1976 Canada Quarter

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While America was celebrating the bicentennial back in 1976 what was Canada doing? Well nothing they had a centennial in 1967 and I guess they will celebrate their sesquicentennial in 2017. The design is the standard caribou seen on most Canadian quarters since 1937.

This particular 25 cents is a bit rough. The reverse has seemingly started to peel. While I am not sure if this is true lamination or damage it does expose the coin to further damage.

A close up shows the scarred surface and some green. That green verdigris (Copper(II) acetate) commonly seen on copper cents is damaging. I am assuming this is Nickel(II) oxide which on pots, pans, and jewelry are common but not always seen on circulating coins. Polishing nickel prevents this but even in this 100% nickel coin it can take hold when the surface is pitted.

Damaged or an error I think it has no extra value.

Here's the stats for each variety...
Type / Country: 25 Cents / Canada
Year: 1976
Mintage: 86,898,261
Metal: 100% Nickel
Value: $0.25 in G-4

Do you have a Canadian 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.

2006 (Colorized) $5 Bill, IB-A

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This is the note that breaks all the rules about series year. The first colorized $5 bill has the series year 2006 but so does the last non-colorized $5 bill. Usually the letter A would have been added or start a completely new series year instead they just changed the serial prefix. Older 2006 $5 bill are H-blocks while newer ones are I-blocks.

The biggest change from non-colorized version, besides the colored background, was the giant purple 5 on the reverse. All the corner 5's were made lighter but the one on the reverse was made huge for ease of use. To me it makes it look like the funny money from a foreign country but that is the way our money is headed.

Still why these design changes did not merit a new series letter probably had to do with laws and politics more than system in place. It is easier to print a quick small run of H-block then ask permission to change the series year. Certain things about currency confuses me too so if you have a definitive answer let me know in the comments section.

Coins are much simpler.

Here's the stats for this bill...
Type/Federal Bank: $5 Note - Fort Worth / New York
Year: 2006 (Colorized)
Printings: 256,000,000
Printed: December 2007
Run: 1st of 15 runs from IB00000001A - IB06400000A 
Value:  $7.50 in CU 

Sidenote: I just realized I have not plucked out a 2009 $5 bill from my change.

Do you have a $5 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.

Coined For Money: Round-Up Feb. 18-24, 2013

New coins, old coins, and current coins are disappearing and reappearing everywhere. Well maybe not everywhere but in certain locations so read on and find out where you get to join in on the fun.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe is minting the first ever Sioux Nation dollar coin and you can help design it. Contest March 15, 2013 so if you are a coin designer I suggest you give it a try.

Passing through Baltimore then stop by the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo, March 14 – 17, 2013 and see one of the famous 1913 Liberty V nickels.

South Africa has stopped minting nickels or 5 cents pieces not because of cost but it seems that the market is flooded with them. As predicted the public and private community is getting stuff confused and is banning, rejecting, and not using them causing other problems.

New at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City is the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall and you can buy the souvenir medal too.

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall Medal

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To celebrate the re-opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). They are selling many souvenirs. This is the one that caught my eye because of the quality, oh yeah and it is perfect for my hobby. This one is described and sold as a coin but I would call it a medal.

The design is detailed and the overall appearance is high quality. Judging by other souvenirs it was not a unique design and is on everything from coasters to magnets. The front has bison in their natural habitat. The back has the main entrance to the museum.

This is what is known as a custom coin, again it has no denomination or redeemable value so I would call it a medal or medallion. This one was made by American based company Northwest Territorial Mint.

When ordered by the hundreds it has a unit price of anywhere from $7.00 to $8.50 depending on finish and base metal. They use a proprietary brass and alloy system along with something called "Splash Minting" which is never well described. These are thick rounds so basically they get pounded between two dies and a collar. No exact formula is given for copper and other metal content but judging by the lack or red it is lower than most copper or brass coins.

Retail value is $14.99 plus tax but I think it is worth it. As far as I can tell it is only by visiting the AMNH itself can someone get this "coin". The website does not show it for the museum or at the company, maybe an email or phone call can have a personal shopper at the museum help. Visiting nwtmint.com you see plenty of other types of coin related items like true medals, real coins, and silver bullets. Say what you want but I think silver bullets are so cool.

Here are the stats for this...
Type/Country: Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall / United States
Year: Unknown (2012 most likely)
Mintage: Unknown (Seems like about 1,000 cannot be sure)
Metal: Brass Alloy core, Antique Bronze finish
Diameter: 44 millimeters
Obverse Writing: THEODORE ☆ ROOSEVELT ☆ MEMORIAL ☆ HALL ☆
THERE CAN BE NO GREATER ISSUE THAN THAT OF CONSERVATION IN THE COUNTRY
Reverse Writing: AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Value: $8.50 

Do you have a medal 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.

1973 Small Bust Canada Quarter

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For the centennial of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Canada they decide to make a commemorative quarter. Not satisfied with just a new reverse but they also made a new portrait of the Queen. The former bust of Queen Elizabeth II was made smaller the beads on the border were made bigger.

So how can you tell if your 1973 Canadian quarter is the common small bust or the rare large bust?
Well you can count the beads around the queen. Small bust has 120 beads and large bust has 132. If you do this I suggest taking a clear picture and use some kind of picture editor and just cross-out each bead as you count.

Another way is look at the space between the bead and the rim. If you imagine fitting another bead in that empty space then you have a small bust. If no extra bead can fit in that space then you have a large bust, again photo editing software may help. Look at the example below.

Altered image showing the space between the rim and beads is large enough to place another bead. This is the common small bust.

The final way is just by eye. 1965-1972 were all large bust and again in 1974-1978 were also large bust. Compare these years to 1973 quarters and if the obverse looks the same then you have the rare large bust for 1973. Remember that all those other years were large bust and no small bust were used outside of RCMP quarter.

Here's the stats for each variety...
Type / Country: 25 Cents / Canada
Variety: SB=Small Bust=120 Beads
Year: 1973
Mintage: 135,958,589 including estimated 10,000 Large Bust
Metal: 100% Nickel
Value: $0.25 in VF-20

Do you have a Canadian 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.

1990 $10 Bill, F-B

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The oldest $10 note I own. Sure it is only from the 1990 series making it just about 20 years old, it was printed in 1994. Still it is the oldest because I started collecting notes late. Saving notes higher than ones or twos is difficult when you have actual bills to pay.

This is also the first ten dollar bill that contains the polymer security strip and the micro-printing around the portrait. Previous notes that does not have these extra security measures are eventually burned or recycled by the government. That is another reason why I have not found any sawbucks older than 1990.

Even now these notes are becoming scarce in circulation the new colorized versions are replacing them. I cannot recall the last older ten I have seen but it has been a while. The new notes stand out easily with there bright orange tint so I can see how taking the old ones out to burn is easier.

Here's the stats for this bill...
Type/Federal Bank: $10 Note - Washington D.C. / Atlanta
Year: 1990
Printings: 160,000,000
Printed: February 1994
Run: 3rd of 10 runs from F12800001B - F19200000B 
Value:  $10.00 in VF 

Do you have a $10 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.