By Douglas Winter - CoinLink Content Partner

In June 2000, I wrote an article entitled ?The Ten Coolest United States Coins.? Let’s say you were a true Douglas Winter Numismatics cultist and you had decided to follow my advice to the letter. How would your seven year investment have performed? Are there any coins I would have deleted from this list? Some analysis and random thoughts regarding these ten coins follows.

I. 1776 Continental Dollar

In 2000, I suggested purchasing an example of this popular, historic issue in Choice About Uncirculated and stated that an example would cost around $10,000. I think this amount represented a typo as, even back then, a Continental Dollar in AU would have cost at least twice the amount I listed.

My decision to include this coin was prescient, to say the least. This has proven to be among the most popular and in-demand early American issues in the last seven years. And how can it not have been? This issue has everything going for it: size, interesting history, unique design and the magical 1776 date.

Today, a nice AU 1776 Continental Dollar will probably cost in the area of $60,000. And if you had bought a really nice AU55 to AU58 back in 2000, the chances are better than even that this coin would be regarded as an MS61 today with an estimated value closer to six figures. Clearly, this would have been a very good purchase.

This is not a regular issue coin but, rather, a proposed or speculative issue. Varieties are known in silver, pewter and brass and with different spellings of the word CURRENCY. For this set, I would suggest a pewter piece with the spelling “CURENCY” and the lack of the designers initials (represented on this coin as “EG FECIT,” which is believed to signify that the design was by Elisha Gallaudet).

It is probable that these coins did circulate in colonial America and that they did have a recognized value. This fact makes them a legitimate candidate for the first “dollar” struck in this country as well as the largest coin, in terms of size, issued prior to the establishment of the United States. The magical date 1776 makes them even more desirable, in my opinion. And, finally, the charming design on the reverse (featuring thirteen interlinked rings with the name of each colony and symbolizing unity) is believed to have been suggested by Benjamin Franklin.

For this set, I would opt for a very slightly worn piece; perhaps in the About Uncirculated-55 to 58 range. I like the idea that the coin saw some light circulation during the colonial era but would want it to be lustrous and well struck. Such a coin would cost $7,500-$10,000; making it an exceptional value for such an incredibly historic issue. (more…)

By Tom Sebring for Numismaster

Some of the most popular topics for books and movies are those romantic scoundrels known as pirates. Ravaging the seas, looting helpless merchant ships, they spread fear throughout the Caribbean and the Atlantic Coast. While pirates operated earlier in the New World, the most intensive period of piracy was roughly 1690-1725, known as “The Golden Age Of Piracy.”

A list of notorious pirates would be very long, but some of the best known are Bartholomew Roberts, John Avery, Edward England, Edward Teach (Blackbeard), William Kidd and Henry Morgan.

This article reviews the pirate culture, the economics of piracy, and describes a few of the best known buccaneers and their depredations. Also analyzed in detail are the kind of coins the marauding pirates would have encountered and the recent excavation of two pirate ships.

By Douglas Winter - RareGoldCoins.com

Every few days I get asked the question “what should I collect?” I’d like to make some suggestions based on three different budget levels. A quick word on coin budgets before we delve into specifics. As a collector you should not overspend on coins. Buy within the parameters that make you comfortable. Spending $750 on a gold coin doesn’t make you any less of a collector than spending $75,000. I find that many collectors, as they grow more comfortable with their comprehension of the market, find it easier to shift from one budget level up to the next. As always, learn about what interests you as specialized knowledge in numismatics is invaluable.

I. Low Budget ($1,000 per coin and below)

Gold coin collecting was not really designed for lower budget collectors. That said, there are plenty of interesting areas to collect in this price range. Here are three suggestions that I find interesting.

a) Common to Slightly Scarcer Date St. Gaudens Double Eagles in MS63 to MS64

This is a perfect area for the individual who is more of an investor than a collector and who would like to put together a nice “position” in the semi-numismatic market. There is something like 25 different dates of St. Gaudens double eagles available in grades up to and including MS64 for less than $1,000. None of these are rare and this is a collection that can be assembled reasonably quickly. This is also a collection that is perfect for the collector or investor who does not want to interact with coin dealers. I would have no problem telling a new collector that he would be perfectly safe buying these coins from a reputable Ebay seller or at auction. The only suggestions I would make is that all of the coins should be PCGS or NGC graded and either the Greysheet or recent auction price records should be consulted when deciding how much to spend on each coin. (more…)

By Jeff Starck for COIN WORLD

Peso coinage, found in areas of former Spanish influence and control, offers a wealth of opportunity for the adventurous world coin collector.

One can currently travel through Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Uruguay and pay using only pesos. Though the nations don’t share a common currency, their currencies share a common name.

The list of the countries that once used the peso denomination is even longer, a veritable map of Central and South America. Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain and Venezuela all, at one time, issued peso-denominated coinage.

Creating a collection of peso coinage from each issuing country, past or present, could prove to be an exciting and educational endeavor.