Modern Coinage Course at the ANA

astrorat · September 14, 2005 11:39AM

Hi folks-

We are kicking around the idea of offering a day (27 contact hours) or evening course (6-9 contact hours) on modern US coins (post 1964) for Summer Seminar 2006 in Colorado Springs.

Since there are a number of active "modern" collectors on the boards I thought I would pose these questions to help our discussions:

1. What would you like to see in the course and why?

2. Who would you want to have as an instructor and why?

This is a serious inquiry so please, no modern bashing, just help. Thanks.

Lane

P.S. Feel free to email me at "brunner@money.org" if you wish.

cladking · September 14, 2005 11:45AM

Is the purpose of the class primarily to familiarize students with modern coins or with the
markets or other? Are students usually younger collectors and dealers or are they more of
a cross section of the hobby?

kieferscoins · September 14, 2005 11:46AM

Great idea Lane! here are some possible topics for the class:

1. Grading, PR, MS, SMS, CAM, DCAM, FT etc. There is so much info to cover and I know collectors would put this as the #1 priority. The other 2 grading classes might only cover 4-5 modern coins the whole week.

2. Mintages, Rarity, collectibility.

3. Registry sets, ways to collect etc.

Cameron Kiefer

astrorat · September 14, 2005 11:51AM

<< Is the purpose of the class primarily to familiarize students with modern coins or with the
markets or other? Are students usually younger collectors and dealers or are they more of
a cross section of the hobby? >>

Since the courses are really driven by the instructors, there is no pre-set agenda. The students are whoever signs up for the class. Almost every class has a cross-section of the hobby.

Lane

astrorat · September 14, 2005 11:53AM

<< Great idea Lane! here are some possible topics for the class:

1. Grading, PR, MS, SMS, CAM, DCAM, FT etc. There is so much info to cover and I know collectors would put this as the #1 priority. The other 2 grading classes might only cover 4-5 modern coins the whole week.

2. Mintages, Rarity, collectibility.

3. Registry sets, ways to collect etc.

Cameron Kiefer >>

Thanks, Cameron. This is very helpful.

Lane

cladking · September 14, 2005 12:07PM

A lot of collectors are very removed from the production, use, and distribution of
coins. It is probably of more benefit to modern collectors than others to have some
familiarity with this. There are some important modern coins in circulation and basic
understanding of the forces and movements of coins is fascinating in its own right.
Non-circulating coins also have their own attributes and attrition which is caused by
both natural factors and market forces.

Moderns have a greater tendency to be either common or rare than older coins so
grading is necessarily a more important factor. Grade distributions of some common
and some scarcer issues can be highly instructive.

The markets on moderns can be more complicated because supply can act as though
it's in a state of flux and demand is more price dependent than on some coins. Gen-
erally it is the instability in some of the modern markets and the nature of the markets
for the more common moderns that can arouse passions in some collectors. There are
some very stable modern markets but this whole arena can be problematical to discus-
sion.

I've always found the incidence of the various coins in circulation and their current con-
dition to be among the most interesting of all aspects of collecting.

coinbuf · September 14, 2005 12:11PM

I suggest a live demonstration with Marty and Russ diving for the last 64 Proof set on the table

Russ · September 14, 2005 12:17PM

<< This is a serious inquiry so please, no modern bashing >>

Good luck with that.

Russ, NCNE

astrorat · September 14, 2005 12:21PM

<< 

<< This is a serious inquiry so please, no modern bashing >>

Good luck with that.

Russ, NCNE >>

One can always hope . . . I am the eternal optimist!

Lane

astrorat · September 18, 2005 12:14AM

No more suggestions? Ideas for instructors?

Lane

cladking · September 18, 2005 12:53AM

There are so many possibilities but much depends on what the instructors want people
to get out of the class.

Certainly you might consider showing some typical mint and proof sets from the era. These
are mostly the "raw material" for modern collections other than the commems, bullion issues,
etc. Some poor quality mint sets like the '69, '71, '76, '89 etc can be compared to the good
quality like '68, '72, '80.

If you can find any original rolls of the early clad it would be a big education to open them
up and take a look. These coins are almost always atrocious and it is this as much as any-
thing which explains why they weren't saved and why so many moderns are scarce in nice
condition and why so many varieties don't even exist in unc.

It's difficult to see the differences in high grade proofs but since these are advanced collectors
a grading set of these could be assembled to show these differences.

astrorat · September 18, 2005 4:35AM

Thanks cladking . . . do you know of anyone with the appropriate skill and competence to instruct the class (27 contact hours)?

Lane

cladking · September 18, 2005 4:46AM

<< Thanks cladking . . . do you know of anyone with the appropriate skill and competence to instruct the class (27 contact hours)?

Lane >>

I doubt you'll have nearly so much trouble finding the competence and skill as someone available.

Most of the best are dealers or advanced collectors.

wondercoin · September 18, 2005 1:48PM

"<< Thanks cladking . . . do you know of anyone with the appropriate skill and competence to instruct the class (27 contact hours)? Lane >>"

Lane: In my opinion, there is just ONE person in the country with the appropriate skill and competence level to instruct the 27 hour class - MILES STANDISH. His knowledge of both classic and modern coinage, including the professional grading of both for the past 19 years, is second to NONE. He is your ONLY "natural" professor for such a class. Again, just my humble opinion.

Wondercoin

Cladiator · September 18, 2005 2:02PM

Couldn't resist...

sumnom · September 18, 2005 2:19PM

It might be good to first consider the focus of the course. Would it be a course in modern numismatics, meaning the study of modern coinage, or would it be a course in dealing in modern coins? If it is the former, then it would be appropriate to give more time to the coins themselves. By this I mean, questions of attribution, design, composition, production techniques and problems, as well as the legal, political and policy issues that inevitably surround coinage. If the course is to focus on the buying and selling of modern coinage, then the course should center on questions grading and market trends. A good course, I suppose, would include topics of interest to both dealers and numismatists. As a collector and amateur numismatist, I would like to see a greater focus on the coins and their contexts and rather than on grading and markets. I would guess that my opinion in this matter is in the minority on this board but I thought would give my two cents on the issue.

shirohniichan · September 18, 2005 3:06PM

<< It might be good to first consider the focus of the course. Would it be a course in modern numismatics, meaning the study of modern coinage, or would it be a course in dealing in modern coins? If it is the former, then it would be appropriate to give more time to the coins themselves. By this I mean, questions of attribution, design, composition, production techniques and problems, as well as the legal, political and policy issues that inevitably surround coinage. If the course is to focus on the buying and selling of modern coinage, then the course should center on questions grading and market trends. A good course, I suppose, would include topics of interest to both dealers and numismatists. As a collector and amateur numismatist, I would like to see a greater focus on the coins and their contexts and rather than on grading and markets. I would guess that my opinion in this matter is in the minority on this board but I thought would give my two cents on the issue. >>

Yea, verily.

sumnom · September 18, 2005 9:50PM

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

astrorat · September 18, 2005 9:57PM

<< It might be good to first consider the focus of the course. Would it be a course in modern numismatics, meaning the study of modern coinage, or would it be a course in dealing in modern coins? If it is the former, then it would be appropriate to give more time to the coins themselves. By this I mean, questions of attribution, design, composition, production techniques and problems, as well as the legal, political and policy issues that inevitably surround coinage. If the course is to focus on the buying and selling of modern coinage, then the course should center on questions grading and market trends. A good course, I suppose, would include topics of interest to both dealers and numismatists. As a collector and amateur numismatist, I would like to see a greater focus on the coins and their contexts and rather than on grading and markets. I would guess that my opinion in this matter is in the minority on this board but I thought would give my two cents on the issue. >>

As I mentioned before, the content is open to nearly anything the instructor deems relevant, as long as it is about "modern" (post-1964) coinage.

Lane

Modern Coinage Course at the ANA

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