Archive for April, 2009
Barber Silver Quarter – This Rare Quarter Is Owned By A Fortunate Few
The Barber Silver Quarter is a vintage coin and thus is highly valued by collectors. First minted more than 100 years ago, the coin draws its name from its designer, Charles E. Barber. These silver coins are also called the Liberty Head quarters.
Consider yourself lucky of you have an 1896-S mintage of this quarter, for this is the most valuable of the lot. Still luckier are those who could get their hands on the Barber Dime which is one of the most treasured coins ever minted in the USA where but 24 coins were struck. There were only nine left of these very rare dimes which fetched for a whopping bonanza of close to 2 million US dollars in a fabled transaction two years ago.
There were 74 regular issues of the Barber Silver Quarter, none of which have the same reach as the pay-scale classification of the Barber Dime because the quarters offer no significant variations. Nevertheless, these quarters pose as a challenge to collectors because of the scarcity or low mintage of some coins that were struck in a particular year.
The quarters 1913-S mintage stands as among the most distinct with its 40,000 quarters issued, which went on the record as the lowest regular silver coin issue for the 20th century. The Barber Silver Quarter has a classic design which was drawn from ancient Greece and Rome inspirations. A Liberty head sporting a cap and wreath of laurel leaves is featured in the quarters obverse side.
The “Liberty” inscription in the images headband, which could rapidly wear out with handling of coins in circulation, is often the numismatists basis for determining the condition and intrinsic value of the circulated coins. The USAs original 13 states are honored in this quarter, represented by seven stars on the coins right and six on the left, with the ever-familiar “In God We Trust” motto appearing above.
Draped Bust Silver Dollar – Be Wary Of The Antique Silver Dollar Fakes
The Draped Bust Silver Dollar is one the earliest coins among the official currency of the USA. These antique coins were been minted under the Coinage Act of 1792, and it would cost a fortune to own genuine pieces of these.
There were two types of these Silver dollar coins produced by the US Mint from 1794 to 1803, each different from the obverse side. The first issue is called the Flowing Hair manufactured for only two years, 1794-1795. The second is the Draped Silver Dollar which came out for a longer period, 1795-1804.
The Draped Silver Dollar also features two varieties in its reverse design. These draped silver coin types are the small eagle which was minted 1795-1798, and the heraldic eagle struck in 1798-1804.
All dates of mintage between 1795 and 1903 have different variety classifications because the dies in those days were done by hand engraving. The varying nuances in the draped bust silver dollar design and its vintage pedigree have created a certain mystique among coin collectors who are willing to spend much to own one.
But because of its popularity and the high price that it could command, antique silver dollar fakes have also proliferated. Auction facilities online are often the outlets for such counterfeit coins as the sellers could easily hide under anonymity.
Fortunately, population auction houses like eBay are doing some efforts to stop the unscrupulous practice by stopping sale of those coins determined to be fake. Still, the auction may proceed if the seller declares that the coins being sold by bidding are replicas. It would only be illegal to own counterfeit coins if the intention of the owner is to pass them off as real.
An authority at the American Numismatic Society advises that those who chose to collect counterfeits or replicas should clearly label them as such to prevent these from being sold inadvertently as genuine coins later. For indeed, there are still many gullible ones who would not check and just think that theyre buying the real rare draped bust silver dollar.
Capped Bust Silver Quarter – Scarce Quarter Fetches Premium Price
The Capped Bust Silver Quarter counts among the rarest coins ever minted in the United States. These silver quarter coins were first minted in 1815 and were the immediate successors of the equally rare draped bust silver quarters which started minting in 1796. These two silver quarter varieties were minted by the then fledgling US government to replace the Spanish two-reales coin circulating in the Americas.
The Capped Bust Silver Quarter carried the same design as the other coins, like the half dollar, minted during that time. Production of these quarters went on until 1838, and these coins together with the draped bust quarter, have been named by numismatists as the “Early Quarters” commanding premium prices among coin collectors.
Other key years to look out for when scouting for the Early Quarters are 1823, 1804 and 1796. Notably from 1804 onwards, the reverse side of the Early Quarters sported a bigger, “heraldic” eagle, suggestive of strength and power that collectors and numismatists appreciate over coins of earlier vintage which had smaller eagle designs.
It is a sound advice that before buying a Capped Bust Silver Quarter or any of the Early Quarters, the buyer must have an assurance that these items have certification of authenticity from reputable numismatist groups or associations like the ANACS, NGC, PCGS and ICG. Another is to deal only with reputable dealers.
A useful website for reference on the capped bust silver quarter can be found in the net. This site carries a legitimate eBay auction listing of Early Quarters and their key dates. Through this listing, a prospective buyer could check the trend of the pricing, and compare various price levels within years, comparative data that are useful to the serious collector or dedicated numismatist.
Getting to know silver dollar coins
The very first lot of silver coins to be produced in America took place in 1794. since that time the US government has minted several noteworthy batches at different points in it’s history.
despite what the name indicates, Silver dollars do not actually have to be dollars. This is simply a term that somehow stuck and is used to refer to all coins made from silver in the USA.
On the other hand, there are some who strictly maintain that in order for a coin to be termed as a silver dollar it must have had a face value of one dollar when it was first minted regardless of it’s value today.
One of the most sought after silver dollar coins amongst collectors is the 1804 silver dollar. In actual fact this coin has the date 1803 printed on it due to a mishap although the date of their first issue was definitely 1804.
The 1804 silver dollar served an important function not only as usable currency in it’s day, but the coin was also seen to have aesthetic value and this is attested to by the fact that US diplomats would often present them as gifts to rulers of various countries in Asia.
Today 1804 silver dollars are very hard to come by. In fact most estimates say there are only around twenty or so in the world. If you did by some chance happen to find one of these coins in the attic you could easily get more than two million dollars for it.
The seated liberty dollar is another special set of coins that was introduced in the year 1840. It was minted in relatively large quantities during the initial years but the minting steadily declined with the introduction of newer coins.
The dollar came into circulation during a brief period of its life until the value of silver actually became worth more than the face value of the coin.
From that time onwards it became a trade coin which was used in the Orient. By the 70s the coin came back into circulation as the price of silver declined.
This unique silver trade dollar coin was actually produced in response to the trade coins of other Western powers. Foremost amongst the competitors were Great Britain, France, Mexico and Spain.
The fact that there was so much global competition made it imperative that the US assure the high quality of their own coins. It is for this reason that the US silver dollar trade coin is made with a higher purity of silver than other coins.
Most of the trade dollars issued ended up in Asia due to the growing international trade with those countries at that time. Al in all the trade dollar had a good reputation and was internationally accepted as a trustworthy medium of exchange.
These dollar coins were never circulated inside the United States. However they did have a face value of $5 in the market.
The Eisenhower Silver Dollar – A Silver Coin Fit For A President
Coin collectors who enjoy very big coins will be dazzled by the Eisenhower Silver Dollar. Its edge is receded which, in itself, is not extraordinary, and is much like any general coin of its type. But its diameter of 38.1 mm make this silver dollar a knock out for collectors of large-sized coins.
Greatness is of course the imbued trait of this coin as it was minted from 1971 to 1978 to honor the 34th President of the United States, also a five-star general whose fabled World War II exploits have been immortalized in many books, both civilian and military tomes at that.
Other coins have been minted in honor of President Eisenhower, and which are totally different from the Eisenhower Silver Dollar. A $1 Eisenhower commemorative coin was minted in 1990 and another will come out in 2015 under the Presidential $1 Coin Program.
The Eisenhower Silver Dollar bears the design of Frank Gasparro who likewise rendered the coins reverse side with the Apollo 11 insignia, an icon to mark the moon landing in 1969. That was also the year that President Eisenhower also died, so this silver dollar has some sort of an alpha-omega interpretation.
The Eisenhower Silver Dollar did not see much circulation owing perhaps to its cumbersome size. However, it was minted again to mark the US bicentennial in 1976. This commemorative coin was designed by Dennis Williams who added the Liberty Bell to the reverse while maintaining the Apollo 11 tribute with the image of the moon. This one maintained the original size of 38.1 mm, however.
Significantly, the Eisenhower dollar was the last mintage to have base metal content proportionate to lower coin denominations. Its cupronickel content for instance is ten times that of the Roosevelt dime, four times that of the Washington quarter, and twice of the Kennedy half dollar.
Australian Silver Lunar Coin – Collect And Enjoy A Menagerie Of Values
The Perth Mint which is located in Western Australia started minting the Australian Silver Lunar Coin in 1999 to start a series of mintage based on the Chinese Lunar Year. Thus, the complete Lunar Silver Coin collection would have as its basis the 12 animals which, according to Chinese legend, honored an invitation from Lord Buddha to visit him before he left this Earth.
The good Buddha had called all the animals but only these 12 obliged, so he rewarded these fortunate dozen by naming each of them in the cycle of the Chinese Lunar Year by the order by which they came: the rat was first and started the cycle, followed by the ox, the tiger, the rabbit or hare, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog and the pig (or boar).
However, since the Australian Silver Lunar Coin started minting in 1999, its starting animal in the 12-animal cycle is the rabbit which happened to be the ruling animal in the Chinese Lunar Calendar that year. The rest of the animals followed in their respective order with the ox design featured in this years Perth Mint issue and the tiger icon scheduled to wind up the Lunar Silver issuance in 2010.
The Australian Silver Lunar Coin originally came in five sizes: half-ounce, 1 ounce, and those that weighed at 2, 10 and 32.5 (1 kilo) ounces. Two variations, the 5-ounce and the half-kilo were added in 2004. All are legal tender and have a purity of 99.9% pure silver. Their face values, however, differ.
The 1 kilo size has an Australian-dollar face value of A$30, the half-kilo coin A$15, the 10-ounce A$10, the 5-ounce A$8, the 2-ounce A$2, and the 1-ounce A$1.
Collectors and numismatists whose thematic specialization falls under completing a collection by years will find their darling in the Australian Silver Lunar Coin.
Australian Silver Koala Coin – An Silver Delight From The Land Of Down Under
Do you have an interest in collecting silver bullion coins with exotic animals as their icons? If so, as a collector, you would find great value in the Australian Silver Koala issued by the Perth Mint of Western Australia.
This particular mintage is a follow-through of the super successful introduction of the Australian Silver Kookaburra by the same mint in 1990 and the Australian Kangaroo in 1993 by the Royal Australian Mint. Having all three in coins should be a superb combination for a thematic animal-inspired silver bullion collection.
The Australian Silver Koala was first struck two years ago by the Pert Mint, which is famous for coins of excellent workmanship and innovative designs. The 1997 first year of mintage was an instant success as the koala whose image the coin bears is a well-loved creature the world over.
Numismatists of course will tell you that it would be erroneous to call this coin as the “Australian Silver Koala Bear,” although there is a certain rhyme to this term. The koala is scientifically classified under the genus Phascolarctos, which is rooted from the Greek word “phaskolos,” for pouch, and the misleading “arktos,” for bear. The koala, however, is a marsupial, an arboreal or tree-dwelling animal found only in the tropical forests of Australia.
The jungle, nonetheless, is no place for the Australian Silver Koala, but would be more at home at some treasure chests. This collectors delight is a 1-oz coin made from 99.9% pure silver in a koala design that changes each year.
The latest edition has the image of a young koala clinging to a tree branch. The Perth Mint struck the 2008 mintage of the coin with a different design which features that of a mother koala perched on a tree with a baby Phascolarctos at her back.
This 2008 mintage has, in addition to the silver standard, a gold coin edition. This firmly establishes that there are, indeed, plenty of treasures to be found Down Under!
Morgan Silver Dollar Values: Check Your VAMs
Buying a Morgan silver dollar is to own a coin with a history, that can be traced back more than 100 years as this celebrated collectors item commenced circulating in 1878. A small number mints across the US produced this silver coin until 1904, with a one-year edition issued in 1921.
Morgan Silver Dollar Values today are chiefly based on where the coin was minted. Those that came out from the Carson City, Nevada, mint would be more valued because the mintages there were usually low.
The coins tails side featuring the bald eagle contains the code on the mint source, and hence provide the hint at the Morgan Silver Dollar Values. The letter codes are between the letters D and O in DOLLAR. The mintmark P would indicate the Philadelphia Mint in Pennsylvania, CC for Carson City mint, D for the Denver, Colorado mint, O for coins from New Orleans, Louisiana, and S for those of San Francisco, California, make.
These coins were minted with the passage of the Bland-Allison Act in 1878 requiring US Treasury purchase of silver for general circulation as dollars. The initial coin issues were named after George T. Morgan, then the US Mints designer, who rendered Lady Liberty on the obverse side bearing his monogram. The silver content of this coin totals 0.77344 troy ounces or 24.057 grams with .900 fineness. The Philadelphia mint exclusively produced all proofs of the Morgan silver dollar, although there are also 1921 proof coins known to have come from the San Francisco mint.
The many varieties of these coins has been included in an extensive research undertaken and published by Leroy C. Van Allen and A. George Allis about 50 years ago to establish the variations in the dies used to mint US silver dollars. This led to having the Morgan Silver Dollar Values indicated in its variety classified under the so-called VAMs (for Van Allen-Mallis).
Australian Silver Kangaroo: A National Icon Immortalized In Silver
The beautiful Australian Silver Kangaroo would definitely be a great addition to any coin collection because of its potential intrinsic value. The Silver Kangaroo is an epitome of the high quality of RAM, (The Royal Mint of Australia), minted coins, world-renowned for their exquisite craftsmanship and design.
Investing in this coin could serve as a hedge against inflation owing to the popularity it has acquired, which was bolstered to a great extent 1-oz. silver makeup. This single-ounce concept has proven convenient and effective for trade and purchase purposes, the liquidity aspect characteristically sought by most astute investors.
So just how did the Australian Silver Kangaroo come into existence?
In 1993 The Royal Mint of Australia, RAM, immortalized the kangaroo as a countrywide icon when it started to mint a coin in its respect : the Australian Silver Kangaroo. Because of its potential natural worth, this RAM mintage would be an enriching addition to any coin collection.
The kangaroo was further immortalized as a countrywide icon in 1993 when The Royal Mint of Australia started to mint a coin in its respect : the Australian Silver Kangaroo. Because of its potential natural worth, this RAM mintage would be an enriching addition to any coin collection.
Early coin editions are highly sought, particularly those of the 1998 vintage. Limited minting by the RAM is what makes the Australian Silver Kangaroo a very attractive investment proposition. In 2007, for instance, RAM minted just 15,000 of this coin bullion.
The design of the coin, which varies each year, has also been elegantly rendered for that year. It proudly displays the highly recognizable kangaroo engraving back-dropped against the constellation of the Southern Cross.
Rounding out these distinctive features is the coins diameter of 40.6 mm and thickness of 4 mm. Face value of this coin is at 1 Australian dollar, just a mere fraction of the intrinsic value that this silver bullion coin enjoys among collectors and investors all over the world.
Australian Silver Kookaburra – A Unique Silver Aussie Coin
The Australian Silver Kookaburra should charm both the coin collector and numismatist equivalently. Collectors who look upon birds as their theme specialty will be happy to see that this silver coin possesses the image of the endemic Australian bird kookaburra sculptured in relief.
This bird is a land-based member of kingfisher family which is classified under the genus Dacelo. This large kingfisher is most peculiar for its loud bird call akin to good-natured human laughter. This pleasant disposition of the bird plus the fact that it is found only in Australia are perhaps the main reasons why the Perth Mint in Australia decided to honor the Kookaburra in a silver coin.
The Australian Silver Kookaburra first came out of the Perth Mint at Western Australia in 1990. An introduction which many numismatists must have already taken careful note of as this coin is already nearing its 20th year continuous mintage. The Kookaburra is minted in four sizes with its 32.5 oz. (1-kilo) version consider as one of the largest government-issued silver bullion coins in the world. This coin, which also comes in sizes of 10 oz., 2 oz. and 1 oz., is legal tender, with the 1-kilo size having a face value of 30 Australian dollars.
The Australian Silver Kookaburra has 32.151 troy ounces of silver of 99.99% purity, making it a prized addition to coin collections. Characteristic of Australian bullion coins, the image of Queen Elizabeth graces the head of the Silver Kookaburra. The design of the Kookaburra featured on the reverse side changes every year of minting, a subtle theme variation that should whet the interest of many coin collectors. The 2007 Silver Kookaburra, for instance, has already won the affection of many avid numismatists.
This one features the amiable kookaburra hovering over a twig half-sunken in water, one artistic rendering that should enhance the coins value year after year.