Category Archives: coins

When I was a boy, I enjoyed a nightly routine with my dad. When he came home from work, I got to “check the change.” It was something of an allowance supplement–as long as I didn’t overdo it. I would collect … Continue reading →

Growing up in upstate New York, it was a common find in pocket change: Then the dove cent popped up once an a while. When I was eight, I wondered if it was really an 1867 coin: As of 1965, … Continue reading →

Experienced coin collectors know that a depression, panic, or recession often has an effect on mintage figures. When I was a boy, I didn’t always make the connection that coins of the early 1930′s were hard to find, or priced … Continue reading →

The Polish mint has produced many coins depicting their native son pope over the years. The latest is this 1000 zloty piece (face value over $300) in gold, honoring this year’s beatification. Somewhat imiliar to this earlier design from 1982, … Continue reading →

Gold, and to a lesser extent, silver, had been the primary work of federal government’s branch mint in California since 1852. They had to do something with all the precious metal they were finding in pans and such. Rather than … Continue reading →

While not a member of the European Union, Vatican City does mint EU coins. The EU has told the Vatican to more than double its annual production of coins from €1,074,000 to €2,300,000.  Part of the agreement includes a stipulation … Continue reading →

Has anybody found any of the new quarters in pocket change yet? With the economy in the tank, coin production continues to slip downward. I’ve only found two, and had to pass one on to the young miss. I like … Continue reading →

The latest issue of Coin World showed the new design for the $100 FRN (above, compared to the current, below). About a dozen shots of the printing and details, too. I commented to the young miss that they’re giving counterfeiters … Continue reading →

Serious coin collectors search for “key dates” in series of coins. These are years in which mintages were low, resulting in a relative scarcity. Often low mintages point to financial upheaval within the nation. (I’m still looking for a nice … Continue reading →

The new quarter commemorating the District of Columbia went into release this week. It’s good to see one of America’s most outstanding composers honored. In spite of the cut-off piano, I like this design. Representative Mike Castle of Delaware has … Continue reading →