Hey everyone. I was digging for coins and came across a memory, as happens from time to time in our hobby. First off let me say I am including a poll with this thread just for fun to see how many find the toning adds to the coin or takes away from it's beauty. That's all. I know they aren't in great shape, both around F12 or so, but this poll isn't about grade. Ok, now that that is all straightened out: When I was 8 or 10 years old my Mom took me to go play bingo with my Great-Grandmother (she passed a few days before last Christmas). It got to be a regular thing for us, every Saturday night. My first dog actually ate my first (and only) win from there (six one dollar bills). I only knew she did because I scraped a strip of the center of a bill from the roof of her mouth. Well, after a month or two a few upstanding senior citizens expressed their concern for the extablishment's safety regarding the state gambling control board. (Got angry over several $6 payouts handed to young children merely ecstatic to help an elderly grandparent.) People under 18 were no longer allowed inside. The very first time I couldn't go my Mom came home and said "This old man was flirting with Granny and he paid for a bingo card with these. I cuoldn't believe it! I snatched them and offered him a couple dollars but he would only take 50 cents. Here keep these for your collection." They were shiny. Just before this my Grandfather on my Dad's side had been killed crossing the street in town. Part of my inheritence was a bunch of old, empty Whitman coin albums. It is my ambition in life to fill every hole in the empty albums willed to me, and I'll admit I don't know if I will pull it off. These coins went immediately into their appropriate slots in the album and have been there for over 15 years. I haven't gotten another one since then, and so didn't even open the album in all this time. I was suprised when I did so the other day, and thought I would share. -Andy
I'd say they add to the coins attractiveness . But I grade them as G-4 not F-12 , Still from your family they're priceless .
lol I guess yeah one should not attempt to grade these types of sentimental coinage as it's very hard to be objective on something with personal value.
That was a touching story... :so-sad: ...I hope to see you achieve your goal of one day filling all of the Whitman albums! Best of Luck, Brian
That's a touching good story. I hope to see you achieve your goal as well. Out of curiosity, which Whitman's do you have to fill?
lol there are a bunch... SLQ's, mercs, all 4 morgan books, peace dollar, barber half, franklin half, walker half, buff. nickel. those are what I got from him. I hit the big one first, got about 20 holes filled & some doubles. Bout halfway through roosies, I went to a small consignment shop last july & got a nearly full book for $25... 40 silvers inside, so I got that nearly wrapped up. bout 1/3 the way thru mercs. 5 peace or so I think in the book & some doubles. Had a set of Franklins, one from each year, hanging on the wall that got got burglarized. that book remains empty. barber half book is empty. walker book has 3 or 4. buff nickel book is also empty, though I haven't made a real effort at those yet. + all the various books & doubles I aquired over the years.
I don't especially like that kind of toning on a Good coin , but I sure would not try to remove it. I like toning in general, but more so on something like an Unc morgan $.
In reality these low grade SLQ's are now junk silver along with Ag-3 common date barber coins. An honest coin dealer ( IMO) would pay no more for these than a circulated coin from the 60's. I value a good SLQ at more than melt value but with silver around 30X of face value, it would be hard to get beyond that. Maybe 10% more, if that ?
I voted love it. I really like circulated toners like the coin posted by the OP. That it holds sentimental value makes it even better!