| 2003
| ScrapBook
Subjects
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Page
Index
Links
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Link:
From Colorado To Australia
Link:
The First Of Two Reverse CUDs
Link:
[ I Try To Learn Something New Every Day ]
Link:
A Top Drawer Con$ept Collection
Link:
Few Con$ept Errors Survive
Link:
Always Some Idiot!
Link:
[ A Time Of Change ]
Link:
This Time It Was My Turn!
Link:
[ Speaking of Talent... ]
Link:
Five Legs Are Better Than Three
Link:
[ Watching Talent Manifest Itself ]
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Enlargement scans available on WWW and ScrapBook CD-ROM.
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| 6/30
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From Colorado To Australia
eBay item 3032506482 (Ends Jul-05-03 14:50:45 PDT) -
Gallery Mint 1999 A.N.A. Seminar Medal
This is a Medal struck by the Gallery Mint Museum at the American
Numismatic Association's 1999 Summer Seminar. Ron Landis produced
dies whose types copy the Didrachm of Athens from about 470 BC, with
a helmeted bust of Athena on the obverse, and Athena's Owl on the
reverse, with reverse inscriptions specifically for the A.N.A.'s 1999
Summer Seminar. These are struck in Pure Silver, and were actually
struck on the grounds of Colorado College during the week of the
seminar. They came in two different finishes, Bright White (as Struck),
or Antiqued. This is a Gorgeous White example! The piece measures
approximately 17 millimeters in diameter, and weighs 8.5 grams.
classiccoins, Denver, Colorado...
Wednesday, Jun-25-03 14:50:45PDT
eBay item 3032893833 (Ends Jul-04-03 22:22:27 PDT) -
A.N.A. 1999 Didrachm.
This is a medal struck in silver by the Gallery Mint Museum for the
1999 ANA Summer Seminar. It is in the form of an Ancient Greek AR
Didrachm. Obverse shows Athena in a crested helmet. Reverse features
the Owl with ANA in place of the AOE. Mintage was only 600 pieces so
this one is pretty scarce. It is in as struck condition. owls-house
[senayo@bigpond.com], New South Wales, Australia...
Friday, Jun-27-03 22:22:27PDT
I was going to title this
Landis Down Under
but I figured folks might miss the obscure reference to one of my
favorite movies staring Tom Selleck. I thought this was way COOL when
I found this medal (on the right above) being offered by an eBay Seller
in Australia. It is noteworthy that the Colorado specimen went begging
at $18 while the Australia specimen brought almost double that amount.
Perhaps the purchaser liked the patina that Ron added to a portion of
this medallic issue.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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| 6/29
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The First Of Two Reverse CUDs
eBay item 3032452523 (Ends Jul-02-03 09:33:05 PDT) -
1793 Off Center Gallery mint Cent MS65+ RED.
This off center Gallery mint Cent is gem and 100% RED all the way.
top$paid... Wednesday, Jun-25-03 09:33:05PDT
This CUDed 1793 cent reverse die (the single CUD shown above and here
on the left) is an earlier die state of the same reverse die (the
double CUD shown here on the right) which we saw used in
Link:Here's The Twist! It is really nice
to see specimens from progressive die states which result from die
damage whether the specimens are natural production errors or
purposeful pièces de caprice.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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I Try To Learn Something New Every Day
As I browse through hyperspace I often encounter webpages where the
author has done something different than the simple HTML features I
regularly use. I often dig around to see how the new feature was
accomplished and if it is complicated I ignore it. In this case I
found a nice way to provide a long list of reference links without
using up space with a large table. This doesn't work any "better" but
it does conserve space and is new and different to the ol' FatMan.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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| 6/8
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A Philip Barnhart photograph.
Click for
Enlargement on CD-ROM
Click for
SUPER SIZED
enlargement on CD-ROM
Thickness: "N"-Normal ... "P"- Piedfort (double)
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Row 1:
95Brass"N",
95Silver"N",
95Copper"N",
95Brass"N",
97Nickel GMM Hobo Token,
98Pewter ANA Portland Convention Token and
98Pewter ANA Summer Seminar Token
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Row 2:
98Brass"N",
98Silver"N",
98Copper"N",
98Brass"N",
(94)Brass Peace Token and
(95)Copper Peace Token
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Row 3:
00Brass"N" Flowing Hair,
00Brass"N" 11-Ray SOL,
00Brass"N" 13-Ray SOL and
00Brass"P" 3/4 Liberty.
Planchets...
95Brass"N" Type1 and
95Brass"N" Type2 Scrolled Edge
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Row 4:
00Brass"P" Flowing Hair and
00Brass"P" SOL.
Planchets...
95Brass"N"
Type2 "E PLURIBUS UNUM" edge,
95Brass"N" Type2 Moon&Stars edge and
00Brass"P" Type1
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A Top Drawer Con$ept Collection
This wonderful collection of GMM Concept Dollars and related specimens
really speaks for itself... it certainly is one of the top few of its kind
in the nation. It has several pieces I don't own and is only missing a few
of the ones I do have in my midden heap. Overall a realy superb collection!
Thanks for sharing this with us Phil!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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| 6/6
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A Philip Barnhart photograph.
Click for
Enlargement on CD-ROM
2000
13-ray Statue Of Liberty Piedfort Con$ept Dollar
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Few Con$ept Errors Survive
eBay item 3029066974 (Ends Jun-12-03 22:16:15PDT) -
Unique Trial Strike of Gallery Mint Concept $.
This is a trial strike on a piedfort planchet - done to adjust the
press before striking. This is the Statue of Liberty version and
extremely rare. The Concept Dollar pattern errors are difficult to
locate - since these were used to promote the concept of a new
dollar coin few errors survive. dlrguy... Thursday, Jun-05-03
22:16:15PDT
While this error strike certainly isn't terribly attractive it is both
rare and desirable. This isn't a pièce de caprice. I always
prefer natural production specimens to special order strikes myself.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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| 5/18
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Always Some Idiot!
eBay item 3025078676 (Ends May-17-03 08:38:31PDT) -
1796 GOLD $2 1/2 AND $5 COINS USA.
These two gold USA coins both are from the "Gallery Mint" however,
the $5 someone tried to remove the word "COPY" (always some idiot)
the other one is fine. The Gallery Mint sells the $2 1/2 for $90 and
the $5 for $185 so there is $275 total here by gallery mint prices.
Jacqueline... May-16-03 19:54:33PDT
These two specimens were only listed on eBay for about 12 hours before
the Seller curtailed the offering.
I can't believe that somebody would do this to such an expensive gold
recreation. Surely they didn't really believe that they could "convert"
this recreation into a specimen that they could pass for an original
1796 $5 gold piece. They must have had no clue that this piece wasn't
a cheap pot-metal knockoff. It is a shame to see such a lovely Landis
creation defaced but... such is life!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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A Time Of Change
My WundervolleFrau knows three things about tokens, medals and coins;
1) they are generally round, 2) they cost lots of money and 3) they
cost LOTS of money. Oh yeah... she also knows that they are a consuming
interest of mine. The other day she wandered into my inner sanctum and
presented me with one of her "woman's magazines" where she had stumbled
across an article she thought I might enjoy.
Not only did I enjoy it but I feel certain you folks will also... it
would definitely be worth your time to look up in your local public
library. The article is a time of change: Colonial Coins
by Kirsten Rohrs and was published in Colonial Homes - February
1997. If you are reading this from a ScrapBook CD-ROM then here
are the five pages;
Links: Page
66,
67,
68,
69 and
97 that have ten composite color
photographs which are exceptionally well done and were described as
follows;
1) During the 1600's, Spanish eight reales often were broken
into "pieces-of-eight" to make small change. The smaller companion
four reales coin was seldom cut.
2) A group of silver and copper foreign coins, minted abroad
specifically for the Colonial market, date between 1670 and 1767.
3) Minted by individual colonies, these coins date between
1652 and 1787.
4) Captains of ships along the east coast often smuggled
18th- and early 19th-century English and European gold coins into
the colonies.
5) A 1750 conversion table by Boston silversmith Nathaniel Hurd
identified coins and their equivalent values in Massachusetts coins.
6) In 1787 the Continental Congress issued the first national
coin, the copper "fugio." Stamped with 13 linked rings and the motto
"We Are One," it symbolized the united colonies.
7) A rare 1787 gold Brasher doubloon struck by Ephraim Brasher,
a silversmith, is one of only seven known to survive. (photo shown
below)
8) A group of gold, silver, brass, and copper coins, dating
between 1783 and the late 1820s, portray George Washington in various
poses, from president to laurel-crowned emperor.
9) Gold and silver Spanish coins, widely circulated in the
colonies, were minted in Mexico and South America between 1650 and 1750.
10) On July 13, 1792, the first coins were struck at the
Philadelphia mint from silver provided by President George Washington.
These early silver and copper dollars, quarters, half dimes, and cents
date between 1792 and 1796.
I didn't attempt to reproduce absolutely all the text that came with
these excellent photographs but I captured the most germaine portions
so that you get some idea of what was being shown in each case. They
are really great photographs! I did not make any effort to provide
here any portion of the text of the article itself. For that you really
need to track down a copy of Colonial Homes - February 1997.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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| 5/6
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Click for
Obverse or
Reverse
enlargement on CD-ROM
1998
Lady Liberty Con$ept Struck Over 1980-D SBA Dollar
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This Time It Was My Turn!
Over the last few years my corresponding friends Cliff Bolling and
Mike Wallace have both written me and told me that I had a particular
specimen in my collection that I had forgotten about. Let me tell you...
that is both humbling and mortifying.
When Ron Landis told me that he had struck a SBA dollar with his 1998
Con$ept dies I immediately contacted the numismatist that Ron told me had
the specimen. The reply I got... paraphrased considerably ...was something
to the effect of: "Senator... I have no recollection of that!"
Yesterday I got an EMail that informed me that he had found the SBA$
while searching for something else that he still can't find... which
sounds about how my days usually go. Anyway... this time I had learned
something about another person's collection that they had lost track
of themselves. I'm not the only person to have that problem obviously.
He then went on to tell me that hiding with the SBA$ was the 2000 SOL
Con$ept shown below... which he also didn't know he had as I understand
it. What is special here is that it is the scarcer of the three 2000 SOL
Con$ept varieties. It isn't the common piedfort (double thickness)
thirteen sun rays issue struck for GMM's collector community. It isn't the
scarce normal thickness thirteen sun rays "Congressional" issue. Instead...
it is the very scarce normal thickness eleven sun rays "Media" issue.
If it had been me thrashing around in my midden heap... this found piece
would have been the common garden variety piedfort piece... you can put
your money on that!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
Click for
Obverse or
Reverse
enlargement on CD-ROM
2000
11-ray Statue Of Liberty Con$ept
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Speaking of Talent...
Here are scans of Mike's punch, lengthwise and face, along with the
first strike on a dollar you may want to experiment on positioning
to get a clean read. Also, if you need to you can grind some of the
face of the punch to keep from punching the rectangle when you strike
the punch. It's made from a 3/4 inch cold chisel, so it has quite a
hard face and I don't think you will ever be able to bend it. It took
quite a while for me to finish it, but its done and it looks great!
Joe Paonessa...Thursday, May 01, 2003 7:28PM
I have several reasons for wanting this punch made. I thought it
would just simply be fun to strike some coins (as you can see it
doesn't take much for me to have fun.) I plan to give some to friends
as well as place some of the counterstruck coins in circulation to
promote my website. Hopefully many "non-collectors" will be curious
enough to access my website and be introduced to the fascinating
hobby of numismatics. Also, among the many things that I collect is
exonumia, including counterstamped coins. This punch will connect
my love for small size dollars with collecting counterstamps. If I
can create a small collectible with these counterstamps, that will
be great. These coins will still be around long after I'm gone.
Mike Wallace...Sunday, May 04, 2003 7:20AM
I asked Joe how the heck he got the
Link:www.smalldollars.com
punched on the side of the punch itself and he replied:
Ahh... the punch mark on the punch riddle! A case worthy of
Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys. How did he do it? Slight of hand?
Quickness of hammer? Space aliens? Actually, the punch was made by
engraving a positive image into another piece of metal and more or
less using that as a hub to make the reverse image on the punch.
Since my equipment was set up to engrave the design reading properly,
I just put the punch on the engraving table and engraved the design
into it. Also, if you look to the opposite end of the punch, you will
see a small circle which is my monogram punch.
Joe Paonessa...Friday, May 02, 2003 6:08AM
This
Link:www.smalldollars.com
punch project started last month when Joe created the ground down
nickel shown below... here is what Joe had to say about his test piece:
Attached is a scan of some test cuts for the punch I did on a smoothed
down nickel. The shape of the letters on the outside two remind me of
the type"1" Bicentennial Dollar... kinda wide and flat. I think that
the cutter I used had a little too wide of a point so I will grind
another bit that has a sharper angle. I think that should make a little
better punch.
Joe Paonessa...Wednesday, April 16, 2003 6:44PM
I know Joe isn't making money on his various projects but he sure
is gaining an education while showcasing his fantastic talent and
improving capabilities!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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| 5/1
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Five Legs Are Better Than Three
Ron told me he carved a total of seven of these five legged buffalo
nickels several years back for friends and patrons of GMM. They were
done just for the fun of it and Ron had a shaggy-dog story that went
along with them when he passed them out. Unfortunately that yarn got
lost over time and nobody recalls the details at this late juncture.
This seems like a nice time to show you Ron's recent unintentional
error that resulted from attempting to grind/polish out clashed die
marks from his 2003 HoboToken Buffalo die. As I mentioned last week...
history repeated itself and there is now another three-legger to
collect. There were only 75 of these pieces struck so they will be
difficult to obtain for your collection.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
Click for
Expanded View on CD-ROM
Closeup
Of Three Legged Buffalo GMM Hobo Token
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Watching Talent Manifest Itself
Joe Paonessa... nickel carver extraordinaire ...has wandered afield
to experiment in die making. Shown here are medieval style tokens he
created from his first experimental dies. Joe told me that... given
the necessary time ...he would like to join a local Society of
Creative Anachronism group and become their moneyer. His research
indicates that SCA moneyers are few and far between.
The obverse legend...
PAX PROBISCUM
...is "Peace Be With You", except I spelled it the way I had always
heard it. After I cut the die I looked it up and it should have been
PAX VOBISCUM. Oh well, I can always say it was in my grandfather's
dialect from Catanzaro. I read the obverse legend as "PAX
PRO BISCUM" which became "Peace Before (something)" because I couldn't
figure out what BISCUM was.
The reverse legend...
CIVITAS RACINE WI
...is "City Of Racine WI". Well... I guess when you know which letter
to start with it becomes pretty easy. The next die will have a starting
character that is non-alphabetical and maybe dots separating the words.
That was used on occasion in the old days.
Joe Paonessa...Tuesday, April 29, 2003 5:49PM
I never would have guessed the reverse legend because... as Joe
observed ...I couldn't figure out where to start reading.
Since this was Joe's first venture off into the area of striking tokens
I asked him for details on how he accomplished the task. Here is what
he told me:
I don't have a screw press... I set the lower die on a 25# block of
steel, place the blank on that, hold the upper die on top of the blank
and then whack it with a 4# mallet. At first I was using a 15# dumbbell
to strike, but it seems that the handle on the mallet actually gives
better control and the multiplication factor for the extra length makes
for a nice strike. The pennies were heated to glowing orange and quenched
in water to anneal before striking, but they still took several hammer
blows to bring up the detail. I have one that was struck with the upper
die at a slight angle and the new design is sharp on the right, fades in
the middle and Lincoln is clear on the left. It looks pretty cool. If I
can find the time this summer, I have an idea for a drop hammer that
might allow me to strike different metals or larger designs.
Joe Paonessa...Saturday, April 26, 2003 5:39PM
If you are reading this SBsubject from a GMM ScrapBook CD-ROM then you
can see Joe's "stage1" tokens compared to his "stage2" tokens with these
Link:
Pewter and
Copper scans.
All this "stage1/stage2" terminology means is that Joe did additional
engraving work on his dies before striking the second tokens. It is nice
to see these sort of "in process" die trial strikes... pieces that usually
end up in the trashcan. Thanks Joe!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
Click for
Enlargement on CD-ROM
Uniface
Early Die Trials for Denier #1
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When I read the part about the die stages being available on the CD
version, I thought I'd send you a scan of two more early trial strikes,
before the text was added. The Fleur-De-Lis (left)
is struck on lead, a .451 round ball from my percussion revolver to be
exact. The Cross (right)
is struck on pewter.
Joe Paonessa...Tuesday, April 29, 2003 8:43PM
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