Library
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March 27, 2017
During the depths of the Great Depression, the newly-ascendant administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt took the United States off the gold standard. This was accomplished with Executive Order 6102 in April 1933, which criminalized the possession of gold by US citizens. The Gold Reserve Act passed the following year, and ratified the provisions of the Executive Order and also devalued the dollar. US gold coinage was to be melted into bars and stored at the new Fort Knox in Kentucky. The intent of the Executive Order and the subsequent legislation was to remove constraints on the Federal Reserve in its efforts to resolve the ongoing banking crisis.
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March 20, 2017
In the early 1970s, rising prices of copper forced the US Mint to consider alternative metals for the one cent coin. The Mint was spending more than one cent to produce each one cent, and as the coins were in high demand (over seven billion were produced in 1973), the Mint stood to lose a great deal should copper prices continue their ascent.
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March 13, 2017
The economic turmoil of the Civil War drove most small-denomination coinage out of circulation. Even one cent coins were hoarded, perhaps because they were the only remaining federal coin that had not been totally driven out of circulation. Various substitute forms of currency served in everyday commerce, including small-denomination paper currency notes and privately-issued bronze tokens. In 1864, in an effort to get the cent to circulate once more, Congress changed its composition from a copper-nickel alloy to bronze, which was easier to strike into coinage, and reduced its weight, making it less valuable.
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March 06, 2017
In the early 20th century, the US Mint frequently issued commemorative coins (usually half dollars) on behalf of various organizations to raise funds for a specific project. But the system was rife with abuses: many projects being funded were of questionable national importance; many coins sold poorly and were returned to the Mint for melting; coin dealers often used morally dubious strategies to profit. By the 1950s, the Mint soured on the concept of commemorative coins, and the “early commemorative” era ceased in 1954. After this time, the Treasury rejected all proposals for commemorative coins.
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February 28, 2017
2016 full-year gold demand gained 2% to reach a 3-year high of 4,308.7t. Annual inflows into ETFs reached 531.9t, the second highest on record. Declines in jewellery and central bank purchases offset this growth. Annual bar and coin demand were broadly stable at 1,029.2t, helped by a Q4 surge.
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February 27, 2017
An 1890 Act of Congress mandated that the design of circulating coins ought not to be changed until that design had been in circulation for at least 25 years. The “Barber coinage” – dimes, quarters, and half dollars designed by the Mint’s longtime Chief Engraver, Charles Barber – was introduced for 1892. This meant that, per the 1890 law, the earliest the Barber coinage designs could be replaced would be 1916 (the twenty-fifth year). Almost all other American coinage was redesigned in the ensuing years, during the second term of Teddy Roosevelt’s administration and the Taft administration: gold coins in 1907-1908, the cent in 1909, and the nickel in 1913.
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February 20, 2017
Many coin enthusiasts collect mint errors. These are coins that bear some sort of flaw acquired during the minting process. In general, errors are classified into three categories: planchet preparation errors, occurring when there is something wrong with the blank metal from which the coin is struck; strike errors, which occur when something goes wrong with the striking process; and hub or die errors, occurring when there is something wrong with the die itself.
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February 13, 2017
Though the early United States was theoretically on a bimetallic standard – with both gold and silver legal tender – the actual use of gold and silver coinage fluctuated with the prices of those metals. The California Gold Rush of the late 1840s brought a great deal of gold onto the market. This increased the price of silver relative to gold, and much American silver coinage was exported or melted during this period.
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February 06, 2017
For over a century, Silver Dollar coins were workhorses of the American economy. They were used constantly in day-to-day transactions from 1794 through the mid-20th century. Over the years, a staggering quantity were struck – around a half billion pieces in total! While quite a few of these coins have been melted and destroyed since many still remain. Today, Silver Dollars are considered both collectibles and bullion pieces. They are traded in bulk among collectors, investors, accumulators and dealers. This article describes how bulk Silver Dollars are categorized, graded and marketed.
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January 30, 2017
In the field of modern American coins, an interesting phenomenon has developed. Ironically, coins that were extremely unpopular at the time of issue have evolved into highly desirable numismatic rarities. That is, coins that were largely shunned by the public upon release have become extremely valuable and sought-after. As paradoxical as this phenomenon sounds, it has repeated itself over and over again.