Innehållsförteckning för October 21, 2025 från Numismatic News

Stack’s Bowers Galleries announced its collaboration with Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) as the exclusive auctioneer for their series of Trade and Grade Showcase events, beginning in October 2025. More inclusive than the historically popular Members Only Shows, Trade and Grade conventions will be open to the public and not just PCGS Members. Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ Trade and Grade official auctions expand upon the firm’s auction schedule. PCGS will add its marketing efforts to these auction events, ensuring visibility for all consignments featured in each sale. In addition, every auction lot will be available for in-person viewing at the Trade and Grade events themselves, as well as at Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ California offices in the weeks leading up to each auction. Additionally, Stack’s Bowers Galleries and PCGS introduced the Submission…

We have been aching to write up a good Bargain Collector column dealing with any classic United States series made of gold, but alas, the prices and the volatility of gold right now appear to be making this impossible. Even the relatively common Coronet $5 half Eagles have taken flight to new heights. Not only is the price of gold extremely high right now – about $3,600 per ounce – but it seems amazingly volatile, jumping about almost at random. So, in the hopes of finding some good in silver instead, we have looked through quite a few of the classic United States series and have come back to one that might qualify as hiding in plain sight, the Franklin half dollars. We did look at the proofs of this…

Eric Brothers, a regular contributor to Numismatic News, recently received a writing award from the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG). He won in the category “U.S. Coins 1901 to Date (Numismatic Columns or Articles)” for his article, “Liberty in Motion: Adolph Weinman’s Iconic Masterpiece,” which was published in the American Numismatic Society’s ANS Magazine in Spring of 2025. The article discusses the numismatic history and artistry of the Walking Liberty half dollar (1916-1947). It also covers the supposed inspiration behind Weinman’s half dollar, Oscar Roty’s Sower coin (1879-1920). Many authors consider Roty’s coin to have inspired Walking Liberty; however, Weinman himself never discussed the Sower’s impact upon his own work. Brothers has been a numismatic author for over twenty years. During that time, his written work has been published in Palm…

Among the early state coppers, the issues of Connecticut have loyal followers and lots of varieties. In the May 1966 issue of Coins magazine, Yancey Rayburn looked at these issues under the heading: “Copper Links to Pre-Mint America: The Connecticut Cents.” “Back when the United States was operating after a fashion under the old articles of confederation, and the states were much nearer being separate nations, Connecticut issued a large and varied coinage of coppers as one of its pre-constitutional prerogatives,” Rayburn wrote. “Not the best known of American coins, the pieces recall an America which started to vanish with the Civil War. “To get an idea of how far back Connecticut coins go, it takes more than subtracting 1785 from 1966. At the time they were current, the United…

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…

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…

The Philadelphia Mint began to strike copper coins in late February 1793, though at first there were great difficulties to overcome. Public dissatisfaction with the Chain design persuaded mint officials to create the Wreath cent in April. However, even the Wreath cent was not held in high regard, forcing yet another change. Until the summer of 1793, the pro tem engraver was Chief Coiner Henry Voight, who did the best he could, but the quality of the engraving on the Wreath and Chain cents is not all that good. The Wreath cent is certainly the better of the two. After some difficulty, Mint Director David Rittenhouse persuaded famed portrait painter Joseph Wright to join the Mint in mid-August as its first regular engraver. Wright was also a die cutter, though…

The U.S. Mint’s American Women Quarters Program has highlighted figures whose achievements left a lasting mark on American history. Among them is Jovita Idár (1885-1946), a Mexican American teacher, journalist, and activist whose work in education, publishing, and community organizing has secured her a place as a significant historical figure. Born in Laredo, Texas, Idár grew up in a family that valued education and community service. Laredo is a town on the U.S.-Mexico border, and she lived in a time when people moved freely across. Her father, Nicasio Idár, was the founder of the Spanish-language newspaper La Crónica, where Idar and her siblings gained early experience in journalism. Her parents encouraged Idar and her siblings to learn about the range of issues affecting the Mexican American community. She began her…

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers. Read more responses at www.numismaticnews.com. Have you ever bought coins “near melt” with the hope of future numismatic appreciation? What happened? Yes, when gold was at approximately $1,500 an ounce about 5 years ago, I thought it was undervalued. Rather than buy bullion, I bought double eagles. I was able to purchase eight of them, graded by NGC or PCGS in MS 63 and 64, both St Gaudens and Liberty type, for $1,600-$1,800 each. I totally bought them on speculation, as they were more common dates like 1904, 1927, etc., but since they had numismatic value, it served two purposes for me. With silver currently at about $45 an ounce, I wish I had bout about $500 of junk silver. Either…

While walking my little Yorkie, Daisy, one morning, down the block from my house, I found this Canadian Quarter in the street. I know it’s not worth anything, but it was a cool find. Later, while visiting my local 7-11 in Jupiter, Fla., for my usual morning iced coffee, I received a 1943 P Wartime Silver Nickel. These coins are 35 percent silver and are worth about $2.50. It was the first time I received silver in charge in about 10 years! Philip Lo Presti Jupiter, Fla. A fellow coin collector found this very rare 2019 “Earring Variety” Lowell Washington quarter, and ANAC graded it as such with an MS64 grade. He asked me to send you a picture of it to show to other collectors. I could only find…

You’ve been a collector for some years now and have read many books and articles about numismatics. And every once in a while, you may think to yourself, “Maybe I could become a published numismatic writer.” I’ve been writing about numismatics for over twenty years, and I will share my experience and give you some no-nonsense advice on how to become a professional numismatic writer. There are a few qualities that you will need. If you don’t have them, then perhaps you may not be cut out for the writing life. They are talent, creativity, dedication, curiosity, and passion. The two most important are curiosity and passion. Those will set you apart from the crowd of numismatic authors. Do You Need to Write? A writer writes for his or her…

Coins have been a vehicle through which influencers can convey their message for almost as long as coinage has existed. Alexander “the Great” featured himself wearing a lion’s scalp head dress on coinage as far back as before 323 B.C. The message that a living person should appear on a coin, along with a lion’s scalp, was a powerful statement. Roman emperors took advantage of coins, featuring themselves and their families as well as their triumphs. The Emperor Valerian issued coins bragging about his defeat of the Sasanian Persians when, in fact, he was captured by them in AD 260 and died in captivity. In more modern history, princes, kings, and emperors are the influencers who have appeared on coins. The United States tried to avoid this by using allegorical…

NumisMaster has recently updated pricing for most Mexican coins of the 1900s. Our valuing analyst reviewed sales in-country and online to provide updates for most coins. The valuing analyst made significant changes to the silver 10- and 20-centavo coins, which were issued intermittently from 1898–1905 (classified as KM-404.1 and KM-405.1, respectively). He wrote: “I pull[ed] the prices as high as possible (although this directly affects my own collection, because I myself have not found them all yet), but I still have to start from real existing prices, therefore ... as for me, they still have a lot to grow in price.” These coins are apparently much more rare than their prices have indicated for some time. Their scarcity also makes pricing a challenge, as they might experience fierce bidding if…