-
Recorded Online Seminars
Michael J. Shutty Jr., PhD, author of “One Coin is Never Enough,” talked about the reasons we collect, the thrill of the hunt and the very different kinds of people who are drawn to this hobby we love.
Mac Version | More seminars >>Subscribe to Numismatic News
Get a full year — that’s 52 issues — of Numismatic News for only $29.99
Polls
ANA has abolished its fall coin show. Should it abolish the spring one, too?
Loading ...- Register today to submit a letter to the editor!
Letters to the Editor
- This week’s letters (06/05/12) A collection of letters from readers of Numismatic News to editor, Dave Harper.
-
Morgan $1 legend placement illegal
The Coinage Act of 1873 specified that the legend, E PLURIBUS UNUM, be on the reverse of all coins struck after that date. On the Morgan dollar, it appears on the obverse above the head. The same problem occurred with the design of the Liberty Head, or “V,” nickel. Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Coin Clinic, Features
Leave a comment
Anthony dollars promoted by many
Didn’t the post offices and the Army get involved in trying to make the Susan B. Anthony dollars circulate? Continue reading
Nickel find a genuine double strike
Is this nickel a legitimate Mint product? All indications are that it is indeed a Mint product, double struck, once in the collar and the second time offset toward 6 o’clock. Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Coin Clinic, Features
Leave a comment
Dollars in 1962 display totaled 1 million
A total of 1 million silver dollars were displayed. A Nebraska corn crib manufacturer, Behlen Manufacturing Co., filled a crib with the coins. There were 800,000 bagged Morgans dated 1904 and earlier, and 200,000 Peace dollars, weighing 30 tons. Continue reading
Key area on 1864 cent is hair ribbon
Just as the Buffalo nickels have their horns as a grading indicator, the Indian Head cents were often graded by the number of diamonds showing on the Indian’s headdress. There are four diamonds on the hair ribbon, which happens to be the first point to show wear. Continue reading
1818 piece fantasy strike, not mule
Somewhere I read something about an 1818 quarter that had a large cent reverse. Was this a mule? Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Coin Clinic, Features
Leave a comment
Gold $5 prop in WWI Houdini act
One source that we found says that in a World War I version of the USO tours, Houdini entertained American troops by filling a fishbowl with half dollars and then going into the audience and pulling gold half eagles out of the ears and hair of his audience. He would cap this by tossing a coin to some lucky soldier. Continue reading
Credit Longacre for 3-cent issue design
The design for the issued coin was Longacre’s, but Peale is credited with an 1850 pattern copied from the pattern by Gobrecht for an 1836 gold dollar. While checking this, I note that many writers tend to gloss over the differences between patterns and actual issued coins, which may have been the root cause for your difference of opinion. Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Coin Clinic, Features
Leave a comment
Wheat heads considered symbolic wreath
A logical observation, although coin design is not always logical. U.S. coins featured a wreath as part of the design from their inception in 1792 almost continuously until 1921 when the last true wreath disappeared from the silver dollar. The wheat head design, since the heads are curved and resemble the old wreaths, is considered a symbolic wreath. Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Coin Clinic, Features
Leave a comment
Two commems bear prominent crosses
Despite the fact that the word “God” appears on all of our relatively recent coins, the only two U.S. coins that clearly show a cross in the design are the York County, Maine, 1936 commemorative half dollar that shows the county seal – a shield quartered by a large cross – and the 1934 Maryland commemorative half that has two crosses in the reverse design. There is also a small cross on the Shield nickel, the only intended circulation strike. Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Coin Clinic, Features
Leave a comment
