Check out my new Trime

[RGT]

Finding nicely toned business strikes in three cent silvers isn't quite the same as it is in Morgan dollars. The type 1 is even more difficult being only 75% silver. I snagged this one off ebay and just picked it up from the PO yesterday. The auction image looked like something Heritage would come up with and I was the only soul brave enough to bid on it.

 

The luster is much better than the pictures show. The strike is above average though there is still some weakness in the stars on the reverse. I think the one in my Registry set is struck up better but I haven't decided which I like better yet.

 

Here it is for your viewing pleasure.

 

[Mozin]

After looking at the Ebay pictures I can see why you had no competition for this coin. Your pictures show a really neat looking coin and the price was right.

[rexcat]

Hi RGT,

 

They say, "no guts no glory" and having the guts paid off big time for you.

 

That's one very pretty fish scale you scored there.

 

The only thing that would make it look better to me is if it was in MY type set, (the type I that I have right now sucks)

[nwcs]

Buddy, can you spare a trime?

[Hoot]

Very pretty coin. Some of the typicl weakness in the peripheral devices, but the overall beauty makes it a worthy and desirable piece.

 

Hoot

[kryptonitecomics]

That was a total rip......I have only seen 1 trime that had better color....and let me tell you it sold for a lot more than that

 

Awesome coin...you should post that over on the TCCS forum!!!!!

[HaydenTubbs]

Wow Randy!Quite a beauty!

In the event that you decide that you like your other trime better,I'll be happy to take this one off your hands

 

-Hayden

[Bruceswar]

next time be sure to warn us a monster is inside....almost lost my coke.... wowowow

[RGT]

next time be sure to warn us a monster is inside....almost lost my coke.... wowowow

 

 

ooops, sorry. I got a little carried away with the spray paint.

 

 

 

The only real distractions on the coin are the small spots (look like water spots) on the obverse and the darker areas on some of the high points such as the III on the reverse. Does this look like it may have envelope toning and the dark areas are where it rested on the paper?

 

I guess if that really starts to bother me I can always dip it off.

 

I'm sure if better pictures were used in the auction someone else would have bid me up and likely out. But if my pictures were used I may have supected some image enhancement had taken place. But the coin looks just like that in hand except it has better luster. The only thing I did was snap the shots and crop.

 

Sorry Hayden, both of my 1851s are off the market for the next few decades. You will have to talk to my daughter after I assume room temperature.

[toyonakataro]

Wow, what a great coin. Congrats

Can you post the auction images here?

[RGT]

Sure. I stuck them both together so I only have to make one attachment.

 

[Techno_mike-migration]

WOW, you have nerves of steel to bid on that coin given the original images...turns out to be a beautiful coin...Congratulations!

[EZ_E]

RGT, now that is a R eal G ood T rime!

 

It has tremendous eye-appeal and, as you already stated, it is rare to see such colors because of the lower silver content.

 

Your timing couldn't have been better. I just received mine from Mark Feld today. And, darn it, his link to the images have already expired and silly me, I didn't save them to my hard drive. I'll try to follow through with a pic later.

 

1860 PCGS PR 64

 

This 3CS has beautiful concentric, golden toning around the peripheries of both the obverse and the reverse with sweet cobalt blue toning in the centers. The eye-appeal is incredible. It literally took but two seconds of viewing to determine that this is the right coin for me. If not, then it would have been returned promptly. If this was one point higher then it would more than quadrauple in value. This is a high-end 64 and was a very fortuitous purchase.

 

Some data:

 

1860 Proof Trime. [1000, net 538+] The silver proofs of this year were struck March 8th. Rather heavy date, bases of 18 a little lighter than remaining numerals. Survivors represent only a small minority of the original mintage. Some 538 sold (514 in sets as with other denominations), the rest melted. Positional varieties exist.

 

Among the most notable features of the new "Type III" design are the narrow letters spaced well apart, two thin, closely spaced, raised outlines to star, and some of the smallest numerals ever used for coin dates. (In 1860-63 we find the smallest dates of all, on this denomination and on the gold dollars; later dates are a little larger, probably to save strain on official eyes.)

 

Mintages were smaller than in "Type II", yet the coins of 1859-62 are far more often seen in all grades than those of 1854-58. This can be credited to a combination of better striking quality, better resistance to wear, and hoarding. On Dec. 28, 1861, East Coast banks (beginning with the largest ones in New York) suspended specie payments for the duration of the Civil War. This meant that they would no longer give any kind of coins in exchange for any paper currency, even for federal greenbacks. Beginning that same day, silver coins began vanishing from banks and stores into hoards, many of them in Central America. Greenbacks (the term then meant the new Demand Notes of 1861), being without backing in gold or silver, were spent in haste lest they depreciate in purchasing power, and the process intensified further after the Legal Tender notes began showing up in mid-1862. Simultaneously, less and less silver went to the mints for coinage, and what small quantities were struck (mostly from uncurrent or worn-out coins melted for the purpose) disappeared at once into hoards. Accordingly, later dates of trimes, 1863-73, are represented in collectors' hands almost entirely by proofs.

 

Vast quantities of counterfeits appeared during the war, dated 1859-62 inclusive; most are 1861's. Dates are always larger than on the genuine issue; letters are apt to be irregularly spaced and wider than the genuine. They are struck in some pale gray metal resembling German silver.

 

The Mint Act of Feb. 12, 1873 abolished the denomination. On the following July 10, the Philadelphia Mint held some 74,000 trimes in its stock of uncurrent silver issues, together with 2,258 old proof silver dollars and larger quantities of unsold proofs, mostly 1871-73 slilver coins without arrows. These were all melted (Boosel {1960}, p. 19). The 74,000 trimes repesent proofs of 1872-73, nearly the entire production run of 1863-72, and many of 1862 and earlier years. We need seek no further for reasons why these later dates have remained so elusive. As uncirculated business strikes of several denominations found their way into dozens of proof sets in the 1860's, possibly those are the main source for surviving uncirculated gem trimes of 1863-68.

 

Breen

[AlixTCat]

You really picked a fine coin. My wife saw the picture and said, "Is it supposed to look that way?" to which I answered, "Yes Dear, it is 'toned' like that and toning can be a good thing." Later she saw another toned coin and said, "That one is not as pretty as the other one you showed me." She has never been into coins, but the colors on this one really drew her in. Before she went to bed, she came to look at some coins I was putting in holders and asked if I had any toned coins. Alas, I did not.

[RGT]

You can't just taunt us like that and not show us the goods!!

 

I saw that coin on Mark's list but it was out of my price range. I've always prefered business strikes but I'm starting to think I need to save up for a few early proofs. The proofs often tone up much nicer than the business strikes and I think that's especially true of the three cent silvers. Be sure to post pictures when you can. I didn't see Mark's.

 

Thanks for posting the reference material. Is that from Breen's Encyclopedia of Proofs? I need to pick up one of those too. Someone needs to write "the book" on these coins.

[EZ_E]

You can't just taunt us like that and not show us the goods!!

 

 

Thanks for posting the reference material. Is that from Breen's Encyclopedia of Proofs? I need to pick up one of those too. Someone needs to write "the book" on these coins.

 

 

That info was from both of Breen's books. Now seeing their content, I certainly would like to get copies. At least one of 'em is still in print.

 

OK, RGT, by request:

 

obverse http://markfeldcoins.com/client/threecent1860%20obv.jpg

 

reverse http://markfeldcoins.com/client/threecent1860%20rev.jpg

 

And as is usually the norm, the photos do not do the coin proper justice. Look at my post above for a more accurate description.

[RGT]

I just recently managed to pick up the Complete Encylopedia off of ebay but I haven't read the 3CS section yet. I need to look for the proof book now and I believe it is much cheaper.

 

I see Mark needs to take a few more lessons in coin photography and invest in some kind of slab scratch remover. Still that looks to be a great coin hiding in there. I am surprised at the strike weakness since it is a proof coin. I expect weakness on most business strikes but not on a proof. I have a lot to learn about these early proofs.

[EZ_E]

 

I see Mark needs to take a few more lessons in coin photography and invest in some kind of slab scratch remover. Still that looks to be a great coin hiding in there. I am surprised at the strike weakness since it is a proof coin. I expect weakness on most business strikes but not on a proof. I have a lot to learn about these early proofs.

 

 

Me thinketh that thou dost require spectacles, my lad.

 

 

But on second inspection of the photos, I can see you POV.

[RGT]

The obverse looks pretty sharp. There are a couple of spots in the shield border that don't show detail but that may be due to a blur on the slab.

 

The reverse though has several stars that don't show detail. The leaves on the branch above III also are running together a bit. The arrows below seem to be sharp though. These are the typical places weakness shows up on the business strikes. I haven't looked at many proof trimes but I wasn't expecting to see any weakness at all.

 

Lets see how long Mark will host those pictures for us.

 

[EZ_E]

The obverse looks pretty sharp. There are a couple of spots in the shield border that don't show detail but that may be due to a blur on the slab.

 

The reverse though has several stars that don't show detail. The leaves on the branch above III also are running together a bit. The arrows below seem to be sharp though. These are the typical places weakness shows up on the business strikes. I haven't looked at many proof trimes but I wasn't expecting to see any weakness at all.

 

 

Actually, RGT, that is an excellent and very accurate summation. I had LASIK surgery performed three months ago on my eyes and I certainly lost my perfect, up-close, myoptic vision. I miss it but life is always full of trade offs. Perhaps I should retract my earlier statement. Well, maybe not.

 

Quite baffling on the star/leaf weakness. Any comments? This is a Type III which was modified specifically for striking purposes. What gives?

 

p.s. Thanks for manipulating the images for me to be able to post. I can't convert the file nor reduce the images on my work computer. Thanks for the favor and for the feedback. We're talking coins, baby!! This is the meat of the matter. Much better than most of the cotton candy posts we frequently encounter. Excellent thread!

[toyonakataro]

I never would have placed bid on this coin based on the seller's image.

You sure have special eyes!!

Again, congrats

[EZ_E]

I never would have placed bid on this coin based on the seller's image.

You sure have special eyes!!

Again, congrats

 

 

I agree. RGT has a gift. Would someone please post a link to the original e-bay photo? Thanks.

[RGT]

Victor, I attached the original ebay pictures a couple of posts up. Or you can find the ebay auction here .

 

I'm not sure that I have special eyes, but I spent a few years trying to take coin photos with a substandard camera, so I know how bad pictures can be of a nice coin. I snagged both of my 1851s as the only bidder because of poor pictures. In both cases I thought the color was much nicer than it seemed from the image. In both cases I was surprised by how much nicer it was.

 

I've taken a risk on several others and they don't always turn out nicer than I expected but they rarely turn out worse. Well, at least not much worse.

[EZ_E]

 

RGT, I thought that someone else posted their photo of their trime and I thought, "Why the heck is someone posting that POS for?" Doesn't even resemble your photo.

 

P.S. The way I keep you initials staight is by the "Real Good Trime" saying.

[factgiver-migration]

Here it is for your viewing pleasure.

Beautiful coin, RGT.

 

 

 

FACT

[TomB]

That's a superb coin and those light pastel colors often show on the best pieces from this series. I would buy that coin anyday.

[HaydenTubbs]

Sorry Hayden, both of my 1851s are off the market for the next few decades. You will have to talk to my daughter after I assume room temperature.

 

A few decades,eh?I'm sure some of Chris's buddies from Manhattan could get that coin for me alot sooner then that,room temperature or not

 

 

 

J/K!

[Trime-migration]

Terrific toning on this Type 1 trime. Please do not dip this coin (ever).