@coinbuf said:
Moose, monster, these terms get thrown around and are for the most part meaningless as its really personal preference when using suerlatives like this. Some very beautiful coin have been posted and many are/will be viewed as monsters, PQ, or moose by some. I like this semi key date in a beautiful brown color, mabey its a moose idk, but I do like it.
I just love the color......I mean it really brings me to tears!
I love brown copper and your example ticks my brown copper browness!
@bolivarshagnasty said:
There is only one coin known as THE Moose. That is Aurora Borealis's 1881-S Morgan dollar. Since I have not seen him around these parts in a while, I will post the images here. I think everyone can agree on this one...................
Didn’t this one start in a 67 slab? Then there’s this pic in a 68 ... I think this pic is from Brandon/aka Polaris/aka PoorGuy........
@CaptHenway said:
Back while I was still with ANACS in Colorado Springs, one day I shot a moose in my pajamas! How he got in my pajamas I'll never know!
Were you much heavier then?
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
@bolivarshagnasty said:
.....and for a Moose herd sighting, check out TDN’s early dollars at Legend. What a herd!
Sorry to disappoint, but Moose are solitary animals and do not form herds. The calves stay with their mothers for a year and bull moose will congregate to fight each other one on one on a seasonal basis, but that is about it.
Now if, moose did form herds, that would be the proper term as opposed to a gaggle of moose or some such thing.
Having said all that, here is a unique photo I captured at the entrance to my office of two moose together just a few months ago. (Possibly though just a mother moose with a mature calf from the last calving season still hanging around until the snow melts.)
@bolivarshagnasty said:
There is only one coin known as THE Moose. That is Aurora Borealis's 1881-S Morgan dollar. Since I have not seen him around these parts in a while, I will post the images here. I think everyone can agree on this one...................
This is great coin.
Brandon @poorguy's photos of this coin back when it was in Ron Sirna's collection is my favorite:
@bolivarshagnasty said:
There is only one coin known as THE Moose. That is Aurora Borealis's 1881-S Morgan dollar. Since I have not seen him around these parts in a while, I will post the images here. I think everyone can agree on this one...................
I would not call this coin a moose
The coin itself is to common.
I would call this coin a monster toner .
Regardless of how common a coin is, if it’s a moose, it’s a moose. Likewise, no matter how rare a coin is, if it’s a dog (or a pig), it’s a dog (or a pig).
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
@CaptHenway said:
Back while I was still with ANACS in Colorado Springs, one day I shot a moose in my pajamas! How he got in my pajamas I'll never know!
Were you much heavier then?
No, I was lighter than air!
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
@bolivarshagnasty said:
There is only one coin known as THE Moose. That is Aurora Borealis's 1881-S Morgan dollar. Since I have not seen him around these parts in a while, I will post the images here. I think everyone can agree on this one...................
I would not call this coin a moose
The coin itself is to common.
I would call this coin a monster toner .
Regardless of how common a coin is, if it’s a moose, it’s a moose. Likewise, no matter how rare a coin is, if it’s a dog (or a pig), it’s a dog (or a pig).
Jesse C. Kraft, Ph.D.
Resolute Americana Curator of American Numismatics
American Numismatic Society
New York City
Member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), British Numismatic Society (BNS), New York Numismatic Club (NYNC), Early American Copper (EAC), the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4), U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association (USMNA), Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC), Token and Medal Society (TAMS), and life member of the Atlantic County Numismatic Society (ACNS). Become a member of the American Numismatic Society!
Jesse C. Kraft, Ph.D.
Resolute Americana Curator of American Numismatics
American Numismatic Society
New York City
Member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), British Numismatic Society (BNS), New York Numismatic Club (NYNC), Early American Copper (EAC), the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4), U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association (USMNA), Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC), Token and Medal Society (TAMS), and life member of the Atlantic County Numismatic Society (ACNS). Become a member of the American Numismatic Society!
I’m not familiar with that example, but unless it’s the lighting/image, it doesn’t look normal. Is it a specimen or a Proof?
No, it's not like the 3 "specimens". But I remember it as a 68A, which tells you something about the coin.
Thanks, Andy. It still sounds like a decent coin.😉
It is. BTW, I was expecting a "Wait, what, 3?" from you. You disappointed me. (: >)
Sorry to disappoint you. 😄 In the back of my mind, I thought I remembered hearing about a couple, so the number “3” was no big deal. However, of you’d said “5” instead, you would have gotten my attention.😉
Edited to add: I remember one, in particular (designated as a business strike, but which looked like a Proof to me), that two dealers split for a very hefty price. I’m sure you know the coins.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
@MrEureka said:
No, it's not like the 3 "specimens". But I remember it as a 68A, which tells you something about the coin.
does 68a have anything to do with the rims@! seems like the letter J should be somewhere in there?
Actually, I meant that it has "A" eye appeal. I don't really remember if I considered it a technical 8 minus, a mid-range 8, or 8 plus. In fact, it probably never occurred to me to think about it, since it wasn't for sale.
As for the third SP 1921, here's an unconvincing pic. (Perhaps @CaptHenway remembers it from his days at ANACS?) It's badly mishandled, but the surface characteristics are identical to the two well known and generally accepted "special strikes", including the one Mark mentioned. (I've seen all three in hand.)
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Andy, I assume that that is the 1921 Saint that came into (pre-slab days) ANACS while I was there. The owner was the proverbial Little Old Lady, who had received it as a birth year coin from her uncle, who was one of the Superintendents of the Philadelphia Mint in 1921. She gave me his name and I looked it up in a Coin World Almanac.
Unfortunately, being a non-collector she had polished the coin many times over the years. My successors at ANACS were overly kind calling it merely "cleaned."
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
@CaptHenway said:
Andy, I assume that that is the 1921 Saint that came into (pre-slab days) ANACS while I was there. The owner was the proverbial Little Old Lady, who had received it as a birth year coin from her uncle, who was one of the Superintendents of the Philadelphia Mint in 1921. She gave me his name and I looked it up in a Coin World Almanac.
Unfortunately, being a non-collector she had polished the coin many times over the years. My successors at ANACS were overly kind calling it merely "cleaned."
Assuming it’s the same coin, I think you mistook at least some of the satinyPL surfaces for polishing. An understandable mistake, considering that nobody seemed to know about the other two coins back then.
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
@bolivarshagnasty said:
There is only one coin known as THE Moose. That is Aurora Borealis's 1881-S Morgan dollar. Since I have not seen him around these parts in a while, I will post the images here. I think everyone can agree on this one...................
I would not call this coin a moose
The coin itself is to common.
I would call this coin a monster toner .
Regardless of how common a coin is, if it’s a moose, it’s a moose. Likewise, no matter how rare a coin is, if it’s a dog (or a pig), it’s a dog (or a pig).
Although sometimes a pig can be a moose. So it’s complicated.
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
@CaptHenway said:
Andy, I assume that that is the 1921 Saint that came into (pre-slab days) ANACS while I was there. The owner was the proverbial Little Old Lady, who had received it as a birth year coin from her uncle, who was one of the Superintendents of the Philadelphia Mint in 1921. She gave me his name and I looked it up in a Coin World Almanac.
Unfortunately, being a non-collector she had polished the coin many times over the years. My successors at ANACS were overly kind calling it merely "cleaned."
Assuming it’s the same coin, I think you mistook at least some of the satinyPL surfaces for polishing. An understandable mistake, considering that nobody seemed to know about the other two coins back then.
I respectfully disagree. I polished my Mom's good silver plate enough times for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners that I know what polished metal looks like. The coin I saw was POLISHED!
Perhaps this is not the same coin, and TWO 1921 specimen coins were numismaticaly abused. Perhaps it is the same coin, and it was re-surfaced in some manner to abate the damage when it entered numismatic channels, but before it was revealed. I do not know. What I do know is that I have handled enough pre-1917 Proof gold to know an original Proof surface when I see one. The coin I saw made me cringe.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
@CaptHenway said:
Perhaps this is not the same coin, and TWO 1921 specimen coins were numismaticaly abused.
does this help? you can click the images.
before i put any effort into it, did i read there are only a small handfull of the 1921 $20 ms? if so it means the known examples can be somewhat easily tracked. unless they are/have been in museums/national collections etc. (nevermind, i did a quick search and see tons of HA results)
Comments
Classic Head Large Cent in this condition?
Yes this is a moose, everything else is crap.
I just love the color......I mean it really brings me to tears!
I love brown copper and your example ticks my brown copper browness!
Didn’t this one start in a 67 slab? Then there’s this pic in a 68 ... I think this pic is from Brandon/aka Polaris/aka PoorGuy........
Great coin.
Were you much heavier then?
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Gorgeous image of that coin!
.....and for a Moose herd sighting, check out TDN’s early dollars at Legend. What a herd!
Sorry to disappoint, but Moose are solitary animals and do not form herds. The calves stay with their mothers for a year and bull moose will congregate to fight each other one on one on a seasonal basis, but that is about it.
Now if, moose did form herds, that would be the proper term as opposed to a gaggle of moose or some such thing.
Having said all that, here is a unique photo I captured at the entrance to my office of two moose together just a few months ago. (Possibly though just a mother moose with a mature calf from the last calving season still hanging around until the snow melts.)
Will someone post a picture of
Tom Turissini “The Big Moose”
I do recall seeing numerous moose's in this old thread. I especially liked the one nicknamed 'the comet'
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/773985/top-100-bag-toned-rainbow-morgans-in-existence/p1
-
Your hobby is supposed to be your therapy, not the reason you need it.
Glad to see good pix of the Moose . . . . . I like the ability to compare . . . .
Drunner
This is great coin.
Brandon @poorguy's photos of this coin back when it was in Ron Sirna's collection is my favorite:
Test.
I think the word "Moose" would refer to a wondercoin - a descriptive word also heard in the past.
Regardless of how common a coin is, if it’s a moose, it’s a moose. Likewise, no matter how rare a coin is, if it’s a dog (or a pig), it’s a dog (or a pig).
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
As I mentioned, a Moose and a Honker were synonymous back in the Dark Ages.
I forgot the label on Chris C. -- top pop by two points:
That holder is a moose! Beautiful medal, by the way.
No, I was lighter than air!
But does it have lipstick?
thanks for posting one. i saw a couple good candidates but yours excel !
i don't recall which but one of those dates is considerably more scarce than the other. probably more so in those lofty moose conditions.
Enter Boiler.....All Hail Moose King!
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
I know that 1838! I bought it at Brand and sold it to Larry Hanks, who obviously sold it to Pogue. Great provenance, if I do say so myself!
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
1831 Proof 25 cent.


American Numismatic Society, 2011.81.2
Jesse C. Kraft, Ph.D.
Resolute Americana Curator of American Numismatics
American Numismatic Society
New York City
Member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), British Numismatic Society (BNS), New York Numismatic Club (NYNC), Early American Copper (EAC), the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4), U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association (USMNA), Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC), Token and Medal Society (TAMS), and life member of the Atlantic County Numismatic Society (ACNS).
Become a member of the American Numismatic Society!
Jesse - Post images of the ANS 1921 Saint and I guaranty you'll win this thread!
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
@MrEureka, Just for you!


1921 Double Eagle. In the ANS collection since 1922.
American Numismatic Society, 1922.3.1
Jesse C. Kraft, Ph.D.
Resolute Americana Curator of American Numismatics
American Numismatic Society
New York City
Member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), British Numismatic Society (BNS), New York Numismatic Club (NYNC), Early American Copper (EAC), the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4), U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association (USMNA), Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC), Token and Medal Society (TAMS), and life member of the Atlantic County Numismatic Society (ACNS).
Become a member of the American Numismatic Society!
I’m not familiar with that example, but unless it’s the lighting/image, it doesn’t look normal. Is it a specimen or a Proof?
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
No, it's not like the 3 "specimens". But I remember it as a 68A, which tells you something about the coin.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Thanks, Andy. It still sounds like a decent coin.😉
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
It is. BTW, I was expecting a "Wait, what, 3?" from you. You disappointed me. (: >)
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Sorry to disappoint you. 😄 In the back of my mind, I thought I remembered hearing about a couple, so the number “3” was no big deal. However, of you’d said “5” instead, you would have gotten my attention.😉
Edited to add: I remember one, in particular (designated as a business strike, but which looked like a Proof to me), that two dealers split for a very hefty price. I’m sure you know the coins.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
One of my cat's nicknames is Moose. As in "get your butt away from my line of sight to the TV you Moose"
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
does 68a have anything to do with the rims@! seems like the letter J should be somewhere in there?
I believe Andy was opining that the coin is a high-end (68A) example, as opposed to a mid-range (68B) or low-end (68C).
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Actually, I meant that it has "A" eye appeal. I don't really remember if I considered it a technical 8 minus, a mid-range 8, or 8 plus. In fact, it probably never occurred to me to think about it, since it wasn't for sale.
As for the third SP 1921, here's an unconvincing pic. (Perhaps @CaptHenway remembers it from his days at ANACS?) It's badly mishandled, but the surface characteristics are identical to the two well known and generally accepted "special strikes", including the one Mark mentioned. (I've seen all three in hand.)
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Andy, I assume that that is the 1921 Saint that came into (pre-slab days) ANACS while I was there. The owner was the proverbial Little Old Lady, who had received it as a birth year coin from her uncle, who was one of the Superintendents of the Philadelphia Mint in 1921. She gave me his name and I looked it up in a Coin World Almanac.
Unfortunately, being a non-collector she had polished the coin many times over the years. My successors at ANACS were overly kind calling it merely "cleaned."
It does to me.
Assuming it’s the same coin, I think you mistook at least some of the satinyPL surfaces for polishing. An understandable mistake, considering that nobody seemed to know about the other two coins back then.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Although sometimes a pig can be a moose. So it’s complicated.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
.
.
that is one scraggly looking pig! but i for sure would take a passel of them!
I respectfully disagree. I polished my Mom's good silver plate enough times for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners that I know what polished metal looks like. The coin I saw was POLISHED!
Perhaps this is not the same coin, and TWO 1921 specimen coins were numismaticaly abused. Perhaps it is the same coin, and it was re-surfaced in some manner to abate the damage when it entered numismatic channels, but before it was revealed. I do not know. What I do know is that I have handled enough pre-1917 Proof gold to know an original Proof surface when I see one. The coin I saw made me cringe.
does this help? you can click the images.
before i put any effort into it, did i read there are only a small handfull of the 1921 $20 ms? if so it means the known examples can be somewhat easily tracked. unless they are/have been in museums/national collections etc. (nevermind, i did a quick search and see tons of HA results)
That coin is a Murder Horse!
Back to the question of “What is a moose?”, let’s just say that it takes one to know one.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.