In this beautifully illustrated book, award-winning numismatic writers Morgan and Walker offer a guided tour of coins that have influenced the world and captured the imaginations of collectors since the early 1900s. Their exploration focuses on such factors as rarity, value, popularity, beauty, innovation, and historical significance.
“We start with the year 1901,” the authors said. “The twentieth century was such a consequential period for numismatics that its coins deserve to be considered among their peers. This is an essential period to study in order to understand the present and future role of coins in society. Over the course of 100 coins, we embark on an effort to tell that story.”
In the book’s foreword, Donald Scarinci, ranking member of the U.S. Treasury’s Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, noted that modern coins bridge “the classic designs of the great eighteenth- and nineteenth-century engravers, like Pierre-Simon-Benjamin Duvivier and William Wyon, and the contemporary masterpieces of sculptors such as Herbert Wähner and Donald N. Everhart Jr.” He praised Morgan and Walker for setting each coin in context and bringing them to life. “100 Greatest Modern World Coins will inspire, inform, and entertain you,” Scarinci said. “Enjoy the journey and let it spark ideas for building your own significant collection.”
100 Greatest Modern World Coins
By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker; foreword by Donald Scarinci
ISBN 0794846335; hardcover, coffee-table (10 x 12 inches); 168 pages; full color; retail $29.95 U.S.
Dec 15, 2019 | Announcements, U.S. Mint
WASHINGTON — The United States Mint (Mint) will begin accepting orders for products containing American Innovation™ $1 Coins honoring Georgia on December 19 at noon EST. The uncirculated coins are produced at the Mint’s Philadelphia and Denver facilities. Available product options are as follows:
| PRODUCT CODE |
PRODUCT OPTION |
MINT MARK |
PRICE |
| 19GRD |
25-Coin Roll |
P |
$32.95 |
| 19GRH |
25-Coin Roll |
D |
$32.95 |
| 19GBD |
100-Coin Bag |
P |
$111.95 |
| 19GBH |
100-Coin Bag |
D |
$111.95 |
The Georgia American Innovation $1 Coin is the fourth and final coin in this series for 2019. Its reverse (tails) design recognizes the Trustees’ Garden, established in the 1730s. It was the first agricultural experimental garden in America. The design depicts a hand planting seeds in the inscription “TRUSTEES’ GARDEN,” from which grows several 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. Additional inscriptions are “GEORGIA” and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”
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 the inscription “E PLURIBUS UNUM” are incused on the edge of the coin.
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. Shipping options are available at www.catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html.
Products containing Georgia American Innovation $1 Coins will also be available for purchase 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 Dec. 19, 2019, at noon EST.
Dec 12, 2019 | Announcements, Bureau of Engraving and Printing
In celebration of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is pleased to announce the newest addition to its Lucky Money Collection – Year of the Rat 2020!
The “rat” is one of 12 zodiac signs associated with the Chinese Lunar Calendar and symbolizes optimism and positivity. Year of the Rat 2020 is exquisitely designed with decorative Chinese symbolism and is packaged in a symbolic, red folder with embossed, gold foil. This product features an uncirculated, $1 Federal Reserve note with a serial number beginning with “8888.”
The first day of sale is Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 12 p.m. (ET). The purchase price is $5.95; only 108,888 will be available for sale. Household quantity purchase limit restrictions of 250 units will be imposed for the first day of release. On December 12, 2019, household purchase restrictions will be waived.
The Year of the Rat 2020 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/. Customers are encouraged to set up a Mint store website account in order to easily check their order status and to track packages. BEP currency products are also available in BEP’s Washington, DC and Fort Worth, Texas Visitor Center gift shops. For information about bulk pricing in quantities of 1,000 or more, contact the BEP at 1(800) 456-3408.
Dec 6, 2019 | Announcements, Shows & Conventions
(Long Beach, California) – A never-before seen exhibit of United States $10 Eagle gold coins from the extensive Tyrant Collection (www.TheTyrantCollection.com) will be publicly displayed at the February 20-22, 2020 Long Beach Coin, Currency, Stamp & Sports Collectibles Expo (www.LongBeachExpo.com).
The unprecedented display, “Eagles of The Tyrant Collection,” will showcase examples of every business strike and most of the proof Eagles from 1795 to 1933, including varieties. This unparalleled set will be insured for $50 million for its debut exhibition.
“This is the first collection of gold Eagles to include all 33 BD (Bass-Dannreuther) and T (Taraszka) varieties of 1795 to 1804. Even the famous collections of Harry W. Bass and Anthony J. Taraszka were both short of that goal,” said Ira Goldberg, President of Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, Inc. (www.GoldbergCoins.com) in Los Angeles, California.
Graded PCGS MS66+, this 1795 13 Leaves variety $10 gold coin is the finest known and one of the many highlights in the unprecedented $50 million “Eagles of The Tyrant Collection” exhibit at the February 2020 Long Beach Expo.
(Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.)
“There will be more than 300 historic Eagles in this extraordinary exhibit in custom-built, well-lit display cases. They are all part of The Tyrant Collection, the world’s most valuable rare coin collection in private hands,” explained Goldberg who is among those who have helped the anonymous Tyrant Collection owner build the collection.
The 1804 proof Eagle in the upcoming display is from the legendary King of Siam proof set. The Tyrant Collection holdings include the entire fabled set of coins given by a U.S. State Department representative to the King of Siam (now Thailand) in 1836 as a diplomatic gift on behalf of President Andrew Jackson. That full set will be displayed at a future Long Beach Expo.
The 1804 Plain 4 variety $10 gold coin from the fabled King of Siam proof set will be displayed in the $50 million “Eagles of The Tyrant Collection” exhibit at the February 2020 Long Beach Expo.
(Photo credit: Lyle Engleson/Goldberg Coins and Collectibles.)
Well-known professional numismatist and award-winning researcher and author, John Dannreuther, will assist in the cataloging of The Tyrant Collection Eagles for the upcoming exhibit.
“The early Eagles in the exhibit will be presented in Taraszka order, which is the issuing sequence. Some coins were struck out of date order. For example, both 1798 varieties were struck before the three 1797 Large Eagle varieties. There also is one 1803 variety struck after the 1804 Crosslet 4 variety,” explained Dannreuther.
Highlights of the February 2020 display of U.S. $10 gold coins include:
- 1795 13 Leaves, graded PCGS MS66+, finest known and formerly in the Garrett and Pogue collections.
- 1795 9 Leaves, PCGS AU50
- 1804 Plain 4, King of Siam, PCGS PR64 Cameo
- 1838, PCGS PR65, tied for finest of only three known examples.
- 1839/8 Proof PR67, the finest of only three known.
- 1858, PCGS MS64+
- 1933, PCGS MS65
Although the owner of The Tyrant Collection wants to remain anonymous, he is sharing the collection’s coins for their educational value, one portion at a time, in a continuing series of pubic exhibits.
A superb condition 1933 $10 gold coins will be among the more than 300 historic coins in the extraordinary $50 million “Eagles of The Tyrant Collection” exhibit at the February 2020 Long Beach Expo.
(Photo credit: Lyle Engleson/Goldberg Coins and Collectibles.)
Visitors to the upcoming display at the Long Beach Expo (booth #807) can receive a free, illustrated educational booklet about the display. Detailed catalogs with information and superb illustrations about each coin in the “Eagles of The Tyrant Collection” exhibit will be available for $10 each.
The Long Beach Expo will be open to the public in the Long Beach, California Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Ave., Thursday and Friday, February 20 and 21, 2020, from 10 am to 6 pm, and Saturday, February 22, from 10 am to 4 pm.
Dec 3, 2019 | Announcements, PNG
(Temecula, California) December 2, 2019 — The annual Professional Numismatists Guild (www.PNGdealers.org) Young Numismatist (YN) Scholarship Competition has opened. The PNG will provide a scholarship to a deserving YN to attend one session of the 2020 American Numismatic Association (www.money.org) Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 27-July 2 or July 4-9.
“This is the 16th consecutive year that PNG will be providing airfare, tuition for one of the ANA Summer Seminar sessions, meals and five nights of dormitory accommodations on the campus of Colorado College, site of the ANA headquarters,” said PNG Executive Director Robert Brueggeman.
“All young numismatists between the ages of 13 and 22 are eligible to enter and are cordially invited to apply for the scholarship. Entrants must submit a short essay outlining why they should be chosen as this year’s scholarship recipient. The deadline for receipt of the entries is Friday, March 13, 2020,” explained Brueggeman.
Entries must include the applicant’s name, age and contact information. The essays can be sent by email to info@PNGdealers.org or by mail to the PNG Executive Director, 28441 Rancho California Road, Suite 106, Temecula, CA 92590.
“We’re most appreciative to PNG for again making a scholarship available to a young numismatist,” said ANA Executive Director Kim Kiick. “It’s a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow into a more informed collector. Many previous Summer Seminar attendees have gone on to become hobby leaders and successful dealers.”
The two Annual ANA Summer Seminar six-day sessions will be held Saturday, June 27, to Thursday, July 2, and from Saturday, July 4, to Thursday, July 9, 2020. Participants ranging from teenagers to seniors take class instruction on specific numismatic-related topics or the hobby’s technical and business aspects. Additional information about the ANA Summer Seminar can be found on the ANA website at www.money.org/summerseminar.
“The money to pay for the annual PNG YN Scholarship is administered from the PNG’s Gerald Bauman Memorial Fun,” explained PNG President Richard Weaver. “Bauman, who died in 2001, served for many years as a prominent coin dealer with Manfra, Tordella & Brookes in New York City.”
The PNG is a nonprofit organization composed of many of the top rare coin and paper money dealers in the United States and four other countries. PNG member-dealers must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics (www.pngdealers.org/code-of-ethics) in the buying and selling of numismatic merchandise.
For additional information about PNG or the young numismatists scholarship program, visit online at www.PNGdealers.org or call (951) 587-8300.
Nov 30, 2019 | Announcements, U.S. Mint
WASHINGTON – The 2019 United States Mint (Mint) American Innovation™ $1 Reverse Proof Coin honoring Pennsylvania will be available for purchase on December 5 at noon EST.
The Pennsylvania $1 Coin recognizes the creation of a vaccine to prevent polio. The reverse (tails) design depicts an artist’s conception of the poliovirus at three different levels of magnification along with the silhouette of a period microscope, representing the extensive research that was conducted to develop a cure The coin’s obverse (heads) design 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 stylized gear privy mark, representing industry and innovation. “2019,” the “S” mint mark, and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” are incused on the coin’s edge.
An informational four-panel envelope houses the coin. The Certificate of Authenticity is embedded in the packaging. The Pennsylvania American Innovation $1 Reverse Proof Coin (product code 19GF) is priced at $9.95. 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.
The Mint capped production of this coin at 75,000 units. Orders are limited to five units per household for the first 24 hours of sales. After 24 hours, the household order limit will be rescinded.
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 Dec. 5, 2019, at noon EST.
Nov 26, 2019 | Announcements
November 25, 2019 – Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) has announced new PCGS CAC Set Registry composites (sets), which will permit collectors to build collections of PCGS-graded coins that have been awarded a seal of approval from Certified Acceptance Corporation (www.CACcoin.com). This innovative move gives collectors of these premier PCGS-certified coins the exclusive opportunity to build competitive registry sets consisting of CAC-stickered coins for awards and incentives tailored to those who specialize in these coins.
“As the market leader in third-party authentication, PCGS is committed to innovation and to delivering content that excites collectors,” said PCGS President Brett Charville. “Adding new PCGS/CAC-specific composites to the Set Registry creates yet another option for collectors to compete against each other in the PCGS Set Registry and shows our commitment to our collectors.”
Charville went on to say that, “As the pioneers of the Set Registry program, we pride ourselves on being the first-to-market on programs that give our customers new ways to compete and collect. This is just one more step toward all of the exciting things we have planned for 2020.”
CAC Founder John Albanese offers his excitement for the new PCGS CAC Set Registry. “We’ve been talking for some time about starting an independent CAC registry, but we’re a small company and it’s a lot of work to build a proper registry program,” said Albanese. “PCGS is a much larger firm and they get more eyeballs on their website than we do, so we’re excited that they have agreed to launch the PCGS CAC Set Registry. We’re appreciative and they have my blessing.”
“There is clear synergy between our brands and what we provide to the market. Data shows that the majority of CAC-stickered coins are PCGS certified, and these coins often boast record-setting auction prices. There is clear demand here,” further explained Charville when discussing the decision-making process.
Albanese additionally looks forward to sharing some more of his own expertise on the popular PCGS Set Registry, which originally debuted in 2001. “One thing I hope to contribute as the PCGS CAC Set Registry rolls into operation are my thoughts and ideas on how to further enhance and improve the registry program, including scoring and other aspects.”
John Albanese has been a household name in numismatics since he became a full-time dealer and numismatic professional more than 40 years ago. In addition to establishing CAC in Far Hills, New Jersey, in 2007, he was one of the original PCGS graders when PCGS launched operations in 1986. PCGS is looking forward to working with Albanese to further develop the Set Registry program and other collector-focused initiatives.
The exclusive PCGS CAC Set Registry kicks off with nearly 100 different sets encompassing widely collected series such as Lincoln Cents, Walking Liberty Half Dollars, Morgan and Peace Dollars, Saint-Gaudens $20 Gold Double Eagles, and commemorative coins. Also included are rarer types, such as half cents, large cents, half dimes, 20-cent pieces, and many others. Other PCGS CAC Set Registry options include the Complete U.S. Type Set (1792-1964) and popular Gold Type Set 12 Piece, Circulation Strikes (1839-1933) collection.
For more information about the PCGS CAC Set Registry, please contact our customer service department at 800-447-8848 or visit www.PCGS.com/SetRegistry.
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 42.5 million U.S. and world coins, medals, and tokens with a combined value of more than $36 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.
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