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 Replies: 43 / Views: 5,401 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
I'm starting this thread so I'll have a place for random things that may not warrant a whole thread. I'm sorting the old family coin collection. Everything's sorted by type at this point and now I'm examining each coin, roughly grading, and making detailed inventory spreadsheets. It's been an overwhelming task and it took a long time just to get to this point but now the fun is beginning. Although I grew up with these coins, my brother and I and my mother took little interest in numismatics. Now that I'm sorting everything I'm rapidly becoming infected with THE BUG. I knew the basics before starting this adventure but just the basics. It's great fun digging deeper. Currently bagging and tagging Seated quarters. Had a moment of excitement when I saw an 1853 no Arrows&Rays. It has some deep scratches and looked odd. Yep, someone removed the arrows (not a terrible job of it) but the ray removal was clumsy... and they left the O mint mark. Oops. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Sounds like your in for a lifetime of fun.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3453 Posts |
You learn fast. Are you planning on posting your injured 1853 here? I am curious to see what kind of a job they did.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2480 Posts |
I'll try to take and post pics of the altered 1853 tomorrow evening. Will post the pics to this thread.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3843 Posts |
ThisIsFun,
Thanks for all of the interesting posts. It is great to see someone who is really excited about the hobby such as yourself, you are quickly becoming a pillar of the community here. Keep the photos coming!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
Here's that 1853-O Seated Lib Qtr that someone tried to turn into a 'no rays'   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3453 Posts |
Ouch! Looks like they tried to do other things to it as well. Are you sure it wasn't a no rays 1853 with the O added?
Just kidding!
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Valued Member
United States
366 Posts |
Certainly injured... too bad and not uncommon. You just have to wonder when, by who and why? Every coin has a history.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
The adventure continues. I'm taking a break from sorting silver and looking at the gold coins now. We don't have very many and I'm finding it very hard to take good/accurate pictures. Grading seems harder too. I just took pics of a few US coins and three foreigns and will edit and post them to the appropriate grading forum shortly. I would really appreciate help in assessing their grade... |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3540 Posts |
Really like following this adventure. Would be quite the job that ANYBODY on this forum would drool over. THANK YOU for sharing!!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
The gold I've photographed and posted so far is mostly damaged. I may take pictures of the rest of the US gold this morning, maybe a few of the Mexican golds as well. One of the remaining US golds is Type 3 dollar that looked good on one side, then I turned it over and the date is obliterated! Looks like it was purposefully scratched out. Who would DO that? And there's a $2.5 Indian that's set in a gold ring. Sigh.
There were a couple of relatively good foreign gold coins I posted in that grading forum-- a very lovely 1851-A 20 Francs piece (too bad something like 12 million were minted) and an 1869 100 Kurush. And a 1902-A 20 Mark with significant wear.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
WOWEEE more surprises. In the beginning of the sorting adventure we'd decided to just bag the silver Washington quarters en masse and sell for melt value. I'd pulled a small assortment for my personal collection (my brother and I are keeping some of each coin type). I hadn't scrutinized the years/values chart at PCGS. I'm looking at a bunch of 1932-Ds and they are not in horrible shape. Holy cow. I didn't know that some of those dates were that valuable. I'll take pics of a few of those and post for grading later this morning. Guess we'd better scrutinize each one. I really need to get a USB microscope with light so that I can more easily examine each coin. I think this will be very important when it comes to tackling the horde of Mercury Dimes-- the important details on those puppies are microscopic! Wheeeeeee! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3453 Posts |
Sounds like fun!   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
Oh no. I'm past the point of no return.
Taking a break from sorting the old family horde and am now going through a huge bag of change that I've been accumulating... too lazy to spend it, too much hassle to take it to the bank. Making lists of the numerous varieties and errors for modern circulating coins, looking at each and every one.
The thought of finding a randomly circulating coin of greater than face value is thrilling.
Like I need yet ANOTHER hobby.
Too late now! I'm hooked.
Edited by ThisIsFun
12/13/2012 07:04 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3453 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
Yep, totally hooked on pocket searching. I suppose roll searching is inevitable now... I sorted many pounds of accumulated change. No silver, no MM-less 1982 dimes, a few wheats, a bunch of LMCs and others which warrant closer looks with the scope because of potential valuable varieties. While I was sorting, I put together circulating birth year coin assortments for all of my co-workers. I doubt they'll be that thrilled but I'll also give them some 'better' Xmas presents at our office party this Friday. There are only a few lucky folks in my office born before 1965 and they're going to get a couple of silver coins from my personal stash. I am looking forward to finding my first circulating variety coin. I want a DDO, DDR, RPM, or something! Over Christmas though I'll be sorting through pounds of buffalos, Mercs, etc-- back to the family horde. Can't wait! My new USB endoscope awaits http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005P40OXY/ and it looks like a lot of bang for the buck.  Debating whether or not to try acid on the dateless Buffalos. I think I will. If my Nic-a-Date does not arrive in time I'll just get some muriatic acid or vinegar. I'll try whole-coin soak in vinegar vs stronger acid just over the date. I think I'll like the latter better. (big thanks to BadThad for all of his helpful posts-- I've ordered some VerdiCare for my ailing Indians). I sure like the idea of finding circulating coins (ie, paying face value) rather than purchasing coins. However, I doubt I'll find a 179x coin by roll hunting and I must have at least one of those... Random note about the family horde: only a few Morgan and Peace dollars remained. They are all circulated, maybe one that is AU or low MS. I looked at each and they are all very common and have no remarkable VAMs. Sigh. Can't win e'm all  |
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Replies: 43 / Views: 5,401 |
Posted 12/04/2012 9:48 pm
to the club! 
