Innehållsförteckning för February 2019 från Coins

I would like to tell you about an Anthony dollar error that I thought minor at the time and spent it. The Bicentennial quarter, also hot, had to spend it. I didn’t like coin errors, and it was only as far as Birmingham; good trade could be had. I was glad to see your inclusion of a dime and a penny. I showed it off as an error and later thought it was common. My usual habit is to hold the coin for years until I can come up with another one or someone else comes up with it in a magazine. I also found a Pierce dollar with very faint lettering. What happened to the Washington dollar? James Athens, Ala. Editor’s note: Some Washington dollars were made in 2007…

Prices of mint and proof sets remain steady and disappointing, yet there has been some aggressive buying initiated by at least one significant dealer. It isn’t clear if this is due to telemarketing industry demand, but it failed to rally prices. There have been some interesting developments impacting investors more than collectors within the past month. Among these has been a surprising renewal of interest in bullion-price impacted gold coins. While the spot price of gold appears to have reached a plateau recently, there was a noticeable spike in purchasing that was likely spurred by some nervous stock investors moving cautiously into the precious metals but not necessarily into the collectible coin market. The U.S. portion of the Numismatic Stock Index was down significantly from 67.3 percent of its 52-week…

To say that the book I’m going to review in this column is gargantuan is an understatement. According to my postal scales, it rings in at a whopping 6 pounds 10.5 ounces. That would be a good weight for a newborn infant rather than a paperback book. If I don’t want to do my weights at the gym, I can always work out with Mega Red. Seriously, this is the 4th edition of a giant of a book, A Guide Book of United States Coins Mega Red. As you can tell from the title, it’s related to the venerable A Guide Book of United States Coins, aka the Red Book. In fact, you can think of it as the Red Book on steroids. In each of the first three editions…

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…