The following Q&A is excerpted from Clifford Mishler’s Coins: Questions & Answers, 5th edition: Q: A friend told me the slight bulge along the line of Kennedy’s neck on the half-dollar is intended to represent the point at which the bullet from the assassin’s rifle hit our late president. Is that true? A: Absolutely not. On […]
Sales open for five-ounce silver Uncirculated coin honoring Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on April 13
Washington — The United States Mint will release the second America the Beautiful five-ounce silver Uncirculated coin of the year on April 13 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The coin (product code 18AK) honors Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin. The Philadelphia Mint produces America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins in .999 fine silver. They […]
What happened to Kennedy half dollars?
On March 20, 2018, the United States Mint began its sale of 2018 Kennedy half dollar product options which include a 200-coin bag (product code 18KA) and a two-roll set (product code 18KB). These product options possess either the “D” or “P” mint mark, given their mint of origin, and what the Mint calls a […]
What makes a “successful” U.S. Mint program?
In his foreword to 100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins, fourth edition, former United States Mint principal deputy director Rhett Jeppson discusses the challenge of setting mintage limits. “The ideal numismatic product,” he writes, “would be a sellout that nonetheless still allows every collector who wants to buy one directly from the Mint to do so.” […]
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to step down from Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee
Mr. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has informed the Acting Deputy Director of the United States Mint that he intends to step down from the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) due to increasing personal obligations. He was appointed to the CCAC in January 2017 as a member representing the interests of the general public. Abdul-Jabbar is a renowned […]
Bowers on collecting: Among my favorites — Sacagawea “golden dollars” part three
This week I continue and conclude my discussion of Sacagawea dollars. In 2000 they were released to the general public amid much publicity. Collectors loved them, but citizens ignored them. Vending machines would not accept them, most stores did not have a cash register space for dollar coins, and the Treasury Department’s hope that the […]
United States Mint to hold Apostle Islands National Lakeshore quarter launch ceremony on April 11
The United States Mint and the National Park Service will launch the America the Beautiful Quarters Program coin honoring Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at 10 a.m. CDT. The ceremony will take place at the Legendary Waters Resort in Red Cliff. The resort’s address is: Legendary Waters Resort 37600 […]
Why we should stop minting pennies, or at least make them with cheaper materials
In 2017 alone, the United States Mint produced around 8.6 billion one-cent coins, or “pennies,” as they’re popularly known. Since the most recent number for the cost of producing the penny in 2016 was 1.5 cents per coin, that means the total cost of production in 2017 was somewhere around $129 million. It does not […]
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Quarter available on April 9
Washington — The United States Mint will offer bags and rolls of quarters honoring Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin starting on April 9 at noon Eastern Time (ET). The quarter’s reverse (tails) design depicts the sea caves at Devils Island with the lighthouse in the background and a kayaker paddling in the foreground. The […]
Bowers on collecting: Among my favorites — Sacagawea “golden dollars” part two
This week I continue my comments on Sacagawea dollars. Conceived in 1997 and designed in 1998, by 1999 they were ready to be minted. The Annual Report of the Director of the Mint for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1999, included this: At year-end we finalized the alloy for the Sacagawea dollar—or as we […]
