This is the second installment of our interview series "Minds of Numismatists." To view the first interview with error coin expert Fred Weinberg, please click the link:
http://www.numismatichub.com/2010/12/interview-with-famed-error-coin-expert.html
Mark Feld is the owner of Mark Feld Rare Coins (http://www.markfeldcoins.com/) Mr. Feld has been involved in the rare coin industry since 1979 and worked as a grader for the Numismatic Guarantee Corporation from 1991-1998. Today, Mr. Feld is a full time dealer, specializing in high quality, rare coins. You can contact Mark Feld at coinguy1@earthlink.net.
Numismatic Hub: Famed numismatist B. Max Mehl was a relative of yours, what kind of impact did this relationship have on your career?
Mark Feld: B. Max Mehl was my grandmother's uncle. Very unfortunately and sadly for me, however, he died when I was only two or three years old. So, I didn't know him. Still, I don't doubt that hearing about him, as I grew up, might have somehow impacted me and my enjoyment in collecting coins.
NH: What is your favorite coin/series?
MF: Those are TOUGH questions! If forced to choose a single, favorite coin, I believe I would select Judd 1776, the unique pattern Double Eagle designed by Augustus St. Gaudens. I think its design is exquisite, and I have had the pleasure of seeing it in person, more than once, over the years. Although you didn't ask, number two on my list would probably be the 1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle.
As far as my favorite series, I'll go with classic silver commemoratives. I like the diversity of the designs, the way many of them have toned in beautiful and distinct colors and patterns and the fact that most of them are quite affordable, even in relatively high grade, uncirculated condition. But I like a LOT of series, and if I were to answer that question on a different day, it might be different.
NH: What was it like being a professional coin grader for NGC?
MF: Overall, I greatly enjoyed my work at NGC (where I was a grader from 1991-1998). Some days were exciting, and others, boring, like most other types of jobs. As graders, each of us took our responsibilities very seriously. At times, that caused us to disagree and argue heatedly over what grades to assign to $100 coins, just as we did over $100,000 ones.
I got to see many amazing and incredibly rare coins, many of which, I would never have seen, otherwise. I spent roughly two thirds of my days grading coins and the other third on quality control - checking coins that had been graded and encapsulated, before they got shipped out. I looked for errors on the grading labels, pertaining to dates, mint-marks, designations, denominations, etc. I also looked at each coin to see if it appeared to be graded accurately. If/when I thought coins were graded too low or too high, I would make note of it by putting a sticker on the holder and set it aside. Later, other graders would review them with me or among themselves, in order to decide whether or not to change the grade.
NH: You are one of the most respected dealers in the industry, what's your favorite aspect of the profession?
MF: Thank you for that very kind remark. My favorite part of my profession is finding the right/special coin for a collector-client and hearing and/or seeing how happy he is with it. Although I am a dealer, I was a collector for many years and am still a collector, at heart. I understand and appreciate the many frustrations and joys of collecting. And I love being able to share the latter with coin collectors.
Another aspect of my profession that I greatly enjoy is imparting knowledge to collectors. I like answering questions, reviewing coins, face to face and discussing them with collectors. I taught the advanced grading class at the A.N.A. in Colorado Springs (I think two different times, many years ago), and it was a blast. The students were extremely enthusiastic, eager to learn, asked lots of questions, and even listened to the instructors - very different from many other types of classes!
And of course, I always love looking at great coins.
NH: Can you tell us what you consider to be your most momentous moment in your numismatic career?
MF: I hope this is an acceptable answer, but the big moment for me was before my numismatic career as a dealer even started. Although there were a few pauses and interruptions along the way, I had been a collector from the time that I was about eight years old. I had never given any real thought to become a dealer until one day, during my third year of law school, at which time I was twenty four. I was on the phone with my favorite dealer, and seemingly, out of the blue, he said to me "You know, you should think about getting into the coin business. You'd like it and you'd be good at it.”
When I heard those words, it was as if bells went off in my head. I didn't know if I wanted to practice law or not, anyway. I started thinking about those words from the dealer, kept thinking about them and decided to give the coin business a try. I interviewed with two of the larger, more active and innovative rare coin dealerships - Steve Ivy Rare Coins and New England Rare Coin Galleries (where the dealer I had been on the phone with worked) and each of them made offers to me. I proceeded to finish law school, took and (without studying much, since I knew I wouldn't be practicing law, somehow) passed my bar exam, and just a few days later, started work at Steve Ivy Rare Coins. Steve Ivy later merged with Jim Halperin's New England Rare Coin Galleries, to form Heritage.
NH: Where do you see the future of the numismatic industry heading?
MF: The first thing that comes to mind is the terrible problem with counterfeit coins and counterfeit holders from China. And many of them have made their way to the United States, where they can be seen on EBay, Craig's list, coin shops and coin shows, etc. Many unknowledgeable buyers have spent large amounts of money on coins that are counterfeit, and they don't even know it. And the counterfeiters are getting better. Some of their work can fool those other than beginners in the hobby or business. This problem is only going to get (much, much) worse.
So, as part of the future of the hobby, I see many buyers getting badly “burned.” Along with that, I expect that there will be an eventual, gradual trend towards collectors buying more from well known, expert dealers/sellers, and less from unknown, anonymous sellers over the internet. This should lead to a number of (as some like to call them) "wannabe dealers" exiting the business. I also see buyers becoming more demanding about the quality and originality of the coins they acquire.
NH: What advice do you have for young numismatists looking to enter the coin dealer profession?
MF: My advice would be to think long and hard about that, and strongly consider not doing it. Enjoy your coins and collecting, instead. But, if you are determined to become a dealer, I think the most important thing for you to do is find a mentor who has the expertise, time and willingness to help teach you, and expose you to all types and qualities of coins. Many would-be mentors have one of those attributes but not all of them. But, all of them are necessary.
A Young Numismatist View on Numismatics
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Hoard Pennies for Gold- Feb 9, 1903
A joke by a fish dealer seems to have been the cause of a craze for pennies in 1902. The common belief by many was that when the 1902 pennies were being coined at the mint, a careless employee accidently dropped a bar of gold into the smelter, and “as a result the alloy of the penny is partly of gold.”
The rumor was said to have been started by Alvah W. Haff, a fish dealer of the Fulton fish market. Being a fish dealer, Mr.Haff had to always be ready to give change and when the Amityville bank accumulated too much small change, it notified Mr, Haff, who would take the change off of the bank’s hands.
On January 29, 1903, Mr.Haff bought 3,000 copper pennies from the bank. Someone who witnessed the transaction commented on the strange occurrence, and Mr.Haff jokingly explained that he was going to take the coins and get the gold out of them.
The story spread like wild fire and people began hoarding 1902 pennies. A public school principal went as far as to have chemistry students test the coins for the presence of gold and results of the test dispelled the dreams of many Amityville residents hoping to strike it rich!
The rumor was said to have been started by Alvah W. Haff, a fish dealer of the Fulton fish market. Being a fish dealer, Mr.Haff had to always be ready to give change and when the Amityville bank accumulated too much small change, it notified Mr, Haff, who would take the change off of the bank’s hands.
On January 29, 1903, Mr.Haff bought 3,000 copper pennies from the bank. Someone who witnessed the transaction commented on the strange occurrence, and Mr.Haff jokingly explained that he was going to take the coins and get the gold out of them.
The story spread like wild fire and people began hoarding 1902 pennies. A public school principal went as far as to have chemistry students test the coins for the presence of gold and results of the test dispelled the dreams of many Amityville residents hoping to strike it rich!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
How I Became involved in Numismatics
How did you get involved in Numismatics? Leave a comment below
Unlike the majority of the people who get involved with numismatics, I was required to get involved by myself. My grandparents didn’t leave me an inheritance of rare coins and my parents are more of the “plastic money” type, so when I told them that I wanted to be a numismatist, they just stared at me with a bewildered expression on their face. I guess they never would have expected their 11 year old son to use such an intricate word.
My journey into numismatics began about seven years ago as I was looking through some of my dad’s change. I noticed that he had a brand new 2003 quarter and although the coin was brand new, the second zero in the date was missing. I quickly ran to my dad to show him the coin and ask why it was like that and the answer he had for me was “it probably just wore off.” Even as a little sixth grader, I knew that there was more going on with the coin than it was just “worn.”
In an effort to figure out the issue with my new discovery, I quickly took to the internet. After countless searches, I stumbled upon a coin forum. I posted about the issue with my coin and someone quickly responded, telling me that what I had was a common grease filled die error, and although the coin wasn’t worth more than face value it was still a cool thing to have. Although I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t found a treasure, the experience left me with a hunger to learn more about coins and a passion to research the history of our currency.
Unlike the majority of the people who get involved with numismatics, I was required to get involved by myself. My grandparents didn’t leave me an inheritance of rare coins and my parents are more of the “plastic money” type, so when I told them that I wanted to be a numismatist, they just stared at me with a bewildered expression on their face. I guess they never would have expected their 11 year old son to use such an intricate word.
My journey into numismatics began about seven years ago as I was looking through some of my dad’s change. I noticed that he had a brand new 2003 quarter and although the coin was brand new, the second zero in the date was missing. I quickly ran to my dad to show him the coin and ask why it was like that and the answer he had for me was “it probably just wore off.” Even as a little sixth grader, I knew that there was more going on with the coin than it was just “worn.”
In an effort to figure out the issue with my new discovery, I quickly took to the internet. After countless searches, I stumbled upon a coin forum. I posted about the issue with my coin and someone quickly responded, telling me that what I had was a common grease filled die error, and although the coin wasn’t worth more than face value it was still a cool thing to have. Although I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t found a treasure, the experience left me with a hunger to learn more about coins and a passion to research the history of our currency.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Interview with Famed Error Coin Expert, Fred Weinberg
On behalf of our “Minds of Numismatists” interview series, I’d like to present our first interview!
Fred Weinberg is the President of Fred Weinberg & Co. (http://www.fredweinberg.com/) Mr. Weinberg is one of the most prolific error coin experts in the world has been featured on CNN, Discovery Channel and NPR Radio, as well as many T.V news programs throughout the U.S. He is the co-author of “The Error Coin Encyclopedia,” as well as a contributor to the “Red Book” and many other numismatic books and articles. A collector since age 12, Mr. Weinberg has over 38 years of professional experience in the industry and is the authenticator for Major Mint Error Coins for P.C.G.S.
Numismatic Hub: Let’s start with a simple question, what is your favorite coin that you currently own and why?
Fred Weinberg: As a dealer, it’s difficult to pick one favorite coin in your inventory – but, since you asked, I’d have to say it’s a coin I sold in 1974, and have been waiting for it to appear on the market, which it finally did in 2010. In 1974, while working for a large numismatic company in Beverly Hills, California, I purchased and sold the Dr. Conway Bolt Collection of Error Coins, containing over 2,000 pieces of major Mint error coins. One of my favorites was an 1888 Liberty Nickel with an actual Brass Coil Struck into the Reverse of the coin. The coil was removable, and it had the details from the Liberty Nickel reverse die, where it came in contact.
I advertised the coin in Coin World, sold it to a collector in Connecticut, who had never purchased an error coin before or after that piece. It sold for $600 in 1974, a pretty healthy price for any mint error coin at that time.
I’ve always thought about that coin, wondering where it was – it never surfaced on the market, never was submitted to any grading service – it just ‘dropped off the face of the earth”, or so it seemed.
At the Boston ANA this past summer, Bill Fivaz happened to mention that he had seen the coin “that you always talk about” at one of the bourse tables. It was at a Connecticut dealers table, the coin had simply walked into their shop a few weeks before the ANA. The coin sat in their showcase for three full days, with some error collectors noting it, others pricing it and passing on it.
I purchased it immediately at the full asking price, and it’s now in my office, after me thinking about the piece for over 36 years! It’s odd that the owner never tried to contact me, put it in an auction, or in any way let someone (besides the retail coin shop) know he had it.
NH: You have undoubtedly viewed the rarest error coins ever produced, which one was your favorite?
FW: That’s another tough question to answer, but when I’m asked that on other occasions, I have to reply the 1851 $20 Liberty Struck on a Large Cent Planchet that I purchased directly from Sol Kaplan of Cincinnati for $1,000 in 1973. I sold the coin, bought it back, sold it again, and it now resides in a major collection (probably the best!) of Off-Metal Errors, valued at over $200,000.
NH: Your website influenced me to start collecting error coins and I’m sure I’m not the only one, how did you get involved in the error coin field?
FW: I had a paper route when I was 11-13 years old, and I would go through the coins that home owners paid me with each month. I noticed some coins had ‘things wrong’ with them, and combined with reading each week the Collectors Clearinghouse page in Coin World, it quickly motivated me to find out more about them, study them, and learn the Minting Process.
NH: You are one of the very few civilians who have been inside the West Point Mint, can describe your experience at all?
FW: I was the only full-time dealer that got to examine all of the Carson City Dollar errors that were sold by the GSA in 1973/74. At that time, it was the West Point Depository, and all of the ‘error’ or ‘strange’ CC dollars that were pulled aside, before they were put in the GSA plastic cases. I, along with Arnie Margolis of Error Trends Coin Magazine, got an invitation from the GSA to go to West Point to examine them so that they could be promoted, to help sales of the CC dollars to the public – which were going slow, because they were priced a bit over the current retail market value for them, and there was little incentive at the beginning of the program for the public to buy them. It was a great experience, and one of the highlights of my career.
My last trip to the West Point Mint was in 2006, where we took a ‘floor tour’ of all of the facilities at the WPM, and actually got to strike a Proof Silver Eagle myself – putting the planchet into the press, pressing the button to strike it, and then removing it carefully with a pair of tongs!
NH: What has been your greatest moment in your numismatic career?
FW: I can’t pick a moment per se, but not counting buying and selling a specific coin, I’d say some of the things I’ve done over 40 years as a full-time coin dealer that rank as great things include being able to go to Europe from 1974 to 1998 buying large quantities of U.S. gold from major banks and numismatic departments there. Also, just releasing a book I co-authored, “100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins”, published by Whitman Publishing, was a career highlight, a milestone in the evolution of the error coin hobby.
NH: Where do you see the numismatic industry going in the future?
FW: No one knows the future; our current industry is a mixture of old-time knowledge and experience, coupled with high technology; the Internet, On-Line Auction Bidding, EBay, I phone apps for coins, etc. I can tell you that as one of the world’s oldest hobbies, it will always exist, changing with the times, expanding with all the new knowledge that is uncovered or discovered, and that as human beings, we will always want to collect things – and Legal Tender pieces of hard metal will always be popular !
NH: You are arguably the leader in the error coin field, how did you get to where you are today?
FW: I’ve been extremely lucky to grow and contribute to the error coin field as it grew itself over the past decades. I’ve followed my heart, in that I chose to do what I wanted to do (get into the coin business when it wasn’t anywhere near as encompassing as it is today). I’ve always tried hard to be honest, give the right advice or observations about something, and love what I do every single day. I try to give back when I can in various ways, as I strongly feel the numismatic industry has been very good to me in my lifetime.
NH: Do you have any advice for young numismatists looking to start collecting error coins?
FW: Yes, the first and most important thing to do is to study and understand the Minting Process. If you understand how a coin was minted, in detail, it will help you in knowing if that coin you have is a genuine Mint error, or a damaged or altered piece. It’s been said before, but it’s very true in our hobby; Knowledge is Power.
Fred Weinberg is the President of Fred Weinberg & Co. (http://www.fredweinberg.com/) Mr. Weinberg is one of the most prolific error coin experts in the world has been featured on CNN, Discovery Channel and NPR Radio, as well as many T.V news programs throughout the U.S. He is the co-author of “The Error Coin Encyclopedia,” as well as a contributor to the “Red Book” and many other numismatic books and articles. A collector since age 12, Mr. Weinberg has over 38 years of professional experience in the industry and is the authenticator for Major Mint Error Coins for P.C.G.S.
Numismatic Hub: Let’s start with a simple question, what is your favorite coin that you currently own and why?
Fred Weinberg: As a dealer, it’s difficult to pick one favorite coin in your inventory – but, since you asked, I’d have to say it’s a coin I sold in 1974, and have been waiting for it to appear on the market, which it finally did in 2010. In 1974, while working for a large numismatic company in Beverly Hills, California, I purchased and sold the Dr. Conway Bolt Collection of Error Coins, containing over 2,000 pieces of major Mint error coins. One of my favorites was an 1888 Liberty Nickel with an actual Brass Coil Struck into the Reverse of the coin. The coil was removable, and it had the details from the Liberty Nickel reverse die, where it came in contact.
I advertised the coin in Coin World, sold it to a collector in Connecticut, who had never purchased an error coin before or after that piece. It sold for $600 in 1974, a pretty healthy price for any mint error coin at that time.
I’ve always thought about that coin, wondering where it was – it never surfaced on the market, never was submitted to any grading service – it just ‘dropped off the face of the earth”, or so it seemed.
At the Boston ANA this past summer, Bill Fivaz happened to mention that he had seen the coin “that you always talk about” at one of the bourse tables. It was at a Connecticut dealers table, the coin had simply walked into their shop a few weeks before the ANA. The coin sat in their showcase for three full days, with some error collectors noting it, others pricing it and passing on it.
I purchased it immediately at the full asking price, and it’s now in my office, after me thinking about the piece for over 36 years! It’s odd that the owner never tried to contact me, put it in an auction, or in any way let someone (besides the retail coin shop) know he had it.
NH: You have undoubtedly viewed the rarest error coins ever produced, which one was your favorite?
FW: That’s another tough question to answer, but when I’m asked that on other occasions, I have to reply the 1851 $20 Liberty Struck on a Large Cent Planchet that I purchased directly from Sol Kaplan of Cincinnati for $1,000 in 1973. I sold the coin, bought it back, sold it again, and it now resides in a major collection (probably the best!) of Off-Metal Errors, valued at over $200,000.
NH: Your website influenced me to start collecting error coins and I’m sure I’m not the only one, how did you get involved in the error coin field?
FW: I had a paper route when I was 11-13 years old, and I would go through the coins that home owners paid me with each month. I noticed some coins had ‘things wrong’ with them, and combined with reading each week the Collectors Clearinghouse page in Coin World, it quickly motivated me to find out more about them, study them, and learn the Minting Process.
NH: You are one of the very few civilians who have been inside the West Point Mint, can describe your experience at all?
FW: I was the only full-time dealer that got to examine all of the Carson City Dollar errors that were sold by the GSA in 1973/74. At that time, it was the West Point Depository, and all of the ‘error’ or ‘strange’ CC dollars that were pulled aside, before they were put in the GSA plastic cases. I, along with Arnie Margolis of Error Trends Coin Magazine, got an invitation from the GSA to go to West Point to examine them so that they could be promoted, to help sales of the CC dollars to the public – which were going slow, because they were priced a bit over the current retail market value for them, and there was little incentive at the beginning of the program for the public to buy them. It was a great experience, and one of the highlights of my career.
My last trip to the West Point Mint was in 2006, where we took a ‘floor tour’ of all of the facilities at the WPM, and actually got to strike a Proof Silver Eagle myself – putting the planchet into the press, pressing the button to strike it, and then removing it carefully with a pair of tongs!
NH: What has been your greatest moment in your numismatic career?
FW: I can’t pick a moment per se, but not counting buying and selling a specific coin, I’d say some of the things I’ve done over 40 years as a full-time coin dealer that rank as great things include being able to go to Europe from 1974 to 1998 buying large quantities of U.S. gold from major banks and numismatic departments there. Also, just releasing a book I co-authored, “100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins”, published by Whitman Publishing, was a career highlight, a milestone in the evolution of the error coin hobby.
NH: Where do you see the numismatic industry going in the future?
FW: No one knows the future; our current industry is a mixture of old-time knowledge and experience, coupled with high technology; the Internet, On-Line Auction Bidding, EBay, I phone apps for coins, etc. I can tell you that as one of the world’s oldest hobbies, it will always exist, changing with the times, expanding with all the new knowledge that is uncovered or discovered, and that as human beings, we will always want to collect things – and Legal Tender pieces of hard metal will always be popular !
NH: You are arguably the leader in the error coin field, how did you get to where you are today?
FW: I’ve been extremely lucky to grow and contribute to the error coin field as it grew itself over the past decades. I’ve followed my heart, in that I chose to do what I wanted to do (get into the coin business when it wasn’t anywhere near as encompassing as it is today). I’ve always tried hard to be honest, give the right advice or observations about something, and love what I do every single day. I try to give back when I can in various ways, as I strongly feel the numismatic industry has been very good to me in my lifetime.
NH: Do you have any advice for young numismatists looking to start collecting error coins?
FW: Yes, the first and most important thing to do is to study and understand the Minting Process. If you understand how a coin was minted, in detail, it will help you in knowing if that coin you have is a genuine Mint error, or a damaged or altered piece. It’s been said before, but it’s very true in our hobby; Knowledge is Power.
And the Winner is...
We recieved dozens of eligible entries and upon the closing of the contest, we took all of the names and randomly selected one.
We want to thank all of our readers and everyone who entered. Starting today, we are starting our new series "Minds of Numismatists," an interview series with the top numismatists in the industry.
THE WINNER IS JONATHAN MARCUS FROM NASHVILLE, TN
We want to thank all of our readers and everyone who entered. Starting today, we are starting our new series "Minds of Numismatists," an interview series with the top numismatists in the industry.
THE WINNER IS JONATHAN MARCUS FROM NASHVILLE, TN
Monday, December 13, 2010
How to Buy Coins on eBay
Buying numismatic items, like coins and paper money on eBay, can be a very enjoyable and successful venture. In order to be successful, you need to know what to look out for so you do not end up scammed by some con-artist. The truth is, there are some people who try to make a living by swindling the less informed. That being said, not everyone on eBay is trying to scam you. In this post, I will give you some tips and some red flags to look for so that you get the most out of your eBay experience.
Avoid Sellers That:
Don’t offer a return policy- No returns is a meaningless policy for sellers. Paypal will refund you as a buyer in a problem case, but it is still best to avoid sellers who do not offer a return policy.
Don’t show a clear picture of the item- This one is pretty much a no brainer. If you’re thinking about bidding on a raw coin (one not graded) and there is a bad picture, don’t bid! The only exception to this is if the coin is in a slab from the top three grading companies, PCGS, NGC and ANACS.
Don't reply to your e-mail inquiries within a few days- Yes, many sellers are busy people and yes, seller aren’t primarily focused on eBay sales, but if you ask a seller a question and they don’t respond for five days, I’d be wary of their integrity.
Have several recent negative feedback ratings- First of all, I would avoid a seller with negatives in the first place, but even if you are considering bidding on a coin from a seller with numerous feedbacks, consider this. Consider this, you are about to bid on a coin, but decide to check the feedback score of the seller before doing so. You see that a few of their recent transactions received a negative rating, but in the past they were highly praised. This could be evidence of a hijacked account and it is better to avoid this seller.
Are selling a vast amount of slabbed coins that aren’t graded by the top three grading companies- Most of the time these are either raw coins or have been graded by a third tier grading company such as SEGS, ICG, PCI, NTC, ACG, ANI, or any other random array of letters*. DO NOT trust the grades on these holders and DO NOT take their supposed values to heart!
*A note on the aforementioned “grading companies.” Typically, these coins are put into commercial holders and have a random grade slapped on. If you are considering a coin that is encapsulated by one of the prior companies, ask yourself this, “why wasn’t this coin good enough to be graded by one of the top three companies?” Usually these coins will have problems that affect the value of the coin.
Avoid Sellers That:
Don’t offer a return policy- No returns is a meaningless policy for sellers. Paypal will refund you as a buyer in a problem case, but it is still best to avoid sellers who do not offer a return policy.
Don’t show a clear picture of the item- This one is pretty much a no brainer. If you’re thinking about bidding on a raw coin (one not graded) and there is a bad picture, don’t bid! The only exception to this is if the coin is in a slab from the top three grading companies, PCGS, NGC and ANACS.
Don't reply to your e-mail inquiries within a few days- Yes, many sellers are busy people and yes, seller aren’t primarily focused on eBay sales, but if you ask a seller a question and they don’t respond for five days, I’d be wary of their integrity.
Have several recent negative feedback ratings- First of all, I would avoid a seller with negatives in the first place, but even if you are considering bidding on a coin from a seller with numerous feedbacks, consider this. Consider this, you are about to bid on a coin, but decide to check the feedback score of the seller before doing so. You see that a few of their recent transactions received a negative rating, but in the past they were highly praised. This could be evidence of a hijacked account and it is better to avoid this seller.
Are selling a vast amount of slabbed coins that aren’t graded by the top three grading companies- Most of the time these are either raw coins or have been graded by a third tier grading company such as SEGS, ICG, PCI, NTC, ACG, ANI, or any other random array of letters*. DO NOT trust the grades on these holders and DO NOT take their supposed values to heart!
*A note on the aforementioned “grading companies.” Typically, these coins are put into commercial holders and have a random grade slapped on. If you are considering a coin that is encapsulated by one of the prior companies, ask yourself this, “why wasn’t this coin good enough to be graded by one of the top three companies?” Usually these coins will have problems that affect the value of the coin.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Numismatic Hub's Second Contest!
As a thank you to all of our readers out there, the Numismatic Hub is holding our second contest ever!
We were started back in March of 2009 a few eager Young Numismatists wanting to share their knowledge with the world and in this second contest, we're going back to the beginning!
THE PRIZE- Since there is a lot of work involved in this contest, the prize is a good one!
Two ounces of silver Mercury Dimes, a value of about $60!
WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO!
1. Become friends with the Numismatic Hub on Facebook- If you aren't a friend of us already, you must be a friend with us on Facebook! Just visit this link and send us a friend request! http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000969517876
2. Visit http://www.numismatichub.com/ and search the archives- Next, visit http://www.numismatichub.com/, search through the archives and find our first real post, not the welcome one and take note of the title!
3. Send us a message on Facebook- Once you have found the title of our first real post, return back to the Numismatic Hub's profile and send us a message with "Contest" as the title and in the subject, let us know the title of our first post as well as your name!
4.Winner will be announced Sunday the 19th of December- We will pick a winner at random from all of the eligible entries!
GOOD LUCK!
We were started back in March of 2009 a few eager Young Numismatists wanting to share their knowledge with the world and in this second contest, we're going back to the beginning!
THE PRIZE- Since there is a lot of work involved in this contest, the prize is a good one!
Two ounces of silver Mercury Dimes, a value of about $60!
WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO!
1. Become friends with the Numismatic Hub on Facebook- If you aren't a friend of us already, you must be a friend with us on Facebook! Just visit this link and send us a friend request! http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000969517876
2. Visit http://www.numismatichub.com/ and search the archives- Next, visit http://www.numismatichub.com/, search through the archives and find our first real post, not the welcome one and take note of the title!
3. Send us a message on Facebook- Once you have found the title of our first real post, return back to the Numismatic Hub's profile and send us a message with "Contest" as the title and in the subject, let us know the title of our first post as well as your name!
4.Winner will be announced Sunday the 19th of December- We will pick a winner at random from all of the eligible entries!
GOOD LUCK!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Coin Grading: Is it Right for You?
Have you ever been to a coin show and saw coins that were encapsulated in those strange plastic holders? For the new numismatist, this could be a strange sight. These odd plastic holders are called “slabs” and are issued by coin grading companies in order to protect the integrity of a graded coin. In the Numismatic world, there are three grading companies that are considered to be on the top of their game. Every collector has their own opinion as to which grading company is the best and this will not be a debate on the best grading companies!
If you’re considering having some of items graded by a professional grading company, consider a few things.
Date of the Coin- If you are in possession of any key date coins, there is no question that it should be slabbed and professionally graded, regardless of the condition of the coin. For example, a 1916-D Mercury dime in G-4 condition that is “raw,” (not slabbed) is worth considerably less than a slabbed example. That being said, if you are contemplating having a 2009 Roosevelt dime slabbed and graded, it would not make monetary sense to do so, as the cost of grading would come out to be more than the coin is worth.
Condition of the Coin- When deciding which coin in your collection to have graded, consider the condition of the coin. A coin like the 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent or a 1913 Liberty nickel, are worth having graded in any condition. Conversely, a 1909 VDB Lincoln cent, without the “S” mintmark, is probably not worth having graded if in less than uncirculated condition. That being said, many collectors do not feel it necessary to have common date coins graded and slabbed, unless they are in uncirculated condition.
Now that you have identified the coins that you wish to have graded, it is now time to consider which grading company you want to use. The three companies which I will be talking about are considered to be the best in the business and are highly regarded in the numismatic community. They all look for the same characteristics in a coin, Surface, Color / Toning, Marks, Strike and Eye Appeal.
Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC) - NGC was founded in 1987 and is located in Sarasota, FL. NGC graded coins can be identified by slabs with white inserts. Labels are primarily white with a thin gold stripe running along the bottom of the label.
“NGC assigns a plus sign to coins at the high end of their assigned grade, approaching the quality requirements for the next grade. In addition to their superior technical merit, coins receiving a plus designation must have above-average eye appeal.
NGC assigns a star to coins with exceptional eye appeal for their assigned grade.
Eye appeal is the most subjective attribute of a coin, but there are norms and standards shared by numismatists. Exceptional eye appeal may include attributes such as vibrant, colorful toning; intense luster; or, in the case of Proof coins, especially strong cameo contrast. To receive a , coins must be free of any obvious planchet irregularities, and display no bothersome spots or blemishes. Toned coins can be of a single color or multicolored but cannot have any areas that are dark brown, approaching black.”
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)- Founded in 1985 by a small group of coin experts, PCGS boasts having graded over 20 million coins with an estimated value of $20 billion. PCGS is a subdivision of Collectors Universe, Inc. which is publicly traded under the ticker symbol, CLCT. PCGS graded coins can be identified by their clear plastic holders.
American Numismatic Association Certification Service (ANACS)- Touted as America’s oldest coin grading service, ANACS was founded in 1972 by the American Numismatic Association with the mission to get rid of the counterfeit and altered coins that were plaguing the coin community. This was a time when many people could not be certain if the coins they were purchasing, or even selling, were genuine or counterfeit. Something had to be done to protect and uphold the integrity of the coin industry, especially if it was to grow into the mainstream as a hobby and a business.
ANACS slabs can be identified by the clear holders with blue labels.
If you’re considering having some of items graded by a professional grading company, consider a few things.
Date of the Coin- If you are in possession of any key date coins, there is no question that it should be slabbed and professionally graded, regardless of the condition of the coin. For example, a 1916-D Mercury dime in G-4 condition that is “raw,” (not slabbed) is worth considerably less than a slabbed example. That being said, if you are contemplating having a 2009 Roosevelt dime slabbed and graded, it would not make monetary sense to do so, as the cost of grading would come out to be more than the coin is worth.
Condition of the Coin- When deciding which coin in your collection to have graded, consider the condition of the coin. A coin like the 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent or a 1913 Liberty nickel, are worth having graded in any condition. Conversely, a 1909 VDB Lincoln cent, without the “S” mintmark, is probably not worth having graded if in less than uncirculated condition. That being said, many collectors do not feel it necessary to have common date coins graded and slabbed, unless they are in uncirculated condition.
Now that you have identified the coins that you wish to have graded, it is now time to consider which grading company you want to use. The three companies which I will be talking about are considered to be the best in the business and are highly regarded in the numismatic community. They all look for the same characteristics in a coin, Surface, Color / Toning, Marks, Strike and Eye Appeal.
Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC) - NGC was founded in 1987 and is located in Sarasota, FL. NGC graded coins can be identified by slabs with white inserts. Labels are primarily white with a thin gold stripe running along the bottom of the label.
“NGC assigns a plus sign to coins at the high end of their assigned grade, approaching the quality requirements for the next grade. In addition to their superior technical merit, coins receiving a plus designation must have above-average eye appeal.
NGC assigns a star to coins with exceptional eye appeal for their assigned grade.
Eye appeal is the most subjective attribute of a coin, but there are norms and standards shared by numismatists. Exceptional eye appeal may include attributes such as vibrant, colorful toning; intense luster; or, in the case of Proof coins, especially strong cameo contrast. To receive a , coins must be free of any obvious planchet irregularities, and display no bothersome spots or blemishes. Toned coins can be of a single color or multicolored but cannot have any areas that are dark brown, approaching black.”
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)- Founded in 1985 by a small group of coin experts, PCGS boasts having graded over 20 million coins with an estimated value of $20 billion. PCGS is a subdivision of Collectors Universe, Inc. which is publicly traded under the ticker symbol, CLCT. PCGS graded coins can be identified by their clear plastic holders.
American Numismatic Association Certification Service (ANACS)- Touted as America’s oldest coin grading service, ANACS was founded in 1972 by the American Numismatic Association with the mission to get rid of the counterfeit and altered coins that were plaguing the coin community. This was a time when many people could not be certain if the coins they were purchasing, or even selling, were genuine or counterfeit. Something had to be done to protect and uphold the integrity of the coin industry, especially if it was to grow into the mainstream as a hobby and a business.
ANACS slabs can be identified by the clear holders with blue labels.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Coinage exchange rate established-1750
British silver coins, as well as some British gold coins, found their way to the American colonies. Coins were brought to the colonies by settlers, by British officials and soldiers, as well as by merchants and sailors. Indeed, throughout the colonial period numerous tables were published listing the exchange rate of various foreign coins for a particular colony. In 1750 the Massachusetts legislature established rates of exchange for English coinage, an English guinea passed at twenty-eight Massachusetts shillings; an English crown passed for 6 shilling, 8 pennies local currency and an English shilling equaled 1 shilling 4 pennies in Massachusetts money.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Irish copper coins arrive in Ireland-1762
In 1760, small copper coins were scarce in Ireland. There had been no farthings issued since 1744 and no halfpence issued since 1755. Both issues were to be minted in 1760, but they did not arrive in Ireland until 1762. The tardiness of issuing the coins was partly due to the death of George II in October of 1760. Voce Populi farthings and halfpence first appeared in Dublin. Very little is known about the origins of these coins, all of which carry the date 1760.
Traditionally they have been attributed to a man named Roche who was a button maker on South King Street in Dublin. It is thought these coppers may have continued to be produced through 1761 using the 1760 dated dies. It is generally assumed their production ceased by 1762 when the regal 1760 coppers finally arrived. It appears both the regal and Voce coppers continued to circulate. Over time these issues were supplemented with regal George III Irish halfpence and many lightweight counterfeit and imitation Irish coppers.
Traditionally they have been attributed to a man named Roche who was a button maker on South King Street in Dublin. It is thought these coppers may have continued to be produced through 1761 using the 1760 dated dies. It is generally assumed their production ceased by 1762 when the regal 1760 coppers finally arrived. It appears both the regal and Voce coppers continued to circulate. Over time these issues were supplemented with regal George III Irish halfpence and many lightweight counterfeit and imitation Irish coppers.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Massachusetts Bay Mint Created- 1652
The Massachusetts Bay mint was the first, the most successful, and the longest running of all the colonial minting enterprises. The General Court established a standard of 72 grains of .925 fine sterling silver to the shilling. By minting coins of lesser weight it was hoped they would not be exported out of the Commonwealth. Individuals could bring to the mint anything made of silver, including: silver bars, dishes, candlesticks and jewelry as well as lightweight, counterfeit and even regulation weight Spanish or other silver coins. Anything containing silver was accepted. The items would be assayed and melted down.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Father Abraham's Almanack Include Value of Gold Coins- 1759
“Spanish gold circulated throughout the English colonies, especially after 1704 when the West Indies adopted a gold standard. In 1759 Abraham Weatherwise of Philadelphia printed Father Abraham's Almanack, which included a chart with the current value of gold coins in both Philadelphia and New York City. In Philadelphia the two escudo pistole was worth £1 7s, while the eight escudo doubloon was valued at £5 8s and the silver eight reales Spanish pillar dollar was 7s6d. In New York City the value of these coins was £1 9s, £5 16s, and 8s respectively. Spanish gold was regularly accepted in the early United Sates and continued to be minted in the New World until 1821.”
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Counterfeiting of Coins Continues-1756
From the day that the first coins were introduced into circulation, counterfeiting followed. As the number of counterfeits grew, merchants sought ways to solve the problem. Advertisements were published offering rewards for the apprehension of counterfeiters; this was soon followed by a general refusal of merchants to accept the coppers. Apparently the effort was successful and the circulation of counterfeits stopped. But in 1756, the counterfeits returned, and they were better than ever. Whereas they were before cast in sand; they are now made in a stamp or press.
Usually a counterfeiter would sell a quantity of coins to a wholesaler for about half their face value. The wholesalers would take the coppers throughout the country and sell them at about two-thirds face value to interested parties such as merchants, small companies and individuals called smashers. These people would then pass the coins off in commerce at face value; merchants would hand them out as change, companies would use them to pay employees their wages and smashers would simply make purchases with the counterfeits.
Usually a counterfeiter would sell a quantity of coins to a wholesaler for about half their face value. The wholesalers would take the coppers throughout the country and sell them at about two-thirds face value to interested parties such as merchants, small companies and individuals called smashers. These people would then pass the coins off in commerce at face value; merchants would hand them out as change, companies would use them to pay employees their wages and smashers would simply make purchases with the counterfeits.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Roll Searching- What to look for in rolls of dimes
Our next installment in our rolls searching series is what to look for while searching through rolls of dimes. Your probably saying to yourself, “why would I ever want to search through rolls of dimes, I won’t find anything good.” While searching through rolls of dimes seems time consuming and pointless, there are some treasures to be found and I am here to give you the information you will need to find them.
As always, there is silver. The most common silver dimes found in rolls are the Roosevelt dimes struck from 1946 to 1964. These dimes contain .900 silver and at today’s silver value, are worth $1.80. From personal experience, it seems like I come across silver dimes more often than another denomination. This could be the result of two phenomena. The first one is that in today’s economy, people are using small change less and less and don’t really care about dimes and second, it is exceedingly more difficult to differentiate a silver dime from any other type of coin.
While searching through rolls of dimes there is always the possibility of coming across a Mercury dime. Struck from 1916 to 1945, the Mercury dime is considered one of the United States’ most stunning coin designs. The Mercury dime was designed by Adolph A. Weinman, an apprentice to the famed Augustus Saint-Gauden’s, and features the mythological goddess Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap, a classic symbol of liberty and freedom.
There are two very prominent Mercury dimes to look out for while roll searching. The first is the 1916-D Mercury dime. The 1916-D issue of only 264,000 coins is highly sought after, due largely to the fact that the overwhelming majority of the dimes struck at the Denver Mint in 1916 carried the pre-existing Barber design. Thus, the 1916-D is worth up to thousands of dollars if it is in relatively fine condition. A considerable number of common 1916 Philadelphia mint dimes have been altered with a "D" added, so buyers should be careful to purchase only from reputable dealers or to accept only sealed and graded coins.
The second Mercury dime to look out for is the 1942/1. Somehow two obverse Mercury Dime dies were hit by a hub dated 1941, followed by a second hit with a 1942 hub, causing a “2 over 1” error. The die with the more noticeable blunder stayed at the Philadelphia Mint, where it made a small, unknown number of 1942/1 dimes. The other die was shipped to the Denver Mint, where it was placed into service.
Although dime rolls are usually ignored by roll searchers, they hold the possibility of finding very sought after pieces. Happy Rolls Searching!
As always, there is silver. The most common silver dimes found in rolls are the Roosevelt dimes struck from 1946 to 1964. These dimes contain .900 silver and at today’s silver value, are worth $1.80. From personal experience, it seems like I come across silver dimes more often than another denomination. This could be the result of two phenomena. The first one is that in today’s economy, people are using small change less and less and don’t really care about dimes and second, it is exceedingly more difficult to differentiate a silver dime from any other type of coin.
While searching through rolls of dimes there is always the possibility of coming across a Mercury dime. Struck from 1916 to 1945, the Mercury dime is considered one of the United States’ most stunning coin designs. The Mercury dime was designed by Adolph A. Weinman, an apprentice to the famed Augustus Saint-Gauden’s, and features the mythological goddess Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap, a classic symbol of liberty and freedom.
There are two very prominent Mercury dimes to look out for while roll searching. The first is the 1916-D Mercury dime. The 1916-D issue of only 264,000 coins is highly sought after, due largely to the fact that the overwhelming majority of the dimes struck at the Denver Mint in 1916 carried the pre-existing Barber design. Thus, the 1916-D is worth up to thousands of dollars if it is in relatively fine condition. A considerable number of common 1916 Philadelphia mint dimes have been altered with a "D" added, so buyers should be careful to purchase only from reputable dealers or to accept only sealed and graded coins.
The second Mercury dime to look out for is the 1942/1. Somehow two obverse Mercury Dime dies were hit by a hub dated 1941, followed by a second hit with a 1942 hub, causing a “2 over 1” error. The die with the more noticeable blunder stayed at the Philadelphia Mint, where it made a small, unknown number of 1942/1 dimes. The other die was shipped to the Denver Mint, where it was placed into service.
Although dime rolls are usually ignored by roll searchers, they hold the possibility of finding very sought after pieces. Happy Rolls Searching!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Counterfeit coins run rampant
1740
“Casting was one method used to produce counterfeit coins in Britain and America during the colonial period. Basically it consisted of melting metal and then pouring the molten liquid into a mold having a reservoir in the shape of a coin. When the metal in the mold hardened a coin was formed. Casting produced fewer and less desirable coins than stamping but it did not require a large capital investment nor was a skilled diemaker necessary therefore it was the preferred production method for most smaller counterfeiting operations. Almost all British counterfeit coppers through the 1740's were produced by casting; thereafter larger scale operations moved to presses while smaller concerns continued casting.”
“Casting was one method used to produce counterfeit coins in Britain and America during the colonial period. Basically it consisted of melting metal and then pouring the molten liquid into a mold having a reservoir in the shape of a coin. When the metal in the mold hardened a coin was formed. Casting produced fewer and less desirable coins than stamping but it did not require a large capital investment nor was a skilled diemaker necessary therefore it was the preferred production method for most smaller counterfeiting operations. Almost all British counterfeit coppers through the 1740's were produced by casting; thereafter larger scale operations moved to presses while smaller concerns continued casting.”
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Irish copper coins arrive in Ireland.
In 1760, small copper coins were scarce in Ireland. There had been no farthings issued since 1744 and no halfpence issued since 1755. Both issues were to be minted in 1760, but they did not arrive in Ireland until 1762. The tardiness of issuing the coins was partly due to the death of George II in October of 1760. Voce Populi farthings and halfpence first appeared in Dublin. Very little is known about the origins of these coins, all of which carry the date 1760.
Traditionally they have been attributed to a man named Roche who was a button maker on South King Street in Dublin. It is thought these coppers may have continued to be produced through 1761 using the 1760 dated dies. It is generally assumed their production ceased by 1762 when the regal 1760 coppers finally arrived. It appears both the regal and Voce coppers continued to circulate. Over time these issues were supplemented with regal George III Irish halfpence and many lightweight counterfeit and imitation Irish coppers.
Traditionally they have been attributed to a man named Roche who was a button maker on South King Street in Dublin. It is thought these coppers may have continued to be produced through 1761 using the 1760 dated dies. It is generally assumed their production ceased by 1762 when the regal 1760 coppers finally arrived. It appears both the regal and Voce coppers continued to circulate. Over time these issues were supplemented with regal George III Irish halfpence and many lightweight counterfeit and imitation Irish coppers.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Roll Searching- What to look for in rolls of Nickels!
Searching through rolls of nickels is often overlooked by collectors who are looking to strike it rich by finding silver in rolls. Although nickel rolls are one of the least searched coin denomination, there are treasures to be found, here are a few things to look out for next time you roll search!
War Nickels- War nickels were produced from 1942 to 1945 and they are easily recognizable by the large mintmark located directly over Monticello on the reverse. War nickels are composed of 56% copper, 35% silver and 9% manganese. This allowed the saved nickel metal to be used for industrial production of military supplies during World War II. War Nickels were produced at the Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco mints with Philadelphia producing the most coins.
1950-D Jefferson Nickel- The 1950-D Jefferson Nickel has the honor of being the lowest produced Jefferson nickel to date. With a mintage of only 2,630,030 pieces, the 1950-D Jefferson Nickel was snatched up by collectors and the regular population. From 1950-1960, the price of a 1950-D rose exponentially, hitting a high of around $100 at the turn of the decade. Although the coin has decreased in value over the last 60 years, it is still one of the most valuable Jefferson nickels out there!
Buffalo Nickels- Although seldom found in rolls of nickels, there is always the possibility of coming across an older date Buffalo nickel. Buffalo nickels or Indian Head nickels were minted from 1913 to 1938 and are easily recognizable by the Native American Indian on the obverse and the buffalo on the reverse. An especially noteworthy Buffalo nickel variety is the 1937-D 3 legged Buffalo variety. You can easily recognize a 3 legged Buffalo nickel because the Buffalo on the reverse will be missing its front leg. A 3 legged Buffalo nickel can be worth anywhere from $325 in lower conditions to well over $1,000 in un-circulated condition.
Happy roll searching!
War Nickels- War nickels were produced from 1942 to 1945 and they are easily recognizable by the large mintmark located directly over Monticello on the reverse. War nickels are composed of 56% copper, 35% silver and 9% manganese. This allowed the saved nickel metal to be used for industrial production of military supplies during World War II. War Nickels were produced at the Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco mints with Philadelphia producing the most coins.
1950-D Jefferson Nickel- The 1950-D Jefferson Nickel has the honor of being the lowest produced Jefferson nickel to date. With a mintage of only 2,630,030 pieces, the 1950-D Jefferson Nickel was snatched up by collectors and the regular population. From 1950-1960, the price of a 1950-D rose exponentially, hitting a high of around $100 at the turn of the decade. Although the coin has decreased in value over the last 60 years, it is still one of the most valuable Jefferson nickels out there!
Buffalo Nickels- Although seldom found in rolls of nickels, there is always the possibility of coming across an older date Buffalo nickel. Buffalo nickels or Indian Head nickels were minted from 1913 to 1938 and are easily recognizable by the Native American Indian on the obverse and the buffalo on the reverse. An especially noteworthy Buffalo nickel variety is the 1937-D 3 legged Buffalo variety. You can easily recognize a 3 legged Buffalo nickel because the Buffalo on the reverse will be missing its front leg. A 3 legged Buffalo nickel can be worth anywhere from $325 in lower conditions to well over $1,000 in un-circulated condition.
Happy roll searching!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
J-237 Pattern-1859 Half Dollar
Over the course of his lifetime, James B. Longacre designed some of the United States most unforgettable coins, from the captivating Indian Head cent, with the head of Liberty wearing an Indian head dress, to the Shield Nickel. While Chief Engraver of the U.S Mint from 1844 to 1869, Longacre designed this exceedingly rare pattern with his rendition of the “French Liberty Head” prominently displayed on the obverse. Longacre’s design of the “French Liberty Head” is said to be based off of the “Apollo Belvedere” marble display at the Vatican and that Longacre worked from engravings or sketches published in 19th century art journals.
The reverse of the pattern features the words “Half Dollar” gloriously displayed in the center of a splendid cereal wreath. Harold P. Newlin, a prominent numismatist of his day, was said to have suggested the idea of the wreath to then U.S Mint director James Ross Snowden. The wreath is sometimes called “Newlin’s Wreath of Cereal’s.”
The reverse of the pattern features the words “Half Dollar” gloriously displayed in the center of a splendid cereal wreath. Harold P. Newlin, a prominent numismatist of his day, was said to have suggested the idea of the wreath to then U.S Mint director James Ross Snowden. The wreath is sometimes called “Newlin’s Wreath of Cereal’s.”
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Liberty Head Quarter Eagle (1840-1907)
At the turn of the 1830’s, Mint officials began searching for an appropriate coin design that could serve as an enduring symbol of America. The design that was finally adopted was Christian Gobrecht’s Coronet design. After two years of planning, production of the Liberty Head $2.5 quarter eagle began in 1840.
The finalized design for the quarter eagle featured a large head of Liberty facing left. She is wearing a wide coronet inscribed with the word LIBERTY and her hair is pulled back in a bun and secured with a string of pearls. Thirteen stars encircle the design, representing the original colonies. The eagle on the reverse was essentially the same one that had been on quarter eagles since 1808. Originally designed by John Reich, the 1840-1907 version was probably modified by Robert Ball Hughes. The heraldic eagle has its wings spread from rim to rim with the Union shield covering its breast. An olive branch representing the country's peaceful intentions is in the eagle's right claw, with three arrows emphasizing military preparedness in the left. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the eagle, with the denomination 2 1/2 D. beneath the bird.
Over the course of its 68 year production run, a total of 11,921,171 Coronet quarter eagles were struck. Five mints produced the coins; Charlotte denoted by the C mintmark, Dahlonega with the D mintmark, New Orleans with an O, San Francisco with an S and Philadelphia bears no mintmark.
4,232 proofs were coined. Early proofs are very rare, with only two or three pieces surviving from many years. Often, proofs have frosted white devices that contrast sharply against deeply mirrored fields. These "cameo" proofs are very popular as type pieces. Most of the proofs struck after 1901 have an all-brilliant finish with no field to device contrast. This brilliant finish continued until the end of the series in 1907, when Bela Pratt's sunken relief Indian Head design debuted, and the matte proofing process was adopted.
The 1848 CAL. Quarter eagle is undeniably the rarest of the series. These coins were struck from 230 ounces of local California gold that was shipped to the East coast in 1848. These coins are distinguished by the abbreviation CAL. stamped into the die above the eagle's head, and all authentic specimens have a square period after CAL. Many collectors consider these CAL. quarter eagles to be the first commemorative coins struck in the U.S., predating the Columbian half dollar by 44 years.
The finalized design for the quarter eagle featured a large head of Liberty facing left. She is wearing a wide coronet inscribed with the word LIBERTY and her hair is pulled back in a bun and secured with a string of pearls. Thirteen stars encircle the design, representing the original colonies. The eagle on the reverse was essentially the same one that had been on quarter eagles since 1808. Originally designed by John Reich, the 1840-1907 version was probably modified by Robert Ball Hughes. The heraldic eagle has its wings spread from rim to rim with the Union shield covering its breast. An olive branch representing the country's peaceful intentions is in the eagle's right claw, with three arrows emphasizing military preparedness in the left. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the eagle, with the denomination 2 1/2 D. beneath the bird.
Over the course of its 68 year production run, a total of 11,921,171 Coronet quarter eagles were struck. Five mints produced the coins; Charlotte denoted by the C mintmark, Dahlonega with the D mintmark, New Orleans with an O, San Francisco with an S and Philadelphia bears no mintmark.
4,232 proofs were coined. Early proofs are very rare, with only two or three pieces surviving from many years. Often, proofs have frosted white devices that contrast sharply against deeply mirrored fields. These "cameo" proofs are very popular as type pieces. Most of the proofs struck after 1901 have an all-brilliant finish with no field to device contrast. This brilliant finish continued until the end of the series in 1907, when Bela Pratt's sunken relief Indian Head design debuted, and the matte proofing process was adopted.
The 1848 CAL. Quarter eagle is undeniably the rarest of the series. These coins were struck from 230 ounces of local California gold that was shipped to the East coast in 1848. These coins are distinguished by the abbreviation CAL. stamped into the die above the eagle's head, and all authentic specimens have a square period after CAL. Many collectors consider these CAL. quarter eagles to be the first commemorative coins struck in the U.S., predating the Columbian half dollar by 44 years.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Little Known 1776 Continental Coin
Little is known about the significant and captivating coin called the Continental Dollar. The denomination of the coin is unknown, but acclaimed numismatist Eric P. Newman of St. Louis has inferred the value to be a dollar. The first four productions of Continental paper currency from May 10, 1775, through May 6, 1776, included a dollar bill, but the one dollar denomination was missing from the next six emissions and does not reappear until the last regular emission of Continental paper currency from January 14, 1779. It is thought that this Continental coin was meant to replace the paper dollar in these emissions. However who authorized or minted the coins is unknown.
Extensive research has produced no records of the Continental coin in the actions of the Continental Congress, although other coinage concerns of the time were in fact documented. On April 19, 1776 the Congress appointed a committee to determine the value of several foreign coins in relation to the Spanish dollar and on February 20, 1777 a congressional treasury committee recommended a mint be established, but nothing further was done on this matter. To date there is no evidence the Continental Currency coins were authorized or issued by the Continental Congress.
The design of the Continental Currency coin is based on the designs found on Continental Congress fractional One-Sixth of a Dollar note which was designed by Benjamin Franklin. In his book, The 1776 Continental Currency Coinage: Varieties of the Fugio Cent (1952), Newman published Franklin's original drawing for the joined ring design on the reverse of the coin.
There are seven known die combinations made from four obverse and two reverse dies, with one obverse die containing a misspelling of currency as CURENCY and another having the misspelling CURRENCEY. One variety features "EG FECIT", which is Latin for "EG made this". Newman has identified 'EG' as Elisha Gallaudet, who had previously engraved the design on the plates of the February 17, 1776, Continental fractional currency.
The Continental Currency coin was struck in three metals, pewter is the most common. The others, struck in brass and silver, are much rarer, with fifteen or so known examples in brass and four in silver.
Extensive research has produced no records of the Continental coin in the actions of the Continental Congress, although other coinage concerns of the time were in fact documented. On April 19, 1776 the Congress appointed a committee to determine the value of several foreign coins in relation to the Spanish dollar and on February 20, 1777 a congressional treasury committee recommended a mint be established, but nothing further was done on this matter. To date there is no evidence the Continental Currency coins were authorized or issued by the Continental Congress.
The design of the Continental Currency coin is based on the designs found on Continental Congress fractional One-Sixth of a Dollar note which was designed by Benjamin Franklin. In his book, The 1776 Continental Currency Coinage: Varieties of the Fugio Cent (1952), Newman published Franklin's original drawing for the joined ring design on the reverse of the coin.
There are seven known die combinations made from four obverse and two reverse dies, with one obverse die containing a misspelling of currency as CURENCY and another having the misspelling CURRENCEY. One variety features "EG FECIT", which is Latin for "EG made this". Newman has identified 'EG' as Elisha Gallaudet, who had previously engraved the design on the plates of the February 17, 1776, Continental fractional currency.
The Continental Currency coin was struck in three metals, pewter is the most common. The others, struck in brass and silver, are much rarer, with fifteen or so known examples in brass and four in silver.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Young Numismatist
Foreign countries do not seem as obscure as they used to be but back in 1955, 9 year old Barbara Payne would have begged to differ. Although she couldn’t pronounce the word, Barbara was already an established Numismatist. Barbara’s coin collecting endeavors began when her school held a contest to see who could accumulate the most foreign coins. After watching a film about the explorations of sailors to foreign countries, Barbara had an idea. She mailed her $1 monthly allowance and a letter to the Seaman’s Church Institute of New York, asking seamen for any 5 cent or 10 cent foreign coins. Barbara’s letter was posted on the institute’s bulletin board and soon merchant sailors were digging into their pockets and coming up with scores of coins, including a Mexican coin from 1851. Barbara’s biggest haul came from a West Indian sailor who had just gotten back from an around the world trip, his pockets jingling with coins from various countries. None of the seaman would accept Barbara’s money.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Free Silver Coins!
Have you ever been so enveloped in something that you cannot stop thinking about it? Have you ever been so obsessed with something that your day to day activities revolve around it and you may even start to dream about it? I’m not going to lie, there have been days where everything I did revolved around Numismatics and that night I even dreamed about money. Let me share my dream with you.
Although the details of my dream are a bit fuzzy, I can definitively state that I was in a fast food restaurant somewhere near my home. As I was walking to a table with my food, I came across a wad of cash lying on the floor. Not knowing what to do in this kind of situation, I contemplated picking it up. Since no one was around, I slowly picked up the money and put it in my pocket. Mind you, this was a DREAM, not real life. If this kind of thing ever does happen when I am in a conscience state, I would surely try to return it to its rightful owner. So anyway, getting back to my dream. After sitting down with my food and my new wad of money, lying right next to me was a stack of PCGS slabs and underneath the slabbed coins lay a handful of bills in currency sleeves. As I was beginning to get acquainted with all of my new treasures I unfortunately woke up, leaving my dream world and all of that free money behind.
We would all love to live in a world where money can simply be found lying on the ground, free for the taking but unfortunately that world does not exist, unless you know where to look. As mentioned in our previous “Roll Searching Wednesday” posts, searching through rolls of coins can prove to yield rare and valuable coins, but I would like to enlighten you with another, little known source of valuable coins. Have you ever walked through your local supermarket and came across one of those big green “boxes” standing up against the wall? If you haven’t, let me take this opportunity to enlighten you. This big green “box” is called a Coin Star machine, and it allows customers to bring in all of their spare change and deposit it in the machine in return for cold hard cash. Coin Star machines are quite convenient and they are used frequently. Now here is where your chance to find free money lies. Although Coin Star machines do a good job of sorting the coins, they do not accept silver coins, and when a silver coin goes through the sorter, it is rejected. If the person who put the coins in does not check the rejection slot, the silver coins will just sit there and become free for the taking.
Next time you go shopping and you see one of those big green “boxes” out of the corner of your eye, take a stroll by it. Who knows, you may be rewarded with a few free silver coins!
Although the details of my dream are a bit fuzzy, I can definitively state that I was in a fast food restaurant somewhere near my home. As I was walking to a table with my food, I came across a wad of cash lying on the floor. Not knowing what to do in this kind of situation, I contemplated picking it up. Since no one was around, I slowly picked up the money and put it in my pocket. Mind you, this was a DREAM, not real life. If this kind of thing ever does happen when I am in a conscience state, I would surely try to return it to its rightful owner. So anyway, getting back to my dream. After sitting down with my food and my new wad of money, lying right next to me was a stack of PCGS slabs and underneath the slabbed coins lay a handful of bills in currency sleeves. As I was beginning to get acquainted with all of my new treasures I unfortunately woke up, leaving my dream world and all of that free money behind.
We would all love to live in a world where money can simply be found lying on the ground, free for the taking but unfortunately that world does not exist, unless you know where to look. As mentioned in our previous “Roll Searching Wednesday” posts, searching through rolls of coins can prove to yield rare and valuable coins, but I would like to enlighten you with another, little known source of valuable coins. Have you ever walked through your local supermarket and came across one of those big green “boxes” standing up against the wall? If you haven’t, let me take this opportunity to enlighten you. This big green “box” is called a Coin Star machine, and it allows customers to bring in all of their spare change and deposit it in the machine in return for cold hard cash. Coin Star machines are quite convenient and they are used frequently. Now here is where your chance to find free money lies. Although Coin Star machines do a good job of sorting the coins, they do not accept silver coins, and when a silver coin goes through the sorter, it is rejected. If the person who put the coins in does not check the rejection slot, the silver coins will just sit there and become free for the taking.
Next time you go shopping and you see one of those big green “boxes” out of the corner of your eye, take a stroll by it. Who knows, you may be rewarded with a few free silver coins!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
AND THE WINNER IS...
The winner of the Numismatic Hub's first contest ever and the winner of the Uncirculated 1996 American Silver Eagle is-
Jack D from Tulsa, OK!
Thanks to everyone who entered.
Stay tuned for new exciting posts on the Numismatic Hub
Jack D from Tulsa, OK!
Thanks to everyone who entered.
Stay tuned for new exciting posts on the Numismatic Hub
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Roll Search Wednesday-What to Look For in Rolls of Cents
In this next installment of Roll Search Wednesday, the Numismatic Hub would like to share with all of our readers a detailed guide for coins to look for when searching through rolls of cents. Cents seem to be the most popular denomination when it comes to roll searching do to the price per roll (.50) and the fact that basically all banks will have rolls available for purchase.
If you’re new to this whole roll searching thing, you can refer back to our past “Roll Search Wednesday” posts for some tips and tricks to properly roll search and how to search efficiently. If you have done all of your necessary reading, get out the white gloves and the loupe and lets get ready to crack open some rolls!
Wheat Cents- Probably the most common “treasure” that can be found in a roll of cents is the Wheat Cent. Wheat Cents are dated from 1909 to 1958 and the reverse of the coin adorned by two wheat stalks. Most common date Wheat Cents in circulated condition are worth about 3 cents each.
1909-S VDB- The rarest Wheat Cent is the 1909-S VDB, VDB coming from the designer, Victor David Brenner’s initials being displayed on the reverse between the wheat stalks. With a mintage of only 484,000, the 1909-S VDB can be worth from hundreds of dollars in low grades to thousands of dollars in mint state grades.
1914-D- Considered the second rarest cent is the 1914-D wheat cent. With a mintage of just over 1,000,000 coins, the 1914-D has a far higher mintage than the 1909-S VDB. Although the 1914-D is considered the second rarest wheat cent, it does not hold the same prestige as the aforementioned coin. Mint State examples of the 1914-D are quite hard to come by due to the fact that these coins saw a lot of circulation. Mint State examples have sold for upwards of $26,000.
1984 “Double Ear”- A very cool and little known about variety is the 1984 Double Ear Lincoln Cent. It is called the “Double Ear” variety due to the fact that it looks like Lincoln has two ear lobes. The doubling of the ear lobe can be clearly seen directly under Lincoln’s ear. This is a great variety to look out for while roll searching because the variety is little known and 1984 cents are an abundant sight in pocket change and rolls. The double ear can range in price from $100 in lower grades to upwards of $1000 in examples that are uncirculated.
1955 Double Die- Considered the greatest Double Die on any coin is the double die seen on the obverse of the 1955 Wheat Cent. Every aspect of the obverse of the coin is doubled, from the date to “In God We Trust” are clearly doubled and the doubling is visible to the naked eye. The 1955 Double Die is highly popular world wide and at the time of its discovery became highly publicized. Finding one of these in a roll of cents would be truly spectacular but looking out for it can never hurt.
These are just a couple of things to look out for while searching through rolls of cents. If you come across anything that looks different while searching put it aside, it can turn out to be something special. Look out for our next installment of Roll Search Wednesday, when we take a look at rolls of nickels!
If you’re new to this whole roll searching thing, you can refer back to our past “Roll Search Wednesday” posts for some tips and tricks to properly roll search and how to search efficiently. If you have done all of your necessary reading, get out the white gloves and the loupe and lets get ready to crack open some rolls!
Wheat Cents- Probably the most common “treasure” that can be found in a roll of cents is the Wheat Cent. Wheat Cents are dated from 1909 to 1958 and the reverse of the coin adorned by two wheat stalks. Most common date Wheat Cents in circulated condition are worth about 3 cents each.
1909-S VDB- The rarest Wheat Cent is the 1909-S VDB, VDB coming from the designer, Victor David Brenner’s initials being displayed on the reverse between the wheat stalks. With a mintage of only 484,000, the 1909-S VDB can be worth from hundreds of dollars in low grades to thousands of dollars in mint state grades.
1914-D- Considered the second rarest cent is the 1914-D wheat cent. With a mintage of just over 1,000,000 coins, the 1914-D has a far higher mintage than the 1909-S VDB. Although the 1914-D is considered the second rarest wheat cent, it does not hold the same prestige as the aforementioned coin. Mint State examples of the 1914-D are quite hard to come by due to the fact that these coins saw a lot of circulation. Mint State examples have sold for upwards of $26,000.
1984 “Double Ear”- A very cool and little known about variety is the 1984 Double Ear Lincoln Cent. It is called the “Double Ear” variety due to the fact that it looks like Lincoln has two ear lobes. The doubling of the ear lobe can be clearly seen directly under Lincoln’s ear. This is a great variety to look out for while roll searching because the variety is little known and 1984 cents are an abundant sight in pocket change and rolls. The double ear can range in price from $100 in lower grades to upwards of $1000 in examples that are uncirculated.
1955 Double Die- Considered the greatest Double Die on any coin is the double die seen on the obverse of the 1955 Wheat Cent. Every aspect of the obverse of the coin is doubled, from the date to “In God We Trust” are clearly doubled and the doubling is visible to the naked eye. The 1955 Double Die is highly popular world wide and at the time of its discovery became highly publicized. Finding one of these in a roll of cents would be truly spectacular but looking out for it can never hurt.
These are just a couple of things to look out for while searching through rolls of cents. If you come across anything that looks different while searching put it aside, it can turn out to be something special. Look out for our next installment of Roll Search Wednesday, when we take a look at rolls of nickels!
Monday, April 12, 2010
You Want New Coins? It Helps to be a Girl
Whenever the United States releases a new coin to the public, there seems to be a mad rush for the new coins. This was seen when the first Presidential dollar coins were released to the public back on February 17, 2007, when the George Washington dollar coins were released. Anxious patrons stood in lines at banks around the country to snag the first rolls of the newly minted coin. Today, customers are able to buy coins on a first come first serve basis, no matter if they are man, women or child. This scenario was not the same back in 1862, when the Philadelphia Mint was sent to release the new Indian Head Cent.
When the new 1862 Indian Head cent was released from the mint, men had began to line up for the new coins hours before the release date. Women, on the other hand, took their time getting to the Mint. Back in 1862, Women were able to walk right up to the Mint without having to wait in line like the men. This of course sparked anger in the men, who had been waiting for hours. The first man was not served until each and every woman was served.
Reference- The Philadelphia Mint, The New York Times (1857-1922)
When the new 1862 Indian Head cent was released from the mint, men had began to line up for the new coins hours before the release date. Women, on the other hand, took their time getting to the Mint. Back in 1862, Women were able to walk right up to the Mint without having to wait in line like the men. This of course sparked anger in the men, who had been waiting for hours. The first man was not served until each and every woman was served.
Reference- The Philadelphia Mint, The New York Times (1857-1922)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Internet and Coin Collecting
Coin collecting has certainly changed in the last few decades. What happened to the days where coin collecting was considered a family hobby, days where time was set aside specifically to enjoy coins as a family? Long gone are those days. In today’s modern society of technology and innovation, life is lived at a tremendously faster pace than decades ago. Whereas coin collecting was considered a family hobby years ago, today it is a hobby enjoyed by a predominately male faction. Unlike years past, the hobby fails to be enjoyed by the younger generation. With all of today’s modern comforts, the appeal that coin collecting once had is now in decline. What will happen if the hobby never captivates young children like decades ago? Once the current Numismatists leave this world, who will be there to embrace the legacy that they left behind if kids today are not involved in the hobby?
Today, almost anything can be found on the internet. Most brick and mortar coin shops own websites that display their products and countless sources of numismatic information can be found in seconds. The internet has allowed for the spread of numismatic knowledge to millions worldwide. Each year, the number of coin collectors has increased and since a vast number of children and teenagers use the internet, the number of Young Numismatists has grown as well.
The American Numismatic Association does an incredible job of serving as a regulatory committee in the world of coin collecting, but they also do a fantastic job of keeping collectors involved and informed. The American Numismatic Association’s main publication, The Numismatist, is a prominent source of educational numismatic articles from various topics. A lesser known publication that is published by the American Numismatic Association is Your Newsletter, an online coin collecting publication for Young Numismatists, written by Young Numismatists.
The internet has enabled many collectors to be reintroduced into the hobby and countless more to be introduced into the hobby. With countless sources of information, various blogs, forums and auction sites, coin collecting is stronger then ever. Although the number of kids and women that are involved in the hobby is diminutive as of now, the ever expanding internet will continue to spread the allure of the hobby and no doubt inspire countless others to be reintroduced into the hobby.
Today, almost anything can be found on the internet. Most brick and mortar coin shops own websites that display their products and countless sources of numismatic information can be found in seconds. The internet has allowed for the spread of numismatic knowledge to millions worldwide. Each year, the number of coin collectors has increased and since a vast number of children and teenagers use the internet, the number of Young Numismatists has grown as well.
The American Numismatic Association does an incredible job of serving as a regulatory committee in the world of coin collecting, but they also do a fantastic job of keeping collectors involved and informed. The American Numismatic Association’s main publication, The Numismatist, is a prominent source of educational numismatic articles from various topics. A lesser known publication that is published by the American Numismatic Association is Your Newsletter, an online coin collecting publication for Young Numismatists, written by Young Numismatists.
The internet has enabled many collectors to be reintroduced into the hobby and countless more to be introduced into the hobby. With countless sources of information, various blogs, forums and auction sites, coin collecting is stronger then ever. Although the number of kids and women that are involved in the hobby is diminutive as of now, the ever expanding internet will continue to spread the allure of the hobby and no doubt inspire countless others to be reintroduced into the hobby.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Numismatic Hub's First Contest Ever!
The Numismatic Hub has been in operation for week and already we have had over 500 readers! As a thank you from the Numismatic Hub we are holding a contest! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below telling about what your favorite aspect of Numismatics is. It could be anything, just let us know! In order to have a valid entry, you must leave your first name and your last names first initial! Just type it after you tell us about our favorite aspect of Numismatics!
The contest will end at 8:30 EST on Sunday, April 11th.
The prize you ask? We are giving away and uncirculated 1996 American Silver Eagle. The 1996 American Silver Eagle is considered one of the rarest Silver Eagles ever minted.
ONE ENTRY PER PERSON!
Good Luck!
The contest will end at 8:30 EST on Sunday, April 11th.
The prize you ask? We are giving away and uncirculated 1996 American Silver Eagle. The 1996 American Silver Eagle is considered one of the rarest Silver Eagles ever minted.
ONE ENTRY PER PERSON!
Good Luck!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Roll Search Wednesday- Do it Right
This installment of Roll Search Wednesday will describe a step by step process of how to methodically search through an abundance of rolls. Yes, there is a process because if you attack roll searching blindly, you will find yourself overwhelmed and confused, and most likely missing out on the good stuff.
Know the coin- Before you go to the bank to buy some coin rolls to search, ask your self what your motive is. Are you looking to find older dated coins, coins made of silver, coins to fill up an album? These are questions that you should ask yourself before going to the bank. If your want to find older dated coins, I personally would stick with searching through rolls of nickels or cents. From experience, these denominations seem to possess older coins than rolls of dimes and quarters.
If you’re looking to stumble upon a goldmine, or in our case, silver mine, the half dollar roll seems to be the roll of choice for most roll searchers. Due to the lack of circulation that the half dollar gets, they are less likely to have been scoured for silver. In case you don’t know, 90% silver half dollars are dated 1964 while 40% silver coins are dated 1965-1969.
Pay the price- Once you decide what you would like to accomplish on your roll searching mission, go to the bank and buy some rolls. Rolls of cents contain 50 coins and cost .50, Nickels contain 40 coins and cost $2.00 per roll, there are 50 dimes in a roll and cost $5.00 per roll, Quarter rolls cost $10.00 and contain 40 coins while rolls of half dollars contain 20 coins and are cost $10.00 a roll.
Get geared up- Once you have procured your desired rolls, drive home and get ready to gear up! When I search, I like to utilize a nice, wide open space, preferably a kitchen or dinning room table that is free of clutter. I like to wear a pair of cotton gloves because many coins turn out to be quite dirty and will leave nasty grime on your hands. I also like to keep a loupe or a magnifying glass at the ready just in case I find an odd coin that I’d like to examine further. If you plan on searching for varieties, such as Repunched Mint Marks (RPMS) or any type of Double Die, a loupe is a must have. If I am looking for certain dates, I keep a list at the ready to cross check the coins and cross them off as I find them. Finally, I like to have some 2X2 coin holders or vinyl flips at the ready so if I find a keeper, I can immediately segregate it from the rest.
Just some tips to remember while roll searching-
Patience is a virtue- Your not going to open up you first roll and discover that it is filled with Wheat Cents or 90% silver coins. Don’t lose hope and continue to search.
Be organized- Don’t open all of the rolls at once. Open one at a time, search through it and move to the next one. Keep the coins that you don’t plan on keeping in a separate pile or preferably a container of some sort.
Happy Searching!
Know the coin- Before you go to the bank to buy some coin rolls to search, ask your self what your motive is. Are you looking to find older dated coins, coins made of silver, coins to fill up an album? These are questions that you should ask yourself before going to the bank. If your want to find older dated coins, I personally would stick with searching through rolls of nickels or cents. From experience, these denominations seem to possess older coins than rolls of dimes and quarters.
If you’re looking to stumble upon a goldmine, or in our case, silver mine, the half dollar roll seems to be the roll of choice for most roll searchers. Due to the lack of circulation that the half dollar gets, they are less likely to have been scoured for silver. In case you don’t know, 90% silver half dollars are dated 1964 while 40% silver coins are dated 1965-1969.
Pay the price- Once you decide what you would like to accomplish on your roll searching mission, go to the bank and buy some rolls. Rolls of cents contain 50 coins and cost .50, Nickels contain 40 coins and cost $2.00 per roll, there are 50 dimes in a roll and cost $5.00 per roll, Quarter rolls cost $10.00 and contain 40 coins while rolls of half dollars contain 20 coins and are cost $10.00 a roll.
Get geared up- Once you have procured your desired rolls, drive home and get ready to gear up! When I search, I like to utilize a nice, wide open space, preferably a kitchen or dinning room table that is free of clutter. I like to wear a pair of cotton gloves because many coins turn out to be quite dirty and will leave nasty grime on your hands. I also like to keep a loupe or a magnifying glass at the ready just in case I find an odd coin that I’d like to examine further. If you plan on searching for varieties, such as Repunched Mint Marks (RPMS) or any type of Double Die, a loupe is a must have. If I am looking for certain dates, I keep a list at the ready to cross check the coins and cross them off as I find them. Finally, I like to have some 2X2 coin holders or vinyl flips at the ready so if I find a keeper, I can immediately segregate it from the rest.
Just some tips to remember while roll searching-
Patience is a virtue- Your not going to open up you first roll and discover that it is filled with Wheat Cents or 90% silver coins. Don’t lose hope and continue to search.
Be organized- Don’t open all of the rolls at once. Open one at a time, search through it and move to the next one. Keep the coins that you don’t plan on keeping in a separate pile or preferably a container of some sort.
Happy Searching!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Third Party Grading-PCGS' Secure Plus
One of the leaders in coin certification has just released a new service that that has the possibility to change the face of the certified coin market. On March 25, 2010 PCGS, Professional Coin Grading Service, announced the liberation of their self proclaimed “Big One” which turns out to be their new Secure Plus service. Coins submitted under the new service will laser scanned and the surface of the coin will be documented to detect any attempts of tampering with the appearance of the coin, such as artificially toned or puttied. The new service allows everything about the coin to be stored in a database, from its given grade to pictures of the obverse and reverse. If the coin is ever stolen and re submitted to PCGS, all of its information would pop up in the PCGS database and the coin will be returned to the rightful owner.
In this modern grading system that is used today, there are sometimes huge gaps in the price of coin from one grade to the next. A coin graded Mint State 62 could be worth thousands of dollars less than the same coin graded at Mint State 63. The new Secure Plus service offered by PCGS hopes to eliminate the discrepancies between similarly graded coins by bestowing a “+” on the holder of a coin considered superior for its grade. So what justifies a coin receiving a “+”? A coin that possesses multiple characteristics that place it in the top 10-15% of all coins in its grade will receive the coveted “+”.
What does this new service mean for the certified coin industry? Well I feel that coins that receive the “+” will be highly coveted because they will be seen as the best of the best. The new Secure Plus grading service seems to me as the transition of coin collecting from a hobby to strictly a business, where consumers will only be buying coins that were deemed superior to all the rest. Secure Plus can be a blessing for the vast majority of collectors out there who buy a coin, not based on the grade on its holder but by the character it possesses. I feel that many “high end” collectors will only be buying Secure Plus coins and in turn, prices for coins in normal holders will plummet leaving some golden opportunities open for the “little guys” out there.
In this modern grading system that is used today, there are sometimes huge gaps in the price of coin from one grade to the next. A coin graded Mint State 62 could be worth thousands of dollars less than the same coin graded at Mint State 63. The new Secure Plus service offered by PCGS hopes to eliminate the discrepancies between similarly graded coins by bestowing a “+” on the holder of a coin considered superior for its grade. So what justifies a coin receiving a “+”? A coin that possesses multiple characteristics that place it in the top 10-15% of all coins in its grade will receive the coveted “+”.
What does this new service mean for the certified coin industry? Well I feel that coins that receive the “+” will be highly coveted because they will be seen as the best of the best. The new Secure Plus grading service seems to me as the transition of coin collecting from a hobby to strictly a business, where consumers will only be buying coins that were deemed superior to all the rest. Secure Plus can be a blessing for the vast majority of collectors out there who buy a coin, not based on the grade on its holder but by the character it possesses. I feel that many “high end” collectors will only be buying Secure Plus coins and in turn, prices for coins in normal holders will plummet leaving some golden opportunities open for the “little guys” out there.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Money Monday- Tons and Tons of Gold
For any avid bullion collector out there, it is common knowledge that Fort Knox holds the largest amount of the Nation's gold supply, but other than that, not much more is known about one of the most secure places in the world. We all know that Fort Knox is home to a lot of gold, approximately 5,051 tons of the shiny stuff, but haven’t you ever wondered how it all got there?
Starting in 1936, a year after the Gold Vault was built, gold started to be delivered to Fort Knox. Gold came in from all over the country, including the Philadelphia Mint. An article from TIME Magazine dated January 25, 1937 tells the journey of the first 200 tons of gold to be delivered from the Philadelphia Mint to the Fort Knox Gold Vault in Kentucky.
Back in 1935, Nellie Tayloe Ross was the Director of the U.S Mint and she was in charge of overseeing the first shipment of gold to Fort Knox. Employees from various government agencies worked throughout the night carting the canvas wrapped gold bricks to the four mail coaches of a special nine-car train that would travel 530 miles to the Gold Vault.
The shipment of gold arrived at Fort Knox the next morning met by Brigadier General Daniel Van Voorhis, Fort Knox commandant, and a motorized unit of the Seventh U. S. Cavalry brigade. The 400-troy-oz bricks were painstakingly removed from the train and loaded into waiting Army trucks and delivered a short distance to Fort Knox.
This long delivery procedure would be continued about 20 more times as gold shipments came to the Fort Knox Gold Vault from around the country. Today, the gold inside Fort Knox is valued at over $1 billion dollars and to this day there has never been an attempt to break into the Gold Vault at Fort Knox, making it one of the most secure facilities in the nation.
Starting in 1936, a year after the Gold Vault was built, gold started to be delivered to Fort Knox. Gold came in from all over the country, including the Philadelphia Mint. An article from TIME Magazine dated January 25, 1937 tells the journey of the first 200 tons of gold to be delivered from the Philadelphia Mint to the Fort Knox Gold Vault in Kentucky.
Back in 1935, Nellie Tayloe Ross was the Director of the U.S Mint and she was in charge of overseeing the first shipment of gold to Fort Knox. Employees from various government agencies worked throughout the night carting the canvas wrapped gold bricks to the four mail coaches of a special nine-car train that would travel 530 miles to the Gold Vault.
The shipment of gold arrived at Fort Knox the next morning met by Brigadier General Daniel Van Voorhis, Fort Knox commandant, and a motorized unit of the Seventh U. S. Cavalry brigade. The 400-troy-oz bricks were painstakingly removed from the train and loaded into waiting Army trucks and delivered a short distance to Fort Knox.
This long delivery procedure would be continued about 20 more times as gold shipments came to the Fort Knox Gold Vault from around the country. Today, the gold inside Fort Knox is valued at over $1 billion dollars and to this day there has never been an attempt to break into the Gold Vault at Fort Knox, making it one of the most secure facilities in the nation.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Supplies Saturday- The PCGS Blue Box
We here at the Numismatic Hub are going to write the inaugural post of Supplies Saturday on a supply that is quite unconventional, usually overlooked as a versatile supply. The PCGS Blue Box, as it is commonly referred to can be an indispensable device for organizing your collection, in fact, when I received my first PCGS Blue Box I owned approximately zero slabbed coins so I found other uses for it.
For those who are sitting here and wondering what a PCGS Blue Box is, let me explain. When someone, say a dealer or collector, sends coins to a grading company to be graded, the grading company returns the freshly slabbed coins in a slab box. PCGS of course, uses a blue slab box, hence the name!
So back to the uses of a PCGS Blue Box. Like I said earlier, I didn’t own any slabbed coins when I was first given a Blue Box, so I came up with some uses that would fit my needs, here are a couple:
Storage- Everyone was probably already thinking about using a Blue Box for storage, and they are quite good for storing things. I for one had an abundance of rolled up coins that were quite irritating to keep together and transport. Empty Blue Boxes are the perfect size to store rolls in and you can fit about thirty rolls in one box depending on the denomination that you are storing. Blue Boxes are also an ideal place to store miscellaneous 2X2’s that don’t fit in your collection!
The Blue Box Survival Kit™- Have you ever gone to a coin show and constantly miss placed your loupe, coin holders, price guide or some other item that is necessary to successfully browse the bourse? Well the solution is here! With a Blue Box you have the perfect survival kit for any coin show. Just fill up the box with show necessities and your good to go! Not only will you have the opportunity to show everyone that you are an avid collector, you won’t misplace your stuff ever again!
So next time you think about throwing out some spare PCGS Blue Boxes, think about these helpful tips that can take your collecting to the next level!
For those who are sitting here and wondering what a PCGS Blue Box is, let me explain. When someone, say a dealer or collector, sends coins to a grading company to be graded, the grading company returns the freshly slabbed coins in a slab box. PCGS of course, uses a blue slab box, hence the name!
So back to the uses of a PCGS Blue Box. Like I said earlier, I didn’t own any slabbed coins when I was first given a Blue Box, so I came up with some uses that would fit my needs, here are a couple:
Storage- Everyone was probably already thinking about using a Blue Box for storage, and they are quite good for storing things. I for one had an abundance of rolled up coins that were quite irritating to keep together and transport. Empty Blue Boxes are the perfect size to store rolls in and you can fit about thirty rolls in one box depending on the denomination that you are storing. Blue Boxes are also an ideal place to store miscellaneous 2X2’s that don’t fit in your collection!
The Blue Box Survival Kit™- Have you ever gone to a coin show and constantly miss placed your loupe, coin holders, price guide or some other item that is necessary to successfully browse the bourse? Well the solution is here! With a Blue Box you have the perfect survival kit for any coin show. Just fill up the box with show necessities and your good to go! Not only will you have the opportunity to show everyone that you are an avid collector, you won’t misplace your stuff ever again!
So next time you think about throwing out some spare PCGS Blue Boxes, think about these helpful tips that can take your collecting to the next level!
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Future of Coin Designs
THE STATE OF NUMISMATICS IS IN SHAMBLES! Ok, not really, but have you ever wondered where the future of Numismatics lies? Long gone are the days of finding abundant silver coins in circulation and key date coins are becoming harder and harder to find in their once pristine condition. Now, most collector coins are being held in collector’s hands or packed away in the remains of yester year. As time goes on, it’s inevitable that some coins will be inadvertently destroyed or lost, or once Mint State coins will be subjected to improper handling and reduced to a lesser grade.
In my own educated opinion, they just don’t make them like they used to. Instead of the beautiful ornate designs of 100 years, coins of today have impersonal designs that lack the spirit and heart of America. Although it’s nice that we are honoring the Presidents who helped form this country, the computer generated designs are hideous and lack character!
In 100 years, if coin collecting still exists, will our children and our children’s children look back at our coinage; will they gaze in awe at the “beautiful” designs like we do today? Or will the government continue to slip into a world ugly, mass produced coins? Maybe the government will decide to do away with designs on coins completely and resort to using color coded metal disks? Only time will tell.
Leave a comment with your opinion of the future of coin designs!
In my own educated opinion, they just don’t make them like they used to. Instead of the beautiful ornate designs of 100 years, coins of today have impersonal designs that lack the spirit and heart of America. Although it’s nice that we are honoring the Presidents who helped form this country, the computer generated designs are hideous and lack character!
In 100 years, if coin collecting still exists, will our children and our children’s children look back at our coinage; will they gaze in awe at the “beautiful” designs like we do today? Or will the government continue to slip into a world ugly, mass produced coins? Maybe the government will decide to do away with designs on coins completely and resort to using color coded metal disks? Only time will tell.
Leave a comment with your opinion of the future of coin designs!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Roll Searching Wednesday: Back to Basics
Searching rolls of coins has been a favorite activity for collectors young and old for decades. The thrill of the hunt entices collectors with the possibility of valuable silver, errors, varieties or even filling in that last slot in an album. While each roll searcher has their own motives when it comes to roll searching, every hunt begins with the same question, “Which denomination is right for me?”
The most common rolls usually come sorted by denomination from an armored car service in 1C, 5C, 10C, 25C denominations with 50C and $1 rolls being harder to come by.
Let’s start with 1C rolls. Searching rolls of cents can be a lot of fun and even quite rewarding. At 50 cents a roll, you can do a lot of searching with a minimal investment. Finding Wheat cents in rolls is a relatively common occurrence and many times you an earlier date cent may appear. While searching through 1C rolls, you may want to use a loupe which will take a lot of strain off your eyes if you plan on looking for varieties and RPM’s. When searching through rolls of cents, I would advise wearing a pair of cotton gloves due to the fact that many of the cents in the rolls will be very dirty and the grime from the coins can soil exposed skin quite fast and leave a nasty smell behind.
Rolls of nickels are typically overlooked when it comes to roll searching, but nickel rolls commonly contain many earlier date coins from the 40’s and the 50’s. Nickel rolls are also a good choice for roll searchers because of the frequently overlooked wartime nickels. Wartime nickels contain 35% and are dated from 1942 through 1945. Wartime nickels will have a large D, P or S located over the dome of Monticello on the reverse of the coin.
There’s not much to say about searching through rolls of dimes. A roll costs $5.00 and contains 50 coins. Rarely will you ever come across a silver dime (Pre 1965) and because of the size of the coin, can be difficult to search for varieties. If you plan on searching rolls of dimes be prepared to not find much of anything.
For the new roll searcher, quarter rolls are a good starting off point. Quarters today possess very diverse reverse images that are perfect for starting a set of filling up a folder. The larger size of the quarter allows for greater variety searching.
The elusive half dollar roll, just the thought conjures up images of piles of silver in the minds of hungry roll searches. While half dollar rolls are known to contain 90% silver coins dated 1964 and 40% silver coins dated 1965-1969, rolls are quite hard to come by. My best advice for procuring these rolls is to stop by your local bank and ask them to order you a box. Boxes of half dollars primarily come in $500 or $1000 amounts so searching these coins can be costly. As for returning unwanted coins, you can stop by a local TD Bank branch and use their free coin counter or roll them back up yourself, but I prefer the former. I’ve been told stories of roll searches coming across dozens of silver half dollars, so if you like finding silver, searching half dollars are for you!
Basically the only type of dollar coin roll that you will be able to search is the modern small dollar, usually Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea or the Presidential Dollar series. I highly doubt a bank will have a roll of large dollars sitting around, but if you are able to pick one up do so immediately as you just hit the jackpot if the roll contains Morgan or Peace dollars. Even if the roll contains Eisenhower dollars, it’s still a fun find!
The most common rolls usually come sorted by denomination from an armored car service in 1C, 5C, 10C, 25C denominations with 50C and $1 rolls being harder to come by.
Let’s start with 1C rolls. Searching rolls of cents can be a lot of fun and even quite rewarding. At 50 cents a roll, you can do a lot of searching with a minimal investment. Finding Wheat cents in rolls is a relatively common occurrence and many times you an earlier date cent may appear. While searching through 1C rolls, you may want to use a loupe which will take a lot of strain off your eyes if you plan on looking for varieties and RPM’s. When searching through rolls of cents, I would advise wearing a pair of cotton gloves due to the fact that many of the cents in the rolls will be very dirty and the grime from the coins can soil exposed skin quite fast and leave a nasty smell behind.
Rolls of nickels are typically overlooked when it comes to roll searching, but nickel rolls commonly contain many earlier date coins from the 40’s and the 50’s. Nickel rolls are also a good choice for roll searchers because of the frequently overlooked wartime nickels. Wartime nickels contain 35% and are dated from 1942 through 1945. Wartime nickels will have a large D, P or S located over the dome of Monticello on the reverse of the coin.
There’s not much to say about searching through rolls of dimes. A roll costs $5.00 and contains 50 coins. Rarely will you ever come across a silver dime (Pre 1965) and because of the size of the coin, can be difficult to search for varieties. If you plan on searching rolls of dimes be prepared to not find much of anything.
For the new roll searcher, quarter rolls are a good starting off point. Quarters today possess very diverse reverse images that are perfect for starting a set of filling up a folder. The larger size of the quarter allows for greater variety searching.
The elusive half dollar roll, just the thought conjures up images of piles of silver in the minds of hungry roll searches. While half dollar rolls are known to contain 90% silver coins dated 1964 and 40% silver coins dated 1965-1969, rolls are quite hard to come by. My best advice for procuring these rolls is to stop by your local bank and ask them to order you a box. Boxes of half dollars primarily come in $500 or $1000 amounts so searching these coins can be costly. As for returning unwanted coins, you can stop by a local TD Bank branch and use their free coin counter or roll them back up yourself, but I prefer the former. I’ve been told stories of roll searches coming across dozens of silver half dollars, so if you like finding silver, searching half dollars are for you!
Basically the only type of dollar coin roll that you will be able to search is the modern small dollar, usually Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea or the Presidential Dollar series. I highly doubt a bank will have a roll of large dollars sitting around, but if you are able to pick one up do so immediately as you just hit the jackpot if the roll contains Morgan or Peace dollars. Even if the roll contains Eisenhower dollars, it’s still a fun find!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Numismatics in the World's Columbian Exposition
400 years after Columbus made landfall in the New World, the World's Columbian Exposition became the most defining moment in the United States for years to come. May 1, 1893 marked the opening of this momentous day in history. The Exposition spanned more than 600 acres of beautiful Jackson Park in Chicago that were marked by more than 200 classically designed buildings, bridges and lagoons. The sheer magnitude of the Exposition far surpassed all other World's Fairs further proving the theory of American Exceptionalism. Furthermore, the Fair showed that Chicago had risen from beneath the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire, which in 1871 destroyed 4 square miles of Chicago and took hundreds of lives.
The World's Columbian Exposition remained opened for 6 months, from May 1, 1893 until its closing on October 30, 1893. Through the duration of the Fair more than 27 million people from all over the world attended. These people came to experience the most expansive, technologically advanced and future molding World's Fair in existence. Through the duration of the Fair, the people in attendance experienced many firsts, including the first Ferris wheel. Ferris' wheel, which spanned 264 feet, could accommodate 2,000 people on a single revolution. As well as the experiencing the first Ferris wheel, the American people would have experienced the different cultures of more than 36 different countries around the world including Japan and Egypt.
The World's Columbian Exposition impacted the world greatly. It inspired the minds of great inventors and paved the road for the way we live today. On a numismatic standpoint, the World's Columbian Exposition was responsible for the creation of numismatic items still greatly collected today.
In an effort to honor Christopher Columbus, the Worlds Columbian Board of Directors decided to establish a commemorative half dollar coin that was to be struck by the U.S Mint. A NY Times article dated July 10, 1892 discusses the proposed bill sent to the Senate in regards to the coining of the World's Columbian Exposition commemorative half dollar. The Bill proposed that "these shall be of the same weight and fineness, and have in all other respects the same qualities as the silver half dollar now authorized by law." Outlined in the bill was the means by which the U.S Treasury would present $5,000,000 for the coining of the souvenir half dollars. The coins would be sold for $1 a piece and will raise $10,000,000. There was much objection to creating so many coins. Senator Sherman from Ohio stated that "the enormous number of souvenir half dollars would destroy their value as souvenirs." In objection to Senator Sherman's response, Senator Allison from Iowa stated that "they would not only be souvenirs for this day and generation, but would be transmitted by the sixty-five millions of people now dwelling in the United States to the two hundred millions that were to dwell here in the future. Children would cry for them, and the old men would demand them. They would be withdrawn from circulation and fall into a condition of innocuous desuetude."
Once the bill was passed, the designing of the coin was to be started. The coin was to bear a likeness of Christopher Columbus. In an article from the NY Times dated August 23, 1892, the U.S Mint expresses how inconveniencing it had been to unearth a proper portrait of Christopher Columbus. It had been the Mint's intention to use a portrait from a painter named Sotto, but the portrait did not keep with the generally accepted features of Columbus's face. The dilemma of finding the ideal portrait was solved, when the Mint Bureau in Washington forwarded an etching by Focilion, from Suardo's Columbus. The portrait of Columbus was copied from the original painting owned by Paolo Giovio. The portrait, which had hung on the walls of Giovio's home during the lifetime of Columbus, had always been reputed to be a true original as the two were dear friends. Over 2.5 million examples of the coin were struck for the World's Columbian Exposition. Although many were sold at the Fair, many remained unsold and remained situated in circulation for face value. Today, the Columbian half dollar holds the prestige of being the oldest U.S commemorative half dollar and a remarkable amount still remain in pristine condition.
Women in the 19th century were not regarded to the same way that they are today. The mindset of many in the late 19th century was that a women's place was in the home. In 1890, a woman by the name of Bertha Honoré Palmer was elected as president to the Board of Lady Managers at the World's Columbian Exposition. Palmer traveled around the country generating interest for the Fair. She contracted a spot in the World's Columbian Exposition to build the Women's Building which was designed by a women architect. Palmer was the mind responsible for the suggestion of a commemorative coin for women to be sold during the Fair. To keep with the female theme, Palmer insisted that a portrait of Queen Isabella of Spain be used for the coin. Queen Isabella, who gave her patronage to Columbus, was partly responsible for his historic discovery of the New World. In order to keep with the woman theme once again, Palmer selected a New York artist by the name of Caroline Peddle to design the quarter. Peddle was a student of Augustus St. Gaudens, the famed designer of the double eagle $20 coin. The move of selecting an independent artist insulted the Chief Engraver of the U.S Mint, Charles Barber. Barber would not give the approval of the commemorative coin with Peddle as the artist. Seeing no other options, Palmer allowed Barber to choose an artist to design the coin. An artist by the name of Kenyon Cox was chosen. Cox had painted numerous murals of the exposition and the sketches for the bust of Queen Isabella were done by his hand. Palmer procured enough money for 40,000 commemorative quarters. June 13, 1893 marked the date in which 40,000 souvenir quarters began being at the Philadelphia mint. A NY Times article dated June 14, 1893 stated "The design of the coin exceeds in beauty that of the Columbian half-dollars. The obverse side represents the head of Queen Isabella of Spain wearing the Crown of Castile; while on the reverse side is a woman kneeling by the side of a distaff." The souvenir quarters were sold at the Women's Building for $1.00. Of the original 40,000 coins minted, only 24,191 were sold, the remaining 15,809 were returned to the mint and melted. The Isabella Commemorative Quarter will forever be remembered by the role that women played during the World's Columbian Exposition.
The World's Columbian Exposition was a life changing and momentous experience for all that attended. Tickets for the fair went on sale on April 1, 1892 at various hotels throughout Chicago. Thousands of patrons that were desirous of keeping the tickets as souvenirs or to send them away to friends lined up at various Chicago hotels to purchase the tickets. A NY Times article dated April 2, 1893 stated "Besides the tickets placed on sale at the hotels, Treasurer Seeberger has received large orders for them from business houses who desire to send them out to their customers in the country. The orders already on file from this source alone aggregate over $300,000."
The tickets are as astonishing as the Fair itself. There are six different varieties of tickets that were used, with each one bearing the face of an essential figure in history. There first four were general admission tickets with vignette portraits of an American Indian, Christopher Columbus, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln, each allegorically representing a different era in American history. The last two were printed in much smaller quantities than the general admission tickets and feature the face of inventor Benjamin Franklin and composer George Frideric Handel. The Franklin ticket features the word "complimentary" on the face of the ticket and was sent to businesses that sponsored the fair to be used as gifts for their best customers. Benjamin Franklin was selected for the face of this ticket because of his experiments with electricity, which was the most important and spectacular of all the innovations introduced at the Fair. The "Music" ticket, which is the scarcest of all, features an engraving of the 18th century composer Handel, and was used to gain entry to musical performances. Handel's "Water Music" and "Music for the Royal Fireworks" were performed at the Fair. Handel's face appearing on the Fair ticket is very suitable being as the Fair showcased the latest in electric fountains and immense displays of fireworks that were displayed with his compositions playing in the background.
The tickets for the Fair were printed by the New York Banknote company. A New York Banknote Company employee, Col. Porter, is awarded credit for designing the tickets for the World's Columbian Exposition. A NY Times article from April 2, 1893 describes the Worlds Fair Tickets "The tickets, which are in four different designs are about 4 inches long by 2 ½ inches wide, the paper used being of remarkably fine texture of a light grayish color. The tickets of the various series differ from each other in the color of their backs, the colors used being brown, red, green and blue. Opposite these handsome vignettes in the right-hand corner of the ticket is engraved: World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago. Admit bearer 1st May to 30th Oct, 1893." Each ticket was beautifully printed and they are truly works of art. Not only did these tickets exhibit striking features, they also featured the premier in anti-counterfeiting measures. "The great safeguards the company relies on against the counterfeiting of these tickets are the use of colors and the delicately toned and intricate engraving, which will render it impossible to photograph the tickets."
Although the World's Columbian Exposition lasted only six months, the innovations that were illustrated throughout the Fair significantly changed the way we live today. The Fair presented the world with some of the most profound numismatic material of all time. From the Columbian Half Dollar and the Isabella Quarter, the first U.S commemorative coins, to the intricately designed admission tickets that displayed the first innovations in anti-counterfeiting measures, the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition changed the world as we now know it.
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-Money Monday
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As well as special editorial posts on the state of the hobby every Friday
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Be on the look out for new posts!
-Money Monday
-TPG Tuesday
-Roll Search Wednesday
As well as special editorial posts on the state of the hobby every Friday
-Numismatic Hub
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