LOOSE CHANGE: OCTOBER 2, 2022

 

While a 1907 Wire Edge eagle (U.S. $10 gold coin) is not nearly as rare as a pre-1840 Proof gold coin, it is unusual. The one in the Bass I sale is unusual in an additional way. It was not acquired by Harry Bass himself. In the four Bass Collection auctions by Bowers & Merena (New Hampshire) during 1999 and 2000, there was not one 1907 Wire Edge ten that I remember, though there were representatives of other varieties of gold coins from the year 1907, including High Relief Wire Edge 1907 $20 coins.

According to the Harry Bass Foundation website, this 1907 Wire Edge eagle was purchased by the foundation in 2000, long after Bass died. Apparently, F. David Calhoun, executive director and trustee of the foundation, handled the purchase of this coin, which was needed for the gold type set in the Bass Collection.

This Bass Collection, 1907 Wire Edge ten was never dipped and never harmfully cleaned. It exhibits original color and just a few faint hairlines.

To read the complete article, see:
A Focus on Some of the More Unusual Coins in the Bass Collection (https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/a-focus-on-some-of-the-more-unusual-coins-in-the-bass-collection)

Researching any numismatic topic in the 21st century will mostly likely involve a substantial amount of time spent online. A large percentage of my research time is online. Put a keyword in the search engine and away you go.

While the information I am able to locate online is truly phenomenal, I still prefer holding a meaningful numismatic reference book in-hand. Admittedly I might be somewhat of a dinosaur, but my numismatic library is quite special to me.

When I started collecting in the early ‘70s finding any information about coins was difficult. The local library might have a couple of well-thumbed copies of The Red Book (A Guide Book of United States Coins). Usually these were out of date as well as often missing pertinent pages.

Coin literature wasn't available in any great quantities. Even well-stocked coin shops were limited in the literature they offered because so little was actually available. The weekly coin magazines were great for market news and new coin issues. But, if you wanted to do any in-depth coin research or had harder coin questions, few reference books were available.

Ultimately my numismatic reference library was built one book or catalog at a time. Similar to building a challenging set of U.S. coins, finding some of the books I desired wasn't an easy task. Regardless of whether you are finding missing dates for your set or searching for that elusive out-of-print coin reference book the best collections require diligence.

To read the complete article, see:
Building a Numismatic Library (https://www.pcgs.com/news/building-a-numismatic-library)

A Chinese company ordered to pay 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) compensation to a worker it illegally sacked has been fined again for paying the amount in loose change, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported on Monday.

The employer, an unnamed health and wellness provider in Hunan province, southern China, paid the money earlier this month with coins it deliberately changed from banknotes in larger denominations, which weighed over 60kg, the report said, citing a decision from the Kaifu District People's Court.

The former employee, with the help of a court official, had to count the coins one by one before the court could record the payment on September 14.

As a result the court imposed an additional fine of 5,000 yuan on the company for trampling on the dignity of workers and wasting the resources of law enforcement.

David adds:

To read the complete article, see:
‘Trampling on dignity': Chinese boss pays US$1,400 staff compensation in coins then fined again for being ‘disrespectful' (https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3194130/trampling-dignity-chinese-boss-pays-us1400-staff)

To visit the LANG website, see:
https://www.lang.de/en/

To read the complete article, see:
50 Years of LANG GmbH: The Leading Supplier of Milling and Engraving Machines (https://coinsweekly.com/50-years-of-lang-gmbh-the-leading-supplier-of-milling-and-engraving-machines/)

I was reminded of humans' frequent failure to keep nice things in pristine condition when I purchased a collection from a local estate. It was a large collection consisting of very ordinary coins – circulated common date Morgan dollars, dateless Buffalo nickels, oodles of wheat cents and so on.

But in the midst of this there was a Morgan dollar. A beautiful, unmarred, superb uncirculated 1885 Morgan dollar. It seemed to glow in the dark, especially in that morass of stuff. How did it remain in this condition for all these years? And how did it end up in there? Seeing it in the midst of that typical, beat up coinage reminded me that every single high grade coin still in existence is a little round miracle.

These objects were made to be used, and used hard. When we see one that has somehow escaped the fate of nearly all of their brethren it gives me a renewed appreciation for each of them.

To read the complete article, see:
Well Preserved Coins are Little Miracles (https://davewcoins.com/well-preserved-coins-are-little-miracles-plus-new-purchases/)

In 1791 an obscure baroness and her daughters left Paris in a carriage headed west. Along the way, at Sainte-Menehould, their male servant went to change horses, and the town's postmaster, Jean-Baptiste Drouet, thought he looked familiar. Drouet took out a banknote and confirmed, from the face printed on the back, the servant's identity: King Louis XVI, who was supposed to be confined to his palace under revolutionary guard. Within hours, the "servant" was detained at Varennes. It was a costly ID: Two years later, an executioner would hold up the King's recognizable head.

To read the complete article, see:
ID (https://www.profgalloway.com/id/)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web