Coin Collectors Blog

S Mint Celebrates 75th With Eagles and Quarters

2012-05-25T09:30:00.002-04:00

This week, the U.S. Mint branch in San Francisco opened its doors for the press in honor of the facility’s 75th Anniversary. Reporters were given a tour of the production lines and spoke with employees of the U.S. Mint about upcoming collectibles.Here is the story that appeared on KTVU, Channel 2 in San Francisco (commercial embedded by KTVU):The U.S. Mint has clearly

ANA Restructures Shows But Needs More Education

2012-05-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

During the National Money Show in Denver two weeks ago, the American Numismatic Association Board of Governors voted to eliminate the Fall edition of the National Money Show following this fall’s show in Dallas.The fall show, pursued by former ANA Executive Director Larry Shepherd and accepted by the previously Board of Directors. Unfortunately, it has proven to be too much of an expense for the

Ebay Welcomes Back ANACS and ICG

2012-05-22T13:30:00.000-04:00

Online auction site eBay sent out a notice today to sellers of coins to remind us that their new listing policies for coins go into effect on May 31. They also announced that ANACS and ICG has met their new standards allowing coins to be sold as graded.Coins from other services must be listed as raw including those old PCI slabs with J.T. Stanton’s autograph, which some believe are collectible in

Blog News

2012-05-19T08:30:00.002-04:00

Over the last few weeks I have taken advantage of a period of convalescence to work on a few things. I did not want this time going to waste.First, I am writing a book about collecting. I am taking some of the stories that have been posted on the blog, rewriting them to fit in the context of a book, and adding new content. Some of that content has appeared as posts over the last few weeks. Buyers

Still Craning

2012-05-17T08:00:00.002-04:00

Following up on the lobbying efforts by Crane & Company’s to maintain its business producing currency paper for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to continue to print the $1 Federal Reserve Note, according to the public filing [PDF] by the Gephardt Group, Crane & Company spent $60,000 for these services.According to the filing, the specific issue being lobbied for is “preservation of the

Another Story that Sells

2012-05-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Source: Uploaded by user via CoinsBlog on PinterestI continue to be amazed with the stories some coins garner. Last week, I received a note announcing that one of the only two known 1907 rolled edge Indian Head $10 Eagle Proof gold coins will be exhibited at the up coming Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo.The coin is own by Monaco Rare Coins of Newport Beach, California and has been

Storing Your Collection

2012-05-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

Over the last few weeks, I have been discussing the storage of a collection with a reader via email. After researching the advice, I thought it would be good to share it with all of my readers so that you can better preserve your collection. Storing a collection is a matter of dealing with two factors: using archival safe storage materials and the environmental factors which your collection is

350 Sheqalim

2012-05-13T13:30:00.004-04:00

It has been a while since I wrote about a new purchase, mainly because I have not made many new purchases. The few I have made were to fill a few holes in a Barber Quarters and Barber Halves collection that I am doing for fun. I have picked up a few error coins that were not exciting. But this is the first time in a few months that I made a purchase that really excites me.A few years ago I sat at

Nothing Like a Coin Show

2012-05-10T14:30:00.000-04:00

Regular readers know that I am proponent of electronic books and using technology to expand the reach of the hobby. But there is one thing that the hobby cannot make electric and that is the coin show.This week, the American Numismatic Association National Money Show is being held in Denver. While not as big of a production as the summer’s World’s Fair of Money, it is still a premiere event of

Stories That Sell

2012-05-06T15:00:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, “The Screem,” an iconic painting by Norwegian impressionism artist Edvard Munch was sold at auction [PDF] by the famous Sotheby’s auction house. The hammer price with auction premium was a record $119,922,500 to an anonymous buyer.Classic works of iconic designs do very well at auction. In the numismatic world, Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Liberty design is one of those iconic image

The Canadian Penny: RIP

2012-05-04T15:31:00.000-04:00

Dignitaries were present at the Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg to honor (or mourn) the striking of the last Canadian penny.Citing its low buying power and that it costs 1.6 Canadian cents to produce one coin, Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced in March that the government will end the coin’s production. Cash sales will be rounded up or down to the nearest 5-cents while non-cash

History of Currency and Collecting Currency

2012-04-30T08:00:00.002-04:00

Paper currency was first developed in China in the 7th century and later adapted by the Mongol Empire before spreading to Europe and then the United States. China developed currency because of a shortage or metals. Notes printed promised the holder that it be redeemed for something of value and can be traded as specie. The Mongolian Empire learned from the Chinese and issued currency that they

SF Mint 75th Anniversary Eagles

2012-04-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

The San Francisco Branch of the U.S. Mint first opened in 1857 to serve the coinage needs caused by the California Gold Rush. With the population growth in California and the demand for coins the Mint out grew the building and built a new Mint that was opened in 1874. The new building was built beyond specification to be secure based on the known risks of the times. One worry about the new

History of Coin Collecting

2012-04-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

Numismatics is the collecting and study of items used in the exchange for goods, resolve debts, and objects used to represent something of monetary value. The dominant area of numismatics is the collection and study of legal tender coins with United States coins being the most collected. But there are so many other forms of numismatics that there are collectibles to pique anyone's

John Albanese Sells Out Ordinary Collectors

2012-04-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

When I wrote “eBay to ANACS and ICG: You Lose!” it was based on the release eBay provided to sellers. This was not the complete story as reported by CoinNews.According to the release published by CoinNews, eBay worked with John Albanese to develop the standards that will be used for graded coins. Albanese is the founder of the Certified Acceptance Corporation, a third-party grading verification

eBay to ANACS and ICG: YOU LOSE!

2012-04-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

This week, eBay sent a message to sellers who listed coins and currency for sale on the site to announce new listing policies for coins.As coin collecting continues to grow and thrive on eBay, customers have told us time and again that knowing they can buy and sell with confidence is important. “We'll be updating eBay's Stamps, currency, and coins policy to help foster that confidence—this update

PNG Defines Coin Doctoring

2012-04-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

In a late press release on April 17, it was announced that after two years, the members of the Professional Numismatists Guild approved a three-point definition of “coin doctoring.”“This is a complex issue, but we needed to have a concise definition to help combat the deliberative and unacceptable alteration of coins in an effort to deceive,” said PNG President Jeffrey Bernberg.As the hobby has

Saga of the Half-Cent

2012-04-14T19:30:00.000-04:00

Since the Canadian government has proposed the elimination of their one-cent coin from production and putting in measures to remove them from circulation, proponents of a similar policy in the United States have been pointing northward and the past to support their position. When they point to the past, the target is the Half-Cent, established as part of the Coinage Act of 1792 and eliminated by

History of Women at the U.S. Mint & BEP

2012-04-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

Originally released on March 30, 2012 and updated on April 12, the Department of the Treasury updated their video honoring the history of women working for the U.S. Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing over its history. The video also honors the 220th Anniversary of the U.S. Mint and the 150th Anniversary of the BEP.Introduced by Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios, the video shows

Exceptionalism or Follow the Leader?

2012-04-09T20:30:00.002-04:00

Since the Canadian government announced that the Royal Canadian Mint will stop striking “pennies” in the Fall of 2012 and that cash transactions will be rounded to the nearest five-cent increment. Non-cash transactions will not be rounded.As part of the transition to the centless society, Canada will withdraw these coins from the market using redemption programs to allow citizens to return the

Yes, I Was Fooling!

2012-04-02T08:30:00.001-04:00

Based on a few emails I received a few people did not pick up that my last post, Treasury Overhauls Circulating Coins, was an April Fool’s Joke!I am happy it fooled a number of people since it takes a lot of work to come up with something that looks good and could be believable if it wasn’t posted on April 1.Aside from the date, there are a few other subtleties I hid through the post for fun:

Treasury Overhauls Circulating Coins

2012-04-01T09:30:00.002-04:00

In a rare Sunday announcement, Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner announced that beginning in 2013, the U.S. Mint will change the size and composition of U.S. coinage in an effort to the government additional money.Beginning in 2013, all coins struck by the U.S. Mint will be made of a inox (stainless steel) and will have its diameter reduced in size by 25-percent. The thickness of the coins

Craning Its Influence to Save Itself

2012-03-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

During my perusal of the coin and currency related news on the Internet, I came across a story, “Survey shows dislike of Schweikert’s Coins Act” on the website for the East Valley Tribune, a newspaper based on Tempe, Arizona. The story is about alleged opposition to Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) sponsored the COINS Act to transition the one-dollar federal reserve note in favor of a one dollar coin

Please Pardon My Ego

2012-03-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

Please excuse me while I allow my ego to write this post!If you are subscriber to Numismatic News and received your copy of the March 27, 2012 edition, there is a story with an interesting by-line featured on front page. Yes, this is the article about the 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin launch that was written by your favorite blog host!I had a lot of fun covering the launch event. I

U.S. Mint Announces New Dollar Sales Options

2012-03-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Mint announced that they are creating four new numismatic product options for the Presidential $1 Coin program. For collectors, the U.S. Mint is adding a “Four Coin Set” for $9.95, a 100-coin bag for $111.95, 250-coin box for $275.95, and a 500-coin box for $550.95. The bulk options will cotton unmixed coins of each design.All previous products will remain including the Presidential $1