Cool Christmas gift

Stork

For the last 11+ years or so I have had an out of print Japan Dansco Type set. Over the years there have been gradual upgrades and it now has some decent coins. Sadly there was a gaping hole in the Trade Dollar slot. Not surprising as I've been trying to have nicer coins in the album (more than a few of the current residents have been cracked out of Choice or even Gem slabs to fill the slots). This year's tale of woe was when I finally confirmed the coin in the larger size yen slot was indeed a counterfeit and I could no longer justify keeping it in place. Previously I'd merely suspected but didn't try too hard to figure it out, and it did make a nice place holder.

However, the crown jewel of the album should be the Trade Dollar. That is not a low cost coin in the grades I would want it...or even the grades I wouldn't. For the last 9 years or so I have kept a wickedly awesome chopped up yen in the slot...one of my favorite coins and nowhere else to display it. I figured it ACTED as a trade coin so it could sit in the place of honor.






Well, under the tree this year, what did I find, but this:









Well, my eyes are a bit older and I must admit even with a loupe the cleaning is just not obvious at all. Heck, what I did see is not that far different than a couple of AU yens I've seen in slabs..in other words PERFECT for the Dansco.




The lovely and heavily chopped yen is now sitting in the gin mark slot--I can still use the same excuse, it was a coin marked for trade . That coin is too cool, but I digress.



So, as awesomely cool as the coin is all by itself (Thanks Josh/Civitas BTW)...there is more. It came with some old correspondence from 1976 where the owner was looking (apparently) for selling information. Cool letters, hand typed envelopes, and quite the reminder of the old days when a guy in Wisconsin writes to a library in NY and gets a nicely typed letter and a copy of a catalog page back in return. Also, info from the ANS, Coinworld and a Japanese coin expert/dealer.



Library








Coinworld









ANS







and more interesting to me, from Michael L. Cummings








This last part was pretty cool to me because during my early Japanese coin collecting I had purchased his catalog (the second edition) while I was still in Japan. It has been a wonderful reference and if anyone has the opportunity to get their hands on it, I would recommend it. Mr. Cummings has passed away, so no longer can one buy directly from the source on ebay like I did.









Kind of neat, a decade later and still finding neat and cool things ☺. A very nice Christmas indeed!

Cathy

Zohar

Wonderful write up.

I would vote it post of the day.

EVillageProwler

<< <i>Wonderful write up.

I would vote it post of the day. >>



Agreed. POTD.

Sullykerry52

Cathy: You produced another great presentation. I seem to recall that during the transition period from Ansei to Meiji (the last two Shogunate covering 1854-1868) there was an arbitrage between gold and silver coins. I recall that American and European traders would exchange their silver for gold, then take the gold back home and exchange the gold for a higher silver value. Whenever, I see the Trade yen I am reminded of the differential that nearly bankrupt Japan in its early exposure to mid nineteenth century trade. John

coinlieutenant

Cathy,

Glad to hear that you continue to plug along and a major hole was properly filled! Congrats and Merry Christmas!

I have enjoyed watching you collect all these years.

John

SYRACUSIAN

<< <i>

<< <i>Wonderful write up.

I would vote it post of the day. >>



Agreed. POTD. >>




DPOTD.


All this correspondence should be grouped and kept together.


Speaking of "album quality" coins (low MS, high AU), look at this year 29 nicely toned yen, small Anacs MS62, looks like choice unc to me that recently sold for just $211.50. Yes, I regret not buying it or at least sending you the link, as I do not know what kind of yen you have in the appropriate slot, because I forgot about it.