In numismatics, as in life, it’s wise to follow the Fugio Cent’s advice —“mind your business” because “time flies.”

In the modern era, Americans have become accustomed to a monetary system with only four circulating coins. But the familiar penny, nickel, dime, and quarter actually represent a historic low in denominational diversity.

1804 Dollar: The King of U.S. Coins The 1804 dollar is among the most coveted of all U.S. rare coins, with only 15 known examples. Strangely enough, no dollars dated 1804 were actually struck in that year. The United States Mint only struck dollars dated 1803 in 1804; there was a silver shortage and the expense of creating a new die was saved (regular.

More than just geographic neighbors, the three major nations of North America have shared numerous historical and contemporary experiences – including in the realm of numismatics.

Originally published in The Numismatist, November 2003

When you’re first getting into coins, figuring out what you want to collect can be a daunting prospect. Most of us have a starter set that got us interested, commonly wheat pennies or buffalo nickels. But the question is, where do you go next?

Originally published in The Numismatist, July 2018

Originally published in The Numismatist, January 2018

A tale of three sources, two strikes and one president.

It happened so gradually that it may not be immediately noticeable, but today’s American coin designs are symbolically quite different from their predecessors. It used to be a good bet that a circulating coin would have a portrayal of Liberty on the obverse, and a rendering of an eagle on the reverse. But these days, allegories of Liberty and images of.