~ BST update draft
lordmarcovan
Posts: 43,530 ✭✭✭✭✭
Welcome to my BST Forum swaplist.
Terms of Sale & Shipping: For simplicity's sake, let's just make ALL SHIPMENTS POSTPAID.
For special circumstances (Registered Mail, insurance, overseas, extra large shipments, etc.), a modest contribution is appreciated.
PayPal is fine, but if you use it, PLEASE add your forum name to the payment so I'll know who you are and what you are buying!
Full return privilege if you are not 100% satisfied. My return privilege is very flexible, mostly because I've almost never needed one. The main thing I ask is that you notify me as soon as you can if there is a problem or concern of any kind, and I'll do my best to make it good.
Contact Info: Should I ever disappear from the forums and the computer for a week or more, as I sometimes do, and you need to reach me, feel free to call (912) 261-8408 and ask for Rob. Emailing me in the event of a forum absence won't help much- usually when I'm away, I'm away from the computer entirely.
I love to swap! Got an interesting trade offer? Don't be shy- step right up! As you can see here, I dabble in a little bit of everything.
Bullion Info: I've added a bullion chart from Kitco.com towards the bottom of this thread, should you need it for reference.
Archives: If you need to retrieve info on a coin you bought here, but it's no longer listed, do a search for my "BST archives" on the Testing forum.
Ancient China: Four-piece lot of cash coins from four different eras, circa 206 BC to 1086 AD
#1 is a "Wu Shu" or "Wu Chu" (?) from the Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BC-220 AD. #2 is a "Wang Mang" from 9-23 AD. #3 is a K'ai Yuan (?) from the Tang Dynasty, circa 618-626 AD (not to be confused with the orange-flavored drink mix of the same name, which came along much later). #4 says "Shen Tsung" on it, which might be Shenzhong of the Song dynasty (so named because the ancient Chinese sang a lot- life was a regular Broadway musical back in those days). According to the information on the old holder, it dates from 1078-1086 AD. Have you guessed by now that I don't know a whole lot about Chinese cash coins? Only the tiniest bit. These came from a largish 1950s-60s accumulation that was part of an old North Carolina collection. The last two pieces are even in the original old 2x2 holders, rusty staples and all. Since I don't have the knowledge to second-guess the person who attributed them (whoever he was), I'll just assume he got it right. If you scroll way down the page on that Han Dynasty Wikipedia link, you can see a coin picture which indeed matches the first coin in this assortment. I've got no idea what these are worth- not too much, I suspect, but I'll go out on a limb and ask $16 for the lot?
SOLD
Roman/Palmyrene Empire: bronze antoninianus of VABALATHUS (266-272 AD), struck ca. 271 AD, desert patina
VABALATHUS was king of the breakaway Palmyrene empire under his mother, Zenobia, ca. 266-272 AD. This was initially with the acquiescence of the Roman emperor Aurelian (who was busy fighting on other fronts), but Aurelian later conquered Palmyra in 273. This bronze antoninianus was struck at Antioch around 271 AD and shows dual portraits of Aurelian and Vabalathus, perhaps in expression of the Palmyrene hope that Aurelian would allow them to coexist. Obverse- VABALATHVS V CRIMDR, Laureate and draped bust right. Reverse- IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, Radiate and draped bust right. (Which side is considered the obverse and which is the reverse is up for debate on a two-headed coin, but more folks probably use this type to represent Vabalathus in collections.) RIC-381. 20.62 mm, 3.3 g. Ex-Ancient Imports, 05/2007. Nice desert patina on this one. My cost was $69, but make an offer.
Roman Empire: bronze antoninianus of CARUS (282-283 AD), posthumous issue struck ca. 283 AD
CARUS, Augustus 282-283 AD. Posthumous AE antoninianus, Siscia mint, ca. 283 AD. Obverse- DIVO CARO PARTHICO, radiate head right. Reverse- CONSECRATIO AVG, flaming altar, A to right, SMSXXI in exergue. RIC-111 var., Cohen-23, Venera-4341. 21 mm, 3 g. Ex-Ancient Imports, 05/2007, Harmer Rooke 1988. Asking $45, but that's flexible. I think my cost was about $55, originally.
China: 7-piece lot of old Qing Dynasty cash coins from different reigns, circa 1644-1908
Here are seven old Qing Dynasty Chinese cash coins. All are brass or bronze and cast, with the exception of the last, a Kuang-Hsu (1875-1908), which was struck (machine-made) with more modern technology. I'm at the mercy of the old-school North Carolina collector who hoarded and attributed these sometime between the late 1950s and early 1960s. In this case, I did remove the coins from his tattered old rusty-stapled holders and put them in fresh 2x2s, transcribing the data as best I could. Not being totally up to speed on Chinese cash (or any Chinese coins, for that matter), I'll pull a number out of thin air to price them, and ask $7. (A buck apiece sounds fair to me, considering I'm paying the shipping, right?)
SOLD
Ireland: Associated Irish Mine Co. "Cronebane Halfpenny" Conder token, 1789, VF+ (borderline XF)
Nice medium brown surfaces and no problems. The images are scans, not photos. The obverse features a bishop in a mitered hat- hey, you gotta love some of the cool designs on these old tokens, right? I'm too lazy to look up the Dalton & Hamer variety (there are a LOT of varieties of this issue), but hey... y'know what? Buy it, and I'll throw in a CD copy of the D&H book I bought here, so you can attribute it yourself. Apparently the person I bought the CD from didn't know it wasn't legal for resale, but I won't be reselling the (bootleg?) CD. I'll be giving it to you as a bonus. (I paid 20 bucks for it.) Who wants a nifty Irish token and a free CD of the classic reference on 18th Century British provincial tokens? $46.
1901 British empire type set WANTLIST(Link leads to my collection and wantlist thread.) I am building a collection of 1901-dated coins of the British empire with Queen Victoria's portrait for my daughter, Victoria (who was born in 2001, a century later). A decade after starting it, I'm pretty far along, but I still lack a few pieces, and there is always room for upgrading. Let me know if you have any of these. When this set generates duplicates, I will put them for sale or trade here.
USA: Coronet (or "Modified Matron Head") large cent, 1838
A nice brown coin with decent surfaces and no major problems or distractions. I'd would say it's right on the cusp between F15 and VF20 in terms of technical grade. I don't know the Newcomb variety. $44.
USA: Flying Eagle cent, 1857, G+
I'd call this one a G6, personally. The eagle's a tiny bit scuffy but not bad. The coin doesn't have any major problems, really. $28.
Buy all three Indian cents below and you may deduct 10% from the total.
USA: copper-nickel Indian Head cent, 1860 (Round Bust), G+ (borderline VG)
This early Indian is right on the line between G6 and VG8. Some of "....RTY" in LIBERTY is visible on the headband. Lower grade, but decent. $15.
USA: Indian Head cent, 1889, EF+ to AU
This little Indian is pretty sharp. It's got choice EF to AU details and looks better than the picture. There are some rim nicks at 2:00 on the obverse and 11:00 on the reverse. Stick it in an album and you might not even see those, though. $11
USA: Indian Head cent, 1909, G+ (borderline VG)
This final-year Indian is on the borderline between G6 and VG8. Some of "....RTY" in LIBERTY shows on the headband. Not counting the more valuable "S" mint cents, this is the date to have in the 20th century pieces. I guess fewer were produced in 1909 because production shifted over to the new Lincoln cents in the latter part of the year. I've recycled the previous owner's pictures above, but the color's all wrong in them. I tried reshooting it without much luck, but I did get one obverse picture which at least shows the color a little bit better. $11.
USA: 25-piece lot of all different pre-1935 Wheat cents, average circulated, P-D-S mints, plus bonus coins
Nothin' special here- just your typical low-end Wheaties- but they're all somewhat earlier dates, and all have different date and mintmark combinations. (I'm tired and don't really feel like transcribing the list of dates in this description, so just look at the scan, would you? - Thanks.) I'll add five bonus coins not seen in the picture, to bring it up to a total of 30 pieces. These are: 1935-S, 1936-S, and 1937-S average circulated, 1951-D gem BU full Red, and a 1950-P full red BU with a small planchet clip at 5:00. This "error" is only about a 1% clip, which looks like post-mint damage but isn't- it's a bonafide clip, just teeny-tiny. It doesn't even intrude fully into the rim, but just looks like somebody pinched the coin. Which the mint machinery no doubt did. Not really worth a premium as an error, but call it a fun freebie nonetheless. Add in one of my custom wooden dollars and a small prehistoric fossil shark tooth, and we've got ourselves an inexpensive package full o' fun for some discerning young collector, perhaps. $9. ($7 if you're buying something else here)
ON HOLD
USA: Capped Bust half dime, 1835 LM-3, Fine, early die state
This coin exhibits nice "CircCam" contrast and was the subject of a poll thread here. The apparent mark across the portrait is all but invisible in hand. You'd have to have a good loupe and be tipping the coin to and fro under a lamp to see it at all. All in all, here's a great little "Baby Bustie" with plenty of originality and eye appeal. $65.
USA: Capped Bust dime, 1833 JR-6, F+ (borderline VF)
Ex-Winston Zack. This coin was the subject of a forum poll here. Great original coin. Many here would affectionately refer to this as a "Crusty Bustie". In hand, it's a nice natural grey, though it looks a tiny bit more goldish-brownish in the pictures. $76.
Love token on USA Seated Liberty dime, 1861 host coin w/ Old English "I" (or "L")
Here's a neat love token. Of course I'm biased- I think all love tokens are neat. If nothing else, they're one-of-a-kind pieces of folk art, on a coin! Some are miniature masterpieces, too. This piece isn't quite masterpiece-level, but it's nice enough. It could be perfect for you if you want a trinket to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, perhaps, or if you have the initial "I" or "L". (The Old English letter on the reverse is engraved like an "L", but with a shortish lower extension that makes it look more like an "I", so I guess it could be either, as you please.) $16.
Seated Liberty dime love token WANTLIST(Link leads to my collection and wantlist thread.) I am collecting a date set of Seated dimes with love token reverses. If you have any dates I need, let me know! Additionally, if you have any "scenic" or "pictorial" pieces for sale, I'd like to upgrade some of my more mundane monogrammed pieces to pictorials. When this collection generates duplicates, I will list them for sale or trade below.
USA: Barber dime, 1914, VF+
Here's a handsome Barber dime with strong detail. It would look good in a bookshelf album. It's off-white and may or may not have been dipped in the past, but it looks all right to me in hand. Bear in mind that the pictures are scans and not photographs. I call it VF30 and others have concurred with that opinion. $14.
USA: Capped Bust half dollar, 1830 O-122 Large 0, VF+
Here I'm totally unashamed to admit that I'm asking almost XF money for a coin that's technically a VF30, according to a forum poll. Why? Well, because for starters, it's got fantastic black-and-white "CircCam" contrast- in fact, this one is a textbook example of that- the contrast is actually more pronounced in hand. Secondly, it has no problems or distractions, and appears original all day long. The rims are great. Heck, the whole coin is great. So forgive me if I am a bit tightfisted on this one. My price on this one is firm, unless maybe you're making another largish purchase from me. If I sell it, fine, but if I don't- well, I'm just as happy to keep it awhile. $165.
USA: Reeded Edge Bust half dollar, 1838 JR-6, VF, late die state
An original grey coin with some small marks from circulation but no major issues. The only mark which is even worth mentioning is visible in the pictures between stars 1 and 2. A later die state caused some weakness to the obverse rims. Some folks who posted to the poll thread wondered if it might be slightly porous after seeing the photos, but now that I have it in hand I can assure you that is not the case. The surfaces of the coin are are perfectly normal. It would make a pretty nice album coin for you if you are working a mid-grade Dansco 7070 or similar type set. $126.00.
USA: Seated Liberty half dollar w/Motto, 1877, VF+
Here's a nice "CircCam" Seated half. I call it VF25, personally, while most on the poll just said VF20. (But almost as many said VF30, too.) Regardless, it's a nice VF coin with a great original look and no problems or distractions. I personally think it's worth a small premium over the generic VF20 price. $76.
USA: Oregon Trail commemorative half dollar, 1926-S, ANACS MS62 (small holder)
Here's a really nice Oregon Trail with faint russet-orangeish peripheral toning, which looks much better than the MS62 grade ANACS assigned to it. It's in an older-style, small slab. It's really bright, with almost that "liquid luster" sort of look to it. In fact, it's almost too bright, in some ways. This makes it appear as though it was dipped, but if it was, ANACS did not think that bad enough to net-grade it, which they certainly would have done in the small holder era. I suspect this is why they gave it only a 62 instead of the higher grade it might've otherwise warranted. It looks 64 to me, and several others are of similar opinion. This coin's pedigree includes at least three forum members. I got it from Dimitri in Greece (aka "Syracusian"). He in turn got it from Don in New York (aka "ajaan"). Dimitri thought Don had dipped it, but Don says no- he bought it in the ANACS holder. Don quoted this comment from "TomB", who apparently took the photos: "The 1926-S Oregon half is an interesting coin in that I am certain it was dipped at least once and I think it was struck from dies that were near the end of their useful life or at least near the end of the run for the mintage. This is written because the ATE in STATES is quite flat on the obverse, which is something I generally do not see to this degree on these coins, there is severe die burn within the rays of the sun on the reverse and there is also evidence of die clashing on the reverse. The surfaces are more chrome-like than satiny and I think that in combination with the dip the coin had resulted in an unsual appearance to ANACS so they gave it MS62. In truth, I think it would likely grade higher than that if resubmitted, but it is an unusual look for these pieces." ... So now there you have it- everything I know about this coin. In hand, it's really flashy- and quite a looker, in my opinion. I don't know what its crossover chances are (hey, for all I know it could upgrade!). But if you don't care about crossover and/or you're buying it for crackout to a raw album set, I predict you are going to be very happy with it. The Numismedia trend price on this coin in MS62 is $161. The PCGS priceguide says $165, though of course this isn't in PCGS plastic. I'll ask $149. (Remember that my cost was $140, and I'm paying shipping!).
ON HOLD
Gilt brass "Bremen" aviation medal commemorating the first east-to-west transatlantic flight in 1928
Here's a fascinating piece of history for you. This early aviation commemorative medal celebrates the first east-to-west transatlantic flight (Ireland to Canada) in April of 1928, less than a year after Lindbergh did it from west to east. It's also quite attractive, with prooflike gilt surfaces and a bit of cartwheel luster. A little bit of the gilt has rubbed off the high points of the portraits of the three men, showing brass beneath, but otherwise it looks probably just like it did in 1928. I sold a much lesser example of this medal (VF+, with some digs and no gilt remaining) in 2008, for around fifteen bucks. One side bears the legend "FIRST EAST TO WEST TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT - APRIL 12-13, 1928", and the names of the three flyers: BARON VON HUENEFELD*, MAJOR FITZMAURICE*, and CAPTAIN KOEHL*. Hey, check out the schnozzle and the misshapen skull of Baron von Huenefeld! That wasn't the most flattering portrait of him, I'd say. According to the Wikipedia article about him, he was dead of stomach cancer within about a year of the flight. His photo sort of bears out the pointy nose seen on the medal. The reverse of the medal shows the Junkers W33 aircraft "Bremen" flying over the ocean below a cloud bank. Below that is an American-looking eagle flanked by flags, with the surrounding legend "BALDONNEL AIRDROME APRIL 12 - GREENLY ISLAND APRIL 13, 1928". There is also a tiny maker's name at the bottom: "WHITEHEAD - HOAG". Whitehead & Hoag were a New York firm who produced political campaign buttons, I believe. $24.
Silver "grotesque" pommel decoration from an 18th Century English flintlock pistol(Front views) ~ (Side views)
This fascinating artifact was found on an 18th Century site near the Crescent community in McIntosh County, Georgia, by Billy Ridenour, a detecting buddy of mine. It had obviously been a site occupied by at least one high-status individual, though we do not know if it was a long-vanished homestead or a military camp. The latter seems likely, as Billy also dug a brass sword pommel with a similar but not identical "grotesque" or "gargoyle" face on it. A number of buttons also turned up. It is obviously made of silver, and it fared quite well in the soil for more than two centuries. After some web research, I'm nearly certain that this piece would have been from a pistol manufactured by an English gunsmith named Barbar. It bears no marks, but closely matches pommel decorations on a couple of Barbar-marked pistols of the period. See here and here, and note where the mounting screw would have gone through the mouth of the gargoyle face. I think maybe there was more than one Barbar gunsmith- perhaps they were father and son? This roughly dates it between about the 1740s and the 1770s. There were British troops all over this area in the early days of the Georgia colony under Oglethorpe, so it could indeed date from the 1740s and the "War of Jenkins Ear". A crucial battle in that war, the Battle of Bloody Marsh, was fought on nearby St. Simons Island in July of 1742. But it could also date to the Revolution- there was much military activity associated with that around here in the late 1770s, as well. Was this part of a pistol carried by a Redcoat officer? Surely a common soldier wouldn't have owned so fine a weapon. So what's this piece worth? The guns themselves are quite valuable, as you can see in those auction links, but I have been unable to find any auction records for single parts like this. I have a pet theory that a militaria dealer would have a pretty strong price on such an artifact, though. It's almost a certainty that this piece of 18th century silver is a lot rarer than many silver coins of the same period! I'll try asking $150, but will listen to counteroffers.
Huge prehistoric Megalodon shark tooth fossil, 5+ inches long
This multi-million-year-old fossil tooth came from a shark of the extinct, giant Carcharocles Megalodon species. Bigger by far than any shark living today, the Megalodon was a much larger, stockier ancestor of today’s Great White sharks, and fed on marine mammals like whales. They probably got to be the size of buses or boxcars, and are thought to have become extinct in the Pleistocene epoch, about 1.5 million years ago. To put it unscientifically, C. megalodon was basically Jaws' much bigger, meaner great-granddaddy! This tooth might've come from a shark about 50-55 feet long! It was found in sand dredged up from the seafloor below St. Simons Sound here in Glynn County, Georgia. It's not pristine in terms of condition- there's a chip or two- but it is basically intact. And it's heavy- it would make a great paperweight. Furthermore, at over five inches long, this is the largest intact specimen I've personally had. Megalodon tooth fossils increase exponentially in price for each added inch of length, and you start getting three-figure pricetags for five inches and over, while some nice teeth over six inches can fetch four-figure pricetags. (An intact tooth over seven inches can be worth a five-figure pricetag, as the record is about seven and a half inches!) These are typically measured slantwise along one side. Compare my example with the one on eBay here, which is about the same size and has similar enamel peel on the front below the bourrelet. Unlike mine, which is uncleaned, they've polished theirs up a bit- there's nothing wrong with that- and their piece has a few less chips than mine. But of course they're asking a bit more. Theirs is from coastal South Carolina, which is a somewhat more common source than our St. Mary's/St. Simons Georgia region. I think mine is reasonably priced, and I'll throw in a few other (smaller) shark tooth fossils with it. (One forum member had already agreed to purchase this at $100, but I never heard back from him, so now it's for sale again.) $99. (Or swap for coins of similar value.)
(PS- speaking of eBay, and Megs, there's some display stands here. I've never bought one, but they seem reasonably priced.)
SOLD (But I've still got a 4+ inch specimen, about 80% intact- missing the upper corners- and it would be a lot cheaper- I just don't have pictures of it yet.)
Screw-top coin bezels in assorted sizes
The cent-sized bezels are gold-colored while all of the others are silver colored. I would not recommend these for valuable coins, obviously, but they make nice inexpensive mounts for cheap keepsake coins. A few years back I took some of those gold-plated Statehood quarters from my home state and put some in these bezels, and they sold very nicely at my antique mall booth. I gave my lady boss a Peace dollar in one of these as a Christmas gift, and she was happy. Put some common Indian cents, Buffalo nickels, or Merc dimes in these and I'll bet you'll find them popular. Use needle nose pliers to gently open the crown screw, put the coin in, and screw the crown back on. Be careful not to overtighten or you could snap the stem off.
$2 each (or take the entire remaining stock at the closeout price of $1 each)
CENT size (gold color): 9 available
NICKEL size (silver color): 10 available
DIME size (silver color): 10 available
QUARTER size (silver color): 22 available
HALF DOLLAR size (silver color): 8 available
LARGE DOLLAR (Morgan/Peace/Ike, not ASE) size (silver color): 7 available
Keychain attachment (the typical inexpensive kind you see on most novelty key rings): 4 available (just ask for one free if you buy a bezel).
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