Welcome to the latest edition of my Notes. Among the items we post is a commentary by Coin World writer Steve Roach about rare coins in the marketplace in 2009, based on a careful study of prices. He demonstrates that copper coins were dynamic last year, and in contrast the price of rare gold coins fell across the board. Probably, if I were to make a survey 90% of collectors would have assumed the opposite-what with bullion gold hitting new highs.

The point of this is that popular ideas are sometimes different from reality. How can reality be determined? One easy and enjoyable way is by reading books that have useful information. I call your attention to the Whitman line of titles featured, all at discount prices, in our eShop "Book Store" here on the Internet. I call your attention to the advantage that each book we sell, Whitman or otherwise, is not a "second," "hurt," or used copy. Each is mint-fresh, so to speak. For books that I have ...

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Last week Stack's conducted its sale of The Eliasberg and Krause Collections in Baltimore, Maryland, where over $4 million worth of coins, medals, tokens, and paper money changed hands. Alongside these two landmark collections, Stack's proudly featured items from the Peter Scherff Collection of Colonial Coins, The Alan Bleviss Collection of Civil War Tokens Part IV, and Selections from the Collection of Jerry Byrne, Sr.

Session One began with U.S. tokens and medals, and featured a large selection of Civil War tokens from Part IV of the Alan Bleviss Collection. Nearly 300 lots of Ohio tokens were offered, and highlights included a rare Brattin token, a Rarity-10 Cleveland issue graded MS-63 by NGC that sold for $12,075. Other important lots included a Walker's Ale Depot Rarity-9 copper token from Urbana that brought $12,650. U.S. medals showcased many important rarities, like a Large Size Franklin Pierce Indian Peace Medal graded Choice Very Fine that sold for $10,350. The ...

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