JR Newsletter

JR Newsletter: 29 January 2012 (73)

2012-01-29T08:41:00.000-05:00

Winston Zack provides our only contribution this week, butit's a great one:

Several of you Bust Dime guys who also collect die statesmay have noticed that an extremely rare 1825 JR-4 with obverse Retained Cudpopped up on eBay in a 5-coin Bust Dime lot this past week. Theseller is notorious for selling groups of primarily lower grade/cull typecoins, so it was that much more impressive to notice that the 1825 JR-4 ObverseCud in this lot appeared to be a respectable example with no immediately discernible damagenoticeable from the images. From the moment I first saw the listing Iknew this was one of the rarest cuds in the Capped Bust Dime series; anexample still missing from my collection of Capped Bust Dime Retained andFull Cuds; currently there are ~30-32 Capped Bust Dime die marriagesexhibiting cuds (refer to the March 2009 Vol. 19, Issue 3 John ReichJournal for an ALMOST complete list of known Capped Bust Dime Cuds with theirrarity estimates; the only two I am aware of which are missing from that listare the 1830 JR-2 reverse retained cud and the 1834 JR-4 reverse full cudwhich I discovered in 2010 and is still unique as far as I know).

Previously, the only image I had seen of this die state wasfrom Jim Matthews' John Reich Journal article (whole number 49, June2005). The example shown in the article appeared comparable to theexample from eBay - lower-grade G/VG. In the Matthews article, he notedthat this die state is only known in the Retained Cud form, and no exampleswere known in the Full Cud; at the very least low-grade examples (pretty muchanything VF and lower) are very difficult to attribute as Full Cuds unlessother known characteristics are present. In addition, the only knownreference I am aware of citing the rarity of this Cud (and other Capped BustDime Cuds) comes from Charles Horning's March 2009 Vol. 19 Issue3 John Reich Journal, where he cited this Cud as an R7+ (~4-6 known).

What makes this Cud so much more interesting than just itscurrent rarity is the fact that it is an obverse cud ( < 20%of known Capped Bust Dime Cuds are obverse Cuds due to the positionof the dies and the differential pressures exerted on each die in the coinoperation) and the size of the Cud. Few Capped Bust Dime Cuds rival thesize of this example, and the only example I can think of which is larger isthe 1833 JR-4 reverse Cud from E1 to A2, although that Cud forms in 3stages rather than failing all at once as is assumed on the 1825 JR-4.

After providing that background I am pleased to report I wasthe winner (barely) of this coin (and the 4 others) last week. Itnow proudly rests alongside my other Capped Bust Dime Cuds, of which I now have16 different die marriages. In terms of condition, the coin exhibits G+details with a couple of light rim dings around 9 o'clock. The Cud appears to be full (or nearly so), but Iattribute the filling of the area as wear and consider this aworn retained cud. I have provided photos of the coin below.

Editor's note: Click on a photo to view a larger version of the photo.

In addition, I am selling my 1825 B-3 Capped Bust Quarterwith Reverse Cud through UNITED; 1825 must have been a rough year for qualitycontrol at the mint! The coin is Good, light rim wear is creeping into thefields and light circulation chatter noted for accuracy. I'm looking for$625 shipped and insured (or best offer). Photo also provided below. If interested in purchasing the quarter,please contact me via email at stoneman101 (at) gmail.com

JR Newsletter: 22 January 2012 (72)

2012-01-22T10:35:00.001-05:00

Richard Meaney wrote:

Congratulations to Louis Scuderi for his find of an 1832 LM-9.2 half dime (as reported in last week's JR Newsletter)! I believe the 1832 LM-9.2 is one of the most difficult die remarriages to find in any grade in the entire capped bust half dime series. I know we can never know with certainty how many examples are extant, but I do believe we are still firmly in the single digits with known examples of this remarriage.

Richard

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Richard Faubion wrote:

That is indeed exciting news about Dick Graham's upcoming treatise on Reeded Edge Halves. Please do keep us apprised as to the publication details. Oh, and thanks so much for your efforts in producing the JRCS Newsletter!

Regards,

Richard Faubion

JR Newsletter: 15 January 2012 (71)

2012-01-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

Louis Scuderi wrote with some big news for half dime collectors:

A recent find - 1832 LM9.2. A straight purchase at type cost off a dealer'sweb site. Saw the obverse and remembered the sort of mushy strike that I saw onthe LM book specimen and thought- please let it be reverse T. Luck was with me.

Examination with a hand lens reveals the slightest die chip in the rightupright/diagonal of the N. So it was struck just slightly before the 1833LM3.2. Although there is no mention of a die chip on the N in the LM book for1833 LM3.2, the image in the book does show what I believe to be the beginningsof one.

The die swelling above the eagle's head is the most pronounced of any of thereverse T marriages/remarriages that I have seen. Interestingly of the thelater remarriages (#'s 7 through 13) only the 1832's (remarriages #8, 10 and12) show the swelling strongly while the 1833's (remarriages #7, 9, 11 and 13)do not. Just a thought but perhaps in part the weakness in this area has to dowith the engraved depth of the 1832 obverse dies #2 and #4? Perhaps it is a bitdeeper on these 1832 dies than on the 1833 Obverse 1 and 2 dies that weremarried to reverse T? The deeper dies for the 1832's would make it difficult tofully strike up the reverse opposite the bust and thus enhance the die swellingabove the head and at the scroll?

Louis

Editor's note: An image of the 1832 LM-9.2 is below. Click on theimage to enlarge it.

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Rich Uhrich wrote a follow up to hiscontribution on the 1827 JR-14 dime:

I received thecoin back from PCGS today, it is graded PCGS VG-8 and it is labeled JR-14.

I read with interest the note from Louis Scuderi in the JRNewsletter, and in fact both the owner and I noticed the same thing. Inthe excellent book on 1827 JR-2 dimes by Jim Koenings, the flags of thenumber "1" in "10 C." differ in shape also. For example,coins #2, 9, 17, 18, 24, 25, and 28 have somewhattriangular flags very similar to the flag on the JR-14, while coins 5, 8,11, 14, 26, 27, and 30 have very flat flags and do not look likethe flag on the JR-14. So the flag on the JR-14 matches some of the JR-2dimes in Jim Koenings' book, but doesn't match others. I have no idea whythis is. But Louis has raised a good point, and it seems to apply to theJR-2 reverse, not just the JR-14 reverse.

All of the other attributionpoints match up, and many Bust Dimes experts examined the coin at the FUN show with no disagreement on itsvariety attribution, plus PCGS also agrees it is definitely a JR-14.

Hope this helps.
Rich Uhrich
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David Quint wrote:

Kudos to Louis for noticingthe difference between the flat vs. sloped-top 1 on the new 1827 JR-14example. The punches used for the 1 in the denomination included both theflat and sloped-top versions, with the flat version losing its right foot alongthe way. The punch with the flat top and the broken right foot can beseen on not only the 1827 JR-2 but (I believe) on the 21 JR-10, the 23 JR-2,and the 24 JR-1. To my eye it looks remarkably similar to the 1 found on the1814 small date (both obverse and reverse), but on the 1814 the right foot isintact and the stem is a bit thicker. Observing the different examples of thebroken-foot 1, it appears to me that the "flatness" of the top of the1 differs slightly between different examples, possibly due to strike and/orpolish in the die at the highest recesses of the 1. Thankfully, there is a bookfull of pictures of the 1827 JR-2 (by Jim Koenings) and one can detect slightdifferences in the slopes of the top of the 1 on these examples (for instance,the Rank 1 and 9 coins seem to have an upward slope while the Rank 5 almostseems to have a downward slope). If you go through his book comparingnothing but the tops of these 1's, it is quite striking just how different oneflat-top is from another flat-top. Putting some of these side-by-side one canalmost think that these 1's are distinct, or at least repunched versions of oneanother. But my guess is that what we're seeing is the simple result of a 19thC manufacturing process that produced coins with tiny inconsistencies. I hopeothers take a look at Jim's book and let us know if they see the same thing.

David Quint
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Van Walworth wrote:

Continuing the thread ofcomments related to the 1821 JR-1 Bust Dimes... In Jim Koenings' bookletcovering the the 1824 JR-2 Bust Dimes, he does an excellent job with a censusand details concerning this rare variety. As he was preparing hismanuscript some obvious counterfeits samples of 1824 dimes made thecircuit and at least one "not-so-obvious" counterfeit sample. I purchased the not-so-obvious dime to get a better look at it in person. Jim includes my write up and report at the back of his booklet. Ibring this particular dime up related to the 1821 JR-1 conversation becausethis dime seems to have all the markings and features consistent withthe obverse of 1821 JR-1 EXCEPT the date is 1824 and not 1821. Thereverse is also consistent with the reverse of 1821 JR-1. The1824 date on the coin does not have the characteristic over date marks of the"4/2". In addition, there is no visible crack between S1 &S2. My question is related to "where did the pattern for this coincome from?" If it is counterfeit, the pattern with appropriatedetails from an 1821 JR-1 specimen apparently wasin pristine enough condition for the forger to mimic its details downto fine points... leaving out any visible reference of a crackbetween S1 & S2. If there had been such an S1-S2 die crack onthe pattern coin, why leave that one little detail out? I lookforward to some comments from some of you bust dime specialist who have muchmore wisdom and insight into this kind of thing than I.
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Charlie Horning wrote aboutthe FUN Show:

The show was pretty lackluster forseveral reasons, I think. First, the dealers are flush due to the rise ofgold and beyond belief bullion prices/sales. They, therefore, are in no rush to movenumismatic merchandise. Secondly, it looked to me the average age of thecollectors present on Thursday and Friday was about 56. That probablymeans that the vast majority of collectors are "mature" in theircollecting and therefore much more selective. The days of filling holes areover -- quality and originality reign supreme. Lastly, the economy isstill in the crapper -- numismatics is a hobby dependent upon after-taxdisposable income -- perhaps not too many collectors feel comfortable steppingup under present conditions...

Charlie

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Alan V. Weinberg also wrote about the FUNShow:

My impressionsand experiences at the Jan FUN show:

A superb show,not reflecting any of the impressions I've received at other recent shows wherethings were largely "downbeat" due to mediocre attendance and theeconomy. FUN attendance was huge, there was a buzzin the air. Roaming the bourse floor constantly from setup day, I did notoverhear one single mediocre or negative comment from dealers or collectors.The FUN people, as always, were fully preparedand had every conceivable demand under control including daily morningbreakfast setups for the dealers and sandwich wraps for the dealers set-upday.

The bourse hadapprox 575 bourse tables, considerably more than last year I'm told and thisyear for the 1st time in many years the convention facility faced International Drive and the hotels. Complimentary busservice to and from those hotels was excellent throughout the day and earlyevening. The prevalence of law enforcement was evident throughout the show.Upon arrival in Orlando early Wed morning (34 degrees!) , my driver said the citywas "dead"- quiet. And the amazing fact, unprecedented, was that NOother convention was being held at the Orange County Convention Center massive facility- FUN was the only convention. The exactopposite has been true for decades to the degree that last year FUN was forced to move to Tampa due to the Orlando Convention Center being fully taken up.

I acquiredsome truly great treasures and sold almost everything I brought. Insummary, the entire show was exciting, even exhilarating and the hobby was onceagain tremendous fun- which is in fact what keeps most dealers and collectorsactive and interested.

Alan V.Weinberg

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NathanMarkowitz wrote about the upcoming EAC-JRCS meeting:

Call for speakers for Buffalo. Please consider sharing yourexpertise and enthusiasm with a 45-minute presentation at the Buffalo convention if you are able to attend. We have a group of committed numismatists eager to learn new areas andvirtually any early silver topic would be great given that this is a relativelynew venture. In particular, it would be terrific to have an introductionto a series and I am especially committed to offering new speakers a chance topresent...so don't be shy. I am charged with organizing speakers forFriday May 4 and Saturday May 5.

If you wish toattend, the real excitement begins Thursday evening with the Happenings (coindisplays), and the educational program concludes Saturday afternoon. Saturdaynight is "just" a copper auction and prolonged bull sessions at thebar and Sunday is the EAC meeting so for JRCS folks Thursday at 5PM until Saturday would be a full dose ofnumismatics. Feel free to contact me if you have any interest in speakingor any questions about the event at cascades1787 (at) yahoo.com

By the way,the early quarter selected to display this year is 1818 Browning 6...so bringyour cracked B6s to study and show off to the copper folks...

NathanMarkowitz

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Brad Karoleffwrote about a JRCS meeting at the upcoming Baltimore show:

We havescheduled the JRCS regional meeting for Friday, March 23 at 4:00 PM. The complete schedule ofmeetings can be accessed through the Whitman website for the show: http://whitman.com/expos If anyone is interested in speaking at the meeting please contact Brad at jrcs19 (at) roadrunner.com. Thank you.

Brad

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And finally, anote from the editor about an exciting topic for the JRCS meeting at the SummerANA show in Philadelphia:

Dick Grahamhas agreed to be the featured educational speaker at the JRCS meeting in Philadelphia and will give a presentation on theReeded Edge Half Dollar series and varieties. Dick has been collectingand studying Reeded Edge Halves for fifteen years and is preparing a book forpublication on this under-served area of numismatics. Dick can't promisethat the book will be completed prior to the Summer ANA, but he is working diligently on theproject (I got to see a bound draft at the FUN Show!).

JR Newsletter: 8 January 2012 (70)

2012-01-08T08:37:00.000-05:00

Louis Scuderi wrote on three bust dime topics:

Some points on the new 1827 JR14 bust dime: Everything matches up except the top of the 1 in the denomination. Can we get a better image of the reverse from Rich Uhrich or at least can we get some confirmation that the top of the 1 is actually flat like in the discovery specimen? Did anyone else notice this?

Additional data on the 1829 JR10 Curl Base Two dimes: Since my article came out in the John Reich Journal, I have confirmed five (5) additional specimens. Two are held by JRCS members and amazingly three additional new specimens have appeared. Two on eBay (one of which was a Buy It Now at $1999.99) and one in a dealer's inventory. That raises the total number of actual confirmed/documented specimens to 40. An additional specimen that I have not seen for a while is closing on eBay this evening (Jan. 6, 2012). I have talked to a high end type collector who tells me he knows of several (all lower grade) in type collections. Hopefully I can get him to give me more information about these additional specimens. I can provide images of each of them for posting for the newsletter but don't want to fill up your inbox. For now I've provided images of the eBay Buy It Now specimen. If anyone knows of additional specimens please provide me with information and images.

Editor's note: Click on the image to enlarge it.

Some thoughts on the 1821 JR1/2 obverse: I agree with Mike Sherrill. Obverse 1 for 1821 definitely raises some questions about a possible remarriage. I can't ever remember seeing one without the crack and of the four 21JR2's I've owned two seem later than the latest 21JR1's that I have seen. Problem is getting well enough struck and high grade coins to make the remarriage call.
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Richard Meaney wrote:

I hope to hear from other collectors and maybe a few dealers on their impressions and experiences during the FUN Show. I must have looked at a couple hundred capped bust half dimes and was unable to find even one for my collection. Certainly, this has something to do with the state of my collection, but one can always try! Fortunately for me, I also collect classic head large cents, so I looked at a lot of those too. I rejected most specimens even without asking a dealer to remove them from the case for closer inspection. Those that did look decent from afar were disappointing once I had them in hand. On my last day at the show (which was Friday), my persistence paid off and I found a really nice large cent for my collection. I have provided an image of my "keeper" from the 2012 FUN Show:

JR Newsletter: 1 January 2012 (69)

2012-01-01T09:29:00.001-05:00

Richard Meaney wrote: BIG NEWS!

I received a telephone call from Rich Uhrich a couple ofdays after Christmas. He told me he had big news for bust coin collectorsand wanted the news first published in the JR Newsletter. Rich has aclient (who wishes to remain anonymous) who recently came across an 1827-datedbust dime which he could not attribute using "Early US Dimes." The client sent Rich the coin for attribution. Upon receipt, Richconfirmed that the coin looked like an 1827 JR-14, which is the mostrecently-discovered bust dime marriage. Rich sent pictures of the coin toBrad Karoleff, who confirmed Rich's attribution. So now there are twoknown 1827 JR-14 dimes! Rich provided me with images of thenewly-discovered 1827 JR-14 dime and those images are below (click image to enlarge). Rich Uhrichwill have the coin on display at his table #310-312 at the FUNshow. The owner of the coin is undecided on selling it at this time.

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From the official FUNShow schedule:

The John Reich Collectors Society will have a "regionalmeeting" at the FUN Show. The meeting will be held on Friday, January 6, 2012 from 2:00-3:30 PM in Room S330E. Dr. Glenn Peterson has graciously volunteeredto host the meeting. All JRCS members,prospective members, and other interested persons are welcome to attend!

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Brad Karoleff wrote:

We have an opportunity to have another "regionalmeeting" of the JRCS at the Whitman Baltimore Show in March. The schedule has not yet been determined, soif JRCS members have a preference as to date and time, please write in to theJR Newsletter or contact Brad Karoleff to let your preference be known. Currently, clubs with scheduled meeting timesinclude Liberty Seated Collectors at 9:00 AM Friday, Barber Coin Society at3:00 PM on Friday, and the Early American Coppers Society at 1:00 PM onSaturday. I suggest we have a cut-offtime of having a meeting no later than noonon Saturday to allow people to make reasonable plans to depart the show.

So, if you want to have a meeting and have a preference fordate/time or would like to present an educational program at the meeting,contact Brad Karoleff or reply to the JR Newsletter.

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Jeff Reichenberger wrote:

Another outstanding JR Journal came to my mailbox this pastweek, just in time for the holidays. Hats off to the authors and editor. Greatarticles throughout the issue!

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Robert Willems wrote:

I am sending a quick message to ask people who submit photosto the JR Newsletter to try to avoid submitting photos that have a blackbackground. I suggest using a whitebackground so that those of us who like to print such photos won't consume alot of black ink when the pictures are printed. Thank you!

Robert Willems

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Mike Sherrill wrote:

Hi, this is another response to the question about 1821 JR1and JR2 dimes with die crack at S1-S2.

I seem to recall at least one example of 1821 JR1 withoutany die crack between S1 and S2. Unfortunately I did not make any notes and soI understand this is not very helpful. It seems possible a hairline crackexisted in the die before commission, but because the crack occurs where thedie bulge later develops, my feeling is the crack occurred soon aftercommission at an area of greatest stress.

I haven’t seen any examples of JR1 or JR2 that would placeJR2 first in the emission order. However, examples of JR1 exist that look likethey are struck after JR2. Below is a scan of an interesting late example inmy collection.

The area of weakness on the reverse at D STA corresponds to thearea between the date and S1 and is not directly opposite that mess on theobverse.

Perhaps a remarriage of 1821 JR1 occurred. Or maybesome/most of the die crack and die bulge were removed by lapping prior tostriking of JR2. A similar situation occurred with 1820 JR1. There is a seconddie bulge on some 1820 JR1s at S3-S5 that I don’t see on JR4 and was apparentlylapped away.

Mike

JR Newsletter: 21 December 2011 (68)

2011-12-21T09:51:00.002-05:00

This week's edition of the JR Newsletter is early in recognition of the upcoming holiday weekend. Some interesting stuff is here for you to chew on over the course of the next week and a half!

Rich Uhrich wrote:

In response to Steve Kawalec: I have copies of "Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837" in stock. My website is http://www.richuhrichcoins.com/category.php?cat=18

Rich
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Brad Karoleff wrote:

The latest issue of The John Reich Journal ( 21/3) was mailed on Saturday. Members should begin receiving their issues in a few days. Included inside the journal are two inserts. The first is an addenda page to be inserted in your last issue updating the article by Bradley Higgins. I inadvertently only printed part of his delivery warrant chart. This addenda will complete the article. The other insert is the dues notice/Reiver award voting ballot. Please send a check to Steve and remember to vote for your favorite articles at the same time.

There are a couple of important things about the dues notice. Life members, of course, do not have to send a renewal check. Life members' mailing labels have LM on the upper right side. Life members should return the ballot to Steve. Members who are already paid for the next issue will have a black sharpie line through the dues renewal portion. Please vote for your favorite articles. All other members should not only vote, but send a check to Steve (PAYABLE TO JRCS) for $25 to continue their membership.

I also read that Steve Kawalec was looking for a copy of the half dime book. I have a few remaining for $150 plus postage. I can be reached at jrcs19 (at) yahoo.com if anyone would like to order a copy.

I also did not see any suggestions for die marriages to study at the EAC/JRCS convention in Buffalo. Please consider attending and let us know which coins you would like to see there.

Brad

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Van Walworth wrote:

Responding to the question about 1821 JR-1 & JR-2 dimes with a die crack between S1 & S2...

I have two specimens of JR-1, both coins in G - VG condition. Both coins probably had the S1-S2 die crack but it progressed to the point it became a die bulge and virtually obliterates S2 and most of the field between S1 & S2.

I also have three specimens of JR-2 that seem to indicate and represent three different die states. I consider one JR-2 in VF condition to be a potential early die state because it has a very faint die break evident extending less than half way from the outside point of S1 toward the outside point of S2. I consider a second JR-2 to be a potential mid-term die state because the die break extends between the outside points of S1 & S2, but the field has begun to bulge away, even though S1 & S2 are still in good detail. I consider a third JR-2 specimen to be a potential late die state because the die break between S1 & S2 has become a bulge that obliterates the field and most of S1 & S2.

It is interesting to me that my JR-2 specimen I consider to be a potential late die state is in virtually identical condition to both of my JR-1 coins. The die crack and subsequent bulge is identical looking in most every respect. This is curious to me because I assume there was some die repair or refurbishment of some kind after the completion of minting JR-1 and before the minting of JR-2... otherwise some JR-2 strikes took place before and/or during the JR-1 minting efforts.

Van Walworth JRCS#1300

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Courtesy of the "E-Sylum" you can click on the following link to read about early United States Half Dimes that circulated in Cuba after the Spanish-American War: http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v14n52a21.html

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From the editor: The next issue of the JR Newsletter should be out on schedule (Sunday, January 1, 2012)

JR Newsletter: 18 December 2011 (67)

2011-12-18T09:42:00.002-05:00

Winston Zack wrote:

Has anyone seen an 1821 JR-1, or even JR-2 Dime without the obverse die cracks through at least stars 1 and 2? Or does it seem that this obverse die was already cracked by the time it was put into use?

Thanks,

Winston

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Steven Kawalec wrote:

Does anyone know where I can find a copy of "Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837". All I have is the Valentine book which isn't much help. I would like to thank Richard Meaney's comments and photos of the reverses. They were a huge help and I would like to have a copy of the book.

Thanks to all and happy Holidays,

Steven Kawalec

JR Newsletter: 11 December 2011 (66)

2011-12-11T09:17:00.001-05:00

David Quint wrote:

A few thoughts on the mysterious 1833 JR-2 proof dime sold on eBay. The photograph certainly appears to be exactly that; while circulation strikes of the JR-2 bear the familiar lower obverse crack, at least one known proof example, and this coin, do not. The only two 1833 proof dimes to appear at auction (as far as I know) since 1980 were the Pittman/Benson/Turtle Rock specimen in an NGC Proof-66 holder and the Bowers&Merena 6/89:90 (later Heritage 8/08:1605) now in a PCGS Proof-66 holder. Neither of these coins is the one pictured in the eBay sale (in fact the coin in the eBay sale is one I have never seen). There is another example in the Smithsonian collection (according to the late, great Russ Logan). NGC claims to have graded two Proof-66 coins and two in 65, and PCGS lists one each in 64, 65, and 66. Some of these (or all) could be re-grades of the same coins. There are no known circulation strikes extant with a grade higher than MS-63.

The eBay seller has only sold 5 coins on the site (plus some stamps), and what I find most interesting is that if you look at his past sales, they include several 19th Century type coins whose photos look to be of very high grade (raw) coins. And in each of those auctions, the seller states in his description "photos are reference photos". Huh? Reference photo? The buyer feedback in these deals range from "thanks for the credit" to "had problem and seller resolved" to "A++++"(!). Could this be a (non-stolen) gem proof, raw, bust dime? Sure. I guess anything is possible. But especially given this seller's proclivity to market coins based on "reference photos", call me suspicious. What is the main mystery to me is where he got this particular reference photo; maybe someone on this board knows of an example for which I am not aware.

David Quint
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Alan Bricker wrote:

I am commenting regarding the eBay listing of an 1833 JR-2 dime as reported in the issue dated December 4, 2011. Not even to mention the short sale and no-return, a brief investigation of the seller's feedback history, etc. quickly reveals this listing to be almost certainly fraudulent. Another listing showed a "Gem BU" 1853 NO ARROWS / No Rays quarter, "selling" for a mere $200(!) ... probably an online community discussion arose regarding this listing. Note also that the seller's eBay purchases involved only low-end coins and that most of the limited number of transactions involved low-end stamps. My guess is that the images used in those high-end coin listings had been stolen from a different website. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
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David Lange wrote:

Per the discussion about corrugations on the reverse of O-105 halves, I suspect that these may have been caused by contact with feeder fingers of the press. Adam Eckfeldt devised some sort of feeding mechanism years earlier, but I don't know of any illustration of it. If this is indeed what happened, it likely affected an obverse die, as well. Perhaps the damage to the obverse was so severe that the die was pulled from the press and discarded.

On the other issued raised of a phantom proof dime on eBay, the photos shown of the 1833 Bust Dime were lifted from the NGC archive. I thought these looked suspiciously like very early Photo Proof images, and I found the originals in our database. I'm attaching them, reduced in size, for comparison. The image names include the certification number as it stood in 1995, though the coin may have been resubmitted one or more times since then.

By the way, Photo Proof has come a long way, and our photos are now vastly superior to these. Our staff photographer is Doug Plasencia, formerly with Bowers & Merena and Stack's for many years.

Dave

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Brad Karoleff wrote:

We need to begin planning for the upcoming EAC/JRCS convention in Buffalo. We need moderators for the silver happening room. Anyone interested in volunteering please contact me at bkaroleff (at) yahoo.com. We also need suggestions of die marriages for each denomination to study. Anyone planning on attending the show is welcome to participate. Please give us your suggestions. More information about the convention can be obtained from the EAC website at www.eacs.org.

We also need your nominations for consideration for the JRCS Hall of Fame. You can nominate as many individuals as you wish for either the veteran category, those contributing to the hobby prior to the advent of JRCS or the modern category, those participating since the club was begun. This is a great way to recognize the collectors and researchers tat have contributed to our hobby. It all begins with your nominations.

The latest issue of the journal, the last for the year, is going to the printers this week. You can expect to see it in your mailbox soon. There will also be a ballot for the voting on the Jules Reiver Literary Award. Please send back your votes.

There will also be a dues notice included in the envelope. Please send your renewal check to secretary Crain as soon as possible to continue receiving the JRJ.

We will also be having a regional meeting of the JRCS at the upcoming FUN convention in Orlando. Glenn Peterson has arranged the meeting for Friday afternoon. Please check he convention program for the exact time and room number. We will be having an educational presentation at the meeting on Bust Half patterns and related pieces. We look forward to seeing you there.

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Richard Meaney's response to Steven Kawalec's inquiry about the "2 and 3 line varieties" for Capped Bust Half Dimes:

If you are interested in Capped Bust Half Dimes, get a copy of "Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837" by Logan and McCloskey. Check especially page 138 of the book to see that the vertical stripes are called pale gules. On only three die marriages (the first three struck out of 92 currently known) does one find three pale gules. The remaining die marriages feature two pale gules in the eagle's shield. None of the die marriages with three pale gules are rare. Here are some close up images of the two different types:

JR Newsletter: 4 December 2011 (65)

2011-12-04T09:17:00.001-05:00

Jason Poe wrote:

In regards to the 1836 O-105, I too have been puzzled by the corrugations. Souders makes no mention of it, but Overton says that it is not as visible on early die states, and gets progressively worse. Obviously, it is not a planchet defect since it is present on every coin struck by the die. For readers unfamiliar with what we are talking about, please see my example shown below, graded NGC EF-40. The area in question is at the bottom of the reverse, between the leaves and the 50 C. Perhaps this might be an interesting variety to study at a future JRCS meet?

(editor's note: click on the image to enlarge it)

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Greg Barnett wrote:

In response to Dick's question about the corrugated marks on Reverse D of 1836: I have no idea what caused these marks, but I do have a further question.

Has anyone seen an O-121 with these marks, or an O-105 without them? I have numerous examples of the O-105, all with the marks, but my O-121 does not have them, and I have not seen an image
of one that does. I suspect that they might have been removed by lapping prior to the striking of O-121's. (Granted there are not many examples of the O-121 to look at for reference.) Overton states that EARLY states of the die show little or no evidence of the rays - but I believe he meant LATE states ?? The only other example of similar marks that I have seen is on the 1835 O-108. These are referenced by Overton as "short vertical rays".

None of my O-118's have the corrugation marks. The only examples I have from 1836 are on the O-105.

thx, Greg Barnett
------

Steven Kawalec wrote:

Hi, Have you read about the 2 and 3 line shield varieties of the 1829 Half Dime? I have an 1829 and an 1831 slabbed AU-55 and AU-58. They are in the bank right now and I haven't had a chance to check for myself yet. I was hoping you or any members might have some info on mintage, rarity, value, etc... I like to have as much info on my coins as possible, that's what it's all about, the history of it all.

Thanks,

Steven Kawalec

------

Rick Andrzejewski wrote:

Early this week on eBay there appeared a possible once in alifetime opportunity that someone won. The adage “you snooze, you lose”, wellthat was me. I never noticed it was a one day event. Who would offer a proof1833 JR2 and an 1853 AR dime for only one day? I started researching if the1833 JR2 are known in proof, yes. The seller had a no return policy and limitedtransactions (buys & sells) with only a few sells. I was thinking it was acounterfeit or highly polished (portrait was frosted). The JR2 are known with adie break on the obverse right on circulated issues but not on proofs. Picture(attached) was a bit dark but I couldn’t see any die breaks. After furtherresearch of the Reiver piece and rarity of the JR2, even if the piece was apolished or cleaned unc, I was going to gamble with an offer at least in the$700-$750 range. The next afternoon I looked for it to enter my bid, butcouldn’t find it. I checked completed listings figuring it was taken down dueto it being suspect, but found it SOLD for about $650!!!!!!!!!!!. If authenticand a proof, it was a buy of the century!!!

After reviewing further, I know I wouldn’t have chased it,but would have set a maximum bid of ~$1,000+ once I found out the Reiver piecein MS63 sold for over $5k. It looked like the bidder was a buyer/collector ofbust dimes. Hopefully he is a JCRS member and if the coin is real, would sharehis story with us in an upcoming JCRS issue. Would be interested in commentsfrom other busties once they review the photos.

(editor's note: The photos below came from the ebay auction. Also, you can view the closed ebay auction in a new window by clicking here)

------

JR Newsletter: 27 November 2011 (64)

2011-11-27T09:59:00.001-05:00

Bob Stark wrote:

I was at the Baltimore Show on Thursday, November 18 until mid-afternoon. The crowd was moderate. However, what seems new is the increasing national draw. I was glad to see some friends who came from a distance. The number of dealers from the west and mid-west seemed larger to me than just a few years ago. The Stack's auction had more sessions than past years.

Bob Stark

------

Dick Kurtz wrote:

One bust half anomaly that continues to puzzle me is the presence of "corrugation" on some lower reverses of the 1836 O.105 and O.121 (a shared reverse) and also on my 36-118. It appears that this is not a result of rolling the metal strip prior to cutting the planchets, since the parallel markings are confined the area around the "50 C." Does anyone out there have an idea on how these were formed. Has anyone seen the corrugation marks on other 1836 die marriages or on bust half dates?

Dick Kurtz JRCS 049

JR Newsletter: 20 November 2011 (63)

2011-11-20T09:09:00.001-05:00

No contributions this week, so I will treat you all to some half dimes. I hope for next week's newsletter, we get some reports from Baltimore...especially from half dollar collectors who had significant opportunities with the Dale Heisler collection offered for sale.

I went to the Bay State Show in Boston on Veterans Day and purchased this 1835 LM-3 half dime (PCGS MS63). Click on these images to view a larger picture.

The coin is an upgrade to my set. My former set piece (still sitting in the safe deposit box) is this cool-looking PCGS AU50:

JR Newsletter: 13 November 2011 (62)

2011-11-13T09:10:00.001-05:00

Nathan Markowitz wrote:

Greetings all. Once again we are welcome to attend the annual EAC show May 3-6 2012 and display our treasures, give a presentation, or simply have fun. I am coordinating the speakers for the convention who are given each an hour time slot on Friday or Saturday. I try to balance the early silver and early copper topics and we silver folks have been well received in the past. I would like to encourage those interested in presenting to contact me with their intended topic. I especially try to include new speakers...remember, you need not be a world's expert; just share your passion. Numismatic stories and literature related to early American coinage is also a perfectly appropriate topic. If you want to show something instead of speak, Steve Carr coordinates exhibits...no tight rules, just let him know. I look forward to hearing from you at cascades1787 (at) yahoo.com.

------

Bob Stark wrote:

I share the regret at David's passing and express appreciation and thanks for his contributions to our enjoyment of our early Federal coinage. I recall first meeting him at the ANS Coinage of the Americas Conferences in New York about the time the JRCS was started. Unfortunately, we chanced to meet only a few times and briefly since. While I never knew his family, please add me to the many of our JRCS friends in expressing our regrets and best wishes.
Surely, we must consider an appropriate memorial within JRCS.

Bob Stark #18 JRCS

------

Hunter Wunch wrote:

I wanted to point out some info regarding an eBay auction that might save fellow JR Newsletter recipients some time and return shipping fees. I bought this 1828 dime last week and returned it because the reverse has been re-tooled where the strike is weak in E Pluribus Unum. The seller didn't mention it in the first auction, and it's been relisted again without mention of the damage.

Thanks,
Hunter

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALL-ORIGINAL-VF-1828-LARGE-DATE-CURLED-2-BUST-SILVER-DIME-NO-RESERVE-/200673173996?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item2eb90da1ec

JR Newsletter: 6 November 2011 (61)

2011-11-06T08:05:00.000-05:00

We received the sad news of the passing of David J.Davis, JRCS #1. David passed away on Wednesday, November 2, 2011. Below you can read contributions by a fewmembers of the numismatic community who offer information and remembrancesabout David:

From David's Family:

David Jerome Davis 8-3-38to 11-2-11

David Jerome Davis lost his 2 1/2 year battle with cancer onWednesday, November 2, 2011.

David, 73, is survived by his loving wife Janet, daughtersEllen & Martha Waara (husband Charles Busha), grandson Joshua Waara,sisters Madonna (Herb) Duval, Christine (Richard) Russell of Cincinnati, OH andbrother Darryl Davis of Pittsburgh, PA.Nieces Verya Lyn, John, Kevin, Karen, Stephen, Eric, Jessica, Matthew andAlexander. Great uncle to Caroline, Gretchen, Olivia, Coltonand Rachel. David is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Paula (1999).

David retired from Ford Motor Company. He was an engineerthere for 33 years. Following retirement, when he wasn't spending time on hisnumerous collections, he designed and built his uniquely beautiful, peaceful,energy efficient home on Pleasant Lake,Manchester, MI.

David interrupted his first job as draftsman at OwensCorning to spend four years in the Navy, mostly aboard the USS Independenceduring the Bay of Pigs invasion. He returned to Dearbornafter the Navy, and stayed there until moving to Ford.

After his family, David's real passion was his collectionsstarting with slide photos of covered bridges across America,but quickly moving to rare coins and paper money issued by the first 200 USbanks.. David and fellow collectors authored a book on dimes. He also collectedantique maps, clocks, miniature globes, cast iron banks, books oncounterfeiting, knives, post cards of Michigandepots and more.

Before his illness, David was the self-appointed ambassadorfor Pleasant Lake,walking its four mile perimeter daily on litter patrol, visiting withneighbors.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, November 6 at 4PM at the Unitarian Universalist of AnnArbor. 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Road Ann Arbor, MI

Please visit David's personal webpage at www.niefuneralhomes.comto read further and/or leave a memory.

From Michael J.Sullivan:

On November 2, the numismaticcommunity lost a highly respected member - David Davis. I startedcorresponding with David more than 15 years ago when he resided in Ypsilanti, Michigan. When Iwas introduced to David as a collector of counterfeit detectors, I quicklyrealized his breadth of interests and depth of knowledge to include bustcoinage, national bank notes, and Michigantokens, among many other areas. The Davis - Logan - Lovejoy -McCloskey - Subjack work titled "Early United States Dimes,1796-1837: a Reference Book of Their Type, Varieties and Rarity," (1984)set a new standard for subsequent bust coinage research. The quality ofthe work stands on its own merit as, 27 years later, no title has supersededthis work. Only a single new capped bust dime variety has been discoveredsince the book was published. He made numerous contributions tothe John Reich Collectors Society including holding the position of pastpresident.

I met David in Cincinnatiin early 2011 at which time he was doing quite well with cancer therapy - evenplowing his own snow in the harsh Michiganwinter. Last week, I was fortunate to meet David again at his home on thelake in Manchester, Michigan. Although he was clearly in immense discomfort, his mind was as sharp as anarrow and he shared with me many stories from his collecting days. I also learned a new term: FROG - Finished Room Over Garage. WhenDavid constructed his new home on the lake in Manchester, he built the FROGas his "collecting cave." The room, fittingly paintedgreen, must have a massive support structure as it was full of banker bookcases, research material, and many modern heavy coated paper auctioncatalogs. Yet, there was zero settling in the floor !!! Hewill be sadly missed and fondly remembered.

From Jon Lusk:

On Wednesday morning around ten AM, David J. Davis died. It was fast and painless. He had slippedinto a coma about eight hours earlier.

Collector, researcher, author, and friend. Up until this past summer, the onlypresident JRCS has had.

I remember well the morning three years ago when he appeared at my door havingjust come from the doctor and told me that he had a large mass in his chestthat wasn't there six months earlier. I would have never thought I would havethree years more years of sharing coin shows and research with him. I am happyfor those years - but still very sad at his passing.

His memorial service is planned for this Sunday. He'll be missed.

From Stephen A. Crain:

It is with great sadness that Inote the passing of fellow JRCS member David Davis onWednesday, November 2. David was a charter member of the JRCS, and itsfirst and only president, from its inception in 1985 until this past August, when he stepped down due to his declininghealth. David was also the editor of the John Reich Journal from 1985 until1992, and a co-author of "Early United States Dimes 1796-1837". Davidfought a valiant battle with his illness, and appeared quite healthy andvigorous at the summer ANA in Boston last summer.

Although I have known David for a quarter century, I only came to know him wellin recent years. He always had time to share stories with me during our annualvisits at the ANA, and JRCS annual meetings. When the Logan/McCloskey halfdime reference was being written and researched, David volunteered to retracethe 1883 research of Harold P. Newlin ("A Classification of the EarlyHalf Dimes of the United States"), researching the auction appearancesof the 1802 half dime. Newlin accounted for sixteen confirmed examples in 1883,and it was widely believed that the number had increased to approximately twicethat figure by 1998, when the half dime reference was written. I spoke withDavid after his research had been completed, but before the half dime book waspublished, and asked him how many 1802 half dimes had been accounted for. Iwill never forget his fascinating response, when he replied, "Do you mean realones?" He told of being the bearer of bad news when he identified that the1802 half dimes in the collections of two of the country's leading numismaticorganizations were deemed to be counterfeit, and he was simultaneously deemed personanon grata in those institutions.

David called me about a year ago, to let me know that he was weeding out someof his numismatically related items, and wondered if I might be interested inowning one particular item. He went on to describe this item, and with everyword my interest was piqued. He described a tiny round 'pill box', expertlycrafted with a Capped Bust Half Dime in the top, and another in the bottom ofthe box. He had acquired this item more than thirty years ago, from Stewart Witham, and it was a prized treasure in his collection.Apparently, David's good friend Russ Logan had seen the pill box, andconstantly hounded him to acquire it. David had no interest in selling the pillbox, but assured Russ that whenever he did decide to sell it, Russ would be thenew owner. Sadly, Russ was never to make such an acquisition, as he was takenfrom us much too early. When David finally did decide to sell the pill box, hethought of me, and I have always been humbled and honored by his act ofkindness.

David will likely always be remembered for his leadership in the JRCS, for hisremarkable research in the co-authorship of the Bust dime book, and for thecomprehensive collections of Bust coins that he assembled over many years. Butto many of us, David will also be remembered as a mentor and friend, who alwayshad an interesting anecdote to share with his fellow collectors. He will besadly missed. RIP, my friend.

The pictures belowcame from the Nie Family Funeral Home's website:

JR Newsletter: 30 October 2011 (60)

2011-10-30T18:56:00.000-04:00

One contribution this week. Dave Kahn wrote:

As many of you already know, ourcollecting community recently lost a good friend and a great collector. Dale Heisler, of La Porte, IN past awayOctober 2nd, at the much too-young age of 68.

Dale and his wonderful and verydedicated wife Edith were regulars at most of the big coin shows – ANA, FUN andCentral States – and at almost any show held in the Upper Midwest. The two of them were never far apart, and Idon’t recall ever seeing one without the other. In time, Bust half dollars became theircollecting focus and Dale became member #113 of the Bust Half Nut Club. The Heisler collection of Capped Bust halvesincludes 445 different varieties – a herculean feat these days – but Dalediscovered along the way that he was fascinated by the wide array of die statesthat were available. As the collectiongrew and new varieties were slower in coming, Dale focused almost exclusivelyon rare, unusual or interesting die states.

As with many true collectors,there is a range of grade and quality represented within the collection. Slabbed, or raw, VF or AU, cleaned or gem –none of that was Dale’s primary motivation. If a rare variety or a die state he’d never seen before becameavailable, Dale was likely to find a way to own it. That’s the way complete, or nearly complete,collections are built. And build theydid! The Heisler Collection includesnearly 800 coins, and truly offers something for everyone. There are a few Capped Bust quarters and evena couple of Capped Bust half dimes, but the vast majority are halves – 83Pre-Turbans and well over 650 Turbans, including a few Reeded Edge coins andeven a small selection of Contemporary Counterfeits. Indeed, “something for everyone” is not anoverstatement here.

Brian Greer and I have been askedto handle the sale of the Heisler Collection. We are working hard to prepare the coins for sale, and will offer thelion’s share at the upcoming Whitman Baltimore show, November 17 thru 20, atthe Baltimore Convention Center. We willbe sharing table space with our friends at Higleyville Coin Company at tablenumber 1600. Note that our latearrangements did not allow us to be listed in the program. The Baltimore show is usually a wonderfulcoin show even without the added incentive of being able to select from theHeisler coins. We invite you to join usfor this great opportunity.

Dave
JRCS-445

JR Newsletter: 23 October 2011 (59)

2011-10-23T08:27:00.001-04:00

Brad DePew wrote:

For the last few years I have had to slow down on coin buying in part due to a slowing economy and in part due to kids starting college. I have changed my strategy so I at least keep an eye on the market periodically. I have tried to watch Bust dimes at G to F grades. They generally sell at a price that won't cause a response from my wife, unless I get a few too many.

I usually go on Ebay just because it is convenient and I can bid on the go. So, this week I did my usual search and spotted a 1822 Bust Dime. It was damaged at the front of the band and at the reciprocal spot on the back; the bottom of the right wing, Apparently, someone tried to punch a hole in it but was not successful. Other than that, it was gradable and had as much detail on it as I like to see in other coins so I can attribute. It was selling for $125 already, but I gladly would have paid that even it I had to justify it to my wife. I thought the partial hole would give me the opportunity to get this coin, I would finally have a chance to complete my year set for the series. All I needed was for everybody to leave this coin alone so I could outbid the current holder.(not likely, but I had to watch it)

I had to go to my nieces birthday party with the family, but I would try to keep an eye on it. Well, with everything going on, I forgot to watch it. On the way home , I remembered the coin and tried to get home before the auction ended. I couldn't check because I was driving, and I didn't want to ask my wife to bid for a coin. So, I waited till I got home. When I finally got home, the auction had ended and the coin sold for $483.78 There were 10 bidders and 24 bids. The coin sold for what I would have thought it was worth without the damage, but I probably would have been willing to pay the price and more just to complete my year set. I guess I will keep searching.

Brad

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In response to Jeff Tryka and his 1809 Bust Half, Ralph Muñoz wrote:

In my opinion, It looks to be genuine O-103. Sometimes the color of a silver coin can be influenced by where the coin has been stored or has been played with. Various degrees of heat can also change a coins appearance. I also have seen a few coins that have that dull white-yellow color. But to say specifically how it happen...would be a tough call. The more you see weird stuff like this; the more you kind of get used to it.

Ralph

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Phil Carrigan wrote (in response to Richard Meaney's comments about attributing half dime remarriages):

You write a fine lesson of methodically & critically attributing a Capped Bust Half Dime.

While I compliment you on your instruction, I don't follow this path always, as I want to hit on the LM number in what may be the straight-away approach. Straight-away approaches may be seen mathematically as a tangent going out to the deep dark space (of nowhere) or some basic pseudo-logic called "I know how!"

Thanks,
Phil

------

Brad Karoleff wrote:

It is time to begin thinking about the upcoming EAC/JRCS show May 3-6 in Buffalo. We will again have a happening room to view interesting silver coins. We need to determine which die marriages we will study for each series. We traditionally select one each half dime, dime, quarter, dollar and two halves. If anyone would like to suggest specific coins to study please let us know through the JR Newsletter.

We also need volunteers to help with the viewing. Anyone who is planning on attending the show and would like to help can also volunteer through this newsletter or by contacting me directly at jrcs19 (at) roadrunner.com. Should anyone have specific questions, please let me know.

More information about the show can be obtained from the each website, www.eacs.org. If you are a dealer please consider taking a table.

JR Newsletter: 16 October 2011 (58)

2011-10-16T08:36:00.002-04:00

I received no other contributions this week other than the one I planned to submit, so here are my comments:

First, I was surprised there was no input on Jeff Tryka's 1809 bust half dollar. Surely, there is at least one half dollar collector out there with some information or an opinion?

Second, I wanted to add to the discussion concerning attribution of die remarriages for capped bust half dimes. In addition to studying capped bust half dimes extensively, I have focused on attribution methods for die marriages more so than most fellow collectors. I firmly believe that Russell Logan and John McCloskey gave us a generally-simple and almost-foolproof formula to attribute half dime remarriages, yet many collectors do not take advantage of the formula offered in "Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837."

Far too often, in my opinion, instead of using the remarriage charts created by Logan and McCloskey (pages 65- 77 of "Federal Half Dimes") when determining a specific coin's remarriage, collectors try to decipher die remarriage by examining pictures and reading obverse and reverse die state descriptions offered throughout the book for each die marriage. I believe it is a better choice (that results in greater accuracy) to use the die remarriage charts on pages 65-77 when trying to attribute a remarriage...here are three reasons why:

1. The remarriage charts were specifically designed for the purpose of quick identification and attribution of die remarriages.

2. The remarriage charts contain key/essential pick-up points that focus collectors immediately on the pertinent die state characteristic(s) that must be seen (or not seen) to correctly determine the die remarriage.

3. The authors tell us specifically how to use the die remarriage charts when they state, "all of the previously noted die deterioration attributes for a specific die marriage should be plainly visible on the coin in question." This means that when one follows the flow charts of pages 65-77, one has a simple "check list" of characteristics to look for when trying to attribute a specific coin.

Readers may consider an article I wrote for the John Reich Journal (December 2006), entitled "Understanding Capped Bust Half Dime Remarriages," for further information.

JR Newsletter: 9 October 2011 (57)

2011-10-09T08:29:00.001-04:00

David Lange wrote (regarding last week's correspondence about an 1829 half dime):

I read this exchange with interest, since I do the variety attributions
for NGC. I'd like to add my observations as to why this coin was labeled
LM-6.1.

As a matter of policy I've always held that a coin has to have ALL the
features described and/or illustrated for a particular die state for me
to advance it to that listing. Otherwise, it falls back to the earlier
die state. This policy works well for coin series in which the standard
reference books are incomplete and do not address remarriages, such as
is the case with Overton. It is extremely difficult to apply to highly
specific references such as the LM book and the VAM website, both of
which present ambiguous situations. In these instances it is often
exceedingly difficult to make the call, as both Mark and Richard
discovered with this coin.

Typically, for most early coin series the earlier die state is the more
common one and a safer attribution, but 1829 LM-6 is certainly an
exception. In my judgement there were features attributed to LM-6.2 in
the book that were simply not evident on this specimen. I did agonize
over it for longer than I can usually afford to spend, given the large
numbers of coins I have to attribute daily across all series. I can't
guarantee that it would not receive the same attribution if submitted
raw five years from now.

NGC will occasionally make 11th hour changes to auction coins that we
agree are mis-attributed, and Mark has sent back such pieces from time
to time. We can certainly reconsider this piece in light of the
information provided.

David W. Lange
Research Director
Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC)
(T) 941-360-3990 x152
(F) 941-360-2553
www.NGCcoin.com

------

Jeff Tryka wrote:

Thanks for the great and informative newsletter, I appreciate the regular updates and information, even when it relates to areas that I don't really collect. I have an interesting 1809 bust half that I picked up at a recent show (images below), and it appears to be struck in copper and painted silver (at least that's how I'd describe the appearance). So my first thoughts were perhaps this was a contemporary counterfeit, struck in copper and painted silver or plated in silver. Maybe it was a wrong planchet error, given that the large cent was close in size and weight, but then why would it look like it was painted silver? The mint wouldn't make a pattern in copper or strike a coin on the wrong planchet and then try to pass it off as silver. The weight was about 13.1 grams, which given the wear would be about right I suppose, and after reviewing it further with the dealer, he thought it might have been in a fire, and that's what caused the appearance. I am just at a loss on this one, I've seen hundreds of bust halves in the years I've been collecting, but nothing ever like this. I've attached a few photos of the coin (pardon my meager photography skills) including some that are a side-by-side comparison to a "normal" 1809 half. If anyone out there has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them!

Jeff Tryka

JR Newsletter: 2 October 2011 (56)

2011-10-02T15:42:00.003-04:00

I have an interesting correspondence to share. I corresponded with Mark Borckhardt at Heritage concerning a half dime in an auction. I thought the pictures portrayed an 1829 LM-6.2 die marriage, yet the NGC attribution was 1829 LM-6.1. With Mr. Borckhardt's permission, I have recreated the correspondence here:

From Richard Meaney to Heritage:

There is a capped bust half dime in the October 13-16 US Coins Signature Auction #1160 that I believe is misattributed and deserves a closer look. The coin is described as "1829 H10C --Improperly Cleaned-- NGC Details. Unc. LM-6.1" I believe the coin is not an LM-6.1, instead it is an LM-6.2. The difference to a specialist is significant, since the LM-6.1 is very, very scarce. Key attribution points to tell if it is an LM-6.1 as opposed to an LM-6.2 (reference "Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837" especially page 66):

-According to the die remarriage chart referenced above, the first angle of the N of UNITED fills with a tiny die chip during the second use of Reverse E.
-The first use of Reverse E was for the 1829 LM-6.1, the second use was for the 1829 LM-7.1.
-The first 1829 LM-6 die remarriage to feature the filling of the N of UNITED is the 1829 LM-6.2.
-The coin in the Heritage auction features a die chip in the N of UNITED, indicating to me that it was struck after the 1829 LM-6.1 and must therefore be an 1829 LM-6.2.

NGC and PCGS have a difficult time with this attribution, as each has made the same mistake at least once in the last couple of years.

Thank you for your attention,
Richard Meaney
++

Mr. Borckhardt's response to me:

Richard,

I tend to agree with your opinion that the 1829 Half Dime in our Auction 1160 is LM-6.2, however, there are certain features that suggest it might actually be LM-6.1. I have looked closely at the coin, as well as the descriptions and photos in the LM book. Photos can also be deceiving. Take a look at the upper loop of the final S in the LM plates of LM-6.3 (clearly filled) and LM-7.3 (possibly filled but not nearly as obvious), suggesting that LM-6.3 is a later die state. Compare that to the tops of ER in each photo, with a faint crack to the left top of the E on LM-6.3, and a heavier die crack through the tops of ER on LM-7.3, suggesting that LM-7.3 is a later die state.

Below are my observations, and I will look forward to your final thoughts. Afterward, I will see about modifying the description accordingly.
Sincerely,
Mark Borckardt

1829 LM-6.1, 6.2, and 7.1
-The early die states of Reverse E, and the correct attribution of LM-6.1, 7.1, and 6.2, can be extremely difficult. The Logan-McCloskey work records the following die stages of Reverse E:

LM-6.1: Strong devices and dentils. Both berries have distinct stems.
LM-7.1: First angle of N fills with small die chip.
LM-6.2: First angle of N filled with small die chip. Small cud forms in dentils above M. Die crack forms from rim through top of E3.

The reverse die was clearly lapped between its use for LM-7.1 and LM-6.2. It may also have been lapped between its use for LM-6.1 and LM-7.1.

Admittedly, the presence of a tiny die chip in the angle of the N would suggest die state LM-6.2. The later die state of LM-6.3 has the top loop of the final S filled, so that die state is not applicable to this discussion. There are a couple features visible in the LM-6.1 and LM-7.1 plates in Logan-McCloskey that are not visible in the LM-6.2 plate, and another feature of LM-6.2 that is not apparent in the plates of the earlier die states.

1. Although faint, both berries have complete stems visible for LM- 6.1 and LM-7.1, with the stem of the upper berry actually appearing stronger on the plate of LM-7.1. The stem to the upper berry is
entirely absent in the plate of LM-6.2 and later states.

2. The right base of the F is clearly repunched, visible in the plates of LM-6.1 and LM-7.1, although that repunching is not visible on LM-6.2 or later.

3. Each letter in E PLURIBUS UNUM in the LM-6.2 plate appears to have a reflective appearance, suggesting the die was lapped prior to that die state.

4. The die crack to the left top of E3 begins to form on LM-6.2 and becomes obvious on later states.

Features of the piece in our sale 1160 suggest more strongly that it is LM-6.1, but other features suggest it may be LM-6.2

A. The upper berry has a complete stem, suggesting LM-6.1
B. The repunched right base of the F is sharply visible, suggesting LM-6.1
C. While the surrounding field is mildly reflective, there is no reflective or mirrored appearance within the letters of the motto, suggesting LM-6.1
D. There is evidence of a tiny die chip in the angle of the N, suggesting LM-6.2
E. There is an extremely faint trace of the die crack to the left top of E3 suggesting LM-6.2

++

My response to Mr. Borckhardt's thorough, in-hand analysis:

Mark,

You have a great advantage of having the coin in hand...a very fortunate circumstance. It's tough out here in "customer land" trying to decipher die marriages and remarriages without such a benefit. That being said, it seems to me that the two key factors your description provides are:

D. There is evidence of a tiny die chip in the angle of the N, suggesting LM-6.2

E. There is an extremely faint trace of the die crack to the left top of E3 suggesting LM-6.2

I suggest that these two observations indicate to me that the coin is likely an example of the 1829 LM-6.2, since the LM-6.2 was struck after the 1829 LM-7.1. One should see the die chip in N and crack at E3 in examples of the LM-7.1 and the LM-6.2, but certainly not in any examples of the LM-6.1.

I know I will treat it as an 1829 LM-6.2 based on the information at hand (and therefore not be part of the bidding...I so WISHED it was an LM-6.1, since I need an example of that remarriage).

If you think it would be helpful, I could solicit opinions of other half dime specialists such as Steve Crain and Glenn Peterson.

Thank you,

Richard Meaney

++

And the final bit of correspondence back to me from Mr. Borckhardt:

I tend to agree with your thoughts. I'll change the description. Thanks so much for your observations and also for letting us know about it.

++

My comments to those reading this edition of the JR Newsletter: I got a response back from Heritage VERY quickly on my inquiry. Mr. Borckhardt and I were able to have a substantive discussion via email, allowing us to reach a conclusion that should help collectors or dealers who may be interested in the coin. The body of Mr. Borckhardt's writings contain some really neat pointers as to how he goes about identifying die states that I think many of us could appreciate and possibly throw into our respective "bags of tricks" when we evaluate coins. I did discuss this coin with one fellow specialist and he also agreed that it was an 1829 LM-6.2.

I hope you enjoyed this information,
Richard Meaney

------

Bob Stark wrote:

Thank You, Richard. I do enjoy opening the JR Letter each Sunday--and would enjoy it even more if early dollar scribes contributed.

Best wishes,
Bob Stark

JR Newsletter: 25 September 2011 (55)

2011-09-25T08:34:00.003-04:00

Lots of responses this week to a question posed last week regarding a holed bust dime sold on eBay. As readers will see, we have some experts who participate here!

Winston Zack wrote:

Commenting on the 1829 "coin" from eBay, and to answer your questions. 1) The denomination is a dime (which you were probably well aware of). 2) Is it an altered date? Funny thing about ebay images are that you need to do a lot of self-interpretation - is 'such-and-such' a product of the image (shadow, fuzziness of pixels, etc), or am I REALLY seeing what I'm seeing? This is a tough one to precisely interpret, but I would say there is a shadow or 'dirt' covering the bottom of the '2' in the date making it appear like the digit is curled. 3) It is not a JR-10. It is a JR-3, and you can tell this by how far the top curl of the 2 leans over the bottom base of the two. Another unique feature of this die marriage is the position of the '9' relative to the lower hair curls of Liberty's Bust. These two factors narrow it down to the 1829 JR-3 die marriage, unless of course the '2' in the date is curled whereby this would be a new Curled Base 2 die marriage - stranger things have happened, so I'm not ruling out this possibility, but I don't put much weight on it as an outcome!

Best,

Winston

------

Dave Shirlen wrote:

I am not sure what it is, but it definitely is not a genuine 29 curl base dime. The "2" is completely wrong for the variety - a genuine coin has a thin line for the upper curl of the 2 which connects to the knob of the 2. That 2 is so blundered that I would guess an old altered coin.
Dave Shirlen

------

David Quint wrote:

The 1829 dime (if it is a dime) looks, based on the positioning of the date and the slants of the digits, like an Obverse 2 to me, making it a JR-3.

------

Louis Scuderi wrote:

Hello from Beijing! Definitely not a curl base 2 dime but definitely a bust dime rather than a half dime. The 2 may be altered to look like a curl base but the 9 is positioned incorrectly to be the real coin. The obverse and reverse details, for what little there is of the reverse (the smallish C in 10 C and its position), suggest an 1829 JR3. Not certain what has been done with the 2 but it is way too thick on top and the bottom has been altered from the flat based two of the 29 JR3. All-in-all the curl base on this example doesn't have the same compactness that the real coin has.

Louis

------

Hunter Wunch wrote:

When I saw the last JR Newsletter regarding a possible curl base 1829 dime on Ebay I had my doubts, but because of my interest in bust dimes I wanted to make an effort to figure out what it is. Many times it can be difficult to determine a die marriage, whether it be from bad pictures, extremely worn details or both...my included picture shows one method I use to help me make an educated guess. Since the letters and numbers of all the early coinage were hand punched into the dies, none of the dies are exactly alike. What I like to do is use the details I can see on the coin and connect it with a straight line to another given on the coin. Once you have a few points of reference, you can use pictures of known die marriages to find the coin that matches your points of reference. In the included photo (posted below...click on the image to enlarge it), I drew a line through S1, S13 and the left edge of the "9"...As you can see, the JR-10 is quickly ruled out. The quickest way I've found to use this method at home is a straight edge of some kind (I usually use a business card) right on my computer screen!

Being unable to see the reverse details or hold in my hand the coin in question, my conclusion is this is an altered date 1829 JR-3 dime. I hope others have some input on this coin, or maybe if we are very lucky a member here purchased the coin and can provide better pictures!

I also want to mention that none of the coins in the included image are mine, though I have obtained permission from the current owner of this JR-10 for my message here.

Hunter Wunch

------

Rich Uhrich wrote:

The coin is definitely NOT an 1829 curl base 2 dime. The top part of the 2 on that rare variety dime tilts back towards the 9 and on the ebay coin the top part of the 2 doesn't tilt back towards the 9.

Just as a suggestion, a good way to confirm or deny an attribution is to examine a picture of the genuine variety on a trusted website. Such websites would include reliable auction houses as well as dealers who specialize in that coin series.

Rich Uhrich

------

Now on to different topics!

Ralph Muñoz wrote:

For your viewing pleasure. Has anyone ever seen a Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Money Clip with a Bust Half Dollar? The initials NRC are engraved on the back. It's a 1827 O115.

Ralph

#179

------

Alan V. Weinberg wrote:

Some recent John Reich engraved mint medal information:

June 16, 2011 a Baker 58 Julian CM 5 , jugated busts of GW & Benj Franklin / 1783 eagle over globe , engraved by John Reich and part of the Jos. Sansom medal series struck circa 1805, in gem proof silver in the original engraved silver case auctioned for a bit over $21,000 ($18K hammer) in a small town Pa antique auction. It nevertheless attracted four separate bidders all of whom happened to be on the Balto coin show bourse floor at the time of the PA auction. Ford auction records for a similar specimen approached $50 grand some 5 yrs ago.

Sept 10, 2011 the owner of a superb silver proof Betts 546 Julian CM 8 , Franklin Lightning Averted.../ Beaver at tree 1776, also part of the Reich Sansom medal series, was on the Long Beach coin show bourse floor and the owner turned down a $35,000 offer. It is the perhaps the rarest of the six Sansom medals in silver. While Ford cataloguer Mike Hodder says approx 20 silvers are known in the Ford Betts II auction, it is in fact known by only 4 or 5 specimens in silver. The only Reich Sansom medal in silver known by 20 specimens (or more) is the Baker 71 Julian PR 1 "Presidency Relinquished" silver.

Alan V. Weinberg

------

Clay Blaney wrote:

I enjoy your comments and hope you keep them coming even if you do have other material.

Thanks for your work,

Clay Blaney, Member JRCS

------

JRCS Bust Dime Census

Anyone who would like their Draped and/or Capped Bust Dimes included in the upcoming JRCS census, please send a list of the die marriage and grades of your coins to David Quint at dimecensus@yahoo.com

The census will be published in the next issue of the John Reich Journal.

JR Newsletter: 18 September 2011 (54)

2011-09-18T08:40:00.001-04:00

We had no contributions this week, so your editor's comments are the ones you will have to live with until next week:

First, I usually limit myself to the early half dime category when searching for coins on ebay. I saw one coin close last night that was labeled "1829 Dime" although it was in the early half dime category. I thought the coin would sell for much more than the six or seven dollars that it did...but then again, I collect half dimes and really don't know my dimes too well.

A link to the closed auction is here: eBay Link

Images of the coin that I took directly from the auction are below:

So, the obvious questions are (1) is it a dime in the wrong category or an early half dime in the right category? and (2) is it an altered date? and (3) is it a genuine 1829 JR-10? What are the thoughts of the readers of the JR Newsletter?

Second thought and question of the week: What were your impressions of the recently-closed Stack's Auction? I noted there were a few nice half dimes in the auction, including at least one capped bust half dime that was from the "Logan Duplicate Auction" held by Brad Karoleff a few years ago.

JR Newsletter: 11 September 2011 (53)

2011-09-11T08:02:00.002-04:00

David Quint wrote:

Last call for anyone who would like their Draped and/or Capped Bust Dimes included in the upcoming JRCS Early Dime Census. Please send a list of the varieties and conditions of your coins to David Quint at dimecensus (at) yahoo.com

Thank you

------
We had a few responses to the images of an 1837 LM-1 half dime posted by the editor:

From Rick Beale: Wow! Nice coin, nice pics.

From David Perkins: Great photos! Thanks.

From Craig Eberhart: Nice photos Richard! Did you take these? If so, what lens are you using for the photo beyond the normal macro of 1:1?
(Editor's response: I did not take these photos. The photographer is Mark Goodman. I don't know the specifics of what he used to image this particular coin. Mark has written a book (now in second edition) on numismatic photography that I highly recommend: Numismatic Photography, 2nd Edition, by Mark Goodman. Available through Amazon.com and other booksellers)

From Paul Kluth: Great looking Half Dime and with strong clashing to boot to go with the wonderful toning! Is that an early stage bisecting die crack coming out of K-12 on the obverse? The clashed date on the reverse in splendid rainbow colors is just awesome. Thanks for sharing as it made my numismatic moment+++ for the day.
(Editor's response: Thanks, Paul. I was first interested in the coin for its striking colors. Further study showed me the die crack which you described, the clashing all over, and the clashing of the date onto the reverse of the coin. I've not seen too many examples of this die marriage with the date clash on the reverse...definitely something to watch for when looking at 1837 half dimes!)
------

Brad Karoleff wrote:

Dime collectors should submit their collection data to David Quint as soon as possible, since I plan on sending out the next issue of the John Reich Journal, which will include the dime census, in October/November.
------

Harry Cabluck wrote:

I have inlcuded Bust Half Dollar photos used in the first attempt at axis lighting.

An interesting obverse, it appears the planchet may have been pre-struck under high pressure by the edge of another Bust Half. One might read DOLL HAL upside down in reverse raised letters inside the gash. Would be happy to send the coin to an expert who might have a better than 30X microscope.

Harry Cabluck

------

Nathan Markowitz wrote:

The Dr Hesselgesser Dollar Sale

Labor day was a holiday for most but not for the folks atGoldberg who were charged with the auction of the largest die marriage set ofearly dollars to cross the block since the Bill Luebke collection at theJanuary 2007 FUN sale. I had a front row seat. But I did not attend. Instead the wonders of wi-fi and the iPadallowed me to watch live from my home desk whilst listening to the strongthermal breezes of late summer. Whatwould Jules Reiver, or AJ Ostheimer think, let alone Mister Bolenderhimself. Methinks it was rather cool as137 dollars crossed the block in addition to those he sold in the June Goldbergsale. Herein are just a few comments ona very large sale. I defer to others whomay have more knowledge. In honor ofBill Luebke and his service to JR news; I should start with: “And away we go…”

One might summarize the sale as loaded with high conditioncensus examples; indeed many of the coins currently graded AU or better. Given the extent of the collection many R7sand R8s graced the pages of the dedicated catalog amongst the more “common”coins. Many of the PRLs seemed amazinglyclose to estimates as I watched the numbers tick by…I have not carefullyanalyzed the results. Amongst manyexamples to highlight I have chosen a few….

Lot 5001, 1795 B3 was an early favorite as a pretty coin andboth a condition rarity and with a neat(and rare) reverse die break; hammeringfor 17K.

Lot 5014, a 1795 missing leaf Bolender 6 hammered at87.5K. I first saw this coin at theinaugural EAC/JRCS show in St Louis. Isat and watched as John Dannreuther and early dollar specialist David Perkinsanalyzed the missing leaf and the mechanism whereby this may have occurred inthe mint of 1795. It was a true treat tosimply be a “fly on the wall” and listen to their analysis and debate and thatimmediately made that convention a delight….not to mention the visit to theNewman money museum. But I digress. This early dollar has now found a new home...somewhere.

1796 had one of the true rarities, Lot 5024 hammered at52.5K. With two known one may scarce seeanother for years. Personally, I wonderif others lurk somewhere given the somewhat subtle die characteristics…severaldollars are easy to misattribute.

1798 is loaded with rarities. Lot 5035, the badly vertically shatteredreverse hammered at 15K. Although R6,surprisingly three of these were in the famous 1975 Superior ANAsale and two of these changed hands in August 2011! I have always been partial to the 1798 B32with the soft die failure on stars 6-7, the undisputed finest of which sold inthis sale(Lot 5033) for 65K hammer. Additionally, two 1798 B16s sold as lots 5047 and 5048.

Amongst the later dates were several rarities, although lessthan the early dates. The 1803 B6 hadtwo examples(Lots 5136 and 5137 at the end), the finer Lot5136 hammered for 30K on a 25K estimate.

I could add several other interesting comments/favorites butwill allow others to analyze and expound on this sale. Congratulations are due for his assemblage ofthis extensive collection. I expect thenew caretakers of these coins will enjoy them equally well.

------

A final note from the editor: Please, don't forget to submit your dime census to David Quint by sending him an email at dimecensus (at) yahoo.com

JR Newsletter: 4 September 2011 (52)

2011-09-04T07:58:00.002-04:00

No contributions this week, so please enjoy these photos of an 1837 LM-1 Capped Bust Half Dime (click photos to enlarge)

JR Newsletter: 28 August 2011 (51)

2011-08-28T10:00:00.000-04:00

Winston Zack wrote:

I think it is an excellent idea to hold JRCS meetings at all/most major shows. The United States is a very large country, and some of us cannot make the long travel plans to fly across the country to attend the 1 or 2 JRCS meetings per year. So, expanding the number of locations where JRCS meetings take place will only allow for more members to become engaged with other members, and likely increase organization membership. This is a step in the right direction for this organization.

Winston Zack
------

Rich Uhrich wrote:

I would not usually use the JR Newsletter to announce new purchases, but this one is quite special:

1800 half dime, LM-2, PCGS F-12, the discovery coin for the variety, 3rd finest known of 6 known specimens of the variety. Pictures of the coin will soon be on my website www.richuhrichcoins.com and contact information is on the site also.

Rich

------

JR Newsletter: 21 August 2011 (50)

2011-08-21T10:43:00.000-04:00

ANA has just finished! Your editor had a great time there. I renewed friendships and started new ones. I saw a lot of coins and even bought a couple. I do hope people will share their ANA experiences with the JR Newsletter!

From the JRCS meeting at the ANA: The JRCS will begin to hold society meetings at major coin shows. Formerly, only the Summer ANA was the time for the JRCS to meet. Future larger shows such as FUN, Spring/Fall ANA, Baltimore, etc will feature a meeting of JRCS members for the purpose of camaraderie, information-sharing, and a program/educational session. Dr. Glenn Peterson has volunteered to organize the JRCS meeting at the January 2012 FUN show. If other JRCS members wish to volunteer their time to organize a meeting at a coin show, please speak up!
------
Bill Hancock wrote in response to Jim Matthews' comments in our last JR Newsletter:

Interesting comment about the Stack's catalog. I have not received one since Bowers took over, which is a shame because I think I had bid in every Stack's auction for the last 3 or 4 years and now I do not even get the catalogs. And I consigned my entire collection to them two years ago. Now its Bowers, I don't seem to exist to them.

And the website is a horror to browse lots. First we had to overcome Bowers taking it over, now we have to overcome Bowers-Merena taking them over.

Bill Hancock

------

Harry Cabluck wrote:

Wow! What a coin fraternity.

Uproarious thanks to you, David Lange, Louis Scuderi and Ralph Munoz for attributing the 1827 Overton 120a.

Also the information about Coinzip.com.

Harry Cabluck

------

Dick Kurtz wrote:

This is just a quick note to express appreciation for Jim Matthews write up about the "lost" 1836 O.106 proof with a Crushed Letter Edge. I have 3 business strike 106s, one the "a" version, but I'm still looking for a prime XF with a truly well defined reverse periphery. Do they exist?

Dick Kurtz, JRCS 049

JR Newsletter: 12 August 2011 (49)

2011-08-12T07:04:00.002-04:00

Many people have either already left their homes and headed to Rosemont, IL for the ANA Summer Show or will soon be doing so, thus this week's edition of the JR Newsletter is early. For those of you going to the show, I hope you have a wonderful time and are willing to share your experiences at the show by submitting a contribution or two to this newsletter (hint, hint).
------
Jim Matthews wrote:

By now everyone should have their Stack's-Bowers ANA catalogs. If not please call Adrianne at 800-458-4646. There are so many great coins in this auction it would be impossible to list them all.

One of coins I consigned is an extremely rare 1800 LM-2, V-3 half dime as lot 8204. This is the discovery coin from the New Netherlands #53 (June 1959, lot 438) where Walter Breen discovered and described it. For all the searching of the last 50+ years a total of 5 have been found thus far. The finest is AU-58 and held in an advanced collection. I actually have a second example that's a very late die state and decided to keep that coin and let this piece go. PCGS grades it as F-12, and the other three known examples have varying degrees of problems or damage and probably won't be certified unless they are in net grade or genuine holders.

Another favorite of mine was the 1836 O-106 half dollar in Proof, which I wrote about here previously. I actually haven't seen that coin since it came back in the edge view holder from NGC, so am looking forward to the ANA to see it once again.

There are all sorts of high grade to modest grade rarities, and I can't recall a time when so many collector coins have appeared in a single ANA auction. Needless to say, there is something for everyone and every budget.

If anyone has any questions about a specific lot, feel free to contact me and we'll do our best to assist.

Meanwhile I'm looking forward to seeing the latest John Reich Journal articles and to catch up with the latest half dime census!

Jim
------

We received a few contributions in response to Harry Cabluck's comments concerning his 1827 half dollar (JR Newsletter #48):

"The 1827 half is an O-120a. I happened to have the book open when the newsletter arrived!" -- Dave Lange

"Let Harry know it is 1827 O-120a. Die crack at top of UNITED STATES." -- Louis Scuderi

"In response to Harry Cabluck request for info on his Bust Half Dollar. A very nice looking coin! I would agree with O-120a attribution, a late die state with die cracks showing on the reverse across the United States of America, R3. I don't know if there is a on-line attribution site guide? There is a online site "Coinzip.com" that has many pictures of bust type collector coins already typed. Also listed are various Bust Half dollars by Overton variety numbers. When I attribute all Bust Halves I use the Third Edition of the "Ultimate Guide To Attributing Bust Half Dollars" by Glen R. Peterson, MD which has nice big pictures of the key pick up points of the various halves along with the 2005 Fourth Edition of the Overton Book. The JRCS article on attributing 1827 Half Dollars is good, however I just keep it as a reference copy in my Peterson Book in case I get stuck on the 1827's." -- Ralph Munoz

------

David Quint has an important announcement for dime collectors:

JRCS Bust Dime Census
Anyone who would like their Draped and/or Capped Bust Dimes included in the upcoming JRCS census, please send a list of the die marriage and grades of your coins to David Quint at:

dimecensus (at) yahoo.com

The census will be published in the next issue of the John Reich Journal.
------
Editor's Note: I received an email from Sheridan Downey about the mail bid auction of the late Roger Solomon collection. Roger had some really high quality coins. In fact, I am kind of glad I don't collect early dimes, otherwise I would have to go after the beautiful 1822 dime in the auction (grade PCGS AU=55, ex-Benson!). If you want to learn more about the auction (closing date is August 17th!), check out Sheridan's website: http://www.sheridanscoins.com/

JR Newsletter: 8 August 2011 (48)

2011-08-08T14:35:00.000-04:00

I'm sure Sunday just wasn't the same without your weekly newsletter fix, but I assure you Sunday was odd for your editor too. Sometime during the night between Saturday and Sunday morning, a cable fell from the utility pole and took my internet with it! Fortunately, service has been restored.

Just one contribution for the week, from Harry Cabluck:

I am attempting to attribute this 1827 Bust Half Dollar.

Likely an 0 120, but the pictures in the (revised) 1970 Overton here are too small for positive identification.

Is there an online site where Overtons might be attributed?

Have noted that JRCS #017, Vol. 2, Issue 1, of January 1987 contains an article "Attributing 1827 Half Dollars."

Please advise how one might join JRCS and how to receive a copy of the article above.

Many thanks.

Harry Cabluck

Editor's Note: I sent Harry the link to the membership application. For others interested in joining the JRCS, here is the link to the membership application: http://www.jrcs.org/membershipapplication.html

JR Newsletter: 31 July 2011 (47)

2011-07-31T08:09:00.004-04:00

From the JRCS:

Great news! The latest issue of the "John Reich Journal" is in the mail! Current/paid members of the JRCS should be receiving their copy of the JR Journal during the upcoming week. If you are reading this and are not a member of the JRCS, perhaps now is a good time to consider joining the John Reich Collectors Society. Membership is just $25 per year and includes three issues annually of the award-winning "John Reich Journal" mailed to your home. For a membership application, click this link: http://www.jrcs.org/membershipapplication.html

------

Sheridan Downey wrote:

My catalogue for the Roger Solomon "Selected Rarities Sale" is at the printers and should be available on my web site Sunday afternoon along with a host of new plates. Hard copies will be mailed later this week. The sale closes Wednesday Aug. 17 during the ANA Convention. Lot preview by mail continues through August 12. The coins will be at my bourse table during the PNG/ANA Pre-Show and, of course, the ANA Convention, Aug. 13 through 17. Interested readers are welcome to email me at sdowney3 (at) aol.com or visit my web site, www.sheridanscoins.com. The sale encompasses early half-dimes through dollars, 1795-1837 and should cause a lot of commotion as the sale date approaches.

All the best,

Sheridan

------

Brad Higgins wrote:

The below chart was inexplicably omitted from my article in the new issue of "John Reich Journal" and is an important accompaniment. The data were copied from the 1st and second volumes of the Bullion Journal at the National Archives in Philadelphia. All data entry errors are my own.

date	quantity	warrant #
8/14/1801	8160	213
12/1/1801	21906	225
12/26/1801	223	230

1/26/1802	7910	231
12/8/1802	19660	262
12/10/1802	2320	263

8/29/1803	21000	282
9/3/1803	9539	283
9/14/1803	1176	285

4/11/1804	7920	301
4/20/1804	2528	302
5/11/1804	2568	304
5/31/1804	6742	306
6/12/1804	2411	307
6/29/1804	8450	309
7/27/1804	12000	312
8/1/1804	9000	313
8/8/1804	11580	314
8/21/1804	10000	316
8/24/1804	11890	317
9/3/1804	10000	318
9/13/1804	14080	319
9/24/1804	15000	320
9/27/1804	9550	321
11/2/1804	14000	323
11/8/1804	8800	324

2/4/1805	30000	330
2/9/1805	4000	331
2/19/1805	5490	332
2/22/1805	5998	333
3/6/1805	5900	334
4/8/1805	7000	339
4/17/1805	1940	340
4/25/1805	4000	344
4/29/1805	7000	345

6/7/1805	4000	347
8/3/1805	14000	353
8/13/1805	20500	354
8/20/1805	16700	355
10/8/1805	12190	359
10/30/1805	7948	360
11/24/1805	24000	361
11/27/1805	10500	362
12/4/1805	11000	363
12/6/1805	2236	364
12/31/1805	17000	370

1/11/1806	15000	371
1/23/1806	24000	372
2/4/1806	8890	373
2/13/1806	12500	376
2/19/1806	19000	377
2/21/1806	1000	378
2/26/1806	14000	379
3/6/1806	27000	380
3/21/1806	6000	381
3/28/1806	4000	382
3/29/1806	7000	383
4/4/1806	14000	384
4/10/1806	12000	385
4/18/1806	5000	387
4/19/1806	5000	388
4/21/1806	7000	389
4/23/1806	10000	390
4/25/1806	18000	391
4/29/1806	20000	392
5/2/1806	16000	393
5/15/1806	28000	394
5/17/1806	8000	395
6/20/1806	8000	398
6/26/1806	18000	399
6/30/1806	21740	400
7/23/1806	12000	405
7/26/1806	14000	407
7/30/1806	20000	408
8/1/1806	13000	409
8/18/1806	32000	412
8/22/1806	5230	413
8/30/1806	44000	414
9/26/1806	96000	416
10/21/1806	46574	420
10/31/1806	50000	421
11/20/1806	55581	423
11/27/1806	30000	424
12/9/1806	68000	425
12/19/1806	24601	427

3/2/1807	2000	430
3/10/1807	12040	431
3/16/1807	40000	432
3/23/1807	36000	434
3/26/1807	16000	436
4/14/1807	64000	437
5/4/1807	36000	438
5/13/1807	50000	439
5/19/1807	37036	440
6/12/1807	16000	444
6/22/1807	60000	445
6/30/1807	66000	447
7/14/1807	60000	448
7/21/1807	52000	449
8/3/1807	36000	450
8/18/1807	60000	451
9/1/1807	63000	452
9/14/1807	54000	453
10/21/1807	52000	455
10/31/1807	14500	457
11/5/1807	17000	459
11/25/1807	70000	461
12/8/1807	50000	463
12/23/1807	60000	465
12/30/1807	28000	466

JR Newsletter: 24 July 2011 (46)

2011-07-24T10:34:00.002-04:00

Rick Beale wrote:

Re: Jim Matthews' analysis of the 1836 proof lettered edge... thanks for the insights ! I gotta tell ya... the phrase "blizzard of great coins" is a vivid metaphor for us drought-stricken Texans !!!! Bring on the blizzard !!! 103 degrees F again today ! heh

The closest we get to a blizzard is at Dairy Queen.

My very best to all,

Ricky B

------

Harry Cabluck wrote:

Great reading, the latest JR Newsletter.

Thanks, again, and again, for publishing.

Oddly, it arrived while attempting to attribute this 1836 $5 gold for a friend. Perhaps you'd like to see it.

For now, must use only the Breen Encyclopedia. Alas, sold all the Akers books years ago.

Harry Cabluck

------

editor's note: Click on any photo posted in order to open the photo as a larger image.

Jason Poe wrote:

Just bought a neat coin I'd like to show off, from therecently concluded Heritage Summer FUNauction. It is an 1834 H10C MS64 Prooflike NGC. V-1, LM-2, R.1. This tinylittle coin shines with strongly mirrored surfaces, over which the mostattractive blue toning has formed. The reverse is far more reflective than theobverse, but both sides definitely qualify for prooflike. This piece is totallyoriginal. The prooflike characteristics seem to have been formed by die polish,as evidenced by die polish lines covering both sides. The strike is quitestrong, with all stars fully formed.

I am an avid collector of prooflike coins, currently workingon assembling a prooflike type set, which can be viewed on the NGC Registry. Ifany of y'all have any prooflike coins, I would love to see them. I would alsolike to hear any information you might have on early prooflikes - observationson availability, theories as to how they were made, etc.

Jason Poe

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Paul Hybert wrote:

The latest newsletter listed the JRCS morning meeting on Wednesday at ANA, where the educational session will be "Half Dime Remarriages and Cuds."

But that is not the only early US coinage presentation on that Wednesday. At 4PM in the Numismatic Theatre, the scheduled talk is "Reverse T: A Workhorse Die of Bust Half Dime Remarriages." The title seems to say it all, but maybe the speaker can give us a preview?

Paul Hybert

editor's note: Yes, Paul caught on to what I am doing! I will be hosting the numismatic theater presentation Paul mentioned. I intend to use the educational session at the JRCS meeting as sort of a warm-up or "teaser" for the more in-depth presentation on half dime remarriages later that same day. Some quick background: We know with certainty that quality die steel was in short supply. We know that this (and other factors) resulted in the early US Mint's extensive use, and overuse, of dies that were considered "serviceable." The "forensic numismatic research" completed by some remarkable numismatists has shown us all sorts of die marriages, die remarriages, and die deterioration characteristics that make our hobby even more interesting. It was quite common with the capped bust half dime series for the early dies, especially the reverse dies, to be used, reused, and used again all the way up until the die suffered some catastrophic failure (which we now call a cud). So it is my intent to show the paths that some reverse dies followed from their first use until their final use as a way of demonstrating the concepts of die marriage and die remarriage, while also highlighting die deterioration that occurred up to and including final uses of dies giving us the cuds many of us cherish today.

------

Jim Matthews wrote:

Thoughts on numismatics.

I remember back in 1971 a few yearsinto collecting coins that I always saw far more coins I wanted to buy than Ihad money for. Back in that period of the prehistoric dawn, lunches at schoolcould be had for 35 cents. I knew that my own starvation was not a particularconcern of mine, and could often manage to skip lunch and allow myself morespending money to buy coins. At a more rapid pace I was able to fill my albumof Lincoln cents and Franklinhalf dollars with my skipped lunch money. I had the freedom to ride my bike upto the hobby store and come away with new treasures weekly.

Of course, the era of inflation was underway, when candybars suddenly jumped from a nickel (a commonly used term to denote our mint'sand Coin World's "Five Cent Coin" descriptor) to a dime. Fancy that.Indeed, well, this fit hand in glove with my own recognition that the actualsilver coins (dimes, quarters and half dollars) of 1964 and prior weredisappearing from circulation. Although I was not driving at the time, it wasburned in my memory of the 1960s that a gallon of gas could be had for about 25cents-- a silver quarter--often with heaps of S&H green stamps or Blue ChipStamps if one didn't mind going to a particular gas station that was givingaway multiples of stamps for each cent of gas purchased. Said stamps could becollected, stuck in books and traded for what was believed to be valuablemerchandise! Warren Buffett himself took a minority interest in the Blue ChipStamps company--feeling it was a sure thing into the future. Some things justdon't work out as we would like them to.

In time my numismatic interests stretched into the earlyFederal coins, usually silver as that was what I could afford. The half centsand large cents were so widely collected that I didn't feel I could discovernew things in the same way I could with early silver coins. Gold coins of thatera were just too expensive, and still are for my collecting ability. Curiouslytoday, I would still forgo lunch if it would help me buy coins, just as today Ioften simply forget to stop at the ANA showor a similar event, as seeing the opportunity to hunt for the treasures as farmore fun than just another over cooked hot dog or bland sandwich.

I note a silver quarter still buys a gallon of gastoday--but not the copper-nickel ones we commonly use today, last time Ichecked I needed about 14 of those "new" quarters to accomplish thesame thing as one of those old silver quarters. Fancy that!

JR Newsletter: 17 July 2011 (45)

2011-07-17T08:00:00.005-04:00

Richard Meaney wrote:

The JRCS will auction one set of John Reich Journals, complete from volume one through volume twenty, at the JRCS annual meeting in Chicago. The set includes an original volume one/issue one...not a photocopy as is typically found nowadays! The funds from the auction will go to the JRCS treasury. The JRCS annual meeting will be on Wednesday, August 17th in room six of the Stephens Convention Center from 8:00 to 9:30 AM..

I will present the educational session at the JRCS annual meeting. The topic will be "Half Dime Remarriages and Cuds." I will have plenty of full-color photographs, including photos of some of the rarer remarriages and cuds in the capped bust half dime series.

------

Jim Matthews wrote:

In the blizzard of great coins that wended their way toStack's-Bowers for the ANA Auction one piecereally caught my eye. From an old consignment there was an 1836 half dollarwith a Lettered Edge in Proof-64 (NGC). After 40 straight days of catalogingand still running late, of course the very last week of writing deadlines, andthe most intense pressure to get finished is when all the weird animals appearat the campsite and need immediate attention. Well first off, 1836 Lettered Edgehalf dollars in Proof are certainly not common—although Steve Herrman reportsfour different die pairings were used to make these proofs. How bizarre isthat? There's probably something like 10-15 proofs known and Engraver WilliamKneass managed to polish up a whole bunch of dies and strike just one or half adozen at a time. In passing I asked John Pack which variety the 1836 Proof halfdollar was. He said it's an O-106. I stood up, went over to my heavily notatedOverton book and went OMG--let me see thatcoin! Of course, as nature would have things, it was certified in a 15 year oldNGC holder with no possibility of seeing the edge. At that point a lot of thefiner nuances were not noted on the slab inserts. This one said "1836Proof, Lettered Edge" I knew that the O-106 reverse die was used to coin ALLthe Crushed Lettered Edge Proofs of 1833, 1834, 1835 and 1836! So—here's an1836 O-106 in Proof, it has to be the long missing Crushed Lettered Edge fromthe Davis-Graves Auction, Stack's , April 8-9, 1954, Lot 533. No other 1836O-106 Proof half dollars are reported to exist.

You have to understand, the O-106 reverse is the only CappedBust half dollar die with a sunken lip around the edge engraved by Kneass—allother obverse and reverse dies have long tooth-like dentils that extend to thevery edge, on this solitary die, Kneass was bridging the current technology andexperimenting with a closed collar, in this case a fixed metal ring in whichthe planchets would be inserted, then struck, the closed collar would force themetal flow up into the sunken lip on the die to make a solid circular edge tothe coin, greatly extending the circulating life of the coin. After strikingthe coin would be squished into this closed collar and the lower die would riseup slightly, pushing the coin out of the collar and another planchet would beinserted. In the late 1820s Kneass accomplished this same mechanism on thesmaller coining press, with raised lips appearing on struck coins of Dimes in1828, half dimes in 1829, quarters 1831, quarter eagles and half eagles in1829. The larger coins had to wait.

As a numismatic cataloger, I see a lot of coins. Rarely do Ihave much of a chance to study these as the looming deadline precludes morethan a cursory identification of where any problems are, the strike and surfacequalities. But this coin got me going, I had written about the long missing1836 O-106 half dollar in proof with the Crushed Lettered Edge in the George"Buddy" Byers Collection in 2006. As luck would have it, there isonly one recorded appearance of this experimental coin by Kneass, it lastknowingly crossed the auction block in 1954. At the time that coin realized$60, an immense sum for a Proof half dollar of that era. The description in theDavis-Graves sale states: "1836 Lettered Edge. Small Stars, the edges aresquared and almost obliterate the lettering. Brilliant Proof." Of coursethis auction was years before the Overton reference came out so no furtherinformation was available when the coin was cataloged. Enticingly it was notplated either.

As luck would have it, this all happened on a Friday, a daywhen we can't ship coins out with theweekend pending. So it would have to wait until Monday to get back to NGC whereRick Montgomery and David Lange could take it out of their holder and put it inan edgeview holder so edge could be viewed. I was virtually certain this wouldbe the long missing 1836 O-106 Proof with the Crushed Lettered Edge. It had theright dies, exact weak strike of the other Crushed Lettered Edge Proofs of1833, 34, and 35--and the result had to wait until Tuesday. Finally we talkedwith Rick Montgomery and after examining the coin they stated it was a normallettered edge! What--here's yet another bizarre coin animal that makes nosense! Why would Kneass make a specific die to roll out his closed collar andthen make a regular LLettered Edge Proof with it? There are all sorts of minutedie characteristics noted in the catalog that left for future reference. Undernormal circumstances all Capped Bust half dollars had their edges letteredprior to striking, when they were struck their edges were allowed to expandoutward between the dies, hence the distended lettering so commonly seen.Employing a closed collar would not allow for any edge lettering device as itwould be crushed in a collar when the coin was struck. Only vertical reedingcan be imparted by the collar to allow for the coin to be ejected, unless thecollar is segmented and can be opened and then closed for striking. The CrushedLettered Edge proof half dollars were all struck in 1836 using the same reversedie that struck this particular coin. It undoubtedly was the first coin struckwith the die, to test new lipped reverse by Kneass, and likely the closedcollar was then installed to the old coining press—perhaps even the new steampress, and the Crushed Lettered Edge restrikes (new obverse dies engraved) tocoin a handful of 1833, 1834 and 1835 half dollars along with the one missing1836—struck from these very same dies.

So the mystery 1836 Crushed Lettered Edge coin remains atlarge, lurking in some advanced collection awaiting discovery.

JR Newsletter: 10 July 2011 (44)

2011-07-10T07:50:00.003-04:00

In response to Pete Smith, Ken Potter wrote:

The Hobby Protection Act does not apply to the seller, but it is illegal to sell copies in Canada.

Good Luck!

Ken

------

Robert Stark wrote:

I'm interested to learn more about 1950's era collector/dealer James Blanchard.

I believe he started the New Orleans bullion firm bearing his name. I'm at rstark (at) udel.edu

Thanks!

Bob

------

Richard Meaney wrote:

I wanted to share with readers some images of a newly-acquired half dime. It is an example of the 1832 LM-10.4 die marriage. Clicking on the image will open the image in a much larger size for you.

JR Newsletter: 3 July 2011 (43)

2011-07-03T07:55:00.000-04:00

Pete Smith wrote:

Attached are images of an item that sold on eBay on June 28, 2011. It realized $710 Canadian dollars with four bidders and twelve bids.

The image quality is poor, but it is an obvious copy to me. There was a question and answer posted before bidding closed.

Q: The 1792 half disme, is it a restrike?

A: I don't know sorry thank you for interest.

The seller has a Canadian address. I suppose this makes him less liable for prosecution under the "Hobby Protection Act" or laws against passing counterfeit U. S. coins. Other lots on his sales were mosly low value coins. There were other low quality images of U. S. coins offered including a couple of other half dimes.

Pete Smith

------

Paul Hybert wrote:

2011 Summer ANA, Final Call for Exhibits

Although the ANA's 2011 Anniversary convention is still six weeks
away, completed exhibit applications must be received at ANA
headquarters by July 20; if you were working on an exhibit,
please do not miss this deadline. Send any questions to
the local exhibits committee at
ANA2011Exhibits@ChicagoCoinClub.org

Suggestions on forming an exhibit can be found on the main ANA
exhibiting page at

http://www.money.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NumismaticEvents/ConventionExhibits/default.htm
and the http://www.worldsfairofmoney.com/index.php?id=255 page
has links to everything for exhibitors: rules, application,
and more.

Remember, the exhibits must be in place by the early Tuesday morning
opening of the convention, and the exhibits cannot be removed until
very late on Saturday afternoon (when the convention closes).

Collector exhibits will not be the only attraction during
August 16-20, Tuesday through Saturday. The ANA web site has
a schedule of events, including club meetings, featured speakers,
and other activities. A link to the schedule is at
http://www.worldsfairofmoney.com/index.php?id=52

JR Newsletter: 26 June 2011 (42)

2011-06-26T09:16:00.001-04:00

Sheridan Downey wrote:

Our little collecting community lost a great friend this past April with the passing of Roger Solomon. Roger succumbed to a rare form of skin cancer that was diagnosed just a few weeks earlier. He is survived by his lovely wife Jeri, an avid collector of U.S. Commemorative Half-Dollars. Roger was hoping to arrange and participate in the sale of his collection this August, during the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money in Rosemont, IL, not far from his home. Sadly, he was not allowed enough time to share and enjoy the event.

Early this month Jeri Solomon asked me to showcase Roger’s collection during the upcoming ANA Convention. It is with bittersweet pleasure that I have the honor of overseeing the sale of Roger’s remarkable coins to a new generation of numismatic stewards.

You can read more about Roger and his collection here: http://www.sheridanscoins.com/

This link will take you to an inventory of Roger's collection: http://www.sheridanscoins.com/solomon_list.html

Sheridan also added the following note: I am on my way to Africa as you read this but will be back to field questions the 3rd of July. Maybe before - if I find a wi-fi hotspot in the Serengeti!

------

Alan V. Weinberg wrote:

A brief review of the Whitman Baltimore show relating to John Reich coins and medals:

An unlisted 1824 bust quarter with a silversmith counterstamp on obverse of W. GIBNEY (raised letters) in a thin recessed cartouche was discovered and changed hands to a serious Bust quarter collector on the bourse floor.

Joe Levine of Presidential Coins and Medals (PCAC) auctioned on Sat night at the Balto show an unlisted 1805 bust quarter with prominent serrated border cartouche on obv bearing the raised letter silversmith counterstamp JUSTICE (Joseph J. Justice Phila 1844-48), ex Arlie Slabaugh 2001 PCAC sale in 2001 where it then brought $391. June's hammer price was $1,100, even though it was estimated at $400-600.

Pook and Pook antique auction house in Downington Pa auctioned on June 16th Thursday a large group of US coins and a U.S. Mint-struck medal Julian CM 5, Betts 617, Baker 58 1783 Treaty of Peace Geo Wash / Benj Franklin conjoined busts / 1783 descending American Eagle over hemispheric globe medal, a silver proof in the original round engraved pillbox case engraved Medallic History of the American Revolution. Part of the Sansom series of medals struck in 1805 and engraved by John Reich. Estimated at $8,000- $10,000 so the auction house knew what they had. Several years previously Pook and Pook auctioned a silver proof 1797 Geo Wash Presidency Relinquished Reich-engraved silver original in an identical Amer Revol silver pill box, both lots consigned to P & P by the same old family.

The medal was auctioned precisely at 2:15 PM during opening day of the Baltimore coin show and this writer bid on his cell phone from the Balto bourse floor , capturing it at an ultra-reasonable $18,000 plus buyer's fee of 18.5%. Ironically the 2 immediate underbidders, collector Syd Martin and dealer Ron Karp, were also Balto bourse floor cell phone bidders, followed by dealer Joe Levine at mail bid of $13,000. So all the top action on the medal came from the Baltimore bourse floor. Had the medal been auctioned by a prominent coin auction house at a time not conflicting with Balto bourse opening day, it would likely have surpassed $30,000 hammer.

This writer also viewed briefly on the bourse floor an old time Whitman blue folder album for bust dimes with approx a dozen well-worn unattributed and toned bust dimes inserted in the holes.

One more observation:

I tried to buy a copy of Rory Rea's Early Quarter Dollars of the U.S. Mint book for a friend on Sat at noon at the Balto show and could not. Rich Uhrich, prominent dealer, was apparently the only one who had any for sale there and had brought a full case (guessing, 25 books). He sold out by Sat noon but for one single remaining unwrapped, damaged edge copy which I rejected. All the others sold out. So, apparently, this book is moving rapidly (at a firm non-discounted $100) even though this show was much smaller and moderately attended compared to the other two Whitman Balto shows.

Alan V. Weinberg

------

Robert Stark wrote:

Bob Hammond’s comments on attendance at last week’s Baltimore Show are about the same as mine for the first half of last Thursday afternoon. However, the auction viewing room was filled from the get go; hardly an empty seat. The table end where I was seated was pressed into service—and who should pop down but Brad Karoleff! I put that useful surprise to work as we had a good chat.

My interest is the Early Dollars! The ’95 B-12, #4004, shows a clashed die much as my coin. The ’95 B-14 NGC 58, #4009, had less hair detail than I expected for a 58 coin.

The ’99 B-9 PCGS 53, #4037, showed a dark spot at Liberty’s throat. Next visit to the bank vault I check my two B-9s, They seem to have a light spot in Liberty’s throat. So, perhaps the variety has a small pocket at Liberty’s throat.

Lacking a ’00 B-10, the NGC 58, #4036, was of especial interest. Again, I thought that hair lines ought be bolder on a 58 coin. An ’01 B-3 PCGS 55, #4043, is a very nice coin—even a bit nicer, I thought, than the ’02 B-6 NGC 55 (#4046) with a CAC sticker.

I returned to the bourse floor pondering a bid the ’00 B-3. It had a high reserve that also gave pause. At Harry Laibstain’s table I saw a lovely’03 B-4 PCGS 55 CAC. It became my acquisition of the afternoon. The next day I learned that the ’00 B-10 had received no bids and, again, was offered for a bid over the reserve.

Bob Stark

JR Newsletter: 19 June 2011 (41)

2011-06-19T08:30:00.000-04:00

Bob Stark wrote:

Fifteen Early Dollar Collections

Fifteen Early Dollar collections, inventoried in David Perkins’ John Reich Journal article of February, 2011, have 917 coins; each collection of distinct die marriages. Of course, no account is taken of duplications such as die states, upgrades, etc. The collections vary from 5 to 118 coins; 121 is the number of known die marriages.

The surviving 1794-1803 dollars are scarce and valuable. Only 5 of the die marriages have a rarity assignment of R-1 while some 40% have values of R-1, R-2, or R-3 and about 15% have rarities of R-7 or R-8. R-4 and R-5 each account for just over 25% of the die marriages. There are just five R-6 marriages.

More than one-half of the collections, with one exception, consist of R-1 to R-6 coins with about equal frequency. That is, dividing the number of coins held of a given R-value by the total number of die marriages having the same R-value is about the same (8+) for each R-1 through R-6.

Rarity values of R-5 and R-6 are scarce coins in any series; including the Early Dollars. Still two thirds of the fifteen collections have all of the R-5s and R-6s. Early Dollar collectors apparently recognize the opportunity to acquire those coins. Of course,

premiums vary with both the variety and condition rarity.

However, the situation changes sharply for R-7 and R-8. For an R-7, the ratio of their numbers in the fifteen collections (24) to the number of R-7 die marriages (5) is nearly 5. For an R-8, the ratio is about 1.5 (13/8). A consequence of their limited availability is the much higher premiums they command when offered.

------

Bob Hammond wrote:

My Bride and I attended the Baltimore Coin Show yesterday (Friday 17 June 2011). It truly was an all day affair for us, which began at 0400, the time we left the house for the show (about two and a half hours' drive).

After attending the LSCC meeting and enjoying show/tell for an hour or so, we began our tour of the bourse.

Attendance on the bourse floor appeared to be usual for the 'Summer' show, which is less full than either the Spring or the Fall shows. Still, there was a small buzz, especially with such dealers as Dick Osburn and Gene Bruder, dealers in 'earlier' Federal coinage.

A high-light for me is the Dick Osburn Liberty Half-Dollar collection which was displayed at the Stack's/Bowers table. All UNC pieces; some in wonderfully high grades!

TeaParty had a nice Half-Dime, 1801, in Fine. Since mine is a bit better, I passed the opportunity to buy. If someone needs this dated half dime, you may wish to contact them.

We enjoyed the show and the inter-change of information from the many dealers.

On another note...

My Bride and I attended a local antique show in down-town Oley, Pa. this afternoon. We were a bit late in arriving there, so we had to rush around the show in order to redeem our full eight dollars worth of admission fare, $16.00 for the two of us.

We were nearing the last booths of dealers when I stopped to view some old books.

The dealer asked how he may help me, and I replied that I already have such books as he has on display. He then showed me a book that I do not have in my library: an original Thomas Jefferson book on Weights and Measures for $15K! Apparently one of 10 or so in existence!

I guffawed and indicated that I expended all I had at yesterday's coin show.

He inquired as to what I collect? Early Half-Dimes, Dimes and Quarters and some Half-Dollars was my reply.

He says, "I am a co-author of a Dime book."

"You and Ahwash?" inquires I.

"No" says he.

"Davis, et al?" queries I

"Yes. Five of us. I am Bill Subjack."

My jaw drops to the ground in absolute disbelief! I never met the man, and assumed he is gone from this earthly presence!

We chatted about the early preparations of the book, the meetings, and the coins. The time spent was exhilarating for me.

I've known Dave Davis and John McCloskey, and exchanged letters with Russ Logan. I have Allen Lovejoy's splendid Dime catalog. As for Bill Subjack...Well, he was totally unknown to me.

I did purchase a letter from him dated 1835, and received his 'autograph' as signature of payment, as well as his address for future exchanges.

It was good to get out of the house and away from work to meet up with like-minded hobbyists. May be more coming to me in the future.

Bob Hammond (RJH) JRCS, LSCC, EAC member

------

A final word from the editor...

I am also a member of EAC (Early American Coppers). I encourage all readers to consider joining EAC. I recently received the May 2011 issue of the EAC journal, "Penny-Wise." In there I read some exciting news, which I will quote: "Beginning with the EAC 2012 sale, there will be early silver lots included in the annual sale, which should increase the associated fees and help JRCS take a role in the financial health of the [EAC] convention." I view this as great news and as an excellent opportunity for the financial well-being of both organizations and the benefit of their respective memberships. I'm sure more details will be forthcoming, but I thought I would share this good news now.

JR Newsletter: 12 June 2011 (40)

2011-06-12T11:32:00.000-04:00

Bob Stark provides this week's sole contribution:

Thank you for another JR Newsletter. Perhaps people who speak at meetings, such as the recent one at Portland, could be encouraged to publish their remarks in the JR Newsletter.

Best wishes
Bob Stark
------

Editor's input for the week: Please remember to submit nominations for the JRCS Hall of Fame. Send them to me or to any other officer of the JRCS.

JR Newsletter: 5 June 2011 (39)

2011-06-05T08:29:00.001-04:00

Ken Rubin wrote:

Do you know the reason for the low mintage of 1796-1797 Half Dollars? I am the Corresponding Secretary for the Massapequa Coin Club and wanted to add this fact to my newsletter.

Thanks,
Ken
------

Jim Matthews wrote:

A note of apology to all those who attended the EAC/JRCS Convention in Portland. I had my tickets and speech all ready to go. However, once again cataloging deadlines crept into my life, and the June Baltimore auction just refused to wrap up in time. An unexpectedly large crush of great coins required considerable days to catalog for the Stack's-Bowers auction, so I had to stay in Irvine for an additional week, which happened to preclude my attendance.

I truly missed the opportunity to see everyone at this show, and in the past have greatly enjoyed the entire format, displays and most of all the friendships old and new. I particularly like the "cross metal" combination where consistent minting issues are seen in copper, silver and gold coins issued of the same period. With the high price of collecting any series today, it is quite difficult to specialize in more than one denomination, so these types of similarities are a field ripe for study. Bringing together knowledgeable people and wonderful collection coins to view-as well as to purchase, provides a level of scholarship unmatched for numismatists of American coinage.

As my own personal corporate demands settle down in the next year, I expect to be able to make it to all the future EAC/JRCS conventions. With the complexities of the merger of Stack's and Bowers and Merena being worked through, there are times when one must simply perform the work required to get the job done.

To say the least, I am looking forward to next years convention and attending the ANA sale in Chicago!

Jim

------

David Perkins wrote:

Commentary on the Goldberg's The Pre-Long Beach Auction of United States
Coins and Currency Featuring the Dr. Hesselgesser Collection of Bust
Dollars, Part I

It has been a while since a specialized collection of early dollars was
offered for sale at public auction. Perhaps the last major offering of early
dollars was in the April 2008 Heritage sale of the Queller early dollar
collection, over three years ago.

The May 29-30, 2011 Ira and Larry Goldberg's The Pre-Long Beach Auction of
United States Coins and Currency Featuring the Dr. Hesselgesser Collection
of Bust Dollars, Part I was not what could be considered the offering of an
extensive collection, but did include 47 Lots and over 40 different die
marriages of early silver dollars. Lots included a high grade 1794 silver
dollar, 1795 Flowing Hair Dollars with and without silver plug centers,
Flowing Hair and Draped Bust dollars in grades from Very Fine to MS64 and a
handful of better die marriages for the specialist.

I did not view the lots in person nor did I attend the sale. I have seen
most of the Lots in the past when they were displayed at ANA Conventions. I
have also viewed and studied the Hesselgesser early dollar collection on the
PCGS Registry (most of the specimens in the collection are photographed).
Here is a link to the Hesselgesser Registry Set:
http://www.pcgs.com/SETREGISTRY/alltimeset.aspx?s=24633

For those of you who did not receive the sale catalog the catalog and prices
realized can be viewed online on the Goldberg website or by clicking on this
link:

http://images.goldbergauctions.com/php/toc_auc.php?site=1&sale=63&lang=1

First, some general comments regarding the sale. Most of the Lots offered
(but not all of them) were duplicates from the extensive Hesselgesser
Collection. This information can be determined by viewing the collection on
the PCGS Registry. The early dollar Lots were all offered with no reserves.
Most of the dollars were graded by PCGS and a number also had CAC stickers.
Some of the coins were in the new PCGS secure plus holders. Pedigrees
beyond the Hesselgesser Collection were only occasionally noted by the
cataloger.

The 1794 Dollar, ex. Connecticut Historical Society sold for $575,000 on an
estimate of $500-600,000. Interestingly, $575,000 was exactly the most
recent Coin World Coin Values price for a 1794 Dollar.

A 1795 B-9, BB-13 Dollar in PCGS AU55 CAC realized $46,000. From the photo
it appeared to be a very nice example of this die marriage. This appears to
me to be a very strong price, especially given the obverse die clashing
(which is visible on most examples of B-9) which might not appeal to a Date
/ Major Type / Redbook collector. Was this Lot acquired by a die variety
specialist?

A 1795 B-7, BB-18 Flowing Hair Dollar with silver plug center hammered for
$120,000 (!) It was graded PCGS AU58 CAC and was housed in a secure plus
holder. It was described by the cataloger as displaying "tremendous eye
appeal."

Lot 874 is a coin I used to own, a 1795 B-10, BB-22 Dollar graded VF30, CAC
approved and in a secure plus holder. This coin has an extensive and
wonderful pedigree - if the new owner would like to learn the pedigree feel
free to contact me at wdperki(at)attglobal.net If only all 1795 Dollars in
VF looked like this specimen! It was called R-7 in the catalog but the
cataloger erroneously added that "probably no more than 25 to 50 are known."
I know of 12, maybe 13 specimens (depending upon if one of the known
examples is the same as the specimen Haseltine owned and sold in this 1881
Type Table Sale. This specimen realized $34,500. For comparison, two
examples of 1795 B-10 were last sold at public auctions in 2007 and 2008 and
realized in the $22-26K range (one was NGC VF-35 and the other NGC EF-40),
both strong prices at the time.

Lot 883 was a 1798 Small Eagle 13 Obverse Stars B-1, BB-82 Dollar in PCGS
AU58 CAC and secure plus holder. This Lot may be the highlight of the sale.
It was estimated at $70-80,000. Coin World Coin Values shows a price of
$25,000 in AU-50, with no prices listed beyond this grade. This Lot
hammered for $310,000, thus realized a whopping $365,500! Needless to say
at least two well healed bidders wanted this coin badly....

A 1798 B-19, BB-106 (R-5) Dollar cleaned with AU Details, PGCS Genuine
hammered for $2,100, or about the value of VF-20. In my book a nice AU50
should sell for at least $7-10K, thus you can see an example of the severe
discounting for problem coins in today's market. In contrast, a 1798 B-10,
BB-109, also R-5 in a PCGS AU50 secure plus holder realized a little over
$11,000.

What appears from the photo to be a very nice example the 1800 B-12, BB-184
Dollar in a PCGS AU55 secure plus holder hammered for $12,500.

Lastly, a nice circulated example of 1803 B-3, BB-256, a Rarity-6 in a PCGS
VF20 secure holder realized $6,900, approximately a 2 ½ - 3X premium over a
common 1803 dollar in VF-20.

In summary, it appears that choice and rare (including condition rarity)
coins with eye appeal did very well in this sale. What are your thoughts?

W. David Perkins
Centennial, CO
-----
Brad Karoleff wrote:

A belated report on the EAC/JRCS convention in Portland.

The annual convention of the Early American Coppers recently concluded in Portland Oregon. JRCS has, once again, been invited to join the copper collectors at their annual numismatic event. We would, again, like to thank our hosts for including us in their convention. As has been the case for the last few years, we had a great time interacting with our copper "cousins".

I arrived in Portland Thursday afternoon and took the train from the airport to the hotel. It was a wonderful sunny day and very efficient and safe. A real contrast to many convention cities I have attended. Check in at the hotel was equally efficient. That was followed by renewing some old friendships before setting up my table at the convention center located across the entrance to the hotel.

The official reception for the show began at 5:00 that afternoon. A buffet was provided by sponsors donations. The setup for the happening rooms soon followed. If you have not attended any of these conventions in the past, this is the one CAN'T MISS event for the entire weekend. There are rooms set aside for Colonial coins, Half Cents, Large Cents, and JRCS silver issues. Each group of collectors has pre-decided on a group of die marriages to be studied during the happenings. Collectors then bring their coins to the convention to be studied. You can count on seeing some unbelievable coins on display representing some condition census pieces as well as rare and interesting die states. If you do not collect coins from some of the series, you should still visit the rooms to get an idea of what is available in the other series. It is always nice to see neat coins whether they fit into your collection or not!

The JRCS room had decided to study the following coins. 1831 LM1 half dime, 1827 JR1 dime, 1806 B5 and B6 quarters, 1808 O110 and 1817 O105 half dollars and the 1798 B14 dollar. The quarters were represented with two die marriages as they share a common reverse and we always have two half dollars due to the large number of die marriages in the series and their collecting popularity.

The turnout of coins for the silver room was less than in previous years, but still impressive. Many of our regular displaying collectors are from the east and did not make the trip to Portland. We look forward to seeing them, and their coins, next year in Buffalo! The half dimes were dominated by one collector who displayed three wonderful condition pieces in differing die states. Many visitors wanted to go home with a couple of his coins. The dime die marriage was selected due to the discovery of the 1827 JR14 earlier this year which shares the obverse with the JR1. Only one dime made the trip to Oregon and it did not prove to be the new discovery! The quarters may have been the highlight of the silver happening. Two advanced collectors of the quarters are from the Pacific Northwest and came loaded for bear. Another devoted collector/dealer from the east also brought his coins for inspection. Many choice specimens were on display for everyone to compare. The half dollars also had a number of coins available for inspection. The 1808 O110 is a R5- and were represented by about a half dozen coins. One was clearly the best on display which belonged to a advanced collector from the west. He doesn't always get to attend these conventions but made quite an impression with his coin at this one. The other die marriage, the 1817 O105 a R4 marriage, was chosen due to the number of die states in which it is known. The table was full of many coins in differing die states and grades. Many collectors had a good time experiencing the different looks of the coin from early to late state. Even though there were numerous coins there, we were still missing a couple of the scarcest die states from our study. It just goes to prove how challenging it is to collect some of the scarce die states of these interesting coins.

The schedule listed the happenings as closing at 10PM, yea right! We always exceed the limits when looking at these many nice coins. The happenings were followed by a quick trip to the hotel watering hole and then a much needed night in bed.

The following morning began with our breakfast at the hotel and the quick walk across the entryway to the bourse floor. The floor was one of the largest in memory for an EAC. The isles were wide and there was ample room for the educational displays. The only drawback to the room were the large "picture windows" lining two walls of the hall. Passersby could look into the bourse floor which made some of us a little uncomfortable. Thankfully there was to be armed guards on the floor 24 hours a day for security. The collecting public was admitted soon after setup and the show was on it's way. The local coin clubs were well represented and some even bussed in a few members from longer distances. The hosts are to be commended for their efforts in promoting the show to non EAC members. I'm sure some were welcomed into the fold as a result of their efforts.

Sales for the show were OK for me, but other copper specialists did much better. After all, the show is geared to them, right? There was a lack of JRCS dealers at the show again. We will all need to improve our efforts in selling the show to more of our member dealers for the future. If you deal mainly in the silver issues start thinking about adding the show in Buffalo to your schedule. You may be in for a nice surprise.

The show always has hosts an impressive array of educational seminars. This year was no exception. Collectors had the opportunity to learn from some of the leading dealers and researchers in the early American series. The educational displays setup by some of the attendees were also a treasure trove of information for those who took the time to view them.

Another feature of the EAC conventions is the Friday evening dinner with a featured speakeer. This year John Wright spoke on his lifelong involvement in the copper collecting community. John is a noted author and collector of the middle date large cents. He is one of the most amusing and interesting speakers available in numismatics.

Saturday evening features the EAC auction. I was the auctioneer again and had a wonderful time calling the sale. The atmosphere is not as "stuffy" as a regular commercial auction and we all had a good time. You do have to be a member of EAC to bid in this particular sale, so if you have interest in participating next year get your membership application in now. The sale ended a little before 11PM and an obligatory trip to the watering hole to celebrate followed.

The show continues until Sunday at 2PM, but most of the dealers left after the closing on Saturday in order to catch early Sunday flights back home. I had a great time again at the show. Sales were a little better than expected but the social events were outstanding- as usual! I strongly suggest that anyone who has not attended an EAC show before to make plans now to be part of the fun in an upcoming year. As I said, the next show is in Buffalo NY to be followed by Columbus OH in 2013. See you there!

Also:

We are accepting nominations for the JRCS Hall of Fame voting.

The membership is encouraged to send nominations for the hall. You can nominate candidates for either the veteran (those who contributed before the advent of JRCS) or the modern (those who have been members of JRCS) categories. Please include any pertinent information about the nominee that you feel necessary. Nominees will then be voted on by the HOF committee and the inductees will be announced at the annual meeting at the ANA convention in Chicago this summer. Nominations will be accepted until June 30th. We look forward to seeing your nominations!

Please forward your nominations to me at bkaroleff(at)yahoo.com or to any of the members of the board.

Brad

Editor's note: You may also reply to jrnewsletter(at)jrcs.org if you wish to submit a nominee.

JR Newsletter: 29 May 2011 (38)

2011-05-29T08:29:00.002-04:00

No new contributions for the week, so I will share one of my half dimes. Here's an image (click on it to enlarge it a bit):

This coin is remarkably similar to lot number 1837 of the Russell Logan auction (Bowers and Merena 2002), so I will paraphrase their description of that lot in describing my coin:

"Misaligned Dies and Partial Collar. This is a double error. The obverse die is slightly off center, while the reverse is properly centered. This coin was also struck with a partial collar. Half of the edge toward the reverse is reeded, with the other half plain. This type of error is sometimes called a railroad rim."

JR Newsletter: 22 May 2011 (37)

2011-05-22T08:36:00.000-04:00

Nathan Markowitz wrote:

Whew! This year's Portland convention is history. I actually had fun; even though as convention chair my time for numismatics was limited. The 2011 show was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Portland, Oregon, a venue used for the annual northwest regional coin show. Preliminary estimates are 330 attendees of which 155 registered on site. There was a strong showing of local and first time EAC show attendees. Many copper and nice early silver coins changed hands at this event. Reportedly record numbers of spouses attended especially given the vineyard tour on Thursday and the Columbia River Gorge waterfall tour on Saturday.

Exhibits included 2 silver and 5 copper topics plus one best described as crossover. The Portland Cent (flipped to determine the city's name) on loan from the historical society was attributed by Bob Grellman at the show. The educational seminar included about half copper topics and half silver or general interest topics. All were recorded and can be previewed at http://www.coinweek.com Keynote speaker John Wright entertained us with fifty years of early copper history and a magician was a delightful addition to the "educational program" Friday night (http://www.parlorofwonders.com/Portland_Magic/Portland_Magix.html)

An EAC convention can succeed only by a collaborative effort. I am grateful to the many volunteers who made this event a success. In particular I am indebted to Bim Gander, our bourse chair, whose prior experience running the San Diego EAC convention (yes, he was crazy enough to do it again) was invaluable. Rob Norvich organized and executed the extracurricular events including the magician. Jerry Bobbe created a restaurant guide and led a "leisurely" nine mile waterfall hike the day before the show. Larry Gaye and fellow Willamette coin club members helped with arranging cases and lights and set up and tear down. Cindy Murray, Jim Gallegos, and Randolf Farrar gave generously of their time to man the registration table when we needed help. Jim Roecker organized lot viewing. All in all, the best of volunteerism showed itself last week...my regrets for anyone I may have missed.

Finally, I am especially extremely pleased at the number of first time speakers and exhibitors. It is critical to have these first timers share their expertise and passion with the group and they were well received. I want to encourage anyone to exhibit or give a presentation in future years...you can contact myself or Steve Carr (exhibits). You are the core of what drives this organization's educational efforts. I turn the reins to the team for Buffalo, NY May 2-6, 2012 at the Adam's Mark Hotel

JR Newsletter: 15 May 2011 (36)

2011-05-15T08:28:00.000-04:00

Bill Luebke provides this week's sole contribution:

I have started collecting Seated and Trade Dollars so I'm joining LSCC. I have sent the following to Region 8, the EAC newsletter, and JR Journal, the JRCS newsletter and to the LSCC.

This week's issue of "Region 8", the e-newsletter of our sister organization
EAC, had an item by John Wright about his emailing a seller on eBay who listed a
fake 1799 Large Cent. My response may be of interest to JRCS members as well so
here it is:

In response to John Wright's complaint in last week's issue regarding getting fakes off
eBay, I have found that contacting the seller directly often doesn't work. Yes,
some are appreciative and remove the offending item promptly. But eBay itself
often discourages this. I had an hilarious episode a few weeks go when I asked
a seller to remove two obviously counterfeit Trade Dollars. He went ballistic,
told me to "get out of my space" and even threatened to sue me for deformation
[sic] of character. I politely informed him that his character was clearly
deformed long before I entered the picture. He then complained to eBay about me
and I received an email from eBay warning me not to contact sellers about items
I have "no intention to bid on". So...I guess you have to bid on the
counterfeit before you contact the seller! At least eBay saw that I was
absolutely correct, removed the items and assessed no penalty against me.

This is what I do now. Click on "Report this item", click on "Prohibited
(banned) items", click on "Other prohibited (banned) items" and click again
"Other prohibited (banned) items". In the "Brief explanation" box type
"COUNTERFEIT rare US coin". eBay is hit or miss on these. I usually report
several items per week. Some weeks they remove all offending items quickly,
other times few. Perhaps it depends on the volume of complaints and whether
they have a knowledgeable numismatist available.

I have also discovered several counterfeit coins in counterfeit PCGS holders.
These are easy. Simply send a link to the item to info@pcgs.com and the 800
pound gorilla will get it removed faster than poop through a goose!

Bill Luebke EAC #724

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Editor's Note: To the JRCS members who attended the EAC Convention, how about a show report for next week's issue of the JR Newsletter?

JR Newsletter: 8 May 2011 (35)

2011-05-08T09:22:00.000-04:00

Jon Lusk wrote:

I am the EAC/JRCS Convention badge printer -- email: Jon(at)Lusk.cc

Please email me TODAY if you are going to the convention and don't otherwise have your name on the EAC newsletter list as attending the convention. If your spouse is coming too, please also include her name. This way we'll speed up the entire process at the registration desk.
Thanks

Jon Lusk

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John D. Wilson wrote:

To Ray Hale,

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the publisher to help your problem. What year was it published? If you value the book as much as you imply, I would get it to a restorer and spare no expense. Often University libraries can provide helpful direction.

John D. Wilson

JR Newsletter: 1 May 2011 (34)

2011-05-01T08:31:00.000-04:00

Just one contribution this week:

Please respond to this query. Any information will be appreciated:

I recently acquired a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Attributing Bust Half Dollars, in the quarter-leather binding, one of 40 such copies. It is a wonderful book and an indispensable reference.

But the binding is horribly weak, and has broken. I do use this copy for reference. But I am extremely careful with it. To qualify "careful:"

I have worked in various rare book libraries, and observe all standard handling practices. I use a book cradle; never leave an open book flat. I even open fresh bindings the way I was taught by my first mentor. So, I know that I didn't do any thing personally to hurt this book.

After using it only a few times, I found that the front endpaper had completely split away between the text block and front board. This, quite unfortunately, allowed me the opportunity to examine the binding from the inside.

Now, the binder made this edition look like it were smith sewn (one of many long-used ways to tie a book's text block, with cords, and affix it to the boards. The raised bands one finds on a book's spine cover those cords. This copy of The Ultimate Guide also has the sort of cloth tape, at its head and tail, that binders use, when they create this type of quality and durable binding. And such bindings can last for centuries, even with rigorous use.

But I was gentle. And my very-expensive, and much-loved, book has fallen apart.

Money Tree Press produced the book. I have sent them emails. But those emails have bounced back.

Has any one else had problems with these bindings? Can any one else tell me how to reach the binder? This, unfortunately, makes me very leery about other numismatic "deluxe" editions.

I don't believe that books should be made simply to look pretty on a shelf. Neither do I think I should have to pay to get this one fixed, nor "pay the price" for a book that is now only in fair condition--even though the rest of the book is pristine in every way.

So, please offer any advice. My email address is rockbook2 (at) aol.com

Thanks,

Ray Hale

JR Newsletter: 24 April 2011 (33)

2011-04-24T08:47:00.000-04:00

Steve Crain wrote:

Half dime census information is now being solicited for inclusion in the next issue

of the John Reich Journal.

Please email your complete inventory listing (including all duplicates and die states) of your 1792, Draped Bust, Flowing Hair and Capped Bust half dimes,

or any questions, to:

Stephen Crain at: mrhalfdime (at) aol.com

Or mail hard copies to:

Stephen A. Crain

P. O. Box 1680

Windham, ME 04062

Please respond promptly to ensure inclusion of your collection in this census

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Ralph Muñoz wrote:

If you are fortunate to stay at the Crown Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel, (with a free airport shuttle which is across the street from the convention center) or other hotels nearby, take advantage of a free shuttles to and from the O-Hare Airport

There is also a light rail line (the Blue Line El) from the airport to the Chicago Loop downtown, a 35 minute ride for about $2.25. The Blue Line El makes its first stop from the airport at the Rosemont Station by the Convention Center. If the weather is good, it could be a very nice 10 minute walk for about a quarter mile.

One way to see Chicago is take a free shuttle to the airport and ride the Blue Line El to downtown. You can transfer to buses and other El's. I would recommend to buy a three day fare card for about $14 at the airport or a station.

We were just there for the Chicago International Coin Fair, weather cold and rain.

Ralph Munoz

JR Newsletter: 17 April 2011 (32)

2011-04-17T09:19:00.001-04:00

Dick Kurtz wrote:

In response to Rick A.'s question about the Tompkins and Peterson, et al bust quarter books, I'm a numismatic book junkie and so have both. Both have features that differ somewhat from the other (no time to cover right now), but either will suffice for attributions assuming that you don't mind carrying a large book (both are) around the bourse floor.

Dick Kurtz #049

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Alan Bricker wrote:

In clarifying my previous comments regarding Winston Zack's 1802 JR-2 "cud" dime, I want to add that my remarks were basically a matter of personal opinion based largely on past general observations of major die breaks ("cuds"). Although did I pass over the coin because of the opinion that a true "cud" was not present here, I certainly never considered such an opinion to be infallible. To test my prima facie presumption that this was a true "cud", I looked at several factors with the coin in holder, primarily: (1) the reverse-side surfaces directly opposite the cud, (2) the edge reeding alongside the cud area, (3) and the general appearance of the cud's internal boundary as it crosses the field and the devices from the rim just under *13 to the rim under the first portion of the date. Firstly, the reverse side surfaces opposite the cud area did not appear to show the weakness expected, and separation did exist between the field and those cloud tops which should have been affected accordingly. Secondly, the corresponding edge reeding should have been weakened due to diminished metal pressure flow into this area during striking. Thirdly, the generally straight-and-squared appearance of the presumptive cud's internal boundary line, ignoring the tooling damage at the date, simply did not strike me as being expressive of a true "cud". While it is entirely possible for a major die break "cud" to suddenly develop de novo in the absence of pre-existing die deterioration in the form of die cracks, such cases are fairly rare. Yet the shielding of the adjacent devices from wear tells us that whatever transpired here must have occured quite early on in the coin's circulation life, even possibly before it left the Mint. Please do keep us posted regarding any findings from further analysis of the piece out-of-holder; certainly this would be a wonderful discovery if further examination and study could provide a definitive case for the existence of a true "cud".

Alan Bricker

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Nathan Markowitz wrote:

The hotel has extended guaranteed contract rates for our group through April 18 so the end of procrastination in near

Also, they have agreed to provide free parking for those who reserved hotel rooms at contract rates and for day guests who come just for the day. Those who reserved at an online discounted rate will pay $9 nightly.

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RyAnne Scott wrote:

ANA Library revamps catalog with new, improved features

The American Numismatic Association Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library recently re-launched its online catalog with features that will improve the library experience for hobbyists and researchers.

ANA members now can use the online catalog to sign up for library accounts, request materials, place items on hold, and rate and review library materials. The online catalog can be accessed from the library pages on www.money.org (select “Library” from the “Explore the World of Money” tab).

“The ANA Library staff is always looking for ways to make using the library easier and more convenient,” ANA Library Director RyAnne Scott said.

Visit the ANA’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/AmericanNumismatic to view two videos about the catalog: one explains how to set up a library account; the other demonstrates new library catalog features.

As the videos detail, signing up for an online library account is a simple process. Once registered, members can log in and begin searching the online catalog right away. Members will need to call the library to place a credit card on their account, as all outgoing postage costs are charged to the card. After that, whenever members request books directly from the online catalog, the materials will be shipped out within two business days.

“Now, members can order books at any time of day. It’s as easy as clicking the ‘request item’ button for an individual item,” Scott said. “If the book they want is checked out, they can reserve the next available copy by pressing the ‘hold’ button.”

Other new catalog features include:

· Save searches in order to quickly access them later;

· Rate library materials from one to five stars and see the average user rating;

· Leave a personal review of the book you’ve just read.

If you have any questions about the ANA Library or using the online catalog, please call Library Assistant Manager Amanda Harvey at 719-482-9821 or Library Director RyAnne Scott at 719-482-9867. The ANA Library is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays (MST).

The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging people to study and collect money and related items. The ANA helps its members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of education and outreach programs, as well as its museum, library, publications, conventions and seminars. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit www.money.org.

RyAnne Scott
Library Director
American Numismatic Association

818 N. Cascade Ave.

Colorado Springs, CO 80903

719-482-9867

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JR Newsletter: 10 April 2011 (31)

2011-04-10T08:14:00.000-04:00

Winston Zack wrote:

In response to Alan Bricker's comments on my 1802 "cud" dime. Thank you very much for responding about this coin and providing your insight and background on it. I do not recall who the dealer was or where the dealer of the coin was from when I purchased this coin at the January 2011 FUN show. The coin was labeled as an 1803 when I purchased it, not an 1807, and may have changed hands in that time, or the dealer just did not believe you. Nevertheless, it is most certainly an 1802 JR-2. And it seems that even though you deemed it not a Cud, you still kept the coin on your mind up until now! I was hoping you could add some more insight into why you thought this coin may have been "damaged or altered sometime after minting"? I am by no means criticizing your assessment, I would just like to get a more specific explanation of how this raised portion on the coin on the obverse from 4-6 o'clock formed. I certainly thought PMD (post mint damage) was a possibility, but no method I know of could have created the peculiar shape and size of the area in question (the closest I came up with was a soldered attachment site for jewelry, but I would also expect discoloration and rougher surfaces on that flat "cud" spot).

I am sure you are aware that Cuds did form in the relative area in question. The 1803 JR-3 forms a Cud below the Bust covering more than half the date. But the most closely resembling Cud to this 1802 Dime is the 1797 JR-1, which forms a massive obverse Cud obliterating the date and passing through the bottom of Liberty's bust. I'm just saying that Cuds forming in this area are not unusual and we should not dismiss this possibility based on where other Cuds have formed.

A further update: I am having Jim Matthews inspect the coin and he will likely respond here with his assessment.

Thanks,

Winston Zack

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Steve Herrman wrote:

Auction Prices Realized for Choice About Uncirculated to Choice Mint State Capped Bust Half Dollars, April 2011 Revision, Number 4; 8.5" x 11" format, 26 pages + cover (unbound), $12.50 postpaid to JRCS members

This report lists prices realized for NGC AU58 to MS64 and PCGS AU55 to MS64 Capped Bust half dollars for ALL die varieties 1807-1836 for auctions held during the past two years, April 2009 through March 2011. The April 2011 revision contains 1,509 auction records.

Please contact Steve Herrman via email at Herrman102 (at) aol.com to request a copy. Copies shall be mailed with an invoice enclosed.

$2.50 will be donated to the John Reich Collectors Society for each copy sold.

Thanks,

Steve Herrman

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Brad Karoleff wrote:

Anyone looking for a roommate for the Central States Show in Chicago at the end of April? I have a room at the host hotel for Thursday through Saturday nights and would like to split expenses with someone. If you are interested please let me know by email at bkaroleff (at) yahoo.com. Thanks!

Brad Karoleff

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Rick A. wrote:

Now that the new 'Browning Quarter Book' is out I, and I believe other members, would be interested in a comparison with Steve Tompkins "Early US Quarters 1796-1838". What are the major differences? If one was interested in Bust coinage in general; dimes, quarters and halves, which one might be of more interest? They both sound/appear to be very interesting and the writers of both deserve congratulations and our gratitude in promoting early American Bust coinage; in this case quarters. If you could only buy one, which would you prefer and why? I don't mean to start a debate, but am interested in knowing what the differences might be since my first interest is in bust dimes. I do acquire small size quarters by variety occasionally and early, up to 1824, bust halves but I would like to add one of these books for added reference.

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Nathan Markowitz wrote:

2011 EAC Convention Updates:

Final call for hotel registration at Portland Doubletree is April 11. I will see if we are able to get an extension if rooms are still available.

Friday Dinner; Please send me your entree choice and $50 to cover the dinner. We will have a magician performing at the close of the dinner and before the keynote speech....should be entertaining for attendees of all ages (no charge to attend the magician's show).

Happenings coins: Please remember to bring your examples; or send them with a trusted friend if you cannot attend.

Finally, I suggest you sit in an "A" seat (left hand side of the plane if facing forward) as the views of Mt. Hood ... weather-permitting … are quite stunning on approach to PDX