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2012 Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar On Sale Now

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:00:30 +0000

The United States Mint has begun selling The 2012 Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar commemorative coin. The designs on the coin symbolize the courage, pride, sacrifice, sense of duty and history of the U.S. Army's Infantry Soldiers. The obverse features a modern military soldier charging forward and signaling for his fellow troops to follow. This is representative of the infantry's motto "Follow Me". The reverse features the crossed rifle insignia of the Infantry. The proof version is available at the introductory price of $49.95 until March 19, 2012 after which the price will increase to $54.95. The uncirculated version is available at the introductory price of $44.95 until March 19, 2012 when the price will increase to $49.95. The "2012 Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar Defenders of Freedom Set" includes a proof version and a replica dog tag in a special commemorative folder for $51.95.

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Indian Head Penny: Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 12:00:33 +0000

When it comes to Indian Head pennies, a small variation on the coin can make a large difference in the price. Of course we have the "King" of Indian head cents, the 1877. This coin is worth over $1,000 in just about any condition. There are other varieties of Indian head pennies that you can look for to add to your collection or sell at a premium. I have written an article that will teach you how to find the key dates, rarities and varieties for Indian Head cents through the use of in-depth descriptions and detailed photographs. If you have just begun to collect Indian head cents or are a seasoned collector, the tips in this article can prove to be most valuable to you.

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Almost $1 Million in Coins Stolen From ANA Museum

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:00:57 +0000

1792 Half Disme Pattern (Judd 7) Stolen from The ANA
Image Courtesy of: The American Numismatic Association, www.money.org

Coin World Magazine reported on January 16, 2012 that almost $1 million in rare coins were stolen from the Rochette Money Museum at the ANA headquarters in Colorado, Springs Colorado. The thefts were an inside job that occurred back in 2007 by a former collections manager, Wyatt E. Yeager. About 32 coins have already been recovered, and insurance will cover the value of the missing coins.

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Teletrade Listened and Overhauled Its Website

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:00:15 +0000

Image courtesy of Teletrade Coin Auctions, www.teletrade.com

Teletrade Coin Auctions of Irvine, California has launched a newly redesigned and more user friendly website. I have been using Teletrade for years and when I saw the new webpage I was presently surprised. Unlike the U.S. Mint's website redesign of a couple of years ago that just added some new pictures on top of a dysfunctional website, Teletrade's overhaul added improved functionality too. I particularly like the new search feature which is more intuitive and allows you to search current and previous auctions simultaneously. You can also refine your search criteria on the fly by simply clicking on the refine button on the bottom of the search results page. The most significant improvement was to the high quality photos of the coins. You can now select a detail photo with just a mouse click and zoom in to extreme detail by using the wheel on your mouse. Additional improvements to the "Track and Bid" feature make it even easier to compare and track coins.

Grading Morgan Dollars Made Easy

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:00:58 +0000

Grading Morgan Dollars is easier than you think. I have attended week long classes taught by professional coin graders, read just about every book on coin grading and spent countless hours at the coin shop honing my grading skills. All of this knowledge is condensed into one article that you can use to sharpen your Morgan Dollar coin grading skills.
This article covers grades ranging from About Good (AG-3) to the ultra-rare Mint State 67 (MS-67). The Morgan Dollar Grading Guide is the third in a series of U.S. coin grading guides that I have developed. The descriptions and pictures will teach you how to grade this popular series of U.S. coins.

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Updated Indian Head Penny Values for 2012

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:00:48 +0000

With the price of gold and silver going up and down daily, these price changes can have a ripple effect on coins that are not made out of gold and silver. I am continuing to update all the value listings on this website to reflect current market conditions. Two of the most popular coin series that coin collectors assemble are the Indain Head pennies...

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2012 Canadian Silver Proof Set Shines Bright

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:09:30 +0000

2012 Proof Silver Penny
Image (c) 2012 James Bucki

The Royal Canadian Mint has issued their first ever all silver proof set. The set not only includes a silver dollar that commemorates the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 but also a silver version of every current circulating coin. Normally silver proof sets only include silver coins such as the commemorative dollar, half dollar, quarter dollar, and dime, while the rest are made out of their usual base metals. What makes this set unique is that the penny, nickel, one dollar loon and two dollar coin are also made from silver! Additionally, unlike the United States silver coins which are made from 90% silver, all the coins in this set are made from 99.99% silver. They used gold plating to give the penny, one dollar loon and two dollar coin their colorful appearance. Mintage is limited to 20,000 sets.

Update 2/9/2012: According to the Royal Canadian Mint, as of today only 8,000 sets are left.

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2012 Commemorative Prices Announced

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:33:47 +0000

The United States Mint has announced the pricing for the 2012 commemorative coins. The two themes for this year commemorate the Star-Spangled Banner and the Infantry Soldier. The 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coins will consist of a five dollar gold coin and a silver dollar while the 2012 Infantry Soldier is honored on a silver dollar. The chart below lists the options available to collectors. The gold coins will be priced according to the mint's gold pricing chart based upon the spot price of gold at the time of issue. The mint did not list the product's release date.

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eBay Bans Coin Replicas and Copies

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:26 +0000

Last week eBay published a press release announcing that all coin replicas and copies will no longer be able to be sold on eBay after February 20, 2012. eBay is currently working with The PNG (Professional Numismatists Guild), a nonprofit organization comprised of the country's top rare coin dealers, to further refine its standards to ensure that all coin collectors have confidence in their eBay experience. According to the press release:

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Grading Buffalo Nickels Made Easy

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:13 +0000

Grading Buffalo nickels (a.k.a. Indian Head nickels) is not as difficult as you may think. Yes, it takes a lot of practice. But with persistence over time, you can acquire the knowledge and skill that some of the most experienced dealers and coin collectors possess. This article covers grades ranging from About Good (AG-3) to the ultra-rare Mint State 67 (MS-67). The Buffalo Nickel is the second series of U.S. coins that I have developed a series of descriptions and pictures to teach you how to grade this popular series of U.S. coins.

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