34: 1960 Mantles

 
 
 

As we close out 2017 I thought I would add a near complete glimpse of the Mantle colors from 1960. The 60 coins come both as translucent ( if you hold it up to the light you can see some light coming through) and what I call trans or transparent (when you hold it up to the light you can read the back of the coin)

This shows 13 different colors and is missing medium green and sfla blue (which I know exist and I am searching for) and bright orange which I have with a chip in the rim and never graded.

In addition 5 of the colors in trans. Remember my theory on trans coins is that they do not have filler in them. Filler is a cheaper material like sand that is blended with plastic to lower the cost. The cooling rate of the plastic may also be involved as to whether the resultant coin is transparent or opaque. Are these really variations? PSA thinks NOT, but then again they don't even recognize the different colors or the bust tilts.

 I have never seen a trans red or royal blue....I have several trans red/oj and Dk green in 1960 but not Mantle.

Before the year ends I wanted to mention that one of our fellow Armour collectors, ChiSox Tony, who owns the #21 1959 set and the #7 1960 set took the initiative to contact Bud Daley and inquire whether he knew why his 1960 Armour coin is so rare. The letter and the response are shown below.

So it does not look like we will be getting any answers from Mr Daley and the scarcity remains a mystery !

SO until next year may I wish you

 

ARMOURPHIL

33. SFLA Yank 55 MAntles

 

Continuing our "show me yours and I'll show you mine game, SFLAYank has offered up pics of  his 1955 Mantle Armour coins. These are coins where he has both the miss-spelled variation "Mantel" (the common coin) and at least one of the correct spelling (Mantle) i.e. either (L or R) or (L-R). You may recall from earlier blogs that he also has the extremely rare colors of tan and sky blue and dk green  in the incorrect spelling version. So, here they are. Dare I say, maybe no one else on the planet has 22/24 as Larry does.

The correct orange and red corrects are the only ones I have ever seen. The yellows are nearly as rare.

Maybe, if we are nice we can get the Doug Stultz to show us his from his raw collection !

32. Looks Like Lime Greens Produced for ALL 1960 Armour Coins

Just when I thought there was nothing left to write about in Armour coins, SFLA Yank informs me that he has just bought a lime green Rocky Colovito coin (see below)  Even the casual Armour collector knows that while Aaron, Banks, Crandall, Fox, Malzone, Mantle and Triandos are available in many rich colors, the rest of the players in the set are only available in red/orange and  3 shades of yellow (rare pale yellow, yellow and rare mustard yellow)

Well that can no longer be said. Colovito  joins the Early Wynn that "Armour Godfather" Doug Stultz found many years ago and a Mays that SFLA Yank sold several years ago. The three are shown below and lead us to believe the entire run must have been produced in lime green. How rare ? Maybe only one of each ? who knows.

The Stultz Wynn coin shows rim cracks that offer proof that the coins are lime green through and through.



 

 

 

31. Key Mantle Coins from Auctionfvr

George R, aka Auctionfvr has passed along this photo of his favorite Mantle coins along with a challenge to other Armour Coins collectors to send in their photos so we can aall see what they have.
So I guess what we have here is an old mans game of "Show me yours and I'll show you mine " !

We have seen the silver L-R with a gold swirl before and crowned it "Cappo-de-tuti-cappo"
George adds a PSA 10 aqua  L-R and a navy PSA 9 L-R . Since PSA currently lists only (1) 10 and (1) 9 in the population reports...my friends we are looking at them.

In addition George is the proud owner of what we think is the only PSA 10 black MANTEL (inc) coin.

Congrats on some seriously great Mantle coins........

If we were playing cards this might be a royal flush....but I'm sure SFLAYank will be up for this challenge...............