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Dollars to Donuts

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CaptBrian

Entry posted by CaptBrian ·

2,425 views

 

DOLLARS TO DONUTS

     I have been collecting coins for about 62 years.  Six years ago I began looking at currency as many coin dealers had both coins and currencies.

     I first became interested in currency when I inspected (for the first real-time) the reverse of the $2 bill.  The closer I inspected it, the more amazed I became in the ‘art’ of engraving.  All those people on the reverse of the $2 gave amazement to me that someone poured over an engraving plate with a jeweler’s loop and turned out a work of art rivaling any of the oil, watercolor and canvas artists.  In fact, after going to myriad art shows and auctions, I believe the ‘two’ could be one of the greatest works of man.

     Then I look at some of the tapestries, Sistine Chapel in Rome and I am also amazed at the talent involved there.

     So, being that coins have been my ‘thing’ for so many years, and I don’t like having a van follow me to shows, I decided to stick with coins and add a few currency items to broaden my horizons.

     I am a member of several coin, currency and collectible clubs and am not a real good member, because I don’t attend the meetings and activities as a good member should, but I started while earning a living and now that I’m retired, I am loathe to change my ways.

BUT…, I do intend to continue my knowledge base and will, when possible share certain gems with you as I have time and deem them interesting.  Soooo…. To start this journal: 

 

      I began my currency experience at the FUN Show in Orlando about 6 years ago, when my table mate had a client come up and had a fistful of CGA notes.  He wanted my mate to see if any were worth crossing over to PCGS.  Well, he had quite a collection and at the show, PCGS would have them back the next day and so we did it. 

      At that time, it was about $20 to cross one note and like I said, he had a lot of them. Neither he nor my mate had the cash on hand, so I handed over a stack of $100’s,(more than I like to think) and the next morning they were on our table, and a few hours later, the table was besieged by collectors and by the time we went home that Sunday, the table was cleaned out of currency while my coins held a distant 2nd.   

      My table was the 2nd most successful table at the show, all the others were tied for 1st. 

      So, before we closed out the show, the client, my mate and I agreed to meet about a week later and see what the client had to sell. 

      To make a long story short, I bought 89 pieces (all in CGA label) [knowing at that time, the CGA label were stinkers), I carefully looked through them and was enthralled with the fancy serial #’s and in fact, for the most part, what appeared to be desirable and collectible.  (evan though they were mostly modern items.) 

      I had these notes for a time, and nothing moved as all were concerned about the CGA label.  

      So, with that being said, I deemed it necessary, if I were to get any ‘action’ on my inventory, I needed to cross to PMG or PCGS.

      For no good reason, I leaned towards NGC for my coins, and that led me to PMG for currency.

      That led me to my first real study of currency because being that it costs around $20 to grade one, [plus expenses such as mail, insurance and other charges which allows the Post Office and NGC to have such beautiful buildings].

      I then went to the books and references to ascertain which were worth grading, and which were better off holding in CGA. 

      Of the 89 items, 60 odd were worth cross grading and so I did.  As expected, the CGA items dropped 1 or two grades, (never 3 or more) so I did pretty good. 

      I am reticent at putting these up for sale, and I have great fun showing these at various venues for coin and currency clubs and shows. 

What I am going to do with these will be the subject of my next journal.  But for now, I hope you enjoyed this one.

 

Capt. Brian

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13 Comments

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ddr70

Any chance you could post pics of the fancy serial numbers in a few signature sets?  I just started one, but have a bit more work to do (see:  https://notes.www.collectors-society.com/registry/notes/ViewPersonalCollection.aspx?UserCollectionID=1316&Tab=list).  You'll find Radars and Rotators on 10s and 20s there.  I switched from coins big time to Nationals (mostly large size).

I'll have to look for your 1870 Eagle over on NGC.  Mine is in an 1870 mint set, but it's not a 60.

Hope to get back to an Orlando show in January soon.  Perhaps I'll see ya there!

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CaptBrian

Well, January is my most likely show, although for the last four years, I haven't been able to attend due to circumstances beyond my control.  Stay in touch and I will try to post some pictures.

Capt. Brian1490855545_binary2(2).thumb.jpg.63b3fac746d66e55516de2443f3acf81.jpg

 

binary 2 (2).jpg

Edited by CaptBrian
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Sheik Sheck

Very nice! Great story. I am not a big serial number fan but I like your tale. How in the world did someone accumulate 00001111 from such a variety of Feds? I posted a crossover some time ago. A CGA 64 $5 North Africa Emergency turned into a PMG 45. I never sent another in since. I still have a dozen or so CGA's kept as oddities. I too was a coin collector and the first time I held a large $10 Hillegas gold certificate in my hand, I was addicted. I never even knew notes had been so large in our past and was astounded that large notes like that could survive unfolded. I always believed part of my transition to currency from coins was due in part to vision! My vision got worse so tiny coins became blurs and big notes seemed more attractive. 

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CaptBrian

I have been lax keeping up my registry and comments therein.  Just too busy being retired, traveling and going to shows all over the country.  I have also been having trouble with the registry and posting pictures and so on and so forth.  I will endeavor to persevere. LOL.

Now as far as getting these 'together', that was the problem.  You see, for a number of years, the mint (paper money mints) were also offering items for sale to dealers and the public. They put together a special printing of notes and put them in a book.  People bought them, and most ended up in drawers, closets and so on.  A few were sent in for grading, a few sets were broken up and sold, spent by unbelievers and so forth.  A few were saved in great condition.  See, the problem, is we are a touchy-feely sort of species and looking isn't enough. We have to touch things.  [to see if it's real?]  As soon as you begin touching notes they deteriorate quickly and the grade drops to circulated, which for new notes (recent issues like small size FRN's) no one wants a 'used' note.  So again, the possible populations drop.

So many never made it to grading early on.  Those sets which did get to grading made the base of the populations like coins and such.

In the instance of the 2003 $2* district sets, there were 2000 of them, but I know (due to pop [population] reports) few went to grading and those that did, few made it into the market place.  I have had watch lists at many big auction houses like HA and S & B, and the feedback I get are uninteresting series notes, maybe a full district set of all 12 notes, but high serial #'s and not graded or not worthy of the bragging rights.

Now, the few sets I have ARE worth mention and highly collectible as their populations and conditions are just about impossible to match and full of one of a kind and finest known notes.  

I will try to include a picture of one of these books.  I have had one set of 2's signed by a Treasurer, and have another raw set waiting for me to 'run into' another treasury official who is well known enough to sign my notes.

Here, goes, gonna try to add some pictures.  If I fail, give me your email and I'll send them direct.

AHA!  looks like I got the book. Now let's look inside if I can...

Here we go, after one picture, I'm only allowed 4.?? MB so I will add more.  Odd, the other one has one picture 3 times.  Go figger.

Capt. Brian  enjoy

 

 

$2 Dimaria book (2).jpg

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CaptBrian

more pictures, hope I can add in more than that.  WOW got it done! good thing I had some in storage on PMG.  These are all now in PMG holders and no more than 2 grades down.  Anyway, you get the idea. They came in the mint books, were graded by a friend of mine.  I bought them and had them all regraded in PMG.  

16924.jpg.bcd4e56cdc8a4444389da1416e075721.jpg

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CaptBrian

I have another set of 5 notes, graded and signed buy Withrow.  kind of neato.. Looking for pictures on my computer as they are in the vault at safe storage and can't go there to get them today. If you want pictures of them, I will go to the facility and take pictures.

Picture below is just a fancy serial #,  Nothing great. 

Capt.B

20190719_124226.jpg

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CaptBrian

HMMM, more walls to kick down.  Seems all my old pictures are too large for PMG's upload machine.  May have to get a rocket scientist in here to get a picture up.  Check later.Nope, appears my files aren't compatible.  I'll try another way.  

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ddr70

I like to use paint.  It comes with your Microsoft operating system.  Paint 3D is the newest, but I just use the old paint and pin it to my task bar.  Paint is the default program for my .jpeg's.  You can right  (yes right) click on a pic and select open with and browse to paint and then make it your default.

So, once in paint you can use resize.  I reduce pics by about 50% and then save as same file name but I add sm for small.  You can try resizing and look at the bottom of paint for the size of the resulting file.  Once small enough to upload (but not too small to see what you want to see), post to your journal.  Hope this helps a little...

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CaptBrian
49 minutes ago, ddr70 said:

I like to use paint.  It comes with your Microsoft operating system.  Paint 3D is the newest, but I just use the old paint and pin it to my task bar.  Paint is the default program for my .jpeg's.  You can right  (yes right) click on a pic and select open with and browse to paint and then make it your default.

So, once in paint you can use resize.  I reduce pics by about 50% and then save as same file name but I add sm for small.  You can try resizing and look at the bottom of paint for the size of the resulting file.  Once small enough to upload (but not too small to see what you want to see), post to your journal.  Hope this helps a little...

I bet it does.  Gonna try in ASAP

THANX in advance

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