!!The Golden Coin Hunt!!

yeah 4:30. My boss Miriam, her husband gets up at that time each morning. Guess she figures since she is up anyways, she may as well be at work, and us with her..lol

oh and DJ...if I had scrolled back a few posts, I would have noticed my question was already asked..lol
DOH!...well it's been a long week..lol

 

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ok... my turn. Don't laugh anyone... it took me 3 days ( and ignoring some other stuff ) to write!

what a great contest, Dak... thanks!!!!!!

 

My Story About Money

As would often be the case throughout the story of our country, the process of how we manufacture our money has been one worth study. Through that study, not only does one learn that some of the people the government has employed were less than honest, but some went as far as to use the place of trust that they earned as money makers to make money for themselves.

Frequently, the efforts of these money makers, were accepted by the collectors around the country. Rarely, the results produced an effect far more potent. For some, the products that were made would become just another part of sets. For others, the products themselves would be so rare, so sought after, that a whole world of collectors would stop when one of these came to market. Our story focuses on one of those rare cases, the Walton example of the 1913 V-back 5-cent.

On March 9, 1962 a sudden car crash sent shockwaves throughout our whole hobby. You could ask, “How can you say that?” and one need only tell the story of Sam Walton and the famous 1913 V-backed 5-cents. We are told that Walton was on the road between shows when the car suddenly crashed and he passed away. Among the personal affects found was a 1913 V-backed 5-cents. Most thought the example to be a copy and the “real McCoy” to be elsewhere presumably locked away.

The Waltons were sure that the holder that they owned had the real 1913 V-back, but expert after expert told them no. The hobby started to buzz due to the fact that people thought that maybe the real 1913 V-back was unaccounted for. Maybe someone completely unknowledgeable had just happened upon the wreckage… maybe someone stole the real 1913 V-back from Walton’s safe. The world would be unsure for years.

As the years passed, many collectors heard of the tale and were told to be aware that the last 1913 V-back could be anywhere and could even be somewhere amongst the pocket change of average everyday people. A real treasure hunt was on! A huge payday was there to be taken, all you had to do was watch your pocket change.

As the treasure hunt raged on, the Waltons held hope that the truth would one day be known.

For many years people searched, but no luck. No one had found the real 1913. Legends began to crop up. Many thought the real 1913 V-back may have been destroyed at the crash. Some heard tales of someone who knew someone who knew someone who had gotten out Grandma’s jewelry box and seen one, but all smacked of myth. Many of the myths were as common as they were outrageous, but throughout them all, no one could actually produce one.

The four other 1913 V-backs were all held by separate owners, no one owned more than one. The other owners were: Olsen, Norweb, Mc Dermott, and some other fellow whose name escapes me. He had some sort of complete US set of some sort… gold and base metals too, but that’s another story.

At the yearly show for July 23, the ANA elected to showcase the four known 1913 V-backs. There, the ANA wanted to try to draw the long sought-after collectable out of the woodwork, so to speak. They offered thousands of dollars to anyone who could help them locate the unlocated 1913 V-back. Bowers and Merena helped by an offer of at least a $1,000,000 guaranteed sale!

Many thought that the move was smart because recently the most famous example of these 1913 V-backs had sold for over $1,400,000 at a 1996 sale that featured the V-back. At that juncture, the Manley 1804 Dollar had struck the gavel on the largest offer ever of $990,000 to wrest honors from the Reed Hawn 1913 V-back at $962,500. Hard to fathom that these 5 V-backs were the property of one person when they surfaced at the 1920 ANA. The ANA Journal told of Samuel W. Brown at the show when they debuted that day, but they belonged to Col H.R.R. Green and were among the Green estate when he passed away.

Many feel that these rare 1913 V-backs were made under secrecy and are therefore not legal. What makes me pause would be the fact that a 1933 double eagle was made BY the US government, but yet not legal to own. These 5 V-backs ARE legal to own when they are clearly NOT made by the US government.

These V-backs were not made by the US Government, but yet are legal to own. When compared to the St. Gauden’s double eagles of 1933, no agent of our goverment plans to enter an ANA show to re-capture them for the US. But why? Would one say that because they were NOT made by the US Government, they are now legal to own? And the case as such, are they then NOT V-back 5-cents?

My thoughts are that these 1913 V-back 5-cents were made from US Government stock, on US Government presses, and probably made on the floor of the US Government shop where all the rest of the money for our country was made. How can they not be a US Government product? These same thoughts also say that the reasons for them to make such a product was for none other than to make money.

That as the reason, have we rewarded them over the years for the “extra” work done that day? Has a dangerous example been set for the future? Do we need only to prove that the US Government was not the maker of our small product run to legally own them? Have we now made a loophole for future people of less than honorable means to manufacture rare US Government products?

For many years as our country has grown, so too have the processes and every day works of our government. To be sure, a more secure process was necessary for the manufacture of our money. No longer can we accept employees that have enough autonomy and means to create havoc as many have before. We need to have a much more secure process for manufacture of our country’s money and money products.

 

ok folks... here goes ... 1071 words, and not a SINGLE letter 'I'

Tis the story of my Numismatic hobby:

The start of my unadulterated love of the hobby of money began at a young age for me. The start was around the era my paper route started, at the age of 13 or 14. There was, of course, the absence of large amounts of money to be spent on the hobby for me then. As a result, the 1 cent copper took my fancy. A local store was a beloved hangout for me. Candy, Gum, Soda, Lemonade even a newspaper or 2 would cross my palms from that store. The owner would talk coppers to me, as well as other larger small change components. These would conclude at or around the quarter level, as most upper level currency was beyond my monetary reach. The amazement felt at each unforeseen and completely unexpected copper that crossed from the owner to me could be wondrous to be sure. The 1 cent coppers shared would range from the 1909 wheat cent through the 1959 date that ended the wheat cent, and could also allow for the more modern Abe cent up to the current date back then. Once, the mother of the owner, who was very old, offered to me a book of 1 cent wheat coppers. The dates would range from 1909 up to 1959, and also had slots for other years as they came to pass, or as other 1 cent coppers were found that had value. She only asked for one dollar from me for the book. We traded, from me one dollar, and from her the blue book that held my new 1 cent coppers. Over spans of weeks and months Ancestral coppers from the era just before the wheat cent, and that means those used from 1859-1909, were also traded. The beauty of those ancestral coppers would amaze me to the present era. As long as a clean and elementary framework of the statuesque woman could be found bounded by the curb of the copper, the copper was added to my trove of treasures. To say that the border of the form must be found must be understood. Under a golden rod from the sun held bound by my lamp, any trace of a form would be all that was needed for me. From then to now, no less than 250 to 300 of those coppers rest bound by my treasure room. From some of those early days to now, a dream was always present: To own for myself a copper that showed an eagle that flew. Those days where a boy of my age would pass out papers to some 300 or so patrons, were not blessed by the ‘www’ web craze such as so today. For me to locate a copper that had the eagle that flew was sadly an event that was unsuccessful. Such a copper was not to be found by me for an absolutely long passage of years. For facts to be square, one 1857 copper that showed the eagle that flew was not be my custody throughout the next 17 or so years when the year 2004 changed my luck. The ‘www’ web craze allowed me to locate one copper that had the eagle that flew! My new copper had a drawback, however. To share sad news as such can be tough. My new copper had damaged caused by exposure to the elements. The grade: About-Good! My beauty had holes beneath the surface, was off colored and just badly corroded. The lack of care from me on my About-Good copper can be easy to understand. The copper, to me, was seen as though no corroded parts were present, where no exposure to the elements caused other problems. To me, my copper was the #1 top graded copper from the 1856-1859 range. From back then to the present, my treasures have grown to new levels each year. What started as a group wheats and ancestral cents, followed by the Eagle that flew, my eye was then caught by commemoratory dollars and half, by 5 cent, 10 cent and 25 cent legal tenders. Over the years, all sorts of aspects of the hobby caught my eye. For a few years, my love of the hobby was abated by college and lack of funds. Afterwards, the months and years that passed where my hobby had been put on hold, my hobby started anew. Gold was one part of the hobby that was stayed away from. Gold was around $350 an ounce and was deemed by me to be too costly. Then Came the year 2007 and the release of the Gold Buffalo. At just shy of pure gold, and a copy of the most beloved form of the famous 5 cent round. My only gold asset would have to be the new Buffalo. The cost now, was $800. What was once deemed too costly at $350, was now purchased at $800. To buy low, and then sell at huge surplus of funds was a way to fund my new purchases. All one needed was to study the trends, and make a lucky guess as to what could sell out and be demanded on the secondary market. My treasure hoard has grown beyond my resourcefulness to tuck away under my bed or closet. But to forge ahead and not look back was the order of the day. The hope of future gold beckons. As one smart young lady rumored, once the gold bug gets you, you cannot look back. The bug has gotten me, and grows by the hour. The urge to complete a set has never been a momentous thought for me. But the yearn for more keeps me watchful for the next treasure. Whatever crosses my path next, made of metal or flax and paper, the forms on the obverse and reverse are heavy on my judgment. The Buffalo Gold, the 1899 notes have real cool snapshots, non proof 50 cent from the 1948 to 1963 range, graded of course, early coppers, large cents and a whole lot more. My next prayer – for gold to drop back to $350 an ounce – That would be good for my gold hoard.

My thanks go out to dak for the challenge presented to me. Who would have thought a short story could be composed and not use one of the most foremost letters our language. An old teacher would be proud.

Good Luck To All

 

Just a few hours left, time to get your stories in, if you havn't already found the new bonus thread, you still have a little time to earn some points from it!! Good luck all! Thanks and I look forward to the final phases of the contest!!

 

Not be a nitpicker, but djcoins and jaytant's essay are under 1000 words. DJcoins is pretty close though, I guess good enough.

BTW, there are some good essays one here.

 

I think the rules shoud be the same for everyone. Brother Dak as you can see inspite of my best efforts i have not been able to get yself on the points board :d looks like ill have to do witht he silver i won earlier unless something strange happens

 

Yea, I've been boggling that myself, however, I ran a word count in Word Perfect and it was 994 words ran another in MS Word and came back 1001 words, so yep I think it is close enough, I don't have the heart to disqualify an entry when its so close like that, and in one program it meets it and another it misses by a few words. I would say, DJcoins, if you have a few minutes add one more sentence in there with the edit button just to put everyones mind at ease , the last thing I want is people hooting and hollering foul play should his essay make the top 4 or go on to win the poll!

I have really enjoyed the essays and stories presented. I was a bit reluctant to offer this part of the contest, but I glad I did! Thank you all for your participation!

 

SO many different numbers, I got 982 words. Not including the title of course.

 

I think I'm going to sit this activity out...I'm all essayed out from school.....lol

 

I count 5 so far... or did I miss any?

 

my word says DJ has 1005..lol

hmm..ok...if you fix DJ's grammar errors, it comes out 998..lmao

 

I would let him in (unless he wins, then we disqualify him :evil: ) besides, like everyone seems to find, some apps show more then 1000 words. who knows what app he used, so his app might have said 1000+

i vote to let him in

 

My Word said I had well over 1000...ok I'll try to add a sentence or two.

 

I added a bit to it and now it should be the correct wordage no matter what app you use to count it. Thanks!

 

I was using Microsoft Word and I got 1018, but I just added a sentence to make sure I'm over 1000.

Should be good to go now for all wordcounters.

 

maybe the next stage of the contest should give people who are down for the counta better chance you know to make the race more exciting ?

 

come now spock1k ... you dont want dak to make things easy now do you?

 

well, with less than an hour left... good luck to ALL those (with less points then me) on getting those essays in. And to all those (with more points then me) who have already gotten their essays in ... good luck in the grading

ok, so my attempt at a sarcastic encrypted message failed.. i spent most of the day ripping out my ceramic tile floor .. i hurt! lol ... so basicly .. all those peeps who have more points then me .. i truly hope you forget to post an essay

good luck all....