The $4 Stella holds a special place in most coin collectors hearts, both in terms of design, its unique denomination and the allure of desirability. There are Two different types produced over two years; The Flowing Hair design of 1879 and 1880 (designed by Charles E. Barber) and the Coiled Hair design (Designed by George T. Morgan) of the same time period. All were struck as patterns and examples can be found in Gold, Aluminum, Copper and White Metal.

The 1880 Coiled Hair issue is clearly the rarest of four varieties. In past rosters, we have only been able to account for eight different examples, but have now added a ninth example from the Dallas Bank Collection.

For many years it was believed that just 10 pieces were struck, but it is more likely that 20 pieces were originally coined. A general rule for proof gold pieces from the mid- to late 1800s is that approximately half the original mintage survives.

Like the 1879 Coiled Hair and 1880 Flowing Hair coins, the 1880 Coiled Hair is a major rarity from an extremely small mintage. Only the 1879 Flowing Hair stella could be called anything close to common (with an estimated mintage of a mere 425 pieces), and that is the issue most often chosen by type collectors who want a single example of the stella.

Three examples of the Stella are going to be offered at the Heritage Sale in Los Angeles latter this month as part of the “pre ANA” auctions, offering collectors a unique opportunity to to view and bid on these beautiful coins. What makes this even more special is that the patterns are offered in Gold, Aluminum and Copper. (more…)

Award-winning numismatic author Scott Travers and veteran financial journalist Jim Kingsland will present a detailed, three-hour public educational forum about buying and selling gold on Saturday, May 30, 2009, during the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo in the Long Beach, California Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Ave., May 28 to 30.

Visitors to the three-day show will see both the “Gold River Morgan Dollars Set,” ranked number two on the PCGS Set Registry for date set circulation strikes, and see the “Wild West Collection,” a complete set of superb-grade Carson City dollars. A free gold coin door prize will be awarded to a lucky, registered visitor each day.

The seminar, “Gold: Hoping For The Best, Preparing For The Worst,” will be presented from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 30, in room 102-C of the Long Beach Convention Center.

“The gold seminar will be jointly conducted by Travers, an acclaimed consumer advocate who is the author of a dozen award-winning numismatic books, and by Kingsland, a respected Fox Business Network editor and long-time Wall Street journalist,” said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Chairman.

“With the renewed interest in gold because of the U.S. and world economic situation, this certainly is one of the most important and timely educational seminars we’ve had in the history of the Long Beach Expo.”

“This educational program will provide pertinent and potentially valuable information about the precious metals markets from mining stocks to bullion coins – such as the American Eagle and Canadian Maple Leaf – to gold estate jewelry and ‘scrap’ gold,” explained Travers. (more…)

1942 1C Cent, Judd-2079, Pollock-2076, R.8, PR66 PCGS. Regular die trial issue but struck in aluminum with a plain edge. Struck on a planchet that is almost twice as thick as a regular cent, although this is not evident in the PCGS encasement.

The pattern cents from 1942 are divided into two groups, those of the regular issue design as this piece and those modeled after the Colombian two centavo. The regular design patterns are far rarer as a group but limited to only three compositions: aluminum, zinc-coated steel, and white metal. Those modeled after the two centavo are far more available as a group and seen in a wide variety of compositions, but some are equally as rare as the regular issue die trials.

The Judd book (10th edition) makes an interesting comment about these pieces: “Regular 1942 Lincoln cent dies are said to have been used to strike coins in pure zinc, copper and zinc, zinc-coated steel, aluminum, copperweld, antimony, white metal, and lead, among other materials.” If this is accurate, then there are many other experimental alloy cents that remain to be discovered, as only three alloys are known today.

An interesting story is related in Andrew Pollock’s pattern reference on page 390: “2076. Aluminum. Plain Edge. Rarity-8. Reportedly, an example was received in change by an ice dealer in the Annapolis, Maryland area, presumably in the 1940s.” We cannot say for certain if this is that particular experimental striking, but we doubt it since the surfaces of this piece are so free from problems or contact marks. (more…)