HomeCollecting StrategiesCoin Board News Number 51 - For Collectors of Antique Coin Boards

Coin Board News Number 51 – For Collectors of Antique Coin Boards

Antique Coin Boards

Antique Coin Boards with David W. Langewww.coincollectingboards.com …..

 

For Collectors of Antique Coin Boards

Number 51 — Summer 2019

 

The Midwest Collection!

GIGANTIC COIN BOARD PURCHASE

In April I negotiated a deal to purchase more than 400 coin boards, including titles from all seven original publishers of the 1930s-40s. This was no random hoard; rather, it was a collection carefully assembled over many years by a longtime customer of mine who is retiring from the hobby. Such opportunities are few and far between. In fact, nothing like this has happened since I bought the amazing Karl Manthei Collection in 2006, an event important enough to warrant its own coverage in my coin board book.

This new purchase comes from the Midwest, truly the heartland of the coin board business when these items debuted in 1935. Included are many rare titles, several of which were placed very quickly with persons whose want lists are on file. But don’t despair—there are still a great many rare and very choice boards now in stock, and I’ll be featuring these in upcoming price lists.

MARKET ACTIVITY

There was more than the usual selection of coin boards for sale during the second quarter. Several nice lots were sold on eBay, and I was the very pleased buyer of 11 assorted boards that included the rare and very desirable Lincoln Printing Company board custom printed for Los Angeles funeral director Dave J. Malloy. You can’t win ‘em all, and my attempt to buy a rare First Edition Lincoln cent board by Colonial Coin & Stamp Company for my own collection was foiled by someone who wanted it even more.

One strong sale was for the same publisher’s Mercury dime board. This was the later printing, which is somewhat scarce but not rare. In fairly nice condition, with some punch-throughs and added dates, it brought a strong $42.

In a lucky transaction, the most unlikely market event of the past few months took place June 2-3, when Goldberg Coins & Collectibles presented a run of 24 coin board lots as part of a general coin auction preceding the Long Beach Expo. These boards were among the countless lots of miscellaneous numismatic material consigned by Dwight Manley, who had purchased Fullerton Coin & Stamp Company upon the death of longtime owner William Pannier.

The boards had been acquired by Pannier in the normal course of business, and some were partially filled with coins, while others had already been emptied. Included was a Whitman bound album. Most had minimum bids that led me to pass on them, but I did go after the two extremely rare Earl & Koehler boards, one for Lincoln cents and the other for Buffalo nickels. To my delight, I won both. I paid a very strong $420 for the nickel board (including the 20% buyer’s fee), as it’s a new variety (see BOOK UPDATES below for details).

Here’s the complete roster of board lots, as best as I could determine without an in-person examination. The exact sub-varieties are missing for some: I bought a pair of very rare Whitman Third Edition boards for Large Cents, 1793-1825 and 1826-1857. Though not in the best of condition, I picked them off at a very reasonable price, since the seller listed them as coin folders! Anyone not collecting folders, as well as boards, missed the listing altogether, but I collect everything and spotted them.

BOOK UPDATES

Going through the Midwest Collection led me to discover a new variety for Whitman’s First Edition: W5¢B1c is now split into W5¢B1c.1, the existing entry, and W5¢B1c.2, which is similar but has a pebbled backing. The rare Earl & Koehler board for Buffalo nickels is now split into the new variety, EK5¢A.1 (Publication 1) and EK5¢A.2 (Publication 2), the existing entry.

I’ve become increasingly certain that my book-entry C10¢B2b is simply a copy-and-paste error. I don’t have such a board, and unless someone can confirm that he or she does have it I will rename C10¢B2c as C10¢B2b.

SHARING THE HOBBY

In April, board collectors Don and Marie Kocken proudly displayed many of their boards, folders, and albums in a grand exhibit at the N.O.W. (Numismatists of Wisconsin) coin show in Milwaukee. Too extensive for a glass case, the boards were mounted on table-top, fold-out panels that seemed to go on for miles. Thanks to Don and Marie for putting this together and to Jeff Reichenberger for his photos of the event.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN?

Yes, but as they say in rock and roll for one show only! I’ll be at the NGC booth July 11-13 for the Summer FUN Show in Orlando. I’ve finished my chemotherapy, but I have to start radiation treatments in August that will knock me out of the ANA Convention in Chicagomont and the Long Beach Expo.

Best Regards,

David W. Lange, coincollectingboards.com

Photo of the author's desktop and computer wallpaper. Courtesy David W. Lange - Coin Board News

The author’s desktop, featuring Gramercy coin boards as his computer wallpaper. Photo courtesy David W. Lange

David Lange
David Lange
The author of several books on United States numismatics, David W. Lange received numerous awards and accolades from both the ANA and the NLG. David was the former President of the Pacific Coast Numismatic Society, the California State Numismatic Association, and the New Jersey Numismatic Society. He also had memberships in the ANA, the NLG, the ANS, the LSCC, the EAC, the BCCS, and the Rittenhouse Society. Career highlights included the launching of NGC's Photo Proof and writing historical copy for the United States Mint's website and H.I.P. Pocket Change program for kids. His specialties have included Seated Liberty silver, Philippine coinage under U.S. administration, and British coinage from 1816-1970. In 2007, David published the first comprehensive reference to Coin Collecting Boards of the 1930s and '40s, and for over a decade published Coin Board News four times a year. David Lange died on January 16, 2023. He is missed.

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