Innehållsförteckning för April 29, 2025 från Numismatic News

Anyone following the market in recent weeks has endured some serious whiplash. The price of precious metals, recently driven downward by the implementation of tariffs, is experiencing gyrations that make tracking the value of one’s coins difficult. Simply put, volatility makes pricing harder, as the values of many world coins (and even U.S. coins) are primarily driven by their precious metals content. This could open doors for arbitrage but also leave you catching a falling knife or taking a bath. From mid-March to April 1, 2025, gold and silver especially kept making forward strides. In the days leading up to the publication of this column, we locked in new baseline prices for all four metals listed at NumisMaster. Silver was priced at $30.50 an ounce, with gold exactly 100 times…

■ Hawaii’s first domestic coinage was the 1847 cent. Why was it the only denomination struck? In 1846, the Hawaiian legislature passed a bill for “a currency of the Hawaiian Islands” valued on the U.S. model of 100 cents to a dollar while retaining the Spanish denominations of the dollar, its half, quarter, eight, and sixteenth. The legislation made no provision for minting anything beyond the cent or keneta. Merchants were prejudiced against these cents, ultimately ensuring they wouldn’t circulate. ■ Who produced Hawaii’s 1847 keneta coins? The Hawaiian government paid $869.56 for 100,000 keneta, or cent, coins from H.M & E. I Richards in Attleboro, Mass. The Richards company was a jewelry firm likely best remembered for producing Hard Times tokens. The Hawaiian Treasury still had 88,000 unissued keneta…

My favorite coin in this column is a PCGS-graded MS63 1938-D Walking Liberty half dollar. It shares its design with all the U.S. regular-issue 50c coins dated from 1916 through 1947, which were designed by Adolph A. Weinman. Weinman’s AW initials appear under the tips of the eagle’s tail feathers. According to A Guide Book of Mercury Dimes, Standing Liberty Quarters, and Liberty Walking Half Dollars by David Bowers, Weinman’s Walking Liberty half dollar obverse “. . . was based on an adaptation of Louis-Oscar Roty’s 1887 painting, La Semeuse (The Sower), which had been the motif for French silver coins beginning in 1897.” Weinman’s design was considered such a winner that it was reprised for the $1 silver bullion program. As described by Ron Guth and Jeff Garrett in…

William McKinley was the 25th president of the United States. He served from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. McKinley is known for leading the U.S. in the Spanish-American War and overseeing the annexations of Hawaii, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa. On May 12, the U.S. Mint will be releasing the latest medal in the ongoing Presidential Silver Medal series featuring William McKinley. The obverse shows his likeness with his name inscribed around the rim. The reverse reads “INAUGURATED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MAR 4 1897 SECOND TERM MAR 4 1901,” below this is the inscription “ASSASSINATED SEP 6 1901 DIED SEPT 14 1901.” The one-ounce silver medals are a must-have for U.S. history enthusiasts.…

It is not very often that a struggle as monumental as the Revolutionary War in America is marked by outstanding medals that have met the test of time. In this article, we will examine two such medals: the first honoring George Washington for the victory at Boston in March 1776 and the second commemorating the successful end of the war and the independence of the United States. The Washington Before Boston Medal There is a general belief at present that the Revolutionary War began with the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. Nothing could be further from the truth, and one of the most famous American medals was struck to commemorate an event that happened nearly four months before formal independence was voted by Congress. In the 1760s and early…

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers. Read more responses at www.numismaticnews.net. Is collectible cryptocurrency here to stay? Why or why not? Not for me, but if a lot of collectors do, it could be worth it as an investment. Name and Address withheld I absolutely think it is here to stay. As long as Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies have value, having a collectible tangible cryptocurrency coin in your hands makes perfect sense. Michael Barr Address withheld Personally, I see the prices being paid for these coins, and I think it’s insane. Somewhere, there are tulips to be bought-(if you know what tulip mania was in Holland in the 16th century) I personally would never spend a penny on it as I still think it’s a sham. Roy…

Have you ever looked on Etsy (etsy.com) to see what kind of coins they have for sale on the site? I took a look and found some of the offerings deeply disturbing. Before I get started enumerating some disturbing sales, let me note that many of the sales appear to be quite legitimate. However, there are some real dandies for sale on the site. For one thing, there are many coins that are not what you would expect from the pictures. For example, several coin sales have a picture of a 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent. I’m pretty sure that the coins pictured are really genuine 1909-S VDBs, but they’re priced at some ridiculous figure, such as $18.75 for what appears to be an uncirculated coin. Next to that sale is…

There are quite a few ways unscrupulous folks can alter genuine coins. These things are done either to hide or remove defects, raise eye appeal, change the date or mint, imitate Mint errors, and improve the details of a coin’s design. The purpose of these alterations is to increase financial gain. That’s why knowledge of both grading and authentication should be one goal for every serious collector. That includes most of you reading this. The basic requirements include a good “eye” for detail, fluorescent light, adequate magnification (a 7-40X stereo-zoom microscope is best), and a specific habitual method to examine coins. Then, with experience over time you will be able to detect most alterations that others miss. Your good vision is the only thing you will be in less control…

COMPLETE U.S. COIN PRICE GUIDE APRIL 2025 For a comprehensive list of coin values visit: www.numismaster.com Coin “collectors” has become an odd, perhaps even antiquated, way to describe those of us who have an interest in coins. The lines between coin collecting as a recreational hobby and coin investing, with profit being the ultimate goal, have been blurred since the early 20th century. Was anyone really collecting when there was a stampede to buy as many rolls of 1950-D nickels as you could carry once the word got out that the mintage of this coin was low? Was the price of coins really fluctuating significantly that during the 1960s, so-called hobby publications began publishing retail market prices weekly? Why did the U.S. Mint need to issue annual Proof and Mint…

Domestic and world markets continue to be in turmoil as this commentary is being written. This is due to the many rapid-fire tariff changes being made and then tweaked by the executive branch of our government. These shifting policies are impacting the discretionary money available with which to purchase coins, as well as many other discretionary items and services. That part is obvious. What is not as obvious is that the many tariffs now being implemented are also impacting what collectors will pay to purchase a coin that is currently in another country. What this means is that if there is a $20 double eagle coin in an auction in England, it will likely be subject to a tariff (and possibly also to a Value Added Tax) if that coin…

On day one of your NumisTravel journey, our first stop of the day will be Coincraft. The venerable London coin shop is a journey into the heart of numismatic history and culture. Nestled in the bustling area of Saint Giles, Coincraft’s location at 45 Great Russell Street is as storied as the treasures it holds within. As you approach the shop, the classic facade invites you into a world where every coin tells a tale of empires, economies, and epochs long past. The welcoming, knowledgeable staff is as passionate about coins as the collectors who frequent the store. The shelves and displays are a numismatist’s dream, densely packed with coins from ancient civilizations to modern mints. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a curious newcomer, the team at Coincraft is…

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…

This is my total year of coin roll hunting finds for the calendar year of 2024. I regularly hunt, on average, $1,000 per week of primarily customer-returned rolls of nickels, dimes, quarters, and halves. This is the list of finds for the year, seven rolls of various dates of NIFC halves, 30 90 percent silver 1964 Kennedy halves, 13 Franklin halves, one Walking Liberty half, 170 40 percent silver halves, six 1987 halves, one 1987 proof half, 20 proof halves, five silver Washington quarters, seven 2019 W quarters, seven 2020-W quarters, seven proof quarters, 10 S-Mint NIFC quarters, 12 “In God We Rust” error quarters, eight 2021 Washington crossing Delaware small crown die chip quarters, three 2021 Washington cross Delaware Full bird’s nest crown die chip quarters, one silver Canadian…

They are not much to look at, but OPA (Office of Price Administration) vulcanized fiber (cellulose) 16mm tokens once played an important role. Ralph Yates told the story of “Making Points with the Housewife: Now virtually forgotten, the drab OPA ration tokens were vital to millions during World War II” in the January 1966 issue of Coins magazine. “Very rarely does a token take on as wide a circulation as a country’s coins,” he wrote. “Yet 20 years ago, a token circulating in the United States to a degree not seen since the tradesman’s tokens of civil war days. Not a piece of money itself, it occasionally became as important as money. The reason it came into being at all was the unsuitability of another non-monetary circulating medium. “The token…

Whitman BrandsTM, the industry leader in numismatic literature, storage, and supplies, proudly announces the official release of A Guide Book of United States Coins 2026—the all-new, redesigned, and reimagined edition of the hobby’s most iconic reference book, commonly known as the Red Book. This landmark edition sets a new standard for coin collecting reference guides, incorporating new research, expanded pricing data, and a sleek, user-friendly design that modern collectors and seasoned numismatists alike will appreciate. “This isn’t just another edition—it’s a true reimagining of what the Red Book can be for today’s collectors,” said John Feigenbaum, Publisher and President/ CEO of Whitman Brands. “Whether you’re new to numismatics or a seasoned expert, A Guide Book of United States Coins 2026 is an essential tool that reflects both the heritage and…

The 1892-S Morgan dollar is a nice coin for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it may be one of the exceptions to just about every rule when it comes to Morgan dollars. An interesting aspect of Morgan dollars is there will always be a great deal we will never know about them. We know with fairly accurate mintage records how many Morgan dollars were minted by order of legislation to create an artificial demand for the silver being mined in the West. There is no question that the Morgan dollar production was enormous in terms of the number of coins created for public demand. In reality, the public demand for the Morgan dollar was not all that high except in the West and South,…