Odd to see your own book used as a prop on TV 2 2

[RWB]

Just after the double overtime Army-Navy game, I happened to tune in to the Rare Coin TV show selling 1932 Eagles. I was surprised to see my book, Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-1908, prominently displayed standing upright next to some of the coins being sold. I missed any reference to the book, but seeing my very own little tome on TV was an interesting experience. Here's the book cover:

Edited December 11, 2022 by RWB

[Henri Charriere]

On 12/10/2022 at 7:12 PM, RWB said:

Just after the double overtime Army-Navy game, I happened to tune in to the Rare Coin TV show selling 1933 Eagles. I was surprised to see my book, Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-1908, prominently displayed standing upright next to some of the coins being sold. I missed any reference to the book, but seeing my very own little tome on TV was an interesting experience. Here's the book cover:

And all this time you labored under the illusion you were a legend only in your own mind!   

[GoldFinger1969]

I'm watching it now...I wanted to see the pricing on the 1932 MS-62's.

He clearly borrowed facts and passages from your book in his discussion.  The book is upright on his table next to the coins he is selling.  Other coin books are on a shelf behind him.  He even used the word "renaissance." 

Edited December 11, 2022 by GoldFinger1969

[GoldFinger1969]

BTW, Roger, the show is on the 1932's which I am sure are much more plentiful than the 1933's (I believe there are 35-40 in all conditions).  I'm sure there are tens of thousands of 1932's to get the pricing down to a level suitable for the investor class so they don't have to pay registry or type collector prices.

[GoldFinger1969]

I had forgotten Charles Barber screwed him on that commemorative coin 10 years earlier. 

Thank God Saint-Gaudens started redesigns on the $20 Double Eagle and $10 Eagle first instead of focusing on the small denomination coins.  He died mid-way through 1907. 

I tell you....you see those images of hundreds, even thousands standing outside banks during the Panics and runs on banks....you wonder why more people didn't hold gold and/or put their $$$ under their pillows at night.

I don't know where he got the figures for "Percentage Of Total Mintage US Gold Coins Returned to Mint and Melted Down 1933-40" but here's what he showed on-screen: 

• $20 DE @ 39%
• $10 Eagle @ 47.2%
• $5 @ 33.6%
• $3 @ 10.8%
• $2.50 @ 15.7%
• $1 @ 0.21%

He also cited mintages for $20 DEs vs. $10 Eagles at 70,278,596 vs. 14,868,095....2.2 MM certified vs. 412,000.  I guess from these we can estimate WHEN the show was produced because there was no copyright date during the credits.

Rick used Ebay ASKING prices as a comp....I hope he doesn't mislead people. 

$1,995 per coin.  I see recent sales on Heritage for $1,200 - $1,400 for a PCGS MS-62.  That's a pretty steep premium unless folks get educated about the hobby from the good narrative he spins and become serious collectors with future purchases at more advantageous pricing.

Edited December 11, 2022 by GoldFinger1969

[Zebo]

On 12/11/2022 at 1:26 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Rick used Ebay ASKING prices as a comp....I hope he doesn't mislead people

What - unheard of on TV. Just add that you need to hurry because they all will be sold out in minutes and you will have someone bite - no matter the outlandish price.

[RWB]

On 12/11/2022 at 1:26 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Rick used Ebay ASKING prices as a comp....I hope he doesn't mislead people.

I caught only the last half of the 1932 Eagle sales show (thanks for the date correction!), but I noticed the use of ebay prices, too - there was also a disclaimer about them (in red) at the bottom of the screen.

As for the book, I appreciate knowing what he used it for. It's published material so referenced quotes are OK. I'll check this week and see if sales went up.

On 12/11/2022 at 1:26 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

I don't know where he got the figures for "Percentage Of Total Mintage US Gold Coins Returned to Mint and Melted Down 1933-40": 

None of them sounded familiar, but they are verbal claims in the same category as "rare" and the fuzz about "MS-62" being something special when it isn't.

On 12/11/2022 at 1:26 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

"Percentage Of Total Mintage US Gold Coins Returned to Mint and Melted Down 1933-40"

This part is completely unknowable since no tracking by date was done, and the quantity of gold coins has been persistently confused with combined coins and gold certificates. (My DE book has the quantities divided - most existing gold coin was in Treasury vaults.)

[RWB]

On 12/11/2022 at 1:26 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Thank God Saint-Gaudens started redesigns on the $20 Double Eagle and $10 Eagle first instead of focusing on the small denomination coins. 

The commission was for a cent and double eagle/all gold coins. The DE remained largely as designed in 1906. The cent obverse became the Eagle obverse and the private inaugural medal reverse (A.S-G and Weinman) became the Eagle reverse - both at President Roosevelt's insistence. Dies and pattern half eagles using the DE design were made, but the coins were destroyed after TR accepted sunk relief touted by Bigelow. The HE dies are at the Philadelphia Mint die vault #2.

Edited December 11, 2022 by RWB

[GoldFinger1969]

On 12/11/2022 at 11:58 AM, RWB said:

I caught only the last half of the 1932 Eagle sales show (thanks for the date correction!), but I noticed the use of ebay prices, too - there was also a disclaimer about them (in red) at the bottom of the screen.

Look, if a single purchase spurs someone to discover the world of coins -- and more specifically, the beauty of American gold coinage from ASG -- no problemo.  

And I'm not worried about a wealthy person getting taken.   My concern is the impulse person I've seen throughout my career who deals with someone unscrupulous and puts a huge % of their savings into high-priced, above-market coins.  I trust it is much rarer than in the 1970's or 2000's.

[marcuscleiton]

On 12/11/2022 at 2:12 AM, RWB said:

Just after the double overtime Army-Navy game, I happened to tune in to the Rare Coin TV show selling 1932 Eagles. I was surprised to see my book, Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-1908, prominently displayed standing upright next to some of the coins being sold. I missed any reference to the book, but seeing my very own little tome on TV was an interesting experience. Here's the book cover:

I still have a long way to go to that level. This is probably my main dream for today. I don't write big books because I have a hard time with fantasy so far. Even studying in college, I asked to do my project, found https://paperell.net/do-my-project for that. Anyway, congratulations to you! It's great that your book was chosen to be on television. It can go a long way toward increasing its visibility and attracting more readers. Television screenings can also help you make new connections and open up new opportunities to promote your book. You're probably proud of your accomplishment so I wish you continued success in your career!

That’s an achievement!

Edited February 28, 2023 by marcuscleiton

[RWB]

Thanks! That book and the other two companion volumes are almost 20 years old now.  I remember sitting in the parents' waiting room at gymnastics working on copies of archive documents and piecing together events and people. (With occasional breaks to make sure my girls had not fallen or koncked their noodles.)

[GoldFinger1969]

Roger, have you ever met Rick T ?

[RWB]

Depends on what the "T" stands for.

[tj96]

On 12/10/2022 at 7:12 PM, RWB said:

Odd to see your own book used as a prop on TV

 

I wanta know if you got your royalty check yet?  😂

Edited February 23, 2023 by tj96

[GoldFinger1969]

"Depends on what the "T" stands for." - RWB

Rick Tomaska, I assumed that was the guy hosting the infomercial. 

Every show I have seen involves Double Eagles, Eagles, Morgans, or modern Morgans.

Edited February 23, 2023 by GoldFinger1969

[VKurtB]

I knew Rick before he was on TV. He wrote what was once the definitive guide to 1950-1970 cameo proofs. It hasn’t aged particularly well, in retrospect. Lots of pretty pictures though. 

[RWB]

On 2/22/2023 at 9:26 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

"Depends on what the "T" stands for." - RWB

Rick Tomaska, I assumed that was the guy hosting the infomercial. 

Every show I have seen involves Double Eagles, Eagles, Morgans, or modern Morgans.

Never met him. Never met Elmer Gantry, either.

Check? What check?  (The book was a prop, just like the plastic flower and the rented set furniture.)

Edited February 23, 2023 by RWB

[VKurtB]

On 2/23/2023 at 11:17 AM, RWB said:

Never met him. Never met Elmer Gantry, either.

Check? What check?  (The book was a prop, just like the plastic flower and the rented set furniture.)

or Alec Baldwin’s revolver. 

[GoldFinger1969]

On 2/23/2023 at 10:56 AM, VKurtB said:

I knew Rick before he was on TV. He wrote what was once the definitive guide to 1950-1970 cameo proofs. It hasn’t aged particularly well, in retrospect. Lots of pretty pictures though. 

In what way hasn't it aged well ?  I believe he authored a Whitman Red Book or two....still in print, still in use.

[VKurtB]

On 2/23/2023 at 11:40 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

In what way hasn't it aged well ?  I believe he authored a Whitman Red Book or two....still in print, still in use.

There was too much emphasis on populations at the time of publication. Waaaaaay out of date. It’s a very common mistake authors make. They assume that all the “good stuff” is already in the population reports. 🐂💩. Nowhere NEAR all the good stuff has been to Sarasota or Southern California. 

[GoldFinger1969]

On 2/23/2023 at 12:44 PM, VKurtB said:

There was too much emphasis on populations at the time of publication. Waaaaaay out of date. It’s a very common mistake authors make. They assume that all the “good stuff” is already in the population reports. 🐂💩. Nowhere NEAR all the good stuff has been to Sarasota or Southern California. 

Then really all you need is a new edition with UPDATED populations.  That's been my beef with the Whitman Double Eagles Red Book -- pricing and populations are from 2004.  Would the book "age" better without them ?  Yeah, but it wouldn't have been as useful either when it first came out.

I hope Roger does a 2nd Edition of his Saints book down the line if new information or population changes merit it.  Even the same book with no changes except to the price matrix would be worth re-buying, IMO, if you are a Saints collector/fan.

[VKurtB]

On 2/23/2023 at 12:13 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Then really all you need is a new edition with UPDATED populations.  That's been my beef with the Whitman Double Eagles Red Book -- pricing and populations are from 2004.  Would the book "age" better without them ?  Yeah, but it wouldn't have been as useful either when it first came out.

I hope Roger does a 2nd Edition of his Saints book down the line if new information or population changes merit it.  Even the same book with no changes except to the price matrix would be worth re-buying, IMO, if you are a Saints collector/fan.

I don’t believe reliable updated populations exist or are even possible any more. They are based on a fallacy; that resubmissions can be accurately accounted for. They cannot. This is especially so when the price “delta” between grades is significant. WHENEVER there is a “hockey stick” inflection point, I guarantee you nearly every coin at the grade below has been resubmitted, many several times. People act on incentives. 

Edited February 23, 2023 by VKurtB

[RWB]

On 2/23/2023 at 1:13 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

I hope Roger does a 2nd Edition of his Saints book down the line if new information or population changes merit it.  Even the same book with no changes except to the price matrix would be worth re-buying, IMO, if you are a Saints collector/fan.

A next edition has been part of the plan from the beginning. But there have to be enough meaningful updates/corrections/additions (AKA "CRUDs") to make the edition worthwhile -- not just minor changes in populations or prices

[GoldFinger1969]

On 2/23/2023 at 7:27 PM, RWB said:

A next edition has been part of the plan from the beginning. But there have to be enough meaningful updates/corrections/additions (AKA "CRUDs") to make the edition worthwhile -- not just minor changes in populations or prices

Maybe I can make a suggestion for a new section between the annual Saint reviews.  I'll give it some thought when I re-read the book again cover-to-cover.  Those sections were outstanding and really made the book and I kind of rushed through them to get to the year-by-year Saint commentaries.  I'm actually re-reading them now since I don't have the time to do the complete readthrough at this time. 

If the 1st Edition is no longer available (?), then that makes the 2nd Edition that much more worthy even with minor changes, though I commend you for not wanting to re-do it unless it has material changes.

 

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by GoldFinger1969

[GoldFinger1969]

On 2/23/2023 at 1:52 PM, VKurtB said:

I don’t believe reliable updated populations exist or are even possible any more. They are based on a fallacy; that resubmissions can be accurately accounted for. They cannot. This is especially so when the price “delta” between grades is significant. WHENEVER there is a “hockey stick” inflection point, I guarantee you nearly every coin at the grade below has been resubmitted, many several times. People act on incentives. 

That's a good point on the "hockey stick inflection point" but I would think feedback from the TPGs might let you narrow it down somewhat.  Even a WRONG guestimate is better than NO guestimate.

I believe way back in this thread Roger indicated he used an algorithim/adjustment factor to eliminate inflated TPG counts.

[RWB]

On 2/23/2023 at 8:05 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

If the 1st Edition is no longer available (?)

Did anyone find out?

[GoldFinger1969]

On 2/23/2023 at 8:28 PM, RWB said:

Did anyone find out?

Someone tried to order it, because they PM'd me.  I emailed HA twice and got nothing.  I'll try one more time.

Look on the bright side, Roger....your book might soon be rivaling "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory" for resale on Ebay !! 

[RWB]

On 2/23/2023 at 8:55 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Look on the bright side, Roger....your book might soon be rivaling "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory" for resale on Ebay !! 

Ahhhhh....I knew they could not resist the suggestion for a milk chocolate coated edition. Perfect for those auction catalogers trapped between Boredom, Nebraska and Ennui, Iowa.

[GoldFinger1969]

Coins in TV Shows & Movies:  Whenever I watch TV shows -- mostly Westerns -- from the 1960's, I always look to see if there are refences or shots of coins we follow which would be of that time, mostly Morgan Silver Dollars and Gold Double Eagles.

Well, a show I never heard of called LARAMIE (since learned it was on NBC from 1959-63) has an episode airing tomorrow on the STARZ Western Channel (STZWS) entitled "Double Eagles" with a snyopsis of:  "Outlaws who rob and then kill a wealthy rancher find their escape is slowed when their booty -- weighty gold coins -- becomes difficult to transport."

Dummies...shoulda stolen Gold Certificates !!  

Anyway, it airs tomorrow twice at 9 AM EST and again at 3:45 PM.

Edited April 10, 2023 by GoldFinger1969

[zadok]

On 4/10/2023 at 9:50 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Coins in TV Shows & Movies:  Whenever I watch TV shows -- mostly Westerns -- from the 1960's, I always look to see if there are refences or shots of coins we follow which would be of that time, mostly Morgan Silver Dollars and Gold Double Eagles.

Well, a show I never heard of called LARAMIE (since learned it was on NBC from 1959-63) has an episode airing tomorrow on the STARZ Western Channel (STZWS) entitled "Double Eagles" with a snyopsis of:  "Outlaws who rob and then kill a wealthy rancher find their escape is slowed when their booty -- weighty gold coins -- becomes difficult to transport."

Dummies...shoulda stolen Gold Certificates !!  

Anyway, it airs tomorrow twice at 9 AM EST and again at 3:45 PM.

...check out the dates....