CoinWeek

By Mike Byers – MintErrorNews …….

Unique Gold Piefort -Nürnberg “1700” 2 Ducats

Collectors know Nürnberg’s 1700-dated Paschal Lamb gold as one of the classic trophy series in German numismatics. Yet one coin breaks the pattern. A unique gold klippe piefort of 2-ducat weight first entered the public auction record at Künker’s June 2007 Auction 125, Lot 976. Then, nearly two decades later, it returned at Heritage’s NYINC sale on January 12, 2026, where it realized $12,200.

Nürnberg. Free City gold Klippe “Piefort” 2 Ducats 1700-Dated (1755-1764)-IMF MS61 PCGS

Heritage catalogs the piece as a Nürnberg Free City gold klippe “Piefort” 2 Ducats, 1700-dated, struck in the 1755-1764 window under mint master Johann Martin Förster. The firm gives the coin a weight of 6.91 grams and a diameter of 20 millimeters. Just as important, Heritage calls the variant unlisted in the major references and cites it as Kellner-Unl and Erlanger-…

By Jesse Kraft for American Numismatic Society (ANS) …..Updated and reformatted by CoinWeek

Goloid Dollars, the “Crime of ’73,” and America’s Silver Crisis

Few moments in American monetary history caused more disruption than the years after California’s gold discoveries. The flood of new gold upset the long-standing ratio between gold and silver. As a result, silver coins traded at $1.04 for every gold dollar. That gap looked small. However, it created a real crisis. Silver coins vanished from circulation because people hoarded them.

Congress stepped in with the Coinage Act of 1853. Lawmakers lowered the weights of the half dime, the dime, the quarter, and the half dollar. That change reduced their intrinsic value and pushed them back into circulation. However, Congress left the silver dollar at full weight. Officials did not want to disrupt its use abroad. At the time, the silver dollar still competed heavily with the Mexican peso in international trade.…

Atlas Numismatics has released a major new fixed-price list. In total, 589 coins, medals, and tokens are now available through its website. The selection spans ancient Greece, early modern Europe, and rare world gold issues.

Notably, this update highlights elite material. Collectors will find museum-quality rarities, high-grade certified coins, and historically significant pieces throughout the offering.

Updates to Atlas Numismatics’ online inventory are issued monthly. However, this latest release stands out for both depth and quality.

Ancient Icon: Syracuse Decadrachm by Kimon

One of the most important coins in the offering is an unsigned decadrachm attributed to the master engraver Kimon.

GREEK. SICILY. Syracuse. Dionysios I. (Tyrant, 407-367 BC). Struck c. 405-400 BC. AR Decadrachm. NGC VF (Very Fine)

1085365 | GREEK. SICILY. Syracuse. Dionysios I (407–367 BC) Struck circa 405–400 BC. AR Decadrachm. NGC VF. Strike 4/5, Surface 5/5. Fine Style.…

Collectors have a major opportunity ahead. Sedwick’s Auction 39 brings together rare gold cobs, historic shipwreck treasure, and elite collections from across the numismatic world.

This sale stands out for both depth and quality. Moreover, it reflects a growing interest in specialized areas that are gaining momentum among advanced collectors.

Dated Gold Cobs Gain Momentum After Landmark Publication

The auction opens with an important offering of dated 2 escudos gold cobs from Colombia. These coins arrive at a pivotal moment.

Interest has surged following the release of Arce’s Doubloons by Daniel Sedwick. As a result, collectors now better understand the rarity and artistry of this challenging series.

Consequently, demand continues to grow. This selection may mark the beginning of broader recognition and deeper academic study.

Shipwreck Treasure Anchors the Sale

As expected, shipwreck material forms the centerpiece of the auction. Read more about Sedwick Auction 39 Delivers Rare Gold Cobs, Shipwreck Treasure, and Landmark Collections

By CoinWeek Notes

The 1793 Chain Cent stands at the start of federal coinage. The United States Mint delivered the first 11,178 copper cents on March 1, 1793, from the first Philadelphia Mint. Over the next 12 days, the Mint produced 36,103 Chain Cents. For all practical purposes, these coins mark the first regular-issue United States coins that the federal government struck on its own machinery inside its own Mint building.

Henry Voigt, the Mint’s first Chief Coiner, cut the dies. He kept the design simple, because the young Mint still lacked mature engraving capacity. Even so, Voigt gave the coin a powerful visual identity. He also drew on Augustin Dupré’s Libertas Americana medal for Liberty’s portrait, which linked the new cent to the visual language of the American Revolution.

The Design That Launched the Cent

The obverse shows Liberty with flowing hair. LIBERTY appears above her, and the date 1793 sits below the bust truncation. The reverse…

Stack’s Bowers Galleries delivered a powerful result in its Spring 2026 Showcase Auction, reinforcing the strength of the high-end rare coin market. The Costa Mesa firm saw record prices in multiple categories, from Lincoln cents and Peace dollars to Southern gold and Proof-only rarities. The top prize went to a Gem Proof 1882 Liberty Head double eagle, which realized $810,000. That price more than doubled its previous public benchmark of $293,750, set in 2012.

1882 Liberty Head Double Eagle. JD-1. Rarity-6+. Proof-66 Deep Cameo (PCGS). CAC. CMQ. The 1882 Double Eagle Led the Sale

The 1882 double eagle gave the auction its defining moment. Stack’s Bowers described the coin as a Proof-66 Deep Cameo and noted that fewer than 20 examples survive. The firm also identified the piece as the finest known CAC-approved example. In other words, bidders did not chase just a rarity. They chased a trophy. As a result, the coin finished at $810,000 and set the tone for the rest of …

U.S. Pattern Coinage: Inside America’s Rarest “What-If” Coins

From the 1792 Half Disme to the Bob R. Simpson cabinet, U.S. Pattern coins tell the story of what the Mint tested, refined, and ultimately left behind. That history still gives the series unusual power for collectors today.

1879 Pattern Schoolgirl Standard Dollar. Judd-1608, Pollock-1804. Rarity-6+. Silver. Reeded Edge. Proof-65 (PCGS). CAC.

Charles Anderson built one of the finest U.S. Pattern coin collections ever assembled. In 2007, Bob R. Simpson bought that cabinet intact for more than $30 million, and contemporary accounts described the deal as the largest private numismatic transaction of its time. After that purchase, Simpson kept chasing additional Patterns in an effort to push the collection as far as possible. Garrett also noted that he placed several important Pattern coins into that cabinet over the years. Even so, no collector can truly complete the series. In fact, even a billionaire runs int…

Most $2 bills move from one wallet to another. This one traveled through the Space Race.

RR Auction now offers Gene Cernan’s Series 1953 $2 United States Note, serial number A10241591A, in its Space Exploration, Aviation, and Meteorites sale. The lot carries a $30,000-plus estimate, and the auction closes April 23. Cernan signed and flight-certified the portrait side with the inscription: “Flown on Gemini 9A, Apollo 10, Apollo 17—Landed on Moon, Gene Cernan.” PMG graded the note Choice Fine 15, and the holder cites provenance to Eugene A. Cernan and the Jefferson Space Museum Collection.

Gemini 9, Apollo 10, and Apollo 17 Lunar Surface-Flown $2 Dollar Bill – From the Personal Collection of Gene Cernan – PMG CF 15

Yet the grade and certification tell only part of the story. The real power comes from the bill’s history. This small note linked one astronaut, one family memory, and three landmark missions of the American space program.

A Lucky Bill with a …

By CoinWeek Notes …..

The Birth of the Two-Cent Piece in 1864

In 1864, Congress passed the Coinage Act of 1864 and introduced a brand-new denomination: the two-cent piece. At the time, lawmakers experimented with several unusual coins, including the Three-Cent Nickel, Silver Trime, Twenty-Cent Piece, and the Stella $4 gold coin.

However, the public never fully embraced the two-cent piece. As a result, the denomination lasted only nine years, from 1864 to 1873. The United States Mint struck the first examples on April 22, 1864.

1864 Two-Cent Piece. FS-401. Small Motto. MS-66 RD (PCGS). A Solution to Civil War Coin Shortages

During the American Civil War, Americans hoarded gold and silver coins. Consequently, everyday commerce suffered from a severe shortage of circulating money.

To solve this problem, the federal government increased the production of base-metal coinage. Specifically, officials wanted to replace privately issued tokens and re…