A Lonesome John
Broadstruck
Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
Triple Struck 1940's First strike in collar, Second strike in collar with rotation and overlap, Third strike out of collar with rotation off center. I'm figuring it's a 1944 or 1945 Philly as there's a few errors for these years. Ex error specialist Lonesome John Devine.
To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
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Not really looking for much these days but if I were, it might be a toner.
Cool one!
Thanks you almost never see major Lincoln errors like this...
However back in the 1970's you'd read about them winning awards at events like Error Rama.
There's a lot wild mint errors from back then that just never re-entered the market.
Just out there somewhere needing to be rediscovered.
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
I'm figuring it's a 1944 or 1945 Philly as there's a few errors for these years.
Think big. Try to match the dies to 1943. Focus on die polish lines and die cracks.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
I'm figuring it's a 1944 or 1945 Philly as there's a few errors for these years.
Think big. Try to match the dies to 1943. Focus on die polish lines and die cracks.
Holy cow how cool would that be...
Thanks MrEureka as I now have a new research project!
bob
That's a great looking error - and for your sake - I hope Andy led you to a great find !
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
New Barber Purchases
who'd of thunk
crazy cool piece there
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Thanks everyone!
I was pretty close with Lonesome and Peggy,
because they only lived about 20 minutes from
me, here in the SF Valley.
In addition to his error coin business, John had
a printing company (Hi-Ho Printing, I think it's spelled)
printed his catalogs.
Met him at the first EAR in 1967 in Hollywood, and
we both did a large amount of business with each other.
While I was at Numismatics, Ltd., in the '70's and '80's,
John produced for me full size, glossy paper, Mint
Error catalogs with almost every coin photo'd and shown.
He did about 14-15 catalogs for me, and they alway brought
great sales results.
After he and Peggy retired, and spend their years driving
around the (mostly) Western US, he would come to my
office once a year or so when he was in LA, and we'd visit,
share stories, and have a nice relaxing day talking about
'the old days.
I miss him, and the error coin hobby owes him a great deal.
So did you figure out the date?
Common silver graded coins for sale
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Yn81Skb1LoKSgqDPA
Only met his a few times, but always a nice guy.
I met him in person only once, but talked with him on the phone many times. John was one of the good ones.
I have some errors pedigreed to Lonesome John, still with their "Lonesome John" flip inserts -- most of them came via Fred!
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
By the way....
Good to see you @Broadstruck!
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
This reminds me. Somewhere packed away I may have 1 or 2 errors denoted with the LJ pedigree. Both from an auction IIRC.
He also made a clear see through plastic that you placed over the coin with lines showing different percentages to measure off center and clipped coins.
I remember his advertising. Being fairly young in the 70's, errors really appealed to me. I had never met John however.
I have quite a few of John's books and catalogs in storage which I'll try to dig out this winter.
John used to use a special proprietary solution to instantly clean coins. Unremarkable back when he'd do it in front of you but in this day and age I often wonder what it was. Copper was the usual subject. Sometimes a bizarre coloring effect was the result months after the cleaning.
@Broadstruck .... Did you ever determine a date for the OP coin?? Cheers, RickO
No I haven't gotten to it yet as it's on a long list of things to do.... I've owned this piece for 15 years, so what's another or two?
I do as well, his advertising. Especially in ETCM (Error Trends Coin Magazine, a monthly mag. devoted to errors by Arnold Margolis).
https://minterrornews.com/features-5-24-26-a-collection-of-error-coins-from-lonesome-john.html
There's a lot wild mint errors from back then that just never re-entered the market.
Just out there somewhere needing to be rediscovered.
Emphasis added, as the new member who is bumping these threads appears to have come across just such a cache of Lonesome John coins (and started a new thread about them).
On a completely unrelated note, I still miss Broadstruck, he was taken from us far too soon.
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
Lonesome John printed my first mint error catalog in 1975. I did a ton of business with him. He was a pioneer in the error coin market. It featured my gold Indian Head Cent and $20 Liberty on a Large Cent blank!
https://mikebyers.com/1975catalog.html
That is the ultimate dream for any collector—stumbling onto a forgotten cache of old-school mint errors. The fact that a new member might have actually uncovered a stash of Lonesome John coins is incredible. Those old threads are absolute goldmines of information, and it is always exciting when a "bump" actually brings something substantial to light instead of just necroposting.On your second note—absolutely. Broadstruck was a pillar of this community. His knowledge of error coins was unmatched, but it was his willingness to help both newbies and veterans that truly made him special. The forum definitely hasn't been quite the same without him.Thanks for the reminder of both the history we are chasing and the great people who helped us learn how to chase it. Might be a new member on here but whos is to say I did not have a previous account? Cheers
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All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
who were you before today?
A younger version of me. Who were you?
😄
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
I generally don't like old necros, but this is an exception -- amazing history and rare error pieces.
Lonesome John has 3 live active threads right now on the first page. That’s not easy to do.😉