Revenant

At least for eBay, I find that I get attached to the idea of getting something as I wait for days to get to see it and that sometimes makes me want to bid more to not give up on "the dream." But I usually stick to my guns because I know buyers remorse stinks.

I don't know. I have an MS65 Zimbabwe dime that is a TOP POP and I would not expect that to hold up if there was enough demand to get more graded. It is the only one graded so it is the best! At the end of the day I think it's all just marketing and comparing sticks.

I would think muzzer more likely as he has the only proof set of Zimbabwe coins. Even then, I think it unlikely as his only one is a 1996 NCLT issue. More likely it's the same non-registry person that has the other proof and pattern issues.

Thanks. It's easier when there are no scratches! 🤣 The wife also voted for the prongs so I think the prongs stay. 🤣

It just looks worn.

Unless they put it on the reverse that might also involve unsettling FDR - which a lot of people on Capitol Hill are probably reluctant to do.

Well, after (finally) putting the time and the energy and cash / credit behind getting them all reholdered I had thought that a picture of the group of coins all in their matching slabs would make a good banner image for my 10G set in the new registry. While I do think the group of coins look good and I'm still happy I got them reholdered, and while I do think the images looked good, I have to admit that they fell a bit flat as banner images. I think they look great in person though and I think one day they'll look very charming in a display case together - maybe with 2 (or 3) more coins to complete the set, if I can ever get those. But for the banner image I've adopted something akin to Coinbuf's approach: I think Mike's approach works well for Silver - especially given the color scheme of the registry - but it seems a bit over-the-top and gaudy for gold - with the below as just a quick and dirty example I took new images of every coin in the new holders and I was aiming for showing off luster but I think expanding gold color out would work better with more flat lighting.. Of course, I did re-image the whole set in the new pronged holders... So now I just need to decide if I'm going to post the cropped photos straight or go with the blacked out versions... I've always tended to favor the images showing the prongs / holder because the goal of registry images is documentation of the set and the image with the prongs is a more accurate representation of the coin as it is in person but the blacked-out image has a certain cleanness to it and I can understand why it appeals to many.

Huh. I guess they just do not want to give that man his due. Thanks for the information. I haven't kept up with the modern commems in the last 10 years or so.

Well, I'm hoping at some point they will get caught up for their sake and find a new normal. Because running their people for 10-12 hours a day sometimes 6 days a week is unsustainable and if they just hire a bunch of people to catch up some of those people will have to be laid off when they do - I suppose that isn't the worst in that they have work in the interim but lay-offs aren't a fun thing to be a part of. Side note, but the population of ngc-graded MS Zimbabwe coins increased by 2-3 recently, and it wasn't me. 🤔 Edited to add: Well, I take that back a little. The population has increased a bit but they aren't MS coins - they're proof issues that got added.

The 95th Bday coin for the queen is interesting. Between those and the QB Series, I'm not sure if they really love the old girl, the Royal Mint just wants to cash in, or they're just really shocked she's made it this far.

Yeah. Makes sense. I've heard of and seen die cracks and "die polish lines" but "die marks," especially with that post, just seemed so generic. It makes more sense now.

I'm also wondering what matching at 300 points means, and what a die mark is. And if a coin is struck on the wrong planchet/ blank that's usually a super rare and valuable error... I'm guessing they have a coin that's rare and valuable and people are telling them it's fake.

I just pop in my bid before going to bed and see the results in the morning. No sniping program. I find I still often win.

I feel pretty good about this one.

Yeah... these designs seem to focus on the invention/ innovation to the exclusion of the person that made them. On one hand I'd kind of wanted to collect these with / for my kids but I find these underwhelming in many cases.

You know this is something I always worry about with bidding. There are times in my life where I've been tempted to bid something silly on a coin - something far higher than I think it should go for - just to make sure I win. The problem is - and the reason I've never actually done this - is that if someone wanted it more than me or someone else decided to try this "bright" idea it could turn into a disaster. Yeah. I've had some irritating days when I lost something to a sniper bidder by 46 cents and seen the note pop up in my competition's set 2 weeks later, but I prefer that to overpaying and buyers remorse. Sounds like some insufficiently_thoughtful_person bid the rent money on a coin and was having a panic attack.

I don't see it. 🤷‍♂️

Yeah. I saw that. Does not name Salk, just the "polio vaccine."

I don't know... call it a bit of "Dutch angle?" I may go back and tweak the alignment on the reverses / think over some additional adjustments but I kinda like 2x3 ratios and the smaller portraits... but If I come up with something I like more... 🤷‍♂️ I do a lot of iteration. Thanks for the input and pointing out the alignment

Have you seen the presidential dollars? The American Innovation series? Are they really that different?

At least until someone takes it away from me. 😉 I think I got that pretty good. Looks great on my phone!

I think I'll go with this until and unless I have a better idea. An Obverse and a Km-105 (1875 only) reverse and a KM-106 (1876-1889) reverse using the 1888 to show the different privy mark for the new Mint Master that took over in 1888.

I guess I'll go for photoshopping and incorporate this image, which looks like it was at the same stage of life for the portrait they used for the coins. Oh... I love that beard, man.

Yeah… I can't say I'm a fan of how that was implemented. I mean, I guess if you have occasion to complain about it you have a #1 ranked set, so maybe a good problem to have but that placement is a bit unfortunate. I may do something similar to that... I may steal Coinbuf's idea from his 1940 set and modify it to suit what I'd want for that set...

Well, my thinking had been to let the pictures on the individual coins do the heavy lifting on showing the coins and having the banner image show something about / of the set. In the past I've just reused an image of the obverse of one coin for the banner image. I think that idea / approach works in some ways but I think it also makes the banner image about 1 coin and not the set / collection.