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jackson64

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Journal Entries posted by jackson64

  1. jackson64
    not all MS66's are equal
    If you've been collecting certified coins for any length of time I'm sure that you've noticed certain trends. For example, PCGS coins often sell for more than NGC coins.
    For modern coins this is understandable. NGC dominates the modern coin market. PCGS's only recourse is to create "condition rarities"-usually by limiting the number of perfect 70's or MS68 grade coins that they allow. This is just my opinion ( I have heard this from dozens of others also) however I think that they have created an artificial market by passing out just a few high grades to the "lottery winners" and the members of their ( PCGS-slab-only) registry pay thousands of dollars for common coins that are of the same quality as the NGC 70's that cost $100-200.
    This isn't what was on my mind though (especially since I don't collect any moderns). Recently my auction searching has been for nice examples for my Mercury dime set and the final piece for my Walker short set and possible walker upgrades. I have noticed distinct grading differences between the 2 big grading services in these series.
    For both series PCGS coins are more expensive. The strictness of grading for mercury dimes is far more stringent by PCGS than NGC ( although if you find a very nice NGC dime you can get it for about 60% of the price). With the steep price difference it really is worth it to be patient and wait for those NGC gems which cost sometimes only half.
    Walkers are a different story however. NGC has the stricter criteria for grading Walkers and their prices are still cheaper. After studying the Walking Liberty Half selections at various auctions--almost daily--for several years, I can boldly say that an NGC MS66 is easily a grade better than a PCGS 66 (there are exceptions of course). What this means for me is better coins at a cheaper price !!
    As a collector who hopes that I will be blessed enough to be able to leave my collection to my family and never need to sell them, I don't care which ones would get more money on reselling ( unless you hold them for at least 10 years, the auction houses seem to be eating up any profit anyhow).
    So I have no problem with slab bias, in fact I'd be happy if the prices on gem quality coins in NGC plastic always stayed cheaper...so here's a toast to all of those who buy only PCGS slabs...thank you and would you like a refill of your kool-aid?

  2. jackson64

    My Goals For 2009

    By jackson64,

    should be an interesting year
    I always enjoy setting my yearly goals and writing them into a journal entry. It is especially interesting to look back in November and December and see how many I have attained and how my goals may have changed or morphed.
    So here they are, in no particular order of importance:
    1. For 2 years I have made it a goal to finish my Walker Short Set--hopefully this year I'll find that 1941-S in MS66 with a nice strike at a time when I also have the discretionary income available.
    2. I have 4 last Mercury dimes to find and purchase to finish that short set. I will keep the criteria of MS67 minimum, so the final 4 will probably be a 1941, 1942 and 1943 in MS67 and a 1943-D in 67FB....just nice coins at reasonable prices and it will feel great to actually finish a set (something I haven't done since I finished my 16 coin France gold 1899-1914 20 FCS collection over 2 years ago.)
    3. I'd like to finish my only Modern Set..the set of Canadian dimes 1981-present. This is a fun set with several commemorative designs, the changing queen's bust as she's aged, and of course the Bluenose Schooner on the reverse..
    4. Since I've been buying the Canadian proof sets for the dimes, I have become increasingly impressed with the design of their $2 Bi-metallic Polar bear coin. I will set as a goal to start this collection and fill at least 5 slots by year end.
    So that's it: 1 Walker half to finish that set; 4 mercury dimes to finish that set; and about 12 more Canadian dime proofs to complete that set and cement my #1 spot in that category.
    You may have noticed that for the first time in years I have no goals for my sailing ship coins...truth is I'm disappointed and don't know what else I could do to improve the set. I had harboured a hope that it may be worthy of some kind of Signature Set award (maybe even best overall !!) I think I have spent too much time on researching, photoing, adding creative adaptations etc etc in hopes of an award for my efforts, pride of ownership will have to be my consolation.
     
    Having said that, I will continue to buid the set..I just won't invest so much of my creativity and time into it....I also think I'll reduce my journaling to about once a month (I believe I must be getting stale to many of you--you're probably tired of me writing over and over)..
    Oh, and one more goal..I really really really want a 2009 St Gaudens High relief !! I saw one at the World's Fair of Money last July in Baltimore and the pamphlet/brochure has been on my desk for 6 months !!
    My newest find...a wonderful Latvian sailing ship coin-I had been close to purchasing it at BIN for $125 for several months, but again patience paid off..found it for $38 at another site !!

  3. jackson64

    Twins !!!

    By jackson64,

    almost did a double-take
    I'm pretty excited at the moment..I just won an ebay auction I had been watching for 10 days. When this coin first appeared I put in a small, cursory bid so that it would be on my Bidding list. It just ended and I won by my exact high bid..by 51 cents above the second place bidder !!
    It's a nice 1942-S Mercury dime..graded as an MS67, it will make a wonderful addition to my merc short set. I have to admit to being tempted to stray from my original goal. That goal was to build a nice, inexpensive set with all coins having eye-appeal and grading as MS67. The temptation is that sometimes an MS66FB coin is worth more points (sometimes 2 or 3 times the point value). So far I have resisted the temptation to fill the holes in my set with the higher point coin...and now with just 4 last coins to acquire I should make it.
    My last 2 additions...the 1944 and 1942-S are worth quite a few points less in the MS67 without full bands than coins graded lower at 66 but having FB distinction. However it was never my intent to try and compete with the big boys near the top, and an all MS67 set will still make the first page (top 25) of the listings.
    Which brings me to my latest acquisition--the 1942-S I just won. The coin is remarkably similar in appearance to my 1942-D. Since I haven't yet filled the hole/slot for the 1942, how cool would it be to find a 1942 Philly mint coin that matched too--triplets !!
    Anyhow...here's a picture of the "Twins"...NGC 1942-D MS67FB and 1942-S MS67...

  4. 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..

  5. jackson64
    please...no coins
    I love the holidays...I love giving gifts and yes, I love getting them also...I love Christmas eve candlelight services, I love spiral sliced honey-baked ham, I love another excuse to fill the candy trays with chocolates, I love when friends come over with plates of baked goodies, I like decorating my mantle and front window..and even putting a single string of lights outside along the gutters. Our house is always open to un announced friends dropping by and my two teenaged daughters usually have a few of their giggling friends over-especially during the holidays. ( some even call my wife Mom)
    One thing I always tell those who would buy me a gift is, "please, no coins". The reason is simple, although their heart is true, there knowledge of our hobby is lacking. I've gotten too many whizzed/cleaned/overpriced coins in the past and it makes me a little upset to think that some shady person used the giver's desire to give me a loving gift as an opportunity to unload some damaged junk-coins at inflated prices.
    Okay, enough of the soapbox... what I have learned to do is ask for supplies and books..!!!
    There are some wonderful books I'd like to read, specialty books on series, minting processes, Renaissance of American Coinage series, VAM and variety books..reference books, cherry-pickers guides, new Redbooks, The Newest addition of Catalog of World Coins...just tons of potential additions to my coin library.
    Supplies are always needed and useful...I need flips and capsules for submissions...I'd like to try some scratch remover for my slabs, maybe a type-coin capital plastic holder..a nice Dansco or Whitman album for Barber Halves...etc, etc..
    The point is, I can make quite a Christmas wish list of numismatic items without listing any coins on it... I truly hope that each of you get what you wish for and that the coming year is a great and healthy one for e1..Merry Christmas to all and a Happy and Healthy New Year...
    This is the book at the top of my list...I hope Santa put me on the "nice" side of his list and brings it for me...

  6. 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)

  7. jackson64
    but I'm getting old and my memory is not what it was
    An exciting day in the hobby for me. The grades of my coins submission were posted and they are on their way home !! It always feels like they are brand new purchases to me when they arrive back. They never quite feel like part of my set/collection when they are still raw and sitting in my coin cabinet drawer--waiting for encapsulation. Not that I'm knocking raw coin collectors, I am usually always casually working on some album/series of raw coins.
    Back to the topic, my grades were posted and I was very pleased ( one minor attribution issue but it will be no big deal to have fixed)...almost a clean sweep of Pf69 Ultra Cameos ( which on world coin submissions is a feat--not everyone takes care like the US Mint)..however one big surprise..a PF70UCAM !! I must say I went over the top this time trying to get one because these coins were actually for a set with registry points ....I had a bunch of Canadian proof sets, and instead of removing the dimes and sending them in, I removed the other 6 coins and sent the whole mint case with the dimes in. Before you think I'm nuts or getting eccentric...I had a streak of almost 100 proof coins I had submitted, STILL in the original unopened capsules or boxes..and none got 70's..( some even got as low as 67???)
    I think I had posted before my frustration at having never received one...no matter what lengths I tried. Well the truth is that I forgot. The first World Coin I ever added to my High Seas set was the coin that made me decide to expand past just US coins with ships and collect any sailing ship coin. It was the Macau silver/gold coin and when I submitted it I got a PF70UCAM--and it has always been one of my favorites.
    Anyhow, I got a perfect 70 on one of my Canadian proof dimes. This series started in 1981 and in its 21 year history, NGC has only graded 14 perfect dimes TOTAL. To put that in perspective, the total # of coins graded is very small compared to US modern grading...however it is still a very small percentage.
    I'm also excited about the year end registry awards. I really hope I win something this year. I hope that my High Seas signature set could still be considered for one of the awards...when it was honored several years ago it was still a fledgling set...it had around 40 coins, no order, typos and misspellings and some fuzzy photos...now with 150 coins ( and more on the way)..it seems like a different collection....I'd love to see my numismatic friends here add journal entries about their hopes for year end awards....( don't be shy, we'd all like one, it's human to want some recognition)
    Special mention of thanks to audrop--it worked very well adding certification numbers posted in the "Order Status" area..thanks a ton..
    For a picture?...one of my favorite series of sailing ship coins comes from a tiny LandLocked country...Andorra, I had 2 of these in my set and finally found the third, which is graded and on the way home...each one has a wonderfully rendered, uniquely artistic design,...I love the little chubby cheeked cherub w/ wings blowing--representing the wind in the sails...

  8. jackson64

    Waited Too Long

    By jackson64,

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

  9. jackson64

    The Waiting is Tough

    By jackson64,

    never been known for my patience
    I'm going away for a 4/3 day weekend today. For me this always involves more than just packing clothes. I always have a few slabs and raw coins lying around that haven't made it to the bank box yet. This means I must come up with a very clever "stashing place" or take time to pack them up and head to the bank.
    This break from the grind comes at a great time. I usually undergo a bit of a bluesy feeling this time of year....grey and cold, no sailing, no fishing, no gardening...this also is when I become more involved with my coin collecting again.
    The year-end registry awards are approaching so I've been taking some time upgrading pictures, writing descriptions, filling a few holes/slots....generally sprucing up my sets. I've also been anxiously awaiting the return of my submission.
    It has been a while between submissions for me and I had forgotten how obsessed I get. I checked daily when I mailed my 21 coins to see if they arrived safely----then checking to see if they were scheduled to be graded----and on and on. Today makes exactly 10 days but only 8 business days since they were received, yet with my issues of impatience I want them back yesterday !! I also know that registered mail takes longer so it may be a week or two to get them once they've shipped.....
    Well I just thought I'd share a bit of my mild insanity, I'm sure there might be a couple of you out there who can relate to this anxiousness. We're probably the same kids who were nuts the week before Christmas, seeing the presents under the tree and crossing off days on the calendar--counting down until we could rip those packages open.............except in this case the package is a brown rectangular box with USPS registered mail on it...
    a nice little dime I've picked up...fits both the sailing themed set and my slowly building Canadian dime set

  10. jackson64
    found some new sets listed
    I try not to post more than once a week at most but a few things have happened that I wanted to journal about.
    The first thing I wanted to mention is that NGC has added some new listings for the Modern Canadian series. The reason this got me excited was that one of the series is the $20 Tall Ships series. I've mentioned a few times of how only about 25% of my collection is actually worth any registry points because of the obscure ( and even no longer existing) countries that many of my coins in my signature set come from.
    Well this new NGC set happens to be for a series that I already have every coin, already slabbed and photoed. I was so excited to see it listed that I immediately filled all of the slots and now am #1 !! ( actually I'm more like the only one so far)... I just thought this was fun and felt like sharing the excitement.
    Secondly, I remembered to renew my NGC/Collectors' Society membership. This is also good because I "got in under the wire" before the fees increase. Before anyone thinks I'm going to complain about the new fee structure--I'm not. Nobody likes to pay more for the same thing but I understand that it's business and NGC's perfectly within their right to do this. If I didn't like it I could exercise my right to find alternative ways to collect (going back to albums, buying only pre-slabbed coins, joining a competitor...etc) So next year I will do the same thing I do every year, assess whether what they are offering is worth the cost to me--it really is that simple.
    Which brings me to something else I wanted to say. Great post neverman !! it is very refreshing to hear some heartfelt gratitude --having traveled and served in India and Guatamala doing work, I can say that most of us Americans have no idea how fortunate we are and how much we have to be grateful for.
     
    a coin from the Tall Ships series.. very cool coins with some holograms that really work well for the theme of this set..

  11. jackson64
    my monthly coin budget lasted 3 days
    Before it sounds like I'm complaining, first let me say that I am grateful that I can afford myself a small monthly "coin allowance". I must say however that it sure goes awfully fast !!
    I have put away a little extra the past few months, partially as common sense during these economic times, and partially for a higher dollar purchase.
    I know that it's a bit early for a "Year End Review" but I had 3 primary coin goals this year. These goals aren't quite -Destroying the competition-- just simple attainable goals while keeping this hobby in its proper perspective.
    Goal #1--adding an additional 50 sailing ship themed coins to my High Seas signature set. With my current submission mailed today I will achieve this goal. Unfortunately I can't add them to my existing set because of slot limitations but they'll feel more like part of the collection once they are slabbed and graded.
    Goal #2-- I often profess that I don't have a great concern for points or set rankings, yet each year since I've joined CS/NGC I've had at least 1 new #1 set. Call it tradition--I've mailed away 12 coins as part of my current submission that will easily jump me to #1 in one of my smaller sets.
    Goal #3-- another modest goal but maybe the start of a 10 year odyssey to something greater. I wanted to crack the top 25 (first page) of the Walker Set. I have finished paying for, and expect in the mail any day, my 1946-D MS67 Walking Liberty Half Dollar. I didn't get the final coin to finish the set--but this nice upgrade will propel me over a tight log-jam of sets that are very close in points. Who knows, if I could just upgrade/add one or two MS67's a year to this set I may someday reach the top ten in what is one of the more popular series and designs in coinage...maybe I should make a 5 year goal also...
    So, that is how I spent my monthly coin budget in 3 days. One 25 coin submission and 1 key purchase. With the holidays just around the corner, this may very well end up being my "year in Review".....as always happy hunting e1

  12. jackson64

    No Rules In Stone

    By jackson64,

    new guidelines
    Another great thing about the hobby is the liberty to collect what and how we like. I try and set a goal for each set I start--sometimes it's to build a #1 set, sometimes to just crack the top 25. Sometimes the only goal is to try and complete the nicest set possible with every coin at $100 or less. Some sets, like my sailing ship coin set, I have changed the rules as I go along, usually expanding the criteria to be more inclusive.
    Last night however I broke a rule/goal in the opposite direction. I wanted to slowly make a nice quality Mercury dime short set--all coins being grade MS67 or 67FB. I was going to be patient, waiting for high quality PQ coins for the grade. I have bypassed a few coins that were slabbed in this grade, even though they were very cheap, because they just weren't very nice coins (probably why they were cheap for the slab grade). Last night, after slowly filling the first 7 slots with 67's--I bought a MS66 1945-Micro-s. I probably would find a very nice MS67 if I were patient...but I really liked the "character" and look of this coin.
    So in the end, I exercised my liberty and freedom as a collector--I bought what I liked. I'm sure the set will look mix-matched to some if it is ultimately completed as 15 MS67's and 1 MS66...but I really liked this oddball coin and so it stays as a part of my little set. I may never break the top ten, however that was never a goal for this set anyhow....I think it's great to enjoy the hobby however I want
    PS: I recently purchased a coin that will fulfill one of my major goals, cracking the first page in the Walker sets (in fact it will jump me all the way to 16th place!!) I have a final payment on Nov. 3rd and she's mine--I'll post more on that when I finally have her in hand
    here's my oddball 1945 micro-s Mercury...I hope you can see why I broke my rules and bought it....as always, happy hunting everyone

  13. jackson64
    it's so easy to lose perspective
    This latest entry into my journal was going to be far different.
    I was going to ruminate on how dissapointing it can be to lose out on a coin that you really want at auction. In the past I have shared my frustrations and joys that I've had while enjoying our great hobby.
    I guess "hobby" is the operative word--defined as "fad,whim or pastime". These definitions put a better perspective on how little these shiny little disks matter in relation to the truly important things. In fact, I'd have to say that the truly lasting satisfactions within the hobby come from other things besides the coins. The friendships and people we interact with, how we treat one another, the wonderful chances we receive to do even small things for a fellow collector-expecting nothing in return, --these are the things that make me feel good for days and make me smile each time I think about it. A super coin find, winning an auction, finding a long sought coin--these things give thrills but all too quickly that prize ends up locked away in a safe, box or bank. The kindnesses and caring we do for eachother, on the other hand, seem to multiply.
    I woke up yesterday morning with a phone call. While still half asleep in bed, my sister informed me that my mother was getting a biopsy on a swollen lymph node in her neck.
    This morning I awoke and checked my favorite on-line sights and read Michael's journal entry. Words cannot express the depth of empathy I feel for my friend right now. The fact that I was mentioned in his heart-wrenching journal entry is one of the most humbling experiences of my life. All of my prayers go out to you and your family right now Michael. I pray that God's mercy and peace envelopes you and your family and helps with the healing of your hearts. I pray that your family can share in eachothers sense of grief and loss and make you all closer and stronger. Grief and sorrows shared are grief and sorrows lessened...
    I usually have to stop myself from rambling on and on in these journal entries...but there are just no words to suffice right now to express how sad I feel...
    May God keep you, your wife and all of the Cooper kids close to Him through this....
    One of my favorites, (Nike aside)..I like to think of this coin as an angel standing on the prow of a ship...guiding it to calm waters and a safe harbour...I'm sure Elijah's now in the safest of harbours--in the arms of the Lord....

  14. jackson64

    Rarity !!!!

    By jackson64,

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

  15. jackson64

    Too Many Coins?

    By jackson64,

    my "set" is too big
    It's hard to believe but I may have too many coins. My signature set called "High Seas" is a themed set with nthe only requirement being that the coin must depict a sailing ship. I currently have 148 coins in the set listing....3 coins that need to be added...and 51 coins that will be sent for slabbing/grading on November 1st.
    This will enable me to reach my goal for 2008, which was to break the 200 coin mark for this collection. Unfortunately, signature sets only allow for a maximum of 150 slots. I sent an email to Collectors' Society and Amy (joiseygirl) was most helpful as always--however my options at this point are limited to starting a new set ( High Seas Continued?...or High Seas Also??) or maybe I'll only display my 150 "favorites".
    The hard part with that is that I really like them all. Not that I'd sell the coins I couldn't display-but I feel that my on-line display would only be a partial collection. I'm still up in the air on my decision--I'm also waiting to see if Amy can talk someone into simply adjusting the maximum number of slots allowed in a set. ( I seem to be the first person to run into this conundrum of set size so there has never been an issue until now).
    November is always a big coin month for me--I get an annual residual payment every November for some work I did years ago and I usually use most of it to get my sets/collection in order. I'm going to submit about around 60 coins ( my largest submission ever by far) and I have my eye on 1 big purchase (big for me). It may not be the greatest time with our national economic situation a bit uncertain, but then again it may be the perfect time to purchase a key-date coin. Prices for collector quality coins seem to be dropping a bit as some people are selling off due to financial hardship and others don't have available funds to bid on coins right now.
    More coins on the market and less potential buyers means better deals can be found. This may be the perfect time to snag a $2000 coin for $1200 or less--we'll see.
    Here's the latest piece for my Mercury dime short set. I prefer a blast white/lustrous/flowlines dime...this one just jumped out at me however with her beautiful amber rim toning...1942-D MS67FB...

  16. jackson64

    My Free $3000 Coins !!

    By jackson64,

    now it's time to send them back
    I don't know if it is a fluke or whether this kind of thing just happens every once in a while---however I got a package recently that wasn't mine.
    This is the third time that I have gotten coins in the mail that belonged to someone else. (actually twice with coins and once with notes--and I don't collect notes).
    Before anyone gets the wrong idea---of course I sent them back, but each time it gets just a little harder. The first time was a note/bill that was sent to me out of the blue by Heri*****, this one was easy because my coin and this buyers note had been juxtaposed-his note in my envelope, my coin in his envelope....so I mailed it back to Heri**** insured (my costs/ their mistake) and it was fixed when I received my coin about 10 days later.
    The second time was a bit more tempting....again Heri**** mailed me someone else's purchase-only this time it was coins and they were untraceable !! Boy it is tempting when you know they can't trace it ! So this is what happened--I won a coin at auction and when the package came it had not only my coin but 4 other coins in the envelope. The other coins came with a seperate receipt (someone elses obviously) They consisted of 2 semi-key buffs and 2 semi-key standing liberty quarters in mid-grade---close to $1500 purchase price. It took me about 3 days this time to contact Heri**** because I really liked these coins and was enjoying studying/ogling them. So I called Heritage and told them what I had-this time they said I would be reimbursed my postage fees and even receive a coupon !! See, it pays to do the right thing !! For what it's worth however--I never got any reimbursement and I did get a $25 discount on my next consignment-which expired about a year ago.
    Well it has happened again. This time for 2 very nice coins whose value is just under $3000. I was expecting my newest coin in the mail and I got 2 seperate packages. I opened them in the parking lot at the post office to figure it out and discovered the error. I'd be dishonest if I told you that I didn't fatasize about scenarios where I might be able to keep them, however I knew inside that I'd be sending them back. It's especially easy to do the right thing when I think about my fellow collector anxiously awaiting the coins he paid for.
    I walked in my house and showed my wife what had happened (again)--and to her credit she said "make sure they pay you for insuring them for the full $3000 when you sernd them back". It makes me feel good to know, that she knows that I will always do the right thing. Anyhow, I sent an email this time--to make sure I'm contacted by the person in charge of these things.( the first time I was referred to the shipping department??!!??) I have not heard back from them yet--so I will call on Monday and see if I can talk to the right person--if not, I'll just send them back and eat the cost (again)...or better yet, maybe I'll get another consignment discount coupon that can expire in my filing cabinet like the last one....
    At least I got a week of enjoyment out of them.........
     
    A special thanks to BBB Sam (coindude)for helping me snipe this commemorative from Russia of their Arctic Exploration...very cool coin..and soon to be slabbed along with 37 other coins (by far my biggest submission ever)

  17. 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..

  18. jackson64

    A Lucky Nick On My Coin

    By jackson64,

    I never thought a contact mark could be a good thing
    Yes you read that right...I never thought that I could conceive of a scenario where a nick or contact mark on a coin would be good. Well, maybe not good for the coin but it works for me.
    As I mentioned in a journal entry several weeks ago, I have started a Mercury dime short set. It has been several months and I just picked up my 5th coin of the 15 coin set. My target grade was MS67 and I hoped to get FB's on the coins where the price difference was nominal.
    Which brings me back to the "tick". I had my eye on this super 1944-S. It had the basic criteria I'm searching for..minimum graded 67, clear face on "mercury" without any contact marks on the cheek, none of the splotchy brown coloring that some get, and of course I love the "flowlines" in the luster that is a trait of these little beauties.
    The reverse had a great strike and about 95% FSB's--the other 5% of the band that did not qualify was due to "the nick". I could easily lament of how much this coin would be worth had there been no nick---an MS68 lists at $230 and an MS68FB ( no "tick") lists for $5,500 !! However the truth is, that without the nick, I could have never afforded this coin. It would be sitting in the vault of some high end collector or gathering mucho registry points in a top ranked set here at Collectors Society.
    So as nuts as it sounds, cheers to my nick and my new addition to my collection which now has 5 coins---3 MS67's and 2 MS67FB's. I may never win the prize for #1 set...but if I continue with my patience, my standards and some frugality...I think I can assemble a superior set for the cost that will have similar quality/strike/luster and eye appeal...wish me luck, this may take a while....as always, happy hunting to e1

  19. jackson64
    package from Australia
    Is it strange to say that someone you've never met in person is a "trusted and true" friend? Maybe in our age of blogs and chat boards and on-line hobbies and communication it is not such an odd thing to think or feel.
    Since I've been collecting I've had some wonderfully generous acts of kindness done for me. On one website that I am a member of--tradingslabs.com----we do these kinds of things for eachother frequently. If any of us spy a coin that we know another collects--well we send them a link or heads up. Sometimes a member just buys it and sends it to another without warning. The same has been true of my friends here at Collectors Society and the NGC forums.
    Since many know of my interest in sailing ship themed coins I get many heads ups from friends. The most recent was Gavin--aka RareSov who gave me a link to a new commemorative from Australia. I checked the Australian mint and wasn't able to find one ( they did have some at the Perth mint but I was unaware of them at the time). I emailed Rare Sov and told him I thought they were sold out--he told me of the Perth Mint stock but told me to wait since he ordered several and had sent them for slabbing by NGC. I told him I'd take one--no matter the grade and he gave me a price--which was LESS than what it cost him raw!!
    I received my prize today from him in Australia..my beautiful new edition for my collection High Seas...just a wonderful act of kindness in that he under charged me, had it slabbed and paid nearly $10 to ship it secured Airmail. I hope this doesn't embarrass him that I mentioned it because I have found that often these random acts of kindness ( at the risk of sounding mushy) are not done for accolades but simply out of a good-heartedness.
    I could fill several pages mentioning the nice things that fellow collectors have done for me...but the point is that we have a wonderful community within our hobby..thanks to all of you who send me the occasional message and heads up on potential additions to my collection--and rest assured that I have and will continue to "pay Forward" these acts of generosity...to all of my friends here, a heartfelt thank you..
    Here's a quickie picture..2008P Australia S$25 the Australia II racing ship--NGC PF69UCAM...PS: Rare Sov even sent me the mint packaging which includes a piece of the sail from this ship and an extra bonus coin --a twelve sided 50c piece with the Australia II

  20. jackson64

    I'm Gonna Miss Ebay

    By jackson64,

    all good things must end
    A large part of my coin collecting experience has been perusing auction sites and finding hidden gems and obscure sailing ship coins for my sets. Ebay was always a fun place to search.
    Often I would use simple keyword searches ( "ship" has always been a bit of a pain because of the amount of listings that say Free Ship-because there was not enough space to type free shipping). Another way I use ebay and euro collections is by studying my Krause catalogs and then searching by country and date...this is why it has always been "collecting" to me and not just "purchasing"..because the hunt is a large part of the thrill and fun of it.
    Anyhow, ebay has decided on another set of policy changes. Due to the continuing decline in their revenue after the last round of poorly thought out changes they have hashed out another way to increase their money ( so they think)---they are not going to allow sellers to accept money orders or checks anymore. You read that right, I'm not making this up--you must either buy or sell with paypal or credit card only coming this October----and I will be making my last Ebay transactions in September.
    I will not go into the details of why I don't/won't use paypal ( the journals are not the place for it) but ebay is essentially shutting me and thousands and thousands of others out of their sight.
    Like I said, I will miss perusing ebay, but I still have about 20 other on-line sights that carry coins for me to search through---not to mention that there are almost 2 dozen I recently discovered on Eurocollections that I'd like---besides, it may give me a break from buying long enough to get some of my overdue slabbing taken care of.....

  21. jackson64

    Olympic Coinage

    By jackson64,

    worldwide Olympic commems available
    I have no interest in another "niche" within numismatics...but I always thought that Olympic coins from around the world (and the USA) would make a challenging and fun signature set to assemble.
    When I first started my signature set I wanted to do a themed set--and of something that I love. To be honest, my first thoughts were of a set called "Beautiful Women of Coinage". There are some absolutely dazzling coins with wonderful female figures---the St Gaudens, the 1917 T1 SLQ, France's Marianne coinage, Mexico's Onzas...etc etc...
    I also thought about an " Angelic Collection"..angels are depicted all over the world numismatic community and there would be no shortage of gorgeous designs to hunt down.....but in the end I chose ( as I'm sure many of you already know) Sailing Ships--because of the love I have for being on the water
    My set still has a few olympic coins and some with beautiful women, and even a few still have angels...but my High Seas set has over 200 coins (150 or so slabbed) and all have sailing ships...
    Here is one of my favorite Olympic sailing coins--it shows the Bermudan team with a slight lead on the Kiwis and Germany..

  22. jackson64

    HE SCORES !!!

    By jackson64,

    nice finds at the ANA World's Fair of Money
    This journal entry has the potential to turn into a loooong entry so I'm gonna cut to the highlights. I awoke this morning like a kid on Christmas--the reason being that I had planned the past month to attend the ANA World's Fair of Money up the road in Baltimore this weekend.
    I awoke early but had to wait to leave until 10AM because my younger daughter needed a ride to her summer job. I've been to numismatic events at the Baltimore Convention Center b4 but this was a cut above. I had an "itinerary" or list of things I wanted to do but that was shot in no time.
    I entered the massive area of table after table and looked off to my left to see the US Mint exhibit...primarily I wanted to see the pre-strikes of the 2009 Ultra High Relief Gold American Eagles--absolutely stunning coins with the 3-D design elements and the edge lettering being raised...all I can say is wow. Since they won't be released until later in 2009 I'll have plenty of time to save up for one !!...Also on display was a full set with all denominations of the new Indian/Buffalo gold coin series...I really like the smaller coins, not only are they more easily affordable for me but I think the design looks better on a closer to nickel sized coin. There was also a display case with a stack of gold bars from West Point--each bar worth almost $400,000 each...( did I mention that there were many armed men hanging around too)..
    Since it was the "World's" Fair there were also representatives and booths from many mints from all across the globe ( surprising how well reps from the Ukrain and Austria for example speak English-albeit with very strong accents). It was while looking at all of these mints 2008 releases that I happened across my first purchase. I bought a stunningly beautiful 10zy at the Poland table. The reverse has a fabulous rendition of a three mast sailing ship whose reflection is hologrammed into the high relief waves..superb ( not to mention $40 cheaper than my favorite ebay dealer offered me one for).
    I looked through many of the US coin tables/dealers--and all I can wonder is if they actually want to sell anything??? Besides some outrageous costs for coins I know are about 1/2 to 1/5th what they were asking--most seemed put upon to answer the slightest question or show you anything.
    Not letting these passion-less curmudgeons spoil my day, I went over and viewed the Collectors Exhibits and was amazed at some of the great themes and niches many of the collectors have assembled. The ribbons were already on the winning presentations and before I knew it another hour had gone.
    After a cup of coffee and a sit break I headed for the World and Ancient coins section. After a few tables I found my next purchase from another area of the world that can be hard to find coins from--a pearly finished coin from Nicaragua with the sailing ship "La Nautica". I flipped through a few bins and boxes of miscellaneous world coins at other tables and decided to call it a day...on the way out though...
    I kept perusing as I headed toward the exit and WHAM !! there was a gorgeously toned 1963 Israeli 5 Lirot coin. I had passed up chances to buy one of these before because $250-300 seemed steep ( even though Krause list is about $300) I stood and looked and then the man at this table lured me in with the words "would you like to see it?"
    I was already sold but he didn't know that, when I held the coin and looked at the label on the flip--this coin was of the rarer Proof variety--and only $200 !! I took a breath and sat it down on the glass case, before I spoke again he said" I can offer it to you for $150 if you'd like it". I don't think it took me more than a split second to pull out the old wallet and snake out 3 fifties...and that quickly the deal was done.
    When I got home I yanked out my Krause to confirm my prize--yep, the 1963 proof with a mintage of 4,495 it was...
    All in all a great coin day--I can't wait until next years event.
    Here's a quickie picture of my prizes..notice that the ANA souvenir medal I got for $3 also has the sailing ship the Pride of BaltimoreII on it also...

  23. jackson64

    What's The Rush?

    By jackson64,

    worth the wait
    I may have mentioned in previous entries that I struggle with patience. I am getting better though at recognizing when I get obsessive and/or impatient--and consequently I am becoming a better and more selective numismatist.
    I recently started my Mercury dime short set and immediately found dozens of opportunities to fill the slots in my target grade range--MS67. After one quick impulse buy, a 99% FB 1945-S for only $65 ( I got reallly lucky on this one) I decided to do a bit more study before diving in full force.
    I have found out some interesting info that will influence my buying and provide me with more insight into bargain hunting. First; most high quality MS67's can be bought for under $100-especially with some patience. Secondly; judging by the population #'s of Full Band examples in ratio with non-FB coins, the Philly mint are scarce in FB designation, the Denver mint %has a vast majority of FB vs non FB; and the San Fran mint is about 1 outta 4 FB's for most dates in the short set.
    So I have decided to eat my words on some dates--mostly the D mint coins of this short set. I will probably fill these slots with FB coins. An extra $20/30 seems reasonable to me for a superiorly struck and detailed coin. Several of the S mints I'll pay extra for the FB also since the extra cost won't be too high..but for the P mint coins there won't be many-if any-that have FB in my set. I was stunned by how RARE ( and I don't use the word lightly) the 1945 FB is in any grade-especially the upper grades.
    Well, to cut to the chase, I now have 2 Mercury's in my set out of 16..and I have passed on a few that had great prices for the FB and grade because they either lacked luster (flow lines) or had splotchy brown tones. This is not a race. I plan on being a coin collector for the rest of my life and hopefully that will be another 40 years of enjoying the hobby. It makes no sense to me to build debt in credit cards or neglect life's other pleasures because I spent all of my money on coins.--Plus, when I space out my purchases I find myself spending more time studying and appreciating each coin after they arrive...anyhow, I'm not usually this wordy but I wanted to write down the thought process I went through in preparing to start a new set...as always my numismatic brethren, happy hunting...
    My first coin for my set--a 1945-S with shimmery luster and so close to FB..

  24. jackson64
    not sure of grade range I'm shooting for
    As much as I enjoy the freedom I get with a signature set, I still love albums and building a registry set. I am still one coin shy of completing my Walking Liberty Half short set. The 1941-S, as I've mentioned before, is a bit pricey in the quality I want so that it matches the strike and luster of the other coins in the set. I get an annual residual payment/check every November which I've decided to earmark for my 41-S ( plus I'm hoping that I might get a good price during the slow period prior to Christmas).
    Well there is no way a numismaniac can wait 5 to 6 months without working on some kind of set. So I have decided to start a Mercury dime short set. The simple 15/16 coin set doesn't really have a "key date" that will cost me a bundle, but there still are some hard decisions.
    Full Bands or not to Full Bands is the question.
    The price difference is quite significant between the FB designation and those without. I am having a hard time convincing myself that a small nick on the fasces/bands can be the difference in 3 times or even 10 times the price. I'd like to build a nice set with some resale value--matching in whiteness, luster and cleaness....but I think I'm gonna pass on the FB's. This will mean that my set won't be very competetive points wise--but I believe ownership of a complete NGC MS67 Mercury Dime short set would be a super addition to my collection. Who knows, maybe I'll be picky and just pick the MS67's that have 99% full bands and get them for a fraction of the cost of those with the FB label.
    I do foresee myself getting stuck trying to find an MS67 1945 micro-s...oh well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it...until I write again, happy hunting to all of my fellow collectors...
    This coin I got for a very good price..it is the 1892 Columbian Expo and a strike of this boldness ( especially the lines on the sails) usually gets a nice MS65/66...however with my luck it will end up as the nicest AU58 in existence...

  25. jackson64
    I'm low in the rankings
    I just received 8 new coins that I will be entering into my registry. Two were from recent auction wins and 6 were returned from NGC slabbing/submission. ** A quick note: my Modern coin submission took exactly 10 business days just as NGC lists--always great service even if I had hoped for better grades***
    Anyhow, these 8 coins will be going into my signature set-High Seas with my sailing ship themed coins. I now have over 200 coins in my registry but only about 40 of them are worth points. I guess I won't be moving up in any rankings or winning any awards--but there are upsides.
    I never pay extra for higher grades like a 10X premium for a 70 over a 69 ( I can't tell the difference anyhow) I always buy what I like, I set my own criteria and guidelines and NGC offers a great area in the Signature Sets for us to be creative and unique in our collecting interests. Thanks NGC/CS for a great way to show our collecting interests/sets that can't be found at the other, lesser registry.
    I know the signature sets must be a popular feature since the "views" of my set alone recently went over the 3,000 mark ( and my viewing of the set is not counted).
    Thanks to all at NGC for providing great service and recognizing that there are many ways to collect coins.
    here's a picture of my latest 8-no points coins...
    PS: Clay, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in hope that you will have a speedy recovery my friend...