Loving the Unloved: I am not a Numismatic Hero.

Often I read about "Numismatic Heroes."
   In Coin World (plus other newsy coin publications) the kudos flow to the owners of the mint-state rarities. "He had a good eye." "What an accomplishment." "She collected for years."
   Yes, to possess a mint-state large cent is an accomplishment! That is what they say. If I had several hundred thousand dollars, I could be accomplished too. Of course, I would work with an experienced dealer (like all the heroes did) so that only the best coins were presented to me.

All this celebration assumes that the mint-state coin is what it is all about. Oh, and don't forget the full-details: every leaf must have full veins, sharp points, and bold stems (unless of course it is a stemless variety). My favorite heroes are the savvy, keen-eyed experts who pay five-figures for full-bell lines. Now, this guy deserves to win the grading fest competition! Sound the trumpets.

Will anyone love me?
I am unheroic. I have no slab to come home to.
If only someone would take a moment to ponder my story.

But what about the collector who wants something different? The collector who actually sees wear as a portal to the past? Who finds corrosion fascinating because it reflects the way of all things? Who wants an honest piece that was touched by thousands of fingertips, perhaps lost then found, and was actually valued and used as money?
   "Well, this is the "low-end" collector," say the pundits. "A simpleton," they add.
   "The historic coin is the mint-state piece that survived (untouched) for 250+ years." So say the pundits.

But what history lies between the rims of a mint-state coin?
   Nothing.
   Without human touch, use, loss, rediscovery -- there is no story to be told.

Yet, the grading camps go on like a fiery revival. Everyone is gathered under the tents. Young and impressionable collectors are schooled in the pseudo-science of grading. Becoming the "smart buyer" trumps the fascination elicited by a crusty old coin. Crusty coins become labeled as "culls." It is an industry in action.

Of course, it is easy to love the shiny coin. Yes, let us hold up our MS-65 slabs and pat each other on the back. Shall we sing: "I'm so glad; about my slab; full bell lines; look so fine ... ."

No wonder coin collecting is dying.
   Collectors are encasing themselves in plastic. So many are suffocating. Collectors are turned into anxious shoppers looking for the sale. "Blue light special on aisle three!" After all, who doesn't want to become a hero who can celebrate their "smart buy."

I am not a hero. I don't make any smart buys.

Collecting Jamestown: Part 10. Half-groat from Pit 1.

Pit 1 was the first part of Jamestown to be excavated. Over 30,000 artifacts were found in this 20x16 feet pit. And, 30,000 more artifacts were found in the plow zone just above the pit.

   Dr. Kelso told me that he unearthed sherds of seventeenth century pottery within minutes of digging. It was 4 April 1994 when he first pricked the ground – most folks probably thought he was part of the maintenance crew. They kept picnicking while the seventh-graders climbed on the statues.

   But Dr. Kelso continued to trim that first hole. He knew that he had discovered something significant. He had done his homework and picked a ripe spot: a slight depression in the soil between the church tower and the river. He had a keen eye.

Elizabethan half-groat with hand mint mark located just
above the crown. It is perfect relic.

   The exact spot was located at the edge of the “Barracks” – a mud-and-stud, earth-fast building that probably dated to 1607 or 1608. During a recent visit, I made a point of standing on the very ground where his shovel started the Rediscovery. See blog post from 2/14/16 to see a picture of the Barracks.

   Pit 1 was actually composed of five pits, all dug at different times before the fort clean-up of 1610 (in the wake of the starving time that previous winter).

   Three coins were found in Pit 1. These were the first numismatic finds from the early fort that were in a sealed archeological context. In addition, four jettons and a lead token were found nearby.

Today I profile one of these coins: an Elizabethan half-groat or two-pence. The one found at Jamestown was cut in half, so only a penny was actually unearthed. This was the first silver coin found at the site, as the other two coins were Irish coppers.

   The half-groat dated between 1590 and 1592 as evidenced by the “hand” mintmark. It is not a rare piece, but finding one with the correct mintmark will take some patience. I wanted one from the ground; so I waited until a metal-detectorist offered one for sale – of course, it was dug in England (and not Jamestown).

   For the collector of North American colonial coins, this half-groat should be on your list. There was not much of an economy in the early fort days, but the colonists had a few coins in their pouches, and the records suggest that they traded with the sailors. So, there was an economy.

   Among the artifacts in Pit 1 were nearly forty vessels (including a Bartmann jug), musket parts and shot, edged weapons, two helmets, and over 80 trade beads. There were many pipe fragments and sherds of stoneware, plus molten glass slag. What a collection this would make. Just like the half-groat, similar artifacts are available to the collector from English treasure hunters.

   When all this stuff is put together: magic happens. And, the necromancer is transported back, way back. Sixteen-Ten.

Loving the Unloved: Sports Cars and Road-Worn Coins

As I get older, I long for feeling the cool morning air blowing on my hair … well, my face, since I have no hair. So, I announced over my morning joe that I was getting a sports car.

   I have had sports cars before. A Sunbeam Tiger – that car was an E-ticket ride, white knuckles all the way. It handled like a witches’ broomstick: fast and squirrely.

   Well, to make a long story short, my wife said: “NO. We need a new refrigerator.” Now, I am not sure how this computes. A car is nothing like an icebox – unless it is top-down in January.

   In any case, I was out voted two to one. Our house is a republic, not a democracy.

   So I used my coping skill of sublimation and got the car you see here. It is Wyandotte (no, not the hen; no, not hen-pecked) from the 1930s. 

   Beautiful Car! Matchbox and Corgi never came close.

   As you can see, this Wyandotte was driven!

How unfortunate it is that collectors do not appreciate the allure of a road-worn toy. Toys not played with are lifeless. I wanted a deuce coupe that little hands drove into near oblivion. Let me travel on imaginary roads carved in the sand and marked on the sidewalks.

   I do not want a forgotten toy. I do not want one that failed to entertain. Rather, give me the car that was hosed off at the end of the day and tossed – wet – into the pail.

So it is with coins. Coins once used as money have fascinating stories to tell. A slim dime provided access to a countertop full of delights. If you had several dancing in your palm, you could buy a shiny new rod.

   I am lucky to be so smitten. 

   And, I am anxiety free. 

   Who cares about condition grades? Or values? I did not look up the Wyandotte in some thick toy collector's guide to see what it was worth.

   Oh, the mental anguish that so many folks subject themselves to: What is it worth? Am I making a good buy? Ugh!

   I did not care if the car came with the “original box.” I did not get a plastic container to put it in. Rather, I just grabbed it. I felt the metal. I touched its rugged surfaces.

   This experience is all about – ALL ABOUT – eye appeal and finger feel -- nice rhyme. Let's sing shall we: eye appeal & finger feel, eye appeal & finger feel, eye appeal & ... .

   Bottom line: If you like it: Buy it!

   So many coin collectors (and toy collectors) get lost in the values game. They strive to be a "connoisseur" -- but they are (mostly) not! Numismatic heroism is so overrated!  

   I think collectors would be better off if they just decided to never sell and just give the stuff away when they are done. This attitude would help make collecting more fun!

Battered Cob: No Grade; No Equals ... Historic & Perfect

This battered old cob is Perfect. Absolutely Perfect!
   It is the ultimate collector's piece. You cannot find another like it -- maybe a similar one, but this one is unique. Of course, all relics are unique. They wear their emotions on their face. Each mark, the corrosion, the edge splits, ... all of it tells a story. This coin was part of the action.
   Consider that this hunk of silver was crudely hammered by an Inca worker. The silver came from Cerro Rico ("rich mountain") at Potosi. This cob was packed on lamas en route to Lima where it was loaded on a Spanish Galleon. From there the story becomes a mystery. The sea corrosion suggests that the ship hit bottom: likely the Capitana (1654) or the Maravillas (1656).

   It takes a bit of detective work to decipher the details, but what fun it is. The obverse shows the crowned shield of Castile and Leon (castles and lions). Phillip IV of Spain shows at the upper right with only the PHIL showing. A and O stand for ANO or year; whereas the P is for Potosi (some have argued Peru, since the Lima mint was not operating at the time). The 8 is the denomination: Eight Reales.

1652 Eight Reales Cob from Potosi.
Obverse is shown at top, and Reverse at bottom.

   The reverse is full of data. There is a PH (Phillip IV) flanked by the digits 1 and 6 (start of date) just atop the two pillars of Hercules. Then we have the tic-tac-toe arrangement as follows. On the first line: P for Potosi, 8 for denomination, and E for Alonso de Ergueta the assayer of the mint. On the second line: PLVS VLTRA for the motto: "more beyond" -- this refers to Spain's claim to the New World. On the third line: E for the assayer, 52 for the end of date (1652), and P for Potosi.
   Note that some data is repeated to insure accountability in minting. If the whole design were clear, the date, assayer, and mint would show three times. All told, this is a coin that has much to look at and study.
   But there is more. The coin is unique. This is the only example of this die pair known. This is not surprising with 1652 cobs, as many variations exist. According to Robert Mastalir this pairing of the shield obverse with this reverse topped by the 1 PH 6 came late in the year. Only about ten pieces had this design combination, and only this one had this specific die pairing. Perhaps they were all produced in a day's work. Of course, there is no demand for a piece like this, as few folks know that this die pairing exists. Besides, many folks would moan about the rough condition.
    But here the best part.
   This coin has no grade! Sure, you can grade it. But it would be a shot in the dark. Meaningless. And, Stupid. It is what it is. Some expert can say its "fine" or "very good," but what does this mean, really?
   It means nothing. This cob is perfect. It is the only one. Go get a cob: They are all perfect!