Category Archives: Walter Breen

How Coin Mintages Sometimes Get Messed Up

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek ….. We’re all familiar with coin guides of one sort or another. The most frequently used are price guides, which attempt to report the current “value” of specific coins in various levels of preservation. Some of these track auction sales and report the results, others claim to consolidate […]

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Confederation-Period Copper Coins: Halfpence, Cents, or Coppers?

By Craig Sholley, John Dannreuther, Jeff Rock, William Eckberg, Chris McCawley, and Brian Greer for PCGS …… Many of the Confederation-period copper coins, including the Connecticut, New Jersey, and Vermont state coinages–along with private issues such as the Nova Constellatio, Immune Columbia, and “1785 USA Bar” pieces–are presently referred to as “coppers”. That hasn’t always […]

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ANA Library Receives Walter Breen Papers, Books From Dwight N. Manley

  Prominent collector and benefactor Dwight N. Manley of Brea, California has donated to the American Numismatic Association (ANA) more than 60 books, auction catalogs, and photographs he recently acquired at auction from the Sydney F. Martin (1945-2021) Numismatic Library Collection. All the items were previously owned or annotated by noted numismatic researcher and author […]

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Fugio Cents: The First Regular-Issue United States Coin

By John Dannreuther, Gordon Wrubel, Craig Sholley, Brian Greer, Chuck Link, Tony Terranova, Chris Victor-McCawley, David McCarthy, and Erik Goldstein for PCGS …… Over the last few years, a group of Fugio enthusiasts has held discussions about Fugio Cents and whether the pieces should be considered the first regular-issue United States coins. As will be […]

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Booker T. on the Tarmac: A Story About First Coinvestors

By Charles Morgan with Hubert Walker for CoinWeek …..   Anthony Swiatek and Walter Breen’s The Encyclopedia of United States Silver & Gold Commemorative Coins: 1892-1954 has always been one of my favorite books. Sure, the topic’s been done better, most recently by Swiatek himself. And yes, the book is hopelessly optimistic about what was then the […]

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Confronting Sheldon

By David Thomason Alexander for CoinWeek ….. Dr. William Herbert Sheldon, born on November 19, 1898 and dying on September 17, 1977, was venerated for decades as one of the historical giants of American numismatics. During his later life he took the stage as the godfather or even the resident deity of the highly specialized […]

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CoinWeek IQ: United States 1921-S Morgan Dollar Zerbe Proof

Description The Zerbe Proof 1921-S Morgan dollar is one of the rarest and most enigmatic issues of the Morgan dollar series. The Morgan dollar, known more officially as the Liberty Head dollar, is a silver coin that was struck at each branch of the United States Mint in operation between 1878 and 1904 and then once […]

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Standing Tall Against Controversy and Scandal – The Standing Liberty Quarter

By Mike Garofalo for PCGS …… One of my favorite 20th-century coin designs has always been the Standing Liberty quarter. It replaced the staid and certainly not provocative Barber quarter, which had been struck since 1892. But was the Standing Liberty quarter a controversial coin? Let’s review a quick history of this quarter dollar. In […]

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Jeff Garrett: When Proofs Were New

The Smithsonian collection sheds light on some of the earliest examples from the US Mint By Jeff Garrett for Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) …… To begin a conversation about early United States Proof Coinage we should first discuss the definition of the term. The Guide Book of United States Coins (Redbook) defines the word as […]

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Rare Chapman Proof 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar to be Offered at Summer FUN Show

Business strike 1921 Morgan dollars are common, but proofs are significant rarities. None were officially made for collector sale, but the grading services recognize two varieties: the Chapman proofs and the Zerbe proofs. Certified Zerbe proofs tend to be from VAM-1AG or VAM-47 dies, and do not show all characteristics of proof Morgan dollars of […]

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Heritage Auctions – Seldom Seen Selections: Rare Knob 6, No Stem 1806 Bust Half Dollar

The 1806 Knob 6, No Stem O-108 Bust half dollar is one of the greatest rarities in the Draped Bust half Dollar series. Examples have been avidly sought after by series specialists for decades. The variety was discovered by Walter Breen when he studied the coin in the Philip Straus Collection in 1951. Breen observed the […]

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Booker T. on the Tarmac: A Story About First Coinvestors

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek ….. Anthony Swiatek and Walter Breen’s The Encyclopedia of United States Silver & Gold Commemorative Coins: 1892-1954 has always been one of my favorite books. Sure, the topic’s been done better, most recently by Swiatek himself. And yes, the book is hopelessly optimistic about what was then the future […]

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Condition Census 1795 Half Cent in Stack’s Bowers Baltimore Auction

By James McCartney, Numismatist & Cataloger – Stack’s Bowers ……   The Stack’s Bowers November 2017 Official Auction of the Whitman Coins & Collectibles Baltimore Expo promises to be a truly monumental event in both quality and quantity of offerings. This year’s auction will be highlighted by selections from the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation, the […]

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David Lawrence Rare Coins Auction 965: Lots You Need to Know

By CoinWeek …..   David Lawrence Rare Coins (DLRC) conducts online auctions of certified coins, offering collectors a mix of classic and modern material in all grades so that the everyman collector and the ultra-high-end registry set builder has the opportunity to upgrade their collections with new coins each week. Auction 965 is live now […]

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Spink to Offer Rare Pewter Continental Currency Piece at June Auction

  On June 19 and 20, Spink USA in New York will be offering an amazing item. Lot 208 is a 1776 pewter Continental Dollar. Newman 3-D, Breen-1095, W-8460, Low R.4. PCGS MS63. “EG FECIT” on the obverse. “CURRENCY.” Large “N” in “AMERICAN” on the reverse. Sundial / Thirteen states on linked chains. The Continental […]

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Heritage Auctions – Seldom Seen Selections: Only Known Proof B-4 1820 Capped Bust Quarter

Before the Mint began their program of commercial proof offerings in 1858, no records were kept of how many proof coins were made during any particular year. In the early days, before about 1840, proofs were struck whenever a government official, such as the Secretary of State, requested specimen coins for diplomatic presentations, or when […]

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Chinese Panda Coins: Pandas Tip the Rarity Scale

There are more than a dozen Chinese Panda coins and medals, including Show Pandas, that — by published mintage — rank from uncommon to very scarce By Peter Anthony  – Numismatic Guaranty Corporation …….   How rare is rare? Many people talk about rarity the way they do coin grades: very rare, extremely rare, etc. […]

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Kolbe & Fanning Announce April 22 Auction of Numismatic Books

Firm Using Auction Mobility for Live Online Bidding Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers have announced that their Sale 145 will be held on April 22, 2017. The 443-lot sale features selections from the libraries of Tom Cederlind and Italo Vecchi, as well as interesting and important material from other consignors on ancient, foreign and U.S. […]

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Kolbe & Fanning Announce April 22 Auction of Numismatic Books

Firm Using Auction Mobility for Live Online Bidding Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers have announced that their Sale 145 will be held on April 22, 2017. The 443-lot sale features selections from the libraries of Tom Cederlind and Italo Vecchi, as well as interesting and important material from other consignors on ancient, foreign and U.S. […]

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Return to Bicentennial Coinage: Silver Business Strike Edition

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek ….. One of the first pieces that we wrote for CoinWeek discussed Bicentennial quarters. In it, we discussed the nuances of the issue, from strike to Mint State grade distribution of the P- and D-mint coins by PCGS and NGC. We also questioned whether the coin would […]

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US Coins – Pogue Sale Part V: The Landmark Hines 1799 Cent

By Q. David Bowers – Stack’s Bowers ….   Fact: The most popular American series to collect by die varieties is copper cents from 1793 to 1857. Fact: The most famous single coin in large cent lore and tradition is the Henry Hines 1799 cent, the only known Mint State example. Crossing the auction block […]

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NGC, Stack’s Bowers Galleries Identify New California Fractional Gold Variety

Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) and Stack’s Bowers Galleries have identified a new variety of California Fractional Gold. The 1854 Octagonal California Gold Dollar was recently submitted to NGC for attribution and grading. California Fractional Gold Pieces were struck by private mints in California in order to fill a need for smaller denominations in commerce. The […]

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Collecting Classic Gold Commemorative Coinage (1903-1926)

By Jeff Garrett for Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) …… This is a great time to collect one of the most interesting and attractive United States coins series My last article focused on classic commemorative silver coins struck from 1892 to 1954. As enumerated, there are many compelling reasons to collect this long-ignored series. Nearly all […]

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Robert Bashlow

By David Thomason Alexander for CoinWeek …. THE CAST OF CHARACTERS in American Numismatics over the last century-and-a-half has included many an odd personality, whether in the ranks of collectors, dealers, researchers or story tellers. Some of these were well known figures who devoted decades to the field, often as professional coin auctioneers such as […]

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PCGS Bounty for Five Legendary Coins Totals $50,000

Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is extending the $10,000 reward offered for the 1964-D Peace Dollar to four additional coins, bringing the bounty up to $50,000. In addition to the 1964-D $10,000 bounty, PCGS will add four separate $10,000 rewards for the 1873-S Seated Dollar, the 1894-S Barber Dime, the 1841-O $5 Half Eagle and […]

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Philadelphia Mint 1859 Design Change Creates Three Rare $2.50 Gold Coins

By Dr. Richard S. Appel – UniqueRareCoins.com ……   The year 1859 was an eventful one for the United States Mint as well as future collectors. That was when the Mint redesigned or refined some of our circulating gold, silver and copper coins. For gold coin enthusiasts, this decision led to the birth of three […]

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Confronting Breen

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek…. Twenty-two years ago, noted numismatist Walter H. Breen died at Chino’s California Institute for Men, part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. A convicted serial child molester, it’s hard to imagine that Breen’s stay at the facility was ever meant to rehabilitate the man. Instead, […]

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The Rise and Fall of Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine

by David T. Alexander for CoinWeek.com…. The years 1935 to 1976 saw the dramatic emergence of the booming numismatic world that many take for granted today. During those years, one of the most influential voices was that of Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine, launched in January 1935 by printer and collector Lee F. Hewitt of Chicago. Hewitt […]

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