By Hubert Walker for CoinWeek ….
As of October 21, 2023, charges have been filed against four suspects in the Philadelphia-area theft of $234,500 worth of dimes on April 13. The crime occurred in a Wal-Mart parking lot where the driver of a tractor-trailer coming from the United States Mint had stopped to take a break.
suspects robbed other tractor-trailers in the area
would attack when parked for break
removed driver
opened back with bolt cutters
hauled opportunistic stolen goods off in white cargo truck
had to break open pallettes of dimes
put dimes in small bags
put dimes into coinstar machines in MD over the next weeks
also deposited in banks near philly
but the coins deposited and sold to coinstar were only a couple grand in face
Rakiem Savage, 25
Ronald Byrd, 31
Haneef Palmer, 30
Malik Palmer, 32
all four from Philadelphia
currently held by FBI
charged w/ conspiracy, robbery, theft of government money
could face dozens of years in prison
To collectors of U.S. coins, 1965 was an epoch in the history of the American monetary system. A coinage shortage and the rise of silver bullion prices begot a new clad composition for the dime and quarter, reduced the half dollar’s composition to silver billon, and doomed an effort to reintroduce the silver dollar.
But things were not quite so cut and dry as that and the United States Mint’s efforts to dissuade the American public from hoarding coins unfairly blamed collectors and tarnished the coin collecting hobby.
The Date Freeze
Under the direction of Mint Director Eva Adams, the U.S. mint continued to strike coins dated 1964 through 1966. This order…
Nickels, quarters, and half dollars dated 1964 were struck in large quantities in 1964 and 1965, and dimes were struck in large quantities in 1964, 1965, and 1966. In 1965, clad quarters and dimes entered production. Circulation quality 1965 silver-clad half dollars would not…
The Market for 1965 Cents
1965 cents continue to circulate, although typical pieces found in pocket change will by in conditions Very Fine and below. The occasional Extra Fine or About Uncirculated example will reveal itself, most likely after an old accumulation of cents is emptied from a large jar of coins and deposited at a bank or at a CoinStar machine.
In numismatic channels, it is not at all difficult to acquire an uncirculated 1965 cent as large numbers of coins were saved in rolls and bags over the years. Notionally, an uncirculated 1965 cent will cost about $1 to $1.50. Beware of Special Mint Set coins masquerading as business strikes. Professional dealers know the difference, but the person listing the coin online or selling at your local store may not have paid too close
PCGS CoinFacts posts a price guide value of $8,000 for the sole 1980 cent. This appears to be a speculative price as there is no auction data to support this price. Given the approximately graded population of seven MS67+ cents in the PCGS population report, we believe that the 1980 Lincoln Cent in MS68RD guide price of $8,000 is high.
Design
Obverse:
The obverse of the 1965 Lincoln cent was designed by Victor David Brenner and appears largely as it did when the type was first minted in 1909. The main difference between the 1965 obverse and the 1909 version is the location of Brenners’ initials, V.D.B., which were added under President Abraham Lincoln’s bust in 1918 after their removal from the reverse in late 1909. The date 1965 appears to the right of Lincoln (viewer’s right), and the motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears above the president. On the left of the central motif is the word LIBERTY.
Reverse:
Frank Gasparro designed the 1959 Lincoln Memorial reverse that replaced the original 1909 Brenner wheat stalk design (the Wheat Cent). Gasparro’s initials FG appear on the lower-right side of the Lincoln Memorial. Below the edifice and along the rim are the words ONE CENT, while the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA run along the top half of the reverse along the rim. Between the top of the Lincoln Memorial and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA inscription is the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Edge:
The edge of the 1965 Lincoln Cent is smooth or plain and without reeding, as are all other Lincoln cents.
1965 Lincoln Cent Designer(s)
Lithuanian-born coin designer Victor David Brenner is best known for his iconic design for the Lincoln cent (1909-Present) (View Designer’s Profile). Frank Gasparro was an American medalist and coin designer (View Designer’s Profile).
To collectors of U.S. coins, 1965 was an epoch in the history of the American monetary system. A coinage shortage and the rise of silver bullion prices begot a new clad composition for the dime and quarter, reduced the half dollar’s composition to silver billon, and doomed an effort to reintroduce the silver dollar.
But things were not quite so cut and dry as that and the United States Mint’s efforts to dissuade the American public from hoarding coins unfairly blamed collectors and tarnished the coin collecting hobby.
The Mint Establishes a Date Freeze
Under the direction of Mint Director Eva Adams, the U.S. Mint continued to strike coins dated 1964 through 1966. This order…
Nickels, quarters, and half dollars dated 1964 were struck in large quantities in 1964 and 1965, and dimes were struck in large quantities in 1964, 1965, a
nd 1966. In 1965, clad quarters and dimes entered production. Circulation quality 1965 silver-clad half dollars would not…
How Much Is the 1965 Lincoln Cent Worth?
1965 cents continue to circulate, although typical pieces found in pocket change will by in conditions Very Fine and below. The occasional Extra Fine or About Uncirculated example will reveal itself, most likely after an old accumulation of cents is emptied from a large jar of coins and deposited at a bank or at a CoinStar machine.
In numismatic channels, it is not at all difficult to acquire an uncirculated 1965 cent as large numbers of coins were saved in rolls and bags over the years. Notionally, an uncirculated 1965 cent will cost about $1 to $1.50. Beware of Special Mint Set coins masquerading as business strikes. Professional dealers know the difference, but the person listing the coin online or selling at your local store may not have paid too close
PCGS CoinFacts posts a price guide value of $8,000 for the sole 1980 cent. This appears to be a speculative price as there is no auction data to support this price. Given the approximately graded population of seven MS67+ cents in the PCGS population report, we believe that the 1980 Lincoln Cent in MS68RD guide price of $8,000 is high.
Design
Obverse:
The obverse of the 1965 Lincoln cent was designed by Victor David Brenner and appears largely as it did when the type was first minted in 1909. The main difference between the 1965 obverse and the 1909 version is the location of Brenners’ initials, V.D.B., which were added under President Abraham Lincoln’s bust in 1918 after their removal from the reverse in late 1909. The date 1965 appears to the right of Lincoln (viewer’s right), and the motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears above the president. On the left of the central motif is the word LIBERTY.
Reverse:
Frank Gasparro designed the 1959 Lincoln Memorial reverse that replaced the original 1909 Brenner wheat stalk design (the Wheat Cent). Gasparro’s initials FG appear on the lower-right side of the Lincoln Memorial. Below the edifice and along the rim are the words ONE CENT, while the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA run along the top half of the reverse along the rim. Between the top of the Lincoln Memorial and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA inscription is the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Edge:
The edge of the 1965 Lincoln Cent is plain or smooth, without reeding or edge lettering.
Designers
Lithuanian-born coin designer Victor David Brenner is best known for his iconic design for the Lincoln cent (1909-Present) (View Designer’s Profile). Frank Gasparro was an American medalist and coin designer (View Designer’s Profile).
In November 2016, CoinWeek Editor Charles Morgan sent me an e-mail with three overall photographs of the two Morgan dollar hubs dated 1964 recently found by numismatists at the Philadelphia Mint. He wanted to know if I had any information on these hubs. This was the first time I had seen the photographs.
It resulted in a short examination and research on the history of these hubs. My search led to the excellent book by Roger W. Burdette entitled A Guide Book of Peace Dollars by The Official Red Book (Whitman, 2008). A chapter covered the 1964-D Peace dollar evolution in detail, with many quotes and references to the United States Mint letters and memoranda.
There was no mention of the specific preparation of these two 1964 Morgan dollar hubs in this chapter. However, there were several correspondence and letters cited that included the possible reuse of the old pre-World War I silver dollar design. Mint Director Eve Adams sent a memorandum dated February 18, 1963 to Secretary of the Treasurer Robert Wallace about the problems of manufacturing additional silver dollar supplies in the near future as present supplies were being sent into circulation.
During the following months, Western state senators, led by Senate majority leader Mike Mansfield (D-MT) wanted more silver dollars struck to maintain the supply and provide for continued Western use of silver dollars.
The Adams memorandum on July 31, 1963 states that a decision had been made for the Mint to produce silver dollars when the present supply was exhausted. She added that it would be advantageous to reuse one of the old designs to discourage collector interest, preserve the traditions of the artistic beauty of the older dollars, and affect savings as the Mint retains the old designs, thus eliminating the preparation of new designs and models. Wallace repeated Adams’ recommendations in a memorandum for Secretary Dillon and added to re-issue the pre-World War I Liberty Head design.
This was the first mention of using the Morgan silver dollar design.
The U.S. Mint letter of September 27, 1963 suggested that Fern Miller, Superintendent of the Denver Mint, prepare for dollar production. The Denver Mint coining division noted in a letter of October 15, 1963 that they had 32 leftover reverse dies for the years 1934, 1935, and 1936. These dies were received by the Philadelphia Mint on September 17, 1964, but the dies were in poor condition and were to be destroyed. The last mention of using the pre-WWI Liberty Head design was in a letter from Director Adams to Treasurer Wallace on April 9, 1964.
So between April and September 1964 when the leftover Peace dollar dies were received, a decision had been made to use the Peace dollar design instead of the Morgan dollar design, possibly because of the reverse Peace dollar dies’ availability. The manufacture dates stamped on the Morgan dollar hubs are 12-6-63 for the obverse and 12-13-63 for the reverse. So they were prepared shortly after the U.S. Mint’s letter to the Denver Mint on September 27, 1963, to plan for dollar production.
Examination of Two 1964 Morgan Dollar Hub Photographs
The first impression of the photographs of the two hubs is a very good rendition of the obverse and reverse design. There were no existing hubs or working dies of the pre-WWI Morgan dollar since all previous hubs and dies were destroyed by the Mint in 1910. The most accurate rendition available therefore were the struck Morgan dollars. Photograph enlargements of the obverse and reverse of the coin of six to eight times could then be traced onto a plaster basin (plastilene) to prepare a positive model, complete with letters and the new date of 1964.
It is not known whether the Chief Engraver or an assistant engraver prepared the models and subsequent steps to the final hubs.
Left: 1902-O VAM 31A Olive Branch Bent End; Right: 1964 Morgan Dollar Hub, Bent Branch
Once the positive model was checked over and approved, a negative plaster mold was prepared. Then the 1963 standard hub preparation steps followed to saturate the plaster mold with hot beeswax in an oven, cover it with copper dust, electroplate copper onto the mold, separate the copper shell from the mold, and back it with plaster to form a galvano. Then a Janvier reducing lathe transferred the galvano design down in size to the hub face. The hub was touched up to remove tool marks, turned down in a lathe, and then heated and quenched to form a hardened hub.
Only one hub of obverse and reverse was made since they could make enough working dies for the anticipated coin production of 45 million silver dollars.
Left: 1902-O VAM 54 Doubled Profile, Lips Size, Design; Right: 1964 Morgan Dollar Hub, Lips
The next questions are the quality of the design reproduction, the accuracy of the Morgan dollar design, and any noticeable design differences or flaws.
The first step was to enhance the two available obverse and reverse photographs with a computer photograph program. It turned out that the photographs of the two hubs were taken at a slight angle with the hub face’s middle in focus but the top and bottom parts slightly out of focus. So detailed examination was confined mainly to the clearer photograph center slice. The obverse hub was of the III3 type design used from 1879 through 1904, with unevenly divided ear rear. The hair strand fineness appeared to match the normal Morgan dollar, but it could not be determined if the wheat leaves had the required fine lines or the cotton bolls with dots. The peripheral lettering appeared to match closely the letter designs of a Morgan dollar coin, but the letters at the top could not reliably be checked based on the photographs.
Left: 1902-O VAM 31A MER Letters; Right: 1964 Morgan Hub Different Shape MER
An obvious slight design difference was noted in the Liberty Head lips, with the hub upper lip protruding more and a straight line design edge from the lower lip to the chin instead of a correct curved edge.
For the reverse, the most noticeable feature of the design type was the seven tail feathers and a wide round gap at the eagle’s left wing and neck of the C4 type design reverse. This type was used on some 1900-P; 1901-P, -O, -S; 1902-P, -O, -S; 1904-S and all 1903-P and 1904-P, -O issues.
The somewhat fuzzy image of the olive at the top of the left end of the olive branch appeared to have two parts. Both the C3 and C4 normal reverse have only a single olive of slightly different size and design. It is possible a so-called “two olive reverse” of a dual hub C4 over C3 reverse coin was copied. The dual hubs were used on some 1900-P, -S; 1901-P, -O, -S; 1902-P, -O, -S; 1903-O, -S; and 1904-S issues.
Another noticeable design difference was the right end of the olive branch that had a long, curved bottom edge instead of the correct slight bend and longer than normal appearing arrow shafts near the arrowheads.
Some of the reverse lettering had slight differences, such as thicker serifs and thinner vertical shafts.
Conclusions
As expected, the U.S. Mint Engraving Department at Philadelphia prepared an excellent accurate copy of the pre-WW I Morgan dollar design without noticeable roughness, extraneous lines, or surface flaws. It was likely a copy of an existing Morgan dollar coin since all prior hubs and dies were destroyed in 1910.
The obverse was of the correct III3 type used from 1879 to 1904 with only slight differences noticed at the Liberty Head lips.
The reverse was of the correct C4 type used from 1900 to 1904. There were slight design differences from the normal design at the right end of the olive branch, the arrowhead shafts, and the peripheral lettering of thicker serifs and thinner vertical bars. It possibly had two olives at the top of the left side of the olive branch evident on some dual hub dies of the same period of 1900 to 1904.
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 NGCFancy 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.
1883 Liberty Head Nickel – Without Cents. Image: CoinWeek / Stack’s Bowers.
The Liberty Head nickel–or “V” nickel, as it’s more commonly known–was the second design style of the United States five-cent nickel coin. The design, the work of Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber, was a modest improvement over James B. Longacre’sShield nickel, which had entered production in 1866 and served the nation for 17 years.
Snowden Sought to Remake More than Just the Nickel
In 1881, United States Mint Director James Ross Snowden decided to unify the designs of the cent, three-cent, and five cent coins. The cent and five-cent coins widely circulated, but the three-cent nickel, which debuted in 1865, was declining in popularity. After two Proof only issues in 1877 and 1878, more than a million pieces were struck in 1881. This would be the final year that the denomination experienced a mintage over 42,000 pieces.
1881 minor coin patterns for the one-cent, three-cent, and five-cent coin denominations. Images: Stack’s Bowers / Heritage Auctions.
Barber created Liberty Head designs for all three denominations, and patterns were struck later that year. However, Snowden was unable to implement his desired design alterations for the cent and three-cent nickel, so only the five-cent nickel design ever saw full production.
Barber’s Nickel Design Was Inspired by the Morgan Dollar
Barber’s design was heavily influenced by George T. Morgan’s silver dollar obverse, which entered into production in 1878. Comparing the two designs side by side is unflattering to the Barber nickel. Whereas Morgan’s Liberty is naturalistic and full-bodied, Barber’s Liberty is set at a slightly farther distance and is flat and lifeless.
Left: Barber’s Liberty Head design. Center: Liberty Head design with lines. Right: Morgan’s dollar design. Image: Stack’s Bowers / CoinWeek
Another element of the design that is interesting to note is Barber’s use of straight lines and how that differs from the Morgan design. The top of Liberty’s diadem cuts a straight 45-degree angle pointing downward. Liberty’s chin, a 30-degree angle pointing downward. And Liberty’s bust truncation cuts a straight 12-degree angle pointing up. This is likely an over-analysis on our part but compared to the curved bust truncation, curved diadem, and bulbous chin line of Morgan’s design, it’s no surprise that many feel Barber’s bust portrait comes across as lackluster.
Production History, Release, and Problems
Barber’s effort to redesign the nickel five-cent coin did not escape bureaucratic interference. In December 1882, after two years of refining his concept and believing that he had finished his work, Barber sent the designs to Mint Director Horatio Burchard for review, with the expectation that he and Treasury Secretary Charles Folger would quickly approve the designs.
The designs he sent featured the familiar left-facing bust portrait of Liberty with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA inscribed around the rim with the date below the bust truncation. The reverse featured a large Roman “V” surrounded by a vegetal wreath, with E PLURIBUS UNUM inscribed above.
Instead of accepting them, Folger, whom researcher R.W. Julian calls a stickler for the letter of the law, rejected the designs. Folger objected to the placement of the inscriptions and directed the Mint to adjust the design so that it would satisfy the language of the Coinage Act of 1873. Folger specifically stipulated that LIBERTY and the date appear on the obverse and that the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the coin’s denomination appear on the reverse.
On December 20, Mint Superintendent Archibald Loudon Snowden wrote to appeal Burchard’s decision, arguing that the Treasury Secretary had misinterpreted the law and that the proposed design did not violate it. Folger made quick work of Snowden’s appeal and ordered the change. The Treasury did approve the design motif, however.
On January 4, the Philadelphia Mint sent revised designs for the Liberty Head “V” nickel to Washington, D.C. for review by Mint Director Burchard and Treasury Secretary Folger. Mint Director Burchard responded on January 8, informing the Mint that the revised designs had been approved and that production of the new design could begin.
An original bag of 1883 Liberty Head nickels. This sensational find was offered by Heritage Auctions at its 2018 CSNS Signature Auction, where it sold for $9,600.
The nickel was initially released without the word CENTS inscribed on the reverse. This type has been referred to as “Type 1”, “Without Cents”, or, as in the 1908 Max Mehl publication Numismatic Monthly, “Centsless”. The Roman numeral “V”, coupled with the nickel planchet (similar in composition but slightly larger than the Shield nickel it replaced), was supposed to inform users of its value. It’s worth noting that the three-cent pieces struck in silver billon and nickel also did not include the denomination, and there was no apparent problem arising from their use. It is also debatable whether the initial design was in violation of Section 3517 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, which specify that the reverse of coins issued by the Mint must bear “designation of the value of the coin”.
A commencement ceremony was held on January 30 to mark the start of the new coinage. The first business strike was sent to President Chester Alan Arthur. Additional strikes were presented to various dignitaries. Regular coinage began on February 1.
No Cents Nickels Cause Headache for the Treasury, the Mint, and Everyone Else
Within a short time of the 1883 Liberty Head nickel’s release, stories began to circulate around the country of people gilding the new coins and passing them as five dollar gold pieces.
A name that is commonly thrown around in relation to this issue is Josh Tatum, a supposed deaf-mute con artist from Boston, Massachusetts. According to legend, Tatum had 1,000 nickels plated and passed them for gold coins as he made his way from Boston to New York. As far as we can tell, no solid information has ever been presented to corroborate this tale. There is no census information, criminal records, or contemporaneous newspaper accounts of the many supposed Tatum swindles. Yet, the story persists and is often cited in auction catalogs whenever an 1883 Liberty Head nickel is offered for sale.
The gold-plating issue was a real concern, however. As Lianna Spurrier writes in her CoinWeek article Fact of Myth: Racketeer Nickels, the Secret Service had immediate misgivings about the coin’s design and put out a press release nine days after the coin’s release calling the Mint’s new nickel “dangerous” and suggesting that criminals could apply “a thin plating [that] would enable persons to pass them off in some places as gold coins of a new issue.” Given that the Secret Service had primary jurisdiction over fighting financial crimes and threats to America’s money, this was a significant step.
Word of this concern, and possibly too, isolated cases of plated coins being passed as gold coins spread throughout the country. A. Loudon Snowden, the Superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint travelled to Washington to defend the design, pointing to the similarity of the new five cent coin to the circulating three-cent coin. Both denominations used roman numerals and neither design denoted the word CENTS. Snowden’s argument proved unconvincing and in early March, work began on a new reverse die that would include the word CENTS.
How Much is the 1883 Liberty Head Nickel Without Cents Nickel Worth?
1883 Nickel in Fine-12 Condition. Image: svassociates / eBay
The 1883 Without Cents nickel is an affordable classic U.S. coin that should fit within the budget of every collector. In circulated condition, the coin will cost between $2.00 (for the Fine-12 example above) to about $25 for a Choice About Uncirculated example. About Uncirculated coins are coins that feature all of the design elements but exhibit traces of wear or cabinet friction.
A large number of “Without Cents” nickels were hoarded by collectors and speculators while the government endeavored to withdraw them from circulation, this is largely the reason why the coin is one of the most affordable issues in the series in Mint State.
In Uncirculated grades, the coin’s value quickly jumps to $100 for an example in MS63 and $250 for a coin in MS65.
PCGS and NGC have combined to grade a few thousand examples at the Gem level. CAC has approved a slightly more than 300 at MS65 and MS66. The coin becomes “investor” grade once you climb to the Superb Gem grade of MS67. Here, the availability of coins drops dramatically.
At the time of this publication (late November 2023), NGC reported only 76 grading events at this level (eight being plus grades) and none finer. PCGS, likewise, shows a low double-digit population at MS67, with 52 making the base grade and 15 earning a plus. There are outliers in the auction records, but the typical example in MS67 has sold for $1,200 to $1,400. In the plus grade, there is a disparity between auction records for coins in NGC and PCGS holders. The NGC examples typically bring about $2,400; the PCGS coins can bring $5,000 or more, depending on the coin and the venue.
Design
Obverse:
The Liberty Head nickel was designed by Charles E. Barber, who is the namesake behind the Barber (officially “Liberty Head”) dime, quarter and half dollar; some hobbyists have similarly dubbed the Liberty Head nickel as the “Barber” nickel, though this has not been common practice. The 1883 Liberty Head nickel features a leftward-facing bust of Miss Liberty, whose hair is tied into a bun behind her head. She is crowned with a tiara bearing the inscription “LIBERTY.” 13 stars, representing the 13 original states of the Union, mostly encircle the bust along the obverse rim. At the bottom center of the obverse is the coin’s date, 1883.
Reverse:
While the Liberty Head nickel may only infrequently be identified as the “Barber” nickel by hobbyists, the coins do have one widely popular nickname: the “V” nickel. The “V” refers to the large Roman numeral “V” that anchors the reverse design and indicates the coin’s denomination of five cents. The “V” sits within a wreath of cotton, corn, wheat and tobacco – all important crops representative of different parts of the country. Centered under the wreath is the inscription E PLURIBUS UNUM. No mention is made of the word “cent”. The absence of “cent” was not unusual, as the base metal three-cent nickel and the billon three-cent silver also told of their value using a Roman numeral and did not include the word.
The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps around the top three-quarters of the reverse along the rim.
Edge:
The edge of the 1883 Liberty nickel is smooth or plain, without inscription.
Designer
Charles Edward Barber was born in London in 1840. He was the son of William Barber, the fifth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, under whom he worked as an assistant engraver. Upon his father’s death in 1879, Charles Barber became the Mint’s sixth Chief Engraver. The coins he designed during his tenure are collectively known as “Barber coinage” and include the dime, the quarter, and the half dollar. His Liberty “V” nickel is also well-known, as is his supposed feud with engraver George T. Morgan.
Morgan dollar production continued at its Congressionally mandated pace in 1887, despite the fact that even 10 years into the series’ run it had failed to gain a meaningful place as a circulating coin for most Americans.
The 1887 Morgan dollar, known more officially as the Liberty Head dollar, is a silver coin struck at the Philadelphia Mint. The Philadelphia Mint struck 20,290,000 Morgan dollars in 1887 and bore the responsibility of striking all of the nation’s subsidiary coinage and a small number of gold coins, mostly in the $10 denomination. The New Orleans Mint struck 11,550,000 Morgan dollars in 1887 and nothing else, while the San Francisco Mint struck a small by comparison mintage of 1,770,000 Morgan dollars and devoted the rest of its time producing the bulk of America’s gold coins for that year.
The Morgan dollar gets its name from United States Mint engraver George T. Morgan, who designed the dollar coin in competition with then-Chief Engraver William Barber. The two had a generally cordial relationship, though numismatists throughout the generations have supposed that Barber may have been envious of Morgan’s talent as an engraver and treated him with some degree of unprofessionalism. This is not true.
Morgan was born in England and began working for the Mint soon after his arrival in the U.S. in 1876. He was brought on as an assistant engraver in October 1876 and then worked under William Barber. In addition to the Liberty Head dollar, Morgan has several coin design credits to his name, including the Columbian half dollar of 1892 and 1893 and an array of pattern coins designed in the latter half of the 19th century – perhaps most notably the never-released $100 Gold Union coin.
U.S. Circulating Coin Production in 1887 – The Morgan Dollar in Context
In 1887, the Philadelphia Mint handled U.S. coin production for all minor denominations, the silver dollar, and gold denominations up to $10 (with the exception of the half eagle, which was only struck for circulation at the San Francisco branch).
The table to the right illustrates current market levels relative to mintages in the grade of MS65. There are no “Gem” 65 coins known at present for the $10 and $20 denominations, so we substituted in the MS64 value.
Building a complete 1887 year set of circulation strikes in Gem or finest known 64s will set a collector back about $100,000 USD. However, this pursuit is well within the means of most interested adult collectors in the grade of MS62 or MS63. We estimate a choice set to cost about 1/4 to 1/3 of that price.
The 1887 Morgan dollar struck at the Philadelphia is, by a large margin, the most frequently encountered coin of the date to survive in Mint State. As such, the 1887 Morgan is the most affordable issue of the date by a large margin.
In Choice Uncirculated condition (MS63), the 1887 Morgan is slightly more common than the 1887-O and the 1887-S, but all three issues are affordable at this grade. For those interested in a superb Gem dollar for this date, the 1887 Philadelphia strike is likely the only viable option as the O-Mint and S-Mint 1887 dollars are both rare in grades over MS65.
In terms of strike quality, the 1887 is similar to the Philadelphia strikes of 1886. However, specialist collectors will note that 1887 issues often appear softer struck than their 1886 counterparts. This is not uniform throughout the issue but is a factor that collectors should pay attention to when seeking out a specimen for their collection.
How Much is the 1887 Morgan Dollar Worth
Tens of thousands of 1887 Morgan dollars survive in uncirculated condition, while many more likely survive in various states of wear. Given this coin’s low cost, most coin collectors prefer problem-free brilliant uncirculated or better examples.
Expect to pay between $40 and $50 for a lightly circulated 1887 Morgan dollar and between $90 and $120 for a coin professionally graded at the MS63 level by CAC, NGC, or PCGS.
From this level, the value of an 1887 Morgan dollar increases depending on the eye appeal and grade of the coin.
Previously, NGC reported two coins at the MS68 level, one of which was sold by Stack’s Bowers in 2008, for $32,200. That same coin brought $13,800 at a 2019 Heritage auction. Such is the risk that conditional rarities pose in the marketplace. If populations go up–as they have for this issue–prices usually go down as the top end of the market gains its equilibrium. For what it’s worth, that particular coin is no longer certified by NGC, as the service reports no examples higher than MS67 at the present time.
CAC has applied its sticker to 3,113 1887 Morgan dollars and has encapsulated 168 coins. CAC is a newcomer to the coin encapsulation business and we expect these numbers to increase in short order. At the present time, CAC has applied its sticker of approval on 107 coins graded by NGC or PCGS at the MS67 level with one additional coin graded MS67PL. The highest current grade for an 1887 Morgan dollar in a CAC holder is MS66, with five reported.
PCGS reports over 300 coins at MS67 to MS67+ levels with two examples at MS68. There is no recent auction data in regards to the two MS68 coins, but they are imaged on PCGS CoinFacts. A characteristic these coins share is that they both have flashy brilliance in the centers with a hint of toning along the periphery. In our opinion, one is clearly better than the other and we estimate that either one might sell for $30,000 to $35,000 at auction if market conditions are right.
A beautiful toned 1887 Morgan dollar in MS67+. Image: PCGS.
This is only part of the story of the 1887 Morgan dollar at the very top of the market.
As beauty is often “in the eye of the beholder”, the degree to which the 1887 Morgan dollar allows for collector specificity makes these grades attractive to a wide range of collectors. As such, price levels at the MS67 level vary from $3,800 on the lower end to $6,500 or more for the “right” coin.
Gem-quality coins at the MS65 and MS66 level open the issue up to a broad swath of type set and Morgan dollar set builders. As is the case with the Superb Gem 1887 Morgans, at MS65 and MS66, a wide range of options exist. With 50,000 coins graded at the MS65 level at PCGS and NGC combined, there are enough coins to satisfy current levels of demand. MS66 coins are more exclusive, but with a combined pop of over 7,000 coins, a collector with a budget of $300 to $400 can land on an attractive example within a month or two of entering the market.
Of course, variety collectors may find grade a secondary concern. For VAM hunters, the 1887 issue yields more than a dozen collectible varieties, some of which are quite striking. VAM 1A features a distinct die break at the bottom curve of the D that forms a “Donkey Tail“. VAM 2 is a naked-eye-visible overdate where the remnants of the digit “6” are visible under the final digit of the date. And so on.
Design
Obverse:
The obverse of the 1887 Morgan dollar exhibits the characteristic left-facing Liberty Head motif seen on all issues of this classic dollar series. The central Liberty bust wears a Phrygian cap encircled with a ribbon adorned with the inscription LIBERTY. Miss Liberty also wears a “vegetal” crown of wheat and cotton, which were two of the nation’s most lucrative natural agricultural assets in the 19th century.
The phrase E PLURIBUS UNUM is inscribed along the upper half of the obverse rim, and the date 1887 is centered at the bottom of the obverse adjacent to the rim. Seven stars appear between the left side of the date and the inscription E PLURIBUS UNUM, while six stars fill the gap between the date and motto on the lower right side of the coin. In total, the 13 stars represent the 13 colonies that combined to form the original Union of the United States. At the base of Liberty’s neck is the “M” monogram representing Morgan’s initial.
Morgan designed the Liberty head bust after the likeness of Anna Willess Williams, a Philadelphia schoolteacher who modeled for the coin. Williams received significant public recognition after her face appeared on the Morgan dollar, but she rejected the attention that was heaped upon her. She refused offers for acting roles and apparently had turned down an offer for marriage following her engagement to an unknown suitor. Before dying at the age of 68 in 1926, Williams, who sat for Morgan on the sworn condition of anonymity, rebuffed her single stint as a coin design model as little more than an “incident of [her] youth.”
Reverse:
The reverse of the 1887 Morgan dollar is dominated by a heraldic eagle, its wings spread across the upper half of the coin. Between the upper tips of the eagle’s wings appears the national motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The eagle clutches an olive branch in its right claw representing peace and in its left claw are three arrows symbolizing the nation’s ability to defend itself. The central eagle design is partly encircled by a laurel wreath.
Along the rim of the upper two-thirds of the reverse is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, with the tip of the eagle’s left wing (which virtually touches the coin’s rim) penetrating the space between UNITED and STATES; the right wing visually divides the words OF and AMERICA. The words ONE DOLLAR, seen at the bottom center of the reverse, are flanked by a single, six-sided star on either side of the denomination inscription.
Edge:
The edge of the 1887 Morgan dollar is reeded.
Designer
Engraver George T. Morgan was born in Birmingham, England in 1845. He emigrated to the United States and began work as an assistant to Mint Chief Engraver William Barber and continued to produce patterns and commemoratives under the administration of Barber’s son, Charles. Morgan himself became Chief Engraver in 1917. George Morgan died in 1925.
The 1973 Eisenhower Dollar was a Non-Circulating Legal Tender Coin
Production totals of Eisenhower dollars for the first two years of the series were enormous: a combined 116.38 million circulation strike coins in 1971 and a combined 168.44 million circulation strikes in 1972. While there was a good deal of collector enthusiasm for the Ike dollar, there was no practical need to circulate the large clad dollar coin. By 1973, it was apparent that the Eisenhower dollar would not fare any better than the Morgan and Peace dollars that preceded it.
For the 1973 issue, the Mint decided to forego striking additional dollar coins for circulation and instead produced two million from each mint for the purpose of inclusion in the annual Mint Set.
The United States Mint reported a total production run of two million 1973 Mint Sets. Ultimately, 1,769,258 sets were sold and the remaining 230,742 1973 (P) and D-mintmark Eisenhower dollars were destroyed. This has long been the published accounting for what happened to the remainder. However, an unconfirmed sighting of an open mint bag of 1973 Eisenhower dollars at a Florida coin shop was reported several years ago by Ike Group member Brian Vaile several years ago. If true, that would mean at least some small portion of the unpackaged mintage was released into circulation. Given that the issue is rarely encountered in circulated grades, CoinWeek assumes that any such emission would have been in very small numbers and quite probably, accidental.
Without the benefit of this explanation, it is easy to look at the mintages for each issue in the series and consider the 1973 and the 1973-D as “key dates”. They are not. Much scarcer in Mint State are the Philadelphia issues of 1971 and 1972, with the 1972 Type 2 reverse being the scarcest of all business strike coins in the series.
1973 Eisenhower dollars differ from 1971 and most 1972 circulation strike dollars in that they were struck from dies using hardened 52100 die steel, as opposed to the W-1 die steel used at the beginning of the coin’s production term. As a result, coins struck with the harder dies were more sharply struck, especially in early and middle die states. The die sinking issue that was also common on the left side of the obverse was also greatly reduced.
The limited production run and method of distribution of 1973 Eisenhower dollars has yielded few significant die varieties or mint errors. Collectors of so-called “Peg Leg” varieties may want to keep an eye on “OK” Peg Legs for the date. OK stands for “Off at the Knees”. The R on LIBERTY on this Peg Leg is so polished that half of the base of the R is absent.
What is the 1973 Eisenhower Dollar Worth?
The 1973 Eisenhower dollar carries a face value of one dollar, but the coin was never intended to circulate as such. While the 1971-S and 1972-S silver-clad coins were sold at high premiums to collectors, the Cu-Ni clad Eisenhower dollars were intended to be used in commerce as one dollar coins. The 1973 issue was different. It was the first Cu-Ni clad Eisenhower dollar released only in collector sets.
1973 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set.
Interestingly, the 1973 Eisenhower dollar was also the first dollar coin to be issued in the Mint’s annual Uncirculated Coin Set. With the inclusion of two dollars face value of new coins, the price for the sets increased from $3.50 in 1972 to $6.00 in 1973. Today, a 1973 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set sells for about $18. Individually, ungraded 1973 Eisenhower dollars sell for about $8 a piece.
In Mint State 65, the 1973 Eisenhower dollar carries a retail price of about $25 according to CoinWeek IQ’s current market analytics. This low price does not reflect the difficulty in cherrypicking Gem-quality Eisenhower dollars of this issue in the wild. The quality of coins in mint sets varies dramatically and Choice Uncirculated examples (MS63) are not uncommon. In MS66, the 1973 Eisenhower Dollar sells in three strata. For non-CAC certified examples, MS66 coins sell for a range of $400-$450 at auction. This is a higher price level than we reported two years ago. High-quality specimens in MS66 with CAC approval can bring prices in excess of $600. Superlative examples with CAC approval and PQ toning will bring prices of $1,000 or more, and are highly coveted.
Up until the mid-2010s, MS66 was the top pop grade for Eisenhower dollars. Since 2016, a slow-but-steady trickle of coins have been certified by PCGS at MS66+. The record price paid for one at public auction was $7,637.50 from the Sonoran Monsoon Collection, which was built by former Navajo President Joe Shirley, Jr. Shirley built an impressive collection of U.S. dollar coins, but the quality of his top pop Ike dollars was surpassed by coins assembled by at least three rival collectors: Wang, Weaver, and Oskam.
The finest example that exists, according to our census, is the Sego-Weaver specimen, a CAC-approved MS66+ coin with plus eye appeal and fantastic toning. That coin was sold as part of a collection in 2017 in a Private Treaty sale.
Design
Obverse:
Gasparro’s portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower (as President); Eisenhower facing to the left. Designer Frank Gasparro’s initials “FG” appear raised in the bust truncation. Beneath Eisenhower’s chin, to the left, is the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” LIBERTY wraps around the top of the coin in the space between the rim and the top of Eisenhower’s head. The date wraps around the bottom of the design, between the rim and the bottom of Eisenhower’s bust truncation. While Philadelphia-struck pieces bear no mintmark, coins struck at Denver and San Francisco will bear small mintmarks of “D” or “S” above the space between the last two digits of the date. On Eisenhower dollars, mintmarks were hand-punched and may vary in exact location and orientation.
Reverse:
The reverse is based on Michael Collins’Apollo 11 Mission Patch design.
In the center, a bald eagle in descent. In its talons, an olive branch. Its left-wing is raised. The lunar surface lies below. Above the eagle’s head is a depiction of the Earth. North America is prominently visible. Wrapping around the top of the coin adjacent to the rim is the legend “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”. Thirteen small five-point stars circle around the eagle. Below the ring of stars but above the eagle is the motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM”. Wrapping around the bottom of the design is the denomination “ONE DOLLAR”.
Edge:
The edge of the 1973 Eisenhower dollar is reeded.
Designer
Frank Gasparro was a friend to numismatists and served as Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1965 to 1981 (View Designer’s Profile).
Even though the United States had no real need for a large dollar coin at the start of the 1970s, the gaming industry developed an acute need to find a replacement for the silver dollars it used to feed tens of thousands of slot machines. This “need”, and the recent passing of beloved war-hero-turned-President Dwight D. Eisenhower, presented Congress with an opportunity to cater to the needs of the industry. While United States Mint Director Mary Brooks lobbied for the coin to be struck in silver, Congress instead chose to strike the coin for circulation in the same copper-nickel (Cu-Ni) clad composition in use for the dime and quarter dollar. In a compromise, silver-clad versions were authorized to be struck and sold to collectors.
Signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon (formerly Eisenhower’s Vice President) on December 31, 1970, the Bank Holding Company Act Amendments of 1970 authorized the production of the coin.
(Incidentally, the amendments also authorized the General Services Administration (GSA) to sell 2.8 million Carson City Morgan dollars from the vaults of the United States Treasury.)
First-year production totals were large (47,799,000 for the 1971 Eisenhower Dollars struck at the Philadelphia Mint and 68,587,424 for the Denver-Mint-produced 1971-D Eisenhower Dollars) but paled when compared to the mintage of the 1971 Kennedy half dollar, which was struck in Cu-Ni clad for the first time this same year. While hundreds of millions of Eisenhower dollars were struck, with many millions entering circulation, the coin was more of a novelty item than a useful coin for the purposes of commerce.
How much is the 1971 Eisenhower Dollar Worth?
This superb gem 1971 Eisenhower dollar sold for $10,200 at an April 2022 Stack’s Bowers auction.
The 1971 Eisenhower dollar is worth a wide range of prices, from $1 for a beat-up circulated example, to potentially $10,000 or more dollars for virtually flawless examples in the Superb Gem grade of MS67. Finer examples have yet to be certified.
Why would a modern coin have such a range of values? The answer lies in the coin’s production history.
Creating a Cu-Ni Eisenhower dollar–a large silver-dollar format coin–proved to be quite a technical challenge. The Denver Mint, which began production of the coin a few weeks before Philadelphia, fared better. Coins struck at Denver have a sharper, cleaner look. Some even appear to have been struck on highly polished planchets. Most Philadelphia issues appear dull, lacking in luster, and have residual annealing chatter marks on the high points of the relief (typically on Eisenhower’s chin and hair).
As the business strike Eisenhower dollar was not issued in U.S. Mint annual sets until 1973, examples that survive in Mint State were originally saved from circulation. Because of this, uncirculated examples of the 1971 (P) issue are worth slightly more than issues struck in 1974 forward. The 1973 is a Mint Set-only issue and carries a slight premium, but truthfully, the 1971 (P) and 1972 (P) issues are more difficult to source in Mint State and should be worth more because of that.
In Mint State 65, the 1971 (P) carries a price of about $80 according to CoinWeek IQ’s current market analytics. This is significantly down from the pricing levels the coin has traded at in recent years. Rising TPG populations and a malaise in the modern coin market bears some responsibility. True gems with great eye appeal can sell for many times more. Our MS66 market price for the issue, as of November 2023, is about $600. CAC coins with very high eye appeal can bring premiums over this number.
Eisenhower Dollar Design
Obverse:
Gasparro’s portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower (as President); Eisenhower facing to the left. Gasparro’s initials “FG” appear raised in the bust truncation. Beneath Eisenhower’s chin, to the left, is the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” LIBERTY wraps around the top of the coin in the space between the rim and the top of Eisenhower’s head. The date wraps around the bottom of the design, between the rim and the bottom of Eisenhower’s bust truncation. While Philadelphia-struck pieces bear no mintmark, coins struck at Denver and San Francisco will bear small mintmarks of “D” or “S” above the space between the last two digits of the date. On Eisenhower dollars, mintmarks were hand-punched and may very in exact location and orientation.
Reverse:
The reverse is based on Michael Collins’Apollo 11 Mission Patch design.
In the center, a bald eagle is in descent. In its talons, an olive branch. Its left wing is raised. The lunar surface lies below. Above the eagle’s head is a depiction of the Earth. North America is prominently visible. Wrapping around the top of the coin adjacent to the rim is the legend “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.” Thirteen small five-point stars circle around the eagle. Below the ring of stars but above the eagle is the motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM”. Wrapping around the bottom of the design is the denomination “ONE DOLLAR”.
Edge:
The edge of the 1971 Philadephia Eisenhower dollar is reeded.
Designer
Frank Gasparro was a friend to numismatists and served as Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1965 to 1981 (View Designer’s Profile).
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If one commemorative coin is good, then two coins are twice as good–or so the reasoning goes with these often exploited issues. The Grant Memorial gold dollar is a good example of this principle at work. The backers of this issue noted the success of the Alabama and Missouri programs (both 1921) in selling the […]
The United States Mint 2022 American Women Quarters Rolls and Bags – Nina Otero-Warren, will be available for purchase on August 16 at noon EDT. The Nina Otero-Warren quarter is the fourth coin in the American Women Quarters Program, a four-year series that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women who have shaped our […]
The United States Mint will begin shipping the fourth coin in the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program on August 15. These circulating quarters honoring Nina Otero-Warren are manufactured at the Mint facilities in Philadelphia and Denver. Coins featuring remaining AWQ honorees will begin shipping later this year and through 2025. “The fourth coin in our […]
Currently listed for auction at GreatColle ctions is one of the finest Proof 1912 $2.50 quarter eagle gold coins available. Collectors should be aware of this exciting opportunity to bid on an extreme conditional rarity graded as PR 67+ by PCGS and approved by CAC with a green sticker. While the 1912 Matte Proof finish […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… When it comes to error coins, a mule is simply a coin that was struck from a die pair that was not intended to go together, and that can be the obverse die, the reverse die, or even the collar die. The two types of mules are those that […]
In 1944, the United States Mint was working overtime to accommodate not only the wartime needs of the United States but also the needs of its allies. The need was so great that “nearly three billion domestic coins” and “nearly 800,000,000 coins” for 17 other countries were produced “at cost”, which combined to make the […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… On July 8, the United States Mint opened enrollments for the 2023 Morgan and Peace dollars on its website. The 2023 silver dollars will include 2023-P Morgan and 2023-P Peace dollars with an uncirculated finish; 2023-S Morgan and 2023-S Peace dollars with a Proof finish; and a two-coin set with […]
Public tours of the United States Mint facilities in Denver and Philadelphia have reopened. The gift shops at both of these locations have also reopened. Please note that during High COVID-19 community levels, tours of the Mint facilities at Denver and Philadelphia will be suspended, and gift shops will be closed. Tour participants must comply […]
By Q. David Bowers – Co-Founder, Stack’s Bowers ….. I have always enjoyed tokens and medals of all kinds and have collected, studied and written about many different types and varieties. One group that I find fascinating are the numismatic tokens and medalets issued from 1858 through 1860, during a craze for such pieces. While […]
The 2022 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set will be available for purchase on July 12 at noon (EDT). The set contains two cards of 10 coins each—one from the United States Mint at Philadelphia and the other from the United States Mint at Denver. The following coins are included, along with a certificate of […]
After the January 6th, 2021, insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol and congressional office buildings, the 117th Congress passed Public Law 117-32, for distribution of “four gold medals of appropriate design to the United States Capitol Police and those who protected the U.S. Capitol.” The law, which also authorized the production of duplicate bronze medals […]
Rolls and bags containing the third American Innovation $1 Coin of 2022 will go on sale on June 28 at noon EDT. The reverse design of the coins in these products honors innovation from the State of Kentucky. The following packaging options from the United States Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver will be available: […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… If you hear someone refer to “gold eagles”, you might think of the American Gold Eagle issued since 1986. But from the time that the first U.S. gold coins were issued in 1795, an eagle, or $10 gold coin, has been the base unit denomination for American gold coinage. Moreover, […]
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 […]
While not necessarily a well-known year in American history, 1886 saw a series of interesting and important historical events: the dedication of the Statue of Liberty by President Grover Cleveland, the introduction of Coca-Cola by John Pemberton, and the Chicago Haymarket Affair, which forced the implementation of the eight-hour workday. Even at the United States […]
GreatCollections is offering collectors the opportunity to bid on a number of pieces from the Gregg Bingham Collection. Since this collection contains several extreme conditional rarities with a quality provenance, this is a truly extraordinary opportunity. Ending times for lots in this sale are spread out over two weeks, with the first pieces ending in […]
Hindsight is 20/20, and despite the Great Depression looming right around the corner, it was business as usual at the United States Mint in 1929. In fact, that year the Philadelphia facility struck 185,262,000 cents coins alone, and when combined with the other mint facilities, the mintage topped 277 million pieces. This was the largest […]
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 […]
In their current auction, GreatCollections is offering collectors the opportunity to bid on a beautifully toned, top pop 1999 Susan B. Anthony dollar graded as MS 68 by PCGS with a gold shield. With 20 examples certified as MS 68, and with none graded higher by any third-party grading service, this auction represents an important […]
By CoinWeek IQ ….. With the United States Mint moving at lightning speed, the Kennedy half dollar was designed, stuck, and placed in circulation just over four months after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. These coins sparked instant demand from a grieving nation. Despite being struck in substantial numbers until […]
Rolls and bags containing the second American Innovation $1 Coin of 2022 will go on sale April 26 at noon EDT. The reverse design of the coins in these products honors innovation from the State of Vermont. The following packaging options from the United States Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver will be available: Currently, […]
First released in 1916 with a minuscule mintage, the Standing Liberty Quarter garnered almost immediate controversy. As the newly appointed Director of the Mint, Robert W. Woolley held a public competition to replace the earlier Barber designs on the dime, quarter, and half dollar. While anyone could submit designs, the famous American sculptor Hermon Atkins […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… Following the California Gold Rush of 1848, the ratio between silver and gold that had stood at 16:1 for so long was upset, with large quantities of gold entering the American market. This helped push up the prices of other metals, especially silver, and so the melt value of circulating […]
By Mike Byers for Mint Error News …… 1942-S Wartime Lincoln Cent Struck on a Bronze Planchet NGC MS 62 Brown Unique Discovery Coin This is a fascinating 1942-S Lincoln cent that was struck on a 2.5-gram bronze planchet with a composition of 95% copper, 4% zinc, and 1% tin. After examining this unique […]
By Tyler Rossi for CoinWeek ….. Due to its geographical proximity to the US, the island of Cuba has always held a strategic position in relation to the North American mainland. This relationship dates back to pre-colonial times when the indigenous Paleo-Indian tribes arrived on the island between 5000 and 2000 BCE. While little remains […]
Stack’s Bowers Galleries Sets a New World Record for an American Historical Medal The only Daniel Morgan at Cowpens medal known in gold, the sole gold example struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1839, set a new world record on April 4 for any American historical medal, selling for nearly one million dollars in […]
In 2022, the United States Mint celebrates its 230th anniversary. The Mint is one of the few federal agencies whose duties are specifically referenced in the Constitution, with Article I, Section 8 establishing that “The Congress shall have the power . . . To coin money.” The current United States Mint was created by the […]
By Tyler Rossi for CoinWeek ….. Money is the fuel that facilitates the global economy, and at no point is this more important than during a war. In 1914, the world descended into a war that would end only after leaving approximately 20 million dead and 21 million wounded or maimed. Due to a complex […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… Liberty Seated Dollars, designed by United States Mint Chief Engraver Christian Gobrecht, were issued from 1840 to 1873 and were the first silver dollars issued since 1804. They are not as well known or as widely collected as Morgan and Peace dollars mainly because it is a challenging series to […]
On Monday, March 21, the United States Mint began shipping the Dr. Sally Ride quarter, the second coin of the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program. These circulating quarters honoring Dr. Ride are manufactured at the Mint facilities in Philadelphia and Denver. Coins featuring additional honorees will begin shipping later this year and through 2025. “Dr. […]
By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner Many of the ultra-rare coins we sell never make it onto the DWN website. Every now and then, we let you go “behind the curtain” to see some of the truly special coins we sell to clients. These are typically individuals who have active want lists […]
Suspended in 1904 due to a significant drop in the demand for silver resulting from the passage of the 1890 Sherman Silver Act, no further Morgan dollars would be struck until 1921. The series was thought to be dead. Yet because of World War I, the government of Great Britain was facing an economic crisis. […]
The smallest denomination ever struck by the U.S. Mint, the half cent is an extremely complex series. It features five major types and subtypes that all have a series of varieties, the last of which was the Braided Hair half cent (1840-57). As the new Chief Engraver, Christian Gobrecht was responsible for shifting the design […]
Description: Even though the United States had no real need for a large dollar coin at the start of the 1970s, the gaming industry developed an acute need to find a replacement for the silver dollars it used to feed tens of thousands of slot machines. This “need”, and the recent passing of beloved war-hero-turned-President […]
Rolls and bags containing the first American Innovation $1 Coin of 2022 will go on sale February 23 at noon EST. The reverse design of the coins in these products honors innovation from the State of Rhode Island. The following packaging options from the United States Mint facilities in Philadelphia and Denver will be available: […]
By Tyler Rossi for CoinWeek ….. The purpose of the United States Mint is to make money. And no, I don’t just mean striking coins for the federal government. According to its Annual Report, during the 2020 fiscal year, the Mint earned approximately $40 million USD in profit. This revenue was due to the Mint’s […]
Demand for domestic coinage continued to grow in 1936 and the United States Mint responded by adding shifts and ramping up production. In Philadelphia, cent production was higher than it had been at any time since 1920. In total, 309,632,000 pieces were struck, all from blanks that were manufactured in-house. This production level largely satisfied […]
By January 1861, the process of southern secession was underway, signaling the onset of America’s deadliest war. Throughout this tumultuous year, the country experienced a multitude of historic events: Abraham Lincoln would become the 16th president, the Confederate States of America was born, and the Civil War commenced. Despite the loss of its branch facilities […]
By CoinWeek ….. Up for sale in the current GreatCollections auctions was an interesting certified error coin. Graded MS-67 by NGC, this 2000-P New Hampshire 50 States quarter has a 25% off center strike. Collectors should be advised that, at the time of writing, this lot had 26 bids, with the final hammer price reaching […]
On February 7, at noon EST, the United States Mint will begin accepting orders for products featuring the first coin in the American Women Quarters Program. The coin honors writer, poet, performer, social activist, and teacher Maya Angelou. Angelou rose to international prominence as an author after the publication of her groundbreaking autobiography, I Know […]
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 […]
While still a fledgling design, the Philadelphia Mint struck nearly 50% more 1910 Lincoln cents than in 1909 or 1910. In fact, it was the largest single issuance of Lincoln cents by the Philadelphia Mint until 1917. With a mintage of 146,801,218 pieces, this coin is easily obtainable in both general circulated and Mint State […]
By Austin Jepsky ….. Sometimes referred to as “Mexican Silver”, coins of a .720 silver fineness at one time or another could be found in circulation on five of the seven continents. Despite this widespread use, precious little has been written about this silver alloy, henceforward to be referred to as Decoplata. The purpose of […]
By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner As recently as 2019, when I wrote my annual State of the Dated Gold Marker report, it was harder to list the “hot” areas of the market than it was the “not hot” areas. Fast forward to December 2021 and I’m hard-pressed to include a single […]
As the Roosevelt dime entered production in 1972, the design had served its statutorily-mandated minimum service life of 25 years. The four-term president was a fitting choice to replace Weinman’s Winged Liberty design in 1946, and sentiment about the longest-serving U.S. president remained high as the generation he led through the Great Depression and World […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for PCGS …… At least three United States Mint coins still in use today have seen two significantly different mint mark positions, including the Roosevelt Dime, the Washington Quarter, and the Kennedy Half Dollar – all of which saw mint marks at a certain spot on the reverses of the coins before […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for PCGS …… At least three United States Mint coins still in use today have seen two significantly different mint mark positions, including the Roosevelt Dime, the Washington Quarter, and the Kennedy Half Dollar – all of which saw mint marks at a certain spot on the reverses of the coins […]
GreatCollections is offering an 1853 Seated Liberty dollar certified MS-65 with a Gold Shield by PCGS, one of two examples reported in that grade by the service. With an opening bid of $65,000, the sale closes November 28 alongside two other Seated Liberty dollars. The Coinage Act of February 21, 1853, which lowered the weight […]
By Blanchard and Company, Inc …… In 1688, the city of New Rochelle, New York was founded by French Protestants. Colonist Jacob Leisler executed the formal agreement when he purchased 6,000 acres from Sir John Pell, the original owner of the land. In return for the acreage that represents the city today, Pell required “one […]
By James McCartney – Senior Numismatist, Stack’s Bowers …… The 1870 Liberty Seated dollar represents the final lower-mintage Philadelphia issue before production exploded above one million coins per year in 1871 and 1872. Just 415,000 1870 dollars were struck, primarily at the request of bullion depositors for use in trade with China. These conditions […]
The California Gold Rush may have been set off by James Wilson Marshall’s January 24, 1848 discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill, but the commercial extraction of oro fino in California had already been underway for eight years by this time. This fact is important to understand because contrary to popular belief, the 1848 “CAL” […]
By Ben Orooji – Senior Numismatist, Stack’s Bowers Galleries …… After a stellar August 2021 ANA sale in which Stack’s Bowers Galleries sold over 50 million dollars of numismatic treasures and with numerous record-breaking prices achieved, we are ready to do it again this November. Already consigned is this beautiful low-mintage 1888 half eagle […]
The 2021 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set will be available for purchase on September 28 at noon (EDT). This year, the set contains two folders with seven coins each—one with coins from the United States Mint at Philadelphia and the other with coins from the United States Mint at Denver. The following coins are […]
Description Lincoln cents were in short supply as the United States entered its second year of war in Europe. Increased wartime economic activity drove up demand for circulating coinage, resulting in larger mintages. The more than 288 million cents produced at the Philadelphia Mint in 1918–the largest mintage in the series up to that point–were […]
Struck against the backdrop of war from an alloy developed to save copper and nickel, the 1944-P Jefferson nickel is one of the most abundant dates of the silver alloy subtype. Uncirculated examples are plentiful and can be purchased inexpensively, though fully-struck examples are elusive. The date was counterfeited in the 1950s by Francis Henning, […]
There is a danger in complacency By Jay Turner for PCGS …… Just because something is common, not very expensive, or of modern production doesn’t mean that it will not be a target for counterfeiters looking to profit from people’s complacency concerning the authenticity of such coins. Recently in a submission of modern coins […]
1794 No Stars Flowing Hair dollar blows past $350,000-$500,000 pre-auction estimate The first dollar coin struck at the fledgling United States Mint in 1794, an experiment in copper which would become the pattern for more valuable silver versions minted later, sold for $840,000 at Heritage Auctions Friday, April 23. Referred to as the “No […]
By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner The $5 gold half eagles struck at the Philadelphia Mint from 1866 through 1877 include a number of low-mintage issues that, while undeniably rare, are curiously underappreciated. I regard some of the issues as among the best values in all of the rare date gold market. […]
3.6 Grams (64% Silver/36% Copper) Ex: Fred Weinberg By Mike Byers for Mint Error News …… This is a world-class 1943 Lincoln cent major mint error. It’s many times rarer than the 1943 copper cent. The United States Mint has produced coins for foreign governments at various times during its history. During World War […]
The United States Mint released the final three-coin set in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program today at noon EST. The set contains coins with reverse designs honoring the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Site in Alabama. This set includes one uncirculated quarter from the Philadelphia Mint, one uncirculated quarter from the Denver Mint, and one […]
By Q. David Bowers – Co-Founder, Stack’s Bowers ….. Charles Edward Barber became the sixth engraver at the Philadelphia Mint in 1880, following the death of his father, Chief Engraver William Barber; he remained in the post until his death on February 18, 1917. The Liberty Head silver denominations he designed and which are known […]
Description Morgan dollar production continued at its Congressionally mandated pace in 1887, despite the fact that even 10 years into the series’ run it had failed to gain a meaningful place as a circulating coin for most Americans. The 1887 Morgan dollar, known more officially as the Liberty Head dollar, is a silver coin struck […]
By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner Liberty Head gold coins from the Philadelphia Mint were struck from 1838 through 1908 in six different denominations. There are hundreds of individual issues and they range from extremely common to extremely rare. These coins tend to be less desired than their branch mint counterparts for […]
By CoinWeek Staff Reports …. If you’re still interested in purchasing the Mayflower 400th Anniversary Silver Reverse Proof medal, then we have some bad news. As of Thursday morning (November 19), the medal was still available on the United States Mint’s website at catalog.usmint.gov. But by the time of publication, the Mint lists the item […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… For the second time in 2020, the United States Mint has produced a limited number of American Silver Eagles at a mint other than its West Point facility, which has historically handled the bulk of production of these coins. Those coins were offered to the Mint’s network of Authorized Purchasers […]
Beginning in November, the United States Mint is releasing four products to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II. November 5 End of World War II 75th Anniversary American Eagle Gold Proof Coin (20XE) Product Limit: 1,945 Price: Per Pricing Grid The obverse features a version of Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ full-length figure […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for PCGS …… The Trade Dollars of 1873-1885 represent one of the more curious areas of American numismatics. Authorized by the Coinage Act of 1873, the Trade Dollar was struck for the purpose of facilitating export transactions with China and was expressly created to compete against the silver Mexican Peso, a large, […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… About 10 months into the U.S. involvement in World War II that begin in December 1941 after the Pearl Harbor attack, the United States Mint began producing silver nickels. These coins were made of an alloy of 56% copper, 35% silver and 9% manganese rather than 75% copper and 25% […]
By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for PCGS …… [Editor’s note: This column originally appeared in the PCGS E-Zine newsletter on March 26, 2013 and has been updated to its current form. —CoinWeek] Talk about an under-appreciated series. The silver-clad Kennedy half dollar has always played second fiddle to its one-off 1964 and 1964-D 90% […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… As a result of the pandemic and its effects on the U.S. economy, which have resulted in the largest-ever decline in the gross domestic product (32.9%) in the second quarter of 2020 and tens of millions of unemployed–as well as rising silver and gold prices (with gold having reached several […]
Of all 19th-century American coin finds, the most famous is the so-called Randall Hoard, named after a later owner of the cache. Even today, mention of the Randall Hoard recurs with frequency in auction catalogs and sale lists
Of all 19th-century American coin finds, the most famous is the so-called Randall Hoard, named after a later owner of the cache. Even today, mention of the Randall Hoard recurs with frequency in auction catalogs and sale lists
The world’s most valuable US coin, a 1794 Dollar that last sold for $10 million USD, is set to appear in an auction again later this year. Legend Rare Coin Auctions, Inc. has announced the sale of the Bruce Morelan Collection, a collection of coins from the early period of US history, valued in total […]
Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) has already certified more than half of April’s emergency production of 240,000 American Silver Eagles at the Philadelphia Mint. The Philadelphia Mint struck 240,000 American Silver Eagle bullion coins between April 8 and April 20, 2020, according to official United States Mint documentation. Bullion Silver Eagles, which have no mintmark, are […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… In the history of American numismatics, there are few coins that are more popular or well-known — even outside the numismatic community – than the 1943 Lincoln steel pennies. These zinc-coated steel cents are numismatic icons that any collector can afford. 1.1 billion of them were struck, including 685 million […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for PCGS …… Mercury dime specialists and anybody else who loves nicely struck examples of these mid-20th-century silver coins knows that examples with Full Bands (FB) details are among the most desirable. But certain issues are scarcer with fully struck horizontal bands across the fasces than others. And among the scarcest of […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… Mark your calendars for June 4! That’s when the United States Mint will launch the highly anticipated 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame commemorative coin program. For only the third time in U.S. Mint history, a dome-shaped coin — in this case to resemble the shape of a basketball — […]
Westminster Mint offers scarce emergency production 2020 silver American Eagles with John Boehner-autographed NGC inserts A former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the honorable John Boehner of Ohio, has personally signed inserts on a limited number of the scarce 2020 American Silver Eagles struck during the recent emergency production at the United […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… An unexpected modern rarity has emerged as a result of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on production of the United States Mint’s flagship silver bullion coin series, the American Silver Eagle. Most production of American Silver Eagle bullion coins is done at the U.S. Mint’s West Point Mint and […]
Counterfeit Buffalo Nickel By Max Spiegel – Numismatic Guaranty Corporation ……… The 1924-S Buffalo Nickel is a prime target for counterfeiters. In particular, sharp-eyed graders will pay close attention to additions or other alterations made to the mintmark. Prominent sculptor James Earle Fraser created an iconic design deeply rooted in Western Americana for the Buffalo […]
In response to the financial stresses and uncertainties of the Civil War, the government suspended specie payments late in 1861. Precious metal coinage was widely hoarded after that time and rarely seen in circulation in the eastern part of the country. As a result, gold coinage at the Philadelphia Mint was somewhat limited during the […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2020 America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Coin Set™ (product code 20AA) on March 24 at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Priced at $16.00 USD, this 10-coin set consists of five uncirculated quarters from the Philadelphia Mint and five uncirculated quarters from the Denver Mint. The […]
Washington — The United States Mint (Mint) is temporarily closing public tours of its facilities in Philadelphia and Denver beginning Monday, March 16. The Denver and Philadelphia Mint gift shops and the Washington, D
Washington — The United States Mint (Mint) is temporarily closing public tours of its facilities in Philadelphia and Denver beginning Monday, March 16. The Denver and Philadelphia Mint gift shops and the Washington, D
Description: Acclaimed as one of the most beautiful and artistic numismatic designs ever realized in the United States, the Saint-Gaudens $20 gold double eagle is one of the most famous of all American coin types. Its existence came only at the insistence of President Theodore Roosevelt, who sought for years to beautiful America’s humdrum coin […]
Famous 1804 Dollar once owned by Garrett Family and Johns Hopkins University A rare 1804 silver dollar, the most famous prize in coin collecting, will be sold in Baltimore on March 20, at an auction conducted by Stack’s Bowers Galleries of Santa Ana, California. One of just 15 known to exist, the auction house […]
Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) is excited to announce that Donna Weaver, sculptor of the Return to Monticello Nickel obverse (used since 2016 to present) and designer of the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin common reverse, is signing certification labels exclusively for NGC. The NGC Donna Weaver Signature Label is the perfect complement to […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for PCGS …… There are few 20th-century coins as popular with numismatists and non-numismatists alike as 1943 Lincoln Steel cents. Struck as an emergency measure to help save copper for ammunition shells to be used by Allied Forces during World War II, 1943 Lincoln Steel cents are a product of war-era rationing […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™ containing coins honoring the National Park of American Samoa on February 18 at noon EST. Coins in the America the Beautiful Quarters set include one uncirculated quarter from the Philadelphia Mint, one uncirculated quarter from the Denver Mint, and […]
Short Sets Collecting Strategies By Adrian Chacon for PCGS …… Collecting Short sets of coins that represents a portion of an entire series. There is a particular range of years which accommodates these sets, and many of these short sets are very popular among collectors. All sets mentioned below can be found in the PCGS […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for PCGS …… What’s up with the unusual raised dot on the reverse of some 1875 Indian Head cents? That’s the question many coin collectors have asked for decades. The little raised dot in question appears near the top left corner of the “N” in the word “ONE” on the reverse of […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for PCGS …… It’s perhaps hard to believe that 10 years have already passed since the first Lincoln Union Shield cent emerged in 2010. It came about as the fifth and final reverse redesign in fewer than 13 months following 2009’s successful four-coin circulating commemorative program showcasing Abraham Lincoln’s colorful life from […]
Description: The Saint-Gaudens $20 gold double eagle is one of the most famous of all American coin types, acclaimed as one of the most beautiful and artistic numismatic designs ever realized in the United States. Its existence came only at the insistence of President Theodore Roosevelt, who sought for years to beautiful America’s humdrum coin […]
Description: The Jefferson nickel debuted in 1938, replacing the Buffalo nickel in the 25th year of its production run. A design contest to commemorate Founding Father and third president of the United States Thomas Jefferson, open to “all American sculptors”, was held in 1937. German émigré and American artist Felix Oscar Schlag was the winner. […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for PCGS ….. The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the Maine Centennial Commemorative half dollar, a coin that was issued in 1920 to honor the 100th anniversary of Maine’s admission to the Union in 1820. As a pre-1930 issue, the Maine Centennial is among the earlier group of Classic United […]
Description: The Jefferson nickel debuted in 1938, replacing the Buffalo nickel in the 25th year of its production run. A design contest to commemorate Founding Father and third president of the United States Thomas Jefferson, open to “all American sculptors”, was held in 1937. German émigré and American artist Felix Oscar Schlag was the winner, […]
The United States Mint will release the final America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™ of 2019 on Nov. 26 at noon EST. The quarters in this set (product code 19AH) pay homage to Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho. This America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set consists of an uncirculated quarter from the […]
Description: The Seated Liberty (or Liberty Seated) dime debuted in 1837 and underwent a number of design modifications over the course of its 54-year run. In 1837, United States Mint engraver (and soon to be Chief Engraver) Christian Gobrecht’s design debuted with a fairly clean, yet simple obverse that featured a seated Liberty accompanied only […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2019 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin honoring Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (product code 19AN) on November 14 at noon EST. The coin is priced at $154.95 USD and is the last five-ounce silver uncirculated coin of 2019. 2019 America […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2019 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin honoring Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (product code 19AN) on November 14 at noon EST. The coin is priced at $154.95 USD and is the last five-ounce silver uncirculated coin of 2019. 2019 America […]
By Alan Carr, Buy Gold Online… The fame and fortune that is associated with a gold bullion heist are, for most of us, in the realms of our deepest and darkest fantasies. Nevertheless, the thought of living in riches and never having to work again has seduced some individuals to try their luck at stealing […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2019 America the Beautiful Quarters Circulating Coin Set™ (product code 19AC) on October 9 at noon EDT. The set is priced at $8.95 USD. The 2019-dated set includes 10 circulating quarters—five from the Philadelphia Mint and five from the Denver Mint–with reverse designs honoring Lowell […]
The Flying Eagle Cent By Blanchard and Company, Inc ….. It was the 1850s and the United States Mint had a problem. The “large cent”, which was simply a penny, was becoming too expensive to manufacture. The coin was nearly the size of a half dollar and consisted entirely of copper. They needed an alternative. […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2019 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin™ honoring San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (product code 19AM) on August 29 at noon EST. The coin is priced at $154.95. The reverse of this coin pays tribute to the missions in a depiction of […]
PHILADELPHIA – The United States Mint (Mint) marked a historic milestone today: the 50th anniversary of its fourth and current minting facility in Philadelphia, Pa. In celebration of this milestone, on Aug. 14, visitors will have a rare opportunity to speak directly with Mint personnel who make our nation’s coins
By Blanchard & Company …… Born in 1734 near Reading, Pennsylvania, Daniel Boone had all the ingredients for a happy life. “All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse and a good wife,” Boone said. Yet the father of 10 children with his wife Rebecca had a taste for adventure and […]
The United States Mint marked a historic milestone today: the 50th anniversary of its fourth and current minting facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In celebration of this milestone, on August 14, visitors had a rare opportunity to speak directly with Mint personnel who make our nation’s coins. The original “five-handed” shovel used for the groundbreaking of […]
Philadelphia — The United States Mint marked a historic milestone today: The 50th anniversary of its fourth and current minting facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In celebration of this milestone, on August 14, visitors will have a rare opportunity to speak directly with Mint personnel who make our nation’s coins
Philadelphia — The United States Mint marked a historic milestone today: The 50th anniversary of its fourth and current minting facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In celebration of this milestone, on August 14, visitors will have a rare opportunity to speak directly with Mint personnel who make our nation’s coins
By Blanchard & Company …… The United States expanded its reach in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. For $15 million the U.S. acquired 828,000 square miles from France. The additional land doubled the size of the country. Soon after, President Thomas Jefferson took the initiative to find out what awaited in that great wilderness. […]
The United States Mint is opening sales for both the 2019 American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin™ (product code 19DA) and the 2019 American Liberty High Relief Silver Medal™ (product code 19DB) on August 15 at noon EDT. The coin is struck at the West Point Mint, contains one ounce of 99.99 percent fine, 24-karat […]
Description: The Jefferson nickel debuted in 1938, replacing the Buffalo nickel in the 25th year of its production run. A design contest to commemorate Founding Father and Third President of the United States Thomas Jefferson, open to “all American sculptors”, was held in 1937. German émigré and American artist Felix Oscar Schlag was the winner. […]
By Blanchard & Company …… For many, the Oregon Trail evokes thoughts of untouched terrain, the untamed wild, and new beginnings. The reality was much different. Many lost their lives traveling the 2,170 miles spanning the distance of Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon. It is estimated that 20,000 people lie in unmarked graves. The […]
By CoinWeek Staff Reports …. The final match of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World’s Cup took place in Lyon, France on Sunday, July 7, and once again the United States Women’s National Soccer Team proved their dominance of the sport with their second consecutive championship and fourth championship title overall. Captained by the charismatic Megan […]
By CoinWeek Staff Reports …. The final match of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World’s Cup took place in Lyon, France on Sunday, July 7, and once again the United States Women’s National Soccer Team proved their dominance of the sport with their second consecutive championship and fourth championship title overall. Captained by the charismatic Megan […]
Limited Edition of 100,000 is the First Joint Numismatic Product Between the United States and Canada
The United States Mint is launching the 2019 Pride of Two Nations Set at noon (ET) today, at the Philadelphia Mint, and is the first joint numismatic product between the United States and Canada. The set commemorates the United States’ and Canada’s nationhood with coins that capture their rich history, pride, and close relationship as neighbors and partners
Limited Edition of 100,000 is the First Joint Numismatic Product Between the United States and Canada
The United States Mint is launching the 2019 Pride of Two Nations Set at noon (ET) today, at the Philadelphia Mint, and is the first joint numismatic product between the United States and Canada. The set commemorates the United States’ and Canada’s nationhood with coins that capture their rich history, pride, and close relationship as neighbors and partners
A national hero to not one but two countries Born in 1757, Gilbert Lafayette came from an ancient noble family in France. By his teen years, Lafayette was orphaned and inherited an immense fortune. He joined the court of King Louis XVI, but yearned for something more meaningful and exciting. Lafayette wanted to become a […]
By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner …… For new collectors of vintage United States gold coins, one of the most puzzling questions to ask is: What should I collect? The answer, of course, depends on your budget, but it also depends on which sort of collection you are going to build: a […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… Proof Silver Eagles are undoubtedly some of the most stunning coins a modern coin collector can lay his or her eyes on. The cameo details (black to white contrast) and the painstaking detail that the respected engraver John Mercanti took in creating this coin have made this piece just breathtaking. […]
By Blanchard & Company …… American coinage often follows a strange path. Each piece minted has a unique, twisting history, and this is especially true of the 1858 three-cent silver piece. The coin has origins in the most unlikely place: the Post Office. In early 1851, the United States Congress began discussing the reduction of […]
Latest set is the third to include premium penny from West Point The 2019 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® (product code 19RJ) will go on sale starting on May 14 at noon (EDT). This annual collector favorite contains two folders with 10 coins each—one with coins from the United States Mint at Philadelphia […]
By Bullion Shark LLC …… Silver Eagles, just like any other coin, vary wildly in value. Some can be worth as little as a few dollars over the spot value of silver, while others go for five figures! As a collector or investor of modern rare coins, it is important to understand where the value […]
United States $20 gold coins were extremely useful in foreign trade during the last half of the 19th century. Double eagles were immediately recognizable to European and Latin American trade partners and their weight and gold content were reliably guaranteed, making them ideal as a medium of exchange. On the other hand, 20 dollars was […]
The two are among the first of the billions of state quarters struck from 1999 to 2009 Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) has authenticated and graded a pair of 1999 Delaware State Quarters that were struck at the First Strike Ceremony held on December 7, 1998, at the Philadelphia Mint. Delaware was the first in […]
Latest set contains coins honoring American Memorial Park in Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands The United States Mint will open sales for the America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™ containing coins honoring American Memorial Park in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on April 17 at noon EDT. The set (product code […]
By Blanchard & Company …… The United States of America was still in its infancy in the early 1790s. The Founding Fathers signed the Constitution just a few years before in 1787 and many landmark events that shaped the country we are today occurred in the years that followed. Up until this time, American colonists […]
By Blanchard & Company …… For more than 60 years, the United States minted the large cent. These coins, about the size of a half dollar, consisted of nearly pure copper. They were heavy, cumbersome and falling out of favor for commerce. By the early 1850s the time had come to issue something more […]
The United States Mint will release the America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™ containing Lowell National Historical Park quarters on February 19 at noon EST. The set (product code 19AD) is priced at $9.95. America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Sets™ consist of an uncirculated quarter from the Philadelphia Mint, an uncirculated quarter from the Denver […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2019 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin honoring Massachusetts’s Lowell National Historical Park (product code 19AJ) on February 7 at noon EST. The coin is priced at $154.95. The America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins are struck in .999 fine silver […]
Washington — The United States Mint will release the America the Beautiful five-ounce silver Uncirculated coin — Cumberland Island National Seashore (product code 18AM) on August 30 at noon Eastern Time (ET). This coin is priced at $154
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) August 8, 2018 — It will be a Philadelphia “homecoming” at the ANA 2018 World’s Fair of Money for one of the finest known surviving examples of a 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollar. It’s also the homecoming for the person exhibiting that historic coin, Silvano DiGenova, President of Tangible Investments, Inc
The following Q&A is excerpted from Clifford Mishler’s Coins: Questions & Answers:
Q: What is the real story behind “The King of American Coins,” the silver dollars of 1804?
A: Proclaimed the “King of American Coins,” the prestigious dollar of 1804 is an impostor. It is known to exist in 15 examples, not a one of which was actually struck in 1804
Counterfeit Coin Detection By Paul Sandler, NGC Grader/Researcher…… Altered dates and outright counterfeits are the two most common types of fake 1942/41 Mercury Dimes you will encounter in Counterfeit Coin Detection. The 1942/41 Mercury Dime from the Philadelphia Mint is one of the most well-known overdates on any US coin. Although the variety was first discovered […]
The following Q&A is excerpted from Clifford Mishler’s Coins: Questions & Answers:
Q: What are Proof coins and sets?
A: The term “Proof” refers to the method of manufacturing a coin, not to its condition. Originally, Proof coins were struck for presentation, souvenir, exhibition, and display purposes
By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek ….. Sixteen bags of Morgan dollars, still sealed in their original bags, is not something that you expect to see these days, given that it’s been more than 50 years since the Treasury vaults were emptied by silver speculators. Since that time, there have been ups and […]
Washington — The United States Mint will open sales for the 2018 America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set—Voyageurs National Park (product code 18AF) on June 19 at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
This set includes one Uncirculated quarter from the Philadelphia Mint, one Uncirculated quarter from the Denver Mint, and one Proof quarter from the San Francisco Mint
Washington — The United States Mint will open sales for the 2018 America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set—Voyageurs National Park (product code 18AF) on June 19 at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
This set includes one Uncirculated quarter from the Philadelphia Mint, one Uncirculated quarter from the Denver Mint, and one Proof quarter from the San Francisco Mint
The United States Mint will open sales for the 2018 America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™– Voyageurs National Park (product code 18AF) on June 19 at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). This set includes one uncirculated quarter from the Philadelphia Mint, one uncirculated quarter from the Denver Mint, and one proof quarter from the San […]
Washington — The United States Mint will release the latest America the Beautiful Five-Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin on June 14 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The three-inch diameter coin (product code 18AL) honors Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota
Washington — The United States Mint will release the latest America the Beautiful Five-Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin on June 14 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The three-inch diameter coin (product code 18AL) honors Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota
Washington — The United States Mint will release the latest America the Beautiful Five-Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin on June 14 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The three-inch diameter coin (product code 18AL) honors Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota
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Washington — Bags and rolls of United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program coins honoring Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota will be available for purchase starting on June 11 at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
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Washington — Bags and rolls of United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program coins honoring Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota will be available for purchase starting on June 11 at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Description: While the country-at-large’s desire for a large dollar coin at the start of the 1970s was hardly demonstrable, the gaming industry developed an acute need to find a replacement for the silver dollars it used to feed tens of thousands of slot machines. This “need”, and the recent passing of beloved war-hero-turned-President Dwight D. […]
1812 Capped Bust Left Half Eagle. BD-2. Rarity-4+. Close 5D. MS-65 (PCGS). On June 18, 1812, President James Madison declared war on the United Kingdom in response to the impressment of American sailors and interference in America’s expansion westward, thus precipitating an armed conflict that would last the next two-and-a-half years. In the midst of […]
Washington — Bags and rolls of United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program coins honoring Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota will be available for purchase starting on June 11 at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
The quarter’s reverse (tails) depicts a common loon with a rock cliff in the background
By Ben Orooji, Numismatist & Cataloger – Stack’s Bowers New Colorado Gold Rush on the 1861-S Paquet reverse Double Eagle ….. The Stack’s Bowers June 2018 Baltimore sale is fast approaching and among the stellar collections to be featured is the Fairmont Collection, a nearly complete set of Liberty Head double eagles. It is currently ranked […]
ANA Governor Brian Hendelson will provide historic multi-million dollar Philadelphia Mint coins and early United States Mint appointment documents for the ANA Museum Showcase exhibit.
The finest known 1792 Half Disme, formerly owned by the first United States Mint Director David Rittenhouse, and the finer of the two known 1861 Philadelphia Mint Paquet Reverse Liberty Head Double Eagles, will be featured exhibits in the Museum Showcase at the American Numismatic Association’s 2018 Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money
ANA Governor Brian Hendelson will provide historic multi-million dollar Philadelphia Mint coins and early United States Mint appointment documents for ANA Museum Showcase exhibit The finest known 1792 Half Disme, formerly owned by the first United States Mint Director David Rittenhouse, and the finer of the two known 1861 Philadelphia Mint Paquet Reverse Liberty Head […]
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 […]
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 […]
Washington — Sales will open for the 2018 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set (product code 18RJ) on May 14 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
This set contains two folders with 10 coins each — one with coins from the United States Mint at Philadelphia and the other with coins from the United States Mint at Denver
Washington — Sales will open for the 2018 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set (product code 18RJ) on May 14 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
This set contains two folders with 10 coins each — one with coins from the United States Mint at Philadelphia and the other with coins from the United States Mint at Denver
By Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists (PAN) …… PAN Spring Coin Show Issue One of the 10 very rare 1933 Gold Double Eagle coins will be displayed for a limited time during the PAN Spring Coin Show. Special arrangements have been made to bring this rarity from Fort Knox where the confiscated coins are stored to […]
Washington — Sales will open for the 2018 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set (product code 18RJ) on May 14 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
This set contains two folders with 10 coins each — one with coins from the United States Mint at Philadelphia and the other with coins from the United States Mint at Denver
By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek…. Hard to believe but it’s been almost 30 years since the United States Mint inaugurated its 50 State Quarters program. For a certain generation, it was the first real change in U.S. coinage they had ever experienced–at once exciting as a variety of new designs began to […]
By Don Everhart – Former Sculptor-Engraver, United States Mint ….. Exclusive for CoinWeek Links to earlier parts: 1 | 2 During my 13+ years as a sculptor-engraver for the United States Mint, I had the opportunity to work on Congressional Gold Medals for many prominent leaders and heads of state. Additionally, I had the honor […]
This week I start a new series: an overview of the various presidents from George Washington to date with a small selection of coins minted during their administration. To include all of the design types—never mind different dates and varieties—would far exceed the space available
The United States Mint is now seeking a Lead Medallic Artist at its Philadelphia location. This position is primarily open to current or former federal employees (competitive service), surplus or displaced federal employees, veterans, and individuals with disabilities — however, any member of the public may apply under announcement 18-MINT-175-P
By Q. David Bowers
This week I start a new series: an overview of the various presidents from George Washington to date with a small selection of coins minted during their administration
The following Q&A is excerpted from Clifford Mishler’s Coins: Questions & Answers, 5th edition:
Q: A friend told me the slight bulge along the line of Kennedy’s neck on the half-dollar is intended to represent the point at which the bullet from the assassin’s rifle hit our late president. Is that true?
A: Absolutely not
Washington — The United States Mint will release the second America the Beautiful five-ounce silver Uncirculated coin of the year on April 13 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The coin (product code 18AK) honors Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin
Washington — The United States Mint will offer bags and rolls of quarters honoring Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin starting on April 9 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
The quarter’s reverse (tails) design depicts the sea caves at Devils Island with the lighthouse in the background and a kayaker paddling in the foreground
Washington — The United States Mint will accept orders for the 2018 America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Coin Set (product code 18AA) beginning on March 29 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
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The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for collectible bags and rolls of 2018 Kennedy Half Dollar coins on March 20 at noon Eastern Time (ET). Available product options and their prices are as follows: All product options contain circulating finish Kennedy Half Dollars from the Denver Mint and the Philadelphia Mint facilities that […]
Washington — The United States Mint will accept orders for the 2018 America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set-Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (product code 18AD) beginning February 20 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
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Washington — The United States Mint will accept orders for the 2018 America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set-Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (product code 18AD) beginning February 20 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
This set includes an Uncirculated quarter from the Philadelphia Mint, an Uncirculated quarter from the Denver Mint, and a Proof quarter from the San Francisco Mint featuring Chapel Rock and the white pine tree that grows atop it on their reverse (tails)
The following was sent to the Mint’s Authorized Purchasers on February 9,2018:
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coin – Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Monday, February 26, 2018.
We do not anticipate an allocation of these coins
The following was sent to the Mint’s Authorized Purchasers today:
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coin – Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Monday, February 26, 2018.
We do not anticipate an allocation of these coins
Washington — The United States Mint will open sales for the 2018 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin – Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (product code 18AJ) on February 9 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
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Washington — The United States Mint will open sales for the 2018 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin – Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (product code 18AJ) on February 9 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
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Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #403 A Weekly Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Liberty Head half eagles (U.S. $5 gold coins) were minted from 1839 to 1908. These were struck in Philadelphia (PA), Charlotte (NC), Dahlonega (GA), New Orleans (LA), San Francisco (CA), Carson City (NV), […]
Continuing from my last column, I told about the release at the Philadelphia Mint in November 1962 of quantities of 1903-O dollars, hundreds of thousands of them. At the time the 1903-O cataloged in Mint State for $1,500 in the Guide Book of United States Coins, with no others priced higher
Although he campaigned on America staying out of the war, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war as a result of a series of events, including the sinking of the Lusitania, the Zimmerman Telegram, and the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare. America mobilized for war, aiding the Allies by providing financial and other resources, weapons, and troops
By Q. David Bowers
Continuing from my last column, I told about the release at the Philadelphia Mint in November 1962 of quantities of 1903-O dollars, hundreds of thousands of them
The United States Mint will open sales for the 2017 America the Beautiful Quarter Circulating Coin Set™ (product code 17AC) starting on November 21 at noon Eastern Time (ET). This year’s set includes 10 circulating quarters–five from the Philadelphia Mint and five from the Denver Mint–with reverse designs honoring Effigy Mounds National Monument (Iowa), […]
By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner …… In January 2017, I wrote a blog in the “So You’ve Decided to Collect…” series about No Motto Liberty Head eagles. As the year comes to a close, I thought it would be interesting to write about the With Motto Liberty Head eagle coinage. […]
The Mint produced an unexciting mintage of 792 proof Morgan dollars in 1893, but the issue was one of the more poorly rendered of the proof Morgans. The dies were spaced slightly too far apart in the press, causing numerous coins to show incomplete details on the central high points. The VAM reference calls the […]
Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #386 A Weekly Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Overall, there are nine design types of half dimes, five of which are in the series of Liberty Seated half dimes. It is somewhat easy to collect these ‘by date’ (including U.S. Mint […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2017 America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™ -Ellis Island (product code 17AM) on September 14, at noon Eastern Time (ET). Priced at $9.95, this set contains two uncirculated Ellis Island quarters – one from the Philadelphia Mint and one from the Denver Mint – and […]
By CoinWeek News Staff …. According to the Federal Register on Tuesday, September 12, the United States Mint has announced its price for the 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Four-Piece Silver Medal Set. The initial retail price for each set is $199.95 USD. The set will be available for order on the Mint’s website on […]
Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #383 An Ongoing Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Three Cent Silvers are much different from Three Cent Nickels. U.S. Three Cent Silver coins were minted from 1851 to 1873, while Three Cent Nickels were minted from 1865 to 1889. Before discussing […]
By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner …… I recently purchased a nice specialized collection of 20 Liberty Head quarter eagles from an individual in Kentucky. The deal was consummated on a Monday, the coins were in my office on Tuesday, they were cataloged and imaged on Wednesday and “pre-listed” for DWN Preferred […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2017 America the Beautiful 5-ounce silver Uncirculated coin honoring Ellis Island (product code 17AM) on September 7 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
The reverse depicts an immigrant family approaching Ellis Island with a mixture of hope and uncertainty
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2017 America the Beautiful 5-ounce silver Uncirculated coin honoring Ellis Island (product code 17AM) on September 7 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
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The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2017 America the Beautiful 5-ounce silver Uncirculated coin honoring Ellis Island (product code 17AM) on September 7 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
The reverse depicts an immigrant family approaching Ellis Island with a mixture of hope and uncertainty
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2017 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin honoring Ellis Island (product code 17AM) on September 7 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The reverse design depicts an immigrant family approaching Ellis Island with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. The hospital building can […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2017 America the Beautiful 5oz Silver Uncirculated Coin-Ozark National Scenic Riverways (product code 17AL) on July 11 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The reverse of the America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins features the same designs that appear on their America the Beautiful […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2017 America the Beautiful 5oz Silver Uncirculated Coin-Ozark National Scenic Riverways (product code 17AL) on July 11 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The reverse of the America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins features the same designs that appear on their America the Beautiful […]
By CoinWeek ….. Handpicked high-eye-appeal U.S. coins are the hallmark of Legend Rare Coin Auctions (LRCA) and on Thursday, July 13, 2017 at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the New Jersey-based firm will offer 515 PCGS- and NGC-certified coins at their Regency XXII Sale. Many are either conditionally rare or rare in […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for CoinWeek.com …… Since their debut in 1986, American Silver Eagles (ASEs) have been one of the most popular bullion coin series in the world, but their appeal extends well beyond the arena of precious metals investing. The American Silver Eagle, authorized by the passage of the Liberty Coin Act of […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for CoinWeek.com …… Since their debut in 1986, American Silver Eagles (ASEs) have been one of the most popular bullion coin series in the world, but their appeal extends well beyond the arena of precious metals investing. The American Silver Eagle, authorized by the passage of the Liberty Coin Act of […]
The United States Mint will accept orders for the 2017 America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™ – Ozark National Scenic Riverways (product code 17AF) on June 26 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The reverse design of the quarters in this set depicts Alley Mill, a steel roller mill built in 1894. This merchant mill was […]
*A lack of a mintage limit may have helped By CoinWeek News Staff …. First day sales of the 2017 American Liberty U.S. Mint 225th Anniversary Silver Medal totaled 26,833 units, according to Todd Martin, Deputy Chief of the Office of Corporate Communications of the United States Mint. In light of the “controversy” over the […]
By Dr. Richard S. Appel – UniqueRareCoins.com …… From its inception, the silver 20-cent coin was one of the most poorly conceived, ill-received and unpopular coins produced by the United States Mint. Its great similarity in design and size with the circulating 25-cent coin was confusing to many Americans. The 20-cent piece was allegedly introduced […]
Whitman Publishing announces the release of two new volumes in its series of combination book-albums trademarked under the name Search & Save. Each new volume consists of a 96-page hardcover book bound with a Whitman Classic Coin Album page for storing and displaying a customized coin collection. The Search & Save volumes are intended for […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2017 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® (product code 17RJ) on May 17 at noon Eastern Time (ET). This year’s set consists of 20 coins—one folder of 10 coins from the Philadelphia Mint and one folder of 10 coins from the Denver Mint. Coins in […]
Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) has certified an extraordinary group of four 1942 and 1943 Lincoln Cents struck on the wrong planchets. Included in this group are two examples of the 1943 bronze (“copper”) cent, one of the most famous US error coins. In 1943, the US Mint used zinc-coated steel for Lincoln Cents instead of […]
Description: The 2017 Lions Clubs International Centennial commemorative silver dollar honors the 100th anniversary of the world’s largest service club. Founded in 1917 by Chicago businessman and philanthropist Melvin Jones, Lions Clubs International has more than 1.4 million members working together to help improve communities around the world. There are more than 46,000 associated clubs […]
Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #380 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Vintage silver commemorative coins were minted from 1892 to 1955. Except for the Isabella quarter (1893) and the Lafayette silver dollar (1900), all are half dollars. Prices for these have never come […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for CoinWeek.com …… Proof coinage has been a fixture in American numismatics since the 19th century and a regular hobby staple since 1936, when the United States Mint offered the first modern proof sets after a two-decade hiatus. There was also a three-year intermission between 1965 and 1967, when a nationwide coin […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for CoinWeek.com …… Proof coinage has been a fixture in American numismatics since the 19th century and a regular hobby staple since 1936, when the United States Mint offered the first modern proof sets after a two-decade hiatus. There was also a three-year intermission between 1965 and 1967, when a nationwide […]
The United States Mint will open sales for the 2017 America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™–Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (product code 17AE) on April 24 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The reverse design of each quarter depicts Frederick Douglass seated at a writing desk with his home in Washington, DC in the background. Inscriptions […]
The United States Mint will open sales for the 2017 America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™–Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (product code 17AE) on April 24 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The reverse design of each quarter depicts Frederick Douglass seated at a writing desk with his home in Washington, DC in the background. Inscriptions […]
UPDATE 4/7/2017 9:22AM PST: For 2014-2017 boxes that have a sticker on the side that includes the designation “WPM”, PCGS believes that these boxes, regardless of their serial number, originated in West Point. Therefore, at this time, and until we receive further clarification from the U.S. Mint, we will not be attributing such boxes to […]
NGC provides submission guidelines and mintage information for bullion Silver Eagles struck at various Mint facilities, 2011 to date Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) will attribute 2011 to 2017 bullion American Silver Eagles by the US Mint facility that struck the coins provided they are received by NGC in a sealed US Mint box. The attributions […]
Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #379 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Liberty Head double eagle $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 […]
Mint surprises with five distinct versions of the 2017 American Liberty silver medal By CoinWeek News Staff …. Did the 2017 American Liberty High Relief Proof Gold Coin sell out on its first day? No. According to Michael White of the Communications Office of the United States Mint, the 2017 edition of the American Liberty […]
The United States Mint will open sales for the 2017 America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Coin Set (product code 17AA) on April 10 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The set contains 10 uncirculated quarters–five from the Philadelphia Mint and five from the Denver Mint–with reverse designs honoring Effigy Mounds National Monument (Iowa), Frederick Douglass National […]
Description: The non-profit organization Boys Town, dedicated to helping at-risk youth and made famous by the 1938 movie of the same name, is commemorated on a clad half dollar, a silver dollar and a $5 gold coin celebrating the centennial of its founding in 1917. Established by Father Edward Flanagan, the charity’s main focus was […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for rolls and bags of America the Beautiful Quarters® Program coins honoring the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in the District of Columbia starting on April 3 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The coin’s reverse design depicts Frederick Douglass seated at a writing desk with his home […]
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for rolls and bags of America the Beautiful Quarters® Program coins honoring the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in the District of Columbia starting on April 3 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The coin’s reverse design depicts Frederick Douglass seated at a writing desk with his home […]
The United States Mint will open sales for the 2017 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin-Effigy Mounds National Monument (product code 17AJ) on March 7 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The coin’s reverse design depicts an aerial view of mounds in the Marching Bear Group. Inscriptions are “EFFIGY MOUNDS,” “IOWA,” “2017,” and “E […]
By Doug Winter – RareGoldcoins.com CoinWeek Content Partner …… Liberty Head quarter eagles were issued from 1840 from 1907 at the Philadelphia, New Orleans, Charlotte, Dahlonega and San Francisco mints. Including major varieties, there are over 150 different issues which range from very common to very rare. This series, while very long-lived, is completable with […]
By Doug Winter – RareGoldcoins.com CoinWeek Content Partner …… Liberty Head quarter eagles were issued from 1840 from 1907 at the Philadelphia, New Orleans, Charlotte, Dahlonega and San Francisco mints. Including major varieties, there are over 150 different issues which range from very common to very rare. This series, while very long-lived, is completable with […]
Best-Selling Annual Guide Prices 7,900 Coins The 71st edition of the hobby’s Guide Book of United States Coins (popularly known as the “Red Book”) will launch at the Whitman Baltimore Coin and Collectibles Expo on March 30, 2017. It features new and extensively updated content reflecting the current market for collectible coins. To celebrate the […]
Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #371 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. It is not practical to cover all dime patterns in one discussion. The topic here is Liberty Head, “Standard Silver” dime patterns that cost less than $5,000 each. These are dated 1869 […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for CoinWeek.com …… It’s still unclear how history will ultimately remember the presidency of Barack Obama, who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 through 2017. But coin collectors can already honor the historic, two-term former commander-in-chief in their own ways. Over the course of the eight years […]
Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #369 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Liberty Head half eagles (U.S. $5 gold coins) were minted from 1839 to 1908. The ‘No Motto’ type was covered in Part Nine of this series. The ‘With Motto’ type dates from […]
Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #369 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Liberty Head half eagles (U.S. $5 gold coins) were minted from 1839 to 1908. The ‘No Motto’ type was covered in Part Nine of this series. The ‘With Motto’ type dates from […]
By Doug Winter – RareGoldcoins.com CoinWeek Content Partner …… For a variety of reasons (including some below), No Motto Liberty Head eagles are exceedingly rare in higher grades. Even “common” issues from Philadelphia produced in the 1840s and ’50s are rare in the lower Uncirculated grades and mostly unknown in MS63 to MS64; let alone […]
The P-mintmarked, 225th-anniversary cents will be dated 2017 only; the 2018 Philadelphia-minted cents will go back to having no mintmark. The Mint says the 2017-P cents will be available as Uncirculated coins, as well as the circulating versions
The distinction between genuine die doubling and mechanical doubling can be subtle, but they can easily be differentiated with just a loupe and a bit of knowledge One of the more common questions that NGC Customer Service receives is regarding the difference between a doubled die and machine doubling. This distinction is very important, because […]
The distinction between genuine die doubling and mechanical doubling can be subtle, but they can easily be differentiated with just a loupe and a bit of knowledge One of the more common questions that NGC Customer Service receives is regarding the difference between a doubled die and machine doubling. This distinction is very important, because […]
The 2016 United States Mint Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set (product code 16RB) will be available for purchase starting on December 14 at noon Eastern Time (ET). Priced at $49.95, this set contains the following uncirculated quality $1 coins in production this year: Three Presidential $1 Coins Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, the obverses of […]
By Leroy Van Allen, Special for CoinWeek ….. In November, Charles Morgan, Editor of CoinWeek, sent me an e-mail with three overall photographs of the two Morgan dollar hubs dated 1964 recently found by numismatists at the Philadelphia Mint. He wanted to know if I had any information on these hubs. This was the […]
Whitman Publishing announces the release of A Guide Book of the United States Mint, by Q. David Bowers. The 448-page softcover book is available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and at Whitman’s website for $24.95. The 23rd volume in the award-winning Bowers Series explores the heart of American coin collecting: the United States Mint […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for CoinWeek ….. When the Lincoln wheat cents of 1958 were struck by the United States Mint, few individuals knew the coins would represent the end of a 50-year tradition. Collectors had little reason to suspect that the Lincoln cent, which had remained virtually unchanged since its debut in 1909, was set […]
By CoinWeek News Staff ….. Today, November 9, 2016, at its main production facility in Philadelphia, the United States Mint held a special ceremony for the first strike of the 2017 Lions Clubs International Centennial commemorative silver dollar coin. And CoinWeek was on hand to film the event in high-definition. According to the Mint’s Principal […]
On the morning of November 9, 2016, CoinWeek editor Charles Morgan will be on hand at the Philadelphia Mint filming the ceremonial first strike of the 2017 Lions Clubs International Silver Dollar. The new silver dollar is one of three coins authorized by the Lions Clubs International Century of Service Commemorative Coin Act (part of […]
Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #355 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Publicly distributed, Liberty Head nickels were minted from 1883 to 1912. A set of business strike Liberty Head nickels may be completed without spending as much as $500 on any one coin. […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for CoinWeek ….. Look at the change in your pocket or purse. You’ll notice the coins in circulation look a lot different today than, say, in the mid-1990s. As recently as 1998, the array of current-production circulating coins included the Lincoln Memorial cent, the Jefferson nickel with traditional side-profile obverse bust, […]
By Scott Barman for the Gold & Silver Political Action Committee ….. From the Political Coordinator Every four years we elect a president and vice president. By definition, elections are politically motivated exercises and candidates look to convince you to elect them and not their opponent. I used an opportunity to have a discussion about […]
Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #353 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. The theme here is completing a set of Barber dimes in Very Fine to Almost Uncirculated grades, without spending as much as $500 on any one coin. Naturally toned and pleasant representatives of one or two of the scarcest […]
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for CoinWeek ….. The United States Mint has released hundreds of products for coin collectors over the last four decades. Yet four of the scarcest, most popular items to come out of the U.S. Mint since the 1960s aren’t products hobbyists could originally order by mail or online. The 1982 and […]
Early Sellout Reflects Strong Hobby Interest in Recent 1964 Morgan Discovery Whitman Publishing announces that the fifth edition of Q. David Bowers’s Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars is temporarily sold out due to high demand. More copies are scheduled to arrive in mid-October. “Collectors can call our Customer Service number at 1-800-546-2995 to order […]
By Everett Millman – Gainesville Coins ……. Rumors have long circulated in numismatic circles about the mystery of the 1964 Peace dollar, which would have been the last 90% silver dollar minted for circulation. That is, if the entire mintage hadn’t been melted down when the plan to coin new silver dollars (which hadn’t been […]
A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #349 The emphasis here is on PCGS- or NGC-certified, Proof-64 or -63 ‘No Rays’ Shield Nickels dating from 1867 to 1883, Choice Proofs. This is the 23rd installment in a series on classic U.S. coins that cost less than $500 […]
By Eric Brothers for CoinWeek ….. In all of numismatics of the entire world, there is not today and there never has been a single coin which was and is the subject of so much romance, interest, comment, and upon which so much has been written and so much talked about and discussed as the […]
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 […]
Whitman Publishing announces the release of the updated and revised third edition of the Guide Book of Peace Dollars, by award-winning numismatic researcher Roger W. Burdette. The 288-page book will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide on September 27, 2016, for $19.95. Before then it is available for preorder (including online at www.Whitman.com). […]
By Peter Mosiondz, Jr. for CoinWeek …. Coin collecting is one of the oldest and certainly one of the most popular hobbies in existence. Some might say that if is not the most widely followed of hobbies, it’s right up there. Young and old alike have shared the pleasures and rewards of coin collecting for […]
By CoinWeek News Staff…. Coin design and manufacturing are the subjects of two segments in this week’s CBS Sunday Morning, which airs April 12 at 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). In the first coin-related segment, Anna Werner reports on the “miniature works of art” that are coins, focusing on the artists and engravers […]
While the Liberty Head nickel may only infrequently be identified as the “Barber” nickel by hobbyists, the coins do have one widely popular nickname: the “V” nickel. The “V” refers to the large Roman numeral “V” that anchors the reverse design and indicates the coin’s denomination of five cents. The “V” sits within a wreath of cotton, corn, wheat and tobacco – all important crops representative of different parts of the country. Centered under the wreath is the inscription E PLURIBUS UNUM. No mention is made of the word “cent”. The absence of “cent” was not unusual, as the base metal three-cent nickel and the billon three-cent silver also told of their value using a Roman numeral and did not include the word.
The reverse of the 1887 Morgan dollar is dominated by a heraldic eagle, its wings spread across the upper half of the coin. Between the upper tips of the eagle’s wings appears the national motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The eagle clutches an olive branch in its right claw representing peace and in its left claw are three arrows symbolizing the nation’s ability to defend itself. The central eagle design is partly encircled by a laurel wreath.
