The Happy Coin Blog
Recent Inventory Highlight: 1853 US Assay Office $20 900 THOU Gold Piece - CAC and PCGS MS61
The Happy Coin was recently thrilled to come into possession of thrilling piece of American Frontier history.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 OfficeThe 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 do
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May 10th 2023
Recent Inventory Highlight: 1913 Type 1 Buffalo Nickel
One of the perennial collector's coins in the American Numismatic Catalog, the Buffalo Nickel continues to stir enthusiasts with striking portrayals of this nation's First Peoples and the times when wild beasts roamed the Great Plains.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.
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Aug 31st 2022
Recent Inventory Highlight: 1909-S VDB NGC MS65 RB
We recently had the opportunity to offer on and purchase one of the most celebrated (and in some ways, controversial) American coins of all time: the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Wheat Cent.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
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Jul 16th 2022
How to tell if those shiny, silvery coins of yours are indeed, silver.
Probably the most common question we are asked by our
customers here at The Happy Coin is, “How do I know if these coins are worth
anything?”
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 necess
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Aug 14th 2021
The 1943 Silver Penny - The Penny That Should Never Have Been Made
A lot of people talk about 1943 pennies and that they may have a silver one, and while they may have the right color penny, most of those are zinc plated steel. The famed error for the 1943 penny is the copper one, as the USA switched metals from copper to steel in order to conserve metal for their war effort. While the mint tested a variety of metals and alloys in the process of settling on steel, they certainly didn’t mean for this one to be released into the wild, and let’s take a look at it!
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Jan 21st 2021