The U.S. Mint issues .999 pure platinum bullion coins each year in the denominations of $10 (tenth-ounce), $25 (quarter ounce), $50 (half ounce), $100 (one ounce).

Since, 1998 each proof coin has featured a different reverse design, but retained the same Statue Of Liberty design on the reverse. The 1998-2002 reverses are called Vistas of Liberty, and has an American Bold Eagle flying over many different vistas of America.

Platinum is one of the better choices for precious metal investment and none more so than the platinum bullion coins released by the US Mint. The mint guarantees the purity and weight of every platinum coin they produce, and another inspiring fact is theveryr low mintages.

All Platinum Eagles mintages are below 60,000 and most are much less than that, and many are in the 10,000 mintage or less. It’s even more exciting to realize that some issues that have a lower mintage than another but still trade for the same or similar values. The Platinum Eagles have just not caught on as much as it’s gold counterpart for collecting and investing.

One example of this is the 2000 $10 mintage of 34,027 verses the 2008 $10 mintage of only 17,000 but both are valued at $223!  It’s not just a coincidence either, because many other examples could be sited, and that’s why I put together the Platinum Eagle’s mintages and values charts for collectors.

Why not buy low mintage Platinum Eagles? Gold is fast catching up and making US Platinum Bullion an even better choice for a purchase. To see the values and mintages of American Platinum Eagles just visit one of the links below.

$10 Platinum Eagles

$25 Platinum Eagles

$50 Platinum Eagles

$100 Platinum Eagles

Robert Lovett Jr., an engraver and die sinker of Philadelphia, was given an order to strike small one cent coins by the Confederacy. He feared being arrested for aiding the enemy and hid the coins and dies in hiscellarr.

However, he managed to strike an estimated 12-15 specimens that are they are valued near $120,000 each.

Later, Captain John W. Haseltine purchased the original dies and made restrikes in 1874.  These 1874 restrikes, dated 1861, were struck on copper, gold and silver planchets. Experts have identified each coin with a proof status and an estimated 55 specimens of copper, 7 specimens of gold, and 12 specimens of silver were struck in total.

The copper varieties are valued at $9,000 each, silver $42,000 and gold $12,500 respectively.

Around 1961 the dies were copied and restrikes were made by Robert Bashlow. Bashlow’s restrikes show many die cracks and rust that identify the 1961 type and are of much lesser value than the earlier originals and restrikes. Many copies and reproductions have been made of the 1861 One Cent and collectors must be aware when considering a purchase of an original coin.

It was the Confederate Half Dollar that never was but only due to the lack of silver bullion on the Confederacy’s part. However, examples stiexistsit as 4 originals, 500 restrikes, and another 500 restrikes with J.W. Scott Obverse an the reverse same as the US equivelant.

The last reported 1861 original was sold for $632, 500, and the restrikes range in values from $5,000 in circulated condition to $10,000 in uncirculated condition. The 1861 Scott Obverse, Confederate Reverse, is also rare and valuable in their own right since being struck with the same dies as the originals. These restrikes bring anywhere from $2,250 in circulated condition to $4,750 in uncirculated condition.

Many copies and reproductions can be found at online auctions.  See example image below:

This is an early resproduction, notice the R on the right side of the shield, most recent copies will have the word COPY stamped into the coin.

Buyers be warned when they see an offering of these rare coins and it’s best, for untrained eyes, to only consider purchasing graded, holdered and authenticated Confederate Half Dollars.

Grading services like PCGS, NGC, ANACS and ICG are the most recommended grading and authentification services.

To see Confederate Coins and Currency at Ebay click here

The single most purchased US Coin is the Morgan Dollar and it has been in the top five of ebay coin searches, according to ebay pulse, for several years. With the rising value of silver it’s become even more popular to buy Morgan Dollars for investments and collections, and anyone who sales this famous silver dollar realizes this fact.

Coin sellers know that Morgan Dollars are an easy and quick sale and that high grade coins trade for a higher premium, and this can be a problem for buyers. Some sellers take advantage of this market and doctor, clean, over grade and distort their auctions images in an attempt to gain the highest bids.

They know that many buyers are unaware of their techniques and that a coin in a plastic slab with a grade (over- graded) and a fancy acronym will also bring a higher premiums. Many coin sellers have created their own home based slabbing business under the name of greed and profit, and not with the interest of the collector in mind.

Furthermore, even though the silver market and Morgan Dollar sales is a positive sign for Numismatics in general, coin collectors still need to be warned and educated on the cons of buying Morgan Dollars. Buy original Morgan Dollars at ebay

Slabbed Morgan Dollars

Numismatics has a grading standard, backed and refined, by the leading experts in the field. Coin grading encompasses a huge body of work that started when the ANA Grading Standard was published, and since, has continued with grading companies like PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), NGC (Numismatic Guarantee Corporation), ICG (Independent Coin Grading) and ANACS (American Numismatic Association Certification Service). Although the system isn’t perfect, or 100% consistent, it’s still a standard that most serious collectors, dealers and experts do not refute.

What they do refute is grading services that grade well below the accepted standard, and that any one with a plastic holder and a label can holder and grade silver dollars, and they do so by the thousands. Pictured below are but two examples I found at ebay and it’s not recommended buying graded coins unless your can clearly examine the coin and know how to grade, or one is purchasing PCGS, NGC, ICG or ANACS graded coins.

Buy Graded Coins at ebay PCGS – NGC – ICG – ANACS

As can be seen by the above images, even if one were to buy the coin, not the holder, one can’t see the coins well enough to grade them, or ascertain if the coins have been cleaned or if they’re even authentic. Buyer’s please don’t bid on these auctions! If no one bids on these auctions, then they will eventually stop.

Cleaned Morgan Dollar

Whizzed Morgan Dollar

It has been said that a large percentage of all Morgan Dollars have been cleaned via some method during their lifetime. Although this might be true, many ebay auctions images do not reveal this fact nor does the seller. For instance, the image above is from ebay, and at first glance the coin appears original, has toning, near mark free surface and appears to be a gem specimen, but take a closer look at the cheek area (clicking the image will bring up a larger image).

On the cheek area there are very fine lines and this is called whizzing lines. A person has used some type of abrasive to clean this Morgan, and it has retoned since. The seller didn’t reveal this in there description and might not even know it has been cleaned, but it’s one reason a bidder should look closely at coin images (when one can), educate themselves on identifying cleaned coins, and ask questions.

There’s many methods used to clean coins but most are easy to identify with some experience. A few important tips: If a coin has small fine lines, looks like the surface of a silver spoon, or has any patches that appear blurry, than the coin has been cleaned, so bid accordingly.

Artificial Toning Vs Natural Toning

                

Counterfeit Morgan Dollars

Counterfeit Morgan Dollars are on the market in the thousands, but US Coin reproductions must have the word COPY stamped on them or they are illegal to own in the US. However, that’s only half of the problem, many collectors are duped into buying these fakes because the coin doesn’t have COPY on it and the seller doesn’t reveal the true nature of the coin.  

Closely examine the image above. If you know much about Morgan Dollar then it’s obvious to them that no CC’s were minted in 1895, so look for wrong date and mint mark combinations. Also, look how fat the letters and numbers appear when compared to an authentic Morgan Dollar.

Most fakes have very little silver content and this gives them a dull and gray appearance, and all of them have some problem with their design features. Also, most have been created to look old or circulated to fool the buyer.

Buy authentic Morgans at ebay

Poor Photography Techniques

It’s not easy to take pictures of silver coins, and some ebay sellers really don’t know how to take good pictures, but if I see blurry or out-of-focus images, then I usually feel the seller is hiding something about the coin. I say this, because a coin will sale for more if the pictures are clear, unless a clearer picture will reveal problems that might hurt bids.

So why not practice taking pictures before listing the Morgan Dollars at ebay? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to the seller? Yes. Unless they are hiding something they don’t want you to know about a coin.

That’s not to say all sellers who take poor images are hiding something because some people are just not that adept at taking images. In this case you should ask for more details and image on the coin you want to bid on. If they don’t respond or comply then I would make a note not to bid on that particular seller’s auctions.

I am certain that I haven’t covered every detail on being cautious buying Morgan Dollars at ebay. However, I hope that this article at least opens your mind to being a better buyer and to make better coin purchases in general.

If you want to learn even more about Morgan Dollars I encourage you to visit the following links: Morgan Dollar Mintages/Values, Counterfeit Morgan Dollars, DMPL and Proof Morgan Facts, How to Grade Morgan Dollars, Morgan Images by Date and Mint Mark

PMD or Post Mint Damage is a very common term used at online forums, dealerships and coin shows in reference to coins that obtained damage after it was released from the mint. It’s a class of it’s own in numismatics but most generally devalues the coins involved. However there remains a few instances when a coin is PMD, and actually gains in value. In example, Buffalo Nickels carved into HoBo Nickels, but none are most valuable than the 1804 10C struck on 1838 1C, pictured above.

What occurred here is that an 1804 Draped Bust Dime die was used to strike an 1838 Matron Head Large Cent, and according to the records this happened outside of the mint. A couple diagnostics confirms this assertion: One, the 1838 Large Cent shows signs of wear, so the coin had been in circulation for a few years before it was restruck with the 1804 discarded dime die. Two, the Joseph Mickley auction catalog in the mid 1860′s, listed several discarded mint dies that the government repurchased from his auction.

Therefore, it’s believed by many experts, that Joseph Mickley could have created this restrike himself during the 1860′s. Only two are known. Did Mickley strike these coins for his auctions? He did oversee the 1804 cent restrikes among other related items, but it still remains a mystery, in part, that has few other leads and many guesses.

The last one sold at Heritage Auctions, July 30, 2008 for $25,300, making it the most valuable PMD coin in existence. At least until one is presented at auction again.

Research credit: 2008 July-August Baltimore, MD (ANA) US Coin Signature Auction #1114

An important aspect of coin collecting is understanding the Mint’s coin minting process, because it helps numismatist in understanding how each mint error occurs and helps in identifying certain varieties and key dates.

CoinHELP! member Marc Durante did his research and created and invaluable tool to help collectors learn and better understand the coin minting process, its’ history, mint marks, and how and when certain errors and varieties occur during the minting of US Coins. To see this in depth report click here