Machinist/tool maker/welder fabricator. Build military equipment for more years than I like to think about. I've worked metal all my life.
I am happily retired now.
The bitterness of "Poor Quality" is remembered long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
In my profession I used a scanning electron microscope (SEM) regularly to do failure analysis on anything related to microcircuit fabrication. To get technical and relate your questions @Insider2 to my previous profession, an SEM is used to examine the topography of something at an extremely high magnification. I don't know what 8 Reales are, but I'll bet if an interested party could examine these diagonal cuts at an extremely high magnification, it would be possible to postulate a cause. An SEM can also be used to bombard an unknown object with a highly accelerated electron beam. This causes xrays to be "ejected" at rates that can be measured and correlated with the atomic weight of the element being bombarded. If you know the exact elemental makeup of the crystals, the area of the interface between the crystal and the metal, and the elemental makeup of the metal, with the right knowledge you could hypothesize as to what caused the crystal growth. This is a similar concept to knowing what oxides are developed on the surface of a Ag/Cu [silver/copper] alloy coin when exposed to H2S [hydrogen sulfide]. It's what numismatists call toning... tarnish [Ag2S] . If you used an SEM to determine that a layer of Ag2S had formed on a Ag/Cu surface when exposed to an unknown compound, you could hypothesize that the object had developed the Ag2S layer by being exposed to a compound that had a sulfur component. Is this starting to be over your head enough yet?
I have been performing NonDestructive Testing for the past 31 years (24 Years Active Duty Air Force, one year contract with Boeing and 6 years as a civil servant with the Air Force). Some of the methods that I have utilized are Liquid Penetrant, Magnetic Particle, Eddy Current, Ultrasonic, Radiography, Oil Analysis and SEM-EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray) spectroscopy. I have been awarded my Masters Degree in Aeronautics.
oih82w8 = Oh I Hate To Wait _defectus patientia_aka...Dr. Defecto - Curator of RMO's
@Justacommeman said:
Designer and opportunist by trade. I've always gravitated to aesthetically pleasing coins. I have a background in world religion/history so it all kind of ties together.
mark
You might start a side gig by designing mustard-proof shirts for coin dealers.
Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
@Justacommeman said:
Designer and opportunist by trade. I've always gravitated to aesthetically pleasing coins. I have a background in world religion/history so it all kind of ties together.
mark
You might start a side gig by designing mustard-proof shirts for coin dealers.
Tommy Bahama already beat me to it. Those shirts like Hall and Willis wear could hide anything
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
I took organic chemistry for my undergraduate degree in microbiology, but Walkerguy is right... I was maybe 4 weeks or so as a dual major in chemistry until Physical Chemistry burst that bubble! I withdrew!! I went on to work for 10 years in clinical microbiology (hospitals) before going back to graduate school for an MS in biomedical sciences and a PhD in Biology with an emphasis in microbiology and molecular genetics. My projects mainly involve molecular strain typing for epidemiological studies. Currently, I'm faculty in a department that mainly teaches undergrads to be med techs in hospitals, but I also train med school students and Infectious Disease fellows.
How does this relate to coins? It doesn't. Coins are a wonderful diversion for me. I suppose if there's any overlap it's the microscopy aspects of determining an infectious agent...
Collecting: Dansco 7070; Middle Date Large Cents (VF-AU); Box of 20;
That's OK. I took 4 organic chemistry lecture courses as an undergraduate, and 3 more as a graduate student. I use almost none of what I was taught. I never took a microbiology course, but had to learn pathogenic microbiology, particularly BSL2 and BSL3 practices.
The infectious agents I have run across in relation to numismatics were all bipedal eukaryotes.
Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
@pbj I used SEM-EDX for analyzing chip detectors on General Electric F110-GE-100 turbofan engines to evaluate wear metal particles of the oil wetted system along with Spectrometric Oil Analysis.
oih82w8 = Oh I Hate To Wait _defectus patientia_aka...Dr. Defecto - Curator of RMO's
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
@oih82w8 nice to meet you! I think that our backgrounds make coin collecting an appropriate hobby. I have found though that I have had to put the majority of my professional background aside to to try and learn how to be a competent numismatist. I have a tendency to be too critical and focused on intricate detail and perfection. It doesn't serve me well in this hobby. I hope to see you around!
No college, barely made it through high school. Small town farm kid who joined the Army National Guard for some perspective and escape the small town life. Worked assembly line making wiring harnesses, carpenter worked up to site manager, industrial painter, fab welder and machinist, industrial mechanic for large tractor company. Now Im a coin dealer. Still in the the Guard after 14 years.
Id love to take some college courses and the Guard would pay for it. I just don't see where it would help my career path in this industry. The owner of the shop I work at dropped out of college after his first semester.
Practicing lawyer in California for 36+ years. Practice is centered around disputes over property, mostly real property, but with some personal property added to the mix. Many such disputes arise from property finance transactions that go bad. Fairly routine math skills needed to calculate loan balances, determine amortization schedules, rates of return, etc. I have handled a couple of legal disputes where collectible coins were involved. I posted threads to the forums following the Langbord litigation over the 1933 double eagles.
The knowledge and experience I have gained by practicing property law has allow me to opine in forums threads about "property rights" and how the rules regarding same can apply to resolve disputes about coins.
I've been in sales for over 30 years. On a rare occasion I am able to contribute just a little, but regularly I receive much. Knowledge is power, and I am interested in the educational opportunities here. This thread is another great example of the overwhelming wealth of intelligence, knowledge and experience that inhabits this forum.
My job was in engineering...computer networks, before the time of IBM PC's, Cisco, or IBM Token Ring networks. We built local area networks (LAN's) to allow users at terminals to virtually switch connections to shared mainframes and mini computers. Direct, wired connections to a limited number of ports weren't needed.
Soon things got out of hand. Networking exploded. The rest of the story is told elsewhere. But the rise of the Internet changed the way people shared information, explored, and even shopped. It had a big impact on how collectors acquire coins today.
Lance.
I admit it: College math professor with specialties in statistics and graph theory. There is no natural or obvious relation between graph theory and numismatics that I can think of. Statistics is another story. Every time I read that a collector "gets it wrong" when his or her grading assessment doesn't match the assessment of the TPG (usually PCGS in these parts), I am reminded that I would love to design an experiment that explores the variability of TPG assignments of grades to mint state coins. I am also reminded of one of Mr. Hall's posts (Nov. 13, 2002) in which he discusses grading inconsistencies. Such an experiment would have a number of variables to control, and could require the cooperation the of TPG, depending on the question that is being explored.
I wonder if Mr. Hall's sentiments have departed from those in his post of 16 years ago. Honestly, I haven't searched, but I'd be very interested in his views now, and the views of others who are at the heart of first-world third-party grading.
I'm a numismatic flaneur who used to be a concert promoter.
Before that, I worked with homeless kids, and before that I cooked for a living, but my first real job was cleaning up after horses - I've found that the skills I learned with a shovel back then have really come in handy in the coin business.
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
I sympathize---my wife has 3 dressage horses (6 until a few years ago). I am an expert in mucking out horse stalls and hauling feed. At least my coins and numismatic literature don't poop.
Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
@Justacommeman said:
Designer and opportunist by trade. I've always gravitated to aesthetically pleasing coins. I have a background in world religion/history so it all kind of ties together.
mark
Your a candidate to collect darkside.
I manage money. I earn money. I save money . I give away money. I collect money. I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
@Justacommeman said:
Designer and opportunist by trade. I've always gravitated to aesthetically pleasing coins. I have a background in world religion/history so it all kind of ties together.
mark
Your a candidate to collect darkside.
Indeed. I dabble. The irony is my early design training put me in the direct path of Eric Newman at good old 501 N Broadway in DT St Louis. Small world
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Well, I started out with a B.A. from Yale, beginning as a math major before switching to music, and pursued a career as an opera singer. I sang in and studied many languages including Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, and Latin. I still sing pretty well but strictly as an avocation rather than a profession. In my 30s I realized I would never debut at The Met or La Scala, so I switched into a long career in writing and communications.
It turns out that a good Liberal Arts education was an excellent proving ground to become a (better) writer. And numismatics was a constant throughout all of that. The language facility helps with identifying coins of all kinds, and I kind of put all that together when I worked for Heritage as a cataloger. Much of that was U.S. coins (which are mostly in English, I believe ) ), but I did branch out into Canadian, British, and Spanish American coins on occasion. I worked for Heritage for 12 years. Now I'm just a retired piddler who buys and sells and does a show once in a while.
I know I'm not the only person here who is wired for math, music, and languages; in particular, I know @messydesk shares my fascination for number theory and prime numbers. It would be interesting to hear from others who have this rather common trio of traits (a lot of good mathematicians were also good musicians).
I studied organ for 14 years, until my sophomore year in college. I don't play anymore, but remain addicted to 16th-18th-century keyboard music. Minored in math (got as far as group theory and advanced calculus). I have a B.A. in German and learned Spanish at home.
Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
@Sonorandesertrat said:
I studied organ for 14 years, until my sophomore year in college. I don't play anymore, but remain addicted to 16th-18th-century keyboard music. Minored in math (got as far as group theory and advanced calclus). I have a B.A. in German and learned Spanish at home.
Very interesting! I knew it would happen! Personally I love the Romantic-era music, both operatic and symphonic, as well as some of the Impressionists and verismo composers. Berlioz, Wagner, Schubert, Mahler, Strauss (Richard), Debussy, Ravel, Hindemith, Puccini, Verdi, and of course Beethoven.
Degrees in Business and Hydraulic Engineering. I work as a Technician in the welding industry. Robotics, welding machines etc. Break it all down and I repair welders for a living for at least the next 4 years.
W.C.Fields "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
@jafo50 said:
Retired Systems Field Engineer from a Mainframe Computer Company. PC's weren't invented when I started my career and most people today have no idea what a Mainframe is. I'm a detail oriented individual which crosses over to coin collecting.
I have painful memories of mainframes, and having to submit stacks of punch cards and then come back hours later for results (and half the time I had a punch card error).
Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
@Sonorandesertrat said:
I have painful memories of mainframes, and having to submit stacks of punch cards and then come back hours later for results (and half the time I had a punch card error).
OR, If not on good terms with the person feeding the card you might hear..."oops, I dropped them and they are all out of order now".................that's when you realize the few extra key punches to number the cards would have been worth the time
@Sonorandesertrat said:
I have painful memories of mainframes, and having to submit stacks of punch cards and then come back hours later for results (and half the time I had a punch card error).
I remember using punch cards. I read that when IBM was first developing the use of punch cards they studied what would be the best size and shape should be. It was decided to make them the same size as the large size currency then in circulation because people were used to handling money.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
@MANOFCOINS said:
I reviewed every vocation and it proved what most people think, we are certainly a nerdy bunch. Honestly I am glad I am part of that group.
I am not surprised. Numismatics is not like golf or pickup basketball. It is typically a mostly solitary endeavor.
Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
Uncle Sam came knocking, and made me a deal I could not refuse. Airborne Ranger Infantry man, toured the world, but not the nice garden spots.
Uncle came through afterward and paid for my education, and would up with a degree in Nuclear Physics, For a while I worked on SIngle Pulse Single Use Power generators (those things that North Korea et al are setting off and rattling the world a bit), but eventually moved over to semiconductors, as the size of the components has reached the atomic level. As mentioned before, one of my areas had 30+ SEMs and other types of inspection equipment.
God blessed me in this work with patent and stock option type stuff, so I have retired, and spend a lot of time on mission trips, primarily installing water systems in impoverished parts of the world. Clean water, in the village, saves a lot of lives,and time, as women (young girls) would walk for hours a day to get water, and often were kidnapped, and even best case, stopped going to school.
@tommy44 said:
When I took a early retirement buyout from my employer in 1992 I think my title was Sr. Advisory Project Manager, a glorified name for a computer programmer. Since then I've probably forgotten more about programming than I remember.
Anyone remember 1401 Autocoder? (read a card and branch to column 40. "1040")
or..... shift register right in Assembly language
or save register to FWACBAR in CICS
I still use assembly language today. Whether it's for debugging strange happenings (and occasionally finding compiler issues) or making algorithms run really fast, it comes in quite handy.
I'm a technology guy, been doing it since I left the USN, late 70's. I worked in Combat Information Center on board the USS Barry DD933. Got a job as a computer operator when I got out. Then programmer, system analyst. en in technology ever since. I've worked with most of the machines in the photo IBM mainframe (360/65).
Thank you PCGS for the Forums! ANA # 3150931 - Successful BST with: Bah1513, ckeusa, coin22lover, coinsarefun, DCW, guitarwes, SLQ, Sunshine Rare Coin, tmot99, Tdec1000, dmarks, Flatwoods, Wondercoin, Yorkshireman Sugar magnolia blossoms blooming, heads all empty and I don't care ...
I’m a Materials Engineer specializing in ceramics and currently work in the aerospace industry. Most of what I do is high temperature chemistry related. Things don’t really start getting fun until 3000F/1650C. I know enough about metallurgy to make myself dangerous, but organic chemistry makes my head spin. I also use a lot of data from SEM/EDS, XRD, XRF and other analytical tests so I’m familiar with their advantages and limitations.
Not a lot of opportunity to combine ceramics and numismatics, but one of my collecting interests is German Porcelain Notgeld, primarily those issued by local municipalities. Unless somebody starts issuing glass coins (Blue Ridge Glass Co, 1942 patterns not withstanding), that’s the best I can do.
@Oldhoopster said:
I’m a Materials Engineer specializing in ceramics and currently work in the aerospace industry. Most of what I do is high temperature chemistry related. Things don’t really start getting fun until 3000F/1650C. I know enough about metallurgy to make myself dangerous, but organic chemistry makes my head spin. I also use a lot of data from SEM/EDS, XRD, XRF and other analytical tests so I’m familiar with their advantages and limitations.
Not a lot of opportunity to combine ceramics and numismatics, but one of my collecting interests is German Porcelain Notgeld, primarily those issued by local municipalities. Unless somebody starts issuing glass coins (Blue Ridge Glass Co, 1942 patterns not withstanding), that’s the best I can do.
13 posts in 17 years. We are honored, sir, that you joined us today.
I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science, but I've worked my entire career in consumer packaging for the health and beauty industry. Mainly working with glass and plastics now, with the occasional foray into printing and metal forming.
I got into errors and varieties in college, the manufacturing process for US coinage dovetailed nicely with my metallurgical studies. I even did a class presentation on doubled dies. My favorite class back then was failure analysis, that skill comes in handy no matter what material you are using, and also helps with authenticating errors.
Sean Reynolds
Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
@pbj said:
In my profession I used a scanning electron microscope (SEM) regularly to do failure analysis on anything related to microcircuit fabrication. To get technical and relate your questions @Insider2 to my previous profession, an SEM is used to examine the topography of something at an extremely high magnification. I don't know what 8 Reales are, but I'll bet if an interested party could examine these diagonal cuts at an extremely high magnification, it would be possible to postulate a cause. An SEM can also be used to bombard an unknown object with a highly accelerated electron beam. This causes xrays to be "ejected" at rates that can be measured and correlated with the atomic weight of the element being bombarded. If you know the exact elemental makeup of the crystals, the area of the interface between the crystal and the metal, and the elemental makeup of the metal, with the right knowledge you could hypothesize as to what caused the crystal growth. This is a similar concept to knowing what oxides are developed on the surface of a Ag/Cu [silver/copper] alloy coin when exposed to H2S [hydrogen sulfide]. It's what numismatists call toning... tarnish [Ag2S] . If you used an SEM to determine that a layer of Ag2S had formed on a Ag/Cu surface when exposed to an unknown compound, you could hypothesize that the object had developed the Ag2S layer by being exposed to a compound that had a sulfur component. Is this starting to be over your head enough yet?
I've used an SEM twice before after the technician set it up for us. Your reply is what I was hoping for. If you still have contacts where you work a series of images of a coin's surface at different powers would be amazing! Please keep going. I'm going to read your post a few more times...LOL.
@seanq said:
I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science, but I've worked my entire career in consumer packaging for the health and beauty industry. Mainly working with glass and plastics now, with the occasional foray into printing and metal forming.
I got into errors and varieties in college, the manufacturing process for US coinage dovetailed nicely with my metallurgical studies. I even did a class presentation on doubled dies. My favorite class back then was failure analysis, that skill comes in handy no matter what material you are using, and also helps with authenticating errors.
Sean Reynolds
I've got a question. Many large foreign coins (8 Reales for example) have squiggly little stress breaks into their surface? This is not seen on our 18th Century coins. It must have something to do with the way the planchets were prepared. Any ideas?
"...There is no natural or obvious relation between graph theory and numismatics that I can think of. Statistics is another story. Every time I read that a collector "gets it wrong" when his or her grading assessment doesn't match the assessment of the TPG (usually PCGS in these parts), I am reminded that I would love to design an experiment that explores the variability of TPG assignments of grades to mint state coins. I am also reminded of one of Mr. Hall's posts (Nov. 13, 2002) in which he discusses grading inconsistencies. Such an experiment would have a number of variables to control, and could require the cooperation the of TPG, depending on the question that is being explored...."
The TPGs are likely not interested in such results. Study the day-to-day activities of graders (number of coins viewed per hour today, vs. a number of years ago), the bias concerning 'liner' coins (due to financial liability), and bias concerning regrade submits. Add plus grades and registry stampedes to keep a revenue stream up, and the system works for them.
Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
@Sonorandesertrat said:
"...There is no natural or obvious relation between graph theory and numismatics that I can think of. Statistics is another story. Every time I read that a collector "gets it wrong" when his or her grading assessment doesn't match the assessment of the TPG (usually PCGS in these parts), I am reminded that I would love to design an experiment that explores the variability of TPG assignments of grades to mint state coins. I am also reminded of one of Mr. Hall's posts (Nov. 13, 2002) in which he discusses grading inconsistencies. Such an experiment would have a number of variables to control, and could require the cooperation the of TPG, depending on the question that is being explored...."
The TPGs are likely not interested in such results. Study the day-to-day activities of graders (number of coins viewed per hour today, vs. a number of years ago), the bias concerning 'liner' coins (due to financial liability), and bias concerning regrade submits. Add plus grades and registry stampedes to keep a revenue stream up, and the system works for them.
No need for the test. I'll guarantee there is a small amount of variability to grades assigned by an individual grader. You have mentioned some valid reasons. Another may be inattention. Another is not being extremely experienced with the coin type. Want to see variability. Give a bunch of professionals dealers and graders a dozen 1793 Chain cents to grade.
Comments
Machinist/tool maker/welder fabricator. Build military equipment for more years than I like to think about. I've worked metal all my life.
I am happily retired now.
In my profession I used a scanning electron microscope (SEM) regularly to do failure analysis on anything related to microcircuit fabrication. To get technical and relate your questions @Insider2 to my previous profession, an SEM is used to examine the topography of something at an extremely high magnification. I don't know what 8 Reales are, but I'll bet if an interested party could examine these diagonal cuts at an extremely high magnification, it would be possible to postulate a cause. An SEM can also be used to bombard an unknown object with a highly accelerated electron beam. This causes xrays to be "ejected" at rates that can be measured and correlated with the atomic weight of the element being bombarded. If you know the exact elemental makeup of the crystals, the area of the interface between the crystal and the metal, and the elemental makeup of the metal, with the right knowledge you could hypothesize as to what caused the crystal growth. This is a similar concept to knowing what oxides are developed on the surface of a Ag/Cu [silver/copper] alloy coin when exposed to H2S [hydrogen sulfide]. It's what numismatists call toning... tarnish [Ag2S] . If you used an SEM to determine that a layer of Ag2S had formed on a Ag/Cu surface when exposed to an unknown compound, you could hypothesize that the object had developed the Ag2S layer by being exposed to a compound that had a sulfur component. Is this starting to be over your head enough yet?
I work in finance for a large food company. Zero help aside from a steady flow of money to a few dealers and sarcastic comments made on this forum.
Latin American Collection
I have been performing NonDestructive Testing for the past 31 years (24 Years Active Duty Air Force, one year contract with Boeing and 6 years as a civil servant with the Air Force). Some of the methods that I have utilized are Liquid Penetrant, Magnetic Particle, Eddy Current, Ultrasonic, Radiography, Oil Analysis and SEM-EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray) spectroscopy. I have been awarded my Masters Degree in Aeronautics.
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
You might start a side gig by designing mustard-proof shirts for coin dealers.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Tommy Bahama already beat me to it. Those shirts like Hall and Willis wear could hide anything
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Amazing coincidence @oih82w8! Another forum member versed in SEM-EDX spectroscopy. What are the odds?
I took organic chemistry for my undergraduate degree in microbiology, but Walkerguy is right... I was maybe 4 weeks or so as a dual major in chemistry until Physical Chemistry burst that bubble! I withdrew!! I went on to work for 10 years in clinical microbiology (hospitals) before going back to graduate school for an MS in biomedical sciences and a PhD in Biology with an emphasis in microbiology and molecular genetics. My projects mainly involve molecular strain typing for epidemiological studies. Currently, I'm faculty in a department that mainly teaches undergrads to be med techs in hospitals, but I also train med school students and Infectious Disease fellows.
How does this relate to coins? It doesn't. Coins are a wonderful diversion for me. I suppose if there's any overlap it's the microscopy aspects of determining an infectious agent...
Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
That's OK. I took 4 organic chemistry lecture courses as an undergraduate, and 3 more as a graduate student. I use almost none of what I was taught. I never took a microbiology course, but had to learn pathogenic microbiology, particularly BSL2 and BSL3 practices.
The infectious agents I have run across in relation to numismatics were all bipedal eukaryotes.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
@pbj I used SEM-EDX for analyzing chip detectors on General Electric F110-GE-100 turbofan engines to evaluate wear metal particles of the oil wetted system along with Spectrometric Oil Analysis.
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
I used to grow weed. Wasn’t easy
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
@oih82w8 nice to meet you! I think that our backgrounds make coin collecting an appropriate hobby. I have found though that I have had to put the majority of my professional background aside to to try and learn how to be a competent numismatist. I have a tendency to be too critical and focused on intricate detail and perfection. It doesn't serve me well in this hobby. I hope to see you around!
Retired State Dept. of Public Safety Clinical Supervisor !!!
No college, barely made it through high school. Small town farm kid who joined the Army National Guard for some perspective and escape the small town life. Worked assembly line making wiring harnesses, carpenter worked up to site manager, industrial painter, fab welder and machinist, industrial mechanic for large tractor company. Now Im a coin dealer. Still in the the Guard after 14 years.
Id love to take some college courses and the Guard would pay for it. I just don't see where it would help my career path in this industry. The owner of the shop I work at dropped out of college after his first semester.
Practicing lawyer in California for 36+ years. Practice is centered around disputes over property, mostly real property, but with some personal property added to the mix. Many such disputes arise from property finance transactions that go bad. Fairly routine math skills needed to calculate loan balances, determine amortization schedules, rates of return, etc. I have handled a couple of legal disputes where collectible coins were involved. I posted threads to the forums following the Langbord litigation over the 1933 double eagles.
The knowledge and experience I have gained by practicing property law has allow me to opine in forums threads about "property rights" and how the rules regarding same can apply to resolve disputes about coins.
Knew I liked the gib of your jab
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Difference between us is people stand a shot at getting their money back when you handle it.
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
I've been in sales for over 30 years. On a rare occasion I am able to contribute just a little, but regularly I receive much. Knowledge is power, and I am interested in the educational opportunities here. This thread is another great example of the overwhelming wealth of intelligence, knowledge and experience that inhabits this forum.
electrician
My job was in engineering...computer networks, before the time of IBM PC's, Cisco, or IBM Token Ring networks. We built local area networks (LAN's) to allow users at terminals to virtually switch connections to shared mainframes and mini computers. Direct, wired connections to a limited number of ports weren't needed.
Soon things got out of hand. Networking exploded. The rest of the story is told elsewhere. But the rise of the Internet changed the way people shared information, explored, and even shopped. It had a big impact on how collectors acquire coins today.
Lance.
I admit it: College math professor with specialties in statistics and graph theory. There is no natural or obvious relation between graph theory and numismatics that I can think of. Statistics is another story. Every time I read that a collector "gets it wrong" when his or her grading assessment doesn't match the assessment of the TPG (usually PCGS in these parts), I am reminded that I would love to design an experiment that explores the variability of TPG assignments of grades to mint state coins. I am also reminded of one of Mr. Hall's posts (Nov. 13, 2002) in which he discusses grading inconsistencies. Such an experiment would have a number of variables to control, and could require the cooperation the of TPG, depending on the question that is being explored.
I wonder if Mr. Hall's sentiments have departed from those in his post of 16 years ago. Honestly, I haven't searched, but I'd be very interested in his views now, and the views of others who are at the heart of first-world third-party grading.
Whit
I'm a numismatic flaneur who used to be a concert promoter.
Before that, I worked with homeless kids, and before that I cooked for a living, but my first real job was cleaning up after horses - I've found that the skills I learned with a shovel back then have really come in handy in the coin business.
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
I sympathize---my wife has 3 dressage horses (6 until a few years ago). I am an expert in mucking out horse stalls and hauling feed. At least my coins and numismatic literature don't poop.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
The horses were so pleasant that I didn't mind the mucking around.
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
If you get to Moab, Utah on a vacation, be sure to hike Mary Jane Canyon. It ends in a nice waterfall.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Your a candidate to collect darkside.
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
I want to know which god Justacommeman prays to when buying a coin. I'm flexible.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Indeed. I dabble. The irony is my early design training put me in the direct path of Eric Newman at good old 501 N Broadway in DT St Louis. Small world
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
I don't know about Justacommeman, but I'm pretty sure that all coin prayers go directly to the demiurge.
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
I just got a contact high when some mentioned rocking the ganj. Peace Roy
BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW
Educator, academic researcher, and administrator. I have always found a strong tie between numismatics and education.
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
Well, I started out with a B.A. from Yale, beginning as a math major before switching to music, and pursued a career as an opera singer. I sang in and studied many languages including Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, and Latin. I still sing pretty well but strictly as an avocation rather than a profession. In my 30s I realized I would never debut at The Met or La Scala, so I switched into a long career in writing and communications.
It turns out that a good Liberal Arts education was an excellent proving ground to become a (better) writer. And numismatics was a constant throughout all of that. The language facility helps with identifying coins of all kinds, and I kind of put all that together when I worked for Heritage as a cataloger. Much of that was U.S. coins (which are mostly in English, I believe
) ), but I did branch out into Canadian, British, and Spanish American coins on occasion. I worked for Heritage for 12 years. Now I'm just a retired piddler who buys and sells and does a show once in a while.
I know I'm not the only person here who is wired for math, music, and languages; in particular, I know @messydesk shares my fascination for number theory and prime numbers. It would be interesting to hear from others who have this rather common trio of traits (a lot of good mathematicians were also good musicians).
And thus endeth my tale.
Kind regards,
George
I studied organ for 14 years, until my sophomore year in college. I don't play anymore, but remain addicted to 16th-18th-century keyboard music. Minored in math (got as far as group theory and advanced calculus). I have a B.A. in German and learned Spanish at home.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Very interesting! I knew it would happen! Personally I love the Romantic-era music, both operatic and symphonic, as well as some of the Impressionists and verismo composers. Berlioz, Wagner, Schubert, Mahler, Strauss (Richard), Debussy, Ravel, Hindemith, Puccini, Verdi, and of course Beethoven.
Kind regards,
George
Degrees in Business and Hydraulic Engineering. I work as a Technician in the welding industry. Robotics, welding machines etc. Break it all down and I repair welders for a living for at least the next 4 years.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
I remember the UNIVAC 90/60 mainframes
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
I have painful memories of mainframes, and having to submit stacks of punch cards and then come back hours later for results (and half the time I had a punch card error).
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
OR, If not on good terms with the person feeding the card you might hear..."oops, I dropped them and they are all out of order now".................that's when you realize the few extra key punches to number the cards would have been worth the time
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
I remember using punch cards. I read that when IBM was first developing the use of punch cards they studied what would be the best size and shape should be. It was decided to make them the same size as the large size currency then in circulation because people were used to handling money.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I am not surprised. Numismatics is not like golf or pickup basketball. It is typically a mostly solitary endeavor.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Uncle Sam came knocking, and made me a deal I could not refuse. Airborne Ranger Infantry man, toured the world, but not the nice garden spots.
Uncle came through afterward and paid for my education, and would up with a degree in Nuclear Physics, For a while I worked on SIngle Pulse Single Use Power generators (those things that North Korea et al are setting off and rattling the world a bit), but eventually moved over to semiconductors, as the size of the components has reached the atomic level. As mentioned before, one of my areas had 30+ SEMs and other types of inspection equipment.
God blessed me in this work with patent and stock option type stuff, so I have retired, and spend a lot of time on mission trips, primarily installing water systems in impoverished parts of the world. Clean water, in the village, saves a lot of lives,and time, as women (young girls) would walk for hours a day to get water, and often were kidnapped, and even best case, stopped going to school.
Some day.
Best, SH
I'm a technology guy, been doing it since I left the USN, late 70's. I worked in Combat Information Center on board the USS Barry DD933. Got a job as a computer operator when I got out. Then programmer, system analyst. en in technology ever since. I've worked with most of the machines in the photo IBM mainframe (360/65).
Sugar magnolia blossoms blooming, heads all empty and I don't care ...
I’m a Materials Engineer specializing in ceramics and currently work in the aerospace industry. Most of what I do is high temperature chemistry related. Things don’t really start getting fun until 3000F/1650C. I know enough about metallurgy to make myself dangerous, but organic chemistry makes my head spin. I also use a lot of data from SEM/EDS, XRD, XRF and other analytical tests so I’m familiar with their advantages and limitations.
Not a lot of opportunity to combine ceramics and numismatics, but one of my collecting interests is German Porcelain Notgeld, primarily those issued by local municipalities. Unless somebody starts issuing glass coins (Blue Ridge Glass Co, 1942 patterns not withstanding), that’s the best I can do.
13 posts in 17 years. We are honored, sir, that you joined us today.
Kind regards,
George
I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science, but I've worked my entire career in consumer packaging for the health and beauty industry. Mainly working with glass and plastics now, with the occasional foray into printing and metal forming.
I got into errors and varieties in college, the manufacturing process for US coinage dovetailed nicely with my metallurgical studies. I even did a class presentation on doubled dies. My favorite class back then was failure analysis, that skill comes in handy no matter what material you are using, and also helps with authenticating errors.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
I've used an SEM twice before after the technician set it up for us. Your reply is what I was hoping for. If you still have contacts where you work a series of images of a coin's surface at different powers would be amazing! Please keep going. I'm going to read your post a few more times...LOL.
I've got a question. Many large foreign coins (8 Reales for example) have squiggly little stress breaks into their surface? This is not seen on our 18th Century coins. It must have something to do with the way the planchets were prepared. Any ideas?
"...There is no natural or obvious relation between graph theory and numismatics that I can think of. Statistics is another story. Every time I read that a collector "gets it wrong" when his or her grading assessment doesn't match the assessment of the TPG (usually PCGS in these parts), I am reminded that I would love to design an experiment that explores the variability of TPG assignments of grades to mint state coins. I am also reminded of one of Mr. Hall's posts (Nov. 13, 2002) in which he discusses grading inconsistencies. Such an experiment would have a number of variables to control, and could require the cooperation the of TPG, depending on the question that is being explored...."
The TPGs are likely not interested in such results. Study the day-to-day activities of graders (number of coins viewed per hour today, vs. a number of years ago), the bias concerning 'liner' coins (due to financial liability), and bias concerning regrade submits. Add plus grades and registry stampedes to keep a revenue stream up, and the system works for them.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
No need for the test. I'll guarantee there is a small amount of variability to grades assigned by an individual grader. You have mentioned some valid reasons. Another may be inattention. Another is not being extremely experienced with the coin type. Want to see variability. Give a bunch of professionals dealers and graders a dozen 1793 Chain cents to grade.