Some coins are simply fascinating and the 1861-C half eagle has to be placed in that group. When you hold an 1861-C half eagle, you simply have to reflect on where this coin might have been over the years and which governing body might have been in charge of the Charlotte Mint when it was struck. Continue reading →

The 1860-O Seated Liberty dime is a coin with an unusual and fascinating past. It is a date that marked the end of New Orleans dime production for more than three decades, and based on its low mintage, it appears to also be a date that might well reflect the fact that the Civil War was on the horizon. Continue reading →

The 1895-S is definitely not your typical well struck and generally available San Francisco Morgan dollar. In fact, if anything, it is more like the not-readily-available 1893-S. To be sure, it is not as tough as the 1893-S, but there is no disputing the fact that the 1895-S is far tougher than the average Morgan dollar. Continue reading →

It was supposed to be a glorious year in Carson City in 1870 as that was the year of the first mintages from the new branch mint. The facility itself was quite an impressive structure with elegant meeting rooms and gardens. Continue reading →

The Lincoln cents of the 1920s are a much better group than many have believed. It is hard to explain why the 1920s Lincoln cents were overlooked, but the big four (1909-S VDB, 1909-S, 1914-D and 1931-S) always seemed to take the spotlight away from any other dates. Continue reading →

The 1941-S Walking Liberty half dollar is a date people are starting to realize is much tougher than many had assumed. In the case of the 1941-S the recognition may be better late than never, but it could still be a long time before the 1941-S gets the respect it really deserves. Continue reading →

Thanks to the presence of 147,485 examples of the 1881-CC Morgan dollar in the GSA sales of the 1970s, it is available. Had it not been for that hoard, however, the 1881-CC might well be a significant rarity. The 1881-CC Morgan started with a low mintage of 296,000 made possible by the fact that no dollars were minted from April 1 to Oct. 1 of that year. At the time there was no great need for new Morgan dollars and no great collector interest, either. Continue reading →

The 1927 Peace dollar might be the most unlikely sleeper of all U.S. coins. It’s also a sleeper that has a pretty good chance of waking up, which is not characteristic of most. Continue reading →