A Curious Mexican Coin

18 Dec

Things have been a bit crazy here at our office between our very successful Sedwick Treasure, World and U.S. Coin Auction 18, shipping of post-auction material, and clean-up before Christmas. Thanks to everyone–consignors and buyers alike–who helped make Auction 18 one of our most successful auctions. Plus Ultra!

Awhile back, I was lucky enough to buy a coin that is unique as far as I know. I’m calling it my “curious coin” because it has me shaking my head as to why more of these coins have never surfaced. Maybe you have an answer, and if so, please tell me!Assayer R 2 real, rhomboid panel

This coin is from the Charles and Joanna era at the Mexico City mint, my area of specialty. It’s from the time of the first assayer, Assayer R (for Francisco del Rincon), and is a 2 reales denominaton. Since the salvage of several shipwrecks in the last 20 years yielding large finds of this type of coin, we have seen many more varieties of the 4 reales, particularly Early Series which were prone to have a lot of variety. But, minor denominations are still pretty scarce and not quite as well represented on ships. So, what’s odd about the coin you see pictured here?

It’s the rhomboid panel containing PLVS! Up to this point, I have only seen 4 reales coins with a rhomboid panel. This type of panel represents the final issue from Assayer R before the transition to Assayer P. There are several examples of overassayer 4 reales (P/R) with a rhomboid panel. And, since there are several examples of Assayer R 4 reales with a rhomboid panel, it stands to reason that minor denominations with that panel were minted as well, but I have never seen one!

If you know of a 1 or 2 real with a rhomboid panel and want to share a picture with me, please do! My goal is always to bring to light all of the types of Charles and Joanna coinage.

Below is a rough spreadsheet showing the design progression from Assayer R to Assayer P. Remember that it’s a work in progress, so if you have any suggestions for improvement, I’m all ears. I’m hoping it’s somewhat helpful to show you how the designs changed within a period of a few years.

Design Progression from Assayer R to Assayer P

 

 

The Office Travels to the U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association Fourth Annual Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona

19 Oct
US Mexican Association image

U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association

 

 

Last week Dan, Augi and I traveled to Phoenix for the U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association Fourth Annual Convention in Scottsdale from Thursday, October 15 to Saturday, October 17. While the show is small, some of the most influential dealers and auctioneers in the business attend. The convention is open to members of the U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association who were treated to both great “coin watching” and a good selection of outstanding seminars hosted by experts in the field, including Dan. Dan spoke about counterfeit coins to a packed house, so obviously there’s lots of interest in the subject. One gentleman who stopped by our table afterward mentioned that he had inadvertently bought a fake coin many years ago, but between buying The Practical Book of Cobs and listening to the lecture, he had a much better idea of what to look for when buying a coin. We also stressed to him the importance of buying and selling coins through bona fide dealers, i.e. dealers who display knowledge and answer your questions intelligently.

We had a table at the convention where we were busy showing auction lots for our upcomingDan with Customer at US Mex Show 2015 Treasure, World & U.S. Coin  Auction 18 to be held in Orlando, Florida on October 29, 2015.  The hearts and royals were a big hit, as they created an impressive display. We may never see so many of both in the same auction again! 

Another treat was when I got to meet the Executive Director of the American Numismatic Society, Ute Wartenberg Kagan, who was assisted at her table by Matt Wittmann, Assistant Curator of American Coins and Currency. It is vital that organizations like the U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association and the American Numismatic Society thrive because they are repositories of knowledge and numismatic material that the average collector might never be able to access otherwise. Collecting is about learning as much as it is about owning.

Ute, Matt and Cori at US Mex Show

While it was a long way to go for a show, I’m glad we were once again able to go. Every show is an opportunity to buy, sell, meet people, show auction lots, and learn!

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1715 Fleet Society: Commemoration Week: July 26-August 2, 2015

24 Jul

1715 Fleet Society logo

You don’t want to miss this epic event!

Catch us at two events associated with the the 1715 Fleet Society Commemorative Week in Vero Beach:

The commemoration by the 1715 Fleet Society kicks off with an authors’ book-signing at the Indian River Library on Monday. Daniel Frank Sedwick will be signing books at 1:00 pm on Monday.

He will be talking on the second day of the two-day symposium sponsored by the 1715 Fleet Society being held at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, Vero Beach, Florida. Come see him on  Wednesday July 29, 2015 at 2:00 pm.

For more information visit: www.1715fleetsociety.com

1715 Fleet 300th Anniversary

Vero Beach Museum of Art,
Leonhardt Auditorium, 3001 Riverside Park Drive,
Vero Beach,Florida

Practical Book of Cobs, 4th edition

Practical Book of Cobs, 4th edition

FUN for All: Report from the summer FUN show in Orlando

16 Jul
Our July FUN Show Table

Our July FUN Show Table

Last week Augi and I manned a table at the summer FUN (for Florida United Numismatists) show at the Orlando Convention Center. It was an unexpectedly busy show, especially considering that our sweltering summers generally have locals running to cooler climates like rats deserting a sinking ship. I guess good inventory trumps hot, humid weather. Check out our online store for our current inventory and great deals and visit our eBay store for more great stuff. If you’re buying, we’re selling!

Mora manning our table

Mora manning our table

While coin collecting is mostly an adult addiction, it’s nice to see that the FUN show offers treats for the youngsters. The youngest member of our team and Augi’s daughter, Mora, not only spent time scrutinizing our coins, but she also panned for gold just like in the Wild West and learned to carve the die of a hobo nickel. I wonder what she’ll know how to do by the time she graduates from elementary school.

Panning for gold

Panning for gold

Mora carving a hobo nickel

Mora and Josie Beach carving a hobo nickel

So, if you want to visit a coin show with your children, know that many have fun programs that can entertain and educate. Who knows, maybe that will be the spark to create a collector out of him or her.

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In Pursuit of Excellence

25 Jun

As I mentioned before, we have an intern this summer–Dan’s daughter, Emily. It’s a pleasure and a treat to have a smart young lady–eager to learn–join us in the office. While her dad has been around coins since well before she was born, she’s never had much exposure to the world of numismatics, particularly to Spanish colonial coinage and shipwrecks. She will see firsthand an expert in a field, and we hope she will understand what it takes to achieve that…and how intellectually rewarding it can be. So where should she start? How about with The Practical Book of Cobs?

Practical Books of Cobs, fourth edition

Practical Books of Cobs, fourth edition

Emily has been reading a copy and is absorbing the abundance of information in there. She’s working on our eBay store, so be sure to stop by and check out all the new listings. Emily is getting an education and learning skills that will help her in the future, whether she wants to become a numismatist or do something else.

The future of any business is with the young people who become attracted to it. Like many other fields, numismatics isn’t easy and requires a long period of study to gain proficiency. A mentor can be an invaluable guide and so it should be every coin dealer’s goal to guide and tutor at least one young person in his or her career. Of course not everyone has the aptitude for the field, but most can excel if they catch the spark of interest. In our segment of the business, who couldn’t be smitten with learning about Spanish colonial history in an enriched way that our high school textbooks couldn’t depict? And how can you not be captivated by tales of shipwrecks, pirates, and treasure? From there you grow to love the coins and learn to appreciate the stories they tell. Before you know it, you’re a pro!

Emily Sedwick at work

Emily Sedwick at work

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