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Lead (pronounced /ˈlɛd/, led) is a main-group element with symbol Pb (Latin: plumbum) and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal, also considered to be one of the heavy metals. Lead has a bluish-white color when freshly cut, but tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed to air. It has a shiny chrome-silver luster when melted into a liquid.
Lead is a very soft bluish-grey metal, and so early lead coins do not survive too well. However, it has been used, particularly in southern India around the time of Christ, in China, and in Burma and Siam during the 19th century. Because it casts well and has a silvery appearance when new it has often been used for forgeries, especially when plated to replicate gold coins.
In Roman times lead was used for tesserae, which were tickets or tokens (also made in bronze) that were distributed by the emperor (amongst others) entitling the holder to either food or money.
In its normal state it tarnishes rapidly to a dark grey colour, and has extremely poor wear resistance. Read more about Lead
Aristotle states that possibly the first coins were struck by Demodike of Kyme who had married Midas, king of Pessinus, and had by him a son named Agamemnon.
Coins are considered by some numismatists to have originated ca. 550-600 BC in Anatolia, which corresponds to modern-day Turkey, in particular in Lydia. Opponents of the Lydia scenario point to the indisputable fact that coins of that era have been totally absent from archeological finds in Sardis, capital of Lydia. A coin, by definition, is an object used to facilitate commerce and exchanges. The proponents of the Lydian coins scenario admit the fact that they were likely not used in commerce or industry. Electrum coins were not standardized in weight and are considered by opponents as badges, medals or ceremonial objects issued by priests, rather than coins (actually the oldest of them have been discovered not in Lydia, but in the temple of Ephesos).
The oldest coins are considered by other numismatists to be the Aegina Chelone coins which were minted ca. 700-550 BC, either by the local Aegina people or by Pheidon king of Argos (who first set the standards of weights and measures). In the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, there is a unique electrum stater of Aegina. The date of this coin can hardly be much later than about B.C. 700.
The Greeks adopted the Anatolia practice (or vice versa) and extended it to commerce and trade. Coinage followed Greek colonization and influence first around the eastern Mediterranean and soon after to North Africa (including Egypt), Syria, Persia, and the Balkans.
The first Lydian coins were made of electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of silver and gold that was further alloyed with added silver and copper. Many early Lydian coins were undoubtedly minted under the authority of private individuals and are thus more akin to tokens or badges than true coins, though because of their numbers it's evident that Read more about First coins
Reading your lead story of March 9 mentioning, “an understatement considering how little average Americans know about Fillmore,” while true is also likely to be a tribute to Fillmore considering how he handled the Cuban crisis of his day.
While many recall that 1851 saw the publication of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, it is reasonable to assume the tale of the giant whale would seem more formidable at a time when the largest steamship in the world was still less than 275 feet long. That would quickly change in the early 1850s as orders from the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. for larger ships able to handle the East India and China mails and trade were sent through Egypt to England in these last few years before the opening of the Suez Canal.
Millard Fillmore had to sort out America’s options in the wake of an episode which could have lead to an international war with Spain and others or possibly fighting the U.S. Civil War 10 years before the shots at Ft. Sumpter.
America, recently enlarged in size after the Mexican War, had to sort out the details of the second General Lopez expedition, which lead to Spain executing 50 American seamen prisoners captured from the first General Lopez piratical trip into China.
Most considered the expedition to have been fostered by slave states of the south with the intention of continuing slavery in Cuba. Certainly France increased its military presence in the Caribbean as a result. Britain then tried influencing the U.S. claims, hoping America would attack Spain and take control of the Havana harbor. England viewed it a naval point of prime importance to the Gulf of Mexico, just as Gibraltar was to the Mediterranean. France had already instructed its officers to assist Spain by all means in their power to repel any Americans advancing into Cuba.
As it turned out there were not one but two different 1917-S Walking Liberty half dollars. That is not all that unusual; however, what is unusual is that both 1917-S Walking Liberty half dollars are good and both are really special in top grades.
In 1917, the designs that were first released in 1916 were getting some additional attention. This is not all that surprising since the dime, quarter and half dollar all received new designs in 1916.
As 1917 dawned, the Walking Liberty half dollar production continued at San Francisco. It would produce a total of 952,000 examples of the old style that featured the “S” mintmark on the obverse under “TRUST.” The relatively low mintage would make it a better date today at 27 USD in G-4.
It must be remembered that the second year saving of a new design is usually much lower than the first as the novelty of the new design has worn off. The Professional Coin Grading Service reports nearly 400 Mint State examples of the obverse mintmark 1917-S, but only 38 were called MS-65 or better. The Numismatic Guaranty Corporation reports less than 150 examples of the obverse mintmark 1917-S in Mint State, and just 17 were called MS-65 or better.
The combined total of 55 examples in MS-65 or better is certainly not a large one. It might be enough to keep the prices of the obverse mintmark 1917-S from climbing rapidly, but there is certainly not enough to guarantee satisfaction of future demand.
The situation in 1917 was complicated by the fact that both the Walking Liberty half and the Standing Liberty quarter received modifications. The quarter changes involving covering Liberty’s exposed left breast are more famous, but the fact remains that both the quarter and half dollar had some small changes, probably produced by the haste of production in 1916.
A third convention will be added by the American Numismatic Association to its annual schedule in October 2011. The decision was made by the ANA board of governors March 28 at a meeting in Fort Worth, Texas.
The new show will be held in Pittsburgh.
A Pittsburgh event is intended to launch a three-city rotation of autumn shows. Denver and Boston are the other two cities selected for the trio.
Boston has provisional status that will be reviewed after the results of the summer World’s Fair of Money occurs there in August.
Larry Shepherd, ANA executive director, said he liked what he found in Boston in reviewing the arrangements for this year’s summer convention and says convention facilities in that city are well suited to a somewhat smaller autumn show as compared to this year’s summer event, which will be a little tight.
The ANA board also voted to make Chicago a provisionally permanent hub for the summer convention. It voted to hold the event there in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The 2011 event is already slated for the Windy City.
The 2012 Philadelphia convention might turn out to be the last summer event outside of Chicago.
In addition to its central location, Chicago does not require hotel room guarantees to book the Rosemont convention center. These guarantees have become the source of growing financial losses.
Shepherd said the ANA could be on the hook for 100,000 USD to 200,000 USD for unsold rooms in Philadelphia that were booked at rates of 220 USD to 240 USD a night.
The National Money Show, the third show in the ANA annual rotation, will be held later in 2012. Dates in the week of May 7-13 were approved for the spring Denver event.
Future spring events will be worked out as the board considers its options. It is expected that spring events will rotate in the Southeast or So Read more about ANA adds Pittsburgh show
