1/2 feet deep. It will, when put in pace, be about 2 feet above ground.”

Super! Found it: Richmond Dispatch Richmond, Virginia 26 Oct 1887, Wed • Page 1 This was around a year after work began on the pedestal - Oct 25, 1886 - so the box was not really in the structural cornerstone, but likely a ceremonial one placed in the base above the pedestal....Nope- more like a gap left for the stone in the pedestal....

I checked "Newspapers.com" and the Library of Congress newspaper files.

The TPG fees are for their examination. The service is not, and never was, free.

Interesting thoughts. I have not located the "original" newspaper material that mention a copper box or its contents. Corner stone "time capsules" were extremely common in that era. Mint archives have many letters from individuals and banks asking for new or proof coins for use in corner stones. I recall (?) that the Masonic Orders had suggestion for the content as well as the laying ceremony.

OK, thanks! I thought it might be another acronym for "Jefferson something-something-something Memorial"

"An 1875 almanac, books and a coin were discovered in time capsule found in the pedestal of Robert E. Lee statue." https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/22/us/virginia-lee-time-capsule-open-trnd/index.html Based on contents, box material, and location this does not appear to match the description in 1887 articles concerning the base. As of the evening of the 22nd, the entire base had been removed and nothing further was located. It is possible the original box was removed and the one found is a replacement, or that the one described in newspapers was "what was planned" and not what was actually used. The Lee statue did not get placed on the pedestal until 1890, if I read previous articles correctly. The pedestal cornerstone was laid October 27, 1886.

What's a "JPM" ?

TPGs won't authenticate or grade counterfeits - which is what "replicas" are.

Take them to the maternity ward of your local hospital and give one to each newborn - or a parent. Another use would be to hold closed the eyes of the dead unvaccinated Covid-19 victims.

When making extraordinary claims, "ordinary" is insufficient. Good photos, from multiple angles (not in a holder), help - but they are only a part of what must be done - and fully publicly disclosed - as part of a careful scientific analysis. Truth and honesty demand nothing less.

False. The TPGs literally define the marketability for high-end coins. No slab - No money grab! Sellers give them explicit trust and do not question their pronouncements. The day when major auction companies or dealers doing their own research and careful investigation ended when TPGs were given total arbiter authority. That includes the selection of preferred - not necessary particularly knowledgeable - "experts." And also thereby obstructed broad hobby discussion and input.

Yes, it is a lot of work for ordinary coins....but we are not discussing ordinary coins. These are supposed to be extraordinary coins about which extraordinary claims are being made - those claims MUST be established in fact and with full disclosure. It is completely unacceptable to simply dictate - without facts - that some coin is "special" or a "specimen" or "gently lavished with royal toilet paper."