Coins Paper Money

U. S. Fractional Gold Coins

The privately-minted fractional gold coinage of California is one of the most mysterious areas of American numismatics. Relatively little is known of their role in commerce if any, denominated in dollars, half dollars and quarter dollars, . The experts disagree on whether these coins actually served as money or were merely sold as curiosities and charms. Whatever the right story, California fractional gold pieces are a delight to collect and have attracted many adventurous numismatists.

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How do you grade the condition of paper money?

The condition is most critical to its value. Lowering the
grade of a note one notch can decrease its value by 1/3 or even
1/2. An expensive note which falls between two categories might
be worth a thousand dollars more in the higher category than the
lower one. Thus, it’s often important to be more precise than
using a limited number of categories.

Here’s a general guideline.

Crisp Uncirculated, UNC or CU: This means absolutely not the
slightest sign of any handling or wear or folding or anything.

Almost Uncirculated (or About Uncirculated), AU: This means there
is a slightly detectable imperfection such as a counting fold on one
corner or slightest fold in the center (nothing which breaks the
surface of the paper) or a pinhole.

Extremely Fine, EF or XF: Generally three light folds or one strong
fold which breaks the surface.

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and Antiques in Kitchener Waterloo Guelph Cambridge of Ontario Canada

Collectibles and Antiques in Kitchener Waterloo Guelph Cambridge of Ontario Canada from Another's Treasure Chest - Kitchener Largest Antiques ...

How to Care for Rare Books

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This book covers the basics of collecting coins, including info on storage, where to find coins, strategies to collecting, and much more. It starts with very simple directions and takes the time to define the jargon used by collectors. The author gives different examples of how to begin collecting without being overwhelmed by the process. I think the advice to begin with a certain denomination and use folders to help find the coins to complete a series, helps to keep you from getting frustrated and quitting before you even get started. The author explains how to begin with just searching pocket change and maybe getting some rolls of coins from your local bank, which can be a fun and inexpensive ways to get your feet wet.

The language in the book is written to where a 10 or 12 year old could understand it, but not so oversimplified that it is boring for adults. The author adds little bits of trivia at the end of each section covering a specific denomination and often includes something humorous about the coin.

So if you are a complete newbie or a casual coin collector, this book will give you everything you need to know to either begin a collection or take that jar of old coins you have been hanging on to, and organize them. It should help you make coin collecting a fun and interesting endeavor for you and your family.

ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins: American Numismati Association (Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins) USD $11.26 Order Now

2012 Handbook of U.s. Coins: Blue Book (Handbook of United States Coins (Paper)) USD $5.83 Order Now

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Valuable Coin Prices
Valuable Coins

2004-D Wisconsin State Quarter (With an Extra Leaf)

Variety of experts disagree about the cause and long-term value of this coin, but I’ve included here because it is very findable in pocket change and worth hundreds of dollars right now.

What To Look For: There is a defect on the die that makes it appear as if there’s an extra leaf on the lower left-hand side of the ear of corn on the reverse. The leaf is very clear. Known in two varieties, the High Leaf and the Low Leaf type.

Approximate Value: $200-$300 in MS-60 or so.

1969-S Lincoln Cent With a Doubled Die Obverse
This coin is quite rare. The early specimens of this coin were confiscated by the Secret Service until the U.S. Mint admitted they were genuine. Counterfeits abound, but usually have the wrong mint mark.

What to look for: Look for clear doubling of the entire front (obverse)(”heads” side) except for the mint mark. If the mint mark is doubled, it is probably a case of strike doubling, rather than a doubled die, which isn’t worth much. (Mint marks were punched in the dies separately in 1969, after the doubled die itself had already been made.)

Approximate Value: Around $35,000 or more in EF-40 or so.

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This book is truly terrific book on valuable coins. One can tell the author went to great lengths to find out every little detail because there is nothing left out. Just a delight to read.

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The Peace dollar was designed by Anthony de Francisci. It features Lady Liberty and the words “In God We Trust” on the front. The letter “V” is used instead of “U” in trust so it appears as TRVST. The reverse has a bald eagle and the word “PEACE” at the bottom which is where the coin gets it’s name.

The theme for the proposed coin was elaborated upon at the Chicago ANA convention of August 1920. A paper written by Farran Zerbe called for a coin that would showcase the ideals of democracy, liberty, prosperity, and honor. The proposal called for either a half dollar or dollar, in order to provide as much space as possible for the design.

The Peace Dollar is a silver United States dollar coin minted from 1921 to 1928, then again in 1934 and 1935. Early proposals for the coin called for a commemorative issue to coincide with the end of World War I, but the Peace Dollar was issued as a circulating coin.

The biggest hurdle faced by proponents of the new coin was that no dollar coin had been minted for general circulation in the United States since 1904, the last year of the Morgan Dollar series. The demand for silver dollars was so low that vast quantities of Morgans were still sitting in bank vaults.

What’s It Worth? Is It A Good Investment?

Year Mintage Numismatic Value Range
1921 1,006,473 $75.00 – $4000.00
1922 51,737,000 $14.00 – $200.00
1922 D 15,063,000 $14.00 – $400.00
1922 S 17,475,000 $14.00 – $1800.00
1923 30,800,000 $14.00 – $200.00
1923 D 6,811,000 $16.00 – $1200.00
1923 S 19,020,000 $14.00 – $4100.00
1924 11,811,000 $14.00 – $200.00
1924 S 1,728,000 $28.00 – $8000.00
1925 10,198,000 $14.00 – $200.00
1925 S 1,610,000 $20.00 – $9000.00
1926 1,939,000 $18.00 – $400.00
1926 D 2,348,700 $16.00 – $700.00
1926 S 6,980,000 $16.00 – $700.00
1927 848,000 $27.00 – $3700.00
1927 D 1,268,900 $24.00 – $4500.00
1927 S 866,000 $26.00 – $10000.00
1928 360,649 $280.00 – $5000.00
1928 S 1,632,000 $30.00 – $8000.00
1934 954,057 $18.00 – $1000.00
1934 D 1,569,500 $17.00 – $1600.00
1934 S 1,011,000 $30.00 – $5800.00
1935 1,576,000 $18.00 – $700.00
1935 S 1,964,000 $18.00 – $900.00
Using the latest metal prices and the specifications, these are the numbers required to calculate melt value:

$17.58 = silver price / ounce on Oct 19, 2009.
.90 = silver %
$2.9344 = copper price / pound on Oct 19, 2009.
.10 = copper %
26.73 = total weight in grams
.0321507466 = ounce/gram conversion factor
.00220462262 = pound/gram conversion factor (see note directly below)
The NYMEX uses pounds to price copper and that means we need to multiply the metal price by .00220462262 to make the conversion to grams. The silver price is based in troy ounces and that means we need to multiply the metal price by .0321507466 to make the conversion to grams.
1. Calculate 90% silver value :
(17.58 × .0321507466 × 26.73 × .90) = $13.5972580535
$13.5972 is the rounded silver value for the 1921-1935 silver Peace dollar on October 19, 2009. This is usually the value used by coin dealers when selling these coins at melt value. However, the total melt value is continued below.
2. Calculate 10% copper value :
(2.9344 × .00220462262 × 26.73 × .10) = $0.0172920
3. Add the two together :
$13.5972580535 + $0.0172920 = $13.6145500535
$13.6145500535 is the total melt value for the 1921-1935 silver Peace dollar on October 19, 2009.
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This is a standard text for any Morgan Dollar collector. Extremely strong in historical aspects. Currently reprinted in 4th edition and availiable. Date and mintmark analisis on each coin and listing of over 2200 Vams. Which are die pairs primarily for Morgan Dollars. Some information in this book is incomplete and/or incorrect. Which is not surprising with a fairly massive reference book. An excellent reference text which I constantly use!

A Guide Book Of Us Morgan Silver Dollars: A Complete History and Price Guide (Official Red Book) (Official Red Books) USD $3.77 Order Now

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Silver dollars are the most popular silver general circulation coins produced by the US Mint. APMEX’s offers a variety of Early Dollars ...

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After going through this information for 1954 Franklin Half Dollar you will also be better informed about everything in some way related to 1954 Franklin Half Dollar.

1963 was the final year for the Franklin Half. Even though the series had not reached the legally mandated 25 year duration, the series was replaced by the Kennedy Half after new legislation was passed. Approximately 510 million Franklin halves were minted during the period 1948 to 1963. The coin features Benjamin Franklin on the obverse and the Liberty Bell on the reverse.

Mintmark

Coins without a mintmark were minted in Philadelphia, whereas those with a “D” were minted in Denver and with an “S” in San Francisco. The mintmark on specimens having one is visible on the reverse side centered above the bell yoke. Engraver John R. Sinnock’s initials appear at Franklin’s shoulder on the obverse.

The Franklin Half replaced the Walking Liberty Half design. It also marked completion of the conversion of circulating US coin designs from the allegorical Liberty figure to portraits of historical Americans. The format was already being used on the Lincoln Cent, Jefferson Nickel, Roosevelt Dime, and Washington Quarter.

Like the other coins of its era, the Franklin Half had a composition of 90% silver. The balance of the composition was copper. Coins were produced for circulation from 1948 to 1963. Proof coins were produced from 1950 to 1963. Large quantities of the Franklin half dollar were melted as silver bullion shortly after 1964, when the intrinsic value exceeded the face value of U.S. silver coinage. Despite these losses, Franklin halves in gently circulated condition remain quite affordable even today, and the more common dates do not command more than a 25 percent premium over bullion. As of this notation in October 2009, common date circulated 90% silver coins are valued at 6-10 times face value. Well-struck uncirculated pieces showing full bell lines in the Liberty Bell design on the coin’s reverse command a considerable windfall.

One prominent error in the Franklin half dollar series is the “Bugs Bunny” error, so called because damage to the coin’s obverse die resulted in a split in Franklin’s upper lip, giving the appearance of prominent front teeth. The damage to the die resulted from the obverse and reverse dies striking each other without a coin planchet in between. The error is found in 1955 coins minted in Philadelphia. There is also a 1961-P Proof doubled die.

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Mar 1878 – The first Morgan Silver Dollar was made in March, 1878 from designs by George T. Morgan, In the eagles tail the feathers numbered eight, but the dies were modified to show just seven feathers. During the second week of production of the new silver dollar Director …The first Morgan Silver Dollar was made in March, 1878 from designs by George T. Morgan, In the eagles tail the feathers numbered eight, but the dies were modified to show just seven feathers. During the second week of production of the new silver dollar Director Linderman came to Philadelphia to meet with the officials and engravers Barber and Morgan. He directed that new hubs be made for the obverse and reverse to slightly reduce the relief of the designs, to facilitate coinage

The Morgan coin had 28 years old history of coinage. During this time it’s design was changed for 5 different mints. Named by its designer George T. Morgan it has the side view of Miss Liberty’s head on the obverse and the eagle with outspreaded wings on the reverse. The eagle holds in his talons an olive branch and a bundle of arrows. Designer put his initials and mintmarks on the both sides: under the Miss Liberty’s neck and under the ribbon on reverse. Depending on the place of coinage coins have 5 different mints on reverse: Philadelphia Mint (P), Carson City Mint (CC), Denver (D), New Orleans (O), and San-Francisco Mint (S).

King of Morgan Silver Dollar

Morgan 1895 – Morgan has 3 rare types. They are: 1889-CC; 1893-S and 1895 Proof. Morgan 1895 is the rarest and has the perfect appearance. According to Red Book 2009 it worth 1,000000 $. But it won such a glory with the help of mystery. The U.S. Mint records show that there were minted 12,000 Morgan’s in 1985 and 880 Proofs. Nowadays there are only 80 Proofs and no one of 12,000 coins in the world. A real mystery? Nobody knows where they are. The proofs to be so valuable that it keeps numismatic world dreaming about discovering another one hoard with Morgan’s if one still exists.

Morgan Dollars were mostly ignored by coin collectors for decades after the coin’s termination. It wasn’t until the early 1960’s that collecting Morgan Dollars started to take off. At this point in time silver was worth around $1.29 per ounce. At this price, the silver metal value of a silver dollar was worth a dollar. Many banks still had bags and rolls of silver dollars and all you needed to do was go down to the bank and ask for them.

In 1960 the silver had an upsurge of price and there was the profit drawing out of it by redeeming silver certificates for Morgan dollar. Some did that until Government went against it but it had steady effect – the interest of public to Morgan dollar had risen.

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Public dissatisfaction with the Seated Liberty design was heard in Washington and Philadelphia as early as 1879. Many felt that the nation’s coin designs were second-rate, but few could have predicted how mundane a change could really be. New designs were submitted by Mint engravers throughout the early 1880s, but the only outcome was the production of a new nickel designed by Chief Engraver Charles Barber in 1883. In 1891, there was much discussion of a public competition for new designs for the dime, quarter and half dollar.

Design Of The “New Dime”

What Barber did was to modify the large head used on the Morgan dollar by adding a Liberty cap and cropping Liberty’s hair shorter in back. He then placed his initial B on the truncation of the neck. The reverse uses almost exactly the same wreath used on the Seated Liberty dime of 1860-91. What Barber did accomplish with his new dime, though, was to design and place into production a coin that would meet the striking requirements of modern, high-speed coin presses.

The first Barber dimes were struck on January 2, 1892. Over a half billion pieces were struck during the next twenty-five years. Some issues have mintages as small as 500,000 (such as 1895-O, 1901-S and 1913-S), and others were struck in quantities as large as 22 million (1907-P). At one time or another four mints struck these coins, and the mint mark of Denver (D), San Francisco (S) and New Orleans (O) can be found on the lower reverse below the knot in the bow (there being no mint mark for coins struck in Philadelphia). Barber dimes are, for the most part, a attainable set of coins with no significant date or mint mark rarities, except for the legendary 1894-S. The low relief design assured that most coins would be sharply struck, except for a few issues from New Orleans (known for weak strikes over the decades).

Barber Dime Rarity

There is one great rarity in the Barber dime series, one of the rarest coins in all of U.S. numismatics, the 1894-S dime. Allegedly, 24 pieces were struck on orders from San Francisco Mint Superintendent J. Daggett. Due to the rarity of the coin and the mysteries surrounding its past, the 1894-S Dime is one of the most valuable coins produced in the United States. In the late 1990s one of the remaining 1894-S Dimes was bought for $825,000. Since then they have sold for $1,035,000 in 2005; $1.3 million also in 2005; and $1.9 million in 2007.Only 10 specimens can be accounted for today, which presents one of the great numismatic mysteries of the past hundred years: Where are the other fourteen 1894-S dimes that were reportedly struck?

Grading

Grading Barber dimes is a moderately simple process. On high grade coins, signs of circulation will first appear on Liberty’s cheek and in the fields. For a coin to be un-circulated, all the mint luster must be uniform and unbroken over both sides. Proofs were struck in each year except 1916, and the only standout rarity is the recently discovered 1893/2 over-date. 1894-S is the only issue in the series to have been counterfeited in any appreciable numbers. Dangerous forgeries have been made by altering the mintmark on an 1894-O or adding one to a Philadelphia coin. Others were made in the mid-1970s in The Philippines.

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Throughout Treasury’s history, the Department has been in charge of overseeing the production of U.S. coins and currency notes for our nation. The United States Mint is responsible for producing coins and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces paper money. The Treasurer of the United States advises the Director of the Mint, the Director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Deputy Secretary and the Secretary of the Treasury on matters relating to coinage, currency and the production of other instruments by the United States.

Origin of the $ Sign – Where Did It Come From?

The origin of the “$” sign has been variously accounted for. Perhaps the most widely accepted explanation is that it is the result of the evolution of the Mexican or Spanish “P’s” for pesos, or piastres, or pieces of eight. This theory, derived from a study of old manuscripts, explains that the “S,” gradually came to be written over the “P,” developing a close equivalent to the”$” mark. It was widely used before the adoption of the United States dollar in 1785.

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