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.
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.
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. 18, 2020 at noon EST.
Feb 13, 2020 | Announcements, Auctions
Unique 1900 Lesher Dollar, HK-1016, Z-17, graded NGC MS 64. Image courtesy of NGC.
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.”
Learn more →
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.
Feb 11, 2020 | Announcements
(February 10, 2020) – Coin designer Jamie Franki has signed an exclusive deal with Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) to hand autograph label inserts for certified coins bearing his designs. PCGS is excited to announce this partnership in time for the first of three 2020-W Jefferson Nickels released in this year’s U.S. uncirculated, proof, and silver proof sets, all of which feature Franki’s designs.
Franki’s popular portrayal of the American bison, or “buffalo,” on the reverse of the 2005 Jefferson Nickel is exquisite, and his modernized design of the 2006 “Return to Monticello” Jefferson Nickel gained the University of North Carolina Charlotte Department of Art and Art History associate professor very positive reviews from coin collectors. Franki has also designed medals for the United States Olympic Team and has created more medals for the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money and National Money Shows than any other artist.
Franki has been working as a professor, illustrator, and designer for the past 39 years. His love for numismatics was first inspired as a young boy when he received his first Buffalo Nickel. He has since provided illustrations for a variety of commissions, including national and international competition medals, designs for his own medals, and concept art for the United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program.
PCGS is proud to continue the growth of the United States Coin Designer hand-signed label program with the addition of Jamie Franki’s hand-signed labels. These special inserts will be available for pairing with the following coins:
- 2005 Westward Journey Nickel Series (American Bison Reverse)
- 2006 Westward Journey Nickel Series (Return to Monticello Reverse)
- 2007-Current Jefferson Nickels (all finishes and strikes)
“Working with United States coin designers is a wonderful opportunity to bring attention to the artists behind the intricate designs seen on currency millions of Americans use every day,” says PCGS President Brett Charville. “This signature program shines a light on the talented individuals who commemorate classic American scenes and symbols that are immortalized on our coinage every year.”
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 43 million U.S. and world coins, medals, and tokens with a combined value of more than $36.6 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.
Feb 9, 2020 | Announcements, News
Will be exhibited at Witter Coin’s large, new San Francisco location
(San Francisco, California) – The finest of only 14 known Kellogg & Co. 1855 proof $50 gold coins has been privately sold for a record $1 million by dealer Seth Chandler, owner of Witter Coin Co. (www.WitterCoin.com) in San Francisco, to a local collector who enjoys historical items related to the California Gold Rush. It will now be publicly displayed for several weeks in its “hometown” during Witter Coin’s grand opening beginning February 10, 2020.
The 1855 proof Kellogg $50 is graded PCGS PR64 Cameo CAC. It sold for $763,750 in its last appearance in a public auction in 2014.
The finest known 1855 proof Kellogg $50 gold coin, graded PCGS PR64 Cameo CAC, has been sold for a record $1 million by Witter Coin in San Francisco and will be exhibited by its new owner at the store’s grand opening starting February 10, 2020. Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.
“This is the King of Pioneer gold and it has come home to San Francisco where it was originally created 165 years ago by prominent Gold Rush-era assayers and private coiners John Glover Kellogg and Augustus Humbert. The pedigree includes Humbert himself and the famous Garrett Collection at Johns Hopkins University,” said Chandler.
He describes the new owner as “a private San Francisco collector who appreciates proof gold and the California Gold Rush era. He was ecstatic when I told him this amazing and significant gold piece was available. It’s now an important trophy coin in his advanced collection.”
Assayers Kellogg & Co., and its successor, Kellogg & Humbert, struck coins for a brief period during the Gold Rush and helped fill the need for circulating coinage in the early days of the San Francisco Mint. Because all 14 known 1855 Kellogg & Co. $50 gold coins are proofs, some researchers believe they were made as presentation pieces and not intended for circulation.
Legendary mid-20th century Texas dealer B. Max Mehl described the Kellogg & Co. 1855 $50 as “the most beautiful of all pioneer gold coins.”
The anonymous new owner of the finest known example is loaning the historic coin for public display during the grand opening of the new location for Witter Coin.
Previously located since 1982 in a 600 square foot office on Market St. in San Francisco’s financial district, the new location is a 7,500 square feet store located in the busy Marina district at 2299 Lombard St. in a building that used to house an IHOP restaurant.
“We even have 12 free parking spaces for customers; somewhat of a rarity itself in San Francisco,” explained Chandler.
Witter Coin was established in 1960 by Dean Witter. Chandler joined the company in 2016 when Witter retired.
“I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and started collecting coins at the age of four, placing Wheat cents in blue Whitman coin folders given to me by my parents. As a teenager, I worked at a coin shop in Jacksonville. This new store fulfills my lifelong passion to own a coin shop that is also a museum where the public can see educational displays of numismatic rarities, historic items from the San Francisco mints and Gold Rush artifacts displayed in custom-made cases,” he said.
“I wanted to create the greatest coin shop in America,” Chandler stated.
“The new showroom has an extensive offering of collectible coins, gold and silver bullion, jewelry and classic wristwatches. The team at Witter Coin is a dedicated staff of professional numismatists who can offer free ‘I just want to know what it’s worth’ appraisals for any type of coins,” he explained.
Witter Coin, 2299 Lombard St., San Francisco, is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. For additional information, call 415-781-5690 or email sales@WitterCoin.com.
Feb 9, 2020 | Announcements
Left to right: Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker; Cherrypickers’ Guide coauthor Bill Fivaz; professional numismatist Larry Briggs; and Whitman associate editor Brandon C. Hall, at SEGS Grading Service headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee, May 2019.
“Cherrypicking” in the coin-collecting hobby means to examine a coin that appears normal at first glance, looking for unusual characteristics—like doubled and tripled dies, overdates, and repunched mintmarks—that reveal it to be rare and valuable. In the Cherrypickers’ Guide, close-up photographs and text descriptions instruct the reader in what to look for. The book includes rarity ratings, market analysis, and retail values.
Edits and updates for the new volume are being coordinated by Cherrypickers’ Guide coauthor Bill Fivaz and professional numismatist Larry Briggs.
“Within the ten-cent denomination, we’re down to a small number of varieties we still need good images for,” Fivaz said. “Photo contributors will be listed in the book’s acknowledgments, with our thanks.”
Collectors and dealers who have clear, high-resolution photographs to share—or coins that can be photographed—may contact the Cherrypickers’ Guide team by email at cherrypickers@whitman.com, for a list of specific needs.
Feb 6, 2020 | Announcements, U.S. Mint
WASHINGTON – The United States Mint (Mint) will begin accepting orders for product options containing the 2020 Native American $1 Coin on February 12 at noon EST. The theme of the coin is Elizabeth Peratrovich and Alaska’s Anti-Discrimination Law.
The reverse (tails) design features a portrait of Elizabeth Peratrovich, whose advocacy was considered a deciding factor in the passage of the 1945 Anti-Discrimination Law in the Alaskan Territorial Government. The foreground features a symbol of the Tlingit Raven moiety, of which she was a member. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “ELIZABETH PERATROVICH,” “$1,” and “ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW OF 1945.”
The coin’s obverse (heads) continues to feature Sacagawea carrying her infant son, Jean Baptiste, by sculptor Glenna Goodacre. Inscriptions are “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST.” The year, mint mark, and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” are incused on the edge of the coin.
Available options and their prices are below.
| PRODUCT CODE |
PRODUCT OPTION |
PRICE |
| 20NA |
25-Coin Roll – “P” |
$34.50 |
| 20NB |
25-Coin Roll – “D” |
$34.50 |
| 20NC |
250-Coin Box – “P” |
$289.75 |
| 20ND |
250-Coin Box – “D” |
$289.75 |
| 20NE |
100-Coin Bag – “P” |
$117.50 |
| 20NF |
100-Coin Bag – “D” |
$117.50 |
The Mint accepts orders 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.
Native American $1 Coin products will also be available at the Mint’s sales centers in Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and Denver. Inventory is limited to availability and subject to change.
These products are included in the Mint’s Product Enrollment Program. Visit catalog.usmint.gov/shop/product-enrollments/ to learn more.
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. 12, 2020, at noon EST.
Feb 5, 2020 | Announcements, U.S. Mint
WASHINGTON – The United States Mint (Mint) will begin accepting orders for the 2019 American Innovation™ $1 Reverse Proof Coin honoring Georgia on February 11 at noon EST. The coin recognizes the Trustees’ Garden, established by James Oglethorpe in the early 1730s.
The reverse (tails) of the coin depicts a hand planting seeds in the inscription “Trustees’ Garden,” from which grows a variety of species representing the variety of plants grown in the garden: an orange tree seedling, sassafras, grapes, white mulberry, flax, peaches, olive, and a young shoot too small to be identified. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “GEORGIA.”
The obverse (heads) features a dramatic representation of the Statue of Liberty in profile with the inscriptions “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “$1.” The obverse also includes a privy mark of a stylized gear, representing industry and innovation. “2019,” the mint mark, and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” are incused on the edge of the coin. An informational four-panel envelope houses the coin. The Certificate of Authenticity is embedded in the packaging. The Georgia American Innovation $1 Reverse Proof Coin (product code 19GH) is priced at $11.50. Orders will be accepted 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. Information about shipping options is available at catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html.
Production of this coin is limited to 75,000 units. Orders are limited to five units per household for the first 24 hours of sales, after which the household order limit will be removed.
The American Innovation $1 Coin Program is a multi-year series featuring distinctive reverse designs that pay homage to America’s ingenuity and celebrate the pioneering efforts of individuals or groups from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories.
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. 11, 2020, at noon EST.
Feb 4, 2020 | Announcements, U.S. Mint
WHAT:
The United States Mint will participate in an event to celebrate the release of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program coin honoring the National Park of American Samoa. The coin’s reverse image showcases a Samoan fruit bat mother hanging in a tree with her pup. Following the ceremony, $10 rolls of newly minted National Park of American Samoa quarters will be available for exchange.
WHEN:
Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, at 10 a.m. (SST)
WHERE:
Su’igaula o le Atuvasa
Utulei Beach Park
Route 1
Utulei, AS 96799
WHO:
- David Ryder, Director, United States Mint
- Lt. Governor Lemanu Palepoi Sialega Mauga
- Amata Coleman Radewagen, Congresswoman
- Fiu Saelua, Chief of Staff, Governor’s Office (Emcee)
- Stanley (Stan) Austin, Regional Director, Pacific West Region
- Scott Burch, Superintendent, National Park of American Samoa
- Richard Masters, United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program
The National Park of American Samoa quarter is the 51st release in the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program, 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. A final coin will be released in 2021. The United States Mint is issuing these quarters in the order in which the national sites were officially established.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
