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jackson64

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Journal Entries posted by jackson64

  1. jackson64
    I'm going to have to face the facts...
    I believe that it was Albert Einstein who said, " The definition of insanity is making the same mistakes and expecting different results." ( often misquoted as "doing the same thing and expecting..."). Well I am either hardheaded beyond cure, thick as a brick or certifiable because for years I have been making the same mistakes and inevitably getting the same results.
    The last I journaled--before the new year I believe--I had my fingers crossed as I sent 5 of my Walkers away for regrade. I was sincerely hoping for an upgrade or possibly a + or star for at least 4 of the 5 coins. I used my 5 free submission "coupon" on this instead of getting some of the "to be slabbed" pile taken care of. I have ASE proofs in boxes, foreign gold, old BU Washies with color, and Canada proof sets with the dimes and $2 polar bears I collect, all of which I keep meaning to get in slabs but keep putting off.
    Instead, I again fed my insanity. How bad of a submitter am I ?? I may be the only person who routinely LOSES money on submissions. How is this possible you may wonder, well I'll tell you...........
    You see, of the 5 Walkers I submitted, 2 were in old NGC fattie holders which sell at a premium and 2 had CAC stickers for being premium quality coins, which also sell at a bit of a premium. However my coins all came back in brand new shiny holders ( I guess they do this automatically--lesson learned here)..so I lose the value of the coveted old generation slabs and also the CAC value.
    However this was not my first brainless moment. My prior submission was also a money loser. I had purchased the limited edition Canada proof set last year. Unlike the normal silver proof sets, there were only 5000 minted of this set and it was a pain locating one since the mint sold out in one day and dealers were marking it up accordingly. To cut to the chase, I submitted the set directly to NGC--hard oak box, COAS and untouched capsules..my results were that they all came back as (2)67's and (3)68's for my 5 coin set. The irony is that the coins were worth more raw than they are in slabs with such low grades for moderns. Now I'm without the box and COA also so cracking them out and putting them back in original packaging is not an option ( another lesson learned).
    So I may be learning some lessons ( and they do get expensive), but my insanity persists. How do I know that I'm not cured? Because my pile of "to be graded" coins still sit on velvet lined trays waiting for my craziness to boil over and send in another batch for my next installment of disappointment.
     
    Picked up this overlooked semi-key for my Barber Half set the other night. The 1909-O is not often mentioned when talking about Barber keys/semis but with an NGC gaded pop of just 81--in all grades-- and similar pop in PCGS...there just may not be that many of these still in existence ( at least with a collectible quality to them)..
    PS: almost forgot..congratulations to everyone who was recognized by NGC this year for your excellence in collecting, whether it was assembling, presentation or journaling..all of the awards were well given. And thank you NGC for recognizing me and my love of my humble Walker set as well...

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  2. jackson64
    and "hoard" may truly be the most apt word for this collection
    I have written over the years about several large coin collections that have fallen into my hands to convert to spendable money for the inheritors. Once also, a friend's parents from my church asked me to estimate-and then ultimately purchased several cardboard boxes of mixed circulated coins.
    Hoard one had 4 large rubbermade toolboxes and I shared great deals with my old friends at Trading slabs--rons, sam/coindude, antthe, monkeyman (rest in peace chad) matt and matt, walt etc etc...the rest I listed on moneymarketplace and finally ebay with the stragglers. Ultimately I did well for my friend ( whose brother had died) and the funds I generated from the sales enabled him to repair his brother's home and sell it at a nice price.
    Hoard 2 was just a bunch of shoe boxes but had nicer coins--common date AU/BU morgans, walkers and peace dollars. I selected about 20 higher quality "feeler" coins for a submission. They came back with modest grades and after I did some math, it turned out that it was not worth the time or effort to submit any more for the modest increase in value slabbed did not really offset the slabbing, shipping and selling costs.
    This last hoard is massive--55 cases of coins--unfortunately it is all moderns. It appears there are examples of every modern issue and special packaged mint set/proof set the mint has made since 1982.
    I say "hoard" because it is not just 1 of each state quarter proof set-- it is 5 to 10 of each state quarter proof set in both clad and silver, 5 to 10 of each complete proof set clad and silver, a P and D roll with mint wrapper of each state quarter--and yes, even $25 canvas BU bags of each state quarter P&D. ....and this is just state quarters, there are rolls of mint packaged/wrapped kennedy halves BU, prezzie dollar BU, westward journey nickel BU..etc etc etc.
    So I started by cataloging all of it in 2 notebooks--one book with proofs, proof sets and special mint sets and packaging ( like legacy sets, lincoln 4 coin and dollar sets, westward journey set with the $10 buffalo bill)...the second notebook is full of MS rolls, MS P&D sets, single coins and misc foreign coins. It took a few hours every night to finish this ( and also was getting an idea of how to break/group these items into saleable lots.)
    I sent away 40+ coins for slabbing--some of the choicer modern commems like the buffalo silver dollars,the handful of $5 gold commems, a run of 1/10th oz gold coins from 1990 to 2003 and 1/10th platinums proofs from 1990 to 2005, 2008 proof and unc buffalo gold 1/10th's, 5x 1996 ASE's and 1x 2006 silver 3 coin ASE set-- etc
    All of these will be for sale once returned and I'm hoping for a decent amount of 70's since all were still in mint packaging and left there.
    I may do a few more submissions since so many of these mint state envelopes of P&D sets are pristine. Maybe I'll get some top pops of tougher dates, some full steps, full torches, or even a MS68 Kennedy or IKE or 2 would make the submission well worth the costs.
    Also I'll probably do one foreign coin submission since there are boxes and boxes of those $20 silvert canada coins, canada proof sets, 15 different dated mexico uno onza angle coins, brittanias and maple leafs--I'll have to check and see if the values would increase enough if they received good grades or if there is a market for these foreign bullion pieces in slabs.
    It really was a joy and exciting to sort through all of these plastic cases--never knowing what I might find next ( I'm sorting through some proof set runs and at the end of the box are 1x each of 1957 through 1967 envelope proof sets-fun stuff).
    I will be posting an on-going thread on moneymarket place on the boards to sell all of this--foreign, rolls, sets and slabs..I'm waiting for the executor to give me the go-ahead to begin selling ( it ended up being my oldest daughter as executor which is a long story) what I can't sell here I'll probably list on ebay or purchase myself and set aside--I'm confounded as to what to do with $25 roll of P&D of each Sac dollar, each prezzie dollar etc etc--I can't sell on ebay because fees and shipping will probably leave me getting less than face value...we'll see.
    Here's a picture of what used to be my office...

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  3. jackson64

    I'm Still Around

    By jackson64,

    Other hobbies but there's always coins...
    Well I haven't gone anywhere. I know that I haven't journaled in quite a while but I have still been busy with the hobby and also reading the posts by others.
    Besides this time of year and the demands on my time by other hobbies--Stanley Cup Playoffs time, opening of Rockfish season in the Bay, getting my early spring veggies in the ground ( snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower etc)..add the stresses of work, family and my first grandbaby ( my beautiful granddaughter whom I adore) and although I've continued with my numismatic pursuits, I have not had any time to keep my friends here abreast.
    I almost wrote last weekend after reading Kerry and Dan's journals because of the coincidences. You see, recently I had gone down to a local antique shop where there is a small area with a bunch of coins in a case to see what might be there. I was actually speculating to see if any of the items that were once a bit overpriced might now be more reasonable with the rising silver costs. As luck had it I ended up finding some lower grade Walkers and early commems for about $10 each, and also about 30 of the Ike blue packs for $7 each. I bought everything they had that was below melt, sold the Ikes on ebay for enough profit that I got to keep 11 free Walker halves.
    The other post that got me wanting to write was mention of the Stacks/Bowers Auction at the Baltimore -Whitman Coin Expo. I also attended and I actually found and won an upgrade for my Walker Short Set. About a month ago I spent a pretty penny on an MS67 1947 upgrade for the set ( I actually increased my points by 1700+ but stayed in 12th place). Well this time I bought a 1942-D MS67 and (for now) this will put me up into 11th place--at least until CBC gets his next upgrade ( we've been jockeying back and forth for over a year now).
    So that's mostly it..only 2 coin purchases of note and I'm still adding rolls of silver bullion to my holdings. Even at $40 an ounce I believe that there is still some upward movement ahead before things level off--but don't take this as any prognostication, I could be wrong and I also plan on holding onto my buys for a long while.
    Anyhow, that's about it..glad to see so many newer collectors bringing their enthusiasm to the hobby, good luck and happy hunting everyone--here's a picture of my 1942-D ( I haven't added it to my set since it's not yet in hand)..

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  4. jackson64
    It's been a while...
    Yes, it has been a while since I felt the higher energy level from coin collecting. Lately it's been lower dollar coins ( around or under $100) or empty searches for the higher grade sets I'm trying to build....
    Last night was quite different ! Not only did I get home from work and find out that my internet bids had been enough to land me 2 additions to my Walker collection--- I also sat down and enjoyed the live bidding since I was registered.
    Watching coin after coin sell for more than the worth of my entire collection is both humbling and jaw-dropping. Bids starting at $2,000 quickly jump into 5 figures...and much of the early gold went for $100,000+....to think that I could destroy my credit and need to re-finance my home were just a mouse click away !!
    Seriously though, it was exciting even just to watch--especially since I had some " house money" to play with. You see I had consigned some lots that had sold earlier for a little under 5 figures ( total-not each)...I even threw in one bid on a $3 Indian Princess gold Proof for $3000---it eventually sold for around $30,000 so I was never in any danger of actually winning but it was fun to throw in a bid !!
    Anyhow, here are my 2 wins...a nice 1937 Walker MS66+ and a "lateral" move with another MS66 1943-S but much more attractive and distinctive-- yes, I do even "upgrade" my sets with the same grade on the slab--just much nicer coins. I hope you Walker lovers enjoy these...

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  5. jackson64

    A Nice Score !

    By jackson64,

    I have certain rules that I always (most always) hold on Ebay purchases but none of them are fully iron-clad. I do on occasion buy coins from sellers with low feedback numbers if it "feels right" that a small lot or group of coins really does look like somebody's cigar box collection.
    Sometimes I will purchase coins from overseas. I avoid Chinese fakes and those with export/import issues, but I have gotten some nice coins at pretty good prices from Portugal, Spain, the UK etc. One must always factor in the shipping costs and don't buy from Europe or Australia if you expect the coin in a day or three.
    I almost never buy coins when the pictures are hazy, look photoshopped, altered or enhanced. It is this last "rule" that I broke when I purchased my recent addition-and it paid off. The images were dark, grainy and slightly out-of-focus. The darkness of the pictures lent the impression that the coin was darkly grey with mottled black areas.
    However with my inept photography skills, I have produced the same results from coins that had far different in-hand eye appeal. What I guessed had happened was that some darker cobalt blues appeared blackish and the overall patina was being subdued. Also, I felt that the strike was very good and although not FH, it was close with pretty distinct head details if not full.
    Chalk this one up to experience as I was right on the money! ( and then some!) The darker areas that appeared black and grey were indeed spatterings of cobalt mixed with specks of lavender and even a few emerald specks. The overall fields were a nice rose blush. The strike of the head has some flatness but far from the worst I've seen. Also the coin is a true Slider. I could see the graders struggling over whether this coin was an MS64 or AU58- fortunately for me, my set parameters and my checking account, they opted for the AU58 grade.
    So my nice little 1920 AU58 leaves me with just 2 coins to complete the registry set of SLQ AU's. I try and get nice eye appeal coins for the easier dates like the 1920 since there are more available and I can be even pickier than normal. Throw in the fact that I got it ( I'm sure the shoddy photo helped) at less than 50% of list and this was a nice little score.
    Here are the early, quick pics I took and then the images from the sale/listing......




  6. jackson64
    way too much stuff
    Well this morning I embarked on a project that was way overdue. I went to the hardware store and bought a few 2" lag bolts, and a 1/2" steel bit to bolt my safe to the floor.
    I know that I've been acting on faith that my safe wouldn't be stolen. Although it weighs a lot and wouldn't be able to be picked up by a single individual and carried out of my home-- a properly prepared team of thieves could have done it together with a dolly.
    So I opened it up ( the bolts go through the inside to the floor underneath--it will take a full removal of the floor for it to be moved without the combination). Once inside I started clearing it out--insurance policies, SSN cards, wife's jewelry, passports etc...and of course, my hoard/collection.
    How much fun it was to slowly "inventory" all of the swag. I went through my stackable, silver-colored NGC slab boxes...then some rolls and tubes of Silver Eagles. I found the albums that I have assembled (reminding myself that there were a few upgrades that I've been meaning to get) and in the back was a nice surprise that I forgot I had. There were 5 nice 1995 proof ASE's that I had bought years ago, still in their boxes.
    I found other loose stuff--doubles I've been meaning to sell, about 20+ coins that I've always intended to get slabbed...
    So I guess the lesson is, that it's time again for my annual " clear out the impulse buys" sale. Sometimes I wonder if I have a touch of that "hoarder" mentality in me..but since it's just with coins and bullion nobody has deemed it necessary to have an "intervention" for me.
    Here's another of my foolish coin things that I do...I paid $15 to get a $20 coin slabbed--go figure. Oh well, it looks great in my High Seas collection...Copper coin from Cyprus with an ancient galleon on it...

  7. jackson64

    A "Pocket Coin"

    By jackson64,

    for a raw set
    In my journals I usually talk about my Walking Liberty collecting, sometimes I talk about my High Seas sailing ship themed set/s, and since I finished my Mercury dimes..not so much on them anymore.
    I don't seem to write about some of my "sideline" collections very much. One of these collections is Barber Halves in F-VF quality. I collect these raw, although one or two have been crackouts when the price is about even to that of a raw coin.
    I'm not super picky with these. I believe the Barber half is one of the most attractive coins in circulated condition. I do try and get as much facial detail and L-I-B-E-R-T-Y on the headband as possible.
    I recently took a chance on a 1910-S that I came across. It has great details and full LIBERTY..a solid F15-VF20..it also is very "dirty".
    Not being one to ever clean coins I'm going to try an experiment. I've heard some older collectors talk about carrying a coin around in your pocket for a few months if there is a surface problem. The theory is a tiny bit of wear can eliminate some things like artificial toning, uneven color, light hairlines..etc..
    So since this coin only cost me $18 and has details of a $50+ coin, I'm going to run an experiment of the theory to see if I can "even out" the color and wear away some surface contaminants naturally..Here's the BEFORE picture..in 3 months I'll post an AFTER picture..hopefully I never forget to remove it from my pocket before laundering..some of the old pennies I find in my dryer are as bright as the day they were made--and dinged up too...

  8. jackson64
    showing my age with a Tom Petty song reference...
    For years I have tried to become someone who strives to be a better person. One of the toughest and longest lasting of my character defects has always been my impatience..I struggle with it when driving in traffic, I struggle with it in grocery checkout lines, I struggle with it if I make the mistake of shopping with my wife ( good thing she doesn't read these)...and generally I struggle with it anytime people post or promise a specific time and then are well late®.
    I don't understand, in our current economic climate with tens of millions of Americans seeking employment desperately, how NGC can be so under-staffed as to have waiting periods THREE TIMES LONGER than the posted turnaround times on their submission forms...
    I am not feverishly wanting to enter them into my sets, I'm not waiting by the mailbox and I usually only check once a week to see if the status changed from "scheduled for grading" What gets me riled up is the principles involved. When at a restaurant if my food is overly long I will get an apology from the waiter, maybe even the manager or maitre'd, and most often a free drink while I wait or a complementary dessert. At the auto shop when my repair guy takes an extra day to get the part or longer to fix my car than he thought--most often he offers me an extra 10% off the bill or throws in a free oil change or tire rotation...you get the point.
    If a company mails me submission forms that say: appx 10 business days turnaround and takes 50-60 days..should there not be a discount?..or maybe a coupon for 1 free future submission...or maybe free imaging for the items? These would not be hardships for a company to offer-especially one who is so swamped with business that it takes 4 to 5 times longer to complete the service that they promised you. Heck, a coupon for one free grading would even boost business probably-especially when one considers that most categories have minimum coin submissions too.
    Anyhow, that's my vent. I know I am not the only one frustrated with this but nothing will come of it. It's not like we're all going to band together and boycott until we get at least a "sorry for the wait" or that they hire enough graders that they can get our coins back to us within a few weeks of when they promised....so I'll try and be patient.I'll focus on other things and one day I'll be pleasantly surprised when either the webpage has changed to "Finalized, Imaged,Shipped" or I have to sign for a registered package at my post office.
     
    Rant over--the coins I sent away were a few slot fillers for some "sidelight" sets. I have 3 of the final holes for my Canada 10c proofs, my $2 polar bear coins ( including my first gold coin for the series) and a few Bahamas 50c silver coins with the blue marlin.
    So what did I do in the meantime while waiting??? I bought a hole filler already slabbed to add to my Canada "twonies" set. Here is a 2000 Millenium Gold edition of the Polar Bear and her cubs..what a neat coin and nice design for this series..

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  9. jackson64
    you won't believe this one........
    I had casually mentioned on the Chat Boards that I had gotten my ASE 25th Anniversary order for 2 sets placed at around 6:00pm EST on the day of release ( 10/27/11).
    My order was immediately placed on backorder and every week or 2 I have gotten an email bumping it further down the road..EXAMPLE: your order is scheduled to ship appx 11/25..on 11/25 I'd get an email saying, " your order expected to ship 12/7..and on and on it went week after week..my latest was " your order expected to ship 01/06/12..and then as the 6th came I got another email postponing it until Jan 23rd.
    I actually called the mint after this final email and asked them if there was actually any chance that I still might receive my order- or if this random generated email would eventually turn into, " your order has been canceled" --as so many others have received after their backorders had fallen by the wayside because of dwindling supplies and their lower place on the list. The person I spoke with at the mint's phone line assured me that there was still a chance but that she wasn't guaranteeing anything.
    At this point I calmly vented a little- I also explained to her the bit of a pickle I was in by the circumstances. I really would like a set and am going to purchase one regardless. The issue is that I have been collecting coins for years and years and recognize the reality of what occurs with a high demand set like these. FIRST: a huge demand and dealers snaggging up extras, a shortage for collectors orders and prices skyrocket ( I believe some were $3000 for unopened raw sets or pre-ordered all 70 sets.). SECONDLY: next comes the over-correction ( which I believe we are in now) as dealers and collectors who purchased 5 sets try and sell off the extras. I saw a set on Teletrade I believe sell for under $800 for 69's in First Strike PCGS anniversary holders and even some perfect 70's sets at near $1000. Third: after the "extra" sets have cleared out, many of those who wanted sets and didn't have the funds at the time- Christmas bills, waiting for tax returns etc etc-- now are in the market and the true cost starts to level out as costs slowly drift back up some.
    I was/am hoping to get my sets in this window before prices rise again- either from my order or purchasing them already graded ( heck- $300 for the set + $200 for grading/shipping etc is $500 or buy on ebay for $700 already slabbed). But I fear that if I wait the 69's will be back over a grand by mid-2012.
    So to finish with a happy ending, I got a HUGE surprise of an email yesterday. After nearly 3 months since I placed my order, I got an email from the mint dated 01/13/12.." your order #xxxxxx has been shipped" complete with a tracking number !!
    Wow, I thought it was a foregone conclusion and had already been pricing sets and trying to decide what holder and grade I was going to buy--and now I am going to get my 2 sets from the mint.
    Of course it will be a few months most likely before I can actually see my coins because when they arrive I won't be able to open the box and look at them-- they'll go straight off for encapsulation ( mainly because I don't want to lose the authentication for the 3 coins that were also issued seperately).
    I won't bore you with more posts during the process about , receiving them, shipping them, their progress through grading and their grades-- do you really care if I get 70's on my coins??
    So, if anyone else is stuck in the same dilemma and getting backorder status emails--there may still be a faint glimmer of hope--no matter how dim that glimmer is getting, it might just still happen.......
    And my first journal without a coin pic-- my first grandchild, granddaughter Jade, now 17 months old--what joy !!

  10. jackson64
    nothing like young numismatists and a big bag of treasure !!
    I recently had one of the most fun coin experiences that I've had in a while...and it was from giving and not adding to my collection.
    First of all, I must give credit where it is due.. a friend of mine from the NGC Chat Boards ( and also another coin website of friends) named "Antthe" has been buying large amounts of world coins "by the pound" and has been enjoying picking through them for interesting finds. I believe that his floor was probably gonna collapse from the weight so he graciously offered 5 pound bags to the first takers. I immediately thought of my 3 nephews and PM'd him. A week or 2 later and Antthe had sent me a 5 lb sack of neat foreign coins ( not only were they free but he paid shipping).
    Now I'm not a saint--of course I perused through them and even found a couple with sailing ships from Malta and Portugal. However the point was to keep the flame of interest in numismatics burning for my 3 nephews. ( ages 6, 9, and 11). So when I told my younger sister I was coming to visit one evening, she had a surprise for me..my favorite dish, lasagna ( she makes it like mom too !!) and my nephews got a surprise from Uncle Jackson..the big sack of foreign coins !! ( quick note: my brother-in-law works for Coca Cola and was a reservist who is currently driving transport vehicles in Iraq, any prayers for his safe return are appreciated)
    Okay, so back to the coins...I couldn't resist, I simply cleared a spot in the family room floor and proceeded to dump the whole bag !!. Clanging and jingling and a few wild rollers..the coins spilled out..and bedlam insued !! You'd have thought that a pinata had burst as 6 hands and 3 blonde heads go diving toward the pile. After I finished laughing, and suffering the half-hearted admonishments from my sister, I decided to seperate the combatants and proceed in a more orderly fashion.
    I found this part rather interesting and I'm sure that Freud, Jung or Erikson may have also...we arranged an order for "selecting" two coins and then around around they went...taking turns until the grand pile was reduced to 3 even piles--one in front of each of the boys. The youngest tended to choose the largest coins in the pile...the middle child ( who is artistic and deeply intelligent) actually looked at the designs and chose the "pictures" he liked..and the oldesr of the 3 went almost exclusively for older coins. It was enlightening..each had a little of the traits of their Uncle Jackson..
    I spent the rest of the evening helping them to learn how to find the coins in the Krause catalog..and also showing them where these countries were on a world map. I know that my sister and the boys really miss Keith ( my brother-in-law) but I think for a night they also really enjoyed having a man, Uncle Jackson, in the house...I left with a lighter step than I've had in a while...maybe I'll buy a sack of wheaties and each of them a penny album and I can do this again soon..and maybe I'll get lucky and my sister Kathleen will make lasagna again.......
    One of the coins from the hoard that I kept for myself..thank you again Ant, it all started with your kindness...

  11. jackson64

    Waited Too Long

    By jackson64,

    coins will be late for the registry deadline
    Well it seems as if my impatience has turned to resignation. I finally got around to making a submission to NGC on Nov. 6th...and my coins were received on the 10th....The current turnaround for World Coins in my tier is listed at 10 days so I figured I'd have plenty of time to get them back, take photos and add them to my listings before the Dec. 10th, year-end cut off. Well Monday will be December 1st and my coins are still stuck at "Scheduled For Grading"...at this point I am resigned to the fact that there is no way that they can graded, encapsulated, mailed via registered mail and arrive to me before the 10th.
    Really there is no big deal or hurry, the only hitch is that 9 of the coins were for a set that would have pushed me up to the #1 ranking...oh well, stuff happens and in the grand scheme of things it is not a big deal--no ribbon icons for me this year.
    On the bright side, I think I've found a new interest for collecting. I'm not sure I need a new interest with 1 Walker and 5 Mercurys still to buy to complete those sets (not to mention looking for upgrades)...however it is always fun building a new set.
    The series I'm infatuated with is the $2 Canadian coins (called twonies). The design with the polar bears is very attractive......they are bi-metallic....there are special issues that are more elusive (adding the challenge of the hunt)...for instance, the 2000 proof comes in 3 varieties--a base metal coin(cuni & gilt), an issue made from silver and gold plated center and a silver with a solid gold center ( a bit pricey and small mintage of only 5,000). There are also a few commems in the series and dual dated 10th anniversary coin in reverse proof ( with reverse metal also/ gold outer ring and silver inner ring)
    Anyhow, I'm sure that it's obvious that I've been doing more than just passively thinking about collecting these.....
    Here's a picture of the coin that got me hooked on these $2 coins...not yet slabbed, my 2008 gold edition from the limited edition proof set ( it had the silver/gold Champlain and sailing ship coin in it)

  12. jackson64
    unintended purchases....
    I have come to a self realization. The only way for me to go on a coin buying hiatus is for me to stop looking at them. I decided about 2 weeks ago that I was going to take a break from buying for a few reasons.
    First of all: I have season tickets to my favorite hockey team. I spent a bundle traveling to Pittsburgh for the New Years Day " Winter Classic" and on memorabelia..also the playoffs will be around the corner shortly, and even at face value, 2-3 seven game series of tickets ( at $100+ each) adds up pretty quickly.
    Secondly, my wife and I have booked a cruise/vacation for early February. I usually take a week of my vacation in mid-winter to break up the dulldrums between Christmas and spring. It is amazing how a week of traveling to St Thomas, Antigua and Barbados can cure any gray winter blues.
    My wife's birthday is also in February and it is one of those landmark years so I want to get her something special ( with "special" defined as : expensive piece of jewelry..)
    So I had planned on putting coin purchases on the back burner while I tucked away some funds for vacation, gifts and hockey playoff tickets...so much for the back burner !
    I was "just gonna look"..and of course I came across one of those coins. You know the ones I'm talking about. It catches your eye and instead of the Click-Peruse-Close that we do with hundreds of coins, this one freezes your mouse finger. You study it with your eyes but your brain is already rationalizing the purchase..." it will never still be available in a month"....." it is the exact grade and look I want to fill that empty slot with"...."it is selling for $300 under FMV!"..and of course, " I may never find another one this nice for my set"...
    Almost involuntarily my mouse finger slides the cursor to the purchase button and I have commited to buy the coin. I guess the only way to prevent this involuntary response from my primary motor cortex is to just stay on the forums or read journals and not look at auction sites.
    Having said all of this, I strangely feel absolutely no regret..in fact, this is one of my most exciting additions in a while..1937-S MS66...I'll switch things up and post a picture of the reverse for a change...

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  13. jackson64

    Rarity !!!!

    By jackson64,

    loosely used term
    As I become more of an experienced numismatist I am constantly learning and reading on the hobby. One topic or word that continues to get under my skin is the use of the word "RARE".
    This word has come particularly into light recently with the SAE variety of the 2008 with the 2007 reverse. The coin has a reported mintage of 47,000 pieces...to put this into perspective let's look at a few US coin series. A mintage of 47,000 would place a coin 15th out of 27th most common in the 3 cent nickel series, ..it would be one of the most common of the Early commems also. The Sheldon rarity scale would place the mintage at Rarity 17 on a 25 scale (with rarity 1 being a one of a kind and a rarity of 25 being a billion+)...not exactly rare--or even scarce for that matter. I'm not saying that the rocketing prices are not justified or will continue to rise--the SAE's are hugely popular/beautiful and 47,000 divided among all the collectors of the series is not enough for e1 to have one.
    I looked up some of the mintages of my world coins in my High Seas signature set and was surprised to find that about 60% are of a lower mintage...many with less than 1000 and a few even less than 100 !!!
    I think two things drive this mania...one being a psychological aspect--not wanting to miss out on an opportunity to "get in early" on what may be a windfall--( I've done this myself by hoarding away 5 of the 1995 W proofs in my safe deposit box)..primarily I believe it's about demand.
    My low mintage world coins just don't have a huge market. I may someday sell and would never get the money for some of these 500 mintage coins that my 30,000+ minted 1995 SAE's will command.
    Surfing on ebay if I typed in "rare" for a keyword search I could find anything from 1881-S morgans to multi-million struck coins of almost any series. I guess the reason it bugs me is because as a true hobbyist I believe that the terms that are unique to our hobby have a particular meaning and shouldn't be used arbitrarily.--Another one that bugs me is "gem" which is supposed to be MS65 or better..but I'll leave that rant for another day.
    My personal collecting is out of balance..I can't seem to stop buying during this little downturn in prices...and consequently I now have about 200 coins that I'd like to get encapsulated..I'm thinking of applying for a dealer membership so I can submit them all at once at the reduced dealer submission rate...or seeing if any of my local dealers will submit them for me at a slight discount.
    I can't believe I still haven't gotten my tax return or stimulus checks from the IRS..I wonder how they would respond if I sent them a notice with calculated interest and a penalty for late payment...hehehehe..I don't think that would go over too well..anyhow, no returns means that my hunt for my final Walker--the 41-S --is still on hold...
    here's a picture of another of my favorites..a pretty, little gold coin with a sloop from Bermuda..mintage of this "rare" variety is less than 500...there were 10,000 minted with a "chi" mintmark but a small handful had none..a lucky find..NGC PF69UCAM-finest known

  14. jackson64
    Not an April Folls joke
    I've heard just about every corny April fools reference you can imagine. It comes with the territory when your b-day falls on April 1st.....I guess there is an upside-people tend to always remember my birthday and I get plenty of phone calls and well wishing emails.
    I'm not a curmudgeon about birthdays like some...they are not a huge deal but I do like to use them as a day of reflection, and to take a moment to acknowledge the wonderful graciousness of God who has allowed me another year. It's a good day to do a bit of a gratitude list...
    I never really ask for any birthday gifts...just a nice dinner with my family is great. Besides, what I really want--a 1941-S Walker in MS66 grade (with full skirt lines)..might be a little much to ask for...
    I did get a nice birthday package from NGC today....the return of my last submission. I finally have my 1927A Bremerhaven/Germany/Weimar Republic coin in a slab and in my possesion !! I also have added a total of 9 new coins to my High Seas signature set...this will leave me plenty of work with imaging, researching descriptions etc...this is a nice part of the hobby for me also and it doesn't drive the bank balance down either..
    This is a bit of a slow time in the year for my numismatic pursuits...It is spring and my other hobbies have been taking away a lot of my free time. I need to clean out the tackle box and put new line on my fishing rods. The boat needs a few screws replaced, caulking touched up, some wood re-stained and varnished..etc etc...I also have a tiny greenhouse attached to my shed. I seed a bunch of flats of vegetables for my veggie garden. I have turned the dirt in the garden-mixing in my winters compost, some decayed leaves from the fall and raked it all out. When it's warm consistently I'll put my little seedlings in the garden and have another of my hobby/pastimes in place for summer...
    So although I am a year older, I look forward to every new year and each new season and the wonderful hobbies that I enjoy that partially make up who I am. Well enough from me for now--it's a beautiful 60 degree day out and I've promised my wife that I would rake out the flower beds for her....
    Here's a picture of one of my new slabs..from the Seychelles..a tribute to the Seychelles Olympic Sailing Team...a neat coin..

  15. jackson64

    The Hunt Is On !!

    By jackson64,

    successfully bagged my prize !!
    Hi everyone...
    It's been a bit slow for me in coin collecting. Besides one horrible submission and continuing with my raw Barber half album, not a lot of upgrades or additions for my registry sets have been available.
    So to cut to the chase, I don't collect any modern series except for the Canadian proof dimes with the Bluenose Schooner Sailing ship on them. This gives me some peace because I don't have to worry about release dates, first strikes, early releases, the aggravation of dealing with the Mint..etc...Mainly though it is just a matter of preference--I like the classic coinage designs. There is a certain mystic to these old pieces with their long history and dating back to times when the world was far different.
    Well today I went searching for the 2010 Canadian Proof set so I can pick out the Bi-metal commem, the $2 coin and of course, the dime...then get those three graded and added to sets ( I consider the dimes the only one I actively collect-the others are just sidelights). Well it turns out that Canada has released 2 different proof sets for 2010 !!
    I love when the Royal Canadian Mint adds commem dimes for the series. This way I can build the set and it has variety instead of just being the "same coin different date" scenario. So it turns out that the special set is a commem set with a limited mintage of 5,000 AND that it has been out for a little while.
    The set has already completely SOLD OUT at the Mint with no more being made. Well, the hunt was on !! I saw 2 or 3 on ebay for roughly 2-3X what the mint was selling them for..I searched a few of the Canadian coin dealers that I've used in the past--no luck, also SOLD OUT. Finally I located one after surfing and clicking away for about 2 hours--and at just $40 above mint cost ( plus about $10 cheaper shipping)...
    I'll still have to eventually buy the regular issue 2010 Proof Set and I'll also have to email NGC and let them know to add two slots for 2010 ( one for each edition). Hopefully there will be some extra points given for the limited edition set--it sure cost enough.
    So here is a picture of the coin/design--the 75th anniversary, of the last year, of the King George V design..really nice looking coin and will be a super addition to the set....
    PS: if you've never seen my 1981-present Canada proof dime set, it really is worth a few moments to look. It's a neat set with several multi-coin years with commems, and the queen on the obverse has changed the bust as she has aged also. Throw in some subtle changes in the depiction of the ship and the dentil style of the coin ( also the metal switched from cuni to silver about a decade ago)..and it is an interesting and fun set..

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  16. jackson64

    Taking a Shot

    By jackson64,

    can't find a treasure without digging a few holes.......
    I'm an ebay peruser.
    I like to browse through and try and find bargains. First I look for specific dates for holes in my active sets--then I look at bulk and mixed lots. I have to humbly say that I've done very well over the years. Bulk lots have landed me a few treasures but there is risk involved.
    You see, I understand that if I buy a bulk lot from a dealer who specializes in coins or has a really high feedback--then it is almost 100% assured that those coins have been thoroughly looked through. No, the way to get deals is often by taking some risk. I've often bought from dealers who sell old collectibles yet have the occasional coins..and sometimes less than 100 total transactions. Many other bidders avoid these sales because they are wary and the cost can sometimes be lower than normal.
    I have found a 1938-D AU Walker in an auction for "20 Circulated Walkers"...I also found a 1928 Peace Dollar in a 20 coin lot of circulated dollars..most often however I end up with what I paid for--just a bunch of old silver coinage which is worth the melt value I bought it for...
    Well today I was at it again. Another one of the chances for a "leap of faith" presented itself and I bought it and won for a little under melt value ( it is amazing to me that a silver dime at current silver prices has $1.70 worth of silver and a quarter is $4.20 worth of silver--$23 x .18084). The lot I won is a 21 coin lot of Washington Quarters all dated from the 1930's. The dealer has a feedback of only 55 but is 100% and has handled 2 or 3 other small coin sales of her 55 transactions. What struck me is that the dates listed were like this:
    1932 x 4
    1934 x 3
    1935 x 5 ......etc etc...
    In the photo I blew it up and believe that I can see a mintmark or 2 on the coins showing reverses. So there is a wild, long-shot that I could score a 1932-D or S...and an even longer shot that there may be a 1934 or 1937 doubled die coin...but you gotta dig to uncover treasure.
    Most likely I'll have bought 21 heavily circulated silver quarters worth their melt value--but isn't this part of the fun of collecting? Don't you just love opening up that package, pulling out your loupe and inspecting them for those small varieties or the chance of catching a nice find once in a while?
    To me it seems like a win-win...the worst case scenario is I get to enjoy the search and anticipation and have some old Washies to throw in the silver bag...the best case?...the thrill of finding an undiscovered treasure ( however small it might be)..

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  17. jackson64
    Bet you've never seen an AU58 with this detail..
    Bet you've never seen an AU58 with this detail, or lack thereof..lmao..I just wanted to chuckle about this and share a holiday laugh with my fellow collectors who may view this. This standing Liberty Quarter had a Title on Ebay.."Standing Liberty Quarter 1928-Certified AU58 WOW"...first of all I rarely even look at a listing that says "look" or "wow" or even "stunning"..but the price was so low I took a peek..and of course I already knew that it would be HCGS, NNC, PCG..etc etc..and this was the coin..anyhow I did some thinking..if it was at least a VF20 and I can re-use the plastic capsule {a $3 value}- they snap right open, then a $10 bid would be ok...I won it for $8...the coin appears dipped, but not cleaned abrasively..however it hovers in the vg10-F12 range{I'd give it a 12 because of a full,seperate outer shield circle...anyhow, hope everyone enjoys my new AU58 and has a great holiday season..PS: dear santa, please bring me a 1917-S obverse Walking Liberty Half in MS63..I was a Very good this year...well, maybe not that good..
    MVC-025S.J
  18. jackson64
    taking away the collector's role
    I've been thinking about the new + designation by NGC for a few days. I had an initial knee-jerk response when I saw several of my sets dropping registry points..however I wanted to consider a list of positives and negatives before I jumped the gun and/or made any journal posts about my sentiments.....
    Let's do some negatives first--and I'm sure others will have different ones I've missed--
    1. Coin costs..all new coins with the + will probably now sell for a premium.
    2. Our old holders and reholdering fees: I have taken years putting together simple 20 coin sets. Often I've turned down higher "registry point" coins because the lower coin I owned was PQ and nicer than the higher grade coins that were selling. Now, unless I pay the thousands to get my carefully chosen PQ coins reholdered, they will probably sell for less than lesser coins that get a +.
    3. It takes away our collector "eye" for quality: one of the advantages of being an experienced collector is recognizing the difference between 2 coins of same grade ( and why one is worth a premium and the other not worth the grade cost). Now with micro-grading, a lot of the experience and knowledge factor is eliminated. The + sign will let you know if that MS67 is closer to a 68 or a 66...so much for getting bargains on better coins...
    Positives?:
    1. I have been very selective when buying over the years. Rarely have I just bought a coin for its slab grade. This means that if I do re-submit my coins a few at a time for a + designation, the inherent value and resale ask price should jump up nicely--for essentially the same coins.
    Anyhow, I'm still torn and still thinking it over...I don't like the fact that I lost points on my * star coins ( many are very rare with a star). Stars signify an exceptional eye-appeal hence a desirable coin..however the + just signifies that the coin was a bit short of a higher grade--should the point values be equal for this vast difference?
    PS: I just mailed in 6 coins to NGC, my first submission in 6 months. One that was submitted was that gorgeous toned ASE that was sitting in the little yellow envelope for 20+ years. I've seen several of these rainbow monsters in PCGS slabs however I have a gut feeling that NGC will probably give it a coffin ( details grade slab). I've had at least a half-dozen nicely toned coins taken straight from proof and mint set original government packaging get "artificially toned" tags...go figure, it really is a shoot..and after 8 years here at NGC I've never "hit" a good grade...EVER. Always the MS64 when a 65 jumps the value x10..never had a crossover actually go up in grade...every re-grade I've ever submitted has just been mailed back in the same slab..minus my money of course. So this may very well be my last submission. I'm not quitting collecting, it's just that I feel like a fool when I spend hundreds of hours carefully studying auction histories, coins in hand and selecting a choice few to submit...only to find they get lower grades than some of the junk I see higher graded in some slabs..
    A little negative?..maybe I can have a dealer assign a grade, study it myself for quality, submit it for grading to verify and certify the grade, get CAC to add a green sticker for another fee to verify what I knew..then send it back for a + sign to quadruple proof verify that it is a nice coin..sheesh..
    Here's a picture of my 1939 MS67* Walker--it just dropped almost 400 points because we now have a + designation and this cruddy coin doesn't have one on its slab...

  19. jackson64
    trade silver and gold for paper dollars?
    I have read at least 4 or 5 recent journals where posters have talked about selling off their silver and gold bullion and coins while the price is "high".
    For the sake of a different perspective and so that visitors to our site don't think that we're all of like mind on this...
    I'm of the opinion that you haven't seen anything yet. I thought it might be of interest to some who read these journals to at least get a little balanced viewpoints ( and a little of the dire truth)
    Here's an interesting link that gives a FANTASTIC true overview of what we are facing--from a non-political or partisanship view. No finger-pointing or blaming...just the TRUE facts and numbers...
    And for what it's worth....I happen to be one of those--like Kerry and a few others here-- who is buying, buying buying precious metals...after all, the real question is--would you rather be holding physical silver and gold or paper US dollars?
    You really owe it to yourself to read this article and at least consider all possible scenarios for the upcoming year/s...
    http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/01.10/normalcy.html
  20. jackson64
    If only they were my own coins...
    One of my recent journals I chronicled of how I just was handed another large consignment, this time by a distant relative.
    One of the first steps I took after inventorying everything was to pick out around 40 coins that had nice price jumps from 69 to 70 or were selling at a significant premium in slabs instead of being raw.
    If I may take a moment and refresh some newer members here on my hard luck history of submissions. I'm the guy who sends in unopened mint sets of special edition ASE's or commems- and ALWAYS gets 69's when the pop shows 75% 70's. My most heartwrenching stories are of crackouts that were untouched but instead of a regrade for higher grade, I many times have gotten a bodybag or details grade for a coin previously slabbed--I could go on and on with these stories but I don't want to darken my euphoria.
    You see, astoundingly, my recent submission got 23 perfect MS70 or PF70UCAM out of 41 coins !! Of course, every coin was still in its unopened original mint capsules, sent in with mint boxes and packaging..I didn't want to do any handling of these coins at all to place them in 2x2's and also wanted the handlers/graders to know for sure that these coins were as pristine and untouched as the day they left the mint.
    Some highlights: the 1997 to 2007 $10 platinum proofs got 9 of 11 PF70's and the 2006 and 2007 regular mint state strikes both got MS70's..that's 11/13 70's for the platinum coins.
    The gold $5 eagles got PF70's for 2003 to 2005 and PF69's for 2006 to 2008. The 2003, 04, 05 and 07W all got MS70 with the 06 W and )8 getting 69's.
    I got a split on the 2008 gold buffalo $5 with the Pf at 70 and MS69.
    Likewise I got a split on the Washington Commem $5 gold with the MS70 and PF69. The san fran mint commem $5 gold got a 70 as did the bald eagle gold commem.
    The proof and MS silver buff $ commems both got 69's and the 5 1996 ASE's got me 3 69's and 2x 68's ( it was worth a shot since the 70's would have been a nice return for the grading costs but these coins were the only ones not in original packaging from the mint.)
    The final coins were a mix of mostly PF69 ASE's with an occasional 70. I still have the full set of PF silver eagles from 1986 to 2001 that I may submit or sell as a set--not sure on this.
    I can't wait to get the go ahead to sell these coins and be done with it but it has been fun regardless. I still got quite a charge from seeing the wonderful grading results even if I don't get to list them in the registry in sets of my own.
    I did get one nice coin for myself recently to add/upgrade for a set. Here's a picture of a nice album toned 1907-O Barber Half Dollar in XF45.
    PS: trying to keep the journals integrity intact and not use them as a selling forum so I have been writing in relation to the experience of being a collector and an occasional consignor. You see, there are 2 sides to letting people know that you are a coin collector. The down side--of course it is that you don't want word going around that you may have valuable things in your home, safe or even hidden away...but the upside is that when people come across some old coins they want to sell or a friend/family who has some, it gets the "well I know a guy who is really into coins and is very honest to deal with...."
    Happy hunting and God bless

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  21. jackson64
    but an old story
    I was talking with a patient of mine about a month ago ( who has since been discharged so no ethical issues involved) and the subject of coin collecting came up. As has happened to me dozens of times, he mentioned that he had a bunch of old coins. I told him that once he was no longer in my care that I'd love to take a look and let him know what he had.
    So he pops into the office a few days ago with a shoebox. We sat and talked a bit and then I perused the contents.....
    As is often the case, most of the nicer coins were of common dates..and the 2-3 coins that were of rarer dates were not in very good condition--except for one.
    He had a gorgeous BU+++ detailed 1854-O Seated Liberty Quarter. There was only 1 problem..someone, probably ages ago, had tried and scratch off the arrows !! I've heard of this being done.......
    When the mint switched the size of the seated coins in 1853, 1854..and subsequently lowered the silver content, they added arrows to identify them as the smaller coins with less silver weight. Consequently some schemers tried and remove the arrows and pass the coins off as the heavier, bigger silver coins of prior years. Little did the culprit know that he was altering a potential, future $3,000- $5,000 coin into a "damaged" specimen...all for the effort to gain a few cents worth of silver value !!
    Oh well, maybe I'll get it details graded..if nothing else it makes a neat little piece of numismatic history...but it's still a crying shame...

  22. jackson64
    would probably be a hung jury
    Well I pulled the trigger today on a deal I found a few days ago and have been hemming and hawing over. It's the classic coin collector dilemma--on one hand, I'm not sure I want to collect the series--yet on the other hand, if I ever change my mind then they may never be this cheap again.
    The series in question was the proof presidential dollars. In general I usually collect moderns in albums, I won't go into all of the reasons why I do this but 2 big reasons are that I enjoy album collecting--and secondly the market is very highly skewed for what the value of these massive mintage coins will be worth in 20 years.
    It is this second line of reasoning on my part ( and I could be wrong--moderns may increase in value if a new generation of collectors come flooding into our hobby), that led to the hemming and hawing.
    You see, I bought all 4 proof sets in PCGS multiholders for $99 plus $5 shipping, $104 total. Part of my brain is screaming, " you just paid over $100 for $16 worth of face value coins with massive mintages and a small collector following !?!" Yet the other side of my brain says, " what a deal ! These coins are near $20 a set raw from the mint and if you add grading fees for 16 coins plus shipping is around $300--it's a steal !!"
    The sets are nice--and they are historical, so I will enjoy them. Yet now I'm committed to another set to build and will also have the added task of trying to find them in the multi-holder for uniformity. One thing about PCGS multi-holders is that they don't have individual cert numbers for each coin so I won't be adding a registry set. I'd never be in the top 100 anyhow with a complete set of PF69DCAM's--yet the 2500+ points for a $100 investment is enticing...
    So, in the end I'm still unsure of whether I got a good deal or bad deal but I know one thing for sure--the collector in me is alive and well. Now I need to find the "D" mint prezzies for the holes in my album set..

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  23. jackson64
    certainly a low-mintage
    One topic that I've talked about and thought about, more than a few times since I returned to this hobby roughly 10 years ago is rarity. I know that certain set scales exist ( sheldon scale for example) where the rarity of a coin is set by pure numbers of that date/type/variety believed to exist. And I'll stay off my soapbox about the term "rare" being used indiscriminately by about 2/3rds of ebay listings and hobby publication ads...
    My feeling has turned more toward rarity being a lot like value...it is more truly tied to demand.
    There are "condition rarities",-- denoting that a coin may be plentiful but hard to find in top condition.
    There are obviously "mintage rarities" where very few of a particular coin have even ever existed..
    I have come to believe however in "popularity rarity". This is the case of when a series or coin is so popular that even though there may be thousands of them out there--there is still actually such a demand as to make the coin rather elusive. This often seems to make the price seem a bit skewed ( especially when compared to truly low-mintage coins)..but this is where I believe that "popularity rarity" and demand driven value collide. Prices/values are a reflection of what collectors are willing to pay for a coin...if there are 20,000 of a coin minted--(far from a "mintage rarity")--however there are 50,000 avid collectors who feel their set would be incomplete without one?..TADA!! Popularity Rarity..and hence bigger asking prices when one becomes available..
    So here on the flip side...my newest addition to my High Seas Signature Set ( chapter 2)..a coin minted in Chile for Easter Island...the wonderful Chilean sailing ship Esmerelda graces one side and the famed statueheads of Easter Island on the other...total mintage...50 ( FIFTY!)...of course I jumped all over it..Five years from now they may all be sitting in collections around the world and I might never have another opportunity to own one...another side effect of popularity rarity= that worry you get that if you don't get it now, you may never get another chance !! Happy hunting my friends..

  24. jackson64
    I am not going to post a long journal full of virtue-signaling and fake compassion. I just wanted to extend a heartfelt message to all of the Coin collecting community who lives in the Houston area and the state of Florida. I especially wish to extend my hopes that all of those at NGC and their families in Sarasota stay safe throughout this ordeal.
    Submission tracking, guff with grades and mislabeled holders have a way of becoming trivial and returned to their proper level of unimportance at times like these.
    Again, my thoughts and prayers to all of you.
  25. jackson64

    Slim Pickings

    By jackson64,

    collectors are holding back?
    I haven't been buying many top quality coins for a while. The simple truth is that for the sets I'm building, there just haven't been that many "stand out" coins for sale. I have built on some smaller sets and picked up a few odds and ends here and there.......
    First, I just sent a submission with my limited edition 1935-2010 Canada proof commem set. Secondly, I purchased the regular issue 2010 Canada proof set and when those arrive I'll send in the 10c, $2 and bimettalic ship coin in for slabbing so that I can add them to my sets.
    I've purchased about 5-6 smaller gold coins but I've also removed all of my gold coins from the registry. Maybe I need measuring for a tinfoil hat but some of the things that are happening in our country have made me a bit cautious. I don't know if anyone noticed but hidden in the healthcare bill was a stipulation that all purchases/sales of precious metals over $600 now have to be reported to the government. It makes me wonder if they are simply preparing for another 1933 type of gold confiscation again--and this bill includes collector coins as well as bullion. Why it was hidden in the Healthcare bill has me scratching my head ( just like the HealthCare rationing panels DO really exist--they were just hidden/established in the "stimulus" bill).
    Anyhow, enough of running off topic, just a friendly caution to my friends here about showing off your holdings--you never know what is coming next in our upside down world.
    I am excited about the upcoming Goldberg's auction though !!!! The catalog looks great and there are at least 5-6 really attractive top-pop coins that have me salivating. The biggest issue will be trying to decide on which 2-3 to bid on since I can't afford to put firm, winning bids on 5 or 6 coins ( and hopefully I won't get shut out by biddding on just 2-3 and getting outbid on those).
    Also, a question if anyone wants to PM me with some info--I have found that my 1962-D Franklin has a BOLD repunched mintmark. There is no record in either Cherrypickers/Fivaz or anywhere I've looked of this variety but there is NO DOUBT that this is what I have in my possesion. I'm not hoping that it is a rare, valuable coin--but it would be pretty cool to be credited for discovering a new variety ! I'll post a picture in another journal once I can get a clear close-up of the repunched "D/D"
    Finally, I've continued to add to my Barber half set...I even broke down and got about 15 of them slabbed. I haven't listed it here at NGC because I used the other registry service for slabbing and didn't want to list the set here when all of the coins were in the other holders--just trying to be respectful. Here's the latest acquisition..an under-rated tougher date 1910 ( mintage of only 418,000-- 100 years ago means there aren't a lot around)--if you remember I'm trying to build the set with coins graded Fine 12 to Extra Fine 40--no Goods and nothing AU or BU..just a "FINE" set...

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