Some Additions To My Mercury Dimes And Other Parts Of My Collection After A 2 Year Dry Spell

The dime pics are from Rick Snow .. and the scans are from a guy in Kentucky, I figured I'd look at his feedback and he'd have a goose egg, but quite to the contrary, he has over 4,000 positive comments left for him. Coins are just not his forte.

Chance

I'm considering the airtite albums for my keeper set. The slides can scratch the coins and I can do without the toning. I've seen too many silver coins permanently etched by toning that was too heavy. I have a 5 gallon pail of those dessicant capsules that the local pharmacy saves for me, and I keep several with my coin collection.

I like the lighthouse 2x2s, but am unsure about the long term effect of that urethane foam. I have coins that have been in those for a few years without apparent effect, so those albums are also a possibility, but the airtites are smaller.

Chance

OK ... The US mail delivered the 2 1925-P mercs from England today, and I couldn't be happier. They're just beautiful. One has a couple little hits on the cheek, but has FSB. I would think it would garner a 63.

The other is very clean, and could get a 65. It, likewise has FSB. I didn't try to photograph the edges of these 2, but the reeded edges are as bright and sharp as the silver Roosevelts I have that were taken from mint sets.

Numismedia lists a 63 at 163.00, while a 65 jumps to 730.00

That's a sizeable jump. The better one may be destined to be entombed.

I may leave the one that's in my set, which is nothing to sneeze at, right where it is, and not expose either of these to the acetate slides of the album. They're of a common date, but the condition is uncommon. They're probably better served in the 2x2s I placed them in.

Chance

Lovely tone!

And who knows ... some of them just may end up there. Its easier to find them in Europe, since they "can't" circulate, but there are a myriad of searches to do to find them.

Sellers don't list them in the appropriate categories either. The 1918 I just posted is an excellent example. It was listed in Coins > Banknotes > World > Latin America/Carribean ...

And there's more than ten ways to say USA, depending upon the site you're searching. I never intended to study foreign languages, but its kind of happening anyway. Makes it real interesting. My collection will have been assembled from sources all over the globe.

Chance

The price took the scratch into consideration. Its indeed unfortunate. That's why I'm going to keep my coins in the old cardboard 2x2s in the pocket pages. I looked into the airtite albums, and they accomodate 60 coins. They're spendy enough that I don't want to buy 2 of them.

Chance

There are some really nice coins in this set. If I'm reading the crappy picture right ... the 21-P is worth what I paid for the set of 72 coins.

I figure people think I'm off my nut for buying from pictures like these, but I've done relatively well "reading the tea leaves" in the past. I see things that are encouraging about the 21-P...strong rim and motto, braid detail, and nice feather detail. Short of any unseen disasters .. I'm betting it ends up being an EF coin.

It doesn't really matter that much though. The coins that are wrapped in saran wrap prior to being put in the album are full blown BUs. There are numerous other strong AUs in the set besides. I'll "take some" and "add some" and release another nice set into the wild. I look to improve a half dozen or more slots in my set with this bunch, and perhaps pick up a few to be sold individually. I placed the 25-P FB with a new owner yesterday.

I ordered in the binder, pocket pages and 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" cardboard 2x2s to house my collection and will install the next set in the old Wayte Raymond Album. Its quaint, but dangerous to the coins, though they're better than Dansco or Whitman in that you have one slide for one row of 5 coins. You don't have to risk scratching 24 coins to swap a new resident into the set.

After this, All that should be left that really needs improving on ...is 1919-S, the two 21s, 26-S, and 28-D. The 21s that I have now are both VF 25 or 30. Oh yeah ... I'd like to find a smokin' deal on a 31-D too. A coin never bantered about as a semi key coin in the series, but which has a lower mintage than the celebrated 1926-S. Funny how that works.

I've come to the conclusion that "Full Split Bands" means the bands are rounded .. like "full pouty lips" ... so a coin have have split bands and not be "Full" Split Bands. Is that right? "Fully Split" doesn't seem to be used by the TPGs.

Anyway ... This is so much fun. I'll post some good pics of my set after this next installment.

Chance

Progress.