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W.K.F.

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Journal Entries posted by W.K.F.

  1. W.K.F.
    "Just an observation, but what do I know?"
    Greetings Collectors,
    I guess you all are stuck with hearing from me, every day or two. Sorry... My work has dried up here in N.E. Florida and while there are a "million" things I could be doing in the way of re-modeling my own home, I choose to surround myself with coins and magazines and cameras, and any and all things "Numismatic". I guess that old saying holds true, as in "the cobblers children all need shoes".
    As I have personally handled close to every coin that currently resides in my sets here, all within the last month, I have started to pay closer attention to what "value" is assigned and what the "points" total is. I did not want to take the time and look at every coin, and compare condition/grade to the corrosponding "point value". I did however, write down just a couple of things that didn't add up. Also a few other pertinate observations.
    First off I want to make a comment about a post in the last month or two concerning coin prices/values coming down. I don't remember the series in question but I want to say it was "Morgan Dollars" but wouldn't swear to that. It was out of a group one would not expect to "decrease" in value. I do not keep up with current prices people are getting for "modern" coins, but for what I read here in the journals and publications that do not rely on ads from those that sell lots of modern issues, everything I hear about that group is that it is getting hard to "give them away". I have little interest in that area, and can only use a "commom sense" approach, with that when you have millions of a certain coin, and a possibility that if all were graded at some point, 3/4 of a million of them would grade 69 or 70. For some reason I can not get excited about a MS or Proof "70" Presidential Dollar or State quarter. I do know some of you love these coins and if that's what you like, I think that's great. To many, a coin increasing in value consistantly is secondary. I do not want to sound like I am "badmouthing" modern issues. I'm not. I own at least one, and lots of years way more than one of each mint and proof set since 1950. I will say that with the exception of a few years, my interest wanes at around the mid to late sixties. I at one time thought, the Silver Eagle "walked on water". Then I put together a complete set in proof with 3 or 4 70's in the bunch, even have the reverse proof, missing the '95-w and I think that with all 69's except those few 70's, my set ranks about 200. Just way too many of them, to get this "old dog" interested.
    What I have always looked at has been, #1 How many were made? #2 How many do we know are out there according to the "pops". #3 Is it a coin that while many were minted, how much of an "attrition" factor is there? Is it a silver coin that may have been melted in high numbers in the past? #4 And maybe the most important factor, how popular is that coin series? as in does it have a huge collector base? These are just a few of the main things I look at when making a determination as to whether a certain price is a good deal. Then after I do all this and I study my tail off, I can get completely "blown out of the water" on occasion. What I have seen lately is if someone really wants that coin at auction, they will pay whatever it takes to get it. I frankly don't see prices coming down, if fact I see the exact opposite.
    Case in point, I need a 1962 mint state Franklin Half. I would settle for a MS 64 as long as it had "full bell lines" but I have been trying for what seems like decades to build a set with MS 65 full bell line Franklins. This date is rare in 64 and very rare in 65 with FBL. It seems that even though over 12 million coins were struck at Philidelphia & Denver, finding one in "gem" MS-65 is like searching for the Holy Grail. Well, maybe not that hard, but you get my drift. According to the "foremost" authority on the series, "Rick Tomaska, his latest count on coins "in captivity" PCGS has seen 89 coins in 65 with FBL, they have seen "ONE" in 66 with FBL. NGC on the other hand, and the "stricter" grader of the two, has seen "6" coins in 65 FBL and none in 66. Each time I see where a MS-65 or 64 come up for auction, I think, could this be my lucky day? Maybe all the Franklin Half collectors will be "out to lunch" tonight or whenever that auction is. Each time not only is every Franklin Half collector on the "planet" awake, he or she has just won the lottery and could care less how much they have to spend.
    Well a month or so ago a 1962 PCGS MS-65 with Full Bell Lines came up for auction and I was not going to leave this computer until the auction was over and I had that coin. I had already resolved myself to the fact that to get this coin, which was a nice "brilliant white" coin with very bold bell lines. I hoped I could win the coin for anywhere between $500 & $900 but I was prepared to go as high as $1250. I would have rather had an NGC coin going that high in price but I was willing to settle for second best, PCGS piece. When the "hammer" came down at the end of the aution, I could not beleive my eyes. The coin sold for $4600 and that was before buyers fees. I had a sick knot in my gut, not for just failing to get this coin, but a sick feeling that I may have waited six months to a year too long in getting around to getting one at all, in 64 or 65. I still wait and watch for not only this 1962-P but I need all the P's 1960,1961,1962 & the 1963. I need all four of these in "65" with those blasted "full bell lines". This is a set I started to only try to achieve in MS-64 FBL but thats what I said about my Walker Halves and now I have set number one, two and three in both those & these half dollars.
    What I really wanted to compare is the difference between the points on a 1960-D of the Franklin Half Dollar series. The full bell line coins are the hardest to find on account of when the "master die" was re-worked starting with coins minted from 1960 onward to 1963, detail was enhanced on every area "BUT" the bottom set of lines at the bottom of the Liberty Bell on the reverse. Only the first few strikes of a new die will "strike up" well in that area. This is why they are so very very scarce or really "downright rare". But the 1960-D MS-64 with FBL gets 216 points and a 1960-D MS-65 WITHOUT FBL gets 661 points. I own one of each and had the FBL example in my "flagship set" and the 65 in set #2. Then I saw the point differance so I switched them. Rick Tomaska, come to find out, says the coin in MS-65 with the lines or not is a very "bordeline rare" coin and one that at the peak of the market in 1989 would often fetch over $3500 for a brilliant example. And I do own a nice one whose pic will soon be available for viewing in set #1. As I have investigated further, it all boils down to "how many are there in the known world?" Wow, what a rant, can't you tell they don't let me out much.
    The only other example I have at hand, and I have seen many others but just don't recall them right now is, I have two Saint Gaudens gold double eagles in my set that have the following "point vs value" comparisons that I don't understand. I have a 1909-S NGC MS-64 which has a point value of 1609 and Numismedia $ value is $2190. I also have a 1914-D NGC MS-64 which is worth slightly more money at $2220 but has a point value of 1393. I just do not understand how all of this is calculated? And then I have a absolutely gorgeous proof Franklin that I posted a picture of the o

  2. W.K.F.
    Didn't Hit The Lottery but Close...
    Greetings Collectors,
    The "find" I speak of did not happen recently but actually two years ago today. The Washington Gold Dollars came out earlier in the year and the exact day I stopped at the bank is one I do not remember. It was not too long after these dollar coins had been released when reports started coming in that some of the coins had missed a part of the new minting process concerning the "edged lettering". More and more reports were coming in and as each new issue of Coin World and Numismatic News would arrive in my mailbox, there were more articles about these "flawed" coins. I really did not pay much attention but did, out of curiosoty, start to take mental note as to where these coins were showing up. It seems that the majority had been delivered to Atlanta and from there the coins were "popping" up all over south east Georgia and north east Florida.
    Now I had been going into my local "Bank of America" branch since I opened an account in the late 1990's and this bank had been the source of all the State Quarters rolls I had been getting since 1999. As soon as a state was released, this bank would always get a shipment. I would always get at least two rolls and would save at least one and would always send one out to Boulder Co. to a buddy of mine and he would send me a "D" mint roll for my "P". When the Presidential Dollars were to be released, Jerry informed me that he wanted two rolls instead of the regular "one". I still remember spending the $100 for the four rolls I picked up from the bank. We would talk most every week or so and when he had his D rolls we would them send our respective rolls to one another. When it dawned on me that coins were being found in Jacksonville, I thought to myself, "Could it be possible that any of my Washington dollars are the "plain edge" ones? "Naw.. I couldn't be that lucky. The more I thought about it the more excited I became and at the same time, the more distraut I became, thinking it would be just my luck that if I had any, I had more than likely already sent them off to Jerry and now he had them. I drove all the way over to the bank where my boxes were as this small branch I have just mentioned, did not have safety deposit boxes. I had forgotten which box I had put them in and this was a couple years ago and I did not have anything resembling "order" in the way I put things into the boxes at that time, so I had to hunt for them. When I found them I wanted to open the rolls in that tiny room at the bank but I was able to hold off 'til I got back to the house.
    From this moment forward, I remember all of it very clearly. As soon as I got home I went upstairs, tossed the two rolls onto the bed and put on an Eagles CD. I then laying on the bed, leaning on one arm, began to unwrap the first roll. I could not believe what I was seeing. For the first second or two all I could see was blank edges. As I sat up and all in just a matter of a very few seconds, I had the roll carefully unwrapped and was spreading those gold dollars across the comforter, being careful not to let one touch another. I then began to count. In this first roll I had seventeen out of twenty five with no edged lettering. I let out this wild hoop which caused my daughter to come out of her room and down the hall to mine wanting to know what was going on? I told her and as "greed" started to overwhelm me, I began to unwrap the second roll and when it was exposed, there was not a single one in it. Momentary disappointment followed by elation were a couple of the emotions I was feeling, almost at the same time. All I can remember is that I had a zillion things going "fast forward" through my brain and one of them was, I gotta call Jerry. He wasn't home so I left a message and when he called later that evening, he was way ahead of me. As soon as he had heard that the plain edge coins were showing up all around where I lived, he opened his also. He did not find a single one.
    Well one of those things that was going through my mind was how high would they grade? and what was happening on e-bay? Looking back, I should have sold them all then as some of the first ones were selling for many "hundreds" of dollars but came down very quickly to a couple hundred dollars for "66's", $150 for 65's and about $100 for MS 64's. I sent them all off & when they came back several weeks later from NGC, I had #10 MS-64's and #7 MS-65's. Not a bad haul even though I now have two "D" mint rolls of Washington Dollars unopened, and zero "P" mint rolls. I still feel very lucky to have found what I did. In the next mailing to Jerry with some P mint quaters, I enclosed an MS-65 so he would have one as well. Needless to say when errors are being reported, I pay a little more attention as to me, the guy who never wins anything, had a pretty good day on that Dec. day. I had 17 coins out of, which I think they estimated at 35-50,000 coins that had missed that last step in the "minting process".
    The picture I leave with you are three coins that came out of the roll in which I found all those plain edge coins. It appears to have a "rougher" "sandblasted" type of burnished "rays" shooting outward from the center of one of the coins and in the areas you see on the other. The third coin has what looks like a "die goudge"? on the rim. I am not much into errors except those #17 coins I just mentioned so I really don't know what I have. I just remember the coins looked different and kinda cool so I set them aside in flips. If any of you know what I have I would apreciate it if you could drop me line. I have never seen "rays" like this on any other coin and if I got the one with the "so-called" die defect in change, I would think it was intentionally done. But these were bank wrapped rolls direct from the FED so I think this is an error as well, done at the mint, or some kind of damage, maybe done by the machines that do the "rolling". I really don't have a clue.
    Anyway I hope all of you are having a great safe week and that most of you have finished with whatever you are going to do with your "sets" for the upcoming awards. Oh yea, I got my 4-coin Lincoln Cent proof sets yesterday and while I know they will never be rare, the two sets I got look real nice. I took a picture of one of them and will share it with you all later if someone else does not post a photo of one.
    Happy Collecting! WKF

  3. W.K.F.
    Anything Gold or Silver!
    Greetings Collectors,
    I am set up to get e-mail "alerts" from a company I have done business with on numerous occasions. This company is "Apmex". That is short for American Precious Metals Exchange. I have mentioned them before here but I felt it worth mentioning again, as at 2:16 EST, Gold pushed through $1200. It has since settled back just a few moments ago to $1198.30. Silver is up nicely as well to $19.14. I am always searching the "web" for the very lowest premiums on both Gold & Silver and these guys are always the best each and every time I check. I don't make a dime on sending you their way, all I get out of it is knowing I have turned a fellow collector onto a good deal. If interested, check them out at Apmex.com.
    I have bought nice graded coins from them as well as bullion products. The prices change in real time but if you are in the process of buying an item, your price stays "locked in" for 10 minutes while you complete the checkout process. They accept all forms of payment and give a 3% discount if you pay with anything besides a credit card. They also have different "time frames" when it comes to the shipping. To get the very best deal and to have them ship in 1-3 days, I use a money order. This also has advantages due to the fact you can use "cash" to get that "postal" or other money order.
    The one "buy" that stands out to me and one that has to do with "quality" is when I bought a 1/10th oz. 2008 Platinum coin in an order with a couple of other items. This was just a plain ordinary bullion piece, one that I bought strictly as bullion, never intending on getting it graded. When I got it, it came in a "flip" but apon closer examination, it looked really good. So good that I decided to include it with a submission to NGC. I thought I may possibly get a "69" out of the deal, but fully expecting the coin to grade no more than 68. Well when my coins were returned from NGC, low and behold, this 2008 coin was a perfect "70". How does that sound for quality? I can honestly say that I have never been dissapointed with anything I have purchased from them. I do think you would like doing business with them all the way around. They have just about anything you want in the way of coins and bullion and not only U.S. coins but from just about every country in the world.
    So to the point of this post, I am just bored and have been toying with my camera and reading past issues of CoinWorld, Coinage and the like and when I got this e-mail alert from Apmex, I just wanted to stress once again that Gold and Silver prices, while at their "highs", are still a great deal. I do not know how much you all keep up with the economic "happenings" of the world but they are events that will continue to fuel this "bull market" in the metals. China has already started buying more Gold on the open market in leau of buying our (the USA) Treasury Bills. India and many other large countries are doing the same. I have also read where there was a purchase France made from "Barclays" in London and when they went to take actual possession of the gold, Barclays had oversold the contract and did not have enough gold to give them. There have also been instances of governments and large companies taking possession of the metal and some of it (the metal) was only "gold plated" iron. This has caused everyone to hold suspect the "gold houses" in the possibility that the paper contracts they hold are not backed by the "yellow metal" but by gold plated iron. Then to top all this off, the very "so-called" rich middle eastern country of "Dubai" has defaulted on their debt to the "World Bank". All of these things and things we haven't heard about yet is causing panic worldwide. There will never be a better time to buy Gold and silver than "RIGHT NOW!".
    I leave you with a photo of a couple of "cheap" ways to buy Gold and Silver. "Rounds" as they are called have one of the lowest premiums above the "spot price". There are also smaller denomination coins as the 1/2 ounce Australian coins pictured here. And of course, Gold, which in the coin pictured is an 1886-Melbourn Australian Sovereign. This gold coin can be bought for close to melt, and in this size, it represents almost 1/4 ounce of pure gold. I did not buy any of what you see pictured here from Apmex but they do have all "three" items and much much more.
    I trust everyones week has started off well and I hope "Santa" brings all of you "piles" of Gold & Silver. I'm still having lots of fun with my coins. I hope you are as well.
    Happy Collecting/Investing WKF

  4. W.K.F.
    A few security tips for collectors...
    Greetings Collectors,
    Now that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas is less than a month away. As all of you know, our economy is not in the best of shape and not wanting to cross over into a political rant, all I am going to say is, if current policy remains unchanged, we are all in for alot more of the same, at least until 2010. Having said that, the criminal element still thrives, and I fear, it will grow even stronger. It seems that burglars, pick-pockets and the like pick up the pace around the holidays. We collectors need to pay special attention for there are many who would even kill to get their hands on what we have. I know that if someone wants something bad enough, they can be resorceful enough to get it. But as bleak a picture that I have just portrayed, there are several precautions we all can take to "minimize" the chance of sustaining a loss.
    I am sure most of you love your collections just as much as I do and would be devastated to come home to find you had been broken into and your beloved coins were gone. I am constantly thinking of ways to improve in the security area when it comes to my coins. I would like to share some of that with you. Again these are things that I employ, which to some may appear to be "overkill".
    The first thing you may want to consider is to "NOT" share the fact that you collect coins at all. It is the hardest part of being a collector, in not being able to "show off" your beautiful coins to others. I can not begin to express the importance of this single thing. The only persons that know I collect coins in the degree that I do is my 81 year old stepfather. My soon to graduate, college age daughter knows I collect but would be "shocked" if she knew the depth of my holdings, coins, jewelry, bullion & other. I have two sons, 14 and 12 and nothing would please me more than to have them pick up this wonderful hobby after I am gone. That said, they know I collect but have never seen any coins worth more than a few dollars. The reason here being, I am not afraid of them stealing any of my coins, but boys (and girls) talk and they like to "brag", and all it would take is for them to tell one "wrong" friend, who in turn, tells someone else, an older brother perhaps, then as usually is the case, my collection is worth several times more than it is and my home is broken into. Of course, as I have shared in the past, I never have but a few pieces at home, and never for more than a couple of days. At that time they are in a department store size safe in a room within a room and in a closet. Without going into the details of the protection around that safe, because I have done so in a previous post, I would find it hard to imagine a person being able to get into that safe and "IF" they did, boy would they be disappointed.
    If you do keep your coins at home, do not keep them in a safe unless it is large enough that two big guys with an appliance dolly could not remove it from the home. All any safe smaller than that does is make it easier for a person or persons to get everything you have in "one failed swoop". It would be better if you hid your collection in several locations within your home such as the pockets of a suit coat or some other large garment pockets. If you have an attic, then maybe a box within a box, behind a box. Just use your imagination. There are dozens of locations within your home that would be suitable. Wherever you decide to keep your collection, take pictures of each valuble coin and pictures of rolls, bars or other segments so that you have a precise record of what you have. And it goes without saying, keep your inventory and pictures in a separate location. Lastly, there are several companies that will insure coin collections and an additional policy will most likely be needed as most "homeowners" policies do not cover collections like we have without an additional "Rider". Shop prices with your insurer and other companies that specialize in insuring collectables.
    I have gone into detail in previous posts about advantages of simply to "bury" your coins in several sections of six inch diameter plastic pipe, 18-24 inches long with a cap on each end. Be sure you make the pipe long enough so that the contents are "undamaged" when the time comes to saw off one of the end caps. After you have added or removed whatever, simply glue another cap on the end and re-bury. This is a cheap alternative to a home safe. The only drawback is being able to look at your coins on a regular basis. I have several buried at different locations, with detailed maps inserted in my "will" papers. I only use this method for bullion, one and ten oz. bars and rounds and junk silver. Items worth alot of money but items I do not need to look at from time to time. A drawback here is if you forget where you buried the two foot section of pipe. Forget about a metal detector as it will not read the silver or gold inside the thick-walled PVC pipe. If you are thinking that you will get "PVC contamination", you won't. Now if you had a raw 1893-S Morgan dollar or 1916-D Mercury dime or any other raw coin, then there is a possibility, if left buried for dozens of years. Slabbed coins are perfectly safe stored in this fashion, you just would have to go to alot of trouble if you like to look at them often.
    My favorite method of storing my coins safely is in a Safe Deposit Box at the local bank. I have four of the largest size they have and when they are full, one man can not lift one without first removing a large portion of the contents. My method to address this drawback is to have, in my case, two of the boxes I do not need to get into or I will say I have only needed to get into them a couple of times in the last five years. I also have my boxes as far off the floor of the bank vault in case of a flood. Now where I live and where my bank is, there is almost a zero chance of flooding "BUT" I, in my "overkill" way of doing things, take it that additional step. I have an additional insurance policy on these bank boxes just in case someone "tunneled in" or in the remote case of an employee doing an "inside job". I have shared this before in an earlier post in that I had a dream one night, actually a "nightmare" when I dreamed there was some kind of major "insurection" and stores and banks were being "looted". I drove as fast as I could to the bank, found the double doors wide open, and the vault room in a mass state of disaray, with boxes opened and papers all over the ground and everything gone. I can still remember that dream and it was the next day after that, when I obtained an insurance policy on those boxes. Again, maybe this is overkill but it makes me sleep well at night.
    The last thing I want to mention, and this is the reason I thought of doing this post, some of you suscribe to coin magazines and maybe you get other items from those that send out "mailers" to solicit the selling of gold or platinum and silver. Before you recycle these mags and papers, even envelopes with return addresses from companies like "RARE COIN INVESTMENTS" or "GOLD RARITIES" or any item in this "ball park". "TEAR OFF YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS". I have seen numerous articles refering to this exact thing and people working in recycle centers who save these names and addresses to pass on to the criminal element. I take my family to doctors from time to time and I have started to leave my magazines and such, without my name and address of course, in the hopes it may

  5. W.K.F.
    A very "pleasant" surprize for those of us who collect/invest...
    Greetings Collectors,
    I was going to include this info in my previous post but I tend to "title" a post one way and then talk about it (the title) & and a "ton" of other stuff. This makes the post much too long for some. Many of you have grown accustomed to my "ramblings". I am sure there are a few who when they see the length, say, "I ain't gonna read all that". To those of you who feel that way, I apologize.
    The main reason for this post is to inform those of you who do not know about the "revised" numbers for all of the Gold & Silver and Platinum Eagles minted for 2008. I am not going to go into each and every category, only the main ones and the few different ones I own. There are many who follow these mintages much closer than I who are surprized that the final "tally" dropped to what it did.
    In the past, I suscribed to just about every monthly magazine and weekly paper related to our hobby. I would read each one, cover to cover and sometimes more than once. I have since found that time restraints limited me so I let the subscriptions run out on each one but the weekly issue of "Numismatic News". I like them all but have found this publication to be the most informative. Many topics were touched on in both this paper and "Coin World" along with the various "monthlys" and I just couldn't see the reason to spend the funds to take all of them when there was so much redundancy.
    I have made mention several times about the importance of items with very "low mintages". Coins with high mintages, coupled with very high "pops" of 69's and 70's will never be worth what you would have liked. On the other hand, there are several "modern" issues that have the best of all worlds, low mintages, fairly moderate to low "pops" and a wide "collector base". These coins, in my opinion, will continue to apreciate in value over the years.
    The main issues are of course, led by 2008-W Silver Eagle which the revised figures show a total of 436,702 minted/sold compared to the March 2009 figure of 444,558. Not a huge difference but a "downward" revision all the same. The following figures will show the revised total first followed by the previous March totals. All of the uncirculated are of the West Point Mint. Gold Unc. 1oz.9,057 vs 9,390 1/2 oz. 5,209 vs 5,378 1/4 oz. 6,032 vs 6,203 1/10 oz. 9,806 vs 10,379. This is very good news for those of us who collect these coins. Platinum coins have low mintages anyway but some of these revised totals on them are astounding. The most shocking to me and one that will give you that can afford them pause, and could entice you to run out and purchase one or more, is the 2008-W 1/2 oz. Platinum version with the totals of 1,257 tallied in March revised downward to a "mere" 970 total pieces sold at the latest count. The half and quarter ounce coins in Gold and Platinum have always been the best to "invest" in as far as the mintages go. This continues to "hold true" for 2008. It seems like the "secret" should be out by now, but it doesn't look as though it is.
    I was fortunate in the case of having purchased two of each of the 2008-W 1/2 ounce coins in both the Gold Eagle and the Gold Buffalo. I also picked up two of the 2008-W 1/4 Gold Eagles in UNC. The half oz. Buffalo had mintages of 3,237 (revised) vs 3,297 in March. The totals I have just mentioned are "super low" and I as well as many others will watch very carefully the anticipated "rise" in the secondary market for all of these coins. Again these figures are for the "W" unciculated versions, which are my personal favorite. All of the Proof issues showed "downward" revisions as well. Please refer to the November 24th dated issue of Numismatic News on page #4, upper left for totals on "ALL" the Mint issues of the Eagles and Buffalos, both in Proof as well as mint state.
    I have mixed emotions as these aformentioned figures are a "double edged sword". On one hand, it's great to have a few of these low mintage beauties, and know they will dramaticly increase in value over the years and possibly sooner rather than later due to the influx of people wanting to diversify their investments and who do not collect coins in general but have been sold on the idea by "so-called" "investment guru's". All this bodes well for those of us holding "said coins" but it stinks if people, myself included, want to get a few of these dates and denominations we do not have. The "price of poker" just went way up after these revelations.
    I do hope all of you continue to procure that special coin or coins you need for whatever set you are working on and that you don't forget to tell "Santa" to bring you a "low mintage" Gold coin of your choice, be it "modern" or otherwise.
    Happy Collecting/Investing
    WKF
    I leave you with the "Ultra Low Mintage " 2008-W 1/2 Ounce Gold Buffalo. One of a mere 3,237 sold.

  6. W.K.F.
    The survey results and an "Opinion" on...
    Greetings Collectors,
    A week or two ago I posted a question relating to whether you, the collectors, had a preference of when viewing sets of others, (or your own) would rather see a photo of "just the coin" or one that showed the "coin & the holder"? While there were some of you, I would have liked to have heard from and didn't, there were many, some close friends, and others I have never corosponded with, that did indicate a preference. I know with the "holidays" many were way too busy with more important "family matters" than to participate in a somewhat unimportant survey. Anyway the reason I waited this long to post on this, is that the "votes" continued to "trickle in", and I waited to make sure, each vote counted. Some of you only voted, with no comment, and others made their case with the "whys" and "how comes". I must say the arguments on both sides were compelling.
    I myself, like both ways and have good reasons why. With the limited file size here at >120KB the coin only(in my limited knowledge of photography) gives a clearer image of the coin and more detail. Having done it both ways, I see as much detail, with the coin and the holder, unless the coin is very small, like the $5 GE here. But if "I" had to pick one, I would choose showing all, the holder as well as the coin. Having said that, I am in the "minority". The vote went as follows, #18 persons indicated they prefered "the coin only" while #4, five if you count me, liked the "coin & the holder". I have made it a point to do it both ways when posting pictures within my sets.
    My Gold coins for the most part, show the coin only while most of my Franklin Half sets, show the coin and the holder. But even in those half dollar sets I have it both ways. In my frenzied pace of the last couple months I have let fatigue dictate the manner I chose in many cases. If you remember, I did not know "squat" about most of the whole process, and took over 1500 pictures to finally get to the point I was halfway satisfied with the end result. There are still some coins I have left to photograph as in all of my Silver Eagles in proof and MS. (if I decide to keep them) And I may reshoot one coin here and there, if when I look at it, something stands out that is not just right. All in all I am pleased with the overall results.
    There have been many posts of late concerning the "labeling" of early coins coming out of the mint and while I have had a tendency to get involved with somewhat "controversial" topics, I had said to myself, "Self, stay away from those kinds of things to try and promote harmony here at the CS". Having said that, I will just share what I have observed. Most of you know I am not an avid fan of "multi million mintage" modern coins. But I own as many modern coins as are out there from 1950 onward, for the most part "unslabbed". Of those modern coins, that's less many of the Gold and Platinum issues. I have never but on one occasion, sent in US Mint products in the hopes of obtaining the "Early Release" label. I think as I sent off a submission in one of the last two years, I called NGC to inquire as to the "cut-off date" of a Proof or mint state Silver Eagle that was part of the group. I did as of late, ask about the possibility of getting my first ordered $50 Proof Buffalo labeled "early release" but as usual, I will not make that deadline either.
    But after going through all of that, I have noticed that with the "Ultra Low Mintage" Gold and Platinum coins that have the "Early Release" or "First Strike" designation, they bring more money when sold at auction. As with most things, there are exceptions to the rule as noted in a very recent post. Since I know very little about the whys and whens concerning the "lawsuits" and the "cease and desist" related to the labeling, I value others opinions when the topic is one I know little about. The market is what it is. Is it right? Is it true? "I know not". We all have heard that the coins labeled as such, are in most cases, "NOT" FS's or ER's BUT if they are labeled as such, they bring more money at auction, more times than not. Again, I am only refering to Gold and Platinum, not "Silver". As I said before, I value the opinions of those that have been in this hobby longer than I have been on the earth, and even opinions of those being in it for less time. I have heard from more than one "old timer", and one who is a dealer/friend here in Jacksonville who says he would rather have any of the mint products, Gold Silver, and Platinum in their "original" packaging and not even graded at all. He said if you brought a Silver or Gold Eagle into his shop to try and sell, he would not pay "one cent" more for a coin that was a NGC or PCGS "70" holder than he would pay for the same coin in its box, capsule, along with its papers. In his words the "First Strike" or Early Release" label is a "farce" and for the most part "BS". Again, just one mans opinion, but "Emory" is a very wise old man, who has problaly "forgot" more about the hobby & the business than I will ever know. but it's just an opinion, which like a-holes, everyone has one. I own maybe a dozen or so silver and gold eagles with the FS & ER desig. but did not buy them for that reason nor do I think I paid any more for them but again, this is not the way it is always in this Numismatic" world in which we live. Coin or coin and holder, I like both. First strike or Early Release, a nice little extra, but one I would not pay "extra" for.
    I leave you with a "coin & the holder" which in a small series, maybe should be "just the coin" but what the heck. Maybe I will "re-shoot" this pic, and then again, maybe I won't. Also on a "sidenote" A coin pic that was NGC's last year they could call their coins "First Strikes". I still don't know why PCGS is allowed to continue FS's & NGC has to label ER? I am just glad I was able to make it through a post without pi--ing someone off.
    Happy Collecting,
    WKF

  7. W.K.F.
    I figured something like this would happen...
    Greetings Collectors,
    I have been at the computer all afternoon & this evening "tweaking" some photos and descriptions in several of my sets and had talk radio on in the background, getting my daily dose of "right wing" extreamism. During one of the news breaks while listening to "The Savage Nation", it was said that today, the Mint stopped selling the one ounce "bullion" Gold Eagles to all of the large distributors who buy them in bulk and who then sell them to the rest of us. The reason was, they have exausted all the existing supplies of bullion blanks due to unusually "high demand". No mention was made as to the upcoming availability of the "fractional" Gold Eagles due to be released in the first week of December.
    This all comes on the heel of my talking to Mint personell earlier today as I was going to order one of the 2009 Proof Buffalos and had a question because they were showing on the web site, the price had already risen to $1460 from $1410. I did my darndest to try to get around the $50 increase because it was not due to change 'til Thursday, but since we all know what Thusday is, they "upped" the price a day early rather than the next business day after Thurs. Damn, I hate when something like that happens, but oh well, that's what I get for dicking around. It never fails and has always been like this in the past when Gold would reach new "highs", I would always grit my teeth, pause, think for a few more minutes, but then go ahead and buy whatever it was that had given me pause. This particular "flareup" of that horrible afliction called "procrastination" may have cost me the "Early Release" designation that ends on NGC's cut-off date of December 5th. I was told they (proof Buffalo) were being shipped within just a day or two. I am hopeing this is true but what worries me is I have a holiday and a weekend between today and next Sat. the 5th. As long as I can get it by Friday the 4th, I can then "overnight" the coin along with my other coins I'm sending. My membership always comes up for re-newal toward the end of Nov. every year. I really hate the pressure when I wait until the last minute on something like this.
    Anyway this will be my last big purchase of this year and really shouldn't have even bought one anyway. This coupled with a purchase from "Apmex" yesterday for one 1/4 ounce & one 1/10 ounce 2009 Gold Eagles that they are "pre-selling" before the release date of Dec. 7th. I do hope this temporary stop in sales of the "one ounce" coins won't have anything to do with the franctional sales. But with the Mint, you never know. So with all this, "I'm broke", I absolutely refuse to buy any more of anything 'til I recover. Heck!, I need my head examined, 'cause I have ZERO work at present and will not likely get much if any 'til after all of the "holidays" are over. I can't beleive I do some of the things I do, I really can't! I did show a smidgen of willpower in that when I was ordering the two fractionals, I wanted the "half ounce" too, but didn't get it. It's sad 'cause I feel as bad, as I do good, for "NOT" getting it too, while Gold is below $1500.
    This "fast rising" Gold and Silver prices gives me mixed emotion as I am slowly getting "priced" right out of the market. That is at least on the "Gold side" of the equation. Oh well, Silver is always good too. One ounce & ten ounce bars and rounds are still within my reach, but just not now. By this time next year Gold will test new highs. Ajusted for inflation, it will take $2200+ gold to really break the 1980's $800+ price tag we had then and I do think we will reach that lofty price or very close to it. Prices of the two metals at 10:38 CST Gold $1195.40 & Silver $18.87
    I am getting a few coins together for a submission with my "5 coin coupon" on my CS renewal and actually have a few more than five but I refuse to get "carried away" as the funds are just not there. The coin I leave you with, is a low mintage 2008-W Unc, one of a mere 6,032 total coins sold. I have one identical to this one graded NGC MS-70. I was just looking at some US Mint past invoices and the old "shoulda, woulda coulda" was whispering in my ear saying why didn't you just buy more when you had the chance? Right now, I am not sure I am having fun with my coins, at least at this exact moment?...
    "Buy 'til ya die"... "HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!" WKF
    P.S. Update on the Gold Eagles being suspended, they just said on the radio, they have done the same with the Silver Eagle bullion coins as well, due to "depleated inventory".

  9. W.K.F.
    Re-organizing my safe & touching on some "security" methods...
    Greetings Collectors,
    I am feeling a little "lost" right now as my mad rush to finish taking my coin photos is, for the most part, complete. I am checking off items that I will not need at home so that I can make a "deposit" back into the boxes at the bank. I do not like to keep hardly anything of value at the house. I may be overly cautious as I live in a pretty nice area with my neighbors on two sides somewhat retired and "Richard" (on the one side) a retired police detective, gives me an added feeling of security. But as you all know, it matters not where you live, you can be hit at any time.
    I have a very large safe, bolted to a concrete slab inside a room within a room and in a closet. The safe was installed by me before the walls and door were installed and in leau of sheetrock, 3/4 inch "marine plywood" was used on both sides of the 2x6 "pressure treated" stud framing, and then 1/2 inch re-bar steel criss-crossed in a "mesh" fasion within the walls. I then have a commercial metal "fire door" with two deadbolts & a Yale padlock that supposedly can not be cut. But even all of this including a fairly sofisticated alarm system with motion detectors does not make me feel secure enough to keep any quanity of coins or bullion on the premises. Being in construction, I have often thought how one would get around these features that to some would appear as "overkill". If I was a burgler and knew in advance what I was going to have to deal with, and had the proper tools with me, I could, in less than 15 minutes, be in this area. After that things get a little more difficult. Without some major tear out, the safe isn't leaving the enclosed room. That leaves only one option, drilling out the lock/dial/tumblers. Anyway if someone wants something bad enough, they are gonna get in it. As bad as the "violation" would be to be "broken into", on one hand I would love to see the look on the person or persons face/faces when that safe door was opened and they see what was inside. (this unfortunatly would not be captured on tape unless the alarm system had been disabled, because THEY would be captured already) I have this covered with a security camera that continuously records with a multi-day amount of tape. The way I have it done, even if one knew a camera existed, I doubt they would want to spend the time and try to find it along with the location of the taping system, if it is even on my property. I think the video would show (if they got that far) in this order, utter shock, followed by extreame dissapointment, then quickly followed by monumental anger. Then the last emotion picked up on tape would problaly be panic, to try and vacate the premises only to find the house surrounded by the police. Just about everything I do in life has a large degree of overkill. I guess I can blame it on my old "Boy Scout Motto days" BE PREPARED!
    In my cleaning out and re-organizing of my safe, I came across this Bronze Medal?. I remember that I found it in a box of absolute junk while I was cleaning out a rental house getting it ready for new tennants. I have just done (for the first time) some research and see where each "Mint Director" has one of these medals made. The quantity made, I could not find but I am sure if I spent an hour or two I may be able to find out more. What puzzles me is the date 1922-? It seems to mean that this medal was made when F.E. Scobey was acting director of the mint and not made after his tenure, thus no retire date/year. I do not mean to sound lazy in not doing all the research needed to find this out. It's just I thought with the massive amount knowledge out there with all of you, someone may know something.
    The medal is not a "mint state" item in that if I were to grade its condition, I would say "fine" but gosh, it doesn't even appear to be worthy of the term "fine". I remember that the only reason it ended up in my safe was that date 1922-? That's the part thats got me. I do think it a medal made in 1922.
    When I look at a date on a coin or even this medal, I think back to what was going on at the time. In 1922 America was several years out of a major war, the railroads were booming, the stock market was starting to go way up. Times were good or so they appeared. It was a time of great excess which climaxed in the huge crash of 1929. "Flappers" and "Speakeasy" nightclubs were the "rage". Imagine all the great coins that were around. 1916-D Mercurys 1921 Walkers, all the great Lincoln cents (1922 "no D") and Buffalo nickels, Standing Liberty quarters, not to mention all the beautiful GOLD. Wow I don't know about you, but it really makes my mind go at a hundred miles an hour.
    Anyway I give you Mr. "F. E. Scobey" Director of the U.S. Mint from 1922 to whenever. I put the Morgan dollar in for scale. Also will promptly give you the "flipside" of this medal in a couple of minutes.

  10. W.K.F.

    "The Obverse"

    By W.K.F.,

    "Or is it the Reverse?"
    I couldn't leave you with just "half" the picture... Also I'm pretty sure the "bust" is King George the 5th and I think it's a piece from Great Britian or one of the British territorys. I just don't know what the rest of the markings/letters mean.
    Thanks in advance...

  11. W.K.F.

    "What is This"???

    By W.K.F.,

    And does anyone know its history/value?...
    Greetings Collectors,
    I am coming to an end to my coin photography and the editing of same. I am not sure how many of you know exactly how time consuming taking as many photos as I have taken has been. Not wanting to sound "braggy", but if there was an award given for taking and editing as many pics as I have, and in such a short period of time, I would like to think I would win it, "hands down". Since the 17th of Oct. I have literly spent several hundred hours at this task. And this is after I kinda knew what I was doing. If I had it to do all over again, I would still do it as the self gratifacation outweighs the long tedious hours spent.
    I am yet undecided as to whether I will take the numerous photos of my Proof and Mint State Siver Eagles because number one, I do not know if I will keep them, as all may be "up for sale" (did I say that out loud?) number two, The work involved may or may not be "worth it" as in my opinion, once you have seen one MS or Proof 69 Silver Eagle, well you have seen them all. I have made mention of this before, in that the amount of them that have been minted coupled with the US Mints decision to pull what they have pulled this year and also what they did with the 1995-W my interest has "waned" considerably. I am convinced that they will only be worth a small premium above melt with the exception of some of the more scarcer years and those "tens of thousands of 70's" floating around out there. I still love the design and the Walker Half they were fashioned after, is still in my "top five" of all time favorite sets period. When special sets come around, I will still try to purchase all I can, such as the 20th anniversary set and coins like the "reverse proof", but other than that it is a series, again, thanks to "the Mint", I can do without.
    As I climb down off my soapbox and after making more SE friends, I would love to know what this Half Crown coin is and based on the photo, what grade would you give it, and lastly, what it might be worth? I would think that with the "bust" on the "flipside" of this coin, this would be the reverse? (but then again, most dates appear on the obverse?) The flip side appears to be "more worn" by at least a point or two. From the weight, the coin appears silver but I do not know for sure. This coin is one in a large group of coins that my step dads brother gave me. I have a "somewhat hoard" of many nice British, Australian, Hong Kong issues. Some of the coins are from the early part of the 20th century and there are coins from the late 1800's. My "step uncle"? served during WW-2 in N. Africa, landed in Sicily and after going almost to Berlin, was lucky enough to be sent to the Pacific to finish off Japan. I am happy to say "Dorsey" just celebrated his 93rd birthday and has no physical ailments. (We should all be so blessed to have been through what he has and still be alive and in pretty good health.)
    I hope all of you have a great safe weekend as you all ready for the holiday with family and friends. Me, I am just gonna hang here and have some fun looking at all these "coin pics". Happy Collecting! WKF
    P.S. On a different note, as this "fiscal year" here at the NGC "Collectors Society" comes to a close, I have stressed on several occasions the need for all that could afford it, to "Buy" as much Gold & Silver as possible. The last post I made on the subject, I made mention, we would all look back and remember when Gold "pushed through" the $1000 barrier, and for a brief time, was in the $1000-$1100 range. I still believe we will have wished we had bought more in the price range we are in at present. I can not stress how much of an opprotunity there is "right now" to take advantage of what will come to pass as a time when Gold could still be bought "on the cheap". Silver is maybe as good or better a "percentage play". Remember that all the gold mined from the beginning of time to the present would fit very comfortably inside the "Washington Monument", with lots of room to spare. That's not very much "metal".

  12. W.K.F.
    I would like to ask the "masses" opinion...& to vote your choice!
    Greetings Collectors,
    As the "month" mark arrives on Nov. 17th from when I asked for help. I find myself "undecided" as to which picture looks best? I am refering to showing the entire "holder" with the coin "OR" crop just the "coin" only. I am torn between the two and the reasons are. One could take any picture of any coin with a particular date and mintmark and insert it there in the slot allotted. Of couse what's stopping someone from saying they own a NGC (or PCGS) coin from a pic in an ad or where-ever. I know what your're thinking as in why would a "true" collector go and "lie" about what he or she owns? My brain is always going a "hundred miles per hour" and I think up some of the dardest things. I just think that if there is a way to "cheat" then someone is bound to do it. I hate to think it would happen here, but it's possible. There I go "rambling" again. I am gonna try and forget I just said all that and try and have a little more faith in my fellow man (and woman).
    I looked at some coins one of our fellow collector has here. I not gonna say who or what set of coins they were, but when I clicked on an indivigual coin to "enlarge" it, barely increased in size. I mean, I thought I must have "blinked" and missed it so I did it again. Still no increase in size. I know mine are not like that but this set in question was just the "thumbnail" of the coin alone with no "holder". I was not sure I liked that so I had to go to mine again and look. At present I am still undecided.
    I had thought I would be able to get more detail with the coin alone without the holder but I am not sure that's the case either. Anyway I have them done "both ways" in different sets. I mean in one set they are all just the coins with no holder and in others I have the coin and the holder. I have not mixed the two within one set. I will say that in editing, it is much faster for me to crop just the coin because doing the holder means having to do an extra step or two to ensure it is perfect on the "vertical".
    I am leaning to "just the coin" way but the perfectionist in me says "that's the easy way out" so don't do it. But I can tell very little difference in the actual "detail" of the coin no matter which way I do it. If any of you have the time and want to, please take a look at two of my sets "gallery wise". My Walker "short set" #1 is done with the coin and the holder while my Franklin "set #1" is done showing just the coin. I am curious as to see what others prefer. I am not going to re-shoot any set that I have already done but I still have sets left to do. I am "on the fence" on this one and could use your help/opinion once again.
    If enough of you vote, I will share the "results" here in a post by the end of the week. A simple vote, either "showing the coin and the holder" or "just the coin without the holder". This could be fun, another reason to love this good ol "U S of A" and her coins. Democracy in action... I will leave you with the harder of the two ways (for me). "Coin with the holder" See, I didn't get this one just right, as it's tilted top to the left. Oh well, it's as good as it's gonna get...
    Thanks again to all of you that gave me a hand in this last "month" of studies. "Still having fun with my coins!" Happy Collecting! WKF

  13. W.K.F.
    "The Flip Side"
    The reverse on this coin is nice enough to be "shared". There are not many of us that know just how rare, coins from this series are in "Gem" "Brilliant" uncirculated condition. This is a coin that I remember where I was when I bought it, what I was thinking, and how much I paid for it. I forget who it was but, they used a term "jump out at ya coins". Well this is how this one hit me. I hope to get "hit" by a '62-P soon...
    Keep Collecting! WKF

  14. W.K.F.
    The Barber and Mercury dime were some of my very first coins,... back in the day.
    Greetings Collectors,
    I apologize for the "constant" posting but as in coin purchases, I have trouble with this thing called control/moderation. Rightly or wrongly, I have always said, "If your'e gonna be a bear, be a grizzly bear, not a panda bear or a koala bear but a GRIZZLY. This meaning, when I start something, a project, a job, a deck, treehouse or whatever, I jump on it with both feet and continue until it's finished and try to make it as perfect as "humanly possible".
    Having said that, I do not know how far I will take this "photography bug", as I am sailing into new and uncharted waters and could hit a reef or a whale or whatever. I do want to go as far as time and funds (or the lack of either) will allow. I would like to take pictures of each and every coin I own that resides in a slab and would like to take it a step further by taking pics of some of my "unslabbed" babies. No one but God knows what the future holds, but I do intend to see this project through. As much of a "computer dummy" I am, and a "techie" I'm not, this is no small task for me. I think what I am trying to say is that, if I can do this, then anyone, and I do mean "ANYONE" can do it. So I challenge all of you that have coins, and have no pictures of them, get off the "dime" (pun intended) and do something about it. It's hard, I'm not going to say it ain't, but it's doable. It has always been "the fear of the unknown" for me, but guess what, it's not all that bad. What was that old saying? I think it was a Nike slogan, "JUST DO IT!"
    I will leave you with another pic that while I do not know the process, a friend who has helped me with the art of coin photography, Andrew (krytencoins) sent me this coin back after he had "done his thing" and had both the obverse and reverse showing in the same pic. This is a process that I am determined to learn. Until then this is a shot of the same coin that I took. Up close and in person, this coin has some neat and suttle colors. Too bad I can't make that show up here. But all in all, a cool coin from a cool series. My first slabbed "Barber". 1899 PCGS MS-63, reverse.
     
    Continue to have fun with your coins. Happy Collecting, WKF

  15. W.K.F.
    "The FEAR of the Unknown is a Massive One"...
    Greetings Collectors,
    On Oct. 17th I posted a plea for help. This help I needed was to obtain the knowhow of coin photography and even more so, the art of editing and cropping/resizing. I am pleased to announce that on a day which has always been a "Lucky Day" for me, Friday the 13th November 2009, is the day I feel very comfortable in saying, "I got this s--- down pat!" And I finished school ahead of my "self alloted" 30-day time frame. It has been an up & down journey and there were times I thought I was gonna say, "screw this... but.. I didn't. So now I am pleased to say the lighting and distance has been figured out, the camera settings are ones I am somewhat happy with at present, but the "one" funny, little, simple thing that has helped me more than I ever thought could is.... I spent around $13+ tax on a ajustable "tripod". Wow "who wudda thunk it?" This little jewel of a tool is worth its weight in gold? "naw"... but it's close. It completely eliminates blurred images and a broken back from all the "leaning over". Before all of you zip off an e-mail asking me about my secret methods, I plan on doing a post, just describing what little basic stuff that has been working for me. I will say, if you are going to take mutiple shots, as in dozens (or hundreds and hundreds in my case), "come off" less than $15 and go to Walmart and pick up a tripod. I think you will be very glad you did. Please do not think as I once did. Put this "fear of the unknown" away, get an inexpensive camera, AND a TRIPOD, and take part in this hobby you love. I know you feel this way or you wouldn't be here. You and your fellow collectors will be the "better" on account of it.
    So far I have "imaged" the following along with the editing:
    Walker Half Short Set #1
     
    Walker "middle set"
     
    Franklin Half Set #2 & #3
     
    Franklin proof sets ( partial completion but have to re-shoot some)
    All Pre-1933 Gold with the exception of a few smaller denominations that need to be edited & resized.
    All modern commemorative Silver Dollars
    I also have "finished product" shots of all $5 modern gold, MS & Proof, Australian and British gold soveriegns, and a few other shots taken & posted and a few others taken but not "edited/resized" or posted.
    I have enclosed a shot of something "old" and something "not so old". The Spanish "cobb" came from the Spanish Galleon "Nuestra Senora de Atocha which sank in a hurricane off the Florida Keys on September 6th 1622. She had just left Havana Sept. 4th, which this late into Hurricane season, was a big mistake. The ship was new, sailing for the first time and was enroute back to Spain. She was one of two heavily armed Galleons in a 28 ship fleet. There was always a galleon in the lead of the fleet called the "Capitana" and one in the rear called the "Amaranth". The Atocha was designated the "Amaranth" of the "Tierra Firme Fleet". She along with 4 other ships in the rear were slammed onto the reefs in "the Keys". The bulk of the fleet was blown into the safer waters of the Gulf of Mexico, away from the path of the storm. Since she was new, and heavily armed, she was the favorite of the most wealthy passengers. Their "riches" along with the Kings vast "Golden Cargo" made her ride very low in the water. The massive weight worried no one, and all thought they would be very safe aboard this brand new, 110 foot long ship. In addition to being new, she also had a full company of 82 infantry men on board along with dozens of cannon. While this weaponry and soldiers would take care of most any "man made" threat, such as pirates, it may have hastened the demise of the ship & crew on account of the added weight. Out of the 265 crew and passengers, only five were picked up the day after the storm, still holding on to the main mast of the ship where she went down in 55 feet of water. All of the rest of the passengers and crew were lost and more than likely drowned. For days and weeks after the wreck, they tried to salvage the vast cargo of gold silver and emeralds but could only work underwater for as long as one could hold their breath. No-one was able to get into the sealed hatches, and before additional equipment could be brought in, another storm battered the site and erased any hint of her whereabouts. But when Mel Fisher found her in 1986, she was still sitting in 55 feet of water just like the salvors of 1622 left her.
    There are some other neat tidbits of info concerning rare "1st year" silver from a newly opened mint in Categena Colombia. Fisher found 160,000 silver coins at the Atocha wreck site along with vast amounts of silver bars, gold bars, emeralds etc. but those freshly minted coins from the mint in Cartegena & Bogota have never been found... yet...
    Whenever a private indivigual set sail from the "new world" with any amount of treasure, small or large, taxes to the "King" had to be with-held. This was called "The Kings Fifth" 20% was due the king and anyone attempting to evade this tribute would be "put to the sword". Bars and coins owned by those other than the government are often found with a chunk or 20%, AKA the "Kings Fifth" chopped off. (The Govt. gold and silver "ALL" belonged to the King) Men, (and women) would often cut off the portion known as this Kings 5th, but not surrender it and try to "smuggle" their 80% and the Kings 20% and only if caught, they would then say they had the "Kings "$$" Sometimes this "tax evasion" ploy would "fly" and there were times they would lose the "fifth", their 80%, and their head.
    Anyway, don't know why I just went into all that but all of you know how I like to "ramble. The Krugerrand has a whole 'nother story that I won't go into now but simply, this 1979 year was a first (I think) that could be legally owned as we (the US) were not doing business with South Africa due to their nations treatment of the "black majority". AKA Apartied (or this could be an ilegal year to own? just don't remember)
    So anyway, can you tell I'm having fun with my coins or what? Happy Collecting! WKF
    P.S. This cobb is beleived to have come from the "Potosi" mint, although due to a crude strike & saltwater corrosion, an asayer mark and/or a mint mark is not visible. You can however, see where someone was going to "take care of the King" with the "Kings fifth", or was he? Looks to me like, he lost it all, along with his life. Also I thought it kinda cool that the "common" mint was the "P" as in Potosi and the rare mint mark is the "S" for Seville (Seville was a mint in Spain but coins from this mint were found also, likely "pocket change" from a wealthy passenger) for coins recovered from this wreck.. That little bit of info made me think of our "P" mints and "S" mints. Also the rare coins from the two new mints in Colombia (that have not been found) were "C" for Cartegena & "B" for Bogota ( Spanish Branch mints?) I should have made this a whole nother post... But... oh well...

  16. W.K.F.
    "An End of a primitive Era"...
    Greetings Collectors,
    As most of you know, my free time of late has revolved around an attempt to take & post pictures of my coins here at the Collectors Society. The joy and frustrations have been many and while I have taken well over two thousand shots, less than 100 have been deemed "worthy" enough to include here. Spending a great deal of time with many of my most favorite coins has made me think more "in depth" of exactly what goes into the "making of a coin" proof or business strike. I have a greater degree of apreciation and utter awe when I dwell on the process of the "bringing about" a particular coin design, the labor of the "engraver", the manufacturing of the dies, the actual "striking" of the coin and right up to the final process of storage/packaging/& shipping of the product, be it to the various banks, distributors and collectors. In this final post pertaining to earlier "proof coinage" and I say this because there is very little difference between proof coinage of this era in question and the proof coinage of earlier, as in the mid to late 1800's. The only real difference is the quantity of total coins struck. As I have mentioned in eariler posts on this subject, big changes only took place starting in the late 1970's and continue to improve, quality wise, to what we see today.
    In this post I want to just touch on the maintenance and operation of the presses and the packaging of the "finished product". I have discussed how "craftsmen" and the "human element" played a major role in what the "finished product" ie, "The Coin" ended up looking like. There are so many things that contributed to the coin either looking very good or very bad. Modern technology has greatly reduced the chance of "human error".
    It was the "press operators" job to inspect and maintain nearly every aspect of the coining process once the planchets were burnished. First, he would inspect each and every one, wash each with "soap and water" and would then "towel dry" afterwards. This was done to remove any dirt, grease or grime which if left, would end up on the surface of the finished proof coin, not to mention, possibly damage the delicate surfaces of the die itself. As with most anything involving man, one or more of these steps were not performed as well as one would like to think. Silver proof issues are notorious for having white spots, commonly refered to as "milk spots". The reason being, the planchets were not rinsed properly after the "washing" and/or not dried well after their soap bath. If the "spotting" was not removed before the planchets were struck, then these milk spots became part of the coin and are impossible to remove without damaging the surface of the coin. Today the proof planchets are still washed but are also dipped in an additional bath of "acid" to eliminate the chance of "spotting".
    Oil was applied to the planchets on "business strikes" to prolong "die life" and had to be cleaned from time to time from the die. This oily buildup would not bode well with proof dies and would actually decrease die life so to maintain these dies, the press operator would hand clean each die after only as little as 20 coins were struck. This hand cleaning was done using alcohol and cotton. If this cleaning was not performed as often as it should, the "die wear" would progress as a faster pace. Often being downright lazy would play into the picture and this, coupled with less frequent cleaning, cotton strands/fibers would remain on the surface of the die and then be transfered to the coins surface when the die struck the planchet. Sometimes the threads were small and virtually invisible, while at other times the strands were large, leaving a "knotty" impression on the proof surface of the "freshly struck" coin. The mint has taken care of this problem by substituting "lint free" felt cloths in leau of the cotton when the periodic die cleaning takes place.
    In the press, the reverse die was on the bottom facing up while it was the exact opposite for the obverse die. Being able to see the reverse die easier and with this positioning, it was also easier to clean/maintain. This caused the reverse die to get special treatment, thus prolonging its life. Dies were only replaced after they were well worn, so many times a coin was struck with a new obverse or reverse die while the other die remained for more "strikings". This is why you have different degrees of "cameo and deep cameo" effects on the same coin. Again all of the above depended on the degree of diligence and pride within the "work ethic" of the "press operator.
    "Strike pressure" played a major role in the life of the dies. Cents then as well as today required less pressure and half dollars more pressure. 30 tons and 160 tons respectivly. The frosted cameo devices of a proof die were the most delicate areas, and thus were the first to wear from the "multiple strikes".
    Repolishing the dies was a laborious task and very detailed as to the when, why, & how so for the sake of not wanting to bore you all any more minute info than I have already, "detail wise", I will keep this short and sweet and to the point. When proof coinage resumed in 1950 after an eight year break this particular aspect of proof coinage (die polishing) maybe suffered the most. In the last year of "proof sets" in 1942, 21,120 were coined. In 1950 the mint was required to produce over 51,000. This may seem minicule by todays standards but these guys "in the old days" were "slammed" and this was a very "tall order" to fill. Dies needed repolishing often to maintain the proof effect. And once again, the human element played a major role. Dies were not polished as much as they needed to be or not at all. A reverse die was done and not the obverse. Once the die was "tuckered out", it was kept in service even longer. Many many things went into why there are so few quality cameo proof coins from this period. There were even some coins that didn't look proof at all. There were so many labor intensive processes that were not performed consistantly or even at all, the more I read about this subject, it's a wonder we have any "deep/ultra cameos" at all. I plan to do a post in the future concerning the aspects of how the dies were "re-polished" and why the way this was done had "EVERYTHING" to do with how many cameo/deep cameo coins were produced. Those of you who love older proof coinage will appreciate the details surrounding all the facts that contribute to all of us having so very few choice proof coins from this 1950's era.
    Finally a quick "touch" on the subject of packaging these older proof coins. Wow, it almost seems to me that all of these coins were doomed from the start all the way through each and every process, and right up to the finish.
    When the mint resumed proof coinage in 1950, the same packaging was used as was in the 1936-1942 time period. Each coin was enclosed in a separate brittle mylar envelope which all were stapled together and then put into a small cardboard box surrounded by tissue paper. The box was then sealed with paper tape.This went on from 1950 to the middle part of 1954. Several problems arose from this type of packaging. First of all, the brittle envelopes would crack open thus allowing the coins to "slip out" and rub and bang against one another. The staple would always rust so you had small specks of rust rubbing between the coins. Then there was the glue used to seal each indivigual

  17. W.K.F.
    One day I hope I can take as good a "Pic" as he...
    Greetings Collectors,
    It is so very strange that I had on my table before me, my Walker half collections and had just taken a break to read the "journals" after loading images from my "short set #2" which is basicly extra, extras from Short Set #1 and the Walker middle date set I am trying to complete. I wanted to, and have been experimenting with shots from sets that are not as important as others. In hopes that I will get the process down pat and will be able to have images I can be proud of before I photograph my two favorite sets which is the Walker "short set" and my mint state "Full Bell Line" Franklin set #1.
    Anyway it only seemed right to not let "Jacksons pretty lady" be out alone, on Tuesday night, and rather than put a "little brother" Franklin next to her, it only seemed fitting to let her "foxy" "little sister" tag along.
    A very beautiful "San Francisco" lady Jackson, so here's a "Philly" from Philidelphia to go along with her. I can plainly see that you are having "fun" with your coins & I do hope the rest of you all are having fun as well. Well, it's back to the "tripod" for me. Happy Collecting! WKF

  18. W.K.F.
    "Honest Value NEVER FAILS"...
    Greetings Collectors,
    "Please focus your attention to the latest NEWS FLASH from Wall Street"...
    "GOLD approaches $1100, while SILVER hovers near $18...
    Spot Price on both is $1095.10 up $4.80 & $17.42 down $.02 respectfully at 11:19 Eastern...
    *Further Note: United States Constitution Article One, Section 10 states "NO STATE SHALL MAKE ANY THING BUT GOLD AND SILVER COIN, A TENDER IN PAYMENT OF DEBTS"
    What Happened?
    Happy Collecting/Investing WKF

  19. W.K.F.
    "In my opinion"...
    Greetings Collectors,
    As 2009 began, many awaited the release of the much "hyped" Ultra High Relief "Saint". I too could not wait for that day, halfway through the month of January. I can still remember the night before that day at "noon", when sales would begin. As I lay in bed, thoughts of how I had saved my money and had the funds set aside."BUT" I had also been "drooling" since August 2008 about a set, a set that was much different than any other, a set I thought I must have. My thoughts drifted back to other sets, that up to now really did something for me and to me. They were the 1995 4-coin gold set, that had with it a "gift", a coin to reward those who purchased it & to commemorate "10 Years of Gold Eagles". The other was the 20th anniversary set in Silver & Gold, both coin sets having a new, never done before, "Reverse Proof" included within the group.
    I really wanted that 1995 Silver Eagle, I still do. I just could not justify the "whopping" $995 for 4 gold coins, totaling almost two full onces of Gold & a VERY limited edition Silver Eagle. I also really wanted the 20th anniversary gold set, along with the 3-coin Silver set as well. I really hate not having the funds to purchase sets, unique sets, sets unlike any that came before them and not likely to come again. Gosh sometimes don't you wish that you could just go back? I did go out on a limb and purchase two of the 2006 3-coin Silver sets, but opened both, so only got the designation on the Reverse Proof (only sent the one set in) The reason being, having just lost my job of three years with D.R. Horton when the housing meltdown occured, the 20th aniv. gold set was not in the budget.
    So this is two, very unique sets, sets that I would have loved to have but did not get & in retrospect, should have procured.. This brings me back to that night before 1/20/09 (or was it the 15th?). AS I lay there, I decided I wanted the UHR but when the next day finally arrived, I bought this 8-8-08 "Double Prosperity" set instead. I made this decision based on the fact that the UHR, was in my opinion a coin that would be available for some time. This other set was only going to be around for a few more weeks, a month or two at best. As it ended up, two weeks later the mint ended the D.P. set. The UHR is still around. One thing that happened that I do not think was right, was that they lifted the "limit" of one per household. The mint took what could have been a truely unique coin, and one that while not rare, would have been much scarcer. Then also throw in a grade of "70" coupled with an early release, the U.S. Mint took the phrase "ruin a good thing " to a whole new level. Sometimes I really wonder if anyone there has ever been a true "coin collector"? But what do I know? Just an observation.
    I supose I should be relieved, as now while I still love the look of that "detailed" Saint, I may not spend the money it would take to get a coin that now, based on the latest mint statistics, over 100,000 have been sold. I think it would be safe to assume that well over half are in the grade of "70". So in hindsight, I am pleased with my choice, in having, on the "Buffalo" side, one of just 2,913 1/2 oz. gold coins, and that's if you take total MS-70's, early release and others into consideration. With the 1/2 oz. Gold Eagle, it's one of just 872 total "70's". So almost 3,000 of one and pushing 1,000 of the other does not make for a "rare" coin but the math is plain to see as to which is the most scarce. The very best I could do would be to spend close to two grand and have ONE of 60-70,000 coins graded a "perfect 70". Of course I may just be trying to make myself feel better, not having a UHR to call my own. I'll let you all decide on that one but I will say this in closing, this "8-8-08" is one "Fine" looking set, if I do say so myself. Happy Collecting to all of you... WKF
    P.S I brought these two coins home from the bank today to reside, if only for a short time, in the "box" I received them in. I needed to do this as a couple days ago, I had this "box" full of "scrap" and for what ever reason, it just didn't seem right...

  20. W.K.F.
    Sometimes a picture is worth a "thousand" words... In this case, it's barely worth the few words here...
    Greetings Collectors,
    Speaking of thousand, which is about how many shots I have taken in the last few weeks, I am still encountering mega problems with taking the pictures, as in lighting, distance, angle, glare and on and on. Now I am having some MAJOR problems with "Picasa 3", & with the "exporting" to a folder and then when I want to put the pics into a set, only one pic is showing up after I click on "browse". And it's not even the first pic in the group. I have done something and I don't know what, but it is by far the biggest snag thus far. I am so very glad I have plenty of hair,'cause I have been pulling it out by the bunches. If any of you are "very" familar with "Picasa 3" please drop me a line and let me know how to "clear" the system as this was not an issue in the beginning, so I know I did something to cause what is happening now.
    Anyway here is a way less than best photo of the "titled set". I took more than 20 shots outside and inside my home on a sunny day here in N.E. Fl. to get it, and while this pic borderline "stinks", here it is for those of you who did not get this set or have not seen a picture of it yet. It opens into a 3-segment book type setup with the "Lincolns Gettysburg Address" on the two pages to the left of the coins, and then folds up to the size of the part you see here with the coins. I think the copy of the "address" is actually the coolest part, as it shows in Lincoln's handwriting, the draft with certain words corrected by him, by scratching a line through the word with the new/added word written beside or above the corrected word as in substituting "for" in the place of "of" and the word "the" crossed out and "that" in its place. This famous address I think took less than 90 seconds to give, but oh the meaning of those few words. No wonder the man has always been and the coins continue to be "timeless & priceless" in so many words.
    Well so much for the "two sentence" post & pic. I never had much faith that I could pull it off and actually got two e-mails from a couple of you saying that they would be "very disappointed" if I were to post a journal with only two sentences. Thank you to the both of you, and you know who you are. You can not imagine how good it makes me feel to hear that. There are others of you who post "often" and none of us get paid for this and if you are anything like me in the matter of being a slow "typer", it takes alot of time and research to say the things we say via typing it out. I am sure I can speak for all when I say, "we do it because we love this hobby so, and all the "pay" we need is the hearing from others that they were helped by something that was shared, or that they got a "laugh". You all will get a hint of the "life" I have when the "highlight of my day is reading journals posted by you all. Keep up the good work. Our great hobby will be "all the better" on account of it.
    In closing I am gonna go out on a limb and make a prediction that may benefit all who partake. This whole "Lincoln set" thing and quickness of the sell out has been one with exclamation marks, bright lights, underlined, with a line out the door and even a waiting list. On the other hand a very tiny dim light barely illuminates another set. The "Braille Education Set" has a max mintage of 25,000, has been out for a while, yet so far "to date" a mere 5,996 have been purchased. The total max mintage, for all Braille coins, proof and unc. is 400,000 and that includes the 25,000 proofs that will go into those "Education sets" (that is, if they sell that many!) So far they have sold a "hair" over 125,000 proofs, which is a low figure that has the almost 6,000 proof coins from the set as part of that 125,344 total. The uncirculated version has sold only 66,888 pieces. As far as dollar commemoratives go, and one that continues, marching towards the cut off, a very low total indeed. And since there are no limits, I will go on to suspect that a very large % of total sold thus far, have been purchased by dealers/speculators. Olympic coins,Jackie Robinson coins and coins from the run AKA "Capitol Visitor Center are all "modern issues" with low mintages and ever rising, "after-market" prices. I have a very strong feeling about this issue.
    I was almost forced into buying the unc. Braille dollar because the day the Lincoln set went on sale, it along with a first spouse coin & a couple of 2009 P&D mint sets were still in my "shopping cart" from a previous visit a few days earlier to the mints website. I could not afford to buy that gold coin on Oct. 15th but the time it took to remove it from my cart, made me think I could not afford to wait the 11+ minutes it would take to delete the Braille dollar & mint sets and take a chance on not getting the Lincoln set. Now I am very glad I got it (the unc. Braille dollar). Now all that's missing is the set itself, in which will get me the proof. The total number in the marketplace a couple of years from now will be small, by modern coin standards and the total number of these "Braille sets" will be much much smaller. Bottom line, I think it may be wise to buy one of the Unc. dollars and one of those sets. That combo gets you a Proof, an UNC. and the set as well. I really don't see how one could lose on account of the low totals sold to date. We all collect for various reasons but in the end, we are collecting "money" plain and simple MONEY. It always has been about the total number available and it always will be. Worst case, you have a couple of 90% silver dollars and an accompaning set to boot. I smell a handsome profit along with having a couple of "not that bad a looking" silver dollars to go along with it. I keep thinking about the "Wheelchair" Olympic dollar, which I have all the respect in the world for. The physically and mentally handicapped are indeed, an additional worthy cause, another reason to get the issue with the "surcharge" going to a very worthwhile idea. Don't know why, I just didn't get at all excited about those issues from those past Olympic games. But just take a look where they are all trading at today, even way more so in "70". I have come to the conclusion that it's maybe something to ponder. I hope you are having fun with your coins & the hobby in general. Gotta go, Teletrade has an auction tonight...
    Happy Collecting! WKF

  21. W.K.F.
    A little more trial & error...
    Greetings Collectors,
    Just wanted to see if the "colors" on the "obverse" of my 1956 Franklin would show as well as the reverse. As I said before this is my favorite coin "series" in silver and some of the colors, on these mint set Franklins, are awesome. Lots of sulfer in the packaging associated with those 1950's mint sets. Anyway this is the "flip side" of the '56. It's a PCGS MS-65 with Full Bell Lines.
    Sorry for the last post being so long. I can get a "lot" carried away at times. I promise to stay off the computer tonight with the exception of installing a few more pics of some coins pulled from the bank yesterday. I am going to finish a last couple of shots of small denomination pre '33 gold and then tackle my British & Australian gold Sov's. I am working to get all of the misc. shots out of the way before I start the task of photo's on my Walker and Franklin Half sets. I want to have as much experiance as I can, as those are really my favorite coins.
    I keep waiting for some one to post a pic of the new Lincoln set with the dollar and the four proof cents. In my "scatterbrain", someone may have already, and I missed it. I think I will take a shot of mine tonight and post it later on if I have the time. I will try to make it a "pic post" only with just a couple of sentences. Yea, right, me the big "windbag" only have a "two-sentence" post. Hey! I'm doing lots of things I thought I would never do so what the heck, I'll give that a try as well.
    Happy Collecting, WKF

  22. W.K.F.
    "Scrooge McDuck Here!... with a little more than "Two Kilo's...
    Greetings Collectors,
    Wow what a weekend. The "tranny" went out on my van while I was out of town, got a new (rebuilt) put in, got back to Jax, and bam! it's fried again. Don't have a clue as to what the problem is. All I know it's doing the exact same thing again that it was doing when I started all this. I have been talking back and forth with the people who did the repairs but I'm not confident they will drive the 90+ miles to pick it up, haul it back, and then fix it. Plus they will need to bring it back to me or I'll have to get myself there and get it. "Way too much BS" So anyway, what I did was took out a little insurance, by putting a "stop payment" on the paper check I wrote. I asked them early on to please refrain from depositing the check 'til all this is resolved, so if they try and pull a "fast one", I will have "headed them off at the pass".
    I know you are thinking, what has all this got to do with numismatics? Well.. nothing.. Just thought I would share that with you. I have been engrossed with my coins and photography since I got back in town late Sat. I had a couple of surprizes waiting in my box as my "Lincoln Coin & Chronicle" set, my "zillion coin" P&D mint set for 2009 and "Oh goodie".. my, "can't believe I got one", Unc. Braille dollar... Yawn.....
    I went to the bank today and took some coins back and picked up some others to photograph. While I was there I thought I would get my "nine little bags" stuffed with scrap gold, diamonds, platinum,and other precious and semi-precious stones. Of course I had to grab some real gaudy watches, chains and nuggets as well and as I was looking at it all, my mind went back in time to the day when "comic books ruled", along with collecting coins. With myself having always been attracted to money in general and down through the last 20 or so years I have bought scrap gold and all the rest of the stuff you see in the pic, and as I was opening each little bag and spreading the contents on the dining room table, I remembered how Donald Ducks nephews (or was it his sons?) Huwey, Dewey & Louie I think were their names, would go and visit Uncle Scrooge and he would usually not answer the door as he was busy "swimming" in one of his many "money bins". I can still picture that in my mind as if it was yesterday, this huge "vault type" square room, many times taller than "Uncle Scrooge", gold coins, & lots of paper money and there he was, diving and swimming around. All you guys (and gals) that were born in the mid 50's through the 60's know exactly what I'm talking about.
    Anyway I thought I would do some swimming also, even though I only have enough to just get my toes wet. I got my scale out and weighed all the bags and the other misc. scrap chains, bracelets, watches etc and what you see (and what you can't see as it would not all fit on the table and in the pic, is just shy of 5.5 lbs. Not oz's but pounds. Of course there is a small amount of stones as well. A quick look at the diamonds and it came to about 50+carats and then there are a few emeralds, rubies, saffires and some stones I don't even know the names, but I have had a blast messing with all of this. If you look closly, sitting on the band of the gold/platinum watch on the left, I even have a "tiny" little safe with the door open. I don't even remember when and how I got it but it looks kinda cool, sitting there. I have been buying this kind of stuff for years and years and years. A little here and a little there, but I had no idea there was as much as there is. I might need to sell some of it to buy another transmission.
    Anyway I debated as to whether to post a pic of all this, as I am not trying to show off, just trying to make a point as to the fact, "It is always time to buy gold and silver and whatever, in the way of this kind of stuff. I am living proof as to how it can mount up over a period of years. Most every time I would purchase such as this, it would be twenty dollars here and forty dollars there. I did spend a few hundred on several occasions but the bulk of it came with many small buys. I have some other items such as this that I don't see here, so now it's got me thinking "where is it?" I have three S.A. Krugarands set in bezels and on chains and they are not with this batch of stuff. Wouldn't you know, I go and try to have a little fun, playing with some gold, and coins and now I'm "stressing" as to where something else is. "It seems to be the story of my life", no peace for very long, always another "forest fire" breaking out.
    Anyway I have taken pics of most of my double eagles, except one, as it's in a PCGS holder and for some reason this one holder wants to give me a problem. Keep getting a "glare". I took pics of other PCGS holders with little problem but this "1897-S" is giving me a hard time. All things considered, I have come a long way, as in most of my pre-1933 gold have images now and some look quite good. If you are interested, take a look at two $20 gold Libs, actually three, as in that 1898 I have been talking about and the 1905. These two coins "rock". The MS-60 1906 looks sweet as well and one final coin, is a $20 Saint. The 1914-D almost looks as good in the pic as it does "up close and in person". The pictures I have for the 1905 $20 liberty is for the one that is in an "Anacs" AU-58 holder. The one I have registered in that slot is an additional AU-58 I own in an NGC holder. I figured I would post the pics of the better coin as it will soon be in an NGC holder anyway. I just hope the grade will read MS-63 rather than AU-58. I still have trouble believing I got that 1905 for "58 money". I will eat the coin if it comes back less than "62". And if it comes back 62, I will be "plenty" disappointed and may "crack it out" again. The MS-61 1898 is a "mortal lock" for "63" if the people look and compare it properly. But, who knows? I'll just have to wait and see what happens.
    Most of you know that the pics I had before I started on this photo thing "stunk" and this journey I have started on in trying to take pictures, crop them and then edit/resize them has taken many hours but now I am very comfortable that I can and will continue to learn and improve as time goes on. While it has been trying at times, it has been alot of fun also and I am very glad I decided to do this. I know now, what I suspected before, as in it was always the "fear of the unknown" along with having a "Doctorate" in "procrastination". I want to thank all of you that wrote and called. I have met quite a few new friends and that alone has made it worth the effort.
    I want to reinterate that this represents a lifetime of buying "bits and pieces", a class ring from one and a broken necklace from another and a few estate sales, some of my own jewelry from back in the day. I joke about this now when I tell people, in the long ago past I drove a new "Suburban" and wore a "Rolex", now I drive an '89 "Astro" van and wear a "Timex".
    I would like to take this time to thank, once again, all of you who wrote and offered up tips and various "links". I have been "turned on" to a multitude of great sites. Some are easier for me than others but I have tried my hand at two that stand above all the rest. Both are free downloads and both have "batch file reduction" which make it easy to take a bunch of photographs and then reduce the whole batch with a single click of the mouse. The names of these two sites, if any of you are

  23. W.K.F.
    A very brief history of my 1898 Double Eagle, by far, my favorite coin series...(in gold)
    Greetings Collectors,
    It is amazing how "bored" one can be on Friday night in the little town of White Springs Fl. with a total population of about the same amount as this 1898-P "twenty". (less than 2500).
    When I get home I am going to crop and edit my entire gold coin collection, starting with my #11 Type Three Double Eagles. Over 70% of them were purchased when gold was around a shade north of $500. Most were purchased in MS 62 grades for around $650-$750 each. The one pictured here was the last one I purchased in Sept.of this year and had to pay way more than those "above" prices.
    The 1898 "Philly" issue was a very low mintage coin and one that I have been searching for quite some time to locate. Its mintage is the lowest from this mint since 1891. According to my favorite reference book, "A Numismatic History & Analysis of Type Three Double Eagles" ( I call this my "type three $20 Bible") There are 2100-2500 total known in all grades, slabbed and raw. In addition, the mint figures state that 170,395 business strikes along with 75 proofs account for the total mintage. The breakdown of the condition of total known are as follows:
    Circulated- 300-400
    MS-60/61- 900-1100
    MS-62/63 900-1100
    MS-64 & up- 26-35
    Many authorities on the t-3 twentys agree that this coin is an undervalued "sleeper" which is actually much scarcer than the more-heralded 1905. (I tend to disagree on that particular bit of info simply 'cause there are only a shade more than one thousand coins known in "captivity" for the 1905-P duhhh...) It is also stated that this coin is one of the more difficult dates to locate with a "full strike". They go on to say that many show weakness on the obverse stars and not completely defined on the hair of Liberty. The reverse is typically sharper and will often appear at least one-grade better than the obverse. This is a much "scarcer" date than any other Double Eagle produced from 1894 to the early part of the 20th century. It is rare in MS-63 and extremely rare in MS-64 or better. Out of the 75 proofs struck, it is believed that 30 or so exist, making this one of the two most available pre-1900 Proof Double Eagles. Many of the surviving proofs are very choice and some superb quality pieces are known as well.
    My 1898 is a most remarkable coin in that it is graded MS-61 but is "grossly" undergraded. In relation to the 1905 $20 I posted about just recently, it (the 1905) is equal in quality & the 1898 is superior in quality to an MS-63 "old holder" NGC graded 1904 which I have. I have been told by several experts this 1904 is a "63.75" if not a "64" and the 1898 pictured here is every bit as sharp and detailed as that MS-63 1904 coin on the obverse ("heads") and even sharper on the reverse ("tails") I am thrilled at the possibility of re-submitting both this coin and the "Anacs" AU-58 1905 and getting both back as "solid MS-63's". I know what some of you are thinking, and that is "why did someone else not see these two "snafu's" and snatch them up and have them regraded? This I don't know, but I will tell you this, and that I know this series well and have looked at both this 1898 and that aforementioned 1905 literly dozens of times each, under 20X glass and compared every minute detail and that coupled with expert opinions about my 1904 "63", there is ZERO doubt in my mind that I have a solid 62.5 on the 1905 and a solid 63.5+ on this 1898. (If not for the couple of small scratches on "Liberty's face, this coin (the 1898) with the "near perfect" reverse may reach an MS grade of 64). Both coins appear to have never been loaded into the canvas sacks that most Double Eagles and Morgan Dollars were stored in for shipment out to the various banks. This type of handling/storage was "hell" on the shiney soft fields of all gold coins, even more so on the larger "tens & twentys". Because there are near zero "bagmarks/scratches" on the fields or devices on either coins, I am convinced these were handled in a different fasion, either pulled out early or put in rolls from the "git-go". Both are close to being solid "middle mint state". I am not sure how good this pic will turn out here on this post but I intend on taking a few more shots of both of these coins so that I can share their quality with you all. I would like your opinions as to what you think these two coins would grade at, after I post new pictures in the coming weeks.
    There are four low-mintage Philly mint "twentys" I own and all but one will be "cracked out" (The AU 58 1902 is a 58+ but not even in the same ballpark as the 1905 & 1898 and will remain in its NGC-58 holder) I have a 1906 "old green holder" PCGS-60 that will also be "cracked out" but I am convinced, while it is a "super sweet" coin, a 62.5, it will more than likely come back no better than "62".
    As I have mentioned several times before, in previous posts, there are some really nice coins "out there" and every now and then you will run across one thats way off "grade wise". Your "downside" risk is usually minimal, while the "upside" could be tremendous. If and when you find one, grab it, crack it out carefully, send it in and see what happens. You may be very glad you did. As I share some "closer view" pictures of these three "Philly Twentys", those of you in the know will I'm sure, agree. Well it's after 1:00 AM so I'm going to bed. Hope all is well with you and yours. I would like to continue to "have fun with my coins" by dreaming about them. Happy Collecting! WKF
    P.S. I sure wish "Lady Liberty's" old man had not punched her in the mouth and "cut" her upper lip. I would love to get my hands on and about him as he may have cost me many thousands of $.
    P.S.S. The $ would be secondary...

  24. W.K.F.
    I don't own but one of these slabbed but....
    Greetings Collectors,
    I am leaving to go back to Jacksonville Fl. in the morning after spending the week with my dad. While I was here I had the unfortunate occurance of having my transmission go out on my van. When something like this happens, as in a large expenditure, I always think of what coin or coins I could have bought with the money. Is this "sick" or what? Anyway while I have had the chance to spend some quality time with my 81 year old father, I was very disappointed that I forgot to bring the charger for my digital camera battery thus not being able to take any pictures while I have been here. Being away from my PC where all my photo pics taken recently are stored, I had no way of posting any shots while I have been away. Then it hit me. I still have the pics Andrew (krytencoins) from Australia had sent me via e-mail. I am not a computer person but I am proud to say, I was able to open them and load them to my dads PC and now I have a few pics with me. Guys I am really "eat up" with this "photo stuff" and that coupled with the thought of Six Mile Rick " going into a severe case of "withdrawals" I figured for his sake, I would attempt this task of taking an e-mailed pic and getting it to a place I could pull it from and post it.
    So anyway the Barber coin series, the half, quarter and dime, take me back to the day, early on in my coin collecting past. These along with the "V" nickel, the Buffalo's, "Merc's and "Wheaties" and a very few old worn AG Morgan and Peace dollars were the vast majority of my collection way back then. I never owned a coin in that era that would grade now as a "BU". I can't recall even having what would have been considered a "slider" by todays grading standards. In the last 4-6 years, I have been on a vast number of "coin kicks", as in, I would, for a time, start buying Morgan dollars, then it would be Peace dollars, then I would change to Mercury dimes and then back to "Walker" halves, then over to modern $5 gold eagles. It seems like I have jumped all over the place for a several week or couple of month period and then almost always returned to one of my favorites ie, Franklin halves, pre 1933 gold etc. My point being is that with the coin pictured here, I keep coming back to it and the whole design of it and I am starting to feel a desire to start a set of these "Barber dimes". (I feel the beginings of another "monster" created, as in "It is aliv v v v e") The obverse I have always liked but the reverse is a work of art also, the wreath reminds me of the reverse of the $3 & $1 gold coins of the mid 1800's. I love the way it says in big letters, "one dime". Exquisit artwork as so many of our "older" U.S. coins have. It's just that I feel that attachment "urge" welling up inside me, that makes me want a few more of this particular series. I can't really explain it other than while I saw this coin and I really liked it and the price was right and was only buying it to add another 19th century "type coin" to my collection, more has happened & bottom line is, I like this coin and the series in general way more than I thought I would and now I want to add to it. This is ALWAYS the way it begins. Just don't know why and when this "feeling" will come over me, I often wonder if any other collectors feel this exact same way? But enough "rambling", I just wanted to share this "double pic" with the rest of you and hope that all of you had a good week and here's hoping your weekend goes well also. I leave you with "both sides" of my only slabbed "Barber Dime" PCGS MS 63
    Again as I always say, "I hope all of you are having fun with your coins" and again, "Happy Collecting!", WKF

  25. W.K.F.
    Planchet or Blank Preparation...
    Greetings Collectors,
    I have taken a break and gone out of town to visit my father for this week and while I would have taken some more pics on this break, as I brought all of my coins with me that were not in the bank vault, along with my camera and tripod. I left the battery charger and USB cable at home. Just another example of my excelent memory and thought process. So anyway I did bring some numismatic study material and the last couple of issues of "Numismatic News" and thought this a good time to share "part three" of a five part series on proof coinage from a time when it was done "by the seat of their pants".
    The practices of preparing the proof planchets remained, for the most part, unchanged during this 20 year period of 1950-1970. During this time the planchets for both proof and "business strikes" were struck from strips of that particular coins metal, in lengths six feet long by several inches wide. A process called "upsetting" was done to contour the rims prior to the striking process.
    The next step was the "annealing" process which was the application of heat which further softened the metal and made the refinement process easier. The planchets or blanks were prepared the same way for proof and business strikes as in they were fed into a large diameter tube called a retort. This large tube called a retort ran horizontally through an oven a little over twenty feet long.There were "corkscrew" configured grooves, spiraling forward, along the inside of this tube/retort. When a planchet was inserted into the retort, it would lay flat inside a groove and move forward as the tube/retort slowly rotated. This process would take approx. one hour with the temperature inside would vary, 1100 degrees for silver and the harder metals such as nickel would require about 1600 degrees.
    It was at this time that the planchets were ready for striking. An additional step was needed for proof planchets in that they were put into a stainless steel barrel and spun like a "clothes drier" with small stainless steel "BB's" that measured 3/16". This "spinning" would last for twenty four hours. The combination of the two highly polished surfaces, ie the burnished surfaces of the proof planchet and the fields of the proof die is what gave the proof coin its mirrored surfaces.
    If the planchets were properly prepared and no shortcuts were made (and unfortunately shortcuts were made quite often) cameo proofs with deep mirrors and heavily frosted devices would be the end result. The reason for the "low pops" of ultra/deep cameo proofs from this era today were caused by a number of processes that were "skimped" apon. I mentioned in part two that the "acid bath" was more than likely shortened, to prolong the life of the dies and this coupled with an annealing process of a shorter duration and/or at a lower temperature, thus making the planchets much "harder" and more "brittle". After only a few planchets worth of strikes (keep in mind the proofs were struck "twice") this was hell on, and would quickly damage the delicate, acid dipped cameo effect of the new proof die.
    According to experts,the biggest recurring problem were "striations" on the planchets/blanks. These "striations" look alot like "hairlines" on a proof coin. The way to tell the differance between Striations and hairlines" are, striations tend to run to the very edge of the rim or device of the coin, a tell tale sign they were already on the planchet before the coin was struck. Hairlines are usually caused from cleaning or mishandling and are usually located in the central portions of the mirrored fields.
    The one major differance in the planchet prep process, occured in the mid 70's and that was when during the "annealing" process, the planchets were placed on a stainless steel belt and secured. This kept them (the planchets) held in place, unlike before when they were slid through the retort tube, unsecured, with them picking up the striations all along the way.
    Modern processes have vastly improved the quality of our proof coinage today, but it was not so long ago that the "human factor" and the fact this type of coinage was done by "craftsmen" which as we all know today, and was also true then, there are "good" "craftsmen" and there are ones that are not so good. Isn't it funny how, no matter how things change, some things remain the same. I am very glad for the vast improvment of our proof coinage but I am also very glad about the "rarity" of the high grade proof coinage of old.
    I do believe that every coin collector would do his or herself justice to try and pick up a Franklin proof half in the highest grade of cameo or ultra/deep cameo that he or she can possibly afford. If not for the investment, then pick one up for the shear beauty of it. I think you will be glad you did and you may also have a greater degree of apreciation & understanding of how that, which you are holding, finally came to be.
    Two final facts concerning Franklin half proof coinage are: For most years halves struck with ultra/deep cameo designations account for only 0.1% of the total strikings. And the same coins that would be called just "regular cameo's are only the first 1% of the coins struck off a new proof die.
    I trust all of you are having fun with your coins, I know I am. Happy Collecting! WKF
    P.S. No pic this post...