Counterfeiters and Authenticators Do Battle
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Recently, I wrote a brief synopsis covering the evolution of counterfeit coins that I have witnessed since becoming a professional authenticator in 1972. To continue along this track, let's roll back the clock a few years and review some of the characteristics commonly seen on older struck counterfeits. |
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Opportunities for Collectors in a Generic-Oriented Market
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After I left what was, for me, a very productive Baltimore coin show, I was sitting in a restaurant at BWI airport, eating a crab cake. As I was finishing up, a dealer who I don’t know that well but who I respect for his knowledge and his connections came up and asked if he could join me before our respective flights left. As you can no doubt guess, our conversation almost immediately turned to the market.
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Cleaning Up Your Collection
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As I write this, there is a real disconnect in the coin market. Simply put, despite what is very probably the worst economic year since the height of the Depression, the coin market remains comparatively vibrant. I think this represents something that many collectors are overlooking: this could be a great opportunity to clean up some of the messes in your collection and come out without taking a nasty financial hit. |
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How to Determine What is a Crossover Note
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For me, a "crossover note" is any $1 Federal Reserve Note that exhibits an incorrect Face Plate Position Identification letter, number, or both. The FPP# is an essential security display point that is found in the upper left corner on the face of any $1 FRN. The FPP# contains a position letter plus a single-digit number.
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Coin Finds Come Not Only From Circulation
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Many of us dream about finding treasure or at least finding a great coin. In the 1950s almost every young collector had dreams of finding a 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent or 1916-D Mercury dime in circulation. Back then it was still possible although certainly unlikely.
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Early Russian Wire Money Considered Rare
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I must respond to Robert Krill's letter to the editor in the January issue of World Coin News. He asks, if the symbol on the 10th century Kiev coins is now the Ukrainian national emblem, should they not be considered the first Ukrainian coins? I have no problem with that point of view. He claimed that the contention that they are first "Russian" coins as inaccurate and propagandistic.
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Hunting for Coronet Gold $5s
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Coronet gold $5s seem like a tough series to collect when the economy is tight, as it is now, but difficult times actually mean there are a lot of reasons to look at these U.S. gold coins. Such coins represent a way to lock up some value and protect against losing it. They being made of gold also represent a store of value that may actually go up with time.
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Details Matter When Collecting Type Coins
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One of the most interesting aspects of numismatics is collecting type coins. In this endeavor, collectors naturally strive for the best coin that can be obtained. This also means, however, that such coins as the 1808 Quarter Eagle, a distinct type that was struck in just that one year, bring strong prices at public auction even when not in the highest grades.
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Prooflike Gold Coinage: A Look at an Evolving Market
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One of the newer promotions in the rare gold coin marketplace are coins that are Prooflike. NGC began designating Prooflike gold a few years ago (PCGS has yet to add this designation) and enough have been graded for a collector to get an appreciation of the relative rarity of these issues. What is a Prooflike gold coin, what is the market for these coins like and what does the future hold for Prooflike gold?
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Mongol-Issued Coins Kept with Islamic Norms
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I'd like to start this month with a discussion of the word "tamgha." The "gh" sound is supposed to be a gargle but you can go ahead and use a hard "g," no one will mind. Tamgha originally referred to tribal and family brands that Turks used on their livestock. |
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