Nov 15, 2007 | coins, dollar, registry sets, shows
Rather than reviewing a document, I am day dreaming about what I will find in Baltimore tomorrow. My biggest concern is how the price of gold and silver will effect coin prices. As I type this, gold closed at $787.20—hovering around the magic $800 price for most of the week—and silver closed at $14.52—nudging towards $15. Precious metals price watching has not been a big financial sport since the boom in 1980. We have already seen where it has affected the price of coins from the US Mint.
But I could be just worrying since I am not in the market for anything significant. In fact, I may be selling more than buying! After thinking about it, I decided to sell my set of modern dollars. The only coins worth more than $100 are a 1971 Eisenhower Dollar graded MS-65 by NGC and a 1999-P Susan B. Anthony Dollar with the Narrow Rim graded MS-65 by NGC. I am considering consigning them to one of the online auction houses to see what happens.
Finally, before I get back to work, the US Mint released the James Madison dollar today. As our fourth president, Madison was forced into the War of 1812 when the British Royal Navy blocked American trade with France while Britain and France were at war. The captured seamen were forced into conscription on behalf of the British. It was during the Battle of Baltimore that Francis Scott Key wrote the poem “The Defense of Fort McHenry,“ which is known today as the Star Spangled Banner.
Nov 13, 2007 | ANA, Baltimore, BEP, coins, currency, shows
As I take my midday lunch break on Tuesday, I made sure that I posted my Friday day off on my company’s internal calendar and started to think about the Whitman Baltimore show. So I started to gather my email of announcements and news to bring together the scope of Whitman’s effort going into this show.
I previously wrote about the American Numismatic Association offering classes on Understanding Die Varieties and Coin Collecting 101. This is a great step for the ANA expand its education mission beyond its conventions and the summer seminars.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing announced their 2008 Intaglio Print Subscription Program called the “Americana Series.” The first issue will be at the Baltimore Show. BEP will have a press on site in Baltimore. BEP announced that they will also display, for the first time ever, a sheet of the new $5 Federal Reserve Note as well as its “Billion Dollar Exhibit.”
David Lange announced on the Collectors’ Society Boards that he will presenting a slide show about coin boards of the 1930s-40s. This will be based on his book Coin Collecting Boards of the 1930s & 1940s. According to Dave, the program will be on Saturday at 2pm in Room 301. There will be a free drawing in which three attendees will each win a vintage coin board after the program.
With over 4,000 lots and a full currency session, Bowers and Merena Auctions will be holding their largest auction in company history. There are a number of interesting items for the rare coin and currency collector. See their online catalog for the lots that will be auctioned.
There will be coin grading by NGC, PCGS, ANACS, and ICG. The ANA and the folks from Florida United Numismatists will also be present.
It appears as if Whitman is looking to challenge FUN’s proclamation of being the “Largest Coin Show in America.” The only thing Baltimore is missing are the exhibits—maybe this is something they can include next year. But if it is Whitman’s goal to make their Baltimore show larger than FUN, I am sure those of us who live closer to Baltimore appreciates the opportunity to attend a premier show.
Oct 23, 2007 | ANA, Baltimore, shows
I visited the Whitman Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention website to verify the dates—I will go on Friday—so that I can let those I work with know my plans. On their front page, there is an announcement that the American Numismatic Association’s School of Numismatics will be offering Understanding Die Varieties and Coin Collecting 101 at the Baltimore show. Both classes will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center on Saturday, November 17 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Tuition for both classes is $145 for ANA members or $165 for non-members.
Description of the courses from the ANA website:
Understanding Die Varieties
Designed for the novice or expert, this course focuses on the four major divisions of die varieties for 20th century U.S. coinage: design changes, mintmark styles, doubled dies and repunched mintmarks. Presentations in each area will include an explanation of the origin, major identifying features, cataloging systems and rarities for the “cherrypicker.” Walk away with new knowledge and a fresh enthusiasm for collecting die varieties!
Instructor: James Wiles, author of The Modern Minting Process and U.S. Minting Errors and Varieties: An ANA Correspondence Course.
Coin Collecting 101
Start collecting on the right foot with this expanded version of Coin Collecting Basics! This discussion-based seminar will begin with an overview of the history and role of money in civilization, then move quickly into collector-oriented topics such as the methods of grading, consumer awareness and the differences between collecting and investing in numismatic items. Come prepared with questions!
Instructor: Rod Gillis, ANA numismatic educator
To enroll, call the ANA at 719-632-2646 or visit their website.
Aug 27, 2007 | ANA, shows
Did you miss the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money held earlier this month in Milwaukee and want to see some of the highlights? How about the introduction of the 100 kilogram gold coin from the Royal Canadian Mint? What about the meeting of the new Board of Governors? You can thanks to Cointelevision.com.
Cointelevision.com is a great service run by Executive Producer David Lisot. The site is free and supported by advertisements. At the World’s Fair of Money, David Lisot was been appointed as a co-chairman of the Technology and Website Committee by the newly elected Board of Governors. With my background in technology and being an ANA member, I will be reaching out to this committee to provide my assistance.
Jul 2, 2007 | Baltimore, Canada, coins, currency, Israel, personal, registry sets, shows
When Friday rolled around, I needed a break. I needed something to take my mind off the daily grind of trying to guide the government to do right with technology. I needed coins. Lots of coins. More coins than can be experienced even when contained under one roof. I needed the Whitman Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention.
After sleeping in, I woke to kiss my wife goodbye and started to pack my backpack. Into the bag went the current editions of the Coin Dealer Newsletter, my Palm T|X that stores my inventory list, my iPod for the trip to Baltimore, and a loupe. I finished my morning constitutional before feeding and walking the dog. After a bite to eat and throwing two bottles of water in my backpack, I was off to Charm City.
The trip to Baltimore is a little more than an hour from home. It is a trip down I-270, across the top of the Capital Beltway, then north on I-95. The trip down I-395 into Baltimore passes M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, to the warehouse beyond right field at Camden Yards home of the Baltimore Orioles. I parked in my usual lot at the Sheraton and walked through the hotel to the walkway to the Baltimore Convention Center.
This is Whitman’s second time running this show and their mark was seen riding down the escalator when I noticed that the food court was moved. Rather than being outside the door, the service area was moved to the front lobby at the foot of the escalator. The tables were moved out closer to the lobby and Whitman placed convention-style booths for registration. Also, the entrance had a new canopy announcing the show. It looked more professional than in the past.
It is still an awe inspiring experience to walk into the hall and see wall-to-wall dealer tables. Adding to the depth of vision was the framing that Whitman used during the last show behind the tables to allow dealers to hang banners. As I began to walk to the left side of Hall A, I noticed that Whitman placed stickers on the floor to mark the row numbers. Looking up, on the columns, they also placed numbered signs showing row numbers and the table number group. The best way I can describe this is that the numbers resemble address numbers on street signs. It is a small touch, but when looking for a specific dealer it really helps.
I saw a number of dealers I have bought from and spoken with in the past. Of note I was able to speak with Wayne Herndon, author of the last-page article in July’s Numismatist. The article is really good dry, tongue-in-cheek humor that I found fit Wayne’s personality when you talk with him. Wayne is a good guy and a very fair dealer. From Wayne, I was able to find some 1976 coins that I want to submit to NGC for the registry set. Finding really nice Eisenhower Dollars is very difficult, but Wayne had this 1976-D Type 1 Dollar that I could not pass up. Amongst the other coins I bought was a 1976-S Proof JFK Half Dollar is beautiful.
Watch out NGC, these coins (and other coins) will be sent this week!
One thing I noticed was that there was a lot of table sharing. While this is a common practice with small dealers, there were some higher volume dealers sharing tables, especially on the corners. For the buyer, this meant that there were more options. I was able to pickup some nice items while junk box diving for resale that I will be posting on eBay soon. Yes, there were some nice items in many of the junk boxes which was surprising.
I also had taken the opportunity to try to complete my set of Silver Maple Leaf coins. I was able to find a 1989, 1992, 1996, and 1998. All I am missing from the set is 1990 and 2007. I forgot about the 2007 and did not buy one at the show. All are beautiful coins, but the 1998 is the best. Images of these coins are difficult, but I tried so I can show off their beauty.
As I complete many of my United States sets, I am looking for other areas to explore. One area of interest is the currency of Israel. Coins are interesting, but the Israeli paper is beautiful with nice historical images. But first, I wanted the 2005 Theory of Relativity Commemorative Proof. I purchased a beautiful proof coin from noted dealer in Israeli Numismatics, J.J. van Grover. Van Grover is also the Vice President of the American Israel Numismatic Association, an organization which I recently joined, and we had a chance to talk about AINA and other Israeli issues. But the coin is beautiful whose image cannot do it justice.
I did buy some Israeli paper money. These two notes are from the Fourth Series Pounds dated 1973 but issued in 1975. These notes were demonetized in 1983.
Before going through the rest of the show floor, it was time to take a pause to do something non-numismatic. Appearing at the show was Baltimore Orioles Great and Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Brooks Robinson. Robinson is a very gracious gentleman whose current wrist injury he blames on old age. At 70, he may not be able to defend the hot corner but he is not ready for the home either. I did stand on line for his autograph and have my picture taken. Even though my Mets beat his Orioles in 1969, I cannot deny that he was a great player and a classy person. It was a joy to meet him.
Before returning to the bourse floor, I stopped at the nearby Whitman booth. During registration, we were given a coupon for a free copy to The Expert’s Guide to Collecting & Investing in Rare Coins, the latest tome from Q. David Bowers, with a $25 purchase. I almost walked away from the booth before noticing Whitman was selling something that was not numismatic or philatelic related. Whitman now creates something called Football Vault Books. With the publisher from the south, it is not surprising that the series started to cover the Southeastern Conference. When I found the University of Georgia Vault Book I decided to use my coupon after buying the book. The Vault Book is fantastic! It has the history and reproduction of memorabilia from the era being discussed. Ok… back to the coins.
This time, the foreign section was smaller than usual. I was looking for some Canadian coins but was a little disappointed at the selection and the lack of dealers with good Canadian inventory. Rather than walk away empty handed, I bought a 1967 Centennial of the Confederation One Dollar note. It is a crisp, uncirculated note that has a look very reminiscent of the formal aspects of the 1960’s.
As the day was winding down, I needed to buy something old. Somebody had to have something not that expensive but old and fun. I happened upon the table for The Butternut Company out of Clifton, Virginia. Butternut has a nice business of Civil War memorabilia along with the coins. But the had a junk box of well worn large and half cents. Ah ha! Something old! So I searched the small box looking for something with a readable date. In the box I found an 1803 Large Cent that satisfied my old and fun criteria. It is 204 years old and is just loaded with history.
As I left with ten minutes to closing, dealers were already closing down and vacating. I walked through the Sheraton, purchased a beverage and candy bar from the hotel shop, and retrieved my car from their lot. I left driving around traffic on their way to an Orioles game and found my way to I-395 to head back to the Washington, DC area. During the trip I called my wife to discuss dinner plans and made good time going south on I-95 to the Capital Beltway. I picked up something for dinner and headed home. After being happily greeted by Boomer, I cleaned up and served dinner while telling my wife about the fun I had. Show-and-tell occurred before desert.
In all, it was a wonderful day and a wonderful show.
Click on any image to enlarge. Vault Book cover from Whitman Publishing.
Jun 25, 2007 | Baltimore, coins, fun, shows
A is for Adams, John Adams, our second president. He was our first vice president and the only president elected from the Federalist Party. Adams is currently being honored on his first coin as part of the Presidential $1 Coin Program. The Adams dollar coin has seen fewer errors than the Washington predecessor, but the reports of errors have been reduced.
B is for Brooks, as in Robinson, Hall of Fame third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles. The defender of the hot corner at Memorial Stadium for Earl Weaver’s O’s will appear at the Whitman Baltimore Coin on Currency Convention. Robinson will be at the Baltimore Convention Center on Friday, June 29 from 2 PM to 5 PM giving out 100 Adams Dollars to Young Numismatists attending the show. Robinson will also be providing autographs to other attendees. I wonder if I can get him to autograph an Adams Dollar?
C is for coins. Lots of coins. Three halls of coins! I have been a regular attendee of this show for the last six years and I still am amazed and overwhelmed when I enter the hall. I have made a made a few friends with some dealers. I hope to see them at this show. It is just fun, and that is what collecting should be about.
Adams Dollar image courtesy of the US Mint.
Brooks Robinson ad courtesy of Whitman Coin and Collectibles Conventions, LLC.
Apr 27, 2007 | ANA, coins, Red Book, shows
After the ANA National Money Show in Charlotte I wrote about meeting Ken Bressett, the editor of the Red Book. Bressett was at the Whitman Publishing booth autographing copies of the newly released 2008 Red Book. Rather than purchase my copy from a dealer, I could not pass up the opportunity to have one autographed by Ken Bressett.
Bressett is a small, slight gentleman who is very gracious and pleasant. When I arrived at the table where Bressett was having a conversation with what seemed like an acquaintance, Bressett excused himself to speak with me. Unfortunately, I stammered like a star-struck teenager not knowing what to say to this icon of the industry. While being at a loss for words is not a usual occurrence, Bressett eased into small talk about the show.
For many years, the Red Book was the price guide for collectors. It was the first numismatic book I owned in the early 1970s. While that book is no longer part of my collection after being lost in one of my many moves, this autographed copy of the Red Book is now on my desk and will remain one of my treasured possessions.
Apr 24, 2007 | ANA, Carson City, coins, dollar, shows
Morgan Dollars were not popular during the time they were being struck by the US Mint. They were not considered particularly beautiful and most people outside of a few western states preferred to carry paper currency. But the Bland-Allison Act of 1878 and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 prescribed large purchases of silver from western mines and the minting of silver coinage to back silver certificates. This continued until the Panic of 1893 when the decline in the economy created a run on the gold supply. Then many were melted as a result of the silver recall prescribed in the Pittman Act while others were stored in Treasury buildings to be discovered by the General Services Administration in the 1960s.
Since their last mintage in 1921, the dollars designed by Mint Engraver George T. Morgan did not enjoy wide popularity until the GSA Hoard. Of the Morgan Dollars that hold the mystique are the ones struck at the Carson City Mint. Situation near the famous Comstock Lode, the Carson City Mint. Most CC minted dollars were amongst the lowest minted of the series. The highest mintage was the 1890-CC where over 2.3 million were struck.
Finding nice, affordable examples of CC mint Morgan Dollars can be difficult. Those of us on a budget compromise and purchase cleaned or polished coins in order to own at least one example. But when I had the opportunity to buy a nice, “common” CC coin for a good price, I could not resist.
I was walking the floor at the American Numismatic Association National Money Show in Charlotte and found a dealer selling quite a few ungraded Morgan Dollars. As I searched through several boxes, I came across a nice 1878-CC Morgan Dollar (2.2 million minted). The 2×2 holder the coins was in said the coin was in Almost Uncirculated. It was a nice, clean coin with some mint luster showing a great strike. I was sure that if it was slabbed it would have graded higher than what was written on the holder. It was priced as if it was an Extra Fine coin.
I could not resist… I bought my first no-problem CC Morgan Dollar!
It is a beautiful coin that looks great in the blue album shining next to my other Morgan Dollars.
Mar 24, 2007 | coins, dollar, GSA, shows
While walking around the ANA National Money Show on Saturday with my father, I met a dealer who had a blue envelope that said “United States Silver Dollar” in a fancy script on the cover with a 1922 Peace Dollar in a shrink wrap next to the envelope. I was intrigued and asked the dealer about the coin. The dealer removed it from his case and told me that he bought as part of a lot with other items. The dealer did not know much about the coin except that it was sold as part of a “GSA Hoard Sale” that was offered after the sale of the well known Carson City Dollars.
I like Peace Dollars. Aside from being a classic beauty, the are the first non-modern set I put together—which includes the 1928 Peace Dollar my fiancée (now my wife) bought for me as a gift! Within the envelop was the dollar shrink wrapped with a special GSA token and two information cards. One card was about the coin and the other about the sale. The more I looked, the more interested I became.
With loupe in hand, I looked closely at the coin. Even though the cards say that the coin is circulated, the dealer and I agreed that if it was circulated, that it was very lightly handled. Some wearing on Liberty’s cheek and neck along with the nice luster had both of us agreeing that the coin should grade MS62/63. The dealer was asking for a modest price over the price he paid, so I made the purchase.
When I came home, I searched for more information and found this site that explained how the GSA sold what has been called the “GSA Hoard” that included the famed Carson City Dollars and over 100,000 additional circulated and uncirculated silver dollars. This report noted that there were “84,165 circulated and 27,980 uncirculated coins minted between 1859 and 1935.” The 84,165 circulated silver dollars were various types including Seated Liberty, Morgan and Peace Silver Dollars with mint marks from other US Mint branches.
The article reports that the GSA never published the number that they sold of the blue softpack dollar. It is estimated that there were 100,000 of these coins sold.
The ANA National Money Show in Charlotte was a lot of fun. Now it is time to go to Baltimore for the Whitman Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention.
Mar 23, 2007 | BEP, shows
For every show the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing attends, they create special intaglio prints from the original dies in their vaults. BEP selects vignettes significant to the location and the image of one vintage note. For the 2007 ANA National Money Show held in Charlotte, the BEP created a plate that printed cards with the North Carolina State Shield in the upper left (from Miscellaneous Die #2458); portrait of James K. Polk (Miscellaneous Die #2524) 11th President of the United States Born in Mecklenberg County, North Carolina Engraved by L. J. Hatch; and the back of a $5 United States Note Series 1880 (Miscellaneous Die #2981).
James Knox Polk, was born on November 2, 1795, in an area of Mecklenburg County that is part of Pineville today. Pineville is a bustling suburb of to the southwest of Charlotte. Polk is the only former Speaker of the House to become President and was governor of Tennessee at the time of his election in 1844.
BEP offered this print for $20 at the show. Today, you can purchase it from the BEP online store for $22.50. The one pictured here was purchased at the show then taken to the USPS booth where I purchased a 39-cent stamp and was postmarked with a special stamp made for the show. Having it postmarked on the first day of issue is nice.
BEP was offering a limited edition of 100 intaglio prints made at the show that was autographed by the printer on site. In order to win, you had to write you name on a piece of paper and put it in a bowl. When they drew the names, you had to be there to claim the print. After watching the demonstration and listening to the discussions, I put my name into the bowl and waited for the 4pm drawing. After 16 were claimed and many were disqualified for not being present, my name was picked from the bowl. This gave me the ability to purchase print number 37.
Included with both prints is a card explaining the images on the intaglio print and the limited edition intaglio print included a card from the printer.
Click on the images to enlarge.
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