Holabird-Kagin Americana has released its newest catalog in their series on pioneer minor coinage. Mint State Pioneer Minor Coinage is a 168-page catalog of certified tokens, all graded MS 60-plus. Fred Holabird, author of the catalog and partner in Holabird-Kagin Americana, stated that this catalog is the first of its kind in what he calls the “Last Frontier of Numismatics” to be professionally certified.

The catalog contains images of the obverse and reverse of each token, as well as short interesting stories on many of the pieces, particularly those from California and Nevada. The catalog’s introduction discusses a number of fascinating issues surrounding mint state tokens, including populations, hoards, manufacturer collections and restrikes.

The field of collecting tokens in mint state is new, according to Holabird, and real rarities of uncirculated pieces are still not known. As an example, many pieces rated common, with perhaps 25–50 pieces known, have no known uncirculated pieces. “This can be confusing while the dust settles on this new frontier,” stated Holabird.

Collectors have the chance of obtaining MS 65 pieces for little money, compared to their Civil War counterparts. But they might find the opportunities lacking — NGC has graded fewer than 150 pieces MS 65 thus far.

Interested collectors can contact Holabird-Kagin Americana for a catalog, $15 or free with a purchase, at info@holabirdamericana.com or call 775-852-8822.

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