Montgomery County Coin Club

October 1999 Bulletin - Early Web Edition

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Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 12, 1999

Featured Speaker: Richard Jozefiak

Special MCCC Members-Only Offer: A few copies of the new (Year 2000) hardback Guide Book of United States Coins by R. E. Yeoman remain. The Y2k "Red Book" sells for $12.95 in stores --- but the exclusive MCCC member price is only $7.50. (Since membership dues during the last half of the year are only $3, if you want a Red Book you can join the MCCC, get a book, and still save money!)

September Meeting Report

At 7:15pm on the pre-Hurricane-Floyd evening of September 14, 1999, two-and-a-half score coin enthusiasts (including two Young Numismatists) attended the MCCC meeting. One first-time visitor was welcomed with friendly applause: Dennis Meyers --- of the US Department of Energy, a collector with diverse interests. Great to see you!

Announcements

• Be sure to bring donations for the MCCC November Charity Auction to the meeting in October. Your gifts will benefit the Boys & Girls Club in Wheaton and Silver Spring, so please be generous!
• The MCCC's Treasury remains robust, Simcha Kuritzky reported; finances are already in the black for 1999, and Club deposits are yielding good returns.
• The MCCC's Library has acquired no major new items since last month, but holdings are still strong, with more than 327 items. Funds are available in the Library budget for purchasing more books, so contact Kermit Smyth with your suggestions.
• Don't forget, on 1-3 October in Annandale the Virginia Numismatic Association show will be held on the campus of the Northern Virginia Community College
• On Sunday, October 10, at the Towson Holiday Inn the MSNA will sponsor an educational seminar, with a featured speaker from the Numismatic Guarranty Corporation discussing coin authentication and grading.
• President Massey noted that local TV news has reported on rotated reverse Pennsylvania quarters. Seven of these recent commemoratives were found with reverses rotated 180 degrees --- "medal orientation" rather than the normal US "coin orientation" of the dies. Such pieces may sell for ~$500 each --- so watch your change!

Prize Roundup

• Switzerland 1 Franc, 1940;
• Mexico 1 Peso, 1960;
• Austria 5 Schilling, 1960;
• US cent, nickel, dime, and quarter set of MCCC 40th Anniversary elongateds (the quarter a Delaware commemorative!), 1999; and
• two Eisenhower dollars, 1971 & 1972.

To make up for missing last month, two Bison Chip drawings were held this month. The winners were John Chiusano (lucky!) and Frank Guerrero. Note that when your name is drawn three times for the Bison Chip, you get a proof silver eagle --- but you must be present to win.

Don McKee was the able auctioneer this month.

September Show-and-Tell

• Simcha Kuritzky reported on the ANA Convention held in Chicago during August, and showed the First Prize plaque that he received for his exhibit on Israeli coinage. The Convention was well-attended, with a total of ~9,500 participants and visitors. Dealers felt business was "solid", though perhaps not outstanding. Simcha noted an active debate concerning Western Assay Medals --- a topic likely to see considerable discussion in months to come. He exhibited Gallery Mint medals from the 1997 ANA convention and talked about their manufacture. Simcha also strongly recommended that Washington area numismatists attend next year's ANA Convention in Philadelphia, a convenient location not likely to be matched for many years.
• Richard Jozefiak visited Sea World in San Diego and displayed an Elongate Collector's Set, an album in which he had gathered elongated cents from all the coin-smashing machines he and his family located in the theme park. He found a total of 25 different elongate patterns plus 4 duplicate dies, not counting the unique elongated cent that came with the album itself. Richard also showed a numismatic challenge: a medal from Czechoslovakia commemorating victims of Nazi WWII atrocities. The COIN WORLD Research Desk (David Alexander) published a treatment of this medal in the August 9 issue, illustrated by one of Richard's photographs.
• Herb Hall showed an album he had filled of nice British Trade Dollars, almost a complete set.
• John Pylypec displayed a framed set of detailed antique photographic portraits, so-called "cabinet cards".

Feature Attraction: Grading American Coins

• STRIKE
  • strike and areas which tend to be weak; effects thereof; visibility of planchet markings through weak strike
  • differences between weak strike and wear
  • use of lower pressure to extend die life by branch mints, and resulting weakness of strike
  • effects of weak strike on grading --- MS-65 under "technical" system vs. MS-63 under "market" system of grading
  • key features: on Walking Liberty halves, "full head"; on Mercury dimes "full split bands"
  • light wear or friction resulting in change of surface
  • rim wear and distinction between AU and UNC coins
• COPPER COIN COLOR
  • red vs. red-brown vs. brown
  • uneven toning --- usually less preferred to even toning
  • symptoms of "dipping" on copper --- unattractive pink color
  • cleaning followed by retoning: destroyed luster, "dull and lifeless" appearance
• TONING
  • luster visible through toning
  • half-point effect on technical grade ("eye appeal"); up to three point influence on market system grade
  • artificial toning, from chemical treatment; unnatural, opaque, poor or nonexistent luster; "hard edges" to toning, rather than smooth toning gradations; use of sulfur, resulting in a noticeable smell
  • motivations of artificial toning --- disguise imperfections or wear, to make a coin appear higher grade than actually is (e.g., make EF or AU look UNC) or hide bag marks and/or lack of luster
  • "bag toning," cause and appearance --- color bands from sulfur-containing fibers, from storage in contact with cardboard or paper
• ARTIFICIAL ENHANCEMENT
  • "whizzing" --- mechanical imitation of luster, done by applying a rotary wire brush to a coin
  • whizzing symptoms --- extra edging to lettering, due to metal movement; long swirls rather than radial flow lines
  • counterfeit coins may be whizzed to disguise diagnostics
  • cleaning symptom: shining of open areas, but less effect on protected areas near devices
  • "thumbing" --- deliberate application of oils from human skin to coin surface, to hide bag marks
  • artificial frosting via painting of aluminum powder, which may come off with water, solvent, or toothpick; false "cameo" effect
• AU vs. BU
  • true circulation puts many random, fine scratches on a coin's surface, different from bag marks
  • circulation causes damage to flow lines in open areas, not near date or stars
  • look for contrast on coin's high points, the first areas from which luster is worn off; also observe rims
  • specific points to look on various series of coins
• GRADING PORTRAIT, NON-PORTRAIT, GOLD COINS
  • "prime focal area" on a coin, most susceptible to damage, and most important to grading
  • focus on contact marks and their location as determinants of grade
  • different result of consolidating obverse and reverse grades on market vs. technical grade
  • possibility of cameo-prooflike surface on one side and frosty surface on the other side
  • "reed marks" --- damage from another coin's edge reeding
  • because gold is soft, high grades (MS-65 and up) are scarce
  • evidence of stacking friction and frost breaks on high points
  • copper spots due to uneven mixing of gold and copper alloy materials

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