This gold piece, struck in standard 0.900 fine gold, predates the 1854-S $20 Liberty by a year, and represents a fascinating period in California in the heyday of the Gold Rush. It all started at the United States Assay Office
The U.S. Assay Office was the forerunner of what would in 1854 become the San Francisco Mint, which began producing quarter eagles, half eagles, eagles, and double eagles in that year.
This unique and impressive gold coin was produced a year before, between March 1 to Oct. 30, 1853, with a total production of about 2.5 million pieces. Although most would be returned to the mint and melted down to create the postliminary Liberty Head Type 1.
Older, territorial gold $20 coin dies were remade to read "900 THOUS." over the existing "880 THOUS." on the obverse, in accordance with the Mint Act of 1837. This edit results in the '9' showing an unrecognizable jumble at the top left loop, and the first 0 having obvious “horns” atop, from the left and right sides of the underlying '8.'
Graded Mint State 61 by PCGS and subsequently verified by CAC, this is one of the finer examples of this coin we have seen.
If you are interested in this coin or any others in our inventory, please feel free to contact the store.
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Also, our $5 shipping on second item is still in effect so a second purchase will net you not only 10% off the item, but an additional $5 savings.
Happy Holidays!
]]>We recently came into possession of a breathtaking example of a Type 1 Nickel in an NGC Graded MS68 Holder. One can easily be mesmerized by the precision engraving that contributes to the Buffalo's coveted "Full Horn" detail and speckled, dynamic fields. While not a supremely rare coin in any grade, the multitudes of "No-Date" and "About Good" condition Buffaloes make any high mint-state coin especially interesting, as most nickels of this era are worn down by years of handling.
It is because of this fact that there exist two types of Buffalo Nickels: the appellative Type 1, also called "Raised Ground" and Type 2, known as "in Recess."
Halfway through 1913, the Type 1 Nickel revealed itself to wear down far too quickly on the high point of the obverse, the mound at the bottom on which the buffalo stands. Unfortunately, this is the same spot where denomination of "Five Cents" is written. This led to a hasty revision of the design and a more durable, recessed Type 2 was released that same year, still bearing the year 1913.
What is notable about the 1913 Nickel is that unlike the inaugural year of its predecessor, the 1883 Liberty 'V' Nickel, mintages of Type 1 and Type 2 are effectively equal, 30,992,000 and 29,856,186 respectively. This means that each design in high grade can carry an impressive price, leading most collectors to pursuing both.
]]>This particular coin is graded by NGC as MS65 Red/Brown and is a stunning example of, given the prevalence of wheat cents in any young person's pocket, possibly the most quested-over single design in American numismatics.
The bas-relief of President Abraham Lincoln by designer Victor David Brenner has grown to be such an iconic simulacrum of United States Currency as a whole that it is the longest running coin design in American History. Furthermore, this "Lincoln Head" profile could be estimated to be the most copied piece of art in history.
Such a storied coin is not without controversies, however. As Brenner originally signed the reverse of the coin with his full name. After finding the entirety of the designed name a tad intrusive, Engraver Charles Barber shortened it to just the "VDB" we see now.
This move likely dampened but certainly did not quell a public outcry in the conspicuousness of Brenner's initials. Many thought his large monogram interrupted the fields of the wheat reverse, with some accusing the initials as nothing more than free advertising.
The initials were subsequently ground off the 1909 dies and the Brenner's signature remained missing from the coin until 1918 where it was applied to Lincoln's bust edge.
Back to our example. This coin is graded Mint State 65 Red Brown, and notably carries a Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC) Green Holographic Sticker. CAC is a supplemental certification service that verifies coins not on the standard 70-point scale as does PCGS and NGC. Rather, they provide a quality assurance on only the most select coins from within a particular grade.
That means that this particular coin is not only of higher quality than the entire population of lower-grade MS64s... but also is asserted by CAC to be a choice example of coins that carry the MS65 grade. This qualification not only reinforces the 65 grading, but also adds additional liquidity in a crowded and competitive online global market.
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The world of numismatics is sometimes rather impenetrable for the curious, with many just wondering if the handful of coins they discovered in the back of the closet has any real value or is just spending money.
As a TL; DR – here is a cheat sheet for checking for the different silver contents of American Coins.
It is probably most necessary before delving into the topic of this blog to first introduce the reality that nearly all coins derive their value from one of two qualities: precious metals value, or numismatic value.
Precious Metals Value is the actual price of the metal that is contained in the coin – normally gold or silver. This is derived by determining the purity of the metal the coin is made from, and then comparing that to the weight of the coin to discover the total amount of the precious metal within. All coins containing silver or gold (except for clad or plated coins, which we will cover below) have at least some precious metals value.
Numismatic Value is the collectible value of the coin. This value is derived from the rarity of the coin, whether it is an uncommon date, or even just in a very good condition that makes it more uncommon than its peers. Numismatic value is much more complex in determination and involves considerations of mintage numbers and mint location, how the coin was stored, how often the coin was handled, and even if it was ever cleaned (Don’t clean your coins!) Not all coins have numismatic value, regardless of their precious metals value.
Fortunately. you don’t need to be a numismatist to navigate one of the most basic and common forms of US Coinage values: silver content. Here are some easy steps to follow to determine if any of your US Coins have silver in them. Note: these rules are only for American coins, and the rules for other countries vary considerably.
All United States Pennies are made of copper, except for the 1943 Steel Penny made during World War II. So, while there are rare pennies that might have some numismatic value (see our video on the 1955 Double Die), none of the small cents in your collection will carry any precious metals value.
Nickels are mostly in the same category, but once again World War II threw in a bit of an exception. From 1942 to 1945, Jefferson Nickels contained 35% silver due to the demand for nickel in the war effort.
In 1965, US Dime changed from 90% silver to a Copper-Nickel alloy that was clad in silver. While this layer of silver makes the coins look shiny and, they contain no real silver value. The rule is that all US dimes up to and including 1964 are 90% silver. Save those.
The same history applies to US Quarters. Pull all quarters that have the year of 1964 and earlier.
So there is a slight difference in half dollars. The US kept minting silver into half dollar coins until 1970, but between 1965 and 1970 the silver content was lowered to 40%. While it is fairly easy to tell the difference between a 90% coin and a Clad coin (post-1970) the 40% silver coins look much more like their 90% predecessors. There is a somewhat easy method to rapidly filtering your clad coins (including dimes and quarters.)
Stack up all your coins and then look at the edges. You should easily be able to tell the difference between the clad and silver coins. Once you’ve separated the clad ones (you can use them as spending money) check the remaining silver coins for dates beyond 1964. Those are 40% - separate them from the 90% silver collection.
The same 40% rule exists with Eisenhower One Dollar coins, although you will find that these are all 40% as they were struck after 1964. Eisenhower Dollars are 40If you happen to have Morgan or Peace silver dollars from the early 20 th century, those are all 90%.
US Numismatics consists of myriad exceptions to rules and caveats of error coins or special commemoratives. It’s helpful to train your eye in noticing what might look silver or even just unique enough to warrant further research.
Give us a call at the shop if you think you might have some silver and are curious on how much we are offering at current market prices!
Type of US Coin | 90% Silver | 40% Silver | Clad (Spending Money) |
Pennies | none | none | all years |
Nickels | none | (35%) 1942-1945 | all other years |
Dimes | 1837-1964 | none | 1965+ |
Quarters | 1838-1964 | none | 1965+ |
Half Dollars | 1839-1964 | 1965-1970 | 1971+ |
Dollars | 1840-1935 | (some) 1971-1978 | (some) 1971-1978 |
If you are interested in purchasing, please call the shop at 203-340-9777.