Everything on Coins, Banknotes and Collectibles!
If you are having your coins appraised, you are requesting a determination of the value of the coins in the collection. If there is valuable die varieties or coins worth a premium because of their state, condition, or something else that would cause them to have a great value, the appraiser should inform you of … Read more
Notes on Merovingian Tremissis This gold coin dates from between 580AD and 630AD. The Merovingian Dynasty was based in ancient Gaul (which is now France) and dates from the middle of the 5th century AD. One side of the coin has a central cross design but none of the letters can be read, which means it … Read more
The overall price of producing U.S. circulating coins fell for a fifth straight year even as the cost of making cents and nickels remained above their face values for an eleventh year in a row, the United States Mint disclosed in its recently published 2016 Annual Report. The unit cost to produce, administer and distribute … Read more
Grading Scales Since rare coin quality varies widely, numismatists have adopted several coin-grading methods to assign more specific levels of quality to rare coins. The overwhelmingly popular method to use is the American Numismatic Association (ANA) grading scale. The ANA grading scale divides circulated and uncirculated coins into 24 grades: 13 circulated grades and 11 … Read more
Circulated or Uncirculated? Proof or No Proof? Numismatic coins fall into one of two basic categories for quality: circulated and uncirculated. Circulated coins exhibit wear, whereas uncirculated coins do not. Uncirculated coins tend to be more valuable, causing investors and serious collectors to focus their efforts on acquiring the uncirculated alone. Numismatists are trained to … Read more
The coins commemorate the national monument in South Carolina by featuring a design that is emblematic of the site. 2016 Fort Moultrie Quarters Three-Coin Set (front and back) This latest of the U.S. Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™ is the fifth and last release this year and the thirty-fifth overall in the series. … Read more
Proof Set Pricing Last year marked the end of the Presidential $1 Coin Program so this year’s proof, silver proof, and uncirculated proof sets have from 3 to 6 fewer coins. The new price changes include: 2017 Proof Set for $26.95. 2017 Silver Proof Set for $47.95. 2017 Mint Set for $20.95. Compared to last … Read more
A significant Japanese proof coin collection will be put on the auction block Jan. 8-9 by Heritage Auctions. The sale will occur at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel during the New York International Numismatic Convention. Just a handful of proof coins were produced by the Japan Mint in 1880 for use only in presentation sets, the firm … Read more
A rare copy of Raphael Thian’s “The Currency of the Confederate States of America: Its Issues, Types and Series” is expected to bring in excess of $50,000 in Kolbe & Fanning’s 2017 New York Book Auction. The sale will be held on Jan. 14 beginning at 12:30 p.m. EST at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in conjunction … Read more
COMMON COIN TERMS As you get into the wonderful world of currency searching, it is important to understand some of the common coin terms used in the hobby. Below is a table of the common coin terms and definitions. We add things to this list as necessary, it is obviously not a hugely extensive list … Read more