I had an email yesterday from the “U.S. Department of the Treasury.” In the header it said “Your Payment is Approved.” Of course, it was spam. It had also gotten through our company spam filter. Naturally, I was curious as … Continue reading →

How much do you take for granted? In every conversation or email communication I have, there seems to be a number of assumptions that I make. Most of the time, these assumptions work pretty well and help both the telephone … Continue reading →

As long as I collect coins, two things are guaranteed: I will make money on some of my coin purchases. I will lose money on some of my coin purchases. There is no secret formula to achieve a 100 percent … Continue reading →

I had an email solicitation in my inbox when I got to work this morning. It offers me a chance to buy Professional Coin Grading Service slabbed Proof-69 and MS-69 two-coin West Point American Eagle sets as well as Proof-70 … Continue reading →

How quickly we forget. I had an emailed inquiry regarding the melting of pre-1982 cents with the 95-percent copper alloy. It is illegal to do so. It has been since Dec. 14, 2006, when the Treasury imposed regulations on melting … Continue reading →

When I was a kid, though I collected 12 months a year, there was no question that the peak activity time was during the summer. With no school to attend and my paper route bringing me a small income, I … Continue reading →

I am sure most people would agree that there is a big difference between being frugal and cutting corners. Coin collectors are well known for their frugality It seems to come with the territory when you are a collector, but … Continue reading →

  I arrived at my desk this morning knowing that I would have to write something about the end of the sales for the two-coin West Point silver American Eagle set. The Mint closed the order period at 5 p.m. … Continue reading →

Should the United States begin striking platinum American Eagle bullion coins again? They were victims of the financial crisis when the Mint hunkered down to focus on demand for gold and silver American Eagles. Since their elimination after the 2008 … Continue reading →

How much information do you need to make a smart purchase? I am sure you are familiar with the radio ads that feature fast talking announcers reading legal boilerplate at the end. Do we need something like that in numismatics? … Continue reading →