Woods020

Bob, Another area I think that would speak to me is trade tokens related to pharmacy/apothecary/druggist. I have a long family history of working in pharmacy in one way or another, and I’m an executive at one of the largest pharma companies today. So these would speak to me for sure. I actually have a ton of antique apothecary items my grandfather left me. If you have any suggestions on guide books related to tokens this subject matter?

I finally found a copy of the Alabama specific guide book I had mentioned. Apparently it has been out of print for some time and not easily found. I got a used copy off Amazon of all places. Thanks again for your help! Look for me to chime in on token Tuesday from now on.

Coins are tricky to photo. Especially to maintain clear detail. Lighting is always a struggle. I would say atleast 75% of the time, if not more, the answer most posters receive is nothing can be determined from their pictures. Yours are really good and those with the knowledge should be able to see what they need to see easily. She taught you well.

Bob this thread is amazing. Your tokens and back story are great. It’s inspired me to start picking up a few for the neighboring state as well. I’ve been looking, and I have only found one book specifically dedicated to tokens of Alabama written in 1995 by Roy Wood. Are you aware of any other references that may be applicable? Is the guidebook of American tokens fairly comprehensive? What do you use? Thanks!

Algin, if you have a question about your coin you should start a new thread. This has confused the responses you are getting.

Algin, if you have a question about your coin you should start a new thread.

Asking yourself why when you look at defaced coins will rarely lead to a definitive answer but will often lead to a headache. People do crazy things to coins, and honestly I don’t think there is a reason mostly other than it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I’ll tell you, your photography skills are top notch! That will serve you well in these threads

Welcome J P ! If you think Cape Cod is expensive, wait until you make the jump from “saver” to “collector” 😂

Mr Bill, 1. This isn’t a bag mark. If it’s in the coin it’s a scratch. Bag marks are smaller nicks than this generally. 2. Yes an MS coin can have bag marks, but they definitely detract from the grade. Morgan dollars are a perfect thing to study this concept. They notoriously were highly bag marked, and the size/location/severity of the marks all impact grade. 3. An MS 69 shouldn’t have bag marks. Again this is near perfection, and only minute flaws. Yes a bag marked coin can grade mid MS, but unless it was one small nick in a non prominent location no way it would be 69. However again this isn’t a bag mark. 4. the spruce is not somewhere I would get numismatic info. If you want to review grading standards check out the ANA standards, or for free download PCGS CoinFacts app and use the photo grade tool. You will quickly see if this coin had a scratch like that it wouldn’t be a 69.

I was watching a show recently on discovery about the discovery of some artifacts. But long story short the museum conserving the pieces used thorns to clean the intricate areas on the pieces. Apparently it’s a recognized “tool” for conservation.

Someone much more versed in Lincoln’s can chime in, but I believe rdv-005 is the standard reverse for that year. RDV-006 is the rarity as it is the reverse intended for 1989. Someone correct me please if I am incorrect.

Welcome! It is impossible to tell much from your photo. However, if those scratches are in the coin and not the holder then no it isn’t a MS69. MS70 is literally the perfect coin, with no blemishes under magnification. Most of us, me included, can rarely tell the difference in an MS69 and MS70 because it is a minor defect somewhere in the coin. With that said an MS69 coin is darn near perfect except for a minute blemish. Are you certain it is the coin scratched and not the slab?

I think you just have strike doubling. Essentially the die shifts/slides during striking. Admittedly this is a somewhat complex numismatic area determining doubling causes. However, to help below is a link from the hosts that gives you some information on what to look for. Hope this helps https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/5688/Double-Dies-vs-Machine-Doubling/

I agree. I think the tumbling/cleaning removed the active corrosion, but the surface damage is present form what was already done.

Agree my money is on it being in the ground for some time, then recovered and tumbled. The pitting/stippling looks like what you see when one has been in the ground. That or Lincoln has smallpox again.

I’m sure you’ve at some point seen the neatly rolled coins at a bank or store. When they crimp the ends of those rolls, it sometimes scars the end coin, which is what you are seeing. Just to give you some context of what probably happened. You will see it fairly often if you look at many coins.

Welcome! It looks like post mint damage from a rolling machine. It is seen quite often and not a mint error.

$11,000 is chump change compared to some dimes. There is a top pop 1916-D Mercury dime (MS 67 FB / CAC) that I have drooled over for sale currently. Bargain price of $225,000. And sadly I’m trying to figure out how to plan to own that coin sometime in my lifetime. However most people will tell you numismatics is a hobby. For enjoyment. Collect what appeals to you. You can have a set of modern pennies in an album if that is what appeals to you. No they won’t be worth a ton of money, but they bring you joy when you look at them. Long story short don’t worry about being able to buy $11k coins to have a lifetime of fun in this hobby.

This does look like a wood grain Lincoln. Some are more pronounced than this. It is caused by an improper alloy mix in the planchet material. Think of it as the lines show the different metals because they weren’t properly mixed.

I thought that too. Really seems like this is an issue in the planchet.

This seemingly would be damage logically. However, it looks like the outline of the US is not disturbed by the raised lines. It’s interesting to say the least. Could this somehow of happened as planchet damage prior to striking? Not sure how a planchet would get mangled like that unless it got caught in the upsetting machine or something. And I know the strike usually smoothes out minor surface imperfections from the pressure and metal flow, but if it was significant damage to the planchet maybe it would remain? Looking forward to seeing opinions on this.

I’m similar to Just Bob. If you sell them piecemeal I am interested in a handful as well.

Can someone tell me how? With eBay it’s easy. I searched for 30 minutes on Amazon in the customer service and help sections and find no way to actually contact them regarding a listing. This seller has many fakes for sale on there.

Now that’s an interesting trick. Learned something new tonight. And another use for toilet paper 😂