Met The Ghost Of Stephen Foster At The Hotel Paradise CAC

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Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 1,805
cc99999 Pillar of the Community United States 1302 Posts	Posted 01/15/2012 10:18 pm "... this is what I told him as I gazed into his eyes, ships are made for sinking, whiskey's made for drinking, if we were made of cellophane, we'd all get stinking drunk much faster, ha" - Squirrel Nut Zippers Perhaps my favorite classic commemorative is the coveted Cincinnati. It is probably the most dubious as well. The design is also quite curious. Stephen Foster, who was dead before the date commemorated on the coin, and having little to do at all with Cincinnati, is depicted on the obverse. The coin is supposed to be celebrating the city's contribution to American music- but there is little to distinguish Cincinnati as a great music city. By some accounts, the totality of the issue was distributed through one numismatist, who marked it up because it was "sold out" and distributed it to his dealer insider friends. This may be the coin that crashed the classic commemorative market. To this day it's a remarkable curiosity in one of America's greatest sets. Good luck finding one with a strong strikes and clean surfaces. This CAC certified example is a budget friendly MS-64. Report this Post to the Staff

muddler Pillar of the Community United States 7189 Posts	Posted 01/15/2012 11:24 pm It's a really nice example. most I have seen are pretty baggy and toned nice pick up. Report this Post to the Staff
amida17 Pillar of the Community United States 4897 Posts	Posted 01/15/2012 11:32 pm Very nice! Have to give props too I've never heard anyone quote Squirrel Nut Zippers....I like it! Edited by amida17 01/15/2012 11:33 pm Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 188105 Posts	Posted 01/16/2012 4:42 pm Very nice! Interesting history as well. Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
cc99999 Pillar of the Community United States 1302 Posts	Posted 01/16/2012 11:06 pm thanks, I have wanted this coin for two years now! I can't wait to see the one Nickelsearcher ends up with. Report this Post to the Staff
nickelsearcher Moderator United States 15408 Posts	Posted 01/17/2012 05:35 am CC ... apologize as needed for the delayed reply ... I've been on a stretch of 14-hour work days ... up early now ... finally catching up with my CCF friends. Lovely PCGS MS64/CAC ... typical average strike as evidenced by the original planchet marks on Steven Foster portrait on the obverse. I will not be as politically correct as you were in your kind attribution regarding the shenanigans behind the origin and distribution of this coin ... Quote: By some accounts, the totality of the issue was distributed through one numismatist The historical record is crystal clear that Thomas G. Melish manipulated the congressional approval, mintage and distribution of this coin for the sole purpose of making money from sales to collectors of the day. Melish devised the scheme whereby the "Cincinnati Musical Center Commemorative Coin Association" sought approval to mint a total of 15,000 ridiculous coins bearing no historical significance to the USA or event described ... Melish originally proposed 10,000 Philly coins ... 3,000 San Francisco and 2,000 Denver ... hoping to create a Denver rarity he could truly profit from. Amazing to us today ... the coin was approved and struck ... 5,000 coins at each Mint ... and Melish was the authorized distributor. The original sales price of $7.75 per three coin set was a record at the time ... but nearly all collectors who placed orders at that price received a reply that the set was 'sold out' ... when in fact Melish was busy distributing the sets through a network of friends ... whereby the market price soon exceeded $40 for a set of three coins ... Quote: This may be the coin that crashed the classic commemorative market I agree with that ... IMHO this profit-driven example of a USA coin ... with a fictional reason for being and shady distribution spelled the end of the great classic silver series. Quote: Good luck finding one with a strong strikes and clean surfaces I totally agree with that statement. This is the last coin I need for my MS type set ... 49 down and 1 to go ... I've looked at hundreds of Cincinnati in MS ... still holding out for a well struck, white MS65/66 CAC capable example. Enjoying your coin CC ... David Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art Report this Post to the Staff
cc99999 Pillar of the Community United States 1302 Posts	Posted 01/17/2012 08:49 am David is right on the facts, I was being a little kind. Two points- numismatics has long been a venture filled with "colorful" and sometimes shady characters. Mr. Melish certainly being one of them. The second thing. I love the design of the reverse. I think it has understated elegance. It's almost a stripped down version of Art Deco to me. While Bridgeport may have turned a bird into a jet turbine rocket ship looking thing, the Cincy's reverse has a virginal type of purity to its design. This coin was reviled (as was Albany) for the design. It's funny how opinions mellow over the years. Having said all of that, it's interesting to look back at this, the most visually stimulating series of American coinage (how could it not be) and see just how beautiful most of these coins are. Sure, there are dogs, but there are also amazing pieces: the pan-am series coins, antietam, cincy, norfolk, and hawaii... just to name a few. a full set of these beats a set of Morgans any day in my book! I also feel that we are at the bottom of the market for these coins. Some of the coins I've posted so far sold for more than $1,000 just a few years ago. Nickelsearcher's set probably would have cost many times that... Past performance is no indicator of future returns, but one could look at this classic commemorative series as an opportunity to have some uncommon and scarce numismatic treasures at reasonably affordable prices... for now. Edited by cc99999 01/17/2012 08:51 am Report this Post to the Staff
paleoguy45 Pillar of the Community United States 2936 Posts	Posted 01/18/2012 12:41 pm I'll certainly jump on this bandwagon (Steven Foster's of couse)! With two left to go in the Type Set, I need to refocus and get into completion mode. I also agree about these vs. Morgans as a true representation of US Numismatics at its best (and worst when you crank in the snaffus, greed, and corruption). Time to take the Old Spanish Trail and find where it leads me! Report this Post to the Staff
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