The South African Mint is taking on new heights with its first high-relief coin series, The African Range. First released in late May 2026, the five-coin collection blends numismatic prestige with motifs of animals native to Africa.

The first of the Range series goes on a hunt with the cheetah, as the African big cat, known for its speed, quietly stalks its prey on a tree limb on the reverse and proudly sits in profile on the obverse, all in a high relief.

“Our ambition was to create a flagship collection that reflects Africa’s natural beauty, craftsmanship, and artistic excellence on a global stage,” explains Product Development Manager at the South African Mint, Richard Stone, in a press release for the series.

Eschewing the traditional coin design process of flat drawing, modeling, and engraving, the animals on the coins were inspired by sculptures by South African artist Dylan Lewis, who is known for his wildlife depictions. The process of interpreting Lewis’ work from sculpture to high-relief coinage was months long. “It was a profound responsibility to reinterpret an existing sculpture into a new medium,” says Stone.

Included in the series are proof coins of 1 kilogram, 5 ounce, 2 ounce, 1 ounce, and ¼ ounce in 24-carat gold and 1 kilogram, 5 ounce, and 2 ounce silver. Also available is a sculpture set featuring a 1-ounce high-relief privy mark gold coin paired with a miniature sculpture by Lewis.

“This is a project of enduring value,” says Stone. “It is a story-driven series that invites collectors to embark on a journey unfolding over five years and potentially beyond.”

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The post Coin Profile: South African Mint Finds Range with New Series appeared first on Numismatic News.

BOSTON, Mass. — RR Auction’s June sale, Fine Autographs and Artifacts Featuring WWII, presents an extraordinary selection of historic autographs, manuscripts, photographs, and artifacts centered around World War II and the defining figures of the twentieth century.

Leading the sale is British Admiral Bruce Fraser’s personally owned Eversharp Skyline fountain pen used to sign the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. Engraved “Japanese Surrender 1945,” the pen was used by Fraser on behalf of King George VI and the United Kingdom during the formal surrender ceremony ending World War II.

Contemporary film footage provides unusually strong visual evidence linking the pen to the ceremony. After Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed for the United States, the American desk pens supplied at the surrender table remained untouched while Fraser uncapped and used his own fountain pen to sign the official Allied copy of the Instrument of Surrender. Fraser later used the pen to write to Winston Churchill, who replied by coded signal thanking him for the letter written: “with the pen of the unconditional surrender of JAPAN.”

The auction also features a Winston Churchill typed letter signed to Charles de Gaulle dated August 22, 1950, reflecting on their wartime alliance and the growing anxieties of the early Cold War period. In the letter, Churchill writes: “All that we were able to achieve is now plunged in the greatest peril I have ever known.” The correspondence captures the enduring but often complicated relationship between Churchill and de Gaulle, whose wartime alliance helped sustain the Free French movement following the fall of France in 1940.

Another centerpiece of the sale is an extensive archive of top-secret operational battle directives issued by Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery during the Allied liberation of Europe between May 1944 and June 1945. Preserved from the personal files of Major-General Miles Graham, Montgomery’s senior administrative officer at 21st Army Group, the archive contains 28 original wartime battle orders and briefs totaling approximately 116 pages, including 21 documents signed in ink by Montgomery.

The archive traces the Allied campaign from Normandy and Operation Cobra through Market Garden, the Ardennes, the Rhine crossing, and the final advance into Germany. The documents include Montgomery’s operational directives regarding the liberation of Paris, the capture of Antwerp, the Battle of the Rhine, and the closing stages of the war in Europe. Comparable command-level operational archives from World War II are overwhelmingly preserved in institutional collections, with private holdings of this continuity and scale considered virtually unknown to the market.

Additional highlights from the WWII section include a rare Dambusters logbook, signed artifacts connected to the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima, and an atomic bomb “short snorter” carried by members of the Enola Gay and Bockscar crews.

Beyond World War II, the auction offers a broad selection of material spanning politics, science, literature, entertainment, and world history. Featured figures include Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Ernest Hemingway, Franz Kafka, Vladimir Lenin, Mahatma Gandhi, Thomas Edison, and Walt Disney.

Fine Autographs and Artifacts Featuring WWII by RR Auction began on May 22, 2026, and will close on June 10, 2026. For more information, visit www.rrauction.com.

The post RR Auction’s June Sale Features WWII Fine Autographs and Artifacts appeared first on Numismatic News.

The landlocked Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan is preparing for the future, moving in two directions at once. On March 27, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov announced a new printing plant on the social media outlet Qazinform. Zhaparov said, “Previously, we had to place orders abroad and pay for the production of our national currency. Now everything has changed. We have reached a level where we can also print currency for other countries upon request. At the same time, we have received an international certificate confirming that we meet all necessary standards and requirements in the field of currency production.” Kyrgyzstan will also be producing passports, ID cards, driver’s licenses, vehicle registration certificates, and other documents.

The nation pulled out of the so-called “ruble zone” on May 10, 1993, officially replacing the Russian ruble, which in turn had replaced the Soviet ruble, by introducing the som at an exchange rate of one som to 200 Russian rubles. Russia had attempted to keep the many newly independent nations together financially that had each formerly been part of the Soviet Union. This would have been a trading union similar to the European Union; however, the Bank of Russia would have been its central bank.

Kyrgyzstan has gone through five bank note series since that time. In 2014 and again in 2017, the nation issued commemorative bank notes as well. Until recently, the nation had its bank notes and many security documents printed outside the country. Kyrgyz economic expert Baktybek Shamkeev has estimated the nation can reduce its costs by perhaps as much as 30% by opening its own printing facility.

Neighboring Uzbekistan has been issuing its own national currency for decades. The Davlat Belgisi facility in Tashkent has been producing all bank notes and coins domestically since the late 1990s. It can print currency for other countries as well.

The state-owned OJSC “Uchkun” in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, was founded in 1926 during the Soviet period and has been a joint-stock company in health procurement. According to the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Baktybek Sultanov, “We have purchased the equipment and will gradually increase the denominations [being printed]. Previously, we had to pay large sums to have bank notes printed abroad.”

Sultanov said printing commenced with the production of 20 soms. Plans call for 50-, 100-, and 200-som denomination bank notes to follow. Once the transition is complete, Kyrgyzstan will cease ordering notes from abroad.
Sultanov did not go into detail but said the facility has been modernized to include high-security printing. It should also be noted that Sultanov did not mention the 500-, 1,000-, and 5,000-som bank notes also in circulation in Kyrgyzstan when he spoke of the planned denominations.

Kyrgyz bank notes display notable local historical figures and symbols. There have been periodic updates to enhance security features, including watermarks, holograms, and micro-printing. Higher-denomination notes have been introduced as needed due to inflation. The 5,000-som denomination was introduced in late December 2018. Kyrgyzstan currently has an inflation rate of about 9.7%.

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The post Kygyzstan Opens Printing Plant appeared first on Numismatic News.

In 2025, the Mint, with the help of collectors, picked some of the best historic coins struck throughout the U.S.’s history. Narrowed down to the top five favorites, the Mint will be releasing special sets throughout 2026 that will include 24k 99.99 percent fine gold coins reissued as faithful representations of the historic designs. These recreations will also have their original dates to honor their time in history. Additionally, the set will include a silver medal designed to pay homage to the coin’s era.

The first of these sets will be for the Mercury Dime. The iconic obverse by Adolph Weinman graces the gold coin along with the Semiquincentennial Liberty Bell privy mark.

This first set in the Best of the Mint series will be available on June 4.

Images courtesy of The U.S. Mint.

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Are there some red flags I should be aware of if I take my silver coins to a coin or jewelry shop to be sold?

Be suspicious if the retailer wants to take your coins into the back room rather than checking them in front of you. There is no reason the retailer can’t bring whatever equipment he needs from the back room. Be wary of traveling buyers who set up for the day in a hotel. Hotel buyers’ buy prices are rarely competitive when compared to what you can get from an established local business in a brick-and-mortar store.

Do I have to declare the sale of my coins for tax purposes?

Short or long-term capital gains taxes may be applicable to the sale of your coins. Exceptions are defined in IRC Section 408(m)(3)(A). You are required by law to report the sale of coins even if you did not receive a Form 1099-B from the dealer to whom the coins were sold.

If a third-party grading service grades a coin at whatever grade with “details” (cleaned), is the grade listed on the holder the actual grade that a coin’s retail value should be based on?

The third-party service has assigned a grade in which the coin “should” be, had it not been cleaned. There is no hard and fast rule regarding the grade at which such a coin should be priced, but for many cleaned coins, the cleaning will reduce their resale value by one full grade. In other words, an About Uncirculated 50 would likely be priced at Extremely Fine 45. There are other factors involved that need to be considered. These factors include how lightly or harshly the coin was cleaned, whether the coin has been re-toned since it was cleaned, and the eye appeal of the coin. 

Can you explain what I should look for regarding eye appeal on a cleaned coin?

Eye appeal is in the eye of the beholder. Once a coin has been cleaned, it may re-tone in ways totally different from how a coin that has not suffered this fate will likely tone. One of the problems with cleaned coins that have since toned is that the toning is either impacted by the cleaning or is accomplished artificially. The toning will be the result of having exposed the coin to various environments. This post-cleaning toning may have been done in an attempt to disguise the cleaning. Eye appeal is subjective. If you find a coin to be attractive, that is a plus regardless of whether that coin has been cleaned or not.

Are there coins that, due to their appearance, would likely improve by being cleaned?

There are coins whose appearance might be described as being ugly, many times because of environmental exposure and subsequent unattractive toning. Bronze and copper coins found in the ground, including many ancient as well as modern coins, require restoration to make them sufficiently presentable for study, collectability, or commercial sale. Coins found in an archaeological context are often cleaned by professionals in order to learn more about the coins, the location in which they were found, who issued them, when they were issued, and more.

Has there ever been a U.S. coin that was recalled because of the designs on it?

You might consider the pattern 1964 Peace dollars and the 1933 $20 double eagle coin recall as being design-related, but there were other circumstances surrounding each of these. We have had a number of coin design disasters throughout U.S. coin history, but despite public outcries over those designs, none of the coins involved have ever been recalled.

What are some of these coin design disasters you have in mind?

Many of our commemorative coin designs have been highly criticized, but these are not coins that, in most cases, were meant to circulate. Among coins that were meant to be used in commerce are the 1793 Flowing Hair and Chain cent, the 1864 L Indian cent, and the 1909 VDB cents, each of which was spurned by the public. The public was also “shocked” by the 1916 to 1917 Type One Liberty Standing quarter. The scrawny eagle appearing on the reverse of many mid-1790s silver and gold coins drew the irate public to demand a better-fed bird to appear on our coins. The godless 1907 and early 1908 $20 double eagle coins, on which the legend In God We Trust was absent, also received criticism that resulted in the design being adjusted.

What control and influence does the U.S. Mint director have over what is to be minted?

The mint director has the authority to introduce technical innovations and can initiate new coinage series. The director sets policy, helps select themes for commemorative programs, strives for historical accuracy, and reviews and recommends proposals for coinage designs. He keeps the interests of collectors and other mint product buyers in mind. The final approval of a design for a coin is the responsibility of the Secretary of the Treasury. Innovations such as privy marks and color enhancements are at the discretion of the mint director.

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Costa Mesa, CA Stack’s Bowers Galleries is excited to announce the Physical Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency session of their June 2026 Showcase Auction, with live bidding taking place on Thursday, June 18. Representing perhaps the most important offering of physical crypto to hit the market in recent years, the sale features more than 120 lots boasting a current intrinsic value well over half a million dollars.

This landmark session is anchored by classic, blue-chip rarities from the iconic Casascius, BTCC, and Lealana series, alongside low-mintage modern issues from MyBits, Satori, Polymerbit, 1HoDLCLUB, VIP Bitcoins, Denarium, Finite By Design, Freedom Bitcoin, Ballet, Crypto Imperator, and others. The Casascius category features a premier type set of silver and brass denominations spanning the 0.1 BTC, 0.5 BTC, and 1 BTC levels, highlighted by an extremely rare, Redeemed Casascius 10 BTC crossing the block in the second half of the session.

The offering continues through the highly sought-after BTCC series, featuring an assortment of rare Poker Chip and Titanium issues. This group is headlined by an incredible six-coin Poker Chip set in its original presentation case, hand-signed by series creator Bobby Lee. A comprehensive selection of individual BTCC Poker Chips will also be presented across all denominations, including the elusive Black 0.1 BTC and the rare Purple 0.5 BTC.

These foundational early series are capped by a powerful selection of Lealana coins. Highlights include an original, three-coin set #161 containing the 2013 0.1 BTC, 0.25 BTC, and 0.5 BTC denominations with matching Certificates of Authenticity (COAs). Additionally, a 2013 “Gold B” 1 BTC makes its first market appearance of the year as one of the most prized rarities in the entire crypto-numismatic category. Bidders will also have a historic opportunity to acquire serial number 1 of the 2025 Niue Island 0.001 BTC in silver, which is celebrated as the very first legal tender physical bitcoin ever struck.

Beyond the crypto coins and notes, the auction features a selection of important early crypto memorabilia, including the debut Issue #1 of Bitcoin Magazine, along with a consecutive run of Issues #9-15. The sale also marks the firm’s first-ever offering of crypto trading cards by Topps / Allen & Ginter, a crossover category expected to generate strong interest from traditional baseball and sports card collectors.

“We are extremely proud to present another landmark offering in this category as part of our June 2026 sale,” said James McCartney, Director of Consignments and Numismatics. “Many of these pieces have ultra-low mintages and tremendous rarity that easily rivals some of the most legendary issues in traditional numismatics.”

For questions about the Stack’s Bowers Galleries June 2026 auction or to consign to a future sale, please contact the firm at 800-458-4646 or email Info@StacksBowers.com. Stack’s Bowers Galleries is currently accepting physical cryptocurrency consignments for their Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction, featuring in-person previews held alongside the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money® in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Specialists will also be available to review consignments across all categories at the upcoming Whitman Summer Expo in Baltimore (June 11-13) and the FUN Show in Orlando, Florida (July 9-11).

The post Over a Half-Million in Physical Bitcoins to be Sold in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries June 2026 Showcase Auction appeared first on Numismatic News.

Apothecaries (defined as a shop that made and sold medicines) existed as medicine resellers but also practiced patient care. America’s individualism created a society with virtually no regulation and no standard of care. The dispensing of medicines remained largely within physicians and apothecaries, who tended to both prescribe and dispense drugs and medications. This confusion encouraged the rise of the wholesale druggist as the group responsible for the manufacturing, mixing, and sale of drugs to the medical profession and, sometimes, directly to the public. They were, in general, not medically trained, and their businesses were chiefly commercial enterprises. Legal regulation at a national level did not occur until later in the 19th century and did not become comprehensive until after 1870. Before then, the mid-nineteenth-century American pharmacy was not defined by legal and professional regulation but existed within the free-market economics and laissez-faire politics of the United States. As with many businesses before the Civil War, they produced their own currency, often in the form of merchant scrip, advertisement notes, and private currency.

Part 1 of this two-part series showcases obsolete notes from drug stores, druggists, and apothecaries. In Part 2, the focus will shift to notes advertising actual drugs, medicines, bitters, and various other “medications”…many of questionable origins.

Thanks to Heritage Auctions for the photographs contained in this article. All photographs are courtesy of the author.

Pharmacy, Apothecary, and Druggist Notes

World’s Dispensary Medical Association Coupon Note

Here is a coupon note from the World’s Dispensary Medical Association. The association was created by Dr. Ray Vaughn Pierce (1840–1916). His operation was in business between 1867 and 1880, producing millions of bottles of medication annually. At the time, he was one of Buffalo’s most famous citizens. Dr. Pierce marketed heavily, as evidenced by these notes. His medications had catchy names such as “Doctor Pierce’s Favorite Prescription,” “Dr. Pierce’s Smart Weed” (over 1 million bottles of Smart Weed were sold annually), and “Dr. Pierce’s Pleasant Pellets.” Pierce made sure that the government would keep its hands off the regulatory tools. He vehemently responded to the doctors who questioned the effectiveness of his advertised medicines, though Pierce’s medicines were notorious elixirs, many containing opium. Dr. Pierce eventually became a one-term Republican congressman in 1879.

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The post 19th Century Apothecaries, Druggists, and Drug Store Currency– Part 1 appeared first on Numismatic News.

Collectors and dealers appreciate being able to purchase precious metals bullion, coins, and currency if they do not hate having to pay sales or use tax to do so. Almost every state either has no state sales tax at all (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon) or has partial or complete sales tax exemptions for such items.

The jurisdictions that do not yet have any such exemptions are Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

Many state governments are now scrambling for increased funding following the end of higher federal revenue sharing during the COVID pandemic. Therefore, existing tax credits and sales tax exemptions have received greater scrutiny for possible repeal.

In 2025, the state of Maryland (effective July 1, 2025) severely narrowed its exemption to apply to transactions of $1,000 or larger conducted only at the Baltimore Convention Center. The state of Washington completely repealed its existing exemption, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

This year, there were bills considered in the legislatures in Colorado, Nebraska, and New York to repeal existing exemptions.  The Colorado and Nebraska legislative sessions have ended without repealing the coin and bullion exemptions.  The New York legislature is scheduled to conclude this year’s session on June 10 and has not yet taken action to revoke the existing exemption (keep your fingers crossed). 

The sales tax exemption in Virginia is due to expire on June 30, 2026, unless it is extended.  The state’s House of Delegates and Senate each have approved bills that would extend the exemption, but they differ on other provisions within their bills that don’t affect this exemption.  Hopefully, this will be resolved and enacted before the end of this month.

Bills to reinstate the Maryland and Washington coin and bullion sales and use tax exemptions were introduced in their respective legislatures this year.  The Washington legislative session for 2026 ended without taking any action on that bill.  In Maryland, Senate Bill 309 was unanimously approved in both chambers and then signed into law by the governor on May 26, 2026.  It restores the prior statewide sales and use tax exemption for all transactions of $1,000 or more, effective July 1, 2026.

In early 2025, Alaska HB1 was introduced to exempt gold and silver coins and bullion from a local city or borough sales tax.  The two largest cities, Anchorage and Fairbanks, do not impose such a tax, but more than 100 other jurisdictions do.  This bill was passed by the legislature and became law on May 29, 2026, without the governor’s signature.  It becomes effective on August 28, 2026.

These efforts to gain and to retain or restore sales and use tax exemptions for precious metals bullion, coins, and currency take the effort of multiple people and funding.  There are some no-cost actions that take almost no time, where collectors and dealers (that means you!) could help increase the prospects of adding or protecting such exemptions.

For collectors (those for whom their primary source of income is not from the sale of numismatic material), they can become a member of the Concerned Collectors Coalition within the National Coin & Bullion Association (NCBA).  There are no dues, but members are asked to identify their state and federal representatives where they live and work.  Multiple times, a collector has become aware of pending legislation before NCBA staff did, alerting the organization to take action earlier than otherwise.  Also, some Coalition members might have personal relationships with one or more legislators that might become useful in the future.  When legislation was introduced in Nevada in 2025 to expand (not yet successful) the scope of the coin and bullion sales tax exemption, Coalition members in that state were notified, and some testified in support before the legislative committee that held hearings on the bill.

Dealers in states that have added or expanded bullion, coin, or currency sales tax exemptions almost always enjoy a surge in sales volume, often resulting in hiring more staff.  Further, some existing businesses in those states, such as jewelers or antique stores, have expanded into bullion and numismatics.  Lastly, there tends to be an increase in the number of coin shows and the attendance at such shows once a state adopts a sales and use tax exemption.

So, dealers in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming are asked to write a letter touting how the enactment of a sales and use tax exemption has positively impacted their business, whether it is increased sales, more staff, greater attendance at in-state coin shows, adding more locations, and the like.  One dealer who wrote such a letter mentioned two other improvements: an increase in other merchandise sold that was subject to sales taxes (such as jewelry, other collectibles, and hobby supplies), and also that he was able to sell inventory to retail customers at a slightly higher profit margin than he had formerly primarily sold wholesale.

These letters should be addressed to the National Coin & Bullion Association to add to the ammunition available to support new exemptions and defend existing exemptions that are under scrutiny.  I’m confident that if just five dealers in each of the states listed in the previous paragraph wrote such a letter, it would make gaining and protecting such exemptions almost automatic.  By working together to help dealers and collectors across the country, it also helps the dealers who write such letters.

Incidentally, an unforeseen benefit to the public of state government adopting such sales tax exemptions is a decrease in consumer price gouging, the selling of counterfeits, or fraud.  There are many people who would prefer to deal in person rather than online or by mail, or who would like to have a local expert evaluate what they have before they conduct a transaction.

The more members that join the NCBA’s Concerned Collectors Coalition and the more testimonial letters that NCBA can add to our ammunition to support new exemptions and retain existing ones, the better the prospects for success in future efforts.  Thank you for any help you can provide.  Go to www.ncbassoc.org for more information.

Note: As many of you already realize, I have personally worked on efforts to expand and retain precious metals bullion, coin, and currency sales and use tax exemptions for more than 30 years.  In various capacities, I have helped gain or expand exemptions in more than 20 states.  I am currently the unpaid volunteer Industry Issues Advisor for the NCBA, where my efforts focus on these sales and use tax exemptions.  This column is not an official NCBA document.  

Last column’s numismatic trivia question.

Last time I asked—Which person depicted on today’s U.S. currency issues was not born in what is now the United States of America?  The answer is Alexander Hamilton, depicted on the $10.00 Federal Reserve Note.  He was born in Charlestown, Nevis, in the British Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea, now the nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

This week’s trivia question

Here is this week’s question.  Which person depicted on U.S. paper money was born in Cadiz, Spain?  Come back next week for the answer.

Patrick A. Heller was honored as a 2019 FUN Numismatic Ambassador. He is also the recipient of the American Numismatic Association 2018 Glenn Smedley Memorial Service Award, the 2017 Exemplary Service Award, the 2012 Harry Forman National Dealer of the Year Award, and the 2008 Presidential Award. Over the years, he has also been honored by the Numismatic Literary Guild, Professional Numismatists Guild, National Coin & Bullion Association, and the Michigan State Numismatic Society. He is the communications officer of Liberty Coin Service in Lansing, Michigan, and writes “Liberty’s Outlook,” a quarterly newsletter on rare coins and precious metals subjects. He now volunteers with the National Coin & Bullion Association as its Industry Issues Advisor.  Past newsletter issues can be viewed at www.libertycoinservice.com. Some of his radio commentaries, “Things You ‘Know’ That Just Aren’t So,” and “Important News You Need To Know,” can be heard at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday and Friday mornings on 1320 AM WILS in Lansing (which streams live and becomes part of the audio archives posted at www.1320wils.com).

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The spot price of gold and silver has not made many headlines recently, but they have been slowly declining from their record values several months earlier. If you are interested in coins composed of either of these metals as a long-term investment or for a coin collection you are unlikely to resell. This price decline is of little consequence to you. It may even be a buying opportunity.

Regardless of whether you are looking for a short-term investment opportunity or a long-term hold position, it is important to understand the differences between some of the gold and silver numismatic products you might encounter. “Rounds” are different from coins. Rounds have no legal tender denomination and will, in most instances, buy and sell for less than true coins. True coins may be “refinery grade,” bullion, or collectible. Recognize if you have what is popularly called junk silver only a refinery could love, bullion that will likely trade later at whatever level bullion is at, or collectible coins.

Some bullion issues are worth having professionally graded, while others are not. If I post a bullion-type coin or a modern commemorative in Mint State 65, this is an ungraded coin more likely to follow the spot price of its metal content. Be aware that even scrap silver or bullion gold is viewed differently by the purity of the metal involved. Circulation strike U.S. silver coins of the 20^th century are 90 percent silver. War nickels are 35 percent silver.

Refineries and, therefore, dealers who send such coins to refineries will offer a different discounted price for these than for a 99 percent silver coinage. Likewise, silver from other parts of the world may be 83.5 percent or sterling (92.5 percent) silver. Refineries have more difficulty melting these and pay less. So do coin dealers. Likewise, the same is true of gold coinage. Sales of some metal purities may be slower than others. All of the above impact resale value.

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My favorite is my first. While on a monumental visit to Jordan in 2004, we stopped at the tent of a Bedouin trader who had set out several tables of miscellaneous goods for sale to tourists.  We were visiting a Crusader fort just outside Petra (Shobak, as I recall). There on his table was a thaler-sized Byzantine coin, holed for use on a chain. Next to nothing in price.  $5 at the most. I bought it, brought it home, and immediately began to research whether coins such as that were available.  I didn’t know, and I had never even thought about it.

Since then, I sent a scan to a foreign coin dealer to be identified. As luck would have it, right now, I don’t even know where the darn coin is. Someday I will find it. I’m not an epic collector, starting pretty late in life, not long before retirement, when available, income is largely directed toward travel. But I love the hobby, and it brings me a lot of enjoyment.

Jim, Colorado

My Dad got me started in coin collecting. I was 9 years old, and he gave me a Flying Eagle cent. I’d never held anything so old.

Art Bernstein, Address withheld

Those who know me know that I have a passion for Elongated Coins. Of the many I have, the one I like the most is an elongated Half Dollar, depicting a gold miner washing material in his gold pan. It has a speck of real gold adhered to the pan. I was lucky enough to find, bid, and win it at an eBay auction. 

Being able to buy anything and everything, from a needle to a car, boat, and plane, on eBay, including any numismatic item you can think of, has made the world much, much smaller, bringing sellers and buyers from around the world together!

I still LOVE going to coin shops and coin shows, and seeing / feeling coins in person is a treat, but even 1,000 shops & shows couldn’t compete with the amassed selection that eBay has to offer!

Oded Paz, Arco, Idaho

My favorite coin in my collection is a 1916-D mercury dime. I got it from my late father when he gave me all of his coins about 25 years ago.  He was not a collector, as he had many odds and ends, one of which was the first page of the old Whitman mercury dime album, the kind that you could not see the reverse of the coins. Consequently, there was a 1916 dime in the 1916 P port which turned out to be a 1916-D!  Funny thing is, I did not check that coin until about 10 years ago.  

Dave Burdis, Charleroi, Pa.

My Grandmother always kept a small leather pouch in her bag, and it was filled with coins!! My Grandmother also raised me; she had to be my Mother too. Before she passed away, she gave me most of the coins that were in that leather pouch. One of those being a Morgan Silver Dollar minted in New Orleans. Since then, I only look for Morgans from New Orleans. So many times when I’m looking through a tray, the guy will tell me that there’s NO Carson City, to which I respond with Good, I wasn’t looking for those.

Anyway, that’s how it all got started. Right now I’m on a quest to find one of the earliest USA-minted coins!!

David, Address withheld

I had gotten my Buffalo silver dollar in 1oz with a 70 graded rating in 2020 off the internet from Bullion Shark (my favorite coin).

Name and Address withheld

I found my favorite 1883-CC in President Nixon box MS 64 at a farm auction in 1982 in the middle of nowhere. Beautiful coin.

TK, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

It is one of the least valuable coins in my collection, but remains my favorite – a lightly circulated, 1921 Morgan dollar, housed in a small snap-tite style holder with the insert printed “From The Million Dollar Display Booth At The Seattle World’s Fair.”

The display of one million U.S. silver dollars was reportedly the result of three Washington State numismatists pressing forward the idea and lining up participants.  They convinced Columbus, Nebraska-based Behlen Manufacturing to construct the corn crib that held the million silver dollars, as well as the exterior metal build that held the display.  Whether the actual million coins came from U.S. Mint vaults or the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank, I am not certain, having found references to both sources.  What I do know is that General Motors Corporation, through its Chevrolet division, provided two semi-tractor-trailers to transport the coins from Philadelphia to Seattle. The route took them through Nebraska on U.S. Highway 30 (remember that in 1962, the interstate system was still under construction in many parts of the country) and through Lexington, Nebraska, my hometown at the time.

One million dollars was, in 1962, an astronomical sum and a nearly unfathomable amount to a 12-year-old, but to see the trucks pass through was my goal.  And, I did stand on the sidewalk (yes, the highway passed as a street would in front of some businesses) and watched in awe as the vehicles escorted by local police and Highway Patrol came by.

I knew I would not visit the World’s Fair, much less see the display, but the enormity of the amount – tonnage, number of coins, and the huge dollar amount never left my brain.  When a dollar in the commemorative holder turned up in an accumulation offered to me during the COVID shutdown, my childhood excitement returned.  With a bit of research, I learned that after the Seattle fair closed, the dollars were offered for $1.95 each in the snap-tite commemorative holder, or one could purchase up to 5 bags of 1,000 for $1,500 per bag.

Gary Burhop, Address withheld

I stole it. Just kidding. Bought my Grant Star for $1 at an online auction.

@happablabb, via X

1996-W dime. About twenty years ago, when I was a youngster, my local coin shop parted it from an original mint set for me.

David Donahue, via Facebook

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