CoinWeek

By Pete Apple

Why This Study Still Matters

Studying feeder mechanism die damage patterns from the early 20th century to the present creates real challenges. Researchers still lack complete, detailed information on press types and feeder mechanisms. In addition, mints often used  several types simultaneously. Therefore, readers should treat the following examples as representative of the mechanism most likely responsible for a specific pattern of die damage.

Feeder mechanisms perform a precise job. They transport, align, and position coin planchets into the striking chamber of a coining press. Then they help eject the coin after striking. However, high-speed press operation creates stress. Wear, timing issues, part misalignments, and other mechanical failures can cause the mechanism to malfunction. When that happens, the mechanism can strike the dies, causing die damage.

In this article, I summarize findings from a broader exploratory study [1] of various…

A remarkable 1949 Kweichow Bamboo Dollar will cross the block in Stack’s Bowers’ April 13, 2026 Hong Kong Showcase Auction, Rarities Night, where it appears as Lot 40052 with an estimate of $700,000 to $1,000,000. The coin carries a PCGS EF-45 grade and belongs to the elusive square-framed window variety, a subtype that specialists rarely see in the marketplace.

CHINA. Kweichow. “Bamboo” Dollar, Year 38 (1949). Uncertain Mint, possibly Kweiyang. PCGS EF-45. A Landmark Rarity of Republican China

Collectors already rank the Kweichow Bamboo Dollar among the great rarities of Republican-era Chinese numismatics. This example adds another layer of importance. It represents the scarcer L&M-613 / K-758a / KM-Y-433a / WS-1113 variety, identified by the square-framed window on the pavilion, rather than the more often encountered round-window type. Stack’s Bowers states that this piece marks the first square-framed example the firm has offered.

The coin co…

1932-D Washington Quarter. Image: Stack’s Bowers.

By CoinWeek Notes …..

In the early 1930s, the United States suffered from a widespread economic depression that followed the 1929 stock market crash. The “Roaring Twenties” came to a grinding halt as millions of Americans found themselves out of work without prospects of finding a job.

The crisis was made worse by a series of severe agricultural disasters caused by land erosion and southern plains dust storms due to several years of drought combined with poor farming practices. Against this backdrop of human tragedy, the Treasury Department proposed to issue a coin to mark the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth.

Originally, the Treasury proposed to honor Washington with a commemorative half-dollar and held a design competition to find a suitable design. The contest rules stipulated that artists must base their designs on French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon’s…

Image: Stack’s Bowers / CoinWeek.

By  CoinWeek Notes …..

The Walking Liberty Half Dollar was struck from 1916 to 1947. It is a complex series, made difficult to complete by several factors, including the scarcity of dates from the first decade. For most collectors, the expense of completing a date or mint run puts the series out of reach.  But a run of late-date issues, made popular years ago by a Whitman coin album, gives collectors of all levels an approachable way to collect Adolph Weinman’s iconic coin.

The Short Set

The Walking Liberty Half Dollar Short Set, as it is known, comprises the 20 distinct circulation-strike issues produced between 1941 and 1947.  It encompasses all date and mint-mark combinations from the Philadelphia (no mint-mark), Denver (D), and San Francisco (S) mints. These are the final issues of the renowned Adolph A. Weinman design, widely celebrated as the most beautiful 50¢ coin ever struck by the United States Mint.…

1924-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. Image: DLRC / CoinWeek.

By CoinWeek Notes

Why This Scarce Denver $20 Gold Coin Still Matters

The Denver Mint struck 3,049,500 1924-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles. Yet most examples never reached collectors. Instead, Treasury officials held much of the mintage in reserve, then melted large quantities in the late 1930s. Meanwhile, foreign banks absorbed many of the survivors. Later, collectors and dealers repatriated those coins after the federal government relaxed restrictions on private gold ownership. Because institutions handled these coins as bullion, not as collectibles, many survivors show bag marks, chatter, and other signs of rough contact.

David Akers got the story right

David W. Akers captured the date well in his 1982 reference United States Gold Coins: An Analysis of Auction Records, Volume VI: Double Eagles, 1849-1933. He wrote: “The 1924-D is a scarce date, similar overall to the 1908-S, 1909-D and 1926-S. However,…

Whitman Brands announced a landmark acquisition on April 2, 2026, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The company now holds the rights to the celebrated works of Al C. Overton and Donald L. Parsley. As a result, Whitman has secured the future of Early Half Dollar Die Varieties 1794–1836, the definitive authority on the Capped Bust Half Dollar series.

For specialists in early American silver, this move matters. It protects one of the hobby’s most important research pillars. Just as important, it brings that scholarship under the umbrella of a company with deep roots in numismatic publishing, pricing data, and collector education.

This 1836 Capped Bust Half Dollar. Lettered Edge. Overton-116. 50/00. Rarity-2. Lettered Edge. Mint State-65 (PCGS). Why the Overton-Parsley Reference Matters

For more than half a century, Overton numbers have served as the universal language for collectors of early American silver. Collectors, dealers, and researchers rely on that sys…

Dahlonega Mint Gold Coins

Southern gold coins combine history, scarcity, and real collecting appeal. As a result, they have become one of the most popular segments of United States coinage. In recent years, auction results for attractive circulated pieces have surged. In many cases, prices have more than doubled. Even problem coins now bring strong money because collectors see fewer of them at shows and in dealer inventories.

Years ago, collectors could walk a major convention floor and find several Southern gold coins with little trouble. Today, that task looks much harder. Supply has tightened. Meanwhile, demand has strengthened. That combination has pushed Southern gold coins into one of the strongest-performing corners of the rare-coin market in recent memory.

America’s first gold rush began in North Carolina

Many people still connect America’s first major gold story to California in 1848. However, the first significant discovery came much earlier in North …

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, National Coin Week 2026 invites Americans to experience history through the coins and currency they use every day. This annual celebration runs April 19–25 and highlights the powerful role money plays in telling the nation’s story.

Organized by the American Numismatic Association (ANA), the event combines education, history, and accessibility. It encourages collectors and newcomers alike to look at everyday money with a fresh perspective.

A 250-Year Story Told Through Coins

This year’s theme, “Striking Independence: 250 Years of American Numismatics,” connects the founding of the United States to the coins and paper money that followed.

Importantly, the United States Mint will release special dual-dated 1776–2026 coins into circulation. These include dimes, quarters, and half dollars. As a result, millions of Americans will encounter this historic milestone in their daily change.

Coins have al…

If only it were this easy. Image: CoinWeek.

By CoinWeek …..

Because of its cost and status as a key date, the 1916-D Mercury Dime attracts a devoted following even in the lowest grades. The Denver Mint struck the entire mintage of 264,000 coins after producing more than 6.5 million dimes with the Barber design. Officials released all of these coins into circulation in November of that year.

The term “circulation” matters here, as population data from CAC, NGC, and PCGS show that most surviving 1916-D dimes exhibit significant wear.

Data current through January 22, 2024.

The table above expresses the certified population of low-grade, circulated 1916-D Mercury dimes at CAC, NGC, and PCGS. Keep in mind that the CAC data includes coins encapsulated by CAC as well as coins encapsulated by NGC and PCGS that also carry a…

ReverseBy CoinWeek

Collectors enjoy the Franklin half dollar for many reasons. Some chase the famous “Bugs Bunny” pieces for their nickname and visual charm. Yet when specialists talk about the series’ most dramatic proof variety, they almost always return to one coin: the 1961 Proof Doubled Die Reverse Franklin half dollar. PCGS calls it one of the most dramatic, exciting, and valuable Franklin half dollars, while Stack’s Bowers has described it as the strongest known doubled die in the series.

1961 Franklin Half Dollar. FS-801. Doubled Die Reverse. Proof-68 (PCGS). CAC. Why the 1961 Doubled Die Reverse Matters

The 1961 Proof issue does not offer just one reverse-doubled die. Heritage notes that three different doubled die reverse varieties exist for the date. However, collectors overwhelmingly prefer FS-801. That major variety shows the boldest spread and commands the strongest premium. PCGS also warns collectors that other 1961 reverse doubled dies exist, bu…