For the investor or coin collector who wants a big, bold and beautiful silver dollar at an inexpensive price, American Eagle Silver bullion coins are a great choice.
The $1 face value American Eagle Silver bullion coins are a non-circulating continuation of the U.S. tradition of silver dollars. Everyone loves big silver dollars. The challenge for many is the cost of assembling a top tier, gem quality collection is tough. Why? Scarcity. Take, for example, the Morgan Dollar. Building a complete date/mint set, including all the key date coins, in gem quality mint state coins is becoming near impossible. The 1895 Morgan Dollar Proof is a good example. Costs of this coin at that quality is quickly approaching 6 figures. The 1884-S Morgan Dollar and 1889-CC Morgan are already in the mid-6 figure range in gem quality mint state. The solution for many has been to collect the $1 face value American Eagle Silver bullion coins produced by the U.S. Mint. First released to the public in 1986 the $1 face value American Eagle silver bullion coin is one of the most popular coins among investors and collectors. Now, more than 25 years after its introduction, the coin still regularly sells out yearly as collectors quickly buy them up. Make no mistake, though. The value of these coins, at least in the near term, is dependent on the daily price of silver. With the exception of a very few issues there is little numismatic value. But for the collector who loves big, bright silver coins the fun value is over the top! To keep all the lawyers happy: "Past performance is not an indication of future potential values. My pinions expressed here are just that, opinions. They reflect my personal buying preferences for purchasing coins. These opinions are not meant to denigrate or devalue any company's fine offerings, which may or may not increase in value over time." American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins - Quick History
The American Eagle dollar was authorized by the Liberty Coin Act of 1985 and signed in to law by then President Ronald Reagan. Initial supplies for the coins came from excess silver in national defense stockpiles. By 2002 that source was depleted.
Congress then allowed the U.S. Mint to continue the silver American Eagle dollar coin program utilizing silver bought on the open market. The silver American Eagle series coins continue to be hugely popular among both investors and collectors alike. In the years that followed, the public would devour the coins in this series while enjoying an affordable and easy way to invest in silver.
The American Buffalo One Ounce Gold Proof Coin is the first 24-karat gold proof coin ever struck by the United States Mint and is the collector version of the official United States Mint American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coin.
Containing one ounce of .9999 fine 24-karat gold, these lustrous coins are among the world’s purest gold coins. Each coin is presented in an elegant hardwood box with a matte finish and a leather-like inset. It is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. These beautiful coins make great additions to a collection. Whether you're a collector, investor or looking for a wonderful gift, you can't go wrong purchasing an American Buffalo One Ounce Gold Proof Coin. American Buffalo Gold Coin Specifications
American Buffalo 24K Gold Coins
The American Buffalo One Ounce Gold Coin is based on the highly popular Type I Buffalo nickel (or Indian Head) designed by James Earle Fraser, a student of the legendary sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
This timeless design remained in use for 25 years and then was not seen again until 2001 with the release of the American Buffalo Commemorative Coin. In 2006, the United States Mint reintroduced the design by striking the first 24-karat gold proof coin ever struck by the United States Mint. Production of the 24-karat American Buffalo Gold Coins was authorized by Public Law 109-145, dated December 22, 2005, known as the Presidential $1 Coin Act. These coins are collector versions of the official United States Mint American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins. Each coin contains one ounce of .9999 fine, 24-karat gold and is typically presented in an elegant hardwood box with distinctive finishing touches, and is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. They are also available in certified enclosures. The American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coin represents the convergence of timeless elegance in numismatic design and uncompromising quality in coinage production, the result of which is this one ounce coin made of pure .9999 fine gold. Authorized by Congress in 2005 and first minted in June 2006, American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins are among the world's purest gold coins in terms of the fineness of the metal they contain. Each coin contains its full, stated weight of pure gold. By law, the gold for United States Mint American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins must be taken from newly mined sources in America. They are struck at the United States Mint at West Point, New York. While struck at West Point, American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins do not have a mint mark. Happy Collecting!
The Jefferson Wartime Nickels were produced in response to a critical shortage of nickel metal required for the war effort. WWII military needs out-weighed the needs of the U.S. Mint. Congress directed the mint to find a substitute for nickel in the 5 cent pieces.
When the Jefferson Nickel series began production in 1938 the composition of the coins were 25% nickel 75% copper. The challenge for metallurgists was to come up with a composition that would still work in vending machines where not only the weight of a coin is checked the electrical properties are checked, too. The discovery of a metal composition containing 56% copper, 35% silver and 9% manganese that met the usage requirements paved the way for Silver Nickels. Congress authorized the use of the new composition with the Act of May 27, 1942. The first Wartime Nickels were released in October of 1942. With that the wartime nickels became the first five cent coin to use silver since Half Disme minting ceased in 1873. For the first time a Nickel would have no nickel in its composition. Jefferson Wartime Nickels - The Design
The original design of the Jefferson Nickel features Jefferson wearing coat and wig facing left on the obverse. Circling the rim is the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" on the left and "LIBERTY" followed by the date on the right. Look closely at the space between "LIBERTY" and the date and you'll find a small five pointed star.
The Jefferson Nickel reverse features the familiar front view of Jefferson's estate, Monticello, with the legend "MONTICELLO" directly below, the denomination "FIVE CENTS" in an arc immediately below that. Circling the rim of the reverse is the motto "E PLURIBUS UNUM" at the top and the legend "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" on the bottom. The design of the new silver nickel was changed slightly in hopes that following the war the special wartime nickels could be removed from circulation. Originally the Jefferson Nickel mint mark was on the reverse to the right of Monticello and no mint mark was used if the coin was minted in Philadelphia. The new Wartime Nickels were to carry a mint mark from Philadelphia and the two branch mints, Denver and San Francisco. On the reverse of the coin above Monticello's dome a large mint mark was place signifying the site of mintage. Silver Wartime Nickels minted in Philadelphia for the first time carried the "P" mint mark. Silver Wartime Nickels were minted at Philadelphia and both active branch mints of the time, Denver and San Francisco. Complete mintage numbers of the Wartime Nickels is shown below.
Designed by Christian Gobrecht, the $5 Liberty Head Eagle, also known as the Coronet Half Eagle, was first introduced in 1839.
It enjoyed an uninterrupted run of 68 years before being replaced in 1907 by the $5 Indian Head Half Eagle. The obverse depicts Lady Liberty facing left wearing a coronet with the word "LIBERTY" inscribed on it. With the year of minting beneath Liberty's portrait, 13 stars surround her head. The reverse is the John Reich designed Eagle with shield and the wings enlarged to reach across the coin. Mint marks are located beneath the Eagle on the reverse of the coin. Depending on year of issue the value of the coin on the reverse will read "5 D" or "FIVE D."
Originally introduced in 1795, production of the $10 Eagle gold coin was suspended in 1804 by President Jefferson.
Why? The value of the gold in the coin exceeded the face value. Gold coins were being purchased by speculators, shipped from the U.S. and being sold on the open markets in Europe. The Coinage Act of 1834 required the composition of the $10 Eagle to be changed. The gold content was set at .48375 troy ounces which would be the standard used for $10 Liberty Head Gold Eagles until minting was halted in 1933. Thirty-four years following suspension of production the US Mint introduced the new $10 Liberty Head Gold Eagle in 1838. The $10 Eagle gold coin reigned supreme as the largest denomination US coin until 1849 and the introduction of the $20 Double Eagle gold coin
While 1849 is regularly quoted as the first date for mintage of the $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle true production didn't start until 1850.
Purportedly only 1 one coin was actually minted with the 1849 date. Technically this was a pattern coin and now resides at the Smithsonian Institution. Until 1849 the highest denomination coin minted by the U.S. was the $10 Gold Eagle. But with the discovery of gold along the west coast, most famously Sutter's Mill in California, huge amounts of gold became available for coinage. Politics soon got into the mix and the gold lobby began pushing for a new coin as a way of getting the U.S. government to purchase their gold. The $20 denomination was created by the Coinage Act of 1849 with the new coin being named the Double Eagle since it would contain twice the amount of gold as the Gold Eagle. Over its 58 years of production the coin was minted at Philadelphia, New Orleans, Carson City, San Francisco and Denver. The $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle has a composition of 90% gold 10% copper, is 34 mm in diameter with reeded edges and weighs 33.436 grams.
An avid coin roll hunter chanced on a great find recently while searching cent rolls. A 1983 Lincoln Cent struck on a copper planchette.
If the coin is authenticated it will certainly be worth a great deal. Recent sales of two known authenticated mint state examples of these coins have realized over $15,000! That’s what I call a good coin roll hunting day. Why all the excitement over a penny? Because it’s not supposed to exist. You see, all 1983 Lincoln Cent produced by the U.S. Mint were to be of the new zinc/copper coated planchettes, not on copper planchettes. During 1982 the U.S. Mint began the transition to the now familiar 97.5% Zinc 2.5% copper-plated planchettes which weigh 2.5 grams. From 1959 to 1982 all Lincoln Memorial Cents were made from planchettes of 95% copper and 5% tin/zinc and weigh 3.1 grams. There was always the possibility that left over copper planchettes from 1982 could accidentally have been used to mint 1983 cents. As you can see in the photo it certainly meets the weight for a copper cent! How many exist? No one knows. They could easily be found in your pocket change. Are you looking through your change? 1983 Lincoln Cent Hunter Jerramy is the coin hunter who discovered the 1983 Lincoln Cent struck on a copper planchette. We’re both members of the Facebook group “Coins & Currency, Stamps & Collectibles World” where he announced his discovery of the coin. Here, in his own words, Jerramy tells us about his coin roll hunting experience and finding the 1983 Lincoln Cent. Me – Jerramy, how long have you been coin roll hunting and have you had any other finds similar to the 83 Cent? I’ve been roll hunting since 1999/2000, started searching for the 98/99/00 wide AM cents and was hooked immediately. I buy them by the box full from the bank and make a few trips a week to Wal-Mart to buy five dollars worth, that’s all they’ll sell at once. The 1983 copper cent actually came from a Wal-Mart roll at face value, coin hunting is my all time favorite hobby. I love the excitement. I get a rush every time I open a roll but yes I find a lot of cool stuff, 1968 S DDO Cent,1970 S S/s RPM Cent followed with about ten small date cents of the same year, 1983 DDR, 1995 DDO, 1998 and 2000 wide AM no 99 at this point and a whole lot of wheat cents. I keep all S mint marks and wheat cents regardless of value or condition, I have a huge collection but as far as rarity my 83 copper cent is by far the rarest and most valuable cent in my collection. Me – Thanks for sharing Jerramy! There’s an abundance of variety and error coins to be found in the Lincoln series of coins. That’s why coin roll hunting of Lincoln Cents is so popular. Coin Roll Hunting Essentials
So what does it take to start hunting for your own pocket change finds?
Knowledge and patience. You have to know what to look for, right? Many beginners first taste of coin roll hunting came from reading the highly popular and information packed Strike It Rich with Pocket Change by Ken Pott and Brian Allen. This reference has turned many casual collectors into coin roll hunters with its concise information of what coins to look for and close up photos. To expand on your knowledge of varieties you’ll want to include the Cherrypickers Guide to Rare Die Varieties of U.S. Coins 2 volume set to your library. You’ll find both volumes on my desk on any given day! You’ll also want a decent quality magnifying glass to visually inspect the coins as you search through your change. Realistically nothing stronger than 10x is necessary. Just like you see in Jerramy’s picture above, you’ll need a small digital coin scale to weigh your coins. If you’re already collecting and don’t have a scale here’s a good tip on avoiding counterfeit coins . Weigh all of your coins! Why? Counterfeits are often not the weight of a genuine coin. It’s another reason to have a scale handy to use. My choice for a scale is the American Weigh 100g x 0.01g Digital Scale. It’s small, very accurate, inexpensive, battery powered, light and travels easily with me on the road. Make sure the one you get can measure at least 0.01 gram increments. Most kitchen variety of digital scales can’t. Coin Roll Hunting
The coin our friend Jerramy found is very similar to the famous 1943 cents struck on copper instead of zinc coated steel. It’s not supposed to exist. But it does.
Finds like this always inspire me to search more rolls! It is all about the thrill of the hunt and the joy of the “find”. Over the years it can add up to a wonderful and unique collection of coins. Whether you hunt for cents, nickels, dimes or other coins doesn’t matter. But you have to get started. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll be the next person to find your own 1983 Lincoln Cent struck on a copper planchette. Happy collecting!
Coin collecting with kids isn’t that difficult. It doesn’t need to be costly.
Eric Newman’s vast, $23 million dollar coin collection started with a single coin. If you haven't read the story of how a 7 year old child started a $23 million dollar coin collection, stop and take the time to now. There is no need to start with expensive or rare coins. Let them learn to appreciate the hobby and the coins by starting simply. Add in your enthusiasm and fun and you've got the ingredients for a great time with your child!
Coin Roll Hunting Cents is arguably one of the most popular facets of the coin collecting hobby. Technically the Mint has never made a penny, it’s a Cent. But popular culture has long called the one cent coin a penny.
Of all the coins produced by the U.S. Mint since 1793 the most popular, collected and traded is the Lincoln Cent. From 1909 to 1958 it carried the Wheat Cent reverse. That changed in 1959 to the Memorial Reverse, which continued in production till 2008. The 200 year anniversary of Lincoln’s birth brought about four distinct reverses only produced in 2009. You can read more about those in 2009 Lincoln Cent A New Classic. 2010 saw the introduction of the current Shield Reverse of the Lincoln Cent. Coin roll hunting is nothing more than looking through rolls of cents, examining your pocket change, checking out coins at flea markets and garage sales or finding a stash of coins in a family heirloom box. What are you looking for? Coins other collectors want. They could be valuable on their own, be Mint errors or Die Varieties that coin collectors love to find. |
About JohnAn avid collector since an early age. Retired from the IT industry, John spends his time appraising collections, helping collectors find and acquire coins and working out the mysteries of Morgan and Peace dollar varieties. The "Quick Guide to Coin Collecting" came about after many years of collecting and thousands of conversations with other collectors around the world about the problems and challenges we all had with the hobby. Archives
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