Girl Scouts Commemorative Coin, Confederate Cent, American Buffalo Proofs
Posted on 29. Oct, 2009 by KJ in Auctions, Metal Detecting, New Coin Issues, Rare Coins, US Mint
Welcome to Something About Coins! Popular topics on the web right now are Girl Scout Commemoratives, events at the Whitman Baltimore Expo in November, and the Buffalo Proof Coin launch. (more...)
Buffalo Proofs, Medals, Smithsonian Exhibit
Posted on 22. Oct, 2009 by KJ in Auctions, Metal Detecting, New Coin Issues, Rare Coins, US Mint, World Coins
Welcome back to Something About Coins! Buffalo coins headlined today, medals considered, coin auctions reviewed, and more discussed below. (more...)
Odd Denomination Coins, $10 Liberty Head Gold, Washington Quarters
Posted on 08. Sep, 2009 by KJ in Ancient Coins, Metal Detecting, New Coin Issues, Perth Mint
Welcome back to Something About Coins! I hope you enjoyed your long weekend. I had fun reading the articles below. I hope you do too.
Odd denomination US coins like the two-cent pieces from the 1860's make nice collectibles, and the linked article by Mark Benvenuto provides the facts and advice you need to know if you want them in your coin collection. Benvenuto examines five odd coins: the two-cent piece, the silver three-cent piece, the nickel three-cent piece, the silver 20-cent piece, and the gold $3 coin. Desirable prices, notable grades, and interesting history make this article valuable reading.
The biggest collection of Roman coins found in Britain this year was discovered last month by Nick Davies, on his first treasure hunt with a metal detector. The approximately 10,000 Roman coins that were in a large clay pot are estimated to be silver and bronze 'nummi' coins dating around 320AD. The pot was broken at the top, and several coins were spread out around the pot. Davies said, "This added at least another 300 coins to the total - it's fantastically exciting. I never expected to find such treasure on my first outing with the detector."
More coverage was given to the Perth Mint coins designed for their 2010 Silver Bullion Coin Program. The Perth Mint's 2010 program consists of the Australian Kookaburra Silver Coin Series, Australian Koala Silver Coin Series and the Australian Lunar Silver Coin Series. More images and coin specifications are found in this article on CoinNews.net. The kookaburra is a bird, the koala is a bear, and 2010's Lunar coin has an image of a tiger.
Not many people can collect $10 Liberty Head Gold Coins, especially in today's economy, but if you're going to go after a rare collection, Doug Winters has some advice. Besides choosing a great rare coins dealer, Winters recommends doing something every collector should do when starting a collection. He says, "I would draft a list that included every date in the series and make a decision what grade range I’d want for each date. The most common mistake that collectors make is that they overspend on the common issues and underspend on the keys."
Finding a coin you like and collecting a short set or the whole series, not because everyone else is doing it but because you just like that coin, is what the hobby is all about. Before the state quarters series started in 1999, one could easily cherry pick the best US Quarters with few serious problems, per this article on NumisMaster.com. It's an arousing account of one collector's Washington Quarter Collection, with insights to the enjoyment of collecting from circulation coins. Scarce dates and mintages are also described.
Speaking of circulation coins, Jamaica has two new coins in circulation today. The newly designed one and ten dollar coins are both round, as opposed to the old designs of the heptagonal shaped one dollar and the scalloped-shaped ten dollar. The Bank of Jamaica issued its press release last month, and the new coins hit the streets today.
Here are some Jamaican Coins on the secondary market:
US $.99
Ancient Coin Display, Popular Coins and $2 Dollar Bills, Scavenging with Metal Detectors
Posted on 31. Aug, 2009 by KJ in Ancient Coins, Auctions, Metal Detecting, US Mint
Today, Gardendale Jewelry is displaying ancient coins that date from 336 B.C. to 300 A.D. Visitors can actually touch these ancient coins that would normally be untouchable in a museum. The coins are on loan from Los Angeles this week, and they are for sale. So if you live near Gardendale, Alabama, you'll want to stop by now. I called to verify the display started today, and the gentleman confirmed it did, but he wasn't sure if it ends Friday or Saturday.
Dollar coins and $2 bills will become much more popular in Lincolnton, North Carolina. Their Downtown Development Association is promoting "Strange Change" -- a marketing effort to make dollar coins and $2 bills symbols of support for locally owned businesses. Residents can show their support of locally owned businesses by using dollar coins and $2 bills. In conjunction, many participating downtown businesses will be giving change back to cash customers in dollar coins and $2 bills.
A New Yorker describes her first scavenger hunt with a metal detector in this article. She hit Coney Island with her 3 year old daughter with hopes of a lucrative treasure hunt. The beeping and sifting, the interested little crowd, and the final outcome are all cleverly described.
Coin of the Year is coming up, and you can nominate your favorite 2008 coin right now. Last week, Dave Harper of Numismatic News wrote some tips for submission in his blog -- you'll want to include an image and specs about the coin, like the denomination, weight, composition, and so forth.
The Vegas Collection, offered by Heritage's Long Beach Auction, was started by an eight year old and continued to improve because he searched and upgraded his outstanding collection throughout his life. Read the highlights and history behind the Vegas Collection, and make a bid for a coin or coins at www.HA.com/Coins.
Finally, as a reminder, today you can buy more UHR $20 Gold Coins. The US Mint raised the ordering limit for the UHR $20 Gold Coin from 10 to 25 per household. Visit www.usmint.gov to order yours.
If you'd like to know how UHR $20 Gold Coins are doing on the secondary market, check out these eBay auctions:
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