chirrrs's Last 20 Posts
| I Picked Up A Few Coins At The Local Coin Show Yesterday
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
 Posted 03/27/2023 01:58 am
|
Always nice to pick up a double eagle! I was at that same show. Picked up a few goodies myself, but my main goal was to do a bunch of submissions to ANACS.
For those of you who live nearby and attend this show, I believe I saw an article online that mentioned that the Chik-fil-A there is maybe the only one in the country that is, from what I understand, fully automated. If you go through the drive through, there's a conveyor that pops out at the window to give you your order. Kinda weird, so I meant to check it out this time but forgot. Maybe next time! |
| | Forum: US Classic and Colonial Coins |
| |
| What Kind Of Coins Should I Send To PCGS, NGC, ANACS, And ICG?
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 03/23/2023 11:36 am
|
Quote:
I've held on to it for sentimental reasons, lately a family member with Alzheimer's is making me reconsider. My kids aren't interested sadly, so unless I eventually have grandkids (no time soon PLEASE!) they'll ultimately end up getting turned in to the bank. How does this relate to this thread? My plan was to use those funds to grade the "good stuff".allow any heirs who are not into coins to liquidate as needed. Was debating on which service to use. This thread solidified it. ANNACS for me.
Depending on how many coins you have and how much free time you have, it might be fun or even worthwhile to search them for errors and varieties before turning them in to the bank! |
| | Forum: Third Party Coin Grading (TPG): PCGS, NGC, ANACS, ICG, ETC. |
| |
| 1943 S Steel Cent - Guess The Grade
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 03/17/2023 10:31 am
|
The moment you've all been waiting for... NGC graded this one...
MS66
My dad specifically wanted this slab because I already had one and he decided he needed one for himself. They're not super common to come across, so I bought this one online. When it came in, that S caught my attention. In doing a little research, I found that there were indeed really noticeable die polishing lines on those. I found multiple examples that also graded 66 and had the exact same markings. So I have mixed feelings about that one. It's still within the return period, but I got it at a good enough price that it's still worth it for the other two, so I'll leave that decision to him. He has only started collecting, so this will be one of the highest graded groups of coins he owns, so I doubt he's going to care.
Pretty crazy though. Like you guys, I thought that S looked more like a 62/63 to me. Just for my own sanity, I grabbed my own set, and I must have ended up with an earlier die state. Mine doesn't have these markings. |
| | Forum: US Modern Coin Grading |
|
| 1893 V Nickel Double Struck?
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 03/01/2023 09:34 am
|
So I have this 1893 V Nickel that shows some odd details around the denticles, especially on the reverse. This coin looks like it may have been a high AU or even MS before a harsh cleaning to remove some corrosion. That's too bad, because it looks like it would have been pretty nice if left alone or conserved professionally.
In the pictures below, you can see a split running the circumference of the denticles that as it gets worse appears to show doubling. Does anyone agree or disagree with that assessment?
I realize that my photography skills are still lacking, but based on these low quality images and the knowledge that it has been cleaned, what would this be worth? Straight grade greysheet values are about as follows: XF45 - $60, AU50 - $80, AU55 - $90. I've been offered $40 for it, so I'm thinking of letting it go for that as long as it's not some variety that ends up being much more valuable even in a cleaned state. It's a problem coin, but it looks good in a Dansco. I don't really like putting high dollar coins in albums where the slides can brush up against the surfaces of the coins, so that's why I was hanging on to this one.
Thanks!
 |
| | Forum: US Classic and Colonial Coins |
| |
| I Need Some Helping "Cleaning" A Couple Of Coins!
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 02/12/2023 4:08 pm
|
So I picked up a couple of Morgan dollars at a show yesterday. Nothing too crazy, a 1902S and a 1878CC. Both are around VG, but I felt like I got a good deal on them, and both of those slots were empty in my set, so I was glad to pick them up. I get home and pop them out of their 2x2s, and these things absolutely reek! I have terrible sense of smell, so if I can notice it, it's bad. It's like they were stored in a mildewy basement or storage unit for years or something.
Other than the fact that they just smell awful, I'd like to clean them to neutralize whatever may be going on with them. If it's mold or mildew or something like that, I'm hoping that an extended soak in acetone may be enough to do the trick. Any other advice?
Also, the CC unfortunately was harshly cleaned. The fields are just full of hairlines, pretty much all going the same direction as if it were cleaned with steel wool or something. I was thinking of maybe once that's done with the acetone just carrying it around as a pocket piece. Hopefully the wear and hairlines I would be adding to it would be enough of a random pattern to create a more uniformly smooth surface everywhere including the fields. If needed I can post some pictures but it would be tomorrow before I could get around to that. |
| | Forum: Main Coin Forum |
| |
| A Milestone Post And A Thank You!
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 02/10/2023 11:17 pm
|
I haven't posted a whole lot since I've been here, but I plan to do so a lot more in the future. This is my 100th post, so I wanted to make it something special.
While I may not have posted much, I've read through a ton of threads on these forums. I've learned so much from all of you and I appreciate the work and camaraderie that this community offers. I could write an extensive list of the ways that you've all taught me so much about numismatics and I enjoy seeing the passion of all of the collectors here.
I chose to make this post in this subforum for a specific reason. I've been collecting US coins long before I ever subscribed to this community. At some point, I've hit a wall with filling my books. I've tried to compile a collection of every year and mint for every series and every denomination. Some are going better than others. Now I'm at the point that there are no more $20-100 coins left to obtain. Just key dates and expensive series. So filling those empty spots has come far less frequently.
Over the last few years I started collecting non-US coins. Mostly just buying up the coins in the foreign bin at my LCS that charges about $5 a pound. I'd sort through those and pick out the interesting stuff and eventually put together some nice sets. Most of those are obviously mid 19th century and later.
Then I took it one step further. About a year and half ago I started collecting medievals and ancients. It's opened up a whole new world to me in collecting, almost like completely starting over. I feel like I'm learning everything for the first time again. There's such a wealth of expertise in this sub on all sorts of regions and eras. I've had to spend a little bit of money on books, learn to read inscriptions, and I've learned so much about the history behind these coins, the kings whose faces are struck on them, and the history of those countries and kingdoms.
So far I'm mostly focusing on English and French medievals. I've started branching out to Spanish and hope to get into Germanic this year. I've really enjoyed the ride so far. It really is a treat to see some great coins that you all have shared with everyone. I've posted a few identification threads, and you have all been an immense help. There's no way I could have learned all of this on my own as quickly without your help.
I've put together a pretty decent collection at this point, but decided against posting in the Walking Back thread since it had already progressed past a lot of my collection when I started. I'll definitely add my contributions to the next round!
In closing, I wanted to share a couple of my favorites that I've acquired recently. These are perhaps the two biggest names that I wasn't sure how long it would take to own. The top coin is a penny from William the Conqueror, dating 1066-87. The bottom coin is a denier of Charlemagne, dating 793-812. Both have some issues, but were an affordable start and I'm beyond proud to own them both.
Here's to the first 100 posts and looking forward to hitting 500 and 1000 while sharing this wonderful hobby with you all!
 |
| | Forum: Ancient, Greek, Roman, and Medieval Coins |
| |
| 1838-O New Orleans Half Dime
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 02/10/2023 10:00 am
|
| I think you definitely made the right call keeping it and I agree that it's probably XF details. You could always sell it for a pretty nice profit and put that money towards one that does straight grade. Other than that ding, it's really nice, great color! |
| | Forum: US Classic and Colonial Coins |
| |
| What Kind Of Coins Should I Send To PCGS, NGC, ANACS, And ICG?
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 02/07/2023 3:18 pm
|
Quote:
I would only submit a coin if the potential value was justified, and if I intended to sell it.
It's also worth it just to keep them protected. Unless you put them away such that they will never be handled, there's always the potential to accidentally damage something.
I have a lot of coins that are worth what I consider good money, and while I may not intend on selling them any time soon if ever, I'd like to have them slabbed so that if something ever did happen to me, it would be easier for my wife to liquidate everything. I'm only 38, but having totalled my car hitting some ice on a bridge made me reconsider a lot of things. I'd hate to have all of this that could be passed on only to have it sell for pennies on the dollar because I didn't put in the diligence to make it easier for someone who knows nothing about any of it.
Not everything, but maybe everything over $250. |
| | Forum: Third Party Coin Grading (TPG): PCGS, NGC, ANACS, ICG, ETC. |
| |
| What Kind Of Coins Should I Send To PCGS, NGC, ANACS, And ICG?
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 02/07/2023 08:22 am
|
I personally only submit coins to ANACS. There's maybe a dozen out of about 200 submissions that I've done that I would even consider crossing over. Even then, it would only be for the benefit of selling some of the higher dollar coins. In my opinion, PCGS and NGC are no better than ANACS, and I just cannot justify paying 2-3x the cost to slab coins just because I might be able to get a better return.
The only thing that PCGS and NCG obviously have over ANACS is the popularity of their registry sets. Conversely, ANACS is the best of the three when it comes to attributions. If you're just looking to protect and preserve your coins for your own personal collection, there's really no justification for spending tons of extra money.
Quote:
Another question to ponder, are PCGS and NGC the top
2 Grading firms? Or are they simply the 2 best marketers
of what they offer?
This is really all it is in my opinion. On the one hand, one of the most common phrases you'll hear in this hobby is "buy the coin, not the holder". Meanwhile those two seem to maintain a level of prestige above ANACS that I'm not convinced is fully deserved. Both have concerning issues with service and credibility lately. Not so much on grading quality but business model and practices as well as turnaround times. For the most part, it's just the same explanation every time, "they sell for more".
If you're worried about return, perhaps $250 per coin value is a reasonable cutoff to where it starts to matter. If say ANACS generally returns 10% less than the other two, a $200 coin in a PCGS/NGC slab may only return $180 in an ANACS slab, but you already spent that extra $20 on grading in the first place.
I don't know what specials the other two run, but ANACS frequently runs pretty great specials. Right now they're doing Silver Eagles for $10 as their "Coin of the Month". Between the "Coin of the Month" and Seasonal specials, you can pretty much get any US coin valued under $500 you want graded for about $10-12 each over the course of the year as long as you wait to submit each type when the appropriate special comes around. These are always economy turnarounds, but I've never had to wait more than maybe 8 weeks.
If you're in a bit of a hurry, here's a comparison of their express services:
 ANACS - 5 days ($5k max value): $30
NGC - 6 days ($10k max value): $80
PCGS - 15 days ($10k max value): $70
If you are willing to spend $70-80 a coin, ANACS does a 2 day turnaround with max value of $10k for $59. |
| | Forum: Third Party Coin Grading (TPG): PCGS, NGC, ANACS, ICG, ETC. |
|
| 1916 D Mercury Dime. What Would You Grade It?
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 02/06/2023 08:23 am
|
NGC graded it straight AG-3. This is my first 16D, and I've been looking to pick this coin up for a while. Before I did, I looked at various examples in the AG-VG range and tried to get an idea of what each looked like and what they typically go for. This is one of those times that given the history of the 16D, I really didn't want to buy something raw. When I saw this one at a show, I felt like it was at worst a really good AG example, but could possibly grade G4. Kinda like someone said, maybe it's a 3.9!
Before posting this thread, I looked at 16 different G4 examples currently up for auction, and of those 16 I felt like this one was in better condition than 7 of the G4s. Of the remaining 9, there were really only 4 or 5 that looked obviously better and two of those were CAC'd.
Now I'm wondering if I should resubmit it and see if it comes back higher. I'd like to eventually upgrade it every now and again, so if it did come back as a 4, it would be a lot easier to resell it to help finance when the time comes that I find a VG or F that I like. What do you guys think?
|
| | Forum: US Classic and Colonial Coin Grading |
| |
| NGC Typo On Morgan Label
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 02/05/2023 10:37 am
|
Quote:
NGC dropped the S$1 at some point. I don't know how many listings I've seen on eBay where the seller thought they had a San Francisco minted dollar based on the silver dollar notation.
About six months ago I came across a listing for a "1928 S Peace Dollar" in an NGC slab graded AU details. It was not a SF, the label just said "1928 S$1" and the listing had a $80 BIN price with free returns. I'd never clicked through a transaction so fast! A couple days later the seller messaged me to let me know that there was an error in the listing. Oh well, I tried! |
| | Forum: US Classic and Colonial Coins |
| |
| Why Did Baby Boomers Collect Coins Compared To Later Generations?
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 02/05/2023 10:19 am
|
| I would imagine that one reason that coin collecting is probably not as popular for younger generations as their older counterparts at the same age is the prevalence of debit cards. I was born in 1985, so I'm considered an older millennial. There's a huge difference in the life experiences for those of us millennials who grew up before the internet, cell phones, and other modern technology and those who have only known such their whole lives. I used to pick out interesting coins from my lunch money in grade school. Nobody prompted me to do that, I just thought it was interesting when I would come across something that I rarely saw, so I set it aside as something special. Bicentennial quarters, Indian cents, steelies, buffalo nickels, etc. Franklin halves were still very much in circulation as were half dollars in general. My younger siblings born in the mid 90s went through school with reloadable lunch cards. I would imagine that most younger people born after the mid-90s have probably very little experience actually handling change. Everyone uses debit cards. I would venture that the average younger milennials and zoomers have probably never seen a half dollar or $2 bill. My wife was born in 1992, and initially she really didn't understand the fascination I had with the hobby. Still, even now I like setting aside clad Ikes, $2 bills, and 10% Mexican pesos to include with tips at restaurants. I figure it's something interesting that the servers likely haven't seen or at least not often. Hopefully it's a nice change of pace for them! And before anyone asks, no I do not leave $10 tips entirely in Ikes and/or pesos! |
| | Forum: US Classic and Colonial Coins |
| |
| Good Afternoon! One Set Of Seated Coins And How Did I Start.
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 02/05/2023 05:08 am
|
Six years ago I made it through a math minor and finished more than half a dozen upper division and graduate math courses, but I don't know how much help I could be with your homework now. It's truly incredible how much one can learn in a short time and then how quickly it can be forgotten.
I love the Seated Liberty series. I've filled out quite a bit of the half dimes and dimes (some in pretty high grades) but haven't done much with the quarters, halves, and dollars yet. I guess I'm also one coin away from finishing the 20 cents, just need that 76! |
| | Forum: US Classic and Colonial Coins |
| |
| Henry III Silver Penny
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 02/02/2023 7:18 pm
|
Just to add to Sap's comment:
When I first started trying to read some of these English inscriptions, some like this one would throw me off because until I saw what it was supposed to read, I might not have guessed it completely correctly. The WIL L is legible enough, but notice how the E is attached to the M. The part that would have definitely given me trouble early on is the quadrant with ONC; the curved part of the Lombardic N. Notice how that part isn't there; it blends straight into the C which itself has a vertical bar connecting the top and bottom. Sometimes the letters are connected like this which takes some getting used to. Here's a good reference of some of the lettering used on early Edwardian pennies:
https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/pages/edwar...es%20P17.htm
While this is specific to Edwardian pennies, it is a good study on the identifiers to look out for with all medieval English coinage. If you are getting into medieval English coins, I'd recommend the following references:
Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English & UK Coins 1066 to Date by Lobel et al
Coins of England and the United Kingdom by Spink
Using those along with Numista should help you out immensely! I've also learned a lot just reading the ID posts by others on coins from the same periods and regions that I'm interested in. Eventually you may run across some of the same coins and already have some familiarity and know what to look for. Nice finds, by the way! |
| | Forum: Ancient, Greek, Roman, and Medieval Coins |
| |
| Verification On Some Cornados
|
|
chirrrs
Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Posted 02/02/2023 02:54 am
|
I've got three Spanish Cornados here that I think I've identified but would like to get some confirmation and see what y'all think. It looks like the image optimizer Pixlr is now only allowing 2 free downloads a day, so I had to get creative. Hopefully it didn't compress these so much that it becomes an issue!
(1)
It looks like you can see IOH to the right of the bust. The castle looks most similar to this one:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces122737.html
Still, there are differences in the horizontal and diagonal lines above the doors as well as the circular windows. I do think it's Juan, but I haven't found the exact match.
(2)
To the right of the bust, LFO is clear enough, indicating possibly Alfonso XI. There are remnants of what should be an A before the L and running into the crown. This is the closest match I have come across:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces122994.html
(3)
The bust looks most similar to Juan II, like this example:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces145369.html
The neck is a little different, though the castle looks pretty close.
---
On each of these, I suspect I may have the right king, wrong variety. |
| | Forum: Ancient, Greek, Roman, and Medieval Coins |
| |
|
