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

(Newport Beach, California) - Professional Coin Grading Service has certified the first reported Sacagawea golden dollar coin struck with the edge lettering intended only for Presidential dollars. The submitter will receive a $10,000 finder’s reward from PCGS.

“The United States Mint set up specific internal procedures in an attempt to prevent this type of error from happening. But it did happen, and it’s an amazing-looking error,” said Ron Guth, PCGS President.

The 2007-dated coin was struck at the Denver Mint and has been examined and authenticated by the experts at PCGS. The coin was submitted by Andrew Moores of Lakewood, Colorado who found the coin in his pocket change. Moores believes he could have had the coin for as long as two weeks and only noticed it when he compared it with other Sacagawea Dollars that he had already set aside.

Moores was unaware of the reward until a coin collector friend mentioned that he had seen the offer on the PCGS Message Boards. According to Guth, who spoke with the submitter about the find, “Needless to say, Mr. Moores is a very happy man.”

PCGS also confirms it now has certified 301 Jefferson dollars erroneously struck without edge lettering. (more…)

By Coins Magazine posted on Numismaster
Grades listed are based on the following standards established by the American Numismatic Association. For more detailed descriptions, see Official ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins, by Ken Bressett and A. Kosoff (American Numismatic Association, 818 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903-3279.

Proof Coins

The term “proof” refers to a manufacturing process that results in a special surface or finish on coins made for collectors. Most familiar are modern brilliant proofs. These coins are struck at the Mint by a special process. Carefully prepared dies, sharp in all features are made. Then the flat surfaces of the dies are given a high, mirrorlike polish. Specially prepared planchets are fed into low-speed coining presses. Each proof coin is slowly and carefully struck more than once to accentuate details. When striking is completed, the coin is taken from the dies with care and not allowed to come into contact with other pieces. The result is a coin with a mirrorlike surface. The piece is then grouped together with other denominations in a set and offered for sale to collectors.

From 1817 through 1857, proof coins were made only on special occasions and not for general sale to collectors. They were made available to visiting foreign dignitaries, government officials, and those with connections at the Mint. Earlier (pre-1817) U.S. coins may have prooflike surfaces and many proof characteristics (1796 silver coins are good examples), but they were not specifically or intentionally struck as proofs. These are sometimes designated as “specimen strikings.” Read Full Article

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

During the past 35 years, ANACS has dedicated itself to the Numismatic community and has strived to exceed customers’ expectations by taking into account their needs and suggestions. With that in mind, ANACS is proud to announce the introduction of the sleek and dynamic Clearview 7™ holder.

ANACS has improved on the original Clearview holder, improving durability, while maintaining integrity. The stylish new capsule allows not only for easy grade and denomination identification, but a full view of the coin and its rim. Also, no final product is complete without the ANACS hologram, which is located on the reverse and serves as our stamp of authenticity.

Coupled with  improvements to the Clearview holder, ANACS has also chosen to eliminate the classic holder used to encapsulate details coins, therefore returning to a unity of encapsulation. Details graded coins are now encapsulated just as problem free coins with appropriate designations on their labels. This, along with the streamlined design, allows for easier storage.