Three times a year, in the spring, summer, and fall, Whitman Publishing sponsors the Baltimore Expo, a large coin show held in Baltimore, Maryland. The shows attracts both local dealers and collectors and those from as far away as the west coast. Traditionally, the June show is the slowest of the three, and this year’s […]
NGC Will Certify 2011 Silver Eagles Struck in San Francisco
As reported recently in Coin Update, U.S. Mint officials have decided to strike American silver eagles at the Mint’s facility in San Francisco in order to help meet the growing and unprecedented demand for silver eagles. The coins will not carry an “S” mint mark to distinguish them from silver eagles struck at the Mint’s […]
Does the US Mint Deserve the Criticism It Receives? Part II
This is second article in a two part series. Read Part I. Some of the coverage of the ATB five ounce silver program struck me as unnecessarily harsh. An example would be this quotation from Tom DeLorey in an article on the ATB silver bullion program in a recent issue of Coinage: “Suppose you were […]
Does the US Mint Deserve the Criticism It Receives? Part I
This is the first article in a two-part series on whether recent criticism of the Mint is justified. The U.S. Mint, which is by far the largest coin and bullion dealer in the world, is the subject of almost non-stop and intense criticism from the numismatic community. For years commentaries published in the leading print […]
Collecting America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Coins: Numismatic vs. Bullion Versions
Late last year the U.S. Mint announced that the mintages of the 2010 bullion versions of the five ounce America the Beautiful (ATB) silver coins would be limited to 33,000 of each issue, which is an extremely low number for a bullion coin. Since then the modern coin market and hobby have to a large […]
Latest Developments on the 2010 and 2011 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Coins
With this week’s planned release of the first numismatic version of the 2010 America the Beautiful (ATB) five ounce silver coins and the start of sales to Mint distributors of the first 2011 bullion coins, now is a good time to review the latest developments within the series. A U.S. Mint press release indicated that […]
First Spouse Gold Coins Should Be Changed to Quarter Ounce Size
I believe that the First Spouse Gold Coin series, which is now in its fifth year, may be in danger of being prematurely ended unless a radical change is made to the program. The best way to ensure the series’ continued future would be for the U.S. Congress to amend the law that created the […]
Will a Goverment Shutdown Impact the US Mint?
Although President Obama and congressional Republicans continue to negotiate an end to their impasse over last year’s fiscal budget, the possibility of a federal government shutdown starting April 9 continues to loom large. And even if this shutdown is averted, even bigger battles lie ahead about the 2012 budget and increasing the federal debt limit, […]
The Coin Market Is Thriving in Charm City
Three times a year Whitman Publishing runs a highly acclaimed coin show in Baltimore, Maryland called the Baltimore Expo (http://www.whitmanexpo.com). The show is widely viewed as a barometer on the state of the coin market. Throughout the economic downturn that began in 2008, the coin market showed signs it was cooling off after years of […]
The Red Book Turns 65: Review of the 2012 Guide Book of United States Coins
The Guide Book of United States Coins, or “Red Book,” is the most widely used and trusted general price guide on U.S. coins. The 2012 Red Book, which releases in early April, is the 65th edition. It is published by Whitman Books (http://www.whitmanbooks.com), the oldest and probably most prestigious publisher of numismatic books in the […]
