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Although some commonly agreed-upon grading standards for coins, a few coin dealers do not follow these rules and make up their own. If you depend upon a dealer to accurately grade the coins they sell, it is best to form a relationship with a trusted coin dealer. This way, he will know your taste for the coins you like in the condition that will match your collecting goals. Coin Grades A BU coin is usually described as MS (Mint State) today and generally falls into the lowest MS grades (grades between MS-60 and MS-63) on the Sheldon scale....

On a model railroad, as with the prototype, reverse loops consume a lot of space but are the fastest way to turn an entire train. One of the most common uses of reverse loops in modern layout design is as part of a staging yard. By incorporating a reverse loop, arriving trains can be quickly turned and readied for their next run. What’s the Problem? Most model railroads use the tracks to transmit power to the trains....

Fact: 200 million years ago most of the earth’s land was one huge continent named Pangaea, meaning “all lands.” All the seas were one huge ocean called Panthalassa, meaning “all seas.”Fact: Millions of years ago, the place that is now New York City was on the equator.Fact: Millions of years ago Antarctica was a rain forest.Fact: Millions of years ago India broke away from Africa, slammed into Eurasia, and rumpled up the Himalaya Mountains....

Expert and Class Titles Many players will refer to themselves as being a “Class A,” “Class C,” or “Expert” chess player. These titles are based entirely on ratings, and are, for the most part, very informal. Most players refer to the title that their current rating belongs in, although some—particularly those that once reached the expert level—will refer to themselves by their peak class. These class titles are usually considered to correspond to the following rating ranges:...

Although adults dominate the list of nominees and winners, kids have made their mark in Oscar history. Check out these young Oscar contenders. (Actors whose names are in bold won an Oscar.) More from Movies

You can make star stitches with a varying number of spikes, so you will find different instructions for different variations on this stitch. These directions are for making a common five-spike star stitch, but they’ll help you understand how to make any variation of the stitch. Crochet star stitch has a beautiful thick texture and is great for dense projects, such as washcloths and winter blankets, but you can use it to make just about anything....

Much of the glass made by the Daum factory was cameo in style. That means that multiple layers of glass were carved to achieve a design in low relief. Some examples combine a variety of techniques, however, such as enameling or intaglio carving in the design rather than adhering strictly to cameo décor. Occasionally, a Daum piece will be found set in silver or gilt base to form a vase or dish....

Rules for Tile Exchange in Scrabble You may swap one to seven tiles instead of playing a word on your turn. You can only do this if at least seven tiles are still in the bag. If you are near the end of the game and six or fewer tiles remain, you can’t exchange your tiles. When you exchange your tiles, you are passing on forming a word in that round....

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Balkans The Balkans refers to the southeastern-most peninsula of Europe. It includes all or most of Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and European Turkey. Southeast Romania and northern Greece are also part of the Balkans. Migrants cross a field near the Serbian-Hungarian border, Aug. 2015 Source: AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic Central America Central America refers to the seven countries of North America between Mexico and South America: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama....

Needle Size When it comes to your needle, size does matter. In the average pack of needles, you will find different sizes. Your needle size is important to the way the fabric will handle the floss. As a good rule of thumb, these are the needle sizes you will need for Aida fabric: Fabric 8 to 12: Needle Size 22Fabric 14: Needle Size 24Fabric 16 to 18: Needle Size 28...

History of the Franklin Half Dollar In 1948 Chief Engraver for The United States Mint, John R. Sinnock sculpted the design for the Franklin half dollar based upon a bust statue of Benjamin Franklin created by Jean Antoine Houdon. The reverse features a large rendition of the Liberty Bell that is very similar in design to the reverse of the 1926 Sesquicentennial of the American Independence commemorative half dollar. When they were first released, the blasé design on the obverse paled in comparison to the previous Walking Liberty half dollar design by Weinberg....

Learning how to sew is a totally “hands-on” and “learning by doing” experience. Follow our sewing lessons, one step at a time, to make the most of your sewing time. Sewing Terms and Definitions Sometimes it seems like the people in the know are speaking a different language when you are learning how to sew. Don’t panic! There is help available. Learning how to sew and communicating with people in the know, is much easier if you understand sewing terms....

The Christmas tree coloring pages here are all free and can be downloaded and printed out in a matter of minutes. You can easily create a whole coloring book of Christmas tree coloring pages that the kids will love in no time. If your kids love coloring these Christmas tree coloring pages, they’ll probably also love some other Christmas coloring pages and Santa coloring pages that feature many more Christmas traditions and fun images....