Dynasty coins of powerful ancient women

Michael Bugeja is assembling a short set of two powerful women who shaped a Roman dynasty, depicted in coins. History enhances the allure of ancient coin collecting, which typically features male emperors who distinguished themselves in battle. Often, powerful women ruled behind the scenes. So was the case with Julia Domna and her older sister, […]

The Queen’s Beasts vs. America the Beautiful: Comparing and contrasting two iconic modern coin series

By Louis Golino Two major series of bullion and collector coins — the America the Beautiful (ATB) five-ounce silver quarters from the U.S. Mint, and the Royal Mint’s Queen’s Beast series — will soon end. Both have helped to reshape the market for modern bullion and collector coins in recent years and have been major […]

Coin Invest Trust “Meteorite Impacts”: Viñales

Description of the Coin One side is a realistic depiction of a meteorite impact with an embedded piece of a meteorite. Above is the legend VIÑALES METEORITE / 22˚ 37’ 17” N / 83˚ 44’ 57” W. The other side features the portrait of Elizabeth II. Below, is IRB (Ian Rank-Broadley), and around it is […]

United States Mint and Royal Mint collaborate on Mayflower Anniversary coins and medals

Washington — The United States Mint (Mint) and The Royal Mint (United Kingdom) have collaborated to create two limited-edition sets marking the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage. The story of the Mayflower is one that connects multiple communities, cultures, and countries. This transatlantic voyage brought 102 Pilgrims and migrants from Europe across the Atlantic and established a […]

CIT: Great white shark

Description of the Coin One side depicts on the center line a great white shark, whose back comes out of the water showing the characteristic triangular fin and the tip of the tail fin; to its right, a woman sunbathes on a surfboard; color was applied to the field imitating the water’s surface shimmering in […]

New special-edition Red Book celebrating the 1920–2020 centennial of the Manila Mint is sold out!

(Pelham, AL) — The 74th edition of the coin-collecting hobby’s annual Guide Book of United States Coins (popularly known as the “Red Book”) debuted in April 2020. A special limited edition of 212 copies was released with a custom goldfoil-stamped cover and a tip-in sheet celebrating the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Manila […]

Collecting Vatican coins

By Louis Golino Vatican City, the smallest independent state in the world that was founded in 1929, is located within the Italian capital Rome. Though not a member of the European Union or the eurozone, it has issued coins denominated in euros since 2002 through a bilateral agreement with Italy. Along with three other European […]

British rarities rank among the 100 Greatest Modern World Coins

Numismatic Guaranty Corporation announced in April 2020 that its London affiliate, NGC UK, has certified a 1952 British penny. If an American collector focuses only on U.S. coins and doesn’t study money from across the Pond, this might seem like a strange thing to publicize. The United States Mint produced more than a billion Wheat […]

CIT: Majestic Eagle

Description The obverse depicts a combination of a front and side view of the head of a golden eagle. The reverse depicts the claws of the eagle, with four talons holding an arrow; above, the emblem of the Central Bank of Mongolia, with the relevant denomination in Cyrillic characters underneath; gold and silver issues underneath, […]

Defining “greatness” among modern world coins

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker (Pelham, Alabama) — In March 2020 Whitman Publishing will release 100 Greatest Modern World Coins, by numismatists Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker. The 168-page coffee-table hardcover will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online. Here, the book’s authors address two central questions of their manuscript: What […]