Thanks for the very kind words. I was a labor of love. I bought my first large cent specimen, an 1858, in 1981 from Chuck Moore. I left the hobby for twenty years (kids, mortgages, etc.) and didn't buy another specimen until 2007, when I bought an 1859 from Mike Walsh.
That one got me hooked. I decided to try to finish the PCGS registry set of large cent specimens. Over the next several years, I found most of them, but was lacking the really rare ones. I approached a dealer to help me finish the set, who promptly told me "you won't live long enough." He did help me and I was lucky. The Beckman collection of specimens sold in 2015, Cornerstone and Cook in 2019, a once in a lifetime convergence of specimen coins on the market. I finished the set last year.
Over the past thirteen years or so, as I usually do in my collecting areas, I tried to learn everything I could about large cent specimens. I quickly realized that they were very much misunderstood by numismatists and collectors. Since I had done the work and the acquired the knowledge, I decided to write it down. I have seen too many collectors and dealers spend a lifetime learning about their specialty area and then take that information to their graves without ever sharing it.
It was my great pleasure to donate the book to the
RCNA. They are a worthy organization that, like most non-profits today, struggles for operating funds. If you buy the book, all the money goes to them. For those that do buy it, I really hope you enjoy it. Personally, I think the pictures of these magnificent coins alone are worth it.
http://www.victoriancent.com2011 & 2025 Fred Bowman Award Winner, 2020 J. Douglas Ferguson Award Winner, & 2022 Paul Fiocca Award Winner. Life Member of
RCNA.
Posted 10/09/2020 9:15 pm
