The coin in the eBay ladle submitted by Phil Mernick is a 1796 Dime (JR-6). Considering that it show most of the die cracks associated with that variety, it is most likely real.

Around 1968, my father became a real estate agent as his fourth or fifth career (his first love of sheep ranching died in the Depression and his main career was a long haul truck driver which was different in the 1940's and 1950's than now). He retired totally around 1973. He was the salesman for a small ranch near Boise, Idaho, around 1970 and the commission was paid in $20 gold coins. I do not remember how many he received but I recollect it was over 20 coins.

Each of his four children got a coin (I still have mine), his church got at least one, and the rest were sold. The dealer recommended that he sell them periodically to not flood the market so he must have had enough to be of concern. As the price of gold was climbing, it also improved his bottom line. This was shortly after gold was again allowed to be sold but the man who paid the commission must have held the coins for many years.

I will be purchasing the book to see if this was illegal in those days and to learn more about this part of history.

There is a class at the ANA Summer Seminar that we are teaching: The Legacy and Coinage of Father-Son Mint Engravers William and Charles Barber. It is during Session 2, between June 24-28.

I just came across an Aragon Ballroom Encased Franklin Half Dollar with some of my mother’s coins. She lived in Santa Monica from 1935 - 1973. A Google search brought me to your article.

Since you asked anyone who has seen similar encased coins to contact you, I thought I’d send you a picture. It’s the same as one you listed, a 1953 Franklin half dollar in a clear encasement with red writing from Aragon Ballroom.

One of my gripes about historians is the translation of people’s names. I maintain that the name someone was given in his or her native land cannot and should not be translated — doing so only confuses things.

Today, the San Francisco Mint is the largest producer of #collectible #coins in the U.S. and the largest proof #coin producer in the #world. It also has the #unique distinction of having the oldest mint mark in the U.S. http://ow.ly/sVRy30jxTHt

The New Orleans, Dahlonega, and Charlotte mintmarks are "older" than San Francisco's. Perhaps they meant the longest surviving mintmark.

It’s World Book Night April 23rd. What? You never heard of it? Well it’s not celebrated in America like it is in a couple countries in Europe.

There is also World Book Day, which has a couple names, International Day of the Book for one, World Book and Copyright Day for another. It was organized by UNESCO to bring recognition to publishing and copyright and encourage reading.

It was first celebrated in Spain where April 23 was chosen as Cervantes death date, which by coincidence was Shakespeare's date of death as well, but not the same year of course. In England it was moved to the first Thursday in March for a conflict with Easter and is most actively celebrated in schools to promote reading to youngsters often in creative ways.

It’s almost unheard of in America. But book publishing and marketing is not overlooked. Over 65 book fairs are held in yearly in America. Often these are specialized, as antiquarian books, or of a topic. It’s like multiple book stores in one location.

I have frequently found numismatic books at such fairs.