Gerry's Daily Blog

October 20, 2017

A Preview

 

The Definitive Resource for Liberty Seated Dime Die Variety Collectors - Plate Coins

1885 F-104 Misplaced 8 in Denticles NGC MS 62                               1889-S F-101 Medium S NGC AU55       

  

 

AuburnNY Accordian Collection Consignment - October 20, 2017

Liberty Seated Dimes - Mostly Top 100 Varieties

    

    

    

 

 

 

October 19, 2017

Greetings on roadside trash and recycling pick up day and welcome to yet another Daily Blog edition.

It will be another beautiful day in the southern Maine neighborhood as temperatures are again above average. Skies are cloudless and clear with light breeze to start the early morning hours.

I feel blessed as the weather has been ideal for GFRC photography. Image quality continues to be high and to my standards as we move through the second half of October. Yes, it is recognized that other dealers with indoor photography booths don't have a issue with the weather and never discuss this point. But then again, please compare GFRC images with other dealers to form your assessment of the value of natural sunlight in the coin photography process.

GFRC's Four Coin Shows in Four Weekends Event + Black Friday Sale

The Four Coin Shows in Four Weekend challenge is just one week away with PAN being the first event. Time between each coin show will be used to ship online orders and update the COIN database with coin show sales. Inventories must be resorted and then pulled for the subsequent show as each show will have a different inventory mix based on anticipated clientelle. Regular CAC submissions will be placed on hold until after returning from Shanghai.

Please check the Blog frequently as the PAN show approaches for a preview of the next Saw Mill Run Collection consignment. This consignment will contain a host of Liberty Seated quarters and halves with many being CAC approved. I'm anticpating strong demand among our community and will attempt to photograph this outstanding consignment between PAN and Mancheter NH shows. Consignments that arrive at Manchester NH and Whitman Baltimore will be held for processing in early December.

Yes, we will be conducting another Black Friday sale on November 24 - 26. Consignors might wish to consider which items to be discounted for the sale. I will be placing older inventory items, not sold at the various coin shows, into the sale.

The coming seven days is the calm before the storm and looking forward to taking a few days off to work in the back wood lot.

 

GFRC Consignment News

Wisconsin Collection Consignment

Consignments have been arriving on a daily basis resulting into my working into late evenings to complete image processing and Client Gallery postings in the Blog. The Wisconsin Collection consignment arrived on Tuesday and reached this edition last evening. This is a cool consignment with a broad range of offerings including quality Buffalo nickels, a special 1847-O Seated half and three Morgan dollars. One of the Morgan dollars (1885-CC NGC MS64 GSA Holder) has yet to be photographed as no technique is available for GSA holders.

Wisconsin Collection Consignment - October 19, 2017

    

    

    

 

Indiana Collection Consignment

Wednesday brought the arrival of another Liberty Seated dime consignment from the Indiana Collection. The shipment was immediately unpacked and photographed. Following are the contents to consider for potential FRoR.

Seated 5c: 1855-O NGC AU58 CAC old fatty holder and ex. Saw Mill Run Collection

Seated 10c: 1853-O F-103 PCGS AU55 with full strike; 1888-S MS62 Raw; 1890 F-105 PCGS MS64 one of finest for MPD variety; 1890-S F-105 NGC MS64 Small S mintmark and rare

AuburnNY Accordian Collection

This group of raw Top 100 Liberty Seated varieties will start appearing in tomorrow's Blog edition.

 

Global Financial News

We open today's financial news module with a Seeking Alpha headline as somber reminder that the 30th anniversary of the 1987 Black Monday stock market crash is today. I well remember the crash and had saved several copies of the New York Times covering the crash. Wonder what I did with those? Many younger investors have no memory of Black Friday or the March 2000 Dot-Com crash.

The 30th anniversary of the 1987 stock market crash, which saw the Dow lose 22.6% in one day, comes amid investor concerns of steep valuations and correction fears as U.S. stocks continue to score record highs. A repeat of "Black Monday" is unlikely to happen today due to modern trading technology, implementation of circuit breakers and the way investor funds are managed, yet cautious traders refuse to rule it out.

Brexit is a huge struggle for the British and Theresa May. Motto to this story is never surrender one's sovereignty to a higher power.....

The European Council is gathering for a two-day summit in Brussels, where Theresa May is expected to pitch her Brexit strategy to EU peers in another bid to unblock the recent impasse between the two sides. The prime minister will make an appeal ahead of the event, promising not to use "EU citizens living lawfully in the U.K. as bargaining chips" and allowing them "to stay."

The Catalonia independence effort is coming to a head with Spain.

The Catalonia crisis reached new heights today as Spain moved forward with the process of suspending governing powers of the area. Spanish stocks and bonds dropped on the news, while the euro climbed 0.3% to $1.1817, as Regional President Carles Puigdemont refused to drop his claim to independence. The government in Madrid will officially trigger Article 155 on Saturday.

And finally, the Chinese economy is the Little Engine That Could

China's economy grew at 6.8% in the third quarter year-on-year, slightly below the previous period but still above the government's full-year target of "around 6.5%." The figure will likely boost President Xi's effort to consolidate power at a quinquennial Communist party leadership transition, where he will seek to install loyalists in key positions. Shanghai -0.4% to 3,370.

 

Featured Coins of Day

Today's Featured Coins of the Day module brings attention to the Osprey Collection. Osprey is well known among GFRC clients for his United States gold offerings. But there is more including quality Capped Bust coinage as his second passion. Following are some early type pieces to consider including an outstanding 1807 B-1 Draped Bust quarter graded PCGS VF30 CAC.

  

  

  

So ends another Daily Blog edition. Trash and recyling pickup was early today and occurred while composing this edition.

Given the bright sunny conditions, I believe some brief time off is warranted to collect more firewood and taking a much needed break from numismatics. Have a great day and as always, please consider a GFRC purchase to help consignors rechannel their numismatic capital into new acquisitions. I will have my cellphone with me while working outdoors as answering questions and closing on sales is of importance.

 

 

October 18, 2017

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on a Wednesday morning.

Years ago, I could have never imagined the path that my "retirement" would take. Building a non traditional numismatic sales business is an ongoing evolution of ideas that enable a community. "Retirement" can bring challenges in staying connected with people; that is not the case with GFRC. Each day, there are many phone calls and emails all centered around a common passion....numismatics. As I've said before, this retirement job is without parallel in terms of enjoyment and relationship building. Then there is the ability to handle outstanding coins like the 1830 and 1854 half dimes that arrived on Monday and the quest for life long learning.

And you thought I would open today's Blog with comments about Maine weather, right?

Seth's Blog: Price vs. Cost

Today's Blog opens with a visit to Seth Godin's Blog for words of wisdom. This simple post concerning the price of an item, as compared to the long term cost, captured my attention. During a lifetime, we purchase many items and some come with substantial maintenance cost. Pets, for example, provide much friendship and pleasure, but come at a substantial long term cost to house, feed and maintain health. The initial price is tiny as compare to long term costs.

Then there are coins. One pays a purchase price to acquire an item that can provide long term satisfaction. The long term costs are mostly related to security and protecting the integrity of that coin and opportunity costs; doing something else with the same monies. The beauty with coins, is that when the costs become higher than the pleasure rendered, then it is time to divest.

Price vs. cost

Price is a simple number. How much money do I need to hand you to get this thing?

Cost is more relevant, more real and more complicated.

Cost is what I had to give up to get this. Cost is how much to feed it, take care of it, maintain it and troubleshoot it. Cost is my lack of focus and my cost of storage. Cost is the externalities, the effluent, the side effects.

Just about every time, cost matters more than price, and shopping for price is a trap.

 

GFRC New Purchases

I'm most pleased to be offering the following lot of quality early types for the GFRC community to consider. These two Gold CAC approved half dimes would sure look good in a 20 piece PCGS blue box collection. Both were undergraded by PCGS at the MS63 level. The 1830 half dime is already on hold and going to a home with many fine numismatic properties. The 1854 With Arrows half dime would be an outstanding selection for a type set and remains available.

1830 LM-13 PCGS MS63 Gold CAC and 1854 PCGS MS63 Gold CAC Half Dimes

  

 

Not all GFRC coins can have the elusive CAC Gold bean. Many CAC Green bean approved coins are also special acquisitions. Below are more new purchases with many having CAC approval. Don't you love the overall eye appeal, color consistency and quality in this lot? These are priced fairly and I look forward to your online orders in the upcoming days as these will be gone once being displayed in show cases at PAN, Manchester and Baltimore.

Other Quality New Purchases

    

    

  

 

GFRC Consignment News

Wisconsin Collection Consignment

It seems like new consignments are arriving on a daily basis as GFRC friends expedite their efforts to transfer coins prior to the Four Coin Show in Four Weekend event. Tuesday brought another package from the Wisconsin Collection consignor with 11 pieces. The consignment has something for everyone including customers in Shanghai. Most impressive is a run of CAC approved better date Buffalo nickels. Here are the contents with FRoR in order.

Copper 2c: 1865/1865 PCGS EF40

Buffalo 5c: 1913-S T1 PCGS MS63; 1913-S T2 PCGS AU-58 CAC rainbow toned; 1913-S T2 PCGS G-6 CAC four full digits in date; 1915-D PCGS MS-62 CAC; 1916-D PCGS MS63 CAC rainbow toned

Seated 10c: 1875-CC IW F-106a ANACS EF45 OWH

Seated 50c: 1847-O PCGS MS61 with eye appeal of a higher grade

Morgan $1: 1878 7TF Reverse 1879 PCGS MS63 blue rims; 1885-CC GSA NGC MS63 multi color reverse toning, original GSA box and holder; 1892-CC PCGS AU58 CAC mirrored obverse and reverse.

 

Global Financial News

Gold made a quick run above the $1300 level and has since declined back to $1282. Global financial news is quite positive this morning as I take pleasure in reading Seeking Alpha headlines rather than the "he said, she said" or "style points" drama that plays out in online media outlets. Equity markets continue to roar ahead to new record levels while ISIS is nearly defeated.

U.S.-backed forces have captured Islamic State's de facto capital of Raqqa, driving the group from a Syrian city that became synonymous with their reign of terror and was used as a center to stage attacks on the West. "Addressing the economic, political grievances of the Sunnis so that another ISIS doesn't come about will be as important as the military fight," said Bilal Saab, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.

Chinese President Xi Jinping opened a critical Communist Party Congress today with a pledge to build a "modern socialist country" that will remain open to the world. The nation will also push ahead with market-oriented reforms of its foreign exchange rate as well as its financial system, and let the market play a decisive role in the allocation of resources. The twice-a-decade meeting will run for a week until Oct. 24.

Besides the Dow hitting the 23,000 milestone on Tuesday, the healthcare sector was fired up after two U.S. senators reached a bipartisan agreement to shore up Obamacare for two years by reviving federal subsidies for health insurers. President Trump, during comments at the White House, suggested he could get behind the Alexander-Murray plan as a short-term solution.

 

Featured Coins of Day

The Watch Hill Collection consignor called on Tuesday and indicated it is time to cut prices on toner Morgan to stimulate sales. There will be sizable price reductions on his toner Morgans and I will re-position those items on the 30 day new product list for attention. Price reductions will be implemented by end of day. If you are seriously interested, then please call or email me so secure the new prices in advance of the price list postings. These are the six CAC approved pieces including one GOLD CAC!

Frankly, someone should just step up and buy the whole lot as a foundation for an amazing CAC approved Morgan toner date set. You can't go wrong with these six offerings.

  

  

  

So ends another Blog edition. Maine weather is once again picture perfect and it will be difficult to spend the entire day in the office working on coins. Thank you for the ongoing orders as checks continue to arrive enabling a large number of daily shipments. Doug, the mailman, is impressed with the business activity.

Ok, time for a shower and then immediately into the packing and shipping department. Have a great day.

 

 

 

October 17, 2017

Greetings on a Tuesday morning and welcome to the Daily Blog.

It is difficult to write the Blog with darkness outside the GFRC window at 6:30 am. Slowly, the sunrise occurs revealing crystal blue skies on a cold crisp morning. Birches are now yellow and the burning bushes are a bright red and dropping leaves. The temperature is only 35F and cool air is felt through the office window. But let's not worry as another stretch of warm weather is predicted for the upcoming weekend.

The GFRC office is a beehive of activity as consignments, new purchases and payment checks pour in. After a quiet start in early October, sales have ramped nicely and keeping the staff on their toes. More consignments are expected today and Wednesday as individuals attempt to catch the remaining opportunity window before PAN which arrives later next week.

Whitman Baltimore is Coming Soon!

I spoke with Michelle at Whitman Publishing yesterday and all is on track for Gerry Fortin Rare Coins and W. David Perkins Numismatics at the Baltimore show. We will once again be located at Booth 818 which is surrounded by Heritage and Stack's Bowers. The GFRC inventory presentation will be massive with Len Augsburger, Dan White and Diane sharing time behind the tables. This outstanding support team will allow me to focus more on wholesale buying and insourcing more consignments at the show. Already there is one consignment appointment on the books.

Whitman Baltimore Show - November 9 - 12, 2017

Gerry Fortin Rare Coins and W. David Perkins Numismatics - Booth 818

 

LSCC Premier Membership Medal - Coming Soon!

Membership in the Liberty Seated Collectors Club is a special event for many passionate collectors addicted to Liberty Seated coinage. To celebrate and capture that passion, along with documenting the LSCC membership legacy, the LSCC Leadership Team is launching a new medal program to be struck at the Moonlight MInt. We are excited to announce a unique opportunity to purchase a customized Premier LSCC Membership medal featuring club member's name and LSCC membership number.  

Well known graphic artist, Jim Macor, has prepared the following medal design that captures the primary devices employed across many of the Liberty Seated denominations. Just take a close look at the reverse design.... oak and maples leaves from the half dime and dime cereal wreaths, olive branch and single arrow from the quarter, half dollar and dollars reverse eagle designs. And yes, the important 13 stars. Each medal will be engraved with club members name and LSCC membership number in old script characters.

Regular medals will be offered in 1 oz proof silver. A limited production of 25 sets (more if response is higher) of four medals consisting of a one ounce 0.999 gold, two one ounce silvers and a one ounce copper will also be struck. The set medals will all be made in proof finish and each engraved with name and membership number. Two silver are included to illustrate the obverse and reverse designs. Presentation will be in a specially designed Capitol holder.

Full Premier LSCC Membership Medal details will be found in the November Gobrecht Issue along with pricing and ordering information.

Premier LSCC Membership Medal Design

 

GFRC Consignment News

Gerry Fortin Reference Collection Consignment

The recent Gerry Fortin Reference Set consignment has been well received with many pieces sold in a matter of a few days. Proceeds will be set aside for upgrading my primary date and mintmark set when the right opportunity appears. Don't worry as there are 100s more quality Seated dimes (many are web-book plate coins) to be offered in the upcoming months.

Half Way There Collection Consignment

The past two days brought considerable attention to the Half Way There Collection consignment. The entire consignment contents are illustrated below and will be reaching the price lists during evening hours. There are several First Right of Refusals (FRoR) on the books and those individuals can step forward with a purchase decision once these Seated halves are on the price list.

This consignment is a treasure of scarce and rare die varieties including an affordable 1844-O WB-22 Double Date PCGS G04, 1875-S WB-1 Medium Small S Mintmark PCGS AU58, 1875-S WB-19 Micro S Mintmark PCGS FR02 and 1876-S Closed Bud Type 2 Reverse with Very Small S PCGS G04. The 1851, 1873-CC and 1876-S were submitted to CAC for review on Monday.

Half Way There Collection Consignment - October 17, 2017

    

    

    

    

    

 

Global Financial News

Spot gold is back below the important $1300 level and is currently quoted at $1291. The North Koreans appear to be the only party in panic mode due to a massive United States and S. Korea naval drill events on both sides of the Korean peninsula. I'm sure that the Beijing Central Government is also acutely aware of the naval power lurking beyond its borders.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula "has reached the touch-and-go point and a nuclear war may break out any moment," according to North Korea's deputy U.N. ambassador. The warning from Kim In Ryong, which builds on previous escalating threats, comes as the U.S. and South Korea begin one of the largest joint naval drills in the region.

Trade negotiations dominate Seeking Alpha headlines this morning. NAFTA discussions are progressing with Mexico and Canada being in a difficult position for automobile manufacturing. Brexit talks could be ongoing as the European Union has the high ground and can continue to apply leverage over Great Britian. The separatist movement in Catalonia is also a factor to be consider.

Trade ministers from the U.S., Canada and Mexico wrap up a contentious round of NAFTA trade talks today, issuing statements at a joint event at 3 p.m. ET and later briefing the media. The hardline demands from the Trump administration so far include forcing renegotiations every five years, reserving the lion's share of automotive manufacturing for the U.S. and making it easier to pursue import barriers.

Brexit talks between the U.K. and Brussels aren't deadlocked, according to Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, who stated it was clumsy to call EU negotiators "the enemy" during an interview last Friday. Despite the confidence, the two sides appeared to reach an impasse recently over unresolved issues, like the so-called "divorce bill," the North Irish border and EU citizens' rights.

 

Featured Coins of Day

In the past two Daily Blog editions, I featured consigned items from the Saw Mill Run and Indiana Collections. Today, let shift attention to quality offerings from the Burchs Creek Collection. Burchs Creek offerings are mostly housed in ANACS old white holders and accurately graded. Following are remaining Capped Bust halves that are searching for a loving home.

  

  

  

Ok, a bright sunny day is on the other side of today's completed Blog edition. We went from pitch black to bright sunny conditions in just 1.5 hours. Time for a quick shower and then spending the morning in the packing and shipping department. I may take a break, this afternoon, and spend time cutting more firewood.

Thank you for being loyal Daily Blog followers and stopping by each day. I will be back tomorrow with more ramblings. Please consider a purchase as consignors strive to convert coins to capital for new acquisitions.

 

 

 

October 16, 2017

Welcome and thank you for stopping by the Daily Blog on a Monday morning.

Brisk October winds are at hand to start the day and impacting foilage while temperatures remain above average. The tall red oaks, on the roadside, as being tossed around since the Fortin homestead is on top of a 950 ft hill.

Today's Blog will be brief as I was up until after midnight processing images for the Half Way There Collection after sitting in on a conference call with Dan Carr (Moonlight Mint) and Jeff Ball concerning the Premier LSCC Membership medal project. The LSCC is announcing the Premier medal in the November Gobrecht Journal issue with a special ordering flyer and full page advertisement. Therefore Sunday was an all hands on deck for preparation efforts and properly marketing this exciting LSCC program. In tomorrow's Blog, I will showcase the medal design and more program details.

 

GFRC Consignment Sales News

Breaking the 3000 Coin Sales Threshold

I'm pleased to report that GFRC achieved another substantial consignment sales milestone on Sunday. Past week sales have been robust with White Pine Collection consigned items selling ahead of expectations. Then offerings, from the Gerry Fortin Reference Collection, were also active during the weekend. After breaking through the $2,000,000 consignment proceeds threshold on October 6, GFRC has now sold over 3000 consigned coins. The vision for a community Trading Desk, as implemented during 2015, has matured and is being well demonstrated during 2017. Sales volumes are increasing and can be monitored within the metric table at the top of the ConsignorValue page.

 

Other GFRC Consignment News

Gerry Fortin Reference Collection Consignment

It was an exciting weekend as collectors scooped up Liberty Seated dimes being divested from my reference collection. Many of the offered dimes are web-book plate coins. Proceeds from these sales will be accumulated and employed for upgrading my main date and mintmark set. Now there is an incentive to accelerate the divestment of hundreds of web-book plate coins as upgrades to the base set will not be inexpensive.

Following are a few more offerings from my reference collection that will reach the price list today. Please pay attention to the 1850 F-107b web-book plate coin graded NGC MS62 as one of the finest examples of a shattered 1850 reverse die.

Gerry Fortin Reference Collection Consignment - October 16, 2017

    

Half Way There Collection Consignment

Much progress is at hand with this new Liberty Seated half dollar offering from the Half Way There Collection after working until Sunday midnight processing images. GFRC customers can expect a large Client Gallery later today. This is a die variety treasure trove with most pieces being in lower grades and affordable.

 

Global Financial News

Spot gold is back over the important $1300 psychological threshold after overnight trading in Asia. This morning's quote is $1307/oz and may go higher after a statement from Janet Yellen concerning inflation. Let's check this point with this Seeking Alpha headline quoting her view on 2018 inflation prospects.

"My best guess is that these soft [inflation] readings will not persist, and with the ongoing strengthening of labor markets, I expect inflation to move higher next year," Janet Yellen told a Group of 30 conference on Sunday. While the FOMC left rates unchanged at its September meeting, it made clear its expectation of another boost before the end of the year. Three more rate hikes are seen in 2018.

President Trump's decertification of the Iran nucleur deal is pushing up oil prices ($52/bbl this morning) as traders are speculating that renewed sanctions could remove a substantial amount of Iranian oil off the global market. The new fighting between Iraq forces and Kurds over northern oil fields may also be a factor.

Crude futures were in the green overnight, up 1.2% to $52.07/bbl, after President Trump refused to certify that Iran is complying with its nuclear accord. During the previous round of sanctions against Tehran, around 1M bpd of oil supplies were cut off from global markets. Prices were also boosted as Iraqi troops seized parts of the oil-rich Kurdish region, while an oil rig exploded in Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain.

NAFTA negotiations continue with the Trump administration seeking higher United States manufactured content for cars sold in the U.S. This is a logical and measurable metric to move manufacturing back into the mainland.

Negotiators at talks to modernize NAFTA look set to extend the remaining rounds in a bid to meet a year-end deadline, according to Reuters. Most recently, the Trump administration demanded that U.S.-made content account for half the value of the cars and trucks sold under the trade agreement, raising further doubts about any potential deal to renew the pact.

 

Featured Coins of Day

The Indiana Collection consignor wishes to purchase my 1853-O F-107 ANACS MS62 web-book plate coin and needs to raise funds in the short term. We are featuring his consigned pieces here and request offers. There are two stand out Top 100 Liberty Seated dime die varieties to consider. First is the 1875-S Below Wreath F-104a Unfilled Micro S that is rare and could take years to cherrypick if actively attending major shows. Then there is a choice original example of the 1877 F-107 Misplaced Date, graded VF30, to consider. The Indiana Collection consignor has been collecting Liberty Seated dime die variety for decades and remains very active with his hobby. Purchasing one of his Seated dime is good for everyone!

  

  

  

Ok, time for a quick shower and a long morning in the packing and shipping department. Thanks for visiting with me to start the week. This is the last full week before GFRC starts its crazy Four Coin Shows in Four Weekends event and feels like the calm before the storm......

Wishing everyone a pleasant start to another work week!

 

 

October 15, 2017

Greetings once again and thank you for being loyal Daily Blog readers.

The day starts with foggy conditions, light rain and a temperature of 55F. Don't I enjoy the solitude of the GFRC office each morning as the Blog is composed while staring out the window and enjoying mother nature. This morning, eggs are boiling and in a few minutes, writing will stop to prepare breakfast. The coffee is hot and life is good.

Saturday brought another picture perfect day to southern Maine and the below image literally proves that point. Note that the burn pile has been reduced to a circle of ashes in the lower right. The afternoon was spent with the leaf blower as it was time for the first clean-up of the season. Since the leaves were from the sugar maple by the driveway and the flowering plums, clean-up was straightforward and excellent practice for more robust white and red oak leaves that will drop in November.

GFRC Office Backyard - Autumn Foliage Update

 

Positive feedback keeps arriving concerning my decision to become a collector again. Since upgrading the Liberty Seated dime set will require high end mint state acquisitions, the pace will be slow and deliberate. Below is a purchase, made in the past few years, that finally filled the 1891-O slot with a dime that I'm truly proud to own. Yes, it is only graded MS65 CAC and won't win high marks for the numerical holder grade, but sure is attractive. As time allows, I will add images of all NGC entries in the GFRC Open Registry set.

Gerry Fortin - Liberty Seated Dime Set Addition

1891-O - NGC MS65 CAC

 

Open Set Registry News - Liberty Seated Half Dollars

If Open Set Registry participants and fans having been paying attention to the Liberty Seated half dollar denominations, then you are aware of the fierce competition between three individuals for top spot; Newton, Seal Beach and Oregon Beaver. All are GFRC customers and consignors. In the past week, the Newtown Collection has taken over top position with a set rating of 52.7 and 99% completion level. Finding an 1878-S specimen is his remaining challenge to achieve 100% completion. CAC approvals continue to climb and currently stands at 44%.

Seal Beach is right on Newtown's heels with set rating of 52.5, 95% completion and 71% CAC approvals. This amazing set is essentially all AU58 grades with occasional deviation into low mint state or AU53/AU55 entries. Seal Beach has been working on this set for years but is still missing six pieces including the 1878-S. I well know the challenges of being a very selective collector and the required patience.

Oregon Beaver is not far behind and also actively upgrading his Seated half dollar set. His rating stands at 51.9 with 98% completion and 23% CAC approval rate. The two missing entries are the 1873-S, a very challenging date in AU or better and of course, the 1878-S.

 

GFRC Consignment News - Major Saw Mill Run Consignment at PAN

The Saw Mill Run Collection consignor and I have been exchanging voice messages during the past few days and finally were able to chat on Saturday afternoon. This great friend lives an incredibly busy life with demanding professional career while still attempting to stay active in the numismatic hobby. Since both being technologists, it is easy to connect and empathize with his current professional workload. I've been there and done it but no more.....

The primary reason for the conversation was discussing a substantial consignment of CAC approved Liberty Seated quarters and halves. Saw Mill Run has decided to divest more duplicates in a massive collection towards streamlined goals. We discussed the pricing guide dilemma for CAC approved Liberty Seated coinage as Saw Mill Run is acutely aware of the growing disparity between all price guides and top quality CAC approved Seated coinage in the VF through AU grade levels. This conversation is the basis for the next Blog discussion.

Bottomline is that the Saw Mill Run consignor will be preparing a substantial consignment for transferred at the PAN show. The GFRC challenge will be to have the consignment ready for display at the Whitman Baltimore show. This may be the first time that a large consignment reaches the show cases before the online price list given my hectic schedule during the Four Coin Shows in Four Weekend event. Let's see what can be done with pre marketing once a listing of consigned pieces and suggest asking prices arrives. Photography will be the wildcard given Maine weather is unpredictable in late October/early November.

 

Pricing Liberty Seated Coinage with CAC Approval; a Quality Tier Dilemma

It is becoming apparent to many serious Liberty Seated coinage collectors that the price guides are not reflective of market prices for CAC approved Seated coinage is the VF through AU grade levels. Please remember this last point. Commentary is for CAC approved coins in VF through AU grade levels. The dilemma is obvious to this dealer for multiple reasons. Let's review those;

- Lack of recorded volume at major auction houses. Heritage, Stacks and Great Collections are handling few CAC approved Seated coins in higher end circulated grades. This quality material is consistently being handled by GFRC since 2015 and is not captured in CoinFacts.

- Liberty Seated collecting is still a niche market. Quality Liberty Seated coinage, with CAC approval, is a tiny part of the overall numismatic market. The price guides, in particular PCGS, have little basis for adjusting prices. When price guides are adjusted, it is reflective of new auction records. Well guess what? Recent auction records are mostly for marginal coins (dealer retreads and collector discards) and not indicative of the top quality tier in today's market.

- Today's market is clearly tiered and challenging to reflect in price guides. CAC acceptance and maturity has brought about a segmented or tiered market. This fact is recognized for United Stated gold and is captured with special CAC pricing in the Greysheet. But no such guide exists for Liberty Seated coinage since the volume is low and becoming more concentrated at GFRC.

- How does GFRC price CAC approved Liberty Seated coins? This is an excellent question. The answer is carefully using two information sources. The first is the GFRC sale archive in the COIN database. Since GFRC has captured every fixed price list sale in COIN sale archive since 2015, then this information is available to me for price setting.. Second is CoinFacts as a sanity check for any potential CAC sales records at or around the grade level being priced.

As GFRC volume of CAC approved Liberty Seated coins continues to ramp, the COIN sales archives are becoming the primary basis for price setting as I've given up on other information sources. Hopefully, in the next year, GFRC will provide access to its sales archive for customers to inspect historical sales records. The access and display method would be similar to that of Heritage Auctions but with simplicity. Stay tuned as I attempt to secure Matt's precious time for this project.

 

Featured Coins of Day

OK, this has been a long Blog edition for a Sunday. I'm suppose to be resting and relaxing?

How about featuring the residual offerings from the Saw Mill Run Collection consignor to wrap things up? This individual and I are still scratching our heads as to why the 1838-O NGC EF40 CAC Seated half dime has not sold. Do collectors understand how rare this date is in EF40 or better?

  

  

  

Wishing all GFRC customers a peaceful Sunday. Rather than watching NFL football, I will be sitting at the laptop and loading more coins onto the price list and responding to customer orders. I would have it no other way.....

 

 

October 14, 2017

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog on a mid October weekend.

Downed leaves are starting to accummulate so the weekend will bring the first use of the leaf blower along with mowing the lawn one final time. The above average temperatures are leading to a less than stellar foliage season as color transitions are uneven while lawns remain green and still growing.

GFRC Four Coin Shows in Four Weekends Event

The next eleven days will be the calm before the storm as they say. GFRC heads to Monroeville, PA for the PAN show on October 25. The following week brings New Hampshire Coin Expo in Manchester. With only two days to recover the office, GFRC then heads to Whitman Baltimore show for five days. We are adding the Tuesday/Wednesday pre show to the Baltimore schedule this year with the possibility that Dan White will also attend Baltimore show. After Baltimore, there are only two recovery days before flying to Shanghai for the Yunzhou coin show. Are we exhausted yet?

I return to the States early during Thanksgiving weekend just in time to prepare the Black Friday sales event that takes place on November 24 - 26. Finally, there is recovery time during late November and early December before the GFRC office is packed for the annual migration to Venice Florida home.

On a positive note, GFRC has a robust inventory as we approach this busy show timeframe. We will be aggressively buying where deals offer quality consistent with the GFRC brand. Coin show attendence is also an excellent time to insource new consignments. With the most aggressive commission rates in the numismatic industry, GFRC stands out among competitors for service and overall value. If you have been considering the divestment of a major collection or just a hand full of duplicates, then please consider GFRC for marketing and selling your numismatic properties. Our track record is proven and no one in the coin business markets individual coins like GFRC.

 

Black Friday Sales Event - November 24 - 26

Yes, the Black Friday event will take place during Thanksgiving weekend and follow the same rules as the past sales in March and August of this year. Here are the specifics;

- Minimum 8% pricing reduction to be featured on the special Black Friday sales price list.

- Sales starts at midnight on Thanksgiving Day and ends at 9:00pm on Sunday.

- No lay-a-ways are allowed. Quick payments via check or Paypal (+3%) are expected to get items shipped.

- All items return to their former prices after the sale.

For customers who are hoping to secure quality coins at bargain prices via the Black Friday sale, please remember that GFRC inventory will be on display at PAN, Manchester NH and Baltimore before the sale. Those items that still remain in inventory after the busy Fall show schedule will be subject to pricing reductions.

 

GFRC Consignment News

I'm quite serious about starting to work on my core Liberty Seated dime date and mintmark set. But funding of new purchases must be accomplished via selling existing dimes in the die variety reference set. To that end, I worked late last evening and prepared 15 new offerings that are featured in the below Client Gallery. Nearly all are web-book plate coins as listed at www.seateddimevarieties.com. Quality is all there as I've pulled the no brainer original pieces from the 2x2 double row boxes for grading. Given the superior quality, these new offerings will be priced accordingly.

Many of you will ask if all offered dimes have been through CAC review. The response will be maybe! Sales value dedicates the decision process for CAC submissions. For common dates at the AU grades levels, I'm not making a habit of sending these to CAC for review.

Gerry Fortin Reference Collection Consignment - October 14, 2017

    

    

    

    

    

 

AuburnNY Accordian Consigment

If all goes to plan, the balance of the AuburnNY Accordian consignment will be featured in Client Gallery presentation format on Sunday morning. Image processing is completed with next step being COIN database loading and price setting with the consignor.

Half Way There Collection Consignment

Already some FRoR are arriving for offerings from the Half Way There consignment. Image processing will start during the Sunday/Monday timeframe.

 

Featured Coins of Day

Each Daily Blog edition brings a decision; what coins shall be shown in the Featured Coins of the Day module. Sometimes, I will feature coins from a particular consignor. Other times, I will try to stimulate sales for slower selling product lines. And yes, there are times when I simply want to highlight some downright great offerings with tons of eye appeal.

Today's Featured Coins showcase what GFRC is becoming know for; perfectly original Liberty Seated coinage with superior quality. Who else can offer quantities of evenly matched coins with original color and CAC approval. If someone purchased three of the below six Seated halves, then would have an immediate foundation for a noteworthy collection moving forward. It is that simple at GFRC!

  

  

  

Thank you for stopping by at the Daily Blog on a Saturday morning. Please consider a numismatic purchase towards expanding your hobby experience. GFRC offers a broad range of quality coins. With essentially a zero percent return rate, customers report that coins arrive looking better in hand than on GFRC images. GFRC images are worst case in terms of subtle surface blemishes due to image processing techniques. When purchasing a coin based on the GFRC images, then there is an excellent chance you will be pleased upon purchase arrival.

I will be back on Sunday morning with more ramblings and consignment images. Have a great autumn weekend but do spend time with your numismatic hobby!

 

 

 

October 13, 2017

Welcome to the Blog on yet another pleasant autumn day in Maine.

I'm watching a colorful sunrise against clear blue skies as the Blog is composed. A massive high pressure system has been resting on the Northeast resulting in cloudless skies. Local temperature is a cool 37F but will return to the mid 60s quickly. For those who are interested, Accuweather.com offers monthly temperature graphs that compare realized temperatures against the monthly averages. Below is the Windham, Maine plot that validates the well above average October temperatures that have been reported in the Blog. Unfortunately, a warm October means delayed or uneven foliage colors.

Windham, Maine Temperatures - October Actual vs. Average

 

GFRC New Purchases

I'm becoming more aggressive with adding top quality CAC approved type coins to GFRC inventory given the upcoming show schedule that kicks off with PAN in just two weeks. Following is a solid lot of recent purchases that will arrive to the price list later next week.

Capped Bust 5c: 1830 LM-13 PCGS MS63 GOLD CAC an incredible gem

Seated 5c: 1854 WA PCGS MS63 GOLD CAC and could be full MS65

Capped Bust 10c: 1835 PCGS AU55 CAC perfectly original and so choice

Seated 25c: 1871 PCGS AU50 uniform gun metal gray-blue patina

Capped Bust 50c: 1827 O-106 PCGS AU53 CAC with gorgeous multi color toning

Seated 50c: 1844 PCGS AU-55 CAC, 1845-O No Drapery PCGS EF40 CAC; 1846 Tall Date PCGS AU53 CAC; 1862 PCGS AU53 CAC; 1868-S PCGS AU53

 

GFRC Consignment News

Kansas and White Pine Collections

Thursday brought a long day in the GFRC office playing catch up on consignment processing and posting. By evening time, the Kansas Collection items were online along with some of the White Pine Collection offerings. Yesterday's sales highlight was the 1857-S NGC MS61 Liberty Seated half dollar (ex Dick Osburn Collection) that is heading into an advanced collection on the GFRC Open Set Registry. The balance of the White Pine Collection will be loaded this morning as packing and shipping workload is minimal.

I owe one GFRC customer a public apology for a priority mistake in the FRoR program yesterday. As much as I try to be systematic in recording FRoR entries, it still remains a manual process and subject to occasional mistakes if I'm not consistently focused. On a positive note, the individual who suffered the priority mistake will be on the top of my mind when other top quality consignments appears and will be offered a preview before the collection is revealed in the Blog as compensation. My goal is continual fairness to all GFRC customers.

Half Way There Collection

Another Liberty Seated half dollar shipment, from the Half Way There Collection, arrived on Thursday. This consignment is targeted for those who enjoy die variety collecting on a budget. All are PCGS graded except one half in an NGC holder. Following are the upcoming Seated halves from the Half Way There Collection.

Seated 50c: 1842 WB-105 WB-12 PCGS VF20 medium date-tripled date; 1844-O WB-103 WB-22 PCGS G04 dramatically doubled date; 1846 WB-112 WB-17 NGC F12 tall date; 1851 WB-104 WB-8 PCGS XF40 errant 8 in denticles; 1858 O WB-103 WB-12 PCGS VF35 recut 1 and tripled second 8; 1866 WB-101 PCGS VF30; 1866 S WB-101 WB-1 PCGS VF 20-no motto-small thin mint mark; 1871-CC WB-101 WB-2 PCGS VG10; 1873-CC Arrows WB-103 WB-7 PCGS VG08 large mint mark; 1874-CC WB-101 WB-2 PCGS G06 large arrows; 1875-S WB-103 WB-1 PCGS AU58 medium small mint mark; 1875-S WB-104 WB-2 PCGS VF30 small wide mint mark; 1875-S WB-105 WB-19 PCGS FR02 micro S mint mark; 1876-S WB-103 WB-42 PCGS G04 Type 2 closed bud very small S; 1891 WB-101 PCGS XF40

AuburnNY Accordian Collection

The raw Liberty Seated dimes including many Top 100 die varieties from the AuburnNY Accordian Collection will be priced today and should reach the price list during weekend. These are in Good through Very Fine grades and ideal for collectors attempting a Top 100 Varieties set while on a tight budget.

Gerry Fortin Reference Collection

Another twenty Liberty Seated dime from my own web-book reference collection were photographed on Thursday. Look for these to arrive early next week to the price lists.

 

Featured Coins of Day

I've not spoken much concerning GFRC's growing Shanghai business. Agent Harry Zhang is attracting more customers with early U.S. Commemoratives being in strong demand. Now the focus shifts to $5 Indian gold and early date Buffaloes. It appears that China collectors are seeing value with $5 Indians and stocking up.

Following are highlights from GFRC's current $2.5, $5 and $10 Indian gold inventory.

  

  

  

I'm beyond publishing time as already 8:15am; so let's wrap up today's Blog at this point. This edition has lots of new offerings forthcoming for our community. Thanks for stopping by and yes, I will be back on Saturday morning with more ramblings.

 

 

October 12, 2017

Greetings once again and welcome to the Daily Blog on another fantastic autumn morning.

Wednesday was a magical day on many levels. First is the fact that I took the entire day off from the GFRC business. Second is the Fortins and Pettys touring coastal Maine sites with exceptional warm temperatures and bright sunny skies. We started the day in Casco with a trip up Quaker Hill and a 270 degree panoramic view of the White Mountains (NH) and Sebago Lake. Mt. Washington remains snow free due to above average autumn temperatures and the Pettys will enjoy their Autoroad drive to the summit today. The Quaker Hill viewing set the standard for the day. A 40 minute drive brought us to Two Lights State Park, in Cape Elizabeth, and exploring the infamous Lobster Shack along with rugged Maine shore line. After Two Lights, the journey took us to Portland Headlight, the most famous attraction in Maine other than Acadia National Park. Again, the weather was perfect for visiting the headlight with Stephen snapping this image.

Lunch took place at the Spring Point Marina, South Portland, where we sat outdoors enjoying harbor views and ship traffic. One could not imagine sitting outdoors in mid October at an oceanside eating venue, but it did take place. Following lunch, the next stop was L.L. Bean in Freeport with the necessary picture taking along side the iconic L.L.Bean boot. Following is Gerry and Diane at the 1.5 story tall Bean Boot courtesy of Stephen.

The day concluded with dinner in the Fortin sunroom and of course, another evening of Johnny Walker Blue Label scotch and viewing the balance of the core Liberty Seated dime business strike set and other special die varieties. Even Lexa sat at the table with a 10x loupe and enjoyed viewing a portion of the later dates. Lexa is definitely a fan of colorful toning and had a resounding Wow! when viewing the 1888 PCGS MS66 Gold CAC specimen.

 

GFRC Business Update

Thursday brings Gerry back to the GFRC office and a resumption of business activities. There are many FRoR requests for the White Pine Collection Part 2 offerings and those in the Kansas Collection. First priority is loading all coins into the COIN database followed by pricing recommendations for consignor approval. My goal is to have these tasks completed by Friday morning and begin contacting those with FRoRs for purchase decisions.

I will also be photographing more duplicates from my Seated Dime collection and adding incremental offerings to the price list during the weekend.

 

Global Financial News

Spot gold opens the day at $1297 and appears to be starting another predictable upturn. Gold has been in an excellent trading range in the past six months. Seeking Alpha headlines are rather dull today as global financial markets continue to move forward. Speculation continues concerning the next Federal Reserve chairperson in this headline.

The Treasury Secretary is "strongly pushing" for the White House to nominate current Fed Governor Jerome Powell as the central bank's next chairman, reports Politico. Those close to the process says Mnuchin knows Powell and thus feels he can exert at least some influence, though, of course, the Fed is supposed to operate independently from the Executive Branch. Unlike current Fed boss Janet Yellen, Powell is a lawyer by training, not an economist. He has worked in the financial world for most of his career - including a stint in Bush I's Treasury Department, and later as a partner at Carlyle Group. Other candidates on the short list: Yellen, Gary Cohn and Kevin Warsh.

 

Featured Coins of Day

After taking a day off from the GFRC business, it is time to sell some coins! Please consider a purchase as numismatics is an incredible hobby that can span decades along with fostering outstanding friendships. GFRC wants to be your primary supplier of quality coins. Following are several recommend offerings towards filling up that PCGS blue box to wrap up today's Blog. All of the following coins are choice or gems for the grade and not inexpensive. But I can guarantee strong pride in ownership and fair resale value when liquidation time arrives.

  

  

  

Thank you for visiting on a lovely Thursday morning. Time to re-start GFRC business activities. Some order shipments will take place today and in earnest on Friday. Have a day!

 

 

October 11, 2017

Greetings on yet another lovely autumn morning in southern Maine and welcome to the Daily Blog.

Today's Blog edition is a bit delayed due to special visitors to the Fortin homestead. Stephen and Lexa Petty are visiting Maine and New Hampshire to enjoy the autumn colors and are official "2017 leaf peppers". We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Royal River Grill House in Yarmouth followed by late evening conversation at the Fortin home. Of course, Stephen and I spent time viewing some of my favorite Liberty Seated dimes from the date and mintmark set as end of day entertainment. One could not ask for a better way to wrap up a day; Johnny Walker Blue Label scotch, courtesy of Stephen, and high grade mint state Seated dimes.

Prior to the Petty's arrival, the entire day was dedicated to photographing the White Pine and Kansas consignments followed by image processing and Client Gallery generation. Maine weather was ideal for photography as temperatures were back in the low 70s with cloudly skies. I must admit that the image quality in the upcoming galleries is quite strong and representative of the coins in hand. With the Maine sun being much lower in the sky, color matching is becoming more challenging and requires to separate color adjustments during image processing.

 

Open Set Registry - Gerry Fortin Collection

To be honest, I've been toying with the idea to sell my core Liberty Seated Dime date and mintmark set during the past year. Several numismatic friends are aware of these mental deliberations. Yesterday's Atlas Obscura article concerning 96 year old Barney Smith and his toilet seat collection and spending an evening with Stephen Petty viewing the set has brought a change of heart. Rather then sell the set, I'm thinking of carefully restarting an effort to improve the set over the next five years. Many of the pieces in the set are so conservative graded as compared to material available in today's market including those in the former Eugene Gardner set. The Civil War S-Mints are some of the finest in existence and coverted by those ahead of me on the PCGS and GFRC set registries. Near term, there are about 10 pieces that need upgrading toward raising the set to greater than 90% CAC approval.

If Barney Smith's toilet set collection kept him active to the ripe old age of 96, then GFRC business and Seated dime collecting should work wonders for this relative youngster.

During 2016, I added the following 1889 PCGS MS67 CAC dime to the set but never took the time to photograph the upgrade and add to the Open Set Registry. This was done yesterday. This 1889 dime is a monster for the grade with vibrant sky blue luster.

Gerry Fortin - Liberty Seated Dime Set Upgrade

1889 - PCGS MS67 CAC

The NGC CAC approved Seated dimes in my set were photographed on Tuesday with images forthcoming for Open Set Registry display by the weekend.

 

GFRC Consignment News

White Pine Collection Part 2 Consignment

Already First Right of Refusals are pouring in for the next installment of White Pine Collection offerings. There are some great coins in this lot with the highlight being the 1857-S NGC MS61 Seated half and the 1870-CC PCGS VF20 Seated dollar. I'm 90% confident that the 1870-CC will gain CAC approval as perfectly original and accurately graded. The 1857-S half is from the Dick Osburn Collection as listed on the NGC label. Dick's Liberty Seated half dollar set was auctioned by Stacks Bowers back in August 2011. Prior to that sale, Dick's entire collection underwent CAC review. I hope this answers the CAC review questions, concerning this half. Regardless of CAC approval or not, there are only a handful of mint state examples known for this date so serious set builders should definitely consider.

White Pine Collection Part 2 - October 11, 2017

    

    

    

Kansas Collection Consignment

The Kansas consignor is yet another serious numismatic working on a top quality Liberty Seated quarter set. It warms my heart to see so many collectors taking on the Liberty Seated quarter denomination as the most challenging (other than dollars). Following are some top quality duplicates from the Kansas Collection to consider. I believe all of these were purchased from GFRC during the past three years and will definitely please the new owners.

Kansas Collection Consignment - October 11, 2017

    

 

Global Financial News

Gold remains steady at $1292 in overnight trading as we start a review of Seeking Alpha financial headlines. There appears to be a new writer as the content of each headline is broader. We start with a strong statement from Morgan Stanley analysts that global equity markets are priced to their maximum with little growth opportunity possible based on underlying fundamentals. However, excess global liquidity and speculation could still push markets higher.

We say this not as hyperbole, but based on a quantitative perspective," said the team at Morgan Stanley. "Dispersions in valuations and growth rates are among the lowest in the last 40 years; stocks are at their most idiosyncratic since 2001; and equity hedge fund beta is at its highest since March 2008.” Record highs seem to come on a daily basis, just two of 11 S&P sectors are in the red for the year, and even the most modest of pullbacks have been nonexistent. Similar action is being seen across Europe and in emerging markets. Morgan Stanley said it is seeing evidence of boosted investor risk appetite of late - noting cyclical sectors are doing better than defensive ones, and small-caps outperforming big-caps.

China is entering the global bond market with its first U.S. denominated sale in over a decade.

China is closing in on its first dollar-denominated debt sale in 13 years, a move that could serve to help set reference borrowing rates. With a $2B sale of five-year and 10-year bonds, if China can draw low rates (and the bonds are expected to go a half-point above comparable Treasurys), it could indicate confidence despite S&P's sovereign downgrade.

The world is watching the latest "Brexit" situation in Europe; Catalonia efforts for independence from Spain.

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont defused at least a little bit of tension with Madrid, declaring independence but then stopping the separation process to instead propose talks with the Spanish government. Puigdemont and his team remain in danger of arrest for sedition, and Spanish President Mariano Rajoy had previously rejected any talks until secession plans are abandoned. A Rajoy spokesman said following Puigdemont's speech: "He has made a deferred declaration of independence ... [Puigdemont] has taken his irresponsibility to the absolute extreme by ignoring the laws, citizens." Spanish stocks are rallying, up 1.25% vs. flat action in the rest of Europe.

And finally, Amazon is working hard to supply that dopamine rush with instant delivery for online purchases. Do we really want delivery people having access to our homes and car trunks? Where does this end?

Looking to reduce the theft of unattended packages sitting on porches or stoops, Amazon is exploring creative ways to get packages to consumers by delivering to car trunks or the inside of houses, reported CNBC. Amazon is talking to smart license plate company Phrame, which makes a small key storage box that fits around a car’s license plate. The box is accessible through an app, and the car owner can also give key permission to others like delivery drivers. Amazon is also reportedly developing a smart doorbell device that could grant drivers a one-time pass to the home for delivery. Wal-Mart announced an in-home delivery service last month and partnered with smart doorbell maker August on the project.

 

Featured Coins of Day

Let's return to United States gold offerings to wrap up today's Blog. Following are quality larger denomination gold pieces to consider.

  

  

  

So ends another Daily Blog edition. Thank you for visiting with me during a mid week morning. Please consider a purchase and treating yourself to a quality coin from GFRC inventory. The purchase only hurts a little bit initially followed by years of enjoyment. I will be back tomorrow with more ramblings, for sure!

 

 

October 10, 2017

Welcome to the Daily Blog on a Tuesday morning.

Blue skies and seasonal temperatures return as I sit in the GFRC office and attempt to write another Blog edition. What can I possibly discuss that maintains focus on numismatics and avoids political dramas that we grow tired of? Luckily, there are those in the GFRC community who appreciate these daily musing and occassionally help with content. This is one of those mornings as I open the Blog on a lighter note concerning collectibles.

Barney Smith and a Toilet Seat Museum

The same individual who provided notice of the Blue Bear and Lamp sculpture in Camden Maine is back again with an out of the ordinary item to share to start our day.

In San Antonio Texas, 96 year old Barney Smith has decided it is time to sell his 1300 piece toilet seat art museum. Yes, the 96-year-old Smith is a retired master plumber who was inspired to put artwork on toilet seats by the hunting mounts made by his father. This latest Atlas Obscura article can be found by clicking here. For over 50 years, Barney Smith has dedicated his life to creating art on toilet seats. When asked why? He responds that he is still alive, right? How can you argue that point?

 

More Feedback on Renting Quality Coins? An Alternate Collecting Approach Article.

More email comments arrived on the Renting Quality Coins? article in Sunday's blog. It appears that the concept of "renting coins" is not that far fetched and may just be enticing to next generation collectors. The Colorado Collection consignor sent along a reminder of our October 2016 dinner conversation on the topic and then adds an incremental perspective. Could the concept of renting important numismatic items be feasible if a sound legal framework could be established? According to the Colorado Collection consignor, who is representative of next generation Liberty Seated collectors, the demand may be out there for a host of reasons.

Let's start with an excerpt from my October 2016 Blog.

"Dinner with the Colorado consignor was relaxed as we watched the Chicago Cubs take it to the Cleveland Indians in game two of the World Series. Of course, we chatted about coins among many topics. Towards the end of the evening, the conversation turned to the 1839 Pie Shattered Obverse dime that is sitting in a Denver Coin Expo case on sale. My dinner host would love to own this coin but the asking price is a bit beyond his budget. Since he is still quite young and in tuned with how Millennials tend to rent rather than own items in today's modern society, he jokingly mentioned that I should rent out the 1839 Piece Shattered obverse on a monthly basis so that many individual could say they "owned" this rarity if only for a short period of time. We laughed at the idea initially but was there sheer brilliance here?"

Now the Colorado Collection's follow-on feedback to consider.

Going forward, many collectors from my generation may be less inclined to think in 10-20-30 year holds on coin purchases. Sure there may be parts of their collections that this is true for--I'm certainly in this camp with some of my items--but as for others, there may be the desire to own a coin for a shorter period for status reasons, like owning the coins that once resided in famous collections, or top pop for registry sets, or just to say you owned one once (like the $50 Pac-Pac octagonal). Or they would buy to complete a set, and once completed, recycle those coin monies through a trading desk like GFRC to begin their new box of 20 or some other pursuit.

In the grand scheme of things we only have our collections and take possession, or curate for lack of a better term, for a finite period of time any way. We "rent" the coins for a short period, and for most of us, a return of initial investment or even a small profit would be rewarding. For others, the brief-er period (years instead of decades, where purchase price may not necessarily be recouped) would still be rewarding nonetheless, given the other dynamics I mentioned above and others that may also be suggested. I've often bought things that I used so thoroughly that the item was falling apart by the time I was done, and others that I only used once or twice. But given the utility, I was probably equally satisfied. I feel the same way about coins (aside from the boneheaded "tuition" purchases, but even those I've learned from).

So whether you want to say rent, or lease, or curate, the notion for me is roughly the same. The only difference, as far as I can tell, is whether or not your horizon or your desire to make a profit/break even matches the piece itself. If those are consistent, you will likely do well whether you are buying and holding for decades or "renting" for a mere few years for your box of 20 or some other reason.

Would anyone like to rent my 1841-O F-101 PCGS AU55 GOLD CAC Large O Transitional Closed Bud Dime with option to buy? It is the finest known and a key date in the Top 100 Varities set.

 

GFRC Consignment News

White Pine Collection Part 2 and Kansas Collection Consignments

With bright sunshine returning, photography of the White Pine Collection Part 2 and Kansas Collection consignments will be today's priority. Publishing client galleries by Thursday is current goal for both consignments. I am well aware of FRoRs and will be diligent with notifications when these consignments are priced.

HalfWay There Collection Consignment

An email arrived from the Half Way There Collection consignor, on Monday, offering another 16 Liberty Seated half dollars for consignment. This lot contains only TPG holdered Seated halves in nice moderately priced collector grades of VG through VF. More on this consignment once the halves are shipped to GFRC.

 

Global Financial News

Spot gold is starting a new upward trend as is being quoted at $1293 to start the day. I read financial newsletters, on an ongoing basis, with many having a negative theme concerning the mounting global debt loads facing governments throughout the world. These letters tend to be repetitious so not discussed in the Blog. Global stock markets are booming due to too much liquidity (cheap money) as debt levels continue to rise. All is well as long as the financial party continues but gravity does have a way of bringing equilibrium to any system. We open Seeking Alpha headlines with concerns from Germany's outgoing finance minister.

Finance experts from the eurozone are weighing in on comments made by outgoing German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble, who warned in a weekend interview of the potential for another global financial crisis driven by debt and liquidity problems. Eurozone officials told CNBC that they largely share Schäuble's concerns, and believe debt and liquidity should be closely monitored. The influential Schäuble, who is due to leave his post as finance minister and become president of Germany's parliament in the next Merkel administration, said high debt levels - attributable to the loose monetary policies of central banks across the world, which were adopted in response to the global financial crisis in 2008 - present a threat to the global economy.

I must be getting old as the thought of a 3-D virtual avatar of myself is not appealing..... Just call someone if you wish to share a thought or greeting.

Online users have slammed Mark Zuckerberg as a "heartless billionaire" after the Facebook CEO live-streamed a virtual reality cartoon avatar of himself in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. The tone-deaf display was part of Zuckerberg's demonstration of Facebook Spaces, a product that allows users to create a 3-D virtual avatar of themselves to use with an Oculus Rift VR headset and communicate with each other by having their avatars be in the same space, even if the real people talking are not. Zuckerberg also talked about features such as Safety Check, which allows Facebook users to mark themselves safe when a natural disaster hits, and said the company had donated more than $1.5M to Puerto Rico relief efforts.

 

Featured Coins of Day

In Monday's Blog, small denomination coins priced between $150 to $400 from existing inventory were featured. We continue the presentation with larger denominations to wrap up today's edition.

  

  

  

Time for a quick shower and then more packing and shipping of orders. At GFRC, there is never a dull day! Thank you for visiting this morning and hope your local weather is as pleasant as that of southern Maine.

 

 

October 9, 2017

Greetings on Columbus Day and welcome to another edition of the Daily Blog.

The day starts with temperatures in the 60s and light rain. A morning temperature of 62 degrees is atypical for middle of October as my benchmark for starting the wood stove is October 15. Rain will become steady throughout the day as the remnants of Nate cross the northeast. GFRC consignment photography will be delayed into Tuesday or Wednesday which is ok as there are still many AuburnNY Accordian offerings to be loaded onto the price list.

Sunday's primary goal was achieved during late afternoon; the brush burn pile is history and the backyard looks a tad more tidy after burning for three hours. The burn took place at 3:00 pm and was a compromise between quickly drying surface conditions and gusty winds. I could have waited until sunset and calm conditions but early day rain and moisture was quickly evaporating due to a steady wind. All went well with only one burn hole on an old T-shirt and being rather dehydrated due to warm weather and the fire's intense heat.

 

Feedback on Renting Quality Coins? An Alternate Collecting Approach Article.

Several individuals took the time to write email commentary on yesterday's Renting Quality Coins? An Alternate Collecting Approach musing. The purpose of the article was simple; aiding collectors with recognizing the enjoyment that coin ownership brings rather than struggling or fretting about "taking a loss" when a coin is sold. Since working with many consignors, at a personal level, I see individuals with either "half full glass" or "half empty glass" attitudes concerning their coins. The "renting" analogy was offered as an alternate thought process for those individuals who are adamant about not selling a coin for a loss. In today's competitive world, it is difficult to live rent free. The PCGS blue box metaphor hopefully brought attention to seeking out choice and gem coins as a collecting objective.

One individual either misread the article or sent a tongue in cheek response....

I like the idea of renting your quality coins for 9% per year so just suggest any $500 coin and I will send in my $45 rental fee and probably return the coin in 12 mos or is there a guaranteed renewal?

Another individual recognized the point being made and wrote the following;

I thought today’s blog on “renting a coin” was a masterful piece of marketing.  It is thought-provoking, makes tremendous common sense, and will likely bring new clients for gem quality coins. 

 

Sunset Point Collection Consignment - PCGS Grading Results

As part of the GFRC consignment process, PCGS and CAC submissions are conducted to ensure that coins are certified and approved to the fullest extent possible. These services are particular important for collections that have been off the market for decades and the owner not being active with the latest certification options.

Case in the point is the Sunset Point Collection of Liberty Seated quarters. There were two raw pieces, on the price list, that I believed had a 100% probably of grading. They were the 1848 VF30 and 1858-S VF25 quarters. PCGS results arrived on Friday and confirmed my opinions. The 1848 graded EF40 against my assigned grade of VF30 while I was spot on for the 1858-S. By the way, the 1858-S has a strong possibility for CAC approval IMHO and will be heading to CAC in the next submission. Retail prices have been increased slightly to reflect the grading results and costs.

Sunset Point Collection Grading Results

1848 PCGS EF40                                                                          1858-S PCGS VF25

  

 

Global Financial News

Columbus Day holiday is primarily a government and banking holiday so the rest of the country is open for business. Seeking Alpha's Wall Street Breakfast headlines were published promptly at 7:00am ET.

Spot gold appears to have settled in at a new trading bottom of $1280 with today's quote starting at $1285/oz.

We open the headlines with President Trump's unrelenting effort to replace or fix Obamacare in the near term. Since the Republican party has failed, then Trump will cross party lines for a solution.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says he rejected an offer from President Trump to work on replacing the Affordable Care Act. Schumer said the Democrats will only work on fixing problems with the ACA, instead of looking to replace it. Trump tweeted on Saturday morning that he had placed a phone call to Schumer to discuss the issue. Behind the scenes, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander and Democrat Senator Patty Murray are working on a bipartisan fix to calm the insurance markets amid the unrest. Also, all eyes are on the White House to see if the administration will fire off an executive order to ease some ACA insurance rules in its most substantial move yet to set healthcare policy. The Trump order is expected to allow certain small businesses to band together to buy insurance coverage as a group.

The Federal Reserve is finally appearing to become rational in terms of it weak economic forecasting models. First it was Janet Yellen admitting the lack of correlation between money supply and inflation. Now Boston Fed President Rosengren is advocating disconnecting interest rate increases with short term economic data. The current measurement of unemployment may be inaccurate for interest rate decision making.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Eric Rosengren argued in a speech for the continued gradual removal of monetary policy accommodations and for a slow pace of interest rate increases not tied to short-term economic data. The comments by Rosengren followed September's hurricane-impacted jobs report that showed the first decline in employment in seven years amid a higher labor force participation rate. There's been some building consensus from economists there might be more slack in the job market than what Fed officials forecast when they called a 4.6% unemployment rate an economy firing on all cylinders. Traders can rest easy on the question for the day with the bond market closed for the Columbus Day holiday.

 

Featured Coins of Day

October month to date online sales have been strong for newly loaded consignments but slow for existing inventories. Existing inventory sales will kick in once GFRC starts hitting the road and displays it quality coins at regional shows. Following are some quality pieces that I would have expected to be scooped up by collectors but still on the price list. Today, let's review coins priced between $150 to $400 for smaller denominations. Tomorrow, we will do the same for large denominations.

  

  

  

Thank you for checking in on a Monday morning. Given the rainy day ahead and closed USPS, today's focus will be on loading the balance of the AuburnNY Accordian Collection and preparing Tuesday's shipment. I will be in the GFRC office throughout the day so please don't hesitate to call on potential purchases or if considering a consignment.

 

 

 

October 8, 2017

Welcome to the Daily Blog on a warm, windy and wet Sunday morning in southern Maine.

The stretch of beautiful autumn weather ended on Saturday as clouds and rain appeared during the afternoon hours. Today's forecast calls for similar wet conditions and gutsy winds. Finding the optimum paramters for burning the brush pile, during the next 48 hours, is on top of the "to do" list. Burning in gusty winds is never a sound idea as sparks can fly in all directions at a moment's notice. But then again, standing in a constant rain and maintaining a steady fire is not my idea of fun.

Diane is back from a busy Beijing holiday that concluded with an uneventful flight into Boston. Buddy is a little confused this morning as his loyalty is to whoever feeds him. Though being Diane's dog, he continues to follow me like an indoor shadow.

 

GFRC Adds "Dalton Show" to 2018 Schedule - GNA Show April 13 - 15

Dan White returned from Belgium and already the PAN show planning is underway. One of our topics of discussion, on Saturday, was GFRC taking a corner table at the Georgia Numismatic Association show that is well known as the "Dalton Show". We agreed that adding Dalton to the spring GFRC schedule was an important step for more exposure in the southern states. I've heard only positive comments about this 300+ table show. Dan immediately called the show promoter and submitted an application. Dalton, Georgia is an easy drive from Venice, Florida and will allow GFRC to feature its broad inventory across 8 cases.

GFRC's spring 2018 show schedule is shaping up nicely with a host of quality shows. We open the New Year with Winter FUN, in Tampa, Sarasota in late February, Whitman Baltimore in March and then Dalton in mid April. I will probably return to the Denver Coin Expo in early May also.

 

Renting Quality Coins? An Alternate Collecting Approach.

There are numerous approaches for collecting coins. Some individuals take a traditional approach and strive to complete a date and mintmark set of their favorite design and denomination. Others enjoy exploring numerous design types and will build silver or gold type sets. Then there are others who just enjoy owning early type coins with strict originality and superior eye appeal. Several GFRC customers are what I fondly call the "PCGS blue box collectors". They limit their collection to only one PCGS blue box of 20 coins. As the box becomes filled, the collector must decide which of the existing coins will be sold to make room for the next acquisition. This approach of divesting a coin to add an upgrade leads to an ever improving collection. Earlier purchase decisions are dispositioned with capital being recovered towards the next purchase.

This latter concept of holding quality coins on a short term basis is equivalent to "renting" coins for short term possession and enjoyment. Some Blog readers might frown on this approach due to the financial losses to be suffered by short term holds and liquidation costs. Their point is valid if the collector uses a major auction house to sell the discarded items. High buyer's fees and small consignment lots mean no bargaining leverage with an auction house and a sizable financial exposure.

Then GFRC came along with a business model targeting those collectors who wish to remain active with buying and selling at a small "rental fee" for short term holds of quality coins. Yes, a short term hold of a quality coin is equivalent to renting that coin for a fixed period of time. The longer the holding period, the lower the cost per year to own a coin. For example, let's assume that a collector purchases a better date gem Seated coin with CAC approval for $3,000. Quality CAC coins are always in demand and straightforward to sell at retail to the next buyer. By using GFRC's consignment program, the collector would experience a 9% rental fee divided by the number of years he owned the coin. If the coin was held and enjoyed for two years, the rental fee is $135 per year. How much does $135 buy in today's consumerism environment that would provide the same fun and pride of ownership? Please consider this point carefully as it might just change how you approach the numismatic hobby.

Some individuals see coins as primarily financial assets, like stocks, with breakeven being a minimum requirement while seeking profit upon divestment. These individual will probably immediately dismiss the "rental fee" concept. But should they?

Individuals who hope to make short term money on coins tend to be Value Buyers. Value Buyers seek to find underpriced coins for short term profit. The issue with this approach is the amount of knowledge required to discern value. Many lower priced coins are value priced due to subtle issues that only an advanced numismatist will comprehend. Value coins can be difficult to sell due to low demand since the internet is rapidly increasing collector education and awareness.

Knowledgeable collectors will purchase the best possible quality and pay the premiums. These coins are easily found on the GFRC price lists; those with a Gem quality rating and CAC approval! Gem coins will be priced above PCGS guides due to superior surfaces and eye appeal. But once purchased, gem coins also provide substantial "pride of ownership" and viewing enjoyment. When the time does come to divest, dealers and collectors will jump at the opportunity to purchase Gem rated coins with CAC approval. Due to strong demand, the asking price may be increased to minimize the "rental fee". In some cases, the demand is so high that the consignor has enjoyed his coin rent free!

Gerry's advice? Purchase coins for their beauty, historical significance and overall enjoyment and acknowledge there may be a "rental fee" at some point in time. You will be a much happier numismatist if employing this collecting philosophy!

 

GFRC Consignment News

More consignments arrived on Saturday including the second installment of the White Pine Collection and a new offering from the Kansas Collection. CAC approved coins are dominant within these two shipments. Unfortunately, Maine weather will not allow photography until Tuesday, at the earliest, and maybe Wednesday depending on tropical storm Nate's path through the Northeast.

AuburnNY Accordian Collection

Attention shifted to the AuburnNY Accordian Collection on Saturday. I'm pleased to be showcasing the holdered pieces in that consignment with the following client gallery. All offerings are Liberty Seated dimes except for a rare 1919 FS-101 Double Die Obverse Mercury dime graded PCGS FR02 with CAC approval.

The Liberty Seated dates and grades are as follows; 1837 F-103a NGC VF25 CAC; 1839-O F-106a NGC F12; 1846 F-101 PCGS G06; 1853 No Arrows F-102 PCGS G04; 1856 F-118a PCGS EF45 and discovery piece for the die state; 1858-S F-102 PCGS G06; 1859-S ICG VG8 and choice; 1863 PCGS VF Details; 1865 PCGS VF20; 1866 NGC VG08; 1891 F-107 ANACS OWH VF30

AuburnNY Accordian Collection Consignment Part 1 - October 8, 2017

    

    

    

    

 

Featured Coins of the Day

In yesterday's Blog, Liberty Seated proof half dimes and dimes, currently in GFRC inventory, were featured. Let's continue this segment on proof Liberty Seated coinage and explore the quarter and half dollar denominations today. Consider adding a proof coin to your PCGS blue box of 20 pieces!

  

  

  

 

 

 

October 7, 2017

Welcome to the Daily Blog as October moves along and the first full weekend arrives.

It is difficult to believe, but Diane's Beijing visit with the Yamatin family is already a memory as she is currently flying back to Boston and arrives later today. The Beijing holiday was a fun event with several days of lodging at the Great Wall, visiting the Beijing International School and spending time with Chikae's parents, who also reside in Beijing.

Southern Maine Foliage Update

The 2017 foliage season and color transitions are gaining speed with each day that passes. As this Blog edition is written, the front yard burning bush is a bright red as is the maple along the driveway. Birches are quickly turning yellow and the mighty oaks are just starting to show hints of the golden brown colors.

Following is a familiar sight; an image of the GFRC backyard taken at 5:30pm while enjoying an end of day scotch. One can immediately appreciate the color transition and the long shadows as the sun drops quickly in the sky. Please note the progress with tree cutting and exposing more of the coastal horizon from the back deck. Yes, I'm proud of the progress given the hours of chain saw effort. The long 5:30pm shadow is a forerunner of upcoming clock change in early November. Daylight Savings Time officially ends on November 5 with dusk arriving at 4:00pm in southern Maine.

Autumn Transition - GFRC Office Backyard - October 6, 2017

 

GFRC Reaches $2,000,000 Consignor Proceeds Milestone

I'm so pleased to report that GFRC has achieved a significant 2017 milestone that validates the community business model and Trading Desk concept. A sale from the White Pine Collection, as purchased by the Port Matilda consignor, brought the consignment proceeds to the $2,000,000 level. Much effort and great consignor support faciliated this goal achievement. Once again, GFRC consignor sales activities are documented and always available for viewing on the Consignment Program page. I'm also pleased to report that the Average Number of Days Til Sold number has dropped back to 106 days due to rapid sales of recent consignments. This number can be easily inflated by sales of items that have been on the price list for several years and must be counter balanced with quick sales resulting from the FRoR program.

 

First Right of Refusal (FRoR) Reminder

GFRC's numismatic industry presence continues to grow as more individuals discover the GFRC website and the quality coins being offered. Many become active customers after their first purchase. As a reminder, the First Right of Refusal program (FRoR) is designed to allow everyone access to the best quality coins that arrive via new purchases and consignments. Key to the program is checking the Daily Blog on a regular basis, early mornings and evening times, to view new arrivals. The GFRC approach is quite systematic. First is a pre announcement of the contents of a forthcoming consignment. Then there is a Client Gallery posting followed by official loading of coins to the price list. Throughout the marketing and annoucement process, First Right of Refusal requests are accepted on individual coins. I will not accept a request for all coins in a consignment as this is unreasonable on the part of the customer.

Once new offering images and prices are posted to the price list, those with FRoR are expected to render an immediate purchase or pass decision, as in many cases, there are other customer waiting in line for access. Recently, I've run into cases where those with the first FRoR wish to negotiate the asking price of the coin being held for their decision making. To be clear, all new GFRC offerings are firmly priced for the first 60 days on the price list. A considerable amount of effort goes into price setting with consignors and ensuring that asking prices are fair to all parties. If you are uncomfortable with an asking price, then best to pass on the coin and let the next person in line have access. Managing many FRoRs across multiple coins is a service provided in fairness to all in the GFRC community. I need your support with quick decisions to efficiently conduct this program.

 

GFRC Consignment News

The second installment of the White Pine Collection arrived on Friday along with new offerings from the Kansas Collction. If the weather holds up today, then these will be photographed.

AuburnNY Accordian Collection Consignment Status

Image processing for the AuburnNY Accordian Collection consignment is nearly completed and will be a primary focus item for today. This consignment offers a substantial amount of holdered and raw Liberty Seate dimes.

Searsport Collection Consignment

A phone call arrived on Friday from a downeast Maine customer. He wished to consign 15-20 toner Morgan dollars that were hand selected from an original 1881-S bag years ago. Some have dual sided toning while others are single sided. He reports a fair number having arc toning with the entire lot being chosen based on mirrored surfaces and clean cheeks. The time has arrived to sell and GFRC has been approached to handle the lot. Stay tune here for more details. We are discussing a transfer point in the next week or so.

 

Featured Coins of the Day

Let's wrap today's Blog with something not done before..... An illustration of Liberty Seated proof only offerings in current inventory. Featured next are Liberty Seated half dime and dime proof coinage highlights to consider.

  

  

  

Thank you for visiting on a Saturday morning and sharing in the $2,000,000 consignment proceeds milestone. $2,000,000 is a substantial number of checks across a consignor base that totals well over 120 individuals at this point in time.

Time to take Buddy outdoors for his morning business followed by preparing and shipping another CAC submission. Take care and have a great autumn weekend.

 

 

October 6, 2017

Greetings again and welcome to the Daily Blog on a Friday morning.

2017 will be remembered for summer like autumn weather as temperatures continue to be above normal. Today's high temperature is expected to reach 70 degrees and Sunday is forecasted at 80. Three days of rain are on hand for early next week and a perfect opportunity to burn the substantial brush pile.

This Friday Blog edition will be brief due to many "must do" items this morning.

 

GFRC at PAN Show (Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists)

My dear friend Dan White is flying back from Belgium today with preparations for the PAN show underway. The PAN show takes place in less than three weeks. It is important that GFRC consignors target consignment shipments within the next 10 days or so. Once GFRC starts the Four Coin Show in Four Weekends event, with PAN as the first stop, there will be no time to process new consignments. My primary goal will be to maintain online sales and shipments while traveling and attending PAN, Manchester NH, Baltimore and Shanghai Yunzhou shows followed by preparations for the annual Black Friday sale.

As a reminder, here is the PAN bourse floor layout and GFRC table location. Regional show attendance is an ideal time to discuss and/or transfer new consignments coupled with regular sales activities.

PAN Coin Show Bourse - GFRC Table 801

October 26 - 28, 2017

 

GFRC Consignment News

White Pine Collection Consignment

GFRC business is to the point that each day brings USPS or FedEx deliveries of new inventories. On Thursday, the first installment of the White Pine Collection consignment arrived earlier than expected. Photography was immediately done followed by working to nearly midnight to prepare the below Client Gallery. Pricing and COIN system loading will take place today with a price list debut planned for the weekend. I moved quickly on images due to the number of FRoRs on this offering.

My favorite pieces are the 1851 PCGS VF25 CAC and 1891-O PCGS F12 CAC Seated quarters and the lovely 1876-CC PCGS VF35 CAC Seated half. The 1891-O Seated quarter date is an important opportunity as rarely seen in any grade.

White Pine Collection Consignment Part 1 - October 6, 2017

    

    

  

 

Santa Fe Collection Consignment

Thursday evening also brought a FedEx email notice that a shipment from the Santa Fe Collection was in transit and will arrived today. Contents will be shared in Saturday's Blog.

 

Global Financial News

Spot gold prices continues their slow decay and stand at $1270/oz this morning. The $1300 threshold appears to be ancient history.

Following are several Seeking Alpha headlines worth considering on a Friday morning. We open with a potential scenario for President Trump's decertification of the Iran Nuclear agreement and punting the ball to Congress to decide on next steps. Let's see how this thorny issue plays out in the coming days.

President Trump is expected to decline to certify the Iran nuclear agreement as early as next week and leave it to Congress to determine whether to reimpose punitive economic sanctions, according to multiple reports. Congress may not have the stomach for such a move, which could lead to the agreement’s collapse, so the ultimate result could be to accuse Iran of failing to comply with the deal, while leaving the deal itself in place. Trump’s expected move would allow him to tell supporters that he had disavowed the accord, fulfilling his campaign rhetoric, while bowing to the reality that the U.S. would isolate itself from its allies if it sabotaged a deal with which Iran is viewed as complying.

Trade discussions with Japan are next on the Trump agenda as Japan continually runs a significant trade surplus with the United States.

Japan's finance minister is heading to Washington, D.C., to launch a second round of economic talks. Taro Aso will meet with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence October 16, in a follow-up to meetings between the two countries in Tokyo in April. Since then, though, Japan raised tariffs on frozen beef imports from countries including the U.S. to 50% from 38.5%, and expectations are growing that the U.S. will use the new round to push for trade concessions. Asked about that prospect, Aso said it is better to improve management of an existing quota system for frozen beef rather than changing laws to establish new rules. The U.S. Treasury has expressed concern over the "persistence" of a trade imbalance; Japan had a $69 billion surplus with the U.S. last year.

The George Jetson aerocar is in our future!

Boeing was busy yesterday preparing for a possible future that includes flying taxis and hybrid-powered aircraft. Boeing agreed to purchase Aurora Flight Sciences, a maker of aerial drones and pilotless flying systems that could pave the way for fleets of flying taxis. Aurora has been working with Uber on a new vehicle that would take off and land like a helicopter. Meanwhile, a Boeing-backed start-up unveiled plans for an electric-hybrid passenger jet that could dramatically reduce the travel time and cost of trips under 1,000 miles. The planes are expected eventually to fly solely on battery power and are being designed to fly with one pilot and ultimately remotely piloted.

 

Featured Coins of the Day

Toner Morgan sales have been tranquil so let's feature some attractive examples that are priced under $300. Several collectors are attempting to build date level Morgan toner sets and deciding to go with dual or single sided toned preservation states.

  

  

  

Thank you for stopping by on a Friday morning. Time for quick shower, then time in the packing and shipping department followed by CAC submission preparations. It will be another busy day indeed!

 

 

 

October 5, 2017

Greetings on another comfortable autumn morning in southern Maine.

Weather wise, this week has been outstanding with bright sunny days and above average temperatures. As I write the Blog, outdoor temperature is 62F and will approach 76 degrees during afternoon hours. Several days of rain are forecasted for early next week and perfect for burning the massive brush pile in the back yard. While writing this introduction, it dawned on me that weather plays an important role in life. Sunny skies are required for coin photography, cool days for cutting wood and rain for burning the brush piles.

Northeast Foilage Report

Autumn colors are quickly transitioning as we move through the first full week of October. Warm weather does not appear to be having an impact on color changes. A hard frost would definitely accelerate the change but none is in sight this year. My favorite time of the day is sitting on the back deck at 5:00pm and simply enjoying the scenery until sunset shadows over takes the colorful coastal horizon. Here is an October 2 Northeast foliage map from foliagenetwork.com that documents the extent of current color changes.

 

GFRC Coin Show Update

Wednesday brought email conversations, with Ernie Botte, to wrap up GFRC's presence at the Manchester, NH Coin Expo that takes place in just one month. Ernie made an enticing proposal that was consistent with GFRC's growing retail presence at national and select regional shows. Most of my quality inventory will be available for review and purchase at double corner booths 701/716 per the below bourse floor map. Bill Kelly will be joining again as table assistant and also offering some of his inventory. We are planning between 10-12 cases which means over 900 slabbed coins available for purchase and a much larger offering than Denver ANA and Whitman Baltimore. GFRC also agreed to showcase an advertising banner on the Manchester NH Coin Expo homepage per below. The New Hampshire Coin Expo takes place on November 2 - 4 with dealer setup and early birds on Thursday afternoon, November 2.

Ernie Botte runs a top notch show and it will be worth the drive from all New England points to attend.

GFRC at Manchester, NH Show - Corner Tables 701/716

 

10-12 Cases of Quality Coins - November 2 - 4, 2017

 

GFRC Consignment News

The consignment flood gates are opening and a sincere note of appreciation goes out to consignors and customers, in the GFRC community, for your support. Consignors have many options to choose from when deciding to divest numismatic holdings. GFRC remains the new player in the market with a fixed price list business model for selling consigned items. What GFRC does well is creating a strong collector community and marketing every consignment in the same manner, whether a $200 offering or valued into five figures. Every consignment receives the same care and systematic marketing. Coin quality and consignor's targeted prices will have an impact on the sales rate.

Grey Soldier Collection Consignment

Grey Soldier along with Seal Beach and Saw Mill Run are the three most successful consignors to date due to top quality offerings (many are CAC approved) at market competitive prices. The new Grey Soldier offerings enjoyed a solid debut on Wednesday with 4 of 7 pieces already on hold and potential 5th being sold today. Following is the new Grey Soldier client gallery to enjoy.

Grey Soldier Collection Consignment - October 4, 2017

Great Seated Coins!

    

    

White Pine Collection Consignment

In yesterday's Blog, contents of the initial consignment were itemized. Already, several pieces are on First Right of Refusal (FRoR). This consignment should arrive by the weekend.

I found another email, this morning, from the White Pine Collection consignor documenting a second consignment that is shipping today. If you thought the initial consignment contained great offerings, then please have a look at the contents of White Pine Collection consignment #2. Please check the Liberty Seated quarters, as 4 of 5 pieces are CAC approved along with being better dates. The Seated half dollar quantity is small but the dates are quite important; 1845 Philadelphia is underrated while the 1857-S NGC MS61 example is from the Dick Osburn Collection as sold by Stacks in late 2011.

Again, FRoRs are important for having priority acces to these forthcoming offerings.

Seated 25c: 1840-O No Drapery PCGS VF35 CAC; 1849 PCGS AU53 CAC; 1857-O PCGS EF40 CAC; 1864 PCGS EF40; 1865 PCGS AU53 CAC

Reeded Edge 50c: 1838 PCGS AU53 CAC

Seated 50c: 1845 PCGS AU53; 1857-S NGC MS61 Dick Osburn Collection; 1874-S ANACS VF35  OWH with beautiful toning

Seated $1: 1870-CC PCGS VF20

AuburnNY Accordian Collection Consigment

This consignment contains 27 Liberty Seated dimes and 1 Mercury dime; 1919 Double Die Obverse. I'm presently processing images and will be loading the consignment into COIN database today along with price setting. This substantial consignment will take several days to process.

 

Global Financial News

Spot gold continues to hold the $1280/oz level while crude is trading at $50/bbl. Commodity prices are stable as global stock markets continue to move higher in record territories. No one is talking about debt loads or under funding pension plans these days as optimism prevails. Following are a few Seeking Alpha headlines to consider with Christmas sales already on the mind's of retailers.

The National Retail Federation expects holiday sales to increase between 3.6% and 4.0% this year. The forecast is higher than the 3.5% annual growth seen over the past five years. Retailers are expected to hire between 500K and 550K temporary workers this holiday season, down from last year's total of 575K. Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) won't be part of that tally due to its decision to meet the holiday crush by adding hours for current employees.

Amazon continue to push forward with more dopamine inducing purchasing pleasures. I suspect that Amazon is simply moving the free shipment cost liabilities to its third party supplier network and impacting their operating margins.

Delivery bombshell: Amazon is testing out a new delivery service that will make more products available for free two-day delivery. The program sees more deliveries made straight from the warehouses of third-party merchants straight to the homes of customers. The method cuts down on warehouse overcrowding and could reduce Amazon's reliance on FedEx and UPS. In premarket trading, FedEx is down 2% and UPS is off 3%.

It is great news to see the White House refocusing on space exploration. This is one area where the United States has been dominant since the 1969 moon landing until recent years and privitization efforts.

The White House Space Council meets for the first time today to set out an agenda of national space priorities and launch schedules. Key executives expected to attend the public session of the gathering include Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg and Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson. Part of the focus will be on NASA's timetable for reaching Mars after Elon Musk announced accelerated plans for SpaceX to reach the red planet. President Trump has called space the next great American frontier.

 

Featured Coins of the Day

Were you aware that GFRC is continually expanding it Liberty Seated dollar inventory? Liberty Seated dollars are most challenging to collect due to low survival rates, outside of several common dates, along with many pieces being mishandled over the years. However, the series can be quite rewarding to pursue on a long term basis. Following are highlights from GFRC inventory that would be an excellent starting point for a date or date/mintmark set.

Liberty Seated Dollars

  

  

  

  

So ends today's Daily Blog edition. Time for some quick packing and shipping followed by preparing the GFRC full page advertisement for the upcoming Gobrecht Journal. Then it is back to the AuburnNY Accordian consignment for more image processing and preparing to load onto the price list.

Please consider a purchase today for your hobby as consignors would love to rechannel their numismatic equity into new purchases. Your patronage will be greatly appreciated!

 

 

 

October 4, 2017

Welcome to the Daily Blog on another sunny autumn day in southern Maine.

The day started at 5:00 am as there is much to accomplish after completing today's Blog. I'm having fun plus getting some great exercise in the backyard forest and hope for another session today. Tuesday brought more tree cutting and branch hauling with noticeable progress being made in opening viewing access to the coastal horizon. The newest challenge is cutting a wide enough trail to reach the balance of the trees to be dropped followed by creating a clearing to fell each tree. Attempting to cut up trees that are piled on top of each other is dangerous to begin with and secondly, typically results in a bound chain saw. Patience and adherence to a methodical approach are necessary but time consuming.

Also on today's agenda is coin photography as the weather forecast calls for a high of 77F and sunny skies. Consignments are arriving and photography is a critical marketing element. Just yesterday, USPS express shipments from Grey Soldier and AuburnNY Accordian Collection consignments arrived and are already prepared for photography.

 

GFRC Consignment News

Grey Soldier Collection

By now, I'm sure that Blog readers can connect the fact that Grey Soldier is none other than the LSCC's Benny Haimovitz. Benny authors the monthly Cracked, Shattered and Terminal column in the E-Gobrecht and showcases some cool later die states across all Liberty Seated denominations. Benny will pursue important shattered die varieties, feature them in the E-Gobrecht and then consign to GFRC for divestment. Building a backlog of cool varieties takes persistence along with an avenue for selling the pieces once published.

Following is the latest Grey Soldier Collection offering with several pieces being immediately recognized as featured coins in recent E-Gobrecht issues. Now is your chance to own these cool cracked up pieces.... First Right of Refusal is suggested.

Seated 5c: 1849/8 PCGS AU58 CAC with beautiful aquamarine blue toning and luster. A near gem with bold undertype date.

Seated 10c: 1843 F-102a NGC AU58 double date with rare cracked reverse die state, Fortin web-book plate coin; 1849 F-106 PCGS MS62 as featured in October E-Gobrecht issue; 1872 F-106 NGC AU58 repunched date with original gray patina; 1875-CC IW F-110 PCGS AU58 gem originl, a magnificent example with reverse that is close to F-110a die state

Seated 50c: 1846-O Medium O WB-1 PCGS AU55 choice with 90 degree rotated reverse left; 1847-O WB-13 PCGS EF40 shattered reverse with cud at (UN)ITED

AuburnNY Accordian Collection

What a treasure trove of low grade key Seated dime dates along with Top 100 die varieties! The consignment totals 28 pieces including an 1856 Small Date PCGS EF45 dime that has me scratching my head. This is clearly a new die pairing but with strange characteristic for an 1856 Small Date dime. The strike is absolutely hammered (rare for this date) along with die pitting throughout the right obverse fields and unlisted die cracks. Sounds like a new addition to the Seated dime web-book!

I will present the entire Seated dime list in tomorrow's Blog as many pieces are raw and must be graded.

White Pine Collection

Email discussion started middle of last week concerning a new consignment from the White Pine Collection. This consignor is making excellent progress with his Liberty Seated quarter set as featured in the Open Set Registry under the White Pine Collection name. We are planning two consignment shipments, due to insured value and significance of certain Seated coins. The first shipment should arrive during the weekend or early next week and contains the following items. FRoR is suggested as several of these will not last long.

Seated 20c: 1875-S PCGS VF25 CAC

Seated 25c: 1851 PCGS VF25 CAC; 1855 PCGS AU53; 1858-O PCGS EF45 CAC; 1891-O PCGS F12 CAC

Seated 50c: 1856-S PCGS EF45; 1860-S PCGS AU50; 1876-CC PCGS VF35 CAC

Global Financial News

Two regional independence efforts are the highlight of today's Seeking Alpha headlines. Catalonia plans to declare independence from Spain while the Iraqs are taking major financial steps to block the Kurds for moving forward with their independence efforts. Popularism is taking hold as closed knit societies wish to preserve their cultural linkage.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has said that the region will declare independence within a "matter of days." The latest comments throw down the gauntlet to Spain to do what it can to prevent one of the worst constitutional crises in the country's recent history. Spain's King Felipe, who is normally silent on politics, has also gotten involved, showing how serious the matter has become.

Stepping up its retaliation for an independence vote, Iraq will stop selling dollars to leading banks in Kurdistan and has banned foreign currency transfers to the autonomous area. The financial sanctions follow a ban on direct international air travel to the region. While it strengthened its alliance with Iraq's Kurds during the war with ISIS, the U.S. is taking the side of Baghdad.

On the otherhand, there are the European Union bureaucrats that are focused on tax dollar extraction from overseas corporations.

The European Commission has moved to refer Ireland to the European Court of Justice for failing to recover up to €13B of illegal state aid from Apple. In a parallel case, Europe's competition chief said Luxembourg must collect around €250M of back taxes from Amazon, adding to a growing list of scalps for Margrethe Vestager in her crackdown on tax loopholes. The Commission is also looking into the tax deal between the country and McDonald's.

This next headline is important to know and will definitely please Matt Yamatin.......

Solar power was the fastest-growing source of new energy worldwide last year, outstripping growth in all other forms of power generation for the first time. "What we are witnessing is the birth of a new era in solar PV," said Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, outlining that new solar photovoltaic capacity increased by 50% in 2016.

 

Featured Coins of the Day

Current GFRC inventory contains a host of great coins and all can be viewed online at the For Sale page and linked price lists. There are some mornings where it is difficult to decide which coins to showcase here. Today is one of these days. Let's return to the Liberty Seated half dollar price list and focus in on the later date (1879 through 1890) offerings with very low mintages. Some of these are certified while others are raw and perfect for a Dansco or Whitman album set.

Later Date Liberty Seated Half Dollars

  

  

  

I'm glad to be wrapping up the Blog early this morning and will immediate load the latest Grey Soldier Collection consignment to the price list. Images will be added by the evening hours.

Thank you for stopping by and being loyal Daily Blog readers. Please remember that coin purchases are paramount for the GFRC business and collecting community to remain vibrant. There are many great offerings and I'm sure that potential matches may exist with your collection objectives. Have a great day!

 

 

 

October 3, 2017

Greetings on an early Tuesday morning and thank you for visiting the Daily Blog.

It is difficult to be upbeat given the Las Vegas massacre and the passing of Tom Petty but let's give it the old college try and see what may happen.

Autumn days are quickly growing shorter as the Blog is being written before sunrise to maintain 8:00am ET publishing goal. The birches are starting to expose yellow coloring to nicely compliment the orange-red of the maples. The hearty oaks are the last to begin the color transition and will still be holding leaves at Thanksgiving. Life and nature function on cycles. Nature's cycle is tied to the rotation of our planet around the sun and is predictable. Life's cycle is much more unpredictable with lifestyle, health management and plain old good fortune being the imperatives. Just ask the families of those who died yesterday in Las Vegas about being at the wrong place at the worst possible time.

 

Seth Godin's Blog - The Pleasure/Happiness Gap

Given the negative feelings this morning with an ongoing stream of bad news, videos, images and immediate political fighting, I decided to visit Seth's Blog for his commentary on current events. Let's just say that this post has to be one of the best written as he confronts the addictive nature of short term pleasure which can crowd out longer term happiness. We are well aware of substance abusers and how their lives becomes ongoing battle between short term pleasure and long term stability. Seth Godin calls out the new addictive abuse of our modern age; social media and instant access to online video, information that heighten our fears or extract anger. Please take the time to read this post and maybe read it several times. Numismatics is fighting the Pleasure : Happiness battle for share of mind. Now I understand why my best friends are all numismatists.....

The pleasure/happiness gap

Pleasure is short-term, addictive and selfish. It's taken, not given. It works on dopamine.

Happiness is long-term, additive and generous. It's giving, not taking. It works on serotonin.

This is not merely simple semantics. It's a fundamental difference in our brain wiring. Pleasure and happiness feel like they are substitutes for each other, different ways of getting the same thing. But they're not. Instead, they are things that are possible to get confused about in the short run, but in the long run, they couldn't be more different.

Both are cultural constructs. Both respond not only to direct, physical inputs (chemicals, illness) but more and more, to cultural ones, to the noise of comparisons and narratives.
Marketers usually sell pleasure. That's a shortcut to easy, repeated revenue. Getting someone hooked on the hit that comes from caffeine, tobacco, video or sugar is a business model. Lately, social media is using dopamine hits around fear and anger and short-term connection to build a new sort of addiction.

On the other hand, happiness is something that's difficult to purchase. It requires more patience, more planning and more confidence. It's possible to find happiness in the unhurried child's view of the world, but we're more likely to find it with a mature, mindful series of choices, most of which have to do with seeking out connection and generosity and avoiding the short-term dopamine hits of marketed pleasure.

More than ever before, we control our brains by controlling what we put into them. Choosing the media, the interactions, the stories and the substances we ingest changes what we experience. These inputs lead us to have a narrative, one that's supported by our craving for dopamine and the stories we tell ourselves. How could it be any other way?

Scratching an itch is a route to pleasure. Learning to productively live with an itch is part of happiness.

 

Premier LSCC Membership Recognition

Work continues at a rapid pace to announce the Premier LSCC Membership program. What is this all about, you might ask? Becoming a member of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club was a pivotal decision in your author's life. Being an LSCC member, with the associated comraderie and a long term focused passion, became a lifestyle. The numismatic hobby has brought substantial happiness to my life with the occasional dopamine hits when finally locating a rare die variety. Believe me that numismatics is a long term journey that instills patience and is so rewarding.

An LSCC membership is quite special to many of our club members. Therefore why not recognize and celebrate an LSCC membership with a specially engraved medal to capture that legacy? This is the core reason that the club is moving forward to strike personalize one ounce proof finish silver medals that capture the essence of Liberty Seated coinage designs, across all denominations, and document individual club memberships.

The Premier LSCC Membership medal has been designed and soon, we will be working with Moonlight Mint for die fabrication. Once Jim Macor's Premier LSCC Membership artwork is captured in steel, the graphics will be presented here in the Daily Blog and marketed in a host of numismatic publications. More is forthcoming on this topic.

 

GFRC New Purchases

There is only one new offering to showcase today; a crusty original 1839 Seated quarter graded PCGS AU53 with CAC approval. Once again, please stay with me as I raise awareness of the Seated quarter series and how challenging it is to locate choice specimens outside of the 10 or so common dates.

GFRC New Purchase - Liberty Seated Quarter

1839 No Drapery PCGS AU53 CAC - Crusty Original, Well Struck

 

GFRC Consignment News

The GFRC community is a fantastic group of collectors and friends. It did not take long for the community to look into their bank boxes and locate more coins to offer as consignments. Already, Grey Soldier has shipped another wonderful lot that will be itemized in Wednesday's Blog (for FRoR). The Wisconsin and Kansas Collection consignors are also transferring some special offerings that will delight GFRC customers.

Yesterday also brought notice that the UpstateNY Accordian Collection lot of Liberty Seated dimes has shipped. The consignor decided to delay the shipment a few days and has added more content that will be a surprise upon arrival.

In the meantime, I will continue to add more Seated dimes from my reference collection and enjoying watching other serious numismatist taking possession of these cherished web-book plate coins.

 

Global Financial News

Let's take a quick look at Seeking Alpha headlines for a broader view of global events and financial ramifications. We start with Europe and a new issue facing the EU. Call it a mini Brexit as Catalonia seeks to separate from Spain.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont is calling for international mediation in the region's dispute with Madrid, stating its independence referendum was valid and must be implemented. He also wants Spanish security forces to leave the area. The euro extended losses on the news overnight, falling 0.2% to $1.1705, following weakness in Spanish stocks and bonds a day earlier.

President Trump is working towards improved trade relationship with Thailand. Remember that China has significant presence in south eastern Asia and it is an imperative for the US to maintain counter balancing relationships.

President Trump wants to reduce another U.S. trade deficit - this time with Thailand. "I think we're going to try to sell a little bit more to you, if that's possible," he said during a conference with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha at the White House. The meeting was a sign of improved ties after the nations' relationship cooled under the Obama administration, which had been deeply critical of the Thai military coup in 2014.

The United States solar manufacturing industry is on the verge of collapse due to cheap imports (China once again).

A fractured U.S. solar industry will present differing proposals today to the U.S. International Trade Commission, which is considering measures to prop up domestic solar panel makers, who say cheap imports have left them on the verge of collapse. After hearing different ideas, the commission will decide what trade remedies to recommend to President Trump, who will make a final decision later this year.

More pleasure inducing dopamine is at hand from Amazon and Wal-Mart as they compete for same day delivery services.

Wal-Mart will soon begin offering same-day delivery to some customers in NYC, purchasing a local startup to help it with the logistics. Parcel already handles delivery services in the city for online retailers like Bonobos and meal-kit companies like Chef'd and Martha & Marley Spoon. A source told Recode that Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) spent less than $10M on the acquisition.

 

Featured Coins of the Day

While discussing the new consignment from the Wisconsin Collection, this individual is motivated towards selling the remaining four coins currently found on GFRC price list. We've agreed on pricing reductions with the lower offer prices being loaded online by noon today. These four pieces are all quality items and hopefully the lower prices will be incentive for new ownership.

  

  

 

Buddy has been patiently waiting to be taken outside as the Blog was being written. Usually Diane handles this chore while the Blog is being compoosed. Let's conclude the Blog for another day so Buddy can relieve himself. Thanks for stopping by and please do consider adding a nice coin to your collection. There are many available on the GFRC price lists.

 

 

 

October 2, 2017

Greetings and welcome to the Daily Blog as October has arrived.

It is difficult to imagine the Las Vegas slaughter at country western outdoor concert as death toll now stands at 50. The Blog will continue as normally written however.

Sunday brought a picture perfect warm Southern Maine fall day and yes, I took several pictures to capture the seasonal changes. After working the morning in the GFRC office, the afternoon brought tree cutting and branch hauling in the backyard. Efforts to recapture the coastal horizon view, from the front deck and sunroom, are beginning to show results per the following image. Cutting down trees is straightforward but the branch trimming and hauling to the burn pile takes considerable effort. No need for a health walk yesterday! The burn pile has reached its size limit for safe and controlled burning. Another pile is already started to capture incremental branches to burn in conjunction with the torching of the main pile.

The second task with tree cutting is sawing trunks and major branches for winter firewood. Firewood is rapidly accumulating and renting a wood splitter in late October (before PAN show) will be necessary.

Southern Maine is still two weeks away from peak color. I'm waiting for the birches to start their conversion to bright yellow.

Autumn Transition - GFRC Office Backyard - 5:30 pm

Another Growing Burn Pile

 

GFRC New Purchase

CAC approved Liberty Seated quarters continue to intrigue me as the CAC population reports are incredibly low as compared to reported mintages. One of my favor dates is the 1873 Open 3 and Closed 3 strikes. The Closed 3 is nearly impossible choice while there are a few Open 3s available, two of which were made by GFRC during the Sunset Point Collection review. In mint state, the Open 3 CAC approved population is skewed to the MS65 and MS66 level with three well preserved specimens approved. However, at the collectable MS62 through MS64 grade levels, only two are approved with the below GFRC offering being the sole MS62 to secure green bean along with one MS64. Serious Seated quarter collectors should give this new purchase (love the eye appeal!) careful consideration as an important opportunity that will not break the bank.

GFRC New Purchase - Liberty Seated Quarter

1873 Open 3 PCGS MS62 CAC - So Rare in Choice Mint State

 

GFRC Consignment News

As mentioned in recent Blogs, the consignment queue is barren. Since being a "half full glass" kind of person, I'm using the opportunity to load offerings from my own Liberty Seated dime reference collection. Most of the reference collection pieces were purchased between 1989 through 2000 timeframe. So far, the response has been favorable and pleased to be "placing" some of my favorite Seated dimes within the GFRC collector community.

Following are three lovely 1853 With Arrows dimes that are also web-book plate coins. The F-106a example (center below) is one of my all time favorites as so crusty original and with a planchet clip at obverse 11:00. I was confident of CAC approval after grading PCGS AU58. The F-122 plate coin (left) was originally graded MS62 by me and PCGS agreed with MS62 designation. The F-122 Hubbed Arrows and Date specimen (right) has gorgeous Wayte Raymond album toning and graded PCGS AU58. `These three pieces will be priced and loaded to the price list today.

Gerry Fortin Reference Collection Consignment - October 2, 2017

1853 With Arrows Seated Dimes - Web-Book Plate Coins

    

 

Global Financial News

Spot gold is caught in a slow price downturn ($1276 this morning) tied to the U.S. Dollar strengthening against major currencies. Also note that China is on a Golden Week holiday with financial markets closed. Spot gold prices will not be receiving any support for this important market player.

Let visit Seeking Alpha headlines for a view of global financial news.

Another Brexit event is occuring in Europe but on a much smaller scale. Catalonia is attempting to break away from Spain and creating havoc in Spanish markets.

The euro got knocked overnight, falling 0.7% to $1.1738, as more than 90% of Catalan voters chose independence from Spain amid clashes with riot police. Markets also took a hit following the referendum dubbed illegal by Spain, with the benchmark Ibex 35 Index down 1.2% and government debt suffering as well. "The extraordinary recovery of the Spanish economy could be hindered," warned analysts at ING, as the country sinks deeper into a constitutional crisis.

U.S. T-Bill yields are slowly rising in anticipated of a final interest rate hike in the fourth quarter. If Trump can deliver solid 3% GDP during 2018, then expect more rate hikes.

U.S. Treasury yields are at their highest in almost 12 weeks, with the 10-year at 2.37%, pushing the dollar half a percent higher against a basket of currencies. Firming expectations of a third interest rate hike this year, data pointing to steady U.S. growth and talk of a potentially more hawkish successor to Fed Chair Janet Yellen all appear to be contributing to the movement.

It is so refreshing to have a savvy CEO leading the goverment rather than politicians focused on opinion polls for decision making.

President Trump is beginning the new fiscal year with a "cut the red tape" event at the White House, highlighting the administration's efforts to eliminate what he sees as burdensome government regulation of private businesses. His regulatory reform speech will be followed by breakout sessions at 10 federal agencies, including the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Interior and others.

Saudi Arabia is firmly in a recession. Who could have imagined?

Saudi officials steering efforts to prepare the kingdom for the post-oil era are on high alert after the nation's economy contracted for two consecutive quarters for the first time since the global financial crisis. It's not unexpected, but notable, as OPEC members slash crude production to bolster prices. GDP shrank 1% in Q2 after contracting 0.5% in the first three months of 2017.

And finally, this has to be one of the most obvious "good cop/bad cop" routines on record. Trump maintaining his unpredictable nature is critical for further Chinese support on the North Korea matter.

"I told Rex Tillerson... that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man," President Trump tweeted over the weekend, after the Secretary of State acknowledged that the U.S. is in direct contact with North Korea. "Being nice to Rocket Man hasn't worked in 25 years, why would it work now? Clinton failed, Bush failed, and Obama failed. I won't fail."

 

Featured Coins of the Day

Today's Featured Coins section will highlight some top quality coins that are about to fall off the 30 day price list. I see hundreds of coins on a monthly basis and those that are above average are quite easy to pick out. Following are some of my favorite pieces that have been over looked by the GFRC community. Please give these wonderful offerings some consideration as most will be gone during the Four Coin Show is Four Weekends event.

  

  

  

 

 

 

October 1, 2017

October arrives on schedule and yes, it is time for another Daily Blog edition.

The morning temperature is cool 40F to kick off the day while skies are clear blue. It will be a great day to work cutting firewood as Saturday was a non stop coin and LSCC day, at the laptop, plus a health walk for good measure.

GFRC September 2017 Summary

Since GFRC is a community based business with substantial support from advanced collectors and consignors, let's quickly review the state of the numismatic market during the past 30 days. One must consider that GFRC's primary product lines are Liberty Seated, Draped/Capped Bust and United States gold with ambitions for a larger presence in the Barber coinage arena. As much as I had hoped to achieve the $2,000,000 Returned Proceeds to Consignors milestone during September, the results came in within a few dollars of $1,990,000. GFRC writes many consignment proceeds checks these days.

September sales were dominated by Liberty Seated coinage, which is no surprise. Sales were evenly spread across Liberty Seated dime, quarter and half dollar denominations with Seated quarter demand on par with the more popular dimes and halves. Frankly, I'm developing a strong attraction to Liberty Seated quarters given the underrated nature of many dates and low CAC populations. At Winter FUN, in Tampa, GFRC will be giving a FUN Topics presentation on the underrated status of Liberty Seated quarters towards bringing more attention to this wonderful series. Seated half dimes continue to sell but at a fraction of the larger denominations. This overlooked denomination offers excellent values when considering mintages and surviving populations. Of course, one must always recognize the demand side of any equation.

After a strong August, United States gold sale cooled off during September. GFRC continues to add quality gold pieces when pricing is reasonable. The realization has set in that customers prefer to make gold purchases at major coin shows rather than via online purchases. With the upcoming Four Coins Show in Four Weekends event starting with PAN, I'm expecting United States gold sales to ramp in the fourth quarter. Capped and Draped coinage continued to sell well in September with stocking quality inventory as the major challenge towards growing these product lines.

CAC approved sales were strong across all product lines with nearly 30% of the unit volume sold having CAC green beans. More collectors are gravitating towards higher quality levels that are typical with CAC approved coins. Consignors are seeing rapid turnarounds for their CAC approved consignments with strong pricing results.

Overall, September sales started slowly but accelerated during the past two weeks. The purchase and sale of the 1836 PCGS PR50 Gobrecht Dollar was most fortunate and further reinforces the fact that GFRC should spend more time walking small shows buying rather than attempting retail sales As far as I'm concerned, the numismatic market is healthy and active based on the past thirty day and third quarter results. More collectors are finding GFRC through friends, message boards and basic advertising. One raw coin customer said it so well during an email conversation. He previously used eBay to source his raw coins but after finding GFRC and the quality rating system, he only purchases from GFRC with peace of mind on coin quality.

 

LSCC October 2017 E-Gobrecht is Published

Like clockwork, E-Gobrecht editor Bill Bugert published the October issue yesterday. Blog readers can access the latest E-Gobrecht issue by clicking on the link or visiting the LSCC website at www.lsccweb.org.

This issue opens with a really cool circulation find event in Louisiana as reported by John Frost. John was so excited when being contacted for advice on the finding that he immediately called me! Can you imagine an 1838-O dime in original EF being spent at a small retail store? Well, download the 153th Issue of the Gobrecht Journal to learn more.

This issue also contains the usual monthly articles from our dedicated group of LSCC authors.

- Greg Johnson continues to explore Liberty Seated quarter die varieties with an insightful piece on The 1841-O Reverse “F” Liberty Seated Quarter Dollar

- Craig Eberhert showcases important Liberty Seated auction results during September auctions. He points out that Heritage has raised Buyer's Premiums to 20%.

- Dennis Fortier provides a Regional News update with highlights the CONA (Central Ohio) regional meeting activities and traditional Long Beach get together at the Rock Bottom Brewery.

- Benny Haimovitz, surviving Hurricane Irma, is back with another Cracked, Shattered and Terminal column which focuses on the 1849 F-104 Liberty Seated dime. I always enjoy his well done illustrations.

- Our club historian, Len Augsburger, out does himself with a hilarous Curious Collector article entitled The Whoopee Cushion in the Mint. This one is a must read!

 

GFRC Black Friday Sale - November 24 - 26

It seems like the Christmas in August sale was not that long ago but already the Black Friday sales event needs to be contemplated. The sale will be held starting Thanksgiving Day midnight through following Sunday. The usual requirements will be in effect; a minimum 8% reduction in asking price for consignments and all sales items identified to me by Tuesday November 21.

The Black Friday sales event will be an extension of the Four Coin Shows in Four Weekends event that spans October 26 through November 19. Yes, I'm flying back from Shanghai on November 20 in time to absorb and load the Black Friday sales price list.

 

GFRC Consignments Solicited

Interested in divesting duplicates for cash raising or selling a complete collection? Then please consider consigning to GFRC in the near term. I have a three week window to absorb and process 100-150 new coins before the Four Coin Shows in Four Weekends event. Your coins will be quickly photographed, evaluated and then featured in the Daily Blog followed by being added to the GFRC online price list. Then the consignments will be offered at four important coin shows; PAN. Manchester NH, Whitman Baltimore and for selected items, Shanghai China.

So please give me a call or send along an email to open a dialogue on what might be on your mind! Working with GFRC is straightforward with consignment checks sent quickly for sold items. GFRC has a robust cash flow and a proven track record with marketing and retailing quality 19th Century coins.

 

Featured Coins of the Day

The Denver Collection consignor wrote the other day and suggested a price reduction for his Walking Liberty halves. We've reduced the price of the following five quality Walkers by 10% and hope that you might consider a purchase at these new levels.

  

  

 

Blog publishing time was a tad delayed on a Sunday. Thanks for your understanding. I will be back tomorrow with an important new purchase; 1873 Open 3 PCGS MS62 CAC Seated quarter that is absolutely gorgeous and rare.

Wishing everyone a great Sunday and welcome to October.

 

 

 

September 30, 2017

Welcome to the Daily Blog on the last day of September and thank you for checking in.

Today's Southern Maine weather is providing a strong Autumn flavor with a forecasted high of 56F and cloudy conditions. Definitely no coin photography today but ideal for cutting trees and continuing the horizon clearing effort! I love this time of year, especially writing the Blog during sunrise. The eastern sunrise baths the front landscaping with bright reds and orange hues for about 30 minutes with the beauty being quite distracting for the core writing mission.

Diane will have landed in Beijing as the Blog is published and will be greeted by a happy Yamatin family at the capital airport. Natsumi will be so excited to have Meme at her home but will wonder why Meme could not bring Buddy along......

Back in the old USA, we have NFL national anthem and Dr. Suess' Cat in The Hat controversies. Standing for our national anthem, at any sporting event, is a non negotiable item in my book. But then again, I am from an aging generation where we stood each day in Catholic elementary school and recited the pledge of allegiance with the head nun on the intercom system. My childhood room had a 49 star United States flag on display. The American flag and national anthem are part of a personal pysche that has endured for decades and will continue until my last days.

 

GFRC Open Set Registry News

September has been an active month at the Open Set Registry with the number of sets increasing to about 650 and with 76 collectors participating. Not bad for a collector display forum that is only 9 month old and continuing to grow.

This morning, let's showcase the Coulombe Family Collection in the Liberty Seated Dimes, Basic Set, Business Strikes category. This individual recently utilized GFRC to photograph 20 of his Seated dimes. This set is a real pleasure to view since most of the entries have accompanying images that are well matched via GFRC photos. The set is currently ranked 6th in the category with a rating of 46.2, completetion level of 95%, weighted grade at 49.8 and CAC approval rate of 31%. The set is within two tenths of taking over 5th position. Grade uniformity and originality are most evident. I've know this individual for many decades. During that timeframe, Liberty Seated dimes have been his passion with the Coulombe Family Collection representing years of fund raising, searching out quality pieces and upgrading. This set can be view in a few minutes but represents a lifetime effort.

 

GFRC Consignment News

The Iowa Collection consignment is loaded on the price list with the 1841 PCGS VF30 CAC quarter already sold. Throughout the day, I will be loading some Liberty Seated dime from the Massachusetts Collection followed by more pieces from my reference collection. The Gerry Fortin Reference Collection Seated dimes are shown next in preview format.

Gerry Fortin Reference Collection Consignment - September 30, 2017

    

   

 

Now is Time to Consign to GFRC

The GFRC consignment inventory queue is nearly empty after today. Sure, I will continue to load more Liberty Seated dimes from my own reference collection during this slow period along with the AuburnNY Accordian Collection consignment that is due to arrive soon.

Between today and the PAN show, starting October 26, over three weeks remain before the Four Coin Show in Four Weekends event. I will have ample time to insource at least another 100+ consigned coins that could be on display at PAN, Manchester NH and Whitman Baltimore shows. If you've been contemplating the divestment of duplicates and or an entire collection, then why not give me a phone call today to discuss transfer options and how we might market your coins to secure the highest possible monies.

 

Featured Coins of the Day

GFRC inventory is slowly moving into the five figure range. I was curious this morning and decided to sort the COIN database towards showcasing current inventory items in excess of $10,000 retail pricing. Following are the outcomes of that query.

We open with a special highlight, an 1847 proof half dime graded NGC PF63 with estimated population of 8-12 known. This lovely piece arrived as a consignment at the Denver ANA show. Next are the 1841-O Transitional dimes from my Top 100 set. The Large O is the finest known and graded PCGS AU55 Gold CAC followed by the Small O graded PCGS AU Details. Both pieces belong in another advanced Top 100 set and I'm motivated to sell both towards increasing GFRC capital and inventory expansion. I'm still in love with the 1874 Polished Arrows dime, as the finest known regardless of the TPG surface opinions. This dime looks so different than any other 1874 dated Seated dime due to heavy die polishing and proof like finish. 1874 With Arrows business strikes just don't look like this piece while traditional proofs comes with watery fields.

The group wraps up with significant United States gold offerings from the Osprey Collection including a gorgeous 1874-CC PCGS AU53 CAC $5 half eagle followed by 1851 PCGS MS62 and 1854 Large Date PCGS AU53 $20 double eagles.

I hope you've enjoy this display and please contact me to discuss if there might be interest in any of these offerings.

  

  

  

So ends the last Daily Blog edition for September 2017. I will be back on October 1 with yet more ramblings. Thanks again for visiting and have a great weekend.

 

 

 

September 29, 2017

Greetings on a beautiful Southern Maine autumn morning and welcome to the Blog.

A Happy Birthday wish goes out to Diane as she has the pleasure of flying to China for her birthday! The long journey will be worthwhile once arriving to Beijing and spending time with the Yamatin family and especially grand daughter, Natsumi.

Yes, the sky is a bright blue this morning and nicely framing a landscape that is in the midst of a color transition. Morning temperature is a cool 42F. New England foliage viewing season is underway in parts of Maine and New Hampshire. Tourists traveling to the area are typically known as "leaf peepers" and will start arriving in the first half of October. Northern New England colors are not homogenous. Each region will experience color transitions are different rates based on temperatures. Coastal Maine is the last area to reach peak colors during the third week of October. Below is a convenient map from the maine.gov website that publicizes the Autumn color season. Raymond is located in zone 3, slightly east of Fryeburg, and will be soon moving from low to moderate colors.

 

 

 

GFRC New Addition Highlight

Maintaining inventory of the popular 1839 No Drapery Seated half dollar is always challenging given strict standards for GFRC owned inventory. This morning, I'm please to report the addition of a quality example that is conservatively graded PCGS EF45 with ample residual luster and device details near full AU level. Strictly original surfaces are covered with uniform gray patina. Look for this example on the GFRC price list later today at $2,200.

GFRC New Purchase

Liberty Seated Half Dollar - 1839 No Drapery PCGS EF45

 

CAC Approval for the 1836 Gobrecht Dollar!

Great news arrived Thursday afternoon concerning the 1836 Gobrecht Dollar purchased at last weekend's Devens MA coin show. This lovely piece of Seated coinage history received CAC approval. This offering is already sold and the new owner is absolutely thrilled to finally own a quality Gobrecht Dollar.

1836 Gobrecht Dollar, Name On Base, Original Strike, Die Alignment I

Choice Original PCGS PR50

 

GFRC Consignment News

As mentioned in yesterday's Blog, the Iowa and Copper Harbor Collection consignments arrived on schedule. The Copper Harbor Collection consignment of large cents is quite important as in storage for multiple decades. Most of the consignment is raw and must be graded before being offered for sale. The two PCGS Rattler large cents, 1803 S-260 PCGS AU58 Rattler and 1819(8) N-8 PCGS MS63RB Rattler will be submitted to CAC as both are incredibly original.

On the otherhand, the Iowa Collection consignment is ready to head to the price list, later today, as the consignor provided his net prices after GFRC commission. Of the eight consigned pieces, seven have CAC approval. Below are the contents. Please carefully considered the 1840-O No Drapery and 1841 quarters along with the 1908-S and 1914-S Barber quarters. The Walkers and lone 1898-S Morgan are also perfectly original and attractive. At this time, there is one FRoR on the 1841 quarter.

Iowa Collection Consignment - September 29, 2017

    

    

  

 

Shame on PCGS and Me!

Collectors and dealers should never trust PCGS die variety attributions and must perform their own validations. Case in point is this choice original 1820 Capped Bust quarter that has been in GFRC inventory with a Large 0 designation on older blue label PCGS holder (standard ring insert). This piece was re-photographed yesterday towards remarketing the coin. A revised description was being written using Steve Tompkins' Early United States Quarters 1796 - 1838 reference. I noticed the bold die crack through the left stars into the date and validated that this was a late die state Browning 3 with R3 rarity. But wait a minute! B-3 is a Medium 0 and not a Large 0 variety. A CoinFacts check indicated that the B-3 Medium 0 has a substantially lower population that the Large 0 (B-4 and B-5).

The GFRC description has been updated and so has the price down to $2950. You can find this lovely Capped Bust quarter at the top of the 30 day price list with an accurate variety designation and description. At Baltimore, I must deal with PCGS on changing the label variety description if not sold.

PCGS Labeling Error on Important Early Type

Capped Bust Quarter - 1820 PCGS EF45 "Large 0" is B-3 Medium 0

 

GFRC Open Set Registry: Adding CAC Only Sets?

Feedback arrived on Thursday's proposal to add CAC Only sets to the GFRC Open Registry. Yes, CAC evaluation is not perfect given the subjectivity of human evaluation. However, taken as a whole, CAC review does provide an important screening step to identify the premium coins in TPG holders. More times than not, collectors will be scratching their heads as to why a coin was not CAC approved rather than complaining that a coin should not have been CAC approved. The head scratching process is highly educational and with enough submissions, collectors and dealers soon learn the characteristics of strictly original "premium" coins. Having an open mind and burying one's ego is an imperative to learning in the numismatic business.

One loyal Daily Blog reader immediately wrote the following;

This is a reasonable extention of a supply and demand model for for coin marketing. By raising the bar for acceptability and respectability for coins the pricing for coins deemed desirable can increase because supply will decrease. At the same time however there is the problem of demand as some collectors become discouraged by the fact that the coins they already own are "cast into the pit". Now non CAC coins follow detail coins into permanent purgatory. I wonder how CAC might encourage cracking out... With CAC there is no opportunity to evaluate precision without cracking out at the initial TPG level.

More registries are your perogative. I recently reviewed CAC procedures and pricing, seems a no brainer to run most everything holdered through CAC, but as of now I have a lot of decent coins I need to go over with some of my dealer friends in the Raleigh Coin Club and just get the better ones certified first.

Another GFRC customer added these comments;

I have been weighting CAC much more heavily in decisions on coin purchases.  Why I have hesitated on pulling the trigger on the 1860 O Seal Beach.  If I am hesitating on a non-CAC quality coin...am I in the majority or minority?  What impact on future prices will this have?  So, if I am to follow my own logic, I need to restrict my purchases to CAC only when there are alternatives.  I will begin to utilize the CAC survivor numbers in my decision process

A current Open Set Registry participant (No Motto Collection) add his comments.

I imagine you can probably guess how I feel about your Open Set Registry CAC only proposal, ha!

http://www.seateddimevarieties.com/openregistry/collection.php?name=No%20Motto&set=36

But seriously, I do agree that CAC pops are a more useful indicator that PCGS/NGC.  However, I have learned that CAC is no guarantee of choice original coins. I'm sure you're also aware of this.  CAC approval definitely increases the odds though, which I think is pretty important in the current internet business model environment.  But there is just no substitute for eyeballs (and knowledge).

Bottomline, GFRC will be adding CAC Only sets to the Open Set Registry. The timing will be a function of Matt Yamatin's very busy schedule and when spare cycles can be allocated to this project. Stay tuned into the Daily Blog for more news on this topic.

 

Global Financial News

Let's jump right into some Seeking Alpha headlines to wrap up today's Blog. This has been a long edition but there are some important economic headlines that are worth sharing with the community on a Friday morning. Spot gold is essentially unchanged during past 24 hours and stands at $1290/oz for those who track the precious metal.

South Korea has taken a step to ban virtual currencies (bitcoin and derivatives) after China took important steps to restrict proliferation of digital currencies.

South Korea has banned raising money through all forms of virtual currencies, a move that follows similar restrictions in China on initial coin offerings. While "stern penalties" will be issued on financial institutions and any parties involved in issuing of ICOs, the country's financial regulator will monitor the trading of virtual currencies to see if additional regulations are needed.

Progress is being report for Brexit negotiations....

Diplomats on both sides of the latest Brexit negotiations say they have made progress in Brussels, as the EU indicated it may be open to Britain's hopes for a transitional deal. The talks came ahead of Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to Estonia, where she reiterated the U.K.'s "unconditional commitment" to Europe's security after Brexit.

No one dreams big like Elon Musk. 2022 is only five years away for landing cargo ships on Mars.

Elon Musk has gone back to the drawing board with his plans for manned missions to Mars. SpaceX aims to land at least two infrastructure-filled cargo ships there in 2022 before his new space vehicle - dubbed the BFR, or "Big F--king Rocket" - carries colonizers to the Red Planet. Along with "Mars City," Musk is planning "Moon Base Alpha," funding both through money SpaceX receives for launching satellites.

Wrapping Up the Daily Blog

It is already 8:15am and well past publishing time. So let's skip the Featured Coins section for today. Have a great end to the work week and please consider a GFRC purchase as September comes to a close! I will definitely be back tomorrow morning with more numismatic ramblings.

 

 

 

September 28, 2017

Welcome to the Daily Blog on a Thursday morning.

Indian Summer temperatures are finally in the rear view mirror! Unseasonally warm weather continued on Wednesday with the electric fan necessary in the GFRC office to stay cool. The fan followed me in the kitchen during afternoon hours when reinstalling electric outlets and lighting dimmer boxes after the installation of a quartz backsplash as part of kitchen renovations. As today's Blog is being composed, at 6:00am, a cold morning breeze is comforting just like an old friend. I'm looking forward to health walks and outdoor activities in the upcoming days.

 

LSCC Announcing Premier LSCC Memberships in November Gobrecht Journal

I'm feeling particular relieved as the President's Message for Issue #130 of the Gobrecht Journal is completed. Much of Wednesday was spent drafting and editing this document. The highlight is the announcement of a new Liberty Seated Collectors Club initiative; the Premier LSCC Membership option. Starting in 2018, the LSCC will offer two membership levels; a regular members and a special Premier Membership that includes a personalized one ounce cameo proof silver medal designed by well known graphic artist Jim Macor. Each medal will be engraved with the club member's name and membership number with past, current and new members eligible to participate. The LSCC will also strike the Premier Membership medal in combination gold, silver and copper sets as a fund raising activity. A comprehensive review of the program will be offered at the LSCC regional meeting at Winter FUN (Tampa) and in the January E-Grobrecht edition. To learn more, in the short term, please make sure to read the President's Message in the next Gobrecht Journal issue.

 

GFRC Open Set Registry: Adding CAC Only Sets?

John Albanese is a major force in the numismatic hobby though he may not be a well known personality. John is rarely seen in trade magazines and does not appear on the coin show circuit. However, his CAC initiative has been instrumental is counter acting grade inflation at the major TPGs. Furthermore, CAC has single handedly brought much needed attention to strict originality in the silver and gold coin markets.

As a coin dealer making a market in choice original coins, the realization has set in that PCGS population reports are no longer the best option for deciphering survival rates of strictly original coins. Too many PCGS coins have been overgraded or net graded and only achieve "market acceptable" or "original" GFRC quality ratings. Then there is the ongoing crack out and resubmit game that inflates populations reports. When wishing to assess the survival rates of choice original early type coins, the CAC population report is the only credible benchmark.

  

Given this realization, then why not take the Open Set Registry to the "ultimate level" of difficulty for advanced collectors and establish CAC Only approved sets? Yes, the primary requirements for CAC Only sets would be CAC approval and PCGS or NGC certification. CAC approval percentage would be the primary set goal with Weighted Grade being subordinated to CAC approval percentage. Instead of collectors attempting to locate a coin with the highest certified TPG grade, collectors would shift attention to locating a combination of highest grade with CAC approval. Yes, many coins in current holders would be disqualified from CAC Only sets in the Registry. But just imagine the pride of ownership when a collector finally attains 100% CAC approval given the challenge of locating key dates in choice preservation states.

So what do you think as a Daily Blog reader and GFRC customer? Please don't be shy and send me comments on the concept.

My thought for initial rollout would be the Business Strike Date and Mintmark sets for Liberty Seated half dime, dime, quarter and half dollar denominations. Given the Open Set Registry database configuration, we are unable to copy over existing sets and exclude non CAC entries. Participants would be required to treat the CAC Only sets as a new entity and re-enter their coins.

 

PCGS Grading - Opinion Rendering

In Wednesday's Blog, I featured two Indian cent coins that had received PCGS Details grade. No one responded concerning potential reasons for the Details grade opinion. So here are my thoughts.

1860 PCGS Cleaned - UNC Details

PCGS is accurate with this designation. Look carefully at the reverse image and compare to the obverse. Note how the reverse has a tad lighter color and less luster. Under a 10x loupe, one can see very faint hairlines surrounding the denomination.

1867 PCGS Questionable Color - UNC Details

Don't I hate the PCGS Questionable Color opinion as it is an evasion by the grader. Too many times, I have seen Questionable Color designated coins straight grade on the next submission. This 1867 mint state Indian cent appears perfectly original to me.

 

 

Global Financial News

Seeking Alpha headlines have little worth sharing today. Spot gold is slowly retreating ($1287/oz) as the U.S dollar gains strength on the Trump administration proposal for corporate repatriation of overseas profits. Crude oil is up to $52/barrel with no commentary for recent increases.

 

Featured Coins of the Day

There are only three days left in September including today. I had quietly hoped to achieve the $2,000,000 threshold for Returned Proceeds to Consignors by the end of the month. This tally is always available on the GFRC Consignment page link. Currently, we are a tad short of this significant accomplishment with performance standing at $1,984,890. Yes, we are close but still short $15,000. So the milestone will be met in early October.

Following are seven quality offerings from a host of GFRC consignors that might be of interest. Many customers and dealers have inspected the 1921 Peace dollar graded PCGS MS64+ CAC as so fully struck and with above average eye appeal. Since it is end of September, I can discount to $1140 for immediate check payment.

  

  

  

8:00am publishing time has arrived and time to start another day in the GFRC office. I'm expecting several consignment arrivals during the morning hours so please check back this evening or tomorrow morning to learn of new arrivals. Thanks for being loyal readers and secondly, please consider a purchase for your numismatic hobby. Have a great day!

 

 

 

September 27, 2017

Greetings on a Wednesday morning and thank you for visiting the Blog!

Southern Maine temperatures are starting their cooling trend and returning to a more seasonal pattern by the weekend. This year's Indian Summer temperatures were record breaking. The Accuweather website published a brief video report and article, entitled, Late-September heat wave shatters century old records in midwestern, northeastern US, that summarizes the elevated temperatures. Enough said here. Saturday's high temperature will only be 55F and perfect for some serious chain saw work.

 

GFRC Open Set Registry - Seated Half Dollar Leader Board

Liberty Seated half dollars have always been popular among collectors due to size, relative availability and the beautiful rendition of lady Liberty that remained unchanged from 1839 through 1891. This popularity is evident on the Open Set Registry as 16 sets are listed in the Basic Set, Business Strike category. At the top of the leader board is a friendly but fierce competiton between three individuals. These individuals have been quite active with set building and upgrading. Availability of quality offerings from GFRC, and in the market place, is the primary limiting factor for these individual taking their sets to new heights.

As of this morning, the Liberty Seated Half Dollar - Basic Set category sports the following leader board;

The Seal Beach Collection - Rating (52.4) : Complete (95%) : Weighted Grade (57.3) : CAC% (71)

The Newtown Collection - Rating (52.2) : Complete (99%) : Weighted Grade (53.4) : CAC% (43)

The Oregon Beaver Collection - Rating (51.7) : Complete (98%) : Weighted Grade (53.6) : CAC% (21)

All three participants are active GFRC customers and consignors with Seal Beach currently having a slight Rating edge over Newtown. A key factor in the GFRC Open Set Registry is CAC scoring. Sets with a high CAC approval level have a Rating advantage. This is evident with the Seal Beach Collection as the set is only 95% completed and missing the 1873-CC NA, 1873-CC WA, 1878-CC, 1878-S, 1880 and 1884 dates. But the impact of a 71% CAC approval level has allowed this individual to enjoy the top of the leader board position for some time.

Congratulations to all three of the advanced collectors for their important numismatic accomplishments!

 

GFRC Consignment News

Winesteven Collection Consigment

Tuesday brought a quick processing turnaround for the latest Winesteven Collection consignment. Shipment arrived on Monday and by 8:00pm Tuesday, the new offerings were on the price list. Though all three coins are very pleasing and consistent with Winesteven quality, please pay special attention to the 1936 PCGS PR66 CAC Mercury dime. The images just begin to capture the bold watery mirrors that reflect light at a long distance. This is a magnificent first year modern proof that should be carefully considered. Yes, pricing is not inexpensive but quality coins will bring premiums above the average pieces found on Collectors Corner or eBay.

Winesteven Collection Consignment - September 27, 2017

  

 

More Consignments Arriving Soon!

I'm pleased to announce that the Iowa Collection, on the Open Set Registry, and the Copper Harbor Collection consignor both called on Tuesday to discuss their forthcoming consignments.

Iowa Collection Consignment

The Iowa Collection is at the top of the Liberty Seated quarter, Basic Set leader board with a set completion of 97%, a weighted grade of 40.9 and an amazing CAC approval of 93%. The Iowa Collection set is probably the finest circulated set of Seated quarters in existence. As one can expect, this collector has accumulated duplicates and called to discuss the divesting process. After a pleasant conversation, there was agreement to immediately ship a lot of all CAC approved Seated quarters, Barber quarters and Walking Liberty halves on consignment. This shipment should arrive on Thursday and will be processed during the coming weekend. Get ready for FRoRs once I post the contents as these pieces should not last long.

Copper Harbor Collection Consignment

The Copper Harbor Collection consignor is easily recognized as a Michigan resident with Copper Harbor being close to the Canadian border. The initial consignment from Copper Harbor was a lot of wonderful Indian cents that sold well at the Denver ANA. Now this individual is back with a serious large cent consignment including an 1803 S260 PCGS AU58 Rattler and 1819(8) N-8 PCGS MS63RB Rattler. The consignment totals 16 pieces. Sorry but no FRoRs are available yet as this consignment needs to be evaluated for CAC review and other pieces heading to PCGS for grading.

 

PCGS Grading - Opinion Rendering

Grading has and always will be a subjective task. Here are two coins that returned from PCGS with Details grades but offer nice eye appeal. Can you determine the reasons for the Details grade from the images? I like both pieces regardless and working to place these on behalf of the Copper Harbor consignor. We are very flexible on pricing and still shaking our heads on the 1867 "PCGS opinion".

What is the PCGS Grading "Opinion" for these Indian Cents?

  

 

Global Financial News

Spot gold took a small hit during yesterday's western trading hours and recovered slightly during the overnight. Current quote is $1293/oz. There are a number of worthwhile Seeking Alpha headlines to review this morning, so let's get started.

The Federal Reserve is admitting that its economic models may not be accurate for monetary policy and will adjust the rate at which the Fed deleverages its huge balance sheet.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen feels the central bank may have been wrong on employment and inflation. In a speech in Cleveland, she explained that the misreading could lead to easier policy than expected in the unwinding of its balance sheet. However, she maintained that the Fed should stick to its rate path, pushing the dollar index to an almost one-month high.

Europe, under French and German leadership, is embracing an effort against populism. A central European government is best for the individual member countries according to new French President Macron.

French President Emmanuel Macron has laid out his plan for a stronger EU, urging leaders to "be bold" against the threat of populism. "At the beginning of the next decade, Europe must have a joint intervention force, a common defense budget and a joint doctrine for action," he declared at Sorbonne University. Macron also said a common finance minister would make the eurozone stronger.

Hartfort CT is approaching a default on its debt and is in need of restructuring.

Moody's and S&P Global have downgraded Hartford, CT, further into junk status, citing an increased likelihood of default as early as November. It comes a day after the city's bond insurers said they were open to debt restructuring. Hartford has roughly $530M of outstanding debt, much of which is insured by Assured Guaranty (NYSE:AGO) and Build America Mutual Assurance Company.

California wishes to lead the United States charge towards elimination of the gasoline combustion engine.

The internal combustion engine's days may be numbered in California, where officials are mulling a ban on polluting vehicles. Governor Jerry Brown has expressed interest in barring the sales, according to Mary Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board. The step by the state would follow similar goals made by China, France and the U.K.

 

Featured Coins of the Day

Carson City minted coins are always popular due to their Wild West origins, low survival rates and significant challenges in locating problem free examples. GFRC inventory of Carson City dates continues to expand. Following are some quality offerings from the most challenging 1871 through 1874 Carson City years to consider on a Wednesday morning.

  

  

  

It is a little after 8:00am ET and time to hit the publish button! Thanks for visiting the Daily Blog and please consider a purchase from GFRC inventory to help fellow consignors and collectors with their numismatic divestment efforts.

 

 

 

September 26, 2017

Welcome to the Daily Blog on the final day of Indian Summer.

Two successive days of 90 degree temperatures in late September is enough for this Yankee. Today's high temperature is forecasted to be 83F with a welcomed cooling trend arriving into the weekend. Low to mid 60s, as a high temperature, are much more seasonal and ideal for cutting fire wood. Working in brush with shorts and short sleeved shirt is not advisable given the ongoing threat of ticks and Lyme disease.

On a positive note, the warm weather is quickly drying out foliage with Autumn colors kicking in. The lack of rain and wind allows the trees to retain their nicely colored leaves. The large maple on the driveway is now mostly orange-red with some residual greens. More pictures will be forthing during the upcoming days.

Friday brings Diane's much anticipated trip to Beijing to visit the Yamatin family. I'll be managing the homestead, taking care of Buddy and remaining focused on the GFRC business as more consignments are due to arrive.

 

Seth's Blog - Constructive Dissatisfaction

It has been awhile since visiting Seth's Blog for some inspiration or just plain common sense thinking on self improvement. Creativity is low this morning, so let's consider Seth's take on dissatisfaction with the present state (or whatever is important in your life) and using competitive benchmarking towards finding improvement points. Books have been written on these concepts while the implementation can be simplistic with a little practice.

Constructive dissatisfaction

It's never been easier to find ways to be disappointed in our performance. You can compare your output, your income, your success rate to a billion people around the globe... many of whom are happy to exaggerate to make you even more disappointed.

It's hardly worth your trouble.

The exception is the dissatisfaction that is based on a legitimate comparison, one that gives you insight on how to improve and motivates you to get better.

Get clear about the change you're trying to make and, if it's useful, compare yourself to others that are on the same path as you are.

If the response rate to your website is lower than your competitor's, take a look at what they're doing and learn from it.

If your time in the hundred-yard dash is behind that of the person to your left, analyze the video of their run, step by step, and figure out what you're missing.

You can always find someone who is cuter, happier or richer than you. (Or appears to be). That's pointless.

But if you can find some fuel to help you reach your goals, not their goals, have at it.

 

GFRC Consignment News

The latest offering from the Port Matilda Collection arrived to the GFRC price lists on Monday evening. Below is the client gallery to wet your appetite. The 1843-O PCGS EF40 CAC Seated half is already on hold and there are several customers studying the 1803 Large and Small 3 offerings. The 1850-O, 1872-S halves and 1870 Seated dollars will be added to the price list today.....I just ran out of gas at 9:00 pm last evening.

Port Matilda Collection Consignment - September 25, 2017

    

    

  

 

Winesteven Collection Consignment

Monday brought a FedEx shipment and another consignment from the Winesteven Collection. Winesteven is recognized for his outstanding quality type coins with all being CAC approved. Following are the three new offerings that will be photographed today.

Mercury 10c: 1936 PCGS PR66 CAC with stunning watery mirrors

Washington 25c: 1937 PCGS PR66+ CAC brilliant proof surfaces

Gold $5: 1909-D PCGS MS63+ CAC old PCGS holder with old time orange gold patina, a super offering for the GFRC gold price list

 

Global Financial News

The day opens with spot gold at $1305/oz and crude oil jumping to $52/bbl. Seeking Alpha headlines provide important morning insights worth considering. We start with the escalating rhetoric with North Korea and potential impact on Asia based gold prices.

Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have reached a new level as the country's foreign minister said President Trump's recent comments amount to a declaration of war, threatening to shoot down American warplanes outside North Korean airspace. The White House called the claim of a war declaration "absurd." Safe haven assets made gains following the comments, with gold rising further above the $1,300 level.

For years, the Chinese used "forced technology transfers" to allow western companies into their markets. I witnessed this fact first hand. Finally, the issue is being confronted with a business saavy U.S. administration.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is in China to discuss the need for "meaningful action" on key trade issues. He shared American concerns over forced technology transfers and data localization requirements, while stressing his intent to cut the trade deficit with the world's largest exporter. Chinese officials committed to "further market openness" and welcomed U.S. firms' participation.

Thoughts of an independent Kurdish state appears impossible given Iraq and Turkey threats.

The Iraqi government has ruled out talks on possible secession for Kurdish-held parts of northern Iraq after a referendum on independence showed strong support for a split. It follows threats from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who warned of cutting off the Ceyhan pipeline that carries the Kurdish region's entire oil production - 500K-600 bbl/day - to the outside world.

The Fortins and Yamatins use WhatsApp to communicate on a 24x7 basis. Now that application is targeted by the Beijing Central Government with its usual content policing.

WhatsApp suffered a complete blockage in China this week as the government stepped up security ahead of a Communist Party meeting in October. The service is Facebook's only product allowed to operate on the mainland. Chinese authorities have also handed down maximum fines to Baidu, Tencent and Weibo for failing to deal with pornography, violence and other banned content on their sites.

 

Featured Coins of the Day

With United States and North Korea tensions continuing to escalate and the potential impact to Japan, China and South Korea, I don't see how physical gold prices will be dropping any time soon. Asians still rely on physical gold as a store of wealth and safety net during times of instability and political upheavel. This philosophy is starkly different than that in the United States where physical gold ownership is not commonplace outside of the numismatic collector base.

I'm continuing to slowly increase physical gold holdings on a personal basis and through GFRC owned inventory. If I'm too conservative, then the downside risk is quite limited. If a crisis does emerge involving Asia, then physical gold prices will spike. Let's remember that it was Asia buyers who supported physical gold prices during the 2011 take down by a large U.S. bank.

My advice to collectors is to diversify and consider building a gold type set towards some physical gold ownership. $20 double eagle prices are dominated by bullion content with $10 eagles on a similar basis. Indian $10 pieces are always popular from a design perspective. Following are a few recommended $10 eagle offerings from the GFRC price list.

  

  

  

So ends another Daily Blog edition. Time for a shower, loading the balance of Port Matilda Collection offerings, shipping and starting to write the President's Message for the upcoming Gobrecth Journal issue due out in early November.

Thanks for visiting on a Tuesday morning.

 

 

 

September 25, 2017

Greetings from southern Maine and a massive case of Indian Summer.

As the Blog is being written at 6:00am, the outdoor thermometer is indicating 74F while Sunday's high, from the same measurement tool, was an impressive 90! The official Portland high temperature, for Sunday, was only 84 degrees given ocean cooling effects. Today's temperatures are forecasted to be a repeat of Sunday and plans to work outdoors will be delayed until temperatures return to somewhat seasonal levels. Maine's forest fire danger is quite high, as you can imagine.

 

Devens, Mass Coin Show Purchases - A Little Above the Ordinary!

The decision to not take a table at the Devens, MA coin show was well founded for multiple reasons. Sunday's two hour drive started at 6:30am rather than typical 5:00 am when setting up. Since I was carrying only a small computer bag, the drive took place in the tops down 1993 Miata and was so enjoyable. Adult fun is cruising along at 75-80 mph with the wind blowing through your hair and feeling close to the natural surrounding on Maine's I-95 and I-495 in Massachusetts.

I arrived to the show at 8:30 am, paid the early bird fee and immediately went to work visiting with fellow dealers. The usual cast of characters were present including Tom Caldwell (NEN), Jeff Keirstead (MP), John Agre (CROL) and David Wnuck. Show retail attendance was weak, as expected, with aisles empty and easy to navigate. Many of the smaller local dealers has the same inventory seen month after month and it took only minutes to scan and walk away.

The walk through the bourse continued until reaching a local dealer that I always pay attention to and will frequently purchase from. I casually walked up to his table, and scanned his two cases. There in the lower right bottom of the case was a beautiful gun metal gray 1836 Gobrecht Dollar graded PCGS PR50 that was mixed in with gold offerings. My eyes immediately went to the coin and the dealer proudly informed that this Gobrecht had just been purchased from a client at show open and simply placed in the bottom of the case. I asked to see this Gobrecht dollar and within ten minutes, walked away with the piece in my pocket. Not taking a table and walking the floor had indeed been a wise decision.....

Here are images of the 1836 Gobrecht Dollar, an original proof strike with Name on Base and Die Alignment I. Die Alignment I means regular coin turn reverse alignment with the eagle flying upward. The piece is perfectly original with uniform gun metal gray patina and accurately graded as a full AU50. Confidence for CAC approval is quite high with shipment to Far Hills, NJ taking place today. There is already one serious First Right of Refusal and it is doubtful that this lovely piece of United States history will ever reach the price list.

1836 Gobrecht Dollar, Name On Base, Original Strike, Die Alignment I

Choice Original PCGS PR50

Several other new purchases, from the Devens show, include an 1869 Seated half residing in NGC AU58 holder and accurately graded. There is an 1848 $5 gold piece graded NGC AU53 with nice copper gold surfaces. This early Philadelphia date is quite scarce with surviving mint state examples being limited to the MS61 through MS63 grade range. Finally, I bought an attractive 1904-S $20 double eagle residing in old NGC MS64 holder. The coloring and cartwheel luster is most attractive. These three new purchases are already on the price list and ready for a new home.

    

 

Matt Yamatin Sets Personal Record at Beijing Marathon

In the September 17 Daily Blog, I mentioned that Matt had run the Beijing Marathon that day. A Yamatin family photo was shown with Matt looking relaxed after running the 26 mile event. Matt communicated his race time and placement via email yesterday. He is pleased to announce placing 40th overall and setting a new personal record of 2:37:59. This performance is sufficient to quality him for the Berlin and London marathons; next on his list of must do running events.

Here is another image of Matt (and proud family) after just completing the Beijing marathon and looking a little less relaxed.

Matt Yamatin - Beijing Marathon - 2:37:59 - 40th Place Overall

 

GFRC Consignment News

Port Matilda Collection

The latest Port Matilda Collection has arrived and what a strong offering this time around! Photography is completed as is retail price setting with the consignor. Following are the contents to consider for FRoR.

Barber 25c: 1914-S PCGS CAC F12 near gem original for grade

Draped Bust 50c: 1803 Small 3 PCGS VF25 choice original gray; 1803 Large 3 PCGS CAC VF30 choice original and so attractive; 1806 Knob 6, Small Stars PCGS XF45 beautiful gun metal gray-blue with aspiration for higher grade

Seated 50c: 1843-O PCGS CAC XF40 choice original; 1850-O PCGS VF25 scarce and underrated date; 1872-S PCGS F15

Seated $1: 1870 PCGS AU55 a choice example and offering

 

Global Financial News

Spot gold and crude oil pricing are unchanged from last week after Monday trading in Asia markets. Global markets are starting the week on the down side as elections are taking place in a number of countries. Here are a few Seeking Alpha headlines to consider.

We start with the Kurdish people and their ongoing efforts to establish an autonomous state or country. Of course, the Iraqis don't wish to see this take place due to oil reserves in Kurdish territory.

Voting has begun in an independence referendum organized by the Kurdistan Regional Government amid fears of further instability and violence across the Middle East. The vote, expected to deliver a comfortable "yes" for independence, is not binding, but is meant to give Massoud Barzani's KRG a mandate to negotiate secession with Baghdad and neighboring states.

Chevron is increasing investment in the Permian Basin and expecting strong crude oil extraction returns. The Permian Basin, located in west Texas and southeastern New Mexico, is one of the most prolific onshore oil and natural gas producing regions in the United States. It is characterized by an extensive production history, mature infrastructure, long reserve life and hydrocarbon potential in multiple intervals.

"We will be investing roughly $4B, next year, of capital in the Permian Basin, and we plan to grow production over the next several years to well in excess of 400K bpd," Chevron's Ryan Krogmeier told the S&P Global Platts APPEC conference. The company expects crude output from all Permian producers to rise by 1.4M bpd in 2020, from 2.4M bpd at present.

Brexit negotiations with the EU continue.

Round four of Brexit negotiations will kick off today in Brussels. It follows Prime Minister Theresa May's speech in Florence on Friday, where she proposed a two-year transitional period and said the U.K. would honor its financial obligations. The last set of talks between the U.K. and EU ended in deadlock.

Beijing Government is struggling with the tough talk and growing unpredictability between North Korea and the United States. China's careful dance between these two parties, towards furthering its own global goals, is at risk.

China is calling on Pyongyang and Washington to calm their rhetoric after the latest war of words. North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the UN General Assembly on Saturday that targeting the U.S. mainland with its rockets was inevitable after the "Mr. Evil President" called Kim Jong-un a "rocket man" on a suicide mission. In response, Trump warned "they won't be around much longer!"

 

Featured Coins of the Day

The last week of September has arrived and I'm pleased to report that sales have picked up nicely. It appears that achieving Matt's September revenue forecast is doable given the extensive GFRC inventory and continuing insourcing of quality consignments.

We visit the Liberty Seated half dollar price list to start off the week. Here are some early No Motto date offerings to consider.

  

  

  

So ends another Daily Blog edition. Please check back tomorrow as I should have a nice preview of the latest Port Matilda Collection consignment.

Today's plan is to stay in the GFRC office in front of the fan to stay cold. Is this really the end of September?

Have a great week and will be back tomorrow. Take care.

 

 

 

September 24, 2017

Greetings on a Sunday morning and thank you for visiting the Daily Blog.

By the time this Blog edition is read, I will be attending the Devens, MA coin show which required an early start to the day.

Next full Blog will be on Monday morning.

Have a great Sunday.

 

 

September 23, 2017

Greetings and welcome to the Blog on a quiet Saturday morning.

The Fortin homestead kitchen renovations were once again active on Friday. New quartz countertops and modern sink are installed and look quite nice. This morning brings the plumber to connect the sink and dishwasher and returning the kitchen to a functional state. Thank goodness the microwave is available as the stove needs a special sealer gasket before being reinstalled. Next up are the construction of a center island and the removal and painting of the oak cabinets.

Friday weather was ideal to be outdoors. I spent the afternoon with the new chainsaw cutting up broken birches. If the birches were in an open field, the task would be straightforward. Rather, they've fallen among other trees so cutting was more challenging.

GFRC To Present at Tampa FUN Show

While moving cut branches to the burn pile, the cellphone rings and it is Randy Campbell calling. Randy is current FUN President and one of the nicest personalities in the numismatic business. Randy is a on mission to locate forum presenters for the Winter FUN show in Tampa. Since already presenting at 2017 Winter and Summer FUN shows, I was a marked man and being invited to again present in Tampa. Bottomline, I will be discussing the Underrated Status of Liberty Seated Quarters on Saturday January 6, 2018 at 1:15pm.

The day wrapped up at 5:00pm with a visit to the back deck for the evening scotch. Here is wide view update of the back 20 acres and current autumn foliage colors. Peak colors are still three weeks away with more transition images forthcoming.

GFRC Backyard - Autumn Foliage Update - 5:30 PM September 22

 

While cutting the birches, I noticed this huge wood mushroom in the front landscaped area and could not resist taking a picture for the Blog. The cap is about 8 inches wide. This growth is probably a Gymnopilus and is sitting by itself on the recently installed bark mulch. I love living in the country and being excited with nature's surprises.

An Oversized Gymnopilus?

 

CAC Approval Results

CAC results arrived on Thursday for the latest submission. Most of the submission involved Seated dimes in the Gerry Fortin Reference Collection, some early commemoratives heading to Shanghai and two pieces from the Washington State Collection. I knew the Washington State Collection coins had a 99% chance of CAC approval and was not disappointed. Let's see how long the 1840-O NGC EF40 CAC quarter and 1901-S PCGS MS64+ CAC $5 half eagle last on the price list after attaining CAC green bean status.

GFRC CAC Approvals - September 21, 2017

    

 

GFRC Consignment Status

Sunset Point Collection - The 1861-S PCGS EF40 Seated Quarter is Sold!

Yes, the important 1861-S PCGS EF40 CAC Seated quarter sold on Friday to a nice father and son team building an 1861 year set of all denominations and mints. Here is one final look before this grade rarity is removed from the price list.

 

Washington State Collection Price Reductions

The Washington State Collection consignor has been quite active of late. Aging World coins have been returned and now, he is offering serious pricing reduction for the following three Walking Liberty halves.

Washington State Collection - Price Reductions, Buy Now!

1934-D PCGS MS65 - $975                        1936-S PCGS MS65 - $600                         1944 PCGS MS66+ - $230

    

 

Upcoming GFRC Consignments

Once the GFRC consignment window opens up, it does not take long for submissions to appear. Already three quality consignments will be arriving during the next seven days. If you would like to divest duplicates or a substantial collection as part of the GFRC Four Coin Shows in Four Weekends Event, then please consider sending the consignment within the next 10 days.

Port Matilda Collection

I received notice from the Port Matilda Collection consignor that an eight piece Draped Bust and Seated half dollar consignment will be arriving early next week. Details are forthcoming after the shipment arrives.

Santa Fe Collection

I spoke with this consignor on Friday and he is planning to send a large consignment of early type dimes and quarters including some R4 and R5 die varieties. As is so typical of the Santa Fe Collection consignor, the submission contents remain a surprise until the shipment is opened. Stay tuned here.

AuburnNY Accordian Collection

The AuburnNY Accordian Collection consignor is a serious fan of Liberty Seated dimes and continues to divest duplicates.This new consignment is a treasure trove of Top 100 Varieries and rare Civil War Philadelphia mint strikes. Following is a listing of the new consignment scheduled to arrive on October 2.

Seated Dimes: 1837 Small Date F-103a NGC VF25 CAC; 1839-O-F104a Grade TBD; 1839-O-F106 NGC F12; 1846 PCGS G06; 1853 No Arrows F-102 PCGS G04; 1856 PCGS EF45; 1863 PCGS VF Details; 1865 PCGS VF20; 1866 NGC VG8; 1872 F-105 DDR Grade TBD; 1875 F-107 MPD Grade TBD; 1876-CC F-105 DDO Grade TBD and rare; 1876-CC F-107 Grade TBD; 1876-CC F-108 DDR Grade TBD; 1876-CC F-111 MPD Grade TBD; 1877 F-105 MPD Grade TBD; 1877/6-CC F107 Grade TBD; 1876-CC F-113 Grade TBD; 1890-S F108 Grade TBD; 1890-S F-112 Die Gouge Grade TBD and so rare; 1891 F107 ANACS VF30 OWH; 1891-O F-109 Grade TBD

 

Featured Coins of the Day

My dear friend Dan White (Osprey Collection) is returning to the United States in early October. We will be focused on the upcoming PAN Monroeville show that happens on October 26 - 28. This event is only one month away and time moves along so quickly.

Here are some important United States gold $2.5 quarter eagles, from the Osprey Collection, to consider on a Saturday.

  

  

  

OK, time for a quick pass through the shipping department followed by adding more Southern Maine Collection $5 half eagles to the price list. I will be working outdoors throughout the afternoon with cellphone in pocket. If interested in a GFRC purchase, please don't hesitate to call as I enjoy taking breaks to sell coins!