In 1907, a coin that made people consider the most beautiful ever made in the United States was produced at the Philadelphia Mint, and then changed – with a hammer! President Theodore Roosevelt long admired the coins of ancient Greece and Rome. In the winter of 1905, he was able to convince his friends, Augustus […]
Author Archive | WIlliam Thompson
U.S. Mint Sale Report, Ending January 29, 2017
This U.S. Mint sales report covers the week ending January 29, 2017. At this early point in the year, most of the Mint’s top-five sellers are new releases. The Native American $1 coin rolls took the top two places. The 25-coin rolls with Philadelphia mintmark (17NA) are in the top slot, having sold 8,959 units; […]
Plymouth 400th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act Introduced
A new House bill is calling for gold, silver and clad coins to feature designs celebrating the 400th anniversary of the landing and settlement of Plymouth Colony, the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the role of the Wampanoag people personified by the “First Thanksgiving” feast. Modern commemorative coins are typically produced and sold […]
Silver Scores 2-Year High, Gold Logs Almost 1-Month High
Precious metals futures kicked off the new trading week and month on Monday with gains ranging from 0.2% for gold to 1.1% for platinum. Silver rallied to a two-year high while gold ended at an almost one-month high. Gold for December delivery rose $2.10 to settle at $1,359.60 an ounce on the Comex division of […]
Low quantities for 1871-CC quarter
With other denominations, Carson City lives up to its billing as a tough facility. The 1871-CC quarter is typical of a number of coins to emerge from the facility that are tough in any grade and nearly impossible in mint state. Carson City began producing coins in 1870. It would appear based on mintages that […]
Prices of early copper U.S. coins tempt forgers: Detecting Counterfeits
As prices for early United States copper coins continue to increase, half cents and large cents from the 1790s are becoming targets for counterfeiters. The fake shown here was produced from transfer dies, where all of the details from a genuine model coin are transferred to a set of fake dies, resulting in a counterfeit […]
1953-D Jefferson 5-cent piece in MS-67 full steps: Market Analysis
Among the many collections offered at Heritage’s Florida United Numismatists auctions held in Tampa Jan. 6 to 11 was the Steve Strom Collection of Jefferson Head 5-cent pieces. In the catalog introduction, Steve reflected on his collecting: “Starting out as a kid and for nearly 50 years Full Step Jeffersons have been a big challenge. […]