Designs for the 2024 Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Program were revealed on Monday, December 4, at a Capitol Hill event led by U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH9). Congressman Kaptur introduced the bill (H.R. 1057) authorizing the commemoratives on February 15, 2021, and President Joe Biden signed it into law (Public Law 117-162 – PDF Link) on August 3, 2022.
The 2024 Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Program is a standard modern commemorative program. It includes a $5 gold, a $1 silver, and a half dollar clad coin in Proof and Uncirculated finishes, and like most recent programs, respective maximum mintage limits of 50,000, 400,000, and 750,000 are determined by the authorizing legislation. Designs for each coin are mandated to simply be “emblematic” of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., as well as the soldiers and civilians who served and often gave their lives in the war. Representative Kaptur was also responsible for introducing the first legislation for such a memorial back in 1987.
Ground was broken for the National World War II Memorial between the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument on November 11, 2000; it opened to the public on April 29, 2004.
The term “Greatest Generation”, popularized by NBC television news anchor Tom Brokaw in his 1998 book of the same name, refers to the generation of Americans born between 1901 and 1927 who actively participated in the war.
Designs of the 2024 Greatest Generation Commemorative Coins
$5 Gold
The obverse of the $5 gold coin was designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) artist and former Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) member Heidi Wastweet and sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist Eric David Custer. It depicts the Wall of Stars at the World War II Memorial, on which each star represents 100 Americans who gave their life for the war effort. The olive branch on the right side symbolizes the subsequent peace for which these sacrifices were made.
The reverse was designed by AIP artist Benjamin Sowards and sculpted by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna. It features a folded flag of the kind traditionally presented to the family members of fallen servicemen.
$1 Silver
The obverse of the silver dollar was designed by AIP artist Beth Zaiken and sculpted by Medallic Artist Phebe Hemphill. Six figures representing the U.S. Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, Army Air Force, and Merchant Marines lifting a globe centered on the Atlantic Ocean.
The reverse was designed by Ben Sowards and sculpted by Medallic Artist Renata Gordon. It recreates in miniature a sculptural canopy that can be found inside the Victory Pavilion of the National World War II Memorial. Four eagles hold a laurel wreath, inside of which is a globe showing the Pacific Ocean, representing the Pacific Theater of operations.
Clad Half Dollar
The obverse of the clad half dollar was designed by AIP artist Elana Hagler and sculpted by Medallic Artist Craig A. Campbell. It is based on the World War II Victory Medal designed by sculptor Thomas H. Jones, who also designed the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. On the coin, Liberty (or perhaps “Liberation”, as on the medal) is seen from the knees up holding two halves of a broken sword, facing the hilt end on her right. Interestingly, the Memorial itself features a depiction of the complete face of the medal in an engraving on the Memorial’s floor.
The artwork on the reverse was designed by AIP artist Matt Swaim and sculpted by Medallic Artist John P. McGraw. It presents a view of the walkway to one of the Memorial’s two “towers”.
Surcharges
The surcharges added to the price of each coin is typical for contemporary commemorative coin legislation: $35 for the gold coin, $10 for the silver coin, and $5 for the clad half dollar. As authorized by Public Law 117-162, these surcharges will go to the Friends of the National WWII Memorial, the 501(c)(3) organization that produces educational materials, displays, and events centered around the Memorial.
Other 2024 Commemoratives
The Greatest Generation Commemmorative Coin Program is the second of two commemorative programs set for issue in 2024. The U.S. Mint recently held a first strike ceremony for the Proof version of the 2024 Harriet Tubman Bicentennial commemorative silver dollar not quite a week earlier on November 28. Sales for the Harriet Tubman commemoratives open on January 4, 2024.
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Sources on the 2024 Greatest Generation Coin Design Event
By Lianna Spurrier for CoinWeek ….. World War II affected coins almost everywhere around the world.
In the United States, the most dramatic effect that the war had on our coinage was the steel penny. The composition of our nickels changed as well, but that wasn’t an immediately noticeable change in the appearance of the coin. Both changes are well-known by collectors today.
But in other countries, the coinage was changed in much stranger and farther reaching ways than steel cents and partially-silver nickels. This article presents a sampling of the fascinating coin experiments conducted abroad.
The World War II Clay and Cardboard Coins of Japan
Japan got very creative with alternative materials, both at home and in some of the occupied territories.
The composition of the Japanese 1 sen coin began to change in 1938. Previously produced in brass, the copper percentage was reduced to create a bronze coin. Later the same year, they released a significantly smaller and lighter 1 sen coin struck in aluminum. This composition stuck and was used through 1943, though the size was reduced again in 1941. Between 1938 and 1941, the denomination shrunk from 23mm to 16mm, and from 3.75g to 0.65g.
The most dramatic change, however, occurred in 1945. As the end of WWII approached, Japan was suffering from a serious shortage of metals – wasting them on coins was not an option. Instead, they tested making experimental 1 sen coins from baked clay. They appeared red, and were produced by private companies for the mint.
Some patterns were made for other denominations, but the 1 sen clay coins are the only ones that may have circulated. According to Krause’sStandard Catalog of World Coins, they circulated for just a few days before the war ended and were quickly withdrawn. No other English-language source has been found that claims they were ever put into circulation, but it is known that significantly more 1 sen clay coins were made than any other of the test denominations. If the war had continued, they would have circulated.
Japan also minted coins for many external territories, and some of these were affected as well. The region known as Manchukuo (Manchuria), which now makes up the northeast section of China, was controlled by Japan from 1931 to 1945.
The Japanese Empire had been minting coins for the territory since 1932, but when metals became scarce, Manchukuo’s coins were an early casualty. In 1944, Japan began producing the territory’s 1 fen and 5 fen coins in a reddish fiber that resembled corrugated cardboard. These experimental coins did circulate, and while mintage numbers aren’t known, they’re not overly expensive to purchase today.
Together, these instances are some of the very few non-metallic coins that have circulated in the modern world, though none seems as though it would hold up very well.
The Wartime Tombac Coins of Canada
Like the United States, Canada also had to adjust the composition of their nickels, but their change wasn’t nearly as subtle. In late 1942, Canada switched to a brass alloy called tombac, which was a copper-gold color. Hoping to make them easier to distinguish from pennies, they made the nickels 12-sided instead of round.
But this wasn’t enough. When not paying attention, people still had too much trouble separating the new nickels from pennies.
In 1943, Canada changed the reverse design from the usual beaver to a large V behind a torch. The V was intended to stand for both the denomination and Victory. In addition, the normal nickels had a beaded border; they changed the shape and size of the beads to spell out “We win when we work willingly” in Morse code.
The same design was used through 1945, but they changed the composition in 1944 to steel, plated first in nickel and then steel. This gave them a slightly blue-tinted silver color that looked similar to nickel. The change was welcomed by the Canadian public, finally putting the complaints about tombac to bed. The Royal Canadian Mint did have some trouble with the chrome-plating process, and a few were accidentally released without chrome. Those with the chrome plating scratch very easily.
After the war, Canada returned to the normal nickel alloy and beaver design, but the coin remained 12-sided until 1964.
The World War II Zinc and Steel Coins of Belgium
Belgium was occupied by Germany from 1940 until 1944, when it was liberated by Allied forces. During the occupation, their previously silver coins were withdrawn from circulation and replaced with zinc variations.
The interesting change came in 1944, after liberation. The United States used leftover steel planchets, originally intended to produce steel cents in 1944, to strike 2 franc coins to circulate in Free Belgium. The 2 franc denomination had been discontinued and removed from circulation during the German occupation. However, the steel coins were minted only in 1944, after which no 2 franc coins were struck.
It seems as though the Belgians may have disliked the steel coins as much as Americans did.
Altered Wartime Coinage in Europe at Large
Like in Belgium, zinc was used for the coinage in many countries under German control.
In the Netherlands, all coins valued higher than 25 cents were discontinued, and all that remained were redesigned and issued in zinc. Previously, they minted coins in an array of metals, such as bronze and silver. All of these disappeared and were replaced by the dark and dull zinc coins.
With a few exceptions, most of the coins of Denmark were also replaced by zinc, the smaller denominations of which remained through the 1970s. Many of Norway’s coins were issued in zinc, though the smaller denominations appeared in iron. The area was particularly rich in the metal, so it made sense to use it for coinage.
Poland, the invasion of which ignited World War II, stopped officially issuing coins altogether after 1939. That year, however, limited quantities were produced in iron and zinc. Two denominations – the 10 and 20 grosz – were struck using old dies, dated 1923. The original 1923 issues were made in nickel, so the two are easily distinguishable.
France was controlled by a puppet state run by Germany, the Vichy French State, which issued coinage with new designs. On the 1 franc, for example, an artistic portrait was replaced by a labrys, or double-bladed axe. As for composition, the “experimental” coins used both zinc and aluminum.
However, even European countries that weren’t controlled by Germany made drastic changes to their coinage systems in response to the war. In Italy, previously bronze coins were made in aluminum-bronze and higher denominations in stainless steel. The same metals were used in Albania, which was occupied by Italy, though the end of the war. After liberation, Albania switched to zinc.
Iceland remained neutral for most of the war, but nickel shortages led them to stop producing 10 aurar and 25 aurar coins in 1940. In 1942, both denominations were issued in zinc, and then discontinued altogether until 1946. Switzerland, another neutral country, had to replace their bronze coins with zinc, although no modifications were made to silver or nickel denominations.
Compared to many of these places, the changes that took place in America were minor. World War II did not cause our coins to be redesigned entirely; they didn’t change size, and we certainly didn’t have any non-metallic pieces (though experimental glass pennies were cut).
Other countries faced an entire overhaul of their coinage system within a year or two, but a steel penny was far too much trouble for Americans to deal with.
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, the only wartime date the counterfeiter chose. That choice would prove a factor in his undoing, as he neglected to include the subtype’s distinctive large mint mark over Monticello.
A New Alloy for the 1944-P War Nickel
Established in January of 1942, the War Production Board (WPB) converted domestic factories to wartime production and procured the resources necessary to manufacture weapons, vehicles, munitions, and other supplies. Lists of critical raw materials, which included copper and nickel, were drawn up, and the WPB allocated the material based on the needs of defense industries.
As numismatic researcher and author Roger W. Burdette puts it in his 2012 book United States Patter & Experimental Coinage of WW-II, “the WPB had the authority to tell any government agency or private company how much metal they could use, and it was only through persistent work that the Mint found enough copper to continue coinage through 1942.”
These restrictions posed a particular challenge for the United States Mint, which had to change the composition of much of the country’s circulating coinage. Zinc-coated steel cents, introduced in 1943 to save copper, attracted public ire as the greyish coins were easily confused with dimes and tarnished quickly in circulation.
The nickel also proved problematic. Until 1942, the nickel’s alloy was 75% copper and 25% nickel, the same composition used for nickel five-cent pieces since the denomination’s introduction in 1866. Both metals were on the WPB’s list and a new alloy was sought.
In November of 1941, the Mint began experimenting with new alloys for the nickel. The vending machine industry offered input as well, to ensure that the new alloy would function in their machines. The Mint toyed with the notion of reintroducing a silver half dime, a denomination phased out in 1873.
Congress passed a law in March of 1942 authorizing a five-cent coin with a 50% silver, 50% copper composition but providing the Mint latitude to modify the new alloy as necessary.
The Numismatist took note of the nickel’s changing composition in its April 1942 issue, noting that “numismatists will be interested to know that silver is less valuable than nickel. Nickel can do work where silver cannot. For example, the nickel that goes into our coinage can be redirected in channels which will supply adequate metal to harden the steel for 1,000 heavy tanks.”
In August 1942, after months of experiments, the Mint arrived at an alloy of 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% manganese, which was approved in early September. Striking of the war nickels began on September 21. The new alloy proved difficult to strike but the Mint’s staff persevered, producing hundreds of millions of “war nickels” between September 1942 and the end of 1945. Burdette, in his United States Pattern & Experimental Pieces of WW-II, points to “[p]oor alloy mix, oxidation, segregation, inconsistent annealing” as among the persistent issues the Mint confronted in striking war nickels.
To differentiate the silver war nickels from their base-metal predecessors, a larger mint mark was added above Monticello on the reverse. Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross explained in a letter to F.J. Haggerty dated September 14, 1942:
“…The engraver at Philadelphia is instructed to place a Mint Mark somewhat larger than usual, directly over the dome of Monticello, on the reverse of the new coin. This, it is believed, will facilitate identification of the coins when they come in as uncurrent. However, Mr. Miller states that view that the difference in color between the new and the old coin will be sufficient to identify them readily.”
The Philadelphia Mint struck 119,150,000 nickels in 1944, the third-highest mintage of the wartime subtype. 271,165,000 were struck at the same facility the previous year, while the 1945-P has a mintage slightly higher at 119,408,000.
Certified Examples of the 1944-P War Nickel
According to Bernard Nagengast in his The Jefferson Nickel Analyst:
“The silver alloy nickels issued from 1942-1945 had an entirely different, more appealing look than the earlier nickels. This appearance no doubt encouraged saving of these coins, since as a general statement the wartime silver nickels are much more available than the earlier coins, even for the 1942 issues.”
The completeness of Monticello’s steps is used to determine the quality of a Jefferson nickel’s strike. Examples on which all (or most) of the six steps are well-defined were fully struck from fresh dies. Many nickels have five of the six steps defined, indicating a better strike that still fails to qualify as Full Steps; NGC attributes both Five Full Step (5FS) and Full Step nickels.
War nickels do not typically have a stronger or weaker strike than their copper-nickel predecessors or replacements. Nagengast again:
“[T]he WT [wartime] alloy must have been similar to the copper-nickel in terms of strike ability. Striking problems seem to vary with the individual mint practices.” He describes the Philadelphia Mint’s nickels of the 1940s as “grainy looking,” and specifies that the 1944-P “often exhibits surface roughness, however, smooth coins can be found with some searching.”
Uncirculated 1944-P war nickels typically display “brilliant satin to frosty surfaces,” according to Nagengast.
1944-P Jefferson nickels displaying five full steps are widely available, but those with all steps well-defined are rare.
Because of their silver content, some 1944-P Jefferson nickels (and all other war nickels) will sometimes sport more colorful toning than their base-metal counterparts.
As of the beginning of December 2023, PCGS records 3,879 grading events for 1944-P Jefferson nickels without Full Steps and 915 with that designation, while NGC records 5,123 without Full Steps, 400 with 5 Full Steps (5FS), and 34 with Full Steps (6FS).
One coin graded MS67 6FS is listed in the NGC Census.
Variety Vista lists four doubled die obverse (DDO) and seven doubled die reverse (DDR) varieties of the 1944-P Jefferson nickel. The date’s obverse design is listed as Obverse Die Variety #5, used only in 1944. Its reverse is listed as Reverse Design Variety #3. NGC’s Census lists two P/P varieties.
Auction results suggest that 1944-P Jefferson nickels are worth less than $100 USD in all grades below MS67. In MS67, values can cross the $100 threshold, and coins in MS67+ often sell for between $200 and more than $1,000.
Counterfeit Henning Nickels
The oversize mint marks on the wartime silver nickels’ reverse were meant to aid in identifying the coins for postwar identification, but they also helped uncover one of the 20th century’s most famous counterfeiting operations.
In 1954, Jefferson nickels dated 1944 without a mint mark above Monticello’s dome began circulating in New Jersey.
Francis LeRoy Henning counterfeited Jefferson nickels dated 1939, 1944, 1946, 1947, and 1953 from a building in Erial, New Jersey, which some numismatic writers wryly call the “Erial Mint”. Henning worked as an engineer in Philadelphia and claimed to have created six obverse and six reverse dies (examples struck from only two of the reverse dies have been identified) for Jefferson nickels from which he struck thousands of counterfeit pieces. Two of the obverse dies are thought to be dated 1944.
Henning failed to include the large “P” mint mark over Monticello, alerting observant consumers, collectors, and authorities. A defect on the “R” in “PLURIBUS” was noted by the Director of the Mint in Washington, William Brett. Both mistakes helped identify the counterfeits. The composition of the counterfeits is also different, similar to the prewar alloy: 79.1 percent copper, 20.5 percent nickel, and 0.4 percent iron.
The late David Lange wrote that a numismatist may have been the first to detect the counterfeits in October 1954. Members of the Camden County Coin Club noted many 1944 Jefferson nickels without mint marks and put a story into a local newspaper in the spring of 1955; larger regional papers picked the story up shortly thereafter. Henning saw the story, stopped counterfeiting the nickels, dumped thousands into Cooper Creek and the Schuylkill River, and moved to Cleveland.
The June 3, 1955 edition of the Delaware County Daily Times posed a prescient question: “Biggest mystery is why anyone would want to go through the time, trouble and expense to coin the lowly nickel these days when it can’t even buy a telephone call or a cup of coffee[?]” After his arrest, Henning claimed that he had created dies for half dollars, quarters, and dimes, but elected to counterfeit nickels because of their concealability, according to Dwight Stuckey’s 1982 monograph on Henning.
The United States Secret Service received reports of the counterfeits in December 1954. They eventually found the Erial Mint and talked to Henning’s coworkers, who informed them of his move to Cleveland. He was arrested there on October 27, 1955, and received a three-year sentence.
Winston Zack, author of Bad Metal: Circulating Contemporary Counterfeit United States Coins, described Henning in a phone interview as “possibly the most documented counterfeiter of circulating coins in U.S. history.”
Henning nickels, as the counterfeits are known, are relatively affordable. Attractive examples can be purchased for less than $100. The counterfeits are legal to own but illegal to spend; considering the premium over face value that a collector will pay for one of Henning’s counterfeits, that should be an easy temptation to resist.
Conclusion
Wartime exigencies produced a widely-collected, widely-covered subtype of the Jefferson nickel, of which the 1944-P is one of the most abundant issues. The coins are accessible to any collector interested in artifacts that attest to the impact of WWII on the homefront, while 1944-dated Henning nickels offer a shady complement to any set including the wartime issues.
War Nickel Design
Obverse:
A left-facing bust of President Thomas Jefferson, including a colonial-era pigtail and strikingly similar in detail to the profile of Jean-Antoine Houdon’s 1789 bust, takes up the majority of the obverse. The top of his head almost touches the rim, and the barest of truncations is visible at the bottom where Jefferson’s left shoulder meets the edge of the coin. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST–which became the national motto in 1956–arcs clockwise along most of the length of the left side of the coin, starting from Jefferson’s chest and extending to his hairline. The inscriptions LIBERTY and the date 1939 run clockwise along the right side behind Jefferson. A small five-pointed star divides the two inscriptions.
Reverse:
The reverse features a front view of Monticello, Jefferson’s mansion near Charlottesville, Virginia. The polymath Jefferson designed the neoclassical building himself, based on architectural principles from the Italian Renaissance; the name “Monticello” comes from the Italian for “mound” or “little mountain”. The building loses much of its dimensionality in the flattened rendering, but the octagonal nature of the dome can still be interpreted, and better strikes reveal significant detail in the steps and portico.
Atop the reverse is the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM (“Out of Many, One”). The name MONTICELLO–the placement of which on the coin was one of the Mint’s revisions forced upon the coin’s designer Felix Schlag–is found in a straight line immediately under the building; the positions and spacing of the other inscriptions had to be adjusted to make room for it. The denomination FIVE CENTS forms a gently curving line beneath that, and the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA runs counterclockwise along the bottom edge of the coin. A large mint mark, P, D, or S appears above Monticello’s dome to identify nickels struck from the copper-silver-manganese alloy from 1942 to 1945.
Edge:
The edge of the 1944-P Jefferson nickel is plain, without reeding or lettering.
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The Battle of Britain took place over southern England and the English Channel between July and October 1940. Pitting Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) against the German Luftwaffe, it was the first major campaign of the Second World War to be fought entirely by air forces. Following the Fall of France, the might of Nazi […]
On Monday, June 8, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) announced that she and Congressman Peter King (R-NY) will jointly introduce the National World War II Memorial Commemorative Coin Act, which authorizes the U.S. Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Proceeds from the sale of the commemorative […]
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 […]
This 1/10oz silver coin commemorates 75 years since the end of World War II (WWII), which was the deadliest international conflict in history, accounting for the lives of an estimated 60 to 80 million soldiers and civilians. From the outbreak of war in 1939, the Allied and Axis powers fought predominately in Europe and Asia, […]
These beautiful and silver coins commemorate 75 years since the end of World War II. Each piece bears internationally recognised motifs of peace, representing poignant tributes to the courage and sacrifice of those who fought in the name of freedom from tyranny. Struck by The Perth Mint from 99.99% pure gold and 99.99% pure silver, […]
As the Royal Canadian Mint takes measures to safeguard employee health and safety and prioritizes manufacturing operations to support trade and commerce, it continues to offer high-quality collectibles to its loyal customers. In doing so, the Mint is proud to commemorate important turning points in Canadian and world history, such as the 75th anniversaries of […]
The period from May 8 to Sept. 2, 2020, marks the 75th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II. In recognition of this significant anniversary, the U
By Mike Byers for Mint Error News …… This is a unique historical and unbelievable set of all three Third Reich proof silver issues in matte proof of the Hindenburg German coins. It has been authenticated and certified by PCGS. The 1937A silver 2 Mark is unique in matte proof. It is unrecorded in all […]
By Alan Carr – BuyGoldOnline.io – Original Article …… Link to Part I The Summer Bliss Robbery (2012) – 216 kg Gold Bars On November 30, 2012, masked men in police jackets boarded the Summer Bliss fishing boat in Curaçao and stole 70 gold bars weighing a total of 216kg. Estimated worth of the haul: […]
The Second World War was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It was the most global war in history and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. To show the unity between the United States and Great Britain during this conflict, Pobjoy Mint […]
The Royal Canadian Mint’s newest Second World War Battlefront Series fine silver coin commemorates the bravery and sacrifice of Canadian soldiers who, 75 years ago, helped the Allies win control of the Dutch and Belgian shores of the strategic Scheldt River. This costly battle, fought from September to October 1944, secured a vital supply line […]
To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the start of the Second World War, Pobjoy Mint is pleased to announce a new three-coin set on the behalf of British Indian Ocean Territory. In 1942 the British opened RAF Station Diego Garcia and established an advanced flying boat unit at the East Point Plantation. East Point is […]
Always proud to celebrate stories of Canadian accomplishment on its coins, the Royal Canadian Mint is launching two new coins honoring the soldiers who fought in the Normandy Campaign, which, after the success of D-Day, sent the Allies on the path to liberating Western Europe. These historic keepsakes, along with many other finely crafted collectibles, […]
Limited edition Pegasus coin issued with special Privy Mark Limited to 1,944 Fine 999. Silver Proof 1oz coins worldwide Struck on Thursday 6th June 2019 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day Pobjoy Mint is excited to announce the release of a new Pegasus coin with a very special Privy Mark to commemorate the 75th […]
Limited edition Pegasus coin issued with special Privy Mark Limited to 1,944 Fine 999. Silver Proof 1oz coins worldwide Struck on Thursday 6th June 2019 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day Pobjoy Mint is excited to announce the release of a new Pegasus coin with a very special Privy Mark to commemorate the 75th […]
50p coins depicting the anniversaries of the Battle of Britain, D-Day landings, Victoria Cross and Battle of Hastings all feature in special anniversary Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated set. The launch of the collection follows the 50p culture set, unveiled in January this year. To celebrate 50 years of the distinctive 50p, The Royal Mint has […]
The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to launch a $2 circulation coin honoring the brave Canadians who, landing in Normandy, France 75 years ago, helped establish the Allied foothold that would lead to the liberation of Western Europe. This coin was unveiled today at the Moncton Garrison, home to the 37 Brigade of the North […]
This year marks the 80th anniversary since the start of the Second World War, which lasted from 1939 to 1945 involving countries across the globe. To mark this anniversary, Pobjoy Mint has released a new One Crown coin on the behalf of Ascension Island that is dedicated to this historic occurrence. The war directly involved […]
By Künker GmbH …… A celebration took place in March at the Klassik Stiftung Weimar. There, a 1687 gold coin, only one single specimen of which is known to exist, was the center of attention. The off-metal strike in gold of the Alchemistentaler of Frederick I of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg from 1687 was officially returned to representatives […]
Coins produced in Cupro Nickel Diamond Finished and in color highlighting the flags of the Allied Forces Presented in a special color pack During World War II, the Battle of Normandy resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944 and is […]
Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) has certified a 1943 Copper Cent that was found in a gumball machine decades ago. The 1943 Copper Cent is generally regarded as the most famous of all mint errors. All 1943 cents were supposed to have been struck in zinc-coated steel so that copper could be conserved for more important […]
Working with local historians and officers of the Bathurst, New Brunswick-headquartered North Shore Regiment, the Royal Canadian Mint has solved the mystery of the identity of the soldier whose face is dramatically portrayed on its 2019 Proof Silver Dollar commemorating the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. That soldier has been identified as Private George Herman Baker, […]
By Lianna Spurrier for CoinWeek ….. In the United States, the most dramatic effect that World War II had on our coinage was the steel penny. The composition of our nickels changed as well, but that wasn’t an immediately noticeable change in the appearance of the coin. Both changes are well-known by collectors today, but […]
Groundbreaking New Book on the Money Used by World War II Prisoners of War in the United States By Coin & Currency Institute …… It is an often forgotten piece of World War II history that between 1942 and 1946, 425,000 Germany, Italian, and even some Japanese prisoners of war were held at 700 POW […]
Chinese banknotes insulted the Japanese enemy and instilled hope in an occupied people By Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) …… While many American historians cite the start of World War II as the invasion of Poland in 1939, scholars of Asian history often state that the war had, in fact, begun two years earlier, following […]
The German commander of the Nazi U-boat fleet predicted that by using submarines to cut off Britain’s overseas commerce, Germany could bring the mighty island to its knees. Churchill feared the same. Control of the Atlantic was of paramount importance during World War II, and German submarines in formations called “wolf packs” ceaselessly prowled the […]
By CoinWeek News Staff …. On February 2, California Representative Jackie Speier (D-CA14) introduced the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal Act to Congress. The bill (H.R. 4912) seeks to recognize the women who helped win World War II by leaving their regular lives and joining the workforce–often in factory jobs typically performed by men–to […]
The Bank of Estonia (Eesti Pank) have announced (22nd December) a competition to design a silver collector coin which will be dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Estonian statesman Jaan Tõnisson, (1868-1941). Tõnisson is remembered as having served as the prime minister of Estonia twice during 1919 and 1920, as Estonia’s head of state from 1927 to 1933, and as foreign minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932
Filipino Veterans of World War II received a Congressional Gold Medal today during a ceremony in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol. It was awarded collectively to those who served honorably in an active duty status between July 26, 1941, and December 31, 1946 under the command of the United States Army Forces in the […]
Centenary of the House of Windsor set features four different monarchs Four-Coin Set featuring the House of Windsor Low mintage of 2,000 in Sterling Silver! Featuring HM Queen Elizabeth II young head Also available in Cupro Nickel Produced in Great Britain by Pobjoy Mint The Coins The House of Windsor has had a monumental impact […]
By Central Bank of Malta …… On 14 August 2017 the Central Bank of Malta and MaltaPost issued a joint numismatic product to mark the 75th anniversary of the award of the George Cross to Malta, in April 1942, and the arrival of the providential convoy code named ‘Pedestal‘ in August 1942. The product will […]
By CoinWeek News Staff …. As a coin collector, one may almost be forgiven for believing that Congress was frittering away its time this past summer by focusing on frivolous bills of no numismatic import whatsoever (Graham-Cassidy what now?), but two commemorative programs were introduced that prove our legislators have their priorities straight. And […]
By Harvey Stack – Co-Founder, Stack’s Bowers Galleries ….. Benjamin and Norman Visit Stack’s Benjamin and Norman Stack, brothers and my first cousins, were the sons of Joseph B. Stack, my father’s brother. Like me they were constant visitors to our store on Sixth Avenue. Benjamin was Norman’s older brother by less than two […]
By Harvey Stack – Co-Founder, Stack’s Bowers Galleries ….. Benjamin and Norman Visit Stack’s Benjamin and Norman Stack, brothers and my first cousins, were the sons of Joseph B. Stack, my father’s brother. Like me they were constant visitors to our store on Sixth Avenue. Benjamin was Norman’s older brother by less than two […]
MPCs are growing in popularity and can offer the new collector an easy and fun way to learn about numismatics US large & small size currency, Confederate notes and fractional currency are all common items that many people collect. There is, however, a small niche in the numismatic collecting community that is growing: Military Payment […]
By CoinWeek …. In 1967, the German Democratic Republic (otherwise known as East Germany) created a new design for the 10 mark coin that commemorated the life and heroism of Dr. Theodor Neubauer, a teacher and leftist organizer who was an important figure in the anti-fascist resistance to the Nazi regime within Germany itself. Twenty-three […]
By CoinWeek …. In 1967, the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (otherwise known as East Germany) created a new design for the 10 mark coin that commemorated the life and heroism of Dr. Theodor Neubauer, a teacher and leftist organizer who was an important figure in the anti-fascist resistance to the Nazi regime within Germany itself. Twenty-three sample pieces were […]
The Royal Canadian Mint has crafted a silver collector coin marking the 75th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid, where brave Canadian troops suffered heavy losses in Canada’s first army combat mission of the Second World War. In remembrance of this unforgettable chapter in Canadian military history, on May 25 the Mint presented a framed version […]
By Dix Noonan Webb …… A magnificent group of 44 decorations and medals awarded to one of the Soviet Union’s greatest fighter aces of the Second World War attracted fierce competition from Russians at Dix Noonan Webb on 11 May 2017 selling for £144,000 (about $185,760 USD) including buyers’ commission (£120,000/$154,800 hammer price). Would-be buyers […]
The United States Mint is the nation’s coin factory, but almost from the beginning it has made medals to honor important people and events By David Schwager for CoinWeek ….. Although medals might seem like a sideline, the U.S. Mint website lists about 100 types for sale, with enough variety to prompt the buyer’s guide […]
The United States Mint is the nation’s coin factory, but almost from the beginning it has made medals to honor important people and events By David Schwager for CoinWeek ….. Although medals might seem like a sideline, the U.S. Mint website lists about 100 types for sale, with enough variety to prompt the buyer’s guide […]
In keeping with its tradition of telling Canada’s story through coins, the Royal Canadian Mint is sharpening its focus on Canada’s 150th birthday with many new coins and sets, while issuing other innovative products and finely crafted icons of Canadiana. All of these coins are now available to the public. The long-awaited circulation coins commemorating […]
By CoinWeek News Staff …. The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) held a short public meeting on February 15 to discuss themes for the 2019 America the Beautiful Quarters program and the Office of Strategic Services Congressional Gold Medal, but perhaps bigger news is that the meeting was the group’s first with its newest member, […]
By CoinWeek News Staff …. The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) held a short public meeting on February 15 to discuss themes for the 2019 America the Beautiful Quarters program and the Office of Strategic Services Congressional Gold Medal, but perhaps bigger news is that the meeting was the group’s first with its newest […]
By Royal Australian Mint …… As we near the 75th anniversary of the sinking of SS Vyner Brooke on Tuesday 14 February 2017, a special collectible commemorative 20 cent coin has been released by the Royal Australian Mint to recognize the story of this devastating but also inspiring struggle for survival. During the Second World […]
1943 Lincoln 1C PCGS EF45 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #370 Just prior to the winter Coin, Stamp & Collectible Expo in Long Beach, California, the Goldbergs will conduct an auction of a wide variety of coins, medals […]
Ultra-rare glass coin was World War II experiment The only known surviving intact experimental all-glass penny, manufactured in 1942 as a possible alternative to copper that was urgently needed during World War II, sold for $70,500 in a public auction conducted in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and online by Dallas, Texas-based Heritage Auctions on Friday, January […]
By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek …. Don’t worry. This isn’t an essay on literary theory, or some nostalgic lament. Instead, we’d like to take a moment to explain something critical to our understanding of the stylistic and political implications behind what’s known as the Modern Era of U.S. coinage, and how that […]
By Coinweek …. CoinWeek News Wire for December 9, 2016 Brain Food 1.) Plough uncovers major hoard of Roman coins A WONDERFUL collection of 120 Roman Imperial coins was unearthed in the Isle of Axholme. The so-called Owston Ferry Hoard was discovered in 1952 by Mr. A. T. Pitchfork. Ploughing a field in the village, […]
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 […]
At a special ceremony held aboard HMCS Sackville, the last of 123 Canadian corvettes to sail in the Second World War, the Royal Canadian Mint today unveiled a new two-dollar circulation coin commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. This coin, which was revealed before guests including veterans of the Battle of […]
By Everett Millman – Gainesville Coins ……. Amid the nationwide mobilization effort for the Second World War, the United States Mint was forced to explore using new materials for its low-denomination coins as nickel and copper supplies were diverted to war production. This led the mint to replace the normal composition of the five-cent nickel […]
To honor the soldiers of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada who valiantly fought to defend Hong Kong from enemy invasion in December 1941, the Royal Canadian Mint has issued a silver collector coin marking the 75th anniversary of their bravery and sacrifice. This coin was unveiled today before veterans of the […]
By Lance Tchor – Founder and Co-President, WINGS® Coins LLC …… American was propelled into war with Spain after an explosion that sank the battleship USS Maine at Havana, Cuba. “Remember the Maine” was the rallying cry that led to the Spanish-American War of 1898. The U.S. demanded that Spain withdraw completely from Cuba, Spain’s […]
What do you know about money? Our third episode of Cool Currency for the year was filmed at the American Numismatic Association’s (ANA) World’s Fair of Money – the World Series of American Numismatics! This year, the annual gathering took place in Anaheim, California. CoinWeek was there and found four fascinating banknote stories. In this […]
1915’s Second Battle of Ypres, a tribute to the 1943-45 Victory Nickel and Canada’s safeguarding of Allied gold in the Second World War are among the fascinating stories told on Mint’s newest collector coins…. In launching its newest wave of collector coins, the Royal Canadian Mint is again exploring a broad spectrum of themes, ranging […]