Brad Karoleff wrote:
The John Reich Collectors Society General Meeting will be on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at 8:00 AM in room 117 of the Philadelphia Convention Center. All JRCS members, interested non-members, and their guests are welcome to attend. The educational session will be one you will not want to miss!
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Mike McDaniel wrote:
Family Vacation Road Trip Weaves Historical Sites and Numismatic Pursuits
My family recently completed a 5000-mile road trip during the two weeks surrounding Independence Day. That may sound like a daunting task to some people, but we enjoy getting out on the road and exploring our great country. We visited historical sites along the old California Trail (now Highway 80) as we drove from our home on the Monterey Bay to the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. In that same historical spirit, we also included numismatic visits that allowed us to meet several JRCS members that I had previously known only through articles in the JRCS Journal, correspondence, or phone calls. My family enjoyed the trip and I was able to add several new die varieties to my collection in the Capped Bust Dime, Quarter, and Half Dollar Series. I sincerely enjoyed spending time with fellow JRCS members Brad Karoleff, Jim Matthews, and Dave Perkins. They were generous with their time and were fun people.
We caught up with Brad and Jim at the Cincinnati Numismatic Association (CNA) summer coin show in Sharonville, OH, the weekend before July 4th. As my family paid our admission to the show, the CNA President, David Heinrich, introduced himself and asked my six-year-old son Jonathan if he collected coins and if so, what is his favorite type? My son affirmed that he does indeed collect coins (he’s been attending coin shows since he was in a stroller) and he stated that his favorites ones are Mexican 20 Centavos. That delighted Mr. Heinrich since he also appreciates these beautiful bronze coins. When I arrived back to CA, Mr. Heinrich had graciously sent my son two BU examples of these coins and an article that had been published on the series in the CNA Journal. What a guy!
After we entered the bourse, our first stop was with Brad Karoleff. Brad showed me several capped bust halves that he had purchased at the show and I took the opportunity to buy a VF 1812 O-104 from him. We talked to Brad about coins and the JRCS in between his interactions with other show attendees. I enjoy taking my family on the bourse floor so that they can learn the rhythms of the coin shows and the etiquette of visiting the various dealers’ booths.
After a while we headed over to Jim Matthew’s booth. Jim and I had never met, but a few weeks prior to the CNA show I had purchased several Capped Bust Dimes that Jim had consigned to an online auction. I discussed my purchases with Jim and we agreed that I got the dimes at reasonable prices. Then we talked about our collecting histories and I found out that Jim had previously lived in the Monterey Bay area only a few miles from my home. My son thought that was cool since we were 2500 miles from home. The highlight of the show for me was that I purchased a beautifully toned PCGS XF-45 1824 Various Dates O-103 half dollar from Jim. The overdates were so visible that even my wife appreciated the charm of the coin. She normally thinks that I’m a bit obsessive about die varieties, die states, etc., and good-naturedly refers to the JRCS as my ”little club.” In contrast, my son is a JRCS member in- training. He loves to spend time in my office looking at federal coins together under a lens as I point out overdates, die breaks, cracks, and other anomalies from the early days of the mint. I use these moments to also inculcate a love for the nation’s history and founding principles in my boy such as liberty, e pluribus unum, and the way that the principles are manifested in the devices of our early coins. He will remind you that the Mexican 20 Centavo coins also feature a liberty cap and an eagle liked the Capped Bust series do.
On our way back to California, I stopped in to meet W. David Perkins in Colorado. I have purchased many beautiful coins from Dave since joining the JRCS several years ago, but we had never met in person. As Dave mentioned a couple of weeks ago in a post in this weekly email newsletter, we spent a couple of hours together and it seemed like only 30 minutes. Dave was very gracious in showing me some of his personal collection, his numismatic library, and several coins that I was considering purchasing.
As an aside, I really cherish our numismatic fraternity in the JRCS. I stumbled across the society on the internet. I had always enjoyed the capped bust series in my US Type Set but did not know a lot about the series. After a year in the club I really got the fever and since then I have taken a deep dive in collecting the various series by date, die variety, and die state and by building up a respectable numismatic library, too. It seems to me that JRCS members, like other numismatists, often share a love and knowledge of history and tradition that is far deeper than that of the bulk of our society. Therefore, the friendships that we make within our self-selected group can be very fulfilling.
Meanwhile, back with Dave in Colorado, I purchased an 1820 dime JR-6, Small O, PCGS 50, ex Kirk Gorman; an 1825/4(2) B-3 quarter with a retained cud and an 1825/4(2) B-3 quarter in an earlier die state, and an 1836 bar-dot half dollar in PCGS AU-50. I had to pull myself away from Dave’s hospitality in his mountain lair in order to hit the road and drive almost 1000 miles to our next stop on the road home to California.
It was a great trip and I look forward to meeting more of my fellow JRCS colleagues in the future and perhaps enjoying friendships with them in the years ahead.
Mike McDaniel
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Barry Sunshine wrote:
$100 reward!
I am trying to locate for my viewing pleasure the PCGS graded 1809 dimes in Mint State 65 or 66. I never saw them and I always wanted to view them. In the PCGS population reports, it indicates that there are 2 graded in MS-65 and 2 in MS-66. I would love the opportunity to view each of those coins and willing to pay $100 to see them. Bring them to ANA in Philadelphia as I am planning on being there.
Also, I am also paying a $100 reward for the pleasure to view an 1811/9 that PCGS graded MS-66. Currently the population report shows that PCGS graded 2 of them.
Based on my research, I haven’t been able to see and of the above coins offered publicly or privately. If anyone can help, then please contact Barry Sunshine at BSunshine(at)optonline.net
Many thanks for your assistance.
Barry
