I was the Authenticator who first declared the 1870-S Half Dime genuine.
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.
<< <i>I was the Authenticator who first declared the 1870-S Half Dime genuine. >>
you never seem to stop amazing me capt. what a numis-life you've led and still do
back to this thread
closest i've come is my lil 64 sms i used to own but that's kool and close enough for me >>
Now, I've never seen a 1964 SMS! Lot of cool stuff out there.
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.
1911 1$ dollar only 2 known in silver and 1 in lead (worth over 1.25$ million); 1921 50 cent (equivalent to the 1804 U.S dollar) with about 50 known and only 3 in mint state...I have seen the ex Pittman example graded MS-65 (worth about 300 000$ to 350 000$); 1936 dot 10 cent in PCGS SP-68 only 5 known and 2 are in the Ottawa currency museum (worth about 225 000$); 2000-P Caribou 25 cent with only 2 known (worth about 40 000$ to 50 000$); 2000-P 25 cent community with only 5 known (worth about 15 000$); 2000-P creativity with 2 known (worth about 25 000$) and The Owen ropery token with less than 10 known (the one I saw had corrosion and is worth 15 000$ to 20 000$)
One I have never seen in person is the 1936 dot penny with only 3 known (worth over 400 000$)
<< <i>i think an r 3. a 1856 indian head cent. unless my memory remember something else, till then its that ( it was a ms64 brown as well ) >>
Is it a pattern? >>
to tell you the truth i dont remember. i do not belive it was. the next time i see the dealer i will ask him and see if he could refresh my memory. >>
The mint didn't start producing Indian Head cents until 1859 so it would either be a pattern or you were mistaken as to the date on the coin.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I helped to attribute and authenticate the new discoveries of draped bust half dollars 1807 O.115 and 1806 O.129, which were discovered with help from this message board. The 1807 115 now has at least four known, and the 1806 129 has two known. I own some early Washington State medals that are probably R7-R8 rarity, and will be publishing a reference on them in about 10 years. I have been collecting rare copperplate and seal engravings by US Mint Chief Engraver Robert Scot, some previously unknown, and will be publishing a book on Scot and his engravings.
Robert Scot: Engraving Liberty - biography of US Mint's first chief engraver
It is called a "Siege Piece" and it's a counter struck IHC. There are only 8 or 9 known and this one is the highest grade. I sent it to ANACS and really felt it would have served my customer better sending it to NGC. I asked the collector if he wanted to trade for an ounce of gold, but he opted to keep it. This, after having listed it on eBay with a ridiculous reserve. The ounce of gold (actually a Saint Gaudens) was a higher offer than the highest bid online.
It's in Rulau's token book, but not in most numismatic circles.
The customer (a YN) bought this out of a roll of IHC's that came into a shop . It was great to know that he cherrypicked a savvy dealer for it, unknowingly. He said he just liked it and didn't know what he had at the time, but for a dollar it was worth it. This is an example of one of the best cherrypicks a "kid" made, that I know of.
There is much to be said about the intrigue of owning an R7 or R8 coin, as many have attested here. I, myself, have owned many R7 and even R8 half dimes over the years, including both the 1800 LM-2 (R7) and 1800 LM-4 (R7), the 1801 LM-1 (R7, the second specimen known at the time), the 1830 LM-5/V13 (the second specimen known at the time), 1832 LM-9.2 (R7), and the 1832 LM-3.5 (R7), plus numerous die states and remarriages which were all R7 at the time. But I must agree with Broadstruck, who stated in an earlier post:
" ... the rarity scales as a whole are entirely overrated and instantly obsolete once a number has been assigned in print."
The various rarity ratings assigned to a die marriage are estimates, at best, based upon voluntary reporting of specimens in collectors' hands, subject to inaccuracies, overstatements, and even outright falsehoods. They represent a 'snapshot' in time, and only represent the examples known and reported. All rarity ratings are destined to be reduced as soon as additional specimens are discovered, which will logically occur once the rarity of the die marriage is published and collectors begin to search for specimens for their own collections. Barring a unique catastrophe wherein a rare coin is lost or destroyed, rarity ratings must always go down, so the joy of owning a rare (R7 or better) coin is fleeting. Enjoy the bragging rights and crowing consistent with the ownership of such intriguing pieces, but know that the rarity is almost certainly to go down as additional specimens are reported. And also know that there are likely to be lurkers, who never reported their 'rare' specimens to the appropriate census, who are watching and chuckling over their unreported specimens.
They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
What were the characteristics that lead to the conclusion that the half dime was genuine? Was there a controversy about the coin at the time? >>
We compared it to an 1870 plain and an 1871-S and were satisfied it was genuine. We did spend a lot of time on it.
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.
Comments
<< <i>I've never handled a rare coin. >>
don't fret as it is no big deal since rare coins are just subatomic particles like everything else, including poo
irony intended
.
<< <i>I was the Authenticator who first declared the 1870-S Half Dime genuine. >>
you never seem to stop amazing me capt. what a numis-life you've led and still do
back to this thread
closest i've come is my lil 64 sms i used to own but that's kool and close enough for me
<< <i>
<< <i>I was the Authenticator who first declared the 1870-S Half Dime genuine. >>
you never seem to stop amazing me capt. what a numis-life you've led and still do
back to this thread
closest i've come is my lil 64 sms i used to own but that's kool and close enough for me >>
Now, I've never seen a 1964 SMS! Lot of cool stuff out there.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>I know what an R-8 is, so what is an R-9? >>
The higher the scale the greater the odds were Sheldon was going to steal it.
......from the ANS collection. >>
Not just the ANS collection---he switched out coins from other collections too, and even pull a fast one on Ted Naftzger.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
1911 1$ dollar only 2 known in silver and 1 in lead (worth over 1.25$ million);
1921 50 cent (equivalent to the 1804 U.S dollar) with about 50 known and only 3 in mint state...I have seen the ex Pittman example graded MS-65 (worth about 300 000$ to 350 000$);
1936 dot 10 cent in PCGS SP-68 only 5 known and 2 are in the Ottawa currency museum (worth about 225 000$);
2000-P Caribou 25 cent with only 2 known (worth about 40 000$ to 50 000$);
2000-P 25 cent community with only 5 known (worth about 15 000$);
2000-P creativity with 2 known (worth about 25 000$) and
The Owen ropery token with less than 10 known (the one I saw had corrosion and is worth 15 000$ to 20 000$)
One I have never seen in person is the 1936 dot penny with only 3 known (worth over 400 000$)
<< <i>
<< <i>i think an r 3. a 1856 indian head cent. unless my memory remember something else, till then its that
Is it a pattern? >>
to tell you the truth i dont remember. i do not belive it was. the next time i see the dealer i will ask him and see if he could refresh my memory.
Eric
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>i think an r 3. a 1856 indian head cent. unless my memory remember something else, till then its that
Is it a pattern? >>
to tell you the truth i dont remember. i do not belive it was. the next time i see the dealer i will ask him and see if he could refresh my memory. >>
The mint didn't start producing Indian Head cents until 1859 so it would either be a pattern or you were mistaken as to the date on the coin.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>i think an r 3. a 1856 indian head cent. unless my memory remember something else, till then its that
Is it a pattern? >>
to tell you the truth i dont remember. i do not belive it was. the next time i see the dealer i will ask him and see if he could refresh my memory. >>
The mint didn't start producing Indian Head cents until 1859 so it would either be a pattern or you were mistaken as to the date on the coin. >>
And the color designation didn't apply until the Mint went to bronze in 1864. So it would be MS64, not MS64BN.
You're not confusing it with a FE, are you?
Lance.
What were the characteristics that lead to the conclusion that the half dime was genuine? Was there a controversy about the coin at the time?
It's in Rulau's token book, but not in most numismatic circles.
The customer (a YN) bought this out of a roll of IHC's that came into a shop . It was great to know that he cherrypicked a savvy dealer for it, unknowingly. He said he just liked it and didn't know what he had at the time, but for a dollar it was worth it.
This is an example of one of the best cherrypicks a "kid" made, that I know of.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
" ... the rarity scales as a whole are entirely overrated and instantly obsolete once a number has been assigned in print."
The various rarity ratings assigned to a die marriage are estimates, at best, based upon voluntary reporting of specimens in collectors' hands, subject to inaccuracies, overstatements, and even outright falsehoods. They represent a 'snapshot' in time, and only represent the examples known and reported. All rarity ratings are destined to be reduced as soon as additional specimens are discovered, which will logically occur once the rarity of the die marriage is published and collectors begin to search for specimens for their own collections. Barring a unique catastrophe wherein a rare coin is lost or destroyed, rarity ratings must always go down, so the joy of owning a rare (R7 or better) coin is fleeting. Enjoy the bragging rights and crowing consistent with the ownership of such intriguing pieces, but know that the rarity is almost certainly to go down as additional specimens are reported. And also know that there are likely to be lurkers, who never reported their 'rare' specimens to the appropriate census, who are watching and chuckling over their unreported specimens.
<< <i>I was the Authenticator who first declared the 1870-S Half Dime genuine. >>
Cool!!! Go Cap, Love these types of threads for the coins and the background stories
<< <i>CaptHenway:
What were the characteristics that lead to the conclusion that the half dime was genuine? Was there a controversy about the coin at the time? >>
We compared it to an 1870 plain and an 1871-S and were satisfied it was genuine. We did spend a lot of time on it.
Thanks!