JR Newsletter: 5 April 2026 (690)

Sean Kelly wrote:

Sean Kelly is looking for someone to share their experiences, accomplishments, or questions at the next Zoom call, Wednesday May 20. The topic can be what you want it to be. If a few of you volunteer and have short presentations we can certainly accommodate more than one in our time. Please consider sharing - no need for anything fancy (although pictures of coins are pretty popular!) If you aren't comfortable with the technology - you can email your materials to a willing volunteer helper who can share the screen, and all you have to do is talk!

Sean is also asking for help from Capped Bust dime collectors. The GroovyCoins website was started for the attribution of half dimes but now has a section to allow folks to attribute the dimes as well: https://groovycoins.com/cbdattribution

The site has the bare minimum number of attributes for all dies, but he would appreciate help from dime experts in fleshing the selectable criteria to make the site more useful and friendly. Your contributions would include more details about the most subtle and confusing dies to attribute.

• Pickup points to look for and what obverse/s or reverse/s they apply to.
• Whether the feature is optional or mandatory:
• Mandatory: will get a Y and N flag. If the element is not extant and the user presses N, it will disqualify all of the coin dies that lack that element. Example: "O in OF centered over second U in scroll". Pressing N removes all those reverses that lack that feature from their attribution.
• Optional: will only get a Y flag. Example: die cracks that form are either not there or there. Answering Y when the cracks are present can help affirm a coin, but doesn't disqualify any dies based on the absence of the cracks.
• Images sent to me (or sent as links to good examples in, say, Coinfacts). These may be added to increase confidence. See: https://groovycoins.com/cbdattribution?year=1833 which has a clickable image in the list of obverses.

JR Newsletter: 22 March. 2026 (689)

Sean Kelly wrote:

Please consider sharing your experience, knowledge, and ideas with the rest of the JRCS by volunteering to speak at the JRCS meeting at the ANA World's Fair of Money (Pittsburgh, August 25-29), or by presenting at one of our quarterly Zoom calls (May 20 is the next one).

This hobby has inspired all of us to spend significant time and treasure in the pursuit of learning about and acquiring our collections. We are a population of intelligen, accomplished individuals with experiences that are interesting and valuable. If just a few of us each year would commit to sharing their passion with the rest, then I could get back to eBay looking for my next cherrypick and stop begging for presenters! :-)

If you have an idea and you're not sure whether it fits, please reach out to Sean (skelly63 at gmail dot com) and let's talk about it. And - THANK YOU!

JR Newsletter: 15 March 2026 (688)

Brad Karoleff wrote:

The first 2026 issue of the John Reich Journal is in the mail. A few of you may already have received it by the time you read this!

If you do not receive yours in a couple of weeks please feel free to contact me at bkaroleff(at)yahoo.com 

The next issue will be out in July announcing all the events scheduled for the annual ANA show. We need submissions ASAP for content. Please contact me if you think you may be able to help with content. 

Brad

JR Newsletter: 8 February 2026 (687)

 Brad Karoleff wrote:

The deadline for the spring issue of The John Reich Journal is rapidly approaching. Please consider submitting something for publication as we are well short of a full issue.  

A couple of you have already promised something and your efforts are greatly appreciated.  Please see if you can wrap things up and submit them to us by the 15th.

Best, your begging editor.

Brad

JR Newsletter: 25 January 2026 (686)

Brad Karoleff wrote:

 

The spring issue of the John Reich Journal is quickly approaching and we need content. Please consider sending something to me asap at bkaroleff@yahoo.com

 

Thanks 

 

Brad

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Winston Zack wrote:

 

A new category has been added to the JRCS website - Chopmarked Bust Coins (https://www.jrcs.org/jrcs_chopmarked_bust_coins.php). 

 

Only a couple pieces have been added so far. This weekend I plan to add the 1 example I own. If you own any such pieces, I hope you will consider contributing images of your example(s) to this sub-category of JRCS-related coinage to build a better picture on the scope of this subject matter. Also, if you are able to translate your chopmark, it would be great to add that information with your piece.

 

Enjoy,

Winston

JR Newsletter: 4 January 2026 (685)

MJ Sullivan wrote:

 

GREAT COLLECTIONS presents "Selections from the MJ Sullivan Collection of Early Half Dollars and Dollars"

 

(you can click on the link below to be taken to the items on Great Collections)

 

Selections from the MJ Sullivan Collection of Early Half Dollars and Dollars at GreatCollections Coin Auctions

 

This 29-coin, PCGS certified bust coinage offering will be sold by Great Collections following the FUN show.   The coins will be on display for preview at FUN.  The "Selections" include:

 

• Two R-6 Early Bust Half Dollars (1806 O-122, VF-30 and 1806 O-127a, VF-25 CAC Finest Known)
• Three high Grade 1795 Bust Dollars with large - visible Silver Plugs
• Superb 1795, BB-26, R-6 - Bolender Plate Coin ex: Elder
• Bust Dollar Rarities:
• 1795, BB-22 R-6+
• 1795, BB-25 "Missing Leaf", R-8 - finest of two known
• 1798, BB-103, R-7 - only straight graded example
• 1798, BB-110, R-6 - second finest known with large obverse crack
• 1798, BB-126, R-8 - only straight graded of two known
• 1803, BB-256, R-6 - second finest known
• Rare 1801 Proof Like Bust Dollar in MS-61
• Many XF and AU High Quality Coins from Sullivan's Die Marriage Collection
• Pedigrees Traced to:  Stirling, Miller, Cardinal, Hesselgesser, Hansen, Elder, AP Austin, Bolender, Friend, Husak, Perkins, Reiver, Mathews

 

 

Sullivan's core collection of key dates and Redbook varieties continues to be his passion to collect and improve.   This portion of the collection is not available for sale, but is viewable on PCGS Registry.

--

 

Rick Andrzej wrote:

 

For those cud enthusiasts on Bust Dimes, the following are in the Heritage January 12, 2026 Bust Coinage Showcase Auction.

 

1814 Sm. Dt. JR1 F15 - Late die state w/ Bulge

1829 JR5 - Rev. rim cud left of 'U'

1830 JR5 - Obv. cud dentils rt. of cap

1831 JR5 - Rev. cud 'UNI'

1832 JR3 - Rev. cud A3-Ar. hds.

1833 JR1 - Rev. ret. cud 'D' to motto returning left side 'E2' to rim

1834 JR6 - Rev. ret. Cuds 'ATES'; A3 thru Ar. Hds.

1835 JR3 - Rev. ret. Cud A1 to scroll, out thru A2

1830 JR1 - Rev. cud over'UNI' F/VG similar to the Reiver's coin. Should have been in the auction but Heritage graders thought it was too low grade or low value (less than $100)

                      to have graded and sold it in their ungraded coins, Gallery Auction in Texas held in August. They wouldn't give me a list of the 11 dimes they sold in the auction and I couldn't 

                      determine  which ones until all my bust dimes came back from PCGS.

                      Check out the 1829 JR1 Ex. Lg. 10c R4+. I misrepresented the grade when I reported it as an AU in the past Bust dime census.

 

Happy New Year everyone.

Rick Andrzej

 

 

 

JR Newsletter: 28 December 2025 (684)

 We have an "anonymous" contribution:

A member is selling the remaining collection (~80 dimes) of Bust Dimes in the Heritage January 12, 2026 Bust Coinage Showcase Auction.

As his collection was mostly purchased raw over the past 30+ years he is wondering what members more recent experience was on grades received from PCGS on the early type

Bust Dimes. He feels quite a few were graded lower if they showed weakness in the strike, weak rims or were cuds. Also, if showing slight marks or issues, they indicated cleaned and were downgraded by about 5 points. Talked with reputable Midwest dealers and their thoughts were graders there were much younger and experienced in more modern and post 1836

Coins.  Thought same type marks or weakness seen on Bust Half dollars are not mentioned or indicated by PCGS. Has PCGS become more stringent in grading Bust Dimes?

Readers are encouraged to send their responses to the JR Newsletter for publication next week!

--

From the editor:  There will be no JR Newsletter, regardless of the number of contributions received, on January 11th.  The editor will be traveling the American Southwest and be without a computer.