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Washington — The United States Mint (Mint) will begin accepting pre-orders for products in the 2024 Liberty & Britannia Program on February 8, 2024, at noon EST. Orders are expected to begin shipping in mid-May.

In this project, these two historic mints have come together in a ground-breaking creative partnership, featuring the talent and skills of each mint’s Chief Engraver to produce a design featuring both Liberty and Britannia. United States Mint Chief Engraver, Joseph Menna, and The Royal Mint Chief Engraver, Gordon Summers, have created a stunning design celebrating the harmony of the figures while giving each equal prominence in the design.

The United States Mint is offering a 24-karat high relief gold Proof coin and a 99.9 percent silver Proof medal featuring these collaborative designs. The obverse (heads) of both options depicts Allegorical Liberty and Britannia in stoic profile portraits featuring complementary and balancing elements suggestive of the faces on a playing card. Their appearance identifies each figure; Liberty carries a torch and is adorned with stars, while Britannia wields a trident and wears a Corinthian helmet. The inscriptions are “LIBERTY” and “2024.”

The reverse (tails) of both options features the sun as it rises over the Atlantic Ocean, framed by two shores with a Great Basin bristlecone pine tree in the west and an English yew tree in the east, representing both nations and heralding new possibilities for their mutual friendship now and going forward.

Inscriptions on the gold Proof coin reverse are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “LIBERTY AND BRITANNIA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “AU 24 1OZ.,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and the denomination, “$100.” Inscriptions on the silver Proof medal reverse are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “LIBERTY AND BRITANNIA.”

Product options, pricing, and order limits are below. To set up a REMIND ME alert, visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/coins/coin-programs/liberty-and-britannia/.

Pricing for the Liberty & Britannia gold coin is in accordance with the United States Mint pricing range table for gold coins. This product is priced according to the range in which it appears on the “Pricing of Numismatic Gold, Commemorative Gold, Platinum, and Palladium Products” table.

To complement these stunning designs, each gold coin and silver medal is encapsulated and placed in a blue presentation case with the United States Mint seal on the lid. The case fits into an outer sleeve with Liberty and Britannia written in gold foil for the gold coin and silver foil for the silver medal. The case includes a certificate of authenticity with matching imagery.

The 24K high relief gold coin has a mintage limit of 10,000 units, and the silver Proof medal has a mintage limit of 75,000 units. Household orders are limited to one unit per household for the gold coin and two for the silver medal, which will be in place for the first 24 hours that orders are accepted.

Beginning at noon on Friday, February 9, 2024, secondary household order limits of five gold coins and 25 silver medals will be in place for one week. These secondary order limits will be lifted at noon on Friday, February 16, 2024.

The Royal Mint will offer its own products featuring the collaborative design. More information about those products can be found here.

About the United States Mint

Congress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including Proof, Uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.

About The Royal Mint

The Royal Mint has an unbroken history of minting British coinage dating back over 1,100 years. Based in the Tower of London for over 500 years, by 1812 the Royal Mint had moved out of the Tower to premises on London’s Tower Hill. In 1967, the building of a new Royal Mint began on its current site in South Wales, U.K., to accommodate the minting of U.K. decimal coinage. Today, the Royal Mint is the world’s largest export mint, supplying coins to the U.K. and overseas countries. The Royal Mint has also diversified into a number of other complementary businesses, building on the values that have been at the heart of the organization throughout its history — authenticity, security, precious metals, craftsmanship, and design.

Press release courtesy of the United States Mint

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Dennis Tucker, Publisher.

(Virginia Beach, Virginia) — Following a nineteen-year career as Publisher at Whitman Publishing, Dennis Tucker will retire at the end of February 2024. He plans to spend time with family in the United States and the Philippines while pursuing creative and philanthropic projects.

Tucker has served Whitman as its publisher from December 2004, when the company was owned by Atlanta-based Anderson Press, through its recent acquisition by CDN Publishing. During that time he has overseen the publication of more than 300 titles ranging from 64-page monographs to 1,504-page references in the fields of numismatics, banking and financial history, the American presidency, U.S. military history, and other nonfiction topics.

“Dennis Tucker has been a loyal leader and a guiding figure in our business,” said Whitman president Mary Burleson. “He has built lasting relationships with researchers and numismatic industry leaders, developed and mentored our editorial staff, worked as an advocate for readers and a partner for authors, and served as an ambassador to the numismatic community and non-collectors alike. I want to publicly thank Dennis for his dedication over a long and productive career.”

Tucker has been part of the modern renaissance in numismatic publishing that started in 2003 with the addition of Q. David Bowers as Whitman’s numismatic director. He helped develop more than two dozen volumes in the best-selling Bowers Series, as well as the popular “100 Greatest” library, many encyclopedic reference books, and twenty editions of the Red Book, which sold more than six million copies during his tenure.

An award-winning author himself, Tucker wrote the Whitman book American Gold and Silver: U.S. Mint Collector and Investor Coins and Medals, Bicentennial to Date (2016). He has written more than 400 articles published in commercial, scholarly, and popular numismatic journals and periodicals; given more than 40 numismatic presentations and lectures nationwide; taught courses at the American Numismatic Association’s Summer Seminar at Colorado College; and been interviewed for hobby and mainstream media including NPR’s “Planet Money” and “Morning Edition.”

He has earned numerous hobby recognitions including the ANA’s Glenn B. Smedley Memorial Award. In 2020 he was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Andy Beshear for his career in publishing and for promoting the Commonwealth’s numismatic history. In 2021 he was named by Coin World as one of the most influential people in numismatics from 1960 to 2020.

(left-to-right) Ken Bressett, Mint Director Ventris Gibson, and Dennis Tucker at the 2022 ANA World’s Fair of Money

After his retirement Tucker will continue in various numismatic roles and activities, including as secretary pro tem of the Rittenhouse Society, and as coauthor (with Coin World editor Steve Roach) of the ANA’s “Collecting Friends” blog column. He will finish his second term this year as numismatic specialist of the Treasury Department’s Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, and he serves as chairman of the board of directors of Brayhope Farm, Inc., a New York charitable nonprofit that offers community health and educational programs for autistic children and others with physical, developmental, behavioral/emotional, and sensory needs.

“My time with Whitman has been a dream come true, one of the great pleasures in my life,” Tucker said. “The people involved—collectors, dealers, researchers, writers, historians, and co-workers—have made it a rich and fulfilling journey. I look forward to remaining active in numismatics and keeping in touch with my many friends in and around the hobby.”

With a heart full of gratitude and a legacy built with unwavering dedication, Dennis Tucker steps into retirement with immense pride, cherishing the memories created, and the impact made throughout an extraordinary career.

About Whitman Publishing

Whitman Publishing is the world’s leading producer of numismatic reference books, supplies, and products to display and store coins and paper money. The company’s high-quality books educate readers in the rich, colorful history of American and world coinage and currency, and teach how to build great collections. Archival-quality Whitman folders, albums, cases, and other holders keep collectibles safe and allow them to be shown off to friends and family.

Whitman Publishing is the Official Supplier of the American Numismatic Association. As a benefit of membership in the ANA, members can borrow the Guide Book of United States Coins (and other Whitman books) for free from the Association’s library, and also receive 10% off all Whitman purchases.

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Editor’s Note: Michael Bugeja’s columns are based on his online buying experiences. He mostly bids on raw (not holdered) coins. In his monthly columns here, he provides tips on how to grade, identify varieties, spot doctoring, decipher subpar photos, recognize authentic toning, and much more. Even with his expertise, in 2022 he regretted most of his buys after he saw the actual coins in hand. In this 2023 three-part series, he again takes inventory of his purchases and shares his top ones for each platform, along with what he learned and how that will guide his bidding in the future.

One of our popular columns in 2023 encouraged hobbyists to review their purchases during the previous 12 months, a practice that tracks your hobby expenses and numismatic expertise.

You can find last year’s three-part series here, here, and here.

I’ll do a short 2022 recap:

• I made 111 coin purchases on eBay. After doing inventory, I was happy only with 8. That’s about 7% of my buys and a sad commentary about bidding on this platform.
• I won 58 coins on Proxibid.  Of those, I was happy with only 4, for about a 7% rate — approximately the same percentage as I experienced on eBay.
• I won some 167 coins on HiBid.com and was pleased with 16 lots, for a meager 3%.

After reviewing the year, I decided to bid less or not at all on Proxibid, especially since some of my favorite auctioneers moved from this platform to HiBid or their own websites. I also decided to bid less on eBay, going mostly for more expensive lots. I noted last year that I would continue to bid on HiBid because of the wide variety there, searching for new auction houses but bidding more selectively.

In this column, I will disclose my overall buying habits. I won’t be bidding much if at all on Proxibid in the future, but will share here my few purchases.

I won 32 lots on eBay, using an auction sniper service. So I met my resolution to win fewer lots on the platform. I recommend using snipers as the most avid numismatists and hobbyists do on eBay, snagging winning lots in the closing seconds as the service places maximum bids for you. You set it, literally, and forget it. The sniper service informs you of the outcome. Costs are minimal and vary with each service.

I will share my eBay wins and losses in Part II of this current series. Watch for that in the coming weeks.

Of my won lots, I was pleased with 8, or 25% of my purchases. I did return some coins if the seller allowed that. This is one of the best reasons to bid on eBay. On other auction platforms, all sales are final. You also have to pay the buyer’s fees. Mostly my eBay returns were due to scratches or flaws that were not obvious in the seller’s photos or descriptions.

(I use a Tomlov DM201 Pro microscope for grading purposes. You can read about how I do this for eBay returns.)

On HiBid.com, I won 66 lots and was pleased with 9, when I received them. That’s about a 14% success rate. So I also heeded my 2022 recommendation to bid more selectively.

I should also share the number of bids I placed on eBay and HiBid to give you an idea of how I play this game and why. I placed snipes on 366 eBay coins, with a win ratio of 9%. In other words, for every 10 or so coins on the platform, I won only one.

My percentage was better on HiBid. I bid on 441 coins there, for a 15% win rate. In other words, in almost every auction, I lost all my bids or only won a few occasionally.

The lesson here is, “Do not bid to win unless you really want that coin.”

Amateurs typically end up with inferior coins because they bid to win. There are tens of thousands of coins for sale on the internet. Know how to grade, place low-ball bids, and be happy with what you get. As you can see from my winnings, based on 50 years expertise, I am rarely happy when I receive the coins in hand.

That said, I won some spectacular coins that would have cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars had I purchased them from coin shops or shows. I will share my HiBid wins and losses in Part III of the current series. Watch for that in the coming weeks.

In closing, here are my few Proxibid coins. I only bid on a few auctions.

I won a roll of 1965 40% silver Kennedy half dollars with a realized price (hammer plus buyer fees) of $92.00. I did this for the end coin, which earned an MS-66 grade from PCGS, retailing for $160.

I won a PCI 1948-D MS-65 Franklin half dollar, with a realized price of $36.

When I received the coin, I decided it would grade MS-63+ (too many hairlines on the fields).

I didn’t holder the above coin, consigning it with one of my HiBid auctioneer friends. I broke even.

I won another 1948-D half dollar with a realized price of $48. It graded MS-64FB (full bell lines) at PCGS, worth $75 retail. In other words, I lost about $15 after slabbing and reselling it.

To bid successfully on these platforms, you have to know grading and auction v. retail prices, keeping inventory of your buyer’s fee expenses plus holdering and mailing. Even if you are thrilled with a coin when you see it, there’s always a chance a major grading company will find a wheel-mark or cleaning or other flaw, not assigning a numerical grade and turning your victory into a defeat.

It’s a humbling experience. But also an educational one. And if you keep tabs on your purchases, noting your successes and losses and lessons from each, you will win outstanding lots well under wholesale.

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This U.S. Mint numismatic sales report covers the week ending January 28, 2024. The Mint’s best-selling product last week was the 2024 American Innovation / Illinois 25-coin roll (P) (24GRA), which sold 7,431 units. In second place was the 2024 American Innovation / Illinois 25-coin roll (D) (24GRE), with 6,711 sold. The third best-selling item last week was the 2024-W one-ounce American Silver Eagle $1 Proof coin (24EA), with 4,863 individual units sold. It’s followed by the 2024 American Innovation / Illinois 100-coin bag (P) (24GBA), with 2,251 sold, and the 2024 American Innovation / Illinois 100-coin bag (D) (24GBE), with 2,226 sold.

Last week saw a downward adjustment of -407 for the 2023-S U.S. Mint Proof Set (23RG), -12 for the 2023-P American Liberty one-ounce high relief silver medal (23DB), and -1 for the 2022-W one-ounce American Silver Eagle $1 Proof coin (22EA).

On January 25, the Mint released the 2024 American Innovation $1 coin rolls and bags — Illinois products.

The following are the U.S. Mint’s cumulative sales figures for the reporting period ending Sunday, January 28. “LKS” indicates that the number given is the last known sales figure for a sold-out item. Mintage and product limits are indicated, where applicable; if a coin is in stock but is nearing sold-out status, a link to the Mint’s product page is provided. Items in italics either are scheduled for release or have been released too recently to appear on the report; items in bold are appearing on the report for the first time.

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Washington — The United States Mint (Mint) 2024 American Women quarters rolls and bags honoring Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray will be available for purchase on February 1 at noon EST. The Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray quarter is the 11th coin in the American Women Quarters Program, a four-year program that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women who have shaped our Nation’s history and helped pave the way for generations that followed.

The rolls and bags product options include:

• Priced at $45.00, a bag of 100 circulating quality quarters minted in Philadelphia (product code 24WBA)
• Priced at $45.00, a bag of 100 circulating quality quarters minted in Denver (product code 24WBB)
• Priced at $40.00, a two-roll set containing a total of 80 circulating quality quarters minted in Philadelphia and Denver (product code 24WRA)
• Priced at $60.00, a three-roll set containing a total of 120 circulating quality quarters minted in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco (product code 24WRB)

Orders for the 100-coin bags are limited to 10 per household, while orders for the two-roll and three-roll sets are limited to three per household.

Sign up to receive “Remind Me” alerts by visiting the official product listing page.

The American Women quarters rolls and bags are also available for purchase through the Mint’s Subscription Program. Subscriptions work like a magazine subscription. After you sign up, you will receive the next product released in the series and continue to receive products until you end your subscription. Visit our subscriptions page to learn more.

Because of overwhelming demand, much of the production of the three-roll sets is accounted for through subscription. A limited quantity will be available for purchase on February 1 at noon EST.

The reverse (tails) of this coin depicts Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray’s eyeglass-framed face within the shape of the word “HOPE,” which is symbolic of Murray’s belief that significant societal reforms were possible when rooted in hope. A line from her poem “Dark Testament,” characterizes hope as “A SONG IN A WEARY THROAT,” an inscription in the design. Additional inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “25₵,” “THE REVEREND DR. PAULI MURRAY,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”

United States Mint Artist Infusion Program Designer Emily Damstra created the reverse design, which United States Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna sculpted.

Each coin in this series features a common obverse (heads) design depicting a portrait of George Washington. Laura Gardin Fraser originally composed and sculpted this design as a candidate entry for the 1932 quarter, which honored the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth. The inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “2024.”

Begun in 2022, and continuing through 2025, the Mint is issuing five new quarter dollar reverse designs each year. The American Women Quarters Program is authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-330).

Inspire women everywhere. Shop the American Women Quarters Program today and start collecting this historic series honoring extraordinary women whose achievements, triumphs, and legacies reflect the strength and resilience of our Nation.

The groundbreaking American Women Quarters Program is an excellent way to remind future generations what can be accomplished with vision, determination, and a desire to improve opportunities for all. Subscribe to the program today to ensure fulfillment of your favorite product through 2025.

About the United States Mint

Congress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including Proof, Uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.

Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, the United States Mint will not accept nor honor orders placed prior to the official on-sale date of February 1, 2024, at noon EST.

Please use the United States Mint catalog site at https://catalog.usmint.gov/ as your primary source of the most current information on product and service status or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

Press release courtesy of the United States Mint

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Washington — The United States Mint (Mint) began accepting orders for products containing the 2024 Native American $1 coin on January 29 at noon EST. Each year the Mint issues Native American $1 coins with reverse designs emblematic of an important Native American or Native American contribution. The 2024 coin celebrates the centennial of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924.

Available options and their prices are as follows:

Designed and sculpted by United States Mint Medallic Artist Phebe Hemphill, the 2024 Native American $1 coin reverse (tails) features an eagle staff, an American Indian symbol of respect, honor, and patriotism, together with an American flag to represent the dual citizenship of Native Americans. Inscriptions are “United States of America,” “$1,” and “Indian Citizenship Act of 1924.”

The coin’s obverse (heads), by sculptor Glenna Goodacre, continues to feature Sacagawea carrying her infant son, Jean-Baptiste. Inscriptions are “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST.” The year, mint mark, and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” are incused on the edge of the coin.

To place an order for the 2024 Native American $1 coin products, visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/native-american-1-coin-2024-rolls-bags-and-boxes-MASTER_NA2024RBB.html. Orders are limited to 10 items of each product per household. To view additional products featuring Native American-themed coins and medals, visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/native-american-coins-medals/.

Native American $1 coin products are also available for purchase through the Mint’s Product Subscription Program. Subscriptions work like a magazine subscription. After you sign up, you will receive the next product released in the series and continue to receive products until you end your subscription. Visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/subscriptions/native-american-1-coins/ to learn more.

About the United States Mint

The United States Mint was created by Congress in 1792, and it became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. It is the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage and is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The United States Mint also produces numismatic products, including Proof, Uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.

Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, the United States Mint will not accept and will not honor orders placed prior to the official on-sale date of January 29, 2024, at noon EST.

Press release courtesy of the United States Mint

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This U.S. Mint numismatic sales report covers the week ending January 21, 2024. The Mint’s best-selling product last week was the 2023-S Morgan and Peace Silver Tribute Dollar Reverse Proof Set (23XS), which sold 37,434 units. In second place was the 2024-W one-ounce American Silver Eagle $1 Proof coin (24EA), with 27,896 sold. The third best-selling item last week was the 2024 Congratulations Set (24RF), with 8,998 individual units sold. It’s followed by the 2023-S Morgan silver Tribute dollar, Proof (23XF), with 1,448 sold, and the 2023-S Peace silver Tribute dollar, Proof (23XL), with 1,196 sold.

Last week saw a downward adjustment of -62 for the 2023-S U.S. Mint Proof Set (23RG), -9 for the 2023-P American Liberty one-ounce high relief silver medal (23DB), -9 for the 2022-W one-ounce American Silver Eagle $1 Proof coin (22EA), and -1 for the 2018 one-ounce American Platinum Eagle $100 Proof coin (18EJ).

On January 16, the Mint released the 2024 American Silver Eagle one-ounce Proof coin (24EA) and the 2024 Congratulations Set (24RF).

The following are the U.S. Mint’s cumulative sales figures for the reporting period ending Sunday, January 21. “LKS” indicates that the number given is the last known sales figure for a sold-out item. Mintage and product limits are indicated, where applicable; if a coin is in stock but is nearing sold-out status, a link to the Mint’s product page is provided. Items in italics either are scheduled for release or have been released too recently to appear on the report; items in bold are appearing on the report for the first time.