I love to collect pennies. I've been collecting pennies (U.S. one-cent coins) since I first jumped into the hobby in 1992 -- and I still enjoy them today. I continue to find old pennies, penny errors, and other interesting, valuable pennies in pocket change today, and all for merely their face value. … [Read more...]
2016 Liberty Centennial Commemorative Gold Coins: A Blast From The Past
Have you seen the 2016 Liberty centennial commemorative gold coins? They showcase 3 beloved coin designs that the United States Mint first struck in 1916. The new gold coins feature the same designs seen on the Mercury dime, Standing Liberty quarter, and Walking Liberty half dollar. … [Read more...]
Like Olympic Commemorative Coins? (Me Too) See Why I Think These Are The Top U.S. Olympic Coins Of All Time
Olympic coins are always on my mind when the Summer and Winter Games come around every 4 years. United States Olympic coins are among the most popular U.S. commemorative coins and appeal to a broad base of coin collectors. Of course, everyone has their favorite Olympic coins. Top U.S. Coins Honoring The Olympics I'd love to share with you some of my favorite Olympic commemorative coins and explain why each is historically, culturally, or socially significant. … [Read more...]
Get Money For Your Damaged Coins Through The US Mint Mutilated Coin Redemption Program
Did you know the U.S. Mint will pay you for your damaged coins? It's true! Since 2009, the US Mint has paid more than $100 million to individuals who turned in their damaged coins. It's called the United States Mint Mutilated Coin Redemption Program, and it was established in 1911. … [Read more...]
What Are First Strike Coins?
What are First Strike coins, and why do some coin collectors want them? First Strike coins are marketed by many promoters as among the earliest strikes of a certain coin during a certain year or for a particular design. A First Strike coin can only be bought in a 3rd-party coin grading slab, which carries a label with the designation "First Strike." If such a coin is broken out of this holder, there's really no way of knowing if it's a First Strike coin or not. … [Read more...]
How New Coins Are Designed (Hint: You Can Design A Coin By Participating In Coin Design Contests!)
Ever wonder how a new coin design is chosen? In some cases, coin design contests are how the U.S. government decides what goes on our nation's coins. That's how the 3 designs on the 1776-1976 Bicentennial quarter, half dollar, and dollar were chosen! … [Read more...]
The 10 U.S. Coins Every Collector Needs In Their Collection & They’re Less Than $25 Each!
I've been collecting U.S. coins since 1992, and let me tell you -- our nation has made an awesome number of incredible coins since the United States Mint struck its first official coinage in 1793. I wish I had a million dollars to spend on buying coins for my collection. Then again, a million dollars wouldn't even be enough to buy a few of the most famous rare coins ever made in the United States. These would include rare U.S. coins such as: The 1913 Liberty nickel The 1794 … [Read more...]
See How Old Coins Were Made At The New Orleans Mint Museum
Did you know New Orleans had a U.S. Mint facility? The New Orleans Mint made "O" mintmark coins from 1838 through 1909, with a break during the Civil War and Reconstruction in the 1860s and 1870s. Today, the Old U.S. Mint serves as a museum not just of money but also music, and was one of my favorite stops during a trip I made to The Crescent City. … [Read more...]
America The Beautiful Quarters: A List Of All The Coins In This Popular Series
I was just thinking the other day -- we're already around halfway through the America the Beautiful Quarters program! It's the sequel to the 50 States Quarters program, which was popular during its 1999 through 2008 run. The America the Beautiful Quarters series, also widely called the National Parks and Monuments Quarters, is a program consisting of 56 new quarters that honor one national park or historic monument in each of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the various U.S. … [Read more...]
Have a Silver Penny That’s NOT a 1943 Steel Cent? Here’s How to Find Out What You Have
A lot of people leaving comments here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins have been asking me about their silver pennies. Of course, many of these silver one-cent coins are 1943 pennies, which really aren’t silver pennies. They're actually made with zinc-coated steel. However, many of these inquiries about silver pennies have nothing to do with 1943 Lincoln cents or even the highly rare 1944 steel cent (a mint error caused by leftover steel coin blanks getting accidentally getting stamped with … [Read more...]
