Numismatic News December 31, 2024

An exceedingly rare double eagle from the Carson City Mint will take flight into a new collection when it is sold in Heritage’s Dec. 12-15 US Coins Signature® Auction. The discovery of gold and silver ore in the Comstock Lode led to the establishment of the Carson City Mint, which opened in 1870 and struck its last coins 23 years later. However, the Nevada branch mint was the subject of much government controversy, particularly because of the competing influences regarding silver mining interests. The Mint’s coin production was suspended from 1886-88 after efforts to close down Comstock’s personal branch mint came as early as the facility’s first few days in operation. Congressman Thomas Fitch, the Representative for Nevada’s at-large district, made what was called a “strong and effective speech” against…

The year 2025 marks the United States Marine Corps’ 250th Anniversary. The Second Continental Congress passed a resolution on Nov. 10, 1775, stating that “two Battalions of Marines be raised” for service as landing forces with the fleet. Thus, the U.S. Marine Corps was established. The U.S. Mint’s U.S. Marine Corps 250th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Program is celebrating this milestone with three new coins: a $5 gold coin, a $1 silver coin and a half dollar clad coin. All three have a common reverse featuring an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor – the Marine Corps’ official emblem. The obverse of the gold coin depicts a Marine Corps color guard with the inscriptions “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” 1775,” and “2025.” The silver dollar obverse design shows the classic depiction of the…

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers. Read more responses at www.numismaticnews.com. What’s one feature you’d add to modern coins to make them more collectible? Tap into the hundreds of thousands of fine artists in this country to create new designs for all circulating coinage. So many of the quarter designs were just plain boring. Any college-level fine arts major could have done a MUCH better job and saved those programs. Name and Address withheld My thought on the subject of collecting would be making the running series shorter. State quarters nine years. American women quarters four years. That seems like a good period. But maybe it’s because it’s the dollar and not exactly pocket change. Ricky Laliberte Address withheld I would remove all dead presidents from the…

The Dec. 10 issue eLetters about coin cleaning were interesting to read but highlighted an issue that perhaps requires more attention by the numismatic community. There is more than one kind of coin cleaning. F. Michael Fazzari, in his articles, has discussed a good kind of cleaning he called coin conservation, which includes the removal of surface contaminants. This was, as I recall, contrasted with other harsher cleaning methods that were deemed inappropriate. It seems obvious one should remove surface contaminants from any coin taken from circulation or that has any foreign material stuck to its surface. Virtually all coins taken from circulation are covered with dirt and oil, and I can’t count the number of times a coin covered in PVC residue has ended up in my possession. Even…

■ How are coins shipped from the U.S. Mint? At one time, the mint shipped via the U.S. Post Office. This was followed by convoys of contracted armored vehicles. Today, armored cars still deliver circulation coinage to Federal Reserve banks. However, bullion and presidential dollar coins going to retailers and financial institutions are sent with “the mint paying shipping and handling fees for standard shipping, but customers are responsible for special handling fees.” ■ Are the terms numismatist and coin collector the same, or is there some distinction worth noting between them? Coin collecting is a hobby pastime. Granted, it is also a business for some people. Numismatics is a science, the science of money and how money impacts society, trade, politics, and more. When an archaeologist studies a find…

Although Thomas Jefferson sailed for France on July 5, 1784, and his new post as Minister to that country, his “Notes on the Coinage” continued to circulate among his fellow Confederation congressmen. In due course, there was sufficient interest among the delegates that Congress resolved in July 1785 that the monetary unit of the United States be the dollar and that the smallest copper coin pass at a rate of 200 to the dollar. Other coins were suggested in a decimal ratio between these two coins but not precisely named. As a result of the Congressional interest, a Grand Committee was appointed to consider the entire question of a mint and national coinage. Chaired by Congressman James Monroe, the committee made several suggestions that generally followed the Jefferson proposals. In…