Royal Wedding Gift...Not Likely

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Not sure what the gift protocol is for the royal wedding of William and Kate but they probably do not send out coins to Americans. I found this British coin a few weeks ago about the same time the wedding coverage began in full. Not the first ten pence I found but it is the newest, usually they are from 1992.

Every year British coins have found there way to my change with the exception of last year. For some odd reason 2010 was the first time I did not find any British coins. Now that so many people are traveling to the United Kingdom for this special day I expect to come across much more British money in 2011 as these not-souvenirs will get circulated.

I enjoy the new design which when placed along with all the other circulating 2008 Great Britain coins you see a shield. If this Royal Wedding is as big as publicized I just may get enough second hand loot to build the shield and defend the crown.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 10 Pence / Great Britain
Year: 2008
Mintage: 71,447,000 (estimated)
Metal: Copper-Nickel
Value: $0.10 in F

Do you have a coin from the United Kingdom and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

First Memorial Cent, Denver Style

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1959 was the first year the cent used Frank Gasparro's design. The Lincoln  Memorial reverse was made to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.

In the broader sense it also brought the nation to the next level. The first official cents had Liberty (obverse) and wreaths (reverse) which are traditional designs for young nations, using Gods and symbols. After that the cent briefly used an eagle, more of an emblem of a young nation. Then the cent tried to bring the old and new by putting and Indian headdress on Liberty. 

By 1909 Lincoln was seen as a national hero and the old gods seemed inappropriate. The wreath was also altered using wheat stalks instead, another representation of our nations growth. By 1959 the decision to use a building showed how we are past primitive and past farming. Now we are industrial and old enough to have our own history.

Today we see all these odd things on all U.S. coins and even several design changes for the cent. This is like a renaissance times where art is exploding. Art and technology will probably lead to some spectacular coins in the next decade so do not expect to spend another half century staring at Lincoln Shied cents.

Type/Country: 1 Cent / United States
Year: 1959-D
Mintage: 1,279,760,000
Metal: 95% Copper, 5%Tin and Zinc
Value: $0.03 in VF-20


This one was must have sat in water because it got verdigris.

Do you have an older cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

2006 $20 Star Note IG-*

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Not the best of notes but it is still a star note.

To remind everyone modern star notes are identified with a little star at the end of the serial number instead of the usually letter. When the regular notes are damaged in some way the Bureau of Printing & Engraving will not try to make exact duplicates of the damaged notes instead they make star notes as needed. It saves time and cost plus it allows for more accurate record keeping.

This note was printed at Fort Worth, notice the little FW at the top right corner where the face plate number is being cornered. There is another thing to notice. Can you spot the difference?

The difference is the size of that face plate number. The smaller number on the left note is done using the old printing machine. The slightly bigger numbers on the right note uses the new Super Orlof Intaglio machines that can be retrofitted to older equipment.

Why the new machines?
They can produce 10 colors and they can theoretically make 50-subject sheets unlike the current 32-subject sheets. Starting in 2006 notes started to be made with new machines but as far as I can tell the entire Fort Worth $20 notes were made using the old machine.

Here's the stats for this bill...
Type/Federal Bank: $20 Star Note Fort Worth / Chicago
Year: 2006
Printings: 3,200,000
Printed: May 2009 
Run: 2nd and only from IG03200001* - IG06400000*
Value: VF(very fine) $25.00

This one was common and has lots of folds so if I spend it it will not be a big loss.

Do you have currency and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

2011 Annual Sets

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Early this time posting about the annual coin sets. For the mere price of  $136.80 you too can once again own coins that are very shiny.

The price breakdown:

2010 Proof Set	14-Coins	$31.95
2010 Silver Proof Set	14-Coins	$67.95
2010 Uncirculated Coin Set	28-Coins	$31.95
Shipping & Handling		$4.95

The Silver Proof Set jumped in price by $11.00 since last year. On the news that silver prices are still rising the mint has suspended sales on this set. The reason is that they are not making enough profit on these coins. As of today (April 19, 2011) silver is $43.87 per ounce add the other metal costs there is about $63.77 worth of metal in this set. Not to mention the cost to place in them in these plastic and paper sets. You can quickly see the profit/loss margin is way too close.

Check out the new packaging it reminds me of a box of chocolates.

 

The new packaging is an attempt to be hip and I guess save on graphics.

This was my favorite of all the coins.

Aside from the shiny coins another bright spot was the quick delivery. I ordered them on April 12 and it was in my hand by April 18. This was done by shipping through FedEx Smartpost which takes it from the warehouse and delivers it to the local U.S. Post Office of the recipient.

Here are the stats...
Type/Country: Silver Proof Set / United States
Year: 2011-S
Mintage: Not yet known.
Metal: Silver proof type, except for the nickel & dollars, cent.
Value: $70.00 in box

Type/Country: Mint Set / United States
Year: 2011-D, 2011-P
Mintage: Not yet known.
Metal: Normal circulation type.
Value: $31.95 in box

Type/Country: Proof Set / United States
Year: 2010-S
Mintage: Not yet known.
Metal: Normal proof.
Value: $31.95 in box

If silver does not go down soon the mint will probably take the unusual step of raising the price of its silver set. The reason they should be hesitant is that they had printed ads with the old price and people these days are likely to sue over a slight breeze so this is one headache the mint is trying to avoid.

Do you have an uncirculated mint or silver proof set and want to know its value? Leave a comment / question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

2010 Grand Canyon Quarter

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Weird I have been getting the America the Beautiful quarters in order of release, well a year late.

This is from the Denver mint and is also the first national park quarters that has a higher Denver than Philadelphia mintage. Granted it is only higher by 400,000 but that is enough to dominate the circulation.

Look carefully at the right side on the reverse, at 3 o'clock, there is a figure holding a stick. The person could be a park ranger, hiker or most likely a Native American from 1,000 years ago visiting one of their granaries.

Again another place I would love to visit. I have been watching the National Parks series by Ken Burns and the history is amazing. The foresight of the parks creators were an act of greatness that should never be forgotten,

Type/Country: 25 Cents-Grand Canyon / United States
Year: 2010 D
Mintage: 35,400,000 (estimated)
Metal: 91.67% Copper 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.25 in F-12

Do you have a coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

2011 Shield Cent

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Half a billion floating around and it only took me three months to find some. Not bad since I'm still missing some 2009 cents.

In the ongoing quest to find every coin ever made in my pocket change this one is one less to think about. Wait then they start again in 2012, darn.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent  / United States
Year: 2011
Mintage: 537,200,000 (estimated to date)
Metal: 97.5% Zinc, 2.5% Copper
Value: $0.01 in EF-40

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

2007 Greece 5 Euro Cent

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Finally a non-Canadian world coin. This is the latest it ever took to get a true foreign coin.

Sure Euros are among the most common finds outside the U.S. and Canada coins but this is only my second Greek Euro I have found.

 

The obverse features a freighter which I guess modern Greece is famous for but I do not really associate that kind of boat with them.

Type/Country: 5 Euro Cents / Greece
Year: 2007
Mintage: 55,005,598 (estimate this may change)
Metal: Copper Plated Steel
Value: $0.10 in Fine

Do you have any foreign coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

2007 Curling Quarter Canada

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Issued February 23, 2007 this 2010 Vancouver Olympic commemorative quarter was the first of ten that were made for circulation. Of course this is Canada so many more were made that were painted and enameled and in silver and etc...

Three years later during the winter Olympics Canada earned gold and silver medals in the men's and women's curling competition.

 

On the reverses is a woman curling with the stone and broom. The GG is for Glen Green the designer of the back of all the Olympic quarters.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 25 Cents / Canada
Year: 2007 Olympic Logo
Mintage: 22,400,000
Metal: 94% Steel, 3.8% Copper, 2.2% Nickel
Value: $0.25

Do you have a quarter from Canada and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1979 P Dollar Narrow Rim

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The more boring of the 1979-P dollar coins but it has been a while since I found any Susan B. Anthonys I might as well post it. Now that I have gone all electronic paycheck I have less change coming through.

 

Kind of scratchy and dull. Not much else to say.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Dollar / United States
Year: 1979P Narrow Rim
Mintage: 360,222,000
Metal: 75% copper 25% nickel
Value: VF-20 $1.00 

Do you have a Susan B. Anthony dollar coin and want to know how much it's worth? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.