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Letters to the Editor
- This week's letters (06/18/13) In response to the question in Mr. Fazzari’s May 28 column from Numismatic News, I wanted to let you know that the coin you came across is part of a popular magic trick, called a “Scotch and Soda.”
Author Archives: Robert R. Van Ryzin
$10 gets $45,000
An 1864 $10 Compound Interest Bearing Note, Fr. 190b, brought a hammer price of $45,000 in Lyn Knight Currency Auctions’ CPMX 2012 sale in Rosemont, Ill. The sale was held from March 8-10 at the Crowne Plaza O’Hare in conjunction with the 18th Annual Chicago Paper Money Expo. Continue reading
CPMX gets dealers’ top marks
Enjoying what he says was his best quarter of business in the past 30 years, and hoping this trend will continue, dealer Frederick J. Bart of Executive Currency, Roseville, Mich., was upbeat about the 18th Annual Chicago Paper Money Expo March 8-11 in Rosemont. Continue reading
New twists at old show
Employing the slogan, “If you want to talk paper money, you have to come to Memphis,” the 35th International Paper Money Show held June 9-12 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center proved to be a delight for everyone from the hard-core collector to the novice, with plenty of shades in between. Continue reading
Old SF Mint’s lost treasure
One of the great rarities in the U.S. coinage series is the 1870-S gold $3. Only one specimen is known to exist. What isn’t known about this coin (and a unique 1870-S half dime) is if it is the specimen … Continue reading
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Coin collecting a disease?
If you’re hooked on collecting coins, it’s understandable. You’re infected, as it’s apparently a disease that started spreading, without a cure, well back in U.S. history. Read the following from the Oct. 5, 1859 issue of The Daily Ohio Statesman … Continue reading
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Fraser's would-be Indian model
I picked up this image of John Big Tree in an eBay auction years ago. John Big Tree claimed he was a model for James Earle Fraser’s Buffalo nickel (1913-1938). The many holes in his story are told in my … Continue reading
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Spitting image
Admittedly the Anthony mini dollar, which portrays famed suffragette Susan B. Anthony, never took off as a circulating coin. Some thought it was too close in size to the quarter to be easily identifiable. Coinage was from 1979-1981 and again … Continue reading
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That's one big nugget
Having an interest in gold and silver mining (and, of course, coins), I was happy to get a chance to view the 100-troy ounce Washington Nugget that was on display at the Florida United Numismatists Coin Show in Tampa this … Continue reading
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Shorted 1,908 cents
When the new Lincoln cents came out in 1909 everyone wanted one. Of course, today it is known that the 1909-S with Victor D. Brenner’s initials on it was one that would prove valuable. However, even by the 1920s, when … Continue reading
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Extracting precious metals is a dangerous business
Watching the recent rescue of miners in Chile was a stark reminder of how dangerous deep mining for metals can be.For my book, Crime of 1873: The Comstock Connection, I did a lot of research into the miners and mining … Continue reading
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