Oct 2, 2020 | ACEF/ACTF, News
Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation and U.S. Treasury OIG conduct educational seminar
(Leander, Texas) October 2, 2020 – The opening of the Texas Bullion Depository in the Austin suburb of Leander earlier this year has provided opportunities for investors to safely secure their precious metal coins and ingots but also raised potential problems of storing counterfeit items.
Representatives of the nonprofit Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (www.ACEFonline.org) and the United States Treasury Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently conducted an educational seminar at the depository for more than a dozen of the agency’s security staff and law enforcement officers from across Texas.
“The depository’s security force for the depository is composed of state-commissioned peace officers from the Texas State Comptroller’s office, the state agency responsible for oversight of the depository. Due to their lack of experience in numismatics, the Comptroller’s office reached out to ACEF for training after seeing an increase in counterfeits being shipped to the facility,” said Doug Davis, Director of the ACEF Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force.
Doug Davis setting up counterfeits display
“We provided the attendees with the basic knowledge, tools, and resources to effectively investigate numismatic crimes related to counterfeit coinage and precious metals. One highlight of the seminar was a hands-on examination of a large display of seized counterfeit coins and ingots,” explained Davis.
The Texas Bullion Depository is the first state-administered depository established in the United States and is the only public depository with its own police force. The facility in Leander, Texas opened in February 2020 with vaults capable of holding 41 million ounces of silver and 120,000 ounces of gold.
OIG Senior Special Agent Chris Hersey
The Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation and the Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force are supported entirely by donations. The ACEF is a 501(c)(3) corporation and all donations to ACEF are tax deductible.
For additional information or to donate, contact the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation at 28441 Rancho California Road, Suite 106, Temecula, CA 92590. The phone number is 951-587-8300. Or visit the web site at www.ACEFonline.org.
Oct 1, 2020 | News
Two Collectors Splitting $2,000 Prize After Submitting First 2020-W Vermont Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Quarters for Grading by Professional Coin Grading Service
(Santa Ana, California – September 29, 2020) – The Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) Quarter Quest 2020 recently yielded two more winners with the release of the 2020-W Vermont Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Quarter, released by the United States Mint August 31, 2020. The coin, which has a mintage of just two million pieces and bears a “W” mint mark from the West Point Mint, was sprinkled in rolls of new 2020 Quarters from the Philadelphia and Denver Mints and distributed throughout the United States. The coins are not offered in any Proof Sets, Uncirculated Sets, or other United States Mint products and can only be found in circulation.
The 54th quarter issued in the America The Beautiful Quarter series launched in 2010, the 2020-W Vermont Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Quarter features a special one-year-only “V75” privy mark honoring the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II. The privy mark is included on all 2020-W Quarters, which total 10 million and honor National Park of American Samoa in American Samoa, Weir Farm National Historic Site in Connecticut, Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas, the latter of which will be released on November 16, 2020.
“The 2020-W Quarters have generated so much new interest in coin collecting,” remarks PCGS Director of Marketing Heather Boyd. “We wanted to help promote the joy and excitement of the hobby by launching the PCGS Quarter Quest. Since 2019, we’ve awarded more than $20,000 in prizes to coin collectors around the United States and are also offering special pedigrees and labels for a limited time.”
In addition to the cash bounties and the unique PCGS First Discovery Label for the submitter(s) of the first 2020-W Quarter for each new design, two limited-edition pedigrees are offered to those who submit the new coins in the weeks immediately after the First Discovery specimens have been graded. Qualifying 2020-W Quarters submitted within the first week of the PCGS First Discovery receive the PCGS First Week of Discovery pedigree; after that initial seven-day period, 2020-W Quarters submitted within the first 45 days of the First Discovery receive an Early Find Label.
The most recent winners of Quarter Quest 2020 are Karl P. of Maryland and John B. of the southern United States, whose 2020-W Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Quarters grade MS65 and MS66, respectively. The winners are splitting a grand prize of $2,000.
“I felt like a fish out of water,” says John of the excitement he felt in finding the 2020-W Vermont Quarter. “The adrenaline, excitement, the wait, the rush, the anxiety, anticipation, the joy and disbelief – all at the same time!” He was a long time waiting for the moment, as he is a long-time collector. A fan of Standing Liberty Quarters, error coins, and other pieces, works in the food industry, though his job affords him much time to travel and also search through rolls. “Whenever I visit my banks, I always ask for rolls and boxes to take back home and search.” He picked up three boxes of quarters during a 72-hour span in Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama the weekend before his discovery.
John B.’s 2020-W Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Quater First Discovery (PCGS Image)
“They say, things happen when you aren´t looking, and in this case I wasn´t looking for the [2020-W] Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Quarter – I was still looking for the elusive Salt River Bay Quarter and everything in between, especially with the [PCGS] countdown for the Early Find Label submission. When I got home I didn´t really open the boxes until Monday, and when I opened the second box and [it] was full of new [2020] Marsh-Billing-Rockefeller Quarters and saw a ‘W’ ender [a W-mint marked specimen at the end of one of the rolls], that’s when everything turned upside down.”
His next thoughts? “How many are there? What to do now? And then it was ‘ohhh, I need to send them…” And send one he did – to PCGS as a 2020 Quarter Quest submission. “One little detail in the commotion was that I never marked the quarter boxes, and thus I believe the box I got in Florida was the one with the 2020 Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Quarters.” The Tom Hanks fan who loves the widely acclaimed 1994 movie Forrest Gump in which the actor stars sums up his numismatic experience this way: “The hobby is like a box of chocolates… You never know what you are going to get – and that’s all I have to say about that!”
Karl didn’t know what he was going to find searching through bank rolls, but he kept his eyes on the prize – that being a 2020-W Quarter. “It has been a crazy year for coin roll hunting!” he says. “COVID-19 regulations here in Maryland have resulted in most bank lobbies being closed and therefore [it’s] impossible to obtain quarter boxes. In addition, the Federal Reserve declaring a coin shortage a few months ago throughout the U.S.A. has made it difficult to pay cash for purchases making it extremely difficult to obtain any coins let alone the coveted 2020-W Quarters.”
Karl P.’s 2020-W Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Quater First Discovery (PCGS Image)
However, there was one bank near him that kept its lobby open, allowing Karl to purchase and swap boxes of quarters. “Most of the boxes are old quarters, which still yield an occasional 2019-W quarter, and to date I haven’t gotten any 2020 [American Samoa] ‘Bat’ or [Connecticut] ‘Weir’ Quarters. However, recently I have gotten a total of six 2020 Salt River Bay [National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve] Quarter boxes, but none of them had any W Quarters.” He adds, “I was getting extremely discouraged; however, I kept at it and never gave up the search.”
Fortunately, Karl struck it rich – ironically, not via a roll of quarters. “Luckily, I was able to find a 2020-W Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller [National Historical Park] Quarter last week, and it came from a local convenience store! I couldn’t believe it, and I submitted the quarter expecting to be just a little late for it to qualify as a First Discovery Quarter. I figured the worst-case scenario was that I would get the First Week of Discovery label. Imagine my surprise when I was informed that, in fact, I was one of two lucky winners!”
“I really appreciate PCGS offering this contest for everyone to participate. As a two-time winner, I can tell you that I began my coin collecting hobby just last year because of the Quarter Quest, and it has been a blast!” says the cowinner of the 2019 PCGS Quarter Quest, when he submitted the First Discovery 2019-W Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Quarter. “I have been hooked ever since my first find, which was a 2019-W Northern Mariana American Memorial National Park Quarter.”
Karl attended his first coin show last year, and he says the highlight of that experience – visiting the Whitman Expo in Baltimore – was attending the PCGS Luncheon. “PCGS is a first-class company with a tremendous reputation and offers collectors the best value for graded coins.”
For more information about the PCGS 2020 Quarter Quest, including updated information on bounties, to find out which PCGS First Discovery pedigrees and prizes are available, and learn how much time remains for PCGS First Week of Discovery and PCGS Early Find pedigrees, please visit https://www.pcgs.com/2020quarterquest. This page also provides further information on terms and conditions for the PCGS 2020 Quarter Quest and other information on rules and qualifications.
About Professional Coin Grading Service
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is the premier third-party coin and banknote grading company that was launched in 1986. Over nearly 35 years, PCGS has examined and certified some 44.7 million U.S. and world coins, banknotes, medals, and tokens with a combined value of more than $41.8 billion. For more information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, please visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.
Sep 26, 2020 | News
Professional Coin Grading Service Names Bruce Amspacher, Greg Roberts, and Catherine Bullowa-Moore for Prestigious Honor
(Santa Ana, California) September 24, 2020 – Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) has named three longtime coin dealers and numismatic leaders to the PCGS CoinFacts Coin Dealer Hall of Fame. Every year, PCGS inducts a small handful of distinguished dealers into the Hall of Fame, and this year the world’s premier third-party grading service is adding the names of three well-deserving individuals to the hall of numismatic luminaries. These three new inductees are Bruce Amspacher, Greg Roberts, and Catherine Bullowa-Moore.
“Bruce, Greg, and Catherine have all made such a tremendous impact on our hobby,” says PCGS President Brett Charville. “Bruce, as many know, cofounded Professional Coin Grading Service in 1986, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to him for what he did in helping build our company to what it has become today,” says Charville of Amspacher, who passed away at the age of 63 in 2006. “His posthumous induction to the PCGS CoinFacts Hall of Fame further ensures his memory will never fade.”
Greg Roberts, 57, is CEO of Stack’s Bowers Galleries and A-Mark Precious Metals. He has been in the coin business for decades. “Greg has been a driving force in our industry for more than 40 years and has handled some of the biggest transactions of all time,” Charville remarks. “Some of his deals include the King of Siam Proof Set, which is famous well beyond the realm of our hobby.”
“Catherine Bullowa-Moore became a coin dealer after her husband, who owned a coin shop in Philadelphia, unexpectedly passed away in 1953, less than two years into their marriage,” Charville says. “After his passing, she stepped into those shoes as a coin dealer, taught herself the ins and outs of the hobby, and became one of the most respected dealers in the industry.” Bullowa-Moore, who passed away at the age of 97 in 2017, becomes the first woman inducted into the PCGS CoinFacts Coin Dealer Hall of Fame. “She was a pioneer in our industry and someone who so many coin collectors as well as her fellow dealers throughout the generations knew well and dearly miss.”
PCGS Co-Founder Bruce Amspacher
“When we agreed to start the business in ’85, we got together and talked about naming it,” recalls PCGS cofounder Gordon Wrubel. “‘Professional’ was Bruce’s suggestion,” he adds. Wrubel says Amspacher was “brilliant” and had a virtually photographic memory. “He was also an amazing writer,” he says, noting the eponymous popular Bruce Amspacher Investment Report. “Bruce was a master of limericks and could actually compose them on the spot. His longer ones for friends on special occasions were sometimes framed for posterity.”
His siblings lovingly recall that their brother got his start in numismatics rather by happenstance.
“He worked at a grocery store next door to a coin shop, and during breaks he’d go in and speak with the dealer and really got into the hobby that way,” remarks his sister Jill Kinslow. “He had such a lock-trained memory – he could see a coin in 1985 and come across it again in 1990 and remember not just where he first saw it but also recall every little scratch, the color, spots. It just blew me away.”
His brother, Jerry Amspacher, notes he developed a great passion for the hobby. “He went to work for a coin dealer in Kansas City, then moved to Dallas and Boston before coming back to Kansas City. Then he and a few other dealers started PCGS, leading him to move to California.” He recalls that his brother shared his love of numismatics with the entire family. “He gave our mom a small gold coin on a chain, and then he’d call her each week and tell her how much it was worth that week based on the bullion value.”
Stack’s Bowers Galleries CEO Greg Roberts
Fellow Hall of Famer Kevin Lipton says he and Roberts go way back. “I’ve known him since he was a teenager when all he bought was Walking Liberty Half Dollars and Morgan Dollars! We’ve done some tremendous deals together he and I, including splitting the Eliasberg sale where amongst a large amount of other coins we purchased both an 1804 Draped Bust Dollar and 1894-S Barber Dime.” Lipton explains Roberts’ accomplishments extend well beyond handling those trophy coins. “Two of the biggest things I’d say he’s accomplished in his career so far is leading Stack’s Bowers Galleries back to the top of the U.S. rare coin auction market and purchasing A-Mark Precious Metals, which he had turned into a powerhouse.”
Among the numismatists Robert’s career arc has had a pivotal influence on is PCGS President Brett Charville. “Greg’s ability to get big deals done has always been a hallmark of his career, but the term ‘big deals’ isn’t limited to just trading coins when it comes to Greg. His acquisitions of A-Mark, Stack’s Bowers Galleries, Carter Numismatics, and numerous other numismatic companies now ensure that Mr. Roberts is at the forefront of every sector of the numismatic industry. It’s apparent now in hindsight that over the last two decades while Mr. Roberts was acquiring seemingly disparate businesses, he was rather actually quite steadily building a numismatic empire.”
Coin Dealer Cathy Bullowa-Moore (Right, With Dealer Paul Nugget)
A decade later, she met dealer Paul Nugget, who remembers her spit-fire demeanor. “I was 28 years old and on top of the world,” he remarks of himself in May 1975, when he first encountered her. “I was in Manhattan and she was in Philadelphia. There was a collection I was going to buy, and I had arranged to meet with her at 12 PM one day to look at it. So, I drove down and sure enough I somehow arrived 30 minutes early, so I rang the bell. She answered the door and said, ‘I’m eating lunch – come back in half an hour.’ But at 28 and as someone who thought of himself as royalty, I rang again 15 minutes later and she – who was then 58 – answered the door and let me know what she thought of royalty!” He continues, “I fell in love with her and saw her at shows into her 90s. Even though she was in a wheelchair by that time, I always made sure I got a hug from her.”
About Professional Coin Grading Service
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is a third-party coin and banknote grading company that was launched in 1986. Over nearly 35 years, PCGS has examined and certified some 44.6 million U.S. and world coins, medals, and tokens with a combined value of more than $41.8 billion. For more information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, please visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.
Sep 24, 2020 | ANA, News
Leaders in numismatics are essential for helping others to grow within the hobby. Whether that leadership is provided through teaching, mentoring, research, writing or leading conventions and shows, these activities help foster learning for all collectors. The American Numismatic Association’s (ANA) biggest influencers were recognized during two virtual awards programs on Sept. 1 and 2.
Mentors who ensure the growth of the hobby by encouraging and guiding the next generation of numismatists are honored with the Lawrence J. Gentile Sr. Memorial Award for Outstanding Adult Advisor. This year the award went to Brian Fanton of Hiawatha, Iowa, during the Sept. 1 award ceremony. Fanton is actively involved in several local and regional numismatic organizations, including the Hiawatha Coin Club (which he founded in 2004), the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Coin Club, the Iowa Numismatic Association and the Central States Numismatic Society.
This experienced hobbyist is happy to share his knowledge, accumulated over nearly six decades of collecting, with eager youngsters. Fanton conducts Boy and Girl Scout Coin Collecting Merit Badge workshops in his home state, and also donates supplies to Scout classes nationwide. Additionally, the U.S. Navy veteran travels to elementary schools to give talks to thousands of children. He also welcomes youth to his shop, BE’s Coins & More, where he shares the allure of numismatics and offers a “smile discount” at the register.
Fanton has been a life member of the ANA since 1989, and in that time he has won an assortment of accolades, including a Presidential Award (1998), Adna G. Wilde Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence (2012) and Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service (2017). He has served on the Education Committee for 16 years and as an ANA District Representative for more than 20 years.
Each year since 1971, the American Numismatic Association has recognized the best journals and newsletters produced by ANA-member organizations. Entries in this year’s Barbara J. Gregory Outstanding Club Publications competition were recognized for excellence on Sept. 1 and were judged in four categories: regional, local, specialty and electronic.
Regional Clubs
- Third – The Clarion, Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists (Richard Jewell, editor)
- Second – TNA News, Texas Numismatic Association (Ann Marie Avants, editor)
- First – The MichMatist, Michigan State Numismatic Society (Michael Strub, editor)
Local Clubs
- Third – Stephen James CSRA Coin Club Newsletter, Stephen James CSRA Coin Club (Arno Safran, editor)
- Second – SVCC Newsletter, Sacramento Valley Coin Club (Patrick Carpenter, editor)
- First – Pocket Change, Albuquerque Coin Club (Phil Vitale, editor)
Specialty Clubs
- Third – ErrorScope, CONECA (Allan Anderson, editor)
- Second – International Bank Note Society Journal, International Bank Note Society (Alexander Kort, editor)
- First – The Asylum, Numismatic Bibliomania Society (Maria Fanning, editor)
Electronic Newsletters
- Third – Double Shift, Greater Houston Coin Club (John Barber, editor)
- Second – The Mint Master, Utah Numismatic Society (Douglas Nyholm, editor)
- First – The SCanner, South Carolina Numismatic Association (Stephen Kuhl, editor)
The spirit of the late Glenn Smedley lives on in this year’s recipients of the ANA’s annual Glenn Smedley Memorial Award, which were recognized Sept. 2, during the Service Awards. Five members who embody an exceptionally positive attitude, possess strong communication skills, promote goodwill and cooperation, and demonstrate dependability were honored.
- Eve Barber of The Woodlands, Texas, has actively participated in the Greater Houston Coin Club since 1994. She maintains an active database of more than 800 student participants in the group’s Coins for A’s program. Her collecting interests include horse pesos of Mexico and the puffin coinage of Lundy Island. She has exhibited on both of these topics at local and regional shows. Barber received the Greater Houston Coin Club’s Townsend Award in 2010.
- Cindy Calhoun is a well-known figure in The Elongated Collectors (TEC) and has led the organization as president since 2017. Noting the difficulty of acquiring new elongates, Calhoun has placed more than 30 nonportable elongate machines at tourist attractions across the United States and has designed more than 400 rolling dies. A certified ANA exhibit judge, Calhoun has shown eight competitive displays at the last six World’s Fair of Money® conventions. She also is a welcome fixture at ANA conventions, where she has manned the TEC club for many years.
- Wayne Homren has served in multiple offices in many local, regional and national organizations. Homren is willing to pitch in wherever he is needed, whether that means leading an organization or providing grunt work on a project. He’s well-known in the numismatic community for launching in 1998 The E-Sylum, a weekly newsletter for members of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Homren serves as editor to this day, and has had a hand in publishing more than 25,000 articles since the newsletter’s inception.
- Bob Jones, ANA life member and a U.S. Navy veteran, has served the Association as a District Representative for Kentucky since 2009 and is vice president of the Bluegrass Coin Club (2016-present). A knowledgeable collector, Jones completed the ANA’s Numismatic Diploma Program in 2010. He has taught more than a dozen courses at the ANA Summer Seminar since 2008.
- David Menchell has twice lectured on the topic of medals at the annual Coinage of the Americas Conference and has taught courses on medals at the Association’s Summer Seminar. In 2017 Menchell donated more than 500 medals to the ANA Edward C. Rochette Money Museum for use in educational courses. He’s also published many well-researched articles on 17th- and 18th-century tokens and medals. Menchell has served as an ANA District Representative for New York City for the last 15 years. He’s also a certified ANA exhibit judge.
The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its 28,000-plus members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs as well as its museum, library, publications, and conventions. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit money.org.
Sep 23, 2020 | Auctions, News
AN 1861 MILITARY AMPUTATION KIT, A PAIR OF 1910-1920 RAILROAD SIGNAL LAMPS AND A CHOICE CRYSTALLINE GOLD SPECIMEN BRING HIGH DOLLARS AT HOLABIRD’S GREAT AMERICAN POW-WOW AUCTION HELD AUGUST 27th thru 31st
The sale was packed with Native and general Americana, sports collectibles, toys, stamps and coins, tokens, stocks and bonds, firearms and weaponry, minerals, mining, bargains, specials.
RENO, Nev. – A Civil War-era military amputation kit sold for $5,000, a pair of circa 1910-1920 railroad signal lamps brought $5,375 and a choice, attractive crystalline gold specimen weighing 5.45 troy ounces hit $5,625 at a Great American Pow-Wow Auction held August 27th-August 31st by Holabird Western Americana Collections, online and live in the Reno gallery.
Native and general Americana took center stage at the huge, five-day auction, which Holabird Western Americana Collections president and owner Fred Holabird said contained “the best material we’ve offered in a hot August auction in many years.” He added, “The variety was outstanding, as was the quality of goods offered. There was truly something for everybody.”
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Civil War-era military amputation kit made around 1861 by G. Tiemann & Co. (N.Y.), which had been making surgical instruments since 1826 ($5,000).
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Pair of circa 1910-1920 railroad signal lamps, one the four-color Adlake lamp, a prize for any collector, the other marked “SP & Co.”, for Southern Pacific Railway ($5,375).
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Choice, attractive crystalline gold specimen weighing 5.45 troy ounces, containing lead and silver sulfides and having one cut edge, exposing a high percentage of native gold ($5,625).
The military amputation kit was made around 1861 by G. Tiemann & Co. (N.Y.), which had been making surgical instruments since 1826. The kit contained an oval label adhered to the center of the protective felt cover of the saw department (with the address of 63 Chatham St., New York City), dating the piece prior to 1861. Most of the tools were punched “Tiemann”.
One of the two railroad signal lamps was the four-color Adlake lamp, a prize for any collector, 15 inches tall and 8 inches in diameter. The other was marked “SP & Co.” (for Southern Pacific Railway) and was without a globe. The crystalline gold specimen contained lead and silver sulfides. The specimen had one cut edge, exposing a very high percentage of native gold.
Native American offerings included turquoise and silver jewelry, baskets, Kachinas, and rugs. Also up for bid was a fine California token collection, American and foreign counters and tokens from the Benjamin Fauver collection, rare old whiskey bottles and scarce Nevada documents.
Also offered was a major pinback collection, baseball and boxing collectibles, gold specimens, American and foreign medals, Victorian furniture, Western art, original Buffalo Bill/Pawnee Bill posters, large ore cars and incline cars from a Nevada City mine, and dynamite and candle boxes.
The list continued with an American souvenir plate collection, music collectibles, toys and toy trains, postcard collections, directories, maps, a railroad pass collection, antique firearms, badges, mining and railroad stocks, coins, token dies, a rock-shop section and mining artifacts.
Day 1, on Thursday, August 27th, kicked off with 93 lots of art, followed by 231 lots of Native Americana, 269 lots of general Americana (Part 1), eight lots of sports items and 46 lots of toys.
A significant lot was an Indian cuff silver bracelet with a prominent Kingman turquoise stone, measuring 4 inches by 2 ¼ inches. The sterling cuff was 6 inches. The bracelet brought $2,250. Also sold on Day 1 was a beautiful, American-made 1970s Fender jazz bass guitar, the Cadillac of Fender bass guitars, serial #282180, with a sunburst finish and a rosewood fret board ($3,375).
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Beautiful, American-made 1970s Fender jazz bass guitar, the Cadillac of Fender bass guitars, serial #282180, with a sunburst finish and a rosewood fret board ($3,375).
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Indian Head penny hoard of more than 1,500 Indian Head cents from 1880-1908, mostly in almost good to very good condition ($1,563).
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Indian cuff silver bracelet with a prominent Kingman turquoise stone, measuring 4 inches by 2 ¼ inches. The sterling cuff was 6 inches. The bracelet brought $2,250.
Day 2, on Friday, August 28th, began with 87 philatelic (stamps) and postal history lots, followed by Part 2 of general Americana and 24 lots of firearms and weaponry. The railroad signal lamps and military amputation kit were the Day 2 star lots, but also sold was a Van Bergen Gold Dust whiskey bottle from 1880 in an ultra-rare aqua color, in very near perfect condition ($2,500).
Day 3, on Saturday, August 29th, contained 125 lots of stocks and bonds; nearly 300 lots of numismatics; and 217 lots of tokens, a fan favorite. Day 3 top achievers included a group of 20 rolls of 90 percent silver Washington quarters, with a face value of $200 ($4,375); and a very rare Masonic trade token (“D.K. Nichols / Masonic / Cal.”) that fetched $3,250. Masonic was a tiny mining camp in California that was discovered in the 1860s and died out not long afterward.
Day 4, on Sunday, August 30th, commenced with 42 lots of minerals, then progressed into mining collectibles (277 lots) and closed with 290 lots of bargains and dealer specials (Part 1).
Day 5, on Monday, August 31st, was a continuation of more bargains and dealer specials. Top lots included an Indian Head penny hoard of more than 1,500 Indian Head cents from 1880-1908, mostly in almost good to very good condition ($1,563); and a nice group of Western postcards showcasing the women cowboys of the American rodeo, mostly circa 1920s ($625).
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Van Bergen Gold Dust whiskey bottle from 1880 in an ultra-rare aqua color in very near perfect condition, with applied top and light whittle ($2,500).
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Rare trade token for D.K. Nichols in Masonic, a tiny mining camp near Bodie, Calif., from around the 1860s, about the size of a quarter ($3,250).
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Nice group of Western postcards showcasing the women cowboys of the American rodeo, mostly circa 1920s ($625).
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Group of 20 rolls of 90 percent silver Washington quarters, with a face value of $200 ($4,375).
Online bidding was facilitated by iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, AuctionMobility.com and Auctionzip.com. Telephone and absentee bids were also accepted.
Anyone owning a collection that might fit into an upcoming Holabird Western Americana Collections auction is encouraged to get in touch. The firm travels extensively, to see and pick up collections. Last year it visited Boston, Florida, Seattle and New York, among other destinations.
Holabird Western Americana Collections is seeking quality Americana and coin consignments, bottles, advertising and other collections for future auctions. To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com.
Sep 17, 2020 | News
Stack’s Bowers Galleries Auction Will Still Be Held in November 2020
(Baltimore, Maryland)—The Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo was prohibited from being held November 12–14, 2020, due to Maryland’s ongoing mitigation of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The full Expo, one of the largest numismatic events of the year, will next be held at the Baltimore Convention Center March 25–27, 2021.
“After the Convention Center was shut down, we polled our dealers as we worked to coordinate an alternate bourse venue for November,” said Whitman Expo manager Lori Kraft. “More than 60 percent were in favor of holding the Expo elsewhere. We discussed many ideas for potential locations. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough consensus to guarantee an excellent, productive show for everyone involved.”
Kraft said the Expo is now focusing on making its March 25–27, 2021, show its grandest ever.
“We’re lining up some of the most popular authors in the hobby, and scheduling celebrations for our return to business as usual,” said Kraft. “2021 marks the 75th anniversary of the Red Book, and also the centennial of the last Morgan dollar and the first Peace dollar. There will be a lot of excitement around the new American Silver Eagle reverse design. We’ll have a lineup of great new Whitman books available, and educational events and exhibits. The energy of the March Baltimore Expo will herald a turnaround for the hobby community.”
Updates and news will be posted at expo.whitman.com.
Stack’s Bowers Galleries will provide details of its still scheduled November 2020 auction on their web site, www.stacksbowers.com.
For updates on COVID-19 in Maryland and elsewhere, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov.
Sep 9, 2020 | ANA, News
Numismatics is the study and collection of coins, paper money, tokens and medals, but at the American Numismatic Association (ANA) it is the people who truly define the hobby. Several individuals were recognized for their service and commitment to numismatics during the virtual Membership & Literary Awards and Service Awards, Sept. 1 and 2. (To watch the recorded events, visit money.org/awards-2020)
The Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Memorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics honors women who have made significant contributions to the field. This year’s recipient was Dorothy C. Baber.
Born on May 1, 1920, three-and-a-half months before women were granted the right to vote with the ratifications of the 19th Amendment, Baber turned 100 this year and has witnessed a century of progress for women’s rights. An outstanding example of leadership herself, her lifelong commitment to the advancement of numismatics on both a local and national level was befitting the honor the award confers.
Baber has been an ANA member for 52 years. Since 1968, she has served on the Membership Committee, the Convention Committee and the Convention Task Force, and she was involved in the District Representative Program for 15 years. She also has worked as pre-registration chair, assistant general chair and patron chair for several San Diego ANA Anniversary Conventions. Furthermore, she volunteered at the Business and Information Center at ANA shows for 15 years, retiring in 2010 at age 90.
Baber has held a variety of offices in a myriad of other organizations. Notably, she’s held the position of president for seven organizations: La Mesa Coin Club (1974-77), San Diego Numismatic Society (1981), California State Numismatic Association (1987-91), Heartland Coin Club (1994095), Token and Medal Society (1995), California Exonumist Society (1995) and San Diego County Inter-Club Numismatic Council.
In addition to being actively involved with numerous clubs and conventions, Baber has created a tangible legacy. She designed a medal on behalf of the Token and Medal Society in recognition of the 1990 ANA World’s Fair of Money in Seattle, and she served as editor of the San Diego Numismatic Society Bulletin for more than 30 years, during which time the publication won accolades from the ANA and the Numismatic Literary Guild.
Baber’s previous awards number in the double digits. Some from the ANA include the Medal of Merit (1988), Glenn Smedley Memorial Award (1995), Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service (1995), a Presidential Award (1997) and Lifetime Achievement Award (2003), the latter of which she shared with her family.
Each year, the Association honors an Outstanding District Representative who sets the standard for promoting the hobby and ANA-member clubs throughout the country. This year’s recipient was Gary Parsons.
Parsons has devoted years of service to the ANA and the Oklahoma Numismatic Association (ONA), the latter of which he has served as president and vice president several times. He has represented these organizations at coin shows across the state and has held officer positions for local clubs. He currently serves as the secretary and treasurer for the Indian Territory Coin Club located in his hometown of McAlester.
Parsons has been collecting U.S. coins, bank notes and exonumia for more than 60 years and also is an experienced dealer. In 1966 he earned a degree in business with a minor in history from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and later served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Parsons hopes that younger generations will take an interest in numismatics not only because the hobby has the potential to blossom into a good financial investment, but also because the study of currency reveals the history of our civilization.
In an effort to recognize the most important collectors, scholars and hobby professionals of all time, the American Numismatic Association maintains the Numismatic Hall of Fame (HOF) at its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Individuals are recognized annually, with “modern” numismatists inducted in odd years, and “historic” personages in even years. This year, the ANA welcomed to this elite group a notable numismatist, Augustus B. Sage.
Best remembered today for his medallic series, Sage was born in Connecticut in 1842. At 17-years-old, he set forth to educate readers of the New-York Dispatch by contributing numismatic articles.
In 1858, he was one of a small group of men who decided to form an “Antiquarian Society” in New York City for the study of coins and medals. This Society would subsequently be renamed to the American Numismatic Society.
Inspired by the work of George H. Lovett, Sage decided to start assembling a collection of numismatic medals. The intent was to illustrate current events as well as memorialize people and places from the past. The first series referred to the Crystal Palace, the second to the Sugar House and the third depicted Paul Morphy, famous international chess champion.
In 1859, Sage produced four different auction catalogs – more than any other individual in the hobby up to that time – and remained in the profession until early 1861, after which he joined the Union Army in the Civil War as Captain in the New York Infantry Volunteers’ 170th Regiment.
In 1866 the American Numismatic Society launched the American Journal of Numismatics, to which Sage contributed by writing about the “good old days” of the late 1850s.
The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its 28,000-plus members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs as well as its museum, library, publications, and conventions. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit www.money.org.
Aug 29, 2020 | ANA, Announcements, News
American Numismatic Association to Honor Recipients Virtually
The American Numismatic Association (ANA) is honoring several numismatists who not only lead by example, but pave new avenues within the numismatic hobby. Recognized for their dedication, hard work, passion and contributions, these recipients will be acknowledged during the ANA’s virtual Membership & Literary Awards and Service Awards on Sept. 1 and 2 at 12 p.m. MT.
Those being recognized are:
- Garrett Ziss for the Young Numismatist of the Year
- Walter A. Ostromecki Jr. for the Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service
- Mark Borckardt for Numismatist of the Year
- Tom DeLorey for the Lifetime Achievement Award
Garrett Ziss: Young Numismatist of the Year
The American Numismatic Association recognizes that the future of the hobby depends on the recruitment and education of young numismatists. The Young Numismatist of the Year award honors young collectors for outstanding contributions to the hobby and industry. Receiving this year’s award on Sept. 1 is Garrett Ziss. He is an active member of ten numismatic organizations, including the Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC), Wilmington Coin Club and the Currency Club of Chester County.
Already an accomplished author, he has written eight numismatic articles over the span of four years that were published in the John Reich Journal, the official publication of the John Reich Collectors Society (JRCS). He also creates Excel spreadsheets that simplify the organization of U.S. half-cent and large-cent collections, which he shares with Early American Coppers (EAC) for members to use.
Since July 2019, Ziss has been organizing an oral history project, which includes interviewing and videotaping members of the JRCS and LSCC to preserve club history for future generations. He coordinated the EAC table at the 2019 World’s Fair of Money in Chicago, headed a successful YN Benefit Auction during the 2019 ANA Summer Seminar and volunteered with the ANA Kids Zone. He also organized a JRCS video projected entitled “Early U.S. Silver Coins and the JRCS” to attract new club members and gives yearly presentations at the Wilmington Coin Club Show’s kids program.
Ziss has prepared a number of exhibits, include a six-case display titled, “The Face and Stories Behind the Treasury Signers of U.S. Paper Money.” He’s also presented many programs to local clubs and given talks at national numismatic shows.
Ziss received several first-place honors in the ANA’s YN Literary Awards between 2013 and 2017.
Walter Ostromecki: Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service
In six-and-a-half decades following his first West Valley Coin Club meeting in 1955, Walter Ostromecki has worked tirelessly to further the ANA’s mission by advancing education initiatives in numismatics. His efforts have earned him the highest honor conferred by the Association: the Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service. He will be recognized on Sept. 2.
With over 40 years of service as an educator and administrator for Los Angeles schools before his retirement in 2009, Ostromecki continues to use his talents as an educator to promote numismatics to young people. He enjoys sharing the hobby with grade school youngsters through games like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and “Treasure Trivia.”
Ostromecki became an ANA member in 1975 at the ANA convention in Los Angeles. Since then, he has served on various committees, the first of which was tasked with the creation of the Club Representative Program and national coordinator position.
First elected to the ANA Board of Governors in 2005, he went on to become vice president and then president in 2015-17, before finishing his final term.
Always teaching, Ostromecki is a volunteer leader, Coin Collecting Merit Badge counselor and Executive Committee member for the Boy Scouts.
His accolades are many, but some of which he is most proud include several top honors, such as the Numismatic Association of Southern California’s Richard P. Goodson Memorial Award (1995), the Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association’s Bob Everett Memorial Award (2007) and the Nina Nystrom Memorial Goodwill Ambassador Award (2011). He also received the International Coin Club of El Paso’s first Life Membership Award (2018) and the Central States Numismatic Society’s Mitch Ernst Sower Award (2019), along with many awards from the ANA.
His numismatic interests include paranormal currency (money depicting the supernatural, including dragons, witches, vampires, etc.), elongates, world currency featuring women, Biblical coinage and “dumb” coins (those issued without a country name or denomination). He has a complete collection of 1870- to 1893-CC half eagles (gold $5) graded Fine to Uncirculated and is constantly adding to his 12,000-plus collection of 1976 bicentennial $2 bank notes postmarked by various cities and states.
Mark Borckardt: Numismatist of the Year
The Numismatist of the Year, first presented in 1995, was established to recognize individuals within the numismatic community who have demonstrated long-term leadership and impact in the field. Their accomplishments should have a significant impact on the numismatic community.
This year’s Numismatist of the Year is Mark Borckardt. His contributions as a researcher and writer are almost too numerous to list. He has discovered at least one new variety of Bust half dollar, rediscovered a major large-cent variety that was believed not to exist, and was part of the team of numismatists who confirmed the authenticity of the Walton 1913 Liberty Head nickel.
Borckardt has contributed to various important numismatic texts, including A Guide Book of United States Coins (the “Red Book”), 100 Greatest U.S. Coins and Walter Breen’s Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents, 1793-1814. He is the author of Coinage of the Confederacy, and he co-authored Million Dollar Nickels with Paul Montgomery and Ray Knight. He also has written many articles for The Numismatist and other publications.
Borckardt served in the U.S. Army, Ohio National Guard, and in 1986 graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Findlay College (now University of Findlay). He and his father operated a coin shop in Findlay, Ohio, throughout most of the 1980s, until a fire destroyed the building. In 1989 he was hired as a cataloger for Bowers and Merena Galleries and later became vice president of the company. Borckardt joined Heritage Auctions in 2004. He currently is a senior numismatist and acts as sole cataloger of over a dozen major collections. During his long and illustrious career, he has cataloged numerous varieties and handled some of the greatest United States coins ever struck.
Borckardt is a life member of the ANA, Early American Coppers (serving as the club’s historian) and Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG). He also has been a member of the Rittenhouse Society since 1994 and participates in other hobby organizations. He has been recognized with many numismatic awards, including an ANA Presidential Award (2018). He also received the NLG’s highest recognition, the Clemy Award (2016), among other literary and merit honors.
His award will be formally presented on Sept. 2 during the virtual Service Awards.
Tom DeLorey: Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual, family, firm or judicial entity that has made outstanding contributions to organized numismatics.
Tom DeLorey, recipient of the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award, has been passionate about numismatics since childhood. He will be recognized for his efforts on Sept. 2.
“My favorite subjects in school were history and geography, which are particularly useful in numismatics, though I did not plan it that way,” DeLorey recalled in a 2009 interview.
His career has centered around the “Hobby of Kings” ever since 1973, when he began a five-year stint as a writer for Coin World. Subsequent jobs include an authenticator at the American Numismatic Association Certification Service (1978-84), numismatist at the Rare Coin Company of America (RARCOA, 1984-88) and senior numismatist for Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. (1989-2010).
DeLorey previously collected medals and tokens of Thomas Elder and coins of Honduras, and he wrote articles on both topics for The Numismatist in the 1980s. Past honors include the Numismatic Literary Guild’s Writer of the Year (1978) and Clemy Award, the organization’s highest honor (1999); and the ANA’s Numismatist of the Year (2009). He also has earned six ANA Literary Awards.
DeLorey also is a respected numismatic editor and researcher. He served as editor of the Token and Medal Society’s TAMS Journal in 1981 and was technical editor of the Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of U.S. Coins.
Notably, he discovered the 1857 Flying Eagle cent clashed with a Seated Liberty half dollar, which he called his “greatest discovery” in the field of coin varieties.
An ANA life member, DeLorey also holds memberships in many other prestigious organizations, chief among them the American Numismatic Society, Professional Numismatists Guild, Numismatic Literary Guild, Token and Medal Society, Liberty Seated Collectors Club, Chicago Coin Club and Michigan State Numismatic Society.
The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its 28,000-plus members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs as well as its museum, library, publications, and conventions. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit www.money.org.
Aug 29, 2020 | Auctions, News
(Lincroft, NJ—August 29, 2020)—Legend Rare Coin Auctions just concluded an immensely successful Regency Auction, the firm’s 40th, in Las Vegas. The official auction of the PCGS Members Only Show, LRCA’s hand-curated, boutique-style offered a wide array of popular coins in many different series. The sale was highlighted by fresh, collector oriented coins that yet again proved the depth and breadth of the coin market. A wave of bidders came in during the last 24 hours of prebidding or live during the sale; participating online, leaving absentee bids, or phone bidding. While the sale did not have any six-figure rarities, there were a number of mid-five figure coins that found new homes. Starting strong was lot 4, the fabulous 1837 N-16 cent from the Naftzger Collection, graded PCGS MS65+ RD CAC, which sold for a record $42,300. (Note: this and all prices reported here include the 17.5% buyer’s premium). A few lots later, lot 11, the finest known 1861 Proof Indian Head cent in PCGS PR66+ CAM CAC, smashed the previous auction record for a Cameo 1861 cent when it sold for $55,813 (the prior record was $15,000 for a PR65 CAM). Near the end of the sale, lot 358, a superb MS66+ CAC 1915-S $20 realized $52,875, also smashing a recent record for the issue (in January 2020, another example sold for $36,000).
“Bidding activity was very strong, fierce in fact for many coins during the sale,” said Matthew Bell, C.E.O. of Legend Rare Coin Auctions. “Live participation was incredibly strong, continuing the trend we have seen throughout the year, as buyers continue to bid live instead of prebidding.”
“With limited coin shows and other opportunities for collectors and dealers to buy great, world-class quality coins, auctions have almost exclusive attention, free of those other venues,” explained LRCA founder, Laura Sperber. “As we continue with these trends of no major, national conventions, to get top dollar and exposure, you have to put your coins in auction, and no one has proved this more than we have in the last six months!”
Among the highlight prices realized of Regency Auction 40 are:
- Lot 4. 1C 1837 N-16. Medium Letters. PCGS MS65+ RD CAC, realized $42,300
- Lot 11. 1C 1861 PCGS PR66+ CAM CAC, realized $55,813
- Lot 18. 1C 1922 No D. Strong Reverse. PCGS MS64 BN CAC, realized $47,000
- Lot 29. 1C 1950 PCGS MS67+ RD CAC, realized $10,575
- Lot 123. 25C 1927-S PCGS MS65, realized $12,338
- Lot 150. 50C 1920-S PCGS MS66, realized $38,775
- Lot 218. 50C 1963 NGC MS66 FBL, realized $15,275
- Lot 319. $2.50 1892 PCGS PR66 DCAM, realized $27,025
- Lot 321 $2.50 1911-D PCGS MS65 CAC, realized $64,625
- Lot 347. $20 1865 NGC MS64 CAC, ex S.S. Republic, realized $21,150
- Lot 358. $20 1915-S PCGS MS66+ CAC, realized $52,875
- Lot 366. $10 1860 Clark Gruber. PCGS XF40, realized $21,738
Legend Rare Coin Auctions’ Regency Auction 41 is up next and will be one of the greatest auctions of the decade with the sale of the Bruce Morelan Collection, featuring the world’s most expensive coin, the Specimen 1794 silver dollar, along with the Dexter-Dunham-Pogue 1804 silver dollar, and an impressive offering of 18th-century type coins, including two gorgeous near-Gem caliber 1795 $5 and $10 gold pieces. Selling alongside these American numismatic treasures is Part 2 of the Roadrunner Toned Dollar Collection, which features a superb 1895 Proof only dollar in PR67+ CAM CAC and an 1896 MS68 CAC. A collection of $10 Indians anchors an impressive array of gold coins. The consignment deadline has passed, and cataloging is in full swing.
LRCA is now accepting consignments for Regency Auction 42, being held on December 3rd. To consign to this important auction event, contact a consignment specialist today. Call the office at 732-935-1168 or email info@legendauctions.com.
Aug 26, 2020 | Bureau of Engraving and Printing, News
The Latest Bureau of Engraving and Printing Monthly Production Report Has Been Posted.
All production reports can be found at https://www.bep.gov/resources/productionmonthly.html
