Gold Eagle Price

Frank Church River of No Return Quarter I found five of the Frank Church River of No Return W mint quarters on Nov. 16. Warren Lane Address Withheld   New Presidential Dollar With the passing of President George H.W. Bush, shouldn’t the Mint produce a new presidential dollar to honor his service? Greg Kipp Windsor, Calif.   Gone in a Flash The United States Mint held its grand sale on Nov. 14 and 30,000 reverse proof coins were gone in an instant. I had one of these coins in my cart when their system crashed and left me a refresh screen. Once back on, I noticed coins were sold out. I thought, “no worries” since I had one showing in my account and in my cart. Well, I had plenty to worry about because red-lettered wording told me I made an invalid choice which I certainly DID NOT.   I felt CHEATED. The early “reminder” the mint sends is a laugh. I got their email at 12:37 pm,   long after the coins had sold out, just salt in an open wound. Now for the best part, I called a

Two weeks ago, my crew and I emptied a 20×10 storage room. The co-owner was a picker and a dealer who had been buying and selling for many years. I met his former partner at the storage facility with a large rental truck to move everything to my warehouse. Before leaving the storage facility, boxes […]

Precious metals futures gained on Friday and for the holiday-shortened trading week. Markets in the U.S. closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday and ended early on Black Friday. All but... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

After a busy and short week, I finally had a moment to empty my pockets and examine the week’s change. Even after all of these years, I continue to search through my pocket change to try to find something interesting. These days I most look at the quarters trying to find an elusive W mintmark. […]

From the Nov. 22 Numismatic News E-NewsLetter Would you ever own “paper” (non-physical) gold? Why or why not? Here are some answers sent in from our E-Newsletter readers.   No. Ron Brown Oroville, Calif.   I would never buy paper (non-physical) gold.   I would be afraid more paper than gold could be sold.   I want to be able to hold the product in my hand. Johnny Widener Lincolnton, N.C.   No, I would not have paper gold. I’m more hands-on. I would want physical gold only such as a coin, bar, etc. Montague Bakasy Address Withheld   Any collapse, be it housing or monetary, could happen swiftly. Look at our $22 trillion national debt. What if lenders lost confidence in the dollar and asked for payment in full? Would you want to cash in your paper gold for the real stuff while everybody is trying to redeem theirs? I think not. Horst Seeley Manchester, N.H.   No paper gold. If/when the zombie apocalypse or other global disaster hits, nobody will take the paper gold an

1796 Draped Bust dime graded MS-63 in small PCGS “rattler” holder. (All images courtesy GreatCollections.) GreatCollections is offering what it calls the Ultimate Collection of Rattlers and Old Holders , the auction firm announced Nov. 12. The collection comprises nearly 100 certified coins that were graded in the early years of Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) and have resided with one owner ever since. The collection of important early U.S. coins includes a 1796 Draped Bust quarter graded PCGS MS-64 and a 1796 Draped Bust dime graded PCGS MS-63 – both encapsulated in small “rattler” holders, the original type by PCGS. NGC highlights include an 1885-CC Morgan silver dollar graded MS-68 with crescent toning and several low-mintage proof Seated quarters, all in the original “fatty” holders. “We often dream of finding an original hoard of old holders of this magnitude and our dream came true this time!” said Ian Russell, owner and p

The hobby and business of coins continue on a relatively flat plain. Prices remain healthy, but selling within a tight range. Investors are sparse. There are questions regarding if new collectors are entering the field or not. The future of physical currency remains in question. The U.S. Mint issued about 22.9 percent more coinage in October than it did one month earlier, but 16.4 percent less than it produced in October 2018. At the same time, Federal Reserve banks have stopped ordering half dollars and Native American dollar coins. The good news behind this is that the Fed still purchased circulation strike coins of these two denominations for collectors, indicating there is still serious collector demand for these and likely other current yet collectible coins. The spot price of both gold and silver has declined recently, but appears to have settled into a new if lower trading range. This is influencing the price of many bullion-impacted collectible coins as well as all gold and s

“The main task before India today is to consolidate herself into a well-knit and united power” Born on 31st October 1875 in (Nadiad) Gujarat, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a simple man who took on the hard job of amalgamating over 552 Princely States into one nation, India! Known as the ‘Iron Man’ of India, Sardar Patel lived a simple life and had very good diplomatic skills. Today let’s see how and why Sardar Patel got the epithet of ‘Iron Man’!   Pre Independence India comprised of territories administered by different colonial powers like British, France and Portugal. Some of these territories were directly ruled by these colonial powers, others were under their suzerainty with the control over their internal affairs remaining in the hands of the hereditary rulers; while some others were independent princely states.   The political integration of these territories into India was very important to build the nation. With the partition of the country into Dominions of India and Pa

by Mike Thorne, PhD H ave you given any thought to what will happen to your coin collection when you’re no longer around? Are any of your children interested in coins? Your spouse? Other relatives? And how much is your collection worth? Should it be sold to a friendly dealer you have done business with? Sold at auction? Is there a guide that might help you answer these questions? If you have a valuable coin collection, then it would be worth your while to procure a copy of The Collector’s Handbook: Tax Planning, Strategy and Estate Advice for Collectors and Their Heirs . Penned by James L. Halperin, Gregory J. Rohan, and Mark J. Prendergast, The Collector’s Handbook was published by Ivy Press, Inc., in Dallas, Texas. You can find it for sale on Amazon and eBay. Although the first edition of this book was devoted exclusively to coins, over the years Heritage Auctions has branched out considerably. Today, they bill themselves as one of the largest auction houses in the world, offeri

1974 portrait of Charles J. Ricard. (Image courtesy Linnea Ricard Brown.) The Chicago Coin Club announced that the final person to be inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2019 is Napoleon medal specialist and hobby leader Charles J. (Charlie) Ricard (March 19, 1930 – Aug. 14, 2017).   After moving to Northbrook late in 1962 to accept the position of auditor of Chicago’s Lakeshore National Bank, Rochester (New York), native Charles J. (Charlie) Ricard joined the Chicago Coin Club Jan. 9, 1963 as member No. 766 and remained a member for over half a century. Mr. Ricard served as Financial Chairman for the 1966 ANA Convention in Chicago, personally handling over $100,000 in bourse fees, etc. That year, the Club awarded him its Medal of Merit. From 1987-88 he was President, and in 1989, he received a Literary Award and a Second Place Cabeen Exhibit Award for his exhibits at meetings (including an original Castorland medal in silver). He was recognized as Honorary General Chairman at the 2

A. Karamitsos International Auctions’  Public & Live Bid Auction 649 , is being held on Dec. 7, 2019, in Athens, Greece and will include coins and medals certified by NGC along with bank notes certified by PMG. The leading coin in the sale right now is a  Greece 1963 30 Drachmai graded NGC SP 65 with a starting bid of €7,200 (about $8,000 USD). It is a silver commemorative coin minted for the centennial of the Royal Greek Dynasty, which features the portraits of the five kings who ruled Greece from 1863 to 1963: George I, Constantine I, Alexander I, George II and Paul I. The reverse of the coin, with its detailed map of Greece, displays lovely pastel-colored toning. Greece 1963 30 Drachmai graded NGC SP 65 with a starting bid of €7,200 (about $8,000 USD). Images courtesy of NGC. Additional NGC-certified highlights in the sale include: A  Greece 1848 10 Lepta graded NGC MS 64 BN  with a starting bid of €3,800 (about $4,200 USD). An  Ionian 1848. Silver Britannia 30 Lepta gr

The Stack’s Bowers Galleries November 2019 Baltimore Auction brought together collectors of every discipline for an offering of five important collections and numerous additional rarities. In total, more than $17.6 million was realized across more than 6,000 lots of United States coins and related issues. In total, the firm’s official auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Winter Expo realized $19,124,255 across 16 sessions. All prices include the buyer’s fee. Session 1 of the sale featured numismatic Americana, including Washington Before Boston medals from the collection of Marc McDonald and Presidential Inaugural medals from the collection of Edmund W. Dreyfuss. Highlights from this session include the 1921 Harding Inaugural medal in silver that realized $31,200 and the 1905 Roosevelt Inaugural medal in bronze that sold for $28,800. The offering of the John W. Adams Collection of Comitia Americana Medals in Session 3 was a historic opportunity for collectors of early Amer

Most precious metals futures ended lower in pre-holiday trading Wednesday. Markets in the U.S. are closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday and re-open to an abbreviated trading schedule on... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Full and partial scholarships are available to both youths and adults who wish to attend the American Numismatic Association’s 2020 Summer Seminar  in Colorado Springs, Colo. Dates for the two one-week sessions are June 27-July 2 and July 4-9. Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of merit. Successful applicants must demonstrate involvement, leadership, and accomplishments in numismatics, as well as a desire to learn more about the hobby. In addition to learning from the hobby’s most prominent leaders and scholars, full scholarships cover tuition for a one-week-long class, accommodations in a Colorado College dormitory, meals, and airfare; partial scholarships cover tuition only. Download the application forms  here . Applications must be postmarked by  Feb. 14, 2020 . Summer Seminar is a once-a-year opportunity for numismatic learning and camaraderie that offers students an array of week-long courses designed for discovery or continued study. For over 40 years, Summer Seminar h

By Q. David Bowers While poking around in my safety deposit box the other day, I paused to look at one of my favorite coins. I bought this in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction at the Whitman Coin Expo in March 2012, where it was described as follows: Hover to zoom. Lot #1008. Superb EF Noe-1 Pine Tree Shilling 1652 Massachusetts Bay Colony Pine Tree Shilling. Large Planchet. Noe-1, Crosby 12-I, W-690. Rarity-2. Pellets At Trunk. EF-45 (PCGS). A choice example of the iconic Pine Tree shilling variety, Noe-1. Ideal deep gray enlivens under a glass with pale blue and gold, with just enough dirt around the devices to reassert superb originality. The planchet shows a natural split from its time through the press at 6 o’clock and is a bit short at 12 o’clock, but the planchet is broad, and the legends are complete. Indeed, about half of the peripheral beading is present, making for an especially well-framed appearance. There is a single, very thin, very old hairline that runs ver