JR Newsletter: 29 May 2011 (38)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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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