MORE Newbie Questions..Pls bear with me

[joesmom-migration]

I've recently received some UC Silver Eagles (as well as several other coins) that are each sealed in their own little celophane packets. What should I do with these to ensure their quality? Leave them in the packages? Take them out? Any suggestions?

 

Also, in a book of Mercury Dimes that my father left to me, there is what appears to be a 1916D...very well worn by the mint mark but am about 90% certain it IS a D. What should I do with this? How should I preserve it? I'm assuming it should come out of the book & possibly be graded? How so? How do I go about that? Who do I trust, etc?

 

I still have several hundred others to go through so I'm sure I'll be picking everyone's brain as I go along. But any basic storage/preservation info anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated. For example, he had many Morgan dollars, walking libs, etc just jingling around loose in an old bank bag! Seems the deeper I dig into all of this the more surprises I find.

 

Thanks

Robin

[Hoot]

I've recently received some UC Silver Eagles (as well as several other coins) that are each sealed in their own little celophane packets. What should I do with these to ensure their quality? Leave them in the packages? Take them out? Any suggestions?

 

Cellophane is a poor storage medium. Carefully remove them and put them in a good holder, such as Intercept Shield 2x2, Capital Plastics holders, Coin World slabs, etc.

 

Also, in a book of Mercury Dimes that my father left to me, there is what appears to be a 1916D...very well worn by the mint mark but am about 90% certain it IS a D. What should I do with this? How should I preserve it? I'm assuming it should come out of the book & possibly be graded? How so? How do I go about that? Who do I trust, etc?

 

Do you collect Mercs? If so, then place it in a good modern album along with the rest of the coins. A well-worn example is appropriate for an album collection. (Heck, if I had the money to spend, I'd have a nice AU piece in my album!) Don't assume it requres grading unless you plan on selling it. Then, join the NGC Collector's Society and submit it to NGC for authentication/grading. It will sell better in a slab from a reputable source.

 

I still have several hundred others to go through so I'm sure I'll be picking everyone's brain as I go along. But any basic storage/preservation info anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated. For example, he had many Morgan dollars, walking libs, etc just jingling around loose in an old bank bag! Seems the deeper I dig into all of this the more surprises I find.

 

Thanks

Robin

 

Robin - use the collection as a tool for learning everything you can about the series. Don't make any decisions about selling or slabbing until you are certain of what you are doing. You'll save yourself a lot of money that way. Who knows? Perhaps your dad had some crazy rarities, like an 1893-S or 1893-CC Morgan. Buy some books and perhaps some albums and other storage media, work your way through the collection getting to know each coin. Once you are done, you'll have learned one heck of a lot, you'll probably hone your collection tastes, and you will have a vasly better idea of what the collection is worth.

 

Best wishes, Hoot

[EVillageProwler]

Good advice from Hoot.

 

EVP

[joesmom-migration]

Hoot,

Thanks for all of the great advice. I'm carefully going through everything & trying to organize it as best I can. Also, thanks for your input regarding my merc. I don't ever plan on selling any of the items passed on to me from my Dad...it is all too precious to me & will be passed on to my son some day. But in researching that piece & discovering what it COULD be worth made me nervous, wondering if I should store it somewhere safer or have it graded but only for insurance purposes.

 

I've been learning so much from so many hours spent poring over his collection & reading through the Red Book my husband bought me. Not to mention the wealth of information available from this website & all of you knowledgable collectors. I try to lurk & read more than I post so as not to ask too many questions that have already been answered elsewhere.

 

Also one thing that I've noticed as I'm sorting through everything is that I have a definite preference for some coins over others. I think once I have everything sorted through I'll start spending my time pursuing those interests & adding to those areas and filling in some gaps.

 

Again, thanks so much for your help...everyone on here has been so kind.

Robin

[TomB]

Hoot has given you some good advice, Robin. Something to add, and this is not meant to dampen your enthusiasm, is that there are a tremendous number of counterfeit '16-D Mercs out there. Most of these are low grade pieces, some of them are die struck and others have an added mintmark. If you dad pulled this coin from change then it is likely a genuine '16-D. If, however, he bought the coin then there is a real chance that it is not genuine. I realize that you do not plan on selling the coins, but if you should ever decide to sell, you should get that coin authenticated prior to offering it for sale.

 

By the way, feel free to post whenever you want; we need the posting volume! Too many users seem to only lurk these days.

[joesmom-migration]

Tom,

Thanks for the heads up on the merc. I can tell you that my Dad only purchased Mint & Proof sets from the mint...all other coins he had were pulled from pocket change. He used to tell me as a kid he'd take his money to the bank & buy rolls of change, go home break them open & pull what he needed for his books then cash in what was left. Later after he was grown & before he ever met my Mom he'd do the same thing with a portion of his paychecks.

 

To give you an idea of how much he hoarded his change...after he passed last December some of us kids were helping my Mom go through a few of his things and came across SEVERAL containers of loose change. I'm talking peanut cans, coffee cans, even some cans covered in construction paper decoration that I made for him when I was in grade school...all packed with loose change. I spent several days sifting through them as best I could & pulled a couple handfulls of things to keep. When she cashed in the rest at the bank it was over $1500 worth!

 

Out of all 6 of us kids, I was the only one who ever took an interst in coins with him, and I guess a part of me is glad that none of the others did. Now when I sit down & go through everything, I remember the questions I used to ask him, the stories he'd tell, the excitement in his eyes when we'd find a coin to fill another empty hole in the book. It was something that was just ours, that I never had to share with the other 5. At his funeral I even made sure to tuck one of his favorite coins in his pocket when I said goodbye. And it gives me such joy to see that he has passed on the excitement of it all to my 6 year old as well. He knows that there is money to spend and his 'special money' to save. Just tonight at dinner he asked me when the new nickels were coming & if I'd save him the 1st one I found. , of course I said yes but neglected to tell him of the rolls in my treasure chest. Haven't seen any loose yet. He's also looking forward to visiting the mint here in Ft Worth after seeing all the hype on the news about the new $50. Not many 6 year olds can appreciate these things...I'm lucky that THAT part of my Dad will live on in my son.

 

I'm sorry to ramble on, I guess it's a little bit of therapy for me. Thanks for letting me bend your ear & pick your brains.

Robin

[michael]

welcome to the boards robin

 

many on here are intelligent and gentlemen

 

i hope you have fun here and please feel free to ask anything coin related on here you will get many................. and some great responses

 

take what you need and leave the rest!

 

let me know if i can be of assistance to you with any coin related questions

 

oh hoots and tomb comments are really good

 

i can't add anything more

 

michael

[Hoot]

I'm sorry to ramble on, I guess it's a little bit of therapy for me.

 

Such ramblings are the stuff that make life happy and endear this hobby to the individual. Thanks for what you've offered.

 

Hoot

[davefperry]

Hi Robin and welcome. You have seen very good advice thus far. It's really neat that you and your son have cought the coin collecting bug from your father. I'm sorry to hear of his passing.

Coin collecting is something to share and can lead to many hours of fun that your son will never forget, just as you haven't. Stick around these forums and never be afraid of asking any questions.

All of the dumb ones have been asked already

[joesmom-migration]

I can't thank everyone enough for all of the kind words and encouragement. Everyone has been so helpful...I'm really glad I found this community.

 

We've all been sick around here this week (both of us had walking pneumonia & he had an ear infection...of course hubby is out of town til Friday ) & I'm hoping that my son will be back in school this afternoon (PM Kindergarten). If so, I'm off to the book store to arm myself with more info (thanks to the book list provided by Hoot) and to try & find some 2x2s etc to try & get some of my Eagles in a more comfy & safe home. I know there are some coin/collecting supply shops closer to the city but does anyone have any chain store recommendations for finding some of those supplies? I thought I saw a few things at Hobby Lobby & plan on trying there first. Any other suggestions?

 

EDIT: Also, I forgot to ask...any materials that I should avoid when looking for holders? I've seen the 2 x 2 flip over things, individual bags/pouches, hard plastic snap tight ones, etc. Thanks!

[davefperry]

Avoid PCV when buying the coin holders. They can cause long term damage to your coins. The guy behind the counter should know if the holders are safe.

 

PVC is correct. Thanks EVillageProwler.

[EVillageProwler]

Not to nitpick, but it's PVC (polyvinylchloride) not PCV. You may run into a clerk who confuses easily...

 

EVP

[Hoot]

Robin - I personaly like Amos Advantage as a good online resource. They have a good diversity of supplies and I don't believe that they sell anything with PVC in it. They are pretty speedy about sending your order, and I recall receiving my order within the week I ordered it. Some folks have recommended Jake's but I've never ordered from them, so I don't have a comment.

 

If you like Capital Plastics holders, then give them a call and have them send you a catalog. It'll take some of the guesswork out of what you are ordering.

 

A nice Loupe will be very helpful. The Zeiss 9x is what many folks around here use, but it's not the only nice one. I also have a 7x and a 10x triplet.

 

I'm sure that others have good online resources to suggest. When buying coin albums, think about buying a new album that has access to both sides of the coin. Intercept Shield and Dansco both make nice albums. (Brent-Kreuger is a place that advertises discounts on these. I've not tried this supply store yet.)

 

Good luck. Hoot

[joesmom-migration]

Thanks for all of the great information. In sorthing through everything he's left me I can see I'll be needing quite a few supplies and the links you provided will be VERY helpful. I'm also going to have to start making an inventory of everything that I have...2 inventories actually, 1 for my Dad's collection and 1 for my own. It's very important to me to keep our 2 collections separate at least for the time being so when it is passed on to my son he'll know which ones were grandpa's. Any advice on how best to do this? Any programs that work well or maybe some hints for using just a plain old spreadsheet?

 

I know I've been adding more & more questions to my original post...if this is incorrect & I should be starting a new thread for each question please let me know. Still trying to learn the ropes.

Thanks

Robin

[spy88]

Robin, I don't have any answers to your latest question concerning keeping track of two separate collections, just wanted you to know that in order for you to keep track of all the help and suggestions from others, you keep posting away here, under your original thread. As long as the questions are coin or collection related, this is the forum for them.

 

And I would also like to welcome you to Sleepy Hollow, as it is referred to by the other side of the street! The major difference between CS and CU is that you won't get "lost" in the posting mania CU members routinely have to put up with. We are quite a bit more "reserved" here and answers to questions such as yours will be well thought-out responses from very knowledgeable people.

 

I for one, would like to know which series of coins you find yourself attracted to for continuation? Any of them give you the "good vibes" that make you want more of them? If it hasn't happened yet, it will! Collecting can be habit-forming if you're not careful and the only known cure is to buy another coin!

 

David;)

[Hoot]

I've never tried the collection software, but some of it looks interesting. I, like most people I know, use Excel (or some other spreadsheet) to keep track of the coins.

 

Hoot

[TomB]

Over the years I have built an Excel spreadsheet for myself that allows me to keep an organized file of my collection. The Excel spreadsheet has been tweaked and refined quite a bit and fits everything that I want to keep a record of on each coin. Send me a PM with your email address if you want a blank copy of it.

[joesmom-migration]

David,

Thanks for the encouragement. As for what I'm MOST interested in...hmm, I would say one of my primary goals will be to fill in some gaps in the mint & proof sets my Dad was collecting. He has several from the years before he married my Mom, then it stopped for quite a few years (tough times newly married with kids!) and then picked back up later on. I'd feel really good if I could make that a complete series to pass on to Joe. As for individual coins, I'm mostly drawn to the dollars. All kinds really but mostly the Silver Eagles, Peace & Morgans. I think because the size of them enables you to see more details in the design, and I find them very breathtaking. Not to mention the history behind the older ones...fascinating. I'm sure once I get all of my ducks in a row & a little more organized I'll be asking for help when I start pursuing additions to these series. Any suggestions where I should start looking? Anyone else's interst lie along these same lines?

[joesmom-migration]

I forgot to ask earlier...I have several rolls of coins (state quarters, SAC dollars, Kennedy Halves, etc) that my father purchased directly from the mint. Should I leave them rolled or break them open? I've noticed that the ones on the ends are losing their luster but not sure if the ones on the inside are ok. Would breaking open the roll diminish the value (now or down the road), do I need to worry about preserving them individually? Any thoughts/opinions?

Thanks!

Robin

[Hoot]

Hi Robin - The coins you mention in rolls only have roll value. I suppose if you cracked a roll and found an MS69 piece, then you'd have something, but the odds are WAY against that. So, it's better to leave those in their original rolls and hold on to them or sell them in that form.

 

Good luck! Hoot