MAIL BID SALE NO. 35 ON THE HORIZON

At long last Mail Bid Sale No. 35 is coming your way. A delectable group of over 100 bust halves will be sold to high bidders during the Central States Show in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg. The Sale will close at 6 PM CDT Friday April 20, 2012. Mark your calendar.

The Bluegrass Collection, Part 1 of the Sale, is the anchor consignment. This nearly complete date collection runs from 1794 through 1839. All but one of the Bluegrass coins have been graded and encapsulated by PCGS. Most coins grade AU 53 through AU 58.
1795 O.122 R.5 Flowing Hair Half-Dollar. From the Bluegrass Collection.

Part 2 of the Sale is an exciting mix of rare die varieties and high grade, eye appealing busties, highlighted by a stunning PCGS AU 58 1815/2. Again, most coins in Part 2 are PCGS graded AU 53 through AU 58. There are four notable, mouth watering exceptions from the Dale Friend Collection that grade PCGS MS 64 or MS 64+! Part 3 of the Sale is the Swallowtail Collection, a nice assortment of slabbed coins (6 NGC, 15 PCGS) that will appeal to a broad range of collectors. The Sale concludes with a group of high rarity “raw” coins, with provenances traced to the Norweb, Tidwell, Erb and Rutherford collections.
1815/2 O.101a PCGS AU 58. Offered in Part 2 of the Sale.


Include Your Coins in the Sale!

I will be accepting additional consignments for the Sale during the upcoming Baltimore Show, March 22-24. Can’t make it to Baltimore? No problem. Call or email. We can discuss the coins that you might wish to consign. Do not delay. All consignments must be in my hands by Tuesday, March 27.

Coins already consigned are available now for preview - on line, in Baltimore and via overnight Express Mail (USPS or Fed Ex, your choice; call for details).
To examine and download a Lot List of currently consigned coins click here.

To view photos of Part 1, the Bluegrass Collection, click here.
To view photos of Part 2, properties of various consignors, click here.
To view photos of Part 3, the Swallowtail Collection, click here.
To view photos of Part 4, a selection of rare die pairs, click here.

Special thanks go to my collecting friend and neighbor Lance Keigwin for these top quality photos.

The Catalogue for MB 35 is in progress. It should be ready by the 2nd week of April. It will be posted on line and mailed to those who email a request for a hard copy.

SELECTIONS FROM THE ROGER SOLOMON COLLECTION HERE NOW

Need an immediate Coin Fix? Check out an offering of 15 scrumptious coins, bust half-dimes through bust dollars, from the Roger Solomon Collection. Click here. These lovely pieces have not been offered before on my web site. All prices were reviewed and adjusted this month to reflect the current market. See something you like? A phone call is best. All coins carry an unconditional 5-day return privilege. Postage and insurance will be added to your invoice. Photos of the Solomon Coins are available here. Again, thanks to Lance Keigwin.
        
1836 50¢ Beaded Border O.106 NGC MS 61          1799 $1 8x5 Stars Bowers Plate Coin NGC AU 55

How about a book?

A numismatic axiom is to buy the book before the coin. Here are some publications that deserve your attention. They are guaranteed to raise your numismatic IQ—and provide hours of enjoyment.

AMBPR is the bible for every serious collector of bust half-dollars. Steve Herrman provides us with an invaluable record of private and auction sales over the past 5 years (longer for rare varieties). This is NOT just a price guide for die variety collectors. The main listing includes all Red Book varieties (overdates and the like) irrespective of rarity. Steve alerts us to the Bust Half Nut Club’s periodic revision of rarity ratings. Separate listings allow you to search for sales of esoteric items such as bust half proofs, patterns, mint errors, countermarks and contemporary counterfeits. Sorry. SOLD OUT. Next edition due in October. Reserve now (no payment required until delivery).

2010 AMBPR Complete Edition on CD. AMBPR is useful, in part, because it is portable. We may bring it to coin shows without inconvenience. On occasion we are frustrated by Herrman’s practical decision to maintain portability by rolling off records at various intervals, starting at 5 years. If you want access to earlier records you are not alone. The 2010 AMBPR Complete Edition takes us back to 1984(!) and is available on CD. $45 Postpaid.

Bust Half Fever by Edgar Souders, 2d Ed. 2006. This classic introduction to the capped bust series belongs in every collector’s library. Brad Karoleff wrote the forward, where he notes, Edgar Souders has organized, in one easy-to-use volume, much of the information that previously took many years to accumulate. He has provided you with a study in “Bust Half Dollars 101.” If you don’t own this volume the decision to buy is the ultimate no brainer. Act now. I have but 4 copies left. Regularly $79.95, now $60 via media mail. Add $5 for priority Mail.

Contemporary Counterfeit Capped Bust Half Dollars, by Keith Davignon, 2nd edition 2010, edited by Richard Irons. Keith published the 1st edition in 1996. It was an overnight success. Fifteen years ago Keith identified and described 188 die pairings of counterfeit bust halves. The number has risen to 339! In my introduction to the 1st edition I wrote, “It appears that bust half fever inevitably draws collectors to … these fascinating and collectible pieces of 19th century criminal America.” Nothing has changed. The first time you encounter one of these often comical efforts to deceive merchants of mid 19th century you will be hooked. Sorry. SOLD OUT

WEB SITES YOU MUST VISIT