Category Archives: in god we trust

1865 Two Cent Piece : A Collector’s Guide

 

1865 Two-Cent Piece. Image: CoinWeek / NGC.
1865 Two-Cent Piece. Image: CoinWeek / NGC.

 

First struck in 1864 in an attempt to solve the nationwide coin shortage, caused by the onset of the U.S. Civil War, the Two Cent piece never truly caught on and suffered from a consistently shrinking mintage. As only the second issuance, the 1865 type still had a significant mintage of 13,640,000 specimens (for comparison’s sake, the Mint would strike only 3,177,000 coins in 1866, a further 77% decrease). As such, the 1865 is the second-most-common date after the 1864 Large Motto type. The years of high mintages ended with the conclusion of pitched battle and the slow release of hoarded coins, a process that gradually negated the need for this odd denomination.

In God We Trust Is Adopted on Other Coins

The major innovation resulting from this denomination was the use of the motto “In God We Trust”. So popular was this new addition that Congress passed legislation on March 3, 1865 to mandate its placement on all coins large enough to contain it. Implemented in 1866, this included all gold coins as well as the silver dollar, half-dollar coin, and quarter, as well as the three-cent nickel. Later, in the Coinage Act of February 12, 1873, Congress ordered the motto be “inscribed on such coins as shall admit” it.

1865 Two-Cent Piece Varieties Worth Collecting

Adding interest to this date for type collectors is the large number of die-punch varieties, the two most famous of which are the Plain 5 and the Fancy 5. The Plain 5 displays a normal crossbar on the five in 1865, while the Fancy 5 has a distinctly curved or flipped arm. While PCGS did not denote this until recently, they have now begun offering the designation. Since then, the combined population of PCGS and NGC Fancy 5 1865 Two Cent coins totals only 427 pieces, of which 44 total are designated as Red (RD) (the rest being either Brown (B) or Red Brown (RB)). Interestingly, NGC only records one Fancy 5 1865 RD example, graded MS 66.

How Much is the1865 Two-Cent Piece Worth?

Like all copper coins, the 1865 Two Cent piece’s value is heavily dependent on its grade and, if in Mint State, its color designation. As a result, if a collector is not particular about having an RD-designated coin, then it’s relatively easy to find a BN or RB example in up to low Mint State grade. In lower circulated grades, the 1865 Two-Cent piece is worth about $15 to $20. This price increases to $50 to $85 in high circulated grades.

Coins certified by CAC, NGC, and PCGS will sell for a premium. An October 2023 listing on eBay for a PCGS-graded 1865 Two-Cent piece graded AU55 sold for $131. In November 2023, an NGC AU53BN sold for $120.

Fully red examples are relatively easily available in grades up to MS 65. However, the total combined population of all RD examples in MS 66, graded by both NGC and PCGS, consists of only 72 coins. From this total, CAC has approved 25 coins. To date, CAC has not yet encapsulated coins in its own holder at this grade. Meanwhile, only three MS 67s are are reported at NGC and PCGS in both the Plain 5 and Fancy 5 varieties, making it a true condition rarity.

Collectors should be aware that while the Fancy 5 variety is slightly rarer than the Plain 5, it does not hold a significant premium. One MS67 Fancy 5 example, sold by Heritage Auctions in their January 9, 2014, sale, hammered for $25,850 USD. Despite being one of the first pieces to earn the Fancy 5 designation from PCGS, this coin proved to be an outlier. It displays the soft orange of a true red copper coin and is simply dripping with luster. Similarly nice examples that were graded MS 66+ earn less than half of the astronomical auction record. Instead, a MS 66+ RD Fancy 5 with an extremely sharp strike and smooth satin copper luster hammered for $10,200 in 2020. A coin with the same grade was sold in 2021 for $8,225; this coin, however, has a significant reverse die crack and die cud.

Design

Obverse:

As one of the few American coin series not to feature a bust on the obverse, United States Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre decided to use his own interpretation of the Great Seal of the United States as the main device. By focusing on the defensive shield with six vertical and 20 horizontal bars, the shield strikes a markedly different tone. The shield stands in front of a pair of crossed arrows, which, while martial in nature, actually represent alliance and friendship for many Native American cultures. Behind the arrows is the traditional symbol of victory, a laurel leaf. The date 1865 is placed in the empty field below the shield. Lastly, surmounting the entire design is a flowing banner with the motto “In God We Trust”. Taken cumulatively, the obverse is a visual display of the Federal Government’s drive to maintain the Union as the Civil War raged.

Reverse:

Centered on the reverse is an ornate wheat wreath, the arms of which encircle the denomination 2 CENTS written in two rows. The country name UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps around the reverse, covering more than three-quarters of the empty fields outside of the wheat wreath. Lastly, since the Philadelphia Mint was responsible for striking all Two Cent pieces, the design does not include a mintmark.

Edge:

The edge of the 1865 Two Cent piece is smooth or plain.

Designer

James Barton Longacre (1794-1869) was one of the most famous US engraver and medallic artists of the 19th century. Longacre was appointed the fourth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint by President John Tyler after Christian Gobrecht died in 1844. Before his appointment, Longacre worked for the Philadelphia engraving company Murray, Draper, Fairman & Co. until he began working for himself in 1819. As an independent engraver, Longacre produced a series of famous plates that featured the Founding Fathers, President Andrew Jackson, and Senator John C. Calhoun. Once he became Chief Engraver at the Mint, he produced such famous pieces as the Flying Eagle cent, the Indian Head cent, the Shield nickel, and the Coronet Head $20 double eagle gold coin.

Coin Specifications

Country:  USA
Year Of Issue:  1865
Denomination:  Two Cents
Mint Mark: None (Philadelphia)
Mintage: 13,640,000
Alloy:  95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
Weight:  6.22 g
Diameter:  23.00 mm
Edge: Smooth
OBV Designer  James Barton Longacre
REV Designer  James Barton Longacre
Quality: Business Strike

 

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Sources

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CRPT-112hrpt47/html/CRPT-112hrpt47.htm

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The Two-Cent Piece: The Civil War and In God We Trust

Two-Cent Piece. Image: CoinWeek/ Stack's Bowers.
Two-Cent Piece. Image: CoinWeek/Stack’s Bowers.

The two-cent piece was a large copper coin struck by the United States Mint. It was first struck in 1864, but public demand for the unusual denomination subsided after just two short years. Produced in ever decreasing numbers after that, the coin was last issued for circulation in 1872. Proof-only versions were struck for collectors the year after that but Congress abolished the coin with the passage of the Coinage Act of 1873.

Slightly smaller than a modern U.S. quarter dollar, the two-cent piece was conceived as a stopgap denomination to facilitate trade at a time when most coins had been withdrawn from circulation and hoarded due to the economic strain caused by the Civil War.

With the war effort costing the Federal Government nearly $3 million per day (in 1864 money), the challenge of keeping silver and gold coins in circulation proved daunting for the Treasury Department. Even copper coins had all but disappeared from circulation within the first two years of fighting. Among the solutions was to issue paper money in various forms and to introduce base metal coins in two-, three-, and five-cent denominations. It wasn’t until the late 1870s that Congress would pass legislation authorizing the resumption of specie (i.e., precious metal) payments.

The Birth of a National Motto

The first time IN GOD WE TRUST appeared on a United States coin. Image: CoinWeek.
The 1864 Two-Cent Piece marked the first time IN GOD WE TRUST appeared on a United States coin. Image: CoinWeek.

While the two-cent piece didn’t catch on as a circulating coin, it is significant in that it the very first United States coin to carry the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The motto was placed there on the order of Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, who got the idea from the Reverend M.R. Watkinson, a Baptist preacher from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, who recommended that the nation recognize God on its coins.

In a letter to Chase dated November 13, 1861, Watkinson wrote:

You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the all seeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW.

From 1861 to ’64, the Mint’s engraving department tested different mottoes before landing on the version that Chase ultimately approved.

Public sentiment was strongly in favor of the motto, and on March 3, 1865, Congress passed legislation that authorized but did not demand the use of IN GOD WE TRUST on “gold, silver, and other coins.” As a result, many other denominations were slightly revised so as to allow for the addition of the new national motto.

The Two-Cent Piece Shield Design

Two-Cent Piece and Shield Nickel. Image: CoinWeek.
Two-Cent Piece and Shield Nickel. Image: CoinWeek.

The two-cent piece was designed by United States Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre. The coin’s obverse (so designated because it bears the date) has a federal shield with a ribbon over it bearing the national motto IN GOD WE TRUST. Behind the shield are two arrows and a branch with leaves (most likely an olive branch). Although the standalone shield was novel at the time of its production, similar shields have appeared on United States coins since the adoption of the Heraldic Eagle design debuted on the reverse of the 1795 $5 half eagle gold coin.

The two-cent piece’s reverse features a vegetal wreath that surrounds the denomination, which is displayed as a large 2 over a downwardly arched CENTS. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the wreath.

This design is similar to the Shield nickel of the same period, which was also designed by Longacre.

Two-Cent Piece Annual Mintage Figures

Two-cent pieces were struck in both Proof and regular circulating finishes. Although the Proof mintages were normally smaller than the regular-issue mintages, more Proofs of high quality survive today since they were treated as special collector coins at the time of release.

While all two-cent pieces are of the same type, many die varieties exist. The most significant of these are the Small Motto and Large Motto varieties of 1864. The Small Motto is much rarer and therefore more valuable. In addition, several doubled dies, coins with prominent die cracks, and various other mint errors are often encountered in this series.

  • 1864 – 19,847,500
  • 1865 – 13,640,000
  • 1866 – 3,177,000
  • 1867 – 2,938,750
  • 1868 – 2,803,750
  • 1869 – 1,546,500
  • 1870 – 861,250
  • 1871 – 721,250
  • 1872 – 65,000
  • 1873 (Proof Only) – approx. 1,100 struck

More In-Depth Two-Cent Piece Analysis by CoinWeek

Two-Cent Pieces. Image: CoinWeek.
Two-Cent Pieces. Image: CoinWeek.

In this article, former CoinWeek contributor Greg Reynolds discusses the history of the denomination and offers his opinion on where the value-buying opportunities lie within the series. Greg also gets the perspective of prominent numismatists John Albanese and Matt Kleinsteuber on this short-lived copper coin series.

Specifications

Two-Cent Piece
Years Of Issue:  1864-73
Mintage (Circulation):  High – 19,847,500 (1864); Low – 65,000 (1872)
Alloy:  95% copper, 5% tin and zinc
Weight:  6.20 g
Diameter:  23.00 mm
Edge:  Plain
OBV Designer  James Barton Longacre
REV Designer James Barton Longacre

 

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United States 1864 Two Cent Coin

With the passage of the Coinage Act of 1864, the United States Congress authorized the design and production of a brand-new denomination, the short-lived Two Cent coin. As part of the government’s experimentation with odd denominations (including the three-cent nickel, the silver trime, the 20-cent piece, and the four-dollar stella gold coin, the two-cent piece […]

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Ten Notable US Mint Directors and What They Are Known For

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek …..   #1. David Rittenhouse (April 1792 – June 1795) The term “polymath” is usually employed to describe the United States Mint’s first director, David Rittenhouse. He was a mathematician, a philosopher, an astronomer, a surveyor, a master clock maker, and a patriot. At all but the […]

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United States 1865 Two Cent Piece

First struck in 1864 in an attempt to solve the nationwide coin shortage, caused by the onset of the U.S. Civil War, the Two Cent piece never truly caught on and suffered from a consistently shrinking mintage. As only the second issuance, the 1865 type still had a significant mintage of 13,640,000 specimens (for comparison’s […]

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United States 1864 Large Motto Two Cent Piece

In 1864 when the Two Cent coin was first issued, the US Civil War was still raging. One effect of the war was a massive shortage of hard currency. While specie coins had disappeared from circulation quite early in the war, by ’64 even small copper cents were thin on the ground as evidenced by […]

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Coin Profiles – The United States $20 Liberty Double Eagle Gold Coin: 1849-1907

Too much gold? Start minting the Liberty Double Eagle It was 1849, and the Philadelphia Mint had more Gold Rush gold than it could possibly mint. First, they minted $2.50 quarter eagles. Then half eagles. Then eagles. And still, the Mint’s coffers overflowed with unused gold (if only we all had that problem). So, Congressman […]

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United States 1864 Two Cent Coin

With the passage of the Coinage Act of 1864, the United States Congress authorized the design and production of a brand-new denomination, the short-lived Two Cent coin. As part of the government’s experimentation with odd denominations (including the three-cent nickel, the silver trime, the 20-cent piece, and the three-dollar stella gold coin, the two-cent piece […]

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United States 1972-D Washington Quarter

Description – Washington Quarter Intended to be a circulating commemorative coin honoring the bicentennial of the birth of America’s first president, the Washington quarter as originally designed was struck from 1932 to 1998, save for a two-year run in 1975 and 1976, when the coin’s reverse was swapped out for the “drummer boy” design of Jack […]

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United States 1972-D Washington Quarter

Description – Washington Quarter Intended to be a circulating commemorative coin honoring the bicentennial of the birth of America’s first president, the Washington quarter as originally designed was struck from 1932 to 1998, save for a two-year run in 1975 and 1976, when the coin’s reverse was swapped out for the “drummer boy” design of Jack […]

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Classic US Coins: The Short-Lived Two Cent Piece

The Two Cent Piece by Kathleen Duncan – Pinnacle Rarities …… The Two Cent piece designed by James Longacre was struck for a mere 10 years from 1864 until 1873. The design made a singular and enduring contribution to the nation’s history by introducing the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to coinage for the first […]

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Abraham Lincoln: A Numismatic Legacy Considered

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for PCGS …… [Editor’s note: This column originally appeared in the PCGS E-Zine newsletter on November 6, 2012 and has been updated to its current form. —CoinWeek] Prelude to War On January 12, 1848, a 39-year-old Whig congressman from Illinois named Abraham Lincoln took to the House floor and […]

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In God We Trust author William Bierly will sign books at the ANA National Money Show

(Pelham, Alabama) — Whitman Publishing author William Bierly will meet collectors and autograph copies of his new book, In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion, at the American Numismatic Association’s National Money Show, February 27 and 28, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia. The 352-page hardcover book will be available at the show at the Stanton Books and Stone Mountain Supply booth

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The war, God, and a two-cent idea

By Peter Rexford
I heard the bells on Christmas day, Their old familiar carols play,

Mild and sweet their songs repeat, Of peace on earth good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head, There is no peace on earth I said,

For hate is strong and mocks the song, Of peace on earth, good will to men

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The Gold Coins of San Francisco, Part V: “With Motto” Half Eagles, 1866-79

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner …… Links to Earlier Parts: $1 Gold | $2.50 Quarter Eagle | $3 Gold | $5 No Motto Half Eagle * * * The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the reverse of the half eagle in 1866 which created a second type of […]

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“In God We Trust” — Giving numismatic thanks

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online

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Why I wrote In God We Trust

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online

Continue reading on Coin Update News

InGodWeTrust-header

Why I wrote In God We Trust

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online

Continue reading on Coin Update News

Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust Shows Numismatic Research is Alive and Well

In November 2019, Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online (including at Whitman.com). Here, Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker discusses how the book came to be. * * * Sometimes […]

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Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust shows numismatic research is alive and well

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online

Continue reading on Coin Update News

InGodWeTrust-header

Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust shows numismatic research is alive and well

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online

Continue reading on Coin Update News

InGodWeTrust-header

Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust shows numismatic research is alive and well

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online

Continue reading on Mint News Blog

InGodWeTrust-header-21

Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust shows numismatic research is alive and well

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online

Continue reading on Mint News Blog

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Q. David Bowers on Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019, Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online (including at www.Whitman

Continue reading on Numismatic News

InGodWeTrust-header

Q. David Bowers on Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online

Continue reading on Coin Update News

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Q. David Bowers on Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online

Continue reading on Mint News Blog

InGodWeTrust-header

Q. David Bowers on Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online

Continue reading on Mint News Blog

InGodWeTrust-header

Q. David Bowers on Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online

Continue reading on Coin Update News

In God We Trust: New Whitman Book Explores the Civil War, Its Effects on American Money, Banking, and Religion

Whitman Publishing announces the release of In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion, by numismatic researcher William Bierly. The 352-page hardcover book will debut in November 2019 at booksellers and hobby shops nationwide–as well as online–for $29.95 USD. The national motto “In God We Trust” debuted on United States coinage […]

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InGodWeTrust-header

In God We Trust: New Whitman Publishing book explores the Civil War and its effects on American money, banking, and religion

(Pelham, Alabama) — Whitman Publishing announces the release of In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion, by numismatic researcher William Bierly. The 352-page hardcover book will debut in November 2019

Continue reading on Coin Update News

US Gold Coins – A (Brief) Analysis of Low-Grade No Motto San Francisco Half Eagles and Eagles

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner …… Over the last decade, I have become more and more interested in low-grade examples of No Motto San Francisco gold. By “low grade”, I mean coins in the AG3 to VF35 range, and by “No Motto” I am referring to the Liberty Head design type […]

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Pez Heads and Starburst: Errors and “Errors” of George Washington Presidential Dollars

By Lianna Spurrier for CoinWeek ….. In 2007, eBay exploded with different varieties and errors of the new George Washington presidential dollar coins. The series was the first circulating coinage to feature edge lettering in 74 years, so it was bound to have some problems. Some of those errors are still well-known today, but others […]

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Court Denies Appeal to Remove “In God We Trust” From Currency

By CoinWeek News Staff …. On May 31, the United States Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled against a man suing to remove the motto “In God We Trust” from the nation’s currency. Litigation had been ongoing since May of last year. Kenneth Mayle, the 36-year-old plaintiff who describes himself as a non-theistic […]

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Coin Profiles – The United States $20 Double Eagle Gold Coin: 1849-1933

Too much gold? Start minting It was 1849, and the Philadelphia Mint had more Gold Rush gold than it could possibly mint. What to do? First, they minted $2.50 quarter eagles. Then half eagles. Then eagles. And still, the Mint’s coffers overflowed with unused gold (if only we all had that problem). So, Congressman James […]

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Coin Profiles – The United States $20 Liberty Double Eagle Gold Coin: 1849-1907

Too much gold? Start minting the Liberty Double Eagle It was 1849, and the Philadelphia Mint had more Gold Rush gold than it could possibly mint. First, they minted $2.50 quarter eagles. Then half eagles. Then eagles. And still, the Mint’s coffers overflowed with unused gold (if only we all had that problem). So, Congressman […]

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Exploring Tokens & Medals Through the Eyes of a Longtime Coin Collector

  By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for CoinWeek.com …… I’ve been rediscovering the joys of tokens & medals lately. I say “rediscovering” because I’ve actually been accumulating them–along with medals and other forms of exonumia–since I was a child. I just never formally considered myself a “collector” of tokens and medals, because I spent much more time […]

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Circulated Liberty Head Double Eagles ($20 Gold Coins), Type 2

Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #391 A Weekly Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Liberty Head double eagles ($20 gold coins) were minted from 1850 to 1907. Before 1850, the largest U.S. coin denomination was the $10 gold piece (the eagle). This discussion is about collecting circulated […]

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Classic U.S. Coins for less than $500 each, Part 15: Two Cent Pieces

News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, coin markets, and the coin collecting community, #283 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds….   [Originally published on June 24, 2015. --CW] Like Three Cent nickels, Two Cent Pieces tend to be interesting topics for conversations, even among non-collectors. Many people are astonished or curious to learn that […]

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In God We Trust: A Brief History

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek ….   [Originally published September 17, 2012. --CW] We pay attention to the news, so it follows that we pay attention to politics. After all, being involved is one of the original tenants of democracy[i]. When the news (especially politics in the news) touches on numismatics, it […]

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Coin Collecting Strategies – Building a Type Set of U.S. $10 Gold Eagle Coins

Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #357 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Just seven coins are needed for a regular type set of gold eagles (U.S. $10 Gold eagle coins). The purpose here is to discuss building such a set without spending a fortune, […]

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U.S. Coin Patterns for Less than $5,000 Each, Pt. 2: Two Cent Pieces

  Analysis regarding scarce coins,  markets, and coin collecting #345 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. It has already been explained, in Part 15 of a series about classic U.S. coins, that a set of regular issue, business strike Two Cent Pieces may be completed without spending as much as $500 on any […]

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Coin Shows – Endless Numismatic Summer at Anaheim ANA World’s Fair of Money

By Jim Bisognani – Numismatic Guaranty Corporation ….. Two Cent Red Rarities; Franklin Halves A Valuable & Economical Series I can’t believe that as this article posts we are only a day away from the largest coin show in the US, the ANA World’s Fair of Money. The big show traditionally confirms areas of market […]

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CoinWeek News Wire for July 29, 2016

By Coinweek …. CoinWeek News Wire for July 29, 2016 Brain Food 1.) Deciphering history through coins Another prized possession is the one with an imprint of Alexander [the Great] on the face of the coin. “It belongs to 327 B.C. and there is also a story that Alexander married an Indian tribal woman. I […]

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Defending “In God We Trust” Motto Focus of Aug. 11 Money Talks Presentation

“Some critics of ‘In God We Trust’ may be ignorant of the phrase’s long history or are deliberately ignoring the rulings of courts and resolutions of Congress,” points out award-winning writer Michael Fuljenz By Universal Coin & Bullion ….. An educator and acclaimed writer will give a free, informative presentation on defending the national motto, […]

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“In God We Trust” Topic Of March 4 ANA Dallas Show Program by Michael Fuljenz

By Universal Coin & Bullion ….. Educator and award-winning numismatic writer Michael Fuljenz will give a free, informative presentation on the national motto, “In God We Trust,” at the American Numismatic Association (ANA) National Money Show in Dallas, Texas on Friday, March 4, 2016. The public is invited. The 45-minute presentation by Fuljenz, entitled “The […]

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Digital Numismatist a Tangible, Valuable New ANA Membership Benefit

By Charles Morgan for CoinWeek…. “This is the age of collections and the spirit of gathering together and classifying is abroad“ – Dr. George F. Heath The media landscape has changed drastically since Dr. Heath posed the question “What is the matter with having an American Numismatic Association?” In recent years, collectors have posed a […]

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Digital Numismatist a Tangible, Valuable New ANA Membership Benefit

By Charles Morgan for CoinWeek….   “This is the age of collections and the spirit of gathering together and classifying is abroad“ – Dr. George F. Heath The media landscape has changed drastically since Dr. Heath posed the question “What is the matter with having an American Numismatic Association?” In recent years, collectors have posed […]

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David Lawrence Rare Coins Auction Highlights for July 5, 2015

CoinWeek Staff Reports…. The numismatic firm of David Lawrence Rare Coins in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been offering weekly online coin auctions for several years. Each David Lawrence online auction offers a wide array of coins, including but not limited to classic series, modern issues, and foreign coinage. Therefore, coin collectors who browse through the […]

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CCAC Makes Design Recommendations for Ronald Reagan Presidential $1 Coin, Mark Twain Commemorative, Among Others

By Hubert Walker for CoinWeek…. At its March 5 public meeting in conjunction with the ANA National Money Show in Portland, Oregon, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) made recommendations from the available design candidates for the Mark Twain commemorative coin program, the Rosebud Sioux Code Talker Congressional gold medal, the Monuments Men Recognition Congressional […]

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