Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2020 i Coins

I started coin collecting in 1969 with the help of my sixth grade teacher, Mr. Thorn, in a small upstate N.Y. town. Back then, I was mostly looking through pocket change and, once in a while, bank rolls of pennies. Growing up on the east coast, “P” and “D’s” were easy to find but not “S” mint marks. I always dreamed you could go to a bank on the west coast and find only “S” mint marked coins. On a recent trip to California, I got that old bug again, went to the bank and bought $3 worth of pennies. There were lots of Ds, some older “S” coins from the 70’s, and five wheat backs: 1944s, 1945s, 1952d, 1955d and a 1957d. I felt like a kid again. Marvin…

THE SAN Francisco Mint, which opened in the spring of 1854, has long fascinated numismatists as a creature of the famed California Gold Rush. It has served the nation well for more than 160 years. In January 1848, gold was discovered on the Sutter ranch in California, setting off the largest gold rush in the history of this country. By the tens of thousands men left their jobs in the East and went to El Dorado; some would find riches, most did not. One of the first problems to face the incoming horde of would-be miners was the lack of a circulating currency. There was a small supply of silver coins in daily use, mostly Mexican and U.S., but these were hardly enough to satisfy all of the newcomers. Within…

Do you ever think about what will happen to your coin collection when you’re no longer around? If you’re in good health and are relatively young, then you probably don’t devote much time to this topic. However, if you’re older and/or have health problems, the issue may crop up frequently. If you have a family member with an interest in coins, then you’re home-free. On the other hand, if you’re like most of us, you’re surrounded by people who know little and could care less about numismatics. What should you do in this case? When should you do it? If you’ve lost interest in your collection, then I suggest that you convert the collection to cash. Trust me, your heirs will appreciate the money more than they would appreciate a…

Careful consideration must be given to the condition of a coin before arriving at its value, since a minor difference in grading can mean a substantial difference in price. There are several factors to keep in mind when attributing varying grades of preservation. Determining the condition of a coin is both an exact science and a subjective judgment call. Complete agreement on the exact qualities that constitute a grade of condition does not always occur between two individuals. The following chart is a consensus based on the 10 most frequently encountered coins commanding premium values in circulated condition (illustrations not actual size). The descriptive grades can be applied to other issues. Qualities described are based on the standards developed and adopted by the American Numismatic Association. MS-65 (uncirculated)—MS stands for…

All sectors of the U.S. coin market continued to trade within a reasonably tight pricing range during October. There were some price increases of note; however, there were many coins priced somewhat aggressively by coin dealers, only to be discounted later when the coins failed to sell at what would have been new, higher levels. Collectors continue to watch not only the price of gold and silver composition coins, but the spot price of their intrinsic value as well. Coins sold at auction are moving briskly, but once again a close examination of their hammer prices indicate few surprises, with most coins selling within the same ranges as they have for some time. Palladium as a bullion commodity has outshined gold, silver and platinum recently, but since palladium-composition coins offered…