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Conder101

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Posts posted by Conder101

  1. On 9/19/2023 at 1:11 PM, numisport said:

    Would be interesting to know if the counterstamp has reverse damage like Trade Dollars have.

    They do, but it is VERY slight, not like what you would normally expect.  Many early description of these coins say there is no damage to the reverse but the ones I have examined do have very slight deformation on the reverse.  Early writers speculated that tey were done at the mint and done while the coins were still in the die.  That would support the entire surface of the reverse and prevent the rev damage.  I don't believe they were done at the mint, but placing them in a discarded rev die could be a possibility.  But if you didn't have the die they came from I would expect damage ofa different type.  Unfortunately i had not considered that when I had the chance to examine them so I didn't look for other damage.

  2. On 9/16/2023 at 7:57 AM, zadok said:

    but not cost effective if they were shipping cents from other mints to include all mints in same bag.

    I think it would be very cost effective.  Remember the gift shops are privately run not government.  So all the proprietors simply have a contact in the right area obtain a bag of cents from the back and ship them to where ever the little bags were assembled,  Costs are $15 for the cents plus the shipping costs and whatever they paid someone to assemble the bags.  If the sold them for 50 cents a bag revenue was $2,500.  So expenses were probably around $250 to $300 and net revenue was $2,200.  Sounds cost effective to me.

     

    Wait ignore all that I goofed and figured 5,000 bags assembled not 1,000. and after reading the article sale price was 32 to 40 cents per bag so revenue was $320 to $400.  Still at least break even or a small profit.  Not the windfall I originally thought.

     

    OK, red the article sold for 32 to 40 cents a bag, so gross revenue was 

  3. On 9/14/2023 at 9:07 AM, RWB said:

    All the off-metal cents, etc. were found in circulation.

    Most of the 1943 coppers were found in circulation, the two most recent were from the estates of mint workers that worked at the mint in 1943.  MAYBE they found them in circulation, but it seems an unlikely coincidence.  As for the 1974 aluminum cents, one was supposedly dropped by a Congressman and picked up by a Capitlal worker who was told to keep it (Toven specimen) and the Smithsonian specimen was found by a congressional aide in the drawer of an outgoing Congressman's desk.  I wouldn't call either of theose "in circulation".  The 1974 D aluminum cent came from the estate of the Denver mint superintendent.  Again not from circulation.

    The court ruled that I think one or two of the Sac mules were circulation finds, but that the rest were smuggled out of the mint and are government property.  I don't believe they have tried to recover them though, even though they know where they are.

  4. If someone came forward with several more 1913 V nickels there probably wouldn't be any problem.  Just like the last two 1943 copper cents that turned up recently in the hands or family members of people that worked at the Philadelphia mint in 1943.  The 1913 V nickel and the 1943 copper cents have already been accepted as being legal to hold.  There was never a government pronouncement that they were government property.  The 1933 double eagle, the 1974 aluminum cents have been declared government property so they are automatically considered "stolen" even before any explanation can be brought forth to explain how they were acquired.  They are "Guilty until proven innocent", and you can't prove them innocent because they have already been declared guilty.

  5. On 9/8/2023 at 11:30 AM, Sandon said:

    The image of Lincoln also doesn't appear to match that of a cent from the 1965-67 era, which was more spread out. The lettering is also more distant from the rim than it would be on a 1965.

    BINGO, the separation of the letters from the rim and the definition of the bust indicate the coin has to be 1969 or later.

  6. I too thought the AI coin had a very Dan Carr feel to it.

    On 9/7/2023 at 12:28 AM, EagleRJO said:

    Hmmm, the US mint engaging the services of a "counterfeiter" to design coins for them,

    The date on the letter is from 1999 and that was before he started making his "counterfeits".

    On 9/7/2023 at 12:28 AM, EagleRJO said:

    PCGS and ANACS certifying and slabbing his "counterfeits".

    You'll have to take that up with PCGS and ANACS.

  7. On 8/20/2023 at 10:33 PM, powermad5000 said:

    I own no counterfeits and if I did, I would destroy them.

    Powermad, some counterfeits are collectible though.  Would you destroy a Machins Mills piece?  Contemporary counterfeit British half Pence made here in the US by the same firm that was making coinage for the states.  They are definitely an historical artifact, and they can be quite valuable.  Would you destroy one if it cam into your hands?

    I own many contemporary counterfeit Conder tokens that were actually used in commerce.  I wouldn't destroy them.

  8. On 8/21/2023 at 10:07 PM, zadok said:

    additionally, why these dimes r continually referenced as proofs is not easily substantiated either, i have personally observed 5 of the 9 mentioned n none closely approximate proof coinage.

    Describing them as "Proofs"  is a relatively recent thing.  In older sales (probably 1960's or earlier) they were not called proofs.  The same was true with the 1913 V Nickels.  They all used to be considered business strike quality as well, though sometimes called proof like.

     

    On 8/22/2023 at 8:06 AM, zadok said:

    .hence, why 15 r unaccounted

    Flynn accounts for most of them as being destroyed in various assayings.  It's been awhile since I've reead his book so I can't be more precise.

  9. On 8/24/2023 at 1:16 PM, Sandon said:

     The redemption of Trade dollars at face value, which is apparently referred to in the 1898 letter, was only allowed for a period of six months under the 1887 law that also repealed the Treasury's authority to issue Trade dollars.

    And if I remember correctly only unmutilated coins ( meaning no chopmarks) could be redeemed.

  10. On 8/14/2023 at 4:56 PM, VKurtB said:

    Even worse are "unopened, still sealed" proof sets. THEY NEVER WERE SEALED by the Mint!

    The only time they were sealed by the mint was if you purchased a single set they would sometimes seal it, address it, and mail it to you directly.  I have seen a few sets like that.  But yes the VAST majority of the sets were never sealed by the Mint.

  11. On 9/3/2023 at 6:10 PM, EagleRJO said:

    It may be altered or a reproduction as it's a silver like off-color.

    Cleaned with some rubbing.  The coppernickel alloy was whiteish before it would start toning.  The silvery color is probably a hint of what they looked like newly struck.

     

    On 9/3/2023 at 6:19 PM, Superman rockstar said:

    isn't there supposed to be a shield on the back top the coin?

    The shield was added (and the wreath changed) in 1860.

  12. On 8/31/2023 at 2:13 PM, Coinbuf said:

    Weight will solve this question,

    Weight will NOT solver the question as coppernickel clad and 40% silver halve have a HUGE overlap in tolerance weight.  It would tell a 40% from a 90% but a leftover planchet after almost 3 years would really not be believable.

    Until the edge starts to oxidize/tone after some handling the color difference doesn't really show much on higher grade or Unc pieces..

  13. On 8/27/2023 at 6:35 PM, Stockwiz78 said:

    when I get a pro to verify my findings

    When you get them slabbed by any of the top four grading services we will happily concede we were wrong.  But I feel very safe in saying we will NEVER have to do so.

    I have to wonder if he has the same kind of success picking stocks.

    Saw the better date pictures... 100% large date.

  14. On 8/21/2023 at 11:22 PM, powermad5000 said:

    I may be classified as a weirdo for this, but I keep every one of these I get in cash register change.

    If you are a weirdo then there are an awful lot of you out there.  I've know a lot of people that keep every one they get.

     

    On 8/28/2023 at 3:51 AM, powermad5000 said:

    I was unable to find one with a similar attribute. With a Denver mintage of 860,118,839 quarters, I didn't think I would.

    Not surprising as they would have used around 1,200 rev dies.