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jackson64

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Journal Entries posted by jackson64

  1. jackson64
    collections are soaring
    A recent posting by NGC got me surfing through some of the dark recesses of this site. The comment I read was about the new record number of registry participants this year. Maybe the economic recession is not as bad as thought?..or maybe investors see the track record of coins as a long-term investment and have looked for other options besides stocks to invest in?..or maybe there are just more people discovering just how much fun and satisfaction there is in collecting coins and building ( and completing) a nice registry set.
    I don't Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or even text message..the registry has become my on-line community of friends. I really do love when I check my email and find that some of my friends here at CS/NGC have sent me a message. It's great to have people who share a common interest and a place where we can share our love of the hobby-- even though our tastes/preferences can be very diversified.
    The Registry Record I spoke of is something I noticed while surfing around on the site. I checked the Overall Registry points and noticed that recently, a 100,000 point collection will no longer rank a person in the top 500 !! That is quite a testament to the growing popularity of our hobby, the great job done here at the registry and most of all, the time and effort we the collectors have invested in our collecting.
    On a side note, if you do not take the time occasionally to view some of the amazing sets in this registry you really are missing something. I noticed that the #1 overall set was around 4,000,000 points ahead of the second place set. I recommend to everyone to check out Yeoldone's seated half dime and dime collections--sets that are beyond words.
    Keep up the enthusiasm and please, please, please....post pictures !!
    here's a picture of a little addition to my sailing ship coins collection..a territorial quarter from the Marianas

  2. jackson64

    A Strange Find

    By jackson64,

    got what I deserved
    I have a funny story to relate of something that happened to me recently.
    I am a full fledged coin nut..I always check my change and recently I checked some change that wasn't even mine. I was at a convenience store, and you know those little plastic trays or cups at the check out counter? You may have seen one with a little sign..." Take a Penny or Leave a Penny". I assume they are there in case you purchase something whose total comes to $1.01 or $1.02....or conversely, if my total is 99c then I'll just leave a penny there for the next guy.
    It's a simple convenience thing, primarily to speed up the line I assume. Well, for a numismaniac for me it is a potential search.
    The other day at our local Quik-E Mart I spied a penny in the tray--facedown--with very nice wheat lines staring up at me. With all of the smoothness I could muster, after I received my change from my purchase, I promptly ( and I like to think very deftly and casually) dropped a penny in the mini-tray and scooped up the wheatie and pocketed it. When I got to the car I looked at it--nope, no early date, not an "S" mint coin...so I stuck it in my pocket and drove home.
    However, something kept gnawing at me...then it hit me !! Cosmic justice had been served !! I was trying to be slick and get myself a free wheatie for a cheapo zinc penny in exchange..and the joke was on me. My wheatie was fake !!
    I got home and double-checked the date, sure enough..it said 1943-D..however it was a copper coin !! I had finally realized/remembered that in 1943 that pennies were made of steel. Oh well, I got a chuckle out of it..and I'm saving the fake as a souvenir to remember this funny episode....
    Otherwise, I also finally bought my final Mercury dime for my set..although it's not here yet. I'll write a little about that once it arrives about how anti-climactic that turned out to be...for now,
    Happy hunting everyone..and don't take any wooden nickels or fake wheaties..

  3. jackson64
    time for something new
    It took almost 3 weeks to arrive but I finally got my 1943 Mercury Dime in the mail today. It seems almost anti-climatic.
    Usually I get 3 seperate thrills from a new acquisition...the first comes at the moment of winning the auction or finding the coin that fits the criteria for my set. The second (smaller) thrill comes when I enter the coin into that blank registry slot, or upgrade the slot. I enjoy watching the points and/or ranking increase. The third thrill is when I physically have the coin in hand. It is then that I get to study it, rotate it under different lighting to enjoy flowlines or toning--followed by taking my own pictures, cropping and sizing it for the registry gallery.
    The final coin of a set, for me, has a mixed feeling. I still get the enjoyment of the 3 primary steps in ownership..but now there is also a strange melancholy/sadness. Kind of like when you hear a song that you loved 20 years ago that makes you smile, brings back some great memories but also makes you feel strangely sad.
    Maybe this comes from the fact that I have been looking at several auctions weekly for just the right coins for the set for over a year...and now that is over. I will no longer be clicking on "Mercury Dimes" to see if any MS67's of the dates that will fill my empty slots are available...it's kinda like saying goodbye...
    I know, I know, I could continue by building the "expanded short set" from 1934 to 1945, but I doubt that I would be able to buy/find/afford all of the dates in MS67 ( and that was the criteria I set for this collection). So my Mercury Short Set is done..it made the Top-25 but will inevitably slip off of the front page someday.
    Now comes the tough decision and excitement of what to collect next !! I am really enjoying collecting these short sets..I'm looking at either a Standing Liberty Quarter-"one per date" set or a Buffalo Nickel Short Set 1934-1938 ( leaning towards the Buffs). If I do go with the buffs, I think I'll give myself a 2 grade range this time ( MS66 & 67's?)..this way the tougher dates and overdates will not be too expensive and the coin quality will still be very high..
    In the meantime, I have been goofing around with a set called "Deep Blue Seas"..a signature set dedicated to marine creatures on coins ( I have gotten creative with the gallery..it may be fun for you to have a look--and please message me what you think-good or bad)..and of course........
    There will always be High Seas. I just bought 6 new additions which need encapsulating/grading by NGC....
    One of those I just found, a nice coin from Argentina with a beautiful Frigate..
    OOPS: PS: I almost forgot to add, I hope that none of you who messaged me get upset...the 1943 Copper Penny was an April Fools Day prank...just a little fun, but how cool would it be to find a super-rare penny in a coin tray at a convenience store...happy hunting e1

  4. jackson64
    The 1945-S Walking Liberty Half was always one I presumed that I would never own an MS67.
    I'm going to keep this journal short- at least that is my intent as usual. I won't go into the convoluted search for one coin that led me to browsing the inventory of a certain dealer who had what I was looking for but not within my means at this time.
     
     
     
    Consequently, I saw this attractively detailed, crusty and unique looking 1945-S Walker Half in MS67. The coin was priced at more than I have ever spent on a single coin, yet nicely discounted below any other I've seen in this grade. I slept on it overnight, revisited the webpage the following morning and went ahead and made the offer.
     
     
     
    A few hours later I had received confirmation that my highly respectful offer was accepted and I finished the purchase...no long story needed and no complications ( except that the coin is registered to another Registry participant and can't be listed yet--no big deal though, I will have the coin in hand in a few days and start my attempts at imaging- hopefully it will be released soon by the past owner.)
     
     
     
    The photo/image I am posting is not my work but is now of the coin that I own. Happy hunting everyone--if you can't find what you are looking for, maybe something you hadn't imagined you could obtain may fall across your path........

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  5. jackson64
    3 recent whistleblowers have come out from Wall Street
    As I continue to see the gradual slide of gold and silver values from what were highs of $2000+ for gold and $50 for silver ( recently-not just 1979), I get filled with mixed thoughts.
    First is the feeling of anger that the precious metals I have stowed away have been intentionally manipulated out of their value. We all know that Wall Street is a bunch of crooks but when the occasional whistblower comes out--like Greg Smith from Goldman Sachs or Andrew Maguire has from JP Morgan and lets you know the details of how they trend these markets at their whim to sell a bunch to investors and then they pull their own money back out when the price goes up allowing for quick millions in profits--well that's when I get ticked. On top of this, the "too big too fail" banks that got billions/trillions in our tax money and 16 trillion from the Fed ( yes, that is true-16 trillion that the Fed gave to Wall Street in secret loans during early 2009)-on top of the manipulation they already of a huge advantage. A company like Goldman can buy thousands of ounces on paper of silver with just a small percentage% margin required !! I think that it was in March or May of 2011 that Comex raised the cash deposit to acquire rights to 5,000 ounces to $16,000. This increase was followed by silver dropping from near $50 down under $30 within a few weeks.
    It's still not a bad deal if you're a Wall Street bank because at $30 an ounce that is $150,000 worth of silver for just a $16K deposit. I always wondered what would happen to the price of precious metals if everyone who owned PAPER silver suddenly called their brokers and asked them to go ahead and mail them their physical silver. It would be the same as if everyone at once decided to withdraw their cash from their accounts--chaos. Obviously their are multiples and multiples of electronic money compared to actual physical currency and one of the untalked about subjects concerning precious metals is that they are buying and selling more than actually exists.
    When JP Morgan buys 50,000 ounces of silver for their $160,000 cash deposit, you don't really think someone ships them physical silver or that there is a ginormous vault somewhere where they place big signs on giant stacks of bars with "Reserved for JP Morgan" on it do you? No, they sell what they don't have possesion of and quite possibly doesn't even exist.
    Having said all of that--and I can send you links to verify this info and also about how the manipulations of market values are done, just PM me- after venting I also must admit mixed feelings. You see, I buy precious metals for one simple reason- they are a great hedge against the devaluation of our fiat currency.
    Unlike some who have posted here and urged others to buy precious metals "cause they're going up and you can double your money" I'll never say that. If precious metals double in value it's a good chance that gasoline, groceries, clothing and keeping the lights on and air conditioned at home is gonna double in cost.
    I always liked the analogy: in 1913, 100 years ago, a finely taylored suit would cost you $20 cash or a $20 gold piece. Today in 2012 it would cost you over $1,500 in Federal Reserve notes to buy that custom taylored suit-or you could still buy it with that same $20 gold piece. Salaries are no longer rising at the same rate as inflation and the devaluation of our currency- so I buy what little I can as part of a diversified retirement plan.
    Note: I'm not talking any financial collapse or anything along those lines--just that if we can somehow figure out a way to continue our debt-based monetary system, and creatively find ways to prolong the inevitable indefinitely--well it seems obvious that inflation is going to continue as it has for the past 100+ years. It just doesn't seem to hurt as much if I can turnsome paper into metals that may keep relative pace with inflation.
    So although I'm a bit peeved to find out about the precious metals value manipulation, at the same time I'm looking at this as an opportunity. I'm going to start buying bullion again. Silver may be headed for $20 an ounce and gold could drop under $1500..my guess ( and it is just that-a guess) is that 10 years from now I'll probably not be kicking myself for buying at current prices-I'll probably be kicking myself for not buying more.
    Here's a nice little item I picked up recently. The 2012 new design British Sovereign. Gold will have to rise quite a bit for me to make any money on this one as bullion-but I didn't get this one for bullion, I loved the design the second I saw it.....Happy Hunting all

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  6. jackson64
    low ball longshots sometimes pan out
    I know that this has probably happened to many of us at one time or another...the scenario--- ( and I'll keep it in the first person)
    I'll see a coin or a lot for auction at some site. The coin may pique my interest--yet it doesn't "wow" me for some reason. The reason can be from it not being the ideal grade I'm searching for, the "look" I'm hunting down or even that I expect that the cost may go higher than I'm willing to pay...
    So interest piqued but without the feverish enthusiasm that I get for the "must have coin"..I may throw in a long shot lowball bid. Well low and behold ( pun intended)..sometimes you get an email or letter with an invoice--YOU WON !!
    This happened again to me recently. I received the Scotsman Auction Catalog in September for the Oct 15th sale. After perusing through the Walkers and other halves, nothing caught my eye. No hole fillers in the right grades and only one date that I've been meaning to upgrade-my 1943. The 1943 along with the 1941 are the most common in the series with grades of MS67 and usually can be purchased in the $600-700 range for White examples and maybe more for unique examples with standout color, details or luster.
    The 1943 MS67 in the catalog was unspectacular yet solid for the grade. As expected for an MS67--it has satiny luster, full strike and very modest marks. Well to make a long story short--I threw in a bid of $450 figuring that the fees would make it a bit over $500-- and also figuring that it would sell for closer to $700....well, you know how the story turned out. I won for $425 and shipping and fees still had it at a little under $500. I couldn't have hoped for better for making an upgrade.
    Another benefit of getting the coin "cheap" ( it truly is a relative term) was that I've decided to keep my old MS66 which I really like with its powder blue toning. Usually I sell my older, lower-grade coin to offset the cost of upgrades but I think I'll keep it in this instance.
    So I guess the lesson is, it's always worth a shot..the worst that can happen is that you'll get outbid--and then the result is the same as not bidding at all.
    PS: I mentioned in my last post about taking a shot with a 21 coin lot of 1`930 Washies--well I struck out. No varieties and no 32-D or S...just a bunch of well worn common date coins...oh well, more weight in the silver bags.

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  7. jackson64

    Coins Are The Cure

    By jackson64,

    who needs a pill !!
    I'm not a big believer in all the syndromes that are constantly being invented to sell drugs to us. "Twitchy Eyelids?"...."this could be a symptom of a syndrome that some independent laboratory has determined may kill you if left untreated !!" Fortunately for us, they usually have discovered the pill or treatment to cure it before the syndrome was identified.
    As cynical as I may sound about other peoples restless legs and irritable bowels...I actually do have one of these "syndromes." I forget what it's called but I always feel a bit melancholy in the winter. Some may be able to relate--it's dark when you leave for work, it's dark when you get off...and usually grey and damp or clear and frigid during the 6 hours of daylight. My skin gets dry and itchy (probably a seperate syndrome-" Winter Skin Syndrome"), I tend to nap a lot when I'm at home and I'd rather be home than wrapping on 4 or 5 layers of clothes to go outside.
    So January and February have become my most active coin months. Nothing cures "Winter Melancholy Syndrome" like the purchase of a nice coin from Barbados, Jamaica or the Bahamas !! Or better yet- another coin with a sailing ship !! Seriously though, I was looking through my Krause Catalog of World Coins today while simultaneously scoping out some coins on ebay and another idea for a cool set came to me...I think I may build a date set of either Barbados $1, $2 or $10 coins or maybe Bahamas 50c, $1 or $2. The designs of all of these are beautiful, they are surprisingly available considering some of the mintages are less than 1,000...and best of all they are affordable.
    So, I have found the cure for the winter blues...coins from tropical islands--the next best thing to being there !! So as I sit here with virgin rum-runner in hand, my mind and eyes are focused on images of flamingos and marlins, conch shells and mahi mahi, sunrises on the beach and coral reefs....

  8. jackson64

    Patience Pays Off

    By jackson64,

    a wonderful upgrade
    Unlike my Mercury dime short set which I considered done when all of the "slots" were filled with MS67 coins, my Walking Liberty Half Set may never get completed.
    I have been wating for a truly special 1941-S to fill the last blank slot, however this won't "finish" the set in my eyes. I'm not sure what criteria it would take for me to be perfectly contented with the set.
    I also had 2 MS64's still in the set...I've passed up several chances to upgrade because I've been waiting for just the right coin to use as upgrades..not just the slab grade, but also luster and strike quality in the Superb Gem range.
    Strike has become the prevailing focus for me with upper grade Walker's..and that's why I was thrilled to find this 1944.
    The 1944 is a surprisingly weaker struck date in the short set series...and although most Walker guides allude to the mushy obverse center, the reverse is usually very weak from breast feathers straight down the eagle's left leg.
    I don't mean to give a history of the series..just wanted to give an idea of the thinking, educating, and patience I used to find a simple 2 point upgrade..my new 1944 MS66-fully struck on both OBV and REV..
    >> on a personal note, my youngest daughter turned 18 today..the next few months should be very interesting...
    >> I also sent a small 7 coin submission of ship coins to NGC today, I guess I'll be doing the "check the grading progress" obsession thing now..

  9. jackson64
    the coin had the look and was only 50% of list--but there is no set fot it
    As I've matured and become more disciplined in my collecting my impulsive purchases have dropped considerably. Not that impulse buying is a sign of immaturity in general- but when I first started collecting seriously, I never saw a coin I didn't want. I lost a bit of money by building complete sets quickly-even #1 registry sets- and then selling the coins for less than I bought them. I don't even want to think of the money lost when I throw in buyers fees, sellers fees, shipping, and slabbing. I learned through the school of hard knocks to my wallet--buy what I plan on holding for a decade or longer or I'm gonna lose money overall.
    I do believe there actually ARE wrong ways to collect--just not wrong interests or coins to collect.
    Some people will say disparaging and mean things about ASE collectors and "they are just bullion, not coins". Well the design is beautiful, the coin has an annual dated issue and also several varieties and special issues-just like many series, so I think of ASE's as a coin first, that also happens to be of bullion purity.
    Others disparage the modern series collector. Usually the put-downs are about massive mintages, market saturation and over-priced for collectors who seek perfection. Some collectors will pay 5 to 10x more for a perfect 70 instead of a 69 at 1/10th of the cost. I would ask the naysayers, "since when did the pursuit of perfection or the highest quality set become a bad thing?" and Why is that different than a classic design collector who pays 10x the cost for an MS67 over an MS66?
    Some even crack down on those who collect proof coinage. I've heard more than one collector scoff at proof coinage as " not real coinage" since it was not minted for the purpose of tender but was solely printed for those who do collect.
    For others the eye-rolling comes at those who purchase mint products, or the Modern Commems ( again they mention the over-saturation of products by the mint). I would say, how is having an array of choices for young and/or future collectors who might enjoy the hobby years from now a bad thing? If all coin collectors are oldsters and no new, younger collectors are starting in our hobby then a MAJOR point comes up that they hadn't considered. Who would buy our collections when we sell them or leave them to family? With no new collectors then our coins turn into precious metals and nothing else.
    I could go on and on about how so many have an opinion about what and how is the right way for others to collect. All I know for me is that I've learned to only buy coins now that I know I'd like to own for years--maybe even never part with. This saves me a lot of money on impulse buying of a commemorative issue of a nickel, or a 4 coin Lincoln commem set. I'd enjoy these coins often when I bought them for a few days and then they would be relegated to a slab box in the safe. Not that these aren't great coins if those are the series you collect, but I don't collect those series and I just can't justify buying every special edition or commem that the mint produces. Eventually I usually would end up plucking out coins for quick sale from the slab boxes to buy one I "had to have" at a future date. I'd take 60% on that Ike proof69DCAM set so I could have some more cash for a higher bid on that coin I really was waiting for a year or 2 to come to auction. Nothing is more frustrating in the hobby than finally having a scarce issue come to auction that you've been waiting and hunting for but you just blew a chunk of money on a ho-hum impulse buy and can't make a really healthy bid to secure your prize.
    I have reduced my buying in the past 2 to 3 years to special coins that are unique and appeal to my specific tastes and eyes. Most often these will be a half dollar from 1839-1947 or a Mercury Dime that has color. I have bought a few "single coins" that I have no intention of completing the set or even adding to the registry. My 1917 MS65FH quarter is one of these--what a beautiful coin the TypeI SLQ is ! I also have a single high grade Peace Dollar of a very common date-1924- because it was exceptionally free of marks and highly lustrous. I like the design but only want one.
    I have 1 Morgan CC coin and my most recent impulse buying landed me another unique and distinct looking Morgan- an 1888-S Morgan. I was pleased to see also that it is a scarcer date-in fact the first Morgan struck with less than 700,000 mintage. So here is my prize..another addition that I will pull out over the years and enjoy studying the toning under 20x magnification. For now, that is the only "right" buy for me. Who knows, if I live long enough I might be like old Eliasberg and try and get one of each...Happy Hunting e1, whatever it is that you enjoy.

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  10. jackson64
    another "setless" purchase
    As I have posted and written about over the years, sometimes I make a purchase for the simple reason that I love beautiful coins. There is no "collecting" involved as there is no higher goal than ownership and enjoyment.
    I got pretty lucky with this purchase also. The British Virgin Island bullion coin is an attractive design and I purchased the silver addition some months ago for a small case I have with ungraded, large silver coins. The gold gilt with rhodium finish coin I saw at a few websites and with a premium for a 1 ounce silver piece. My guess is that the mintage of only 500 pieces, the fine packaging and the rhodium finish to give it a "black and gold" look is why the coin sells most often at $100 or more while the bullion piece I acquired for $25 or less.
    I appear to have gotten a bit of luck. The coin was at auction with a note that the seller would be out of country for several weeks and the items won would not be shipped until January ( this was before Christmas.)
    Maybe it was the seller being too busy out of country to schill up the price, maybe it was other collector's not willing to wait for the gratification of receiving their purchase, or maybe it was simply that others don't find it as stunning as I do--either way, a winning bid of $33 was VERY satisfying for a limited edition piece like this.
    My first new coin arrival of 2017..Britannia and Pegasus from the BVI

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  11. jackson64

    Nice Score !!

    By jackson64,

    best "bullion" buy I've made in a long while
    I love to write at this time of year in my journal. I'm always hesitant to write too often during most of the year since I don't want to give the impression that I'm pushing for any award considerations. I remember a few years ago that one CS registry member actually wrote some kind of post every day for about the last 2 months before the awards. Most of the posts had nothing to do with coins and I don't even think the person bought a coin that whole year--yet his strategy worked in 2 ways. First, NGC gave him a journal award for his daily repetitions ( he since has quit thye registry after opining "coins give meaning to my life") and secondly, it converted me into a "once in a while" writer. I used to get frustrated writing a post that I had taken some time and thought to write and then having it pushed into the archives in less than a day by a small group who were turning the journals into chat forums.
    So now that I've let that 2 year old aggrivation off of my chest, I hope that my fellow members and friends here will forgive me if I add a couple of posts this week. I just have a few personal collecting things I'd like to journal about and have in my personal record..and also I would like to write about a few collecting thoughts that have been on my mind. I find the journals to be alot of fun to go back and read what I was doing and collecting 4-5 years ago ( and maybe 4-5 years from now it will be fun to re-read what I'm writing today).
    Okay, so The Nice Score that I mentioned in the title. About 2 and a half weeks ago when silver dipped to around $26 an ounce for a few days I kept doing what I like to do--buy bullion coins and search them. After a good searching for RPM's, double dies, varieties and semi-keys, I'll set any decent finds aside in my "collector quality" section and then put the others into the bullion coin bag.
    Well 2 weeks ago I took a jump on some Walker bullion rolls and timed it perfectly. It was the last day of the small downturn on silver and I got 5 rolls-100 coins-- for a good price. Well those 5 rolls come out to a little over 36 ounces of silver. At current prices I made a quick $120 just in melt value..a nice little profit in 2 weeks. But that is just half the story.
    Without boring those who read these journals about shipping problems and trading emails --the seller went over the top for me. In the end I not only received 3 extra coins for the delay, but EVERY single coin was a solid XF-AU grade !! That alone would make it great, but there's more. The seller was also in California and 84 of the 103 coins was an S or D mintmark !! So these coins were actually almost all "collector quality". Many dates, like the 1937-D, 37-S, 39-S and 41-S actually are list at $20-30 each in XF/AU quality.
    So although it wasn't a "find a 1916-D mercury" type of score..it was definitely a very nice acquisition. Oh, and before I forget--on the same day my Proof ASE's arrived from mthe mint. I still have my Five Free Submission coupon from re-newing my membership so they will be off for encapsulation this week at NGC grading.
    So that's the skinny on one of the recent happenings in my coin collecting ventures. Here's a picture of the 103 Walkers-- or 37 ounces of collector grade bullion...

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  12. jackson64
    to be shipped on 11/28/11
    I got my third email from the US Mint since that strange day that the ASE 25th Anniversary sets went on sale. The first email was the same day and simply stated that my order had been placed and I was on a waiting list/ backordered.
    Several days ago I got a second email from the mint which sent my hopes tumbling. In a nutshell the notice simply said that I had not been dropped from the list and would receive my 2 sets if there were any cancellations. Although others had posted how their emails the same day had informed them that they were no longer on the list and had zero chance--I still felt that my chances were slim to none ( and Slim was saddling up to leave town.)
    So today's notice from the mint is an unexpected surprise. I'm pretty stoked up and I'm not a full-fledged ASE collector per se. I do have several complete sets- just not graded sets. I have all of the key proof ASE's still in OGP/boxes, and of course you know I love the design since my favorite series is the Walking Liberty Half Dollar ( sorry ASE fans-- the reverse doesn't come close to the eagle on the Walker reverse.just IMHO).
    So I hope this is good news to a few of you who are still on the backorder list. If you haven't gotten word yet that you won't be getting one-well then there is still hope that you might.
    A couple other things while I'm already started--kudos to NGC for giving the 1915 Barber Half in VG10 grade more than 3 points. A coin whose value is roughly $150-200 deserves a few more than 3, a nice pick-up by the registry team. Not all is accolades in Collectors-Society land however. I just got my "packet" for renewing my PREMIUM membership. When I first joined NGC/CS we got a slabbed ASE along with free submissions and our membership package with an attractive folder, submission forms and heavy grade papered Price Lists for all of the grading services. This dropped down to a state quarter with special label but all of the other accoutrements. Eventually it was a CS pin and the folder package with a book on details grading, info about conservation and the forms and pricelists. This year I got a 44c envelope- in it was a single page letter with my membership number and a thank you for another year of being a member. Also in the envelope was the 5 submission coupon--that's it ! Just a form letter and a coupon..oh well, if it keeps from more price increases for membership again then I guess it's enough.( I at least would've liked the price list and some submission forms-I still like to write them longhand.)
    Finally, the Baltimore Whitman Expo is this weekend at the Convention Center and Stacks Bowers are doing the main auction. Unfortunately I'll be away so I can't visit the bourse but I have my eye on some of the world coins I saw on the on-line catalog.
    I don't have any good pics of new coins so here is a Seated Half I got recently for that set..an 1844-O in XF45

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  13. jackson64

    A Busy Coin Day

    By jackson64,

    21 "new" coins
    It has been a busy day with my collection...I love it !! I got back my NGC submission today and now it's time for the other parts of the hobby I enjoy.
    It is definitely about the coins, however I really get a lot of enjoyment out of taking the pictures for the sets & listings...also I really enjoy learning new stuff, so researching info for the desciption is a lot of relaxed enjoyment also.
    For pictures, I still have my Sony Mavica 10x zoom. This camera is so out of date, but it's easy and takes nice pictures. I simply slide in a floppy disk (told you it was old)...take the pics and then download the pictures into my computer ( I had to buy a seperate Floppy drive that plugs into a port because my new computer doesn't have the archaic technology of a floppy disk drive)...anyhow, then it's just a matter of cropping the pics to the uniform size I use for all of my sets, a little tweaking of the light and sharpness, and they are ready for the registry gallery.
    The description hunt is not as smooth, mainly because I get distracted. With my Signature Set of sailing themed coins there are several choices for the description. So as I look up and find info about either the country of the coin, the explorer on the coin or the actual ship on the coin...I get wrapped up in reading and learning. Many of the tales of the lives of the explorers/discoverers are fascinating..as are the cultures and nautical histories of some of the obscure countries they come from ( today's group includes coins from Nicaragua, the Turks and Caicos, Togo, Bulgaria and Caymans--told you, obscure !!).....I know many of you would rather schedule a dentist appointment than do this, but for me it is another aspect of my collecting.....
    So, as the December financial crunch hits me...I still have at least a month's worth of hobby enjoyment ahead of me...even if I can't actively add any new coins..I will still be "working" on my sets...
    One last thing...since I reached the maximum number of coins allowed in a Signature Set with the High Seas set, I'm taking the advice of some friends from here in our community and just starting "High Seas Chapter 2"...and the first 12 coins are already here and waiting to be the first additions, but I think I'll take my time and enjoy finding out more about them, where they are from and what they represent..
    here's a picture of the 12 new ones...( I also got 9 Canadian proof dimes back also for another set)

  14. jackson64

    Right Coin--Wrong Time

    By jackson64,

    bad timing
    It never ceases to happen to me. When I have some money saved in my coin budget there just don't seem to be any "really special" coins available for the sets that I focus on. Being a bit of a coin addict, it is hard for me to be patient and wait with that extra money sitting in the coin account. Even as a kid if I had $10 from cutting a neighbor's lawn or shoveling some snow that money was just dying to be spent. I'd like to say that I saved up those funds for coins to fill holes in my Lincoln thumbbusters, but by the time I got done with baseball cards, Zots, Pop Rocks, Double-Bubble etc. etc.--I was lucky if I had enough to buy even 1 hole-filler. Now it's not candy and baseball cards but inevitably I'll end up with a small random purchase or 2 of a proof set or cool designed foreign coin, followed by a minor upgrade of a 65 to a 66 ( when what I really want is a 67 that will be a permanent fixture in my collection.)
    As soon as I dwindle my coin funds down to a small amount..taadaa !! presto !! A gorgeous coin of a quality rarely seen will appear at auction. Then comes the scrambling. I'm sure many of you know what I mean by scrambling.
    For example: the coin will sell at around $1000...currently you have around $400 available for purchases and the auction ends in a week ..scramble time !! Sometimes it's some quick cash raised by selling some of the random buys on ebay, sometimes it's slabs offered up on these NGC forums or traded/sold at TS. Factor in the paycheck coming in 2 weeks and whether any bills will be late if you steer the funds to a coin purchase instead of paying on time and how steep will any late fees be. It's madness...99% of the time I just don't buy it being a responsible adult but every once in a while....
    So again I find myself in this familiar dilemma..$500 short of a "permanent collection coin." This may be the 1% however. It won't require too much scrambling to free up the funds and nothing is due until October 15th, so I may just go for it.
    It sure would have been nice however, if the coin that has had me visiting its image over and over, would have appeared on November 1st instead. I get an annual annuity dispersement each November..but then, with my bad timing, it will be a period of slim pickings for quality upgrades available for my collection.....if I could only find a way to save those funds until the perfect coin came along...but then maybe there are some traits we never grow out of...
    My first CAC coin...1944-D MS67

  15. jackson64
    haven't bought a sailing ship coin in 6 months !
    No I haven't abandoned my "HIGH SEAS" signature collection. To many who read the journals and are members of various boards that chat about coins..I'll probably always be known as " the ship coin guy."
    It's just that I've been so focused on getting some key Walker upgrades while it seems that many higher grade- nicer coins have hit the market. I don't know why so many upper grade Halves have hit the market, maybe people having tough times are selling off. If so, then I hope that my bids and buys have helped my fellow collectors out some, who've had to sell their collections.
    So I looked back at my invoices/receipts and noticed it has been almost 6 months since my last sailing ship coin purchase. This is quite a diversion from a collection that has averaged about 30-40 coins being added a year for the past 5 years.
    Of course I never do any coin buying with any semblance of control. Not only did I make a bigger dollar purchase, I also bought 5 more $50 range coins too. My reasoning?..I tell myself "Someone else may buy them and I'll never see another one of these issues !!"
    a couple of quick things..
    finally getting back a submission from early October that I had even forgotten about--it's been a while.
    Also, anyone watching silver? Over $1 jump today !! Looking back, 1 year ago to the day silver was around $9.--...today it's over $18.--...wish I had bought several hundred more ounces..oh well, as they say, hindsight is always 20/20.
    Here she is, my new Golden Ship beauty..a rare issue also since there were 5,000 proofs minted yet only 100 of these Matte finish coins..enjoy, the Andrew Doria--a great history to this ship and the Dutch..enjoy

  16. jackson64

    In Defense of NGC

    By jackson64,

    A picture is worth 1000 words
    Let me say first of all that I have had my issues with NGC. In a hobby where a subjective opinion (eye appeal is 1/4th of grade consideration) can mean the difference in a one point grade change and hence THOUSANDS of dollars, it can be quite frustrating when my taste or what appeals to my eye seems to differ from the graders. My coin comes back MS66 worth $400 and it looks like an MS67 $4000 coin to me. After a day of shrugging off the disappointment, I just live with it. I still have a coin that reflects my tastes and I probably wasn't gonna sell it anyhow, so why get worked up?
    Bodybags...when I see my grades posted I'm always disappointed to get an ungraded coin sent back. The fact is, I paid for their professional opinion ( includes receiving & shipping clerks, warehouse people, coin handlers, computer personelle, secrataries and graders etc) if my coin does not meet the criteria for their quality standards, then it gets sent back with an explanation. I can honestly say that about 95-99% of the time they are right and saw something I missed. By the way, since I have bought a 20X loupe and bought a numismatic library to further educate myself on coins..I have had only 1 bodybag in the last 3 years !!
    Quality Control....we live in an imperfect world and once in a while the flaws come our way. I'm amazed that with a company that encapsulates 100's of thousands of coins annually that they are as efficient as they are. We also must keep in mind who is ultimately at fault. NGC does not own a plastics shoppe. A lacking bevel or mis-sized label is an error in the production and QC of their supplier. If they had to visually inspect every slab and insert that was sent to them, we'd be lucky to get our coins back in 6 months !!
    Professionalism...I have had 3 coins out of hundreds that had problems that were undoubtedly NGC's fault. One was a spelling error and the other 2 were foreign gold coins that had the wrong mintmark. I WENT TO THE PROPER FORUM..I called them and spoke with some thoroughly professional and apologetic individuals on the phone. The situation was rectified without costing me a penny..I simply mailed them back with a submission, they fixed the labels and re-holdered them without charge and mailed them back to me with my graded submission...
    I know that many who write in the journals are relatively new collectors and I really enjoy reading your posts. The enthusiasm and joy at your new acquisitions is contagious and keeps my own personal passion for the hobby alive. If I may be so bold, a few suggestions?
    an old, old saying in the hobby: Buy the book before you buy the coin. Measure the upside and downside of a coin before you submit...if a coin is likely to grade 68 or 69 and have a value of $25-30, why would you pay $15 to get it slabbed? You'd have to own it 20 years for that coin's value to jump to $45.
    Also, I highly recommend to everyone to go to the NGC Chat Boards and ask questions. There are dozens of lifetime collectors who are always willing to advise and teach..many Big Auction dealers, owners of legendary collections and even former graders....the value of the knowledge they share can literally be seen in your collections value and the money you save avoiding common mistakes...
    I hope nobody takes any offense from this, I enjoy all of you here in the community..I'd hate to see you get frustrated and give up on a hobby that you've enjoyed so much without first getting a different perspective....as always, Happy Hunting...

  17. jackson64

    Forced to 'Settle"

    By jackson64,

    it's all about the coins
    I'm sure that I'm not the only one who does this, however since the journals are supposed to be about our personal collecting experience-- this is my story..and my personal quirk.
    When building a set, especially a set of classic coinage, I decide what grade/s I'd like to assemble the set in according to my price range. Most classic sets will have a key-date or two that either have to be purchased in a lower grade or money needs to be saved to purchase them in my target grade range. I look through the price guides and various auction's "prices realized" info to get an idea of what the highest grade I can fill the slot with according to my means.
    This helps in a few ways. First is that I'm very familiar with what each coin's particular price, value and cost should be if one becomes available. Secondly, it keeps me from over-paying out of impulse and assists in keeping me patient ( waiting for the right coin and also at the right price.) Thirdly, it keeps me from buying a coin to fill a slot and then upgrading it later for the grade I wanted in that slot in the first place.
    For my slow-growing Walking Liberty Half Mid-date set I have gone through and targeted grades and decided that I can fill a handfull with MS67's..most at MS66 and I'll have to settle on MS65's for 2-3 dates. In the end this will get me nowhere near a #1 registry ranking (which is never my goal anyhow), however it will be the best set that I can assemble with my modest means ( and maybe around the top-ten). NOTE: I hope I don't give the impression that I don't like being #1 or winning stuff, it's just that I am pragmatic and know that I can't even come close to competing with the big boys in a classic coin series.
    Last night I "settled" for a coin a grade lower than the target grade I aspired to for that date. Who knows, I may eventually buy an MS67 for the 1934 example for my set...but I don't think I'll ever part with the MS66 I bought last night. Oh well, in the end it is all about the coins and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to live with this one..

  18. jackson64

    Good News !!!

    By jackson64,

    heard from a missing friend
    Well it has been a tough year in many ways for some in our little community. Economics has been tough on many-- Several have had to pause in their collecting while others have had to sell part or all of their collections to pay for more pressing issues. Some of us have had medical issues and some have had to deal with the hardest things one could face--death of loved ones.
    I did get good news from 2 people, I know that a couple of the people that I send messages to on occasion have asked about them so......
    Michael Cooper, having already been hit with one tough blow, had a very serious emergency surgery. As expected from Michael, he is quickly on his feet and his spirits are very high.
    Clay, who we haven't heard from since July when he announced that he was going for a heart surgery...is struggling with some continuing medical issues but is still active building his impressively massive set. He may not be keeping us abreast of his latest acquisitions in his journals but he is as an enthusiastic collector as ever.
    So I got these bits of good news recently and thought I'd share...
    On a personal note, I have officially started "High Seas chapter 2"..the continuation of my sailing ship themed set....the original set recently became only the 5th set out of over 1,100 signature sets to have over 4,000 people take time to look at it.
    At the risk of running long, a quick story......
    I got an email a few weeks ago from an ebay seller who also has an on-line coin store. He was running a special sale on a coin from China. I usually just glance and delete but this caught my eye..the pictures looked familiar. As I continued to read, it turns out the advertisement not only was using pictures from my "China Empress Ship" coin, but the description was verbatim from my set also...I sent them a little email mentioning that I was flattered and wouldn't mind a little kick-back from them for making their job so easy by writing their ads for them..Needless to say, I have yet to receive a response...
    Anyhow, I hope everyone has a wonderful 2009..Happy Hunting.......
    A wonderful coin from Iceland..the reverse has a fishing ship but I just love this obverse..

  19. jackson64

    Triplets !!

    By jackson64,

    octomom better look out......
    I haven't written a journal entry in about 6 weeks so this is overdue--and no, octomom has nothing to fear from me. In fact, my "triplets" consist of my recently added 1942-P Mercury dime that is a well matched coin for my 1942-D and 1942-S. For those who may have read my journal entry from a few months ago titled "twins"..I have been looking for a 1942 to match these other 2 coins with their handsome rim toning.(you really need to take a closer look at this coin in the gallery for the set to get an appreciation for it)
    I know it probably seems strange to some, however I actually passed up an opportunity to buy a nicely discounted 1942 FB which is worth more than 4 times as many points !!...since my goal for the set was not to build a top ranking set but just an MS67 set with well matched coins..it was worth waiting for this little gem.
    My enjoyment of and passion for the hobby has been as satisfying as ever....although I have not been adding as many new coins to my collection, I have been enjoying numismatics in other ways; reading journals and forums, email correspondence, working on better photo taking, I read David Lange's books on Mercury Dimes and Buffalo nickels and also read the "Collecting and Investing Strategies For Walking Liberty Halves". Of course I also have been enjoying the hunt !!
    My slowing of additions is not so much that I have been hit by the "economic crisis"..it is more a case of cautiously getting my "house in order." I've been paying off the last of my debts, stocked up on 6+ months of non-perishable food items, stuffing a few extra dollars in the mattress.. not because I'm forseeing any kind of collapse or chaos, I just feel that as a husband and father that I should be better prepared for any eventuality.
    All right, enough of that talk..my head already hurts from hearing all of the doom and gloom and my hobbies are an escape...( can't wait for spring and starting my vegetable garden)
    Anyhow, I'm down to needing just one last mercury to finish my set..one last Walker to finish that set..I've added 6 new Canadian proof dimes to my current registry set, and I started my Canadian $2 bi-metallic proof set with 4 purchases ( only 2 slabbed so far. So looking back on my 2009 goals--I'm well on my way and still focused and not straying from course.
    The Whitman coin expo is coming to Baltimore Convention Center in a few weeks and I have a few hundred put away to spend there. I won't have enough to buy the Walker I need, and highly doubt that I'll find any additions for my Canadian sets..but I might find that last Mercury dime I need in an NGC slab...also I'll kill a lot of time at the World Coin dealers looking through junk bins and cases for sailing ship themed coins..that set will never be finished and always provides plenty of options for new additions..
    So that's what I've been up to and the direction I'm going...here are pictures of the "Triplets"..1942, 42-D FB and 42-S in order...I'm thinking about a multi-holder for them...happy hunting

  20. jackson64

    My New "WOW" Coin

    By jackson64,

    it took a while to arrive
    I finally received a coin from one of my favorite ebay sellers today. I ordered the coin about 2 weeks ago, but this ebay seller is in northwestern Canada and it usually takes a few weeks for my orders to arrive. This is just due to the postal services--this seller, along with my other top 10-12 favorite ebay sellers always sell fantastic coins and are reliable and trustworthy.
    It's a great coin for my High Seas signature set, which has been built almost exclusively through ebay sellers and other on-line sites. I always use money orders to pay--and since ebay is going to ban money orders and checks in October, I have contacted my favorite sellers to ask about their reaction. Every one of them said that I was free to continue to purchase anything in their stores or auctions and pay them via money orders....this is good because I only have 2 or 3 European sellers that I deal with and trust (it's not always the foreign sellers that are dishonest but the postal services of many foreign countries have a way of "losing" packages of value)
    Anyhow, I thought that I'd try to get the JOURNALS back on track---they are a place for us to record our collecting experience, not as a place for heated discussions, 10 part articles/summaries on the History of Series X etc etc....
    congrats to King of Eagles on completing your VAM set, I enjoyed reading your entry--the excitement you felt practically jumped off the page....
    here's a picture of my newest coin for my Signature Set--a $5 gold/silver, 5 sided coin from Bermuda celebrating their 500th year as a nation..

  21. jackson64

    An Old Favor Pays Off

    By jackson64,

    sometimes even the good things you do come back to you..
    We've all heard the old theme said in lots of different ways--"What you do comes back to you" or "what goes around comes around" or to borrow a verse from the Good Book, "As you sow, so shall you reap". No matter how it's said, I've found it true in life that the things that we do, do indeed come back around full circle. The good things as well as the bad.
    Coincidentally I had 3 events this week that came up. I've shared before that I'm not shy about letting people know that I'm a coin collector. Some people hide their numismatic interests out of fear that it will make them a target. Now I don't tell people the value of my collection or where they are locked away--yet most people who know me are aware of my hobby.
    I can't tell you how often I get the old, " Do you still do that coin stuff?" or "I have a friend/family member who has some old coins, would you look at them?". In fact, as I stated, twice it happened this week and I also heard back from someone I had helped out about 2 months ago.
    The first incident was my wife texting me that a co-worker of hers had some old coins for me to look at. When I got home she handed me a reasonably heavy Ziplock bag. Inside were a $10 silver (1 oz) gaming token from a Vegas casino, some circulated Buffs of common dates, some circulated silver rosies and mercs, 2 dinged up Frankies, one 1922 Peace dollar, one 1886 Morgan, a 1986 ASE and the "find" of the lot, an 1878 CC Morgan but with barely full rims. I dutifully made a list with rough values on a sheet of paper for her co-worker and also an offer for the lot....she'll "think about it"..( everyone has a secret hope that those old family coins are worth thousands...sigh)
    The second incident was a gentleman from my Bible study group. Fortunately his house is on my way home from work because the coins he wanted me to look at would not even have been worth the gas...bicentennial quarters taken from circulation, some wheaties, and silver picked from change--maybe 8 dimes and 3 quarters. Also he had some old military notes but were folded and ragged. I made him no offer and told them that it would make a nice gift for a young collector or grandson to pique an interest.
    And finally--the callback. In late August/early Sept I had helped someone go through an "inheratance shoe box". I had given the usual free estimate ( I always do this for free, after all, I love looking through coins and maybe finding a treasure that has been packed away for decades-even if it's not mine to keep). The total number of coins was about 30 however several were nicer coins and I agreed to list on ebay some of them since I have a high feedback and total transactions. We figured that buyers would bid more confidently with me. Mostly some common date but nice Morgans, some Barber coinage and he even had a 1928 Saint Gaudens. Well he decided to keep the Saint and I talked him into letting me submit it for encapsulation..it came back as an MS63.
    Yesterday I got a call from him and he asked if I could sell the Saint. He mentioned that gold was dropping and that he was also really pressed for cash. To cut to the chase, I offered to buy it directly. I reached an agreement which is less than what they are selling for at auction but also more than he was asking for ( I have to live with myself-I wasn't going to pay him spot even if that's all he was asking).
    So, although I wasn't really in the market for one--I now am the proud owner of this incredible piece of numismatic artistry--not my first one, but I'll never get tired of looking at these coins..1928 St Gaudens $20 Double Eagle NGC MS63--a reverse shot of the eagle in flight !!

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  22. jackson64

    Unexpected Bonus

    By jackson64,

    ordered 4 gold sovereigns and received 4 differing busts
    I admit that I buy a little gold "for a rainy day." I don't buy it at speculation or investment level-and I always buy physical gold over paper gold. I'm a firm believer in that old analysis.....
    "100 hundred years ago a man could buy a quality tailored suit for $20 currency or a single $20 gold piece. Today a man may buy a nice suit and have it tailored to size for $1500 currency, or roughly 1 $20 gold piece." Give or take a few bucks in either direction, it doesn't matter-the point is the same, currency continues to decline in purchasing power drastically.
    No, I'm not lauding or pushing people to be "goldbugs" or try and get rich quick with PM's. We have had many people on this board pushing others to buy precious metals. I remember one journaling member reported almost daily on the rising value of silver and the need to keep buying--even as silver reached $45, then $48, then $50 an ounce--"I expect it to hit $100--keep buying, the gold to silver historic ratio...yada, yada, yada..." In the end when silver dropped back under $20 an ounce I heard nary a whisper from that guy ( or even apologies in case anyone listened to him and lost their shirt.) He did post about selling many of his pour bars a few months ago--probably at $25 an ounce--but never mentioned that most of them were purchased at 50 to 100% of what he was reselling them for.
    So, what little I buy is hopefully for the long haul holdings--maybe to liquidate for some living cash in 20 years when I retire
    My small amounts are almost always limited to 1/4 oz to 1 ounce and hopefully they also have some numismatic qualities that I can enjoy. It is actually unusual for me to buy 4 at a time of the same type or denomination. I like to get a rooster, an angel, an old napolean, a maple leaf, krugerand, AGE etc...one 1/4 oz piece of different designs ( raw also most often--I like to handle the gold coins.) I still want one of those 50 peso gold mexican coins--just beautiful--and I never purchased the $20 High Relief gold eagle and now it will cost me quite a bit more to have one.
    I recently watched a BBC or history channel show as an informative piece about gold mining. Currently, it costs the larger mines in China and Africa around $1200 an ounce to mine, smelt, test, pour, ship and sell the gold they dig. This got me thinking that now might be the time for me personally to add a little more--get it while the gettins good.
    So I place an order with Silvertowne. I use them often because they are always having various sales on "Hot Items" that are near melt costs and if you can find a Hot Item with a free shipping category, then you can get even nicer bargains. So I order 4 sovereigns-roughly 1 ounce total of gold--and to my surprise and enjoyment, they selected me 4 different busts.
    It's pretty cool that they did this--just shows some extra customer appreciation, which in a day and age where waitresses sigh at you, fast food cashiers roll their eyes when you order food and grocery clerks stare at the size of your grocery cart and shake their head when you enter their line---a small sign of customer appreciation is very welcome.
    Not any beauties and not numismatic quality--but still fun for me to have 1 of each type--2 different victoria busts and a R facing and L facing George sovereign---almost makes me want to start a sovereign type set---almost.
    PS: I don't want anyone to think that I am asserting that gold can not drop below $1200 an ounce in the future--demand, inflation, deflation, govt policies about individual holding rights--lots of things could affect the value. I only was reporting what the documentary was stating about the costs for large mining operations and deep digging... happy hunting e1

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  23. jackson64

    A Month in the Waiting

    By jackson64,

    at least it kept my impulse buying in check
    Well it's official-I finally won another addition to my set of mid-range Walkers. As my collecting has evolved I have become more like my friends LowBudget, Yevrah and Izzysdad...I'm buying fewer and fewer coins but not really spending less annually. What has happened is that I'm more focused on just a few sets and buying only upper/top grade coins.
    So several weeks ago I saw a couple of nice MS67's that would be auctioned off on Feb. 12th at a Scotsman auction. I really had my eye on one in particular. It was a 1936 MS67..an easier date but scarce in MS67 and of this strike quality. Well I placed a bid and checked in on occasion to see how well my bid was holding up. Just 2 days before the live auction and the end of internet bidding someone bid just $25 short of my High bid--only one increment.
    I had held off on any new purchases because I had an active bid and didn't want to overstretch myself ( I never use credit cards to buy coins). Anyhow, I upped my bid another 2 increments and decided to let the chips fall where they may. Fortunately the price did not increase and I won with my original bid..so after several weeks of waiting I have won the coin...add a few more days for shipping and I can add it to my set !!
    On another note, I too get a bit frustrated at times with the registry but for different issues. I have no problems with PCGS coins in our registry--unless it is one of those Last Minute Registry Participants from the PCGS registry whose entire set is all PCGS coins. I slowly built my set all year of Walkers and cracked the top ten--a nice accomplishment for this popular series. and GM Chow battled all year with Lantern for the #1 spot..then the last 2 weeks or so--TADA !!...two outrageously highly valued sets appear in the #1 and 2 slots..that would have sent me into fits..
    Anyhow, my biggest registry complaint will always be how points are assigned. Within the sets themselves there is no problem as everyone works off the same point tables..however when one compares series to series things are seriously skewed..
    Let's take a look at 2 series and compare some numbers shall we?
    A twelve coin set of PF70 Prezzies is worth 10,000+ points !! There are currently 71,084 NGC PF70's alone ( not counting the tens of thousands of PCGS 70's) for the 12 coins that have been issued so far in 3 years.
    By comparison, since I collect them, the Canadian proof dime has had 33 different issues in the 30 years of the series. In the 30+ years of this series there have been a TOTAL of just 16 coins graded PF70 !! Three of those years have 2 at 70 and Ten years have only a single PF70...and 17 years have no coins graded at PF70 !! Talk about Rare !!..However if I were to assemble an entire set of all 33 coins..with the ultra-rare PF 70's for every year available and 69's in the other 17 slots...technically the finest known, TOP-POP coin for EVERY YEAR FOR 30+ years..the total registry point value would be 8500 points...if you assemble the 12 prezzies in PF70 from the 71,000+ NGC coins you get a whopping 10,896 points...
    I understand from a business standpoint why NGC does this..they make more money grading prezzie submissions and higher points mean more registry collectors seeking out these coins for points..but as a collector...well it's frustrating..
    I have single coins that cost more than an entire Prezzie set that only get 200-300 points...I guess in the end I'll just be satisfied with the knowledge that if I need to sell that my 300 point coin will get $800...I'd rather have that than a 10,000 point set worth $300..
    Oh well, my vent is over..and by the way Jay..I can't believe your 1953-67 PL set is only worth 2700 points total..some of your top-pop coins in that set sell for near $500 or so..An amazing set you've assembled..
    Here's my new addition..NGC MS67 Walker 1936..fantastic strike and just enough color to make the coin distinctive..

  24. jackson64
    hope they don't fix it
    I spent the day messing around with my High Seas Signature Set. Recently I have been so focused on my Walker Short Set since it is only 2 coins from completion ( and a few upgrades) that I have not been spending the time I usually do hunting/tracking sailing ship themed coins.
    Well I spent most of the day "fixing" my signature set. I finally finished the task of re-imaging all of the coins...then I got the wild idea to "jazz up" the set. I have inserted in every coin pic a flag from the country of origin in the corner ( some of the flags from countries like Andorra, San Marino, Nauru, Niue & Palau are very cool)...I got lucky and found a cool website with every flag in the world--unfortunately I had to download---then crop---then re-size the image of the coin to large---paste the flag---then shrink the coin image back so that it would re-load.
    Have I mentioned that this is a labor of love?..actually that is mostly true as I get to look at all of my coins from this set again--but it was a lot of work. I added a second flag to some coins--US Navy coins got the Naval flag and Stars and Stripes....olympic commems got an olympic flag along with the country of origin...and other neat stuff ( for example I recently purchased a 1907 Jamestown 300th Anniversary stamp and put an insert of that to go with my 1907 SC$1 and 2007 Jamestown commem)
    About the glitch----I had not fully grasped how large ( and hard to navigate) my set was getting, so after 2+ years of putting it off I finally seperated them into an order. There is no practical denominational or date method that would work because of the various denoms and different date systems, medals, tokens , SC$'s etc...so I decided on geographically.
    The set is divided into 6 regions..and the glitch is that I was able to create a "blank" line between regions with only the title of that area in the listing line. I managed to circumvent the little red dots that say "*required info"
    Okay, the six regions are: N. America (US, Can & Mex)..Caribbean, Central and S. Amer....Eastern & Western Europe....Africa...Middle East, Asia.....and Australia, Pacific Islands and Antarctica ( yes-I have actually hunted down a sailing ship coin from Antarctica)...
    So that's what I did with one full day of my life..sigh..if you are of a mind to give it a quick look...the gallery tab makes for quick perusing...I'd hate for all of my effort to not be appreciated by anyone..here's one that still needs slabbing (along with about 20 of his kin)..

  25. jackson64
    two of my top "want list" coins are available
    First of all, hello to all who read these and especially to my friends here at CS whom I correspond with. Another "Numismatic year" has drawn to a close and this will be my first journal entry of the new year. I hope that everyone had an enjoyable year with the hobby and that next year is even better.
    Okay, here's what compelled me to write again.....
    I have been drooling over a particular coin in a seller's ebay store for over a year. The price seems outrageous but I had actually reached the point where I was trying to figure out how I might swing the cost. ( I have it on my watch list and have been clicking/re-visiting this coin over and over and over) Recently I discovered that an example of the same coin will be sold at a particular upcoming auction.
    I expect it to sell for quite a bit but still far less than what the ebay seller is asking for his. I really can't justify spending a large amount on myself during the Christmas season so I went through my "strays" (coins that don't fit sets) and sold a little under $1500 worth of them to raise money for the coin--problem solved......not quite so fast.
    Today, while browsing upcoming auctions at other sites, I discover one of the few remaining Walker halves that I need to finish my set. The coin is gorgeous and meets my criteria for the set...unfortunately it would cost enough that I wouldn't have enough "coin money" left to purchase my long sought-after prize......
    I really am bad at these kind of decisions. I clicked off of the Walker pictures and called up the images of the other coin. It took me about 2 seconds to make up my mind. In the end I decided to try for the grand prize and just hope that another handsome Walker example of the date I need pops up in the future.
    I will post a picture of the coin in a future entry, if I win the auction.....for now, here's a picture of one of my favorite coins from my signature set...good luck hunting e1 and I hope Santa brings you all that your hearts desire..