Lil_Lincoln

Raw Morgan in pretty good shape, starts at 99 cents: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1891-S-Morgan-Dollar-90-Silver-U-S-Coin-Choice-Extremely-Fine-EF-XF-/281584097862?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item418fb85a46 Obverse Reverse and, an uncirculated 1979-S U.S. Mint proof set, also 99 cents: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1979-S-U-S-Mint-Proof-Set-/281583845906?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item418fb48212 The image files were too large to upload as attachments, I apologize.

Ah, good point, Art! I'll see if I can't get some info from PCGS themselves. I'm almost positive I've seen NGC do something similar, too. I understand when a TPG decides to slab a coin and authenticate it without giving a grade attribution, but I'm really not understanding the generic "grade range" designation, like Gem BU. I mean, that does provide some info--by the letter of the Red Book, that would mean at least an MS-65, but why not specify? Even with the modern stuff, the price jump between 68 and 69, or 69 and 70, is usually pretty steep. Thanks for the advice, I'll see what I can find out.

^Yeh, I wonder if that will be less confusing than the current "Details" nomenclature for cleaned/problem coins, or if it will actually be more confusing because there is a number assigned to it. In any case, here's a picture of a coin like the one I was talking about--and perhaps it is simply a grading sample? Not sure.

Welcome, and cool Youtube channel!

Ah, that's a good point about trespassing and private property, and it really helps if you're by a beach. Glad you enjoyed the info, though! I just hear too many stories about people finding incredible relics or hoards of old coins to not entertain the idea of metal detecting on the weekends occasionally. I do think the treasure finder's laws in the U.K., or at least their practices where the state splits the money between finder and landowner and puts the find in a museum, are more sensible than in the U.S. Here, everything's a lawsuit!

Hey everyone, I've come across a few coins graded by NGC that don't have any numerical grade, just a vague qualitative designation like "Gem Proof" or "Gem Mint." These all happened to have been modern foreign coins, but I'm not sure if that played any role. To clarify, I'm not talking about the Details Grade that NGC gives for improperly cleaned or damaged coins, such as "UNC. DETAILS" or "AU DETAILS." These were simply slabbed coins that said "Gem Proof" with no other designation. They also aren't "merely certified" coins that have been slabbed as authentic with no grade at all--like I said, they give a vague idea of the coin's grade range, but that's it. I get that a Gem Mint coin or Gem Proof are MS-65/PF-65 or above, but I'm still a little perplexed. Has anyone else seen these, or know what the deal is? Thanks!

Hey everyone, one of our senior content writers, Steven, is a pretty avid metal detectorist. He spends his weekends at Clearwater Beach and other places along Tampa Bay looking for shinies left along the shoreline. For anyone interested in metal detecting and hunting for buried coins, check out this great Beginner's Guide he put together for aspiring treasure hunters. He even recommends some of the best equipment to use, strategies to employ when searching various types of terrain, and some tips on etiquitte and how to endear yourself to both the other metal detectorists and bystanding observers. Don't worry, this isn't spam, just some info on a popular related hobby. You can take a look here: http://www.gainesvillecoins.com/article/metal-detecting-guide Just thought I'd pass it along for anyone who might find it useful or intriguing. Happy collecting!

Yes! Regardless of what I collect, I also enjoy the sense of completeness of collecting an example of every variety or related version (such as patterns and trial strikes). To be honest, this urge (or dream, as you put it) drives me crazy sometimes, because I can't stand sitting on incomplete sets of anything!

Absolutely beautiful note. Always love island scenery--and this got me to look into where the Comoro Islands are! lol

That's awesome; we do run some pretty good deals on occasion. I gotta say, I love that British WWI commem--the Royal Mint did a good job (in my opinion) of using Britannia and the lion in the design. Hard to believe WWI broke out 100 years ago already . . .

I don't blame you for having an obsession with trial strikes; it's awesome to see the various steps and details of the minting process play out. The rarity of the trial strikes would be really enticing to me, too, even if they can't command the same price from a buyer. Yours has so much character!

Oh, wow! The closer view in that picture really gives you a sense of the relief on the medal. And the reverse has an almost hypnotic design. Love it! Maybe I'll have to start looking into schützenfest medals, and medals with other themes! You're right, they are absolutely beautiful; thanks for posting!

This is really interesting stuff; I was doing some research on MTTs and came across the "shooting thalers." It was perfect timing for me to subsequently check out this thread. Really incredible designs and detail on the pictures posted here. Most of my experience with exonumia has been with the tackier stuff--poorly conceived numismatic copies, holiday and birthday rounds, etc.--but these medals are astounding. Those gold and silver 1911 Swiss Shooting Fest medals are gorgeous, hiho. Any chance you can post a picture of the back of one of the slabs? I'm curious about the reverse design.

Sweet find; since I never EVER stumble across silver in my change (and I always look), I was beginning to wonder if each and every piece had already been plucked from circulation! Cool coin.

^That's a fair point I guess we should all consider, because those are laughable counterfeits. That's probably what the guy is doing. But, at this point, he wouldn't need to fish for improvements, since they're so glaringly bad. Lmao at "UNITHD STATES" too.