Once Upon A Cleveland...

If you do want to "dip" your toe into the grading game - ICG has a CoinTalk special that's only $10 for US coins / $15 for world coins / tokens - but you also have to pay shipping and stuff, so I only do it when I have about 10 coins ready to go. I never had anything graded before two/three years ago, the main reason I submit is to educate myself on grading / condition and for the guarantee of authenticity (from ICG, ANACS, NGC and PCGS). If you want to resell I'd look into PCGS - their slabs carry a premium (I haven't submitted to them yet, so I don't know how it works).

 

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If I find some, I certainly will.

 

Great advice! I will certainly look at that. Thank you!

 

I truly appreciate your knowledge and experience. I can't thank you enough for sharing it with me.

 

This Cleveland is graded MS-64. This picture is an accurate presentation of what the coin looks like when you see it in person.

 

This one looks less shiny than mine. Do you think this one has not been dipped? It is a beautiful coin nonetheless.

 

I have not looked at that one for a while. It's in the bank. It may have been dipped, but there is a reasonable chance that it has not been "given a bath."

The Cleveland was issued at a time, mid 1930s, when coin collectors were buying these coins and had a better idea how to store them. Many of the commemorative coins from this era have been dipped, but lots of others have not.

For the "early commemoratives" (1892 until the 1920s), those coins often fell into the hands of the general public who had no idea how to protect them. Therefore you have a greater chance of wear and ugly toning because of poor storage methods. It one of the reasons why some commemoratives, like the Missouri half dollar, is harder to find nice.

This Missouri was dipped and not properly rinsed. Unfortunately the re-toning on it has gotten worse.

 

That's interesting information. I like to know the background stories of coins. Thank you.

 

I'm curious how you define "proper storage." These coins have been in the same 2x2s inside an album page since 1972. Never dipped. If this is what "improper storage" does after 50 years, they should be good for another 100.

 

Yes, that all makes perfect sense. I will try and make sure to properly store my coins. Thank you once again!

 

One of the reasons why I brought up the Missouri commemorative half dollar was because of the way some of them were sold. The coins were offered at the 1921 state fair. One could imagine farmers buying them, holding surfaces with their bare fingers and slipping them into overalls. The issue price was a dollar.

I will post more on the Cleveland coin this afternoon.

 

Great background story. I look forward to your post.

 

The Cleveland commemorative half dollar was issued in connection with the Cleveland Centennial and Great Lakes Exposition which was held from June 27 to October 4, 1936. Some called it the “1936 World’s Fair.” It celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of Cleveland, Ohio. There were exhibits of technological achievements and the usual carnival style attractions. It cost about $25 million to produce and attracted about 7 million visitors if you count the 1937 summer run.

Coin promoter, Thomas Melish, headed up the sales effort. Melish was a collector and promoter who looked for ways to make on buck on commemorative coins. He had some powerful friends in Congress and was sometimes able to get special provisions in commemorative coin legislation that maximized his profits.

His most famous coup was the Cincinnati commemorative half dollar. It celebrated nothing, and Melish was able to get Congress to have the coin issued from the Denver, Philadelphia and San Francisco mints. That forced collectors, who wanted the coins, to buy a three coin set. Here is an example of the Cincinnati coin.



Melish tried to get Congress to approve of some "rare" Cleveland coins, including a 1937 issue, but those efforts failed. With a mintage of just over 50 thousand, the Cleveland has been considered to be a "common issue" without much "investment potential" for coin promoters.

The issue price was on a sliding scale depending on how many coins you purchased. The first one cost $1.65. If you bought 5, it got down to $1.56. If you bought 100, it was 1.52.



Moses Claevland, who founded the city was born in Connecticut in 1754. In 1796 he was appointed as a brigadier general in the U.S. Army. He moved to the Cleveland area the same year, looking for better farmland than what he had tried to till in New England. His settlement, which was located where the Cuyahoga River flows into the Lake Erie, proved to be a good location for a trading post. The name of the town was slightly shortened from Claevland to Cleveland so that it would fit on the masthead of a newspaper, the Cleveland Advertiser.

Every commemorative coin has a history, some more interesting than others. The stories include coins that should never had been made, like the Cincinnati half dollar and the over issues of the Oregon Trail, Boone and Texas half dollars among others. There were also coins of importance, like the the 1892 Columbian Exposition and 1926 Philadelphia Sesquicentennial coins, and coins that were issued fairly, like the 1946 Iowa half dollar. BTW I am quite sure that neither the Cincinnati nor the Iowa half dollar posted below, has been dipped.

 

Fascinating information. I love reading these stories.
I found this 1920 Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar also which I thought was nice.
Sorry for the bad photo. Still waiting for my new scope/camera...hopefully this coming week. It looks much better and shinier in person.

 

Try zooming in about 30% and hold your phone farther away. Mine focuses much better that way and yours might have a sweet spot too. Nice Pilgrim, one of my favorite designs.

 

I will try that. Thank you!

 

I tried it and it worked much better. Thank you!
Here is a 1924 Huguenot Half Dollar I found. Very pretty.

 

Not too shaby with the photogs dear girl.