Numismatic News October 28, 2025

CONECA, the international error coin and variety club, will be offering free examination of error and variety coins to collectors at educational tables at coin shows across the United States throughout this year and into 2026. The club, whose name stands for “Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America,” is the largest coin specialty club in the United States and has actively been educating collectors about mint error and variety coins for the last five decades. They would love to help you with your error coins! At their coin show tables, different members of the CONECA Board of Directors and other error/variety enthusiasts (each with different areas of specialty as available) will offer free examination to collectors who bring coins from their collection to the show with questions. This…

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers. Read more responses at www.numismaticnews.com. Do you have a preferred method for authenticating rare coins? What is it? My preferred method of authenticating rare key coins, such as a 1916-D dime or a 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent, is to send them off to a professional grading service such as NGC or PCGS because most key date coins are often counterfeited. Also, always buy uncertified coins from only reputable dealers who will stand behind your purchase. Dave Burdis Charleroi, Pa. With all the good-looking fakes coming out of China, I generally try to buy a slabbed coin from a reputable dealer whom I either know or have done business with before, or a national company like Stack/ Bowers, Heritage, or Great Collections,…

The Limited Edition Silver Proof Set, featuring all five 2025 American Women Quarters, a one-ounce silver American Eagle, a Kennedy half dollar, and a Roosevelt dime, will be available from the U.S. Mint on Nov. 6, 2025. Each coin is 99.9 percent silver, making the whole set equal almost 2.5 troy ounces. The release of this set is just in time for the holidays and could make a great gift for collectors or non-collectors alike. A proof set is a great way to commemorate any 2025 milestones.…

Plenty of us have gotten into collecting United States one-ounce silver Eagles in the past few decades. Perhaps as many of us have expanded into some of the other well-known silver, one-ounce bullion coins, like the Canadian Maple Leafs, the Austrian Philhamonikers, or the Chinese Pandas. All of these and several other bullion coins have definitely become mainstream collecting thrusts for both collectors and investors. But there is a large, silver coin that pre-dates them all, and that actually still finds use in some parts of the world as a store of wealth in silver. This one may qualify as beyond the mainstream. We’re talking about the Maria Theresa thaler. The basics Maria Theresa was one of those powerful women in history who ended up in a position most people…

■ Are these errors on my 1919-S cent? The ‘E’ is noticeably dropped below the ‘W’ in ‘WE’, and the first ‘T’ in ‘TRUST’ is missing. You likely have a coin that is missing letters due to grease in the coinage die. Someone needs to see the coin in person to be certain of this. Other error 1919-S cents include the 1919-S/S, missing L in Liberty, and improper woody appearance alloy or lamination. I’ve seen the image of a 1919-S cent where the mintmark appears to be tripled, but the coin had not been examined by any third-party service. ■ Just how many varieties of the 1964 Kennedy half dollar are there? The Accented Hair coin gets all the publicity, but it isn’t the only 1964 JFK half-dollar variety to…

It’s that time of year again to send us your 2026 show dates! The staff at Numismatic News has been gearing up to ready the next Show & Auction Guide, set to appear in the November 25 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 form (aim.dragonforms.com/loading.do?omedasite=NMM_listing), or details…