The Happy Coin Blog

The SS Republic Shipwreck Effect 1857 Half Dollar: A Unique Piece of American History We’ve recently rediscovered an 1857 half dollar sunken along with the SS Republic, and graded by NGC respectively. We have received plenty of interest and questions with this coin and we would like to take a moment to put this coin in the spotlight!   What Makes it Special?  The SS Republic Shipwreck Effect 1857 Half Dollar is one of the most fascinating numismatic finds in American histo …

We recently purchased Proof Trade Dollars from 1879 and 1882, graded by NGC and PCGS respectively. There has already been a lot of interest with these coins and we would like to take a moment to shed some light on why exactly proof trade dollars are so interesting! The Trade Dollar has one of the most unusual backstories in U.S. coins. First struck in 1873 under the Coinage Act of 1873 and designed by William Barber, it was never meant to be used in American pockets. Instead, it was created to c …