At long last, 1000 posts. Answers posted, the grand finale.
Pistareen
Posts: 1,505 ✭✭✭
It took me three and a half years to reach the 1000 post milestone. Some folks have done that much in a few months. So it goes.
I joined here largely at the encouragement of Cameron Kiefer, a former ward of mine in the YN dorm at the ANA Summer Seminar. At the time, in the summer of 2003, some friends and myself had just started American Numismatic Rarities (ANR). I saw membership here as a good way to be a spokesperson for the company and to help promote our brand. It also turned out to be a fun diversion.
In the meantime, there were a LOT of threads I didn't respond to. Controversy and mini-dramas have never really been my thing. However, as an efficient way to spread information to dedicated collectors, this board has few parallels. My primary contribution here has been chiming in on areas of numismatics that I care deeply about -- early American coins, historical medals, large cents and half cents, etc. My enthusiasm remains that of a collector rather than the promotional passion of a merchant. A lot of the other dealers who post here regularly have a similar approach -- MrEureka, Julian, CCU, and Njcoincrank all have the heart of a collector. Others could be mentioned.
As it turns out, this has been a great place to make friends who share that collector passion (and to do a little business too, for ANR or Stack's as well as for my own firm). I only just met Longacre last week, though I feel like we've been friends much longer. The friendliness of this group reminds me of my old coin club, just served on a warm bed of bandwidth with a garnish of technology and semi-anonymity.
Thanks to all for your support and friendship, not to mention the way you've trusted me to answer your pressing numismatic questions. I've always thought that knowing about your coins makes them a lot more fun -- so if I've helped any of you enjoy your coins more, color me delighted.
My nephews have been known to complain that Crazy Uncle Johnny always gives them books instead of toys. So it goes with the forum as well. I have a spiffy and apparently unread copy of Counterfeiting in Colonial Pennsylvania by Kenneth Scott here that is a duplicate from my library. Published by the ANS as Numismatic Notes and Monographs 132 in 1955, Scott devotes 150 footnoted pages to all the scandalous screwballs who found a novel way to make money in my home state.
This book, scarce today, will be given to the person who can tell me this: what kind of counterfeits were found near the Philadelphia waterfront when they were constructing Interstate-95 in the early 1970s? Answers like "old," "brass," or "fake ones" will be dismissed with all of the thoughtfulness that the respondant used in crafting their answer.
Have fun folks and thanks for having me!
I joined here largely at the encouragement of Cameron Kiefer, a former ward of mine in the YN dorm at the ANA Summer Seminar. At the time, in the summer of 2003, some friends and myself had just started American Numismatic Rarities (ANR). I saw membership here as a good way to be a spokesperson for the company and to help promote our brand. It also turned out to be a fun diversion.
In the meantime, there were a LOT of threads I didn't respond to. Controversy and mini-dramas have never really been my thing. However, as an efficient way to spread information to dedicated collectors, this board has few parallels. My primary contribution here has been chiming in on areas of numismatics that I care deeply about -- early American coins, historical medals, large cents and half cents, etc. My enthusiasm remains that of a collector rather than the promotional passion of a merchant. A lot of the other dealers who post here regularly have a similar approach -- MrEureka, Julian, CCU, and Njcoincrank all have the heart of a collector. Others could be mentioned.
As it turns out, this has been a great place to make friends who share that collector passion (and to do a little business too, for ANR or Stack's as well as for my own firm). I only just met Longacre last week, though I feel like we've been friends much longer. The friendliness of this group reminds me of my old coin club, just served on a warm bed of bandwidth with a garnish of technology and semi-anonymity.
Thanks to all for your support and friendship, not to mention the way you've trusted me to answer your pressing numismatic questions. I've always thought that knowing about your coins makes them a lot more fun -- so if I've helped any of you enjoy your coins more, color me delighted.
My nephews have been known to complain that Crazy Uncle Johnny always gives them books instead of toys. So it goes with the forum as well. I have a spiffy and apparently unread copy of Counterfeiting in Colonial Pennsylvania by Kenneth Scott here that is a duplicate from my library. Published by the ANS as Numismatic Notes and Monographs 132 in 1955, Scott devotes 150 footnoted pages to all the scandalous screwballs who found a novel way to make money in my home state.
This book, scarce today, will be given to the person who can tell me this: what kind of counterfeits were found near the Philadelphia waterfront when they were constructing Interstate-95 in the early 1970s? Answers like "old," "brass," or "fake ones" will be dismissed with all of the thoughtfulness that the respondant used in crafting their answer.
Have fun folks and thanks for having me!
John Kraljevich Americana
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
0
Comments
DO I WIN???!?!?
Todd
What is usually considered to be the earliest surviving group of counterfeit British halfpence in the American colonies comes from the 1975 Philadelphia highway find. A significant hoard of 362 cast counterfeit William III halfpence were discovered in Philadelphia during the construction of Interstate 95. All the specimens were type two halfpence dated 1699, with the date following the legend. Of the group 187 examples were examined and found to have an average weight of 111.6 grains but with a wide range from a low of 67.6 grains to a high of 169.4 grains. The edges of the coins had been filed to get rid of the excess metal that overflowed in the molds. Newman noticed the surfaces of the coins were rough and pitted, as they would be when they were first made, indicating they had not been smoothed by circulation. For this reason it is suspected the coins were buried before they were put into use. Further, Newman conjectured the copper used to make these coins was from melted regal coppers rather than commercially purchased copper and that they were made as part of a large counterfeiting operation leading him to suspect the coins were produced in England
JP
Capped Bust Half Dollars by Variety & Die State Pictorial Refrence
Who is John Galt?
362 cast counterfeit 1699 William III half-Pence produced 1725-1730. All counterfeit coins were cast
Quoting
Undoubtedly throughout the colonial period some counterfeit halfpence were inadvertently brought to the colonies from Britain in shipments of coppers. However, there were also intentional surreptitious shipments of counterfeit coppers. What is usually considered to be the earliest surviving group of counterfeit British halfpence in the American colonies comes from the 1975 Philadelphia highway find. A significant hoard of 362 cast counterfeit William III halfpence were discovered in Philadelphia during the construction of Interstate 95. All the specimens were type two halfpence dated 1699, with the date following the legend. Of the group 187 examples were examined and found to have an average weight of 111.6 grains but with a wide range from a low of 67.6 grains to a high of 169.4 grains. The edges of the coins had been filed to get rid of the excess metal that overflowed in the molds. Newman noticed the surfaces of the coins were rough and pitted, as they would be when they were first made, indicating they had not been smoothed by circulation. For this reason it is suspected the coins were buried before they were put into use. Further, Newman conjectured the copper used to make these coins was from melted regal coppers rather than commercially purchased copper and that they were made as part of a large counterfeiting operation leading him to suspect the coins were produced in England. Also, the weight of the coins were similar to the weight of cast counterfeits mentioned in period treatises as having been cast around 1725 (Parrott, pp. 2-3 and Snelling, p. 44). Apparently the individual who had possession of these coins in colonial Philadelphia feared prosecution and buried them rather than passing them off. Exactly when this event occurred is unknown. Newman suspected it happened before 1741 when the exchange rate for halfpence became less favorable.
These William III halfpence can be described as a hoard, that is, as a single group of coins collected together at one specific moment in time which then were either forgotten or became inaccessible. When hoards are discovered we can learn much about coinage in circulation at the time the hoard was assembled, if we can determine when that time was. The Philadelphia find was located because of road construction, so the area was quite disturbed; therefore we cannot be sure if other coins found in the vicinity of the William III counterfeit halfpence had been buried at the same time. Coins had been dropped in that area for almost three hundred years as coin were found with dates ranging from 1681 to 1907. Interestingly, there were four other cast counterfeit halfpence: a 1734 cast lead example, a 1737 cast pewter coin and two 1738 cast pewter halfpence as well as five struck counterfeits (three of George II and two of George III). Since the two 1738 cast pewter examples still have the overflow metal from the molds, it is quite likely, as Newman mentions, that they were locally produced experimental pieces. Possibly a counterfeiter from the 1730's dumped the William III halfpence and the other cast counterfeits at the site. Of course, if the lead and pewter counterfeit coins were backdated it would mean those coins would have been deposited in the ground (or lost) at a later date. As the section below will detail, even the cast William III coins could have come to the colony as late as the 1750's.
You wouldn't believe how long it took to get him to sit still for this.
I deeply admire you along with all of the other board members here who identify themselves as (or are otherwise known to be) professional coin dealers, yet continue to share their knowledge with the zeal of the true collector. With that, I take my hat off to you, and I hope to read much more of your contributions here.
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
bob
ASUTodd -- you are the big winner. PM me your address and I'll send it off to you.
The Philadelphia Highway Coin Find was named and published by Eric Newman in The Numismatist, though the coins remain the property of the US Park Service and have essentially not been seen since. I disagree with EPN on one key point -- I think the counterfeits were American made. This neighborhood, near Front Street, was the location of most of the braziers and metalworking shops in Philly in the 18th century. It would have been far cheaper (thus more profitable) to have made the counterfeits there instead of paying to import them. Further, any dummy can make a sand cast in brass -- even I've done it over a charcoal fire at Colonial Williamsburg.
What does this hoard teach us? That William III halfpence were common enough in Philly that the counterfeiters thought this was the best coin to try to pass anonymously. Archaeological evidence from PA and NJ from early 18th century strata bears this out.
This might be a good way to give away some other dupes as well -- so let's try.
I have a spare copy of Breen's monograph "United States Eagles," the forerunner to the Taraszka and Bass-Dannreuther books on early $10 varieties.
In a given paragraph, Breen writes "The Earle coin pictured in Adams, and a VF one listed in Numisma, May 1956, no. 4022, are the basis for this description."
The first person who can tell me:
Who was Earle, when was his collection sold, and by whom
Who was Adams and what work was Breen talking about
What was Numisma and who published it
wins this monograph.
Enjoy! I don't think this answer is online ...
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
A: Capped Bust Half Dollars
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.americanlegacycoins.com
Also congrats to ASUtodd on nailing it so quickly!
I too am from the Keystone state. Here's a link with some more info.The Philadelphia Highway Coin Find
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BONGO HURTLES ALONG THE RAIN SODDEN HIGHWAY OF LIFE ON UNDERINFLATED BALD RETREAD TIRES
JP
Capped Bust Half Dollars by Variety & Die State Pictorial Refrence
Adams is John Weston Adams. The work Breen is referencing is "Monographs on Varieties of United States Large Cents, 1793-1794".
Numisma was a numismatic periodical published from 1877-1891 by Edouard Fossard.
Going out on a limb here with these... ;-)
<< <i>what kind of counterfeits were found near the Philadelphia waterfront when they were constructing Interstate-95 in the early 1970s? >>
Quaaludes!
Mattniss's answers are a good parable for information online in general: they contain chunks that are correct, portions that were correct in only very specific instances, and some stuff that's not right at all. Alas, your effort is admirable!
If no one ends up nailing down all of it, I'll give it to whomever is most correct -- so bring your best shots.
RE: quaaludes -- are you requesting some as a prize, MrSpud, or positing them as an answer? Regardless, I have none to give and, as an answer, quaaludes is incorrect.
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
edited to say: MrSpud, remarkable memory, under the circumstances!
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
...but you really need to learn how to cheet.
<< <i>In addition to the abuse of legal prescriptions, an estimated one billion tablets of counterfeit Quaaludes flowed into the United States each year >>
From DEA website. I thought it was a trick question
As to the quiz, I dunno for sure, but I find myself wondering if the answer isn't somewhere in Bowers' American Coin Treasures & Hoards.
Edit for typo.
Congrats on your 1,000th post! You are certainly an asset to these boards. I print out very, very, very few threads from these boards (maybe a grand total of about 5 so far), and the reason for printing those 5 was because of your responses. I will try to dig up my favorite response of yours, in which you comment on writing coin catalogs.
It was also great to finally meet you last week!
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
Congrats on 1K1
While I have no answer to your 2nd question, I will say I enjoy your input, knowledge, and professionalism when responding to threads. If you're going to be at FUN in January, I would like to stop by and say hello.
wes
Too many positive BST transactions with too many members to list.
<< <i>
Thanks to all for your support and friendship! >>
A lot of people here feel the same way about you too John, like me.
I was late on your giveaway but it's a snow day today so I had fun looking up the answer to the interstate 95 question. And what a great surprise to find Eric Newmans's article about it in the March 1978 Numismatist! He's another "friend" I've been really blessed to make and meet in this great hobby!
congrats on your 1000 posts John!
"Live long and prosper"
My "How I Started" columns
None of it's probably right but I'll try.
Numisma - It was written by a coin dealer named Ed Frossard. In "Coins and Collectors" QDB said this about Mr. Frossard and Numisma, "Some of the spiciest reading in numismatics may be found in dealer Ed Frossard's early magazine, Numisma." (pg. 30) Sounds like this place.
Adams? Could it be Edgar H. Adams? He wrote a Pattern book with William H. Woodin (one of America's first well known collectors of Pattern coins), with the same title the Judd book has today. I'm just guessing that is the work Breen is referring to.
I can't find anything in any of the books I have about who Earle is. I'll keep looking and if I find anything I'll post again.
"Live long and prosper"
My "How I Started" columns
Who was Earle, when was his collection sold, and by whom?
George H Earle Jr, sold June 26th and 27th of 1912 by Henry C Chapman
Who was Adams and what work was Breen talking about
John Weston Adams, referencing the two-volume reference to numismatic auctions conducted in the 19th and 20th centuries
What was Numisma and who published it
Numisma was a numismatic periodical by Sidney K Eastwood
Of course, I'd still find some time on a snow day for sledding, pelting my sister with snowballs, or following deer tracks in the woods. I guess your ice storm out there isn't especially conducive for any of those three activities, however.
A suggestion to you -- why not try to write up a coin quiz and send it off to QDB? Something tells me he'd be delighted to publish it in a future Numismatic Sun.
Longacre -- if you know who Queensryche is, you're showing your age! I'm guessing you still have some stonewashed denim hidden someplace.
Wes -- see you at FUN, please come by and say hi!
If there are no more answerers, I'll post a winner at this time tomorrow night.
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
<< <i>
Of course, I'd still find some time on a snow day for sledding, pelting my sister with snowballs, or following deer tracks in the woods. I guess your ice storm out there isn't especially conducive for any of those three activities, however.
>>
It was too icy for snowballs with my sister yesterday
"Live long and prosper"
My "How I Started" columns
my guess -> William III halfpence type 2 dated 1699
Now -- imagine the days when folks did numismatic research without Google!
The second giveaway question was posted in hopes that some folks would dig into books. I don't believe any of those answers could have been readily found online.
Here is a repeat of the 2nd giveaway question:
------------------------------------------------------------
I have a spare copy of Breen's monograph "United States Eagles," the forerunner to the Taraszka and Bass-Dannreuther books on early $10 varieties.
In a given paragraph, Breen writes "The Earle coin pictured in Adams, and a VF one listed in Numisma, May 1956, no. 4022, are the basis for this description."
The first person who can tell me:
Who was Earle, when was his collection sold, and by whom
Who was Adams and what work was Breen talking about
What was Numisma and who published it
wins this monograph.
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Now, the answers!
His name was Earle. George H. Earle, Jr., Esq. to be exact. He was a high profile lawyer from Philadelphia, my old stomping grounds. He ran for mayor of the city in 1911. After losing the election, he up and decided to sell his collection. And what a collection it was! The sale took five days, encompassing 3875 lots. The total price realized, $55,821.63, was a record for the day. Henry Chapman catalogued the collection in sumptuous fashion, making the sale a landmark worthy of one of his best customers. The auction took place in a non-air conditioned room in late June, 1912. On the last day of the sale, the high was 94 degrees in Philadelphia. Luckily, it rained in the afternoon, just about a half inch.
Earle's collection has few equals today. Colonials were one of his strong suits: an NE shilling brought $42) and his three Willow Tree shillings brought $46, $38, and $35. The last one, the one that brought $35, sold again in the Ford sale. I paid $276,000 for it on behalf of a client. Earle's "cheap" Willow Tree is among the finest known. His silver 1776 Continental dollar with EG Fecit brought a stunning $2200! Eric Newman owns it now. Only two EG Fecits are known in silver -- the other one, of slightly lesser quality, brought $425,500 in 2003 in the Ford sale and might be worth double that today.
Earle's early-period Society of the Cincinnati Badge sold for $177.50. The same amount could have bought the NE shilling, the four Willow Tree shillings, and a pretty nice 1836 Gobrecht dollar. And Earle's wasn't even Washington's! It was one of the "common" types.
Earle's sale contained every sort of US coin -- copper, silver, and gold, along with patterns and medals. He had 10 1795 $5s and 4 1794 $1s. Remember Harry Bass's amazing 1794 $1? In the 1999 Bass I sale, graded a conservative "AU-58 to MS-60," it brought $241,500. George Earle got $620 for it.
Perhaps more impressively, he pursued foreign coins and medals with equal vigor. He had a Syracusan decadrachm (sold for $660) and a Polish Sigismund III 1621 70 ducats (at $505 -- watch what the similar 100 ducats brings in the January Stack's sale). Earle had it all.
Who was Adams? Only one person got this. Edgar H. Adams was the foremost numismatic researcher of the early 20th century and one of the greats of all time. He's in my American Top Three. His published works on territorial gold and patterns (Woodin provided the coins but was not the writer) remain relevant, as do his many shorter works on a wide variety of subjects from Latin American coins to American tokens. He was the finest coin photographer of his day in addition to being a dealer and cataloguer. His work on American gold coins was never published, but a few copies exist -- the "Adams Notebooks" are prized by the few that own them, including the American Numismatic Society. The gold notebook Breen would have actually used, the one in the Ford library, sold for $24,150 in the Kolbe auction of 2004. Despite 80+ years of further research on gold varieties, his work has been shown to be remarkably free of errors and omissions today.
What about Numisma? There have been a lot of Numismas, including the journal published by Ed Frossard (a lively read today, by the way!), but the date was the big hint -- 1956. That's when John Ford and Walter Breen were publishing a house organ at New Netherlands Coin Company called Numisma, including many important research discoveries and neat coins for sale. It's largely forgotten today, which is sad. Ford's own complete set of 27 issues brought that grand sum of $155.25 in 2004. That's why I own them now.
The Earle sale has always been a favorite of mine for personal reasons. It was the first Chapman catalogue I ever owned. Armand Champa, the godfather of American numismatic literature, gave me a copy in 1991 when I was 14. Armand was forever giving books away. I wish he had lived longer to see the monster he helped create. He was a kind soul and generous beyond belief. That Earle sale, disbound and falling apart, means more to me than he ever knew.
It is appropriate that the winner of the US Eagles monograph is notlogical -- the person who recognized that Edgar Adams was the Adams in question. Samuel -- PM me your address to get the book. Folks have to start young to learn more than Edgar Adams or Henry Chapman did, but you're young enough and bright enough to have an excellent shot!
Thanks for all the guesses -- I might have to root out some more books to give away before too long.
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
I picked up one of Adam's Territorial Books at Summer Seminar two years ago. I was rather surprised when I started flipping through the pages. Link
Congrats to the winners and thank you John for doing what you do.