1969-B $1 Bill, L-B

Just over 40 years old this bill is still holding up well. As I get close to the last of my currency I am amazed how little they have changed. The dollar bills in particular are so common and unchanging that you wonder if anyone has successfully and cheaply forged these.

Sure on occasion some drunk makes printer copies of dollar bills and tries to pass them off, mostly with utter failure. You can feel confident that the dollar in your pocket is real. Despite the alleged savings using dollar coins the amount of fake dollar coins worldwide are in the hundred millions. The amount of money to try and stop fake metal coins is much larger than that of dollar bills.

Here's the stats for this bill...
Type/Federal Bank: $1 Note - D.C.  / San Francisco
Year: 1969-B
Printings: 200,000,000
Printed: May 1971 - September 1972
Run: 9th of 1-14 run from L00000001B - L08960000B  (COPE)
Value:  $1.00 in VF

Do you have a $1 note 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.

2002-W $5 Gold Proof

Gold is good and shiny. Now proof gold is very shiny and can be bought directly from the U.S. Mint unlike the regular gold bullion coins that can only be bought by third party sellers.

My images will never do justice on how gold shines in proof condition. This is 91.67% fine gold and yes Canada makes them with a higher purity but there designs are lacking. This is a work of art for bullion coin. If you were to display one coin it should be this one since it will resist tarnishing, toning, and hazing. Be aware it is a metal coin with silver and copper in it so the climate might change it over the years but overall it is pretty stable.

The box and case are also good looking. Velvet and shiny parts all over keep my collecting brain all happy.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 5 Dollar / United States
Year: 2002 W
Mintage: 40,864
Metal: 91.67% Gold, 5.33% Copper, 3.00% Silver
Value: $200.00 in Uncirculated

Do you have a gold 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.

1969-C $1 Bill, F-B

My last one dollar note featured was a 1985 series and this one is a 1969-C so there is a big gap. Six series are missing from my circulated finds collection, 1981A, 1981, 1977A, 1977, 1974, and 1969D have all escaped my grasp. Every year that passes makes it more difficult to find these older notes.

Although  made in the 1970's - 1980's, which for coins and currency is modern, the notes that I have not found are still common. They have no extra value if circulated and were made by the billions. Yet it has been years since I have got any note older than 1988 in my change.

The government and banks have a policy of separating then burning or shredding notes older than ten years. They claim that the notes become unusable and unreadable by both machines and tellers. I tend to disagree with that since this note found a few years ago shows they hold up well.

Here's the stats for this bill...
Type/Federal Bank: $1 Note - D.C.  / Atlanta
Year: 1969-C
Printings: 60,960,000
Printed: May 1972 - March 1973
Run: 147th of 111-157 run from F93440001B  - F94080000B 
Value:  $1.00 in VF

Do you have a $1 note 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.

2002-W American Eagle $10 Platinum Bullion

Platinum is more rare and more valuable than gold. It is also denser and less reactive so it is great for scientific purposes. It looks just like silver when polished and that is what the Spanish called it platina or little silver.

Starting in 1997 the U.S. Mint began producing platinum bullion coins. The most affordable was the $10 tenth ounce platinum coin. It featured the Statue of Liberty on the front with the date. The reverse had a flying eagle in the wild with the W mint mark, the value, and the purity of .9995 platinum 1/10 oz. Of course all the other American coin mottos are also there.

These days you rarely see the full original package sold with these coins. The reason is that most of these coins were immediately torn out the package and sent to be graded. They were such high quality that most graded a perfect 70. So any platinum in the raw, even proofs just have metal value.

I have seen perfect 70 platinum coins selling for $450 meaning at a metal value of $143 that anything under a 68 grade is common. For a coin that averaged 12,000 minted it seems odd but that is the nature of coin collecting.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 5 Dollar / United States
Year: 2002 W
Mintage: 12,365
Metal: 99.95% Platinum, 0.05% ????
Value: $143.30 in ungraded, $225 if graded above 68

I would love to know what is the rest of the coin's composition is it silver or copper or a mix?

Do you have a gold 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.

1883 Morgan Dollar

Hooray for silver as it is still slowly going up but no where near the highs of a few years ago. Silver will stay below $30 for a while since the economy and the world is relatively stable. The lack of U.S. involvement in Syria did stabilize the market further. It is still odd how world events affects metals so much when realistically the amount of silver reserves never changes and actually get s bigger.

1883 is a common year and the value in low grades is just above metal value but it is easy to own. Keep these common Morgans in a cool, dry, and dark place for safe keeping and when you need to get some quick cash then do not be afraid to sell them.

While I am all for collecting I am not much for investing. Too many people hoard coins then live miserable lives and after death the relatives sell the coins for a fraction of their worth. Sell a handful of common Morgans to pay for current things is fine and you should not feel like you are missing any future opportunities. Your current mental and financial health should always be a priority.

Here's the stat for this coin...
Type/Country: 1 Dollar / United States
Year: 1883
Mintage: 12,290,000
Metal: 90% silver, 10% copper
Value: $23.00 in F-12

Do you have a silver dollar 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.

1985 $1 Bill, L-F

Nostalgic for the 1980s? Well stop it because it was an embarrassing decade. For coins and currency it was a boring period also. U.S. commemorative coins did make a big comeback but circulating issues were full of boring clad stuff. The currency saw nothing cool since the $2 bill of 1976 and would stay boring until the 1988-A issues.

Now after my mini rant you may think there is nothing to save for 1985 $1 notes but there is one true gem. The St. Louis star note is easily $200 in circulated grade and to a lesser extent the H-E series also has a good premium, about $75 for circulated ones.

 Here's the stats for this bill...
Type/Federal Bank: $1 Note - D.C.  / San Francisco
Year: 1985
Printings: 1,980,800,000
Printed: August 1986
Run: 27th of 31 run from L83200001F  - L86400000F 
Value:  $1.00 in VF

Do you have a $1 note 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.

1999 Canadian Nickel

This recent change find was given to me after buying a smoothie where I also saw a U.S. dime on the floor but could not pick it up because someone stepped on it and did not move. I was too tired and hot to wait for the dime but I knew I got this Canadian nickel so I was happy.

Yes it is a common 1999 Canadian nickel which  have found before but seeing how few finds I get lately I will celebrate anything. Back in 1999 these still were that 25-75 Cupro-nickel mix unlike today's mix of mostly steel and 2% nickel. It would not shock me if they stop making the nickel but it would shock me if they decided to make it out of some other type of metal.

Pennies and nickels around the world are disappearing as their role in a modern society is reduced. They also become more expensive to make even using cheaper materials. Just in transportation cost they become a burden. Still as a collector I am torn.

On one hand I like finding them even if repeated or not in great shape because it is something that journeyed across time and land just for me to find one. On the other hand they will always be common in my lifetime so why not just buy them online all at once for cheap. I will keep looking and plucking until there is nothing left to find.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 5 Cents / Canada
Year: 1999
Mintage: 124,861,000
Metal: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel
Value: $0.05 in Fine

Do you have a nickel 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.

Rising above it all

It has been 12 years since that awful day on September 11, 2001, the day when at least 20 Muslims conspired to kill as many Americans as they could based on their extremist views.

New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. has recovered physically but remains scarred emotionally. The World Trade Center is now at full height and soaring above everything like a beacon of success and recovery.

 

We will never forget what happened and we will only grow stronger.

2007-D Montana State Quarter

Have a Montana quarter and want to know its value?

Hannah would love this coin even if it took six years to find the Denver version. Let's start with all the interesting facts, Montaña  is Spanish for mountain which is how Montana got its name. There are more flatlands than mountains in Montana.

Cattle was key to Montana's success but since most of the land is arid they often died thus the skull on the back of this coin.

Big Sky Country is one of several nicknames including "The Treasure State", "Land of the Shining Mountains", and "The Last Best Place". All of which are slightly silly and does not accurately represent the state or mean anything in particular.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 25 Cents - Montana / United States
Year: 2007 D
Metal: 91.67% Copper 8.33% Nickel
Mintage: 256,240,000
Value: $0.25 in F-12

Do you have a state quarter 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.

1890 Morgan Dollar

Have a 1900 silver dollar and want to know its value?

Silver is slowly getting to $25.00 per ounce which should be the new normal. It was undervalue at $18.00 and now we may see an upswing in all metals due to world issues and holiday sales. This is another common Morgan that is great to invest in.

When picking up Morgan Dollars for investment try and make sure LIBERTY is clear and there are no major scratches or gouges. Aside from those points everything else is fine, toning, weak spots, gunk, and even cleaning will not affect silver value.

Here's the stat for this coin...
Type/Country: 1 Dollar / United States
Year: 1890
Mintage: 16,802,000
Metal: 90% silver, 10% copper
Value: $20.00 in F-12

Do you have a silver dollar 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.

1988 $1 Bill, B-H

Have a 1988 note and want to know its value?

This is a block changeover note, well part of the newly reduced printing level. Before late 1989 most dollars notes were printed to a maximum of 99,200,000 but that was reduced to 96,000,000. I think it was to sell high numbered uncut sheet to collectors but I am not sure.

This note was one of the first to have its printings reduced. Now 96 million blocks are normal. For that reason the note with 96000000 as a serial number would be worth more possible even 100 times more to certain collectors.

So if you find a modern post 1988 note with a number higher than 96000000 it may indicate it was once in an uncut sheet. 

Here's the stats for this bill...
Type/Federal Bank: $1 Note - D.C.  / New York
Year: 1988
Printings: 921,400,000
Printed: January 1990
Run: 6th of 15 run from B32000001H  - B38400000H 
Value:  $1.00 in VF

Do you have a $1 note 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.