Coin Collectors News

United States Mint to Release Second New Youth-Oriented Product on March 28

Mar 28, 2019 | Announcements, U.S. Mint

WASHINGTON – The 2019 United States Mint (Mint) Explore and Discover Coin Set™ (product code 19XGB) will be available for purchase beginning on March 28 at noon EDT. This is the second of three new youth-oriented products the Mint is offering this year. These products feature the Mighty Minters™—Kendra, Timothy, Sophie, Lina, Alex, Eli, and Layla—the Mint’s coin collecting ambassadors.

The 2019 United States Mint Explore and Discover Coin Set™ consists of a coin folder and activity book with a penny planchet (coin blank) and the following six coins:

One America the Beautiful Quarter honoring Lowell National Historical Park (Massachusetts). The coin’s reverse (tails) design depicts a mill girl working at a power loom with its prominent circular bobbin battery. A view of Lowell, including the Boott Mill clock tower, is seen through the window. Inscriptions include “LOWELL,” “MASSACHUSETTS,” “2019,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
One Native American $1 Coin with a reverse design honoring the contributions of Native Americans to the Space Program. The design depicts Mary Golda Ross writing calculations. Behind her, an Atlas-Agena rocket launches into space, with an equation inscribed in its cloud. An astronaut, symbolic of Native American astronauts, including John Herrington, spacewalks above. In the field behind, a group of stars indicates outer space. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “$1.”
One Kennedy half dollar
One Roosevelt dime
One Jefferson 5-cent coin (nickel)
One Lincoln one-cent coin (penny)

The quarter, dollar, and half dollar have a proof finish from the San Francisco Mint, and the penny, nickel, and dime have an uncirculated finish from the Denver Mint. There are four openings for the remaining 2019 quarters, which young collectors can fill as they find the quarters in their change. A Mighty Minter magnifying glass and an activity booklet are also included with the set. The Mint’s Certificate of Authenticity comes with each set.

This product is limited to 50,000 units.

The United States Mint Explore and Discover Coin Set is priced at $19.95. Orders will be accepted at www.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. Visit www.catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html for information about shipping options.

The America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Coin Set is also available for purchase through the Mint’s Product Enrollment Program. Visit catalog.usmint.gov/shop/product-enrollments/ to learn more about this convenient ordering option.

The United States Mint is Accepting Orders for the America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Coin Set™

Mar 28, 2019 | News, U.S. Mint

WASHINGTON – The United States Mint (Mint) opened sales for the 2019 America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Coin Set™ (product code 19AA). The set is priced at $13.95.

This ten-coin set consists of five uncirculated quarters from the Philadelphia Mint and five uncirculated quarters from the Denver Mint. The coins have reverse designs representing the 2019 America the Beautiful Quarters Program honorees:

Lowell National Historical Park (Massachusetts)
American Memorial Park (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)
War in the Pacific National Historical Park (Guam)
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (Texas), and
Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness (Idaho).

The obverse (heads) design of all coins features 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.

The Mint accepts orders at www.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. Visit www.catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html for information about shipping options.

Pleasure and Profit: The Hobby and the Market are Two Sides of the Same Coin for Collector Bob Shippee

Mar 26, 2019 | News

by Dennis Tucker

Robert W. Shippee’s book Pleasure and Profit: 100 Lessons for Building and Selling a Collection of Rare Coins was unique in numismatic publishing when it debuted in November 2014. Now in its second edition, it remains unique today—an insightful guide to building a coin collection, intelligently.

What makes Pleasure and Profit so unusual? Shippee tells his story “warts and all,” publicly sharing not only his very profitable purchases, but also the expensive mistakes, with valuable lessons learned from each. His tale is crowned by a successful $1.5 million auction.

Collectors new and old loved the first edition. Pleasure and Profit quickly became one of the most discussed books on collecting and investing in Whitman Publishing’s numismatic lineup. Shippee was invited to build an educational course around it. He and Kenneth Bressett (longtime editor of the Guide Book of United States Coins) taught the class at the American Numismatic Association’s 2015 Summer Seminar. Another indicator of a book’s popularity is how frequently it gets mentioned in related conversations. I’ve been happy to read so many positive comments and unsolicited recommendations in the hobby press, in book reviews, and in online bulletin boards.

Over the course of my publishing career I’ve read hundreds of numismatic guidebooks, references, encyclopedias, and catalogs. Not just browsed them, not just looked at their pictures, but actually read them, word for word, from the title page to the last index entry. It was wonderful to watch Pleasure and Profit grow from a solid early-draft manuscript into a 328-page volume packed with valuable information. This is the kind of book that longtime coin collectors read and say, “I wish I’d had a guide like this when I started collecting.”

In the new second edition, which debuted at the February 2019 Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo, Bob Shippee updates his market reports on most of the coins in his case-study collection. He expands his discussion of rare-coin indexes, and his comparison of coins vs. the stock market. And he makes a new analysis of his collection by denomination, tracking where his coins would be, value-wise, a decade-plus after their 2007 sale.

Shippee talks about acquisition strategies, storage choices, disposition options. This is real-world advice. He shares personal insight on grading services, auction houses, famous dealers, numismatic personalities, market forces, and—with candor that’s rare these days—his laid-bare financial results. His insight is humorous, wise, and unflinching. With the rare-coin market in a state of constant change, Pleasure and Profit remains uniquely valuable for today’s collector and investor.

# # #

Pleasure and Profit: 100 Lessons for Building and Selling a Collection of Rare Coins, 2nd edition
By Robert W. Shippee; foreword by Q. David Bowers
ISBN 0794847137
Softcover, 6 x 9 inches, 328 pages, full color
Retail $19.95 U.S.
https://www.whitman.com/store/Inventory/Detail/Pleasure-and-Profit-2nd-Edition-+0794847137

Record Prices Realized at Extremely Active Legend’s 32nd Regency Auction

Mar 26, 2019 | Auctions, News

Fabulous Rarities Bring Fabulous Prices in Fabulous Las Vegas

(Lincroft, NJ-March 22, 2019)—In a fantastic sale featuring 497 hand selected coins from several amazing cabinets, Legend Rare Coin Auctions’ 32nd Regency Auction set many records, as an extremely active room and internet drove prices up. Held in conjunction with the PCGS Members Show at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, The Grand Prix, Young-Dakota, Intense Cameo, and Prospect Collections attracted lots of attention and created quite a buzz in the market. This culminated in a highly successful auction event, again proving that the smaller sized auctions bring out the best buyers. A record number of people viewed the auction online and in person at the event.

The highlight of the sale, garnering the highest bid in the auction, was the fresh to market, totally original 1795 $10 gold piece, graded MS64+ by PCGS and endorsed by CAC. Realizing a record for the grade, it took $822,500 to bring this price home. All prices include a 17.5% buyer’s premium.

Silver dollars continued to dominate bidding activity with the Young-Dakota 1893-CC Branch Mint Proof Morgan dollar realizing a very strong $305,500; the sole finest 1891-O in PCGS MS66 realizing $108,688; and the tied for finest known 1927-D Peace Dollar in PCGS MS66+ CAC bringing a record $176,250 (well in excess of double the original estimate of $75,000)!

“Superb collections of high-end quality coins, presented in our boutique auction venue, have proven, time and again bring incredibly high (often record) prices,” said Julie Abrams, president of Legend Auctions. “Looking at the presale estimates and comparing the overall results show that even if there was some softness in areas, the end result was very successful! The sale shows that the market is finally coming to life, and collectors are becoming more active, bidding aggressively in many cases. There are still some areas that are depressed, but overall, we were surprised in many cases with the runaway prices.”

“There is such a lack of coins that when great, fresh, coins like these come out, there are no accurate pricing guides. I was stunned at how many coins simply ran away with multiple aggressive bidders participating,” said Laura Sperber. “Demand for the very finest coins is ultra-strong, there were four very active bidders on the 1927-D Peace Dollar in MS66+ over $100,000! In the end, 90% of the coins sold went to collectors.”

“It was not just headline capturing five and six-figure coins that caught the eye of collectors,” added Greg Cohen, the firm’s senior numismatist. “Fresh, attractively toned coins far exceeded expectations, realizing record prices as well. No matter what the price point, there is no substitute for quality!”

Julie Abrams continued, “Prices were strong across the board, just take a look at these highlights!”

Lot 8. 1C 1794 S-32, Head of 1794. PCGS MS66 BN, realized $152,750.
Lot 36. 1C 1911 PCGS MS66 BN Gold CAC, realized $3,290 after a short bidding war between online bidders.
Lot 91. 5C 1916 PCGS PR68, from the Grand Prix Collection, realized $30,550.
Lot 113. 5C 1945-P Doubled Die Reverse. PCGS MS66 FS realized $11,750.
Lot 148. 10C 1923 PCGS MS68+ FB CAC, realized $47,000, a world record for the date, and well above the $18,000 estimate.
Lot 159. 10C 1940 PCGS MS68+ FB CAC, realized 35,250, against an estimate of $8,000—another record shattered.
Lot 186. 50C 1794 PCGS AU53 CAC, realized $129,500.
Lot 217. 50C 1919 PCGS MS65, from the Grand Prix Collection, realized $31,725
Lot 264. 25C 1909 PCGS PR68+ CAC, from the Young-Dakota Collection, realized $29,375, well above the $18,000 estimate.
Lot 270. $1 1893-CC Branch Mint Proof. PCGS PR65+ CAC, from the Young-Dakota Collection, realized $305,500.
Lot 273. Original, matched Gem 1859 Proof Set, from the Young-Dakota Collection, realized $70,500
Lot 283. 5C 1910 PCGS PR67+ DCAM CAC, from the Intense Cameo Collection, realized $27,025
Lot 284. 20C 1875 PCGS PR66 CAM CAC, from the Intense Cameo Collection, realized $34,075
Lot 297. T$1 1882 Trade. PCGS PR66+ DCAM, from the Intense Cameo Collection, realized $44,650 on a $25,000 estimate.
Lot 303. $1 1801 PCGS MS63 CAC, realized $96,938
Lot 350. $1 1891-O PCGS MS66, the single finest of the date, realized $108,688, a record price.
Lot 372. $1 1927-D PCGS MS66+ CAC realized a record $176,250—over $100,000 above the estimate!
Lot 392. $2.50 1847-O PCGS MS64 CAC, realized $38,775.
Lot 422. $10 1795 13 Leaves. PCGS MS64+ CAC, realized $822,500, a record for the grade, and similar in price to several MS65s sold in auction.
Lot 476. 25C 1893 Isabella. PCGS MS67+ CAC, realized $16,450
Lot 484. 50C 1920 Maine. PCGS MS67+ CAC, realized $9,106.

To see complete auction results, visit www.legendauctions.com.

Legend Rare Coin Auctions is a boutique numismatic auction company specializing in the finest and rarest U.S. coins. Founded in 2012 by Laura Sperber, the owner and president of Legend Numismatics, the premier rare coin retail firm. LRCA was, from the outset designed to be a different kind of rare coin auction firm. LRCA’s staff of numismatic auction industry veterans includes Julie Abrams, president; Greg Cohen, senior numismatist; and Jessica Berkman, consignment coordinator. The firm’s Regency Auctions serve as the official auction for the PCGS Members’ Shows, held six times per year. Since its founding, LRCA has sold many important collections, resulting in world-record prices, including the Coronet Collection of Morgan Dollars (#1 all time PCGS set); the David Hall—Bob Simpson Collection of Liberty Head Eagles; the Sunnywood-Simpson Collection of Morgan Dollars; the Phil Flannagan Collection of Territorial Gold, Toned Dollars, and 1795 coins; duplicates from the Gerald Forsythe Collections of Buffalo Nickels and Mercury Dimes; the Bob Simpson Collection of Standard Silver Patterns; the Northern Lights Collection of Monster Toned Morgan Dollars; the Crow River Collections of Indian Head $10s and Peace Dollars; the P.F.M Collection (former #6 PCGS Set of Morgan Dollars with varieties); the Oak Crest Collection of Carson City $5 gold; the Konstantine Collection of Capped Bust Half Dollars, the #1 PCGS Set of Red Book varieties, 1807-1836. The firm’s impressive record also includes the 2nd highest APR in 2016 with the sale of Bob Simpson’s duplicate 1879 $20 “Quintuple Stella” which realized $1,880,000. To consign to an upcoming auction, visit www.legendauctions.com and contact a consignment specialist today.

Submissions Accepted for ANA’s Club Publications Competition

Mar 22, 2019 | ANA, Announcements

The American Numismatic Association (ANA) is currently accepting submissions for the 2019 Outstanding Club Publications competition. The contest is open to member clubs that issued newsletters or journals four times or more during the previous calendar year, are current with their ANA dues, and do not have an elected or salaried ANA officer as editor or assistant editor. Completed submissions must be received by April 15.

Submissions must include a complete set of 2018 publications or three different printed samples of online publications. Also required are the category of submission (local, regional, specialty, electronic), the editor’s name, and the name, address, phone number and e-mail address of the submitter.

All club contestants will be entered in a drawing to receive a one-week Summer Seminar adult scholarship (age 18 or older), which covers tuition, lodging, meals and airfare. The winning club can award the scholarship as it wishes.

Judging criteria

Entries are judged on general appearance, composition, aptness of illustrations, newsiness and relative interest. Whether a newsletter is handwritten, typed or computer-generated is not a factor in judging, nor is the size of the club or the amount of funds expended.

Visit www.money.org/outstanding-club-publications for complete rules, judging criteria and submission guidelines.

Completed electronic entries can be emailed to magazine@money.org. All others should be sent to:

Outstanding Club Publications Competition
ANA Publications Department
c/o Caleb Noel
818 N. Cascade Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

For additional information, contact the Publications Department at magazine@money.org.

The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational
organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its 25,000 members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of instructional and outreach programs, as well as its museum, library, publications, and conventions. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit www.money.org.