Steve D'Ippolito Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 One of the things I've been doing since I offloaded my Russian Imperial collection is putting together a US Type Set. This also gives me an "opportunity" to experiment with coin photography since my new Windows 7 compatible scanner doesn't work through slabs (my older scanner did). The majority of my purchases in the last week at the National Money Show are actually large cents _not_ in slabs, I am working on photographing them. Anyhow, I picked this up at last year's World's Fair Of Money. In a PCGS MS64 slab. And this, just last week at the National Money Show in Sacramento. "United States" is far sharper than it looks in the photo. In an NGC AU58 slab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccg Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 Lovely halves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 Nice coins. It should be a great type set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted March 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 OK, as threatened, my new large cents. I am not sure why the 1852 turned out blurry--the same exact setup was used to photograph it. I also bought an 1814 but it's toned dark, dark brown and did not photograph well (nor did my 1802 that I bought a couple of years ago). Edit: You can also go here, for different photos: Large Cents from my typeset Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 Wonderful large cents. I really like the series a lot. Even a Large Cent type set can be quite challenging. Keep us updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted March 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 Actually it's pretty much done (for large cents) since I don't plan to go into types that ended before the 19th century, nor am I going into sub-varieties. So I was only after the Draped Bust, Classic Head, Mattron Head, Matron Head Modified, and Braided Hair. (I realize that the Red Book has changed on these types--my 1991 book talks about a "young head" instead of Matron Head Modified and Braided Hair.) The only 18th century type I could afford in any case is the Liberty Cap. Eventually I'll get a decent photo of the Draped Bust and Classic Heads and post them, each of which is more "significant" (if impact on the wallet can be taken as a guide) than the three pieces I just posted, put together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmarotta Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 All very nice examples from a time when people appreciated the earning of money. The Red Book theme is easy to adhere to, even as the Red Book changes its collective mind over time. Looking forward to this exhibit when the collection is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 All great! I especially like the die cracks on the first one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted March 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Looking forward to this exhibit when the collection is done. That's going to take a while, unless I can come up with creative ideas for exhibits using just a subset of the type set (remember this is going to run from 1800-1964 for copper and silver). I do have one such idea and I am two coins away from being able to do it. Then I get to solve the problem of how to display coins in slabs without it looking tacky; I already have some ideas on that and no I ain't sharing 'em. Meanwhile, I want to build a set of 91 coins, and I have 26 of them now. I have six others as well but want to upgrade them. Of the remaining 59 coins, basically five of them will be cheap, maybe 20 or so fairly easy to find. The vast expanse of seated liberties is going to be tough. I saw absolutely nothing suitable in Sacramento--one table had lots of them but they were all either too high grade or tough dates or both, with the exception of a half dollar, but that was a mule! (Does that mean I should collect it also?) So I have two of the six half dimes, that's it! Eight each Dimes, Quarters and Halves and I've none of them. (And I will have to wimp out on the Seated Liberty no-drapery half; in the grade I'd LIKE to get it's 30 thousand bucks and that ain't happening unless I win the lottery, and that in turn ain't happening because I don't play!) I'm actually following a Whitman book that's specifically on type collecting, not the Red Book, but I imagine they are *quite* similar (same publisher after all). I just happened to notice the big changes between the '91 book and the '11 book with respect to Large Cent type names. One thing I _am_ doing differently from the Whitman book is I consider the "resumed" type after "arrows at date" to be different due to the change in weight, and this happened twice for dimes, quarters and halves (and once for half dimes), so there are 6-8 types of seated liberty types for each denomination by my reckoning, not 5 or 6 each. Ah well, the paucity of Seated Liberties at the show let me buy that bust half (from a bust half specialist--I'll visit him for the other two types someday) and all those coppers so it was to the good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted March 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 OK, finally got decent pics of my two earlier large cents. They are actually a uniform dark chocolate brown in color, but my control of lighting was (shall we say) inconsistent when I took these. But at least you can see what the coins look like. Draped Bust type: Classic Head type--I will want to upgrade this most likely, some day, for a better strike. Edit: You can see different photos of these from my "official" type set page here: Official large cents typeset page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Nice Large Cents. Good luck with you collection it sounds like fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Ok. Im no expert, but the 1802 looks a little funky on the obverse (nose) and reverse (odd fissures near "one cent" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted April 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 I don't see what you are talking about on the schnoz (the white dot is a fleck of dust but I doubt that's what you were thinking of) but yes the planchet looks bad on the reverse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 The nose looks awkwardly bulbous. Like she has a cold or got punched. Those are my only problems. Again... I'm not an expert and those aren't big problems, so it's probably OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted April 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Happened across a suitable slabbed silver Roosevelt dime--it's a 1953D in MS66, with the bands on the fasces torch nicely struck up. It was in a dealer's "Miscellaneous slabs $25 or less" bucket. It's a trivial coin but one I was missing from the set (I'm not going through junk silver to try to find an MS65+) The dealer had two other Roosevelts but they weren't as well struck _and_ I think were slightly lower grade anyway. (All were graded PCGS MS66.) He had some slabbed Jefferson nickels that are pre 1964 as well (that's the end date for my type set) but none of them had full steps. (I am looking for both a war nickel and a regular one.) Ironically those late coins are so trivial that they going to be tough just because in order to match the rest of the set I want them in slabs. I can certainly find a Washington Quarter that was worth slabbing (something from the 30s perhaps), but a Lincoln Memorial cent? Maybe a 1960 small date. I certainly won't find a 1964 Kennedy Half in a slab. Of course I can always buy a couple of those "slab like" holders like I did for my large cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Steve, Sounds like you're moving well on your set. The 53D Roosevelt is a nice addition. MS66FB is pretty darn good for that coin. It should be quite attractive. The later series slabs such as 64 JFK are not that difficult to find with a very nice example of the coin. Good luck and keep us updated on your progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted April 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 It wasn't marked FB (I don't think they do that for Roosevelts), but it had better bands than the other two and all three would have merited the designation if it were given. Not all split bands are equal, as a look at my three mercury dimes will attest. (I want a better merc as well!) The coin is totally trivial given what I am trying to accomplish but it's the first thing I've been able to do since the ANA show in Sacramento. Chasing easy stuff like this that I don't look for at coin shows (too many much more interesting things at shows) gives me something to do between the shows. So here's where the set stands: There are 110 copper, nickel and silver coins in a US type set running up to 1964. Of these, 16 are pre-1800 so I won't be doing those. Two more were made as proofs (the Gobrecht dollar types) so even though released to circulation, I am skipping those as well. That leaves 92 coins I am seeking. I've got 27 of them plus six more I want to upgrade. Five of those upgrades are for 20th century types and should be easy to find even if some won't be cheap. There are another 7 20th century types (including five super-easy ones) I am completely missing... so I still need 5+7=12 coins to finish the 20th century part of the set. That leaves 53 19th century coins still missing (including one upgrade) and 30 of those are Seated Liberties of some type. So you can imagine why I am spending time at coin shows trying to find Seated Liberties instead of this "easy" stuff. I am lucky to know of some specialists for things like large coppers, small coppers and nickel coins, and for halves before the seated liberty... and it's no coincidence that those are the areas I've come closest to completing. I'd love to find a Seated Liberty specialist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted September 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 OK, I've bought some stuff... and photographed some other stuff. Let's start with an early Indian Head: This is one of the pre-1865 ones that has the "funny" alloy, 1/8th nickel, 7/8ths copper. It ends up with a sort of washed out tan color, but that color doesn't seem to tarnish; at least I don't see any sort of RD/RB/BN designation on slabs. Note that 7/8ths copper is needed to color the alloy at all, 3/4 copper doesn't do the job (look at your american pocket change if you don't believe me; the "silver" colors on the nickel, dime, quarter and half today are 3/4 copper, 1/4 nickel). And a 2 cent piece. This is the first year of issue and the first coin to (unconstitutionally, IMHO) display "In God We Trust". There were two motto sizes that first year. Small Motto was first and commands a huge price premium, the latter part of the year (and the rest of the series) used the Large Motto. A three cent nickel: I want to improve this one; the strike is quite weak. And a three cent silver: This is the third sub-type, with two outlines on the star (the first had none, the second had three) Edit: These are also all visible, with newer photographs, on my "official" type set page: Official typeset page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted September 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 OK now for some bigger stuff. One of my favorite purchases at the Chicago ANA is this 20 cent piece, prooflike, needle sharp strike. I also picked up two seated liberty quarters a couple of months ago. First, the second "Arrows at date" variety: ...and an example of the "final" type, with the metric weight (6.25 grams of 0.900 fine silver): Finally, another favorite ANA Chicago purchase, this "Arrows And Rays" Half dollar. The color didn't come out well. The obverse toning has quite a bit of reddish pink to it and a fingerprint is plainly visible (maybe it's someone famous!) Edit: These coins will soon be visible with different photographs on my official type set page: Steve's Official Typeset Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted September 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 On to some more modern stuff. I have a 1916S dime, full bands, and I mean really full bands. There is detail in the hair I had never realized before was supposed to be there (and it probably never is on 1930s and 40s vintage mercs, which is what I am most familiar with.) Unfortunately the doggone camera focused on the slab instead of the coin. Barber quarter, with a nice blue halo on the obverse: And one each of the three types of Standing liberty quarters. I think in at least one case I had focus issues. Type I (The Uncut, Unrated Version): Type II (The Censored Version): Type III (Recessed date): Focus Issues. Edit: All of my typeset coins will soon appear here, with (hopefully) better photograpsh: Steve's Typeset page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 Beautiful collection Steve. Your photography is wonderful too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 Wowee! Way to go! I hope to be at that level one day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccg Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 Beautiful SLs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted February 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Update to my typeset page. It now has all of my half dimes and dimes (other than my Roosevelt... I mistakenly sold off the one I bragged on earlier in this thread, and replaced it with one that photographs _horribly_). I don't know why, but my fancy-schmancy SLR camera takes blurrier pictures than my point and shoot, and I have to spend tons of time in post processing trying to compensate. It's _sole_ advantage is that I can precisely control the zoom. (The point and shoot has a rocker switch. Lots of luck getting the same thing twice, ever, much less twice in a row.) To be fair though, most of the pics I took with the old camera were of large coins. But even so, bright silver just _sucks_ with this new camera. The web page has a new feature. You only see thumbnails; click on the thumbnail to go to the large pic. (Some browsers always go to the obverse of the coin in spite of my coding it otherwise; just scroll down if that happens to you.) Anyhow, here's the link: http://www.cyberian.com/us_coins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art1.2 Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Nice setup Steve. You have some great coins in that set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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