RWB

Excellent books and a good guide to assembling a type set.

Excellent find! I bet the loser was really upset! 25-cents was a considerable sum.

Fine.

Others don't see what you "see" because they are describing what is present on the coin, not in your mind. Pareidolia is very powerful because it is part of how our brain detects features and shapes that are out of place -- such as a leopard hiding amid tree branches as it waits to pounce on a human ancestor. Our optical system is on the low end of mammal acuity, so we use other tricks to improve visual information. You "see" certain shapes, and reinforce them until they become real -- but only to you. Look at the full moon next month - do you see a "Man in the moon" or a "rabbit" or some other familiar shape. The "bear on Mars" recently shown by NARA is another example.

1965-1967 SMS sets were produced as substitutes for real proof sets. Some of the coins are close to the contemporary quality of proof coins, but because the US Mint was honest about thes pieces NOT being proof, NGC and many others us the "MS" designation for the type of manufacturing.

IBP is a super curriculum! Congrats to her!

What's the Large Magellanic Cloud have to do with coins, unless it's starry-eyed wishes?

In reality, all but a minute part of a tiny percentage of collections with "thousands and thousands of coins. Both US and international," in it are of significant value. There are probably a lot of coins tossed back from circulation and of minimal value except for those in silver (or gold). To start to satisfy your curiosity, separate all the coins into 3 piles (or shoe boxes): loose coins, coins in paper holders (2x2), and coins in plastic holders of some kind. Next, divide the coins in plastic holders into ones in holders with labels saying "NGC" "PCGS," or "ANACS." that is probably where most of the value lies. You can look up these coins on line to get a rough idea of value. Among all the other coins, pull out any in gold or silver in 2x2 or in labeled plastic holders, They have a minimum value based on their metal content. I suggest you post a few of the coins in plastic holders here, so that members can provide a little more information. Sandon is entirely correct regarding Estate valuations they must be made by qualified appraisers. However, now you. at the least, have a rough estimate of value.

EF or possibly a real AU depending on amount of abrasion. The photo does not seem to show anything that would prevent normal grading.

So....your are immersing your slabbed coins in PVC plasticizer? How about trying thin mylar instead?

Kurt is Right! The US MInt has some of the best, highest quality design and minting equipment in the world. Their production coins, especially those sold to collectors, are consistently of lower quality artistically, AND mechanically than even the old Franklin Mint. I have one of the silver FM bicentennial 50 state medal sets. Almost all of the designs simply blow away anything the US Mint produced then, or on in the state quarter series. Artistically and mechanically there is no viable comparison that favors our national mint. I recently acquired a silver medal by Heidi Wastweet. It is not only beautiful and creative, but the manufacture cut it crisp and clean -- without losing any of its medallic character. One persistent problem is the strong resistance of the manufacturing end to using its die cutting tools to create relief in the clarity and sharpness of 1900 work. Other world mints can do this, but I know from personal experience that the 1990s "Spaghetti Head" crew has passed it's sloppiness down to the next generation of blur and fuzz experts. All of the recent mint directors have failed to require improvement, being either too timid, too engrossed in profit centers, or too "crow-like" in distraction of shiny baubles.

"Can an NGC holdered coin rotate in its EdgeView holder?" Yep.

Pres. Ford thought it was a waste of money -- especially when there were no gold or silver coins to assay. Now the precious metal planchets are bought from outside sources (well...some have inside offices, others use tents, or a combination of sleeping bags and umbrellas - but I digress). Contractors certify meeting specifications, and the assay lab at West Point makes random checks to verify.

Stains, tarnish and so forth are not a typical part of a coin's level of abrasion, but they should always be mentioned when buying or selling since most of these things are distracting and lower the desirability of a coin. NO COIN GRADER can presume how such things affect specific buyers/sellers and they should not be part of a grade unless they have caused damage to the surface. Then, the coin is "damaged." and should not be given a grade.

The 43 were left out because their "expert" didn't know how the coining dept operated and simply dismissed the signed statement by the Coiner, Bartholomew. It was another of his "orphan" documents. Anyway, it was the defense's demonstrative so they used whatever they wanted to sell their case. This and especially the Switt chart implying that he stole the coins, (no evidence at all!) was more than enough to convince the jury. (I was not permitted to explain how the Coining Dept actually operated in 1933.)

Nice coin. EF. Too much abrasion and handling for an authentic AU-58. (The other "AUs" are really EF but given a higher priced name. Kind of like the "Lariat" trim package on your Ford 150 truck.)

Not quite. Your original post assumed it was an "error." Next time post the item and and simply ask for input - you should describe it, but don't presume what it is. OK?

If the "extra"star is raised, then that is the most likely option, unless there is some way for and impressed coin to be forced into the edge of another with enough energy to depress hard bronze.

In MTM-2 I included a section that defines and explains US Mint usage of several common terms. I'm considering a USB with each book....we'll see.

You can buy all the ancient bronze coins you could possibly want off ebay auctions, etc. Most are from Romanian hoards and not worth $5 each. Stuff in the condition of your coin might as well be.....

The only "error" is thinking this is an authentic coin. It is a counterfeit and of absolutely no value. Consider: Do you have expertise with US coins, specifically Trade dollars or Seated Liberty dollars? Do you have any authentic Trade dollars? Do you know how to detect 90% silver alloy? Did you acquire this "thing" from a trusted source? Do you have $50 to donate to NGC or PCGS so they can have a good laugh? When you find something strange or odd, go the the Guide Book of US Coins and look for it. Compare the photos -- details, not generalities. Go to the NGC listings and look at authentic coins - again, compare details. If you remain confused, then post the coin and ask for opinions. Allow members to help you understand what you have, rather than you declaring what you think. The members know a lot more than you do about coins. (Compare the obverse to the one Sandon posted, below. They must be identical.)

My penmanship is illegible without having to invent new letter forms. Of course, there is always Icelandic which uses some of the archaic letters Majuscule forms (also called uppercase or capital letters) A Á B D Ð E É F G H I Í J K L M N O Ó P R S T U Ú V X Y Ý Þ Æ Ö Minuscule forms (also called lowercase or small letters) a á b d ð e é f g h i í j k l m n o ó p r s t u ú v x y ý þ æ ö

If you, or anyone else, want some fascinating page flipping, go to the NNP website and look for NARA Philadelphia Entry-1 Box 002 1792-1817 Warrants. Here's the first page of warrants. The Warrant Journal shows purchases of materials, supplies, horses, horse food, copper, iron and steel for making dies and machinery, guard dogs, skilled and unskilled labor, and on and on. A glance through just this first page offers some new words to search for: perches, scantling, castings, warrant....Then there's figuring out use of the archaic "long-s" that looks like an "f" without the crossbar....How were firebricks made out of clay, etc? This journal might be one of the single most fascinating volumes in American numismatics -- and your little half-cent is, and came from, the very heart of the period, events and people.

Glad the book is generating questions. Please send them along to me. I'm in the final 20% of the follow-on book and want to answer as many questions as I can in it. At the moment there are 20 sections over about 400 pages. It will have the same 6x9 format. The draft cover looks like this:

PS: "Millions" is unlikely, but if genuine a very nice nest egg.