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Whitman Bookshelf type albums and counterfeits

seanqseanq Posts: 8,568 ✭✭✭✭✭

I have collected the old style Whitman Bookshelf albums for years, including the various foreign type sets. Occasionally when buying the albums, coins came along with them. I recently decided it might be fun to try and complete some of them, and I started making checklists and surfing eBay for the missing coins.

I shouldn't have been surprised, knowing what Whitman thought people would put into their US albums (has anyone ever kept a 1793 Chain cent in one?), but it turns out there are some stoppers in those sets. I am maxxing out at acquiring coins in the $100-200 range, and I am looking mainly at raw coins. I cannot see spending $350 on a Philippine Quezon-Roosevelt Peso and cracking it for an album. This is meant to be a fun, not necessarily an investment.

With that in mind, and since I am not intimately familiar with these series, I was wondering if anyone had any insight into how prevalent counterfeits are for some of these coins. Specifically I have searches set up for the following, most of which are one-year types, which return a wide range of raw coins:

1897 Philippines One Peso
1910-13 Mexico "Caballito" Peso
1921 Mexico Dos Pesos
1937/8 Australia One Crown
1849 GB "Godless" Florin
1902 GB Edward VII One Crown

Any other advice on building these sets is of course appreciated.

Sean Reynolds (lightside interloper)

Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.

"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

Comments

  • pruebaspruebas Posts: 4,302 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This isn’t responsive to your question, but you can always use sea salvage commemorative Pesos and Half-Peso for the album.

    They are inexpensive and often appear on eBay. Sometimes a half decent one appears.

    As far as fake Caballito Pesos, they are not very common. I’ve actually seen a fake Caballito 50c Essai but never a fake circulating Peso (not that they don’t exist).

    And the 1914s are mostly altered coins, not counterfeits.

  • pruebaspruebas Posts: 4,302 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I thought I should add the following, since some may not know.

    The Philippines issued 3 silver commemoratives in 1936 to celebrate becoming a Commonwealth of the United States in 1935 (rather than just a dependency). Two were Pesos and one was a Half-Peso. These were minted at the Manila Mint (the only US Mint outside the continental US).

    Many remained unsold in 1941, so when the Japanese invaded the Philippines, before the Japanese could get ahold of the coins, thousands were dumped in Manila Bay along with a quantity of 1920 Wilson Dollars, also made in Manila.

    They were salvaged after the war and appear quite commonly on the numismatic market today (and occasionally so do sea salvaged Wilson Dollars).

  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,721 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I really like the 1936 Commem set- I see the set as undervalued in part for the reasons cited by Pruebas. I have seen some very attractive examples with wonderful color.

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • seanqseanq Posts: 8,568 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @pruebas said:
    I thought I should add the following, since some may not know.

    The Philippines issued 3 silver commemoratives in 1936 to celebrate becoming a Commonwealth of the United States in 1935 (rather than just a dependency). Two were Pesos and one was a Half-Peso. These were minted at the Manila Mint (the only US Mint outside the continental US).

    Many remained unsold in 1941, so when the Japanese invaded the Philippines, before the Japanese could get ahold of the coins, thousands were dumped in Manila Bay along with a quantity of 1920 Wilson Dollars, also made in Manila.

    They were salvaged after the war and appear quite commonly on the numismatic market today (and occasionally so do sea salvaged Wilson Dollars).

    Thank you for the feedback and this story. There is a salvaged peso running on eBay right now, I really like the idea of adding one to the set because of the associated lore.

    To my original question, I know these albums are uncommon, I guess there isn't the pressure from type collectors on the market for counterfeiting to make sense?

    Sean Reynolds

    Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.

    "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
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 12, 2023 8:14AM

    Oh. I initially thought the question was about counterfeit albums, so I was intrigued!


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  • seanqseanq Posts: 8,568 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @pruebas said:
    I thought I should add the following, since some may not know.

    The Philippines issued 3 silver commemoratives in 1936 to celebrate becoming a Commonwealth of the United States in 1935 (rather than just a dependency). Two were Pesos and one was a Half-Peso. These were minted at the Manila Mint (the only US Mint outside the continental US).

    Many remained unsold in 1941, so when the Japanese invaded the Philippines, before the Japanese could get ahold of the coins, thousands were dumped in Manila Bay along with a quantity of 1920 Wilson Dollars, also made in Manila.

    They were salvaged after the war and appear quite commonly on the numismatic market today (and occasionally so do sea salvaged Wilson Dollars).

    I wanted to update this thread and thank you again for the insight on the salvaged Pesos. Someone listed a number of these on eBay recently and I was able to pick up examples of both designs with minimal corrosion at a good discount back of the listed prices.

    All I need for that album now is the 1897 Peso, if anyone has a good lead on an affordable example let me know.

    Sean Reynolds

    Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.

    "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
  • John ConduittJohn Conduitt Posts: 350 ✭✭✭

    I wouldn’t get the GB coins from eBay. The godless florin is faked a lot. But I don’t think a worn one would be as likely to be faked, especially if from a reputable dealer.

    The Edward VII might be tricky. There aren’t huge numbers and since crowns didn’t circulate much they will probably be more expensive.

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