News — Coin History
NGC Certifies Extraordinary Hoard of Discovered New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollars
Posted by Derek Sawchenko on
A hoard of 13,000 Morgan Silver Dollars was recently discovered. They were found in 13 US Treasury bags and had not seen the light of day for decades. There were many rainbow toned coins and rare dates graded by NGC. Some were even marked with the special Star Designation (★) for outstanding eye appeal. NGC also recognized these special coins with a "Great Southern Treasury Hoard" label. There is always a lot of excitement when there is a major discovery such as this one. These coins have not been touched or seen in decades. The allure of finding a high grade...
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- Tags: Coin Collecting, Coin History, Discovered Coins, Graded Coins, Morgan Silver Dollars
2020 Marks the 100th Anniversary of the Maine Centennial Half Dollar Coin
Posted by Derek Sawchenko on
In 1920, the United States Bureau of the Mint struck a commemorative silver coin that celebrated the 100th anniversary of Maine joining the Union and officially becoming a state. Fast-forward 100 years, we are now celebrating the 200th anniversary of Maine joining the union and the 100th anniversary of the release of this special half dollar coin.
The Gold Bullion Act of 1985 & the Birth of the American Gold Eagle
Posted by Derek Sawchenko on
During the 1980s, the South African Gold Krugerrand and the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf were extremely popular coins in the United States. In 1984, over $600 million worth of Krugerrands were marketed in the United States. However, people began to react to the racial tensions in South Africa and sales plummeted. Eventually, President Reagan banned the Krugerrands as a way of taking an economic stand against the South African government. This crippled the South African mint as half of their sales were derived from the United States.
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- Tags: Coin History, Gold
The Coins that Saved a Soldier's Life
Posted by Derek Sawchenko on
At the beginning of World War I, Optatius Buyssens was on a scouting mission for the Belgian Army. Unfortunately, the Belgian and French Franc coins that were in his breast pocket were jingling enough for a German soldier to hear them. As a result, Buyssens was shot and fell to the ground. The German soldier proceeded to kick him in the head to confirm his death and went on his way. Ironically, the same coins that got Buyssens in trouble were the same coins that saved his life. The bullet ricocheted off of 6 coins, which was just enough to...
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- Tags: Coin History
Have you heard of the Aluminum Morgan Dollar?
Posted by Derek Sawchenko on
In 1884, Mint Director A.L. Snowden was made known of two counterfeiters who possessed false dies that were essentially the same as those possessed by the mint. These counterfeiters had the power to place the country's coinage at their mercy.