Paddy54

Beatiful specimen I've always have fancied cobs they are each so different but the same....as well the stuff dreams are made of...to quote Mel Fisher..."todays the day"! Nice addition to the collection.

Yes it has been messed with...but for nada ill take it. 🙂

Well lady luck smiled on me as I won over on CT a specimen that I fancied when it was first posted. So now officially I am a Acient collector 😉

Wizard coin supply has verdicare in stock now....I highly recommend you treat these with the verdicare...it will remove the green mess and stop any futher rot on the copper.

These need be treated with verdicare it will remove the green mess and will arest the crossion.

The first 8 reale is from the wreak Johanna that went agound off the cape of South Africa. The next a 8 reale from the Atocha look closely its double struck....most probably a bounce of the die when hit with the hammer. The next is another Atocha 4 reale which are rarer than the 8's. It became a 50 th birthday gift for the wife. Lastly a cob struck in Seville Spain what so unique about this cob its been shaved down to cut silver off to make a payment or a bill.

I am an avid cherrypicker, over the years I have trained my eyes to explore each specimen for any anomalies that aren't quite correct. Now its no secret just a bit of common sense as to whats correct...and what isn't. Its sort of like where's Waldo....! So basically a game one plays to train your eyes as well brain as to exactly what they see. Now there maybe times that one talks themselves into seeing something that isn't actually there. I highly suggest that one begins by researching a particular variety ,or by having a little knowledge of the series they are picking. I start by looking over the obv.and rev. Sides of the specimen. Then examine both sides of the specimen. To determine a normal or mis aligned strike. Now sometimes the variety is very prevalent other times it takes more steps to determine if it is indeed the real deal. I recently picked 3 US shield nickels that were low ball grades. They were evenly worn, And even thought they are worn there's are items still visable enough to idenfy the variety. The 3 items I picked a 1868 RPD with rev. Of 68. An 1870 thats a mule strike with a clashed Indian head cent, and a ddo that jusy isn't any old ddo.... its a ddo, a mpd,and a rpd.....all on one specimen. First the 1868 a rpd and a new reverse for the series . There were several reverse dies for the Shield nickel series. These are distinguished by the star placement on the reverse. See image below. Enlarging the image one can see the repunched date. Next the 1870 Shield nickel....thoughtout US coinage, there has been many specimens being clashed with a different series. This one a clashed die with a Indian head cent . If one studies the vertical plain lines in the shield you will notice within those lines ghost like features are from the clashing of the obv. die. The date placement is just another 'pup' which stands for " pick up point" .See image using your references it makes it easy to ID the variety as well the pups that are the road map to your find. This particular variety is very rare and given a R-8 rating as to how rare this variety actually is... Lastly the 1872 another very rare variety. As again this date has not just 1 item going on to make it a variety....it has 3! RPD, an MPD, misplaced date,as well its a DDO! And what so crazy is the MPD ...mostly found near the rim or coins denticles...this one the '2' has been placed in the ball in the coins design. No my specimen the 2 isn't that visible ,but is there ...and the other pups are proof enough to determine it in fact is the variety in question and another R-7+ variety. On the shield nickel series there are more unknown or not discovered varieties than those that are known and listed. Now the reason for such is that the 1866 CN three cent piece,as well the shield nickel was the first time in the history of the US mint coined money in a medal that composition was that hard. As prior they struck in gold,silver,and copper...which arent as hard medals as nickel-copper alloy. The amount of dies used to mint the 1866 shield nickel can easy be figured out...as the early shield nickel dies only lasted up to 10,000 strikes....after that the die would explode and fail. One may also find many different die cracks...on shield nickels. Again the thickness and hardness of the NC alloy would cause major die failure if over used. The shield nickel was also produced in a time peroid where dead presidents where not on US coins. There were symbols that could be recognised as symbols of the American liberties,as well symbols that truly represents the country as the united states of "America." And the coinage designs reflected the gift of freedom, liberty for all..... I hope you enjoyed this post....and it has passed on some knowledge for your future useage. Regards Paddy

I too plan on supporting the forum, as the prior poster June is a bad month for any extras since all my major bills hit. Come next month I'll be glad to support this forum, as well its members. It a breath of fresh air... and a heck of lot less B.S. by Napoleonic monitors who are always bias in their rulings.

Always a pleasure Steve...Im very glad to have a means that we can communicate. I'm so happy that this forum has evolved....I was just reading a few BS post over CT ....ragging on those who left. Well all I can say is I will support this forum as well its members....I always support my friends and YN's . But my tenure at CT I never once supported the forum. And won't as it's biasly politically unbalanced....and I have no need to support a forum that doesn't fit my belief's. I give you all a hat's off for standing your ground....protecting your friends....and standing up to the BS that is all to offten leveled against those who do not subscribe...! Good to see you Steve...you were missed!

Good to see you Steve wishing you and yours the best.

That's a very nice woodie...I would welcome such to my hoard any day. Very nice color and condition.

This effect is from impropriety mixed medals in the alloy. Some don't care for it ....and some like myself love it.

An artifact specimen would be an item made or struck from a materal that once was a part of the item in question. Here's a few of mine ,please post your's .... The first is a medal made from copper savaged off The U.S.S. Constellation. This was a total refit of the ship back in the early 70's. Next is the Admiral Dewey flag ship...now at rest in Philadelphia. Next is medal from The John W. Brown WW l l liberty ship made right here in Baltimore Maryland. This is a living museum that schedules a trip down the bay under steam power. Its a very cool experence I highly recommend if you ever have the opportunity. You can google the Brows web site.

A unfinished butterfly a sail boat cut from black tiger eye. Tague nut carvings from central America a pair of bone bears...

I just happen to notice how rare the 1 and 2 cent 1847 Liberia coins have gotten....lets see yours. On a search I only found two listings and both were rather pricy.

I have a gold seahorse pin that was cast from a real seahorse . I had it on one of my hats it sits on a sprig of black coral.

Our mantel is home to many animals carved from all sorts of materials. Many from our travels . I love the Angel fish anyd barnacles.

My favorite Canadian set