I said I was done buying coins, and then I saw this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260211846249&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=016

...and I couldn't resist. In one fell swoop, I acquire a half dime, a half cent, and a ray shield nickel...not great condition, but now I have almost completed a regular issue type collection from 1800-present.

Of course I won't be happy until I possess a Stella and exactly three octagonal $50s.

Slow start to the month...post-holiday recuperation was cut short by an early Mardi Gras...the pace of new listings and shipping time is somewhat hindered until 2/18. 

After a bartender stint in September at my sister's awesome Mexican restaurant in Atlanta ( www.Across-the-Street.com  ) I had a nice chunk of tip money which I immediately reinvested in precious metals vis a vis US coins on Ebay, quadrupling the collection size in about three months. This has turned out to be a really good short term investment on price alone (up more than 20% peak in Xmas retail value), but I'm unlikely to let go of these gems even though gold may not sustain its soaring price for much longer. I am bullish long term on numismatic platinum, gold, and silver. Still, I probably am done with coin acquisition for a few years, until I see how the economy fares. My collection gallery is available for viewing at ( http://picasaweb.google.com/aewild/USCoinCollection ).

www.HighStBooks.com is joining the G-verse, while www.BelladonnaUnderground.com is going to be detached from PS.