Innehållsförteckning för April 15, 2025 från Numismatic News

The 40th director of the U.S. Mint, Ventris C. Gibson, announced her retirement on March 20. Gibson will step down, effective March 31, despite the remaining two years on her five-year term. Gibson was asked to step down by the Treasury Department hierarchy to accommodate President Donald Trump’s nomination for Director of the U.S. Mint. Gibson joined the U.S. Mint as deputy director and acting director in October 2021. She was then approved by the full Senate for a five-year term in June 2022. Gibson, a U.S. Navy veteran, served in numerous government roles, including working for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as for the National Labor Relations Board. “I know the past couple of months have been challenging for us in responding to a…

An honors college graduate who served internship positions at two major coin companies under the Professional Numismatist Guild’s (www.PNGdealers.org) nexGen Mentor ship Program is the recipient of the PNG’s 2025 scholarship to attend a week-long session of the American Numismatic Association (www.money.org) Summer Seminar in Colorado. Timothy Chen of Los Angeles graduated last year Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of California, Riverside, with a concentration in finance and a minor in psychology. In the summer of 2021, he was a sales and marketing intern at Alhambra (California) Coin Center, and in the summer of 2023 worked as a wholesale trading and business operations intern at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas. Chen, who speaks English, Mandarin, and conversational Spanish, founded Winged…

I do most of my writing on the weekends, soon after I wake up and before breakfast. I often scan the Internet chat rooms for subjects to write about because, after a long run of these columns, I’m fresh out of ideas and don’t wish to repeat myself until the next generation of new readers emerges. This weekend, I read that a poster wished to know how to spot PVC on coins and why it often appears on coins in old holders – was it something due to the slab? When we started grading coins for customers several months before the ANA’s Service, PVC was not an issue. I, for one, never heard of the stuff back in the 70s. Nevertheless, many times after I removed a customer’s coins from…

When modern collectors talk about the San Francisco Mint, they sometimes think of the series of annual proof coins struck there since 1968. The long and rich traditions of this Western mint are all but forgotten when one obtains the coveted proof coins of the new year. Yet this mint has a history as interesting as any. It all began in the heady days of the California Gold Rush of 1849. Men, by the tens of thousands, left home in search of El Dorado; some would find the riches they sought, but most did not. There was a great shortage of coins in California, and private gold mints soon arose to satisfy this need. As with all such undertakings, public-spirited men satisfied with a reasonable profit clashed with those of…

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…

Things may change by the time you get to read this market commentary, but at the moment this is being written, gold has broken through the psychological $3,000-an-ounce barrier. The spot price of gold may look great on paper, but how many collectors are really unloading their gold coins due to the high price of the metal versus how many are taking a hold position? The new higher prices may be more of an annoyance, as collectors now need to assess whether their future buying plans still make sense at this level. Dealers are concerned since whatever they buy at these new price levels has a lot of downside potential. For dealers, the position has to be a sell, not a buy-and-hold position. Costco’s consumers don’t appear to be phased…

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers. Read more responses at www.numismaticnews.net. If you could swap an U.S. coin design with a historical figure or symbol not yet featured, what would it be and why? I would replace Roosevelt on the dime with a picture of Uncle Sam. This could act as a colorful reminder that our nation is strongest when we are unified. Larry VannArkansas Marilyn Monroe because she is beautiful. Name and Address withheld Celebrate the annual winner of the Westminster Dog Show by depicting the image of the dog that wins. It’s time to change the dime, so use the dog on the face of the dime. Larry DeanShawnee, Kan. FDR’s time on the dime needs to be over. This is especially so since the…

■ I’m new to coin collecting. Where can I learn more about coins? You have many good sources from which to learn. Consider joining a local coin club. Club members can be helpful, plus clubs offer a social aspect to the hobby. There are coin catalogs as well as this publication from which to learn. There are also correspondence courses and seminars available. The American Numismatic Association and the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association each offer correspondence courses and more. ■ Are there educational programs at coin shows? Some coin shows offer only a bourse, but others may have lectures, social meeting options, and competitive displays. It isn’t a hard and fast rule, but the larger the show, the more likely the event will offer more than simply a bourse. ■…

Relating what was on the cover of a given issue of Coins magazine was a thing back in the 1960s. The November 1965 issue had the image of the obverse of a 1903-O Morgan silver dollar. “Coin on the Cover” in that issue noted that: “The U.S. silver dollar, after a five-year lapse, was restored to coinage status by the Bland-Allison Act of 1878. George T. Morgan, assistant to the chief engraver William Barber of the U.S. Mint, went to work. He designed a coin that was to have the longest run and overwhelmingly the greatest mintage of any U.S. silver dollar. It was coined for 27 years, and before suspension in 1904, the quantity of its mintage totaled 570,272,610. In 1921, it had another brief but productive revival when…

It’s quite an understatement to claim that the United States one-ounce Silver Eagles have become both a serious market presence for precious metal collectors as well as a focus of collector desire. Issued since 1986, these big silver dollars – so titled because they do have a $1 face value – have really taken center stage, with only a few other one-ounce silver pieces from different national governments competing favorably in terms of who is the biggest kid in the playground, as it were. The number of regular issue silver Eagles is routinely very large, and that alone is impressive. Yet, since the very first year, there have also been an equally impressive number of proofs issued aimed squarely at the collector market. A person can build a gorgeous collection…

The 1960s was often referred to as the “Golden Age of Advertising.” Using new ideas and techniques that were much more creative and innovative than ever before, advertisers needed a way to encourage people to buy their products. Television was becoming increasingly popular, and advertisers began connecting with customers through clever and frequent commercials. Many companies promoted celebrity endorsements to further ensure that their products would be seen. With automobiles becoming increasingly popular and affordable, gas companies were in competition to sell more gas. In 1968, the average national price for a gallon of gasoline was 34 cents. Compared to today, with inflation, that would be equivalent to $3.08 a gallon. Quite a few petroleum companies were out there, and the competition was fierce. So, the Shell Oil Company came…

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 we have the means to reach…

To collectors, it seems obvious that sales and use taxes should not apply to a medium of exchange. When people go to a bank or credit union to convert larger denomination currency into smaller denominations and coins, there is no sales tax charged on such an exchange. Yes, state governments that imposed sales and use taxes in the past considered the purchase of numismatic coins and precious metals bullion to be subject to those taxes. Today, there are five states that do not impose a statewide sales tax, another forty states that have adopted complete or partial sales and use tax exemptions on bullion, coins, and currency, and the state of Nevada has a partial exemption by regulation. Only Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico, Vermont, and the District of Columbia do…

Collectors’ exhibits return, two Midwest museums will have displays, and a limited number of free ANACS-encapsulated Nebraska Homestead commemorative quarter-dollars with special insert labels will be featured attractions at the Central States Numismatic Society convention (convention@CSNS.org). The show will be in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Ill., April 24-26, 2025. The Higgins Museum of National Bank Notes will display rare Nebraska money at booth #2200 as part of the CSNS multi-year program to honor all 13 states that comprise the organization’s geographical area. “Nebraska is the second state we’re recognizing following last year’s salute to Iowa,” explained CSNS President Mitch Ernst. The Higgins Museum of National Bank Notes (www.TheHigginsMuseum.org), located in Okoboji, Iowa, will have a four-case exhibit of historic Nebraska paper money. “The display will have examples from the…

By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the world. “Concord Hymn” byRalph Waldo Emerson Not many Classic Commemorative half dollars actually honor significant events in our nation’s history. Among those few is the Lexington-Concord Sesquicentennial half dollar of 1925, also known as the Patriot half dollar, which was struck on the 150th anniversary of the opening salvo of the American War of Independence on April 19, 1775. Numismatic News is publishing this article in April of 2025 to honor the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord: “the shot heard round the world.” Rebellion in the Air! The day was April 18, 1775. Rebellion was in the air. You…

It’s time to dust off your passports and get excited about seeing some of the coins you usually only read about. We are headed to the United Kingdom! Numismatic News, World Coin News, and Bank Note Reporter editor Sophia Mattimiro and Market Analyst Jeff Starck have teamed up with a seasoned travel agency to bring you a week immersed in world coins in London and Wales. Our adventure, taking place from Sept. 3-10, features amazing numismatic attractions such as the British Museum’s collection of money, the London Coin Fair, a V.I.P. tour of the British Royal Mint, and more. A week of sensational coin exploration awaits. “Our team is so excited to share this travel opportunity with the numismatics community,” said Mattimiro. “Exploring the historic and numismatic-rich United Kingdom while…