JR Newsletter: 1 June 2014 (191)

We have three contributions this week, with the first spurred by a question asked in the last JR Newsletter.

In response to the question, " When a die marriage is given a particular rarity rating, what exactly
does this mean?" -- Denis Loring wrote:

As I understand it, rarity rating estimates the number of existing examples, as follows:

R-8: 1-3

R-7+: 4-6

R-7: 7-9

R-7-: 10-12

R-6+: 13-18

R-6: 19-24

R-6-: 25-30

R-5+: 31-45

R-5: 46-50

R-5-: 51-75

R-4: 76-200

R-3: 201-500

R-2: 501-1250

R-1 over 1250

Be careful, though.  If a given variety has, say, four die states, each state could be R-6 with 20 known but the variety itself would only be R-4(+) with 80 known.

Denis Loring

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Paul Hybert wrote:

Collector Exhibits for the 2014 Summer ANA Convention
Although the ANA summer convention is still two months away, the
deadline for submitting your application to enter an exhibit is less
than three weeks away -- a completed application for each exhibit must
be received at ANA headquarters by June 20.  If you have spent the past
months working on your exhibit, please do not let this deadline trip
you.  If you promised to enter a small exhibit, do not panic, the
application form needs just a title and one-paragraph overview. The ANA
web site has a page, at  http://www.worldsfairofmoney.com/collector-exhibits.aspx
with links to the rules, application, and an essay on preparing an exhibit.
Standard Disclaimer:  Exhibiting is not possible for most people -- 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).
Do you have questions?  Email them to me at jrcsweb(at)yahoo.org

Paul

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Peter Mosiondz, Jr. sent us an offering for various articles of numismatic literature

Brand New Books Offered Subject Unsold by Peter Mosiondz, Jr.

The United States Half Dimes by David W. Valentine. 1975 Quarterman reprint of the 1931 original incorporating additional works by Newlin, Breen, Davis, and Ahwash. 273 pages. Hardbound. Dust Jacket protected  in Mylar®. $15.00

History of the First United States Mint by Frank Stewart. 1974 Quarterman reprint of the 1924 original. 209 pages. Hardbound. Dust Jacket protected  in Mylar®. $15.00

2014 Coin World Guide to U.S. Coins, Prices and Value Trends. 464 pages. Softbound. $3.00

Common Sense Coin Investment by Q. David Bowers. 189 pages. Paperback. $3.00

Rochester Numismatic Association: Celebrating 100 Years of Fellowship. Card Cover. $3.00

The Lovett Cent: A Confederate Story by Harold Levi and George Correll. 276 pages. Softbound. $15.00

The Expert’s Guide to Collecting and Investing in Rare Coins by Q. David Bowers. At 34 chapters and 656 pages, it covers everything from grading to determining values to techniques of smart auction bidding. More than 1,300 photographs and illustrations. Hardbound. DJ protected in Mylar®. $15.00

Coins and Collectors by Q. David Bowers. 214 pages. Softbound. $8.00

Abe Kosoff: Dean of Numismatics by Q. David Bowers. 351 pages. Softbound. $15.00

Add $3.00 postage per order.

Peter Mosiondz, Jr.

26 Cameron Circle

Laurel Springs, NJ 08021-4861

Phone: 856-627-6865

JR Newsletter: 25 May 2014 (190)

Louis Scuderi wrote with a request for images of half dimes:

I am doing some research on late die state and full reverse cud capped bust half dimes.  I am seeking images of coins with reverse cuds and also of coins that are late die state just before formation of the cud.  Specifically, I am requesting images for the following die marriages and your permission to use the images (with acknowledgement) when the research is presented in the JR Journal:

1830 LM-1.2
1832 LM-5
1832 LM-10.4
1833 LM-1

1833 LM-4.3
1833 LM-8
1835 LM-1
1835 LM-5.2
1835 LM-9.2

1836 LM-1.2

Images and correspondence should go to cirque1(at)gmail.com

Thank you,

Louis

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Bob Stark wrote in response to Glenn Peterson's discussion of bust dollars studied at the EAC-JRCS "Happenings" event:

Thanks, Glenn for writing on the 1798 B-16 MS 62. It is a beautiful coin illustrated on page 172 of the newer Bowers dollar book and, apparently, the finest known.

My coin, purchased for me by Jules Reiver at the 1975 ANA, graded a VF 20 there and Ex-Blanchard, Austin, and Ostheimer. It was thought to be unique "without any trace of the usual break".  However, I'm told that a few others, without evidence of a break, are known.

With four die states, B-16 seems a neat candidate for a die state collection.

Bob Stark

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Mike Sherrill wrote with a question for readers about rarity ratings:

When a die marriage is given a particular rarity rating, what exactly does this mean?

I grew up with the dime book - my definition of rarity probably derived from page 20 and is "estimated number of surviving examples in all grades, both attributed and not". But to take other examples, the 1836 B5 quarter is widely regarded as R6, in one of the quarter books "15-17 known". In the latest dime census, the 1820 JR12 is listed as R6 with 17 reported. My first thought is, "these are actually R5+ die marriages".

The previous two examples are far from isolated and so I'm curious how others define rarity. Is it similar to my definition above?  Is it "number of unique examples identified" like the previous examples? Is there a right way to define it?  Is it just a question of sellers inflating rarity and buyers downplaying it? The differentiation is much less important for the R4 and more common die marriages, but the rarer die marriages are the focus of many of our collections.

Thanks,

Mike

JR Newsletter: 18 May 2014 (189)

Brad Karoleff wrote:

The next issue of the John Reich Journal is scheduled to come out in July.  It will contain the census for the half dollars before the Capped Bust series.  Please send your census updates to Steve Herrman as soon as possible for inclusion in the issue -- Herrman102(at)aol.com

We also need articles to fill the rest of the issue.  Anyone who has been working on a paper, or someone who can write something for us before the deadline, is encouraged to submit it for publication.  I would like to have any submissions by June 15th so we can work on getting them formatted for publication.  Please consider sending something for publication to make your journal more interesting.

Brad Karoleff

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We have two contributions from Glenn Peterson:

First, Glenn Peterson wrote:

Hi JRCS members,

    I am doing a study on double profile bust halves 1807-1836. I am putting together a presentation for the BHNC meeting at ANA Chicago and if I get enough interesting information I might put together an article for JR Journal on the subject as well. I appreciate information from members on capped bust half dollar double  profiles obverse AND REVERSE. The information I seek is the following

1. Where is the doubling – obverse, face, chin, neck, date, hair-curls, etc. and reverse above or below L or R wing, etc.?

2. Is the doubling external (a line outside the main device) or internal ( e.g. a second chin inside the original chin)?

3. Date and die marriage of the coin.

4. How many profiles: double, triple, quadruple, etc.?

   I am NOT studying  double die halves like the 1820 O-108 and not studying double struck halves but machine/ mechanical doubling. Dates involved cluster in the early teens, mid twenties, and a few in early 30's but almost any date can be affected. Doubling on the reverse  is mostly in the 1824-1825 range but can occur in other years.

         Please send information to gpeters(at)tds.net  

Thanks

Glenn Peterson

--

Glenn Peterson also wrote in response to Bob Stark's comments in last week's JR Newsletter:

I wrote the report  to the newsletter May 3rd late at night trying to get the report out for the Sunday newsletter. In my hurry I did not get to the bust dollar, 1798 B 16, BB 110 which I demonstrated along with the 1829 LM 18 half dime. Other JRCS members displayed the dime, quarter, and halves. We had 3 examples  of the 1798 B 16 the latest being in mint state and had a full cud  left of the date. A beautiful coin!!  I got my share of ribbing from the collectors about the half dimes being too small to see "and now this coin (the bust dollar) I can see..."

Glenn Peterson

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Finally, a reminder from the editor:

Nominations for the JRCS Hall of Fame class of 2014 are now OPEN. Announcement of the 2014 inductees will be made at the ANA JRCS meeting in August.

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 the summer. We look forward to seeing your nominations!

Please forward your nominations to bkaroleff(at)yahoo.com or to jrnewsletter(at)jrcs.org

JR Newsletter: 11 May 2014 (188)

We have two contributions this week.  Steve Herrman has an announcement with our first contribution:

Steve Herrman wrote:

COMING SOON!

The second revision of Auction Prices Realized for Certified & Graded Bust Half Dollars 1794-1839 (APRCG) shall be available in late June. The publication covers prices realized for all certified and graded Bust Halves sold in major auctions over the past three years. This is in contrast to the AMBPR which focuses on R3+ to R8 varieties, condition census coins, proofs, mint errors, and contemporary counterfeits.

Softbound, $25.00 postpaid ($22.00 if requested prior to June 1). Also available in PDF format.

Copies will be mailed to JRCS members with an enclosed invoice. Advance payment is not required.

Also: $1.00 shall be donated to each the JRCS and the BHNC for each copy sold.

Please inquire at Herrman102(at)aol.com

Thanks,

Steve Herrman

JRCS LM 28

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Bob Stark wrote:

Those who don't often make it to meetings relish accounts such as Glenn Peterson's. I made a mental note as I read to send this thank you. At the end --  imagine my disappointment to read nothing of the dollars. The series is so limited and it is our nation's crown coin that it is a continual surprise to me how often it is overlooked.

Best wishes,

Bob Stark

JR Newsletter: 4 May 2014 (187)

We are fortunate to have one contribution this week from Glenn Peterson, who participated in the Early American Coppers-John Reich Collectors Society meeting this past week.

JRCS members,

  We had a great time at the Happenings meeting in Colorado Springs. We shared a room with our copper collector colleagues at the happenings event. They showed interesting die marriages of half cents and large cents and we displayed examples of half dimes, dimes, quarters, halves and dollars. We showed 13 examples of the 1829 LM 18 half dime, an excellent number of examples of this R5 marriage. We had coins showing just one crack at stars 2-4 and several with two cracks from the rim below star 2 to the rim above star 4. We had two examples of the die marriage showing retained cuds. The first acquired by me from the Reiver sale had the cud demonstrating a section of the die being laterally displaced but not sinking. The last coin borrowed from a friend showed the area of the coin affected by the cud elevated from the rest of the field. In this retained cud, the piece of the die was beginning to sink and pull away from the rest of the die. Does anyone else have such an advanced cud on the 1829 LM 18?

      Dimes displayed included both die marriages of 1824. Beautiful examples in mint state highlighted the 1824/2 overdate. The JR 1 and JR 2 share the same obverse but the more common JR 1 has a defective 1 in the denomination. The quarter 1818 B 9 was highlighted by a beautiful example of the deeply clashed arrowheads on the obverse above star 8.

    Half dollars displayed included the 1814 O-106, which in late die states has a reverse crack so strong that it almost appears as though a piece on the coin could snap off from the rest of the coin. The second die marriage displayed was the 1827 O-108. This coin shows a remarriage with the 1828 O-101. The 1827 O-108 prime has F unfilled and many die dots below UNITED. The reverse next used in 1828 has these dots gradually being lapped away and F filling. When it is again used for the 1827 a there remains just one dot below UNITED and the F is filled. We enjoyed showing this die marriage to our copper colleagues who do not get to see many remarriages on their large and half cents. We turned the half dollars over showing the reverses and asked them to sort the coins by die state and upon uprighting the coins the remarriage became apparent.

  This year I made sure to get around the room and view the half and large cents. They showed me several die marriages with giant cuds developing on late die states of the copper coins.  This is what I most like about the happenings - sharing the coins we love with our colleagues and an exchange of ideas about mint production of coins from that era.

      The next day we took a tour of the ANA museum. An ANA employee gave us a special treat. They had a die press similar to that used in the early 1800s. They also had a planchet cutting device to cut the planchet from a metal strip made of Pewter. I was allow to work the dies to make a token depicting Miss Liberty, inscribed "Early American Coppers Colorado Springs 2014."  I double struck and even flip over double struck the tokens and even formed one piece with an incomplete planchet cut onto the token. A lot of fun.

        Next year the EAC/ JRCS meeting will be in Dallas TX. I urge everyone to attend the meeting - one of the premiere numismatic events of the year.

    Glenn Peterson

JR Newsletter: 27 April 2014 (186)

One contribution this week -- Pete Smith wrote:

Len Augsburger, Joel Orosz and Pete Smith continue work toward a book on the coinage of 1792. Pete is compiling the census of all known specimens. He can currently account for about 150 different 1792 half dismes.

He would like to hear from anyone who has a 1792 half disme or knows someone who has a 1792 half disme. Probably most are already included in the census. He hopes other pieces may turn up that are previously unreported.

Please send reports to petesmith1793(at)gmail.com

Pete Smith

JR Newsletter: 20 April 2014 (185)

We have a number of interesting and important announcements this week.

From the editor:

I want to ensure that members of the JRCS know where to mail their ballots for the 2013 Jules Reiver Literary Award.  Ballots were distributed with the most recent issue of the John Reich Journal.  After marking your ballots, you may mail them to the following address:

Stephen A. Crain

PO Box 1680

Windham, ME 04062

Richard Meaney

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David Perkins wrote with information about 1804 dollars:

New 1804 Dollar Discoveries to be announced at CSNS Book Release Presentation on April 24th

            New discoveries about the famed 1804 Dollar will be announced at 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 24th at the Central States Numismatic Society convention by professional numismatist and researcher Mark Ferguson during a presentation for the release of his new book, The Dollar of 1804 – The U.S. Mint’s Hidden Secret.  Ferguson will dispel age-old myths about the 1804 Dollar, “The King of American Coins,” by exhibiting new evidence from the 1880s and earlier, some signed.

            Based on the chronicles of the true story of the Dexter 1804 Dollar, The Dollar of 1804 – The U.S. Mint’s Hidden Secret, reveals newly discovered facts, not only about the Dexter Dollar, but about other 1804 Dollars as well.  Ferguson’s research quest began in 1989 with his discovery and acquisition of a work of art, circa 1887, commissioned by James Vila Dexter himself in commemoration of the 1804 Dollar he purchased in 1885 for a record price at that time.  A century later, in 1989, the Dexter Dollar set another world record as the very first coin to sell at public auction for the $1 million dollar level - $990,000.

            Ferguson published limited edition prints of J. V. Dexter’s 1887 artwork, and in conjunction with SilverTowne and NGC has produced silver replicas of the 1804 Dollar encapsulated by NGC.  The book release presentation will take place at the Central States Numismatic Society convention at 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 24th in room “Nirvana C.”  A question and answer session and book signing will follow Ferguson’s presentation.

Those in attendance who register will be entered into a drawing for a package consisting of a limited edition print of James V. Dexter’s 1887 work of art, an autographed copy of the new book, The Dollar of 1804 – The U.S. Mint’s Hidden Secret, an 1804 Dollar silver replica encapsulated by NGC, and other bonuses all valued at $495.00.  Interested persons who are unable to attend may register online at www.1804Dollar.com for a drawing of an autographed book and an NGC encapsulated replica of the 1804 Dollar valued at $99.00.  Ferguson will also be signing books at the CSNS book signing table at noon on Friday and Saturday.

Anyone wishing to pre-order the book or any of the other products can email Mark Ferguson at:  mark(at)1804Dollar.com

--

Dave also provided us with some information about JRCS participation at the EAC Convention that was published in Coin World:

Paul Gilkes of Coin World wrote and published at CoinWorld.com a nice article titled, “JRCS plans study of Bust coin varieties at EAC convention.”  Included with Paul’s article is a photo of one of the coins that will be at the Happenings event, a 1798 B-16, BB-110 Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle Dollar, this one with a large cud under the first star between the rim and the date. 

To read this article courtesy of Coin World, please click on the following link:  http://shar.es/TvAOI.

We thank Paul and Coin World for the mention!

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Finally, Steve Herrman wrote with information that is important to those who collect, study, or just like to learn about Pre-Turban Bust Half Dollars:

Pre-Turban Bust Half Dollar Census information is now being solicited for inclusion in the next issue of the John Reich Journal. Please send your complete inventory listing (including ALL duplicates and die states) of your Bust halves dated 1794-1807 to:

  Steve Herrman

  email: Herrman102(at)aol.com

  fax: 303-989-6393

Thanks,

Steve