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HomeCollecting StrategiesCoin Board News - Number 36

Coin Board News – Number 36

By David W. Lange – www.coincollectingboards.com …..
 

For Collectors of Antique Coin Boards

Number 36 — Fall 2015

COIN BOARDS FOR SALE

I haven’t made any coin board acquisitions since CBN 35, so there’s no new list of these. Instead, I took some time to go through my duplicate inventory of early folders, and a nice list of these vintage items is included with this newsletter. In many instances, the early folders are rarer than the later boards. Being superficially similar to current items, the 1939-50 folders are accorded no respect by coin collectors and dealers, so their survival rate is extremely low. The distinctive size of our beloved coin boards alerts persons to their potential value, and they are thus more likely to be saved than the humble folders, which often get trashed.

MARKET ACTIVITY

eBay had only limited offerings of coin boards this past quarter, reflecting the general malaise that seems to be overhanging the coin market. One seller had a selection of unusually clean Lincoln Printing Company boards for Indian Cents, Lincoln Cents and Buffalo Nickels. These were partially filled and went for the value of the coins, and we can only hope that the boards were preserved by their new owners. Common Whitman Fourth Edition boards for Liberty Head and Buffalo Nickels in average condition sold for just $4 apiece plus shipping, reflecting very limited interest in these boards below grade VF. A few Whitman and Oberwise boards were offered at prices at or slightly above catalog values, and some of these failed to sell. My own listings were limited to partially-filled, lower grade boards that were offered as a means of selling the many unwanted coins I acquire from buying both boards and albums for my collection.

The highlight of this past quarter was unquestionably a two-volume set of Whitman Second Edition bound albums in exceptionally clean condition. I bid only $300 for the pair, since I already have nice examples and was trying to acquire them for inventory. As so often happens on these nicer lots, I became the under bidder when they sold for $305. This was a real bargain for someone. I’m attaching the seller’s photo with this newsletter.

The annual auction of the Early American Coppers (EAC) club featured a home-made, wooden coin board for half cents that is quite attractive. It came with the coins in place, so I couldn’t buy it, but a photo is attached. One oddity lot on eBay was an offering out of England. Listed as “coin boards,” these were actually wooden coin trays of the sort used with cabinets, but they were crudely home-made. I sometimes buy such things for their novelty value, but the shipping cost alone was given as $150+, so in merry olde England they shall stay. I’m attaching the seller’s photo for your entertainment.

WEBSITE DOWN

My website, coincollectingboards.com, will be down for at least another couple of months. The existing version was becoming obsolete, and the template was no longer supported by my website provider. The company’s newer software is so complex that I became frustrated trying to rebuild my site and just abandoned it for the short term. I’ll have it up and running when I find a program that’s more user-friendly.

BOOK UPDATES

Once again, there are no updates, but I’m working on something that may result in some for the next newsletter. In the mean time, I’m attaching a photo of another newly-reported vendor stamp. These make a collection in themselves.

HOMEBOUND

I’m not scheduled to be at any coin shows in the near future. This is not a bad thing, as I’m making good progress on Volume Two in my book series on coin albums. This should be out early next year.

–Dave

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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