Dallas, TX: During World War II, copper was in short supply. Vital to the war effort for everything from ammunition to military equipment, the US Mint researched alternative metals from which one-cent coins could be made, thus increasing the supply of copper for military purposes. Various metals were explored, as well as plastics, but eventually zinc-coated steel was decided upon. All three mints – Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco – produced these coins in 1943, but problems with the new metal were soon discovered, including a tendency to rust and their confusion with dimes, and the zinc-coated steel production was abandoned the following year in favor of salvaged brass shell casings augmented with pure copper. (more…)

Coined for Maryland ca. 1658, Only Seven Specimens Are Known

(NEW YORK – July 11) The collectible population of one of the rarest and most historically important of all colonial issues has increased by 50% with the discovery of a newly discovered specimen, making a total of three Maryland denariums in private hands. A pair of metal detectorists working in the historic riverside community of Middlesex County, Virginia – near where the Rappahannock River meets the Chesapeake Bay – uncovered the tiny copper coin in the spring of 2007 and contacted Stack’s upon finding the extremely rare coin listed in the Guide Book of United States Coins and realizing they had discovered something of great importance.

While two examples of the Maryland denarium have sold at public auction in the last 25 years, those two examples appear to be the only other specimens in private hands from a total population of just seven coins. Specimens are known in institutional collections in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Smithsonian Institution (where two reside permanently), and the St. Mary’s County (MD) Historical Society. One of the Smithsonian coins and the St. Mary’s County coins were also dug up, apparently both in Maryland, as was the John Roper specimen (sold by Stack’s in 1983), which was found with a metal detector by a Maryland college student in 1977

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WASHINGTON – A United States Mint commemorative coin, the Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Silver Dollar, has been named “Coin of the Year” (COTY) by a distinguished panel of international judges. The COTY competition also recognized two U.S. circulating coins, the 2005 American Bison Nickel, as the “Most Popular Coin,” and the Oregon commemorative quarter-dollar, as the “Best Trade Coin.” The 2007 COTY Awards span a two-year judging period. “The men and women of the United States Mint create beautiful coins that reflect the spirit, traditions and values that Americans hold dear,” said United States Mint Director Edmund C. Moy. “We are proud that our coins have been honored.”

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