Behind the scenes of the WWI silver dollar

Utah artist LeRoy Transfield and now-retired U.S. Mint sculptor-engraver Donald Everhart II sat down with Paul Gilkes to discuss the makings of their upcoming silver dollar. Their story, plus more can be found in the Oct. 30 edition of Coin World.

Original images courtesy of Paul Gilkes and Coin World.

The latest Coin World weekly issue, dated Oct. 30, 2017, is out the door, and we present exclusive previews of a few articles, to be found also in your latest digital edition of Coin World.

Designer of World War I silver dollar shares design background

In an interview with Utah artist LeRoy Transfield and now-retired U.S. Mint sculptor-engraver Donald Everhart II, Paul Gilkes explores the back history of the 2018 World War I American Veterans Centennial silver dollar that Transfield designed and Everhart sculptured.

As Transfield told Gilkes, he had a nearly last-minute change of heart about the reverse design, replacing his original concept with the design that was accepted — one showing barbed wire and poppies. Learn what his original design depicted and why he abandoned it in the news article exclusive to the print and digital editions of Coin World.

Study first, know your coin, and then place a bid

Columnist Michael Bugeja in his “Home Hobbyist” column writes about how he used his knowledge, the presence of a high-quality image, and a little good luck to acquire in an online auction an uncertified coin that now sits in a third-party grading service slab with a high grade and a value well above what he paid for the coin.

He writes, “Three or four times per year, I score big in online auctions … placing a low-ball bid for a high-value coin based on my knowledge of the seller, varieties, toning, luster, strike and other conditions affecting grade.” A recent win was a 1964 Roosevelt dime — a common coin but one in an uncommon grade.

How many errors can one coin have?

“There are many ways to collect error coins,” writes Mike Diamond in his “Collectors’ Clearinghouse” column, adding, “One popular pursuit involves finding a coin with as many copies of one error type as possible or the greatest number of different error types on one or both faces.”

He shares photos of several pieces, including a Jefferson 5-cent coin that could have as many as 100 strikes and a Lincoln cent with five curved clips. Even more spectacular pieces are featured in the column in the October 30 issue.

Light is dangerous to paper collectibles, but how dangerous?

Collectors generally know that exposure to light can be dangerous to paper collectibles such as bank notes. Professional conservators and museum officials, when they know the kinds of paper and ink used in a particular object, have a good idea of how much light exposure is too much. But what about items whose composition is uncertain?

Professional conservator Susan L. Maltby, in her “Preserving Collectibles” column, writes about a relatively new form of testing. She writes: “Microfading is a relatively new technique, developed … for determining how susceptible an object is to light fading. It is a highly sensitive form of accelerated fade testing that is carried out directly on the object or using minute samples from the object.”

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