• BEST REASON TO CHECK ALL OF THOSE PROOF SETS - - 1975 No S proof dime sold for $349,600 in auction.  So far, only 2 1975 No S proof dimes have been found.
    
• COIN SOLD AT AUCTION SOMEONE MIGHT BE "BURIED" IN  - - The aforementioned 1975 No S proof dime.
   
• KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR - - The finest known 1870-CC double eagle, an NGC AU-58, was stolen from a Brinks shipment from California to Texas.  
   
• BIGGEST PRIZE FROM U. S. MINT - - The 25th Anniversary Silver Eagle sets consisted of five 1 oz. silver eagles, 2 of which are available only in the set, and it had a limited mintage of 100,000.  Those who ordered the maximum of 5 sets for $300 each were able to sell their sets for $800 or more soon after delivery.
   
• BIGGEST COMPLAINT ABOUT THE U. S. MINT - - Came from people who couldn't obtain the 25th Anniversary Silver Eagle sets via phone or web during the 4 1/2 hours of sales before they sold out.
   
• MOST NEWSWORTHY COIN I HAVE NEVER SEEN - - the aforementioned 25th Anniversary Silver Eagle sets, as I sold my sets in the unopened box so they could be graded. 
   
• BIGGEST SALE OF A COLONIAL COIN - - The 1787 Brasher Doubloon with the EB stamp on the eagle's breast sold in a private transaction for nearly $7.4 million.
   
• BIGGEST AUCTION CATALOG - - Stack's Bowers November 2011 Baltimore sale.  You needed a forklift to carry this 728-page catalog.
   
• BEST DISPLAY - - The Liberty Seated Collectors Club display at Baltimore in November.  Each series of Liberty Seated coins was on display.  The display even included the extremely rare 1870-S dollar.
    
• BEST NEWS FROM EBAY - - EBay is becoming much more active in removing auctions of coins with questionable authenticity.
   
• WE TOLD YOU THIS WOULDN'T WORK - - U. S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner suspended production of Presidential dollars for circulation.  Since 2007, the Mint has coined 2.4 billion Presidential dollars and the Federal Reserve currently has about 1.4 billion of these in inventory.  I believe the other 1 billion Presidential dollars were sold on the TV telemarketing shows!  ;-)   
   
• BEST REASON TO KEEP DIGGING - - Two metal detecting enthusiasts found nearly 3,800 bronze Roman coins buried near Worcestershire, England.  So Worcestershire is famous for something other than that tasty steak sauce!
   
• MOST DIFFICULT PART OF TYPING THIS REVIEW - - Spelling "Worcestershire" correctly three times!
   
• BEST AUCTION OF LIBERTY SEATED COINS  - - The Dick Osburn Collection of Uncirculated Liberty Seated Half Dollars was sold at the ANA Convention in August by Stack's - Bowers.  We were fortunate to acquire ten coins at the auction.
   
• GONE TOO SOON - - David Davis, co-author of Early U. S. Dimes, co-founder and long-time President of the John Reich Collectors Society and first editor of the John Reich Journal.  John Eshbach, winner of the ANA's highest award, the Farran Zerbe Award, noted exhibitor, exhibit judge and teacher.  Dale Heisler, noted collector of Bust half dollars including rare die states.  Steve Tanenbaum, noted dealer and expert in exonumia and just about anything else in numismatics.  Abe Grundstein, "Bear" on the PCGS Forum, consummate coin collector but also the voice of wisdom and sanity on the Forum as well as author of the very funny "Coinalot" stories.
   
• GONE WAY, WAY, WAY TOO SOON - - Mark Petty, 21, noted collector, numismatist and intern at Stack's - Bowers in New York, who was liked by everyone at S-B and who had a very bright future ahead of him.  
   
• BIGGEST ESCAPE FROM A FUTURE BUREAUCRATIC NIGHTMARE - - Fortunately, the requirement to issue Form 1099's to every person and business from whom we purchase more than $600 during a year, was repealed.  This had somehow been included in the health care bill passed by Congress in 2010.
   
• LITERARY AWARDS WON BY OUR TABLE ASSISTANTS - - Len Augsburger and co-author Joel Orosz won the Numismatic Literary Guild's Book of the Year (2011) for The Secret History of the First U. S. Mint.  Bill Bugert won the Numismatic Literary Guild Award for Extraordinary Merit in 2011 for his book A Register of Liberty Seated Half Dollar Varieties - -Volume III - Carson City Mint. 
   
• AND, SPEAKING OF AWARDS - - I was awarded the 2011 James Wagner Award for Outstanding Numismatist in Central Pennsylvania.
   
• BEST DINNER - - At the Chicago ANA, we had most of our table assistants, some key suppliers, our marketing consultant, our web designer, and the spouses who were able to attend.  It was great for everyone to meet everyone else, and to discuss the business and how we work together, but most of all, we just celebrated and had a good time!
   
• WORST LEGAL DECISION - - The legal dispute between the Langbords and the government over 10 1933 double eagles is decided by the jury in favor of the government.  No, I wouldn't be happy if the Langbords got the coins, but this decision was in my opinion not supported either by the law or the facts of the case.  Just one example - - Mint records show that the gold that was melted came out to the exact amount expected; that is, no gold was unaccounted for.  So how did they "prove" that the 1933 double eagles were stolen?
   
• SHOULDN'T THE GOVERNMENT HAVE BETTER RECORDS THAN THIS? - - Late in 2011, the Mint wrote off over $82,000 that was "lost or stolen from the public and employee coin exchange program" at the U. S. Mint headquarters in Washington, D. C.  
   
• RAREST COINS I SOLD - - An 1800 LM-2 half dime in PCGS F-12 (an R7 with 6 known).  Believe it or not, this is the second 1800 LM-2 half dime I have sold, the other being an ANACS VF-20 sold two years ago.
   
• WILDEST TONED COIN I SOLD - - The 1841-O half dollar from the Eliasberg Collection, with extraordinary toning on both sides.  For those of you who are in the Liberty Seated Collectors Club, it is the cover coin for the Gobrecht Journal for 2012.  It can also be seen in on my Archives page.
   
• COIN WE HAD THE MOST ORDERS FOR - - 1857 Seated dollar, Good-5, cleaned.  Really.  I don't understand it either.
   
• BIGGEST "WOW" COINS ACQUIRED - - The 1838 Pattern half, PCGS PR-64 CAC, which has the Liberty Seated half obverse and the Gobrecht flying eagle design on the reverse.  Also, the 1822 dime in NGC AU-58+.
   
• WORST COIN SHOW FOR ME - - The PAN show in May.  I had to leave before the show opened on Saturday because of food poisoning I believe from a local restaurant.
   
• BIGGEST ANNOYANCE AT THE POST OFFICE - - I was waiting in line one day and four consecutive customers went up to the window to ship a box that was unwrapped and untaped.  The postal clerk dutifully wrapped each package for each customer.  I guess wrapping your own packages is a lost art. Memo to the Postal Service:  this might be why the lines are so long!
   
• BEST COIN I SAW THAT I PREVIOUSLY HAD NEVER SEEN AN EXAMPLE OF - -  the aforementioned 1827 JR-14 dime (2 known).  Remember I have been a collector since age 4, and a dealer for a while, so I have seen an example of just about every U. S. coin there is.
   
• COIN THAT'S REALLY, REALLY RARE, BUT I SOLD 3 OF THEM DURING THE YEAR - - the 1804 dime.
   
• BIGGEST REASON FOR THE SUCCESS OF RICH UHRICH U. S. RARE COINS INC. - - You, our customers.  We greatly appreciate all of your business during the year.  Thank you very, very much.  Otherwise, I might have to get a "real job"!  ;-)

I wish all of my customers and their families and friends a happy, healthy and successful 2012!             - - Rich Uhrich

Many great coins we have sold are shown on our website's Archives page.