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Coins in pristine condition are often described using the terms “shiny” and “flashy.” Those words specifically refer to a coin’s luster, or the way the light interacts with the coin. Luster has a significant impact on a coin’s grade, eye appeal and market value. It is a positive feature that can take on a number of different appearances, depending on how the coin was manufactured. In fact, certain types of luster are considered exceptionally desirable. This article will describe why luster exists and the various types of luster seen on United States coinage.

Today, many Americans associate New Orleans with Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras, Creole culture and Southern charm. What few realize is that “The Big Easy” was also an economic powerhouse in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. As of the mid-1800s the city was the fifth largest in the nation, its port was the third busiest, and it was the South’s undisputed hub of finance and trade. Not surprisingly, this prosperous city required a tremendous amount of hard money to fuel its commercial activity. This is why the United States opened one of its first branch mints in New Orleans.

The $10 gold eagle was the longest-lived of America’s circulating gold coins. It was first struck in 1795 and was produced regularly until 1933, when Franklin D. Roosevelt abolished gold coinage altogether. Not only was the $10 eagle the longest-running gold denomination, but the $10 Liberty design was used for nearly 70 years. Remarkably, this motif remained in place without major modification from 1838 through 1907.

If one word could be used to describe today’s minting technology, it’s consistent. The process of producing coins has become highly automated, remarkably error-proof and extremely reliable. This, however, was not always the case. In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, coin manufacturing involved a number of manual processes. The net result was that sets of dies would often display minute differences, such as the position of the date and the location of design features. These variations are sometimes minute and require a loupe to see, while others are plainly obvious to the naked eye. The one thing these die varieties have in common: they have been studied, collected and highly valued by numismatists.

The $2.50 Indian Quarter Eagle is one of America’s most beautiful and unique gold coins. This smaller gold coin was produced from 1908-1929 and features a unique incused design—one that had never been attempted on a U.S. coin previously. It is also one of the scarcest 20^th century gold coinage types; unlike the $5, $10 and $20 denominations, the Indian quarter eagle was struck in meager quantities.

(DALLAS MORNING NEWS, May 31, 2015): All that glittering gold doesn’t have to go to Fort Knox or the Federal Reserve in New York.

Instead Texas will soon be able to keep their precious metals in a new bullion depository lawmakers approved today. The bill goes to to governor.

Now, this isn’t a place to store Great Aunt Margaret’s earrings.

Public agencies, corporations or even individuals could store gold or precious metal there if it is in certain form — such as bullion or specie, which are generally gold or silver stamped.

In most fields of art, antiques and collectibles, the concept of “cleaning” or “restoration” is common. After all, old objects tend to lose their original appearance and functionality over time. Antique cars break down, paintings accumulate dirt and dust, silver pieces tarnish, etc. However, numismatists are sensitive to cleaning or restoring coins. If asked whether cleaning coins is acceptable, an expert’s most likely response would be “it depends.”

Gold.org -- The first three months of 2015 saw stable gold demand, according to the latest Gold Demands Trends report from the World Gold Council. Total demand for Q1 2015 was 1,079 tonnes (t), down just 1% on the same period last year.

Conditions differed from market to market, but at an aggregate level, these differences broadly balanced each other out. Once again, consumers in Eastern countries dominated the market with China and India alone accounting for 54% of total global consumer demand in the quarter.

One of the first terms a beginning numismatist will encounter is toning. In essence, toning is a fancy way of saying tarnish; both words refer to metal reacting with its environment. Just as a silver plate can change colors over time, a coin can (and often will) do the same. While tarnish is often considered a negative term where silverware and such are concerned, toning can be either positive or negative for coins.

United States coinage can be split into two distinct chronological categories: vintage and modern. Defining each category is relatively easy: vintage coins are generally considered to be 1964 and earlier, while modern coins are usually 1965 and after. However, there are more differences between these categories than just the dates of the coins. Modern coins are graded, collected, valued and traded in a very different manner from vintage coins. This article will explain the key differences.