Kudos to James@EarlyUS

[TJ'S Coins]

Reading through the Scotsman auction catalog for the upcoming Midwest summer auction on July 27 at the Missouri Numismatic Show at St. Charles, MO I noticed that our own James from EarlyUS penned the well written introduction. Way to go James

[rrantique]

I think that certainly deserves an "ATTABOY"

[123cents]

Way to go James.

[RUSS BEGA]

nice work james!

[bsshog40]

Way to go james!!!

[ldhair]

[MAULEMALL]

Reading through the Scotsman auction catalog for the upcoming Midwest summer auction on July 27 at the Missouri Numismatic Show at St. Charles, MO I noticed that our own James from EarlyUS penned the well written introduction. Way to go James

Is there a copy for those of us who don't get the catalog??

[James_OldeTowne]

Thanks very much, guys! I appreciate it. Since I go to every one of their sales, the Scotsman guys asked if I'd be interested in writing an introduction for their current auction catalog, and I gladly obliged. Here's a cut-and-paste of my first vesion of the text (sorry for the length, but it needed to fill a page in the catalog):

Although I've lived in St. Louis only since 1993, I have known about Scotsman Coin and Currency through national ads since before 1980, when I first entered the hobby. Over the years, I have bought and sold some of my most memorable coins from this highly regarded company, and was pleased when Scotsman decided to enter the auction business over a decade ago. Since that time, their presence in the auction arena has grown considerably, and the quality of their offerings has expanded perceptibly with each passing sale. My recollection is that I have purchased something from every single one of their auctions since 1998, and I have often consigned my own treasures with successful, professional results. In consideration of my standing as a longtime customer, the Scotsman Auction Team asked if I would be interested in introducing today's outstanding sale, and it is my pleasure to have accepted this honor.

 

Perhaps what I find most appealing about a Scotsman auction is the breadth and diversity of their offerings. Cleverly incorporated within a given sale will be items individually valued anywhere from a few dollars to six-figures. This ensures that every participant will find something of interest, and demonstrates Scotsman's desire to cater to collectors of all levels. As enjoyable as it is to bring home a high bid on coins of my affordability range, there is an incomparable thrill in seeing a $100,000 rarity propelled to it's rightful value in the heat of competetive bidding, right there on the auction floor!

 

Scotsman has also demonstrated a remarkable knack for ferretting out old collections and accumulations and bringing them to the market. Therefore, bidders know that what is being offered is, for the most part, fresh material, and not merely recycled dealer inventory. Also refreshing is the fact that while many coins in the sale are certified, many more are not and never have been, and that imparts an intimate, personal touch that I personally find lacking at other major auction houses. All too often, at those huge, national "multi-billion dollar" auction houses, more attention seems to be focused on who slabbed what coin (and what the "pops" are) than the coins themselves! Rare coins should not be indifferently treated as if they were mere commodities, and each member of the Scotsman team excels at providing individual attention to both the customers, and the coins themselves.

 

Today's sale brings to the fore an abundance of riches in every sense of the word. The currency section alone presents a veritable cornucopia of notes and related issues, not the least of which is an astounding pair of Tombstone, AZ $10 notes that had been lovingly handed down from generation to generation, and comes to us now directly from a descendant of the original signatory of the notes, Mrs. Mary M. Costello. How often do you get to hold a well-preserved 1796 Draped Bust half-dollar in your hand? Those collectors astute enough to look through auction lots will have a chance to do just that. Looking for some amazing high-grade gold coins? Try a 1911-D Indian $2.50 gold coin certified MS-65! And the parade of key date and rare types continues: an uncirculated 1916 Standing Liberty quarter with full-head detail, 1796 Bust quarter, an 1856 Flying Eagle cent, an astonishing, uncirculated 1809 Classic Head large-cent - this is truly a star-studded cast! And I will be particularly thrilled when one very special lot crosses the auction block, an 1866 Shield nickel - the discovery coin - with an unlisted and previously unknown repunched date, discovered and identified by Mr. Jay Woodside himself, at the 2007 FUN show. Needless to say, there are coins and currency for collectors (including myself) in the lower value ranges, such as star notes, Morgan dollars, later-date large cents and plenty of coins from the great "collector" series (Indian Head cents, Buffalo nickels, etc). There are even complete and partial sets of coins being made available - you really can't say there's nothing interesting to you in this sale!

 

More important than anything else, of course, is that these auctions are just plain fun, and the entertainment value unbeatable. On behalf of the Scotsman Auction Company, I cordially invite you to attend this sale. Get registered and get ready - the bids will be flying fast and furious, and you don't want to miss out on the action! See you in St. Louis! - James Garcia

 

As an aside, the guys over at Scotsman seem aggressively committed to improving their auctions, both technically and "cosmetically". I have most of their old catalogs, and there's just a remarkable progression of improvement over the last five years, their current catalog being their best yet.

 

For the record, I wasn't compensated in any way for the intro-letter (as if I would be - I'm hardly a numismatic celebrity ).

[MAULEMALL]

Nicely done James..Kudos

[Bruceswar]

James thats a nice piece of work!