Coin Economics 101 & The Cost of Money
-A personal perspective, By Rob Lehmann Business college taught me about traditional models. I gained insight into how various businesses ran. I learned that the snapshot of success or failure is usually disclosed by examining their finances. The nuts and bolts of any business can often be dissected by disseminating a P & L statement, […]
Better Date Mint State Morgan Dollars – A Current Market Perspective
by Robert Lehmann Morgan Dollars have always been one of the backbones of the numismatic marketplace. It seems as Morgans go, so goes the overall market. This certainly has held true for generic, mint-state dollars. Generics are defined as coins that derive their value from grade, irrespective of date. 1879-1882-S, 1883-85-O and 1885-1887-P are a […]
Philadelphia Minted Morgan Dollars: A Date by Date Analysis
By Rob Lehmann The discussion and analysis of the Morgan Dollar series often focuses on the branch mint issues, most notably those emanating from Carson City. But, there were more Morgan Dollars minted in Philadelphia than any of the corresponding branch mints. Prior to 1878, Philadelphia had been the epicenter for the production of United […]
1893-1897 New Orleans Morgan Dollars
By Rob Lehmann In order to fully appreciate and understand the rarity of the 1893-97 New Orleans Morgan Dollars, one must first review the history of this period. The Depression of 1893 was one of the worst in American history, with unemployment exceeding 10%. The National Bureau of Economic Research estimated that the economic contraction […]
Building a World Class Coin Collection
By Rob Lehmann Rome was not built in a day, and neither is a great coin collection. Assembling a collection of coins can be an arduous but enjoyable undertaking. And, like any goal that is accomplished incrementally, building your collection will require discipline and planning. I suggest laying the ground work for your coin collection […]
Components of Grading Mint State Coins
By Rob Lehmann I know that much has been written about grading uncirculated coins, most of it very specialized and analytical. I wanted to address grading as a much more generalized topic, and give some basic guidelines that would have multiple applications across the numismatic spectrum. There are three major components of grading a coin: […]
Key-date San Francisco Mint Morgan Dollars
By Rob Lehmann There are many dates of Morgan Dollars which are collected as the semi-keys and keys. Carson City rarities, such as the 1879-CC, 1889-CC and 1893-CC have always been at the top of most collectors want lists. New Orleans, which produced both rare and deficient quality coins has their notable run of “toughies” […]
Few People Saved Philadelphia Barber Halves
By Paul M. Green Numismatic News Barber half dollars in general are the toughest type coin of the past century. Of the Barber halves, the most overlooked group within the set are probably the Philadelphia issues. Overlooking Philadelphia issues is easy to understand. As the main mint of the United States, Philadelphia generally did have […]
Auction Prices Provide Historical Perspective
By David L. Ganz Numismatic News Auctions fascinate and engage us. It’s not just eBay, but also mail-bid auction sales, live auctions and other sale methods where items go to the highest bidder. It’s a combination of skill – to win an item at the high bid but at the lowest possible price – knowledge […]
All Barber Half Mintages Below Six Million
By Paul M. Green Numismatic News If you are looking for fascinating coins, it would be safe to suggest that to find some real values the San Francisco Barber half dollars represent a perfect group to explore. The two facilities that basically produced Barber half dollars from their start in 1892 until their end in […]
Build an Eight-Piece 20th Century Gold Set
By Weimar W. White Numismatic News Many collectors are attracted to U.S. gold coins, especially if they are in uncirculated condition. Fortunately, one can still assemble an eight-piece 20th century gold type set, made for circulation, at reasonable prices. For collectors who like different coin designs, such a set is very appealing. Capital Plastics offers […]
Some Thoughts on Numismatics and Changing Times
By Q. David Bowers Numismatic Perspective Quite a few years ago a numismatic magazine published an article by me, stating that I was an “economist from Columbia University”. This looked nice in print, but wasn’t true. I sent the editor a correction at which time he said that he had “heard this somewhere”. In actuality, […]
What Most People Don’t Know About Gold
By Doug Casey International Speculator Historically, gold has never been viewed as a speculation. It was simply money: cash in the most basic form, It was a medium of exchange and a store of value. People did not accumulate gold because it could make them wealthy, but because it was a convenient, liquid way to […]
Philadelphia Important to Morgan Dollar Story
By Paul M. Green NUMISMATIC NEWS Morgan dollars tend to have reputations. News last week that the Goldbergs are selling a small hoard of 1894-P silver dollars couldn’t be more timely from my point of view as we work our way through the Morgan series by mint. The most historic Morgans in the minds of […]
Ostromecki Removal Due to Letter
from NUMISMATIC NEWS November 8, 2005 What was the “breach of confidentiality” that got Walter Ostromecki Jr. voted off the American Numismatic Association board? Ostromecki says it was a letter he wrote to Cliff Mishler Sept. 10. [The] Topic of that letter was to acknowledge an e-mail from Mishler, who co-chaired an ANA fund-raising effort […]
New Leaves Turning Up and Down on Wisconsin State Quarters
from The Centinel Spring 2005 Volume 53, No. 1 Written by Samuel Ernst, YN I collect state quarters and I think they are really neat! Some collectors think the state quarter program is boring and a waste of time and money. Maybe now they will change their minds! Last December, a man in Tucson, Arizona, […]
Gold an Asset of Last Resort in Time of War
from NUMISMATIC NEWS magazine February 25, 2003 Written by David L. Ganz Gold’s price has gone to six-year heights, closing in on $400 an ounce, as America is on the verge of war over Iraq. The asset of last resort with its traditional hedge against inflation. and against destruction, has kicked in, even before the […]
Dollar Prices Rise Faster Than Inflation
from NUMISMATIC NEWS magazine March 4, 2003 Written by Weimar W. White Collectors of Morgan Carson City dollars often wonder why MS-65 specimens of two dates are relatively expensive when the General Services Administration in the 1970s sold 3,949 1890-CC and 5,687 1891 -CC silver dollars to the public. Most of these coins were in […]
Walking Liberty Set Tough Enough to be Fun
from NUMISMATIC NEWS February 11, 2003 Written by Paul M. Green There are not many coins of the United States which really deserve to have their design used a second time, but few could question the decision to use A.A. Weinman’s Walking Liberty half dollar again for the obverse of the silver American Eagle. The […]
Coin Show Confidential
from NUMISMATIST magazine January,2003 Written by Steven K. Ellsworth Willie Sutton, one of the most notorious bank robbers of all time, once was asked why he targeted banks. He replied, “That’s where the money is!” Todays thieves need not aim so high. They can find millions of dollars’ worth of easily accessible coins and currency […]
Set Your Goal, Set Your Limits and Go For It
from NUMISMATIC NEWS February 4,2003 We’ve editorialized from time to time over the years about the concept of having a hobby budget. Our readers are probably well aware that a budget is something that is easier said than done. With routine items, it is easy to budget. You can figure out how much food your […]
First Small Cent Special for Many Reasons
from NUMISMATIC NEWS February 4,2003 Written by Paul M. Green For the collector today a Flying Eagle cent collection might seem a bit short on total number of coins, but what it lacks in total numbers it makes up in terms of historical value. Whether considered an addition to an Indian Head cent collection, which […]
The Louis Eliasberg, Sr. Sale- A Personal Perspective
by Robert Lehmann The dust has settled and the numismatic event of our lifetime has concluded. As I sit here in the airport waiting to catch a flight to my next destination, I am acutely aware of how physically tired and emotionally exhausted my 37-year-old body is. For the last 4 days, I have heard […]
