Indholdsfortegnelse for October 29, 2024 i Numismatic News

Whitman Brands™ launched its Coins for the Cure Program and partnership with Susan G. Komen®, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, to create a world without breast cancer. With the release of a limited-edition pink American Women Quarters coin album, Whitman hopes to help raise awareness and money toward ending breast cancer. The limited-edition album holds all circulated strikes of the best-selling American Women Quarters series, and as a bonus, the 2018 Breast Cancer Research Awareness Commemorative Coins. “Following the acquisition of Whitman Publishing, I believed it was the perfect time for us to embrace greater social responsibility and give back wherever possible,” said John Feigenbaum, President and CEO of Whitman Brands. “The decision to partner with Susan G. Komen was an easy choice—they are leaders in the fight against…

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers. Read more responses at www.numismaticnews.com. Do you collect medals? Why or why not? Yes, I do collect some medals from the U.S. Mint. Such as the medals honoring the Military or Presidents. I used to try to collect most, but since the big price increase the Mint added to coins and medals, I have reconsidered and will be buying fewer coins and probably will cut back even more on the medals. Along with what I consider a bad idea of the movie hero coins/medals, which the mint is doing, I would not spend my money on them. H. Michael Kinsman Highland, Ill. I do collect a few. I won the 3” San Diego commemorative in a club raffle and thought it…

My favorite coin for this column is a PCGS-certified MS65 Illinois Centennial half dollar. Because of the obverse design, this coin is also known as the Lincoln commemorative. The coin was issued in 1918 to commemorate the centennial of the admission of the state of Illinois into the Union. With an obverse design by George T. Morgan, the coin features the bust of a beardless Abraham Lincoln. It’s based on a photograph of a statue at the Illinois State Capitol Building in Springfield, Ill. The statue of Lincoln as the President-Elect was carved by Andrew O’Connor. O’Connor was criticized for carving a beardless Lincoln, as Lincoln had begun to grow the beard before leaving Springfield. Morgan is well-known for the coin bearing his name, the Morgan dollar. Born in Birmingham,…

◾ Can you tell me what my red and blue tokens on which OPA appears are? During World War II, the Office of Price Administration was established to slow inflation and ration both goods and foods. The undated tokens were used during 1944 and 1945, their colors corresponding to the red and blue ration stamps then in use. The tokens served as change from when the stamps were “spent.” The red tokens were used to purchase meat and fat, while the blue tokens were used to purchase processed foods. ◾ Where were the OPA tokens made and what do the letters on them mean? The vulcanized fiber, 16-millimeter diameter, OPA tokens were made at the Osborne Coinage mint in Cincinnati. According to the Osborne archives, there were 24 different blue…

In 2009, the U.S. Mint launched its Native American $1 Coin Program. The coins recognize important contributions made by Native American tribes and individuals throughout the history of the United States. All the coins have a common obverse of Sacagawea, which was first produced in 2000. Each year, the reverse design changes, creating a growing collection in the making. Let’s take a look at the Native American dollars so far. 2009 The first coin in the series had the theme of agriculture. It is widely acknowledged that the early European colonists wouldn’t have survived if not for the generosity of the native populations sharing their crops and teaching the colonists how to grow their own. The Natives spread their knowledge of the “Three Sisters,” corn, beans and squash. Growing these…

One would imagine that a coin with a mintage of 5,240,000 pieces would be common, available, and quite affordable to collectors. That is the mintage of the 1854-O Arrows Seated Liberty half dollar. Of the 1854-O Arrows half, Ron Guth writes in PCGS Coinfacts, “Thus, in terms of value, this date is very affordable in most grades, and it offers a lot of “coin” for the money. Mint State examples are fairly plentiful and can be obtained in MS62 to MS64 with ease.” Shall we put what Guth says to the test? Auction results for 1854-O Arrows halves Let’s look at the PCGS Coinfacts website for the most recent auction results of 1854-O Arrows Seated Liberty half dollars. However, from April 2022 to January 2024, we see that there are…

The United States Mint (Mint) announced that it has been selected as a finalist in two categories of the 2024 International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA) Excellence in Currency Awards program. The Mint received nominations in the Best Recirculation/Distribution Initiative or Innovation category for its Bill of Lading Automation System and in the Best New Coin Product, Process or Manufacturing Innovation category for its circulating blank annealing furnace retrofit. The winner will be selected and announced on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, during the Coin Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. “These nominations are a culmination of the Mint’s ongoing strategic goal to improve our manufacturing processes through innovation and technology,” said the Honorable Ventris C. Gibson, Mint Director. “I am extremely pleased that our efforts are being recognized by the IACA.” The…

On Oct. 15, 2024, the U.S. Mint released the 2024 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair Silver Medal, which pays homage to America’s first dollar coin: the Flowing Hair Dollar, which was first issued on Oct. 15, 1794. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, the 2024 Uncirculated silver medal has a product limit of only 75,000 and serves as a companion to the 2024 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair High Relief Gold Coin, which is being released in November. To complement the certified medals, Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®) is offering a selection of special labels, including one showing the medal in front of an American flag, as well as the ever-popular NGC Early Releases and First Releases labels. The obverse portrays a reproduction of the first dollar coin ever struck by the U.S. Mint,…

Numismatists and owners of precious metals may not be literally in danger of their lives right now. However, the level of criminal activity against them has increased enough that multiple organizations have recently issued safety alerts. On Sept. 10, the Numismatic Crime Information Center published a column in the Greysheet titled “Coin Dealers Targeted By Organized Crime Groups Following Coin Show Attendance.” Read it at https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/coin-dealers-targeted-by-organized-crime-groups-following-coin-show-attendance/0 In one recent incident, two coin dealers were followed when they left a coin show in Tyler, Texas, and had their inventory stolen from their vehicle in Loxley, Ala.—more than 500 miles away. Criminals can surreptitiously attach tracking GPS devices or work in teams so that there is no distance from a coin show where an unattended vehicle is safe. On Aug. 29, the…

The long-term value of gold coins is in question. The precious metal’s spot price is at an all-time high, but can it last? What is the future supply versus demand? A recent S&P report indicates 350 discoveries of minable gold made between 1990 and 2023. These contain about 2.9 billion ounces, a figure that represents a three percent rise on the 2023 analysis, which listed 345 gold discoveries with a yield of 2.81 billion ounces. This may sound impressive. However, most of these assets were discovered decades ago. The five truly new discoveries contributed to just 22 percent of the 79 million ounces added to the 2024 update. According to S&P research analyst Paul Manalo, “Based on the latest monthly Gold Commodity Briefing Service, we expect gold supply to peak…

The United States Congress authorized a Mint back in the 1790s, and although it had some hiccups as it got up and running, it ultimately pounded out all our nation’s coins, even as the young nation continued to grow and expand. But problems arose in the 1830s, not with the Mint and its quality or output, but with where the metal was coming from to make the coins. A look at the three earliest branch Mint facilities can shed some light on this. The Mint Act of 1835 The young mint in Philadelphia had, in actuality, been competing with another mint since before it was even conceived of – which might sound a bit confusing at first. What we mean is that much of the commerce in the thirteen colonies,…

Stack’s Bowers Galleries will make history as gold rarities from the Bernard Richards Collection cross the auction block in the Rarities Night session of the November 2024 Showcase Auction. The firm’s sale will be held Nov. 18-22 in Costa Mesa, Calif., with lot viewing available at the Whitman Winter Expo Nov. 12-15. The Bernard Richards Collection of Liberty Head and Saint-Gaudens double eagles was assembled in the 1970s and 1980s. Working with members of the firm, including Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ founder Harvey Stack, Richards built a nearly complete set of $20 double eagles from 1850 through 1932. The highlight of the collection was also among the last coins purchased by Richards: an 1870-CC, now graded PCGS AU-55, and representing the single finest example of this important rarity. This coin last…

Over several issues of Coins magazine, beginning with the June 1965 issue, the “COINS IQ” column tested readers’ knowledge. Planned were ten questions in each issue. However, there were some shortcomings. The first installment had only seven, and the second, while posing ten questions, skipped the letter I, jumping passed it to J. Also, at least one reader questioned the answer to E of the July issue’s questions, as “O” to a numismatist is more often related to the New Orleans Mint than the obverse of a coin. At any rate, the June 1965 issue said that if you got 8 of 10 correct, you earned the grade XF (an impossibility as there are only seven questions); 7 correct, VF; 6, G; and with “5 or less … better read…

NOVEMBER 2024 For a comprehensive list of coin values visit: www.numismaster.com When you are involved with truly rare coins, even something noticeably damaged may not matter. Perhaps an extreme example of this is the only publicly available 1652 Massachusetts NE threepence coin that will be sold by Stack’s Bowers Galleries in November. The coin has a hole in it, but this won’t stop it from likely commanding an exorbitant price. Sometimes, we may put too much emphasis on grade rarity. It is likely no matter what price a coin such as this realizes, there will likely be people who will claim it would have sold for more if it hadn’t been damaged. You can see the grade rarity difference when you look at prices realized for, theoretically, coins that sell…

It’s that time of year again to send us your 2025 show dates. The staff at Numismatic News has been gearing up to ready the next Show & Auction Guide, set to appear in the Nov. 26 issue of Numismatic News and the January issues of World Coin News, and Bank Note Reporter. Don’t miss this chance to get your show included – for free! The Show & Auction Guide is a semiannual supplement to Numismatic News, World Coin News, and Bank Note Reporter magazines. Featuring the hobby’s most complete listing of coin shows next year – as well as a comprehensive list of numismatic auction firms – you’ll want to be sure to have your club’s or organization’s show among them. Show listings can be submitted via an online…

FOR COMPLETE SHOW LISTINGS VISIT numismasticnews.net The weekly Show Directory lists all coin and paper money events scheduled within one month of the issue cover date. Show dates and times sometimes change at the last minute. Please contact the show promoter BEFORE traveling long distances. SHOW PROMOTERS: Run your show announcement FREE! Just email the information indicated in the form below to numismatics@aimmedia.com. All timely listings are also included in both Bank Note Reporter and World Coin News at NO CHARGE. *Dependent upon date of submission relevant to deadline and space availability. Want to make your show really STAND OUT? Whether you need dealers on the floor or collectors at the gate, Numismatic News offers the best, most qualified coin and paper money collector and dealer audience around – AND…