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Symbolism has been a part of numismatics for almost as long as coins have been struck. It has also long been a part of propaganda, with national personification frequently used in literature and, even more frequently, imagery. This was especially true in print during the golden age of newspapers before television took over in terms of visuals. While these national personifications are used far less frequently today than they were prior to the introduction of other forms of media, some of them stuck and continue to be used on coinage to this day.
Allegorical Goddess on Coins Based on Athena
Many of the allegorical figures that represent entire nations are based on the Greek goddess Athena. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and war. Goddesses based on this figure include Britannia, Germania, Helvetia, and Hibernia. Each of these figures has appeared on precious metals coins, and some continue to do so.Britannia on Coins
The best known of these figures among collectors is…
Lost Buried Treasures
Stories of lost buried treasure hoards capture the imagination and spark the hidden treasure hunter within all of us, who learn about these Legends of Lore. Hidden Treasure discoveries can happen anytime, anywhere, unexpectedly, or through extensive research and expense that may eventually reveal these artifacts of history.
Unfortunately over the centuries, these hidden treasure stories can take on a life of their own, with little documented evidence or proof of their existence, but also many have left hints of history behind. History leaves clues, and those that follow these history hints may discover true treasure… whether from the enjoyment of the chase, to the actual realization of a historical find.
Here is a look at some of hidden treasures from Colonial America, to the Civil War. You be the judge as to being fact, fiction, or a little of both.
Rogers’ Rangers Silver
In Colonial America, Rogers’ Rangers were a band of scouts and mercenaries…
Coins of the Civil War
Most people are aware of Civil War paper money, and federal issue coinage, minted between 1861 through 1865. However, it’s a little known fact that the Confederacy minted coins at the three Southern Branch Mints located at Charlotte North Carolina, Dahlonega, Georgia, and New Orleans, Louisiana. After secession in 1861, this valuable Federal property was now located in the new Confederate States of America. The Branch Mints were seized, at first by their State Governments, and then turned over to the Confederacy.
At first, small numbers of gold coins were produced from U.S. dies at all three branches, and a larger quantity of half dollars were also coined at the New Orleans Mint. When existing supplies of bullion ran dry, the three branch mints stopped producing U.S. coinage and closed, and only one mint would return into production years later when the New Orleans Mint re-opened in 1879.
New Orleans Half Dollars
The New Orleans Mint is the only Mint in…
The average American citizen doesn't put too much thought into how their pocket change is made. However, coin collectors and numismatists are very interested in the minting process. So, assuming you hope to advance in the numismatic community – or maybe you just want to gain some interesting facts to surprise your friends with – you should learn more about how coins are made. Here are some key terms to remember before you begin:
Minting: process of creating coins
Coin die: one of the metallic pieces that strike each side of the coin
Striking: method of pressing an image into the blank metal using a coin die
The minting process of coins has been around for thousands of years – since around 700 B.C. There have been hundreds of different minting techniques and technologies over the years, along with many different leaders' and prominent figures' images gracing the coins. Initially, coins were made with a hammer and anvil from scraps of metal. But with the…
By Jeff Garrett
I began my career in numismatics in the mid-1970s. At the time, precious metal prices played a relatively small role in the market for rare coins. Gold sold for around $150-200 per ounce and silver hovered in $4-6 per ounce range. The rare coin market was a quiet, cottage industry. The most accurate and widely used price guide was the Red Book which was published just once per year and highly anticipated. Many coin dealers would not price their coins until the new edition arrived.
The market for rare coins was also much smaller, and investors had barely given numismatics a glance. Rare coins were also incredibly inexpensive in the mid-1970’s. A superb 1879 Four Dollar Stella could be purchased for under $10,000 and many rare coins were a fraction of today’s levels. Rare coin grading was still evolving, with most still using adjective grading. By the late 1970s inflation had become the number one problem in the U.S. The numismatic world was…
The greatest silver rush in U.S. history didn't happen because of a strike in a mine shaft —it happened in Washington, D.C., right across the street from the White House. It was the release of the U.S. Treasury Hoard from 1961 to 1964, and for coin collectors, it was every bit as exciting and important as the California Gold Rush of 1849!
Nearly 500 million Morgan Dollars and Peace Dollars were known to exist in the late 1950s. Approximately half were in the hands of the public, and many rested in the vaults of banks and the Mints. Over 200 million were stored in 60-pound bags containing 1,000 coins each in U.S. Treasury vaults in Washington, D.C. The coins were waiting for release, and it came in an epic fashion in the early 1960s!
Origin of the U.S. Treasury Hoard
To discover how the coin rooms in the U.S. Treasury in Washington, D.C. became overflowing with bags and bags of silver dollars, one must go back to over a century ago. With the passage of the Bland-Allison Act in…
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Condition of Collectible Coins Versus Bullion
In coin collecting, the numerical grade of a coin can be a vital factor in determining its value. However, there is a huge difference in the importance of grading between precious metal coins for the investor market and precious metal coins for the collectible market. To state it in the simplest terms, the condition of a bullion coin is not a factor in the investor market. It's all about the precious metal itself. A coin is silver, gold, or platinum...or it's not. The value is based entirely on its precious metal content, not its numerical grade. Essentially, it's irrelevant whether a coin is in pristine condition or not. For example, the Gold Eagle and Silver Eagle bullion coins from the United States Mint are made for the investor market. Gold coins are struck in one-ounce, half-ounce, quarter-ounce, and tenth-ounce sizes, while the silver coin is…
Whenever the Carson City Mint is mentioned, the discussion invariably recalls tales of grizzled miners, quick-draw gunslingers and saloon gambling. A simple look at the legendary "CC" mintmark and one is immediately carried back to the great coinage bonanza of the late 19th century. It's no wonder that today, the Carson City Mint is synonymous with America's "Wild West" era.
Silver Vein Re-Writes History
Prior to the discovery of the Comstock Lode, the massive silver vein tapped into to produce Morgan Silver Dollars, Carson City was nothing more than a small settlement that sold supplies to a steady stream of prospectors heading west in find of their fortunes in the gold fields of California. When the Comstock Lode was discovered in 1858, prospectors, miners, immigrants and other fortune seekers flocked to the area. As the ever-increasing riches were brought forth from the mines, Carson City became the major supply center. Business boomed and the town flourished. By 1860,…
By Jeff Garrett
Why I chose the Gobrecht Silver Dollar Series
I was recently challenged to write about what I considered to be the most misunderstood U.S. coin. Based on my experience, I chose the Gobrecht Silver Dollar series. At first glance, many would think that this series would be rather simple to understand. The coins are dated 1836, 1838 and 1839. How hard could that be? It is, however, one of the most complicated and least understood of all U.S. coinage issues. Even the most basic reason for the coins existence is questioned by many experts. Many consider this series to be pattern or experimental coinage. This is not true, as more than a thousand 1836 dated coins were struck and many of these clearly entered circulation. Quite a few can be found with extensive wear or damage. This series is indeed very complicated and even most rare coin experts only have a cursory knowledge of them. I will attempt to simplify and explain the many different variations of…
Nearly everybody with even a passing interest in Silver Dollars has come across a reference to the Pittman Act of 1918. But, beyond the dry, historical reference to a bill passed over ninety years ago lurks something huge. Something that forever changed the face of coin collecting. Something that, to this very day, impacts each and every Morgan Silver Dollar that has survived. In 1918, Great Britain had a silver problem on its hands. They were in the midst of World War I and needed silver bullion to back millions of British banknotes, particularly in India, where German forces had incited Indian citizens to cash in their notes for actual silver. Back in Washington, Democratic senator Key Pittman of Nevada stepped forward with a proposal. His bill, called the Pittman Act, was passed on April 22, 1918, and it authorized the melting of up to 350 million silver dollars - which would then be sold to Britain for one dollar per ounce of bullion. A total of 270,232, 722 silver dollars were…