Love the Hard Times Tokens!

No coffee yet and my photography suck.
Either way, you don't see these beautiful ladies together. They look hot together and nicely toned after we went to the beach together. Love the summer time.....

Good Morning and Happy 250th!!

A very different Red Eye Saturday - Happy 250th to all:

On this special holiday, I thought I would post something “unusual” (for me anyway):

About two years ago, the “Desert Find” discovery was made in Nevada. Among this vast collection were 35 1889-CC Morgan silver dollars in various uncirculated conditions. They were catalogued & auctioned by Heritage.
I recall only a day or two before that sale, I noticed this coin in another Heritage auction. I won it with a fair but not excessive bid. Not only did I like the look/eye appeal, I thought it might be overlooked due to the attention collectors were paying to the “Desert Find” hoard. That assumption proved correct when I witnessed the winning bids for the “DF” auction.
Years ago, I was a Morgan collector. It was great to be able to acquire a coin like this so many years later, as back then I never owned this key date of the series.

So, a different type post today than one of my “usuals”. I hope everyone has a most happy & celebratory 4th of July!

For various reasons (which some here may understand more than others), James Madison is one of my favorite Founding Fathers.

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In May of 1787, delegates from each state came together at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, and Madison was able to present his ideas for an effective government system that he called the “Virginia Plan”. This plan detailed a government with three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. Madison took detailed notes during the debates at the convention, which helped to further shape the drafting of the U.S. Constitution and was then signed by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention in September 1787.

Once the new Constitution was written and signed, it still needed to be ratified by 9 of the 13 states. This was not an easy process, as many states felt the Constitution gave the federal government too much power.

Madison, along with Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, collectively and under the under the pseudonym "Publius", authored The Federalist (commonly referred to as the "Federalist Papers"), a collection of 85 essays written to persuade New York to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Published in New York newspapers (and reprinted in other papers throughout the States) between October of 1787 and May of 1788, these essays explain and defend the Constitution's principles, exploring concepts like federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances ... and are considered a cornerstone of American political theory.

During this time, supporters of the Constitution were known as Federalists, while critics were called Anti-Federalists.

Later, after the U.S Constitution was ratified, and being elected to the House of Representatives in 1789, Madison worked to draft the Bill of Rights, the group of 10 amendments to the Constitution that spelled out fundamental rights (such as freedom of speech and religion) held by U.S. citizens. The Bill of Rights was ratified by the states in 1791.

In a new, more powerful Congress, Madison and Thomas Jefferson found themselves as great allies, but also disagreeing with the Federalists on key issues dealing with federal debt and power. The two men favored states’ rights and opposed Federalist leader Alexander Hamilton’s proposal for a national bank, the Bank of the United States.

In 1792, Jefferson and Madison founded the Democratic-Republican Party, which has been labeled America’s first opposition political party. Jefferson, Madison and James Monroe were the only Democratic-Republicans ever to become U.S. presidents, as the party divided into competing factions in the 1820s.

When Jefferson became the third president of the United States in 1801, he appointed Madison as the Secretary of State. In this position, which Madison held throughout Jefferson's presidency (1801 to 1809), he also helped acquire the Louisiana Territory from the French in 1803.

Madison would also go on to become the 4th President in our nations History, serving from 1809 to 1817. Despite the challenges he encountered during his presidency, and the criticisms he faced for the War of 1812, Madison was respected as a great thinker, communicator and statesman, and is generally considered the "Father of the Constitution".

Always humble, Madison had stated the Constitution was not “the off-spring of a single brain,” but instead, “the work of many heads and many hands.” He died at Montpelier on June 28, 1836, at the age of 85.

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Here's a stately 1836 Capped Bust Half Dollar, well struck, and aptly centered, in his honor

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Ms 65

This picture should have been posted this morning so as to chase the morning cobwebs away. Oh well, it's good prep for the evening fireworks!

Good morning peeps!
I get my best and most expensive ideas from this thread. I don't know whether to say thank you or something else you!

Wrong thread @JWP

Good morning Coffee with Coins friends!

Saturday morning and just back from the local Starbucks, because ... cough, cough ... my daughter is not a coffee drinker.

I came down to Portland yesterday afternoon to help her move. I was mostly the guy with the trailer and the load master. A couple of her work friends came over to help and frankly, they kicked a**. Very grateful for them.

Plus she packs really well, so it went very smooth.

Between her meticulous organization and her lack of coffee, we kindof wonder if she's from the same family!

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Anyway ... back to coins after @JWP and his comic display and my totally unrelated morning log.

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Knowing I would be gone this morning I selected a coin yesterday, but honestly I don't have to much to say about this one.

Sometimes coins just speak for themselves ...

This one, if I remember correctly, when she came up for auction said something to the affect of, "I am a Todd coin, and you know you want me, so just win me dangit!"

Is it Saturday morning yet? I really can't tell ... it's too early here in the PNW.

But hey, I was up, and so ... here we go! The caffeine is still working it's way into my system ... and may not make it all the way before another nap ensues.

Yesterday afternoon the FedEx guy brought me a new phone, and so I've been working on and off getting everything set up. I guess it's been a little over 7 years since my last one.

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While waiting for updates and transfers, I was cleaning up the desktop too, and don't think I posted this one yet. This was from earlier this year, in January. I won this coin in Sheridan's MB #61, where it was Lot #43, from the collection of one of BHNC Club Members who recently passed, one Richard ("Dick") Scorzafava. I have a couple of coins from Dick's collection and he had a penchant for this look.

Here's what Sheridan had to say, "In days gone by I would have graded the coin MS 62/65. The surfaces are immaculate. The deep sunset obverse toning is lovely and original - but a bit dark. I imagine PCGS settled on AU out of fright. I see no friction on the coin. The fully struck reverse, with light sunset toning, is gem quality."

Well, maybe a little hyperbole there , but she is a lovely example. She graded P58 and has a CAC sticker.

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Happy Saturday everyone! The dog days of summer and boy is it hot! Almost feels wrong drinking hot coffee on a hot day....I said almost!

How about an 1841 Seated Dollar with beautiful bullseye toning. Bought her years ago at the Whitman Baltimore show. Still makes me smile when I look at her.

Happy caffeine Saturday! Went full blown espresso this AM; not unprecedented, but the red eye returns next week. A bit wired? YES!
Today I have a summer FUN buy of major proportions:

I only owned a Seated $1 once before many years ago - a 1849 graded PCGS MS60. Nice coin that may have been cleaned even though it was straight graded.
Today’s, though, is next level. “QDB” wrote an excellent analysis in CoinFacts, which anyone with interest would do well to check out. In short, these $1’s were practically a week’s pay in those days, so they saw little circulation. 25C & 50C pieces were more heavily used in commerce. This coin is absolutely stunning in hand - mostly pearl white & near PL with blazing luster! The green bean enhances it & actually adds to its gorgeous eye appeal!

In my thread about the summer FUN show, I teased about a story behind this. Many years ago, I made a deal urged by my missus: “If you buy a big coin, sell something first”. That “policy/promise” has actually served me well.
For this coin, I was short $$$. At the show, I had with me a $20 Saint PCGS 63 in a white label holder (gen 1.1). It’s a common date 1924 but one of only 5 in the white label pop. I intended to include it in my GC consignment, but before I did, I decided I would ask a dealer friend his opinion. At his table, we discussed the coin. He examined it & placed it on top of his display case between us. “These are unbelievably hot right now; I think GC is the best route. You should net $10k for this coin”! Music to my ears, but just then, a gentleman walked up to the table, looked at me & asks “are you selling that”? I said that was my intention; that my dealer friend & I were discussing it. He went on to claim he was the leading buyer of these white labels in the country! I said I was deferring to my dealer as he had much more knowledge than I did. The gent asked the dealer “how much are you looking for”? With a little thoughtful hesitation he responded “$12500”. The gent replied he was interested but wanted to check with someone.
He returned within 5 minutes, looked at me & asked “would you take $11500”? I managed to contain myself & asked my dealer friend “do you think that’s a fair offer”? He hesitated, looked at the coin, then the gent, then finally to me. “I think that’s a good deal for both of you”.
“Accidental” sale made ( perfect timing that you couldn’t script)! The gent went away happy, I made $1500 more than I expected & best of all, had enough to complete the purchase of the 1843!

@Inspired70: thank you! As I knew little about these, I researched it before the show. I had first seen it on the dealer’s website; I do a lot of biz with him & knew he would have it @ summer FUN. It’s a beauty & I’m glad I bought it! It’s front & center now & wont be going anywhere!

A little cold brew and a gold eagle in a 2.1.

Great story on selling the white label Ken! @Copperindian

And that looks like a lovely Seated Dollar as a prize!!

Darrell @Inspired70 as usual, your Seated Dollars never fail to impress and amaze!

Also, love the Indian @P0CKETCHANGE and the Half Dollars @lkenefic All of them look entirely wholesome and I am especially drawn to the '38 Reeded Edge.

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Finally, Wow @DCW That looks pretty brutal.

In 1983, the Summer before I went into the Navy, I spent about 7 weeks in Simi Valley, CA, helping build out homes on the ? South East Rim. There were days, even with no fires nearby, that we couldn't see even that much of the Sun.

Back then there was a song getting massive airplay on the rock stations. King of Pain, by The Police. Although it's about quite a bit more that a muted Sun, every time the Sun looks to disappear behind some kind of pollution, that song always floats in my near consciousness.

"There's a little black spot on the Sun today .........."

Stay safe out there!