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jackson64

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Journal Entries posted by jackson64

  1. 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..

  2. jackson64
    takes time and lotsa discipline
    Well it's been almost a whole month since I last logged my collectors experience into a journal entry. I continue to read every new post/entry by my fellow members and have sent a few words to some of you, but I really haven't had any coin news to report.
    The primary reason is that I'm "trying" to save for a 1941-S Walking Liberty Half. I want a 41-S that matches the strike quality of the rest of my set and it appears as though it's gonna have to be an MS66 ( and probably a PQ one at that). A well struck Half of this date and mint are just plain scarce--if not rare--many 66's still are weak---so I have a plan....!!!
    I have set a goal of $3000 in the coin kitty before I even start searching for my prize--I don't wanna be tempted to compromise on a lesser coin as the last piece of this set.
    I have this "Stimulus" check coming for $600..and although my taxes were mailed on the 15th, I'm actually expecting a nice return. That leaves me with just a few hundred to set aside---that's where the problem comes in. Discipline.
    I bought this limited edition of the 2008 Canada Proof set that has the Loon Dollar, a gold and silver $2Coin and a super Bi-Mettalic Commemorative coin celebrating explorer Samuel Champlain ( also has his Sailing Ship--duh)..so that wasn't too bad but these Canadian Proof Sets are just housed so beautifully in padded faux leather, book style, with velvet lining, great display, and even a replaceable laminate peal to keep the plastic from scratching. ( they are a lot like the US Prestige Sets were) Anyhow, so I got the bug and now own 8 of these Deluxe Canadian Proof Sets with the Silver $5 commem and the 6 or 7 other proof coins...not conducive to saving for a $3000 coin.
    Well, this has gone on for way long enough...here's a picture of my 2008 Proof Set..still waiting for the 2008 Tall Ships $20 coin addition to that series ( the 2005,06 and 07 can be seen in my High Seas set--first 3 coins)...PS: also struggling with wanting them certified and loving the set as is...

  3. 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..

  4. jackson64
    local soap opera of eagles
    For those who have bought or love the "skinny cheickens"..this one's for you.
    The Eagle family that is shown on the new coins live in the Washington DC area--believe it or not there are lotsa bald eagles here.
     
    Construction workers building the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge that spans from Maryland to Virginia on the Capital Beltway first noticed them. The 2 adult birds..nicknamed George and Martha...lived on Rosalie Island on the Maryland side of the river. Word got around to artist Susan Gamble (the SG on the coins) who lives in Arlington. She had already been commisioned with the job of designing the coins by the mint and used actual photos for her designs.
    The eaglets (skinny chickens) pictured are just 2 of the sixteen sired by George with Martha...I say by George and Martha because there was a bit of a love triangle and infidelity going on...gotta love this Washington DC dirty laundry...
    As it turns out another younger female..nicknamed by the construction workers Angelina (after Angelina Jolie who stole Brad Pitt from his former wife)..had designs on George. Angelina attacked Martha injuring her. Martha was taken to a wildlife healing sanctuary in Delaware, meanwhile George was hitting it off with Angelina.....
    Amazingly, after Martha healed and was set free, she flew back down to Maryland and chased Angelina off !! The 2 eaglets on the coin are of questionable parenthood. Martha continued to reside with George until her recent demise...now Angelina is back...but rumor has it that a new younger female has been seen with George that the construction workers ( also known as Eagle paparrazi) have yet to give a moniker to.
    Stay tuned for future updates on.."The Bold and the Beautiful"...who will George be with next???...here's a picture of the Dashing George..

  5. jackson64
    after 2+ years of trying
    I really enjoyed reading the "Confessions of a Coin Addict" series which ran last week. I was grinning ear to ear with many of them because I can truly relate...I mean, a day without a new coin is like a day without sunshine.
    I particulary liked the 3 stages outlined...although I feel one underlying theme was missed. The Obsession.
    I love the rush from winning an auction, I love the rush of finding something new for my set, I like watching my set jump a slot or 2 in the rankings, I love opening the mailbox and seeing padded envelopes or the little orange card ( meaning I gotta sign for one)...but the biggest of all rushes for me was the one I got last night.
     
    My search for this coin, ( a 1927A Weimer Republic-Bremerhaven) has been over a 2 year odyssey...I first spotted it in a Krause catalog and noticed it was a bit pricey. I looked on ebay and there was one in a seller's BIN/store. The price for his 5 MARK example -$2700 outta my range 99% of the time. So I waited....on only 2 occasions has one come up on ebay since..about 6 months ago the 3 MARK version was available but I stopped bidding at $800...and last night (saw it 6 and a half days ago--talk about obsession). Anyhow, I also saw 3 at the recent Heritage World Coin Auction..1 was a 3 Mark and 2 were 5 marks...not to bore you with all of the details but they got bid out of my range--WAY outta my range. This was very discouraging because I started to wonder if it would be 10+ years before I could find and afford one.
     
    About a week ago I saw a superb 3 Mark on ebay and the bidding was only $130 !!.. I placed a low bid of $135 so that it would be on my bidding list. Going into last night it was still only $138..I watched and watched, sure that there were 3 dozen others doing the same thing ready to snipe my coin. Finally with 30 seconds left I couldn't wait ( what if the computer crashed?--what if our power blipped?) I placed the maximum amount I was willing to pay-$411.51 ( I know an odd number but that 51c has won me a few auctions)...I was AHEAd..and at only $190 with 15 seconds left...I hit refresh...$200 with 7 seconds..and finally I had won at a price of only $219 !!!
     
    I scared my wife with my whoop and I jumped out of the computer chair and did my best EndZone dance !!!...now that was a rush...
    By the way, what's the number for that help line?
    Here's a picture of my prize..I know it's not the taste in coins many of you prefer, but for me this is HUGE-the equivalent of a 1995W Silver Eagle in PF70DCAM !!!

  6. 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)..

  7. jackson64

    Too Good To Be True !!!

    By jackson64,

    there are still boxes of coins in old ladies attics...
    I have been collecting for almost 30 years...with some down time for many years in the middle...I've now been seriously collecting again for almost 10 years. Most of my friends and acquaintances know that I collect coins. Word gets around---and about once a month (at least) someone says to me "I have some old coins that ( insert: grandma, Aunt, father etc etc ) left to me--will you take a look?"
    I usually ask a few feeler questions--then I'll either offer to meet them, have them bring them by or--if it sounds promising--go to look at them in their home. Most of the time it is a common Silver Dollar or 2, some nearly dateless buffs, a few mercs from the 1940's and a small hoard of wheats....Once in a while it's a little better and there are a few that might deserve a slab.....
    On Monday I was off for the holiday and had arranged to meet an older gentleman from my church. He was getting rid of some old boxes --donating any worthwhile stuff to the church missionary rummage sale/fundraiser. Some of the boxes were from his sister who had passed on and he had never even opened them.
    To cut to the chase, two of these boxes were loaded to the gills with coins !!! WOW--the dream scenario...I spent a large portion of the day just separating the various bags, little metal tins, rolls..etc etc..into denominations. I picked out a few that just grabbed my eye (without really going through them yet--just a few that stood out)...and set them aside
    I told him that he had way more than I could afford to buy at that time...so we struck a deal...I took 300 of the silver dollars with me and gave him a promissory note for $3,000 to be paid in one week....(I also gave him a check for $500 for some of the others I had set aside while sorting them)
    I sold most of the silver dollars very cheap to friends of mine at a coin trading website...and will have the gentlemans money for him by this Monday. I made a little profit on the 240 I sold and still have 60 left that I might slowly sell on ebay for funds for my upcoming 1941-S Walker hunt ( for my registry set)...I also plan on picking up the rest of the box's contents when I drop off the check to him....I'll write more about the rest of the contents when I get them in hand and really get a chance to look through it....
    The older gentleman is happy because it's a windfall he was unaware of and he had no idea how to liquidate them. My friends at the trading website are happy because they got rolls of silver dollars at around melt value ( lots of High end BU's in these) and I'm happy because the profit was enough to pay Heritage the money I owe them for my 1943-S MS66 Walker I won at their last auction...
    I'm down to needing just 2 Walkers to finish my set...and I've moved up to the 28th spot (my goal is a first page/top 25 spot)
    Here's a picture of my dining room table Monday night....

  8. jackson64

    One Step Closer

    By jackson64,

    only 3 slots until completion
    I'll keep this short because it's late and I'm tired but I wanted to keep track of my set progress in my journal. I just got my latest Walker for my short set in the mail today. It's the 1945-D---sometimes it takes a month or more between additions to this set because of the strike quality I'm looking for but this coin comes at only 10 days since my last addition to the set.
    In just the 10 days since my last addition I dropped 2 more notches/ranks. It seems that we keep getting more PCGS defectors. Both of the sets that forced my drop were brand new sets to the registry and entered in the top 15.( composed of only PCGS slabbed coins).
    Ironically, the coin I purchased --an NGC MS66--was on sale at the same time as an MS67 PCGS of the same date. This NGC coin is nicer than the PCGS higher grade coin was....and the bidding showed it. This coin sold above the book value after heavy bidding (which I won !!!) and the MS67 PCGS 45-D was priced below book and got no bids....
    I won't make a blanket statement and say all NGC Walkers are nicer than all PCGS walkers of the same grade...but NGC definately has much more stringent standards for this series than PCGS overall.
    Anyhow, this leaves me with just 3 slots to finish my registry set---and moves me to rank 31 !!..My goal is a top-25 set, and since I still need the 1941-S (worth mucho points)..I have a good shot at my goal if the 25th place set doesn't keep going up..
    here's a pic of my latest lady...

  9. jackson64
    any gripes or complaints just melt away
    It's almost as if there is something in the air or water. There has been a negative vein running through almost all of the discussion boards and it even filtered to the journals.
    I was severely tempted to jump into the rfar/Heritage discussion but decided against it( I sent a PM instead about my experience)--I hope it is not immodest, but I sincerely believe that my posts last year showed my frustration at times, and that negativity is why I did not win a best journal award. I re-read last years journaling and saw 2 things: first is that I AVERAGED over 300 reads per entry (over 100 more than the second most read poster) secondly however, my entries became increasingly negative/critical of the "system"..and consequently the average of readers dropped.
    In the end nobody is forcing me to invest my time and money in this hobby. I simply love coins--for whatever chemical process that occurs in my brain when I acquire a beautiful coin--they give me pleasure.
    What brought all of this out is a package I received today. I had purchased this coin about a week ago. Every once in a while a coin arrives and is simply much more beautiful than the image at auction. I have tried half a dozen times to photo this coin already and can't do the intense luster justice.( I'll have to settle for showing off the strike)
    This is NOT a proof....just the most well struck Walker I have ever held and the most lustrous also..I believe I have a new favorite coin, she will sit next to me on my desk all day, if someone tosses it in my casket that would be fine with me !! This is why I collect !!!
    an NGC 1942 MS67 Walker 50c

  10. jackson64

    My New Registry Goal

    By jackson64,

    going straight to the top!!
    well, maybe not the top--but hopefully the first page.
    When I started my Walker short set I had a simple goal (so I thought) just finish the set with coins that met a certain strike criteria and not be concerned with the grades or points. I love a fully struck Walker, it is my favorite coin design. In fact, the use of the design on the SAE is what re-energized my interest in coin collecting.
    My criteria was: full skirt lines on the left leg ( a must),seperately defined face/hair/cap, a thumb and forefinger(semi optional) and nice breast feathers on the reverse.
    The whole hunt and experience has been very educational. For example: I have learned that different dates are graded differently than others--at first I thought it was inconsistent grading, but as I've studied the series it is evident that the "S" mint coins are mostly weakly struck. The grading services understand that certain dates are almost uniformly poorly struck and have adjusted the grading for those dates.
    Anyhow, to get coins that fit my criteria I have had to buy some pretty high graded coins for some of these dates. I have also had to be very patient and uncompromising. Without really trying to I had climbed into the top 50 !!! Then my last 2 coins..a 1946-S MS66 jumped me from 48 to 38...and this Saturday I bought a 1942 MS67 that jumped me from 38 to 33 !!! now I'm nearing the big boys...I don't delude myself, I will never crack the top 10--but my goal of making the first page, the top 25 is a possibility.
    My original goal of simply completing the set is shot. I've regained registry fever for the moment. I have decided to "upgrade" some of the lower graded coins--even though they fit my criteria and are beautiful, the points are too low. It may take me longer than just the end of the year, because I still will buy the coin first and not the grade on the slab--but that is my new goal.
    It's great to have goals in my collecting--it adds the excitement of the challenge........I hope that all of you reach your goals this year and keep the excitement in your collecting...
    Here's a new addition to my never-ending set, the High Seas signature collection. I also have a goal that someday this set might win the Best Overall Sig Set..I can always dream..

  11. jackson64
    feeling my collecting roots...
    One of my favorite gifts at Christmas are always gift cards. I know that a well thought out personal gift is supposed to mean more, but for those who know about my thirst for knowledge in so many subjects--a gift card to a bookstore is a great gift for me.
    Today I had a "date" with my wife. We went to Annapolis Mall and enjoyed a peaceful lunch together (no kids). Later we went shopping with some of our gift cards. I stopped in the Borders and went straight to the hobby section to look at coin books. I wasn't intending to, but one of the items I selected was a Presidential Dollar album with both the P & D mints.
    As I've mentioned before I still enjoy albums. It always keeps me a bit grounded in this sometimes crazy hobby--where I can get caught up in the chase for points and rankings just like anybody else. I have a complete (so far)collection of BU statehood quarters. These are in an album and I'm proud to say that every quarter was plucked from change. I have gotten a handful of prez dollars at my bank at each release and I have a friend who lives in the Western USA whom I send 1 or 2 to him in exchange for my P mint coins he sends me 1 or 2 D mint coins..
    I really like collecting like this in addition to the registry...like I said, it keeps me grounded and focused on the coins themselves...but it will always be a tie to my collecting roots and my early "fold up" albums.
    I'd also like to congratulate all of the registry winners this year--and although I got completely skunked I can live vicariously through many of you. I was very pleased to see the journal awards go to the "newer" collectors who add so much to my collecting experience with the contageous enthusiasm and genuine love of the hobby. I was also glad that all 4 of the winners are on my friends list and have talked to me over the year via emails too.
    It's wonderful that we have become a true community in that we all share a common passion for our hobby...I look forward to this next year reading and sharing our experiences...and to all of you, Happy Hunting..
    Here's a coin that I received today...a beautiful $10 coin from Barbados with Poseiden--I want to thank my friend Ant who included this coin as a Free Surprise in a trade we recently made...Ant, awesome coin, thank you-I love it !!

  12. jackson64

    Another Kind Gesture

    By jackson64,

    Q David Bowers....
    There are certain names in our hobby that will always draw a certain respect/admiration...Eliasburg--Reiver--and David Bowers is among those.
    Today I received in the mail a free copy of Q David Bowers latest book on Lincoln Cents--along with a nice personalized inscription and signature. The reason he sent this to me was because in the last issue of The Numismatic Sun's trivia question section there was a wrong answer. I happened to catch it and sent a polite email asking "isn't the correct answer???"
    I received an very friendly email directly from Mr Bowers that informed me that I was indeed correct.
    Not expecting anything more than maybe a mention in the next issue of the magazine, maybe a "thanks to alert reader/subscriber Jackson M. for pointing out the correct answer to last months trivia was actually...."...but instead today I received this nice gesture.
    This is not the first nice gesture he has done for me either...while he was writing his book on shield nickels I found out that he was accepting contributions/info. I submitted a few pages on the 1866 with rays proof variety...although it was never used in the book, I still received a free personalized and autographed copy when it was released...
    It is always nice to know that in a hobby where there can be a bit of snobbery by some ( not popular to say but true nonetheless) that a giant in our hobby can be so nice and genuine.
    As my first journal entry of 2008...I want to wish all of my friends and fellow collectors here at the registry a wonderful year enjoying the hobby we love.....
    I just got back 9 new sailing ship themed coins for my set...here's one of them, a dollar sized coin from Portugal with some nice golden rim toning and a chinese junk on it ( the coin is a tribute to the Portuguese involvement in Macau)

  13. jackson64
    this story would almost be comical if were happening to someone else..
    About a year ago I bought a coin...a seemingly harmless coin and quite attractive...little did I know that it was a cursed coin !!!!
    The story starts about a year ago when I saw an attractive, raw 1942 Walking Liberty Proof half Dollar at a Stacks sale...............
    Being the concientous collector that I am, I checked with other sales and decided that a $400 chance bid was an intelligent if not even conservative bid..after all, the catalog description said " a choice Gem example--remarkably free of hairlines and contact marks"
    Low and behold..I won the coin...after fees and shipping the cost was closer to $480. When I received the coin ( the evil temptress) I marveled at the lines and beauty of her and packed her off to NGC for grading. Alas she came back in a bodybag as "altered surface???" This gorgeous lady stared up at me and with her feminine wiles whispered to my brain "look how beautious I am, don't they know that I am a gem--there must have been a mistake" Listening to her voice in my head, I decided that yes, there must have been a mistake...I will send her in again for another look.
    The days ticked by, although she was away in Sarasota, my thoughts turned to her often--even daring to hope that they would not only find her slab worthy, but also a gem 65 or better..and dare I hope???--maybe even a cameo !!
    I am ashamed to say that I was a stalker..I constantly checked for her whereabouts...received, scheduled, quality control...I kept tabs constantly on her location...finally I received word that she was on her way home to me!!!
    Tearing open the box at the first red light I hit, I stared with dumbfounded confusion...yes she was slabbed>>but only as a PF64 !!
    Jumping forward, as time has been known to do, my passion ebbed for my beauty...at times I could hardly stand to look at my lovely lady trapped within her capsule and labeled so under appreciated. Again I admit with all shame and humility, that my heart was stolen by another..........
    To win this new beauty would require a greater dowry than I had available...so I was forced to part ways with my old love (and several other old friends from my buff collection) to gain the proper payment for my new heart's passion.
    My old love was listed in ebay, asking for a new home, and was promptly scooped up by a new admirer after fierce competition for her. I mailed her away and the story should be over...but it's not---
    Six days had passed since remittance had been made via paypal...and news arrived to me from her new owner...he was not pleased with her "the crone looks nothing like the glamour shots taken of her and posted in the listing". Away at the time, I returned to find this and 3 other messages from her new owner--each angrier than the one before.
    I immediately responded that I was away and was not ducking him and offered to remedy the problem...I logged onto paypal and found that a dispute had been filed and the $1500 I had raised to purchase my new love had been Frozen !! I now not only faced the return of this vile vixen, but since the sale for my new hearts desire was ending...I would lose her too !!!
    In the end the gentleman and I reached an accord...my account at the evil empire Paypal has been unfrozen, I arranged for him to keep the maddening Harpy who once held me enthralled..with a partial refund in acquiescence...but I did lose out on the coin that I wanted--in which I endeavored to raise the money for in the first place...
    I am not one to wish ill on anyone, but I hope she gives her new beaux at least a taste of the hell she put me through...and I pray with gratitude that she will never darken my doorstep again.....
     
    As requested by several of you..a picture of the evil succubus..

  14. jackson64
    I'm not sure of the criteria
    I finally received my 3 coins back from NGC that I had graded and they are even nicer than I remembered. For about a month they have just been typed letters in the "order status" section of the registry. I must admit that it is exciting when I get them returned-maybe even a bit more than when I first bought them, presented beautifully in their new unscratched plastic holders.
    I was studying them as if it were the first time I had seen them and I now remember that I had harboured a wild hope that my Walker Proof would get Cameo. Walker Cameo's are extremely rare. I am sure that they must use a different criteria for Walkers than other coins because the mirrors and contrast of frostiness are just as good if not better than a lot of Franklins that get Cameo designation.
    After some study and thought I think that it's because some of the devices never seem to be cameod. On the obverse, lady Liberty is often cameod but the sun and rays do not have frostiness. Often some obverse letters also are just mirrored instead of frosty. The reverse however is a different story--and mine looks like a full cameo reverse to me, even dare I say, close to Deep Cameo !!
    Now as I aspire to slowly finish this challenging 7 coin set I hope that I can find similar light contrasted coins to fill the slots. However at the cost of the early dates of this set I may just settle for "not ugly"
    Here's the reverse...not the greatest photo cause I tried to move the light to show the contrast and lost a lot of the details..I will add a better photo when I finally add it to my set listing..

  15. jackson64

    What A Haul-27 Coins

    By jackson64,

    finally got my submission back
    Exactly one month after it was posted as received I got my 27 coin submission back. I must admit to some impatience--they seemed to sit in "received" for 3 weeks--but I'd rather have the feeling that they were taking their time and really looking at the coins they get instead of just whipping through them and mailing them back. Plus I was told that the World Coin grading was a bit longer right now and throw in the fact that it was a really mixed 27 coins--and I have no complaints with the expeditiousness of NGC.
    Concerning grades there were highs and lows---ever the optimist I will look at the highs first. The big one was a raw SC$1 I bought from Heritage as an AU58--graded as an MS63 !! ( I really thought it was mint state all along and am glad the pros agreed) This is especially nice that it got a good grade because it was easily the most expensive/valuable of all 27 coins..My 1933 China "Junk Dollar" is not only authentic but got an AU55...very good news...My 1948 St Pierre 2 fcs got an MS62 and my Israel sheqel got a 66...I was worried cause both had a touch of milkiness..my 2 ANACS crackouts came back as the same grades (one even got a cameo)
    OK, the downers or mild disappointments--first I sent in 7 Canadian silver dimes (with the Bluenose sailboat) all still in their mint cellophane, got 2 67's 4 66's and 1 65...not bad judging by the pop reports on these coins--but not great ( I have no complaints regarding the grades since I couldn't get a good idea of the condition in the cello)...I also tried for a *star designation on 1 coin that I find exceptionally attractive with a lavender tone--they didn't agree. I still am being shutout on my tries to get a *star. I also am still being shutout on my efforts to get my first 70 on a submission. I sent 7 coins in their original mint capsules-3 were sent with the complete packaging (minus the COA) hoping this might help sway them to my side (I doubt by the time it gets to the graders the coins were still in their packaging, but I'm getting desperate seeing evryone else getting 70's) In the end all 3 packaged coins got 69'UCAM's and the other 4 in mint capsules got 2-68's and 2-67's. Although I may not be completely in agreement with the results--the shaking of my head is mostly directed at the packaging of these foreign mints. Many of the coins are free to rattle in the plastic and some get rim bruises...oh well
    I'm really excited to have them back...I'll spend weeks adding images, researching the history and after I get them all listed and up to date-then I'll move them around within my High Seas signature set (example-putting the 2007 Tall Ships series coin with the 2005 &2006 )..
    For those who haven't looked at my set for a while, I have been upgrading my imaging skills and replacing the pics...I'm about page 4 in the gallery. It's a lot of fun working on other aspects of my hobby: pics, research, reading etc... and it saves me money also since I am not constantly in the "buy more" mode
    With so many to choose from, I can hardly decide which coin to include a pic of with this post--here's something a little different..from North Korea--a dragon ship

  16. jackson64

    Smarter Collectors

    By jackson64,

    increasing coin buying instead of holders..
    I won't make a blanket statement and say Everyone or Always,but lately I have noticed a different kind of bidding showing up at auctions.
    Several weeks ago I noticed that Heritage had six MS66 1946-S Walkers coming up for auction at one time. I wasn't particularly looking for a 66, I was mainly looking for a certain strike quality and cleaness. If I had found that coin I was going to try and purchase it, whether it was in a slab that said 64, 65 or 66. Anything higher than that is way out of my buying budget.
    I looked through the six coins--two PCGS and four were NGC. All four of the NGC's were better coins, but two of them really popped out. They had great strikes for what is usually a poorly struck issue ( most 46-S are very weak). I put in a bid on one--it wasn't enough--and bid again--still not enough. I switched to the other eye-popper of the six and placed a successful bid. I have been following that coin for a few weeks now.
    Today with the internet bidding nearing an end I raised my bid another $20--just in case. My hopes were based on the fact that there were 6 of these. Maybe anyone who was in the market for this date would bid on the lower priced PCGS coins first,--essentially buying the slab and not the better coin.
    To cut to the chase, the first coin I bid on sold for the highest....I won my second bid and the second coin of the fabulous duo....the other two NGC coins sold for less than mine..and surprisingly the 2 PCGS coins (which were the worst of the 6 and barely 65 quality) went unsold !!
    I only say surprising because I have often seen people bid higher for lower quality coins..either for the name on the slab or the grade it states. It is rather refreshing to see a trend recently of a more observant collecting going on. I am not completely thrilled with this....I mean, I like buying a cheaper 64 and getting a nicer coin than the other guy got for his 65 money and label.
    Here is a pic of my new addition...I don't have the coin in hand so I can only use the image I transferred from the sight-- and the pic seems to have suffered a bit in the transition---but there is no hiding that original mint luster no matter how blurry the pic has gotten...

  17. jackson64

    On a Binge

    By jackson64,

    "focusing" my collection is expensive
    I recently posted a journal entry stating my desire to focus my collection. It now has become apparent to me that "focusing my collection" and "downsizing" are clearly not one in the same thing.....in fact I don't even think that they are distant cousins..
    A few days ago I removed several sets from the registry, went through a lot of my slabs and decided which sets to focus on and which coins I might liquidate to free up some cash for filling holes in the desired sets.
    It turns out that 3 days later I have already spent a little over $600 "focusing my collection" and haven't made any attempt to sell any coins in the "liquidate" pile. I just don't seem to have the whole "pooling my assets" thing down.
    To be more truthful, that $600 was what I spent on 3 new hole fillers...I also spent $500 mailing away 27 coins for grading and another $100 renewing my membership......
    Speaking of renewing my membership, I have been wondering which coins I would like to submit for my 5 "free" submissions coupon. I have 6 really nice raw coins that I have been meaning to send for ages...I also have 2 obviously undergraded coins that I have been hedging on because the value of a one point increase in grade is only a little over $100 percoin--not worth spending fees on but since they're "free"-I also have 3 Superb ANACS coins that actually fill holes in my Walker short set. I won't replace them because they are great coins, but I'd like to fill the slots in the collection listing and add some uniformity to the slabs. Maybe I'll send those in for crossovers...hhhmmmmm, if I added this up right--6 new coins, 2 crackouts and 3 crossovers...11 coins more for submission and one coupon for 5 free submissions. It looks like my "collection focusing" might cost me a bit more.
    On the serious side, I'm not sure how best to sell the coins I've decided to part with. I've used Heritage in the past and it took over 9 months to get the final check from them. Plus they didn't pay me for 2 coins, when I called to inquire they said that they were returned...I asked where they were and eventually I got them back--10 months after I sent them in for auction.Heritage did get good prices for my coins however. Teletrade I have used and they had a quick money return, 3-listing option and buyback option (essentially a reserve feature) Although not as high selling it seemed quick and low-risk. Another option is ebay but buyers can be a hassle. Throw in listing fees, reserve fees, final sale price fees, paypal fees...the return is not worth it although the turnover can be super quick. Since I'm not in need of the money quickly I think I'll skip on ebay..........so I'm still undecided on how to sell my "random" coins
    I did receive one of my purchases today. An MS66 1943-D Walker. A fabulous strike (notice those skirt lines--ooolala) and though it doesn't show well in the pics--she has a wonderful, subtle rose/pink and pale blue toning overall. a beautiful lady...

  18. jackson64

    Focusing My Collection

    By jackson64,

    downsizing seems to be going around
    I was very pleased to read the journal entry by Boomer titled "Hard Decisions", mostly because I have been doing the same kind of thinking.
    Recently I was showing my wife a coin that I found on a website that would instantly become my favorite if I were to buy it. It is a true rarity from the 1800's, gorgeously toned and it has a sailing ship. I have been eyeing it for over 6 months but I've been unwilling to take the $2500 leap. My wife, in her pragmatic wisdom asked me, "why don't you sell some of the coins that you don't like as much or save your coin budget and then buy it?"
    That got me thinking ( I'm sure that I have mentioned before that" thinking" is not one of my strong suits) along the same lines as Boomer. I had to ask myself, Do I collect what I like?
    For the most part the answer is yes. However I fall into a rut of trying to finish sets when all I really wanted was a very nice example of the series.
    In the end I have decided to give up building sets.I won't spend money anymore to fill slots and worry myself over grades. I have deleted any sets that I was being competetive in--including one set that I had been "best in category" since 2004. I will finish my Walker short Set because I love Walkers--and I consider it non-competetive because I will never come close to the top 10 and don't care. When I finish that I think I'll just look for beautiful coins that grab me. I really enjoy the most hunting down and searching for coins to fit my signature set. It's more enjoyable to me than filling slots and trying to find room in my budget for the next 67 or 68..........
    I lost over 40,000 points today in registry rankings...however I have 27 coins being graded at NGC's value category to add to my sig set, and all 27 cost me less than I spent on many coins just to fill a slot. It's always hard for me to sell any of my coins, but I finally feel like my collecting is truly focused, because left to my own whims--I would try and buy 1 of each...
    Since we're on a Jefferson Nickel run, here's my favorite Jefferson...you guessed it..the Keelboat

  19. jackson64

    Renewal Time

    By jackson64,

    reflections on another year
    Well I renewed my NGC-Collectors Society membership today. I know that some people keep two registry memberships but I only need one. NGC has cheaper submission fees, much friendlier and respectful people working there, the journal feature and also the signature sets--all of these things have made me a bit of an NGC loyalist.
    I am aware that some PCGS coins may be worth a bit more even slabbed at the same grade--but I won't sell my enjoyment of the hobby for some long-range speculation of value. If all goes well in my life I will be passing my collection along as an inheritance and never have to concern myself with its resale value.
    I finally got around to sending off a submission. It has been several months--long enough for that sense of excited anticipation to have returned. It was my largest submission ever, 27 coins ( all with sailing ships !!!)--and I know I'll be checking this website daily for its progress. Three of the coins I sent in were still in their original mint packaging. I'm hoping to finally get a 70 on a submission. When I read some peoples journals and they say "I did ok on my submission, I got three 70's and two 69's" it makes me shake my head. I have mailed hundreds of coins in--very many still in their original packaging, and have never seen those grades. I do mostly submit Canadian mint, Australian and Royal mint coins--so maybe their minting is crud compared to the US Mint.
    I usually like to include/record a photo of my newest coin purchase along with my journal entries--however they all went to Sarasota this morning....so for what it's worth here's a picture of a page from my Franklin half album. Notice the misfit 1950 coin. My mission for the upcoming Whitman Coin Expo at the Baltimore Convention Center will be to find a nice one to "finish" this album. Also I think I'll stop by the pre-viewing of the Bowers and Merena auction lots and take a look at this Pitt Token I have my eye on.
    It's been another great year and I'm looking forward to the next one and many more with my fellow collectors in this community...happy hunting...

  20. jackson64
    breaking the rules
    Dear Journal: In the 2+ years that I have been using the journal feature I have never broken the spirit of the journal purpose. I understand it is supposed to be about my personal collecting experience and not an open forum for discussions. I recently read an entry that riled me up enough to almost insist on a reply.
    Through my years of life there are few things that disgust me more than those who would complain about the rules,refuse to adhere to societal rules/laws or insist that rules be altered or changed to fit them personally.
    First off, to make the statement that the only "real sets" are those with 60 coins or more is idiocy. I'm sure that collectors of Franklins, 3-cent nickels, 3-cent silvers, 2 cent pieces, Indian head cents, proofs of almost any series, shield nickels, Liberty nickels, St Gaudens, Indian half eagles, indian quarter eagles,indian eagles, Peace dollars, trade dollars, etc etc etc..would beg to differ.
    "Facing reality"-it does not take cunning or luck to build a #1 set of coins where 100's of millions were minted. It only takes the willingness to spend thousands of dollars on common date coins at the dozens of auctions held daily/weekly/monthly.
    The awards are designed to reward outstanding "collections" or "sets" which by definition implies completeness. This is just my opinion, but I believe a "set" should be 80% or more to be considered for an award. The primary joy in the hobby is the accomplishment of assembling a special collection over TIME...not just "deep pockets".
    A very good friend of mine, a very humble and generous man, has been collecting for almost 40 years. Although not considered a "set" worthy of mentioning by some ( it only has 15 coins or so)--he has been working on a mint state Quarter Eagle Indian set. After years of selectively acquiring choice PQ pieces and upgrading/replacing and upgrading again he finally told me he had finished. He invited me over to take a look at the final coin. He had upgraded his 1911-D from an MS 60 to an MS63. It was a choice example with a well struck D and had it been a bit freer of hairlines it would have been even higher graded. Being the gentleman he is, and true numismatist, he showed as much interest and enthusiasm in the modest coins that I brought to show him as I did for this nearly $50,000 coin that is worth almost as much as my entire collection.
    He will never complain about not getting an award for his set-even though his set is worth much more than other sets that will get awards. He will never claim foul or disparage anyone elses collection. He will never brag about the amount he has spent on these coins. He is a man of character who collects for the enjoyment {not to " anyone off") He loves coins for artistry, beauty and their history..the rest is incidental.
    My friend George, is a true numismatist.
  21. jackson64

    My Coin Budget

    By jackson64,

    going overboard with buying...
    My wife and I rarely to never argue. Mostly it is because we both have pretty laid back temperments and most things in life aren't worth the drama. Also I think a large part is because we keep seperate bank accounts. We both have almost identical incomes so we divide the bills evenly and whatever extra we have is to spend at our discetion.
    A large part of my "leftover" money goes to coins. I have tried various methods to keep my spending in check and for the most part it has worked. I have a credit card that is my "Coin Credit Card". I only use it for coin purchases and I have finally maxed it out. Paying interest on coins is one sure way to lose any money you might have saved by finding a good deal.
    In about 2 weeks the Whitman Coin Convention is going to be held about an hour north of me in Baltimore. I just received a check for monies I was owed-enough to pay off my "coin credit card" completely. The problem is--I want to go to the show with cash in my pocket. Most of the dealers don't accept cards, so if I pay off the coin credit card then I won't have much money to get new coins.
    In the end I'll do what's right...pay off the card to "even up" for the coins I have in hand--but the coin addict in me really would like to go to the largest coin show in my area with $1-2K of spendable money burning a hole in my pocket.
    Oh well, the bright side is--by clearing my card, the on-line auctions are just waiting with lots of great coins to be had...
    my latest purchase--a 1933 "JUNK" dollar (the type of ship is a junk) from China--took me a while to find one that I could be sure was original and not a restrike or forgery...

  22. jackson64

    Gamble Payed Off

    By jackson64,

    wary of overseas ebay sellers
    With good reason, we should all have a healthy suspicion of overseas ebay sellers. I personally would never bid on any coin where the seller is from China, hong kong, singapore etc...However I do consider coins that are being sold from Europe.
    I have been burned once or twice but I have also had it pay off. I have gotten coins at great prices at times probably because other potential bidders didn't want to chance it. I guess the safest method is using Paypal so you can have a bit of "buyer protection". I thoroughly check their feedback and see if some of their feedbacks are from happy US buyers also...if so I feel much better.
    Even with all of the checking and covering my butt I still would never "risk" more than $100 --even if the seller is honest, packages can get lost when traveling half way around the world.
    Here's a photo of a handsome coin I just got from Germany. A 1938 Swedish 2 Kronor coin that is even nicer than the photos. A nice old crusty look, hints of rose an overall golden color and still lots of luster popping out--and I got it for $5 !!!!! Sometimes in life you just have to take a few chances....

  23. jackson64
    finding coins is half the thrill
    One of the great things about coin collecting are all of the small thrills involved { and occasionally a great thrill}. I always get a charge when I go to my post office box and find that a package is there for me. Usually the anticipation has built up enough after waiting for my purchase or the return of a submission that the package is lucky to make it home unopened.
    Another great thrill {which doesn't happen to me too often} is getting a coin graded higher than I expected. Also receiving a coin that I purchased that is nicer than the photo you saw in the listing is sure to give me a smile.
    When I win an item at auction for well under my maximum bid--definately worth a woohoo or fist pump {and if I get it for half of what I expected I may even do a little "dance around the computer chair"}
    However for me a lot of the enjoyment of collecting is the hunt. I have thoroughly scoured my 3 different Krause catalogs of over 2 centuries of World Coins looking for ones that will fit my favorite signature set. I make a list of the ones that I find that fit my collection and then search various places for them. Sometimes I'll locate one but the price is ridiculous and I wait. Sometimes I get the thrill of finding one at what I was willing to pay and I jump all over it.
    A rare thrill, which I had just tonight, is finding a coin by chance that fits my collection and I didn't even know it existed. Recently I have been building a little set of Proof-like Canadian dimes with the schooner on the reverse. A simple and attractive reverse design, and the coins dated from 1937-52 and 1953-67 have the younger busts of the queen which I like.
    Tonight while inspecting a Canadian Coin website I found, I discovered a wonderful commemorative dime from 1997 commemorating the anniversary of the Cabot voyage from the UK to Canada. I went to ebay and BINGO..I found one for about half what the website was selling theirs for. A double thrill!!!! Finding a coin that I didn't know about to fit my set, using the" buy it now" option, and getting it for around half ....
    Here's a photo from the listing. I'm pretty sure that when it arrives that this is one package that will be opened at the first red light I hit on the way home...

  24. jackson64

    My New Coin

    By jackson64,

    Know nothing about her
    I just won this coin at a Heritage auction. I don't know anything about it--it's a SC$1 dated 1915 from Montana's contribution to the Pan-Pacific expo. I almost started a Signature Set a few years ago of coins with Angels on them, but my collecting of ship themed coins have more than kept me busy enough. Throw in the Walker short set I'm working on and the PL Canada Bluenose dimes and I have plenty to hunt for in my numismatic pursuits.
    Anyone with any info on the design and what it symbolizes feel free to contact me VIA the "contact member" method.
    Here's a photo..not the full sail I usually like but just too attractive to pass up...
    NOTE ADDED: special thanks to Cadmanco for emailing me a link to an incredible So-Called Dollars website. Now All I need is a few grand to buy all of the great SC$1's with ships that I have just found out about....

  25. jackson64
    large for me at least
    Life always seems to intrude on my coin collecting about this time every year. First are the additional budget constraints in sending a daughter back to college {I can hardly believe that a single book can cost $200 !!--must be First Day Issue bookcovers..} Secondly is that its getting cooler already and there are fewer days left before the boat goes to dry dock, so I have been spending a lot of time on the water. Add in time spent with my wife, a trip to St Louis to see my nephew before he left for Iraq, some overtime requirements, and this bio-chemistry class I have been required to take {don't ask} and my numismatic pursuits have mostly been reading journal entries and browsing the occasional catalog in the mail.
    I do have 12 new ship coins that need slabbing though--and they really are a great mix. Three are actually tokens/medals..a bicentennial medal set in NY harbor with a ship sailing past the statue of Liberty on the obverse and a Liberty Bell on the reverse that is a dead ringer for the Franklin half.Another medal is a tribute coin to the Baltimore Clippers {ships not the minor league hockey team} and the third medal is a commem to the US Constellation--a large copper coin actually minted from the metal from her hull !!
    The other coins are all foreign, silver dollar sized coins : a Portuguese tribute coin to the discovery of the canary Islands,a Liberian $20 silver coin in tribute to the Mayflower,the 2007 Canada "Tall Ships" series coin, a nice 1992 Bermuda commem to Olympic Sailing, a 1978 Maldives coin with a fishing schooner, a 1985 1 Shequel Israeli coin with an ancient ship, an over-sized 2 ounce Bahamian silver coin with the Nina {looks like another large multi holder for this one}, a fantasticly cool Korean silver Far East Dragon Ship coin, and a 1979 {hard to find in silver proof} Isle of Man "Day of Tynwald" fifty pence, seven sided coin.
    I know many of you send in dozens at a time, maybe even hundreds if your looking to make a buck on early releases or 70's--but for me more than ten is rare. I make about 8 to 10 submissions a year of 5-15 coins and just hope that they all get slabbed. While I'm mentioning that---I have had only ONE bodybag all year and that one was slabbed on a re-submission, so I am either on a lucky streak or I really have started to recognize what to send in and what's not worth it.
    Well, that's enough from me. I hadn't written in a while and just wanted to record this lull in my collecting--for what it's worth. I hope to keep reading the entries of your collecting experiences {not the ebay ads please}..sometimes that's the only numismatic fix I have time for...Jackson
    A bad photo of the 12 before they leave.....