Just got the elusive 1916 Barber Half....

I mint in batches as orders come in. All orders placed prior to May 15 were shipped last week. Later this week I expect to be fully caught up on filling all pending orders that were placed on or after May 15.

 

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Most of my dies are still useable (but are scrapped) when a mintage of an issue is concluded. The most I've ever struck from a single die pair is about 4,500 pieces. That die could have struck perhaps 10,000 or more pieces. Once in a while a die will fail before the planned mintage quantity is reached. The reverse die that I'm using for the "1916" over-strike Barber half dollars has already cracked. This doesn't happen very often. I'm still using that die for now, but I don't think it will last much longer. I will probably engrave a new die to replace it.

The current status is indicated on my production "blog":
http://www.moonlightmint.com/blog_14.htm

The over-striking definitely requires much higher striking force than normal. So those dies take a beating.

 

Because you don't like them doesn't make it wrong either.

 

So, what message does your loophole send to crooks looking for a way to cheat people?

Chris

 

You continue with the inflammatory posts that do not provide anything of substance. The implications of your post are based on faulty premises: that there is a "loophole"; that it is being exploited somehow; that doing what I do is somehow "cheating" people.

If there is any message that is being sent it is that a person can legally be successful at earning a living from their hobby.

I have a lot of fun doing what I do, but it is also hard work. Not many people are able to make a living doing what they like. Those that can't are often jealous of, and attempt to belittle, those who can.

Here is the key quote directly for the US Mint web site:

"(Text as of 2/19/02) 18 U.S.C. §331:
Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled or lightened - shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. (Emphasis added.)"
http://www.usmint.gov/consumer/18USC331.cfm

Note that the US Mint chose to underline the key word "fraudulently".

There is no fraudulent alteration or intent. There is no "loophole".

 

Jealous? Why would I be jealous of someone who found a loophole to alter a US coin and sell it for a big profit? The only reason you are opposed to using the word "COPY" on any of your non-coins is because you would substantially lessen your profit.

Chris

 

Mine arrived today

 

You are coming off as jealous.

 

Just got mine a few minutes ago (scratch is on the flip--leaving it in there, as it is getting shipped off to ANACS for slabbing later this week):

 

Awesome!!!

 

Not many artists want to put "COPY" on their work. And not many art buyers/patrons want works that have "COPY" on them. Andy Warhol never put "COPY" on his paintings, even though he extensively copied pop culture icons in his works. That is because his works weren't exactly copies. My works are not either.
Is an altered coin a COPY of that coin type ? No. It is an altered coin of that type, not a copy of that type.

 

Daniel:

I wish you luck, and I don't collect your works, but I can appreciate them

Good luck.

 

I would not buy one, if it had copy stamped on it.

 

besides, what would it be a copy of?

A copy of a non-existent date/coin?

 

I have to laugh when someone comes up with a lame excuse like jealousy when they can't come up with any other good reason for not using the word "COPY" except for making a huge profit off of someone else's design through a loophole in the law.

Chris

 

That's an idea! Why doesn't someone make a 1920 Morgan and sell it as an artistic rendition of the coin that Morgan never made. Just think of all the money that can be made from the suckers who don't know anything about coins. Oh, that's right! It was said that can't happen because people buying expensive coins would do their "due diligence" beforehand just like the person who bought nearly three-quarters of a million dollars in coins only to learn they were worth about $120,000. Yeah, it's his fault because he should have known better. Stupid him!

Chris

 

This is the second time you have compared yourself to Warhol. Not!

Chris

 

"thou doth protest too much" ?

Several reasons have been given. You chose to ignore them. We are talking about a genuine coin which has been defaced or altered so as to have characteristics that none of the original type have. The over-strikes are not a copy of the coin type - they are a defacement of the coin type. The over-strikes are not a copy of any specific issue because the apparent date on them was never issued for that type.

I have a type collection of my own fantasy-date over-strike coins. I didn't want "COPY" on them.

Since the vast majority of US coin designs were paid for with tax dollars, by law they are public domain and can not be copyrighted.

 

Please post a reference about this particular incident so we can analyze it.
Assuming that this did actually occur, what coins were utilized to defraud this person ? US Mint coins ? !

Your "logic":

Greedy US Mint - they shouldn't encourage coin collecting because someone might get ripped off !

Nefarious Government- the laws allow someone to buy and sell coins for more than their face value, and so somebody might get cheated !

Stupid coin collectors - some of them collect things that you don't like !

Show one incident where somebody lost a bunch of money by buying some of my issues.

 

If I remember correctly the term is: reasonable facsimile. If you look it up in the dictionary, the word fraudulent never comes up.