| September 2010 brings with it "Coinex", one of the most exciting events of the numismatic calendar and the largest Numismatic coin show in the UK. This year Baldwin's are proud sponsors of the occasion and, as hosts of the official Coinex auction, a spectacular event awaits.  Baldwin's two day auction is to be held over the 28 th and 29 th September and begins with the third part of the Michael Hall Collection of Renaissance and later medals, of which, parts one and two were sold earlier this year through Baldwin's. New York based collector and art expert Michael Hall spent over fifty years putting together an awe-inspiring collection and this, the final part, offers an array of choice pieces. Lot 2090, a 1671 Louis XIV Damascened Medal (estimate £800-1,000) by Jean Warin II is a beautifully crafted piece by arguably the best and most powerful French engraver of coin dies of the 17 th Century. Warin (or Varin) came from a family of artists and distinguished himself primarily as a painter and sculptor. He was one of the first engravers to use the power of the medallic form for propaganda purposes in France. Carrying the title of controleur general Warin imposed strict controls over artists that they were allowed no artistic license, but were instead forced to reproduce official designs that commemorated the magnificence of the state. This lot is a prime example of the effectiveness of his creations to this end. Lot 2614, a Gustav II Adolf Silver medal of 6-Riksdalers by medallist Sebastian Dadler, estimate £1,200 – 1,500, is another one of the stand out pieces of the sale and distinguished by the intricacy of the artwork on both the obverse and reverse of the medal. Dadler was one of the leading medallists of the 17 th Century, working widely throughout the courts of Germany and princely houses of Europe, amassing an array of high profile supporters at the time. The Hall Collection is immediately followed by a diverse selection of commemorative medals and a section of Orders, Decorations and Medals. The extensive Commemorative medal section includes lot 3005, a fantastic 1666 Dutch silver Medal (estimate £1,500 – 2,000) depicting the "Four Days" Naval fight on the obverse and crafted by medallist Jerian Pool. The medal commemorates the famous action and carries a poem on the reverse by the Dutch writer and playwright, Joost van Vondel, which appears to have been written especially for the medal. Commemorative and historical medals have become a feature of Baldwin's flagship London auctions and the variety on offer in this sale is testament to the accurate cataloguing and historical referencing that assure Baldwin's achieve the highest possible prices. A small collection of military medals and decorations from the Seddon-Brown family are some of the most interesting pieces in the sale, most notably lot 3196, The Order of the Nile group of awards to Lieutenant Colonel Seddon-Brown J.P.O.N. the lots includes three attractive copied pictures, one of which portrays Sir Winston Churchill, with whom he worked closely and was personal friends with through his role as chairman of the Conservative party in the North East. The lot carries an estimate of £1,500 – 2,000. Lieutenant Seddon-Brown was a well know industrialist, heavily involved in the Lancashire cotton Industry and a volunteer in the 1 st Battalion Lancashire Volunteer Regiment and then in the 5 th Battalion, Manchester Regiment. It is presumed that he reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in an honorary capacity. He was awarded the Order of the Nile for his involvement in implementing a number of important industrial reforms in Egypt. The lots Nos 3196 – 3200 were not all awarded to members of the Seddon-Brown family but they all hold a history as unique as the first lot. The Orders and Decorations section of the sale continues to excite with lot 3210, a very scarce set of three NGS and Arctic Exploration medals awarded to Corporal John Thomas of the Royal Marines, estimate £800-1,000. Awarded to Corporal Thomas over his 18 years of service the lots are sold with a quantity of research detailing the activities of HMS Plover and relevant documents confirming the awards and entitlements. Lot 3217 a rare Sudan "Omdurman Charge" pair, awarded to Private William Etherington, is another lot with a most interesting provenance. Private Etherington first appears on the Muster rolls of the 21 st Lancers in 1897 and was killed in action during this famous charge. The charge of the 21 st Lancers is considered by many to be the last "meaningful" British cavalry charge and there have been very few KIA pairs sold at auction in recent years. This lot is sold with a copy of the Sudan Medal roll mention showing the correction of the initial from J to W, along with other useful documentation. A large section of Ancient coins follows the medals and contains the entirety of the Dr. E. O. and Mrs. F. M. Halliwell Collection of ancient and English Coins. Dr. E. O. Halliwell (1902-1991) and Mrs. F. M. Halliwell (1907-1996) lived in the East Riding of Yorkshire, where, during the 1950s, they purchased the H. B. McCall collection of Roman and English coinage. The collection includes McCall's original handwritten notebooks, dating from the 1930s. They later became fascinated by ancient coinage and set about forming a collection of Greek coins progressing to Byzantine gold coins, buying from the major London dealers. There are many pedigreed coins included in the Halliwell collection, with examples from Pozzi, Bement, Lloyd, Ryan, Lockett and the British Museum. Most coins retain their original tickets from the time of purchase and the silver coins possess that attractive cabinet toning that is characteristic of old collections. Most notable amongst them are lots 3373, an attractively toned 530-500 BC Bruttium Kroton Silver Incuse Stater, estimate £1,200-1,500 and lot 3479, an AD 685-695 Justinianus II Gold Solidus, estimate £2,000-2,500. Lot 3305 in the Ancient section is also an outstanding piece, though not from the Halliwell Collection, the 356-342 BC Thessaly, Larissa Silver Didrachm carries an estimate of £2,800-3,200. The 200 or so lots that make up the English section of the auction are packed with some of the rarest and finest examples of English coinage. Lot 3576, a Richard III (1483-1485), gold Angel, type 2b carries a spectacular provenance to match its estimate of £8,000 – 10,000 and is closely followed by lot 3578, a very fine example of a Mary (1553-1554), Gold Angel, class I, estimate £6,000 – 8,000. The crowning glory of the English section is without doubt lot 3580, a 1644 Charles I, Gold Triple Unite (pictured above) with an exceptional provenance. This is followed in close succession by lot 3583, a 1703 Gold 5-Guineas depicting Anne, a high desirable piece coined from gold captured by Admiral Sire George Rooke from a Franco-Spanish bullion fleet sheltering at Vigo Bay on 12 th October 1702. Lot 3697, a 1933 George V, Pattern Model Penny is of the highest rarity and thought to be unique. The world coin session, which is the final session of the event, is a veritable banquet for any discerning purchaser; Containing Russian coins, South American Cob coinage, a Collection of Crusader coins and South-East Asian Tokens. Two stand out pieces in the Russian section hold an impressive £25,000 – 30,000 estimate. The first, lot 3739 is a 1728, Gold Coronation Ducat, struck for the Coronation of Peter II and the second is lot 3786, a Gold 371/2 Roubles; both are extremely fine and very rare. Further rarities come in the form of lot 4092, an 1813 Argentinian Rio de la Plata, Gold 8-Escudos, estimate £7,000 – 9,000; lot 4148, a 1617 Breslau City, Gold 2- Ducaten, estimate £2,500 – 3,000 and lot 4229, a year 45 Begum Somru Silver Rupee, estimate £7,000 – 9,000 Ian Goldbart, Managing Director of Baldwin's commented on the forthcoming sale, "Baldwin's have had another fantastic year of trading, going from strength to strength, and we are delighted to be celebrating this as official sponsors of Coinex." HIGHLIGHTS
2090 French Renaissance Medals. Louis XIV (1638-1643-1715). Louis XIV, Damascened Medal, by Jean Warin, 1671,bust of king in armour right, LUD XIII D G FR ET NAV REX, rev the sun shining over a terrestrial globe, NEC PLVRIBVS IMPAR, 52mm (BMC [Jones] -; cf Vol II, 237, 262-264, 274). Very rare and extremely fine. Estimate: £800-1000 2614 World Medals, Sweden. Gustav II Adolf (1611-1632), Silver Medal of 6-Riksdalers, 1634, by Sebastian Dadler, on the carriage of Gustav II body to Stockholm, trampling a hydra, a triga carries the skeletal body of the king who is accompanied by Religion and Courage, DUX GLORIOS PRINC PIUS HEROS INVICT INCOMPARAB TRIUMPH FELIX GERM LIBERATOR A 1634, rev the king's body guarded by a host of putti, a battle scene rages behind, GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS MAGNUS DEI SUECO GOTHOR VANDALORREX AUGUSTUS, 79mm (Hild 188; Wiecek 189); another, a variety. The second roughly cast in lead; the first toned nearly extremely fine. (2) Estimate: £1200-1500 3005 Commemorative Medals. British. Charles II, The Four Days" Fight, Naval Action with the Dutch, Silver Medal, 1666, by Jerian Pool, the ships engaged in close action, several smaller boats between them, signed on floating wreckage, rev legend around, VICTORIA CONFOED BELG SVB AVSP ARCHIT MI RUITER 1666, in centre, below banner of shields, a poem in six lines, De Godt der goden zet …, 57mm (MI 519/165; MH 565; vLoon II, 520, 2). Extremely fine, light tone, the reverse rim with minor bruises. This Dutch medal commemorates the four day action, 11-14 June 1666. Albermarle, later reinforced by Prince Rupert, attacked a Dutch fleet, commanded by Admiral Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter (1607-1676), of some 90 ships. The action ended only because a thick fog made identification impossible, and both sides claimed victory. The poem on the reverse, by Joost van Vondel (1587-1679), appears to have been written especially for the medal. Estimate: £1500-2000 3196 Military Medals. The Order of the Nile group of awards to Lieutenant Colonel Sir Norman Seddon-Brown, J.P. O.N. T.D, issued in person by King Fuad I of Egypt, comprising: Order of the Nile, 3 rd Class, Commander's neck badge, dress miniature and lapel rosette, in silver-gilt and enamels, 88mm including crown suspension, by J Lattes, Cairo, in original fitted box; Territorial Decoration, George V, unnamed as issued, in Garrard & Co. case with miniature; engraved Key to the City of Preston (Presented to Lt. Col. Sir Norman S. Seddon-Brown T.D., J.P. 6 th May 1937, Re-Opening of Conservative W. M. Club, Preston); in original box by Green & Son, Preston. Group extremely fine. (6) Lieutenant Colonel Sir Norman Seddon-Brown (1880-1971), of Bank Hall, Tarleton, was a well-known industrialist involved in the Lancashire Cotton Industry. Whilst being heavily involved in industry, he volunteered with the 1 st Battalion Lancashire Volunteer Regiment, and then the 5 th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, presumably in an honorary capacity. He was specifically involved in the cotton town of Preston, home of the prestigious cotton producer and retailer Horrockses. He was CEO of Amalgamated Cotton Mills, the parent company of Horrockses and other important cotton mills, which was at the time amongst the largest companies in the world. He was elected Chairman of Conservative Party in the North East, was granted the Freedom of the City of Preston, and Knighted in the New Year's Honours List of 1936. He later moved with his wife Lady Gertrude Seddon-Brown (nee Martin) and family to Escowbeck Mall, in Caton, near Lancaster in 1937, since the Army was billeted at the property during the Second World War. Through his close ties and heavy involvement with the Egyptian Cotton Industry, Lt Col Sir Norman Seddon-Brown helped advise and implement a number of important industrial reforms which were then put into place in Egypt. For this, he was awarded the Order of the Nile in person during an official visit of an Egyptian Delegation to Horrockses Mill, Preston, on the 19 th of July, 1927, which included Kind Fuad I and Prince Farouk. Seddon-Brown worked closely with, and was a personal friend of Sir Winston Churchill. Lot sold with three attractive copied pictures, including: a portrait of Lieutenant Colonel Norman Seddon-Brown in formal court dress, a picture of him and his son James Geoffrey Seddon-Brown, leading the Egyptian delegation during their visit to Lancashire, and a picture of him with Sir Winston Churchill and his son Randolph Churchill, the former in the process of lighting one of his signature "Churchill" cigars. Estimate: £1500-2000 3210 Military Medals.Scarce and Interesting NGS and Arctic Exploration group of three awarded to Corporal John Thomas, Royal Marines, aboard HMS Plover during the search for Franklin's Lost Expedition (1847-54), comprising: Naval General Service Medal, 1793-1840, single clasp, Syria (John Thomas), Arctic Medal 1818- 55, unnamed as issued, St Jean D" Acre Medal, 1840, in copper, unnamed as issued, with contemporary straight bar suspension. Group well-toned, second good fine, the others good very fine. (3) Corporal John Thomas was born in Narbeth, Pembrokeshire, Wales, in March 1819. He attested for service as a Private in 76 Company, The Royal Marines, at Bath on the 11 th of November, 1837 – at the age of 18. He soon saw active service aboard the 74-gun HMS Revenge, which was involved in the naval activities off the coast of Syria in 1840, including its blockade and the bombardment of Acre. Later in his career he was sent on several expeditions to the Arctic region between 1848 and 1854 as part of the crew of HMS Plover. The Plover was sent along with HMS Herald as part of the western search for Franklin's lost expedition, which had disappeared following its departure in 1845, with the aim of discovering the North West Passage. During 1849 Plover and Herald traversed the Bering Strait, proceeded to Chamisso Island and then onto the Dease inlet, but still found no trace of the apparently doomed Franklin expedition. The two ships re-explored the same area in 1850, but without success in their original aim. This trip did however prove to be a most useful ethnographic study of the local Iñupiaq Eskimo of that region, upon whom they had relied heavily during their searches. These searches continued in vain during the easier summer months each year following until 1854, wintering at Port Clarence (1851-1852) and later at Point Barrow (1852-1854). Corporal Thomas then returned home to Britain and was discharged from further service at Deal on the 25 th of April, 1855, at the age of 36, presumably exhausted from his years spent in the Arctic. Sold with a quantity of research detailing the activities of HMS Plover in the Arctic, copy service and discharge papers and relevant documents confirming these awards and entitlements. These medals sold as a complete group by the family, complete with an earlier A H Baldwin & Sons valuation dated 6 th of October, 1938, considering the medals worth 25/-, and worthy of further research. Estimate: £800-1000 3305 Ancient Coins. Greek. Thessaly, Larissa (c.356-342 BC), Silver Didrachm, head of nymph Larissa facing three- quarters to left, hair in ampyx, rev ?API-S-AI?N, bridled horse pacing right, 12.19g (Lorber, SNR 79, 2000, Phase L-III, 66 (same dies), pl. 5; BMC 55; SNG Cop 119). Attractive style, lightly toned, nearly extremely fine. Estimate: £2800-3200 3373 Ancient Coins. Greek.Bruttium, Kroton (c.530-500 BC), Silver Incuse Stater, OPO, tripod, two serpents emerging from bowl, raised border, rev tripod incuse, 8.02g (SNG ANS 228; HN Italy 2075). Attractive cabinet tone, good very fine to nearly extremely fine. From The Dr E O and Mrs F M Halliwell Collection of Ancient and English Coins. Estimate: £1200-1500 3576 English Coins. Richard III (1483-1485), Gold Angel, type 2b, St Michael and dragon, initial mark boar's head 1 over halved sun and rose 1, RICARD" X DI XX GRA"REX X ANGL" X Z FRANC, rev ship sailing right, with long bowsprit that intrudes legend, quartered shield on hull, R over E and rose close to mast above, wire line inner circle, initial mark halved sun and rose 1, PER CRVCE" X TVA X SALVA NOS XPC X REDEMPT, 5.03g (Sch 484; N 1676; S 2151). Weak very fine and a little short of flan, extremely rare. ex R T Cassall collection, Glendinings, 3 December 1924, lot 224, sold for £8/-/- ex G C Drabble collection, Glendinings, 4 July 1939, lot 120, sold for £10/-/- ex David Dupree collection, sold to Spink 1989 ex Spink Auction 90, March 1992, lot 18 Estimate: £8000-10,000 3578 English Coins. Mary (1553-1554), Gold Angel, class I, St Michael of neat style and small wings slaying dragon, wire line circle, initial mark pomegranate (1553-1554) both sides, legend with annulet stops both sides, rev ship sailing right, long bowsprit terminates in field, linear circle, large quartered arms, M and rose above, plain forecastles, 5.18g (Sch 714/721; N 1958; S 2490). Weak in parts, very fine and very rare. Estimate: £6000-8000 3580 English Coins. Charles I (1625-1649), Gold Triple-Unite or Three Pound Piece, Oxford Mint, 1644, OXON type, crowned and armoured half-length portrait of the King left, holding upright sword in right hand, laurel branch in left hand, Oxford plumes in field, bust breaks inner beaded circle at crown and sword hilt, initial mark small Shrewsbury style plume with band, CAROLVS.D:G.MAG:BRI:FRA:ET.HIBER:REX., toothed border both sides, rev legend on wavy wire line scroll with initial mark five pellets, EXVRGAT. DEVS. DISSIPENTVR. INIMICI:.: surrounds and continues into Declaration, RELIG:PROT .LEG:ANG: LIBER: PAR: in three lines on continuous scroll at centre, .1644. and .OXON. below, value "III" and three Shrewsbury-style plumes above, 26.93g (Beresford-Jones dies VII/S11; Schneider 303 – SCBI 57; Brooker 841; N 2385; S 2729). Attractive red tone, slight striking weakness at hands on obverse and corresponding part of reverse on declaration, rim thicker in some parts than others, some light flan flaws on the reverse and one small pit in the obverse field to left of sword, light raised die striations evident on the obverse which are typical for this type, otherwise fully round good very fine, with a detailed face and pleasing portrait, it is rare to find a nice and well centred coin with such a good provenance. ex Lady Duveen collection, Glendinings, 29 September 1964, lot 50, sold for £1700 (hammer) ex Spink Numismatic Circular, November 1972, item 10435 ex St James Auction 2, 11 May 2005, lot 129 Estimate: £50,000-60,000 3583 English Coins. Anne (1702-1714), Gold 5-Guineas, 1703, VIGO., provenance mark below draped bust facing left, ANNA.DEI. GRATIA., toothed border both sides, rev inverted die axis, crowned cruciform shields, sceptres in angles, rose at centre, semi-frosted inner rings to small crowns, small stop above right of English crown, date either side, with "J" type 1, .MAG BR.FRA ET.HIB REG., edge inscribed in raised letters .+DECVS. ET. TVTAMEN. ANNO. REGNI. SECVNDO., 41.59g (Sch 523; MCE 197; S 3561). Some porosity to the obverse fields, dig on lower cheek and one on neck, the reverse lightly toned retaining brilliance with no porosity, the rim a little nicked in places, otherwise almost very fine, the reverse good very fine, extremely rare, the most desirable of all the currency 5-Guineas.The highly desirable VIGO 5-Guineas was coined from gold captured by Admiral Sir George Rooke from a Franco-Spanish bullion fleet sheltering at Vigo Bay on 12 October 1702. A remarkable action. A Royal Warrant was issued to strike the captured bullion into coin and insert the word VIGO under the bust in permanent remembrance of the battle. Many different commemorative medals were struck as souvenirs. Under the personal supervision of the Master of the Mint, Sir Isaac Newton, just under 4,500lb of silver was transported in great pageantry to the Tower Mint to coin a great quantity of Crowns, Halfcrowns, Shillings and Sixpences. However a mere 7lb and 8oz of gold only, was captured and used to coin a short run of 5-Guineas, Guineas and ½-Guineas. For further reference on the battle of Vigo Bay and its consequences see "The Destruction of the Spanish Silver Fleet at Vigo in 1702" by H Kamen, Spink Numismatic Circular, June 1968. Estimate: £60,000-80,000 3697 English Coins. George V, Pattern Model Penny, undated, c.1933, by Andre Lavrillier, of obverse design only, struck in bronze on a thick flan, stylised bust facing left, L to left of B.M. on truncation, GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX FID: DEF: IND: IMP:, rev struck en medaille, legend MODEL, raised linear rim surrounding, 14.48g (Peck -; Fr 787). Some lustre in the legends, toned, as struck and of the highest rarity, probably unique, Peck only records the companion reverse piece. Estimate: £6000-8000 3739 Russian Coins.Peter II (1727-1730). Gold Coronation Ducat, 1728, struck for the Coronation of Peter II, 3.47g (Bit ?233 R2; Sev 116; Diakov 66.10; Rudenko 1728.2 R4; F 87). Slightly creased, extremely fine, very rare. Estimate: £25,000-30,000 4092 Foreign Coins. Argentina. Rio de la Plata, Gold 8-Escudos, 1813J, Potosi (KM 9; F 1). Some tooling on the reverse, cleaned, generally boldly struck and a decent very fine, extremely rare. Estimate: £7000-9000 4148 Foreign Coins. Germany. Breslau, City, Gold 2-Ducaten, 1617, with title of the Habsburg Emperor Matthias, F/II dividing legend, under palms and crown and above a quartered shield of arms which divides date, rev crowned bust of Matthias right, 6.88g (F&S 3466; F 462). Traces of old creasing, very fine. The obverse of this coin commemorates the accession of Ferdinand II as king of Bohemia in 1617. Estimate: £2500-3000 Begum Somru was a most remarkable women in the latter part of Mughal India. For almost 60 years she controlled a good deal of land in the Doab and maintained her own army. Born around 1751 and given the name, Munni, her early life is rather obscure. Moving to Delhi around 1760 with her mother, she entered the service of a German mercenary soldier named Walter Reinhardt. Reinhardt had previously served the French in India and had earned the nickname Le Sombre because of his severe nature. It is said that this nickname became corrupted to Somru. Over the years, Reinhardt, latterly with the forces he raised himself, served a whole range of different armies in India, particularly that of the Mughal emperor. Munni accompanied Reinhardt on his campaigns and they married in due course. Around the year 1777, the emperor granted Reinhardt a jagir in the Doab, which extended from Aligarh to beyond Muzaffarnagar. Within this territory, Reinhardt chose Sardhana for his and his army's headquarters. Reinhardt did not live long to enjoy his jagir, dying the following year. Munni, now known as the Begum Somru, soon emerged as the rightful ruler of Reinhardt's territory, this succession being confirmed by the emperor, Shah Alam II. Then things became complicated. The Begum needed a suitable officer to command her troops. Various Europeans entered her service, including for a while George Thomas. To command the troops, however, she appointed a certain Le Vaisseau. Presumably to consolidate his position he proposed marriage to the Begum, which was accepted. At this, Thomas left the Begum's service to set up his own army elsewhere. Le Vaisseau's appointment was a mistake. Discipline in her army broke down to such an extent that the Begum and her husband planned to retire from their estates and seek refuge in the East India Company's territories. Her soldiers got wind of these plans and intercepted the couple on the road from Sardhana. Concerned at the treatment she would receive she attempted to commit suicide. Thinking she had succeeded, Le Vaisseau shot himself dead. The Begum, however, had been less successful and was taken wounded to Sardhana, where she was maltreated. At this juncture, George Thomas came to the rescue. He must have heard of the Begum's plight and moved towards Sardhana with some of his troops. With the approval of the local Maratha chiefs, who were now in overall command of the Doab, he issued the Begum's troops a stern ultimatum, which they heeded. The Begum was duly reinstated in her jagir, the officers and troops promised to behave themselves, and a new commander of her army was appointed in the form of a Monsieur Saleur. After the Second Maratha War, the Doab came under British administration. In 1805, the Begum entered into an alliance with them and remained in her territories as a British vassal until her death in 1836. The rupee offered here is one of an extremely rare issue first published by Whitehead in the Numismatic Chronicle [1926]. It is in the name of the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II, is dated to the 45th regnal year of that ruler and bears the mintname: Dar al-Zafar Zebabad. It shows only the first two digits of the Hijri year: 12xx, but a specimen in the British Museum has the date 1218. White head stated that "this issue was struck at Sardhana in the Meerut District in the year of Lord Lake's victory of Delhi by the Begum Sumru Zebu-n-nisa, Begum". The Hijri year 1218 did start in April of 1803, the year the British occupied the Doab. Begum Somru was given the title, Zabu-n-Nisa, by the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II. This would account for the mintname Zebabad, which, it is assumed, was given to the Begum's capital of Sardhana. To own this coin is to own a fascinating piece of history. see The New York Sale XX, 9 January 2009, lot 558, for another example, sold for US$13,800 Estimate: £7000-9000 Related posts: - A.H Baldwin January Ancient and World Coin New York Auction Results
- Ira and Larry Goldberg World and Ancient Coin Auction
- Ponterio Baltimore Auction to Offer Diverse Selection of Ancient and World Coins, Plus Currency
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If you have been collecting rare coins for more than a few years, there is a good chance that you have "found money" in your holdings. What I mean by this is that there are a number of things that you can do–often with little or no cost–that can significantly improve the appearance and value of your coins. Here are five suggestions:
In certain areas, CAC coins trade for a nice premium and there is no doubt in my mind that a CAC sticker makes a coin more marketable. Submitting a coin to CAC is very inexpensive; typically just $10 to $20 per item. Another thing that's nice about submitting coins to CAC is that you are getting an expert's opinion (in this case John Albanese) for next to nothing. You might try sending a sample of your five best coins to CAC. If you get CAC approval on all five coins, you know you are doing something right. If only one or two get the coveted "green bean" then you can assume that the dealer you are buying from needs to be replaced.
3. Pedigree Your Coins. If you have a coin from a famous collection like Bass, Garrett, Eliasberg or Norweb, a pedigree can add value. Some coins from these collection are clearly marked on the PCGS or NGC insert. But there are hundreds of others that have "lost" their pedigree for one reason or another. I'd suggest that you purchase all of the major auction catalogs in the area that you specialize in and spend a few hours searching through them. Your coin(s) may have a different appearance than they did in an earlier sale, but if they have an obvious mark this will make it easy to trace them. If a great pedigree is easy to prove, send the coin along with a xerox of the catalog page to PCGS or NGC.
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