Recent

May

2023

Liberty Coin Service Acquires U.S. Banknote With No Previously Known Survivors

At the recent Central States Numismatic Society convention near Chicago, Liberty Coin Service acquired a US Series 1918 $5.00 Federal Reserve Bank Note issued for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia as a replacement (or star) note. To date, this is this first discovered surviving specimen of this previously unknown US paper money issue.

Said Tom Coulson, Liberty Coin Service owner and general manager, “This note was brought to the show by an East Coast dealer to whom it had been consigned by the long-time owner. That dealer’s business is almost exclusively trading US coins on a wholesale basis, with whom Liberty Coin Service has transacted business for decades. They were not the optimum dealer to market this rarity. However, Liberty Coin Service has a long history of handling new discovery notes—including the 1865 $2.00 National Bank Note issued for the Second National Bank of Lansing, Michigan. When we saw this note in their showcase—and having retail customers who love collecting scarce US currency—we worked out a deal to acquire it. The note has a brand-new catalog number: Friedberg #784*. It has been authenticated and graded by Paper Money Guaranty in Fine-12 condition with stained surfaces. The note’s design features a bust of President Lincoln to the left of the front, The reverse features engravings of Columbus Discovery of Land at the left side and Landing of the Pilgrims on the right side.”

Tom continued, “As a category, US Series 1918 $5.00 Federal Reserve Bank Note replacement notes (called star notes because of the star at the end of their serial number) are all great rarities. With this discovery note, there are known survivors for only five of the 12 Federal Reserve Bank districts. Including this specimen, Paper Money Guaranty has authenticated and graded only 10 pieces among all five Federal Reserve Bank districts combined. Whoever ends up owning this note will have a treasure that no other collector will have.”

US Paper Money issues pre-1928 were 20% larger than those printed today, with notes measuring 7-1/2 inches long by 3-1/4 inches high.

Founded in 1971, frequently honored Liberty Coin Service celebrated its 50th anniversary two years ago. It is Michigan’s largest rare coin and precious metals dealership. It serves precious metals investors and numismatic collectors across the country. Liberty Coins, as it is known locally, has been located in Lansing’s Frandor Shopping Center since 1973.

Apr

2023

The Near Perfect Counterfeit Coin

There are two excellent sites on YouTube that offer numismatic information programs that I know you will enjoy. I visit them daily and always come away with increased knowledge in many phases of the hobby. I strongly suggest that you visit both..

One is hosted by Ben (“The Coin Geek”) who owns Old Pueblo Coin shop in Tucson, Arizona, and the other is Portsmouth Coin and Currency, owned by Daniel Malone in Portsmouth, Ohio. Daniel also has a feature called CoinHELPU in which he answers questions about numismatics which is outstanding.

A few weeks ago, Daniel presented a program on gold counterfeits and mentioned the famous “Omega” $20 High Relief St. Gaudens gold coin. I happen to own one of these rare counterfeits and sent it to Daniel for him to photograph and produce a separate video. He did, and his video is above. Enjoy!

Apr

2023

One of 35 Known ‘Watermelon’ $100 Bills Among Offerings at CSNS Currency Event

One of the banknotes that is among the most popular with collectors will offer a savory treat to its next owner, after it is sold in Heritage Auctions’ CSNS Currency Signature® Auction May 3-5.

The Fr. 377 $100 1890 Treasury Note PCGS Banknote About Unc 50 Details is known as the “Watermelon $100” because of the iconic design on the reverse, in which the zeroes resemble the popular large fruit from the same family as cucumbers and pumpkins.

“Watermelon notes are always in exceptionally high demand, and Watermelon $100s are exceedingly rare,” says Dustin Johnston, Vice President of Numismatics at Heritage Auctions. “The example in this auction is one of only 35 known examples of this beautiful banknote. Eliminate the eight government-held pieces and this is one of just 27 available to the public.”

The offered example is one of the finer known pieces, and can be traced to the holdings of William Philpott and Bob Medlar, who offered the note in a 1972 advertisement. Shortly thereafter, it was acquired by well-known New York collector Frank Levitan, and then it was later offered in the sale of Frank’s Large Size Type collection in 1998. Aside from a PMG Choice 63 EPQ piece, which sold at auction for $372,000 three years ago, no finer example of this rare and popular type note has been offered at public auction since Heritage sold the Tom Flynn collection in 2008, from which a PMG 53 Net example brought a winning bid of $195,500.

Images and information about all lots in the auction can be found at HA.com/3592.

Mar

2023

ANA Welcomes Christian Strayhorn as Education Director

The American Numismatic Association is pleased to announce that Christian Strayhorn will soon join the Association’s team as its new Education Director.

Born and raised in North Carolina, Strayhorn has 17 years of experience in the education sector with community colleges, and public, private, charter and international schools (El Salvador, Brazil and China). She began her career as a history teacher and school administrator after receiving a Bachelor of Arts, History from North Carolina State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She later went on to receive a Masters of Arts, History from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. She has been honored with numerous fellowships – including a Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) fellowship to Germany and a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) at UC Berkeley – and has earned Certificates in Global Education Entrepreneurship from UPENN and in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Business School.

Strayhorn’s recent focus has been on redesigning learning experiences and creating programs that are engaging, entertaining, interactive and informative. She has authored historical fiction and non-fiction books, research articles, been a guest blogger, a TEDx speaker, and an international speaker and presenter.

“I’m a tireless advocate for life-long learning,” says Strayhorn. “The ability to bring my experiences with history and education to the world of numismatics feels like a beautiful culmination of my career journey. I am eager to jump in and continue the amazing and inspiring work of the ANA.”

Strayhorn assumes the role of ANA Education Director on March 29. She will be responsible for implementing an online education program while elevating and improving upon existing programs. Strayhorn takes the reins from Rodney Gillis, who retired after serving the ANA for nearly 17 years. The newly expanded Education Director role will oversee educational content development and programs for a new eLearning platform, and collaborate with national numismatic experts for teaching in the Association’s eLearning Academy, technical seminars and the acclaimed Summer Seminar. A major focus will be implementing a new Learning Management System.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Christian to our numismatic community,” says ANA Executive Director Kim Kiick. “This newly expanded leadership role is critical to the ANA’s mission, and I believe Christian is that person who can help expand our educational initiatives for the next generation of collectors.”

Mar

2023

World War II Wonders

The World War II years were difficult years historically, but they were also incredibly important years numismatically. During the 1942-1945 span, some of the most significant ( and valuable) coin rarities were minted, possibly due in part to the loss of experienced workers at the U.S. Mint to the service.

Arguably, there were more interesting and collectible coins struck during this 4 year period than at any other similar time span in the history of the mint. This article presents the most popular of those, but many more could certainly be included. Here is a list of the cents, nickels, dimes, quarters and half dollars that are the most important, several of which are extremely rare. Many can still be cherrypicked by the astute collector.

Coins to look for:

Cents

1943 Copper ( all 3 mints)
1943-D/D Repunched Mintmark * 1943/2-S Overdate
1944 Steel ( all 3 mints)
1944-D/S Overmintmark

Nickels

1942-D/Horiz. D
194 3/2-P Overdate
1943-P Doub. Die Obv.(eye)
1945-P Doub. Die Rev.
1945-S Full Steps

Dimes

1942/1-P Overdate
1942/2-D Overdate
1945-P Full Bands

Quarters

1942-D Doubled Die Obverse
1942-D Doubled Die Reverse
1943-S Doubled Die Obverse

Halves

1942-P Doubled Die Reverse

From the above list, your best chance of finding a collectible coin probably lies in the Jefferson nickel series. Check all Wartime nickel coins carefully for any varieties and the 1944-S and especially the 1945-S issues for Full Step pieces.

Feb

2023

Stack’s Bowers Galleries Announces New Professional Numismatist Program

Throughout their legendary 90 year history in numismatics, Stack’s Bowers Galleries has had an unparalleled team of experts at the core of their business. Their current list of professionals is world renown in all areas of numismatics and among the best in the field. To continue this legacy, Stack’s Bowers Galleries is pleased to announce the launching of a new one week seminar, the Professional Numismatist Program, with its first session scheduled from July 30 to August 5, 2023. Its mission statement: To provide practical tools and build professional connections for the next generation of young adult numismatists. The lead instructor will be Devin Hipp, joined by industry leaders Greg Roberts, Jason Carter, Matt Orsini, John Pack, Rick Ponterio, Vicken Yegparian, Peter Treglia and Aris Maragoudakis to name just a few. Covered topics will include advanced coin grading, wholesale trading and valuation, bullion trading, introduction to world numismatics, cataloging, and auctioneering.

The Professional Numismatist Program will be fully funded by Stack’s Bowers Galleries with all expenses – travel, lodging, food, beverages, and entertainment – provided by the firm upon acceptance to the program. The program will take place in Griffin Studios, located in their worldwide headquarters in Costa Mesa, California allowing students to enjoy the best that Southern California has to offer with its diverse recreational environment. For exceptional students, paid positions and internships may be available immediately.

If you have ever considered making your hobby your profession, here is the perfect opportunity to observe and acquire the skills necessary to be successful in this exciting field.

Applications must be submitted by May 1, 2023. For more information click here.

Feb

2023

United States Mint Announces 2024 American Women Quarters Program Honorees

The United States Mint (Mint) is pleased to announce the following 2024 honorees for the American Women Quarters™ Program:

Patsy Takemoto Mink was the first woman of color to serve in Congress. As a Member of Congress, she fought for gender and racial equality, affordable childcare, and bilingual education, most notably with the passage of Title IX, which was later renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was a Civil War era surgeon, women’s rights advocate, and an abolitionist. Walker often crossed battle lines to care for wounded soldiers. Captured by the Confederate troops as a suspected spy, she was held as a prisoner of war for four months. Walker is the only woman to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Pauli Murray was a poet, writer, activist, lawyer, and Episcopal priest, as well as a staunch advocate for civil rights, fighting against racial and sex discrimination. In 1966, she co-founded the National Organization for Women with Betty Friedan and other activists. Murray is regarded as one of the most important social justice advocates of the twentieth century.
Zitkala-Ša (meaning “Red Bird”), also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, was a writer, composer, educator, and political activist for Native Americans’ right to United States citizenship and other civil rights they had long been denied. She left her South Dakota home on the Yankton reservation at age eight to attend a boarding school run by white missionaries, where her native culture and traditions were prohibited.
Celia Cruz (Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso) was a Cuban-American singer, cultural icon, and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Known as “The Queen of Salsa,” Cruz’s numerous honors and awards include five Grammy awards, a National Medal of Arts, and a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy.

“All of the women being honored have lived remarkable and multi-faceted lives, and have made a significant impact on our Nation in their own unique way,” said Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson. “The women pioneered change during their lifetimes, not yielding to the status quo imparted during their lives. By honoring these pioneering women, the Mint continues to connect America through coins which are like small works of art in your pocket.”

The designs for the 2024 American Women Quarters will be released in mid-2023.

Authorized by Public Law 116-330, the American Women Quarters Program features coins with reverse (tails) designs emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of American women. Begun in 2022 and continuing through 2025, the Mint is issuing five quarters in each of these years. The ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse group of individuals honored through this program reflects a wide range of accomplishments and fields, including suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts.

Numismatic Products
This groundbreaking coin program is an excellent way to remind future generations what can be accomplished with vision, determination, and a desire to improve opportunities for all. Subscribe to the program today to ensure fulfillment of your favorite product through 2025.

Jan

2023

The Original and the Second “Mr. Red Book”

Kenneth Bressett’s memoir A Penny Saved: R.S. Yeoman and His Remarkable Red Book celebrates the life of Bressett’s mentor, hobby legend Richard S. Yeo (known as R.S. Yeoman), and the longevity of the Guide Book of United States Coins (the “Red Book”), first published in 1946. The 352-page hardcover volume is available from bookstores and hobby shops and online (including at Whitman.com). Here, numismatic historian Joel J. Orosz provides an appreciation of both Yeoman and Bressett.

Two Whitman book series, the Handbook of United States Coins and A Guide Book of United States Coins, both truly numismatic institutions, were the inspiration and dedication of two men, who first established, then refined these series for decades. One, Richard Yeo, was the founder, consummate salesman, and ambassador; the other, Kenneth Bressett, was the scholar and developer. The story of their joint achievement, annually renewed, is worthy of note and remembrance.

Richard Yeo was a son of the Badger State, blessed with a flair for design and a knack for making friends. Whitman Publishing of Racine, Wisconsin, hired Yeo in 1932 and soon put him to work selling coin boards and, later, the celebrated blue coin folders beloved by generations of young collectors. Although new to numismatics initially, he wasn’t afraid to ask specialists for guidance.

As R.S. Yeoman, Yeo continued as editor of the Red Book for nearly a quarter century, making it into the most trusted guide for retail prices and earning him the title “Mr. Red Book.” Throughout the 1960s he appeared frequently as a brand ambassador for his many publications at coin shows, conventions, and clubs, where he autographed books and charmed collectors with his modest demeanor and engaging personality. By the time of his retirement in 1970, he had proven his pen name truly apt, for his “yeoman’s service” benefitted not only Whitman Publishing, but all of numismatics.

Of all of Yeoman’s many achievements, perhaps the greatest was mentoring his successor.

Ken Bressett of Keene, New Hampshire, became a numismatist while in his teens. He had printer’s ink in his veins, as one of his early jobs was as a “printer’s devil” in the twilight years of the hot-lead printing process. In the mid-1950s Yeoman was attending a coin show and Bressett discussed with him some questionable items in the Guide Book. Instead of taking offense, Yeoman recognized his talent and later engaged him as a freelance editor. Whitman hired Bressett in 1959, with his responsibilities encompassing the Blue Book and Red Book series. By 1962 he was made assistant editor and later managing editor in 1965, giving Yeoman more opportunities to be a roving ambassador.

Bressett’s tenure as editor lasted an astonishing 53 years; even after his formal retirement in 2018, he has continued with special projects for Whitman. It was natural, therefore, that following Yeoman’s death in 1988, Bressett inherited the title of “Mr. Red Book.”

Bressett’s stewardship was lengthy, and also quietly revolutionary. He enhanced not just two book series but an extraordinarily successful and truly beloved numismatic institution. A glance at the 1966- and 2019-dated editions of both the Red Book and the Blue Book shows how vastly he (often with some behind-the-scenes help from his son, Philip) improved these iconic products. They employ similar organizational schemes, but everything from the typeface to the factual content was enriched. Page counts nearly doubled, incorporating new coin issues, and novel research expunged old errors and added important fresh findings. Timely special features were added.

Ken Bressett achieved the highly improbable: he supervised production of two successful books and for five decades simultaneously preserved and reinvented them—a seamless fusion of tradition and transformation. Two men, two enduring book series, more than three-quarters of a century; one shared sobriquet. Only the oldest coin collectors of 2023 can remember numismatics without the Blue Book or the Red Book, all thanks to the extraordinary exertions of not one “Mr. Red Book” but two.

Jan

2023

New Books and Hobby Supplies From Whitman Publishing in 2023

Whitman Publishing announces a slate of new books and hobby supplies that will be available in 2023. The lineup includes titles on U.S. and world coins, tokens and medals, numismatic history, and memoirs, as well as archival-quality Whitman and H.E. Harris folders, albums, and other display and storage products.

Founded in 1916, Whitman is the world’s leading producer of numismatic reference books, supplies, and products to display and store coins and paper money. The company will release new folders and albums for the American Women quarters and other United States Mint coins, and continues its Glorifier Series of magnetic-closure acrylic display cases.

Several volumes of Whitman’s best-selling “Bowers Series” will be updated in new editions in 2023. These include guide books on Morgan silver dollars; Liberty Seated silver coins; the dimes, quarters, and half dollars designed by Charles E. Barber; Franklin and Kennedy half dollars; Lincoln cents; and $20 double eagle gold coins.

The newest volume in the Bowers Series (no. 27), the Guide Book of American Silver Eagles, by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez, is now available.

The 15th edition of R.S. Yeoman’s Catalog of Modern World Coins, 1850–1964, has been updated and fully revised by editor Arthur L. Friedberg and a team of pricing specialists from around the world.

The Guide Book of United States Coins and the Handbook of United States Coins—the hobby’s best-selling “Red Book” and “Blue Book”—will be released this spring in their 77th and 81st editions, respectively.

The 9th edition of Mega Red, the 1,504-page deluxe version of the Red Book, features a detailed coin-by-coin study of quarter eagle gold coins, along with its usual expanded coverage of every U.S. coin series.

The latest Cherrypickers’ Guide will debut in 2023—the 6th edition, volume II, covering die varieties of half dimes, dimes, twenty-cent pieces, and quarter dollars, 1800s to date.

The 2nd edition of James A. Haxby’s Guide Book of Canadian Coins and Tokens will roll out for the holiday season. This follows on Harvey B. Richer’s 100 Greatest Canadian Coins and Tokens, published in 2022.

John Kraljevich’s Freedom Will Be Ours: Medals and Money in Black America is an exploration of the experience of Black Americans as commemorated by, described by, or related to numismatic material culture—tokens, medals, coins, paper money, privately issued scrip—and tangential but important items such as slave tags and military awards.

Famed collector and antiquities dealer Kenneth W. Rendell, a founding member of the Rittenhouse Society and a contemporary of Q. David Bowers, will share his memoirs in Safeguarding History: Trailblazing Adventures Inside the Worlds of Collecting and Forging History.

In the world of stamp-collecting, H.E. Harris & Co., a Whitman subsidiary, will publish a number of new philatelic supplements in 2023. Its annual US/BNA Postage Stamp Catalog will be available in November. Billed as “America’s Best-Selling Stamp Price Guide,” US/BNA covers stamps of the United States and U.S. possessions, the United Nations, and British North America (Canada and its provinces).

Whitman Publishing is the Official Supplier of the American Numismatic Association. As a benefit of membership in the ANA, members can borrow Whitman books for free from the Association’s Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library, and also receive 10% off all Whitman purchases. Details are at www.money.org.

More detailed information will be released about individual new books and products as their release dates approach.

Jan

2023

Unique Gold Coin Shines At $5.52 Million, Leads Record-Setting Bass Collection Auction Above $24 Million

An 1870-S Three Dollar Gold, SP50 sold for a record $5.52 million, and three other coins reached seven figures to lead Heritage Auctions’ The Bass Collection, Part II US Coins Signature® Auction – Orlando FUN to $24,022,741 on Jan. 5.

The auction was enormously successful by any metric: of the 103 offered lots, 30 established new records. The event was the second installment of the collection of Harry W. Bass; proceeds from the auction will benefit the dozens of Dallas-based nonprofits supported by the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation, with a particular emphasis on early childhood education and literacy in Dallas. Part I reached $20,459,645 Sept. 29.

“These coins were very special to Harry, and I hope the buyers appreciate them as much as he did,” says F. David Calhoun, executive director of the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation. “They’re not just commodities, as every coin was special to Harry, as evidenced by the extraordinary collection of U.S. gold rarities he assembled. And, of course, the more money raised from the auctions of these coins, the better because that means we can help more people.”

“Heritage Auctions delivered more than $24 million in winning bids for the Bass Foundation tonight, and nearly $44.5 million over the first two parts of this extraordinary auction, and we know the foundation will put these proceeds to great use amongst the charities they support,” Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Todd Imhof said. “Our sale of Part II of the Bass Foundation’s rare coins tonight delivered numerous world records and shows this bull market in the rare coin hobby continues.

“We could not be more happy for the Bass Foundation and for the charities it supports.”

The event’s top lot, which drew 73 bids, crushed the previous world record of $687,500 and is among the rarest and most enigmatic coins in the U.S. federal series. Reliable reports suggest that a second example, housed in a ceremonial casket, was placed under the cornerstone of the Second San Francisco Mint in 1870, but the example offered in this auction is the only known example. But assuming the reports of that second example are accurate, that coin would be forever out of reach to collectors, meaning that for all intents and purposes, the example sold in this auction is unique.

Also clearing more than $1 million was the finest known 1795 Capped Bust Right Eagle, MS64, which reached $2.1 million. The rarest and most sought-after of the capped Bust Right, Small Eagle die varieties, PCGS CoinFacts estimates the surviving population at 18-22 examples in all grades, while John Dannreuther estimates 20-22 specimens extant. PCGS and NGC have combined to certify 28 examples between them, a total that almost certainly includes a number of resubmissions and crossovers. This coin has been exhibited, along with the rest of the Harry Bass Core Collection, at the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum, at the headquarters of the American Numismatic Association in Colorado Springs, since 2001.

An 1835 Quarter Eagle, HM-1, PR67 Deep Cameo prompted 30 bids before it sold for a record $1.2 million; the previous record was just under $176,000. From the Eliasberg Collection with an earlier provenance to the George H. Earle Collection, this example is the finest certified proof Classic Head quarter eagle, the only one to receive the PR67 numerical grade and one of just four PCGS submissions boasting the Deep Cameo designation. This magnificent example is one of fewer than three dozen remaining from 1834-39, a distinction made rarer by the fact that four reside in the Smithsonian Institution, and another in the British Museum.

A 1798/7 BD-2 Eagle, MS62 was the fourth lot to reach seven figures when it ended at $1.11 million, surpassing the previous record of $705,000. It is the third-finest known example, and one of the two above it is housed in the Smithsonian Institution.

A 1796 BD-2 No Stars Quarter Eagle, MS63 brought a winning bid of $990,000. The 1796 No Stars Quarter Eagle ranks among the most sought-after and important types in the entire United States series, and ranks within the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins compiled by Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth with the input of many of the hobby’s top experts. Not only is the 1796 Quarter Eagle the first two-and-a-half-dollar gold issue manufactured in this country, this variant without stars around the obverse was struck only for a few months before being replaced by a modified version with stars.

An 1820 BD-6 Half Eagle, MS64+ PCGS, the second-finest of the variety, ended at $900,000, erasing the previous record of $282,000. This is the first of three 1820-dated obverse dies with the Curl Base 2, and this example is one of what is believed to be no more than 10 remaining examples.

Part III of Heritage Auctions’ Bass Collection will be in April, and Part IV in August.

In 2022, the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation gave grants to 50 Dallas-area nonprofits, including Reading Partners North Texas, Momentous Institute, Bachman Lake Together, the North Texas Food Bank, Buckner Children & Family Services, Inc., Mi Escuelita Preschool, Inc., ChildCareGroup and Urban Teachers.

The foundation also donated $160,000 to the American Numismatic Association following the collection’s departure from its museum in Colorado.

Complete results can be found at HA.com/1355.

Precious Metals Prices