bill

Great piece!

I enjoy these posts. The shooting medal series contains a wide variety of art that is always exceptional in its own right. Great collecting field.

I'll set it aside to help get my grandson started as a coin collector.

I keep them intact. For my tastes, original ribbons, badge pieces, etc. when intact are more interesting than the medal portion separated from its original components. None of that is to take away from the value of a piece without the loop or hole if it is original. Many pieces with integrated loops have had them removed over the years to create a "pure" medal. These are damaged in my mind even though the usually bring more money if skillfully done. There are instances of medals that were struck with integrated loops and these were retained or removed depending on how the medal was finished. In this instance, a medal without a loop would be considered original. What do I mean by this? Consider the following die: You can see the integrated loop at the top of the medal. When used as a splash die (i.e. struck without a collar so the metal spreads beyond the die edges), the loop would be present and then the medal trimmed to keep or remove the loop depending on the use. Now consider the following so-called dollar: The piece without the ears is worth 4 figures, a hundred or two with the ears. All are rare, but I've only seen one without the ears, the piece that happens to be pictured in the standard catalog for so-called dollars. I examined this piece and it clearly had the ears removed, something you could see even though it was in an NGC holder. If you look at the rim just below the ears, you can see small depressions created during the strike because metal is flowing into the loop. The plate medal sold for $1900, I paid $60 for the one pictured here and was low bidder on a similar piece that sold for $250. In my mind, the intact piece as seen here is the more interesting piece. It is simiply a matter of taste but the market values the piece with the ears removed higher than intact pieces. Go figure.

Interesting medal.

As I noted above, it is getting hard to add new pieces, but I did acquire a solid coin stack. This one does not open and might be thought of more as a paperweight.

I'm starting to get serious about adding pieces so a couple more: Hibler & Kappen's 366, an R6 so-called dollar (21 to 75 known): and a smaller Chief Seattle token (the first I have seen): I have a few more pieces coming that I will post after they arrive.

You will have to find an album in the after market and these were made some 40 years ago. Its a metter of keeping your eyes open and jumping at the opportunity when it arises. Good luck.

Great series and great fathers day gift.

First verse: I am a man of easy mind. I know no care or woe. I make myself agreeable, Where ever I may go. My friends I count them by the score. And the reason I will tell. I always do things properly, And consequently well. That's the proper caper! And some definitions: 1. a playful skip or leap 2. a high-spirited escapade 3. cut a caper , cut capers a. to skip or jump playfully b. to act or behave playfully; frolic 4. slang a crime, esp an organized robbery 5. informal ( Austral ) a job or occupation 6. informal ( Austral ) a person's behaviour

When you think of the billions of coins that are made today, its surprising the presses last as long as they do.

I guess it is rare (660 sets issued), but that price seems excessive for a modern issue. I didn't know modern China was that hot.

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Scovill Manufacturing Co, Conn. 1895:

Smith and Steward from New York ca. 1890: and 1891:

I love the early pictorals from San Francisco, especially this one from J.C. Irvine. Irvine later bought Wirth and Jachens.

Another early San Francisco piece from Wirth and Jachens:

The official medals struck by the mint at the exposition were issued in silver, bronze, copper, and gold-plated. The last three are struck on the same base planchets with three different finishes applied. My set was likely assembled by a collector some years ago and then placed in their current box. I speculate that it is not an original set as issued and the jeweler's logo in the box is from a Tronto jeweler and likely dates to the late 1800s. Still, it makes for an impressive presentation. The silver and gold-plated versions of the medal are difficult items to find, the gold-plated perhaps the most difficult.

A fancier version of the watch fob pictured earlier in the thread:

New additions to the AYPE collection: A button or cuff link. and an encased 1909 Indian Head cent (a mate for my 1909 VDB Lincoln cent)

I met Daniel Carr at the ANA convention in Denver this Spring. He is an interesting guy and was helpful with my questions about striking medals, different finishes, and what can be done before striking versus after striking. It was useful to have a chance to discuss ideas with someone who has actually experimented with a real coining press. I have always been intrigued by a medal series he struck on his Grabener coining press that he purchased in a surplus auction from the Denver Mint. In restoring the press, he found a number of struck coins, medals, and coin blanks inside the press. The full story can be found in his web site, http://www.moonlightmint.com/artifacts.htm. After meeting Daniel, I had to have one of his commemorative medals struck using the blanks found inside the press. I selected a quarter blank or the 25 medal. 248 quarter blanks were found inside the press, 213 were struck and encapsulated by ANACS. An accounting of all the Grabener Press medals is found on his web site, http://www.moonlightmint.com/dc-coin_grabener_list.htm. A fun, numismatic related addition to my collection.

Certainly not mine (on Ebay that is). This one will be passed to my grandson for his collection.

The current ANA president, Tom Hallenbeck is the only ANA president who's father preceeded him as an ANA president. It was a moving moment last summer in Chicago when his father performed the ceremony installing him as president. Tom had a personal medal struck to commemorate the father-son presidencies and he presents them as gifts to individuals who serve the ANA. I was fortunate enough to have received one in Denver for serving on an ad hoc IT advisory committee for the association. Its a great addition to my collection. I believe 100 were struck.