Errors...How Much Fun is That?

I went to the coin show in Grapevine TX this last weekend. The usual dealers were there, and I got the chance to talk with some acquaintances that are well on their way to becoming friends. I didn't buy anything, but the show was definitely worthwhile for several reasons. I'll talk about one today, then add to my list over the next few days.
Several months ago I had the chance to meet Robert Wilharm, the noted expert on Error Coins from Irving TX. Nice Guy. VERRRRRY Knowledgeable.
I saw Robert Saturday at the show, and we had a chance to chat. While we were talking, a man came up to us carrying a stack of coins in flips.
"Just the man I wanted to see!!!"
The three of us shook hands, and he began talking to Robert. He'd bought some "scrap coins" for their silver content. Mercury Dimes for the most part. It seems that as he was going through them he found several coins that just didn't look right.
Two coins had repunched mint marks, and one had been struck through a layer of grease. Robert confirmed the errors, and I was reminded that no matter how old the coins, how bad the condition, what you pay for them, etc., etc., etc., you can still come up with interesting coins straight from circulation. I just wonder how many people looked at those dimes since 1935 and never noticed a thing!!!

Don't Leave Home Without It

Any time I get the chance to talk about Coin Collecting I take it. I've always considered coins "fine art for the common folk," and I have often discussed just that point with people I didn't even know. I'd love to be able to carry my coin collection with me, but as forgetful as I am (at least according to my wife and 13-year old daughter), I'm probably better off leaving my actual collection safely at home. But I have figured out a few ways to bring up coins in conversation without the risk of losing something valuable, and over the next few weeks I'll post something about some of those ideas.

One thing that I like to do is have an image or two of coins I enjoy with me. If I can display them somehow, people always seem to talk about them. For me it's especially fun if the coin is not one that is commonly circulated today.




The image of a coin on a keychain is one neat way to bring coins to the fore. This is especially fun with kids. And it's always best if you know some interesting trivia about the coin!

What I like about keychains is that they are appropriate everywhere. A t-shirt won't work in most office settings. But I need to pull out my keys half a dozen times a day. At the fast food restaurant or the local mega-mart...folks see my keychain. When I sit at a table at the library, I leave my keys on the table next to my books. Unobtrusive. But an effective way to get folks involved in the greatest hobby in the world. And for under Three Bucks, it's something I can enjoy even if nobody else is around.

Pennies on the Pavement

I've been having a pretty tough time with several things recently. Home, work, you name it. I got this in an e-mail today, and I thought I'd share it since it is coin related. I don't know the original author, but I don't think he'd mind.

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the home of her husband's employer.

My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. Her husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant one evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure.

How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of
this?

"Look at it," he said. "Read what it says."

She read the words, " United States of America .."

"No, not that. Read more."

"One cent?"

"No, turn it over."

"In God we Trust?"

"Yes!"

"And?"

"God is holy. God is faithful. Whenever I find a coin, I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him. Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray. I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!"

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. "Yes, God, I get the message!"

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient.

It made me think for a couple minutes. I hope it helps you, too.

More about Lincoln Cents at http://www.squidoo.com/lincolnpenny

That's-My-2-Cents
Art Haule

Coin Show This Weekend -- Woo-Hoo!

I enjoy going to coin shows. And this weekend there is going to be a show in Grapevine, TX. That's just 9.6 miles from my house! That's great news for me!
How do I prepare for a show? Before the show I will have decided what types of coins I will concentrate on. (This time it will be Lincoln Cents, Indian Head Cents and Mercury Dimes.) I read up on them so that I know what to look for, and I know if a dealer is being honest. They almost always are. The addage, "Read the book before you buy the coin," is great advice.

I like going to the shows early. If I get to the venue within the first half hour of the show's opening there are usually not many people there. The aisles are clear. The dealers are ready to sell, but don't have anyone to do business with yet. That's great because most of them are willing to chat.
I usually try to talk with dealers who are knowledgable and friendly. I talk about coins that I don't know very well. I tell them that I don't really know what I'm looking at, and they are almost always willing to spend some time with me. I'm amazed at the depth of knowledge that some of these dealers have! They usually don't make big sales with me, but you can be sure that I remember who it is that treats me well. And you can be sure that if they treat me well, they have a much better chance of getting future business from me.

What do I take with me?
1. A list of coins I am looking for.
2. A magnifying glass.
3. A pad on which I can take notes.
4. An attitude which says, "I don't have to buy anything here today." Too many people rush in and buy something from the first dealer they see, whether they want the coin or not. And too many people just can't walk out the door without a new coin in their pocket. The world will not end if you don't spend your money. Make wise decisions!

I promise, I'll try!

Thats-My-2-Cents
Art Haule
http://www.squidoo.com/icollectcoins
http://www.violinstudent.com/

Coin Book List Started! Is Your Favorite Here?

The adage in the coin sorld is "buy the book before you buy the coin." That's good advice! With any collectible you need to do your research before you buy the product. I'm starting to put together a list of coin books which can be found at Squidoo's Coin Books Lens. If the book is available on Amazon I'm including a link there as well. I hope to hear from collectors about books that I am not yet aware of so that I can add these to the list as well.

National Coin Week Challenge April 19-25

The American Numismatic Association has issued a challenge--
Find 5 coins related to Abraham Lincoln, submit your entry and be entered into a drawing in which you can win Lincoln-related prizes, including 1918 commemorative half-dollars featuring Lincoln, Civil War Fractional Currency, 2009 Lincoln commemorative silver dollars.
Information can be found at http://www.money.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NumismaticEvents/NationalCoinWeek/default.htm

By the way, don't forget the Lincoln Cent Information available at my Squidoo lens! http://www.squidoo.com/lincolnpenny

Sales Start for Puerto Rico Quarters Bags / Two-Roll Sets

I received this notification concerning sales of the Puerto Rico State Quarter this morning. I have noticed that many of the US Mint's products have been selling out quickly recently, so if you are accumulating these it would be a good idea for you to act early!

The reverse design features a view of the sea from a sentry box in Old San Juan. Pictured at right is the hibiscus, the official flower of Puerto Rico. The reverse was designed and sculpted by Joseph Menna.
The inscriptions read “Puerto Rico,” “Isla del Encanto” (which translates to English as "Island of Enchantment"), “E Pluribus Unum,” and the date.
Mintage:53,000,000-Philadelphia, 86,000,000-Denver.

I'm working on some updates for Squidoo coin lenses.
http://www.squidoo.com/buffalonickel
http://www.squidoo.com/kennedyhalfdollar
http://www.squidoo.com/icollectcoins

Lincoln Cent 2-Roll Set Sold Out

It appears that due to high demand for the two roll set of Lincoln Cents bearing the log cabin design, the coins have have already sold out!
The sets (which contained $1.00 face value in pennies) were priced at $8.95 plus $4.95 shipping and handling (a price which is well in line with other numismatic issues from the Mint). They were also subject to a five set per household limit. Despite these obstacles the coins sold out less than two weeks after their March 13, 2009 release.
With such a high demand for the Bicentennial Cents already having been demonstrated, I hope that the Mint will consider increasing production for the other three penny designs set to be released later in the year.

Just My Two Cents,
Art Haule
http://squidoo.com/newlincolnpenny

2009 Silver Quarters Proof Set from US Mint

I received this notification from the US Mint this evening. I include it for your consideration. If you're collecting the State Quarter series it's a great opportunity!


The United States Mint 2009 District of Columbia and U.S. Territories Quarters Silver Proof Set contains six new quarter-dollar coins honoring the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories, each struck in lustrous 90% silver. Enjoy the unique character of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands as portrayed on these beautiful works of art. These coins are a shining embodiment of the United States Mint’s commitment to quality and excellence. Click Here To Go To The US Mint Site.

Buried Treasure in the Back Yard!

About 6:30 last evening my doorbell rang. When I opened the door I found three neighborhood kids ranging in age from 4 to 8. My daughter was doing her homework, so I told them that Adriana couldn't play.

They didn't come for Adriana, they came for me.

"We were digging in our yard, and we knew you like coins, and . . . "

Out popped the older girl's hand. In it was an 1897 Indian Head Cent.

"What's this worth?"

It only took a momentary examination to see that the coin was nothing special numismatically. I questioned them about where they found it, figuring that it had come out of somebody's collection, but the story was consistent...even with the 4-year old. The coin was too clean to have popped right out of the ground, but they said they had washed it in water. Maybe it was true!

I pulled out a magnifying glass. We sat down and I began to talk with them. The boy was more interested in terrorizing our dog, but the girls sat quietly as I started to tell them about the coin. I talked about the designer. I told them about the obverse of the coin actually being based on the designer's daughter. I showed them the reverse, and told them about the design change on the back of the coin the second year it was minted. We talked for three or four minutes when . . .

Another knock at the door. More kids. They're a couple years older than the ones I already had in the house.

"We've been looking at the Internet and we found it!"

They announced that the coin was only worth a dollar. Pretty fair assessment, but it seemed to bother the little ones I already had in the house that they hadn't become wealthy finding hidden treasure! The older kids left.

I told them to take care of the coin. I told them that they were really lucky . . . I've never found an Indian Head Cent in my back yard! I told them to show their parents (they already had) and that if they found more I'd be glad to help them with their new treasures.

Then I considered breaking out my shovel at about three o'clock in the morning . . . they don't have a dog . . . so maybe if I'm really quiet . . . and I'm really lucky . . .

Art Haule
http://www.squidoo.com/indianheadpenny

Shiny Silver vs Dull Gray

I was at a Coin Show in Fort Worth, TX about a week ago. I was chatting with a dealer when a gentleman carrying a Whitman folder stepped up to the table. Since I was chatting rather than doing business, I stepped aside. But I remained at the table looking at some of the coins in the display case.

I wasn't really eavesdropping, but I listened to the conversation that ensued. The potential customer had begun thinking about the coins he had when he was a boy and dug through his possessions to locate the collection. He was amazed to find that one of his folders was almost complete. He brought the folder with him with the intention of filling in one or more of the empty slots.

He showed the dealer his collection. Mercury Dimes. Four empty slots. (I didn't pay close enough attention to hear what was missing.) From what I could see, the coins probably ranged in condition from Fine to one or two coins which may have approached AU, with the majority of coins toward the lower end of the scale.

As the dealer looked over the coins, the customer was amazed to find that the dealer had one of the missing coins prominently displayed in the case. A nice coin. MS-63. The customer asked to see the coin. As the dealer handed him the coin I noticed that he looked the coin over briefly. He didn't have any kind of magnifying glass. He looked at the obverse of the coin, never turning the flip over to look at the reverse. The dealer watched the customer closely, and didn't say a thing.

"How much?"

The dealer quoted him a price and the customer said that was within his price range.

Done deal? Nope!

"What are you trying to do with your collection?" asked the dealer. "What's your goal? Why are you collecting?"

The questions were asked very conversationally, and the customer indicated that he had enjoyed having coins when he was a boy. He thought it would be kind of nice to be able to "complete" the collection by "filling in" the empty slots.

The dealer began to talk to the customer. He was teaching as he went along. He described the grading process. He told the customer what he could expect in a coin which was graded MS-63. He lent the man a magnifying glass and told him how to look at the coin. The man turned the coin over and looked at the back of the coin. He turned the coin so that he could look at the coin from different angles, and he began to understand what he was seeing.

Then the dealer picked up another coin. Same date and mint mark. MS-60. "Look at this one, and tell me what you see. What is the difference?"

The customer looked carefully, but told the dealer that he really didn't notice much difference between the coins. Then he looked at another dime, this one an MS-40.

"What do you think of that coin?"

"It's pretty nice too. Just not as shiny"

Then the dealer began anew. He told the man that he would be glad to sell him any of the three coins. He told the customer that one of the things to think about was consistency within the collection. If he intended to begin upgrading the collection it would probably be very appropriate to invest in the coin with the higher grade. If he was simply "filling in slots" it may not really make sense to put the money into the better coin, especially since he really didn't notice the difference. In fact, if it were him, he'd probably purchase the MS-60 rather than the MS-63.

"You know, I often tell people to collect 'dull gray' rather than 'shiny silver.'" Make a decision based on what you want to do with the collection rather than just buying the "best" coin available. In fact, the 'dull gray' often has 'more character' than the 'shiny silver.'

The customer nodded, and said that the MS-40 really was more like the other coins in the book. But he really did want a 'nicer' coin. He put the MS-40 aside and looked at the two better coins. The price difference was almost $200.

"Think about it, I'll hold 'em both for you for 30 minutes. Go ahead and look around, I'll still be here."

The customer walked away, folder in hand, with the slot still unfilled.

"He'll be back," the dealer said to me. "He'll be a whole lot happier with the MS-60. It's a better match for his collection. And if he buys the MS-60 and comes into my shop next week wanting the higher grade, I'll give him credit against the new coin for what he paid for it."

The customer came back fifteen minutes later and made his purchase . . . the MS-60 rather than the MS-63. He walked away smiling, promising to "come by the shop" in a couple weeks to look at some other coins.

Good Teacher. Wise Dealer. Good business.

US Mint Announcement About the New Lincoln Cent

Recognizing the high demand for the New Lincoln Penny, the US Mint has decided to allow the public to buy the coins directly from the Mint. The coins will be made available in two roll sets. Each set will consist of one uncirculated roll of the cents from each of the two facilities making the coin, the mints in Philadelphia and Denver. The coin features the traditional obverse of the Victor D. Brenner bust of Abranam Lincoln with a reverse design entitled Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky. The design depicts a cabin representative of the one in which Abraham Lincoln was born. The coins were released February 12, 2009 in Hodgenville, Kentucky (Lincoln's birthplace), and have been very difficult for collectors to obtain ever since. Visit http://squidoo.com/newlincolnpenny for more information.

First Spouse Coin and Indian Head Cent Update

Got a promotional e-mail from the US Mint for the First Spouse Gold Coins for Anna Harrison. wife of President William Henry Harrison and grandmother of President Benjamin Harrison. An interesting point about Anna Harrison is that although she was First Lady under William Henry Harrison, she was detained by illness and did not go to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration. Her husband was taken ill, and died exactly thirty days after he was inaugurated. Anna Harrison never entered the White House as First Lady. She was the first woman who received a Presidential Widow Pension.

I'm also working on updates for several Squidoo lenses . . . most notably the Indian Head Cent lens at http://www.squidoo.com/indianheadcent .

Can't Ever Learn Enough!

The more you learn about a hobby the more fun it is . . . at least that's been my experience. And it seems that no matter how many times I read coin reference books I always learn more. I've decided to start upgrading my Lincoln Cent collection, and I'm returning to the book that I always go back to, David W. Lange's Complete Guide to Lincoln Cents.

This book is really complete in what it covers, although it ends with 1995. I'd love to see a new edition published.

This time I'm looking to fill in a few holes in the collection and to upgrade some of the coins in the teens.

The other thing that I want to do over the next few weeks is obtain several uncirculated rolls of the new Lincoln Cents. I'm not as pleased with the first of the series, depicting the cabin in Kentucky, as I am with the designs which will be coming out later this year, but I'm always excited to see a new design. I'm also looking forward to seeing the new design that will be minted starting in 2010.

http://squidoo.com/newlincolnpenny

http://squidoo.com/lincolnpenny