Best Of

@Goob said:
I’ve been considering collecting proof and/or circulation strike Franklin halves. Do you think I should? Should I not?

Ultimately your call, as you asked for opinions I am not a fan of the series/design but have a mid-low grade MS raw set in an album that I put together many years back. I do not think this series is a "winner" from a strict financial standpoint and would (for myself) use funds for different coins. I say that because they are super common (unless you get into the ultra gem grades) and I just do not see this series becoming the must have coin anytime soon.

But as you say you like the coins then an MS64ish set should be doable for not much $'s.

I’m sure they’re all good. I just wish I’d had a book much earlier into my collecting. Both sets would be much better at this point.

I love this thread because it is unfailingly positive, the eye candy is great, and everyone's love of coins is apparent. I think I've only ever seen one negative comment, total.

The travesty that was committed to that 29 CBH has lead to ~10 negative comments. And they are deserved. I didn't think I would see it but here we are.

Have a nice Sunday everyone.

Send an e-mail to Caroline Boinest at: cboinest@risk-strategies.com

She was my contact when I last renewed my policy.

@MrEureka said:

@Byers said:

@MrEureka said:

@Byers said:

@MrEureka said:

@Byers said:
Here is my next story.

Some of this is old news, but many may not know about it. And it’s a perfect example of transfer dies overstruck on U.S. gold coins and U.S. Territorial gold coins. PCGS, Don Kagin, the experts (and myself) all believed that these were genuine.

25 years ago at a Long Beach coin show, I stopped by at Don Kagin’s table. Yes, THAT Don Kagin. Don Kagin, holds a Doctorate Degree in Numismatics, is a world renowned expert in U.S. Territorial gold coins, and has authored award winning books.

Since I specialize in mint errors, die trials and patterns, I scope out the dealers who carry expensive exotic items like these.

Don showed me an incredible PCGS certified, 1861 $20 Clark Gruber struck OVER a 1849 or 1850 U.S. $10 gold piece. There were two known, one over a 1849 $10 and the other over a 1850 $10. They both look very similiar, positioned at 6 o’clock and showing both dates. For the life of me , I can’t remember if the one that he showed me was dated 1849 or 1850.

This coin stopped me in my tracks! A gold off-metal! A Clark Gruber $20 over a struck U.S. $10 Liberty. Omg wow! It was displayed in his show case with a couple of other mind-blowing Clark Gruber pieces like this one.

Even though this was 25 years ago, I had already handled an Indian Head Cent in gold struck on a $2 1/2 gold planchet, and the unique 1851 $20 struck on a Large Cent blank, both way back in 1975. And many other 5 and 6 figure coins, so I didn’t blink an eye when he quoted me $250k.

I had never heard of a Clark Gruber $20 like this one, so I very seriously considered purchasing it.

Then in 2002, Heritage Auctions sold a 1861 $20 Clark Gruber struck over a $20 Assay piece for $66,125. certified by PCGS MS 63. In the auction description is a list of the known pieces at the time, and attributed to Don Kagin’s book. So far so good.

A few years later, at a different Long Beach coin show, Don approached me and told me PCGS and many other experts including himself were wrong. These were made from transfer dies. And PCGS was now designating them ‘Fantasty’. He showed me the same one that had been certified genuine at $250k a few years ago, for $25k as a transfer die ‘Fantasy’. Full disclosure from Don- thank you. I purchased it and sold it to a customer for a small profit.

Then in 2011, StacksBowers auctioned off a $20 Clark Gruber over a 1850 $10 as struck with transfer dies, with a description and explanation of its origin.

So this is another great example of transfer dies fooling everybody, this time overstruck on genuine U.S. gold coins and Territorial gold coins. And since the host coin was genuine, it is sometimes tricky to determine the overstrike ( authentic or transfer dies).

Once again, I must repeat that in my opinion PCGS and NGC do a wonderful job authenticating and grading. But occasionally mistakes are made.

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I never really understood the “fantasy” designation, and which coins should be labeled as such. Is it reserved strictly for counterfeits, or should it be used for some mint made items as well? For example, would it be proper to call something like a 2000 Cent struck on a Sacagawea $1 a fantasy instead of a “Mint Error”? How about a 1913 Liberty Nickel? And for that matter, what about some of the Dan Carr creations? Seems like many of them should qualify, but PCGS doesn’t grade any of them. I’m confused…

Andy- all of those that you described are fantasy items. The real question is the origin:

Fantasy U.S. Mint made
Fantasy Private Mint
Fantasy counterfeits

Are you suggesting that PCGS should slab all of these things and describe them this way?

Andy - you are making me think on a holiday weekend lol.

Mint errors struck in the U.S. Mint with genuine dies should be labeled as mint errors. If intentionally struck, they should say intentional or assisted mint errors.

>

It’s often impossible to know if an error was intentional, so they really can’t go there.

Andy- I agree. That’s why I then posted the Ike Dollar from 2 Mints with 2 mintmarks.

@Coinscratch
I really hope our bust half nuts are out for a Saturday night stroll, as theyre certainly going to hate that you dipped that original beauty! I mean, it's your coin and you can do what you want, but ahhhh. It's lifeless now.
Back to the grind. The coffee grinds

A dream coin.
Congratulations!

I gotta say, this is the most interesting thread I’ve read in quite some time!

I hope Fred Weinberg posts some stories in here, too!

I look forward to coming back and seeing what is posted going forward from here…