The 2017-W Proof American Gold Eagle Has Launched!
The U.S. Mint continued its release of 2017 collector coins with the March 2 launch of the American Gold Eagle Proof coins. Unlike the investor-grade bullion coins, these collector-quality coins ha...
The 2016 Canadian Superman Silver Maple Leaf
2016 Canadian Maple Leaf BU Superman Design Only one person gets to wear an official “S” on his chest, a man sent to a Kansas farm from the planet Krypton as a baby to save him from his planet’s im...
The 1935 $1 Hawaii Issue Silver Certificate
After the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, U.S. forces in the Pacific were spread thin and the government was concerned that the Japanese would invade Hawaii. To prevent large amounts of U....
The 1909 VDB Lincoln Cent - A Tale of Three Initials
1909 VDB Lincoln Cent - Circulated ConditionControversy over Lincoln’s Portrait The first controversy revolved around what would be on the face of the coin. Until then, U.S. coins had not contained...
The Friedberg Numbering System for U.S. Banknotes
Over the course of our nation’s monetary history paper banknotes have had many more designs and issues than coins. Besides numerous variations in artwork, the bills vary by series and the signature...
The First Line of Defense Against Counterfeiting is You
By the end of the Civil War, the United States was flooded with counterfeit money, much of it made by the Confederacy to finance their war needs. Facing severe economic dislocation—as much as 50% o...
The First Curved Coin in U.S. History
2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative CoinThis year marks the 75th anniversary of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. As a result, the United States Mint has decided to issue gold and s...
The Disappearing 90% Silver Franklin Half Dollars
90% Silver Franklin Half Dollar in Average Circulated Condition The Franklin half dollar first appeared in circulation in April, 1948, but its design had been subject to debate for several months—a...
The Curious Case of the Franklin Half Dollar
The year is 1948, the great war is over, America is recovering and proceding into its next Golden Age, but there is a subtle tension that’s building on the horizon. Across the ocean, the Iron Curta...
The Complete Historical Guide to Silver Certificates
Gold certificates, Federal Reserve Notes, US notes, all these notes always get so much attention. But, what about silver certificates? One of the most prolific certificates in US history, and one o...
Uncut Sheet of 32 USA $1 Bills – 2009 SeriesAmong the many things the United States needed to do after gaining independence from Britain was to establish its own money.When a new U.S. Constitution ...
.999 1/10 Ounce Gold China Panda Bear Although coins have been used as currency in China for over 2,000 years, they were initially made of mixtures of materials such as tin, lead, and copper. Aroun...
The Best Reasons to Collect Coins
People collect all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons. From bottle caps to Beanie Babies, for fun and for profit, collecting can be a rewarding hobby, a rewarding business, or both. And few c...
The Best Reasons to Buy Silver Coins
2016 $1 American Silver Eagle MS70 PCGS The first question to ask yourself before buying silver coins (or any others, for that matter) is whether you’re buying them for their monetary (bullion) or ...
The Banknote MVP: Gold Certificates
Gold Certificates are considered by many collectors to be the MVP (Most Valuable Paper) of banknote collecting. Especially since the gold recall of 1933, most notes were taken out of circulation an...
The ANS and the Beginning of Coin Collecting
By the middle of the 19th century, people in the U.S. were beginning to take collecting coins seriously. A handful of antiques and collectibles dealers had added coins to their offerings, and the A...