Coin Collectors News

U.S. Mint News Release: Set of 2020 America the Beautiful Quarters® Silver Proof Coins on Sale Starting Feb. 20

Feb 18, 2020 | Announcements, U.S. Mint

WASHINGTON – The 2020 United States Mint (Mint) America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set™ (product code 20AQ) will be available for purchase starting on February 20 at noon EST.

The set features all five 2020 America the Beautiful Quarters minted in 99.9 percent silver at the San Francisco Mint. Their reverse (tails) designs honor the National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa), Weir Farm National Historic Site (Connecticut), Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve (United States Virgin Islands), Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (Vermont), and Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (Kansas).

All coins bear a common obverse (heads) design featuring John Flanagan’s 1932 portrait of George Washington. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “QUARTER DOLLAR.” A Certificate of Authenticity comes with each set.

The 2020 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set is priced at $42.50. Orders will be accepted at catalog.usmint.gov and 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order at 1-888-321-MINT. Shipping options are available at catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html.

The set can also be purchased through the Mint’s Product Enrollment Program. Learn more about this convenient ordering option at catalog.usmint.gov/shop/product-enrollments/.

Like most United States Mint products, this set will be available at the Mint’s sales centers in Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and Denver. Inventory is limited to availability and subject to change.

Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, the United States Mint will not accept and will not honor orders placed prior to the official on-sale date of Feb. 20, 2020, at noon EST.

2020 America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™ Honoring National Park of American Samoa on Sale Feb. 18

Feb 14, 2020 | Announcements, U.S. Mint

WASHINGTON – The United States Mint (Mint) will begin accepting orders for the America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™ containing coins honoring the National Park of American Samoa on February 18 at noon EST.

Coins in the set include one uncirculated quarter from the Philadelphia Mint, one uncirculated quarter from the Denver Mint, and one proof quarter from the San Francisco Mint. The reverse of all coins depicts a Samoan fruit bat mother hanging in a tree with her pup evoking the remarkable care and energy that this species puts into their offspring. The design is intended to promote awareness of the species’ threatened status due to habitat loss and commercial hunting. The National Park of American Samoa is the only park that is home to the Samoan fruit bat. Inscriptions are “NATIONAL PARK,” “AMERICAN SAMOA,” “2020,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”

The obverse (heads) of the coins depicts the 1932 portrait of George Washington by John Flanagan, which has been restored to bring out subtle details and the beauty of the original model. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “QUARTER DOLLAR.”

All coins are mounted on a durable plastic card with an image of American Samoa’s National Park. A Certificate of Authenticity is printed on the back of the card.

The National Park of American Samoa Three-Coin Set (product code 20AD) is priced at $11.50. Orders will be accepted at catalog.usmint.gov and 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468). Information about shipping options is available at catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html.

The National Park of American Samoa Three-Coin Set can also be purchased through the Mint’s Product Enrollment Program. Visit catalog.usmint.gov/shop/enrollments/ for details.

This set will be available at the Mint’s sales centers in Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and Denver. Availability may be limited and subject to change.

Dean Schmidt Receives Service Award for Kansas Bill Efforts

Feb 13, 2020 | ICTA/NCBA, News

Industry Council for Tangible Assets dealer-member Dean Schmidt (Dean Schmidt Rare Coins, Atchison, Kansas) was honored during the ICTA dinner and update at Tony Roma’s in Orlando, Florida, on January 8 as the recipient of the 2019 Diane Piret Memorial Outstanding Service Award for his efforts to see Kansas House Bill 2140 passed. The bill provides a sales-tax exemption on sales of gold and silver coins and on all gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion.

“We thank Dean Schmidt for his continued perseverance over the years and the tremendous support of everyone who helped make this exemption a reality,” said chief operating officer David Crenshaw.

The dealer and collector communities, in conjunction with ICTA, put a tremendous amount of hard work into the grassroots campaign. Schmidt has championed the cause for the last four years, raising capital for lobbyist costs and reimbursing ICTA’s expenses, spreading the word to dealers and collectors, speaking at shows all over the state, emailing, attending meetings at the state legislature, and testifying in both the House and Senate. Many other dealers also attended and testified at House and Senate committee hearings, as well as financially contributing to the efforts: Jeremy Brakenhoff and Josh McCleary (Mass Metals/Ownx), Robin Tummons (The House of Stuart), Robert Dunlap (Equity Standard Numismatics of Kansas), and Rick Raines (representing the Johnson County Numismatic Society—a major financial contributor to the campaign). Several ICTA members and JCNS club members also attended committee hearings, and the campaign received tremendous help from Pat Heller (Liberty Coin Service), ICTA’s traveling sales-tax exemption guru, and former ICTA executive director Kathy McFadden, from her testimony in 2018 committee hearings. Big thanks also go to Travis Lowe and Scott Heidner with Gaches, Braden & Associates, the lobbyists that worked tirelessly on this legislation.

“The ICTA partnership, along with lobbyists from Gaches, Braden & Associates and many others, were invaluable to the success of our efforts,” said Schmidt.

The award commemorates the 25-year career of ICTA’s former industry affairs director, who died in 2015.

Spectacular Collection of NGC-certified Lesher Dollars to Be Sold in February

Feb 13, 2020 | Announcements, Auctions

Unique 1900 Lesher Dollar, HK-1016, Z-17, graded NGC MS 64. Image courtesy of NGC.

The most complete set of Lesher “Referendum Dollars” — which is entirely certified by NGC — is being sold by Kagin’s at the 2020 ANA National Money Show in Atlanta on February 28. The Henderson-Marchase Collection consists of 20 of the silver octagonal medals that were privately made in 1900 and 1901 by Joseph Lesher of Victor, Colorado. Kagin’s estimates the medals to be worth as much as $500,000 in total.

Lesher, a silver mine owner, was an advocate of the wider use of silver, the value of which was suffering at the end of the 19th century. By making the medals, Lesher was skirting US laws against private coinage. The term “referendum” in their name meant that Lesher suggested that the public decide on their own whether to accept them. In fact, all the medals include a price of either $1 or $1.25, well above what their silver content was worth at the time.

The Henderson-Marchase Collection was previously owned by William C. Henderson, a longtime ANA treasurer and mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado, who was instrumental in convincing the ANA to locate its headquarters there. The set was submitted to NGC for certification in 2017 by Christopher Marchase, Henderson’s grandson.

“We were delighted that these medals were already attributed and certified by NGC when they were consigned to us,” said Don Kagin, president of Kagin’s. “NGC is the premier grading service for so-called dollars and other tokens.”

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COMING SOON – America’s Founding Fathers 2020 Currency Set

Feb 12, 2020 | Announcements, Bureau of Engraving and Printing

First Day of Sale: February 13, 2020 (12 p.m., ET) – The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is pleased to introduce the America’s Founding Fathers 2020 Currency Set. Each set contains a Series 2017 $1 note and Series 2013 $2 note from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, featuring the portraits of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and matching serial numbers beginning with “2020.” This set is attractively packaged in a decorative, tri-fold folder, and each note is protected by a clear, acid-free, polymer sleeve.

Be among the first to own this extraordinary, presidential set! The America’s Founding Fathers 2020 Currency Set is $21.95. Bulk pricing is available at $18.95 for quantities of 50 or more. Household quantity purchase limit restrictions of 50 units will be imposed for the first day of release. This exclusive set is limited to 8,000 units and will be offered during calendar year 2020 only.

The America’s Founding Fathers 2020 Currency Set and other BEP currency products may be purchased through the U.S. Mint (Mint) by telephone, toll free, at 1(800) USA-MINT (872-6468), at Mint retail locations, and through the Mint’s online store at https://catalog.usmint.gov. BEP currency products are also available for purchase in BEP’s Washington, DC and Fort Worth, Texas Visitor Center gift shops.