Category Archives: New Orleans Mint

dwn_lg_2

Which of the Big Four New Orleans Eagles Is the Best Value?

By Doug WinterRareGoldCoins.com ……
CoinWeek Content Partner
I think every collector would agree that the four rarest $10 gold eagles from the New Orleans Mint are the 1841-O, the 1859-O, the 1879-O, and the 1883-O. By analyzing PCGS and CAC population and price data, we should be able to reach some interesting conclusions. For the sake of brevity, let’s stick with coins that represent above-average quality for these four issues, which in this case is AU50 and higher. We won’t include MS60 and finer examples due to the extreme rarity of such coins for each of these four dates.[1]

1883-O Liberty Head Eagle. Image: Douglas Winter Numismatics.
1883-O Liberty Head Eagle. Image: Douglas Winter Numismatics.

First, let’s rank each issue by its original mintage figure:

  1. 1883-O: 800
  2. 1879-O: 1,500
  3. 1859-O: 2,300
  4. 1841-O: 2,500

It should be stressed that, on account of numerous factors, original mintages figures are not always accurate predictors of relative rarity.

1879-O Liberty Head Eagle. Image: Douglas Winter Numismatics.
1879-O Liberty Head Eagle. Image: Douglas Winter Numismatics.

Next, let’s rank each issue in terms of overall rarity (total known) according to the updated 2020 version of my book Gold Coins of the New Orleans Mint, 1838-1909.

  1. 1883-O: 45-55
  2. 1859-O: 60-70
  3. 1841-O: 65-75
  4. 1879-O: 70-80

How do these figures align with the numbers graded at PCGS? First, let’s rank from fewest to most the total number graded at PCGS for each date:

  1. 1883-O: 38
  2. 1859-O: 45
  3. 1879-O: 48
  4. 1841-O: 69

How many of these coins grade AU50 and finer?

  1. 1841-O: 18
  2. 1883-O: 21
  3. 1879-O: 26
  4. 1859-O: 29[2]
1859-O Liberty Head Eagle. Image: Douglas Winter Numismatics.
1859-O Liberty Head Eagle. Image: Douglas Winter Numismatics.

The percentage of coins graded in AU and finer versus the total number graded skews much higher than I would have thought, ranging from a low of 26% for the 1841-O to a high of 64% for the 1859-O. I have a quick answer for this: the population date for the 1859-O is absurdly high to due to resubmissions, plus many if not most of these coins are overgraded. This will be verified by the CAC population data I’ll be including in just a moment (see below).

1841-O Liberty Head Eagle. Image: Douglas Winter Numismatics.
1841-O Liberty Head Eagle. Image: Douglas Winter Numismatics.

Another thing to consider: the 1841-O is a first-year-of-issue coin and it tends to be found in low grades (Fine to Very Fine) when it is available. The 1879-O and 1883-O have different grade distributions, which tend more towards higher grades as they didn’t see much circulation.

Given that so many of the 1841-O and 1859-O eagles graded AU50 and AU53 by PCGS are not fully AU coins, in my opinion, it make sense to change our parameters for high-grade coins and include only coins grading AU55 and AU58 (but not Mint State).

  1. 1841-O: 7
  2. 1883-O: 8
  3. 1859-O: 10
  4. 1879-O: 13

One would expect that CAC has not approved many of the Big Four New Orleans eagles. Let’s look at the population figures for all AU coins (50-58) and then for high-end AU (55 and 58 only).

  1. 1859-O: 2; Five total in all grades; one in 55; zero in 58
  2. 1841-O: 3; 10 total in all grades; zero in 55; one in 58
  3. 1883-O: 5; Six total in all grades; one in 55; one in 58
  4. 1879-O: 6; 10 total in all grades; three in 55; three in 58

We can make a few conclusions about each of the four dates from this rarity-based data.

The 1841-O is the most common of the four coins in terms of overall rarity, but it is actually tied for the rarest in terms of high-grade rarity (AU55 and finer). It is most often seen well-worn, and this is mainly due to the fact that it saw much more use in local commerce than the other issues; especially the two With Motto coins, which as a rule saw little use in commerce, and were mostly shipped to foreign countries to pay down incurred in trade.

Unless you really know the series, the 1859-O is misleading based on the submission data. There are a surprising number of AU coins at PCGS but, as I stated above, these figures are greatly impacted by resubmissions and by junky coins in holders. The CAC data confirms this date’s appearance rarity.

Given its low mintage, you would expect the 1883-O to be the rarest of these four dates, and it is from an overall perspective. It is somewhat disingenuous to compare its high grade rarity to the 1841-O and the 1859-O, as With Motto New Orleans eagles made after 1877 tend not to have circulated in the same manner as the coins made prior to the American Civil War.

The 1879-O is not as rare as its low mintage suggests. It is still a very scarce coin (and it is extremely rare in Uncirculated), but it has survived at a higher percentage than its With Motto counterpart the 1883-O.

Now let’s look at PCGS Price Guide pricing information for all four dates in all four AU grades. Next to each price in parentheses, I’ve listed the order from highest to lowest:

PCGS Pricing Data on four key date New Orleans Mint Eagles.
PCGS Pricing Data on four key date New Orleans Mint Eagles.

Now let’s enumerate the total numbers graded at each AU level by PCGS:

PCGS Population Data for four key date New Orleans Mint Eagles.
PCGS Population Data for four key date New Orleans Mint Eagles.

Based on these figures and applying all of the caveats associated with this kind of study, I’ll make the following conclusions:

The 1841-O and the 1859-O are both undervalued in AU55 and AU58. This is especially true for CAC-quality coins. If the sole PCGS/CAC AU58 1841-O became available, it could easily bring $250,000, if not a bunch more. I feel the same way about the 1859-O. The current PCGS price of $60,000 in AU55 is—for a nice CAC coin—way too low.

The 1879-O feels like it is priced properly. This is taking into account that others will likely be located in the coming years, and that they will have a better shot of being CAC-worthy than either of the No Motto issues.

The 1883-O is always going to sell for a higher price than it probably deserves, as a result of its tiny original mintage of 800. That is not to say that this New orleans eagle is overvalued from a macro perspective; it is slightly overpriced in relation to the 1841-O and the 1859-O, but certainly not when compared to an issue such as a better date Carson City eagle from the 1870s, or a low-mintage San Francisco eagle from the Civil War era.

* * *

Notes

[1] The 1841-O is unknown in Uncirculated, while the 1859-O is unique. Both the 1879-O and the 1883-O have an estimated two or possibly three Uncirculated pieces known as of late 2023, with none finer than MS61 for either issue.

[2] In my opinion, these numbers are VASTLY inflated by resubmissions.

* * *

Doug Winter Numismatics, specialists in U.S. gold coins

 

* * *

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Unique Proof 1891-O Seated Liberty Dime Among New Orleans Special Strikes

By Mike Byers for Mint Error News ……
This is the only known 1891-O Seated Liberty Dime struck in Proof. Authenticated and certified by NGC as Proof 66, this unique branch mint Proof is a world-class rarity. It is listed in The Official 2024 Mega Red Book of U.S. Coins, Deluxe 9th Edition on page 422 and described as extremely rare.

This dime has been recently reholdered in the latest NGC holder with an enhanced label, better visibility and a higher-security hologram.

The New Orleans Mint.
The New Orleans Mint.

The United States Mint in New Orleans has one of the most interesting histories of all the mints. At one point, it was taken over and the United States of America no longer held control of it due to the Civil War. The New Orleans Mint officially became a branch mint on March 3, 1835, and first produced coins in 1838, staying in operation until 1861 when the war started. After the period of Reconstruction, it began operations again in 1879 and continued until 1909.

The New Orleans Mint resumed striking Seated Liberty Dimes in 1891, which had not been struck since 1860. This created a lot of publicity – which included a New Orleans Times-Picayune article published on July 26, 1891. This article reported the resumption of the silver dime production:

“The United States mint is now engaged in coining one million dimes a month. The dime banks and other causes have created a scarcity and Uncle Sam has ordered his money factories to the rescue. There is considerable demand for the dimes. They are the first coins of that smallness the mint has made, and the same presses with which the dollars were coined are used, the ingots being also of similar size. The new dies reached here about the 1st of the month, and the dimes commenced to roll out on the 5th.

The mint has on hand the bullion representing 3,000,000 trade dollars, shipped from the Philadelphia mint about two months ago, and the 863,000 ounces of uncurrent money sent from various sub-treasuries; so that there is no lack of silver to keep the presses going.”

1891-O Liberty Seated Dime as a Branch Mint Proof. Image: Mike Byers.
1891-O Liberty Seated Dime as a Branch Mint Proof. Image: Mike Byers.

This was the only Proof silver dime struck by the New Orleans Mint in 1891. It was unknown to Walter Breen and was not recorded in his Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof Coins (1987). It is widely believed that this Proof striking commemorated the New Orleans Mint in 1891.

This unique proof 1891-O Seated Liberty Dime is not recorded on numismatist Gerry Fortin’s website (seateddimevarieties.com), but he researched this dime and determined that:

“The obverse is unlisted and the reverse is Reverse P. The obverse die is perfect, with no trace of date repunching, no clash marks, and no die cracks. There is no evidence of die lapping on the obverse. Similarly, the reverse die is perfect, also with no repunching of the mintmark, no clash marks, no die cracks, and no evidence of die lapping. The mintmark is close to the bow knot, and tilted sharply to the left.”

A “perfect” and “unlisted” die was used to strike this dime. It is in Gem Proof condition with exceptional eye appeal and original toning. It has a full strike with full detail since it was struck on a large press setup for silver dollar coinage. This piece was most likely struck as a special Proof presentation piece, prior to striking regular dime coinage at New Orleans on Sunday, July 5, which was the first day reported.

There are also two known 1891-O Seated Liberty Quarters, both certified by specimens by NGC, which are obviously special strikes as well. Both of these are valued at and have traded for six figures.

1891-O Liberty Seated Dime in Proof, reverse.

The New Orleans Mint, throughout its history, struck unique Proof and specimen coinage. A few examples are the classic 1838-O Proof Cap Bust Half Dollar, the 1839-O Proof Cap Bust Half Dollar, the 1844-O Proof $5 Eagle and Proof $10 Eagle, the 1895-O Proof Morgan Dollar, and the 1883-O Proof Proof Morgan Dollar.

This unique 1891-O Branch Mint Proof Seated Liberty Dime is in a category by itself; the closest comparison would be the extremely rare 1894-S Branch Mint Proof Barber Dime. Although there is not any official documentation or Mint records pertaining to the striking of this unique Proof dime, not every unique Proof coin struck at the New Orleans branch mint or at any other U.S. Mint has official records or documentation. Although not nearly as famous as the 1894-S Branch Mint Proof Dime, of which 24 were struck, the 1891-O Branch Mint Proof Dime merits comparison to the 1894-S Branch Mint Proof Dime that sells for seven figures.

Many ultra-rare coins struck by the Mint in Philadelphia and in the branch mints are unique or produced in extremely small numbers under clandestine circumstances. A few examples are the 1804 silver dollar and the 1913 Liberty Head nickels. Other examples include the gold Indian Head cents and the unique 1913 Liberty Head nickel struck in gold. Although the 1894-S Barber Dime is documented in U.S. Mint records, there is still controversy surrounding the purpose for striking these. Additionally, many branch mint Proofs and specimens are controversial and lack official U.S. Mint documentation.

This unique 1891-O Branch Mint Seated Liberty Dime combines rarity, quality and history and belongs in an advanced collection of Seated Liberty coinage or unique coinage from the United States Mints.

The post Unique Proof 1891-O Seated Liberty Dime Among New Orleans Special Strikes appeared first on CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors.

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1904-O Morgan Dollar : A Collector’s Guide

1904-O Morgan Dollar. Image: CoinWeek.
1904-O Morgan Dollar. Image: CoinWeek.

1904 Was Supposed to Mark the End of the Morgan Dollar

In mid-to-late 1904, an article appeared in newspapers across the country with the blaring headline: “Passing of the Good Old American Silver Dollar.” Under the subtitle “It Is Probable That No More of Them Will Ever be Coined by the Government,” the author, Katherine Pope, reported “that ponderous and more or less troubling coin, the silver dollar, has had its day… the supply of silver bullion purchased under the Sherman act [sic] is exhausted… in all probability no more new silver dollars will be turned out by the government’s mint plants.

“Which, for old associations’ sake,” she wrote, “seems regrettable.”

… But for the New Orleans Mint, it Was

The New Orleans Mint’s last Morgan dollars were struck as the United States Mint prepared to shutter the facility. Economic turbulence in the 1890s spelled doom for these cartwheels prized by free silver advocates and the demise of the dollar prompted staff cutbacks at the southern branch mint.

The New Orleans Mint was a major part of the Morgan dollar’s life. Reactivated by the federal government in 1879 after its loss almost 20 years earlier during the Civil War, the facility struck Morgan dollars every year until the denomination’s end. Of all the Morgan dollars created by the Bland-Allison Act of 1878, those struck at New Orleans are known for a generally “weak” strike and saw perhaps the most actual circulation in commerce.

Ultimately, the New Orleans Mint struck 3,720,000 Morgan dollars in 1904.

The facility outlived the Morgan dollar by five years, its coining operations being suspended in 1909.

What Happened to Millions of Morgan Dollars?

Millions more Morgan dollars were struck than were needed for circulation, and the coins sat unused in bank vaults and Treasury facilities for years until 1918, when Congress passed the Pittman Act. Named for Senator Key Pittman of Nevada, the Act authorized the melting of up to 350,000,000 silver dollars and the sale of the resulting silver to Britain, whose monetary regime in India was stressed after a run on silver. The Pittman Act also called for the melted dollars to be recoined, precipitating the reintroduction of the Morgan dollar and the introduction of the Peace dollar in 1921.

270,232,722 Morgan dollars were melted under the terms of the Pittman Act. This was done without regard for date, making rarities of some previously common issues. For decades, collectors regarded the 1904-O Morgan dollar as this kind of rarity, as few Mint State 1904-O Morgan dollars entered the market, and prices reflected this belief. For instance, an ad published in The Numismatist in August 1951 by B.M. Douglas, a Washington, D.C.-based coin dealer, offered “Brilliant unc” 1904-O Morgan dollars (under the heading “RARE MORGAN DOLLARS”) for $50 USD.

This view held sway until the early 1960s.

Initially stored in the New Orleans Mint’s vault, the surviving coins were moved to Philadelphia in 1929. In October of 1962, large numbers of Mint State Morgan dollars were released – including many examples of the once-scarce 1904-O. The glut of supply drove prices down. In April 1963, a Philadelphia-based dealer offered 1904-O Morgan dollars in “BU” for just $2.00 in The Numismatist.

What are 1904-O Morgan Dollars Worth Now?

Today, examples grading MS-65 routinely sell at auction for between $100 and $200.

Large numbers of 1904-O Morgan dollars survive in grades up to MS-66 and the date becomes conditionally scarce in MS-67. It is one of the most abundant issues in Mint State. According to Q. David Bowers’ Silver Dollars and Trade Dollars of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia, more Mint State 1904-O Morgan dollars exist that any other date from the New Orleans Mint after 1885.

PCGS CoinFacts gives an estimate of 372,000 surviving examples, 100,000 of which grade MS-60 or better, with 40,000 grading better than MS-65. PCGS has certified more than 133,000 1904-O Morgan dollars; NGC has certified more than 151,000.

CAC has applied its sticker of approval on 353 coins and has certified nine examples since the company began accepting regular submissions in the summer of 2023.

As for collectible varieties, VAMWorld, a website dedicated to VAM varieties, lists 66 individual VAM varieties for the 1904-O Morgan dollar. A book dedicated to the VAM varieties of 1904-O Morgan dollars was written by Alan Scott and published in 2010; a new edition was released in 2014.

Randy Campbell, Senior Grader and Numismatist at Independent Coin Graders (ICG) and an expert on Prooflike (PL) Morgan dollars, stated in a phone interview that 1904-O Morgans with Deep Mirrored Prooflike (DMPL) obverses and reverses are rare; many coins exhibit DMPL or PL qualities on one side, but rarely both.

CoinFacts claims 9,900 surviving dollar coins are PL, all of which are MS-60 or better; 1,880 are MS-65 or better. DMPL 1904-O Morgan dollars number 1,761 in grades MS-60 and better. Three hundred and ninety-six examples grade MS-65 and better. VAMWorld explains that “Prooflike coins are quite available in terms of absolute population, but they comprise just under 3% of the uncirculated population at PCGS and NGC. Contrast on these tends to be poor.”

In his Getting Started column published in the December 2018 issue of The Numismatist, Mitch Sanders discussed “micro” and “macro” numismatics. Micro numismatics, Sanders wrote, involves “a highly detail-oriented examination of differences among coins with the same date and mint mark, usually focused on die varieties.”

Macronumismatics “emphasizes depth over breadth” and is interested in “coins as representations of the larger economic, political, technological and artistic contexts in which they were produced and used.” 1904-O Morgan dollars have something to offer to both camps.

Collectors can hunt well-struck examples, VAM varieties, and PL and DMPL coins, making the date a worthy endeavor for those who want to delve into the series’ technical minutiae with one of its penultimate dates – and the last date struck at the New Orleans Mint. The 1904-O Morgan dollar marked the beginning of the denomination’s hiatus and the beginning of the end for the New Orleans Mint.

1904-O Morgan Dollar Price Records

The following record prices are still current as of the time of publication:

  • Regular Strike auction record: $39,950 USD – Legend Rare Coin Auctions – 7/13/2017
  • PL auction record: $19,200 – Heritage – 9/7/2017 MS67PL
  • DMPL auction record: $12,338 – Legend – 7/26/2018 MS66+DMPL

Design

Obverse:

The obverse of the 1904-O Morgan dollar exhibits the characteristic left-facing Liberty Head motif seen on all issues of this classic dollar series. Lady 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 1904 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.”

United States 1904-O Morgan Silver DollarReverse:

The reverse of the 1904-O 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.

The mint mark “O” for New Orleans is located below the wreath and above the word DOLLAR.

Edge:

The edge of the 1904-O 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.

Coin Specifications

Country:  United States
Year Of Issue:  1904
Denomination:  One Dollar (USD)
Mint Mark:  O (New Orleans)
Mintage:  3,720,000
Alloy:  90% Silver, 10% Copper
Weight:  26.73 grams
Diameter:  38.10 mm
OBV Designer  George T. Morgan
REV Designer  George T. Morgan
Quality:  Business Strike

 


 

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United States 1904-O Morgan Silver Dollar | CoinWeek

Description In mid-to-late 1904, an article appeared in newspapers across the country with the blaring headline: “Passing of the Good Old American Silver Dollar.” Under the subtitle “It Is Probable That No More of Them Will Ever be Coined by the Government,” the author, Katherine Pope, reported “that ponderous and more or less troubling coin, […]

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Morgan Dollars for Every Collector: Introducing the Morgan 50 – Part II

  * * * A Collection of Morgan Dollars Everyone Can Complete Coin dealer and numismatic author Russ Augustin (AU Capital Management, RARCOA) joins Charles Morgan to discuss an innovative new set-collecting idea for Morgan dollars. Designed to fit the budget of every collector but still offer a longterm challenge and collecting goal, The Morgan 50 is comprised of fifty […]

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What Is A First Strike Coin?

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek ….. Over several years, coin marketing and sales types have promoted catchy phrases for traditional first strike or first-off-new-dies coins. One version boldly claims something like “first strike” as a proprietary term. Another version uses “early release” to imply something special. Soon, we might possibly see “death defyingly […]

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New Die Pairing for the 1850-O Liberty Seated Half Dollar

By Edward Van Orden for PCGS …… * * * Every day at PCGS, we are presented with the exciting possibility of seeing something new. When that possibility presents itself, and you and your colleagues get a chance to attribute it… well, that’s just fun numismatics right there! We recently had the opportunity to attribute […]

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It’s Time to Rewrite the Price Guides for Nice Southern Gold Coins

Especially Price Guides for Southern Mint Half Eagles   By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner The fourth installment of “Fairmont Fever” occurred earlier this week at the Stack’s Bowers office in California where bidders competed for yet another round of coins from the amazing Fairmont Hoard. In most cases, the coins being […]

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United States 1904-O Morgan Silver Dollar

In mid-to-late 1904, an article appeared in newspapers across the country with the blaring headline: “Passing of the Good Old American Silver Dollar.” Under the subtitle “It Is Probable That No More of Them Will Ever be Coined by the Government,” the author, Katherine Pope, reported “that ponderous and more or less troubling coin, the […]

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Ezerman on the 1888-O “Hot Lips” Morgan Dollar

By Rob Ezerman for CoinWeek …..   The spectacular and whimsical 1888-O Doubled Die Morgan dollar gained widespread attention with the early work of silver dollar specialists Leroy Van Allen and George Mallis in the late 1960s. They catalogued the coin as the 1888-O VAM-4. A few years later a popular movie would inspire collectors […]

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Is the Coin Market Sleeping on Fairmont Collection Gold Coins?

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner The dispersal of the Fairmont Collection began in 2018. It became better organized in 2022 with the offering of the subsets of half eagles, eagles, and double eagles that were given the names “Hendricks” (sold in April 2022), “JBR” (sold in August 2022), and “CBL” (sold […]

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Ten Notable US Mint Directors and What They Are Known For

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

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The New Orleans Mint: Part 3

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… Part 1 | Part 2   The New Orleans Mint was the only Southern mint reopened after the Civil War. Some of the considerations were practical. The gold deposits in the Southeast were starting to dissipate. Regional mints in Dahlonega, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, that had produced only […]

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The New Orleans Mint: Part 2

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… Link to Part 1 By 1850, the New Orleans Mint was producing a nearly full product line. The new gold dollars introduced in 1849, as well as the new $20 gold double eagle introduced in 1850, had been added to the mint production roster. The products produced at the […]

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The New Orleans Mint: Part 1

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… In this three-part series on the New Orleans Mint, I’ll first discuss the establishment of the mint and operation up until 1849. In part two, I will discuss the mint prior to and leading up to the Civil War. In part three, I will discuss the rich reincarnation of […]

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The 1888 Morgan Dollar: Key Varieties & Prices

By Steven Cochran for Gainesville Coins …… The 1888 Morgan silver dollar is best known for its interesting die varieties. For collectors of rare varieties and error coins, this is certainly a key date in the Morgan dollar series. What is an 1888 Silver Dollar Worth? Here is a table of average prices for 1888 […]

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Competitive Bids for Gem 1895-O Morgan Dollar – Auction Ends Sunday.

Up for sale in GreatCollections’ current auction is a very high-quality 1895-O Morgan dollar. Graded MS65 by PCGS and certified by CAC, this is a relatively unusual opportunity for collectors to acquire a conditional rarity. Bidding ends on Sunday, July 17, 2022, at 6:43:08 PM Pacific Time (9:43 PM Eastern). At the time of publication, […]

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Liberty Head Gold Eagles

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, […]

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Rare Key Date 1854-O Double Eagle at GreatCollections

Currently, GreatCollections is auctioning a rare 1854-O Liberty Gold Double Eagle graded AU 55 by PCGS. This rare opportunity for collectors to acquire one of the key dates in the Liberty Head Double Eagle series should not be overlooked. Bidding on this exceptional coin ends in 16 days on Sunday, June 5, 2022, 7:39:42 PM […]

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U.S. Coin Profile – 1838-O Reeded Edge Half Dollar Branch Mint Proof

“1838-O 50C GR-1, R.7, Branch Mint PR63 PCGS. CAC. The 1838-O Reeded Edge half dollar is one of the rarest and most enigmatic issues in the U.S. federal series. Despite an auction history that dates back to 1867 and intense study by prominent numismatists ever since, the coin’s origin remains shrouded in mystery. PCGS CoinFacts estimates […]

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Seated Liberty Dollars Are Much Rarer Than Morgan and Peace Dollars

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 […]

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Availability of CAC New Orleans Double Eagles in MS62 and Higher

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner In my experience, any double eagle from New Orleans is very rare in properly graded MS62 and higher grades. When you add the parameters of being slabbed by PCGS and approved by CAC, you are talking about an extremely rare commodity. 1851-O $20.00 PCGS MS62, as […]

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A Pricing Anomaly on 1844-O $10 Gold Half Eagles

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner I was recently offered a very common but very saleable New Orleans half eagle that should have been very easy to price and purchase. Instead, it turned into a Coin Pricing Fiasco, which, in turn, inspired this quick article. The coin in question is a PCGS […]

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Q. David Bowers: Silver Coin Excitement in New Orleans

By Q. David Bowers – Co-Founder, Stack’s Bowers ….. On October 29, 1982, a few minutes past noon, pandemonium prevailed in the French Quarter in downtown New Orleans as earthmoving equipment brought to light a vast treasure of silver coins. The site, scheduled to be used for a new Meridien Hotel, may have secreted a […]

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Hard to Find Mint State 1859-O Gold Double Eagle at GreatCollections

More than 80 bids have been recorded in the sale of an uncirculated 1859-O $20 gold double eagle being offered by GreatCollections.com. Certified MS-60 by PCGS (one of two examples reported in that grade by the service), the top bid on this specimen has broken into six figures at the time of writing. The sale […]

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How Defunct Mints Have Been Brought Back to Life: The 2021 Privy Mark Morgan and Peace Dollars

By Bullion Shark LLC …… When the congressional legislation to issue the 2021 Morgan and Peace silver dollars to mark the centennial of the release of the 1921 Morgan silver dollars and the 1921 Peace silver dollars (the respective last and first coins of those series) was being considered, there were conversations with sponsors and […]

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United States 1861-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar

By Dan Duncan – Pinnacle-Rarities …… Description The 1861 half dollars from the New Orleans Mint have the distinction of being the only issue in U.S. numismatics struck under the authority of three different authorities. At the time, all working dies were prepared in Philadelphia and distributed to the branch mints as no tooling or […]

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Why High-Grade, Late-Date New Orleans Eagles are a “Safe Purchase”

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner The 13 “late date” With Motto New Orleans Liberty Head eagles struck from 1888 to 1906 are a popular subset for collectors. None of these issues are rare from an absolute sense, and a decent set of Uncirculated graded coins (MS60 to MS62) is completable for […]

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Classic U.S. Gold Coins: The 1854-O Half Eagle Gets “Discovered”

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com ……   CoinWeek Content Partner   The 1854-O is the second-most-available No Motto half eagle from the New Orleans Mint. According to the 2020 edition of my book Gold Coins of the New Orleans Mint, 1838-1909, there are 225-275+ known – with as many as 80-100 in AU grades, plus […]

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Unique Counterstamped 1854 New Orleans Gold Coin Returns Home

Historic sunken treasure finally back in The Big Easy after 167-year journey that included being submerged more than 7,000 feet underwater when SS Central America sank in 1857   A unique, sunken treasure gold coin that made its way from New Orleans to the California Gold Rush and then to the Panama railroad before going […]

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So… What’s the Third Rarest No Motto New Orleans Eagle in High Grades?

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com ……   CoinWeek Content Partner   It’s pretty obvious to specialists that the two rarest No Motto New Orleans eagle $10 gold coins in higher grades (in this case, AU55 and better) are the 1841-O and the 1859-O. But there’s a lot of competition for the number three (and four) […]

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United States 1904-O Morgan Silver Dollar

Description In mid-to-late 1904, an article appeared in newspapers across the country with the blaring headline: “Passing of the Good Old American Silver Dollar.” Under the subtitle “It Is Probable That No More of Them Will Ever be Coined by the Government,” the author, Katherine Pope, reported “that ponderous and more or less troubling coin, […]

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PCGS Around the World – An 1859-O United States Double Eagle Appears in Europe

By Jay Turner for PCGS …… Discoveries of rarities, especially in the United States gold coin series, can occur in Paris submissions as tons of United States gold moved its way to Europe. Recently submitted in a three-coin box was an 1859-O Liberty Head $20. The 1859-O $20 is a rare coin, with only 9,100 […]

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Pre-Civil War Collector Coins in The Steve Studer Collection, Part 2

Part 2 of the Steve Studer Collection, open for bidding now through February 9, features a wide assortment of collector coins in denominations ranging from three-cent silver to double eagles. All of the coins being offered have dates from the period 1838-1861, and the vast majority, including all of the silver coins, were struck in […]

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The Mexican Coin Made at the New Orleans Mint

By Jay Turner for PCGS …… The New Orleans Mint was one of the first three original branch mints established by the United States Mint in 1838. Throughout its history of making coins, much of the bullion used for coinage production came from foreign coin deposits – often in the form of Mexican coinage. Yet, […]

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Choice 1909-O Indian $5 Featured in Stack’s Bowers December Showcase Auction

By James McCartney – Senior Numismatist, Stack’s Bowers …… The eagerly sought 1909-O half eagle is the only Indian Head or Saint-Gaudens gold coin attributed to this Southern coinage facility. With just 34,200 pieces produced, the 1909-O Indian is also the lowest mintage circulation strike of its type and survivors are in strong demand at […]

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The 1900-O Over CC Morgan Dollar: The “Last” Carson City Silver Dollar

  By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for PCGS …… Carson City Morgan Dollars bearing the famous “CC” mintmark are at the top of many coin collectors’ want lists. Struck at the Carson City Mint in Nevada from 1878 through 1893, these so-called CC Morgan Dollars are symbolic of the Old West and the massive silver lodes that […]

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Welcome to the Stack’s Bowers Galleries December 2020 Showcase Auction

By Q. David Bowers – Co-Founder, Stack’s Bowers Galleries …… Welcome to the Stack’s Bowers December 2020 Auction, a magnificent finale to our 2020 Showcase Auction season. This past year has shown the continued passion and enthusiasm of the numismatic community despite unprecedented challenges. We are thrilled to present this auction amid incredible market strength, […]

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A Memorable 1892-O Half Eagle: Doug Winter

Despite its low mintage of just 10,000 coins, the 1892-O half eagle is a coin that doesn’t receive a lot of love, even from New Orleans gold specialists. This is likely because it is lumped in with the 1893-O and the 1894-O, which are much more available. The rarity profile of the 1892-O is far […]

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Stack’s Bowers Nov. Showcase Auction Features Rare Mint State 1852-O Double Eagle

  By James McCartney – Senior Numismatist, Stack’s Bowers …… Even though the New Orleans Mint had produced double eagles in both 1850 and 1851, the coiners were still working out many of the difficulties in producing such a large gold piece. The emphasis seemed to have been placed on quantity over quality, leaving many […]

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The New Orleans Mint and Its Southern Coinage

By Mike Garofalo for PCGS …… The first United States Mint was built in Philadelphia, which was serving as our nation’s capital city during the period spanning 1790 through 1800 while Washington, D.C. was being built. Even when the federal government was, itself, moved to Washington in 1800, the nation’s only mint remained in Philadelphia. […]

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Abraham Lincoln: A Numismatic Legacy Considered

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

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An Interesting 1840-O Half Eagle Gold Coin

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner In a recent (April 2020) Heritage Auction, I purchased a very interesting 1840-O Narrow Mill half eagle graded MS62 by PCGS. This coin, which I bought for $19,200 USD, lends itself to a number of discussions. 1840-O $5.00 PCGS MS62. Image courtesy Douglas Winter Numismatics (DWN) […]

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Which Rare Gold Coins Can Weather the Storm?

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner I’ve been a full-time professional coin dealer since 1981 and I’ve been through numerous down markets. My experience has proven that there is no such thing as a “recession-proof” coin. Even the best coins go down during bad markets, and these represent great buying opportunities for […]

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Classic Coin Profile: United States 1838-O Dime

Description The New Orleans Mint was one of three branches of the United States Mint authorized to be opened by the Coinage Act of March 3, 1835. The same Act authorized the opening of an important assay office in New York City. The Louisiana facility was built on land donated to the federal government by […]

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Three-Cent Silver Coins – Solving the Problem of Scarcity: Blanchard

By Blanchard and Company, Inc ….. The US three-cent silver coin was one of the many repercussions of the California Gold Rush. The country experienced a surging supply of gold as new discoveries opened in the east. This development created an economic scenario in which the price of gold relative to silver dropped. Thus, silver […]

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Top Pop PCGS/CAC 1879-O Morgan Dollar Offered at GreatCollections

By CoinWeek …. On Sunday, March 1, bidding ends on GreatCollections.com for this 1879-O Morgan silver dollar, graded MS-66+ by PCGS and approved by CAC In only the second year of the series’ production, 1879 saw 2.887 million Morgans struck at New Orleans. But business strike silver dollars from the New Orleans Mint were weakly […]

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CAC and the Appearance Rarity of No Motto New Orleans Eagles

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback about my previous article on appearance rarity. It is my contention that CAC has now seen enough coins that we can make important observations about how rare (or not rare) a specific issue is in regards to its appearance. […]

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NGC Certifies Hoard of New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollars

1882-O $1 graded NGC MS-65★ from the Great Southern Treasury Hoard
On. Jan. 13, Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) announced that they had recently graded a hoard of 13,000 Morgan Silver Dollars from the New Orleans Mint

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Doug Winter: What Sold Best at DWN in 2019

Gold Coins By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com ……CoinWeek Content Partner Instead of the tired “what was hot/what was not” end-of-the-year articles that I typically hammer out, I’d like to try a new approach. What series sold best for my firm Douglas Winter Numismatics in 2019 and what were some of the gold coins  specific dates—and […]

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Why Was the Mintmark Moved on Walking Liberty Half Dollars ?

Walking Liberty Half Dollars By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for PCGS …… Walking Liberty half dollars are widely considered among the most beautiful coins the United States Mint has ever produced. The coin, designed by noted sculptor-engraver Adolph A. Weinman, was struck from 1916 through 1947 and has remained beloved by collectors since the coin was in […]

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Why Was the Mintmark Moved on Walking Liberty Half Dollars ?

Walking Liberty Half Dollars by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for PCGS ……   Walking Liberty half dollars are widely considered among the most beautiful coins the United States Mint has ever produced. The coin, designed by noted sculptor-engraver Adolph A. Weinman, was struck from 1916 through 1947 and has remained beloved by collectors since the coin was […]

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Newly Identified Contemporary Counterfeit 1894-O Morgan Dollar

NGC’s discovery is the first reported counterfeit Morgan Dollar of this date Counterfeit Morgan Dollar Posted by Ben Wengel, NGC Grader and Attributor Recently, an 1894-O Morgan Dollar was examined in an invoice at NGC that was proven to be an unreported contemporary morgan dollar. Despite being a well-circulated piece, there were several distinct problems […]

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Douglas Winter Numismatics Buys 1838-O Half Dollar for $504,000

Douglas Winter Numismatics (DWN), a rare coin dealership based in Portland, Oregon, was the buyer of a very rare 1838-O half dollar graded SP63 by PCGS and approved by CAC. Including a 20% buyer’s premium, the coin sold for $504,000 USD at the November 2019 Baltimore/Whitman Coin Expo conducted by Stack’s Bowers Auctions. The New […]

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Pedigrees & Hoards: Shipwreck Coins

  By Rick Bretz for CoinWeek …. Thanks to a fellow pedigree collector, I’ve started to add shipwreck coins to my collection. There’s a lot of information available on each shipwreck, and the stories are as interesting as any “land-based” hoard so why not? The nice thing about building any pedigree collection is that you […]

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CoinWeek Video: Jeff Garrett and the Great Southern Treasury Hoard of Morgan Dollars

By CoinWeek …..   Near the beginning of last month, CoinWeek traveled to NGC headquarters in Sarasota, Florida, to get a first look at the Great Southern Treasury Hoard of 13,000 New Orleans Mint Morgan dollars. Coin dealer Jeff Garrett was instrumental in bringing this numismatic bonanza to the market, negotiating a deal with a […]

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Item of the Week: 1838-O Half dollar

1838-O half dollar. (Images courtesy of Heritage Auctions)
Without a lot of fanfare except among specialists, the 1838-O half dollar is probably on a very short list of the most important coins of the United States and also on the short list of the most historic.
The story of the 1838-O dates back before 1838 to the agreement to establish a branch mint in New Orleans

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1899-O Morgan Silver Dollar in PCGS MS-67+ at GreatCollections.com

By CoinWeek …. On Sunday, October 27, bidding ends on GreatCollections.com for this 1899-O Morgan silver dollar, graded MS-67+ by PCGS and approved by CAC. Once thought of as a rare date in the series, the 1899-O was one of several Morgan dollar issues whose collector base was disrupted by the GSA Hoard and its […]

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ANA Signature Auction Features Great Coins in Fascinating Collections

The ANA World’s Fair of Money is always one of the top numismatic events of the year, and, as always, Heritage is proud to be able to present the official auction. This event, scheduled for August 14-18 at the convention in Rosemont, Illinois, with Platinum Night scheduled for the evening of August 14, features coins […]

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Mintmarks: Know the Style and Location

Letter mint mark as used for the New Orleans mint.
by Michael Fazarri
Readers will recall that a mintmark is a symbol, letter, or combination of these marks placed on a die to indicate the location of the facility where the coin was produced. Many foreign countries used animals or objects such as an anchor to serve this purpose

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The Unusual Journey of the Three-Cent Silver Coin

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 […]

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State of Louisiana seized New Orleans Mint

(Image courtesy us-mint.info/New-Orleans-Mint.html)
I know that the New Orleans Mint struck for both the federal and Confederate governments, but wasn’t there a third entity?
The third was the State of Louisiana, which seized the New Orleans Mint on Feb

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US Silver Coins – History Revealed by Recovered SS Central America Cash Box

Retrieved sunken treasure gives a fascinating glimpse of Gold Rush-era daily commerce aboard fabled Ship of Gold Historic silver and gold coins discovered in the purser’s lockbox in 2014 from the fabled “Ship of Gold”–the SS Central America–that sank in 1857 are coming to market for collectors, according to the California Gold Marketing Group LLC […]

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Classic US Gold Coins – So You’ve Decided to Collect (a Set of) New Orleans Liberty Head Half Eagles…

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner …… The New Orleans Mint produced Liberty Head half eagles from 1840 through 1857, and again from 1892 through 1894. There were a total of 16 different issues constituting three distinct types. These types are as follows: No Motto Small Letters Reverse (1840-1843) No Motto Large […]

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Rare Gold Coins: What Was in Demand in 2018?

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner ……   2018 was a decidedly mixed year for the rare coin market. In brief: interesting rare coins performed fairly well to very well, while uninteresting coins performed terribly. * * * To be more specific, the rare date gold market continued to be among the […]

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GreatCollections Offering Rare Mint State 1850-O Quarter Eagle Approved by CAC

By CoinWeek ….   This Sunday, bidding comes to a close on one of the two PCGS-certified finest known 1850-O Liberty Head quarter eagles, which is currently being offered online at GreatCollections.com. Graded MS64, it is the second example to earn that grade at PCGS. Encapsulated in a Gold Shield holder, the coin has also […]

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Stack’s Bowers 2018 World’s Fair of Money preview: Rarities Night

In this second preview article for the various auctions held during the World’s Fair of Money in Philadelphia, PA, this month, we will take a look at some of the highlights of U.S

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Hot Lips and Scar Face: Two Dramatic 1888-O Morgan Dollar Varieties

By Ron Drzewucki – Modern Coin Wholesale ….. In my previous sortie into VAM territory, I mentioned the 1888-O “Hot Lips” variety of Morgan dollar. It is arguably the most famous VAM out there (a “VAM” being a Morgan or Peace dollar variety as officially cataloged by Leroy Van Allen and George Mallis), and if […]

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CoinWeek First Look at the Pops of the New York Bank Morgan Dollar Hoard

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 […]

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Is It Still Possible to Put Together a Nice Set of New Orleans Double Eagles?

New Orleans Double Eagles By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner …… Let’s say an upscale collector makes a decision to put together a complete 13 coin set of New Orleans double eagles. Putting monetary concerns aside (for the sake of this blog, we’re going to say that this collector has the necessary […]

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Finest Certified 1860-O Liberty Double Eagle in Heritage Summer FUN Signature Sale

After the San Francisco Mint opened in 1854, most of the bullion from the California gold fields went to that facility for coinage and bullion deposits dropped precipitously at the New Orleans Mint. Accordingly, only small mintages of double eagles were turned out at New Orleans after that time. Only 6,600 of the O-mint Liberty […]

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Collecting Morgan Dollars: An Overview

By Louis Golino for CoinWeek …..   As a collectible, Morgan silver dollars, minted between 1878 and 1921, have no real peer in American numismatics. It is by far the most widely collected and traded numismatic coin in the world. Attend any coin show and you will quickly see that slabbed and raw Morgan dollars […]

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Growing up in a Numismatic Family: The Early Days of Stack’s – 1966

By Harvey Stack – Co-Founder, Stack’s Bowers Galleries ……   Links to earlier parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 1966 – The Year I Can’t Forget Following 1965, business continued to be active at Stack’s. We attended […]

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1861 Confederate half dollar to be displayed at ANA 2018 Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money

First public exhibit of historic American rarity
One of the great rarities in American numismatics, an original 1861 Confederate States of America (CSA) silver half dollar, will be a featured exhibit at the American Numismatic Association’s 2018 World’s Fair of Money in Philadelphia, August 14-18. The coin will be insured for one million dollars for what will be its first public exhibition

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1861 Confederate Half Dollar to be Displayed at ANA 2018 Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money

One of the great rarities in American numismatics, an original 1861 Confederate States of America (CSA) silver half dollar, will be a featured exhibit at the American Numismatic Association’s (ANA) 2018 World’s Fair of Money® in Philadelphia, August 14-18. The coin will be insured for $1 million for what will be its first public exhibition. […]

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Admiral Collection Ten Dollar Gold Highlights Heritage Auction Long Beach Results

The Admiral Collection, one of the finest early eagle and Liberty Head ten dollar gold collections ever assembled and featuring coins long off the market, provided most of the fireworks as Heritage’s Long Beach Signature Auction soared to outstanding results. This auction, originally scheduled for February 22-26, but extended to February 27 due to technical […]

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Liberty Head $5 Gold Half Eagles – The Only Coin Series Struck at All U.S. Mints!

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), […]

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Coin Profile – 1838-O Reeded Edge Half Dollar, Branch Mint Proof

The following coin catalog description is of LOT #4861 from the 2018 Heritage FUN US Coin Signature Auction in Tampa. As a Branch Mint Proof, this 1838-O is a Classic US Rarity of the highest importance. “1838-O 50C GR-1, R.7, Branch Mint PR63 PCGS. CAC. The 1838-O Reeded Edge half dollar is one of the rarest and most […]

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Classic US Coins – So… You’ve Decided to Collect New Orleans Gold Coins

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner ……   Gold coins were made at the New Orleans Mint from 1839 through 1909. A total of six denominations were made and these are as follows: Gold Dollars (1849-1855) – A total of six issues were produced. Quarter Eagles (1839-1857) – A total of 14 […]

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NGC-Certified Confederate Half Dollar Sells for Record $960,000

Rare piece leads Heritage’s $3.7 million Newman Part IX live auction Wednesday night An 1861 Confederate Half Dollar certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) led the way in Heritage Auctions’ sale of Part IX of the Eric P. Newman Collection on Wednesday, November 1. It realized a record $960,000. Newman IX contains 427 NGC-certified coins, […]

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Classic US Coins – So You’ve Decided to Collect With Motto Liberty Head Eagles…

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. […]

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The Greatest U.S. Coin Collections Ever Auctioned, Part 3: McCoy in 1864

Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #390 A Weekly Column by Greg Reynolds ….. This series is about comprehensive collections of classic U.S coins (1793-1934) that were offered, at least in large part, at public auctions. The first comprehensive collection of U.S. coins to be auctioned this […]

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PCGS Certifies Unique Special Strike 1904-O $10 Gold Eagle

Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) has certified the 1904-O $10 W.J. Brophy specimen as a unique Special Strike, SP68. PCGS experts have attributed the coin, which was the first gold eagle coined at the New Orleans Mint in 1904, as a SP (Special Strike) after reexamination of the coin’s surfaces. Originally graded PCGS MS68 in […]

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Confederate Half Dollar and More: NGC Certifies Eric P. Newman Collection, Part 9

Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) has certified an additional 427 coins, tokens and medals from the Eric P. Newman Collection. These selections comprise the ninth part in a series of auctions of the legendary collection and will be sold by Heritage Auctions, November 1-3, 2017. The centerpiece of Newman IX is an 1861 Confederate Half Dollar, […]

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Classic U.S. Coins for Less Than $500 Each, Part 31: Liberty Seated Half Dimes

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 […]

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Finest Certified 1858-O Liberty Head Double Eagle Featured in Baltimore Rarities Night Auction

By Q. David Bowers – Co-founder, Stack’s Bowers …… Among early double eagles, the rarest of the rare are New Orleans coins in Mint State. We proudly present a landmark coin in our November 2017 Baltimore Rarities Night  Auction–the very finest 1858-O certified by either service. Graded MS-63 by NGC, both sides exhibit razor sharp […]

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Q. David Bowers: Welcome to the Wonderful World of Morgan Silver Dollars!

By Q. David Bowers – Stack’s Bowers …… (Or, if you’re already familiar with this series, you may still enjoy my comments concerning the coins) Background We all need to bow down in the direction of Washington, D.C. and retroactively thank Congress for passing the Bland-Allison Act of February 28, 1878. Back then the American […]

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Classic U.S. Coins for Less Than $500 Each, Part 29: Barber Quarters

Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #381 An Ongoing Column by Greg Reynolds ….. The theme here is assembling a set of Barber quarters in Fine to Almost Uncirculated grades without spending as much as $500 on any one coin, with the vast majority of coins grading […]

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Classic US Coins – So You’ve Decided to Collect Gold Dollars …

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com …… CoinWeek Content Partner …… Sure, size matters – but collectors have long appreciated gold dollars, the smallest size and denomination in the annals of American gold coin issues. * * * The United States gold dollar was made from 1849 through 1889 in three distinct types and was struck […]

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CoinWeek News Wire for August 11, 2017: Brain Food, Littleton Theft, China…

By Coinweek …. CoinWeek News Wire for August 11, 2017:  Brain Food 1.) Rare coins have Holdrege, Colorado link Kinkaid began researching the history of the Lesher Dollar in 1984. In 1992, he hired Holdrege genealogist Sandra Slater as the research director for the project. While Kinkaid said many in the coin hobby don’t know […]

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Gem 1851-O Half Dollar at Stack’s Bowers June 2017 Baltimore Auction

  By James McCartney, Numismatist & Cataloger – Stack’s Bowers …… The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848 sent shockwaves through the American economy that reverberated for decades. While the gold to silver ratio of both the domestic and international markets had greatly affected the operations of the United States Mint since its […]

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Classic Gold US Coins – The “With Motto” New Orleans Eagle “Short Set”

By Doug Winter – RareGoldcoins.com CoinWeek Content Partner ……   Collectors who like completable themed sets don’t have a ton of options if they’re on a budget. Sure, there’s the Indian Head quarter eagle series; it is completable but the 1911-D is an expensive hole to fill. Or there are esoteric “subsets” like the San […]

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Circulated Liberty Head Double Eagle $20 Gold Coins, Type 1

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 […]

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Classic US Gold Coins – The Rare and Underappreciated 1849-O Eagle

By Doug Winter – RareGoldcoins.com CoinWeek Content Partner …… In the No Motto New Orleans eagle series (produced from 1841 through 1860), there are two well-known rarities: the 1841-O and the 1859-O. The next rarity tier consists of four issues: the 1849-O, 1852-O, 1856-O and 1857-O–which are extremely hard to locate in About Uncirculated and […]

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So, You’ve Decided to Collect Liberty Head Quarter Eagles…

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 […]

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So, You’ve Decided to Collect Liberty Head Quarter Eagles…

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 […]

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72 Hours Left to Bid: 337 Fresh Lots at David Lawrence Rare Coins Auction

By David Lawrence Rare Coins …… Our Sunday Internet Auction #950 is now live with a great selection of 337 fresh, new coins, 65 No Reserve lots and 25 Vault Value items. All lots will begin closing at 8pm Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, March 5. Some of the more interesting highlights from this week’s sale include: 1860 […]

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1843-O Liberty Seated Quarters and the Eliasberg-Gardner Coin

Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #371 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. Only one currently identified 1843-‘Large O’ quarter is clearly uncirculated, the Eliasberg-Gardner coin. This PCGS-graded “MS-63+” 1843-O just sold for $16,450 USD in a Heritage auction at the Winter 2017 Long Beach […]

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Doug Winter Numismatics Buys Gem 1850-O Eagle, Ex-Eliasberg at 2017 FUN Show

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 […]

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Healthy Prices Realized for FUN Platinum Night Auction Coins

Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #366 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds ….. During or just prior to major coin conventions, Heritage conducts two to four U.S. coin Platinum Night events each year, each as a part of an auction extravaganza that includes additional coins […]

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Healthy Prices Realized for FUN Platinum Night Auction Coins

Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, markets, and coin collecting #366 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds …..   During or just prior to major coin conventions, Heritage conducts two to four U.S. coin Platinum Night events each year, each as a part of an auction extravaganza that includes additional […]

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Classic US Coins – The New Orleans Eagle Market is Sizzling

By Doug Winter – RareGoldcoins.com CoinWeek Content Partner …… The recent Stacks Bowers Baltimore auction contained a group of comparatively high grade New Orleans eagles which contained a few very important pieces. While admittedly a small sample size (just seven coins), the prices realized were all very strong. This leads me to conclude that this […]

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A Relative to the Confederate Half Dollar? 6 U.S. Highlights in Sedwick Treasure Auction 20

By Cori Sedwick Downing – Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC …… While Spanish colonial and shipwreck coins make up much of our November Sedwick Treasure Auction , a number of other collecting areas are well represented. We’ve already taken a look at paper money, so let’s turn to U.S. rarities coming up for auction. Lot 1401 – […]

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Classic US Gold – Stretch Dates: Liberty Head Quarter Eagles

By Doug Winter – RareGoldcoins.com CoinWeek Content Partner …… In October 2016 I wrote a blog entitled The Concept of the Stretch Date. It was well-received, and I thought it would be interesting to apply this concept to a few specific series. For my first attempt, I’ve chosen Liberty Head quarter eagles… * * * […]

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Heritage Auctions – Seldom Seen Selections: Gem 1909-O Half Eagle

The New Orleans Mint ceased coining operations in 1909 after more than 70 years in the business of striking the nation’s gold and silver coinage. The Annual Mint Director’s Report of 1910 sheds light on the reasons underlying the suspension of coinage at the Louisiana facility:   The amount of gold which is available for […]

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Classic US Coins – 50 US Gold Issues with the “Wow” Factor

By Doug Winter – RareGoldcoins.com CoinWeek Content Partner …… Certain issues in the various United States gold types struck between 1795 and 1933 have what might best be called a “Wow Factor.” Something about the issue—be it rarity, design, historic association or low mintage—appeals to a variety of collectors. These coins have strong multiple levels […]

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Classic U.S. Coins for Less than $500 Each, Part 24: Barber Dimes

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 […]

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Prooflike Mint State 1848-O Liberty Eagle in Stack’s Bowers Baltimore Rarities Night Auction

By James McCartney, Numismatist & Cataloger – Stack’s Bowers …..   The 1848-O Liberty eagle was the only gold coin issued at New Orleans in that year. Production had dropped significantly to just 35,850 examples, compared to nearly 600,000 coins produced in 1847. Today, all survivors of the issue are treasured, although most pieces have […]

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Gem 1838-O No Stars Dime at November 2016 Baltimore Rarities Night Auction

By James McCartney, Numismatist & Cataloger – Stack’s Bowers ….. The No Stars Liberty Seated dimes of 1837 and 1838 are often considered Gobrecht’s little masterpieces. Uncluttered by stars on either side, Liberty sits majestically at center, placed upon a perfectly sized canvas that allows appreciation of the obverse motif without being distracted by the […]

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Tips for Beginners: Coin Collecting by the Roll

By Littleton Coin Company ……….. Collecting coins by the roll has always offered a “hoarding appeal” – if owning a single desirable coin is fun, why not own a whole roll of them! But roll collecting has been popular for another reason in recent years. The U.S. Mint’s heavy workload, including quarters and dollars with […]

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1895-O Morgan $1 MS65+, Unseen Since Issue, Tops Heritage Long Beach Auction

Thursday, June 9, 2016 at the Long Beach Collectibles Expo; featuring an 1895-O Silver Dollar MS65+ from the Rev. Dr. James G. K. McClure Collection, tied for Finest at CAC, struck at the fabled New Orleans Mint An 1895-O Silver Dollar MS65+ NGC CAC from the Rev. Dr. James G. K. McClure Collection, tied for […]

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Newly Identified Contemporary Counterfeit 1894-O Morgan Dollar

Posted by Ben Wengel, NGC Grader and Attributor NGC’s discovery is the first reported counterfeit example of this date. Recently, an 1894-O Morgan Dollar was examined in an invoice at NGC that was proven to be an unreported contemporary counterfeit. Despite being a well circulated piece, there were several distinct problems with the coin that […]

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Stack’s Bowers, Sotheby’s to Make Unprecedented Offering of Rarities in Pogue IV Sale

On May 25, 2016, in cooperation with Sotheby’s at Sotheby’s International Headquarters in New York City, Stack’s Bowers Galleries will offer not only the finest known 1804 silver dollar, but also the rare and legendary 1822 half eagle. Although both were once included in the famous Virgil M. Brand Collection, never before in auction history […]

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Visiting The New Orleans Mint

By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for CoinWeek…. If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out the New Orleans Mint in person, I recommend you stop by the next time you’re in The Big Easy. I was just passing through Louisiana on a business trip and had only a few hours to spend in the Crescent City, […]

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Room to Run: Epic Portfolio Strategy for Rarities

By Bruce Smith Sr. Portfolio Director and Numismatic Writer – Blanchard and Company…. I write quite a bit about finding what I call “opportunity specie” in the rare coin market. Undervalued coins. Sleeper coins. Pedigree coins. Old holder coins. CAC coins. Blue chip coins. All represent strong opportunity for smart resourced investors. Combine any of […]

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Exceptional 19th century U.S. Gold Coins in Central States Auction

Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, coin markets, and the coin collecting community #272…. A Weekly Column by Greg Reynolds….   In Schaumburg, Illinois, a small city not far from Chicago, the annual CSNS convention will be held from April 22 to 25. In the official auction, which will be […]

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Exceptional 19th Century U.S. Gold Coins in Central States Auction

Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, coin markets, and the coin collecting community #272…. A Weekly Column by Greg Reynolds…. In Schaumburg, Illinois, a small city not far from Chicago, the annual CSNS convention will be held from April 22 to 25. In the official auction, which will be conducted […]

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Coin Profiles – Finest Known Gem Proof 1839-O Half Dollar

Magnificent Finest Known Gem Proof 1839-O Half Dollar The Robison Specimen 1839-O Capped Bust Half Dollar. Reeded Edge. HALF DOL. GR-1. Proof-65 (NGC). Even a casual glance at this piece will confirm that it is something special and well beyond the ordinary for a Capped Bust, Reeded Edge half dollar. The surfaces shimmer with a […]

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US Gold Coins: New Orleans Half Eagles – An Updated Look

By Doug Winter – RareGoldcoins.com CoinWeek Content Partner It has been a number of years since I’ve written about New Orleans Liberty Head half eagles and given the popularity of this series, I thought it would be nice to finish out 2014 with a fairly in-depth look at these coins. We will not only discuss […]

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Rare Coins: Likely Unique 1891-O Proof Dime, The Only Certified Proof Unlisted Variety

From the CSNS Heritage catalog as Lot 5574 Walter Breen called the early presentation pieces and pre-1858 dated proofs the caviar of proof coinage, and then compared them to the branch mint proofs that he called “dishes of peacock’s tongues.” Proof coins were struck at the branch mints for presentation purposes, to mark special occasions, […]

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