Weekly World Numismatic News for April 21, 2019
National Coin Week is celebrated every third week of April to bring awareness to those neat little metal items jingling in your pocket as something that makes a fun collectible. This year the numismatic community is going all out to get you to look at your change with the Great American Coin Hunt. Why? Because change hunting is how many of us started. While finding silver coins may be rare (or is it?), there are still collectible coins in circulation.
Round Table Trading is a nationwide organization of coin dealers. Members of the Round Table have committed to placing collectible coins into circulation. Coins will range from Indian Head Cents to Morgan Dollars and everything in between. You may want to examine that dime you just received in change carefully because it could be a Mercury Dime that was struck by the U.S. Mint from 1916-1946.
I already own a 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent, but I will be looking, too!
Also, look for coins with silver and gold stickers on them. If you find one, bring it to a coin dealer and redeem it for something worth more. Silver stickers can be traded for silver coins, and gold stickers will get you a gold coin. There are rumors that some dealers will redeem a gold sticker for a Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle ($20) gold coin worth more than $2,500.
The U.S. Mint is also participating by releasing the first-ever circulating coins with the “W” mint mark to indicate that the coins were minted at the facility in West Point, New York. In 2019, the U.S. Mint will add 10 million quarters, two million for each of the 2019 America the Beautiful Quarter Series coins, into circulation. After being struck at West Point, 1 million of each quarter will be sent to the mints at Philadelphia and Denver to be mixed in with the circulating coins that will be delivered to the Federal Reserve.
Although you might think that producing 10 million coins is not rare, consider that the U.S. Mint will produce nearly 1 BILLION quarters in a year making it about 1-percent of the Mint’s quarters production.
Finally, the American Numismatic Association is holding a 2069 coin design challenge and an Online Trivia Challenge. Visit the ANA website daily for the rules and a new daily question.
And now the news…
April 16, 2019GREENWICH – A high school senior from Greenwich is bringing a very modern approach to the ancient pastime of coin collection. Christian Hartch, 18, was given a small collector's book for pennies by his father, Greg, when he was 5. He's been obsessed with numismatics, the study of coins, ever since, and brought his enthusiasm to thousands of followers on YouTube. 
→ Read more at greenwichtime.com
April 18, 2019Byzantine ruler created the 438 Theodosian law code, which collected the thousands of imperial laws of the sprawling empire and officially made Jews second-class citizens → Read more at timesofisrael.com
April 18, 2019A new dollar coin designed to commemorate 50 years of homosexual rights has sparked a dual backlash — from both members of Canada’s LGBT community and from a social conservative group. → Read more at cbc.ca
April 18, 2019A gold and silver coins hoard was found by four treasure hunters with a metal detector in a field in Buckinghamshire and includes 12 rare full gold coins from the time of the Black Death. → Read more at dailymail.co.uk
April 19, 20192019-04-19T17:51:29.479634Z → Read more at wmur.com
April 20, 2019EASTON — Take a moment to really count your change next week, you might be surprised to find some unusual and collectible coins.As part of National → Read more at tauntongazette.com
Hawaii Selects Design of Last Quarter
Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle announced that she has selected the state’s recommended design for the last of the 50 State Quarters.® Governor Lingle accepted the recommendation of the Hawaii Commemorative Quarter Advisory Commission which validated the results of a public on-line poll. The design selected received the most number of votes in the poll.
The design chosen includes the King Kamehameha I statue on the right side of the coin, with his hand stretching toward a map of the eight main Hawaiian islands. The State motto, “Ua mau ke ea o ka ‘āina i ka pono” (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness) will be on the lower left side of the coin. The rest of the elements are what is required by the 50 State Quarters program.
The governor said that the design will be submitted to the US Mint for approval. Hawaii’s Commemorative Quarter is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2008 and will be produced for 10 weeks as the last quarter of the series.
Image courtesy of the Hawaii Governor’s office.
About My New 1890-CC Morgan Dollar
Morgan Dollars were not popular during the time they were being struck by the US Mint. They were not considered particularly beautiful and most people outside of a few western states preferred to carry paper currency. But the Bland-Allison Act of 1878 and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 prescribed large purchases of silver from western mines and the minting of silver coinage to back silver certificates. This continued until the Panic of 1893 when the decline in the economy created a run on the gold supply. Then many were melted as a result of the silver recall prescribed in the Pittman Act while others were stored in Treasury buildings to be discovered by the General Services Administration in the 1960s.
Since their last mintage in 1921, the dollars designed by Mint Engraver George T. Morgan did not enjoy wide popularity until the GSA Hoard. Of the Morgan Dollars that hold the mystique are the ones struck at the Carson City Mint. Situation near the famous Comstock Lode, the Carson City Mint. Most CC minted dollars were amongst the lowest minted of the series. The highest mintage was the 1890-CC where over 2.3 million were struck.
Finding nice, affordable examples of CC mint Morgan Dollars can be difficult. Those of us on a budget compromise and purchase cleaned or polished coins in order to own at least one example. But when I had the opportunity to buy a nice, “common” CC coin for a good price, I could not resist.
I was walking the floor at the American Numismatic Association National Money Show in Charlotte and found a dealer selling quite a few ungraded Morgan Dollars. As I searched through several boxes, I came across a nice 1878-CC Morgan Dollar (2.2 million minted). The 2×2 holder the coins was in said the coin was in Almost Uncirculated. It was a nice, clean coin with some mint luster showing a great strike. I was sure that if it was slabbed it would have graded higher than what was written on the holder. It was priced as if it was an Extra Fine coin.
I could not resist… I bought my first no-problem CC Morgan Dollar!
It is a beautiful coin that looks great in the blue album shining next to my other Morgan Dollars.
US Mint Continues Melting Ban
The U.S. Mint announced that they have set the final rule to limit the exportation and melting, or treatment the cent nickel coins in order “to safeguard against a potential shortage of these coins in circulation.”
Basics have not changed from the interim rule (and press release): melting of one-cent and five-cent coins is prohibited; individuals may carry $5 of coins out of the country; and dealers may ship up to $100 of numismatic coins out of the country. The civil fine will remain at $10,000 per incident, incarceration of up to 5 years in a federal prison, or both. Details are published in the Federal Register [PDF]
NGC Announces New FDC Holders
In a previous entry, I wrote that Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC) would certify US Mint American Presidency $1 Coin Cover Series holders with the designation of “First Day of Mintage.” Like many, I assumed that NGC would remove the coins from the cover and put them into their standard slab. But NGC surprised us and announced a different program that gives the submitter the choice of encasing the coins in the standard NGC holders or have the entire cover sealed in a clear, semi-rigid plastic sleeve. NGC notes that this “allows the U.S. Mint packaging to be preserved while receiving the advantages of an NGC certified grade.”
The holder is reminiscent of the holders that are used by their sister company Paper Money Guarantee (PMG) where the cover will be encased in the sleeve with the label on top. The NGC label will include the year and mint mark of the coins, the name of the president it honors, and the designation “First Day of Mintage.” If the coins do not have the same grade, the grades will be listed separately.
In order to receive the “First Day of Mintage” designation, NGC recommends that the covers be submitted in the Mint wrapping still attached to the cardboard. NGC will not encase damaged or covers that appear to be tampered. NGC will only do this for covers produced by the US Mint. NGC will charge their standard rates for each coin. All minimums, insurance, and shipping fees apply.
Considering that the Mint’s covers do not have any text written inside the envelope or under the flap, the is a very good idea by NGC. The collector can have the experience of the collectible while allowing the coins to be graded by NGC. I probably will not avail myself of this service, but it is one of the better ideas a third-party grading service has had to extend their brand.
Images are from NGC.
Clicking on the image will show the enlarged version.
Weekend Musings
I was very surprised to learn that the George Washington First Day Covers were sold out at the US Mint. There have been very few sellouts for the 50 State Quarters™ First Day Covers and others, like the Westward Journey Nickel™ First Day Covers, went off sale after the legal sales date expired. I wonder if this is a “first issue” or it will continue for all presidents? Maybe it will only be for popular presidents where Abraham Lincoln would sell out but not Millard Fillmore?
There has been talk of creating fractional American Buffalo 24-Karat Gold Coins but no indication from the Mint that this will happen. The Mint is offering uncirculated American Silver Eagle coins with the “W” mint mark on a subscription basis. I wonder if the expanded product line is too much for the Mint to handle the additional Buffalo gold coins and whether they are trying to protect the American Eagle gold program?
Although I am not a collector of medals, I am amazed at the artwork on the medals produced by the US Mint. While looking at the Mint’s online catalog, I found the new Yosemite Nation Park Centennial Bronze Medal and was just captivated by its design. It seems to capture the grander and beauty of Yosemite. Other medals are just phenomenal in their design. These medals are struck on 90-percent copper and 10-percent zinc blanks in Philadelphia. It may be worth looking into.
On December 14, 2006, the Mint announced a ban on the melting and limited the export of cents and nickels for 120 days (4 months). That period was up on Saturday, April 14, 2007 with no further statement from the Mint. Rumor has it that the Mint will issue a statement continuing the melting ban, raise the individual traveler’s limit from $5 to $25 and the numismatic shipments from $100 to $250. It is speculated that this will be a six month extension of the melting ban.
I would like to end with a non-numismatic review. Last night, my wife and I saw the performance of Titus Andronicus by the Shakespeare Theatre Company of Washington, DC. Titus Andronicus is Shakespeare’s most violent plays depicting the revenge strategies and violence of ancient Rome. It is a powerful play about the misplaced sense of honor some have to authority and tradition and how revenge based on that honor can feed upon itself to the detriment of everyone. It is an interesting commentary on today’s society regardless of your political persuasion. Director Gale Edwards did a fantastic job of bringing this play to the stage with great visuals and heart-pumping music. If you live, work, or visit Washington, DC during its run (until May 20), I highly recommend this play.
Image courtesy of the United States Mint.
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