Hunkering down in Texas with my last ANA pick-up
Desert Moon
Posts: 5,943 ✭✭✭✭✭
Howdy Y'all,
Since ANA I have been traveling in Europe only to come back with jet lag and a cold, then a short spate of flu with a fever, and now we have Hurricane Harvey on its way, for which the current models now show it will land as a Cat. 3 and be a major flooding event for the Texas Gulf. But wait, there is more. Once ole' Harve makes landfall, it likely will reverse its course in a day, come back over the gulf, reinvigorate and do a double whamy like Allison did to us in 2001. And, I am supposed to travel to DC on Sunday during the thick of this - we will see if that works out or instead if we will be hunkering down in Round 1 waiting for Round 2 later in the week. Well, at least my fever went away today.
In between my travels, I asked Heritage to send me my auction win at ANA which they did so with precision timing. I was able to image it today as the outermost rain band of Harvey is passing by. So below is my first bust quarter counterstamp, and my unstamped BQ of the same date for comparison. The 'L' counterstamp is much rarer than the 'E' by about a factor of 3 for the 1815. NGC has certified 11 L and 31 E, for the 1815 and 17 L and 7 E for the 1825 B2.
PCGS won't certify these. This is one of those quandrys (or back door agreements) as PCGS certifies chopmarked trade dollars and NGC does not. Go figure.
No one knows how or why the two die marriages of bust quarters were counterstamped with the E and L. Every proposed theory has holes. Some say the mint did it, certainly the precision of the counterstamp is consistent with that. But my L counterstamp is a mid-die state, not an early die state, so why would they do it mid-way through the minting process? Also, why only 1815 and 1825? That means it had to happen ≥1825 after these were minted. So some say a bank did it. If so, how were they so precise in location for all of them? Also, why is there no damage on the reverse like there is for the chop marks? Some say the Economites did it, but no one can figure out why. No record exists as to how they got their counterstamps. Suffice to say, this will probably be a mystery for a long time to come.
So Heritage has had a few of these in their auctions in the past year, maybe around 10 of both dates. For the ANA auction they had 4 counterstamped BQ's. One of my primary reasons for going to ANA was to view these in hand. After doing so, I confirmed I liked this one the best. Even so, I got it at my max bid and was not going to go any higher. These are hard to price, especially in a market going lower. Nevertheless I am happy with this one and glad I got it at my max bid.
Best, SH
Comments
Very nice and I hope you are feeling better
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Nice coins.
Gorgeous example, and glad you are feeling better.
Hang in there, your beautiful coins will help you weather the storm!
Though I keep mine securely locked up in a safe place whenever hurricanes threaten us here in FL, and I'm usually too preoccupied putting up panels and plywood and watching the weather channel to look at coins myself.
That is interesting, and a beautiful coin.
Good luck with Harvey, I hope it peters out........
Nice additions and congrats! Nice write up
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......
Thanks for the comments everyone.
Well we probably don't need to board up this time where I live, but we are on the bad side, estimates are 15 to 30 inches of rain over 4 days. We can handle 15 with 'normal' flooding that results in only minor and local impact, any more becomes epic. They are really worried about what might happen with Round 2 but won't know much about it until Monday-ish during Round 1 when the steering conditions are more clear. But they are saying expect record levels of rain - well the record for the US is Alvin, Texas, that had 42 inches in a 24 hour period. Some seem to think that conditions for Harvey might include something similar in localized areas.......
Best, SH
That's a crazy storm. Pretty coins.
Outstanding bust quarters! Stay safe
Better stand on a chair with it held above the water line. They say it's going to be serious.
Stay safe dude. Batten down the hatches
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......
nice pick ups, be safe
INYNWHWeTrust-TexasNationals,ajaan,blu62vette
coinJP, Outhaul ,illini420,MICHAELDIXON, Fade to Black,epcjimi1,19Lyds,SNMAN,JerseyJoe, bigjpst, DMWJR , lordmarcovan, Weiss,Mfriday4962,UtahCoin,Downtown1974,pitboss,RichieURich,Bullsitter,JDsCoins,toyz4geo,jshaulis, mustanggt, SNMAN, MWallace, ms71, lordmarcovan
Nasty storm... I would say stay 'high' and dry... but there are no high places in Texas...
Nice coins, be safe... Cheers, RickO
You have a boat SH?
Other threads on the 1815 and 1825 E and L counterstamped quarters:
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/952006/bust-quarter-1815-l-b-1-ngc-ms65 2015
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/926467/e-l-counterstamp-bust-quarters/p1 2014
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/700295/post-your-1815-bust-quarters-anyone-out-there/p1 2009-2011
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/416377/1815-quarter-with-e-counterstamp-mint-made-also-is-this-coin-au 2005-2008
Strong CAT2 now, if you are between Corpus Christi and Port Lavaca take the warnings seriously. Be safe God bless ya.
Nice coins, stay safe (and dry).
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
From what I know, the E and the L are located in different places on the 2 dates/die marriages, but all of the L's and E's on each type are located in exactly the same place - as if they were placed there as part of the minting process, for which some have proposed.
Best, SH
Nah, in my area it is the flooding that is a concern - now forecasted at 18-20 inches over 4 days. Last time that happened was TS Allison in June 2001. The water line was half way up our front lawn during some of the time - we still had a foot or so of elevation above it before there was chances of getting into the house. We will see..........
Best, SH
Generator✔️,water✔️,gas✔️,leave work early✔️,party time✔️,be safe folks
First, stay safe from the storm, hope it isn't too destructive.
Second, nice coins, congrats on acquiring them!
Third, to answer the above question, the "L" counterstamps are all above the "L" in "LIBERTY" and the "E" counterstamps are all above the "E" in "LIBERTY". Edit to add: this is true for both the 1815 and the 1825 Browning-2 counterstamped quarters.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Latest models give our area 23.4 inches of rain between now and Wednesday. Our rain gauge shows 2.5 inches already from this morning. And, that does not include the second pass.
Rich - that is interesting and I never really thought about it - has someone speculated on why this is so with the Es and Ls?
Best, SH
There are many, many theories as to the origin and meaning of the counterstamps, but no one has come up with any proof on any of them.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
You never heard of the "high plains of Texas?"
@BAJJERFAN .....Wasn't there a Drifter that hung out there???
Cheers, RickO
Nice coins, Thanks for sharing.
I have never heard of these before, always nice to see and learn something new.
Lived through Katrina. We feel your pain and hope for the best.
They are talking about it possibly being a Cat 4 by the time it hits.
Good luck and God Bless.
I hope all is well and that you left early/ made it safely to D.C.
Be safe SHD. My friends and I do an extended January trip to Seadrift, near Port Lavaca, that is dead in the path of Harvey. I hope one of Texas' best duck hunting lodge can survive. My prayers are with all in the path of Harvey and everyone at Bay Flats Lodge.
US Civil War coinage
Historical Medals
Rain total predictions for our area have been revised to 27", 8.5 tomorrow, 8.5 Sunday. Several tornado touchdowns this evening. And we are >100 miles from the eye. 4 power outages this evening so far, Facebook friends in the area report power outages also. Gonna be a crazy week. Little chance I will go to DC, looks like I will have to cancel even if the airport is operating. Can't leave my wife alone in this, no way.
Here is another pick up in the last month.
Best, SH
Stay safe!
Latin American Collection
When I had the privilege of working for Uncle Sam, we had typhoon during monsoon season. All the rice paddies were already full of water, the ground was saturated, and then came the typhoon. 25" of rain in 24 hours.
Wow...major hit ....@spacehayduke....Hope all stays well... good decision to stay home. Cheers, RickO
Epic - we had a rain band come through from 9 pm to 6 am that dumped 20 inches of rain (they are saying 15 inches of rain in 3 hours in our area). The rain was so hard for several hours that is sounded like a jet taking off on our roof. On our street, the flood came up only past the sidewalk. But most of Houston is flooded. 1,000 of rescues. But wait, there is more. At least another 3 days of this..... The expected rain totals are predicted to exceed 40 inches from Harve this week.
Best, SH
Hope you can stay dry!
419 BILLION gallons of water dropped on Harris Country (Houston) in the last 48 hours. A majority of the city appears to be flooded based on what they are telling us on the local news channels. Many freeways underwater. More to come....
Best, SH
I've watched some of the videos out there and this is seriously scary! I wonder how many people displaced looked into flood insurance before the storm hit? This will be a financial disaster for so many.
I hope you live far away from the Houston area.
Houston has a history of flood problems so most of them (thankfully) probably were insured/protected.
Glad to hear things are okay @spacehayduke! Good luck to you and everyone in the path of the storm!
I have lived near the concrete jungle all my life and as I type we are still getting pounded by the storm. Still dry at my home but it will be months before any form or a normal life returns to Houston. We had over 15 flood and tornado warnings last night and as many or more today.
If you are planning to fly into Houston reschedule as both airports are closed and all freeways are flooded.
Never thought I would want to see the hot sun in August but it may well be days as the storm is forecast to go back over the gulf for a day, travel along the coast and then head north right through Houston Wednesday.
Everything is a Texas sized mess and it is still getting worse. Still expecting another 15-20 inches in some parts.
Many people have been flooded out of there home over the last few years and recovered but this time many will no doubt relocate to higher ground west of town.
I am leaving for good next June for the hill country and just want to get passed this one. A nice gold coin won.t get you much now as the city is paralyzed and stores closed. Cannot even get a whopper as all sold out and have closed.
Just got another warning over my mobile. Gotta hop.
I am on one of the Recovery Teams for the Texas Disaster Emergency Relief Organization, and we are just standing by waiting to go assist until the weather breaks. 17 different types of teams from Asset Protection, Chain Saw, Muck Out (shoveling all the crud out of homes into plastic tubs, taking it outside, and putting in in screen trays, and washing it, so if any jewelry, valuables, coins, etc. have gotten into the muck, it can be recovered), to Box teams (handing out cardboard boxes to people to recover their stuff, and Shower and Laundry trailers.
There are a lot of groups with various specialties just waiting the green light to head on down.
I saw where WalMart and H-E-B grocery chain have scads of 18 wheelers loaded up ready to roll to replenish the areas.
Glad you're doing ok SH! I'm out in Kingwood and doing fine so far. The San Jacinto river is over its bank and now lake Conroe has opened the gates so it's flowing our way. I'm at one of the highest elevations in KW so we should be ok.
@oldgoldlover , hang in there!!
@mustangmanbob , appreciate your service to those in need.
All best,
-d
good luck with the storm
BHNC #203
Well.................
News told us that 80% of the homes in Houston do not have flood insurance, which amazes me since it is cheap compared to what you get. What I can tell by what we are seeing is that the damage is far more extensive than Ike. So we are talking billions and most of it uninsured.
Best, SH
dada - last nites rain band went more towards you, you still ok? Our neighborhood drains well even though we are at 16 feet and next to a bayou. So far no flood, just water over the curb several times and 5 power outages. Roads/freeways are all flooded, everyone is pretty much stuck at home, nothing is opening today except some emergency facilities.
Best, SH
We are seeing alot of people out there helping out, thanks Mustangmanbob! Gotta love our HEB - Texas proud! They had our local HEB double stocked and ready for the panicking hoards on Thursday.
Best, SH
We are still dry and the storm expected to get back on land on Wednesday. Entry is east of Houston and if this is correct there will be a reason for hope. We will be on the dry side. Storm is not expected to strengthen even though it is back out over the gulf just offshore.
As I prepare this thread the wind has picked up significantly all the sudden. It may well be a tornado nearby but all I can do is hope it abates. I live in Cinco Ranch and some of the houses here have water in them, which has never happened.
I cannot get an assessment of the city as everything is upside down. Hope you fair well SH as we are in the same boat. No pun intended. Even the initials.
No one can get out or get in as the freeways are flooded, including I 10 west of Katy.
The snakes and mosquito are going to be a health hazard for quite same time.
I feel very lucky as there are thousands of people that are homeless and getting the labor and materials into the city for many weeks is going to be a huge problem but surviving this storm is all everyone is thinking about now.
I am extremely proud to say that the people are really helping out and only one incident of looting has been reported to my knowledge. Many people are risking their lives to save people they do not know. I guess this does bring out the best of people and that is all I can say that has a positive spin.
SH
Actually seeing brief glimpses of sun in Austin, where we were on the "outer fringes" of this thing. Even so: 15" of wind-blown rain, lots of leaks, trees down, spotty power outages. Our son in law's at Texas Southern law school, but made it out of Houston OK and is home for a few days. Can't get back into now Houston at all! Unbelievable devastation to the coast north of Corpus Christi, and Houston is just a horror now: low-lying and prone to flooding in the best of times.
Folks are pulling together to help people recover. Our son's an engineer at the Public Utility's Commission, and pulled the 12-hour night shift last night to monitor, receive notices of major power disruptions and keep the governor's office informed.
Many thanks to HEB and to mustangmanbob!
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
them sure are some lovely bust quarters
-- News told us that 80% of the homes in Houston do not have flood insurance, which amazes me since it is cheap compared to what you get. --
I can see that though...vast areas of Houston are quite poor and cannot afford any type of flood insurance no matter how inexpensive it is. My in-laws live in Greenspoint and luckily their house is built on a small rise. Only maybe 3 feet but so far it, along with the storm drain right in front of their house, has prevented water from coming in so far. If Harvey is going to come back ashore farther east that would be a good thing indeed.
K