A fascinating story has been in the media this month, and it raises some interesting questions about commemorative coins. Everyone hopes and prays for peace in the world, and especially these days on the Korean peninsula. So when President Trump announced his plans for a historic summit with Kim Jong-un, The US Mint was quick […]
Most of the world had their eyes on the TV on Saturday, May 19, for the wedding between the brother of a future king of England to a Californian black actress. Prince Harry married Meghan Markle, well known for her role in the TV show ‘Suits’, and they are now the Duke and Duchess of […]
Few coin images are as iconic as the American Buffalo and the Indian Head. When they both appear on a gold coin, this is sure to spark serious interest from collectors. The US Mint has done just that, with the release on May 10, 2018, of the 2018-W $50 Proof American Buffalo Gold Coin. First […]
In 1965 silver coins were no longer legal tender, and people began to horde them, and other silver items. Towards the end of the 1970s the value of silver soared, and many coins were melted down for bullion, and profit. This immediately made surviving coins more valuable as collectibles, and today these coins form the […]
A dollar doesn’t go very far today, but 100 years ago it was worth something – enough that making one out of silver made sense. That first $1 coin in America was the Morgan Silver Dollar, minted between 1878 and 1904. Today, in its many variations, it’s a popular coin for collecting, and with silver […]
Someone new to coin collecting often begins just by being fascinated by the designs of coins, but sooner or later they become interested in how mints create these everyday items, that we handle with little regard for their origins, or for the skills and machinery that goes into producing them. In the past coins were […]
Buying bullion coins combines an interest in investment in precious metals with an interest in coins. Although American buyers often stick to US Mint bullion, there is no need to do that – expand your collection and add foreign bullion too. These coins can have some rarity value on top of their melt value, and […]
One of the best things about the American the Beautiful Quarters series is their nod to democracy – anyone who can search their change can build a set of circulation coins at almost no cost. Serious collectors can buy proof sets in silver from the US Mint, but for children just starting to show an […]
Some collectors are torn between collecting for the interest of the coins, and collecting for bullion value, as an investment and even to pass on as an inheritance. One interesting way to balance these desires is to collect old gold. That is, coins from before the Second World War, and even from the 19th century. […]
In 1897, workmen digging a cellar in Philadelphia found some coins. One turned out to be a Brasher Doubloon, the rarest American coin there is, and the last-found of only seven examples still in existence. This March one of those coins was sold for over $5 million, almost the highest price ever paid for an […]
With the North American Free Trade Deal in the news, our northern neighbors are getting more attention than usual. For coin collectors, Canada offers a way to add interesting items to a collection without having to even leave North America, and one coin from the Royal Canadian Mint that is a long-standing favorite is the […]
Perfection is a common goal when collecting coins – perfect finish, perfect example, but ironically it’s the mistakes that bring in the big money. Collectors love error coins – mistakes at the Mint that result in something unique. There are many different types of error that can and sometimes do occur when making coins. The […]
Last week America’s largest coin graders, the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, who operate in both Florida and Shanghai, announced that since their founding in 1987, NGC have graded 40 million coins. New coin collectors soon learn about ‘proof’ and ‘uncirculated’ grades, but what is so important here, that a company can be successful simply grading coins? […]
Every year since 2010 the US Mint has created 5 new coins in its America the Beautiful Quarters series. Besides the steady release of each circulation coin through the year, in the early months of each year sets are released for collectors. Back in January, with the release of the first circulation quarter for the […]
Coin collectors always have one eye on the bullion value of their coins and may also directly collect bullion in the form of gold, silver and platinum coins and bars. The last few weeks have been turbulent times indeed for all kinds of investors. Cryptocurrencies collapsed, and now seem to be reviving, thanks in part […]
Coin collectors always have one eye on the bullion value of their coins and may also directly collect bullion in the form of gold, silver and platinum coins and bars. The last few weeks have been turbulent times indeed for all kinds of investors. Cryptocurrencies collapsed, and now seem to be reviving, thanks in part […]
Gold & Silver Market 11-23-2015
The precious metals sector was confusing last week, with a mixed bag of performances and no clear pattern visible. The two big investment items, gold and silver, didn’t show a lot of movement. Neither did platinum, while palladium managed to rise. With the equities markets also rising quite strongly, propelled mostly by gains in defense […]
Gold & Silver Market 11-17-2015
Once again there were disappointing results right across the precious metals sector last week, although the scale of losses varied. Overall it was a worrying period, because metals managed to lose ground even though the equities markets fell heavily. Normally we’d have expected to see metals make a lot of ground in these market conditions, […]
Connect
Join Us On These Networks