Precious Metal & Rare Coin Market News
Davy Crockett: “You May All Go to Hell and I Will Go to Texas”
The Texas spirit is legendary. Those schooled in Southern history will recall that "Remember the Alamo!" was the heartfelt cry that lit a fire under Texans and drove them to finally defeat Mexico's army and enable them to claim their independence as a republic in 1836. In 1933, during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's administration, Congress passed legislation authorizing coinage of silver half dollars "in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary in 1936 of the independence ... >> Read More
Six U.S. Mint Error Coins You Should Know About
2000 Sacagawea Dollar Reverse/Washington Quarter 1977 Jefferson Nickel struck on a 1976 Lincoln cent 1976–D Washington quarter doubled strike 1923 Peace Dollar double- strike error 1906 Indian Head Cent struck on a Quarter Eagle planchet 1837 Capped Bust Half Dollar In 2021, the U.S. Mint produced nearly 14.5 billion coins. Despite first-class technology and extensive quality control efforts, – some mistakes happen, – and these are known as error coins, or misstrikes. Mint error coins ... >> Read More
This Indian Princess Boasts A Deep Frosty Luster
A $3 gold coin? During the period the $3 Indian Princess gold coins were minted, from 1854-1889, that represented a hefty sum for everyday Americans. So, why did the U.S. Mint choose to produce a $3 coin? Numismatic experts believe the reason can be found at the post office. When this coin was first minted a U.S. postal stamp cost 3 cents. The $3 coin created a convenient way for businesses to purchase 100 stamps ... >> Read More
5 Coin Hoards You Should Know About
For thousands of years humans buried, hid, and hoarded coins for a variety of reasons. In ancient times, people buried coin hoards during wartime to preserve and protect their wealth from enemy invaders. Today, there are still ancient coin hoards being found in the Mediterranean region dating back to the Greek and Roman eras. In early American life, people who distrusted banks or paper money hid their coins, preferring to store their life savings at ... >> Read More
How California Fractional Gold Built the West
The California gold rush became an industry of its own soon after the discovery of gold in the American west. Like any industry, the gold rush needed a system of trade. Developing such a system required the creation of California fractional gold. Some believe that before the creation of California fractional gold people would make daily purchases with a pinch of gold dust. It wasn’t long before those traveling west realized that a better system ... >> Read More
The Bold Women Behind the Isabella Quarter
The Isabella quarter is a rare instance of a commemorative coin that celebrates woman’s industry in a world that gave most recognition to men. The quarter, struck in 1893, was requested by the Board of Lady Managers of the World’s Columbian Exposition. The Exposition was a world’s fair hosted by Chicago in 1893. The event was a celebration of Columbus’ arrival in the new world in 1492. From the beginning, the coin was intended to ... >> Read More
The Fleeting History of the Fugio Cent
No coin more perfectly represents the passage of time than the Fugio Cent. The coin, sometimes called the Franklin cent, is a work from Benjamin Franklin. An inscription on the obverse reads “fugio” which is Latin for “I flee,” referring to the common adage that time flies. This is a fitting sentiment for a coin that was minted for only one year in 1787. The same side shows a bright sun with rays shining down ... >> Read More
Do You Know Your Great-Great Grandmother’s Name?
Answer quickly: what are your great-great grandparent's names? If you don't know, you aren't alone. The reason I ask is that when you get to a certain age in life, some people begin to consider their legacy and how they will be remembered throughout the generations of your family that will come after you. We live in an era where time moves fast. In a few short decades, we've seen the introduction of the Internet, ... >> Read More
The Gold Dollar: An Early American Currency Workhorse
Throughout the history of civilization, gold has served as money – longer than any other material. In the early days of our union, the American government worked to create a gold dollar as a unit of currency. Indeed, as early as 1791, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton first called for a one-dollar denomination gold coin. Yet, it took our young nation 58 years to actually mint the one-dollar gold coin. Finally, with the Act ... >> Read More
Gold and Gold Bugs
In March 1933, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York could no longer honor its commitment to convert paper money to gold and FDR declared a banking holiday. FDR issued an Executive Order requiring all Americans to surrender all gold owned by them to a Federal Reserve bank and prohibited the private holdings of all gold coins and bullion. President Roosevelt ordered Americans to sell their gold back to the government, or face jail time ... >> Read More