The United States has minted a cent for the past 232 years and announced in 2025 it would be the last year for business strikes of the cent. Here’s an interesting history of the cent: The End of the Cent: A Study in Historical Recurrence, Part 5
COINS of the CIVIL WAR Yet another one of the Allentown/Bethlehem Coin Club’s young numismatists expressed an interest in the coinage of the Civil War. So let’s start there: The American Civil War took place from April 12, 1861, to April 9, 1865. It began when Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina,…
Yes, you read that right: General Motors, the American car and industrial giant, made prototype coins. Well, technically they weren’t coins since they weren’t produced by the mint, but GM made prototypes for the United States mint to test out a new roller press for coin production. In the 1960’s, the United States was experiencing…
If you answered 15, you were right for all of your life, until August 12, 2025. The new correct answer is 16! The 1804 Silver Dollar, often called “The King of American Coins,” is one of the most famous and valuable coins in U.S. numismatics. Despite its date, none were struck in 1804—most were minted…
O Canada! Our home and native land!True patriot love in all of us command.With glowing hearts we see thee rise,The True North strong and free! “Why did you start an article about coins with the Canadian National Anthem?” Well, let me explain. Short answer, this article will be about the coinage of our neighbors in…
When most collectors think about American numismatics, their minds drift naturally toward the great government series — Morgan dollars, Walking Liberty halves, Buffalo nickels, and early bust coinage. Foreign coins draw their share of admirers too, with centuries of royal portraiture and exotic scripts lending an air of the exotic. But tucked quietly between these…
An 1881-S Morgan Silver Dollar graded PCGS MS-63 with a CAC green sticker recently sold at GreatCollections for an astonishing $105,000. On its own, the coin’s market value is under $150, as 1881-S Morgans in MS-63 are both common and inexpensive. For comparison, similar 1881-S Morgans in old PCGS green-label holders have sold for as…
