Today’s rare coin market gives collectors more information than ever before. However, knowing how to use that information can make the difference between a smart purchase and an expensive mistake.

Two rare coins can carry the same grade, yet one may sell for considerably more than the other. Understanding why can give collectors a real advantage.

There has never been a better time to collect coins. When I started in the rare coin business, my primary reference was the annual edition of A Guide Book of United States Coins, better known as the Red Book.

The Red Book remains an excellent resource, especially for beginners. However, it represents just a small part of the numismatic knowledge collectors can access today.

We live in the Information Age. New research, books, and online resources like CoinWeek continue to expand our un…

Newly discovered Civil War-era gold coin and D.B. Cooper ransom money add to an extraordinary week of rare coin and currency auctions.

A tiny silver coin from the earliest days of the United States has delivered one of the biggest numismatic headlines of 2026.

A 1792 Half Disme graded PCGS MS68 sold for a record $2,928,000 during Heritage Auctions’ October 8–9 GACC U.S. Coins Signature Auction. The remarkable five-cent piece attracted 66 bids before claiming the highest price ever recorded at auction for a half disme.

The result more than doubled the previous $1.41 million auction record, which Heritage established in 2013.

Meanwhile, an unexpected discovery from a Texas bedroom closet rewrote the condition census for a rare San Francisco gold coin. In the accompanying currency auction, a $10,000 Federal Reserve Note and a surviving fragment of the infamous D.B. Cooper ransom money attra…

Two gold coins carried the same date and grade. Both came from the same legendary American coin series. Yet one sold for more than four times the price of the other.

That striking difference emerged during September 2026, as CAC-approved and CACG-certified coins attracted strong bids at several major auction houses.

The results offer a fascinating look at CAC coin premiums and how collectors judge quality. In some cases, bidders paid substantially more for coins with CAC approval than for comparable examples without it. Even more revealing, one early American silver dollar nearly doubled its previous auction price after gaining a CAC sticker.

CAC has highlighted 12 such transactions from September. The coins range from a rare Civil War gold piece to a modern silver medal. Together, they tell a broader story about quality, collector demand, and the prices buyers will pay for excep…