The following is taken from the Subscriber Correspondence section of the June 2008 E-Gobrecht, the electronic newsletter skillfully published monthly by LIBERTY SEATED COLLECTORS CLUB and its editor Bill Bugert. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the LSCC or E-Gobrecht in particular, CoinLink would strongly recommend that you visit their site and subscribe. A finer group of serious collectors can not be found who freely diseminate their content for the benefit of all.

From Charles Sullivan: In the May “Auction News” by Jim Gray, he states “An 1873-CC seated dollar in AU-58 with album toning on well struck surfaces went up to $48,875 despite a dark spot below the eagle’s beak. A lightly toned, unmolested 1878-CC trade dollar, AU-58 and quite attractive, sold for $11,500.” In the same issue, David Lange cites coins being “subjected to multiple cleanings and poor storage” during the 1950’s and 1960’s, coins that “have been dipped, albeit more skillfully than the more common bleach jobs that are such an eyesore,” coins “dipped again and again in an attempt to remove the PVC residue” (post-1970’s), and, in the present day, coins dipped “just before [they are sent} to the grading services” as submitters have failed to rinse them properly. David fails to mention a prominent slabhouse has even set up an extra-charge cleaning service for ugly specimens, thus reinforcing the notion “every coin can be made better.”

As a group, we collectors STILL do not possess the maturity and vision to leave seated liberty coins alone for the guardians who will purchase, inherit, and conserve these wonderful specimens of history in the decades and centuries ahead. (more…)

(Bill Bugert – Editor: David Lange, Director of Research for the Numismatic Guaranty Corporations sent me this note on January 23, 2008.)

“I received the following bulletin from Ray Czahor of Cookie Jar Collectibles, and we agreed that it should be reprinted in the E-Gobrecht. I was just talking to a good friend in Manila Philippines this morning on a couple of Philippine issues. He attended a local auction this weekend.

He said Moslems were offering to local dealers, some of whom bit, 80 to 100 SCARCE to RARE US Liberty 50 Cent pieces. They included dates 1847, 1857, 1857-S, and 1857-O. He said the pieces were the correct weight, high grade UNCs, nice reeding but rounded edges. One dealer there bought 65 pieces for up to $250 for the rare date. Maybe you have already seen them but thought I would pass this info on.”