Just Having Fun

Hawaiian Medals on Postal Covers

/ DrDarryl

Medcalf and Russell cataloged only a few of the Hawaiian related medals originally issued on US Postal covers created by the Franklin Mint. In fact, they never acknowledged that these medals were actually part of Postal Covers. Below are the complete set of Franklin Mint’s Hawaii related  Postal Cover medals up to the year 1984. Note the 1984 year,  as the Medcalf and Russell book 2nd edition was published in 1991, hence the unlisted medals identified in this blog entry were mistakenly left out of their book.

Catalog numbers (with images) are from my book The Hawaiiana Numismatist’s Catalog of Franklin Mint Issues Relating to Hawaii  The book is available at amazon.com. Here is a link: http://goo.gl/ZQhqmg. I left out the mintage on purpose (actual minatage are in my book)

Medcalf and Russell catalog numbers are in parentheses.

If you only collect Hawaiiana numismatics by the Medcalf and Russell’s book you are missing out on the newly cataloged findings from my book (review the images below).

The envelope’s reverse is a COA. I really don’t understand why collectors discard the COA. A true collector would collect specimens in original envelope/COA. Also, notice the individual covers identified as “First Day of Issue”. These are actually released on the first day of issue of the stamp in Hawaii.

The challenge in collecting these medals was to find broken-up Franklin Mint sets to obtain specimens.  The reward I got was the pleasure in identifying and cataloging  the unlisted medals (and its cover) in my book.

FMR-E04 (2M-337)

FMR-E04 (2M-337)

FMR-E05 (2M-79)

FMR-E05 (2M-79)

FMR-E06 (UNLISTED)

FMR-E06 (UNLISTED)

FMR-E16 (UNLISTED)

FMR-E16 (UNLISTED)

FMR-E30 (UNLISTED)

FMR-E30 (UNLISTED)

FMR-PL01 (2M-375)

FMR-PL01 (2M-375)

FMR-PL24 (2M-351)

FMR-PL24 (2M-351)

Part 2: HONOLULA [sic] Masonic One Penny Error

/ DrDarryl

My thesis about the HONOLULA Masonic One Penny error was the first struck in the series seems to be true. Please read my earlier blog about this topic. https://thehawaiiananumismatist.com/2014/09/01/honolula-sic-masonic-one-penny-error/

Below are two Masonic Pennies.

Top coin has the spelling error (HONOLULA). The lower coin has the correct spelling.

Top coin has the incorrect spacing  of the letters HON of HONOLULA. The lower coins corrects the spacing.

All other errors are present in both coins.

Also, a new anomaly was identified in the spacing of PENNY in which a larger space is between E and the N.

In conclusion, it can be said that the HONOLULA Masonic One Penny was struck the earliest in the series as corrections started to appear in later versions of the coin. I’m still investigating this series.

ERROR11

The 1975/1976 Kamehameha Sterling Proof Set

/ DrDarryl

Circa 1975 / 1976.  I’m still pondering the idea of getting the coins certified (NGC to remove the coins from the holder).

As previously identified in an earlier blog.  https://thehawaiiananumismatist.com/2014/07/03/the-ag-center-punch-two-varieties/

This Kamehameha Proof set contains the rare (only 6 struck) sterling silver Kamehameha I “with welt”, with “AG” and “NO sterling hand punch” (bottom left).

The bottom right coin is the precursor to the 1998 NORFED silver Liberty “shelter system” design. https://thehawaiiananumismatist.com/2014/06/20/1998-norfed-silver-liberty-first-issue/

In all this is a high demand set by both Hawaiiana collectors and NORFED collectors.

The question is do the other “triangle” proof sets contain the remaining 5 Kamehameha I “with welt”, with “AG” and “NO sterling hand punch?

set2

HONOLULA [sic] Masonic One Penny Error

/ DrDarryl

Similar to 2MF-12a (no serifs on numerals). M&R may have not documented 2MF-12a correctly.

Error 1: Misspelled HONOLULU as HONOLULA

Error 2: Comma is used after SEPT

Error 3: Period is used after 14

Error 4: Period is above “o” of No

Too many errors. May have been struck from test dies with resulting in further dies refinement to get final product of 2MF-12.

xerror1

xerror2

My Eight Buckets

/ DrDarryl

During the last three years, retirement has been a major focus in my life. I’m looking forward in retiring in Hawaii. I still have more than a decade before retiring. Hawaiiana numismatics is just one aspect for investing. Yes investing, high quality rare specimens. Low quality items  takes time to unload (as in all collectibles).

There are eight retirement buckets to provide me retirement income.

Bucket 1) Corporate  Pension.  I’m fortunate (with insight) to work for a  global company that still has an intact corporate pension.

Bucket 2) Employee 401(k). I’ve been maximizing  my contribution limit and proactively monitoring/trading individual stocks.

Bucket 3) Home Equity. I’m making extra payments to speed up paying off my home loan.

Bucket 4) Stock Portfolio. Active investing in quality stocks to make my money work even harder for me.

Bucket 5) Social Security. Yes, still planning on receiving my SS check.

Bucket 6) Collectible Collections – Numismatics (Hawaiian and US)  and Hawaiiana Collectibles. 

Bucket 7) Collectible Collections  – Philately (US).  

Bucket 8) Writing royalties. I’m looking forward in writing more books and receiving more royalty payments.

For now there are also US tax opportunities with a few of my appreciated assets:

http://thecvpcollector.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/my-cvp-2013-donation-to-aps/ (my other blog)

Here are two remarkable specimens that I donated. They are the only NGC release ceremony certified coins.

https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=9738

Hawaii Footprint

/ DrDarryl

It’s interesting that the two of the best performing stocks (> 400% gain)  in one of my stock portfolios have a footprint in Hawaii.

Hawaiian Holdings  (HA) and Howard Hughes Corp (HHC).

HA operates the largest airline (Hawaiian Airlines)  in Hawaii. HHC has several operating properties in the US. Its Hawaii footprint  is with their three properties in Hawaii (Ward Centers, Ala Moana Towers, and Maui Ranch Land). HHC was spun off by General Growth Properties (GGP) a few years back and still has a Hawaii footprint with shopping mall properties  (Ala Moana Center on Oahu is the largest).

I will be even happier with this portfolio if the 7 lower performing  stocks exceed the 100% gain threshold…

port2