| 2003
| ScrapBook
Subjects
|
Page
Index
Links
|
Link:
Your Support Is Needed Now!
Link:
Original Landis Designs ...BUT...
Link:
[ Well Worth The Investment ]
Link:
A horse is a horse, of course, of course
Link:
Presented by Monaco Financial, LLC
Link:
'In God We Trust' Pattern Con$ept
Link:
Scarce As Hen's Teeth
Link:
Two Windjammer Obverse Dies!
Link:
[ ...but it's not in me! ]
|
|
Enlargement scans available on WWW and ScrapBook CD-ROM.
|
|
|
Your Support Is Needed Now!
|
Please support the Gallery Mint Museum project ASAP!
I received a copy of the Gallery Mint Museum Collector's update
today in the mail. Contained in the issue was an immediate plea
to help fund the creation of the museum through the purchase of
any current products. I've typed the plea from the issue below.
Please consider immediately purchasing something from them to
assist in the creation of the museum. They just finished working
on their newest creation, a reproduction of the 1792 Birch Cent.
They also have available a musical CD of their band, The Doe
Brothers, titled "Rolling in the Doe." In between they have a
variety of offerings to fit anyone's budget. Your investment now
for any one of these beautiful creations will ensure that
Americans will be able to enjoy a living history of numismatics
through the work of this museum. And if you weren't already aware,
Gallery Mint Museum's chief engraver, Ron Landis recently won the
distinguished Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic
Sculpture from the ANA. Continued support from the numismatic
community will sustain the unique creativity and the tireless
dedication of the crew at the Gallery Mint Museum.
Please stop by their newly redesigned website and have a look
today:
Link:www.gallerymint.com
- Edwin Johnston... Wednesday, August 20, 2003 2:14PM
MUSEUM PROJECT UNDER WAY - Your Support is Needed Now.
It is no secret that we've been working toward building a working
museum of minting technology since the inception of Gallery Mint
Museum in 1992. We have recently designed a new facility which is
actually the first phase in the total museum structure. The bids
are in, the bank is ready to go. The big question is, do we really
have the support of the numismatic community? It takes a mint to
build a museum, and frankly, the "money" we make here doesn't spend
too well. We have to sell it to interested collectors. If we can't
sell enough, we can't build the museum. It's that simple. We have
come to a major crossroads recently, and either need to expand into
the new building to house the ever growing pile of presses and
equipment, or, sell it all and regroup into a strictly commercial
enterprise. - Ron Landis... August, 2003 issue of the Gallery
Mint Museum Collector's Update.
I am quite certain that I can't state the need any more forcefully or
eloquently than Ed and Ron have already done. Please do whatever
you can to help TheGuys!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
|
|
| 8/19
|
Click on any of these 12 images
for enlargement on CD-ROM.
Original Landis Designs ...BUT...
These Renaissance trinkets are created from molds made by hand cutting
original Landis Renaissance medals to form the patterns for said molds.
As unbelievable as it seems to some of us... these are still being offered
on the Internet in spite of the fact that they are clear exploitations
of Ron's work. The last time I looked, this bald-faced rip-off went so
far as to attempt additional gain by using the Landis name in connection
with these pieces. Ron is not being compensated for this unlicensed use
of his work and creativity.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
I just saw your article on Jane's Jewelry. She used to be a friend
who would buy my medals (at a discount) and hand cut each one
individually. When she first started molding and casting the pieces,
I confronted her with it and demanded she stop. I cared more about
it back then, because I was selling hand cut examples of the same
designs. I found myself competing against my own work, and since
hers were cast in quantities, of course she could offer less
quality for less money.
She took down the offending wares until the end of that festival,
and just went ahead and offered them at the next show that I
wasn't doing. As far as I know, she's still selling them at the
Renaissance Festivals. She's been selling them on the Internet for
years. When I confronted her by EMail... I requested "royalties"
in a sarcastic way ...she offered to pay me a whopping $60 for
several years of sales. I never did send her my mailing address
for the pitiful offer, and haven't made contact since.
I did contemplate taking legal action, but just blew it off. By then,
I had bigger fish to fry, and just chalked it up to experience. This
is just one example of the Carny mentality that screwed up that
whole scene. Everybody's a "mark" to those people. It got me to hate
the Renaissance Festivals, and was just another straw that convinced
us to get out of the carnival and start the Gallery Mint.
Ron Landis... Wednesday, August 20, 2003 2:55PM
|
|
Well Worth The Investment
Life is always full of choices and, brother let me tell you, when it comes
to digital scales the choices boggled my poor tired old brain. At least I
had a broad selection of choices and not just one or two... that is always
a good thing.
|
Units
Grams
Pennyweight
Ounces
Troy Ounces
|
Accuracy
0.1g
0.1dwt
0.01oz
0.01oz
|
Capacity
250g
161dwt
9oz
8oz
|
|
I own an old balance beam scale but it takes so much effort to obtain
weights using that equipment that I always skip that information
gathering step.
Check out what Sellers on eBay are offering in just the single choice
I finally settled on from
eBay UserID: AuctionBroker...
eBay Search: 250g Digital Scales.
From there you can branch out to whatever other sort of digital scale
you might have a need for.
I was sorely tempted to purchase a scale with a smaller 50g capacity
but with an order of magnitude more accuracy. Instead of weighing to
the nearest 0.1g like the 250g model... it weighed to the nearest
0.01g. Then I decided that I was almost certain to round everything
to the nearest 0.1g for the ScrapBook... so why pay double the money
for something I was just going to ignore anyway?
I ended up paying just under $30 including the $7 shipping and I
definitely feel the increase in recorded information in the ScrapBook
will be well worth the investment. Check out the variety of scales that
eBay Search: AuctionBroker
is offering and you may be spending your lunch money too!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
|
Grams in: |
a grain |
a pennyweight |
an ounce |
an ounceT |
a poundT |
a pound
| |
|
.064799g |
1.55518g |
28.3495g |
31.1035g |
373.242g |
453.592g
|
|
Avoirdupois
| |
grain gr |
.064799g |
.002286oz |
.000143lb
| |
gram g |
15.4324gr |
.035274oz |
.002205lb
| |
ounce oz |
437.5gr |
28.3495g |
.0625lb
| |
pound lb |
7,000gr |
453.592g |
16oz
|
|
|
Troy
| |
grain gr |
.064799g |
.041667dwt |
.002083oz |
.000174lb
| |
gram g |
15.4324gr |
.643014dwt |
.032151oz |
.002679lb
| |
pennyweight dwt |
24gr |
1.55518g |
.05oz |
.004167lb
| |
ounce oz |
480gr |
31.1035g |
20dwt |
.083333lb
| |
pound lb |
5,760gr |
373.242g |
240dwt |
12oz
|
|
Click for functioning
Weight Conversion Calculator.
|
|
| 8/17
|
Click for
1688Obv/Rev,
1828Obv/Rev or
1850Obv/Rev
enlargement on CD-ROM
c.1688 Tin Token
(left)
c.1828 Tin Restrike
(center)
1850 Gold $10
(right)
|
"A horse is a horse, of course, of course"
One day while whiling... or was that idling? ...away a few pleasant
moments browsing through
Link:CoinFacts.com
I encountered the interesting
Link:c.1688 American Plantations Token - Original
shown above left... where it was described thusly:
These were struck for circulation in the New England and New York
areas, which at the time of issue (around 1688), were plantation
colonies of England. They were coined at the Tower Mint in London,
using at least six obverse dies and seven reverse dies. Coinage
weights were uncertain, but evidently these were struck at 50 to
the pound, and worth the stated value of 1/24 of a Spanish Real.
Later they were changed into "Proclamation Money" where they were
worth 1½ Farthings, and often circulated at double face value in
the Colonies. All examples are rare, and most show the familiar
"tin pesting" as seen here, despite being of mint state quality.
- Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.'s "Pre-Long
Beach Sale", September 23 & 24, 2002, Lot 20.
I was struck by how similar it appeared to the 1850 GOLD Horseman
$10 that Ron had recreated as of late. Then I found the fact that
there was a
Link:c.1828 Restrike of the American Plantations Token
and I postulated to myself that it wasn't unreasonable for the engraver
of the 1850 GOLD Horseman $10 to have at least seen one of these tokens, and
have been influenced by it, even if he didn't model his carving after this
token.
Of course, when I got both scans side-by-side in my graphics editor the
perceived similarities became considerably less striking. By that time I
had this SBsubject all composed in my head and it wouldn't go away... I
just had to "dump it out" to make room for the next SBsubject. I'll let
you judge how similar, or dissimilar, these horse and riders are and
hope... regardless of your conclusion ...that you will at least enjoy
having seen these cool TIN Horseman tokens.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
"Mr. Ed" by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston -
Theme song from TV show Mr. Ed.
10/1/1961-9/8/1965 - CBS - Black & White - 143 30minute episodes
|
1)
A horse is a horse, of course, of course
And no one can talk to a horse, of course
That is, of course, unless the horse
Is the famous Mister Ed
|
3)
People yakkety-yak a streak
And waste your time of day
But Mister Ed will never speak
Unless he has something to say
|
2)
Go right to the source and ask the horse
He'll give you the answer that you endorse
He's always on a steady course
Talk to Mister Ed
|
4)
A horse is a horse, of course, of course
And this one will talk 'til his voice is hoarse
You never heard of a talking horse?
Well listen to this: I am Mister Ed
|
|
|
|
| 8/16
|
|
Click for
Enlargement
on CD-ROM
|
|
J&H
Ingot#
|
Qty.
Minted
|
4050
4220
4258
4282
4293
4328
4330
|
1,145
1,070
249
385
116
346
213
| |
|
3,524
|
|
Presented by Monaco Financial, LLC
The Forty-Niner Horseman Ship of Gold Commemorative is an
absolutely stunning gem-Proof gold piece struck from Justh & Hunter
California Gold Rush gold ingots recovered from the 1857 shipwreck
of the S.S. Central America - the legendary "Ship of Gold."
- Monaco Financial
Richard Teschler sent me two beautiful publications; 1) a 10
page reprint from the March 1992 issue of LIFE Magazine entitled
The Greatest Treasure Ever Found (which my eighty-five
year old mother sat down and read cover to cover, every word ...
the highlight of her week she said) and 2) a 25 page undated
catalog entitled A Catalog Of Treasure From The S.S. Central
America. Both are high quality full-color publications
and the level of numismatic detail provided in the catalog is quite
exceptional.
Ron Landis tells us that there were 33-34 pewter specimens struck at
GMM from the original dies. He also informs us that there were 100
(9/8/07 correction: 50 ~ vrw)
silver specimens struck at the Royal Canadian Mint from the same dies
used to strike the 3,524 gold specimens from the seven gold ingots.
I remember someone telling me that, in addition to the seven ingot
number counterstamped gold specimens, there was some number of an
eighth specimen created from gold "left over from the seven ingots."
I know I don't follow the precise logic here so perhaps we will learn
more later on.
The Monaco folks also sell Ron's Kellogg $50.00 "Quintuple Eagle"
Commemorative Restrikes as well as recovered ingots, coins, gold
dust and related S.S. Central America items. I'm sure Richard
Teschler would be happy to hear from any interested persons at
1-888-751-1933 (extension 4534.)
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
|
|
|
| 8/15
|
1995
'In God We Trust' Con$ept Dollar
Brass - Pattern -
29.2mm - 3.4mm thick - 17.4g - Plain Edge
|
Click for
Enlargement
on CD-ROM
|
'In God We Trust' Pattern Con$ept
This strike was laying in Ron's cabinet on leather so the reverse
had some really active verdigris going on... a really ugly bright
green ...thus the coloration difference between the obverse and
reverse. It was struck on an extremely heavy planchet and has a
plain edge which is unusual... virtually all of Ron's 1995 con$epts
were struck on lettered edge planchets.
Since this piece has a plain edge and nice sharp rims from being
strongly struck... it feels like a piedfort strike. I asked Cliff
Bolling and he tells me that his regular 1995 Con$epts are 3.2mm
thick and his piedfort 2000 Con$epts are 3.3mm thick. So... no
wonder this specimen, at 3.4mm thick, feels like a piedfort strike.
In God We Trust
|
Large Date Mintmark
|
1995 Lady Liberty
| |
Click on any of the 1995 Con$ept images
above for a SUPER sized close-up.
|
This is my absolute favorite Landis Con$ept Dollar! This was Ron's first
obverse design, he didn't like it for some reason and he tried twice more
until he got it "right." I think he had it right the first time of course.
We have explored the subject of this "In God We Trust" Con$ept pattern
many times over the life of this ScrapBook project... all though,
several of these SBsubjects only mention it in passing.
1) Link:Texas Renaissance Festival Tokens,
2) Link:Wonder What's In This Bag?,
3) Link:Property of GMM MintMaster which
introduces us to the same specimen as shown at the top of this SBsubject,
4) Link:Czapla First Edition Publication Found,
5) Link:A Quartet From The GMM Brass Section,
6) Link:Kansas City Hey Hey Hey,
7) Link:Too Numerous To Count,
8) Link:CoinFlip Inserts: After The Fact Confusion,
9) Link:Wax Con$ept Hub And Die Impressions and
10) Link:THIS Should Have Been...
I am certain that we will be revisiting Ron's fantastic Con$epts many
times in the future.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
|
|
|
| 8/14
|
1795
Half Eagle
Copper - Die Trial -
25.7mm - Reeded Edge
with [ .9167 ] in a plain edge area below "17" of "1795"
|
Click for
COPPER Die Trial
enlargement
on CD-ROM
|
Scarce As Hen's Teeth
I have a lot of years under my belt and, even here in the Kansa Territories,
I have yet to see a hen with teeth. The bobcats and coyotes win every time
in any encounters of the chicken kind.
I love poking around Ron's work area at GMM! You never know what is just
barely covered up... or perhaps buried many layers deep ...by the junk
mail and important documents that we all accumulate in our offices.
Here are three lovely die trials for your edification and enjoyment. I told
you that trips to Eureka Springs are worth your time. Make it a point to go
visit TheGuys... it is an experience of a lifetime!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
|
|
|
| 8/13
|
Click for
Medal Enlargement
on CD-ROM
S/V
Fantome
|
Fantome
Medal
Silver - Uniface Die
Trial - 32.5mm - 21.5g - Plain Edge
|
Two Windjammer Obverse Dies!
It all started with Ron's EMail message to me as follows:
The ship depicted on the Windjammer doubloon is, or was, the Fantome. At
the time, the Fantome was their flagship, but I understand it sank several
years ago. Ron Landis... Friday, August 08, 2003 5:37PM
To which I replied: The Fantome had entirely different sails than
the Yankee Clipper. The copper medal matches the Yankee Clipper's rigging.
Are you certain your memory isn't playing tricks on you? Fantome was a
four masted schooner while your copper medal and the Yankee Clipper only
have three masts. I think I gotcha! :-)
So Ron ran up the white flag:
You're right, I don't remember the Yankee Clipper medal. I wonder if I
have another piece with the Fantome. That was many years ago and many
dies ago. Ron Landis... Saturday, August 09, 2003 5:41PM
I had Ron "down" but he wasn't "out" because... while I was visiting with
him Tuesday, August 12th ...we were looking though his coin cabinet and
he reached over and picked out the uniface silver "FANTOME" medal shown
above. Now we know that there were two Windjammer obverse dies created by
Ron Landis... this silver Fantome piece and the copper Yankee Clipper piece
shown previously in SBsuject:
Link:S/V Yankee Clipper are irrefutable proof
of that fact.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
|
The Fantome still retained the elegance of the luxury sailing yacht that she once was with her mahogany rails and cozy wood-lined dining room. She was built in 1927 as floating palace of the Duke of Westminster. In 1956 she was purchased by Onassis as a wedding gift for Princess Grace and Prince Ranier. Since he didn't get a wedding invitation, they didn't get Fantome. She joined the Windjammer fleet in 1969 and was lost at sea during Hurricane Mitch in October 1998.
Link:Windjammer
Barefoot Cruises.
BookSearch:The
Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome.
|
|
...but it's not in me!
I have been watching those $10 carvings come up on eBay and I wondered
how long it would take me to do one. Shown here is one I completed in
11 minutes. After a little practice I could get it down to 3-6 minutes
and without a hat it would take only 2-3 minutes. As far as making money,
the crude carvings are the way to go. Ten carvings an hour yields $100
...but it's not in me! - Anonymous Active Carver
My response to this Master Carver is that he isn't considering all the
time spent photographing his quickie pieces, manipulating and posting
the photographs, listing the pieces on eBay, relisting the pieces on eBay,
corresponding with the few successful bidders and packaging the pieces
sold. I wouldn't pack and mail these pieces for the few dollars involved...
OUCH! Any carving that sells for less than $50 is time and talent wasted!
My unskilled, untalented time is worth more than what it takes to send
out bunches of packages... it takes me forever to package stuff securely
and accurately for mailing ...and just imagine the cost of a talented
carver's time in exceptional carvings NOT created! Talk about the cost
of lost opportunities!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
|
|
|
/\
__ __
__ __
__
__ __
__ __
__
__ __
__ __
__
__ __
__ __
__
__ __
__ __
__
__ __
__ __
__
|
