![[1902-O Morgan Dollar (c) 2007 Michael Parrish]](images/header_morgan.jpg)
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Future GoalsMy Collection Blog
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![[1998 Silver Britannia (c) 2007 Michael Parrish]](images/header_britannia.jpg)
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November 10, 2009: Don't jinx it |
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Hoping to have some good coin news soon. |
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November 09, 2009: Updated Core Want List |
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Just updating the want list to include a few birds on coins issues and next year's britannia.
Below are photos by the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus of the 2005 Almany Bogs coin I want.
 Want List (November 2009):: CORE SETS: Silver Britannias:
Birds on Coins:
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November 06, 2009: Wishful thinking |
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Will I add any coins to my collection in the remainder of the year? I don't know, honestly. The recession hit hard here and my priority right now is to avoid "th'impervious horrors of a lee shore" as Aubrey would have it. Well, perhaps that's not entirely right, because we're afloat, at least. To put it another way, I'm just in more of a saving rather than spending place right now. That said, there are a few coins I've had my eye on. Certainly, I want to pick up the annual 2009 mint set from the US mint. That's a given, since I need to keep my sets up to date and I'm too jaded to waste time looking through rolls for today's coins. Rather higher up on my list are two or three Belarusian coins, from their 'protection of the environment' series. While I already have the 2007 Thrush Nightingale (below, top-left), my specimen is a gorgeous Cu-Ni piece, and I'd like to add a silver one from that year (same design) Similarly, I've got a beautiful 2008 Great White Egret (below, top-right) in silver, and I'd like the complimentary piece in CuNi. Finally, this year's 2009 Greylag Goose (below, bottom) is on my want list in both silver and CuNi as well. I'd say the three designs make a lovely trio for the collection, no? 
 
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October 31, 2009: $#%^$%^ Recession |
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Nothing like a bloody recession to help you "focus on your core set". Bye bye. 
 
 
 
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April 27, 2009: Oh, for crying out loud! |
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I've been pursuing a pristine MS65 1943-P Walking Liberty Half Dollar for quite some time. One of my uncompromising criteria for the coin I'll ultimately buy is that the strike must be hammered, and the thumb must be full. Most coins of this date have a mushy thumb due to striking problems which is distracting, to say the least. My remaining criteria include: no distracting marks for the grade, good luster, and that the coin is 'white' with an original skin. That final requirement, by the way, is perfectly possible. Original (non-dipped) coins can and do occur from that period with no significant toning (I don't mind a little peripheral toning) So, check out this coin from eBay:  
At first, you think, "Wow, what a great strike!" That's the best thumb I've seen on one of these in months of searching. The strike is great on the obverse and reverse alike. Sure there's a little chatter in the fields and the rims look a little beat up at 3 o'clock (both sides), but I'm willing to give it the grade (MS65) in consideration of the strike alone. Now check out the date. Sigh... See that dark discoloration? That's dip corrosion. Someone dipped that poor coin at some point and improperly neutralized the acid. A little droplet got caught in the date and ate into the surface. To me, this coin is now ruined. Along with the corrosion spot (a crime on a coin with that strike!), I also suspect that the luster isn't quite what it could be, as a result of the dip job. It's not terrible. In fact, without the SPOT, I'd happily have added that coin to my collection (the buy it now price is quite fair), but I've committed to a certain quality in this coin. This is a situation where I have made an a priori decision to define an empty slot in my collection carefully - and stick to it. I will not compromise on this coin. Sometimes, having tough personal standards for a collection means passing up pretty nice coins - and this coin is indeed pretty nice - when they just don't quite meet those standards. To comfort myself, I'm now thinking about how nice this set will be and how proud I'll be that I maintained a high standard for it. It's tough, though, sometimes... Think I'm being silly about the thumb thing? I invite you to compare these two images then. On the left is the NGC MS65 coin from above, in an NGC modern holder (the recent slab generation just prior to the awful new prong holders). On the right is a PCGS MS65 coin in an old "Doily" holder (Q: Hey, aren't old slabs supposed to be undergraded? A: Not always!). Judge for yourself if I'm being overly obsessed with thumbs as indicators of strike.  |
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March 30, 2009: Latest Acquisition - 1918 Canadian George V Large Cent |
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I broke one of my rules the other day. I bought something that wasn't on my want list. Well, maybe it was kind of on my 'mental want list' - but I saw it on the PCGS world forum, I liked it, I could afford it (heck it was under $10), and dangit...I bought it. I've always had a soft spot for the Canadian large cents and this afternoon, I got my first one in the mail. 
(Photo courtesy 'Blackhawk,' PCGS forum member and seller)
Canadian large cents were minted starting in 1858, when Queen Victoria was gracing the obverse. Then, from 1902-1910, came the Edward VII cents, and in 1911 King George V appeared and wound up the series in 1920, when they transitioned to the small cents. My coin is one of the later, common date George V coins from 1918. I've always admired the elegantly designed reverse on these coins. I think that the oak leaf wreath contained within the beading is just lovely. It's natural and organic, and certainly a classical touch. The legend, "ONE CENT CANADA (bar) 1918" is simple and doesn't clutter things up - I even like the serifed lettering. Then, on the obverse, you find King George V, sitting proudly with his uber-kingly crown and that fantastic 'stache. Cap it off (on this coin) with just a nice touch of luster mingled with some great woodgrain from when the planchet metal was mixed, and I think that anyone would say this is an attractive coin. If you like the series too, you've got to check out the Tribute to the collection of Norm Pullen, widely considered to be the finest ever assembled. |
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March 12, 2009: Latest Acquisition - 2009 Silver Britannia, PCGS MS69! |
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She just arrived. There are few things more satisfying in coin collecting than adding a much-desired coin to a set you've been working very hard to complete. My silver britannia business strike set is tantalizingly close to completion - has been for 2 years - but the remaining pea under the mattress is the 2007 MS69. This latest addition to the set is the 2009 PCGS MS69, which was worrying me lest I suddenly find myself two coins down in the count instead of just one. This latest member to join my Silver Britannias in MS69 (1998-date) Set boasts a repeat design - unusual for an odd-year in this series. For most of the series, novel designs were released in odd-years (starting in 1997), and a fall-back design of 'Standing Britannia' was the usual issue for even-years. Since 2007, however, the Royal Mint has seemed a bit confused or indecisive about what direction they wish to take the silver Britannia series in. In 2007, the RM seemingly abandoned sculptor Philip Nathan, who had previously designed the reverses for each of the issues from 1997-2006. The assignment for the 2007 reverse was given to Christopher Le Brun and the 2008 reverse was the responsibility of John Bergdahl (see Bergdahl designing the 2008 Britannia). This year's issue, as I said, unexpectedly reused Nathan's 'Britannia in her Chariot' motif, likening Britannia to Queen Boudica - a design previously used for the 1997 proof-only and 1999 BU-only issues. By the way, the obverse portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (4th portrait; 1998-date) was designed by Ian Rank-Broadley in 1997. So, how's the coin? I love the design, for starters. I think it is a classic; it certainly has immense drama and a sense of action. I'm a trifle disappointed that the RM didn't see fit to let Nathan sculpt a new design for 2009, though. I'm sure there's a story rife with drama and controversy behind the RM's decision to reuse the design. Still, taking the coin on it's own merits, I think the design still works. I just wish it was a little more fresh. I'm willing to bet that Nathan still has some great designs left in that brain of his. With regards to quality, I think perhaps PCGS's standards for this coin are a bit lacking. Is it a MS69? Yes, I think so. Is it a top-end MS69 (like, for example, my 2008 Britannia, which benefited from my large pool of candidate slabbed coins)? Perhaps not. The cheek shows some minor textural flaws and there are a few minor spots on the fields, primarily the obverse. The photo accentuates them more than they would really appear in-hand. There is an apparent 'spot' on the neck, which is on the slab, not the coin. Overall, the coin is sufficient to merit the grade, I believe, but I wouldn't call it high-end for the grade. It's still a pretty coin, don't get me wrong. When you start accumulating so many comparable coins in the same grade, you're bound to start seeing some minor variation in grading standards between them, no matter which TPG is responsible for the label in the slab. If another coin ever comes up, I might consider picking it up as a minor upgrade, but I'm not going to go out of my way to do so, nor will I pay out the nose for said coin. 2009 PCGS MS69 Silver Britannia 
Want List (March 2009):: CORE SETS: Silver Britannias:
Birds on Coins:
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February 28, 2009: A New Addition - 2009 Silver Britannia, PCGS MS69! |
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It's been a long time since I've bought a coin. Since October, 2008, actually! Wow, I didn't realize it's been quite so long. My life these last months has been subject to those twin evils of Too Busy and Too Poor. Yes, the dread economic downturn caught me in grad school, so times are tough. We'll persevere, have no fear. This evening, I found a very welcome PM in my box over at PCGS, one that I hadn't truely dared hope for: a friend had done well on a submission and was offering me a 2009 PCGS MS69 Silver Britannia, and at a friend's price to boot! What a wonderful way to end a month that has otherwise been not so great. I'm very relieved to be able to add this coin to my Silver Britannias in MS69 (1998-date) Set (it should be here in a few weeks) and when it gets here, I'll photograph it for the 1 or 2 readers who occasionally stop by ;-) As I said, cash is tight these days, but I have been keeping an eye out for that 2009 kook I want. I've seen a few come up on eBay, but I'm going to wait a bit and see if I can catch the price a little lower, or at least catch it when I've got $30-35 I can spend relatively guilt-free. Oh, the joys of being a poor grad student. One day, I'll laugh about all of this penny pinching...provided there's any economy left after Washington finishes with it! (touch wood) Want List (February 2009):: CORE SETS: Silver Britannias:
Birds on Coins:
SECONDARY SETS: See January 4, 2009 post |
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January 9, 2009: Silver Britannia Set - 2008 Best in Category, NGC Registry |
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At the risk of tooting my own horn, I thought I'd mention that my silver Britannia registry set won the award for 2008 Best in Category over at the NGC Registry. Now, I'll grant that this category only has three sets in it (being a new category), but I think that my set would still be a contender with more entries. The remaining coin (2007 MS69) is out there, and I will continue to look for it (as well as a 2009). In the meantime, I'm grateful for the honor; I've worked hard building that set. Thanks, NGC! As an aside, I just noticed that the new 2009 Silver Britannias are now starting to be offered (pre-sale) on eBay. |
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January 4, 2009: Year in Review |
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I titled this entry 'Year in Review' because in it, I'll be discussing two variations on that theme: I'll review how well I accomplished by collecting goals in 2008 and I'll outline my goals for the upcoming year, 2009. First: 2008 Looking back at my original goals for 2008 (see post: 'January, 2008' below), my overarching goals were (a) to consolidate my coins from a mish-mash of 'what I liked' into rigidly-defined sets and (b) to limit my collecting endeavors (and expendatures) to coins which would bring me closer to completing those sets. The core sets I decided to work on were: Silver Britannias in MS69 (1998-date), 20th Century US Type, and Lincoln Cents (1909-date; business strikes). These sets were intended to receive the majority of my search efforts, energy, and funds. I also decided to work on several secondary sets, which were meant to be easier and cheaper to add to, in order to keep my attention when core set purchases were more spaced out due to cost or scarcity. The secondary sets consisted of: Favourite British Coins (1800-date), Jefferson Nickels (1938-date; business strikes), and Birds on Coins. Most coins which did not fit into the sets above were sold or will be sold. My core sets progressed nicely in 2008. I needed quite a few Silver Britannias (1998, 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2008) and over the course of the year, I've added all except the 2007 to my collection. The Britannia set is currently the top set on the NGC registry. My 20th Century Type Set will continue to be a work in progress, but I successfully added some lovely examples of the silver Jefferson Nickel and Mercury Dime, both 1943-P coins. As a tangent to the 20th century type set, I'm putting together a 1943-P MS set, which has run into a stumbling block with the Walking Liberty half which only time or money will solve. My Lincoln Cents didn't grow much, mainly because I just haven't had the spare cash to buy the easy ($30-40) coins. I did happen to pick up one new cent - a decent 1914-S cent in 2008. I'm currently down to just 10 wheats and 1 memorial cent (not counting the upcoming 2009 cents). My secondary sets were a source of enjoyment all year. They provided a break from the rigidly-defined core sets and gave me a chance to play a little. The Jefferson Nickels Dansco album got a lot of new additions and benefitted greatly from a free checking account I opened which allowed me the free use of a CoinStar counting machine. Oddly, the coolest coin I found while working on that set was a 1893 Liberty Head Nickel mixed up in the Jeffersons. I'm sorry to say that Favourite British Coins, while still remaining 'favourites' did not receive a single new coin in 2008. I just didn't have the funds necessary to add coins of the caliber I want to (one day) collect. I'll continue to research them in the meantime. My Birds on Coins Set is continuing to evolve. I'm not sure how exactly I want to progress with the set definition. In the meantime, I added several very pretty coins to the set in 2008, including a couple of beautiful Belarusian designs. This Year: 2009 In the upcoming year, I am anticipating that my coin fund will be somewhat smaller than last year. My goal is to further tighten my collection's belt, with a strong focus on building core sets and less attention on paid to additions to secondary sets. My core sets will be redefined as Silver Britannias in MS69 (1998-date) and Birds on Coins to some extent. My core sets will continue to be actively sought out, but my secondary sets - Lincoln Cents (1909-date; business strikes), Favourite British Coins (1800-date), 20th Century US Type, and Jefferson Nickels (1938-date; business strikes) - will be necessarily placed somewhat on the back burner until I get a little more fun money to spend. I'm down to only two Silver Britannias in MS69 - the 2007 and this year's upcoming 2009 issue. The 2007 has proven to be darn near impossible to locate, but I've leaned that at least 30 NGC MS69s exist, so they're out there...I just have to find them. Hopefully, lots of 2009s will be graded and I'll locate one sooner or later. I'm really getting excited about building my Birds on Coins set. I'm undecided about trying to stay with precious metals, or adding in the occasional base metal coin. I will likely continue with a mixture of the two, but I'm going to make an attempt to stay away from cheapie coins and collect mainly uncirculated and proof issues. I've considered the possiblity of starting a set of MS69 Australian Kookaburras (1992-date) Silver Dollar (1 oz) coins as an extension of the Birds set. Time will tell. This is the only core set without rigidly-defined coins. The 20th Century Type Set will hopefully improve a little in 2009. I will focus on finishing the 1943-P set and may possibly work on 1951 and 1982 sets. If I see a can't-pass-it-by Liberty Head Nickel, I'll pick it up. This set probably won't get much more attention than that this year. My Lincoln cent, Jefferson nickel, and British Favourites sets will continue as in 2008, probably with little progress, honestly. I just don't have the time or money at this point to attack them with fervor. If I see something completely wonderful for them, however, I might pick it up. Overall, in 2009, my main goal is simply to tread water. I want to keep things organized, maybe add a few coins that I strongly desire, but otherwise leave things at status quo. I wish I could devote more resources to the collection, but unless things change, I'm not seeing that happen right now. Below is my updated want list for 2009, listing the coins I am 'allowed' to buy this year. Want List (January 2009):: CORE SETS: Silver Britannias:
Birds on Coins:
SECONDARY SETS: Lincolns:
20th Century Type:
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