Dale Friend: A memory

0


[ad_1]

from Doug WinterRareGoldCoins.com ……
Coin week Content partner

The first time I can remember interacting with Dale friend was about 15 years or so ago.

I was at a coin show and he came to my table and asked for one Proof of 1864 gold dollars that I owned. He introduced himself and told me that he was working on a complete one 1864 PP gold set (a challenge that seems impossible today!) and that he only needed the gold dollar to complete it. I remember laughing and telling him, “I would have thought the gold dollar was the first coin you bought for the set, not the last.”

There was one caveat: the coin I owned was in an NGC holder and Dale would only buy PCGS grade coins. I told him this was not a problem and that I would try to cross the coin for him. I submitted the coin to PCGS at the show and 24 hours later I had it back, now in a PCGS holder. I peeped Dale at the table and showed him the coin. Dale asked me the price and I told him that if the coin was in its original holder, I would respect my quotes, even though I could easily have increased the price by $ 2,500. He wrote me a check and went away happy. In fact, every time I interacted with Dale, we walked away happily.

Dale was a man of his word and a collector’s collector, one of the few I met who really understood the dynamics of the coin market and valued the selected, original coins – especially barber and Bust half a dollar and early Silver dollars. Dale was more of an amateur when it came to gold coins, but he had a nice collection of early ones half eagle at once, with many of the coins graded MS63 and MS64.

Dale was best known for his outstanding sets Liberty Nickel, Barber half dollars and Bust half dollars. His Barber Half Dollar Set was launched in 1992 and, if I remember correctly, it was his first serious collection as an adult. His star coin was the fantastic PCGS MS68 1892-O micro-O of the Eliasberg and Clap Collections widely considered to be the best barber half dollar there is. As he became a more refined collector, he began collecting half dollars and dollars from Bust Red book Diversity. All of these sets were exceptional and some of Dale’s halves were sold at the 2018 ANA Auction of heritage. If I’m not mistaken, his lovely set of bust dollars remains intact.

Dale had a very good eye when it came to silver coins. I would always kid him that his coins have “The Dale Friend Look” (DFL), a tint pattern in which the centers were lighter than the edges and the deeper tinted areas were boldly shimmered. Coins kept in certain old memory albums sometimes come with this appearance, but it’s really hard to find many early half dollars / dollars with a DFL appearance. Funny story: Even today I mark a DFL coin in an auction catalog when I look at lots.

I’ve always enjoyed talking to Dale about coins. He was passionate and stubborn. If you were a dealer and Dale screwed up a coin you would be put on his Bad List, but if you treated him well he would be loyal and generous. Dale vouched for me with an acquaintance of his collectors who did not know me, and I ended up representing that collector as agent for well over $ 1 million worth of coins for the first three Pogue Sales. Dale didn’t have to do that, and I was really touched by his support.

Dale and his wife Stacy it was really fun to be there. You really loved each other and as my wife Irma and I went to shows with my friends, good conversations and lots of laughter were always part of the game.

I last spoke to Dale a few weeks ago. He was just recovering from major heart surgery but he sounded great and told me he would see us soon. He also wanted to announce that I had bought half a dollar from Barber for him Larry Miller Collection Sale had moved from NGC66 to PCGS66 in early 2021 (as I said) and that he was grateful for my advice.

Dale, I will miss you very much. You were a great friend and meant a lot to me and many others.
Doug Winter Numismatics, US gold coin specialist

* * *

About Doug Winter

Doug_Winter2Doug spent much of his life in the field of numismatics; He began collecting coins at the age of seven, and when he was 10 he bought and sold coins at conventions in the New York City area.

In 1989 he founded Douglas Winter Numismatics, and his company specializes in buying and selling selected and rare US gold coins, especially US gold coins and all branch coins.

Recognized as a premier specialist numismatic firm, Doug is an award-winning author of over a dozen numismatic books and a recognized expert on US gold. His knowledge and exceptional eye for properly valued and original coins have made him one of the most respected figures in the numismatic community and a sought-after dealer by collectors and investors who seek professional, personal service, select stocks of impeccable quality and fairness honest prices. Doug is also a big buyer of all US coins and is always on the lookout for collections both large and small. He can be reached at (214) 675-9897.

Doug has been a contributor to the Guidebook of United States Coins (also known as the “Redbook”), Walter Breen’s Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Coins, Q. David Bowers’ Encyclopedia of United States Silver Dollars, and Andrew Pollock’s United States Patterns and Related Problems since 1983

In addition, he has authored 13 books on US gold coins, including:
  • New Orleans Mint Gold Coins: 1839-1909
  • Carson City Mint gold coins: 1870-1893
  • Charlotte Mint gold coins: 1838-1861
  • Gold coins from the Dahlonega Mint 1838-1861
  • The United States $ 3 gold pieces 1854-1889
  • Carson City Gold Coin 1870-1893: An Update on Rarity and Condition Counts
  • An Insider’s Guide to Collecting Type 1 Double-headed Eagles
  • The connoisseur’s guide for US gold coins
  • A Collectible’s Guide to Indian Head Quarter Eagles
  • The New Orleans Coinage Acadiana Collection
  • Type Drei Doppeladler, 1877-1907: A Numismatic History and Analysis
  • Dahlonega Mint Gold Coins, 1838-1861: A Numismatic History and Analysis
  • Type Two Double Eagles, 1866-1876: A Numismatic History and Analysis

After all, Doug is a member of virtually every major numismatic organization, professional group, and major coin association in the United States.


[ad_2]

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.