Alex in PA.

Ths casual letter to a Canadian banker indicates what happened to many seated Liberty dollars.
August 9, 1869
 W. Weir, Esq.
Banker
Montreal, Canada
 Sir,
In reply to you letter of the 5th inst., I can only say that it is certain we are coining but little silver, and do not know what becomes of it after it leaves the Mint. The whole dollars, however, are chiefly melted up by silversmiths.
            Any person sending silver to the Mint, can have it coined, or it can be made into fine bars, stamped; which is now frequently done.
            The silver coins of the United States have no gold value fixed by law; unless it may be said that the gold dollars and silver dollars (whole) are equal, as having equally legal tenders. In the market the silver dollars is of greater value. The pieces of half dollars and less are only a legal tender to the amount of five dollars.
            The enclosed circulars may interest you somewhat.
Respectfully yours,
James Pollock, Director

Thank you my good friend. This set has definately become a learning experience. One thing I have learned is to slow down and be patient. Make sure you really want the coin instead of just filling a slot. Ive got a few I regret now. If theres anything new collectors can learn from this post it is that. There will always be a perfect coin come by that you need for sets such as this one. Have patience and wait and you will eventually come across it. Instead of trying to hurry and fill that spot  with just whatever. 

Im slowly moving closer to finishing my set. Its been a tough one. Didnt know what I was getting into. Several coins in this set. I got one of those 5 star note books where I could record all my coins and sets in it. Helps me keep up with what I got or need. Also be handy for insurance purposes if they ever get stolen or anything. Im very happy to accomplish what I have got done. Its getting ready to really slow down. Getting closer to those dreaded key dates. I still got a couple to replace also. One is a 1944 D AU55. I can replace it at a reasonable price. Also a couple with ugly toning I bought when I first started. I was to impatient. 

Hi all,
Just picked up my first sutler token. I’d been on the hunt for an artifact from the American Civil War as many of my historical interests lie there. I looked at various areas of items and artifacts before settling on the token.
I find sutler tokens to be tremendous pieces of history… The fact that a soldier used this token during war and exchanged it with his sutler for the 54th Pennsylvania Volunteers so that he could procure items to make military life more bearable and comfortable is fascinating. If only the token could talk… who held it, what fields of battle has it seen, what was it exchanged for? We will never know but the fact that it survived and made it through the war is astounding and it certainly has a story to tell!
After digging, I was also able to find information pertaining to the sutler himself in Joseph A. Garman. From what I’ve read, Garman was from Stoystown Pennsylvania and was born around 1810-1815. He was also a member of the Somerset Lodge #84 A. Y. M. of the Odd Fellows. On the outset of war, Garman was contracted to be the sutler for the 54th PA Vols. Garman served as sutler until his capture by Confederate forces on May 2, 1864 while attempting to procure supplies in Martinsburg, West Virginia for his men. In fact there is a letter from President Lincoln to General Ethan A. Hitchcock requesting information and updates regarding Garman’s whereabouts and well-being as he had not been heard from since May 19th. Garman would end up being paroled or exchanged from a Confederate prison sometime either in 1864 or 1865. Apparently he succumbed to injuries and poor health sustained in the prison and died only a few days after. It is also noted that after Garman’s death, the charter for his Odd Fellow Lodge was lost as well and disappeared.
Although I acquired the coin due to its history and unique connection to the American Civil War, I am curious as to it’s value if anyone might be able to shed some light for me? It is graded NGC AU 53 and I was able to pick it up for $300 even, which I thought was a good deal for a sutler such as this and in this grade. I tried to do my best research, however, I’m still very much in the dark.
Attached below are images of the token:

How about the article posted by our Hosts on the Grand Snake.
https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/10205/ngc-certifies-gsa-morgan-dollar-with-mint-error/
Here's a link to the Coin Week article you're referencing.
https://coinweek.com/coins/error-coins/two-dramatic-u-s-mint-error-coins-in-the-news/#:~:text=Recently%2C two important and unique,have been in the news. 
Or the others.
https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/monday-morning-brief-for-june-13-2022-when-missing-coins-resurface 
https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/week-s-most-read-mint-double-denomination-mule-found

I would hope they could do that one.  Beautiful and with class too.

Comments about the coin are fine. But anything about selling it belongs on the Buy-Sell forum.

Found this guy a couple weeks ago and sent it off for the CAC bean. 

Not one I know, but I'm also not big on provenance.

I just saw that name on a slab a few days ago. No idea who it is. The seller of this coin has several of the coins from this collection. Some are high $$$ coins.
 

Anyone know who A biondi is? Should I know them or care who they are? That is a new one on me, and I assume it’s just a personal collection someone wanted labeled. 

Cool!  

A new one I just got in. A variety on a variety is always fun. Pics aren’t great I screen shot them from my website on my phone. 

I am wondering if anyone knows if I can have this 2013 30th anniversary panda 3oz proof coin bar graded?  I could be wrong but I don't think you can since i never seen one graded..
Would love to hear your thoughts and concerns? 
 
 
 

My opinion is that it is a 1944 modified to look like a 1914  so ungradeable.

You sure that wasn't from eating Cheetos?

Aren't they almost the same now....?

Is this a subtle announcement....?

Many, perhaps most of the members of forums like this and the PCGS forum are not your "average" collector.   Someone like yourself is not what I would consider an "average" collector, you are very much an outlier as most collectors do not buy coins with significant value and hold for four decades, that is rather rare in general.   Many things happen during four decades that preclude holding that long, divorce, illness, and other life events may force the sale of assets before a collector had planned or wanted.   To me, and what I see at most local coin shows, the average collector is the guy plugging albums with good to fine merc dimes, Lincoln cents, or similar types of coins.   So when he (or his heirs) walk into a coin shop looking to sell the collection (some will say accumulation) of albums with well circulated coins, a mini horde of mint and proof sets, and the random low grade better or key date coin, it is very possible they will see 50 cents on the dollar in return.   
Timing, composition and type of coins, and luck also play a significant role in how well a collector does when a collection is liquidated.   You say that if you sold right now you would do well, are/have you sold right now?   Because if you have/are not selling all you have is paper profit.   What was your position prior to the last few years of the very unusual bull run that the collectables market has seen?   I am willing to bet that your friend would not have realized a 200% gain had he sold in 2018, timing and luck played a big part in his sucess.   You did not say but I am guessing that a large portion of your friends collection was in gold coins, a segment of the market that has risen significantly during the past two years.   It is not hard to make a 200% gain if he bought when gold was $200-$300 an ounce and sold now when its priced at 2K an ounce.   But again some smart buying, some luck timing the market, along with a long holding period can produce such a result even after figuring in the holding and lost opportunities cost.
Composition of the collection is a factor, buying gold in the 60's, 70's all the way up to even the late 20 teens and then selling in the past year would result in some very impressive gains.   But just because a collector buys and holds is no guaranty of financial sucess.   If you had gone all in on classic commemoratives during their price run-up you would still be in the hole, way in the hole after those prices collapsed when you consider the time value and holding cost of the money tied up by those coins.   Also, if your collection was comprised mostly of mint products purchased directly from the mint you could very well be in a rather deep financial hole given the premiums the mint has (especially recently) charged and how many of those products have fared in the market after the hype dies down.   Just look at the run up and now the decline on the prices for the 2021 Morgan and Peace dollars, if you bought and sold early in the cycle you did well, if you bought and held you are essentially even now and you could end up losing money if you hold for a long time after factoring in the holding costs.
Even the grade levels of the coins in the collection can have a big impact, if you were buying MS66 Lincolns (or almost any 19th century series) when they were top pops at the time you have seen a drastic decline in your collection value due to gradeflation and the enormous explosion of MS67, 67+, and 68 coins added to the populations over the past ten+ years.   Same is true with gold coins, if you were buying common date bullion type gold coins you have the risk of your collection value falling if the price of gold were to fall.  Better date and high grade gold coins are less susceptible to spot price, but are not immune to global events, say like a new world war.
I'm happy for you and those you know that your/their collection performed well and provided a nice gain.   However what goes up can also fall and if you have not already sold there is always the possibility that your collection value could be reduced in the future.   It is easy to cherry pick this moment in time and claim victory when the coin market has seen such a significant increase in values over the past two years, and kudos to those who recognized the opportunity (I'm not one) and sold into this very strong market.   The rest of us may get lucky and see our collection value continue to rise, or we may want to kick ourselves for not getting out now.   Sadly my crystal ball is always cloudy.   But what I do know is that I am not counting on my collection's value to provide for my retirement, while I hope it provides a bit of a gain when I decide to sell I am not counting on that for my golden years.
 

When in doubt and need top quality American Eagles just pick up your phone and call Rosland Capital.  Ask for William Devane; he will fix you right up.  

Here's the original letter.

This little letter seems to be among the earliest describing gold in North Carolina. Anyone know of earlier correspondence with the Mint or Treasury Dept.?

Cabarrus Court House
N.C.
November 23, 1803
Director of Public Mint
Honored Sir,
Enclosed you find a simple of metal of which we find considerable quantity.
I will thank you to try it, and inform me as soon as possible what you will give in coined gold per ounce; or what you have for coining. We sent you a small piece some time ago and your answer which said it was worth 18-1/2 $ per ounce, whether you will give that or not you did not say.

Since the reception of your letter there was one piece found which weight 28 lb. There are found from 20 dwt to 130 [dwt] per day.

Please state in your answer whether you would detain [see note – Ed.] a person who might take to Washington 30 or 50 lbs of it any time; or change Eagles directly for it.
I am respectfully,
Your humble servant
Richard Brandon
Navy agent
[Ed. – “Detain” is used in the sense of “delay” such as until the gold was coined, or if it could be immediately exchanged for Eagles.]
(RG104 E-1 Box 004)