Welcome back to Something About Coins! The U.S. Mint raised their gold coin prices yesterday. Rare coin dealer Doug Winter believes there is a coin drought, and David Vagi of Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) talks about ancient Greek coin designs. The last few articles linked below examine silver coin prices. Enjoy!
US Mint Numismatic Gold Coin Prices Raised, coinnews.net
The gold average over the last week easily moved above the $1400 level and tipped the United States Mint’s 24-karat gold coin pricing scale as it raised prices on all First Spouse Gold Coins and the American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin. The US Mint can adjust its numismatic gold coin prices weekly, but gold has to move into a new $50 threshold which tends to happen infrequently. Shifting precious metals have resulted in two previous changes in 2011 — a negative adjustment on January 26 and an upward swing just two ... Click for coin article
The Great Coin Drought, raregoldcoins.com
There’s an ebb and flow to the coin market cycle. When it is in perfect, Zen-like harmony, the market works well. When it’s disrupted, the market sputters as is the case of what we are seeing in the beginning of 2011. I call it the Great Coin Drought and it’s been happening for at least two years; maybe more. The coin market is based on a classic supply and demand relationship. When there is more demand than supply, prices rise. Simple, no? But what if there is strong demand but a backlog of supply due to reasons ... Click for coin article
NGC Ancients: Civic Badges on Greek Coins, ngccoin.com
One of the great traditions of humankind, dating perhaps from the earliest phases of civilization, is the use of symbols to represent social units that range from individuals or families, to much larger confederations like cities, nations or regions. The Roman emperor Augustus chose the Sphinx, a mythological lion with wings and a human head, as his personal badge, and an early Greek king of Egypt, Ptolemy I, chose as his insignia Zeus’ eagle perched on a thunderbolt. Both of these men used their chosen designs on coins. In the case ... Click for coin article
Mint’s U.S. Silver Coin Melts Add Up, numismaster.com
The unprecedented gain in silver in 2010, which topped out Dec. 29 at $30.59 an ounce, a gain of more than 79 percent over the past year, emphasizes the historical point that silver, the gray noble metal, has serious significance with American coin collecting. Its current price means that a cull silver dollar has over $23 in precious metal within it. A common date Washington quarter (say 1964, mintage (P&D combined) 1.2 billion) has $5.50 worth of metal in it. And it means that a set of Roosevelt dimes, 1946-1964 ... Click for coin article
Coin Collecting: A Pocketful of Treasure, myfoxmemphis.com
Are the coins in your pocket worth more than just a hand full of change? As FOX13's Tom Dees shows us, those pennies and nickels and pieces of silver in your pocket and dresser drawer may be real treasure. In Brief: -1964 and pre-1964 silver coins tend to be valuable -Value determined by circulation, condition, metal content -Proof coins more valuable -Have coins appraised by reputable expert There is treasure is still out there just waiting to be found. Just ask coin expert Yancy Greene ... Click for coin article
US Silver Coin Melt Calculator
Coin, stamp values often are in eye of beholder, sacbee.com
Ads for "scarce," "limited edition" or "specially created" collectibles are all over the place. Usually, they come in the form of stamps or "coins." I put the word coins in quotes because they are usually not legal tender, but merely commemorative medallions. These ads can be compelling. Many of the "gold" coins are merely common metals with a microscopically thin layer of gold. If they contain pure gold, they're often so small they make a dime look big. Or if they are of a reasonable size ... Click for coin article
Thanks for reading!
