Author: Gary Galbo

Lincoln cent collection

Gary Galbo American coins, Nashua Coins, Nashua Coins & Collectibles, rare coins , , , , ,

We had the time to review some of our older blog posts, many are still valid today so we thought we would share them on this platform!

Last month we had a very nice Lincoln cent collection come in, mostly XF to CH BU. The highlights of the set were 1909-S MS63 RB, 1912-S MS64 BN, 1919-D MS63BN, 1922-D MS64 RB, 1924-S MS64 BN, 1927-D MS64 RB which all graded at PCGS, but the best item was a lovely 1955/1955 Doubled die which came back from PCGS as MS64 BN. The 55 is the classic doubled die error of all time and by far the most famous although far too many people mistakenly refer to it as a double strike. This is also the most popular and sought after American coin error and quite possibly the most sought after coin error in the world.

You may not be aware of this but the majority of the 55 double dies were released right here in New England. Apparently, they were shipped from the mint to Brinks and Wells Fargo branches in western Massachusetts where they were paid out to banks and vending companies for change. A large percentage were used in tobacco vending machines. At the time a package of cigarettes was around 23 cents so the vending companies habitually would insert enough pennies inside the cellophane package of cigarettes so they could be vended at 25 cents. This is also the reason why 55 doubled die coins are usually brown with red coins being very rare as the tobacco helped tone the coins almost immediately often unevenly leaving blotchy brown surfaces with red highlights. In years past we always considered them as Red-Brown coins with any trace of red, however thanks to the grading services, today coins with less than 60% red remaining are now classified as Brown. Anyway, the coin I bought was a lovely evenly colored Brown-Red coin classified as Brown by PCGS and is now in the hands of an appreciative collector.

1795 Large Cent and more!

Gary Galbo coin store, Nashua Coins, Nashua Coins & Collectibles, Nashua Coins and Collectibles, rare coins, Uncategorized , ,

This is a post published several years ago by the Nashua Coin Club, but very accurate today, enjoy!

We have been busy at NC&C this month. The coin business has been steady, pushed primarily by the bullion market. Most of what comes in the door is common silver and wheat cents but occasionally something interesting walks in. Our sign says “We are the Nashua Pickers” we buy neat old stuff. So we have also been buying a lot of old and interesting items other than coins. We are having a lot of fun researching and learning about them.

About a year ago I got a call from guy in Salem, NH who had inherited an accumulation of wheat cents from his Dad. He asked if I was interested and I told him I would gladly buy all his wheat cents. He showed up at my door with twenty three 3 gallon buckets filled with wheat cents which came to over 20 5000 piece bags….. A little more than I expected, but I bought them and had them all sold within a couple of months. At the end of September I heard from this gentleman again. This time he had his grandfather’s collection of half cents and large cents and wanted to sell it for his mother. We set an appointment for the beginning of October.

He arrived at my store accompanied by his mother, with a good size box filled with small bags and a conglomeration of odd and interesting containers of coins, ( sometimes the containers people keep their coins in are more interesting than the coins), not the case here. The seller had everything organized and listed with his notes… there’s nothing more dangerous than a novice who researches the values of his coins online and with the red book….. but that’s another story for another time. He handed me a small box with 6 r 8 early Bust large cents and the first coin I pulled out was a very nice 1795 capped bust cent with strong Fine obverse detail and the usual weaker reverse strike, overall a very desirable piece but this coin had been counter stamped on the obverse. Upon closer inspection the counter stamp turned out to be a very neat example of the Mason’s symbol right smack in the middle of the obverse bust with a numeral 9 punched in the field. This was obviously a contemporary counter stamp of the era based on the condition of the coin and in itself a very desirable collectible.

For those of you who aren’t aware of it, the Nashua Mason’s own my store building and are my landlords so Masonic material is of special interest to me. The other coins in the group were common 1802-1803 and well worn and we quickly agreed on a price for the group. Over the next two hours my friend showed me groups of coins and some single pieces and I proceeded to buy the entire collection. Included was in excess of 400 large cents, 20 or so half cents, 2c pieces, 3c pieces, and odds and ends of early type coins.

The highlights included an 1875-CC twenty cent piece, 1799 and 1800 Bust dollars, a few early bust halves including a nice XF-AU 1817/3 with a large rim dent that turned an $800 coin into a $100 coin. There was the usual conglomeration of common Indian cents with a couple of surprises thrown in and an old Whitman folder of Lincolns with some surprisingly nice early red BU coins.

My friend’s mother told me that when she was a child, her father kept the half cents and large cents in a wooden box on their living room coffee table and as kids they would play with them. She believed the collection was started by her grandfather and passed down to her Dad who added to it.

Overall a very fun and entertaining couple of hours for me, buying a neat collection of fresh coins is always exciting! Although there were more valuable coins included, for me the highlight of the collection was the first coin I saw, the counter punched “Mason” 1795 large cent.

Baltimore Expo Coin Buying Trip

Gary Galbo American coins, American Eagle coins, Indian cents, mint products, Nashua Coins, rare coins , , , , , , ,

We are excited to be attending the Baltimore Spring Expo. We will be flying out Thursday morning and arriving back on Saturday. Due to this, Nashua Coins and Collectibles will be closed Thurs, March 31st and Friday April 1st, 2022. Hopefully you are able to postpone your coin needs until Saturday or next week when we return to the shop.

Check out our website  https://nashuacoins.wpengine.com/categories/

 

Our staff  will be posting new inventory as quickly as possible here, we will likely have items for upcoming auctions as well.

The store will be open its normal hours on Saturday, April 2nd 12-6pm

We hope to find some great items to purchase on this trip. We have upcoming auctions and want lists to fill. You will definitely want to learn about this buying trip when we get back.  Follow us on Facebook and IG to be up-to-date on everything!!

Stay tuned…

 

2022 Live Coin Auction Dates

Gary Galbo coin store, Nashua Coins, Nashua Coins & Collectibles, Nashua Coins and Collectibles, rare coin auctions, Small Cents Auctions , , , ,

Small Cents II, a subsidiary of Nashua Coins and Collectibles will be conducting live coin auctions onsite in our gallery at 202 Main Street, in the heart of Downtown Nashua on the following dates:

February 26th, April 30th, June 25th, August 27th, October 29th, and December 17th

Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for up-to-date information on these auctions and to learn about our online only auctions being held the opposite months!

#nashuacoins

2019 Updates

Gary Galbo American coins, certified coins, coin dealers, Nashua Coins & Collectibles , ,

Since the beginning of 2019 Gary and I have become responsible for writing the blog content. Should you have any suggestions on topics you would like covered, please don’t hesitate to email laurie@nashuacoins.com  and we will work on it if possible.

 

There is also a new auction bidding app that can be utilized by anyone, anywhere via a cell phone, tablet or computer. We can truthfully say we have an app for that! Give us a call or stop by and we can provide you with more information.

Starting very soon, Nashua Coins and Collectibles will be carrying books from local area authors which will be a great addition to our shop. The books are all mysteries which we hope will be welcomed by many of our customers! Stay in touch with us for more details!

And finally to bring you up to date on the area coin show schedule, Nashua Coins will be present at the shows coming up as follows:

3/17 at the Nashua, NH at the Holiday Inn

3/24 at Devens, MA in the Spring Hill Suites Marriott

And in April, on the 19th and 20th at the NH Coin Expo in Manchester, NH at the Radisson

 

Image result for calendar march april 2019

The Henning Nickel

Gary Galbo American coins, American Eagle coins, antique collection, coin store, coins appraisal, mint products, Nashua Coins & Collectibles, Nashua Coins and Collectibles, rare coin auctions, rare coins, silver dollars , , , , , , , , , ,
American coins

The beginning

In 1954, collectors in the New Jersey/ New York area began reporting 1944 nickels turning up in circulation. Missing the “P” mint mark on the back and the lack of wartime 35% silver composition.  These have been referred to as the “Henning” nickel, these counterfeits made by Francis Leroy Henning of Erial, New Jersey. The  FBI quickly caught on in 1954, It is estimated that more than 100,000 of these put into circulation in 1954-55.  Also, the coins weighed 5.4 grams compared to 5-5.1 grams for authentic coins. 

 

The consequences

The legend is that Henning dumped 200,000 to 400,000 counterfeit in creeks and rivers in New Jersey when the Feds sought him. The counterfeits are made of 80% nickel with some steel and other elements.  One of the mysteries associated with the issue is why did he make them. Considering that given the materials and work involved, it was not economically beneficial. In fact, he probably lost money on them. Henning was also purported to have produced counterfeits dated 1939, 1946, 1947, and 1953.  He had a previous arrest for counterfeiting $5 bills. When caught, Henning was sentenced to 3 years in jail and fined $5,000.00 for his counterfeit American coins.

To learn more about historic American coins and also see our coin collection, visit Nashua Coins & Collectibles. If you have any questions about our business or what we have to offer, give us a call at 603 718-1018

 

 

 

 

The Champagne Brothers’ Vintage Violin

Gary Galbo American coins, American Eagle coins, antique collection, coin store, coins appraisal, mint products, Nashua Coins & Collectibles, Nashua Coins and Collectibles, rare coin auctions, rare coins, silver dollars , , , , , , , , , ,

Quite some time ago we purchased a vintage, handmade violin made by the Champagne brothers of Worcester, Mass in the early 1940’s. The Champagne brothers, twins, who built violins by hand. Laurie went online trying to research the family and located a grandson in Chelmsford. It turns out he had been searching for one of his grandfather’s violins for years to no avail. There was only one surviving instrument in his family that one of his aunts had inherited.

 

antique collection

 

To add to it all, his young son had just recently taken up the violin in school, also. Mr. Champagne became excited about the find and wanted to see it. He came into our store. When he saw the instrument in our antique collection, he couldn’t believe his good fortune.

We made sure to lovingly care for the violin and kept it in pristine condition also. There was a case as nd it included an extra bow with replacement strings. Just a beautiful piece. We sold him the violin for less than half of the real value because the story deserved a reward.

We have been able to restore the instrument to the family for them to share this piece of family history for generations to come. As soon as Jeff Champagne returned home, he sent us a picture of he and his children with the violin. There smiles all around. A real feel-good tale for all of us at Nashua Coins and Collectibles!

 

This is the review we got praising our antique collection from every possible site after this happened!

Nashua Coins and Collectibles made my year! I know most people would say made my day but this goes way beyond that. I got a surprise note from Laurie telling me that she had received a precious family heirloom, a violin made by my grandfather and his brother in 1953. I had been seeking an instrument made by them for as long as I had known that they had made violins and this was a complete shock because honestly, I didn’t think it was possible, given they probably only made a dozen in total. I was blown away!

Laurie sent me pictures of this priceless treasure, #8 of a dozen or so instrument created from scratch by these master craftsmen. It was in mint condition and looked like it had never been played. It had been in a case in a closet and was probably unused for decades.

Our Mission

She told me that she wanted to get it back to it’s rightful owner, that was her only motivation. I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity by Laurie and will be forever grateful for her reaching out to me and selling me this treasure at a fraction of it’s value.

She gives me hope in humanity. Thank you, Laurie Hayes Galbo, for being part of what I consider a miracle. And also for letting me learn about this noble craft, something my grandfather dedicated himself to.

I have had the violin fully restored, and it plays like a dream. It is my most prized possession. As a result of this occurrence, I have learned so much more about my grandfather Floyde and his twin brother, Benjamin, who made these amazing instruments while Benjamin was hospitalized in Plymouth County Hospital in MA, for TB. He passed away within months of completing this instrument.

The Search

I received a copy of St. Thomas’s Summa Theological from my aunt, who is the one who introduced me to the revelation that somewhere out there there are violins that my gf and brother created. This book was given to my grandfather by Benjamin’s widow when Ben passed away in 1953. She had the only other known violin, #11. She also sent me articles from the Plymouth County Hospital Newspaper and Worcester Telegram and Gazette from 1964 about the violin shop my gf ran out of his basement on Gate St in Worcester.

These two fine craftsmen had a love and passion in pursuing excellence in this noble craft that leaps out of their letters and newspaper articles, speaking to me from the past. These documents that are found after being reunited with this instrument have given me a glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of relatives that I never had the pleasure of meeting in person, but I am so familiar with the fruits of their lives, my family.

Another happy customer!

I feel like I know them and have seen into their kind and creative souls. It means so much being able to learn to play violin on an instrument made by them. My children now have the chance to grow up knowing more about their family’s history and the people that laid the foundation for our lives today.

Thank you, Laurie and team, for making my year!

 

Nashua Coins: Not Your Average Coin Store

Gary Galbo Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , ,
Nashua Coins: Not Your Average Coin Store

FIVE THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN SELECTING YOUR COIN DEALER

1.) Experience

Nashua Coins has experience in both the store operation and coin ability arenas. We have run businesses since 1985, and our founder, Gary Galbo, has worked with coins since 1979. Our attention to detail, knowledge, and personal anecdotes have helped us cater to all kinds of coin collectors. We know our stuff!

2.) Antiques

Come for the coins, and stay for the unique, fun finds we offer. Our antique collection is an exciting sight, with a variety of items and trinkets to satisfy the quirky collector in any person. Our antiques add a unique flair to what could be an average storefront.

3.) Events YOU Can Get Involved In

We go beyond customer service for our customers – we want to actively assist you and help you build your collection. Our auctions happen bi-monthly, featuring a range of coins for bidders to select. When everyone gets together and bids, it fosters a sense of community and excitement most retail spaces do not offer.

4.) We Can Come To You

You read that right. If you have unique antiques and a variety of collectibles to sell, we can come to you, see what you have, and make a buy offer. For coin collections, there is an appraisal fee for our time, which is waived if you sell us your collection.

5.) Exceptional Customer Service

We take care of our clientele, and we are happy to assist you with collection questions, auctions, and any other matter you need. Whether you are a frequent shopper or someone brand new, we will make you feel welcomed and answer any and all questions you may have.

The next time you want to find anything old and interesting, visit Nashua Coins. You will see why we are a coin store unlike any other. Give us a call at (603)-718-1018!

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