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Electric Peak

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Journal Entries posted by Electric Peak

  1. Electric Peak

    Shrinking Stars

    By Electric Peak,

    About those Gardner part 4 coins...
    In a journal this past July I wrote that I had purchased an 1838 Small Stars half dime. It is a nice looking example of an early state of the dies. Well, the state is about as early as it gets for this variety, but the dies are not pristine. The obverse die in particular had a notable amount of rust damage from the beginning of its use in actually striking coins.
    Being from an early state of the obverse die, the stars appear pretty much normal. The only abnormality is some "doubling" on several of the stars (that could be used to identify the die if it had been used before its first episode of rusting). So if the stars were more or less normal, why is the variety known as Small Stars?
    Except for the rusting, it was apparently a perfectly good die. So the damage was eliminated, from the fields but not from various places in the main design, by aggressively polishing the die. In the pristine die the incuse stars have their full size. But as the die is polished, metal is taken away, and the stars (and any other features) become a little smaller and shallower, and therefore appear smaller and in lower relief on the struck coins. This is most apparent on features like the stars that are small to begin with. There were apparently several episodes of polishing, with the stars getting smaller and shallower each time. In the latest known state of the die, some of the stars are barely there at all.
    In addition to a couple early state examples similar to mine, part 4 of the Gardner collection sale included a piece struck from a much later state of the obverse die. Despite the ongoing rust damage and polishing of this die, the first reverse die had been retired and another was used with the late state of this obverse. I bought that coin, pictured below.
    The Philadelphia mint also made small stars dimes in 1838. But those were not a result of a heavily polished die. One of the obverse dime dies for that year had stars punched in using the half dime star punch rather than the dime star punch! Such were the adventures adding stars to Gobrecht's starless design.
    Here's the late state obverse of my 1838 Small Stars half dime from the Gardner sale. Enjoy!
    Alan

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  2. Electric Peak

    Shattered - Part 3

    By Electric Peak,

    Not the Part 3 I expected.
    This is a tale of five 1843 V-4 shattered reverse half dimes. I was aware of three of them on the market recently, all graded MS 63. The first was on a dealer's website, the second was in the internet-only session after Part 4 of the Gardner Collection sale, and the third was in a separate Heritage internet-only session last Sunday. Part 2 was about that second, Gardner coin, which is now mine. I had intended to get the third one as well. It was especially good looking, with colorful rainbow toning on both sides. But it got a little too pricey for me, and I let it go.
    When the Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) meeting ended Friday morning (at the Baltimore show), one of our Registry friends greeted me. He had a coin to show me. It was the first example, just acquired from the dealer!
    Earlier this year, there was an article in the Gobrecht Journal (official publication of the LSCC) about 1843 shattered reverse half dimes. It shows five different states of the reverse. All three of these MS 63 examples are in the last of those die states. I have not seen an example of the other variety discussed in that article.
    After chatting with our friend for a little while, I proceeded to search the bourse for more interesting half dimes. I came across another 1843 shattered reverse - the same variety and die state as the other three, this one graded MS 65. Based on these small number statistics, I have concluded that this latest known die state must be fairly common.
    A few hours later, with lunch and part of the Stack's Bowers auction session under my belt (ha ha), I was out on the bourse continuing my search. And there it was, number five, graded MS 64. But this one struck me as different. Not having the GJ article or my coin with me, I was thinking of looking at the MS 65 again to write myself a detailed description to bring back to this MS 64. But I looked up from the case, and there was our Registry friend. So I asked to see his coin again. We looked at both together and concluded that indeed this fifth coin represents an earlier die state than the other four.
    I went home Friday without that coin (but did pick up an 1841-O for my main set). Saturday morning, I went back to pick up my auction winning (an 1855, with a crack across the reverse, also for the main set). Having done a little more homework Friday evening, and having examined the finances a little more, I also bought that MS 64 1843 shattered reverse half dime. (Surely you expected that, after this whole story...)
    Unfortunately, the best photo I have so far does not show the cracks too clearly. But here it is.
    Alan

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  3. Electric Peak

    Big Day Friday

    By Electric Peak,

    Several coins will be home for awhile.
    I expect Friday to be a big coin day for me, or is that a little coin day? The coins, of course, are among the smallest the US produced - my beloved half dimes.
    I'll be skipping work once again to go to the Baltimore show. The day will start with the regular, and generally well attended, Liberty Seated Collectors Club meeting. After that, I'll be scouring the bourse. There is one coin I'm planning to buy from a dealer, unless it disappoints in hand. There are a couple others another dealer will have that are tempting me. And who knows what else I may find?! While I'm on that quest, I will be trying to sell a few of my duplicates. Why? Because I just broke the bank last week in part 4 of the Gardner collection sale. Those five coins will be delivered Friday...
    There is also the matter of lot viewing for the Stack's Bowers auction session to be held that afternoon. Depending of course on the in-plastic interview, there is one I plan to get, and many to look at for educational purposes. One in particular, a PCGS/CAC MS67 1873 half dime, has been publicly available multiple times in recent years, and I have used it as inspiration for a work account password. I want to have it fresh in my mind for comparison when I get my NGC MS67 from the Gardner sale...
    Have fun, everyone! Here's a photo of my new 1873, which, according to the lot description, Mr. Gardner favored over his 'front line' collection PCGS/CAC MS67 example that was sold last year.
    Alan

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  4. Electric Peak

    Shattered - Part 2

    By Electric Peak,

    Icing at the end of a big day.
    Surprise, surprise, I participated in Heritage's fourth installment of their sale of the Gardner collection on Wednesday. I was fortunate to get four nice coins in the main afternoon session. I'll write more about those coins later.
    Wednesday evening saw an internet-only session of some of Gardner's lesser coins, many of which are quite nice. I had my eye on two of the half dimes: an 1843 V-4 with shattered reverse and an 1844 with repunched date. The latter sold for almost twice what I was willing to pay, but the former will soon arrive at my door.
    As I have written before, I have taken up the pursuit of interesting varieties of Liberty Seated Half Dimes. The shattered reverse 1843 is in that category. The present example resides in a PCGS holder, graded MS 63. The reverse is pictured below.
    BOLO for Parts 3 and 4...

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  5. Electric Peak
    One item checked off the bucket list...
    My wife has long dreamed about going to Bora Bora. A month ago we were finally able to get there. We spent four days there, and seven on Moorea, which is right next to Tahiti. Both are really beautiful.
    Aside from the hikes and sight-seeing, one of my goals was to get nice examples of the local money... I wasn't the only one. While waiting at the Tahiti airport, near the currency exchange, I overheard a woman asking for shiny coins!
    I had ordered some currency from my bank before the trip, and tucked away the best of each denomination. But the coins had to wait until I was there to get them. Most of what I brought back was change, but a couple were beach finds. The photo shows the best of each denomination (except the 1 franc [Polynesian franc, XPF, or CFP], which didn't turn up in my transactions).
    Now I just need to find an actual complete 2015 mint set to commemorate the trip more formally.
    To All: Enjoy your numismatic pursuits, and enjoy life!

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  6. Electric Peak
    No pattern developing here...
    As is typical, I had my eyes on some half dimes in the recent auctions associated with the ANA show. In particular, I was interested in an 1860 transitional pattern ("Obverse of 1859" with the hollow stars and reverse of 1860-1873 with the new wreath - the "coin without a country", so-called due to the lack of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on either side) and an 1867-S.
    The pattern is graded MS66+ by PCGS and better struck than most examples, so I expected a hammer price beyond my current spending comfort zone. But going in to the live session, the current bid was low. I bid (on-line, not in the room) a couple times, and was outbid. Although I thought it was worth quite a bit more, and had planned to go a bit higher if necessary, I hesitated. I lost. The new owner got a really good deal, IMHO.
    I let a nice MS66 1861 normal date go since it was already up to the most I would have wanted to pay. I have two 1861s, which are examples of two varieties of the so-called 1/0 over-date (probably really a defective date punch). So I "need" the normal date. But it is common enough that others will surely become available on a regular basis.
    I had put in a strong maximum bid on the MS65 1867-S. Live bidding left me with a win for less than that max bid, so I was happy.
    When the coin arrived, I was initially disappointed. I was in my unlit kitchen, with only overcast outdoor light filtering in. The coin looked dull, like some of the Newman coins. Fortunately, when I looked at it with better lighting, the luster was quite obvious - not great on the reverse, but quite nice on the obverse.
    Aside from that, I noticed an MS64 1844-O in the Stack's-Bowers auction. This is the 5th appearance of the same coin in the last four years. It went unsold at Heritage twice, and then once with SB, with a $11,000 reserve (or maybe it was $12,000). The last two times at SB it has gone unsold with even higher reserves! And don't forget the 17.5% buyer premium... Given the certified population data, and comparing with other scarce issues in the series, five figures does seem like too much. Apparently everyone except the owner agrees.
    Anyway... Here's shot of the 1867-S.
    Happy Hawaii Statehood Day!

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  7. Electric Peak

    Shattered

    By Electric Peak,

    I don't think Mick was singing about this.
    A friend responded by PM to my previous post, and mentioned that he had recently purchased a different 1838 half dime, with its own interesting character, from Gerry Fortin. That served as a nudge for me to check Gerry's site again.
    Now the latest issue of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club's "Gobrecht Journal" has an article by half dime specialist Steve Crain on 1847 shattered reverse half dimes. When I read that, I thought I would really like to find decent examples. But that might be difficult, since Steve wrote that he has been pursuing them as well.
    So what did I find on Gerry's site? There was a nice PCGS MS 63 example of the first shattered reverse discussed in the article! The price seemed fair, so I emailed Gerry to express my interest. He quickly responded, indicating it was indeed still available. And now, it is mine.
    So I am doing what I recently wrote that I would be doing. I am pursuing and obtaining interesting varieties as I wait for nice examples of the scarce coins still missing from my main set to become available.
    A photo of the reverse, taken with my iPhone, is below. Note the cracks:
    from the rim at D1 through HAL to the rim at M1;
    from H down through D(IME), wreath, and left stem to rim;
    from rim through C into wreath;
    from previous crack, just before leaf tip, up across berry and into leaf right of (DIM)E;
    from rim through center of M1 through wreath.
    I hope you all have as much fun building your collections as I do with mine!
    Alan

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  8. Electric Peak
    But I did cherrypick a half dime...
    Yes, there was another Baltimore coin show, Thursday through Sunday...
    Although I "completed" my sets of middle and late date large cents some time ago, I did have my eyes on several potential upgrades in the Thursday evening auction session for the Twin Leaf Collection, a nice collection of over 700 lots of middle and late date varieties. It wasn't as nice or complete as the Naftzger or Holmes collections, but still pretty good, with some top notch examples.
    Most of the lots that had my attention were in the first 130 or so. I figured that would be done in an hour or less. My wife had walked to the convention center after work to meet me there for the 5:00 auction start. After those 130 lots, I planned to go home and watch/participate from home. Fortunately, as usual, Stack's-Bowers provided a nice dinner. It was fortunate, because those 130-ish lots took more than an hour.
    After the first 100 lots, Melissa K. handed off the calling duties to another. As she walked down the aisle, she said "It's gonna be a long night" to the dealers in front of us. It was already after 6:30. Live bidding was so active that they were going at about one lot per minute, a pace that continued to the end. Refer to the total number of lots above and do the math.
    We left after 7PM, shut out of the lots of interest among those 130 or so. At one point, Chris McCawley, who was sitting a couple rows in front of me, with no one between, turned around to comment to me, "Alan - These prices are really high." Indeed they were. As I watched from home, I ended up giving up on the few later lots I had been considering.
    Friday morning, after the LSCC meeting, I saw Tony Terranova, who had been with Chris during the auction, at his table and said "So you survived last night." He said that he left when he couldn't take it anymore, at about 2AM. I later heard from others that the session did indeed last until about 5AM! Ouch.
    Thursday afternoon, before heading up to the auction, I did my usual scan of the bourse. I found a nice 1838 half dime for sale at the Stack's-Bowers tables. It was a highly lustrous, untoned, beauty, housed in an old NGC slab, graded MS 65. The only notation on the holder was "NO DRAPERY", which applies to all 1838 half dimes.
    A closer look revealed lumps over much of Liberty's left arm, and some on her right arm as well. I noted a couple reverse die diagnostics as well. That night, I confirmed my suspicion. It was an early stage of the Small Stars obverse die, and correspondingly early stage of the first of two reverse dies paired with that obverse. The asking price was fair for the more common Large Stars varieties.
    When the show opened at 10AM Friday, I made a beeline for it. The case was empty. I asked about it, and got an initial indication that they 'might still have it'. After a little searching, it was found. And now it's mine. Unfortunately, I don't have a good picture yet.
    Alan
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  9. Electric Peak
    1, 2, 3...
    More than a month has passed since part 3 of the Gardner collection sale. I have had time to reflect on the coins I got and the ones that got away. In the end, I bought six half dimes from that collection: one from Part 1, two from Part 2, and three from Part 3. Only one of them was a top choice at the time, from Part 1, the 1864, about which I wrote at the time.
    For Parts 2 and 3 I did my usual preparations. That results in a prioritization of coins to pursue and maximum potential bids. Of course, there can be complications when priority #2 comes before #1 in the sale, and I will not have enough money for both. And there usually is a backup plan for what to get, if anything, if the high priority coins slip away.
    In Part 2 of the sale, I had targeted the 1865 and 1865-S half dimes. Both went for more than I had set as my limits. I wound up getting the 1871 and 1871-S instead. Both are really nice coins. But as I look back, I think I should have pursued those earlier dated ones with higher bids. I think it may be a long time before comparable coins become available.
    In Part 3 of the sale, I had set my sights on two half dimes, both graded MS66 with green CAC endorsements: the first of three 1848-O coins (the other two were graded NGC MS67 and PCGS MS67 CAC); and the 1866-S. In my research I saw that the second 1848-O had a previous life in a PCGS MS66 holder with CAC sticker. But both of the MS67s had toning that is not the most attractive to me, the third one worse than the second. When the first 1848-O sold for just over my limit, I decided on the spot to go as high as one increment more on the second. (After all, I "need" that date & mint...) I got it. Then the 1866-S came, and went, for a little over my limit. A couple lots later I got one of my backup lots, an 1869-S graded MS67, but also with non-ideal toning. Finally, I got a lovely upgrade to my 1872-S MM Above Bow. The price seemed too good to pass up. As with Part 2, when I look back, I almost wish I had been more aggressive with the lots I had wanted most. But I am happy with what I got.
    This leaves me with 58 of the 70 coins needed for the registry set. I will want to upgrade at least three of them. So I will be looking hard for those 15 or so coins, most of which will be tough to find in high grade. So I expect those purchases to be infrequent. To fill the gaps, I will keep looking for interesting varieties.
    Here is a shot of the 1872-S Above Bow reverse, from Part 3.

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  10. Electric Peak

    HA Seller's Fee

    By Electric Peak,

    Not 20%
    A recent post that questioned the justification for a 17.5% buyer's fee at Heritage generated quite a few responses. Toward the end of the exchange it was claimed by the original poster that HA charges a 20% seller's fee as well as the 17.5% buyer's fee. Based on my own experience seven years ago, when they charged me a 5% seller's fee (except for coins for which I had no seller's fee coupons), I questioned the claim. Mark Feld of Heritage responded that they have never had a seller's fee that high for coins, but did not say anything more about past or current policy.
    Rather than continue a pointless argument there in the chat boards, I decided to ask Heritage what the policy is. (I could not find it on their web site.) Bob Marino called me Thursday about my question. Here is the gist of what he told me:
    1) Consignors can negotiate terms.
    2) The largest seller's fee they charge is 10%. He said repeatedly that would be for "large, bulky" consignments.
    3) The 5% I was charged (without negotiation, for a consignment of seven slabbed coins) was a reduced fee based on my status as a frequent buyer.
    While writing this, I realized I could check my consignment form from seven years ago. I just got it out. It says: "For our services, you agree to pay us a Seller's Fee equal to five percent (5%) of the aggregate of all Hammer Prices realized from the auction of your Properties, except the Seller's Fee is 15% for currency; sets and partial sets; binder lots; rolls; misc.; and post-1950 Proof and Mint Sets; and 10% on medals and tokens."
    So here at least we have a possibly out-of-date actual statement of terms, and a current verbal statement from the source. My comments on seller's fee in that chat boards thread were based on my own experience, but some folks were spreading hearsay that now appears to be false. All I can say is 1) "don't believe everything you read on the internet", and 2) please don't make allegations without checking your facts.
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  11. Electric Peak
    And I'm arranging a long-term relationship!
    In my last post, I mentioned that I didn't find anything suitable for my Liberty Seated Half Dime registry set at the Baltimore show last month - at least not anything at a price I liked. But I did spot a lovely, lightly and attractively toned 1863-S, PCGS MS65 + CAC, offered by Gerry Fortin on behalf of a client of his. I examined it, liked it, took notes on it, asked for the asking price and noted that.
    That night, I researched it a bit on-line. I found several auction results from the past handful of years at Heritage. One, for a mostly white, but darker on the high points, PCGS/CAC piece, sold for more than that asking price. All the others were substantially less, although, based on the photos, they were pretty clearly not as nice.
    There was one exception: the coin currently being offered. Obviously, it is as nice as it is! It sold four years ago for less than two thirds of the current asking price. For what it matters, it did not have the green bean at the time.
    Nevertheless, I told Gerry the next day that I had checked things out and would not be willing to pay as much as his consignor was asking. He said I should try making an offer. I told him I would need to wait until after Part 3 of the Gardner sale next month.
    Well, the Gardner sale items came up for preview at Heritage. Looking at what will be available, it looks like only one relatively inexpensive coin has any chance of making it into my collection. So I decided to make that offer.
    Gerry quickly corresponded with the owner. Without going through the details, a 5% increase in my initial offer was accepted. So later this week that little lady will be able to settle down with me for a long time. It will be better for her: She has been around the block a couple times in the past few years. But soon she will be with someone who appreciates her and wants her around.
    Here is the Heritage photo of the obverse. Enjoy! And enjoy your search for the coins you like!
    Alan

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  12. Electric Peak

    Repunched 1860

    By Electric Peak,

    A couple additions to my Varieties & Duplicates half dime set...
    I spent some time, as usual at the Baltimore show, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. From my perspective, it was pretty normal for a March coin show in Baltimore.
    On Thursday, I left work around 12:30 to go downtown to the show. I did my usual thing - quickly scanning dealer offerings, pausing if I see anything of potential interest (half dimes and large cents), and stopping to take a look at any that might fit in my collection and budget. Of course, I like to look at some budget busters as well! But at the end of the day, I had found nothing I wanted that was being offered at what I think is a reasonable price.
    Friday morning, I started early with the regular meeting of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC; you really need to join if you have interest in Seated coinage!). During the club meeting this past November, we had been told about a Gobrecht dollar found in a safe deposit box, sold (multiple times), and wanted back by the seller after she found documentation of the coin in a family Bible. The very next day, the coin was spotted in a dealer's case at the show! It was soon reunited with the Bible and documentation, as related in the latest issue of the LSCC's Gobrecht Journal. The woman at the center of the story was present at the meeting and gave us more information and her perspective on the matter. Pretty cool stuff!
    After the meeting, I went to walk the bourse a little more, and wound up at the LSCC club table. I could not stay long (duty called), but promised to return on Saturday, which I did. I spent awhile talking with Dennis Fortier there about a variety of things, including, of course, the items on display. None of it was spectacular, but it was all interesting to me, and was also clearly interesting to a number of people who stopped to look and chat. In the end, I think I would like to help out at the table at future shows. I will let you know how that goes.
    But before spending that Saturday morning at the LSCC table, I picked up my auction winning - a lovely 1860 half dime with repunched date. My main set already includes a nice 1860, but I have started looking for interesting varieties in addition to working on that primary set.
    After wrapping up with Dennis, I found Chris McCawley at his table, unoccupied. We had a nice, wide-ranging chat, just a little of which was about my interest in at least getting early-date large cent type coins to complement my complete middle- and late-date date sets. Chris has been a good source of large cents for me in the past, and may be again!
    Finally, with time on the parking meter running out, I looked again at remaining coins on the bourse, not intending to buy anything. But I found a pretty little lady to add to the collection anyway. She is more modest than most of my others, but something told me she would prove to be a good acquisition.
    That is enough for now. Back to the title of the post - Here is a picture of the 1860 repunched date. Enjoy!
    Alan

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  13. Electric Peak

    Just Gotta Smile

    By Electric Peak,

    It seems like a bargain now.
    I am currently in the middle of what was planned to be a few month long slow period, as I prepare for Part 3 of the Gardner Collection sale in May. But of course I am still looking, because there may be good opportunities at any time, and the stuff I might consider from the Gardner coins may end up too expensive. But in an effort to save money just in case, I have been looking more at less expensive half dimes in the AU to low MS range as temporary hole fillers and as examples of different varieties of issues I already have.
    My latest purchase, from a weekly online Heritage auction, arrived on Friday. I had been eager to look at it closely in-hand. It is an 1870 half dime, graded MS 62 by PCGS. Eventually I would like to upgrade it with a nice MS 66 example. But this coin looked pretty nice for a 62 in the Heritage photos. I couldn't really see anything wrong with it. So I got it.
    Having recently gotten an MS 62 Capped Bust Half Dime that also looked good in the photos (and is a mostly fabulous looking coin), only to find that it has a light x scratched into it, I was hoping the new 1870 would not disappoint. It did not! Although the cartwheel luster is quite subdued, there is a reason for that. The surfaces on both sides are nicely mirrored, but apparently not enough for PCGS to designate it PL. Aside from that, I can find only one very tiny mark with my 10x loupe.
    The strike is good, but not great. The obverse toning is simply beautiful. The reverse is not as pretty, but is still okay.
    So, having had the close look, I am tempted to crack it out in hopes of getting a better grade for it. But I probably will not, at least not for awhile. Here is the obverse, which looks much more lively in hand. Enjoy, and stay safe.
    Alan

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  14. Electric Peak

    Not So Rare

    By Electric Peak,

    Another dream dashed...
    The other day I posted about one of my new half dimes, an 1841-O, the die variety of which is not listed in the available reference books. Last night I spent some time on the Heritage website looking at their photos of other examples of the issue.
    The result is that the die variety of my coin is probably not rare. Of the dozens of coins available to view, it looked to me like four varieties are reasonably common, including mine. Multiple die states are apparent as well, although some of the older photos are not good enough to make detailed assessments.
    Oh well. Still, this hobby is a lot of fun!
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  15. Electric Peak
    I'm not sure why I didn't notice this before.
    The world of Early American Copper has many collectors pursuing not just types or dates, but specific die marriages and even die states for their collections. They have excellent reference books to help identify those varieties. Examples of very rare varieties can fetch many times the price of more common varieties.
    My date set of middle and late dates (1816-1857) was completed a few years ago. While I was working on it, I paid attention to varieties, but never considered building more than the date set.
    Now that I am trying to learn more about more of our classic US coinage, and as I am building a nice set of Capped Bust and Liberty Seated Half Dimes, I find that the early copper folks are far ahead in the game of variety collecting. But some series are catching up! In any case, there really is no good reference for Liberty Seated Half Dime die varieties. But I do have, and use, the books that are out there: Valentine, Blythe, and the new Flynn book.
    Just now, while adding a couple coins I just bought in the Heritage Tuesday weekly internet session into the Registry and into my collection spreadsheet, I looked at those reference books again because I noticed that I had not identified the variety of a coin I got a couple months ago. It is the 1841-O Small O half dime that I wrote about at the time.
    Valentine lists two die marriages for 1841-O with a small mint mark. The descriptions are sufficient for me to say that my coin is not one of those two varieties. Blythe, being more recent, list one more variety: "V-5 also has a mintmark measuring 0.8 millimeters. Known from only 1 specimen-a choice XF-from a well worn die." That is certainly not enough information to make a positive identification. No real diagnostics are given, and it does not even say which die was well worn. But my coin is at least consistent with that description.
    So now I am very excited that I may have an example of that variety that was unique as of 1992. Who knows - maybe it is the same coin. Or maybe it is a discovery of a previously unknown variety. I will have to dig deeper into the available literature, mainly the Liberty Seated Collectors Club's Gobrecht Journal, or contact the LSCC half dime experts to see if I really have something special (as coins go).
    Anyway, here is a shot of the reverse, the same as with my 12/1/14 post. Several die cracks are visible, and are what exclude this from being a variety described by Valentine. When I find out more, I will let you know...

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  16. Electric Peak

    Above the Bow

    By Electric Peak,

    I added another variety to my half dime collection.
    Almost three years ago I bought an 1872-S half dime for my set. It is a boldly colored (though unevenly so), well struck, lustrous, unmarked gem, graded MS67 by PCGS. It is a super coin. But I am going for more than just the registry set. I also want to get as many of the major and minor varieties as I can. This coin is an example of the Mint Mark Below Bow variety.
    So I was pleased to get a near twin to that coin. From the Heritage auction at the FUN show earlier this month I obtained an example of the 1872-S MM Above Bow variety. Its coloration is similar, as are its other characteristics. It is in a PCGS MS66 holder, with CAC sticker.
    Half Dimes were minted in San Francisco from 1863 until the denomination was ended in 1873. From 1863 through 1869, the S mint mark appears on the reverse, below the bow knot at the bottom of the wreath. The unique 1870-S coin (and presumably the one in the cornerstone of the second San Francisco mint building), and the 1871-S half dimes have the S inside the wreath, above the bow knot. In 1872, both mint mark positions occur, and in 1873, the series ends with the mint mark below the bow knot. To my knowledge, no one knows a specific reason for the changes in mint mark position.
    Here is a shot of the reverse. After all, I can't write about this coin because of the mint mark and not show it, right? Enjoy, and have fun hunting the things you like.
    Alan

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  17. Electric Peak
    Liberty, that is...
    Although my current focus is on Liberty Seated Half Dimes, I still keep my eyes open for other things like Large Cent upgrades, Capped Bust Half Dimes, and coins for my type set. A new CBHD arrived today.
    It is an album-toned 1829, in a PCGS OGH graded MS65. Its luster is really nice, signs of contact are minimal, and the strike is good. I got it from the recently completed Heritage auction at the FUN show. This leaves me needing just an 1830 to have one of each date from that series.
    The auction had another 1829, graded MS66, but it seemed from the online photos to be a lesser coin. The prices realized suggest that others thought the same. While the MS66-slabbed coin did fetch 13.6% more than my MS65, the price guides suggest about 50% more would typically be appropriate. (And yes, my purchase price was in-family with other recent results, while the other coin fetched less than similarly-slabbed specimens.)
    So here's a picture of the reverse side. Enjoy. Best wishes to all in this new year.

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  18. Electric Peak
    Check out this coin. (I hope the links work...)
    I regularly check the major auction sites and dealer listings for coins that I need for my collection. The upcoming Dallas PNG Invitational auction at Heritage includes one coin of interest: an NGC graded MS 66 1867-S half dime. Here is a link to the Heritage obverse photo: http://coins.ha.com/c/lot-image.zx?saleNo=1218&lotNo=0&lotIdNo=1031&inventoryNo=&id=12230393
    Part of my investigation includes scanning prior auction records. Consider this coin, from a past Heritage auction: http://coins.ha.com/c/lot-image.zx?saleNo=1206&lotNo=4382&lotIdNo=217001&inventoryNo=0&id=11387537
    It is clearly the same coin. It has been cleaned up a bit to look nice and white, but did not get an upgrade for the effort.
    I started out desiring nice white coins, but have come to appreciate nicely toned coins as generally preferable. I passed on this coin in that prior auction for multiple reasons. The toning made it unattractive to me. I questioned the grade because of the marks that are visible.
    But the kicker for me, was that it looks like it may have been mounted somehow in the past. Look at the rim, above the E in UNITED, and half way around, above the RI in AMERICA. There appear to be notches there. They are visible in the reverse photos as well.
    I will be passing on this coin again. As nice as it now looks at first glance, those notches would always jump out at me, screaming "damage". What do you think?
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  19. Electric Peak

    Walking Astray?

    By Electric Peak,

    Here's another recent acquisition.
    Having gotten a couple Gardner half dimes in the October auction, and picking up another pricey half dime at the latest Baltimore show, I am sort of trying to save myself for Part 3 of the Gardner sale in February. (And I still have to pay off the loan for the home improvements, and unexpectedly just had to buy a car.) But I seem unable to hold off completely.
    A few years ago I decided to work on Mercury Dime and Walking Liberty Half Dollar short sets as low priority pursuits. Progress has been slow, and I sometimes get diverted from that diversion. Case in point: I recently added a 1939-S Walker to my collection. It is not part of the short set, but it looked like a nice coin for the money, so I got it.
    Here it is - PCGS graded MS66, CAC approved. Other than the typical strike characteristics, the only mentionable flaw, if you can call it that, is a tiny spot of orange-ish toning on the reverse. I think it looks pretty clean for the grade.
    Merry Christmas to all. And good luck with the registry awards to those of you who have put in the effort this past year. I am looking forward to seeing what gets recognized this year!

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  20. Electric Peak

    Another Variety

    By Electric Peak,

    Another nice AU coin for my variety collection
    As I mentioned last time, while I wait for high quality examples of the coins I still need for my Liberty Seated Half Dime (LSHD) basic set, I will be looking for AU to low MS examples of half dime varieties. Kevin Flynn has published his new LSHD reference that lists varieties of the following types: repunched stars; doubled dies; overdates; misplaced dates; and repunched dates. He also identified several different date styles or mint mark sizes on coins of a particular date and mint.
    In his list of dates for which the New Orleans mint produced LSHDs with different mint mark sizes, he did not include 1841, even though the Blythe book does. I have looked at several images of 1841-O half dimes in auction records on the Heritage website. In that small sample, it is clear that what should be called Small O and Medium O (0.8mm and 1.0mm height, respectively) were produced, in agreement with Blythe. I may look at more to see if any Large O (1.2mm) are to be found.
    The reason I looked is that I had been watching an AU55 1841-O in a recent Heritage auction. It appeared to have a Small O. I wondered if that was the only size that year. When I confirmed for myself that it was not the only size, I decided to bid on it with the hope of adding it to my variety collection.
    It took a fairly strong bid, but I got it. Because I do not have a 'high quality' example for that issue, this coin will reside in my primary set until I do acquire a better one. As you might guess, I will be looking for one with a Medium O...
    Here's a photo of the reverse. Happy collecting, and best wishes to all for the upcoming holiday season!

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  21. Electric Peak

    Half Dime Varieties

    By Electric Peak,

    For the fun of it...
    The world of Early American Copper collecting is blessed with really good books that detail all the known die varieties and provide information on die states as well. While my collecting was focused on the middle and late date large cents, I used those books to attribute my new purchases and the coins from my childhood collection. But at no time did I ever desire to build a die variety collection. I certainly appreciated the effort and money it would take to do so. Viewing the fabulous Naftzger collection and the nearly complete (all but one unique variety) Holmes collection (and chatting with Dan during the lot viewing) were highlights of my numismatic experience.
    If you have read my posts over the last few years, you know I am now concentrating on half dimes, especially the Liberty Seated business strikes. Even though my focus has been on the date and mint set, plus major varieties, I would like to know, as with the large cents, what die variety each coin represents. Unfortunately, there is no good Liberty Seated Half Dime die variety book. The Valentine book is dated, and its descriptions leave a lot to be desired. In many cases, one simply cannot match a coin uniquely to a description. The Blythe book gives some useful updates and additional detail, but does not discuss many varieties. There are a couple collectors out there who have the information to produce a book comparable to those for early copper, but apparently that is not a high priority for them.
    Recently, Kevin Flynn published a new book on Liberty Seated Half Dime varieties, in his Authoritative Reference series. But it is not intended to describe all the die varieties. Nevertheless, I purchased it and quickly went about comparing my coins with the varieties he described. I was excited, and a bit dismayed, to find in my collection three varieties that are not included in the book. I will be forwarding photos to him.
    With my collection about two thirds complete, most of the remaining coins are relatively scarce and expensive, with availability of nice examples somewhat infrequent. That being the case, while I wait for those coins to appear, I have decided to collect AU to low MS examples of varieties listed in Flynn's book, plus any others I may find. I picked up one in a recent auction. It is an 1858 over 1858 (repunched date) variety, graded AU50 and pictured below. And I will keep waiting for that Liberty Seated Half Dime complete die variety book...

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  22. Electric Peak
    I made a purchase at the Baltimore show.
    As I mentioned last time, a dealer was going to bring a coin to the Baltimore show for me to examine. So after putting in a few hours of work Thursday morning, I headed off to the show. I saw the coin, an 1838-O half dime, and liked it. I did not buy it immediately, since I wanted to do my usual scan of the whole bourse first. I did not find anything better for my collection, and proceeded to seal the deal.
     
     
     
    The coin is housed in an NGC holder, graded MS 62. So it is not a fabulous coin, but is still pretty nice. Heritage recently offered another that was a bit less visually appealing, and I passed. The Gardner specimen is graded MS 66 and just sold for almost $50,000, not to me...
     
     
     
    So now I have an acceptable example of the first year of issue of half dimes from the New Orleans mint. 1838 was the only year that mint produced the No Stars type. The Philadelphia mint made No Stars half dimes only in 1837.
     
     
     
    While scanning the bourse, I stopped at Chris McCawley's table. It was very unusual that no one else was there looking at his early copper offerings or chatting with him. So I sat down to chat. He had some science and religion questions for me, so we discussed that while I looked at a large cent he had purchased at the Gardner sale on Monday.
     
     
     
    It was a coin I considered getting, but let go so I could concentrate on the half dimes. But since I did not spend as much in the Gardner sale as I was prepared to, it is a temptation again. Chris offered it to me at less than one bid increment over what he paid, an amount that seems reasonable to me. I might pull the trigger when I go back to the show Friday morning.
     
     
     
    We also talked about the Gardner Seated Liberty coins, the 1846 half dime I wanted in particular. He said he knows who bought it, and that I should not expect to see it again, at least not as "cheap" as it was on Monday.
     
     
     
    Overall, the show seemed pretty busy. I found myself dealing with traffic and busy dealers for most of the afternoon. But I found few other coins of interest. One that I did look at was an 1882-S Morgan with incredible violet color on the reverse. It was graded MS 67+ by PCGS, and had a green CAC sticker. But without that color it may have been 65 or 66 (just too many signs of contact masked by the color). The price was inflated as well - nearly $4000.
     
     
     
    It is time for bed. The Liberty Seated Collectors Club meeting will be my first stop in the morning. That may be followed by another purchase. Then I will go back to work.
     
     
     
    Here's the reverse of the 1838-O half dime. Enjoy, and happy collecting!
     
     
     
    Alan

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  23. Electric Peak
    But I did get a couple...
    Part 2 of the Gardner collection sale was conducted Monday by Heritage. A couple posts ago (going back to late June) I mentioned that I would pursue one of the half dimes. I decided that now is the time to spend some money on top quality coins to add to my set, so I got my wife's approval to spend way more (at one time) than I previously have.
     
     
     
    The target was the 1846, PCGS graded MS62, and sporting a Gold CAC sticker. Mr. Gardner also had one of the two MS63 specimens, which was sold in part 1 of the sale in June. He clearly regarded the MS62 as the better coin - he had it in his #1 registry set, and the MS63 was in his second set. I expected it to sell for more than the MS63, which went for about $23,500. It did.
     
     
     
    The bid got up to $28,000 ($32,900 with buyer's premium) before the live auction session. I was the underbidder at that point, and decided that was too much to continue. So I turned my attention to other coins in the sale. I made what I thought were strong bids on a few others that I still need for my set.
     
     
     
    On Monday afternoon, I took some time off work to participate in the live auction on-line. I decided to bid on an 1841-O, and ended up as the underbidder. When the 1846 came up, there was no action, and I was tempted to go one more bid, but did not. It would be more than I was originally willing to pay, and I still had a lot of money on the table from those earlier absentee bids.
     
     
     
    As the sale progressed, those earlier bids were eclipsed and I entered live bids on a few more as they came up. When the dust had settled, I was the underbidder on eight different coins, and was left farther behind on a few more. But I did hang on to get the last two MS half dimes in the sale, the 1871 and 1871-S.
     
     
     
    Even though I ended up spending far less than I was prepared to spend in that sale, I probably will not count all of the difference as savings. A dealer is bringing a coin to the Baltimore show for me to examine... I will let you know how that goes tomorrow.
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  24. Electric Peak
    Adding my 2 cents worth to RichH's post...
    Rich just obtained a nice 1859 silver three cent piece. Well, I'll raise him 2 cents! I just got a nice 1859 half dime. NGC graded it MS 67 star, and CAC approved. It is pretty. The last few stars and the toe area are a little weak, but the strike is otherwise pretty good. The luster and toning are nice as well. There are a few tiny marks, most notably a nick on Miss Liberty's left wrist/hand (the one holding the pole).
    The 1859 half dime is a one year, one mint sub-type. It used Anthony Paquet's modified obverse, with changes to the main design (e.g., Miss Liberty's appearance, larger letters in LIBERTY, etc.) and with hollow centered stars. This obverse also appears on the transitional half dime patterns of 1859 and 1860, the "coins without a country", so-called because the obverse still has stars while the new reverse omits UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The 1859-O half dime obverse dies were made from the older, normal star hub. Business strikes and proofs of 1860 and later used a new obverse in which the stars were replaced by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
    In addition to my current primary collecting objective (the business strike seated half dime set, including major varieties), I keep my eyes open for nice type coins like Rich's trime. I just have not pulled the trigger on one for a few years. I guess that second priority is not very close to the first priority.
    Here is the new half dime. Enjoy your hunting!

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  25. Electric Peak
    The Baltimore show did not seem very lively this time.
    As usual, I skipped out on work a bit to attend some of the Baltimore coin show on Friday. Having just secured a pricey coin from the Gardner Collection, I was not anticipating any more purchases, but wanted to look around and to attend the Liberty Seated Collectors Club meeting.
     
     
     
    The LSCC meeting started at 9AM, so that was up first. I had figured that Mr. Gardner might be there, seeing as he does not live too far away, and has been at previous Baltimore shows. Indeed, he was there, and we congratulated him on Part 1 of the sale of his collection. He expressed the expected mixed emotions.
     
     
     
    The meeting moved on to some club business, a brief presentation on relic coins (e.g., 1864 half dollars made from silver recovered from the burned ruins of the Masonic Temple in Boston, and engraved to identify them as such), and a seated coin quiz. After the meeting, some folks left, and a few of us remained to look at a couple coins and to chat. Mr. Gardner was included.
     
     
     
    As I previously wrote, Mr. Gardner had two Liberty Seated half dime sets in the NGC registry. The recent auction included coins from every third year: 1837, 1840, 1843, etc. But it did not include any duplicates. And not all of the coins sold were from the first set; some were from the second. So I was tempted to ask him if he was keeping some of the coins, and if they might be up for private sale. I was interested in one particular coin of one of the dates sold that was not included in the sale. But I decided not to ask.
     
     
     
    Later, while scouring the bourse, I happened upon the Heritage tables and saw a case full of some really nice Seated coinage. Lo and Behold, that coin of interest was there! It was in a display of selections of the Gardner Collection to be included in Part 2 of the sale in October! Needless to say, I took a seat and asked to see the coin.
     
     
     
    It exceeded my expectations. Thus, I am now pining for it. The problem will be money. My guess is that it will sell for about four times what I just paid for my most expensive coin. I told the gentleman helping me that I would need the approval of my wife to make such a purchase.
     
     
     
    Despite spending thousands on coins, we are generally pretty cheap. Saturday was Chris Davis T-Shirt Day at Oriole Park. My wife and I were planning to go to the game, get the cheapest tickets and the 'free' T-shirts (and any other free goodies that can be had), and of course, to enjoy a day at the ballpark. So we made a day of it: Coin show in the morning, lunch, and the game in the afternoon.
     
     
     
    Thus, at the show Saturday morning, we stopped at the Heritage area to look at that coin again. My wife also liked it. I had given her the explanation about why this coin is so important. Nevertheless, I was surprised that she did not seem to have a problem with me going for it. Of course, I will need to back off on other purchasing if I do. Wish me luck!
     
     
     
    Here is the other side of the 1864. Enjoy, and happy collecting!

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