Monday, December 29, 2008

U.S. Coins

Lately I have been in need of a new hobby, something that could be fun, yet potentially profitable at the same time.

U.S. Coins is just the niche to get into! With coins dating back to the nation's first established currency to confederate coins, U.S. coins play an important part in its history. The coins each tell a piece of the story that U.S. has been crafted for centuries now, and it continues to do so, primarily to promote the economy (this has been noted and evident with the U.S. state quarters, as well as the newly created Obama coins.) Despite the intention of the U.S. coins, there is no doubt that collecting some U.S. coins can not only become enjoyable, but a wise investment decision too.

Among the hundreds of U.S. minted coins, here is a rather brief list of the most sought after U.S. coins:
1943 Copper Penny
1776 Silver Continental Dollar

Almost anything from 1870

1804 Draped Bust Dollar

1861 Confederate States Half-Dollar

The Brasher Doubloon
1974 Aluminum Penny

And, with great debate, the rarest (and thus, most valuable) U.S. coin:

1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle

This coin was once sold for $7.5 million U.S. dollars! During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt recalled The Double Eagle, as with all gold coins, back to the U.S. government/treasury, as gold was dismissed as the currency standard. However, a combination of smuggling and some simply never making it back, they became a hidden treasure. These are hot items, and something that the U.S. government is still looking for! (The Secret Service confiscated one during 1992.)

So, whether you are a veteran or amateur, U.S. coin collecting is definitely a hobby to enjoy, for it can truly become a lifetime adventure. If you want to get started, or look to create new additions to your already established collection, check out http://www.iantiqueonline.com, for it is a place that I check out regularly for news and possible purchases for U.S. coins, along with all things antique! Be sure to check it out, and good luck with your coin collecting journey!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Musical Instruments

This post is going to dig into the wonderful world of music, specifically musical instruments.
As I am sure many of us have played some horn or drum within our life... this should begin reminiscence of childhood ensembles, maybe embarrassing or not. :) And while we live in a world full of precious antiques of all shapes, sizes, and purposes, nothing says history better than musical instruments. Music is one thing within our lives that has been carried through generation to generation, bringing a piece of culture, history, and stories from the distant past to present.

Even more, discovering antique musical instruments can be both easy and challenging. I personally collect century old brass horns, but my dream is to get a hold of some truly antique saxophones (... I am a veteran sax player, alto and bari to be exact). What makes antiques so treasured within musical instruments is not the possible monetary value of the particular item(s), but the story that goes behind it. Musical instruments have been, and still are (relatively), the only product crafted by hands, and not on an assembly line method. Because of that fact, many people can tell stories fascinating to anyone... from how it was made to who played it to the journey it made around the world.

Now as WDIG prides itself on finding particularly rare items, here is a list of some of the rarest musical items (photos of these items are in search as we speak):
- Stradivarius Violin (Approx. 1700s)
- Flageolet Collection (Approx. 1800s)
- Dital Harp Lute. Levien. Paris. (Date unknown) *Goes for about $3,000 (USD)- Cittern String Waldzither (Similar to 18th century English guitar, 5 course. 18.5" scale length, 13" widest point, 26.5" overall length )

...there is an endless list of instruments that antiquates are striving to collect, but some specify their collection by country, year/time period, specific instrument/type, etc.
To find some more information on antique musical instruments, check out http://www.iantiqueonline.com. They are an awesome site, and WDIG gives a BIG THUMBS UP!! :)

Music instruments will always play a part in our lives, and taking some time to find out about antique music instruments will definitely keep you entertained.