The Indian Head Quarter Eagles were minted from 1907 to 1933. During this time President Theodore Roosevelt was in office due to the assassination of McKinley and he found the United States coinage to be unattractive and not representing our country very well so he wanted a reform on all United States coinage. The Mint Engraver at the time was Charles Barber who Roosevelt believed to be mediocre in the profession so in order to achieve new beautiful designs he replaced his job with world renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Saint-Gaudens was commissioned to create a new design for the … [Read more...]
$10 Liberty Head Eagle
February 5, 2013 by
In 1804 President Thomas Jefferson put an end to the minting of eagles due to their melt value being greater than their monetary value. There was a large amount of these coins being melted and 30 years after the minting of eagles had been stopped, the standard weight and fineness for gold coins was changed. Eagles had a weight of 270 grains and it was changed to 258 and the gold fineness went from 91.67% to 90% gold. In 1838 Mint Director Patterson commissioned Engraver Gobrecht to create a new die that will be used to mint the eagles with the new changes. In 1866 the Type 2 Liberty Head … [Read more...]
$5 Liberty Head Gold Coin
February 5, 2013 by
The $5 Liberty Head gold coin with motto was minted from 1866-1908. The designer of this coin was Christian Gobrecht. On the obverse side of the coin is a profile image of Lady Liberty wearing a coronet. Her hair is pulled back with two strands of curly hair hanging down by her neck. Arched around her are 13 stars that represent the 13 original colonies and the mint date near the bottom. On the reverse side of the coin is an image of the heraldic American Eagle looking to the left and the motto “In God We Trust.” The eagle is holding olive branches and arrows in his talons that represent … [Read more...]
$2.50 Liberty Head
February 5, 2013 by
The Liberty Head Quarter Eagle was minted from 1940 to 1907 and was designed by Christian Gobrecht. This coin went the longest amount of time then any other coinage series without any modifications being done to the design. During this time there 11,921,171 Liberty Head Quarter Eagles minted. The design that Gobrecht used for this coin was the coronet motif. On the obverse side of the coin is a depiction of Lady Liberty’s profile with her hair pulled back and two curls hanging down by her neck. The word ‘Liberty’ is inscribed on her coronet. Arched around her are six pointed stars and … [Read more...]
Prospecting for Gold
August 21, 2012 by
Prospecting for gold is the exploration of new gold or gold deposits. The method and resources used by the prospector will depend on what type of deposit the prospector is seeking to find. This endeavor is mainly done commercially however; in a few developed countries prospecting for placer gold has become a popular recreational activity. If you were in search for gold nuggets the best places to look would be places where gold nuggets have been found before. A number if people prefer to pan for gold by bridges where gold bearing streams flow under them. Others hunt for gold in the wild … [Read more...]
Looking Through the Numismatic Glass
August 21, 2012 by
David Bowers, of PCGS, wrote a column “The Joy of Collecting,” published in Coin World on April 2, 2012. In it he said, “The year 2012 marks the sesquicentennial of the greatest monetary disruption in American History.” While the North and South were forced into the most dangerous dispute the nation has ever seen, a variety of coins, currency, tokens and also postage stamps were employed to carry on the commerce. The second part of this article talks about the tokens that were struck by a variety of sources to allow daily transactions possible. Plantations and agriculture in the … [Read more...]
Coin Grading and Certification
June 28, 2012 by
Coin collectors and investors prefer to source out coins that have a good grading. Such a rating allows the coin to be indemnified with a market value that is to the benefit of coin collectors and investors. Grading Procedure Grading a coin is the necessary procedure undertaken to determine the rightful condition or grade of a coin. Hence, it is important to have the coin graded to ensure its rightful value from its scarcity and demand factors which determine the coin’s value to any coin dealer, collector or investor. There are several processes in grading a coin. The coin must be … [Read more...]
The History of Gold Coins and the Ties with the
May 1, 2012 by
The Ipswich Museum of England has an addition display of Iron Age gold coins which are dated from 20 BC and running all the way to 20 AD; this 840 piece collection is the largest of gold coins discovered and displayed. It is said that these pieces were hidden by an Inceni tribe warrior queen 20 decades ago during a battle with the Romans. This collection allows the public an insight into the historical lifestyle of that era which showcased other tribal coins where trade as well as political ties exists between tribes. This form of currency reflects the progressive civilization in any society … [Read more...]
Coin Grading and Certification
May 1, 2012 by
In order to secure the best value for a coin whether on a sale or purchase, one should consider coin grading. This procedure is usually employed to determine the coin’s grade or condition before the sale or purchase transaction. The coin’s grade together with the coin’s demand and scarcity is one of the major factors for determining the coin’s value to any coin collector or trader. The coin grading process involves many factors which include authenticity, condition and sharpness. When coins were first graded, one only considered two grades: Mint and circulated. But more grading … [Read more...]
Buying Gold Coins: What You Should Know About Gold Prices
February 7, 2012 by
Gold prices were rising as much as 6% in the third quarter of 2010 according to the US Mint; this rise could be due to the 5% rise in demand for gold coins and bullion coins. Another possible factor which caused the gold price to rise is the decline of the greenback. The currency value decline boosted gold investment; there was more demand for gold coins with a record currency figure. Hedge funds were also buying up more gold coins, which impacted the demand for gold. However, the US Mint seemed to experience difficulty with the gold coin production; especially the 24-karat American Buffalo … [Read more...]
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