Weekend Update - 04/27/08

This week I got my first of hopefully many bags of Eisenhower (Ike) dollars from the bank I order boxes of coins from. It's basically impossible to find Ikes or any other large dollar nowadays in circulation and except for one case, none of the local bank branches I have visited around here have had any for sale. I just happened to be lucky enough to stop by soon after someone else had deposited them.

Banks obviously don't request them so I guess the majority of them are in collector's hands or sitting in central bank vaults across the country gathering dust. They don't like to ship them around either and I had to bribe my teller friend to work her magic on the central bank vault manager so that she would be willing to send them to me.

You may think I'm crazy to order these $1000.00 bags of coins, but there is logic behind it:

1. You stand a chance of finding 40% silver Ikes, Proof Ikes, and if you're really lucky an older %90 silver dollar like a Peace or Morgan dollar.

2. Because of the difficulty in obtaining these dollars, you can sell even heavily circulated and scuffed Ikes for a premium on eBay - normally 160%-180% of face value!

So anyway, now that you understand my logic, time to share my finds. In my first bag I considered myself extremely lucky as I found (2) circulated 1971s 40% silver dollars (worth about $6.00 each) and to my surprise, two Silver Eagle dollars! Silver Eagles are composed of 99.9% pure silver, weigh in at exactly an ounce, and are slightly larger than traditional Ike dollars. Since Silver Eagles are basically a ounce of pure silver, they are worth the current market value which as of today is about $17.00.

If you calculate it all out...

2 * 6.00 = 12.00
2 * 17.00 = 34.00
996 * 1.60 = 1593.00

Total: 1639.00
Profit: $639.00 + fun!





Also of note this week, I received my new toy digital microscope camera to make examining coins and identifying valuable error varieties easier on my eyes. Even better, you can take great zoomed shots of interesting things like my shaved face!




And finally, Erin and I visited WSU. If only she would post, you would know all about it!

Token Info

I ended up getting in touch with King County and they provided me with the following details regarding the transit token I found last week. Seattle Transit was the predecessor to today's Metro Transit. It provided service between 1939 and 1972. The token was issued as a convenience for travelers and this version of the token was distributed between 1940 and 1948. In 1949, the stylized name Evro. M. Beckett, was removed from the bottom of the token. Evro Beckett was one of the three original original members appointed to the Seattle Transit Commission.

Thanks to Sarah Driggs from the Department of Transportation for digging up this info!

Tardy Post

No really interesting finds to report this week which is my excuse for being tardy. My main detector is on it's way (if not there already) to El Paso, TX to get upgraded and bench-tested so that sort of killed my metal detecting. There was nothing wrong with it per-say, but an upgrade was available and it never hurts to get your metal detector bench tested at least once after purchasing it. Estimated time in the shop is two weeks so I'm thinking I'll get it back in either late next week or the week following.

We did have some welcome guests this weekend as my Aunt Sue and Uncle Murray were in town and we met with them for a three hour dinner at Ray's Boathouse. We had a wonderful time with them and they were able to see the town-home and the kids for the first time.

Erin's been busy studying for her first exam (takes place today - wish her luck) and so her life has been even more boring than mine. Oh well, as they say, "No news is good news!".

Oh ... and the picture below is Erin's fault.

Hells Angels on Ice

Looks like there is a new breed of biker gang invading the slopes of Colorado's rockies. The two subjects pictured below are suspected to be the ring leaders of the gang, a husband and wife duo known to be extremely dangerous. Be forewarned!

Like Son, Like Father

My father's first official trip out with his metal detector turned out to be quite impressive and worthy of a post on my blog. A short trip to Keystone ski resort netted him a handsome $3.05 in modern coinage! As they say, Like Son, Like Father.

Unique find photos

Here are some photos of some of the more unique finds over the last weekend. 50 points to anyone who can make out the cursive / script text at the bottom of the token. 200 points for anyone who can find out history on its era and usage. 100 points for anyone who can identify what the trigger like object and peg / nut combination are.

Total coin count for the weekend:

41 Copper Pennies
2 Wheat Pennies
1 Canadian Penny
1 Modern Nickel
14 Modern Dimes
4 Modern Quarters

Sucky MDing

While the weather was gorgeous this weekend with a high near 80 on Saturday, the metal detecting adventures were far from thrilling. Both days I hit up West Seattle and Marymoor Park and both days turned up little more than decent amount of copper pennies and some other modern quarters and dimes. During both days, I only found one wheat pennie - a record low for me. I did find the usual sort of interesting items, but I haven't had the chance to photograph them, so I'll post those later.

The coin roll hunting side of my adventures was quite a bit more lucrative. I began my Saturday hitting up a bunch of banks on the west side and pulled in about $250 in half rolls, two boxes of pennies, and a box of nickels. The half rolls yielded 16 40% silver halves (1965 - 1970) - more than doubling my previous amount and one roll in particular was more than half full of the silver goodness. The first of my penny boxes was equally rewarding, yielding a record 29 Wheaties - my previous record for a box having been 6! All of them were between '40 and '59, so no key dates, but nice none-the-less.

Not much else on my end outside of hunting. Perhaps Erin will bless us with her presence on here again at some point, but until then, I'm afraid you're stuck with boring ol' me.

Everyone be sure to wish a Happy Birthday to Erin's Dad, Bob Siek!

MD Coin Totals To-Date

Got around to logging all my metal detecting finds over the past two months so it's time to update my totals. Not quite as many finds as my first two months, but missing almost all of March didn't help. Luckily I think I made up for less finds, with more quality finds.

Totals through 4/5/2008:

(95) Modern Quarters
(1) Silver Quarter
(226) Modern Dimes
(9) Silver Dimes
(2) Mercury Dimes
(1) Barber Dime
(39) Modern Nickels
(273) Modern Pennies
(369) Copper Pennies
(78) Wheat Pennies
(2) Indian Head Pennies

Total Face Value: $56.97

We're Back Post 3 of 3

...and finally as indicated previously in my blog I've started the side hobby of Coin Roll Hunting to placate my coin collecting desires during the times I can't metal detect. I've done quite a bit of it since my last posting and I estimate I've probably looked through around $150 in pennies, $300 in nickels, $100 in dimes, and $1500 in halves. I've been able to find a decent amount of XF (extra-fine) and AU (about-uncirculated) grade coins to start filling in collection books and quite a few rare keepers including:

(13) 40% Silver Halves (9 pictured below). As of today are worth $2.62 in silver metal value.
(1) 1998 Wide AM Error Penny (reverse minted with proof strike instead of business strike) valued at $5.00
(1) Circulated Proof 1968S Nickel (someone took it out of a proof set and put it into circulation) valued at $0.50
(1) 1893 Indian Head penny in VG (very good) grade condition valued at $2.50.
(53) Ike Dollars (little premium over face value now, but hard to find and worth keeping)

We're Back - Post 2 of 3

Ok, now that I've got the trip stuff out of the way, onto the REAL good stuff - today's hunt. Well maybe not THAT good of stuff, but a decent day none the less. Today saw my first silver quarter, and nice 1943s and a sterling silver pendant. Wheaties were slim pickings - only three. I also found my usual share of odd items including a Zippo type lighter, a key, and a old handgun type bullet (unfired) which I somehow misplaced between West Seattle and home (pissed about that - gonna search again tomorrow). And of course I can't forget the regular clad, though I left a bunch from a few previous smaller local hunts prior to the trip in my satchel, so that total listed below includes a few other days of detecting.

Clad Totals:

17 Modern Pennies
69 Copper Pennies
4 Wheat Pennies
8 Modern Nickels
34 Modern Dimes
10 Modern Quarters
1 Silver Quarter
4 Canadian Pennies

We're Back - Post 1 of 3

Finally back from our trip to Ecuador and Peru, with visits to the famed Macchu Pichu and Galapagos Island. Our entire trip was most excellent and beyond both Erin and I's expectation. So much so in fact that I was afraid Erin was going to leave me for our yacht's captain and spend the rest of her life sailing and visiting the Galapagos Islands!

Luckily she soon came to her senses after realizing what a stud I was and how she couldn't live without me and so she sadly bid the islands, Adieu!

Though we have hundreds (perhaps over a thousand?) photos and some videos, I've selected only a few of the more interesting ones to post on the blog.

From Top to Bottom, Left to Right:

1. Erin and Jason dining for lunch at a hacienda in Ecuador.
2. Ted and Jason standing in front of some of the larger stones at Sacsay Huaman ("Sexy Woman") Incan Ruins just outside of Cusco, Peru. Note how well the stones are made to fit together without mortar.
3. One of the homes we stopped at in the Sacred Valley had their meals, wheeling around the floor of their home. Yes, they're Guinea Pigs - a traditional Peruvian dish!
4. Outside in the garden of the hacienda from photo 1.
5. A Galapagos seal lion flirting with Erin underwater.
6. Our yacht, the Sagitta ("Sa - Gee - Ta").
7. Erin hanging with her friends.
8. The famous Galapagos reptiliphibian swimming iguanas - and plenty of em'!
9. The famous Galapagos blue-footed Boobie (I said boobie!) and its youngin'.
10. A Galapagos land iguana attempting to mate with Erin.
11. Dried and preserved Alpaca fetuses (fetii?) being sold for witch doctor / shaman usage.