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Help With My Daughter's Silver Coin "Family Tree" Display

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Typeguy38's Avatar
United States
108 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2016  12:17 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add Typeguy38 to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Soon after learning that I was going to be a dad for the first time last year, I began tossing around ideas for a unique way of putting together a birth year family tree of coins for my unborn child. She's almost four months old now, and after toying around with dozens of ways to assemble such a set, it's almost complete. I just need some input from the CCF experts to help me put the finishing touches on my first "exhibition" style project.

My first idea was to use cents, which would allow me to go back several generations on both sides of the family for a reasonable cost. However, picturing the finished product with a bunch of dark, worn coppers was not appealing for a display in a little girl's room. Assembling birth year type sets was too expensive because several years inevitably included key date issues. So, I settled on the following criteria:

One coin for each birth year
Silver composition of at least 90%
Must exhibit a design element shared by all other coins in the set
Uncirulated coins only (if possible)

After cross-referencing all available issued for the years needed, I found only one common theme: the eagles on the reverse. For baby, obviously a shiny new ASE would do just fine. For dad (1984), I discovered the reverse of the otherwise hideous (IMHO) 1984 Olympic Silver Dollar actually features a very nice eagle portrait.

For mom (1988), I had to get creative. Since dad couldn't have an ASE and had to settle for a commemorative dollar, and since the 1988 Olympic Dollar didn't feature an eagle on the reverse, I found the low-mintage 1988 Young Astronaut's Medal (yes, I know, not technically a coin; but the composition is exactly the same as a commem dollar).

The grandparents' birth years spanned a broad range, but still with one eagle-themed coin in common: the Washington quarter. Not super-interesting, but it just-so-happened that all circulation issues for the years needed were 90% silver.

I'm still waiting on the earliest quarter to come in, but all the rest are in air-tites, which are attached to little mounts I made from old checkers. I then found a football display case at a local arts/crafts store that has a mirrored back, and a silver frame in which to display her picture.

What I need help with now is the staging: I need suggestions on how to create a little vertical separation between the rows of coins; maybe some type of clear vertical risers to elevate the coins toward the back. Also, any suggestions for appropriate labeling that wouldn't be too distracting.

Thanks for any input!



Help-With-My-Daughter's-Silver-Coin-

Help-With-My-Daughter's-Silver-Coin-
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GR58's Avatar
United States
11951 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2016  2:09 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add GR58 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Nice idea for a family connected display.

It will be nice to hear the different ideas other members
might have to mount the coins.

Only thing that popped into my head, I have seen stands
some members use to set the coins on .. when they take pictures.
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hcmusicguy's Avatar
United States
814 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2016  2:09 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add hcmusicguy to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I like it! What about putting the quarters in back and raised up, with daughter's ASE in front?
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John1's Avatar
United States
56855 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2016  2:10 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add John1 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
What about stacking the checkers at different heights?
John1
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Sportfanatic1's Avatar
United States
53 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2016  2:52 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sportfanatic1 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Awesome project! Care to explain how you converted to checkers into holders?
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davec13's Avatar
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757 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2016  3:09 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add davec13 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
1/2" pvc pipe and a can of black spray paint. Cut the pipe at different sizes and make a set of step to put the coin on. I also think daughter in front.
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Typeguy38's Avatar
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108 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2016  7:40 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Typeguy38 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Awesome project! Care to explain how you converted to checkers into holders?

- Sportfanatic1


I'm a little embarrassed, but my method was pretty rudimentary ... I spray-painted the checker matte black, then hot-glued the air-tite directly to the surface at a slight angle backward, maybe two or three degrees. I didn't think either the paint or the gluing process would damage the coins as long as they were in the air-tites.

Great suggestions, all! I would love to put the picture in front, but I ran into trouble with running out of verticle space when trying to mount the ASE behind the frame and above the picture. Maybe a hybrid of the idea to switch the order from back-to-front to front-to-back would be the solution, leaving the smaller quarters elevated and the ASE on the level with the picture.

Sad news: the last remaining quarter, which just happened to be a raw 1938 PROOF that I sprang for recently, arrived today ... and a close inspection reveals quite a number of hairline scratches that are just unacceptable for the price paid. Probably a former TPG submission that was either body-bagged or broken out of a details holder. Never fear: return policy is in place, so I guess it's back to the drawing board on that one.
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 Posted 02/06/2016  7:42 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add just carl to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Or you could drill holes in all of them and make a necklace for her. Just kidding. Don't do that.
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Typeguy38's Avatar
United States
108 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2016  10:35 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Typeguy38 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Just before beginning the process of initiating the return of the 1938, I decided to do a little more research. Thanks to the experts at CCF via some old threads, I'm almost certain the marks I'm seeing are die polish lines, NOT hairline scratches. Apparently, such marks are extremely common on proofs from this era. Learn something new every day!
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United States
5199 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2016  11:02 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jack jeckel to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Sounds like a good idea but first you need to do the reasea4rch and map out the family tree as fr back as you can go.

I personally would get as large a frame as I could to include as far back as you could go.

Then decide if you want to go with the same denomination price being a factor once you determine the years needed or mix the denominations up for each year to keep the cost down.

Get a thick acid free paper or maybe even wood and map out the tree and drill or cut holes for the appropriate diameter coin for each branch.
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CSOTUS's Avatar
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 Posted 02/07/2016  08:30 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add CSOTUS to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
It's definitely a great idea. I plan on something similar, but not a display case but rather a frame.

The display case is really neat, I just don't have the room for it. Going back in your genealogy is exciting but if you go with the display case you don't want to crowd it with too many coins.
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Typeguy38's Avatar
United States
108 Posts
 Posted 02/07/2016  09:02 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Typeguy38 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I actually did trace my family history back to at least four or five early immigrants from Europe, a couple even to 17th century ship's manifests. I do love the idea of going back farther, even just to 1800, which I could do for several lines on mine and my wife's side. Maybe when baby gets older, we can work on something like that together ... I'll try my best to get her interested in collecting when she's old enough.
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jbuck's Avatar
United States
187702 Posts
 Posted 02/08/2016  2:34 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
A nice and wonderful project idea.

I actually like the way it looks now, without any adjustment of the coin heights.

Not sure what to do with labeling, either. My only suggestion would be to keep it simple.

Ultimately go with what you find appealing.
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