What I’m doing instead of watches…

airansun · Nov 5, 2021

After reading the discussions in recent threads about forum activity and market trends, I wanted to say what I’d moved on to, at least, for the moment.

I’ve spent time back in numismatics, where my collecting passion started decades ago. Years ago, I put together a collection of US Bust Half Dollars, from 1807 to 1839. I’ve added some things and extended the range a little of what I’d accumulated before.

A couple of things I’ve picked up recently.

A manually coined bust half:

A steam coined bust half:

Always wanted an Athenian owl, so I finally picked one up. Circa 440 to 404 BCE

I could not resist this political coin from a movement in 1844, on a large cent

I don’t know, but after this watch, I felt like I’d saturated myself.

I still wear it all the time.

I still check in here at OF almost every day. But, it’s true. I’m not as hot and bothered about watches. I still look, but…

So, now instead of studying dial variations, I’m studying die variations. Overtons for manually coined bust halves and Graham-Reivers for steam coined bust halves.

I’m going to go blind!

I hope you enjoyed the photos.

Nepomuceño · Nov 5, 2021

Ooooooh very nice. I have a whole tackle box from when I was younger filled with coins and paper notes 👍

airansun · Nov 5, 2021

When the US Mint first got a steam coining press, these were the first coins made.

Steam coinage made the coins much, much more uniform. It might take me ten minutes to identify the Overton die pairs for a manual press coin (screw press, four men) versus an hour or more working on the Graham-Reivers die pairs on a 1837 steam press coin. If I recall correctly, Great Britain had been steam coining since the 1780’s, when US stuff still looked primitive.

(Those are Mint adjustment marks on Liberty’s face. Blank planchets would be weighed; if too light, they’d be remelted; if too heavy, they’d be filed down to the correct weight and then coined, scars and all.)

JwRosenthal · Nov 5, 2021

This is fascinating, keep it coming!

I collected coins when I was a kid, nothing big- just silver coins I found in change, wheat pennies, worn out Buffalo nickels (which still surfaced in change back in the 80’s)- lots of early 20th century stuff. I have a few very nice turn off the century silver dollars and such, but nothing like this!

airansun · Nov 6, 2021

Then there’s speciality coinage stuff.

This cable lasted three weeks before going dead. The second attempt, in 1865, ended in failure before completion. The third attempt, in 1866, was the charm.

This one made me spend time researching:

Back when the quickest way to Coney Island was by ferry from lower Manhattan.

DaveK · Nov 6, 2021

I like those old skinny eagles.

If you grow weary of that lovely Rolex, feel encouraged to let me know 😀

pdxleaf · Nov 6, 2021

airansun
After reading the discussions in recent threads about forum activity and market trends, I wanted to say what I’d moved on to, at least, for the moment.

I’ve spent time back in numismatics, where my collecting passion started decades ago. Years ago, I put together a collection of US Bust Half Dollars, from 1807 to 1839. I’ve added some things and extended the range a little of what I’d accumulated before.

A couple of things I’ve picked up recently.

A manually coined bust half:

A steam coined bust half:

Always wanted an Athenian owl, so I finally picked one up. Circa 440 to 404 BCE

View attachment 1314019

I could not resist this political coin from a movement in 1844, on a large cent

I don’t know, but after this watch, I felt like I’d saturated myself.

I still wear it all the time.

I still check in here at OF almost every day. But, it’s true. I’m not as hot and bothered about watches. I still look, but…

So, now instead of studying dial variations, I’m studying die variations. Overtons for manually coined bust halves and Graham-Reivers for steam coined bust halves.

I’m going to go blind!

I hope you enjoyed the photos.

That is a screwy mint mark on the mercury dime. And the 1929 buffalo, would you explain what makes these unusual (at least compared to the other items in your collection)?

+1 on the keep it coming. This is a whole other level to coin collecting that I didn't know existed. Thanks.

airansun · Nov 6, 2021

pdxleaf
That is a screwy mint mark on the mercury dime.

What mint mark? It’s a Philadelphia, with no mint mark. (After I corrected my error!)

pdxleaf
And the 1929 buffalo, would you explain what makes these unusual (at least compared to the other items in your collection)?

One of the projects is to put together a mint set for a single year. I’m working on 1929 and 1916, among a couple of others. Here’s how far I’ve gotten with 1853:

Larry S · Nov 6, 2021

That Athenian coin is wicked cool. Were I to fall down this bunny hole, Mrs S would hang me.

pdxleaf · Nov 6, 2021

airansun
What mint mark? It’s a Philadelphia, with no mint mark. (After I corrected my error!)

The condition on these is amazing. Your photos make them look like sculptures (that they really are). Beautiful.

The thing I mistakenly called a mint mark is the circle here. Guess I haven't seen a mercury dime in awhile:

airansun · Nov 6, 2021

Those are the initials of the designer, Adolph Weinman, who also designed the Walking Half Dollar.

I’m trying to pick up only the most top condition coins, all in certification holders from one of the two most credible certification agencies. PCGS or NGC.

airansun · Nov 6, 2021

The holders are the safest way to proceed, but you don’t get to touch the coins. So, I try to pick up a couple of inexpensive, lesser grades. An in-hand comparison of a hand screw pressed coin and a later steam pressed coin.

The screw press was open collar and the legend Fifty Cents Or Half A Dollar was empressed on the edge before coining the obverse and reverse. The steam press was closed collar, which meant the planchet expanded into the reeded edge of the closed collar as it was struck.

airansun · Nov 6, 2021

Larry S
That Athenian coin is wicked cool. Were I to fall down this bunny hole, Mrs S would hang me.

$1,680, including buyer’s premium, at auction. Heritage Auctions (ha.com)

Here’s an older one, 465-455 BC.

This was about six hundred bucks more.

Far fewer of these early Fifth century owls were minted. By the second half of the Fifth century BC, Athens was at war and coined Attic silver like mad to pay for it, making those owls far more common.

So common that some of the circulated ones are found with small contemporary counterstamps, verifying the coin’s value, from as far away as Persia and India. Also the most counterfeited coin in the ancient world.

And still counterfeited as we speak, seen side by side with the good stuff, on sites like eBay.

I hear that coins never need service or unobtainable spare parts.

aangelsalazarr · Nov 6, 2021

the athenian owl looks so cool! seeing this post has reignited my interest in coins

fibonacci · Nov 6, 2021

Cool post. Coins are a rabbit hole I’ve been meaning to really go down when I get some time.

airansun
I’m trying to pick up only the most top condition coins, all in certification holders from one of the two most credible certification agencies. PCGS or NGC.

It will be interesting to see if similar certification services emerge for watches and what form they take.

JwRosenthal · Nov 6, 2021

fibonacci
It will be interesting to see if similar certification services emerge for watches and what form they take.

Unlike coins, or most any other collectible, watches are the Wild West when it comes to grading- totally subjective apparently- it drives me insane. In what other collectible can I repaint it, polish the shit out of it, replace parts, and grade it as “excellent”.

oddboy · Nov 7, 2021

well, https://speedmaster101.com/blog/sp101tpa/... dunno if this went any further than a few posts/blog entires, but the long form of Spacefruit's Speedmaster101 TPA would be helpful.

JwRosenthal · Nov 7, 2021

oddboy
well, https://speedmaster101.com/blog/sp101tpa/... dunno if this went any further than a few posts/blog entires, but the long form of Spacefruit's Speedmaster101 TPA would be helpful.

Yup, and his was the closest I’ve seen to a logical rating system.

What I’m doing instead of watches…

airansun

Nepomuceño

airansun

JwRosenthal

airansun

DaveK

pdxleaf

airansun

Larry S

pdxleaf

airansun

airansun

airansun

aangelsalazarr

fibonacci

JwRosenthal

oddboy

JwRosenthal

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