hello knowlegable freinds, can anybody tell me if their was differant type washington proofs struck in 1981. i was going through some of my coins and found a washington in a 2x2 that i got somewhere????? it didnt bother me before but now i am interested in this because i cant find any info in the big red book. any info will be appreciated. i can post a pic if i figure out how. thanx
Not sure what you mean by a different type. But yes - there are what are known as 2 types of Proof coins for 1979 & 1981. For the '79s it's easy to tell. A type 1 has a blob for a mint mark. The S is all blurry. With a type 2 - it is quite clear & distinct. In '81 it is again the mint mark - but there are differences and it is harder to distinguish. The S is a slightly different shape for the type 2. I have pictures for both types around here someplace - I'll have to look for them.
Well, thanks Nick. Actually, the link that GDJMSP provided in the "What I would like to see" thread, is one of the best ones I've seen in a long time. My thanks goes out to all the people that put these web-sites togather. I'd hate to think I had to buy all that referance material in book format. (lol)
Hey Jody, I did buy all that referrence material But as I have said before, your ability to pull up the links is beginning to become legendary. Between you and GDJMSP, we are all in good hands.
thank you everyone but jody takes the cake thanx again. one of these times i might be able to answer instead of ask. lol
Well GDJMSP, between you and Jody, both of you save me from having to sort through this mountain on knowledge on my book shelves. I wish that I were more internet savvy. An old codger huh?
whoa. i didnt mean to offend anybody. thank you to all. ;-} hey national i am starting to buy all that referrance material. knowledge is everything in numismatics. correct.
Hi pog, I'm sure GDJMSP isn't offended by any of us having a little fun. These message boards can sometimes be terrible at relaying a person's true intent. That's why it helps to know who you're talking to. Those little smiley faces, along with chat acronyms, can be a big help too, when it comes to showing the intent of your text. For example, I used "LOL" in my post, which stands for "laughing out loud". That shows that I was kidding, and was in no way trying to be serious. The little smiley that is winking one eye, would have worked too.
You are right, the referrence material is one of the most important things a collector can have. I have spent thousands on books, magazines, and supplies. These are are the tools that turn a collector into a numismatist. I can't recommend anything more strongly than to learn all that you can. GDJMSP and Jody have proven to all of us how well the internet can be used for this type of education. While I am amazed at their ability to pull up these links and articles, I still like the book in hand. Takes up a ton of space, but in my opinion, worth every inch.
i am on the shoestring budget. cant spend thousands but the local library will work just fine. does jody actually have a reputation????
A reputation? The only one I know of is his ability to find the most obscure links at the drop of a hat. Both Jody and GDJMSP have my upmost respect for their knowledge and ability. Their passions for this hobby are plain to see. I am glad to be associated with both these fine men. Now as far as budget goes, it doesn't take much. Just start picking up books as you can. A nice way to start is a 5 or 10 dollar a month numismatic fund. This is pretty easy for everyone. Take a few minutes to write down what books you would like to own. Then as your budget hits that number buy the book. A subscription to CoinWorld or one of the numismatic magazines is always money well spent. You can get everything out of this hobby that you put into it. Time spent will be well rewarded in the end.
high nd, i beleive every one of you has great knowledge and experience when it comes to this hobby. just the way you guys answer questions shows me all of you men and woman are of great integrity when it comes to this hobby.just beacuse of the fact that you share you knowledge is in itself respectfull. thank you again for all your answers. sorry for the rambling. by the way what was the first book you read? seriously.
Hi pog, Thanks for your kind words. This has been an interesting thread. I noticed you asked if I had a reputation. I suppose we are all recocnized or remembered for certain things. I do find it odd that I am known for something that has to do with a computer. You see, I have no formal education of any kind. My wife bought this computer a while back, and she took a few courses at the local community college, that helped her learn to use it. At first, I had no interest in it. Then I found out it had games on it. Then she bought an internet acsess. Then I found out I could buy coins online. Then I found out I could talk to other coin collectors online, etc. etc. etc.... Like you, my finances are limited. Actually they always have been. I have never been able to buy coins that are worth thousands of dollars. Had I done so, my family would have had to go without the things that were more important. That has never stopped me from enjoying this hobby to the fullest. There are just so many aspects, and very expensive coins are just one of those. Right now, my collecting has been concentrated on merchant tokens from my home state. This is an area of numismatics that is often overlooked. Many merchant tokens have mintages of less than 1000, and can be purchased for a few dollars. Some of my favorites are from my local area. I like to think of them as "coins from the neighborhood". LOL Hope this doesn't sound like rambling, but my point is, this is a wonderful hobby, and can be enjoyed in a multitude of different ways. I also noticed you mentioned books. I believe my first book was a "Black Book". I don't recommend this book, but at the time it was probably all that I could afford. If I could recommend one book that all US coin collectors should have, it would have to be "The Red Book". Oh yeah, I also make use of the local library. Problem is, I own most of what they've got, and I've checked out the rest about a dozen times. LOL
The first book that I ever read on coins was the Red Book. My history teacher in High School was the one responsible for teaching me about this hobby. He is now one of my best customers. This hobby is so wonderful to me. I now spend the majority of my time teaching numimatics to school kids. There really is no way to go wrong in buying a coin book. All have something to teach in their pages. It really depends on what you like. Q. David Bowers has some of the best books I have ever read. Coin collecting has a way of hooking people. Collectors are the same once they are hooked. Not all spend or collect in the same ways, but all enjoy the hobby for what it brings to them. For some it is the ability to hold history in their hands. For others it is investments. For others still, the ability to share with others these beautiful works of art. Books and referrence material are also widely collected. I donate all of my magazines and worn books to the local school library. This way a new collector may find the opportunity to explore this wonderful hobby.
