Welcome to the New CoinLink FAQ’s Section

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1. Hello; I am looking at a 1796 Bust Dollar. It has a small spot between the I and C in America on the reverse of coin. The seller says it is a cud mark but I think it might be a fill hole where coin was cast. The mark appears to be a small blob which is slightly raised. Is this likely to be a cud mark??

   The general definition of a “cud” is a damaged area resembling a blob on the surface of a coin. It appears raised above the field a little, and can obliterate the device or surface where it appears. Cuds are the result of die cracks or damage to the dies.

   Now with respect to the 1796 Bust Dollar you mentioned, there is a 1796 Bust Dollar variety, B-5 (Large date - Small Letters reverse) which has exactly the diagnostics you mention. If the coin you are looking at is certified, this variety designation should be on the label, and I would guarantee you that the coin is NOT cast. You can find several examples of the B-5 Variety by looking through Heritages auction archives. I believe there is an NGC example for sale on eBay right now as well (2-2-08 Item 110219769550).

   If the coin is raw that is a whole different matter and be careful. We could not give you an opinion without seeing the coin and knowing bit more about who the seller is, etc.

2. What does the term “Slider” mean?

   A “Slider: is usually defined as a coin that is nearly mint-state (generally an AU-55 to 58) which can appear as a full mint-state. Sliders often have very attractive lusture and are well struck. When offered as a raw coin, some less ethical dealers will try to pass these coins off as Uncirculated to novice collectors.

3. How much profit does the US Mint make on coinage?

   I am no accountant and trying to provide a simple answer is difficult since the US mint turns over specific non operating funds to the Treasury Department.

   You can take a look at the 2006 Annual Report from the US Mint. Here is the link
   http://www.usmint.gov/downloads/about/annual_report/2006AnnualReport.pdf

   From our quick reading, it looks like the Mint return about $625 Million dollars to the General fund in 2006. Not sure if you could call that Profit or not. Where is a good accountant when you need them?

4. Do you have any information on the wounded eagle sacagawea dollar?

   In Cherrypicker’s Guide to Rare Die Varieties - Fourth Edition the 2000-P Sacagawea Dollar it is listed as FS-S1-2000P-901, also know as the “Speared Eagle” variety. Claims have been made as to the rarity of this variety, but none that we can verify, as there has been relatively little written about this variety, as compared to the “Cheerios” variety which has a significantly larger paper trail.

   We will check with Ken Potter and CONECA to see if we can find out any additional information and post it here.

5. What is the est. pop.of 1942/41 p and d dimes.

   This famous variety was produced sometime within the last four months of 1941. The Philadelphia Mint was apparently pushed to the limit of its coinage capacity as the United States geared up its economy to meet the challenges of World War II. Over 300 million Dimes were struck in 1942, the highest mintages of the denomination to that date. Two obverse dies for the Mercury dime were impressed first with a 1941-dated hub, and then with a 1942-dated hub. One of these dies, the more dramatic of the two, was used to coin an undetermined number of 1942/1 dimes at the Philadelphia Mint. The other was shipped west to the Denver Mint. By March of 1943, the Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine had published a discovery article about the overdate submitted by Arnold Kohn of Kingston, New York. Despite the short amount of time before this error was discovered, and the resulting scramble by collectors to find as many examples as possible, few coins have come down to today’s specialists in truly spectacular levels of preservation. According to Walter Breen, most Uncirculated examples of this variety are from four rolls discovered in 1954.

   Back to your Question, We would estimate that there are between 3-5000 in all grades, however we would need to check David Lange’s book The Complete Guide to Mercury Dimes to verify this (don’t have a copy of that one in the library)

6. Is true that U.S. Dollar will be replaced by Amero (Single North American Currency) by 2016?

   The simple answer is NO.

   The idea for a North American currency union was first proposed in 1999 by Canadian economist Herbert G. Grubel. A senior fellow of the conservative Fraser Institute think-tank, he published a book entitled The Case for the Amero in September 1999, the year that the euro became a virtual currency. HOWEVER there is no such organization in existence and the three North American countries which would make up this mythical “Union” ( The US, Canada and Mexico) have NOTstated a desire to form such a union

   The Amero does exist but it is not a legal tender coin or issued by any country or “Union”. It is the creation of coin designer Daniel Carr, who designed the New York and Rhode Island statehood quarters, and sells medals and tokens of his own design on his commercial website, DesignsComputed.com.

7. How many dimes were produced in 2006?
   

   According to the US Mint 2,828,000,000 dimes were manufactured in 2006
   http://usmint.gov/about_the_mint/coin_production/index.cfm?action=production_figures&allCoinsYear=2006#starthere

8. What is the basic differences between a MS and a PR coin (assuming the same grade–65, for example)?

   Mint State (MS) describes a coin that has been struck for circulation but has never been in circulation. Thus, the coin has no wear. However a mint state coin may be weakly struck, and lack the detail of even a lower grade coin.

   The term Proof (PR) denotes a method of manufacture, not a grade. Proof coins are made with special care, exclusively for collectors or investors and not struck for general circulation. Generally, proof coins are struck on specially selected and polished planchets. They are struck using polished dies. Usually the coins are made on a slower moving press, and/or are struck more than once. Most proof coins are brilliant, with a mirrorlike surface

   Does that help?

9. I have an 1850 $5.00 John Moffat gold coin. I’d like to know the value and how to get it authenticated.

   Value depends on the condition of the coin, but Redbook values range from $1200 in Fine condition to $12,000 in UNC. Most importanly, you need to get a coin such as this authenticated and graded by one of the Third Party Grading services. Contact PCGS or NGC. (See the Service tabs on the Grading Page of CoinLink www.coinlink.com/Grading

10. I have a buffalo nickel but we can not find date on it at all. Any idea where it might be?

    The date on the Buffalo nickel can always be found just to the left below the Iindian head. If you can not see the date, then it has been worn off from circulation. These are commonly known as “no date” buffalos. Often they are used in Jewelry and for making buttons.

11. Where can I find out about all overstrikes? I have a 1950 nickel which has a overstrike of 1951 on it.and it was found in a lot of coins that I bought from a fellow with $5.00’s worth of old coins in an old bag. He didn’t know that it was in there.
    Thanks if you can help me out..

    I am not sure that there is a single source where you cam lean “Everything”. However you want to make sure that you have the terms correct first.

    An overstrike occurs when an existing coin is used as the planchet for a new coin without completely removing the features of the older coin. Thus, it is sometimes possible to identify the older coin because its features can be detected beneath the design of the newer coin.

    A doublestrike occurs when a coin die is struck twice (or more times) when minting the coin. Usually this results when a coin is not ejected from a die and is struck a second time (hence double-struck). Triple-struck coins and other multiple strikings also are known. Proofs are usually intentionally double-struck in order to sharpen their details; this is sometimes visible under magnification.

    Double(d) die is a die that has been struck more than one time by a hub in misaligned positions, resulting in doubling of design elements. If shifting occurs in the alignment between a hub and a die, the die will have some of its features doubled. This doubling is then imparted to every coin it strikes. The coins struck from such dies are called doubled-die errors. The 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln cent is one such error.

    Now with that all said, I am not aware of any 1950 Jefferson Nickel Overstrikes, Overdates, or other varieties. However, we are always willing to learn. can you send a Photo we can Post?

12. I found a 1943 Steel Cent. Is this Real?

    In 1943, the production of our One Cent coin went through a major change. War efforts that year required copper and its availability was limited. It was decided to change the content from copper to steel coated with zinc for the first run of the new 1943 cents. In 1944, the need for copper was reduced, and the production of the copper cent resumed.

    Over one billion 1943 steel cents were produced at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints, making this a very common coin. However, many people found the new “look” fascinating and saved, rather than spend, the new steel cent. Today, their value ranges from about 5 cents up to about 35 cents in circulated condition. Uncirculated specimens (showing no trace of wear or handling) can bring up to about $10 in high grades.

    Many national and area television stations recently reported about a $500,000 cent. They mistakenly advised people that the steel cent was very valuable. What they should have said was that the 1943 copper cent is the rare version. What happened was an extremely limited number of 1943 cents were inadvertently struck on copper planchets, left in the machinery from the previous year. Very few escaped the mint unnoticed, and these are considered very desirable to collectors.

    Auction histories indicate the value range to be from around $5,000 to $70,000 depending on the mint and condition… not the half million-dollar figure quoted. Copper-plated zinc forgeries abound. The primary test is to use a magnet. The common steel & zinc pieces (and the copper-plated fakes) will stick to the magnet. The rare copper issues will not.

13. I have a 1849 gold beaver $10 dollar coin, do any still exist? If so, what could one hope it’s value would be?

    The coin you describe is called a Territorial Gold coin, in your case produced by the Oregon Exchange Company.

    They were struck in 1849 in both a $5 and $10 denomination. Only 6000 of the $5 coins were minted an a mere 2850 of the $10.

    These are very rare coins, however there are counterfeits so it will be essential that you have the coin authenticated and graded by either PCGS (www.pcgs.com) or NGC (www.ngccoin.com). These are the two leading coin grading companies in the US, and if your coin is in fact real, they can tell. Good Luck !

14. I have some old coins that have been sitting around and found that going by the “PCGS” current charts, 2 of them are worth aprox. 45.00 each. Can I expect to get that price selling them at a reputable coin shop?

    No

    PCGS price guide is a “retail” guide. For collector coins in the value range you speak of, I would expect you to get about 50% of the retail price.

    Based on price alone, these coins are readily available, so if a dealer buys them from you, he might have them in inventory waiting for a retail customer for a considerable amount of time.

    If you are looking to sell the coins, you may want to run a search on eBay and see what similar coins are bringing, and sell them there.

    Good Luck
    Coinlink

15. My father recently came across a 1989 quarter with a Washington face and a Sacegewea dollar backing on the other side. I’ve read these are quite rare. How much would a coin like this be worth?

    The SAC dollar was not produced until 2000 so it would be physically impossible for the coin you have to be genuine since it would have had to have been struck in 1989.

    I’ll bet that if you look at the rims of the coin you will see a line where the obverse of a 1989 quarters has been “joined” with the reverse of a SAC dollar.

    Sometime these obverse will be inlaid, sometiimes shaved down then glued. All sorts of techniques are used. These are novelty coins (like two headed quarters) and have no numismatic value

    CoinLink

16. I found a 2 Headed coin. What’s it worth?

    Almost always a “trick” or “novelty” coin used by magicians and pranksters. They are manufactured in 2 ways; one is by shaving two separate coins off (Both faces or both tails) and bonding them together; the second method and most used is machining the interior of one coin out (Leaving the edge) and shaving a small portion of another coin on one face and the edge. The smaller piece is then inserted into the hollowed-out piece and bonded together. Due to the minting process it is impossible to mint a coin with two faces or tails!

17. How many millions of dollars would you need to buy all the pennies that were produced last year?

    There were a total of 16.468 Billion pennies produced by the US Mint in 2006, so you would need $164.680,000.00 to purchase them all.

    CoinLink

18. Do you know of any dealers that might have a Good Shepherd Covered Bridge coin, the first in a series of covered bridges by Lane County, Oregon?

    Since this was a local commemorative coin not produced by the US mint, I think your best chance of locating one would be in a local coin shop. Below are three on the Eugene area that might have them in stock, or at least know where you could pick one up

    North Star Coin & Jewelry
    643 Main Street Springfield OR 97477
    (541) 746-5964

    Eugene Coin & Jewelry
    2472 Willamette Street Eugene OR 97405
    (541) 683-8445

    Bear Creek Coin
    2132 West 6th Avenue Eugene OR 97402
    (541) 343-0091

19. I have a 2 headed quarter that has two different mint dates. How rare are these?

    They are not. This is a novelty coin manufactured by cutting two coins in half and them laminating them together and.or milling out one and then placing the other inside. You can buy them at magic shops

20. What does the term “small date” mean in relation to coins? Specifically a 1970 Kennedy half dollar small date versus regular.

    A “small date” designation usually means that the particular coin/date has at least two varieties; a normal or large date version and a “small date” version. This can occur when the dates are punched into the dies prior to production when a different size date/number stamp is used.

    Usually this is seen in earlier 19th century coins when almost all this type of work was done by hand and there was a bit less standardization.

    As to the 1970 Kennedy half, There is no officially recognized “small date variety” I am aware of.

21. I heard that the Wisconin State Quarter is rare. Is that true?

    The mainstream press has begun to pick up on a story that has been known within numismatic circles for some time. In an unusual development for modern coinage and an unheard of development within the Statehood Quarter series, three distinctive die varieties have been reported for the 2004-D Wisconsin Quarter. First reported by collector Bob Ford, of Tucson, AZ, the more unusual varieties have thus far been reported in only the Tucson and San Antonio areas.

    These coins are not mere striking errors. Although we may never know exactly how they came about, there is no question that these varieties arose as a result of an accidental or deliberate modification to the two obverse dies. Rick Snow, of Eagle Eye Rare Coins in Tucson, speculates that “perhaps (the varieties are) a “hub-through” where a semi-circular piece of debris gets caught between the blank die and the hub. This would produce an impression in the die which would create a raised element on the coins produced.” Unexplained, though, is the location of the die modification and the fact that both varieties resemble extra leaves on a corn stalk. According to Snow, “it may be an extraordinary coincidence or the result of some Mint employee’s private artwork.”

    Whether these new Wisconsin Quarter varieties have arisen as a result of a hubbing error as Mr. Snow speculates, a die gouge as originally reported, or an unauthorized artistic endeavor in Denver, they have caught the attention of the collecting public. As this is written in February 2005, these coins are still quite scarce, with the Extra Leaf Low variety somewhat scarcer than the Extra Leaf High variety, and each scarce variety coin currently brings three figure retail prices. Both PCGS and NGC grade and attribute these coins as individual varieties, and indeed NGC will encapsulate the three varieties together if you have the coins to submit.

    Perhaps the best comparison to these coins is the famed 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel, a variety caused by over polishing of a single die. Originally found only in the Billings, Montana area, this coin has remained rare and popular since its discovery, with circulated pieces selling for prices in the mid three figures. Only time will tell whether the Extra Leaf Wisconsin Quarter varieties will remain scarce or how valuable they will be in the future. For now, they represent a chance to find a scarce coin in your pocket change.

22. I have a very nice 1776 continental curency coin that weighs 20 grams, I am thinking of auctioning it, any ides what it is worth? What would you think the starting bid should start at? I noticed that on page 81 of the 2oo8 Red Book is was sold for a lot of $!!! Any info and suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

    First thing you need to do is get the coin authenticated and graded by either NGC (www.ngccoin.com) or PCGS (www.pcgs.com). They will confirm if the coin is genuine and also assign a grade to the coin. From that point you should have no problem placing the coin with any of the auction houses for sale.

23. How is a Sacagawea wounded eagle different from the regular ones? I have 8 coins that I was going to list but need more info prior.Thank you

    On the Reverse there are two spikes appearing through the breast, moving upwards from left to right

24. I have 7 silver dollars that range from 1879 to 1923
    that need to be cleaned and appraised. Can you please tell me how I can accomplish that task?

    Yes - First DO NOT CLEAN the coins. Then go to a local library and check out Yeomans Guide to US Coins, and look up the date/mintmark of all your coins, then look at the retail price for VF to EF grade. If it is over $100, consider having the coins certified by a grading service. If the values are lower than this, keep the coins

25. Is NORFED’s Liberty Dollar( So call Inflation Proof Currency) a legal tender?

    No, it is a private issue silver “coin”. It is not backed by an government entity and according to current law is not and can not be called a “legal Tender” item

26. I have a 1917 wheat penny that has a flaw, at least I think so. The rim of the penny looks like it was “picked up” before it finished cooling and part of it comes up to meet the date. Is this rare? or is this just how they are all made? I’m not a collector of rare coins, I just happened to come across this one and thought that it looked neat.

    Sounds like a CUD error coin. If yon send us a picture we can give you a better idea of what you have.

27. I have a 1943 steel penny which seems to have a double die on the mint date visible under magnification, where can I have this authenticated or is it common among these coins? And if it’s not common among these coins what may be the value of such a coin?….PS. I would not know how to photograph the coin to bring out the detail.

    First things first. Have the coin authenticated. I would send to ANACS first and mention the possibility of doubling at the date. I’ve never heard of this, but that means nothing. If they confirm the “double die” then you can start to figure out possible value.

28. I have a complete 96 coin morgan dollar collection. It is a collection housed in the old four part Whitman coin albums, with variable conditions ranging from VG to uncirculated. I would like to get some idea of the value. Does anyone have any idea or can you direct me to a source for finding out? Also, is there a place to have the set verified–at a reasonable price? ANACS would charge over $900–Is it worth it?

    I don’t thing that it would be worth having the entire set certified given the grade ranges you mention, but certainly I would have the KEY DATE coins certified no matter what grade they were in: 1903-O and S, 1895, 1893-S, 1893-CC, 1889-CC, 1885-CC, 1881-CC, 1880-CC

29. trying to find a good picture of 1960-d small over large date cent..any idea where I may find one???

    Check out Charles Daughtrey’s site CopperCoins ( www.coppercoins.com ) Excellent resource for lincoln cent collectors. Go to the following page: http://www.coppercoins.com/advsearch.php and fill in the advanced search. You should come up with about 160 results, showing details on 1960-D cents
    Have a good time.

30. I have been going through a can of current lincoln pennies and have found a few with a raised inside rim. Is this fairly common? Are they worth anything more than face value? Also how much does a coin have to be off center in order to be considered an error?

    Ytes a slightly raised rim is not uncommon. As far as off center coins, these are errors, even if it is only a few degrees. The more off center the coin is, the more interest and possible value th coin may have. Check out Mike Byers publication Mint Error News (www.minterrornews) for better idea of possible values.

31. Who own Royal Scandinavian Mint in Salt Lake City, Utah?

    RSM was incorporated on May 5, 2000 in Salt Lake City, Utah by Mr. Ola Borgejordet. RSM is the official North American representative for the government mints of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, as well as the Central Bank of Iceland. The company also successfully markets coins on behalf of the French Mint, British Royal Mint, Central Bank of Ireland, Royal Dutch Mint, Royal Australian Mint and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
    http://www.rsmint.com

32. HOW DO I DETERMINE THE VALUE OF A CERTIFIED COIN
    THAT GRADES MS-61 OR MS-62 COMPARED TO A CERTIFIED
    ONE THAT GRADES MS-60 OR MS-63?

    That would depend on the denomination of the coin since there is no hard and fast rule that there is a percentage difference between the grades. You need to find a price guide that publishes the MS-61 and MS-62 grades and does not jump from Ms-60 to Ms-63 like the Redbook.

    You can look at the Numismedia Price Guide, or the PCGS Price guide online. Links can be found on CoinLink at http://www.coinlink.com/Markets

33. WOULD AN ORIGINAL CONTINENTAL DOLLAR
    PEWTER DOLLAR, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS NOT REALLY PEWTER BE MAGNETIC?

    I do not see how. These Pewter Continental dollars were made of Tin and Lead, neither of which is magnetic. However many cast counterfeits were produced and there is no telling what the composition of the base metals might be. We have never read about any Continental Dollars being Magnetic.

34. Hello, what is the best way to clean old coins { without electrocuting myself }?? I often dig up very old coins while metal detecting. These are not valuable coins so I have decided to go ahead and clean them. I soaked some in peroxide but it actually made them worse. Any tips? Thanks!

    Although we DO NOT recommend that any coin be cleaned, there is a very good summary of cleaning coins on MyCoinCollecting.com. Here is the link:
    http://www.mycoincollecting.com/collecting/cleaning-coins.html

    Good luck and be careful !

35. There is 3 Indian Government Mints in India, Calcutta, Mumbai, and Nodia. Which mint sell coins? How I can pay for purchasing coins from Indian Government Mint outside India?

    The Indian Govt. Mint maintains an online store.
    The URL is http://58.68.113.68/India/store/Broadllyne_index.asp
    Unfortunately, the selection of coins available is limited to what appears current issues of three proof sets and 2 Unc sets.

    You can also order GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATION OF ONGC” (1956 - 2006) Coin sets directly from the Indian Mint at Kolkata using this order form:
    http://www.igmint.org/ongcfrm.htm

    Only a couple of dealers also offer Indian coins for sale. here are a few:
    http://www.joelscoins.com/india.htm
    http://www.WCoins.com

36. What happenned to Manila Mint in Philippines? Is Manila Mint still produce circulating coins and commemorative coins for Philippines Today?

    The Manila Mint was a branch of the United States Mint, located in Manila, now the capital city of the Philippines. Since that country became a United States possession after the Spanish-American War, the United States began to produce coinage for the Philippines in 1903 at its San Francisco and Philadelphia mints.

    In 1920, the Manila Mint was opened, and was the first (and to date only) U.S. branch mint located outside the Continental United States. It produced coins until 1922 and then again from 1925 to 1941, when the Japanese Empire invaded the Philippines during World War II. The mint was operated under Japanese auspices during the occupation. No U.S. coins were produced at Manila after 1941 due to the occupation and to Philippine independence in 1946, although Philippine coinage did take place at the other U.S. mints in 1944 and 1945. The building housing the mint was destroyed during the retaking of the city in 1945.

37. I have an 1879 $10 gold coin in great condition with no special mint markings. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it was made into a gold pendant with 1/4 inch of gold around it’s circumference. Is this worth anything to a collector or does it have more value being sold for its gold content? What might the value be in either situation?

    1879 $10 coins are considered common dates, so there would be no premium based on the date.

    Because the coin was placed in a jewelry setting and/or bezel, this almost always leaves a mark on the rim of the coin, so from a numismatic standpoint it would be considered damaged.

    Based on the above, i would expect that is real value lies in its bullion content.

    $10 gold coins contain 0.48375 oz of gold, so with the current spot price at $924 an oz. the bullion value of the coin is $446.98 ( not includiing the jewelry mounting/bezel)

38. We just found a 1849 Braided Hair Cent in our yard.We can read all the markings on it. It is dark brown with some green tarnish on it. We were wondering the value and how to clean it up?

    Congratulations! However DO NOT CLEAN THE COIN !!!!!!
    At most run it under warm water and add just a touch of liquid soap But DO NOT RUB the coin, pick at it or wipe it. Rinse it completely and then PAT it dry with a soft cotton cloth. Also, always make sure that you handle the coin by the edges only.

    Retail value in lower circulated grades runs between $20-$75 depending upon condition, surfaces and corrosion.