Silver Seated Liberty dollars, which were struck from 1840 through 1873, were designed by Christian Gobrecht.

How much are the Seated Liberty dollars worth?

When Seated Liberty dollars were first minted in 1840, they became the first major silver dollar to be produced for circulation since the Liberty Bust dollar, minted from 1795 through 1804.

Gobrecht designed a few silver dollar pattern pieces which incorporated the Seated Liberty design, and many of these strikes reached circulation (these pattern pieces are generally considered rare).

However, it was the Seated Liberty dollar with a design of an eagle bearing a shield on its breast which became the Gobrecht dollar design chosen for mass-production and mass-circulation.

The silver dollar produced from 1840 through 1873 is just one of several denominations during the mid-to-late 19th century to feature Gobrecht's Seated Liberty design. In fact, the half-dime, dime, 20-cent piece, quarter, and half-dollar are among the other denominations to have featured the design during the late 1830s through early 1890s.

The Seated Liberty design remains the longest-running design for any United States silver coin, and among the most enduring of all U.S. coins.
 

Seated Liberty Dollar Prices

Seated Liberty silver dollars, while usually considered common as a type coin, are getting harder to find. Their prices reflect that reality.

Even the most common dates in the Seated Liberty series cost upwards of $235 to 250 -- even in well circulated grades. Some of the scarcer Seated Liberty dollars include the following**:

• 1851: $4,500 to $35,000 in Good through Mint-State 60
   
• 1852: $4,500 to $35,000 in Good through Mint-State 60
   
• 1854: $800 to $8,500 in Good through Mint-State 60
   
• 1855: $650 to $9,000 in Good through Mint-State 60
   
• 1859-S: $375 to $14,000 in Good through Mint-State 60
   
• 1861: $575 to $5,250 in Good through Mint-State 60
   
• 1862: $450 to $3,600 in Good through Mint-State 60
   
• 1870-CC*: $600 to $22,000 in Good through Mint-State 60
   
• 1870-S: $150,000 to $2,200,000 in Good through Mint-State 60
   
• 1871-CC: $2,500 to $125,000 in Good through Mint-State 60
   
• 1872-CC: $1,500 to $25,000 in Good through Mint-State 60
   
• 1873-CC: $4,150 to $95,000 in Good through Mint-State 60

* CC is the mint mark for Carson City, Nevada. S is the mint mark for San Francisco.
**Prices listed above are current as of July 2009 per the Professional Coin Grading Service's online price list .

Collecting Seated Liberty Dollars

Due to their overall scarcity and expense, Seated Liberty dollars are not usually collected in the date-and-mint-mark manner seen with coins like Indian Head cents, Lincoln cents, Buffalo nickels, and Mercury dimes.

However, there are many collectors and investors who do try and complete (or nearly complete) sets of Seated Liberty dollars, but not without having to spend years of dedication and many thousands of dollars to reach the often elusive goal. Even then, the task of obtaining a piece like the 1870-S is nearly insurmountable except for the wealthiest of collectors.

For many reasons, Seated Liberty dollars are often found in type collections. Type collections contain representative examples of coins minted during whole eras, decades, and centuries. In such a case, having only one Seated Liberty dollar is sufficient in representing the entire series within a type collection.

Buying Seated Liberty Dollars

Buying Seated Liberty dollars can sometimes be difficult.

Unfortunately, many surviving Liberty Seated dollars have been cleaned, scratched, and holed. Therefore, finding a problem-free Seated Liberty dollar can be somewhat of a challenge.

It is fair to say that an original, well-circulated Seated Liberty dollar with no problems is overall a better buy for the money than a lightly circulated Seated Liberty dollar with a hole, scratches, or evidence of past cleanings.

The best place to purchase a Seated Liberty dollar is from a reputable coin dealer who regularly deals with 19th century coins.

Beware of Seated Liberty dollar copies, because many exist. If you decide to buy a Seated Liberty dollar, it is wisest to buy a piece slabbed and graded by a major 3rd-party coin grading service.

That is, most U.S. coins are intended to be used for trade within the United States. for goods and services.

The 19th-century silver U.S. Trade dollar, which was struck from 1873 to 1885, is a coin quite unlike the coins that most U.S. collectors are used to seeing.

The Trade dollar was a coin intended for exchange, export, and circulation purposes within Asia -- China in particular.

Here's everything you want to know about U.S. Trade dollars...

Trade dollars have long been an interesting collector's item.

The Morgan silver dollar and Peace silver dollar (struck 1878 to 1921 and 1921 to 1935, respectively) have long been the conventional silver dollars that most collectors and non-collectors alike are familiar with.

But Trade dollars represent a colorful twist to the U.S. silver dollar realm.

Trade dollars actually contain more silver by weight than typical U.S. silver dollars. While the usual U.S. silver dollar has .7734 ounces of pure silver, Trade dollars contain .7874 ounces of pure silver.

The overall weight difference between U.S. Trade dollars and other U.S. silver dollars is 420 grains versus 412-½ grains (or 27.22 grams versus 26.73 grams). However, the diameter of both the U.S. Trade dollar and other U.S. silver dollars is the same: 38.1 millimeters.

U.S. Trade Dollars As Legal Tender

Trade dollars were originally granted legal tender status (up to $5) for U.S. domestic use.

In 1876, however, the U.S. Congress removed the legal tender provision for Trade dollars and the coin was produced for the express purpose of meeting the needs and demands of the U.S. Trade dollars overseas.

It would not be until 1982 -- 106 years later -- that Trade dollars would again become U.S. legal tender.

Business strikes of Trade dollars (intended for circulation) were made during 1873 through 1878.

All issues from 1879 through 1885 were struck as proofs.

Rare U.S. Trade Dollars

While U.S. Trade dollars are fairly common as type coins, there are several dates which are genuinely scarce, and a few which are downright rare.

Among the rarest of the Trade dollars are those dated from 1879 through 1885. Roughly 6,500 Trade dollars were struck during those years combined. In fact:

• Only 10 U.S. Trade dollars were made in 1884.
• Only 5 U.S. Trade dollars were made in 1885.

Some issues saw well more than 1 million pieces made -- such as the 1874 CC (Carson City), 1874-S (San Francisco), 1875-S, 1876-S, 1877-S, and 1878-S. But most dates saw production levels well under 1 million.

Chop Marks On Trade Dollars

Anybody who collects or studies Trade dollars will know of the term chop marks. Chop marks refer to Chinese engravings on some Trade dollars.

Some of these chop marks are Chinese characters which bear advertisements from merchants.

Chop marks also resulted from merchants and bankers testing the coins for authenticity.

Speaking of authenticity, be sure the Trade dollars you buy or own are authentic! It is recommended that you only buy Trade dollars from reputable dealers.

If you don't know who to buy your Trade dollars from, then be sure you purchase slabbed Trade dollars which have been graded from a major certification service like:

• PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)
• NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation)
• ANACS (American Numismatic Association Certification Service)

There are also many other reputable third-party coin grading services.

The Prices Of Trade Dollars

To obtain a nice-quality, representative example of a Trade dollar, prepare to spend at least $125 to $150.

All Carson City issues set buyers back at least $200 to $250, even in heavily worn grades.

Proof issues without wear are worth over $1,500 each.

The 1884 and 1885 issues, which are extremely rare, turn up in auctions with winning bids of more than $250,000 and $1.5 million, respectively.

More About Trade Dollars

• Trade Dollar: Once Demonized, Now Legal Tender Again
• Chop Mark Trade Dollars
• PCGS Trade Dollar Prices

The 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Proof Set brings collectors all 4 special reverse (tail's side) designs which have been included on 2009 Lincoln cents.

Before this, the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial proof cents were shipped in a large proof set offering -- which also included the 2009 nickel, dime, quarters, half-dollar, and dollar coins.

What makes the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Proof Set distinct is that it includes only the 4 Lincoln cents. This gives collectors who want just those coins a chance to avoid having to pay over $20 more to purchase a bunch of unneeded coins (as would come in the regular 18-coin proof set).

The following coins are packaged in the Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Proof Set:

• Birth Year Lincoln Cent
• Formative Years Lincoln Cent
• Professional Life Lincoln Cent
• Presidency Lincoln Cent

All 4 of these coins are being struck at the U.S. Mint location in San Francisco and include the "S" mintmark. The coins come encased in a single clear, plastic lens (a flat, rectangular case used for many of the U.S. Mint's proof set products).

The 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Proof Set is currently available from the U.S. Mint for $7.95.

Even if you cannot manage to buy a 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Proof Set directly from the U.S. Mint, you can still purchase the set from many coin dealers who carry and sell proof sets from previous years. Prices will likely be different than those set by the Mint.

Collecting 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Coins

The 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial one-cent coins come in several different varieties.

In fact, if you count the uncirculated strikes, the proof specimens, and the Philadelphia (no mintmark), Denver ("D") and San Francisco pieces, there are a total of 20 different 2009 Lincoln cents:

• 2009 Philadelphia copper-plated zinc Lincoln Birth Year cent
• 2009 Philadelphia copper satin-finish Lincoln Birth Year cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 Denver copper-plated zinc Lincoln Birth Year cent
• 2009 Denver copper satin-finish Lincoln Birth Year cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 San Francisco proof Birth Year cent (copper)
• 2009 Philadelphia copper-plated zinc Lincoln Formative Years cent
• 2009 Philadelphia copper satin-finish Lincoln Formative Years cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 Denver copper-plated zinc Lincoln Formative Years cent
• 2009 Denver copper satin-finish Lincoln Formative Years cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 San Francisco proof Formative Years cent (copper)
• 2009 Philadelphia copper-plated zinc Lincoln Professional Life cent
• 2009 Philadelphia copper satin-finish Lincoln Professional Life cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 Denver copper-plated zinc Lincoln Professional Life cent
• 2009 Denver copper satin-finish Lincoln Professional Life cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 San Francisco proof Professional Life cent (copper)
• 2009 Philadelphia copper-plated zinc Lincoln Presidency cent
• 2009 Philadelphia copper satin-finish Lincoln Presidency cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 Denver copper-plated zinc Lincoln Presidency cent
• 2009 Denver copper satin-finish Lincoln Presidency cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 San Francisco proof Presidency cent (copper)

Wow! The U.S. Mint sure has a way with making lots of different coins every year, huh?!

So, there you see all 20 different Lincoln cents available for 2009. Of course, you will not find all these in circulation as the copper, satin-finish coins and the proof coins are all in collector's sets.

Still, you can see that the collector has much to be excited about for 2009 Lincoln cents. And the proof cents that are being released in the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Coin Proof Set help make the year in Lincoln cent collecting even more interesting!

Whether you just have one old coin or several, someday there will come a time when you want (or need) to find the true value of your coins.

Appraising a coin collection, especially if it contains rare and valuable coins, generally requires you to do a few things:

• Grade your coins
   
• Don't clean your coins - that will lower a coin's value
   
• Slabbing your coins will provide you a chance of getting the same price for them no matter to what dealer you sell
   
• Get an idea as to the value of your coins beforehand so you don't get ripped off
   
• Get more than one appraisal so you have an "average" estimate -- and take the better offer

I cannot overstress the idea of getting a general idea as to the value of your coins before actually getting an appraisal. If you don't know what your coins are worth -- roughly -- then you risk getting an appraisal from an unscrupulous coin dealer who will snag away that $1,000 coin for $50.

Check out a current edition of a coin pricing magazine at your local news stand or bookstore to find out more about your coins' values. Most of these price guides also have a basic guide to grading which will help give you a better idea as to what your coins may be worth.

Chances are you may have actually made one if you've ever visited a tourist hot spot or roadside attraction.

An elongated penny is simply a penny that has been squashed in a machine, producing a design on the coin and making the coin oval shaped and longer than it used to be.

Elongated pennies have been popular since the 1893 Columbian Exposition and, since then, have been made into hundreds of designs.

Elongated coins are fun to collect and, often, don't cost much either to make or buy. There is even a museum dedicated to elongated pennies.

It is common for an elongated penny to cost no more than $1 to make in person. Many older elongated pennies can be bought for less than $5 or $10 from a enlongated penny dealer.

Elongated pennies typically fall into the realm of coin collecting called exonumia, or novelty coin collecting.

The penny pyramid in the video contains over 289,000 pennies (1 ton of pennies) and can potentially grow to a whopping 500,000 pennies!

The penny pyramid is being built for a good cause. Mr. Carlos Conde is among the 50,000 who died in 2006 of colorectal cancer, and the penny pyramid is devoted to bringing awareness to getting colorectal cancer screenings -- which everybody should have done by age 50 (if not before, based on family history and other factors).

By the way, I have to wonder if any of those hundreds of thousands of pennies just happen to be among the several rare or scarce Lincoln cents which collectors and investors love. Hmm... imagine how long it would take to check all those pennies!