Category Archives: Vic Bozarth

Peace Dollars: Art Vs. Commerce

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… I’ve always liked Peace Dollars, which I call the underdog of silver dollars. And I’ve always rooted for the underdog… In this two-parter, I’m going to discuss the Peace Dollar and how it came to exist. I’ll also detail the 24-coin series in terms of both its historical price […]

The post Peace Dollars: Art Vs. Commerce appeared first on CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

The Box Matters: Original Packaging as Numismatic History

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… I’m a history guy. But when push comes to shove, you have to learn new things while still appreciating the lessons of the past. Putting things into perspective when I write about a subject in terms of a timeline serves to historically set the stage. Numismatically speaking, I was […]

The post The Box Matters: Original Packaging as Numismatic History appeared first on CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

An Overview of Panama-Pacific Exposition Coins – Part Four

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 * * * Numismatic promoter Farran Zerbe was hired by the Panama-Pacific Exposition Company to sell the new coins at the fair. Despite the expo’s mandate that coins would be available for sale before the fair’s opening on […]

The post An Overview of Panama-Pacific Exposition Coins – Part Four appeared first on CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

An Overview of Panama-Pacific Exposition Coins – Part Three

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 * * * No World’s Fair before or since 1915 has garnered as much attention in terms of commemorative coins as the Panama-Pacific Exposition. Commemorating the completion of the Panama Canal was a big deal, warranting the 1915 […]

The post An Overview of Panama-Pacific Exposition Coins – Part Three appeared first on CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

An Overview of Panama-Pacific Exposition Coins – Part Two

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 * * * How can we, as denizens of the 21st century, even fathom how an individual in 1915 would react to the show produced by the Tower of Jewels at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco once […]

The post An Overview of Panama-Pacific Exposition Coins – Part Two appeared first on CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

An Overview of Panama-Pacific Exposition Coins – Part One

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… Some of the most iconic United States commemorative coins have been authorized in conjunction with World Fairs and centennials. To me, the most memorable of all U.S. commemoratives are those that were issued for the Panama-Pacific Exposition, held in San Francisco in 1915. A total of five different coins […]

The post An Overview of Panama-Pacific Exposition Coins – Part One appeared first on CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

For the Love of Coin Collecting

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… Like many of my fellow numismatists, I have always been fascinated by classic U.S. commemorative coins. My first commemorative half dollar was an 1892 Columbian Exposition Half Dollar, which paid homage to the Columbian Exposition World’s Fair held in Chicago in 1893. But interestingly, even at 11 or 12 […]

The post For the Love of Coin Collecting appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

The Origin of the First U.S. Commemorative Coins

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… While some recognize the 1848 CAL Quarter Eagle struck from California gold as the first United States commemorative coin, it wasn’t until 1892 that the United States Mint began producing coins broadly classified as commemorative coins. The first of these were produced and sold in 1892 in conjunction with […]

The post The Origin of the First U.S. Commemorative Coins appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

The Origin of the First U.S. Commemorative Coins

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS ……   While some recognize the 1848 CAL Quarter Eagle struck from California gold as the first United States commemorative coin, it wasn’t until 1892 that the United States Mint began producing coins broadly classified as commemorative coins. The first of these were produced and sold in 1892 in conjunction […]

The post The Origin of the First U.S. Commemorative Coins appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

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 […]

The post The New Orleans Mint: Part 3 appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

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 […]

The post The New Orleans Mint: Part 2 appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

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 […]

The post The New Orleans Mint: Part 1 appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Changes are Happening at Major National Coin Shows

By Victor Bozarth and Mark Ferguson for PCGS …… A few lessons have been learned during the absence of major, national coin shows during the “lockdown” periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. Already successful at hosting auctions online, prominent auction houses have recognized that they can produce effective auctions from their home offices, without the expenses […]

The post Changes are Happening at Major National Coin Shows appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Coin Market Fundamentals Have Changed

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… Unprecedented demand has forced rare coin prices to record-high levels across virtually all series of U.S. coinage. As auction prices climb, dealers are asking higher prices for coins in their inventories and selling has never been easier for them. However, replacing that inventory has been a huge problem for […]

The post Coin Market Fundamentals Have Changed appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Technicolor Coins – How Do We Monetize Eye Appeal?

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS ……   What draws our eye to vibrant color? There’s no question color is one of the most important aspects of art itself. Yet, the appeal of color (or lack thereof) is ultimately in the eye of the beholder. Let’s first look at what most generally don’t like. Darkly toned […]

The post Technicolor Coins – How Do We Monetize Eye Appeal? appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Why the Charlotte and Dahlonega Mints Were Built – Part 4

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… In parts one, two, and three of this four-part series, I discussed the early Europeans’ unsuccessful search for gold in what became the United States. Despite both Hernando de Soto and Francisco Vázquez de Coronado being “on top of gold” during their expeditions, neither was able to close the […]

The post Why the Charlotte and Dahlonega Mints Were Built – Part 4 appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Why the Charlotte and Dahlonega Mints Were Built – Part 3

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… In parts one and two of my four-part series, I detailed the early European explorers who failed in their search for gold in the future United States. In part two, I discussed the discovery of gold in North Carolina in 1799. Also discussed was the evolution of mining, from […]

The post Why the Charlotte and Dahlonega Mints Were Built – Part 3 appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Why the Charlotte and Dahlonega Mints Were Built – Part 2

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… In part one of this series, I discussed the early European explorers who, despite numerous attempts, never located any gold in the United States. As we learned, from 1492 through 1799, there was no substantial gold find in the continental U.S. In part two, I am detailing the early […]

The post Why the Charlotte and Dahlonega Mints Were Built – Part 2 appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Why the Charlotte and Dahlonega Mints Were Built – Part 1

  By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… Despite being here for nearly 300 years, no quantifiable gold was ever located by early European explorers in the land that became the continental United States. Virtually all discovery missions to the New World by European powers in the 15th and 16th centuries were funded with the hope […]

The post Why the Charlotte and Dahlonega Mints Were Built – Part 1 appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

The Truman Library Snyder Coin Collection Robbery and Other Recollections

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… In March 1962, Treasury Secretary John Snyder donated his 450-piece complete coin collection to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library. In November of that year, the entire collection was stolen by burglars who struck during the night. Some 60 years later, not a single verifiable specimen from the original […]

The post The Truman Library Snyder Coin Collection Robbery and Other Recollections appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Bags in the Basement: Quantity Over Quality

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS ……   Some coin deals are more memorable than others. Most deals are “one and done”, and you go on to the next deal. But when you buy a collection or hoard, the timeline might involve a decade. Come on Vic, really? What kind of coin deal is still unresolved […]

The post Bags in the Basement: Quantity Over Quality appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Collecting Carson City (CC) Coinage: Part Three – Gold Coins

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… In parts one and two of my series on collecting Carson City coinage, I discussed all of the small silver and dollar coin issues produced at the Carson City Mint, famous for its “CC” mint mark. While most of the Carson City Morgan Dollar issues are available across the […]

The post Collecting Carson City (CC) Coinage: Part Three – Gold Coins appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Collecting Carson City (CC) Coinage: Part Two – Silver Dollars

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… In the first installment of this three-part series on collecting the coinage of the Carson City (CC) Mint, I covered the three smaller silver denominations produced by that famous mint in Nevada, including dimes, quarters, and half dollars. Here in part two, I turn to the “cartwheels” – silver […]

The post Collecting Carson City (CC) Coinage: Part Two – Silver Dollars appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Collecting Carson City (CC) Coinage: Part One – Small Silver Coins

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… I often refer to the “Red Book” to refresh my memory. A Guide Book Of United States Coins, published each year, has narratives about each U.S. coin type and date with mintages and values. Both collectors and professional numismatists have used the Red Book for decades. Recently, I was […]

The post Collecting Carson City (CC) Coinage: Part One – Small Silver Coins appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Fun with Obsolete US Coin Denominations

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… Having fun with our hobby isn’t hard if you’re open-minded. We have the freedom to collect what we want when we want it if we can pay for it. When I’ve been asked “What should I collect?” by a person new to our hobby, I’ve most often responded with, […]

The post Fun with Obsolete US Coin Denominations appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

PCGS Announces Key New Hires, Promotions

Longtime Pricing Specialists, Sales and Events Leaders, and a Microsoft Veteran Are Among the Recent Talent Acquisitions   Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) has been growing at a tremendous pace over the past year, prompting a series of new hires and promotions. Among these are acquisitions of key talent from the numismatic world and other […]

The post PCGS Announces Key New Hires, Promotions appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Rings Versus Clicks: Why You Should Listen To Your Coins

By Victor Bozarth for PCGS …… One of the biggest volume purchases in most coin shops is that of pre-1965 90% silver U.S. coinage. Depending on the prevailing winds of the bullion markets, the volume (both bought and sold) can be a proverbial trickle or metaphorical flood. The silver price itself is usually a good […]

The post Rings Versus Clicks: Why You Should Listen To Your Coins appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Samuelson Elected PNG President, Other ICTA Members Honored

By Industry Council for Tangible Assets…. American Gold Exchange president and long-time Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA) member Dana Samuelson has been elected as the 2015–2017 president of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG). In an August 24 press release from PNG, Samuelson said: “As president, I look forward to continuing the initiatives we’ve begun […]

The post Samuelson Elected PNG President, Other ICTA Members Honored appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

The Anatomy of a Coin Thief ….. A True Story

By Vic Bozarth – The Rare Coin Road Warrior ….. Dear Rare Coin Enthusiasts….. Many of you may have wondered what happened to Vic Bozarth-The Rare Coin Road Warrior. Sherri and I are still traveling 200 nights per year to coin shows and on coin buying trips all over the continental U.S. We are still […]

The post The Anatomy of a Coin Thief ….. A True Story appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek

Coin Values: What’s It Worth? How dealers determine the value of a rare coin.

How are rare coin prices determined? Often the question dealers will ask is: “I know what Greysheet (Coin Dealer Newsletter bid) is, but what can I ‘really’ get for it?” In this month’s Rare Coin Market Report, I will explain how I determine the value of an individual coin. Most often I will use a […]

The post Coin Values: What’s It Worth? How dealers determine the value of a rare coin. appeared first on CoinWeek.

Continue Reading on CoinWeek