Page 4 - U.S. Coin Articles

By Louis Golino   Some Updates Made 10/21/2021 In 2021 collectors have the opportunity to collect 2021-dated Morgan and Peace dollars made using modern minting technologies combined with the U.S. Mint's legacy assets used to produce the original 1921 coins. These anniversary issues mean that collectors will be able to purchase silver dollars of both designs that grade Mint State 70! The Mint's Chief Engraver Joseph Menna, who led the team that developed the 2021 coins, says the new silver dollars are even better than the originals, though there are some slight differences between them and the 1921 coins. Here is what you need to know about these coins:  Why aren't the 2021 Peace and Morgans Commemoratives? The new silver dollars are being issued to commemorate the centennial since the last Morgan dollar issue in 1921 and the first Peace dollar release in late 1921, but are not technically commemorative coins. The coins were initially proposed as a commemorative coin program…

By Ray James   The eagerly awaited new 2021 Silver Eagle reverse design created by Emily Damstra debuts in mid-2021. The new reverse design was scultped by Michael Gaudioso, but who is he and what exactly is his role in the new design?Who is Michael Gaudioso?    Michael Gaudioso worked for over a decade at the U.S. Mint as a Medallic Artist, Sculptor, and Engraver. Notably, he is responsible for sculpting Emily Damstra’s new design, the Type 2 - 2021 Silver Eagle reverse. The new reverse marks the first time in the Silver Eagle series’ over 30 years of issue that the United States Mint has authorized a significant design change.     Michael Gaudioso graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and the New York Academy Graduate School of Figurative Art in New York City. He studied in St. Petersburg, Russia, at the highly regarded Repin Institute. Gaudioso taught figure drawing at Villanova University and served as a master painter and designer for the…

By Ray James The Walking Liberty Half Dollar is one of the most beloved designs in Twentieth-Century American coinage. The silver half dollar debuted in 1916 and was struck through 1947. The Barber Half Dollar preceded it, and the Franklin Half Dollar followed it as circulating half dollar designs. The silver Walking Liberty Half Dollar was one of the final issues that were part of the "Renaissance of American coinage"—the coinage redesign put into motion by President Theodore Roosevelt in the previous decade.Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollar Design   The Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollar design was brought to fruition by Adolph A. Weinman, the designer of the famous Mercury Dime, which also debuted in 1916. Both designs won a public competition for the selection of new coin designs. Mr. Weinman was a student of famed artist and coin designer Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who was responsible for the iconic Double Eagle Twenty Dollar design.   The obverse design is widely thought…

By Louis Golino   For the past two decades, the collector's identity who purchased the only 1933 gold double eagle that is legal to own privately remained a mystery. On March 10, 2021, his identity was finally revealed in an article in the New York Times, shoe designer and philanthropist Stuart Weitzman. In a 2002 auction, the coin sold for $6.5 million-plus a 15% buyer's fee, bringing the total to $7,590,000 – a world record price for a coin at that time. $20 was added to the price to monetize it, and the U.S. Mint issued a monetization certificate. Since then, that 1933 Double Eagle has been exhibited either in New York at the Federal Reserve Bank in Manhattan or other locations. The New York Times article also stated that Weitzman plans to have the notorious coin sold at an auction to be conducted June 8, 2021, by Sotheby's, along with two scarce stamp items – the unique 1856 one-cent Magenta from British Guiana and a plate block of four Inverted Jenny stamps. Proceeds…

By Sean McConeghy The American Gold Eagle debuted in 1986 and has since been one of the world's most popular bullion coins. The series has borne the same designs since the series began, but the reverse image is set to change for the first time in mid-2021. Jennie Norris designed the American Gold Eagle new reverse, but the sculpting job was assigned to Renata Gordon. Who is Renata Gordon, and what role will she play as the American Gold Eagle sculptor? Read more below to find out! Who is Renata Gordon? Renata Gordon graduated from the prestigious University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2010. Although she is a talented painter who has completed murals and portraits, her degree was in sculpture. Three months after graduating, she joined the United States Mint's sculptor-engraving department. Gordon currently submits designs for new coins and medals and sculpts work submitted by other artists. In the past, she had designed and sculpted the 2018…

By Ray James   Collectors around the world have been eagerly anticipating the debut of a brand-new reverse design for the American Silver Eagle series. Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2021, the series has featured the iconic heraldic eagle reverse design created by John Mercanti, the 12th former Chief Engraver of the United States Mint since it was first issued in1986. The new reverse design was created by Emily Damstra, but who is she and why was her design chosen? Learn more below!Who is Emily Damstra?     Emily Damstra is a freelance artist, science illustrator, coin designer, and medalist. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in science illustration. She is part of the U.S. Mint's Artistic Infusion Program (AIP), which includes numerous talented professional American artists who lend their talent to creating stunning coin designs.    Ms. Damstra is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada and has designed…

By Sean McConeghy The American Gold Eagle made its debut in 1986 and quickly became a favorite among collectors around the world. Since the beginning of the series, the iconic Saint-Gaudens obverse design and Miley Busiek's reverse design have remained unchanged. At some point during 2021 that classic reverse design will be replaced by a new eagle design created by Jennie Norris, a highly accomplished artist, and passionate conservationist.Who is Jennie Norris?   Norris is a graphic designer who currently works at the University of Arizona. A specialist in fine art, graphic design, and illustration, she recently became a part of the United States Mint's Artistic Infusion Program (AIP). She works in graphite and liquid graphite. Remarkably, the Gold Eagle's new reverse will be her first design to appear on a coin.Why was Jennie Norris' reverse design chosen? Norris' design was among a total of thirty-nine that were submitted to the Commission on Fine Arts (CFA) and the Citizens…

By GovMint :Signed by George Washington, the Coinage Act of 1792 allowed for the first United States coins to be struck, and for over 227 years, U.S. coins have been in circulation and are among the most widely collected coins in the world. Each coin throughout the decades has helped tell America’s story, and with their intricate designs, each denomination represents a moment in time in U.S. history and economics, from early commerce to today’s complex financial systems. Every coin is a tangible piece of monetary art, proudly displaying its legacy and beauty, forever sealed in precious metals.    Before any coin meets the press and is struck into existence there are a few processes that must first take place. From legislation in Congress and the initial design to input from the Department of the Treasury before the artists begin sculpting the coin.Legislation Within Congress The United States Mint gets its authority to make U.S. coins from Congress and the Act of September…

By Louis Golino   When it comes to modern U.S. coins, rarity as defined solely by a coin’s mintage usually matters less than the rarity of a particular coin relative to the other coins in its series. In addition, certain modern U.S. coins are always in demand even when they are not the lowest-mintage coins of their series – perhaps because they are unique or were the first of their type. Within that group there is a small subset of coins that are also so low in mintage that they are unlikely to be overtaken by another coin in the same series that has yet to be released. This is typically because special circumstances surrounded their release such a planchet shortage. These are arguably the five best examples of coins that will likely remain in demand indefinitely and in most cases may remain the key date coins within their respective series.2008-W American Buffalo Gold $50 Burnished coinThe 2013-W American Buffalo Gold $50 Proof coin’s mintage was lower than that of the…

By Louis Golino   Early in 2021, the America the Beautiful (ATB) series of quarters and 5-ounce silver versions of those quarters that began in 2010, will end with the release of the 56th and final coin for the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.   The 5-ounce silver ATB coins were the first U.S. silver coins to be issued in their size, but they will likely not be the last ones, especially with some major current legislation calling for new silver quarters starting in 2022. From the beginning, 5 oz. ATBS have been issued in two versions, bullion coins sold to the U.S. Mint’s authorized distributors in tubes of 10 coins each and collector coins that have a “P” mintmark for Philadelphia and a special vapor-blasted finish.America the Beautiful quarters gave silver stackers an alternative U.S. silver coin to the American Silver Eagle, where each release would have a unique reverse design, a factor that especially appealed to numismatic collectors who would eventually…