(There is little more enthralling or evocative than a huge gold ingot of assayers gold, and little assayers gold more intriguing that that of Justh & Hunter, two names numismatists will recognize instantly from its intimate connection to the most famous lost treasure shipwreck of all, the S.S. Central America. Read on for John Dale’s entertaining history […]
Charlie Brown, Peanuts, Charles Schulz and The Meaning of Life
“I love mankind – it’s people I can’t understand!” – Charlie Brown I’ve long maintained that everything I know about writing I learned from MAD Magazine and everything I learned about philosophy – from Agnosticism to Zen – I learned from Peanuts and Good Ol’ Charlie Brown. The latter has been on my mind much […]
A Painting Comes in from the Cold
Appraisal events are funny things. I’ve had the opportunity to be on both sides of the table and it’s equally thrilling. The most entertaining and interesting stories are from people’s families and the objects that have passed down from generation to generation. Surprisingly, those objects are not always beloved – or even wanted.
The Coin Geek #3: Nickels and Vending Machines
The vending machine was restocked at work today, giving me a bit of inspiration for this post. This year marks the centennial of the Buffalo nickel, struck between 1913 and 1938. The Buffalo nickel’s design, by noted sculptor James Earle Fraser, made 21st-century comebacks to appear on both a 2001 silver commemorative coin and […]
You Paid $13,000 for WHAT!? – A Look at Collecting VHS Tapes, Part One
On May 31 of this year, someone paid $13,220 for an original MEDA VHS video tape of John Carpenter’s Halloween. No, that’s not a joke. Well, it might be a hoax, but more on that later. For now, we have to assume, since the eBay item page is still up, that it really happened. I […]
I Love Calvin & Hobbes
(The following blog entry is written by 10-year-old Emily Shipman, daughter of our CIO Brian Shipman. It is presented here, unedited and unaided. Perhaps we have a new contributor!) My dad (who works for Heritage) and I used to read Calvin and Hobbes every night. We would laugh at them and have a great time. I always […]
Advertising Illustrations of Edgar Church
While I’m a professional coin geek, I have plenty of amateur interests, including a small but growing collection of illustration art. My search for quality illustrations on a bachelor’s budget led me to a famous name in many collecting circles: Edgar Church. Mr. Church’s vast collection preserved some of the rarest Golden Age comic books in […]
Favorite Auction Items with Secret Spaces and Concealed Compartments
Have you ever discovered a collectible or piece of period furniture with a secret compartment, a hidden drawer, double meaning, or a concealed space? Some of these rare antiques and collectibles are made more valuable for what you can’t see – secret spaces and concealed compartments.
