RWB

Grade inflation has ruined some aspects of coin collecting. The instability and false value appreciation are discouraging, and destructive in the long term. (A 1950 Franklin proof should cost about the same as a comparable condition 1942 WL proof....But, then, I don't control the markets.)

A good coin photo is always a balance between our perceptions and the camera's singular view. The goal is usually to have a photo that closely resembles the coin in color and detail. Personally, I am troubled by the suppressed detail (bottom image) along the right half of the portrait - especially the headband and diamonds.

Counterfeit.

OK. Do you have a question or just posting the photo?

Please --- Read and heed.

The book is almost entirely new information...and still fresh after 15 years. It is also out of print, so you'll have to borrow a copy under Interlibrary Loan (ILL) or find a used one.

The latest content update to "FFF" was March 21, 2021.

Didn't "clog up the works." Although tough to pull out the various coins. Are these sample you're sending out for free -- post paid?

...just past the squat toilet with no door. PS: It's "laboratory" - not "LABOROTORY" When posting "spam" at least spell your spam words correctly.

On another message board member 1630Boston stated in a post titled “Hermon Atkins MacNeil - Standing Liberty Quarter Dollar of 1916” that: “MacNeal [sic] designed the Standing Liberty Quarter Dollar of 1916. His design won in a competition with over 50 artists.” The second sentence is incorrect. There was no design competition. Three sculptors, Adolph Weinman, Hermon MacNeil and Albin Polasek were chosen to prepare designs suitable for the dime, quarter and half dollar. None of the artists were to prepare a design for any specific denomination. Polasek’s designs were rejected, and it fell to Weinman and MacNeil to prepare the new coinage. Weinman had already been awarded both dime and half dollar (both sides), plus one side of the quarter. The Commission of Fine Arts ‘insisted’ that MacNeil be given the quarter (both sides) as sort of a consolation prize. See Renaissance of American Coinage 1916-1921 for the complete story and details.

The bottom photo is 3-leg variety. Caused by excessive die polishing.

That officially closed when Congress passed the private bill in 1946. In practice it was probably open for reference into the 1950s, or even to 2011's trial.

Well, I thought there would be snippets of information -- maybe a paragraph or something like that....enough to tell the user that more than just the specific word was present, but not enough to "give away" the story. To me, looking up the word "Goldilocks" and finding that word in a book is almost useless. Goldilocks could relate to a hair dresser, a wig maker, a baker of bagels topped with yellow-fin tuna, or possibly an arrest for breaking and entering, or consuming porridge without a license....?

This is supposed to help: https://archive.org/details/newmannumismaticrestricted

The Superintendent's liability was technical because he accepted the content of sealed vaults and cages. The real fault was by the Settlement Committee that failed to notice the missing bag, and then certified the contents as correct.

No. US Mints stopped making 90% blanks in 1965. The 40% clad material was bought in strips ready for blank cutting.

If you go to a coin show, or check the on-line listings of major coin dealers, I suspect you can find much nicer bust halves for $100. The 1833 is a cull and worth little more than melt. Patience.

"Well rounded" -- yes, I guess it is....it is a book about coins. No one has asked why one book has chapters and the other does not. The reason is that the chapter book holds together best when read in sequence. The other book is episodic and can be enjoyed in almost any order, although chronological might be better.

The Carson bags were moved from one place to another several times, but they were also shifted from vault-to-vault within Mint and Treasury facilities. it is likely this latter, bag by bag handling that had the greatest effect on surface scrapes, etc. They ended up at main Treasury in Washington, DC.

Some thoughts about popularity of Carson Mint coins. It was a small mint within a larger silver-rush area. It produced enough coins over 20+ years to have examples readily available, but not in great excess as with New Orleans or San Francisco. It was not a completely obscure, special purpose mint like Dahlonega or Charlotte, or none that vanished. It was/is perceived as part of the "wild west" although the village was a pretty tame place compared to some of the towns along the cattle trails. A nice type coin can be bought for only a small premium above an S, P or NO, especially in Morgan dollars. The GSA hoard brought considerable publicity to the Carson Mint and that has become a self-fulfilling mantra.

I haven't tried. After all, I have all the originals in my database.

No. I refer to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) - specifically the facility on College Park, MD. There's a little ordinary stuff in past NGC and PCGS posts/threads.

I've asked the NNP folks for help.

There's a large set of files on the GSA dollars in the archives. When I looked a few years ago, there did not seem to be much that was new other than some details.

A 15-year old thread? This one's ready for a bar mitzvah, or communion, or.....