By David W. Lange – www.coincollectingboards.com ….
For Collectors of Antique Coin Boards
Number 42 — Spring 2017
LOTS OF HAPPENINGS
This issue has been delayed a few weeks for the simple reason that so much has happened just recently in the world of coin boards. Every time I thought I was ready to publish, some startling new development occurred that just couldn’t wait for the summer issue. The first quarter of 2017 was the most active period for coin board offerings in the past five years, and it came as a welcome relief from the recent holding pattern. Read on to learn more…
MARKET ACTIVITY
Wow! Where do I begin? There were more desirable boards for sale online than I’ve seen in a very long time. First, my own acquisitions:
I had to interrupt a lunch date with my fiancée (not generally recommended) and scramble to buy a pair of Kent Company Lincoln Penny boards (both K1¢B1b) that were posted as Buy-it-Now at a favorable price. The same seller had a few more coin board lots as BIN listings, and I also bought a nice assortment of Whitman Fourth Edition boards. While common overall, these are rarely found higher than VF grade, but I scored some VF-NM and NM examples.
Another purchase from a different seller was a pair of Oberwise boards for Indian Head and Lincoln Cents, respectively, both in fairly high grades, and one of them is a new variety.
I also acquired Whitman Third Edition boards for Indian Head Cents and Buffalo Nickels, but the latter fell far short of its description, and I should have passed.
An email inquiring whether I still buy coin boards resulted in my purchasing a nice group of Whitman Second Edition boards having the very scarce 1936 copyright date, and they were in nice condition, which is even more rare. At the Whitman Baltimore Show I purchased a very rare Colonial Coin & Stamp Company album titled “The Coin Collector” and containing nine different Colonial boards, all hole-punched in their left margins as issued. Most had numerous red Xs next to the openings (why, oh why?), but the rare board for Commemorative Half Dollars is very clean.
All of the above items were purchased for resale, and several have already been placed. I’ve put together a new list of boards for sale, and it’s included with this mailing.
Among the items that eluded me were some pretty amazing group lots that appeared on eBay.
One was a selection of five boards all advertised as Oberwise, though three were actually from Lincoln Printing Company. The condition of the boards was an issue to me so I didn’t bid on them, yet the lot still realized a noteworthy $120.
Another great assortment included five Colonial boards and nine Whitmans. Again, the condition of the boards was not ideal, but it’s still great to see so many boards listed, and there was one vendor sticker I’d hoped to acquire. This was not to be, as the lot went for $256 after 18 bids from seven different bidders.
The one that really hurt me to lose was a wonderful group of six Colonial boards, all in nice shape, that included a very rare First Edition Indian Head Penny board, C1¢A1b. This is the variety with distinctive yellow face paper, and I wanted it for my own collection. Evidently, my “nuclear” bid didn’t pack enough megatons, as there were three bids significantly higher. The lot went for $574 to a reader of this publication, and so the boards will, at least, stay within our little family. There were numerous listings for single boards of no great importance, but this still speaks to the overall level of activity this past quarter. Prices for rare boards are soaring, while common pieces are showing little upward movement.
I did pick up a couple items for my own collection – a very rare occurrence these days.
A coin dealer’s online newsletter offered two framed Colonial First Edition boards in successive issues, the first for Indian Cents and the second for Lincolns. I was at the Long Beach Show when I received a heads-up about the first board from a friend, but in viewing it on my phone I couldn’t tell that it was a First Edition (C1¢A1a), so I ignored it until getting home, by which time it was sold. I signed up for future newsletters and, lo and behold, his next issue had the framed Lincoln Cent board, nearly filled, which I bought within minutes. Grading VF-NM, this beauty went into my own collection as C1¢B1b. The coins it had contained were quite nice and were quickly sold to a friend, allowing me to recoup most of my cost. Also added to my collection is the first of two new varieties reported below.
BOOK UPDATES
The only new varieties this quarter are from Joseph Oberwise and Company. O10¢Bw.1 has mintages through “3 months” of 1941, and O10¢Bw.2 has them through “2 months” of 1942. This specific information had been lacking for the discovery specimen of O10¢Bw seen and reported five years ago.
AFTER MANY DELAYS…
Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez’s article about collecting coin storage products finally ran in the March issue of COINage. You’ll recall that I was interviewed extensively on this subject during last year’s winter FUN Show, but the finished product kept getting bumped until now. It was worth the wait, since the first page features a large image of my coin board book’s cover, as well as a Library of Coins album from my most recent volume. The four-page article also touches on coin cabinets and even slab collecting, but there are colorful images of Whitman and Colonial brand coin boards that will surely spread the gospel of board collecting.
CLOSE TO HOME
I’m not scheduled to work any coin shows this spring, but I’ll be attending one on my own. Following a teaching stint during Session I of the ANA’s Summer Seminar, I plan to wander the Colorado Springs Coin Show at the Expo Center on its opening day, June 22, so perhaps I’ll see some of you there.
–Dave
The author’s desktop, featuring Gramercy coin boards as his computer wallpaper. Photo courtesy David W. Lange
* * *
Newest Book
Continuing his highly acclaimed series of books about coin boards and albums, numismatic researcher David W. Lange has written Coin Collecting Albums – A Complete History & Catalog Volume Two: The Library of Coins and the Treasury of Coins. In addition to providing detailed catalogs and photos of both coin album lines, this book provides a history of their publisher, The Coin and Currency Institute, and an entertaining biography of the company’s founder, famed coin dealer Robert Friedberg. Richly illustrated, this new book has 144 heavy and coated pages, including 64 pages in full color. It is a deluxe, hardcover volume that will last for many years. The price is $49.95, plus $10 for priority mail shipping in a rigid, protective box.
Also available from Lange’s PennyBoard PressTM are his two previous books.
Coin Collecting Albums – A Complete History & Catalog Volume One: The National Coin Album & Related Products of Beistle, Raymond & Meghrig. Published at $75, this deluxe, hardcover book is now available at just $49.95.
Coin Collecting Boards of the 1930s & 1940s: A Complete History, Catalog and Value Guide, published at $39.95, is now just $19.95. Shipping is the same as for the new book. Call or write for combined shipping of two or more books.
All books purchased from David W. Lange will be signed, unless requested otherwise, and personalized inscriptions are available upon request. Payment may be made by check to David W. Lange or via PayPal to [email protected]. David W. Lange may be contacted at POB 110022, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211 or by telephone at (941) 586-8670. His website providing a history of vintage coin boards and from which he buys and sells such items, is coincollectingboards.com.
Coin Boards Currently Available on eBay
[wpebayads]
