As a coin dealer it's important to buy coins when the opportunity arises. Sometimes that opportunity surfaces at a coin show (such as the case of this video). Often, people come to coin shows with 1 of 2 objectives in mind. 1: to look at and potentially buy coins to add to their collection or 2. to sell coins they have. This video features scenario 2. Someone came to my table to sell coins in a collection they I think inherited. They wanted to sell everything together instead of piecemeal. I made an offer and purchased the entire lot. This video shows what I purchased and to my surprise it contained a Masonic Token or Medal from 1908 (celebrating 100 years). The token looks like it's an Old Illuminati token. Very cool and very mysteriousCheck out the YouTube video to see more (https://youtu.be/Ye1slPWF5ds)

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!. Now get ready for sandwiches!! Last October I had a member telling me to submit an article to the Numismatist. I kept saying no. Well he was very persistent. So he told me what I had to do and I sent it in. It took Mr. Caleb the editor of the magazine to email me one day. He informed me the article was very good and they wanted my permission to to print it!. He asked if I wanted to get paid or donate the money. I donated it to the yngs. This blog is different than other. It tells collector's what they should do to get published. It can help. And� ask me questions!!� � � � I was schocked. They were going to publish my article! I had pictures to take. So my friend Mokie� said Gary (coinsbygary) was a professional photographer. Now I had to send him the five tokens. I was a wreck mailing these. They are one of a kind part of Peter Kempsons� Tokens of Coventry. I would not be able to get another of each. They came back I was so relieved. Gary Herman did a fantastic job. Remember these are from 1797.�

The New York City Transit Token is a piece to keep more than a souvenir, a portal thru time. It was known and used within the 1970's thru late 1980's within the City of New York transportation system.Brass made, noticeable due to the aesthetics of the punched large "y' on its center, giving thus a peculiar aspect to the item. Many New York City residents and visitors kept the token as a lucky piece, a gift from the City that "never sleeps."Around a million were struck between the 1970-80 period. Even though older ones were authorized, this shown here remains as a valuable and exchangeable item among specific collectors. Enjoy!

Hi everyone. Hope those at the show had a great time. Now down to business.� A coin collector working on a set does not just end his research. I kept going because I knew there were more gates in Coventry. But were is the Token.Kempeson didn't make a token of all the gates.�� � � � �....You see he had to limit his set. And with all the gates he had to choose. Now the gate below was ma built in 1440. Or about that time. You see a photo of it in 1910. It looks pretty beat up. But this gate originally was called the privy gate� the name changed laterto Swanswell Gate . One picture shows a a set of stairs that go to the top!!.I would love to see the view.�

Hi everyone ! I hope your all ok! Now I don't know how many of you saw the show 'The Tudors '. It was a mini series based on the reign of the one and only Henry The V111. The Tudor monarchy. This series was based on fiction and nonfiction. They did this with most movies of that time period. Take� Braveheart. Were William Wallace who was real sacked York. The Vikings sacked York. And he only won one battle. Sorry to disappoint you guys. It was another movie made of fiction and nonfiction..�� � � � � � Now the token below is one of my favorites. The likeness of the Cardinal was done from a painting and put on copper.Its uncanny how good the engraver did this. I believe it was Wyon. I will check that. Since my blogs come from history. The gate was on the reverse was called Wolsey Gate. He was born in Ipswich Suffolk. His first name was Thomas. Born in 1475 and died in 1530. The same town as James Conder who started categorizing them. This token is a penny!!� � � � � Now it was said Henry ruled the Kingdom but Wolsey called the shots.� King Henry was very upset he could not get a divorce so he could marry again.� He was the Chancellor of England and had more going on than the King had. And that was allot. He had an illegitimate son who would travel with him when he went to collect taxes from the Abbeys and church's.� This money went to good use his charity's.� � � � � Now there was allot of rumor that King Henry disliked the Cardinal. This was not true. King Henry liked most of his fund raisers. He did get a divorce from Pope Clement V11. But not the one he wanted. Now this is were it starts to break up the close friendship. Orders went out that the Cardinal had to return to London for treason. Now the show would have you think he committed suicide in the Tower of London.�� � �This also is not true.. Coming back to London the Cardinal became very sick .� He was in the town of Leicester and had to stop It was dysentery. It caused his death. He spoke at length on his death bed but the sentence most� remembered for is"If I treated My God as I did My King perhaps I would not have this gray hair"� �....So there is a short list of how he lived and died. He had many� beheaded. He stole all the money he could but was glorified in the series The Tudors. The token� was made.some two hundred years after his death. But it shows the impact one man had over a King and a Country. The detail in the gate is as I always say remarkable. His likeness also.� I sent it to NGC it came back Red brown MS 64. Please click on the pictures of the token on his face and the gate and see the work that went into it. I hope you enjoyed this little bit of history. I forgot his crest Most of those in the Monarchy had there family crest. It showed how.powerful you were.� In earlier days the crest stood for the family every family had one I have a family crest. Thanks and enjoy!!