In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Platinum American Eagle Bullion Program, the US Mint is issuing a special commemorative set. The Mint will be selling a limited edition two-coin platinum set. This set includes a proof 2007 W $50 Platinum American Eagle and, for the first time in the history of the program, a reverse proof 2007 W $50 Platinum American Eagle.

Coins from these sets will be pedigreed as EAGLE 10TH ANNIVERSARY. A special NGC commemorative label will also be available. Because the regular proof version of this coin is available individually from the US Mint, special instructions must be followed in order for coins to qualify for this pedigree. Coins must remain in the sealed shipping boxes used by the US Mint, and the entire unopened package must be forwarded on to NGC for certification. NGC must open these boxes in order for the coins to qualify for the EAGLE 10TH ANNIVERSARY. The reverse proof version does not require this special handling, and will be eligible for the EAGLE 10TH ANNIVERSARY label and pedigree even if submitted without its original packaging.

US Mint coin boxes and certificates will be returned to the submitters. Note that the Mint’s shipping boxes are not returned.

Additionally, these coins must be submitted using the Modern Special Tier or higher level service, and submitters requesting this designation and special label must submit these coins on their own submission invoice. The five coin minimum for Modern Special Tier will be waived for submissions of Platinum 10th Anniversary Eagles, and the 10th Anniversary coins cannot be mixed with other coins to qualify for this pedigree. (more…)

By Jeff Starck COIN WORLD Staff

In determining whether a given coin has “eye appeal,” it all depends on the person you ask. To some, it’s a simple matter of taste, but to others, it’s so obvious as to have specific requirements and characteristics that a coin must meet.

The fact is, eye appeal is neither that loosely defined nor that strictly determined. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

A definition

Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, simply put, in determining a coin’s grade, eye appeal is the element that “grabs” the viewer. Eye appeal is the overall look of a coin, according to a “coin lingo” guide at the Professional Coin Grading Service Web site.

Coin World columnist Q. David Bowers wrote in an April 9 column this year that, “eye appeal is a matter of opinion, but if a coin appears to be beautiful to your eyes, chances are good that when your collection is sold someday, buyers will feel likewise.”

In an earlier column, in the Feb. 5 issue, Bowers provides some questions to ask about a coin to determine its eye appeal. “Is the coin richly lustrous, or is it grainy or ‘greasy’ in appearance? Are there stains or spots? Is it dull gray, brown or even black? In a word, is it beautiful? Does it beckon, saying to you, ‘Buy me!’ ” Read Full Article

Photos used with permission and courtesy of Heritage Auction Galleries

You know you have too much time on your hands when you find yourself creating an Excel spreadsheet just to calculate the total number of Buffalo nickels minted from 1913 to 1938. But you can always defend yourself by telling the world you have a good excuse.

In this day and age of so much emphasis placed on perfection, what serious collector would turn down an opportunity to own an MS or PF-70 specimen if his or her checkbook would allow it? So, if you’re a Buffalo nickel fan and haven’t been exposed to the harsh reality, you incorrectly assume that out of over 1,200,000,000 nickels (yes, that’s Billion) minted in those 25 years, mathematical probability alone would predict at least a few MS-69 or 70 specimens, wouldn’t you conclude?

But as population report after population report of the major grading services are scanned in desperation, the Buffalo fanatic is sadly resigned to the fact that in countless decades of searching, not one MS-70 has yet been recorded. Does this mean that no such specimen exists? Probably an accurate assumption. But, if one were ever found some time in the future in an obscure safe deposit box and later assigned to a major auction, can you begin to imagine how spirited the bidding would be for that coin regardless of its date and mint mark? Seven figures has such a nice ring to it (okay, maybe six.)

On further examination of these population reports and coin publications, it’s made statistically obvious that there are many year/mint mark combinations of the Buffalo nickel where the highest grade recorded goes all the way “down” to MS-65 level. Having to sadly accept these realistic maximums is the source of the article’s title.

The only solace we can get is from at least knowing why our favorite coins were evidently “doomed” to less than a “perfect” strike even as the blank planchets were about to be hit by a die with tons of pressure behind it “back in the day”. (more…)

By Michael Fazzari

It’s almost 2008 and there is still no “little black box” to grade coins, but some have tried. This weekend, while looking through some old clippings, I came across an article about “The Expert.”

The subject of the article called to mind a joke I’d heard from a former associate, Charlie Hoskins. He used to say that the word “expert” came from two roots, “ex” meaning from or out of and “pert” a little drip under pressure. In this case, “The Expert” in the article was neither a drip nor a human. Read on.

About 20 years ago, one of the grading services developed an expensive gadget to grade coins called “The Expert.” Apparently, it was a video camera surrounded by a bank of high intensity lights set up to record the surface of a coin. The coin’s image was digitalized as each light flashed in sequence and the resulting image was stored in a computer. Read Full Story