Coin Collectors News

Coins Recovered-Veh Burglary-PCGS Coins-San Mateo, CA

Sep 11, 2019 | News

On August 23, 2019 NCIC sent out an alert regarding a vehicle burglary that resulted in the loss of approximately $60,000 in rare coins from a collector.

Soon after the alert was sent out NCIC received a call from Vadim and Roy Polyak, owners of Oxbridge Coins in San Francisco, CA. Vadim Polyak advised that a subject came into their store and wanted to sell several coins which they recognized as being stolen. Unable to make immediate contact with NCIC and fearing the coins would never be seen again, they offered to buy the coins for $2500. The suspect accepted the offer and left the store.

Vadim Polyak made contact with NCIC who immediately assisted in coordinating the investigation between the victim, San Mateo police department and Oxbridge Coins.

The success in this case was due to the alert and quick actions of Professional Numismatists Vadim and Roy Polyak owners of Oxbridge Coins San Francisco, CA.

Recovered Coins:

Stone Mountain P-19695953 MS 66
New Rochelle P-25542235 MS67+
Bridgeport P-25385569 MS67
Elgin P-25368360 MS67
Antietam P15741705 MS66
Bay Bridge P50256542 MS67+
Spanish Trail P37466261 MS 67+
Buffalo Nickel P37650934 PF 67+ 1936
2 /12 Gold P50024458 PF 66DCAM 1893

United States Mint News Release: 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Coin Designs

Sep 11, 2019 | Announcements, U.S. Mint

SPPRINGFIELD, MA — The United States Mint (Mint) unveiled designs for the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Coin Program today during the 2019 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Springfield Symphony Hall.

The designs will be featured on three dome-shaped coins: a $5 gold, a $1 silver, and a half-dollar clad. Public Law 115-343 authorizes the minting and issuance of these coins in recognition of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The common obverse (heads) design was selected from a public competition as required by the authorizing legislation. The winning design, by Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) artist Justin Kunz, portrays the fast pace, intensity, and hands-on action of a basketball game—the constant, competitive struggle for possession of the ball and the skill required to clear the hoop. The design features three players reaching for the ball in unison, reflecting how the sport of basketball has brought together diverse people around the world through a simple, universal, and unifying athletic experience. Their arms are slightly elongated to emphasize the full exertion of physical and mental energy required to excel in this sport. The rim and net are subtle background design elements complementing the three players. Inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “2020.”

The common reverse design, by AIP artist Donna Weaver, depicts a basketball about to pass through the net, with the inscriptions of “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.” Additional inscriptions include “FIVE DOLLARS” on the gold coin, “ONE DOLLAR” on the silver dollar, and “HALF DOLLAR” on the clad coin.

Line art of both designs is available here.

The legislation authorizes the Mint to strike and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half–dollar clad coins. Surcharges collected from coin sales—$35 for each gold coin, $10 for each silver coin, and $5 for each half–dollar coin—are authorized to be paid to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to fund an endowment that will enable increased operations and educational programming.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the birthplace of basketball, it is home to more than 400 inductees and more than 40,000 square feet of basketball history.

United States Mint Launches 49th America the Beautiful Quarters® Program Coin

Sep 8, 2019 | Administrative Info, U.S. Mint

United States Mint Begins Accepting Orders for Set Featuring San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Quarters on September 10

SAN ANTONIO — The United States Mint (Mint) today officially launched the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program coin honoring San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas. This is the fourth quarter of 2019, and the 49th coin overall in the program.

The reverse (tails) design of the quarter depicts elements of the Spanish Colonial Real coin to pay tribute to the missions. Within the quadrants are symbols of the missions: wheat symbolizes farming; the arches and bell symbolize community; a lion represents Spanish cultural heritage; and a symbol of the San Antonio River represents irrigation methods and life-sustaining resources.

In his remarks to the crowd, Mint Acting Deputy Director Patrick Hernandez said, “The San Antonio Missions quarter serves as a reminder of the importance of diverse people coming together, sharing their skills and heritage, to form self-sustaining, multicultural communities.”

Additional guest speakers included U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Trinity University President Danny J. Anderson, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, and National Park Superintendent Mardi Arce. Mint Artistic Infusion Program member Chris Costello, who designed the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park quarter, received acknowledgement during the ceremony. Video footage of Costello, along with that of Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna, discussing their work on the quarter is available here.

Additional event highlights included the Mint’s customary coin forum on the eve of the launch ceremony, and a coin exchange of $10 rolls of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park quarters following the event. Products containing the new quarter are available for purchase through the Mint’s online catalog.

Established in the 1700s, the San Antonio Missions were among the largest concentrations of Spanish missions in North America, and helped create the foundation for the Texas city of San Antonio. The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park manages four of the five missions: Mission Concepción, Mission San José, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. The four missions, along with Mission Valero (the Alamo), were designated a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 2015. The park also includes Rancho de las Cabras, the ranch associated with Mission Espada, in Floresville, Texas.

The America the Beautiful Quarters® Program is a 12-year initiative that honors 56 national parks and other national sites authorized by Public Law 110-456. Each year until 2020, the public will see five new national sites depicted on the reverses (tails sides) of the America the Beautiful Quarters coins, with a final coin scheduled for release in 2021. The Mint is issuing these quarters in the order in which the national sites were officially established.

First Native American in Space Will Autograph NGC Labels

Sep 8, 2019 | Announcements

John Herrington, the only enrolled member of a Native American tribe to fly in space, is joining a prestigious group of people who autograph certification labels exclusively for NGC.

Herrington, a registered member of the Chickasaw Nation, was a mission specialist aboard space shuttle Endeavour’s 13-day mission to the International Space Station in late 2002. During the mission, Herrington performed three spacewalks, which are commemorated on the reverse of the 2019 Native American Dollar coin.

“I hope that signing NGC labels for these special coins will help to make people more aware of Native American contributions to all parts of our national life, including space exploration,” Herrington said. “It is an honor to have an opportunity to represent my heritage and this country.”

Learn more →

United States Mint Reverse Proof Palladium Coins On Sale September 12

Sep 6, 2019 | Announcements, U.S. Mint

WASHINGTON — The United States Mint (Mint) will begin accepting orders for the 2019 American Eagle One Ounce Palladium Reverse Proof Coin (product code 19EK) on September 12 at noon EDT. The coin was previously scheduled to go on sale September 5.

Orders will be limited to one coin per household across all order channels for the first 24 hours of sales. After 24 hours, the household limit will be lifted. This coin will not be available for purchase through the bulk program. The mintage and product limits are 30,000 units.

The American Eagle One Ounce Palladium Reverse Proof Coin is the collector version of the official United States Mint American Eagle One Ounce Palladium Bullion Coin introduced in 2017. Each coin contains one ounce of 99.95 percent palladium. The palladium coin is a recurring product; however, finishes may alternate each year.

The obverse (heads) and reverse (tails) designs for the palladium reverse proof coin are based upon designs by famed American coin designer and medallic artist Adolph A. Weinman. The obverse features a high-relief likeness of “Winged Liberty” from the “Mercury Dime” obverse. In keeping with the original coin, inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “2019,” and Weinman’s distinct initials.

The reverse (tails) design features a high-relief version of the 1907 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal reverse, which features an eagle and a branch. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES of AMERICA,” “$25,” “1 OZ. Pd (the chemical symbol for Palladium) .9995 FINE,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”

Each coin is encapsulated and packaged in a satin-lined gray leatherette presentation case. A Certificate of Authenticity is included.

The Mint will price the American Eagle One Ounce Palladium Reverse Proof Coin according to the range in which it appears on its “Pricing of Numismatic Gold, Commemorative Gold, Platinum, and Palladium Products” table. Click here for the most current pricing information.

The Mint accepts orders at catalog.usmint.gov/ and at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order at 1-888-321-MINT (6468). Shipping options are available online at catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html.

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 September 12, 2019, at noon EDT.