Roger Burdette's Saint Gaudens Double Eagles Book 4 4

[GoldFinger1969]

Ultra High Relief Auction:  A 1907 UHR pattern (technically not a coin) is on sale over at Heritage....sale ends in 2 days so hurry and get your bids in. 

https://coins.ha.com/itm/proof-high-relief-double-eagles/1907-20-ultra-high-relief-normal-edge-lettering-pr68-ngc-jd-3-low-r7/a/1327-3802.s?ic=ih-clickButton-1907-$20-ultra-high-relief-viewItem-1327-012921

Roger's chapters on the UHR and 1907 HR were outstanding.  Learned a TON about the coins.  Heritage's descriptions of the history of the UHR and the different "varieties" which are out there borrow heavily from his research.

[RWB]

There's additional info in Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-1908.

[GoldFinger1969]

2 hours ago, RWB said:

There's additional info in Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-1908.

I'm getting it.....are the chapters on Saints, the UHR, High Relief in RoAC more in-depth than the SAINTs book or do you mean you just have some additional information in RoAC that isn't in the SAINTS book ?

 

 

[RWB]

4 hours ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

I'm getting it.....are the chapters on Saints, the UHR, High Relief in RoAC more in-depth than the SAINTs book or do you mean you just have some additional information in RoAC that isn't in the SAINTS book ?

 

 

More details on the origin and development of the design, plus initial patterns and production. Book also includes similar info on Eagles and Pratt's HE/QE design. Also includes owners of some of the coins, distribution and the Saint-Gaudens Half Eagle.

Edited February 18, 2021 by RWB

[RAJ on COINS]

On 2/13/2021 at 10:22 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

I remember in high school science class we were asked what killed Jill and most people thought gold paint would prevent her skin from breathing...in fact, I think her body temperature got too high from clogged pores.

I think somebody went back in time to 1964 and showed her what coin prices would be like in the 21st Century, and she died from shock.

 

 

[GoldFinger1969]

31 minutes ago, Ross J said:

I think somebody went back in time to 1964 and showed her what coin prices would be like in the 21st Century, and she died from shock.

The amazing thing is that Goldfinger (the bad guy, not me ) said that his associates could get 10x their gold holdings once his plan went into effect.  Had he just waited 10 years until about 1974, gold went up about 5-fold and then 20-fold in 15 years.

[RWB]

11 hours ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

The amazing thing is that Goldfinger (the bad guy, not me ) said that his associates could get 10x their gold holdings once his plan went into effect.  Had he just waited 10 years until about 1974, gold went up about 5-fold and then 20-fold in 15 years.

Modern industrial use (and waste) of gold would have amazed them all!

[GoldFinger1969]

Roger, have you ever met/interviewed any of these guys who used to go over to Europe to scour for American gold coins in European banks, including Saints ?

Edited February 19, 2021 by GoldFinger1969

[RWB]

6 hours ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

Roger, have you ever met/interviewed any of these guys who used to go over to Europe to scour for American gold coins in European banks, including Saints ?

Only peripherally, and not while I was doing research. Most are dead, so they are hard to have a conversation with. The obvious living ones have nothing to say or "forgot." Ask Abe Kosoff why he burned all his papers....the answer is in the flames.

Edited February 19, 2021 by RWB

[GoldFinger1969]

Roger, I know you are listed in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section of Bower's DOUBLE EAGLES GUIDE BOOK....did you discuss with DB striking quality, planchets, and die spacing ?

[RWB]

23 minutes ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

Roger, I know you are listed in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section of Bower's DOUBLE EAGLES GUIDE BOOK....did you discuss with DB striking quality, planchets, and die spacing ?

A little about coin quality but more in line with the technical aspects that produce differences in appearance. His approach was less concentrated on the kinds of detail I use. Heck, maybe that's why he sells a lot more books than I could imagine.

[GoldFinger1969]

8 minutes ago, RWB said:

A little about coin quality but more in line with the technical aspects that produce differences in appearance. His approach was less concentrated on the kinds of detail I use. Heck, maybe that's why he sells a lot more books than I could imagine.

He has about a page on Striking (p. 46-47) and mentioned those things....I thought it might be a brief summary of stuff covered in-depth and more detail in FMTM.  It explained some stuff that had been fuzzy to me.

Re-reading the GUIDE BOOK and then going to hit chapters in FMTM.  Should make a re-read of key sections of the SAINTS book clearer with all the different striking qualities on various dates and mintmarks.

[RWB]

2 hours ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

He has about a page on Striking (p. 46-47) and mentioned those things....I thought it might be a brief summary of stuff covered in-depth and more detail in FMTM.  It explained some stuff that had been fuzzy to me.

Please send me a list of things you feel are gaps in FMTM as it relates to DE or other coinage. I can then add relevant new material to FMTM-2. PM is OK.

[GoldFinger1969]

42 minutes ago, RWB said:

Please send me a list of things you feel are gaps in FMTM as it relates to DE or other coinage. I can then add relevant new material to FMTM-2. PM is OK.

Absolutely.....I need to read that book in a shorter period of time than the Saints book to more effectively absorb the material.

I'll keep you posted.....

[RWB]

1 hour ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

Absolutely.....I need to read that book in a shorter period of time than the Saints book to more effectively absorb the material.

I'll keep you posted.....

The SG book is linear in time. FMTM is like stepping from rock to rock in a stream.

[GoldFinger1969]

33 minutes ago, RWB said:

The SG book is linear in time. FMTM is like stepping from rock to rock in a stream.

You should be very proud, both books required an AMAZING amount of 1st-hand research to do.  Nothing like either on so they are each invaluable research and reading tools.

Thinking back, I'm kind of surprised I did not see the SAINTS book at the Wizard or Heritage sections at FUN 2020.  Maybe they were there and I missed them.  I know my main occupation at the Heritage booth was grabbing some of the catalogs since I didn't know if they charged for them. 

Edited February 20, 2021 by GoldFinger1969

[RWB]

Heritage has not wholesaled the book to Wizard or other book sellers.

[RWB]

4 hours ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

an AMAZING amount of 1st-hand research to do

Thanks! It's persistence and consistency. The results will never be perfect, but I try to have it as accurate and complete as practical. Sometimes, it is the willingness to take a chance and put time into searching where others say there is no gold. All three Renaissance books came from that approach.

[GoldFinger1969]

1 hour ago, RWB said:

Heritage has not wholesaled the book to Wizard or other book sellers.

You're right, I forgot....it only would have been at the Heritage booth.  And I am pretty sure they didn't have it unless it was inside near the items they were auctioning, which I doubt.  They brought so much stuff they probably figured no need to bring a dozen of the books to sell given all the other valuables they had with them.

[GoldFinger1969]

On 2/20/2021 at 7:47 PM, RWB said:

Heritage has not wholesaled the book to Wizard or other book sellers.

Are you in touch with Heritage from time-to-time about the book ?  If so, they should have the book come up in pop-up ads to ANYBODY who looks for and/or bids on a Saint-Gaudens coin on their website. 

Anybody buying any Saint, esepcially semi-scarce and up, would certainly have an interest in an expenditure of an additional $100 to have this wealth of knowledge at their disposal.

[RWB]

2 minutes ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

Are you in touch with Heritage from time-to-time about the book ?  If so, they should have the book come up in pop-up ads to ANYBODY who looks for and/or bids on a Saint-Gaudens coin on their website. 

Anybody buying any Saint, esepcially semi-scarce and up, would certainly have an interest in an expenditure of an additional $100 to have this wealth of knowledge at their disposal.

We exchange information occasionally. They have only a few books they've published, so it is not something on their to-do list. The company is much larger than just the coin business.

[GoldFinger1969]

4 minutes ago, RWB said:

We exchange information occasionally. They have only a few books they've published, so it is not something on their to-do list. The company is much larger than just the coin business.

I know they are doing an expanding business in comics, art, minerals, memorabillia, etc.....but dollar-volume still has to be heavily skewed to coins and currency.  It's where they have their most expensive items, most items, and most frequent auctions.

I may tell them to bring copies of the book next time to FUN.  I think they'd sell a few and it would alert some folks who don't know about the book (not on Amazon) and don't frequent the Heritage website.

[RWB]

You could send them your suggestion (from above) along with the idea of bringing some DE books to shows.

[GoldFinger1969]

7 hours ago, RWB said:

You could send them your suggestion (from above) along with the idea of bringing some DE books to shows.

I will....looks like Sotheby's will be auctioning off the 1933 Saint (again).  Sure hope I don't have to see Tripp's face on TV leading up to the auction. 

[RWB]

19 minutes ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

I will....looks like Sotheby's will be auctioning off the 1933 Saint (again).  Sure hope I don't have to see Tripp's face on TV leading up to the auction. 

I'm sure you will see it. They'll update the original material and that's about it. Interestingly he has no research credential in US coinage. (PS: Do not throw your shoes at the TV....!)

[GoldFinger1969]

12 minutes ago, RWB said:

I'm sure you will see it. They'll update the original material and that's about it. Interestingly he has no research credential in US coinage. 

I know....he's written 1 book as best I can tell and I see no articles in the various coin and numismatic circles.  Yet he's somehow referred to as a numismatic expert. 

18 minutes ago, RWB said:

PS: Do not throw your shoes at the TV....!

I only do that when the Mets blow games in the 9th inning !! 

[GoldFinger1969]

On 3/10/2021 at 7:29 PM, RWB said:

Interestingly he has no research credential in US coinage. 

As best I can tell, he worked for Sotheby's as their in-house numismatic expert....but Sotheby's doesn't sell that many coins, only "trophy" pieces like the 1933.  And they usually partner with Stacks-Bowers when they do.

So I don't know how busy he was at Sotheby's.  Supposedly, he spent years researching the 1933 Saint so I guess he had alot of free time.  I've never seen any books he wrote other than ILLEGAL TENDER and no of no articles for the online or other publications.

He may be a nice guy but he works for a firm with no loyalty to our hobby/profession and AFAIC he stabbed everyone in the back by defending the government in the 1933 case.

[RAJ on COINS]

Did my follow up webinar on Saint Die Varieties last Tuesday for ANA's e-learning Academy.

It's already on YouTube...https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VEr3OdcICUk?autoplay=1&iv_load_policy=3&loop=1&modestbranding=1&playlist=VEr3OdcICUk

Tried to include new and updated material but of course some things had to be repeated from last August's Newman Symposium program.

I like talking about these (and other) coins, and particularly this past year have really missed the coin show circuit.  Giving talks is fun but the prep and power-point slides are surprisingly labor intensive.

Hopefully people will get something out of it.  Every chance I have to promote Roger's awesome book I take!  

 

[GoldFinger1969]

5 minutes ago, Ross J said:

Did my follow up webinar on Saint Die Varieties last Tuesday for ANA's e-learning Academy. It's already on YouTube...https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VEr3OdcICUk?  utoplay=1&iv_load_policy=3&loop=1&modestbranding=1&playlist=VEr3OdcICUk Tried to include new and updated material but of course some things had to be repeated from last August's  Newman Symposium program.  I like talking about these (and other) coins, and particularly this past year have really missed the coin show circuit.  Giving talks is fun but the prep and power-point slides are surprisingly labor intensive.

Hopefully people will get something out of it.  Every chance I have to promote Roger's awesome book I take!  

Ross, I will check out the video later in the week.  Thanks for posting the link and doing the YouTube, and I hope to see it and post comments here in a few days. 

[GoldFinger1969]

48 minutes ago, Ross J said:

Tried to include new and updated material but of course some things had to be repeated from last August's Newman Symposium program.  I like talking about these (and other) coins, and particularly this past year have really missed the coin show circuit.  Giving talks is fun but the prep and power-point slides are surprisingly labor intensive.

I know, I've done a few presentations for my astronomy club.  But once you have one done the time and effort to update it is minimal.

Any plans to speak at a big coin show like FUN in the future ?