May 30, 2019 | News, U.S. Mint
WASHINGTON — The United States Mint (Mint) released the 2019 American Legion 100th Anniversary Proof Silver Dollar and American Veterans Silver Medal Set (product code 19CQ) on May 20 at noon EDT.
Priced at $99.95, this special set consists of one American Legion Proof Silver Dollar and one American Veterans Silver Medal, both of which contain 99.9 percent silver, and production is limited to 10,000 units. The medal will be struck in silver only for this set and will not be struck in silver again. A bronze version of the medal is expected to be available in the future. A Certificate of Authenticity is included with each set.
The obverse (heads) of the silver dollar depicts The American Legion emblem adorned by oak leaves and a lily, commemorating the founding of The American Legion in Paris, France. Inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “2019,” and “IN GOD WE TRUST.” The reverse (tails) design also represents the founding of The American Legion in Paris in 1919. Above the crossed American and American Legion flags is a fleur de lis and the inscription “100 YEARS OF SERVICE.” Additional inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “1919,” “2019,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
The obverse design of the silver medal portrays a bald eagle spreading its wings as it prepares for flight, suggesting the initiative, determination, and personal courage required by those who choose to serve in our Nation’s Armed Forces. The five stars represent the five branches of the U.S. Armed Services. The inscription “HONORING AMERICA’S VETERANS” encircles the design. The reverse design depicts a field of stars symbolizing all American veterans – past, present, and future. A lone incused star below the field represents the veteran who has made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our country. The absence of this star in the field conveys the supreme sense of loss to the Nation. The inscription “SERVICE AND SACRIFICE” is featured.
Public Law 115–65 authorized the American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Program. Coin prices include surcharges of $35 for each gold coin, $10 for each $1 silver coin, and $5 for each half-dollar coin. Surcharges collected from all coin sales are authorized to be paid to the American Legion to support the Legion’s programs for veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and other purposes specified by the authorizing legislation.
The Mint accepts orders at catalog.usmint.gov/ and 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order at 1-888-321-MINT. Visit catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html for information about shipping options.
May 30, 2019 | News
by John Frost, president and journal editor of The Barber Coin Collectors’ Society
When I began collecting coins in fourth grade, I really got the bug, and soon took this new hobby of mine seriously. Like several of my friends I started with Lincoln cents, and I assembled most of the collection by sixth grade. Then a major event in my young numismatic life occurred when I visited my grandparents in Arkansas during a summer vacation. My grandfather gave me an old coin for my collection. It was a 1911-S Barber dime. It was only a Good+ coin, but it still retained enough meat on it to be interesting, and it was a coin that my grandfather had culled from circulation not too long before I was born. A second dime, a 1904-P given soon thereafter, was the clincher.
Those two coins got me started in Barbers, and I haven’t looked back since. By the time I began high school I had a complete year set of Barber dimes, along with most of the later mintmarked coins. Putting this set together took time and some real work, and it was a project I enjoyed. In those days only one or two dealers advertising in publications mentioned Barbers, and the coins didn’t show up at my local shop very often either. As my album filled up, I loved showing this set to other friends who collected coins. It was something different than everyone else’s collection!
Uncirculated grades are definitely in the minority for Barber silver coins. This 1911-S half dollar was owned by super-collector Louis Eliasberg. (Photos courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries)
Barber coins were real workhorses in their time. Dimes, quarters, and half dollars were all used heavily in commerce, perhaps more so than any other coins that came before them. They had another big attraction for me: They hold up well to wear, and look quite decent even down to a grade of Very Good. This is great for Barber collectors. Many other coin designs don’t keep their attractiveness nearly as long. This means a collector with a limited budget can build a collection of lower-grade Barbers and still have an attractive set to appreciate. My dimes were a typical example of that.
As I grew older, I bought a bag of 90 percent silver coins that consisted of mostly worn-out Barber quarters, but included numerous VG coins, with even a couple of Fine and Very Fine coins mixed in. At the time there were no good comprehensive references on Barbers of any denomination. I relied solely on my Red Book, as a general guide. The more I examined my quarters, the more I got hooked on them. I began building a new collection! This presented a greater challenge than the dimes, as the Red Book clearly showed the quarter series has three clear key dates: the 1896-S, the 1913-S, and the king, 1901-S. Even outside the three key dates, there would be some tough coins, as well as rewards for a diligent collector. The 1914-S quarter, not even one of the keys, has the same low mintage as the famous 1916-D Mercury dime. However, it can be bought at a small fraction of the Mercury dime’s cost. What a bargain!
A huge day for me was when I acquired a 1901-S in VG. It was my first four-figure coin, and at $1,650, seemed like a good buy. That would turn out to be an understatement (today it’s closer to being a $10,000 coin). Over the years I upgraded each piece (sometimes more than once), and now my Extremely Fine to Mint State quarter set is a highlight in my collection.
The 1901-S is the king of Barber quarters. This Good-6 example sold in 2004 for $6,440. (Photos courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries)
THE SPECIAL APPEAL OF BARBER SILVER COINS
The magic of the silver Barbers is that each of the three series has its own special and unique characteristics that make it great, and also make it different from the other two.
Building a set of dimes is a goal that is eminently attainable, with the key date 1895-0 and numerous semi-keys providing a real challenge, regardless of the grade range you’re collecting. And of course the dime series boasts one of the legendary rarities in U.S. numismatics—the 1894-S dime, a coin that even the sixth-grader version of me was aware of. Even though it wasn’t a regular issue, and is not needed for the “complete set,” its presence in the series adds to the fun of collecting.
An 1895-O Barber dime in Good-6 condition—worn, but still attractive. (Photos courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries)
The quarters have the “Big Three” issues which are very scarce, even in low grades, and provide a daunting challenge in any grade above Very Good. To me, however, the beauty of the quarter series is the huge challenge faced by anyone building a set in higher circulated grades, where many >semi-keys, not just the three keys, are very difficult to obtain.
The halves are larger pieces of silver, and, while posing a higher cost of entry than the other two series, are quite possibly the easiest Barber set to complete in lower grades. Although the halves do not have rare dates of the magnitude of the Big Three quarters, the series is loaded with semi-key issues that require time and dedication to acquire, especially in higher grades.
WELCOMING A NEW GENERATION OF COLLECTORS
In the early 1990s I discovered the David Lawrence Complete Guide books on the Barbers. When I met Dave in person, he introduced me to the Barber Coin Collectors’ Society (BCCS). My passion for Barber coins only increased, and I gained more knowledge about the three series than I ever could have imagined.
Nearly 25 years later, no new comprehensive references on Barbers were on the shelves, other than a few books focused solely on varieties. Then Dave Bowers began a new book, A Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins.
This brought together the latest information on these great coins and made it available to a wide group of new collectors. It provided these collectors with a comprehensive reference on all three series, all in one place. Another enjoyable facet of the Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins is that it puts these important coins in historical context, with anecdotes from the era in which they were made, and the many decades thereafter that they were used in day-to-day commerce.
When Dave Bowers solicited my assistance and that of the BCCS for our thoughts on the date-by-date coin analysis, we were honored and thrilled to help. His goals are consistent with the mission of the Barber Coin Collectors’ Society: to introduce a new generation of collectors to Barbers, and to provide the needed information to fuel their passion for these important and wonderful coins.
I hope you enjoy these impressive coins, understand their historical significance, and appreciate the numismatic challenge as much as I have. Happy collecting!
A long-time numismatist, John Frost is the president and journal editor of the Barber Coin Collectors’ Society, the director of education for the Liberty Seated Collectors Club, and co-author of the reference book Double Dimes—The United States Twenty-Cent Piece. He is also an instructor at the American Numismatic Association’s Summer Seminar, an award-winning exhibitor, and copresident of his local coin club in Massachusetts.
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May 28, 2019 | APMD, News, PNG
(Temecula, California) May 28, 2019 – If you’re purchasing modern precious metals coins strictly for their silver, gold or platinum content, beware of significantly overpaying simply because the coins may be housed in fancy holders or accompanied by autographs of celebrities or the coins’ designers, cautions the Professional Numismatists Guild (www.PNGdealers.org).
“The personal finance market is filled with slick advertisements touting gold bullion coins labeled with a superb grade or in holders with decorative, autographed inserts. These may be fine collectibles for some, but you could pay more than twice the value of the precious metal content of the coin. There certainly are better ways for investors to buy bullion coins much closer to their actual intrinsic value,” stated Barry Stuppler, president of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG).
The Professional Numismatists Guild is a nonprofit organization composed of many of the country’s top rare coin and bullion coin dealers. PNG oversees the Accredited Precious Metals Dealer program (https://apmddealers.org), whose members must adhere to a strict code of ethics in the buying and selling of numismatic bullion items and guarantee the authenticity of the merchandise they sell.
“We are seeing a lot of advertising and marketing of precious metal bullion coins in holders with ‘limited edition’ specialty labels. These designs may include autographs of former United States Mint officials, sports Hall of Fame members or other celebrities. However, virtually every specialty label coin we’ve seen was offered at a price 200 to as much as 1,000 percent higher than a comparable bullion coin in the same condition without the signature or specially designed labels. And when an investor sells the coins with special labels they might only get a 5 to 10 percent premium,” said Stuppler.
“Don’t make any purchase until you have shopped around and learned the competitive prices for bullion items sold by others who don’t have high marketing expenses. Make sure you are not getting ripped off,” he advised.
“Modern gold, silver and platinum bullion coins, such as the American Eagle or Canadian Maple Leaf series, usually trade at a small premium over the actual spot precious metal content. Many major gold bullion dealers typically will sell a single, one-ounce gold American Eagle gold coin at approximately four to five percent over the current spot/melt value. The premiums are larger for 1/10th, 1/4th and 1/2-ounce coins,” explained Stuppler.
“Buyers also should distinguish between bullion coins whose values generally fluctuate according to the current price of gold, silver or platinum, and ‘rare coins’ that can carry a significant collector premium based on historical supply and demand. Some vintage U.S. gold and silver coins may be readily available in circulated condition for a modest premium over their bullion content, but those same coins in superb condition may have significantly higher value — perhaps thousands of dollars above their melt value,” added Stuppler.
“If you don’t’ know precious metals coins, you’d better know your precious metals coins dealer,” he cautioned.
A directory of PNG Accredited Precious Metals Dealers (APMD) members can be found at www.apmddealers.org/apmd-dealers. For additional information, contact the Professional Numismatists Guild at 951-587-8300 or by email at info@PNGdealers.org.
May 23, 2019 | ANA, News
Printed and e-Ballots Sent to Voting-Eligible Members
The American Numismatic Association has partnered with Election Services Co. to conduct the 2019 Board of Governors election. Printed ballots are now in the mail, and voting instructions have been sent to members who have selected the online voting option.
All ballots include biographical information provided by the election candidates. These materials, as well as a Candidate Q&A, are available in the June issue of The Numismatist and online at money.org/election.
To be eligible to vote in the election, members must be 13 years of age or older as of March 31, 2019, and have been a member of the Association at least one year as of that date. ANA Member Clubs also are entitled to one vote. (Individuals that are the point of contact for their club receive two ballots – one for the individual member and another for the club.)
The deadline for receipt of ballots is 11:59 p.m. (MDT) on Monday, July 1, 2019. Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted.
Questions about the ballots or voting process can be directed to ANAhelp@electionservicescorp.com or 866-720-HELP (4357).
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 25,000 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.
May 23, 2019 | News
Like most numismatists of my generation, I discovered the hobby of collecting coins through the Lincoln cent series. My introduction occurred at a very tender age, around six or seven, and I have my older brother Doug to thank for that. In the early 1960s coin collecting was all the rage, and it seems that every boy (and a few girls) were eagerly trying to fill their Whitman folders with Lincoln cents from 1909 to 1940 (No. 9004) and from 1941 onward (No. 9030). These folders were perhaps the most familiar tools of the coin hobby at the time, and competition to be the first to complete either one was keen in every American neighborhood.
June 1967: Young numismatist David W. Lange, his father (standing), and the neighbors who helped build his Lincoln cent collection.
As a child, I eagerly pestered everyone I could find to examine their pocket change and their “penny jars” that each household seemed to keep. I managed to add several missing coins to the collection, but it became evident that the best years of cent hunting were already past. Soon I hit a wall, and only the newly released issues were being acquired. Additional folders were acquired for Buffalo and Jefferson nickels, Mercury and Roosevelt dimes, and even Washington quarters, though that series really cut into my candy and model-kit funds. Still yearning to add more Lincolns to my stalled collection, I made my very first numismatic purchase: a 1914 cent in Good condition for 75 cents—the same value it carries today in the Red Book! This exchange occurred at the coin-and-stamp counter in the local F.W. Woolworth store, and the very fact that old coins could be bought at general retail stores itself brings on a wave of nostalgia for a time long past.
When it seemed that this costly course would be my only hope of adding to my Lincoln collection, a miracle occurred. Our next-door neighbor Bob, who seemed to have every hobby under the sun, came over to our house bringing along daughter Robin and his home-built coin cabinet stuffed with plastic tubes full of coins. His job included emptying the parking meters along San Francisco’s waterfront, and he very carefully bought anything old or interesting that people had stuffed into these machines. In his hobby box he had tubes of such exotic fare as Shield nickels, Liberty Seated dimes, and three-cent pieces. But, most importantly, he had a tube for every date in the Lincoln cent series from 1909 through 1940. That evening he very thoughtfully filled most of the remaining openings in my Whitman folder, leaving only about half a dozen slots for the key dates. This magical occasion was captured on film by my brother, who had just received a camera for his birthday, and I cherish both that image and my memory of the experience. Included in this photo is my father standing behind me with a warm smile, the same one he has today in his early 90s.
It would be another 45 years before I finally finished that circulated collection of Lincoln cents with the purchase of the key 1909-S V.D.B. In the meantime, I’d already completed a second set in Mint State and About Uncirculated grades. Though beautiful, these coins meant less to me than the worn pieces which carried with them so many associations. I sold the high-grade set at auction, yet I still have my circulated collection, since upgraded from Whitman folders to Whitman albums.
Some years ago I wrote several titles in a series of “Complete Guide” books, and one of these focused on Lincoln cents. Though published in 1996, it has been reprinted several times, in each instance with a different cover design. Later, it was my privilege to be a contributor to Q. David Bowers’s first edition of the Guide Book of Lincoln Cents, which has succeeded my own as the current reference to the series. And this year, it was my even greater privilege to write the foreword for my long-time correspondent, good friend, and fellow Rittenhouse Society member, Dave Bowers, in the third edition of his Lincoln cent book.
No one captures the appeal of collecting coins like QDB, while simultaneously telling us everything we need to know about the subject at hand. To read A Guide Book of Lincoln Cents is to learn this series in depth and to fully appreciate the changing face of the Lincoln cent over more than a century. Included, too, are great anecdotes about the year in which each issue was coined. The only way to truly appreciate an old coin is to understand the role it played at the time, and by placing each entry in its historical context, Dave Bowers has brought it to life. Comparing his book’s great photos of Mint State coins with the same issues worn nearly slick, as so often found, gives a sense of how many generations used these coins in everyday life.
Chapters on history, the various mints, grading and buying Lincoln cents, and even ways of collecting the series make Dave’s book a treasure in its own right. So much of the information is applicable to any coin type that this reference is a must-have for any numismatic library.
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David W. Lange is Director of Research for Numismatic Guaranty Corporation in Sarasota, Florida, and the author of nine books on United States coinage and related subjects. For many years he has been an instructor at the American Numismatic Association’s Summer Seminar on the subject of collecting United States type coins. Lange was the 2017 recipient of the ANA’s Numismatist of the Year Award.
May 22, 2019 | Auctions, News
Regency Auction 32 proves that top quality reigns supreme in the current market
(Lincroft, NJ—May 17, 2019)—Legend Rare Coin Auctions presented their 32nd Regency Auction, conducted as the official auction for the PCGS Members Show in New Orleans. Featuring over 630 lots, this auction included a separate session for silver dollars, held Wednesday, May 15, while type coins and gold were offered on Thursday, May 16. Important collections were offered, including the Pug Collection, the Issaquah Estate, selections from the Vanderbilt Collection, the Wolverine Collection, the Northern Lights Collection of Proof Buffalo Nickels, and other very impressive properties from many different consignors.
The auction began with tremendous strength when lot 1, a very stunning finest known silver plug that was close to Mint State 1795 silver dollar, sold for $129,250. This very important coin has a pedigree that dates back to the late 1800s and has been thought to possibly have been the first 1795 silver dollar struck. However, the top-grossing coin of the auction was lot 493, the famed “Supernova” 1857-S double eagle from the wreck of the S.S. Central America. Because of its intense, natural toning and lofty MS67 grade, this coin has been the “poster coin” for all of the second round of S.S. Central America. It garnered a record price of $282,000. NOTE: all prices realized include the auction’s 17.5% buyer’s premium.
“We knew this sale was going to be very successful,” said LRCA President Julie Abrams. “From very early on interest from potential bidders was intense. From the moment lots were posted to our website, bidders were out in force with presale bids.”
Adding to this commentary, Terryann Catalupo, the auction director, said, “we had lot multiple lot viewing opportunities around the country, including highlights at the Central States Convention and a full lot viewing at PCGS’s Public Friday event, as well as appointments in our office, and these events were all packed. This came out once we set up lot viewing in New Orleans as well, with standing room only and a line waiting to view coins. All told, we yet again achieved record registrations and bidder participation.”
“This crowd joined us both nights in the auction room, bidding in person,” Ms. Abrams continued. “One collector commented to me how the bidding action reminded him of the “old days” when you had to personally attend the sales. It was great to see! The venue helps, as New Orleans is an underserved area for its collectors, so whenever the PCGS Members’ Show comes to town, the local collectors come out in droves.”
“The market right now is very quality focused,” said Laura Sperber, the firm’s partner and founder. “We have always been quality focused, but we are seeing that now, coins that are all there are bringing very strong bidding. The strength of the bids was directly linked to the quality. Of course, PCGS/CAC coins brought the most consistently strong bidding. Also, freshness counts. The coins of the Issaquah Estate collection did very well, as most of those had been off the market for a decade or more. Wolverine Collection coins, likewise, if they were older purchases that were PCGS/CAC did very well. The numbers speak for themselves, just look at these highlights:”
- Lot 1. $1 1795 B-3, BB-11. Silver Plug. PCGS AU55 CAC. From the Pug Collection, realized $129,250
- Lot 17. $1 1857 PCGS MS64 CAC. From the Issaquah Estate, realized $34,075
- Lot 22. $1 1863 PCGS MS64 CAC. From the Issaquah Estate, realized $21,150
- Lot 36. $1 1925-S PCGS MS65 CAC. From the Issaquah Estate, realized $36,425
- Lot 67. $1 1878 7TF, Reverse of 1878. PCGS MS66 DMPL, realized $37,600
- Lot 75. $1 1879-S Reverse of 1878. PCGS MS65+. Realized $19,388
- Lot 86. $1 1881-CC PCGS MS67+ CAC. From the Coronet Collection, II realized $28,200
- Lot 92 $1 1882-CC PCGS MS66+ DMPL CAC Realized $18,800.00
- Lot 144. $1 1893-CC PCGS MS65 CAC. From the Coronet Collection, II realized $152,750
- Lot 181. $1 1921-D PCGS MS67 CAC. From the Vanderbilt Collection, ex Coronet, realized $31,725
- Lot 199. 1C 1871 PCGS PR66 RD CAC. From the Wolverine Collection, realized $10,575
- Lot 227. 10C 1893-O PCGS MS67 CAC. From the Wolverine Collection, ex Eliasberg/Simpson, realized $9,400
- Lot 250. 1C 1857 Flying Eagle. PCGS MS65+ CAC. Realized $18,213
- Lot 280. 1C 1907 PCGS PR67 RD. Realized $22,913
- Lot 311. 5C 1895 PCGS PR68. Realized $73,438
- Lot 342 5C 1942 TYII PCGS PR68 CAC $5,640.00
- Lot 348. H10C 1837 No Stars, Small Date. PCGS MS67+ CAC. Realized $36,425
- Lot 374. 10C 1942/1-D PCGS MS66+ FB CAC. Realized $73,438
- Lot 384. 25C 1806/5 PCGS MS64+ CAC. From the Pug Collection, realized $73,438
- Lot 412. 25C 1964-D PCGS MS68 CAC. Realized $27,025
- Lot 424. 50C 1873 Arrows. PCGS PR66 DCAM CAC. Realized $55,813
- Lot 493. $20 1857-S PCGS MS67 CAC “SUPERNOVA” from the S.S. Central America, realized $282,000
- Lot 531. $5 1904 PCGS PR67+ CAM CAC. Realized $102,813
- Lot 536. $10 1879-O PCGS AU55. Realized $36,425
- Lot 550. $10 1907 Wire Rim. PCGS MS65+ CAC. From the Pug Collection, realized $105,750
- Lot 605. 50C 1936-D Columbia. PCGS MS68+ CAC. Realized $15,863
- Lot 612. 50C 1921 Missouri 2X4. PCGS MS66+ CAC. Realized $31,725
“Right now, the market is starved for great, quality coins,” explained Laura Sperber. “Today, it does not matter if you are buying a $600 classic commemorative or the absolute finest graded Superb Gem rarity, you have to pay up for quality. This is especially true in this current two-tier market. Add to that PCGS has really tightened up, you know that prices for high end coins not only must go up, but actually are in venues like auctions.”
“Consignors rushed over to tell us how amazed their coins did in the sale, that they have already sent us coins for our June Regency Auction. After 32 Regency Auctions,” continued Julie Abrams, “buyers and sellers have come to expect consistently great coins and results from our small, boutique auctions, which offer top-quality and strictly vetted U.S. coins. During the two-day Regency Auction, yet again, neither side was left disappointed.”
Legend Rare Coin Auctions’ next Regency Auction, number 33, will be held on June 27 in Las Vegas. It will be a “do not miss” numismatic event! We’ll be posting highlights shortly. We will also be bringing highlights to the Baltimore Show.
Legend Rare Coin Auctions is a boutique numismatic auction company specializing in the finest and rarest U.S. coins. Founded in 2012 by Laura Sperber, the owner and president of Legend Numismatics, the premier rare coin retail firm. LRCA was, from the outset designed to be a different kind of rare coin auction firm. LRCA’s staff of numismatic auction industry veterans includes Julie Abrams, president; Greg Cohen, senior numismatist; and Jessica Berkman, consignment coordinator. The firm’s Regency Auctions serve as the official auction for the PCGS Members’ Shows, held six times per year. Since its founding, LRCA has sold many important collections, resulting in world-record prices, including the Coronet Collection of Morgan Dollars (#1 all-time PCGS set); the David Hall—Bob Simpson Collection of Liberty Head Eagles; the Sunnywood-Simpson Collection of Morgan Dollars; the Phil Flannagan Collection of Territorial Gold, Toned Dollars, and 1795 coins; duplicates from the Gerald Forsythe Collections of Buffalo Nickels and Mercury Dimes; the Bob Simpson Collection of Standard Silver Patterns; the Northern Lights Collection of Monster Toned Morgan Dollars; the Crow River Collections of Indian Head $10s and Peace Dollars; the P.F.M Collection (former #6 PCGS Set of Morgan Dollars with varieties); the Oak Crest Collection of Carson City $5 gold; the Konstantine Collection of Capped Bust Half Dollars, the #1 PCGS Set of Red Book varieties, 1807-1836. The firm’s impressive record also includes the 2nd highest APR in 2016 with the sale of Bob Simpson’s duplicate 1879 $20 “Quintuple Stella” which realized $1,880,000. To consign to an upcoming auction, visit www.legendauctions.com and contact a consignment specialist today.
May 22, 2019 | ICTA/NCBA, News
On Thursday, May 16, 2019, Kansas governor Laura Kelly signed into law House Bill 2140, which provides a sales-tax exemption on sales of gold and silver coins and on all gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion.
“The outcome is not everything we started with in the original bill, but certainly better than where we were,” said Dean Schmidt (Dean Schmidt Rare Coins). The late Diane Piret, ICTA’s director of legislative affairs, would agree. She always said, “It’s better to get a partial loaf than none. We can always come back for more.”
The dealer and collector communities, in conjunction with ICTA, put a tremendous amount of hard work into the grassroots campaign. Dean Schmidt championed the cause for the last three years, raising capital for the lobbyist and reimbursing ICTA’s expenses, getting the word out to the dealers and collectors, speaking all over the state at shows, sending out emails, attending meetings at the State House, and testifying in both the House and Senate. Many other dealers also attended and testified at House and Senate committee hearings, as well as financially contributing to the efforts: Jeremy Brakenhoff and Josh McCleary (Mass Metals/Ownx), Robin Tummons (The House of Stuart), Robert Dunlap (Equity Standard Numismatics of Kansas), and Rick Raines, representing the Johnson County Numismatic Society—a major financial contributor to the campaign. Several ICTA members and club members of JCNS attended committee hearings. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention past ICTA executive director Kathy McFadden’s helpful testimony in committee hearings last year, and the tremendous help of Pat Heller (Liberty Coin Service), ICTA’s traveling sales-tax exemption guru. Big thanks also go to Travis Lowe and Scott Heidner (Gaches, Braden & Associates), the lobbying firm that worked tirelessly on this legislation.
“Kansas now joins the 38 other states with a sales-tax exemption,” said chief operating officer David Crenshaw. “We thank Dean Schmidt for his continued perseverance and the tremendous support of everyone who helped make this exemption a reality.”
The bill was enrolled on Friday, May 10, and presented to Governor Kelly for her signature. The new law’s effective date is July 1, 2019.
May 19, 2019 | Auctions, News
Gold Rush Treasure “Supernova” Sinks Previous 1857-S $20 Record in Legend Rare Coins Auction
S.S. Central America’s Astonishing, Multi-Toned Double Eagle Sells for a record $282,000
The multi-color toned “Supernova” 1857-S Double Eagle recovered in 2014 from the “Ship of Gold” shipwreck of the S.S. Central America was sold for a record price of $282,000 by Legend Rare Coin Auctions. (Photo courtesy of Professional Coin Grading Service, www.PCGS.com.)
(New Orleans, Louisiana) May 18, 2019 – The spectacular 1857-S Double Eagle, recovered in 2014 from the fabled S.S. Central America and nicknamed “Supernova” because of its amazing, unique natural toning, set a record price for any 1857 San Francisco Mint $20 gold coin in a public auction conducted by Legend Rare Coin Auctions (www.LegendAuctions.com) in New Orleans, Louisiana, May 16, 2019.
Described by Legend President Laura Sperber as “the most beautifully and amazingly colorful toned gold coin we have ever seen!,” the sunken treasure Double Eagle, graded PCGS MS67, sold for $282,000.
“Because it has amazing blasts of colors, we named it Supernova after something truly cosmic,” explained Dwight Manley, managing partner of the California Gold Marketing Group (CGMG) which consigned the coin to Legend.
“The Supernova now is part of the Black Cat Collection, a world class set of coins being built exclusively by Legend. The collection’s owner adores the color and the romance of this coin because it is real California Gold Rush treasure that was recovered from more than 7,000 feet under the sea after 157 years,” explained Sperber.
The Supernova was among piles and stacks of coins that originally were in boxes of Double Eagles being shipped to New York by San Francisco businesses.
The previous record price for any 1857-S $20 gold piece sold at auction was $152,750 in 2014. That coin also was recovered from the S.S. Central America, the fabled “Ship of Gold” that sank in 1857.
There is only one finer 1857-S Double Eagle known, graded PCGS MS67+, that also was recovered from the S.S. Central America. It is still held by CGMG as part of a six-coin “Crème de la Crème” type set of the finest known San Francisco Mint Gold Rush-era gold coins assembled by Manley from Ship of Gold treasures brought up in 2014.
CGMG acquired all the sunken treasure brought up in 2014 from Ira Owen Kane, Receiver for Recovery Limited Partnership and Columbus Exploration, LLC in a court-approved transaction. CGMG earlier acquired all of the available treasure that was recovered in the late 1980s.
The S.S. Central America sank in a hurricane in September 1857 off the coast of North Carolina while carrying tons of California Gold Rush coins and gold ingots. There were 578 passengers and crew on board, but only 153 survived.
May 14, 2019 | News
On May 10,2019 two suspects, male and female, entered Willard Coin Exchange in Mansfield,Ohio and requested to see gold coins from a showcase. While the male suspect looked at the gold, the female browsed in the shop. Both suspects spoke in what was described as Spanish sounding language.
After looking at the gold coins the male suspect joined the female and they continued to walk throughout the shop. During this time, the store became busy and after the suspects left video footage showed the suspects gaining entry into the gold show case and removing over $60-70,000 in gold coins slabbed and raw.
Partial listing of stolen coins:
- 1808 US $5 Gold PCGS AU58 #36273582
- 1801 US $10 Gold PCGS AU details #35058963
- Misc US and Foreign gold raw (2×2’s) and slabbed
NCIC is reviewing the footage in an attempt to identify the suspects. The two suspects may have been traveling from shop to shop in the Ohio and surrounding States.
Anyone with information contact:
Doug Davis
817-723-7231
Doug@numismaticcrimes.org
May 10, 2019 | News
In a very rare opportunity, vintage coin board collector and dealer David W. Lange has negotiated the purchase of more than 400 antique coin boards from the 1930s and ’40s. Far from a random hoard, this collection represents many years of careful selection by a discriminating individual in the Midwest. It is from this source that Lange has dubbed the assemblage the “Midwest Collection.”
Included are pieces from all seven publishers of the original 11″ x 14″ coin boards that predated the folders widely used today. Even the very rare 1940 coin boards of New York City’s Gramercy Stamp Company are present. In a truly remarkable opportunity, the collection also features a single board from the exceedingly rare publisher Earl & Koehler of Portland, Oregon. To date, just over a dozen boards have surfaced of this obscure brand that was in production for just the single year of 1939.
Although many of the boards will be familiar to veteran collectors as among the more commonly seen brands and titles, the collection is particularly rich in “vendor stamped” boards that are highly prized for their historic associations. It was the practice of many retailers to rubber stamp or sticker coin boards with their name and address. Most such vendors were in the Upper Midwest, which was the home turf of the earliest coin boards after this product’s invention by Joseph K. Post in 1934. It was these inexpensive and widely distributed coin boards that put coin collecting on the map and made it an “everyman” hobby between 1935 and 1940. When the current coin series became too long to fit on a single-panel board, the more adaptable coin folders began to replace boards starting in 1939.
“I’m still going through these hundreds of pieces to determine which items are new varieties or upgrades to my own collection,” Lange observed. “I’m an eager collector of vendor stamps myself, as they have the local appeal that has attracted so many collectors of tokens and national bank notes.” The other boards will be placed first with those having want lists with Lange, while the remaining pieces will be included in future price lists. Lange has produced 40 such lists since 2008, and he sends these out along with his quarterly publication Coin Board News, which recently celebrated its 50th issue. In addition, he maintains a website devoted to vintage board collecting: coincollectingboards.com.
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The Midwest Collection is the second largest assemblage of coin boards that Lange has acquired in his nearly 40 years of searching for vintage pieces. Still the record holder is the Karl Manthei Collection that Lange purchased in 2006 on the eve of publishing his book, Coin Collecting Boards of the 1930s & 1940s: A Complete History, Catalog & Value Guide, which is available for purchase at his website.
WASHINGTON — The United States Mint (Mint) released the 2019 American Legion 100th Anniversary Proof Silver Dollar and American Veterans Silver Medal Set (product code 19CQ) on May 20 at noon EDT.
