Aug 14, 2020 | ANA, Announcements
Encapsulated Coins Feature Signatures from 16 ANA Living Presidents
Limited-edition 2020 U.S. Silver Eagles certified by NGC® with original signatures from 16 living American Numismatic Association Presidents are being offered as a membership promotion for the nonprofit hobby organization.
The program is made possible by the participating ANA Presidents, and campaign partners Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC) and APMEX®.
Numismatic collectors can obtain an exclusive Silver Eagle with a signed label from one of 16 living ANA Presidents by doing one of the following:
Bressett Eagle
- Make a minimum donation of $100 to the ANA
- Sign up three new ANA members
- Renew membership at a three-year term (those renewing should call 800-514-2646)
- Become a new member with a three-year term
Only 50 coins per President are available and will be issued randomly with a limit of one per person. The ANA Presidents featured on the NGC labels include:
Q. David Bowers — 1983-85
Kenneth L. Hallenbeck, Jr. — 1989-91
David L. Ganz — 1993-95
Kenneth Bressett — 1995-97
Anthony Swiatek — 1997-99
H. Robert Campbell — 1999-01
John Wilson — 2001-03
Gary E. Lewis — 2003-05
William Horton, Jr. — 2005-07
Barry Stuppler — 2007-09
Clifford Mishler — 2009-11
Tom Hallenbeck — 2011-13
Walter Ostromecki, Jr. — 2013-15
Jeff C. Garrett — 2015-17
Gary Adkins — 2017-19
Steve Ellsworth — 2019
ANA Presidential 2020 Silver Eagles can be reserved at info.money.org/silver-eagles or by calling 800-514-2646.
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 28,000 members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs as well as its museum, library, publications, and conventions. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit money.org.
Aug 7, 2020 | Announcements
(Pelham, Alabama) — An updated and revised seventh edition of the Guide Book of United States Paper Money will be available in September 2020. The new book is a collector’s price guide and history of the paper currency of the United States dating from federal issues introduced during the Civil War to modern-day cash. Written by numismatists Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, the 416-page guide is printed in full color with hundreds of high-resolution images. It retails for $24.95 and will be available online (including at Whitman.com) and from booksellers and hobby retailers nationwide.
Thousands of federally issued notes are cataloged in detail in the Guide Book of United States Paper Money. Some are valuable rarities like Gold Certificates and $1,000 Federal Reserve Notes. Others are currency found in our wallets today. An introduction by David L. Ganz explores topics such as grading standards; star notes, the $2 bill, and World War II notes; American money in the Civil War; the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; how cash is designed, printed, and distributed; and how to collect, store, and care for paper money. The book covers every kind of federal paper money printed from the 1860s to today’s Series of 2017 Federal Reserve Notes with signatures of U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The authors review recent developments in the hobby including possible redesigns of the $20, $10, and $5 bills.
On the market side, the book combines the standard Friedberg cataloging system with more than 16,000 retail values in multiple grades for each note.
Regarding today’s marketplace, Arthur Friedberg said, “As the seventh edition goes to press, despite the fact that we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no lessening of the enthusiasm collectors have for United States paper money. Expensive notes are still setting records, and a plentiful supply of the more common material provides a field day for those wanting to expand their collection.”
The first edition of the Guide Book of United States Paper Money was published in 2005, with updated editions released in 2007, 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2019. It has earned the “Best Specialized Book on United States Paper Money” award from the Numismatic Literary Guild.
Authors Arthur and Ira Friedberg are well known in the numismatic world. They have been professional numismatists for more than 30 years. Both joined their father’s family firm, The Coin & Currency Institute, after college. Since then they have established themselves as award-winning authors, coin dealers, researchers, and numismatic consultants to numerous governments and organizations.
The Guide Book of United States Paper Money covers notes from $10,000 down to $1 face value; Treasury notes of the War of 1812; encased postage stamps; Fractional Currency; error notes; signatures on U.S. currency; uncut sheets; and other hobby topics. It includes a glossary and a bibliography for further research.
It may be borrowed for free as a benefit of membership in the American Numismatic Association, through the Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library. ANA members receive a 10% discount on copies purchased from Whitman Publishing, the Association’s Official Supplier.
# # #
Aug 6, 2020 | Announcements
Professional Coin Grading Service Offering a Variety of
Limited-Time Submission and Grading Discounts, Other Specials
(Santa Ana, California) August 5, 2020 – Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) is rolling out many exciting offers for those who submit and grade their coins, banknotes, medals, and tokens through September 22, 2020. These valuable limited-time deals include free return shipping and major discounts for add-on services.
The free return shipping offer applies to submissions of 10 or more coins for select services, including Economy, Economy Special Issues, Modern, Modern Gold, Regular, and Express. Free return shipping will be offered for unlimited submissions to those whose orders have return addresses in the United States. Orders being returned with free shipping are fully insured and will be shipped via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.
Summer savings also include a 50% off discount for select add-on services, including Variety Attribution, First Strike, and Oversized Holders. To qualify for these discounts, submitters need only be PCGS Authorized Dealers or Collectors Club Members in good standing. These discounts can be used in conjunction with complementary submissions available through the PCGS Gold and Platinum Memberships. You can become a PCGS Collectors Club Member for as little as $69.
Other current specials include $5 off Regular Service for coins commemorating the end of World War II, including coins with the V75 privy mark. This offer goes through September 30, 2020. Meanwhile, limited-edition Orange PCGS Boxes are offered for free with every Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame submission from now through December 31, 2020. Also continuing through New Year’s Eve is a PCGS Banknote launch special, offering Crossovers for 50% off and a discounted charge of just $5 for notes that do not cross.
“We know this has been a challenging time for many coin collectors and dealers, and we want to make things a little easier by offering these special submission savings and limited-time perks,” says PCGS President Brett Charville. “What better way to wrap up the summer than with some great deals? Ultimately, these specials will help stretch the dollar just a little bit further while still offering our customers the maximum in value, security, and liquidity for their coins, medals, tokens, and banknotes.”
For more information about these and other specials as well as discount qualifications, please visit www.pcgs.com/ccspecial or contact PCGS Customer Service at 1-800-447-8848.
About Professional Coin Grading Service
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is the premier third-party coin and banknote grading company that was launched in 1986. Over nearly 35 years, PCGS has examined and certified some 44.2 million U.S. and world coins, banknotes, medals, and tokens with a combined value of more than $40.3 billion. For more information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, please visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.
Aug 6, 2020 | Announcements, News, U.S. Mint, video
WASHINGTON-The United States Mint (Mint) has released a Public Service Announcement (PSA) addressing the current coin circulation issue. The PSA can be viewed here https://youtu.be/pWbGMmlniCw
In the PSA, Mint Director David J. Ryder asks the public to “help get coins moving by using exact change when making purchases, taking your coins to financial institutions, or turning them in for cash at coin recycling kiosks.” Ryder also advises that people “remember to follow all health and safety guidelines when you are out spending or recycling your coins”.
Ryder explains the situation as “right now, coins aren’t circulating through the economy as quickly as they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which means that sometimes coins are not readily available where needed. This is NOT a coin supply problem. It’s a circulation problem.”
Ryder also praised the efforts of the Mint work force, stating “I want to assure you that the men and women of the Mint workforce are working as hard as we possibly can to get newly produced coins into the economy. In fact, we are on track to mint more coins this year than we have produced in almost 20 years.”
As always, and especially during this challenging time, the Mint is committed to supporting our Nation’s economy and commerce through the production of circulating coinage.
Jul 31, 2020 | Announcements, APMD, PNG
(Temecula, California) July 31, 2020 – Buyers of physical gold and silver during the 2020 “Gold Rush” should be wary of potential counterfeits in the marketplace, mistaking plated “gold coins” for bullion products, and avoid overpaying for any purchases, cautions the Accredited Precious Metals Dealers (APMD www.APMDdealers.org) division of the nonprofit Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG www.PNGdealers.org).
“Adding gold, silver or platinum bullion coins or ingots to an investment portfolio can be a smart choice, but knowing your seller can be a crucial choice,” advises PNG-APMD President Richard Weaver. “If you don’t know gold, you’d better know your gold dealer.”
Buyers should be cautious of an increase in counterfeit gold coins offered in the marketplace by unscrupulous sellers, and also beware of scam artists trying to lure investors with urgent claims of too-good-to-be-true low prices and quick, guaranteed bullion market profits.
“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (www.ACEFonline.org) has identified over 100 websites selling counterfeit precious metals coins and ingots. Information about the suspected spurious sellers has been given to the U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General, but buyers should always be prudent before making any purchases from unknown sellers,” cautions Weaver.
He also advises investors seeking bullion to know that base metal replicas in the marketplace, often advertised as “tribute coins,” may be merely plated or layered with just a microscopically thin coating of gold — only about $1 worth of actual precious metal.
“They may have limited secondary market value and should not be confused with genuine, legal tender gold bullion coins, such as the popular American Eagle or Canadian Maple Leaf,” explains Weaver.
“To avoid potential scams, investors must know the credentials of the bullion dealer, not just what the dealer may tout in TV advertisements or on a fancy website,” added Weaver.
All members of the Accredited Precious Metals Dealer program must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics (https://APMDdealers.org/apmd-code-of-ethics/) in the buying and selling of precious metals. A list of APMD member-dealers is online at www.APMDddealers.org/apmd-dealers or call the Professional Numismatists Guild at 951-587-8300.
Jul 29, 2020 | Announcements, U.S. Mint
WASHINGTON – The United States Mint (Mint) today officially announced the designs for the George H.W. Bush Presidential $1 Coin and the Barbara Bush First Spouse Gold Coin. Public Law 116–112 authorizes the Mint to strike and issue these coins.
The obverse (heads) design of the Presidential $1 Coin honoring George H.W. Bush features his portrait with the inscriptions “GEORGE H.W. BUSH,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “41st PRESIDENT,” and “1989-1993.” Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) artist Elana Hagler created the design, which Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna sculpted.
As with the earlier Presidential $1 Coins, this coin bears the common reverse (tails) design featuring a striking rendition of the Statue of Liberty, designed and sculpted by former Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart.
The inscriptions “2020,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and the mint mark are incused on the coin’s edge.
The obverse design of the First Spouse Gold Coin honoring Barbara Bush features her portrait with the inscriptions “BARBARA BUSH,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “LIBERTY,” “2020,” “41st,” and “1989-1993.” The design was created by AIP artist Benjamin Sowards and sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist Phebe Hemphill.
The reverse design pays homage to Mrs. Bush’s passionate advocacy for family literacy. The design depicts a person reading, with an open road before them. The open book symbolizes literacy, education, and knowledge. The road symbolizes the future and the journey of life, and the sun in the distance is the promise of a brighter future. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “$10” “1/2 oz.,” and “.9999 FINE GOLD.” The design was created by AIP artist Barbara Fox and sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist John P. McGraw.
The Barbara Bush First Spouse Gold Coin will be available for purchase beginning on August 20 at noon EDT. The Barbara Bush First Spouse bronze medal will be included in the George H.W. Bush Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal Set and the George H.W. Bush Coin and Chronicles Set. Additional details will be announced prior to the release date. The Mint will announce the on-sale date for the George H.W. Bush Presidential $1 Coin later in the year.
Jul 24, 2020 | Announcements, Auctions
(Los Angeles, CA) July 21, 2020 – Historic sunken treasure from the California Gold Rush recovered from the fabled S.S. Central America which sank in 1857 will be offered to the public for the first time in an auction to be conducted in September in Los Angeles, California and online by Ira & Larry Goldberg Auctioneers (www.GoldbergCoins.com).
“One of the important highlights is a major numismatic discovery from the legendary ship: an extremely rare 1856 San Francisco Mint Liberty Seated No Motto quarter-dollar with a large S mint mark punched over a small s. It was discovered in a canvas bag in the purser’s sealed iron box in the ship’s safe on the seabed more than 7,000 feet below the Atlantic Ocean’s surface,” said Dwight Manley, Managing Partner of the California Gold Marketing Group (CGMG).
This elusive variety 1856 large S over small s mint mark quarter dollar, graded PCGS XF45, is one of the sunken treasure items from the fabled S.S. Central America in the Goldberg’s September 2020 auction. (Images courtesy of Professional Coin Grading Service.)
The 1856-S/s silver quarter now is graded PCGS XF45.
CGMG owns that coin and the other S.S. Central America treasure now being offered for the first time in the Goldberg’s September 13 and 14, 2020 auction.
“With a total mintage of only 286,000, ‘normal’ 1856-S quarter-dollars are scarce even in low, circulated grades, and extremely scarce in Mint State grade. The auction will include a recovered treasure 1856-S quarter graded PCGS MS63 CAC,” explained Larry Goldberg, auction house co-owner with his cousin Ira Goldberg.
Recovered from the S.S. Central America and among the finest known of its kind, this scarce 1854-O Liberty Seated Arrows at Date silver quarter-dollar Huge Mint Mark variety, graded PCGS AU55 CAC, is in the Goldberg’s September 2020 auction. (Photo credit: Lyle Engleson/Goldberg Auctions.)
“Another major highlight is an 1856-S Liberty Seated silver dime graded PCGS MS65 CAC and tied for the finest known,” said Manley. “Only 70,000 dimes — just $7,000 face value — were minted in San Francisco in 1856 and a just handful are known today in uncirculated condition. This one’s a miracle survival coin, still pristine with full luster. It was displayed at the American Numismatic Association 2019 Chicago World’s Fair of Money.”
Also recovered from the ship and in the Goldberg’s September auction is a scarce 1854-O Liberty Seated Arrows at Date silver quarter-dollar Huge Mint Mark variety. It is graded PCGS AU55 CAC and among the finest known of its kind.
A rare 1856-S Liberty Seated dime recovered from the legendary S.S. Central America, graded PCGS MS65 CAC and tied for finest known, will be offered for the first time in the September 2020 auction by Ira and Larry Goldberg. (Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service.)
All the PCGS-certified treasure coins in the auction are housed in special encapsulation holders that include a pinch of miner’s gold dust also retrieved during the last recovery mission to the ship in 2014.
The Goldberg’s September 2020 auction will include one of the hand-numbered and signed grand format, 5½ by 9 inches PCGS holders housing five-ounces of California Gold Rush sunken treasure gold dust recovered from the fabled SS Central America. (Photo credit: Lyle Engleson/Goldberg Auctions.)
The sale also will include five ounces of recovered gold dust now housed in one of the 88 hand-numbered elegant, large-format holders specially prepared by PCGS. The insert label on the 5½ by 9 inches holder is personally signed by the esteemed Q. David Bowers, author of two books about the Gold Rush and the SS Central America, and by Bob Evans, the chief scientist on the Ship of Gold sunken treasure recovery missions.
For additional information about the auction, visit Ira & Larry Goldberg Auctioneers online at www.GoldbergCoins.com or call 310-551-2646. The email address is info@GoldbergCoins.com.
Jul 16, 2020 | Announcements
NGC is excited to announce the addition of the “Early Production” designation to its industry-leading lineup of releases designations. The Early Production designation is available for select coins received by NGC or an NGC-approved depository in mint-sealed packaging that is dated on or before January 31 of the coin’s year of issue.
Many customers have asked NGC to recognize early strikes from both current year and “backdated” coins. With the Early Production designation, NGC now showcases the importance and desirability of these early strikes.
Coins issued in prior years are eligible for the Early Production designation if they are still sealed in their original mint packaging with a date on or before January 31. For example, a sealed box of Mint State 1996 American Silver Eagles will be eligible for the Early Production designation if the box is dated on or before January 31, 1996.
In some cases, coins are struck and packaged prior to the coin’s year of issue. For these Early Production coins, NGC may include an additional attribution on the certification label: “Struck in [Year],” indicating the actual year in which the coin was struck. For example, a sealed box of Mint State 2012-S American Silver Eagles that is dated on or before December 31, 2011, can be attributed as “Early Production, Struck in 2011.”
Learn more →
Jul 16, 2020 | ANA, Announcements, News
ANA Board of Governors Commits to Pittsburgh for 2023 Show
The American Numismatic Association (ANA) Board of Governors voted on July 14 to officially cancel the 2020 World’s Fair of Money®. The show was originally scheduled for August 4-8 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; however, COVID-19 restrictions made continuing with the Pittsburgh event unfeasible, and the Board voted in mid-June to postpone the event while it considered alternate sites and dates. The July 14 vote effectively terminated any further research and planning for a replacement location for the 2020 show given the current coronavirus situation and the inability of the ANA to assure the safety of its members, dealers, staff and visitors.
The Board did commit to Pittsburgh as the site for the 2023 World’s Fair of Money, recognizing the outstanding planning developed by the local host committee in preparing for the cancelled 2020 show, provided that comparative contractual arrangements can be made.
“Although we share the disappointment of collectors and dealers in cancelling the 2020 World’s Fair of Money, it is the right decision given the wide range of uncertainties we currently face,” says ANA President Steve Ellsworth. “We’re appreciative of our partners, specifically official convention auctioneers Heritage Auctions and Stack’s Bowers Galleries, for their understanding and support of this decision. In the meantime, this action enables the ANA staff to refocus its maximum efforts and efficiencies towards the organization’s emergence and growth out of the pandemic crisis.”
The American Numismatic Association’s convention has only been cancelled twice before: in 1918 during the flu pandemic and again in 1945 because of World War II.
Although the show itself will not be held, collectors can still attend convention events online, including Money Talks and the Sundman Lecture Series. These presentations and lectures are free to attend but registration is required. ANA awards presentations that were scheduled at the 2020 World’s Fair of Money also will be held virtually.
“We look forward to welcoming collectors to the March 11-13 National Money Show® in Phoenix and to the 2021 World’s Fair of Money in Rosemont (Chicago), Illinois, August 10-14,” says Ellsworth.
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 28,000 members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs, as well as its museum, library, publications and conventions. For more information, call (719) 632-2646 or visit money.org.
Jul 12, 2020 | Announcements, U.S. Mint
WASHINGTON – The United States Mint (Mint) will accept orders for the 2020 America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Set™ honoring Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve in the U.S. Virgin Islands beginning on July 10 at noon EDT.
Priced at $11.50, this three-coin set (product code 20AF) includes one uncirculated quarter from the Philadelphia Mint, one uncirculated quarter from the Denver Mint, and one proof quarter from the San Francisco Mint. All coins feature a reverse (tails) design depicting a Red Mangrove tree in an early stage of its life cycle as it evolves from a very small plant to an adult tree. The design brings awareness to the Park’s endangered mangrove forest and the unique and delicate nature of how the species reproduces in salt water. Inscriptions are “SALT RIVER BAY,” “U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS,” “2020,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
The obverses (heads) of the coins depict 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 in the set are held in a durable plastic card with an image of Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve. The Certificate of Authenticity is printed on the back of the card.
Orders will be accepted at catalog.usmint.gov only. Information about shipping options is available at catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html.
The America the Beautiful Quarters Three-Coin Sets are also available for purchase through the Mint’s Product Enrollment Program. Visit catalog.usmint.gov/shop/enrollments/ for details.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, the Mint’s sales centers are closed until further notice. Click here for details.
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 July 10, 2020 at noon EDT.
Limited-edition 2020 U.S. Silver Eagles certified by NGC® with original signatures from 16 living American Numismatic Association Presidents are being offered as a membership promotion for the nonprofit hobby organization.
