Revenant

The world seems so "small" and interconnected now, but it's funny to think about how, in the 19th century, you had such different things going on in different parts of the world that influenced why some countries did or didn't get involved in other world events. Reading this makes me think of a YouTube Video I saw a while back that ran through the real, more practical, reasons why most of the European powers ultimately chose not to become involved in the US Civil War in the 1860s. Stuff like this makes me wish that we (I) got more World History in school and less US History and Texas History.

It always seems like what we say we're going to do isn't what we end up doing, to the point where I sometimes wonder why we bother making these plans if not just to laugh at ourselves after the fact. I really thought I was just going to tie up loose ends on my Zimbabwe set early this year and then move on to other things, but I think I spent over half of this year still focused on that note set - and then I got far more focused on the coins than I thought. Those were supposed to be a quick throw-away project to tag onto the notes. Now they're going to be continuing into next year with another submission and they've become quite an undertaking.

All that to say... we make plans and the world laughs - but most of all, our wives.  

On 11/23/2021 at 8:48 PM, coinsandmedals said:

@Revenant I have counted myself out of the registry race for this year. I just have not had the time to devote to it. Maybe once things settle down a bit, I can get back to it. Tonight was one of the first nights in a while that I have been free enough to do anything hobby-related. 

I appreciate your comment about the grading. I have done my best to hone my skills over the years, but I am always learning. 

Don't count yourself out completely. You never know on the work you've done so far - they could decide its enough even if you don't think so -and if they give the Journal award this year (Never sure since they don't list it but they've given it the last two years without announcing it and I think participation is actually up this year) you'd be one of my picks. 

Just in time for the cut-off! Huzzah!

You were generally very close. Good job on the grading.

On 11/16/2021 at 10:23 PM, namvette68 said:

Marked as "received" last month. Express was 8 days, went to 10, and is now 9 for US coins. I hope it isn't "lost".

 

You'll probably move to Scheduled in the next week or two. I know it's frustrating and it's hard not to gripe, but, it could be worse. 45 days isn't that bad compared to 85.

Putting Window dressing on my lonely libertad.

Edited to add, and my one graded Shawnee coin, that I'm waiting the slot scores to be populated for. I've had the coin for years. Only recently realized they added a competitive category for it!

Another one up:

Maybe one of these days I'll have them all.  

I feel like this one could be a journal all to itself. I love these coins, and I'm proud of this little set, but these coins are hard to image.

In fairness, with it being November 10th and with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up I wouldn't have too much hope for getting a submission mailed to them today back before 2022 under normal conditions.

My latest one, since I couldn't stop myself from trying to set up the camera and bust out shots of 5 coins really quick at the end of the afternoon today:

Continuing to tweak it some as I look at it more:

It's not about what we individually think. It's about what they think will encourage the most interest and participation.  

On 10/24/2021 at 10:43 AM, Fenntucky Mike said:

Yeah I've thought about keeping a journal over here and the main reason I haven't is time. Not sure how you find the time to maintain two journals.  I might start inflicting my level of crazy over here in 2022, I definitely have coin stuff to talk about, and now that I've completed all my Zim sets (other than p105) I'll have more time to focus on coins. 

I'm obsessive and crazy and have no life.  But, yeah, this is my one obsession and my one vice. I joke with my wife that I spend time and money on this but I don't go to bars, I don't golf, I don't like going to sporting events and I don't get much time for photography other than coin photography these days. I also don't just spend a lot of time just sitting around. I'm always doing something. You'd be amazed what you can accomplish when you just keep moving and doing from 6AM to 9PM.  

You're not finished Stop lying.  

On 10/14/2021 at 5:33 AM, Fenntucky Mike said:

My fellow collector of Ukrainian coinage welcome! I look forward to reading your journal entries and discussing coins, any coins. 

Psst... I'm big into Ukrainian banknotes as well, let me know if you want to talk paper money. 

So... I've given this some thought this morning and I need to take you to task on this. All those journals on Ukrainian banknotes in the PMG journal and not a peep here on coins. What is up with that? 

On 10/22/2021 at 5:38 PM, Fenntucky Mike said:

... the Old Man is one of if not the main reasons to watch. 

It sure isn't Big Hoss!  I really think the latest seasons, filmed after his death in 2018, suffer from his absence.

On 10/22/2021 at 5:38 PM, Fenntucky Mike said:

That medal is hilarious and a pretty great gift. 

I'm thrilled to have one at long last. I think they started making these around 2016/2017 because I feel like it was after Ben's birth that I found out about them but it was before his death in 2018.

Funny aside, but I had long suspected the show showed a bias towards / for NGC over PCGS, then they made these things and they started popping up in NGC slabs and not PCGS slabs and I'm pretty sure this confirms that they are Pro-NGC in the battle of the Big Two.

Glad to see you post again and glad to hear you've been making it through okay and continuing to enjoy the hobby.

Very cool, very old coin.  460+ years.

Those were my first love when I got back into coins in 2007 and I still like them, but I gave up on them almost entirely around 2010. Now every time I look at them again and start getting tempted to get back into some of my sets I take one look at the current state of things, say, "Ugh!" and go do something else.

 Glad to see you join / share. Always glad to hear that what I'm doing is enjoyed and maybe inspiring others, whether that's to build up their presentations more, start new sets, or start a journal - though I do also wonder if these posts and writings will ever give my sons insights into who I was at this time in my life. 

That said - do you, share what you want to share and write and do what you enjoy. My joking / silliness in a recent entry encouraging others to speak up and participate aside, do what feels right to you. As others pointed out, there are other considerations in what we share here and I do understand that.

Enjoy the journey. Looking forward to it. 

Try collecting 21st century banknotes. It's all online! You just have to contend with Paywalls! Hats off you! That's work. It'll be quite something when you're finished though.

On 10/11/2021 at 5:22 PM, zadok said:

then theres the competitive part of becoming palsy walsy with the person trying to take ur spot on the registry, e.g. look at all the questions William has bout the new Z registrant competitor, sort of like always looking over ur shoulder....of course this is just a hobby n not life or death issues, unless u outbid me on that one particular coin im looking for  , i guess the camaraderie is best found at local coin club show n tell nites.....

It kind of depends on what you're dealing with. Mike and I have used it to avoid each other in auctions a few times I think. But what we overlap on isn't rare so it's easy to just wait for the next one in most cases

On 10/11/2021 at 3:48 PM, Coinbuf said:

  The only other registry set member (in my areas or sets I compete in) is the one guy that was rather upset when I took over first place in the 1940 year set last year.   He started a thread on why his set had been overtaken and why, which turned out to be the CAC points.   And while he was not hostile per se the tone of his posts seemed rather ticked and much more focused on putting me in my place as opposed to any "fun" discussion, at least most comments seemed that way to me.

Yup... I saw all that... it's unfortunate that that is so often how it seems to be, and honestly, Reading between the lines, I don't think it would be much different here. But it is a shame that it's that way.

On 10/10/2021 at 12:25 PM, zadok said:

frankly im amazed that u have the time n energy left over from ur young life to raise ur family, try to stay economically n medically afloat n still be able to compile award winning collections...my hat is off to u.....

A lot of it for me anyway is powered by slow periods at work. I get much less active when and if I catch a big project. Since I work from home I save time on commutes and get to sneak in the odd chore and laundry. And sometimes it's just good for the kids to play independently- I'm not a helicopter parent. 

I draft many of my journals on my phone's notepad - extra typos!

Other than that it happens when the kids are in bed, during naps and at night - I stay up too late trying to belong to myself for a while.

Right now I'm on my phone on the floor while Sam falls asleep in his crib for afternoon nap.

On 10/10/2021 at 7:54 AM, Fenntucky Mike said:

I've gone back and forth with some of my fellow set collectors, I've sold and bought coins and traded information with some of them, but for the most part they don't seem to be that interested in carrying out a conversation or chatting in depth about a series. More just trying to get the next coin. I don't know if the silence is more of a strategy for people or if they just don't want to talk but I've gotten over both and it's way more enjoyable

Personally I think chatting with you has made the last year of working on the Zimbabwean note set much more enjoyable and I think more participation and a greater sense of community could be great, but I am largely resigned to what is. I don't expect things to change. But I'm still going to poke them. 

On 10/9/2021 at 11:50 PM, zadok said:

for other registrants being quiet, i personally don't find that unusual, in the 30 plus registry  categories i'm active in i have not once had any dialogue with any of the other registrants in any of the categories....

I didn't say it was unusual. I just think it'd be fun to have a conversation.

That bit about the z coins being part of large submissions I had considered, but I still think that explanation lends itself more to more people and / or dealers submitting.

On 10/4/2021 at 8:57 AM, coin928 said:

I have not tried either technique on a reverse proof though.

Just for fun, I set this up with two remote controlled flashes on either side of a soft-box with the coin set back into the soft box. The room light was on but it is not bright (certainly compared to the flashes) and the soft box shades the coin so essentially 100% of the lighting for the shot comes from the flashes but I'm not sitting in a dark room or using hot lights. I set the camera to f/16 to try to get the whole coin in focus, focused once and then set to manual-only focus so I could just flip / swap out the coins and hammer through without refocusing each time.

Proof:

Reverse Proof: