The 2010 PMG Registry Award Winners

The results of the first annual PMG Registry Awards have been tallied and five sets are being recognized in a range of categories. Each of the PMG graders sat on the judging panel and after much consideration reached consensus on this year’s winners.

The Registry is a tool that allows collectors to showcase their currency collections online. Currently, there are 2,063 individual sets in the PMG Registry. Each note in a Competitive Set is assigned a Registry score, a measure of its scarcity, grade and desirability. The Set Score is the sum of the notes’ scores. Three of this year’s winning sets are the top ranked set in their respective category, although this alone is not a requirement for award consideration. Instead, winning sets must be mostly complete and show the preferences and goals of the collectors who assemble them. They must be the product of considerable focus and diligence. And they must be difficult to replicate.

This year’s best world set comes from a Signature Set category that is not scored. Instead, when building Signature Sets, collectors can define their own sets, choosing notes according to their own collecting path. The freedom and flexibility allows collectors to invent creative and diverse sets. For a Signature Set to win, collecting parameters must be clearly defined and the set must be mostly complete.

The year’s final award was given in the best presented category, bestowed to the set that has the best set description, images and individual note descriptions. The winning set in this category may come from either the Competitive or Signature divisions, and need not be particularly high grade or high ranking. Instead, the individual preferences and motivations of the collector must be made apparent by the descriptions provided. Candidates for this award are sets that are enjoyable to look at, as well as informative about their area of focus. Better than other sets, they demonstrate the passion that drives every collector who participates in the PMG Registry.

And the winners are…

Best Colonial Currency Set

Hondo
The Henderson Collection of Continentals
Judges’ Comments: This set is participating in the Continental Currency Complete Set category, which includes an example of each note authorized by the Continental Congress to finance the American Revolution. Hondo’s wonderful set is 65% complete, including 66 of the 102 notes required in the set. Beyond its level of completion, nearly all of the notes are either AU or Uncirculated grade. Of particular note to the PMG judges, 52 of the 66 notes in this set (79%) were designated Exceptional Paper Quality (EPQ). Colonial notes are less commonly found with original paper – just 34% of all the Continental Currency notes graded by PMG are designated EPQ. The overall balance of grade and quality of this collection are indeed very special.

Best Large Size Set

Mike’s Notes
Silver Certificate Types 1880-1923
Judges’ Comments: The judges were torn between this set and a complete set in a different category. This set is on 81% complete, missing four of the required 22 notes for 100% completion. That objection was quickly overcome by the astonishing quality of its constituent notes and the fact that this set, with 96,079 points, it is among the highest scored sets in the entire PMG Registry … and includes just 18 notes. It is a type set of each of the Large Size Silver Certificate designs issued between 1880 and 1923 in denominations from $1 to $50, an avidly collected area. Each of the notes included grades at least 66 EPQ, and there are four 68 EPQs. All but three of the notes are graded at the highest grade ever certified by PMG, and four (yes, four!) notes are a population of one at their lofty grade level. The PMG judges were mesmerized by this collection’s quality, which they described quite simply as, “virtually unimproveable.”

Best Small Size Set

TheRock
The "DeRocker" Collection - SC Complete Set w/Stars & Blocks
Judges’ Comments: One word can be used to describe the undertaking of this collector more aptly than any other: ambitious. TheRock is assembling a complete set of Small Size Silver Certificate $1, including every single block of every possible variety … 505 notes in all. If that sounds like a challenge, consider this. TheRock is also building this set in gem uncirculated condition. His set is currently 69% complete, including 349 of the 505 notes, and 348 of them are graded Gem CU 65 EPQ or better. Just marveling the work that this set requires was fatiguing to the panel of judges…it’s difficult even to imagine the effort that has gone into it. While it seems likely TheRock will press forward to complete it further, at 69% completion it is already a significant accomplishment.

Best World Set

Silver Dollar
Allied Military Currency "France"
Judges’ Comments: This set comes from the Signature Set category and like the other award winning sets is an ambitious undertaking. Silver Dollar is working to complete a full set of the World War II Allied Military Currency issued by France. Not only does this collection include all denominations of the first and second issue, but the collector is also pursuing each block and replacement note available. So far the set is 69% complete. The breadth of this collection was particularly impressive to our judges. While these notes are commonly collected by block in France, most collectors stateside abandon that challenge as a number of issues ultimately prove too elusive. Although a range of grades is represented, it is clear that examples have been selected with care, showing bright colors and, on the higher grade example, being designated Exceptional Paper Quality.

Best Presented Set

GSA_Gem_Quest
The Newport Ridge Collection - Large Ones
Judges’ Comments: When it comes to describing a set, this collector has done things right. The set description explains that the attractive designs prompted this collector to build a type set of Large Size $1 notes. Not only is each note beautifully imaged, but detailed descriptions describe the design and GSA_Gem_Quest’s attraction to each note. One description that caught the judge’s attention in particular was the story of the bidding during the auction of the Thomas Flynn sale, on a note pedigreed to that collection: “Thomas Flynn attempted to complete a set of all Fr numbered notes, an almost impossible feat. His highly prized collection attracted spirited bidding that made that auction a real treat to watch. It was amazing!” Because the set description includes periodic updates detailing when a new note is added, it is easy (and tempting) to follow this collector’s journey.

While the above collections stood out, with only a small group of winners, other worthy sets did not receive awards. The PMG judges would like to mention a handful of these other collectors whose sets were certainly praiseworthy: Boiler78, drpete's, Jack Ackerman, Riccee and WACHS. All sets participating in the PMG Registry are automatically eligible for award consideration.

Congratulations to all!