User:WikiSysop

Welcome to my WikiCoins User Page. Check out my Wikilog below. Cheers...

February 2012
A note about PLACEMENT of articles on WikiCoins: If you're interested in articles about coins, then the ARTICLE namespace, or main namespace, is the place. The main namespace is for numismatic items, or collectibles we can buy and sell. For example:


 * 1)  Indian Head Half Eagle
 * 2)  Liberty Head Gold Dollar

Content ABOUT collecting, such as news, tips, history, or opinion are displayed in the PROJECT namespace, or WikiCoins namespace. For example:


 * 1)  How Did Coins Do in 2011?
 * 2)  Evaluating and Grading Coins

This separates WikiCoins articles into two groups, 1) numismatic items and 2) everything else. Numismatic items are in the ARTICLE namespace and everything else goes in the PROJECT namespace. As always, contact me if you need help.

I've also been working on a price guide template for the major coin types. The guide(s) have been created using a standard template and are, of course, editable by users.

Check out the guides for the Mercury Dime and Morgan Dollar.

Happy collecting in 2012!

October 2011
I'm adding a QR Code to each article. The QR Code links to the same article on which it is displayed.

These QR Codes can be printed and displayed with your collectibles. Users can scan the QR Code, using a "smart device" (smart phone or tablet computer), to access the wiki.

A fun way to share information!

Sample articles with QR Codes:


 * Maximilian Peso
 * Spanish-Colonial Reales
 * Draped Bust Quarter
 * Flowing Hair Half Dime

September 2011
I have never seen a $100 one-day drop in the price of gold. Yet Friday, September 23rd delivered it. The price dropped below $1,700.00 an ounce. I've been following the price of gold, obviously (who hasn't?), so Friday was exciting. Some good gold coin/bullion articles:


 * Gold Bullion Coins
 * American Gold Eagle
 * Krugerrand
 * Vienna Philharmonic Coin
 * Austrian 100 Corona Gold Coin
 * Canadian Gold Maple Leaf
 * Centenario

March 2011
Now going on year 5 in Las Vegas. It has been a wild ride here. The city seems to be the poster-child of the current recession ---real estate values have plummeted and city managers are scrambling. The media constantly reminds us how bad things are.

You wouldn't know it though from the collector market. The local dealers have been expanding. Las Vegas has two main dealers with store-fronts:


 * Sahara Coins
 * American Coin Express

Bick International also hosts shows at the casinos:


 * Bick International Show Schedule

All these have been growing for the last few years. When I arrived in Las Vegas in 2006 Sahara Coins had a modest shop further east on Sahara. They've since moved west to a new, swank location and upgraded their website. Their new shop is impressive.

American Coin Express had two locations in Las Vegas and has just opened a third. This month! Their new west side location is on Sahara. I haven't visited it yet but I'm looking forward to it.

January 2011
A friend recently sent this quote from Thomas Jefferson:


 * "We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our calling and our creeds...[we will] have no time to think, no means of calling our miss-managers to account but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers... And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for[ another]... till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery... And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression."

I now have a finer appreciation for the United States $2 bill.

November 2010
I just returned from Barnes & Noble here in Las Vegas and found a nice collector guide for U.S. coins and paper money. Flipping through the book sparked my interest in Federal Reserve Notes. Old Federal Reserve Notes. The current small-note series dates back to 1928 with Andrew Mellon as the Secretary of the Treasury. I'd love to find some Andrew Mellon-signed notes. I wonder how many have survived?

March 2009
I have been assisting our great contributor, Todd Cook, on posting articles. Take a look:
 * 1) Draped Bust Half Cent
 * 2) Fr 1225 10K Dollar Gold Certificate
 * 3) Buffalo Nickel
 * 4) Saint Gaudens Double Eagle
 * 5) Seated Liberty Quarter
 * 6) Capped Bust Quarter
 * 7) Buffalo Nickel
 * 8) Spanish-Colonial Reales
 * 9) Mercury Dime
 * 10) Seated Liberty Dollar

Good stuff. The Buffalo Nickel article has come along nicely but would love to improve the Fr 1225 10K Dollar Gold Certificate and Capped Bust Quarter articles. Cheers... James

June 2008
I've been asked about this User Page. A few answers:


 * 1)  A User Page is automatically created when a new user logs into the wiki.  Select your Username at the top of the screen to access your User Page.  Your User Page can be formatted any way you like.  You can also ask other members for help.
 * 2)  Keep in mind each User Page has a "E-mail this user" link.  Contact a user directly using this link.  You do need to log into the wiki for this link to be available.
 * 3)  The red "# Buy/Sell" graphic in the upper-right hand corner shows the number of ads a user has posted to the wiki.  Select the "buy/sell" tab at the top of the User's Page to see that user's items.

I am a WikiCoins Administrator so feel free to contact me with questions.

March 2008
My father has had a Maximilian Peso in his collection for years. He remembers buying it at a coin convention in Mexico. This raises two points for me, 1) it's more difficult to find information on Mexican coins (and world coins) than American coins and 2) there are coin conventions in Mexico!

My father also has a book called the Coins of Mexico by Neil S. Utberg in his library (pictured right). This a small, wonderful primer on Mexican coinage. The photos in the book are a black and white so I hope to find some collectors out there who can provide some high quality images for WikiCoins. Keep a lookout for updates!

An excerpt from Coins of Mexico:


 * "Here are three items I own and tried to find out what they were. When they were sent to another numismatist I left plenty of blank space on my letter for him to give his answer and also sent a self-stamped and addressed envelope.  Upon receiving his answer I wrote a short note of appreciation.  I aslo showed these pieces in person and the opinions were varied.  I will write what I learned, but stand ready for correction."

How times have changed. The Internet, and wikis, substitute correspondence with collaboration. Pretty good.

I'm going to start a Coin Show page on this wiki for sharing American and international coin show information. Attending an international coin show is now high on my to-do list. Mexico anyone?

September 2007
Just returned from the Money Show in Las Vegas. The show focuses on money, of course, but seems to specialize (this year at least) on gold mining stocks, gold ETFs, and gold coins. Most of the group was showcasing gold mining stocks but there were a few numismatic dealers.

I have never thought to include gold in my portfolio but it seems logical. I have given some thought into buying some ETF shares but purchasing coins is more fun.

A friend recommended Monex to me as a reliable source for bullion so I jumped on their website and asked for more information. An envelope arrived in the mail a few days later. Inside was a gorgeous brochure. I wasn't sure whether to read it or put it in my mouth. Beautiful images of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins. After browsing the various coins, I decided to order some Vienna Philharmonics. The good reason is their price-per is slightly lower than the other gold coins (American Eagle and American Buffalo) and their fineness is .9999. No regrets. These pieces are g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s. I thought they looked good in the brochure. They look even better in my hand. I hope I don't get gold fever.