Coin Challenge Hints (More)
The next coin show will be September 12. We’ll have the answer to the coin challenge (as seen on our main home page: www.atlcoin.com) posted before the show.
In the meantime, here are a couple more hints.
- She was on another coin in 2007.
- The artist’s initials represent a business not an individual.
Do those help?
The initial hints can be found on our coin challenge page along with other additional hints on an earlier blog post.
Have fun! The answer will be posted in the next few days.
Coin Challenge – New Hints
Have you figured out the coin challenge? The initial challenge is on our home page, or you can click on the “answers” link which includes some hints but does not have the answer yet.
For those of you still thinking about the coin, here are a couple more hints:
1) The coin is a modern commemorative
2) The coin has an ampersand (&) in the artist’s initials.
Have fun! The answer will be posted soon.
Fun: A Coin Challenge
Take a look at our main web site’s home page: www.atlcoin.com. We have a coin challenge for you. The answers will be posted before the next show. In the meantime, have fun!
1956 Proof Set Envelopes
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In the past we’ve talked about how you should NEVER, EVER write on the packaging materials of the collectible sets from the Mint. But, what about the envelopes with address labels and postage stickers on them?
Here’s a clean and nicely preserved 1956 proof set envelope:
Here’s another 1956 proof set package:
(Note: The red blocks were applied to the digital picture to protect the gentleman’s name.)
Because the address label and postage were applied by the US Mint in 1956, this envelope is just as acceptable to numismatists as the clean version above. It is not necessary to remove the additional labels from the Mint. Actually, unwanted damage could occur by attempting to pull off the address and postage information.
Just for fun, take a look at the postage to send one insured proof set in 1956 – seven cents. Using inflation calculators, that seven cents would be the same buying power as 55 cents today. But, can we send the same weight and envelope for that price today?
Let’s see, the proof coins in the 1956 flat package - a penny, nickel, silver dime, silver quarter and silver half dollar – weighed 29.36 grams or just over one ounce. For the USPS to carry a similar envelope today with the coins and the two pieces of protective card stock via first class mail, the starting cost would be $0.81 before any insurance costs are added. That’s almost a 50% increase (.81/.55) over the cost of mail in 1956.
Isn’t that interesting. Wouldn’t you think that the increased efficiencies of automation and other improvements over the years would decrease the costs? Looks like that is not the case.
Did you see on the address label above that the US Mint gave the Postmaster permission to open and inspect the contents? Think about that time-frame – 1956. People were more trustworthy in those days. In the rare instance that a package was opened, in all likelihood it was by a postal official for mail purposes.
On a different note, the gentleman who ordered this proof set from the US Mint in Philadelphia is probably no longer with us today. But, just imagine him at his home in Nashville, Tennessee eagerly waiting to receive his new proof set to add to his collection. Just think of the excitement and thrill he had when he opened the envelope with the US Mint’s return address to see the shiny proof coins of silver, nickel and copper in their cellophane container.
Coins with their history and the history associated with their images are certainly interesting. But, it can be fun to look at the history associated with the peripherals (the packages and receipts) and imagine the original collector as well.
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1956 vs. 1959
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A few weeks ago, we looked at an old US Mint order form that was included with a 1959 Proof Set order.
Let’s look at one from 1956 and have fun comparing to learn what was kept the same and what changed in just three years.
Hmmmm, quite a few sections of the two forms are different.
Though it is not legible even on the the actual receipt, there is a red five digit number in the upper right corner of the 1956 receipt. Half of the number disappeared when the form was separated at the perforation. But, large number “2″ shows in the upper right of the 1959 form.
The title remains the same between the two receipts, but the note below the title differs significantly. In 1956, the note stated in black print, “If coins are not received within a reasonable time, please advise below and return.” But the 1959 format changed to red print between asterisks, “It is necessary that you refer to our Order No., shown hereon, when making any inquiry. An advice of Shipment will be mailed you when package is ready to leave the Mint.”
The blocks of information also changed between the years. In 1956, the blocks read from the left: Date Received, Type of Payment, No. of Sets Ordered, Year Requested, Type of Shipment, Cost, Refund and Type (if any) and Amount Received. The information blocks in 1959 changed: Date Received, No. of Sets Ordered, Year Requested, Cost, Type of Payment and Type of Shipment. Note that Refund and Type (if any) and Amount Received were no longer necessary in 1959.
In both forms, an Order Number shows to the right of the information blocks.
But, look at 1959, it adds blocks for Insurance and Unnumbered where in 1956 there is a black mottled area.
The lower part of the form remains similar between the two with the typed address and a place of the Date Shipped to be stamped. In 1956, they used a larger stamp with black ink whereas in 1959 the date was smaller in blue ink.
At the lower edge, the red “Advice of Shipment” shows on both forms. In addition, the 1956 form includes fine print with “Printed by the Standard Register Co., Dayton 1, Ohio, U.S.A.”
Notice, too, that between 1956 and 1959, some elements of the information blocks were pre-printed where in 1956, they were all typed. In particular, the No. of Sets Ordered, Year Requested, Cost and Type of Shipment were pre-printed in red ink along with the Insurance block.
Isn’t it interesting to look at the forms from 50+ years ago and think about the technology (or lack thereof) available to do the printing and packaging of the proof sets.
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Cellophane
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In 1956, the US Mint’s proof sets were packaged in cellophane with individual compartments for each of the five coins – half dollar, quarter dollar, dime, nickel and penny. The cellophane was, in turn, sandwiched between two pieces of corrugated cardboard to protect the coins. The coins and the cardboard were then placed in a brown envelope, 3 1/2 inches by 6 inches much like the envelope in which a handwritten letter would be mailed in 1956.
In addition to the coin packaging, the US Mint included a small note to the purchasers of their proof coins:
This note says,
YOUR U. S. PROOF COINS
have been carefully inspected before release!
If there should appear – what may seem to you – a defect or a scratch on a coin, – it is no doubt a crease in the polyethylene-coated cellophane in which they are encased.
We tell you this to save us both unnecessary correspondence.
THANK YOU!
Rae V. Biester
Superintendent
With today’s frame of reference, that note could sound both boastful and arrogant. Plus, it would probably make people of today complain more not less.
But, remember this is 1956. Many of the people ordering the coin sets didn’t have a telephone. And, those who had access to telephones would not think to call the US Mint with any problems. A long distance call in 1956 cost roughly $12 per minute which in today’s dollars would be almost $100 per minute.
Furthermore, a customer would not pay $12 per minute to complain about a proof set for which they paid $2.10!
Plus, because people did not call with complaints in 1956, phone banks of customer services representatives did not exist to take customers’ calls. Instead, customer service reps received letters and responded accordingly to the letters.
A customer’s complaint – via letter – could take weeks to be satisfied. It also took US Mint’s people’s time and efforts to respond specifically to each person’s complaint.
Perhaps, too, since there was less automation in those days, they took greater care to make sure the proof sets were in pristene condition before leaving the Mint.
Could some of them been scratched or nicked before arriving at their destination? Perhaps, but probably not.
If this note explaining the creasing of the cellophane lessened the number of complaints, then the boastful and seemingly arrogant brevity would certainly have been worthwhile.
This small note is just a little piece of history that frequently gets lost as proof sets are bought and sold among dealers and collectors.
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2010 Mint Sets
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Late last week, the US Mint sent email alerts about the new 2010 uncirculated sets (more commonly called “mint sets”). The Mint now has the sets available for purchase.
Their email included a picture of the set:
As they say, “it takes two to tango.”
Each uncirculated set contains two sleeves of coins, one from the Philadelphia Mint (blue) and one from the Denver Mint (red).
Each of the two sleeves contains fourteen coins:
Five of the coins include the first five “America the Beautiful” quarters. Those five quarters correspond to Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Yosemite National Park in California, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon.
As for circulating the new quarters, both the Hot Springs and Yellowstone quarters are already available. Yosemite will be available on July 26, Grand Canyon on September 20 and Mount Hood on November 15.
Four coins include the fourth year of the Presidential $1 coins. This year, the thirteenth through sixteenth presidents are honored with their own golden dollar. These presidents are: Millard Fillmore who served from 1850-1853, Franklin Pierce: 1853-1857, James Buchanan: 1857-1861 and Abraham Lincoln: 1861-1865.
Circulating versions of both the Millard Fillmore and Franklin Pierce coins are already available. The Buchanan dollar becomes available on August 19 and the Lincoln dollar on November 18 in circulation coinage.
A fifth golden dollar has the recognizable image of Sacagawea and her infant on the obverse, but this year’s coin has a new reverse. The design shows the Hiawatha Belt around five arrows and states “GREAT LAW OF PEACE” and “HAUDENOSAUNEE” on the image.
One of the coins in the fourteen is the new Lincoln penny with the shield on the reverse. Unlike the four different reverse designs introduced in 2009 for only one year, this new shield design will be continued in subsequent years.
Next in the uncirculated set is the nickel which has the off-set portrait of Thomas Jefferson that was first seen on 2006 coins. The reverse of the nickel contains the iconic Monticello design.
The last two coins, the dime and the half dollar, remain with their portraits of Roosevelt and Kennedy. The dime’s reverse includes the familiar torch, olive branch and oak branch, and the half dollar shows the heraldic eagle recognizable from the presidential seal.
Though several of these coins are not yet available in circulation, the uncirculated set is obtainable and includes twenty-eight coins - fourteen coins each from Philadelphia and Denver.
If you have difficulty finding the new coins in circulation in relatively unharmed condition (meaning minimal nicks and scratches), the uncirculated set provides a beautiful example of the coins that go into circulation each year.
You can order the set from the Mint or from other internet sources. If you prefer to review prior to purchasing, dealers will soon have versions available at their shops and at coin shows.
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New America the Beautiful Quarter
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With the holiday on Monday, the lightening injuries Tuesday afternoon and the announcement of the new quarter this morning, Yellowstone National Park has been busier than usual this week.
Hundreds of people in an asphalt area near the Old Faithful Inn waited to see the Old Faithful geyser erupt Tuesday afternoon. One bolt of lightening – the only bolt of the storm – struck the group and nine people were injured. One needed overnight hospitalization.
Now, fast forward to this morning. The ceremony, led by US Mint Director Edmund Moy, was scheduled to be near the Old Faithful Inn in view of the Old Faithful geyser. Expected attendance included Suzanne Lewis, Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park; Paul Schullery, Historian and Author; and Gene Bryan, Member, Wyoming Tourism Board.
Have you seen the new quarter designed by the US Mint’s designer/engraver, Don Everhart? Isn’t it beautiful?
When you think of Yellowstone, aren’t geysers and bison some of the first images that come to mind?
Though the Hot Springs Arkansas site was the first designated national site – thus the first quarter in the America the Beautiful series, Yellowstone was not only our first National Park, but also the first national park in the world.
Yellowstone National Park covers over 3400 square miles. While mostly in Wyoming, the park’s boundaries extend into Montana and Idaho as well. At over 2.2 million acres, the park covers an area larger than the combined areas of Rhode Island and Delaware.
The Yellowstone Caldera, a supervolcano, contains roughly half of the world’s hydrothermal elements with over 10,000 thermal features including pools, hot springs, mudpots and fumeroles with geysers numbering over 300.
Of course, Old Faithful continues to be the most frequent geyser, and though not quite as predictable as it used to be, it erupts approximately every 91 minutes. Its eruption can last up to five minutes, and its thermal discharge can throw between 3700 and 8400 gallons of boiling water up to 180 feet in the air.
Like Old Faithful, the various geysers in Yellowstone all have their own unique characteristics. One, Steamboat, is the largest in the world and unpredictably erupts steam and boiling water into the air from 300 to 400 feet.
In addition to the geysers, Yellowstone Lake is the largest high altitude lake in North America. The 132 square miles lake sits at more than a mile high, 7,732 feet, in the vast park.
Plus, the park boasts over 290 waterfalls with the most prominent being the 308 feet high Lower Falls on the Yellowstone River.
With over 2.2 million acres, the animal and plant life thrives in abundance. There are 77 species of mammals with some of the most recognizable being bison, moose, elk, bear and the recently re-introduced and prospering gray wolf. In addition, 322 species of birds and 16 species of fish call Yellowstone home. The ecosystem also includes more than 1100 species of native plants, over 200 species of exotic plants and more than 400 species of thermophobes existing in the thermal areas.
This beautiful area became a National Park on March 1, 1872. Today, our National Park Service maintains the park, but between 1886 and 1918, the US Army protected the great wilderness from Fort Yellowstone at Mammoth Hot Springs.
Over 3 million visitors enjoy Yellowstone National Park each year. The new Yellowstone quarter will commemorate the beauty of nature and the enjoyment of the visitors.
Additional information can be found at the following links:
American the Beautiful Quarters Program – Yellowstone
Wikipedia’s Yellowstone National Park
Enjoy your treasure hunt for the new Yellowstone quarter.
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Old US Mint Receipts
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Sometimes when people decide to sell their coins – either to invest in other coins or to generate cash – they forget to remove their receipts.
We’ll mention briefly that it’s not good to leave any identifying information in things you sell or get rid of in other ways. In today’s world, there are too many unsavory characters who look for personal information in order to steal from people. Always look through your “stuff” and remove any of your personal identifying information before you sell, give away or trash your possessions.
Now, with that out of the way, take a look at this recent find in a group of coins:
This receipt shows the order and shipment for the 1959 proof sets which included the first year of the Lincoln cent with the new memorial reverse.
The receipt paper was once a pale blue but has aged to a brownish blue color. The circles on the right look similar to the holes for feeding paper into a line or dot matrix printer. Did the Mint have computers and line printers to help them manage their orders in 1959? Maybe, but it’s not likely.
Much of the form was pre-printed in black and red ink with the information pertinent to the individual’s order typed using a carbon to make copies. A red number “2″ in the upper right specifies this was a copy.
In the upper left, information about the form and the US Mint shows:
Across the top, the header notes this is a Proof Coin order rather than a Mint Set order from the Philadelphia Mint location:
Below the header in red ink, the Mint cautions that you must use your order number for any correspondence about your order:
This makes you wonder how many of these they sent to their customers? This receipt arrived with the shipment. How would one know the order number prior to receiving the sets unless the Mint sent you an earlier copy? Hmmm…wonder how many of these sheets were in one form…
The next block provides information specific to this order:
The order was received on March 13, 1959 for two proof sets for the year 1959. The cost of the two sets was $4.20 with the type of payment “PM.” What were the payment choices in 1959 – cash, check, money order? What was “PM?”
The shipment type was “PP,” and since that was pre-printed, the customer did not have a choice in shipment. Last in this section, the order number was 73853.
The subsequent block, also pre-printed, shows the insurance:
Next, the address block certainly looks to be from a typewriter, but old line printers had simplistic printing too:
Though Mr. Smith may no longer be with us, or he could have moved from his 1959 address, we’ve blocked the information to protect his identity. Oh, and did you notice? This address is before zip codes.
In the lower left of the receipt, the blank for the date shipped is shown:
This order began on March 13 and was shipped on September 15 as shown by the blue inked date stamp.
Collectors are also curious people. It’s interesting to see the original documentation and the original owner of the sets.
Too bad there are unsavory people. This receipt will be placed in the shred pile rather than continue with the proof sets.
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Another Memorial Day Tribute
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Memorial Day is next Monday, May 31. Let’s remember all of the military personnel who fought for our freedom and our way of life – those in wars many years ago and those who continue to give their service around the world today.
Let’s look at the 230th Anniversary Marine Marine Corps Commemorative Silver Dollar. Here’s the obverse showing Norman E. Nemeth’s (sculptor/engraver) design from the picture of the historic raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima.
They are tired and homesick, yet they continue the fight as they struggle to raise Old Glory on distant lands. Look at the design, and with your imagination, feel the flagpole in your hands. Feel how the wind blowing the flag makes it difficult to lift up the symbol of our country. But, raising the flag on Iwo Jima was as much for the morale of their fellow comrades as it was to send a message to the enemy.
That one view shows a wealth of struggle and triumph of the brave soldiers as they raise the stars and stripes.
The reverse of the 230th Anniversary Marine Corps Commemorative Silver Dollar includes the Marine Corps emblem designed by sculptor/engraver Charles L. Vickers.
Regrettably, many people today forget that “freedom is not free.” Thankfully, there are also many people who not only understand, but they also are willing to serve to insure our freedom.
This coin highlights and commemorates the Marines. Let’s give thanks not only for our Marines, but also for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard – active duty and reservists.
Thank you – many thank yous – to all of our military – past and present.
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