danhughes

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Everything posted by danhughes

  1. Show Number 200. A good clean stopping point. After 200 shows, I've just about run dry. It's just become really difficult to come up with new and different topics after eight years of programs. So I'm calling it quits with this episode. I'll still post new shows when I have something interesting to say, but not every other Thursday night anymore. If you'd like to be notified when I do post new episodes, drop me a note at danhughesmail@gmail.com. Just write IN THE TREASURE CORNER. For the final episode, click http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  2. First, the powers-that-be decided it was past time to get a woman on our currency. Their initial thought - Sacajawea on the ten-dollar bill. But the public didn't want Sacajawea, they wanted Harriet Tubman. Okay, done. And they didn't want to lose Alexander Hamilton on the ten, mainly because he's the star in a bizarre Broadway hit musical where our Founding Fathers sing his praise. In rap and hip-hop, with lots of crazy dancing. Like 1776 on steroids. Hey, whatever works. So now it's Harriet Tubman on the twenty, with Andrew Jackson demoted to the back of the bill. Hear the story: http://thetreasurecorner.com
  3. IN THE TREASURE CORNER - VISITING THE DENTIST PAYS OFF Oh, no. Dental check-up time again! What good could possibly ensue? Well, there was this great book full of treasure leads, right there amongst the Sports Illustrateds and Ladies Home Journals. And since I was a bit early for my appointment, I was able to sit down with it for a while. I was able to identify two good locations for old coins before the dentist called me in, and I'm sure there were a lot more waiting to be found. To hear about the leads I discovered (and a story about an exploding anvil), visit http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  4. "Psst! Hey Bud! This penny cost me almost two cents - yours for just a penny! And this nickel cost almost eight cents - wanna buy it for a nickel?" That's the United States Mint, selling its coins for below cost. As they have been doing for years. How to handle the problem? Suggested fixes include using cheaper metals, or simply doing away with the coins altogether. This show examines the cost of minting coins. Give it a listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  5. Who designs our coins? The Chief Engraver of the United States? Sometimes. An artist or sculptor invited by the US Mint? Sometimes. You? Maybe! The World War One Centennial Commission has bravely invited all voting-age Americans to enter the competition to design a new silver dollar. Wouldn't it be something to be metal detecting and dig a coin and say, "Oh, this is one I designed." I cover the basic details of the contest in this episode of In the Treasure Corner, at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  6. Mr. Longacre was in trouble. His boss didn't like him. And his boss was Director of the United States Mint. But Mr. Longacre had friends in high places. Like the Presidency. Here's the story of the man who served under eight presidents and designed eight of our United States coins, all the while fighting to save his job. Enjoy the story of our 4th Chief Engraver of the United States Mint. It's at http://thetreasurecorner.com/
  7. The year, 1915. The new Director of the United States Mint, Robert Woolley, misunderstood the law. He thought he had to redesign the dime, quarter, and half dollar. So he did. Chief Engraver of the Mint, Charles Barber, had designed all three of those coins being replaced. He was furious. But coin enthusiasts cheered. Gone were Barber's dull designs, and they were replaced by - ...but listen to the story. It's at http://thetreasurecorner.com .
  8. A two-part show this time: Part I - The night after Christmas, a tornado destroyed the home of metal detecting legend Dick Stout (nobody hurt, dogs are fine too). Help him rebuild at http://tinyurl.com/hmpvolp. Part II - The Franklin Mint, the Danbury Mint - private companies that mint coins as instant collectibles. Good or bad? I want your stories! Buzz me at danhughesmail@gmail.com. Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  9. Out with the old, in with the new. The old calendar is all used up, and a fresh one is raring to go. New Year's Resolutions? Nah. They only last a week or two, mainly because they're just too difficult. But howsabout a list of baby steps that you can do at your leisure, without setting deadlines that encourage failure? This show has some tips on things you might want to work on this new year to improve your metal detecting finds. Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  10. Memorial back or wheat back? Did Ike really look like that? And that Susan B. Anthony dollar - what was THAT all about? Frank Gasparro was the Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, and it was his job to design our United States coins. Here are his hits and misses. Mostly misses. For better or worse, the artwork of Frank Gasparro appears on more coins in current circulation than any other engraver who ever lived. Hey, just deal with it. Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com. And while I'm here, let me apologize for not telling you about my previous two shows. My computer was giving me fits, and it deleted my mailing lists. I'm finally getting back on track. The last show celebrated my 7th "birthday," with a list of the most popular episodes over the past year. And the show before that gave instructions on how to make your own probe, a simple tool that can often pinpoint and retrieve coins faster than any other method. You'll see all of these when you visit http://thetreasurecorner.com and scroll down. Enjoy!
  11. Electronic pinpointers can help you find your targets a lot faster, some say. But others say they they don't save you time, they cost you time - that if you're sharp, all you need is your metal detector to pinpoint your coins. This show looks at the granddaddy of pinpointers, Fred Wagner's Tinytec (pictured here), and current pinpointers that range in price from $13 (with coupon) to $170. Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  12. The name that seems most likely now is Harriet Tubman. Lots of congress members are pushing that choice.
  13. There's a new coin book in town, and it dwarfs anything else you've ever seen. It has over 1,500 pages and nearly 6,000 illustrations. And it weighs in at almost 6 1/2 pounds. It's called The Official Red Book - Deluxe Edition. This week's show tells you all about it. Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  14. In 1941, the United States went to war. And from late 1942 through 1945, our nickels were zero percent nickel, but 35 percent silver. These silver nickels are known as War Nickels. Why the change? And why was a less-expensive metal replaced by a more-expensive metal? Why were those huge mint marks put on our War Nickels but no other coins? And why did we go back to nickel nickels, and small mint marks, after the war? Learn the answers in this week's edition of In the Treasure Corner. Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  15. Soon, the face of a woman will adorn our ten-dollar bill. But which woman? Mr. Jack Lew, Secretary of the Treasury, wants your help in choosing. Sacajawea? Eleanor Roosevelt? Miley Cyrus? There is no one woman who really stands out, but there are plenty of women who should be seriously considered. This program explains which women, by law, cannot be chosen. And it looks at men who have been on currency for clues as to the women who might make the cut. Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  16. BOOK REVIEW - OFFICIAL BLACKBOOK PRICE GUIDE TO COINS The Official Blackbook Price Guide to United States Coins is a normal-size paperbook book with over 650 pages of coin history, coin information, and coin values. It's a great backup book to the Bressett-Yeoman Red Book, which is the best book available for coinshooters and coin collectors. Though the two books overlap a lot, they also have enough differences to make it worthwhile to own a copy of each. In this show, I compare and contrast the Red Book and the Blackbook. It's short - just over 3 minutes. Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  17. http://assets.libsyn.com/content/9043885 Meeting actress Kathy Garver made me wonder if any celebrities were into treasure hunting. Kathy, who played big sister Cissy on the TV show Family Affair (with Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot, and two twins named Buffy and Jody - remember?), asked my advice on what detector would be good for a beginner. She sounded eager to get into the hobby! So maybe we can convince her to join our ranks, and get her hands good and dirty on days when she's not on the soundstage. This week's episode of In the Treasure Corner abounds with show biz glitz! So sit back and enjoy. It's at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  18. Hey, you with the metal detector! Wanna be a big star on a worldwide reality TV show? I got a phone call yesterday from a casting associate for a new reality show about people who have suddenly come into a lot of money. People who won the lottery, or invented a popular app, or received an unexpected inheritance - or found a treasure with a metal detector. And she called me because she thought I might know of such a person, since I know a lot of, you know, treasure hunters and such. If you fit the description of a person they're looking for, the podcast gives you the number to call. And if you don't, you'll still enjoy the show. Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  19. Not all hidden treasures are buried in the ground. I've seen many stories of treasures being found inside mattresses when an old person died, or inside walls when an old house was torn down. In this show, I review a book that covers indoor hiding places. It was written to help you hide valuables inside homes or vehicles, but with reverse-engineering it becomes a book on finding cleverly-hidden treasures. Several books have been written on this topic, and this one (The Big Book of Secret Hiding Places, by Jack Luger) is pretty representative of the bunch. If you're ever asked to search a house, this book will give you some ideas you would never have come up with on your own. Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  20. Gerhard Fischer, Kenneth C. White, Charles Garrett, and Jack Gifford (Tesoro). They are the four men who founded the four premier metal detector manufacturing companies in the United States. And with the passing last week of Charles Garrett, we have lost all four. This week's In the Treasure Corner podcast remembers these giants of the industry, and wishes time didn't pass quite so quickly as it does. Give it a listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  21. The first thing you notice about a gold dollar is how tiny it is - about a half inch across. And it weighs about 1/25 of an ounce, or about half the weight of a dime. Then if you're especially perceptive, you might notice that Lady Liberty has the same facial outline as the Indian on the Indian head penny. Why? Because somebody was lazy.... The gold dollar was minted for just 41 years, from 1849 to 1889. But in that short time, its design was changed three times. Its gold content is worth less than $60.00, but its collectible value can be over a quarter of a million dollars. Why was the gold dollar made thinner in 1854? Why was it discontinued? What two factors caused its downfall? How did the Civil War affect our gold coin minting? Why were gold coins used more in the early 1850s than at any other time? These questions and more are answered in the latest edition of In the Treasure Corner, at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  22. Here's a rapidfire quiz about coins. The questions are hard but fun, and the answers are given right after the questions are asked. So if you want to make guesses as you go, keep your finger on the pause button and hit it just as soon as I finish reading the question. Which of today's coins have the least amount of copper content? How many mints have been in Philadelphia since 1792? Do you know what strange thing happens when you pay for a $3.59 purchase with a $20 bill? What was the Buzzard coin? Who proposed our decimal money system? What were the modern-day era years of no mint marks? Learn the answers to all of these and a lot more, in under five minutes. Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  23. New Minelab gold detector: $12,499.00 Most expensive Garrett gold detector: $799.95* Is any detector worth twelve and a half thousand dollars? Are you buying more than just the parts that make up this machine? What exactly does "up to 40% more depth" mean? On the other hand, if you live in gold country, one good find could pay for this machine. This is head-swimming territory, and I'm not sure how to handle it. What do YOU think? *(To be fair, Garrett also has a deepseeker detector package at $3,280, but that one comes with two coils and several accessories and does much more than find gold.) Listen at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  24. The San Francisco mint, 1917. Somebody was doing SOMETHING unauthorized with one of the new machines that made half dollars, and there were no clues as to who (or what?) was responsible. The Secret Service to the rescue... This is the exciting tale of the counterfeiter who didn't really counterfeit - or did he? See what you think, as you listen to the story of Charlie Butler and the absolutely-perfect fifty-cent pieces he made on the sly. The whole story is at http://thetreasurecorner.com.
  25. The Franklin half dollar was issued from 1948 through 1963. It was designed by John Sinnock, who died before the coin was issued. Sinnock had also designed the Roosevelt dime. Why was there a controversy about Sinnock's initials being on the coins? Was there a communist influence? What did the ex-governor of Wyoming have to do with the Franklin half dollar? Why did an arts commission recommend that the eagle be removed from the coin, and that the crack in the Liberty bell also be removed? Why did the coin last just 16 years, when law mandated that coins remain unchanged for at least 25 years? These questions and more are answered in the four-minute show at http://thetreasurecorner.com.