Bozarth Rare Coin Market Report

During the holiday season I often reflect on the many blessings I have in my life. One of those blessings is the joy I receive from handling and looking at rare coins. In fact, I love my job. I get to look at coins virtually every day as a coin dealer. I enjoy looking at most coins, but some coins are better than others. The coins I really get a ‘charge’ out of handling usually have a couple of factors that make them ‘special’.

What makes a coin ‘special’? Scarcity or outright rarity can make a coin special because you don’t often see them. Incredible eye appeal is always a big factor in making a coin special. Indeed, eye appeal can make a relatively common coin ‘special’. A strong or full strike, glowing luster, originality, and especially a high state of preservation (grade) are all factors that can make a coin ‘special’. When buying coins, I am always looking at the grade, but these other factors (strike, eye appeal, luster, and originality) all contribute to whether or not I find the coin ‘speciaI’ and write the check.

In last month’s RCMR-Rare Coin Market Report I discussed three sets of U.S. Coins that are always in demand. This month I am going to discuss three additional sets that are loved by collectors. First let me explain the difference between collecting a set of coins by DATE versus collecting a set of coins by TYPE.

In most cases, a date set of coins is every date and mint of a particular denomination and design of U.S. coin. For example, last month I explained DATE collections of a short set of Walking Liberty Half Dollars (from 1941 to 1947), Peace Dollars (from 1921 to 1935), and $2.5 Indian Gold coins (from 1908 to 1929). All three of these sets contain all the dates and mints of their particulate design type of that denomination.

There are a few variations with some DATE sets. Often times a collector will collect a single coin of each year of coins for a particular design type of coins. Budget and availability often contribute to a collector starting with a single coin of each year versus all the different mint examples of each date. I have often seen a Year DATE set of Morgan Dollars assembled. In other words, the collector collects one coin from each year that Morgan Dollars were made, which would include one coin from 1878, 1879, 1880 etcetera through 1904 and including a coin from the last year of issue in 1921.

A TYPE coin collection is different from a DATE coin collection, because the collector is trying to collect ONE coin of each design type for a particular area of U.S. Coins. For example, the classic U.S. Commemorative Coins were produced from 1892 through 1954. There are 144 different issues in the complete DATE set. This includes ALL the different mint issues from the multiple mint issues like Arkansas, Boone, Columbia, SC, and Oregon Halves among others. Most often classic U.S. Commemoratives are collected by design TYPE. This collection contains 50 different design types so a collector has one example of the Arkansas, Boone, and Oregon halves. Not only is this easier to complete, but collecting by type is more affordable. (more…)

The First and Only Bimetalic Commemorative Coin Minted by the US

The Library of Congress, founded on April 24, 1800, is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. Also the world’s largest library, it houses 119 million items– 18 million books; two million recordings; 12 million photographs; four million maps; and 53 million manuscripts.

The library’s rare book collection is the largest in North America and includes the oldest surviving book printed in North America – the Bay Psalm Book, printed in 1640; the world’s largest book, John James Audubon’s Birds of America, which is 1 meter high; and the world’s smallest book, Old King Cole, about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. This book is so small that its pages can be turned only with the use of a needle- and equally sharp eyes.

President Thomas Jefferson played a key role both in the U.S. Mint’s history and in the Library of Congress’ development. Jefferson proposed the decimal coinage system we use today and advocated founding a mint on U.S. soil. A lifelong reader, Jefferson donated his personal collection of 6,487 books to Congress for $23,950 after the British burned the new Capitol and Library in 1814. On Christmas Eve 1851, another fire destroyed two-thirds of Jefferson’s collection. Although many of the volumes have been replaced, nearly 900 remain missing and the Library is engaged in a worldwide search to replace them.

Not only does the Library of Congress supply whatever research Congress needs, it serves all Americans through its 22 reading rooms on Capitol Hill, its Web site (http://www.loc.gov/), and as a monument to our nation’s love of learning.

These commemorative coins are called the coins of many firsts.” The first commemorative coins of the new Century, they are also the first-ever gold and platinum bimetallic coins in the nation’s history. For the bimetallic version, the outer ring is stamped from a sheet of gold, then a solid core of platinum is placed within the ring. The coins contain about one-half an ounce of precious metal.

The bimetallic coin design was inspired by the graceful architecture of the library’s Jefferson Building. The outer ring is stamped from a sheet of gold, then a solid core of platinum is placed within the ring. Then, the gold ring and platinum core are simultaneously stamped forming an annular bead where the two precious metals meet. The obverse depicts the hand of Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom, raising the torch of learning aside the dome of the Thomas Jefferson Building. The coin’s reverse is marked with the Library of Congress seal encircled by a laurel wreath, symbolizing its national accomplishment.

Designers: John Mercanti, obverse; Thomas D. Rogers Sr., reverse

By Dan Duncan – Pinnacle-Rarities.com

Historically, 1936 was not a great year for most Americans. The United States was deep into the Great Depression. There was an unemployment rate of 16.9%, banks remained unstable, and the dust bowl continued to devastate the plains states. But with the U. S. economy floundering, a pass time known as “the hobby of kings” was flourishing. Coin collecting in the 1930’s was heated by a willing U.S. Mint, fueled by the interest in the classic commemorative series, and railroaded by a new breed of numismatist – the marketers.

These promoters took full advantage of the new urbanization of America. There was an increasing ease, functionality and reliability of the U.S. Postal Service combined with improved printing and advertising mediums. Uncertain times had opened the public’s eyes to alternative investments, and these early dealers took full advantage. Commissions were established and pushed for approval from Congress for the production of commemorative halves. The commission would purchase quantities from the U.S. Mint to resell at a profit, presumably using the proceeds to further the objectives of their respective commission. The scruples of many of these organizations came into question early on.

Mintages for particular issues were purposely lowered to add sale points to push prices for the particular issue. Some committees, honorable in their goals and intentions, gave in to dealers wishing to purchase the entire mintage up front for the privilege to handle distribution. These dealers fabricated stories of sell outs, and “resold” issues at higher aftermarket prices.

The story of the classic commemoratives begins in the late nineteenth century, but the series didn’t start picking up steam until the 1920’s. The early issues had shown collectors fabulous returns. And by the mid–30’s speculators and collectors alike were clambering for the new issues. The promoters and their commissions were willing to oblige. In Feb. 1936 Lee Hewitt, of Numismatic Scrapbook pointed out, “Commemoratives continue to advance in price along the whole front. This advance has been in progress for several months and at this writing is still going strong.”

The demand had grown to such proportions that famed numismatist B. Max Mehl produced a short book, The Commemorative Coins of the United States. In this he professes to the bourgeoning series’ place in the landscape of American numismatics stating, “The fact remains that the coins, or at least a majority of them, are of historical interest, and to a great extent represent and are of much numismatic and historical value. In fact of greater numismatic value than the majority of our regular issues.” Ironically, in the same tome, Mehl admits guilt to his part in the formulating schemes by which instant rarities were made by reducing the mintage figures. (more…)