Letters to the Editor: Feb. 25, 2020

Missing Lincoln

I have found a 1980-D cent with no Lincoln in the Memorial. I went over the coin to see if it had been there at any time. The coin is about MS-63. I’m wondering if it is a genuine or a fake. Also, is there any value to it?

Charles Jochim
Address Withheld

10 Questions for the Mint

1. Bullion coins such as silver eagles (sans a mint mark) which are only offered in bulk which are, I believe, purchased by the Mint to deep-pocketed entities, how does that square with the Mint’s claim of “Fair and Equal Access” to the American public for their products?

2. Given the Mint’s Fiasco release of the 2019-S Enhanced Reverse Proof silver eagle for $ 65.00, and that they were immediately being sold for a minimum ten times the purchase price, why does the Mint still show the coin on their 2019 Product Schedule as “Currently Unavailable?” This would imply or suggest that some might be returned or that more may be minted. Who in their right or wrong mind, would’ve returned this coin?

3. Were any, or was a single one, ever returned to the Mint?

4. Why didn’t the Mint anticipate the crash of their system on Nov. 14 for the release of the coin?

5. Did the Mint think about who stood to gain the most by the release of the coin?

6. Who came up with the notion of undercutting the mintage number of the 1995-W Proof silver eagle by minting 125 fewer of the 2019-S Enhanced Reverse Proofs?

7. For the first time in the silver eagle’s brief history, why did the Mint make the unusual decision to mint two Enhanced Reverse Proof silver eagles in the same year?

8. Before releasing any product, does the Mint ever take into consideration what impact those releases may have on the public’s existing collections?

9. Does the Mint now appreciate how difficult it may be for the “average collector” to amass a complete set of silver eagles?

10. Is there anything the Mint can do to regain the trust of the average collector?” Do they truly care?

Steve McGowan
Algonac, Mich.

‘W’ Quarter Find

I found my third “W” quarter (once again in the quarters from the pool table at work) but this time it was a War in the Pacific, Guam edition, which I did not have. It shows signs of circulation. I would grade it about AU-55 but it’s better than nothing.

Daryl Conley
Truth or Consequences, N.M.

Battered Penny Mystery

Going through my late father’s collection of 90 years, I found some interesting coins. I’m positive that one of them is a 1966 double die reverse. I looked it up in Cherrypickers’ (or one of those books) and it is identical to the pictures but even more pronounced. What should I do with this coin? How many have been found? A coin collector told me only three have ever been found and I’m having a hard time believing that. I also found the coin showed below. I don’t know exactly what’s going on with it.

Kevin Naeb
Address Withheld