Coin Grading

The Cost to Make Coins in 2016

heritage auctions

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

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What is a Merovingian Tremissis ?

Merovingian Tremissis Gold Coin

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

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Circulated or Uncirculated Coins

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

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Coin Grading Scales and How are Coins Graded

how are coins graded

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

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Fort Moultrie Quarters for South Carolina in Three-Coin Set

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.

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Japanese Proof Set to be Auctioned by Heritage this Week!

heritage auctions

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

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2017 Proof Set Pricing and Changes in Pricing

us proof set

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

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Sheldon Coin Grading Guide

proof coins price guide

Coin Grading Coin grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a coin, one of the key factors in determining its value. A coin’s grade is generally determined by five criteria: strike, preservation, luster, color, and attractiveness. Several grading systems have been developed. Certification services professionally grade coins for tiered fees. As

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The Components of Coin Grading

ancient roman coins

Coin Grading Following in the footsteps of the coin grading scale, there is also a Universal Rarity Scale that was developed in 1992 by Q. David Bowers, a famous numismatist. This was to better assess the rarity of a coin quickly and accurately. 5 Components of Coin Grading 1Strike This refers to the process of

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