Sunday, August 7, 2022

JR Newsletter: 7 August 2022 (573)

 



From the John Reich Journal:


The John Reich Collectors Society will have its annual membership meeting at the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money.  The meeting will be on Wednesday, August 17, 2022 at 8:30 AM in room 12 of the convention center in Rosemont.  The educational presentation will be by Barry Sunshine and Dr. Chuck Link on the joy of collecting Bust Quarters.

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Winston Zack wrote with an announcement about his latest book:

 

Name:            Winston Zack
Email:             
Winston.s.zack(at)gmail.com
Website:         
badmetalcoin.com/shop

PayPal:          stoneman101(at)gmail.com

 

 

BAD METAL is Back!

More coins. More history. More characters.

Available for pre-order at $70, individually numbered and signed.

 

 

Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 2022.  After more than 8 years of diligent research, study, and documentation, the second book in Winston Zack’s award-winning, four-part Bad Metal book series of circulating contemporary counterfeit U.S. coins, Bad Metal Silver. 3cS to 25c, will be printed this Fall.

 

Bad Metal Silver. 3cS to 25c covers counterfeit silver denominations including three cent silvers (3cS), half-dimes, dimes, twenty cents, and quarters from the Bust, Seated, Barber, Renaissance, and Presidential series.  This 250+ page, professionally photographed, full-color book documents more than 240 die-struck counterfeit coins along with dozens of cast counterfeits with most varieties having never been previously published.  Counterfeit families of related varieties are carefully assembled with close-up pick-up-point images.  And where larger families of similar looking varieties are concerned, a quick attribution guide was created in order to make identification of varieties easier and faster.

 

Was coin counterfeiting always viewed by the public negatively?  Who would have guessed that the lowly 3cS denomination was one of the most counterfeited coins of its era!  Were the so-called ‘Soviet Mercury Dimes’, dated 1923-D and 1930-D, really made in the Soviet Union?  Did you know that people were counterfeiting Washington quarters for circulation in the 21st century?  Discover this information and much more in Bad Metal Silver. 3cS to 25c.

 

This book is far and away the most comprehensive, previously untold, illustrated history covering these counterfeited coins made for circulation.  While bits and pieces of this subject have been published in the past, their scattered nature had never placed them into a historical context, the motivation of counterfeiters over time was never scrutinized, nor did numismatists realize the scope and scale of this largely ignored and forgotten subject.  This book defines circulating contemporary counterfeit coins as known today. The author anticipates more new discoveries and those will be posted on the badmetalcoin.com website.

 

Pre-order your copy of Bad Metal Silver. 3cS to 25c today for $70-shipped at badmetalcoin.com/shop or at the PayPal address above.  The regular book price will be $100.  All pre-orders will receive an individually numbered and autographed copy in the order in which they were placed.

 

Winston Zack is an established author of now 4 numismatic books over the last 15 years.  He is best-known for this Bad Metal book series covering the entirety of circulating contemporary counterfeit federal United States coinage from the late 18th through the 21st centuries.  Counterfeit half dollars and silver dollars will be the next book published in this series, and the final book will cover all counterfeit gold denominations.  Anyone wishing to assist in this overall research and publication effort can contact Winston through his website or email.

 

For more information about this subject, visit badmetalcoin.com

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From Sheridan Downey:


To my collecting friends and colleagues,

Mail Bid Sale No. 54 has engendered unusual excitement.  More than half the lots have received bids and are now "in play," their reserves having been met.  From long experience I can tell you this bodes well for the bust half market and, of course, my consignors.  I can almost guarantee that 60% of all bids will be entered during the 24 hours before the auction closes at 6:00 PM CDT, Aug. 17, 2022.  

Certain lots have grabbed the lion's share of activity.  I see one lot with 20 bids already entered, another with 17, a third with 13.  And all this before printed catalogs arrived in the mailboxes of hardcore bidders.  The catalogs went out via first class mail on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.  The Post Office told me to expect delivery this weekend, Monday at the latest.  Perhaps you downloaded your personal copy from the Latest News section of my web site, https://www.sheridanscoins.com/inc_News.php.

Lot preview by mail is now closed.  The last mailing was today.  It is not too late to order a copy of Steve Herrman's empirical price guide for bust halves, AMBPR.  I have two copies left.  The cost is $32 plus Priority Mail postage.  The 270 page booklet is invaluable to collectors.  You should also subscribe to Dave Rutherford's on-line Bust Half Dollar Auction and Sales Results, https://www.busthalfprices.com/index.php.

Many of you know Ron Guth.  He is a numismatic researcher and author with 50+ years experience in the coin business.  He is a past president of PCGS (preceding Don Willis' tenure).  In 1999, while associated with PCGS, he created CoinFacts a vital research tool with which we are all familiar.  (Known today as PCGS CoinFacts).  His numerous writings and contributions to the numismatic community earned him the 2014 ANA award as Numismatist of the Year.  They also earned him a place in Coin World's Top 10 Most Influential People in Numismatics.  If you kept your copy of the April 2021 Coin World issue turn to page 82 for more about Ron.  (I'm in there too, but NOT in the Top 10.)

Ron wrote me last week.  He had seen the online version of my catalog and thought it might be worthwhile to review and comment upon the upcoming auction.  Ron has an educational channel on YouTube.  He offers news and personal observations on significant numismatic events.  Trust me, this was a completely unexpected development.  I think you will enjoy his presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEvE-fQ8Xwc.


From the editor:  Due to my travel schedule, there will likely be no JR Newsletter published on August 14th.