Buying Coins from a Foreign Mint

By:  Henry M. Smith

                 Some, albeit not all, foreign mints will sell directly to customers around the world.  Government owned mints are relatively safe sources for purchasing coins, but there are differences in making the purchases than one would expect to encounter when buying from a dealer.

                 Whether or not one chooses to buy coins directly from a foreign mint, it is very advisable to go through the effort of signing up with the mint, or becoming a member.  This action is needed to be placed on the mint’s mailing list, which means receiving e-mail notification when a new release is made.  So, even if a collector decides to purchase from a dealer, knowing what is available enables the collector to make inquiries with the dealer regarding new releases.

                 Foreign mints may quote two prices on an online store.  One is in the currency used in the country where the mint is located; the other is in the currency used in the collector’s country.  It may be necessary to select the currency one desires to have quoted, since the mint may not automatically determine the country from which it is being contacted.  Be aware the exchange rate between the two currencies changes frequently.  One must always remember that the mint probably is selling in its currency, and expects that amount to be paid.

                 Payment is usually easy.  Mints usually accept credit cards and debit cards.  After completing the purchase checkout, using a card makes the rest easy.  For a fee, the monetary conversion occurs as part of the transaction.  The buyer is responsible for the conversion fee.  It is usually nominal, but remember to expect it.

                 A transaction may take a few days to complete.  Remember, this is a foreign transaction, so it may have a delay.  The mint may not be open when the purchase is attempted, and may need to accept the order.  During that time, the exchange rate between the two currencies fluctuates.  This may be to the buyer’s advantage, or work against the buyer.  The mint may expect payment according to the amount set as a price in the currency of the mint as the time the transaction completes.

                 Shipping fees may be high if only one coin is being purchased.  However, after making several purchases from the Perth Mint of Australia, this author has found the shipping cost per coin is acceptable if a number of coins are purchased at one time.  Of course, it a collector wants coins from several foreign mints, a single shipping fee by a dealer may prove beneficial.

                 The Perth Mint, the Royal Australian Mint, the Royal Canadian Mint, and the New Zealand Mint produce high quality coins, and are easy to work with.  They also have the advantage that English is spoken at these mints, making communication possible in the event of a problem.

                 Black Spaniel Gallery provides links to the major mints mentioned in this article.  These links can be found at http://blackspanielgallery.com by selecting the button to the mint links page.  This service to the coin collecting community is happily provided.

                 Whether one buys directly from a mint or not, utilize them as a source of information on the coins they produce, and allow them to send notifications when new releases occur.  The Perth Mint, for example, releases coins about every six to eight week at irregular imtervals, and those notifications are important.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

                 Even bullion holdings can have a hedge by buying into the rare coin market.

Huge Gold and Silver Coins Satisfy Collectors of Both Coins and Bullion

By:  Henry M. Smith

                 Precious metal coins are available both as collectible coins and as a source of bullion.  It is not unusual to find astute collectors hedging against a drop in one market by positioning their precious metal holdings in two markets.  A drop in one market may be buffered, and perhaps offset completely, by the other market.

                 The large kilogram coins are particularly interesting.  The Royal Canadian Mint produced a limited number of one kilogram gold coins, referred to as fine gold by the mint. The 2010 issue is the Eagle.  Only twenty were released, and the coin is already sold out.  However, this is not the only year the Royal Canadian Mint has offered unusually large gold coins, so if one is interested in such coins it would be wise to get on the mint’s mailing list.  These large gold coins require fast action when they are released.  They go fast.  In 2008 the Royal Canadian Mint released twenty one kilogram coins titled “Towards Confederation.”

                 The Royal Canadian Mint also produces one kilogram fine silver coins.  These include three versions of the 2010 Eagle, the antique finish, the proof coin, and the enameled coin.  One thousand five hundred of each is the mintage listed by the mint.  In 2008 there the one kilogram fine silver coin was titled “Towards Confederation” and the 2009 one kilogram fine silver coin was called “Surviving the Flood.”

                 For incredibly beautiful coins the Lunar Tiger Series II one kilogram fine silver coins of the Australian prestigious Perth Mint must be seen.  There are two one kilogram lunar tiger coins available, the proof coin and the colorized gemstone edition coin.

                 The Perth Mint proof one kilogram fine silver coins include the 2010 Tiger, the 2009 Ox, and the 2008 Mouse.  To view these one must go to the appropriate proof coin on the Perth Mint website and select the variation desired after clicking on the coin.  With only five hundred of each available worldwide, these may offer an excellent way to incorporate rare coins into a bullion holding.

                 The three Perth Mint issues of the gemstone edition of series II Lunar silver coins, the 2010 Tiger, the 2009 Ox, and the 2008 Mouse, are beautifully colorized with stone inserts.  The Tiger has a golden topaz eye, the ox has two yellow citrine inserts as eyes. and the mouse has two sapphires as inserts for eyes.  These coins have a limited mintage of five thousand each to be released worldwide.

                 Low mintage, quality coins are particularly appealing to numismatists.  Thus, they are likely to maintain numismatic value over the value of bullion.

                 At the time of this article being written, the Perth Mint still has all coins mentioned, and the Royal Canadian Mint has the silver 2010 coins available.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

                 Even bullion holdings can have a hedge by buying into the rare coin market.

Silver Casino Strikes Are Collectible by Coin Collectors and Others

By:  Henry M. Smith

                 In the early 1990s casino strikes began to appear.  These are coins, or more properly, tokens, that were intended to be collected.  However, they were redeemable for their face value.  Currently, there are no longer available at most, if not all, casinos, due to the increase in the price of silver.  The most common denomination, the ten dollar strike, frequently contained about six-tenths of a Troy ounce of fine silver.

                 These were usually limited edition strikes that had silver as the primary metal.  Indeed, many also carry a mint mark, and have the casino’s name and an associated image on the obverse, and an artistic image on the reverse.

                 The usual denominations include the seven dollar, the ten dollar, the twenty dollar, the twenty-eight dollar, the forty dollar, the one hundred dollar, and the two hundred dollar face values.

                 The ten dollar casino strikes normally have a large brass rim.  The twenty dollar denomination normally has no brass rim, and contains additional fine silver.  In fact, the greater the denomination, the more fine silver the casino strike contains.  The twenty-eight dollar denomination generally begins the sizes that contained a heavy gauge electroplating of twenty-four karat gold used to emphasize the image.  Beginning with the forty dollar issues, the rim was also heavy gauge electroplated gold.  For completeness it should be noted that a few twenty-five dollar casino strikes were issued.

                 Occasionally, some large casinos would add colorization to the forty dollar strikes.  These are especially collectible.

                 A similar token, the bingo token, exists in a twenty-five dollar denomination for several casinos.  These have no rim.

                 Larger casino strikes, when redeemed, were sometimes cancelled.  Some had a hole punched through them, others had small indentations where the metal was gouged out by the casino.  Cancelled casino strikes are less attractive to collectors.

                 Several of the Grand Casinos issued brass plated with gold casino strike sets of four themed casino strikes, usually as gifts to better customers.  These were often five dollar strikes, but are not considered very desirable, even when still in the original attractive display case.  However, they are generally quite attractive pieces.

                 Some mints used the same image on the reverse of casino strikes for multiple casinos.

                 During the height of casino strike collecting, cruise lines, the airport in Las Vegas, and many small casinos offered strikes.  They would be visible, at least the smaller ones, in transparent attachments to slot machines, and drop down as winnings.  Larger ones were too heavy to drop out of a machine.

                 While casinos cannot offer these today, they are still highly collected.  In fact, those from casinos that have ceased operations seem to go at a high price compared to others.

Some people collect by casino, but others collect by theme.  The themes vary greatly.  Trains, automobiles, celebrities, and old west are but a few examples of themes frequently used.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

When originally issued, casino strikes were protected in plastic capsules, most of which were clear, but blue ones are not uncommon.  They should remain in the capsules, if possible.

Coins Recently Made Obsolete

By:  Henry M. Smith

                 Obsolete coins are coins no longer in general usage, and not currently available as collector coins from a mint.  For circulation coins, they were replaced by new issues, and subsequently they have become so scarce that they cannot normally be found.  When a coin no longer appears regularly, its value can increase, and often does.

                 In modern times two major events caused a multitude of coins to become obsolete.  These were not two individual events, rather they were two sets of like events.

One set of events occurred as a reduction of the influence of Great Britton on nations that were part of the might British Empire.  Many countries that were part of the British Empire used such coins as the pound and the shilling.  Many of these countries now have the freedom to issue their coins in the denominations they wish.  Until recently, Australia, New Zealand, and many small island nations followed the British coinage, issuing denominations of coins normally found in Great Britton.  Now the decimal coin is favored, and has replaced the British denominations in many countries, including both Australia and New Zealand.  Currently, coins in these countries include dollar coins and coins with denominations of decimal parts of a dollar.

An even greater impact on coinage occurred with the establishment of the European Union.  One major purpose of the European Union was to allow trade to exist between European countries without the need for monetary conversions.  One of the first things the European Union accomplished was the establishment of the Euro, the basis of its common monetary system.  The European Union also allows decimal parts of the Euro to be minted in coins.  While different countries do produce Euros, to the delight of collectors, with different images, the denominations used are unified, and based on the Euro.  This move rendered obsolete a multitude of coin types that were used in Europe.  This change occurred over time as various nations joined the European Union. The list of coins rendered obsolete by the Euro is too extensive to include here, but many names used prior to the various countries joining the European Union are now part of history.  Among them are the German mark, the French franc, and the Italian lire, to give a few examples.

Does this imply coins from before these sets of events are becoming rare, and therefore valuable?  This will be determined at some future time, but the possibility is real and worthy of consideration.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

One major difference should be noted.  All Euros are worth one Euro in any country, but dollars of different nations are not equally valued.

Obsolete Denominations of United States Coins

By:  Henry M. Smith

                 The United States has issued coins for over two hundred years, and several denominations have become obsolete.  Other denominations have had major changes

                 One of the early coins issued was the half cent piece.  It was minted through 1857, after which its production ceased.  With the current talk of eliminating the penny, there certainly is no need for a fraction of a cent.  When it was minted, the dollar had a much higher buying power, and a half cent was a significant monetary unit.

                 While the one cent coin is not an obsolete denomination, the large cent should be mentioned.  A one cent coin of its size is indeed obsolete.  The last large cent was last minted in 1957, the year after the small cent, the flying eagle, made its appearance. The flying eagle was itself only minted in three consecutive years.

                 Two denominations that had short production periods were the two cent piece and both three cent pieces.  The two cent piece was minted from 1864 through 1873.  The three cent pieces consisted first of the silver three cent piece minted from 1851 through 1873, and the nickel three cent piece minted from 1865 through 1889.  Notice the overlap of the years during which these two coins were minted.  The problem with the silver coin was that is was much too small.

                 While the denomination of five cents continues today, the original five cent coin was the half dime.  These coins had a rather long run, and were not discontinued until after 1873.  The nickel began production is 1866, hence there was an unusually long period during which two different five cent pieces were minted.

                 Another denomination that was minted only over a short period was the twenty cent piece.  These coins were only minted from 1875 through 1878.  Because the size was too close to that of the quarter, and the coin caused too much confusion, it met a rapid demise.

                 In 1935, the last silver dollars were minted.  This denomination remained dormant until the Eisenhower dollar appeared in 1971.  This issue lasted only until 1978.  In 1979, the smaller Susan B. Anthony dollar replaced the Eisenhower dollar.

                 Gold coins were minted in many denominations.  Some of these are currently being revived, but the extensive time between the last gold coins minted in 1933 and the current gold bullion coins makes their inclusion appropriate.  The older gold coins were minted in denominations one dollar, two and a half dollars, three dollars, four dollars, five dollars, ten dollars, and twenty dollars.  The four dollar denomination was particularly short, being minted in only two years, 1879 and 1880.

                 These obsolete denominations, and the other coins mentioned here, are obtainable through a dealer, but they will not be found in circulation.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

                 Many coins have obsolete types, not included here.  The focus of this article is to make the readers aware of the obsolete denominations of United States coins, and the denominations that continued, but were either significantly altered in size or had a lengthy lapse in time of minting.

Collecting Mardi Gras Doubloons

                 About fifty years ago there was a new item that appeared on Mardi Gras Day, the doubloon.  This is a medallion about the size of a silver dollar.  The first organization to throw these from floats during a parade was Rex, on Mardi Gras Day, 1960.  The doubloons has been a fixture at Mardi Gras ever since.

                 The Mardi Gras doubloons were, and to some extent still are, collectable.  After Rex introduced the first doubloons many other parading organizations followed with their own.  These medallions are usually aluminum, somewhat standard in size, and depict the organization on the obverse with the dated parade theme on the reverse.  This means that new reverses are needed annually.  Some parades use the uncolored aluminum doubloons, but others have some or all of their doubloons anodized with color.  They come both with plain and reeded edges, and a few have tried shapes and sizes that differ from the norm.

                 In the early years there was a move by most parading “krewes” to have their own doubloons minted, since these doubloons brought out more parade watchers.  After some time, the plastic cup became so popular that many parade goers allowed the doubloons to remain on the ground.  The cup also depicted the parading organization and theme of the year, and had practical purposes.  This was also about the time many collectors realized they would never get every doubloons minted, and began to lose interest.  In the last few years the doubloons has regained some of its appeal, and is now becoming more difficult to catch.

                 Doubloons are not as easy to collect as coins.  Few dealers handle them, and getting high quality doubloons is difficult.  You cannot order them from the mint.  They are tossed from moving floats, and often thrown by the handful.  They hit the street and immediately dent or scratch.  The equivalent of an uncirculated coin is rare.  For best results in owning a quality example of a doubloon one must know a member of the organization that throws it, and have the doubloon handed out privately, not thrown.  Next best is to catch a doubloon in the air.  Finally, standing on the median side of the street, called the “neutral ground” by the locals, allows the grassy median to cushion the doubloon’s fall and reduce the scratches.

                 Currently, only a few organizations throw doubloons.  Those that do may have one color, like the gold Rex doubloons, or several doubloons of different color.  There were doubloons in the past for individual floats in some rare cases.  Occasionally, a color is declared “rare” and thrown in a lesser quantity than the others.  Some organizations give the Captain, officers, or the king or queen special doubloons.  These are usually a distinctive color and a heavier gauge.

                 The most valuable doubloons are those not intended to be thrown.  These may be one Troy ounce of silver, or disks colored with enamel.  They are purchased as keepsakes by the members of the organization, and without connections these are practically impossible to obtain.  A few coin dealers will handle these when they are available, but they are minted in very small quantities making that a rare occurrence.

                 At this time some avid collectors are trying to replace collections destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.  Many doubloons dated 2005 and earlier were lost in the flood and the cleanup that followed.  Unfortunately, some of these collectors have moved away or have simply given up on collecting anything, so the demand has not increased as much as it could have.

                 This article is a service of Black Spaniel Gallery.  Go to blackspanielgallery.com for more informative articles on similar topics.

Coins as Displayable Art

                 Coins are displayable.  One would never have an entire collection worth a small fortune setting out on display, but one coin, or even a few, coins can be displayed.  Mints make coins for two reasons, for use as money and for collectors.  Those made for collectors are often very beautiful.  Some even come in small display cases that hold them at just the correct angle for viewing.

                 If you plan to add a decorative coin, make it blend with your decorating scheme.  There are coins of vintage cars, old sailing ships, animals, historical events, and  Australian indigenous art, just to give a brief list.  These can be found today in excellent condition when ordered directly from a mint.

                 At Blackspanielgallery.8m.com you will find links to major English speaking mints.

                 The Perth Mint of Australia is particularly good at designing and producing a multitude of coin motifs annually, and keeping old issues available during subsequent years while supplies last.

                 The Perth Mint still has coins of vintage automobiles dated 2006, and these would look great on the desk of an automobile enthusiast.  Animal lovers have many coins to choose from, and these can be displayed on a shelf or in a shadow box.  Historians would find the eye-catching colorized “Famous Battles in History” series especially attractive, and there are still World War II ships and planes available.

                 Currently, the Perth Mint is producing coins of indigenous art in gold, silver, and platinum.  The silver coins are the largest, and beautifully colorized.  There are five coins for 2009 release, and five each for release in the years 2010 and 2011.  It should be noted that there are actually fifteen art pieces released each year, since the coins are unique for each metal.

                 Some people are infatuated with the British Royal Family.  The multitude of events portrayed in coinage, and the masterful designs used, make coins a real treasure trove of displayable Royal Family tributes.

                 Perhaps the greatest beauty can be found in the New Zealand Mint’s galleon, or the Royal Canadian Mint’s Tall Ship Hologram series.  Strangely, the Perth Mint has the 2006 Royal Canadian Mint’s Tall Ship “Ketch” hologram for sale, uncirculated.  The coin has yet to sell out at the Perth Mint, probably because few people know it is available there.  The “Snowflake” coins of the Royal Canadian Mint, where a silver snowflake is enhanced with beautiful gemstones, has to be considered when one discusses coins as art.

                 If you are looking for something to display on a desk or on a wall shelf, peruse the mints for ideas.  The Perth Mint has many coins to consider, but do not omit the other mints.  Just scrolling through all the artwork is itself rewarding.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

Ancient Coins

Ancient coins can be quite useful in bringing history to your hands.  The images are those of the emperors, the scenes show real events, and even the coin itself shows the ability of a culture to purify metals and make coins.  Making coins in antiquity was more arduous than it is now, there were no mechanical mass production devices.  So ancient coin collecting can be a quite informative hobby.

                 Collecting Biblical coins is a special branch of ancient coin collecting.  They can bring events of the Bible in a special link to the present.  Nothing can substitute for the real thing.

                 One problem with collecting ancient coins is their shortage, and lack of precision in their production, makes counterfeiting them too easy.  There are many fakes out there, and if you pay for the real coin, you want the real coin.  In fact, if it looks too well preserved, look it over very carefully.  Remember. If it was struck by a die under the pressure of a press, it cannot be from the date shown.  We do not sell ancient coins because we do not have the expertise of evaluation them.

                 Our recommendation is to deal with a known, reputable dealer with whom you have established a trust.  Whenever possible, view the coin in person.  If you have no dealer in your area go to a coin show and meet the antique coin dealers.  As a rule you should look for the ANA membership of your dealer, since there is a strict set of rules of conduct that are viewable online at ANA’s site.  And deal with those who either specialize in ancient coins or have a line of ancient coins, since they are probably more expert than someone with a handful they picked up with a purchase of an estate.  Here, dealing with a properly credentialed professional is strongly recommended.

                 If you prefer to buy online, consider going to Vcoins, since they are an online sales outlet for many dealers specialized in these coins, and who can spot a counterfeit coin before it enters their inventory.

                 Remember the axiom, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.  This really applies here!

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

May 22 Releases from the Perth Mint!

                 The Perth Mint has made a significant release of new coins today, many in “proof” condition with COAs..

                 The popular Celebrate Australia $1 Coin has eight new issues.  These affordable, popular coins include Tasmania, Northern Territory, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria.  These coins come in beautiful color, and on a presentation card.  They can be ordered individually, or as a set.

                 The popular Famous Battle Series now has the second coin in the set of five available.  This is a “proof” 1 troy ounce silver coin set.  The first coin sold out in a matter of weeks, so the second,The Battle of Cannae 216BC requires immediate attention.  This is a very limited release, limited to 5,000 coins.  This coin is colorized.  It is legal tender in Tuvalu, a part of the Commonwealth.  This coin comes in a beautiful presentation case.

                 The is the year of astronomy, and the Perth Mint has just released the 1 troy ounce “Proof” coin celebrating the International Year of Astronomy.  This is a colorized coin, and limited to 7,500 .  This coin comes in a beautiful presentation case.

                 The Perth Mint also is celebrating through two coins 100 Years of Swimming Excellence.  The proof coin is one troy ounce, colorized limited edition coin.  Mintage is limited to 7,500.  The proof coin comes in color.  The uncirculated coin is unlimited mintage, and is not in a precious metal.  This coins is affordable to most collectors.

                 In addition, the Perth Mint released the 1966 Australian Decimal Pattern Silver Proof Coin Set, a five coin “proof” quality set in silver, enclosed in a beautiful case.  This release is limited to 7,500.

                 The silver “proof” coins, and the silver “proof” quality set all come with a numberedCertificate of Authenticity.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

Collecting and Selling Hummels on Ebay

                 If you are collecting Hummels, Ebay can offer some real finds.  Bidding often ends long before reaching the price listed in the reference books.  A Hummel that should sell for $300 may go for $30 - $40.  This is because of several factors.  Crazing usually does not show up in photographs, and trusting the seller is required.  But the seller is often a stranger, and this trust must be based on feedback from other strangers.  Small chips can be hidden by careful photography, avoiding the angles that show them up.  Again, you must trust the seller.  Then there are those who will photograph one Hummel and ship another.  This is bad news for the honest seller, but a bargain for those who can identify the sellers wh are trustworthy.

                 If you plan to buy from Ebay, find someone who sells many Hummels, check the quality for yourself with one or two inexpensive pieces, and go back to them if you are satisfied with the quality.  You may pay a slight premium for this, since the people with the reputations for being honest on Ebay usually have repeat business.  You will have to outbid their other regular customers, but it is better to pay a premium than to pay for something that is virtually worthless.  And any piece with any defect, offered by a reputable seller with the proper disclosure of the defect, will bring little as a highest bid.  Defects make Hummels virtually worthless!

                 Selling Hummels on Ebay can be frustrating.  The books say you should get $500, but you barely managed to get $50.  This is a common scenario.  The problems is that while Hummels are no longer in production, that higher fair price for a discontinued piece is discounted because your customers are uncertain what you are offering with respect to quality.  And selling Hummels on Ebay can be expensive.  Ebay fees are high, and do not forget the Paypal fees.  Paypal fees are lower than Ebay fees, but unlike Ebay fees, they apply to shipping.  Shipping can itself be expensive.  You need to procure packaging material to keep the item from breaking.  You can charge insurance, but the problem is people buying collectibles are astute with money, and will add the shipping and insurance to what is bid to determine the maximum they will spend.  This means you get a lower bid if you charge shipping and insurance.  Photographs are another expense, and Hummels require many.  You must make it clear that there are no defects from every angle, and have a photograph of the trademark on the bottom.  That trademark indicates authenticity of the piece, and also helps determine the value.

                 Perhaps, if you have an outlet, buying on Ebay and selling in a physical store might be profitable.  Just remember, if it does not mention a box on Ebay, do not expect one.  So, it will be clear to your customers that the piece was previously owned.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

Disney Collectible Coins

                Disney produces coins, and some of them have a collector premium.  Generally, those not in a precious metal have little value, but the silver and gold coins often are highly prized coins.  Disney uses the Rarity Mint, and produces limited quantities of their coins.  These are most valuable if accompanied by the numbered Certificate of Authenticity that was originally the coin’s accompaniment.

                 Disney coins are best collected, and hold a higher value, if they are part of the entire set with which they were issued.  The Disney Around the World six coin set is more valuable than the six coins offered individually.  Always sell as an entire set if possible.  But not every coin was part of a set.  The Epcot coin is a typical example of a stand alone item.

                 The notable exception to the value of Disney coins is the silver Snow White series.  They are too abundant, and most are worth just a little over the price of silver.

                 Disney has issued gold, silver, and silver gilded with gold coins.  The gilded coins were a version of the five coins depicting the various castles of the Disney parks around the world.  These were issued a couple of years ago, and a few were still available this year.

                 In addition to the Snow White series, the Around the World series, and the five castle coins, several others have appeared.  The Mickey Mouse’s 60^th Birthday coins depicting Steamboat Willie are rather common, the Epcot opening and the Lion King coins are hard to find, and the Sorcerer Mickey and Sorcerer’s Apprentice coins are rare but can be found with a little patience.  They are frequently offered on Ebay, but command a higher premium than the common coins.

                 Most of the silver coins are struck in the one-ounce 0.999 fine silver proof condition.  A few are in unusual sizes, so always read the specifications.  And there are those that come in multiple sizes, like the Steamboat Mickey coin, which can come in the one-tenth ounce size when mounted on a card, and the Snow White series can come in the one-half ounce size, also mounted on a card.  Smaller coins are often mounted on a card, while larger ones often come in a display case.  A few come larger, such as the five-ounce Sorcerer Mickey silver coin.

                 Disney also has issued at least one Christmas coin in silver.

                 Coins bearing the likeness of a Disney character, especially an old animated character, seem to hold the best value.  Several of these can be found, but not as easily as many other coins.

                 Disney gold coins are often in fractional sizes, such at one-fourth of an ounce.  They are collectible!  Even the Snow White coins are highly priced because of the price of gold.

                 Disneyanna, the vacation club that annually gathers at Disney, has issued a few silver coins of its own for its gathering.  They are also collectible if in a precious metal.

                 To find Disney coins on Ebay, search Collectibles, Disneyanna, and type in silver coin or gold coin.  If you do not restrict your search you will wade through many toy coins, such as the Star Wars weekend coins and the pirate coins.  These may appear if you restrict your search, but will be less common.  The Disney Epcot coins of the world sets are inexpensive foreign coins.  None of these are worth obtaining.

                 Before you buy, have the seller assure you that the coin is in the display case, or on the original card, and the Certificate of Authenticity is included.  It may be the card for the smaller coins.  Also, the condition is important.  If it was ever taken from its case and used as a toy, consider avoiding the purchase.  Handled coins lose their value quickly.  The usual protection is a transparent acrylic holder, and it should be included if it originally accompanied the coin.

                 Even if a coin remains sealed, toning can occur.  Coins can tone beautifully, or become ugly.  If the coin is not recently issued, ask for pictures of both sides.  Another disturbing feature of coins is some can develop spots, often white in color, even though the coin is permanently sealed by a mint.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

Do I Need to See Both Sides of an Uncirculated Coin I am Bidding on?

                Even if a coin remains sealed from the mint, toning can occur.  Coins can tone beautifully, or become ugly.  Another disturbing feature of coins is some can develop spots, often white in color, even though the coin is permanently sealed by a mint.

                 In silver coins, always look for black carbon spots, black circles around the rim, and white spots.  Unfortunately, these do not show up well in photographs.  So asking for a second picture is of little value.  Read the auction, and read the feedback.  Undisclosed flaws should be noted in the feedback comments.  And do not just look at the negative and neutral feedbacks.  Some buyers do not leave negative feedback, but make comments in the positive feedback that warns other buyers.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

Coca Cola Silver Bars

 Usually, silver bars and silver rounds are worth little or nothing over the spot price of silver.  This is not true of Coca Cola silver bars.  These highly collectable bars were made to celebrate the 75^thanniversary of Coca Cola, and were released in 1979.  The collectors of Coca Cola items is a large community, and they pay higher than silver prices for these one-ounce bars.  So, some coin collectors, and most Coca Cola collectors, have interest in them.

                 At the time of this article being written, they were averaging about three times the spot price of silver, with some bringing in much more.

They are not all equally valued.  Different bottling plants are depicted, and some from smaller towns are harder to find.  Yes, there are many different bars, with a Coca Cola bottle shown on one side and a bottling plant on the other.  When they appear for auction, like on Ebay, some are run using Coca Cola in the title and some using the Coke in the title.  To view everything available you must conduct two searches.  Searching Ebay regularly for about a year will probably reveal all or most of the varieties available.

The number available appears to currently be increasing, possibly due to the economic times.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

History Found in U. S. Coins

                 The United States Mints began offering glimpses into history in 1892 with the first of the older commemorative half dollars.  These were issued sporadically at first, then frequently with multiple issues in many years, except for a brief interruption during World War II.  These commemorative half dollars ended with the final coins being issued in 1954.  In 1982 came the first of the modern commemorative half dollars and dollars, and again many years have multiple coins issued.  Many of these also celebrate events in history.  So, coins celebrating history have been relegated, for the most part, to commemoratives, with the most notable regularly circulating coins falling into this category being the bicentennial coins.

                 Of course it can be argued that having a coin honor a former President is historical, but not in the same sense as the commemoratives.

                 Finally, the state quarters came along, with many depicting historical events.  Indeed, many of these events have national significance.  But these were issued for a short time, then the mints moved on.

                 As for circulating coinage, the Jefferson nickel began depicting significant events involving Thomas Jefferson.  Now, the Lincoln cents are undergoing change, reflecting the life of Abraham Lincoln.  Perhaps the mints have finally moved towards using coinage to celebrate history.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

Mints Should All Understand their Numismatic Customers. Some Do! We Recommend Australia (both mints discussed) and Canada

                 Some mints understand that numismatic customers are important, and produce a multitude of high quality coins that cater to the collectors’ needs.  This is especially true of the mints in Australia and Canada.

The mints of Australia add to the collectors’ delight by making available different coins.   The oldest mint of Australia, the Perth Mint, concentrates on a multitude of collectable coins.  One can literally spend hours in their online gift shop and still want to reenter it and look at those coins not yet viewed.  To assist our readers, we provide direct links to the Perth Mint’s gift shop.  Shopping is easy, and shipping to the United States is quite reasonable.  We do recommend purchasing several coins at once, which makes the shipping per coin fee even lower.  Monetary conversion is a service of most credit cards, and adds just a small percentage, for us it is about 1%, to the cost.  Their site is United States customer friendly with the price showing in both the Australian dollar and the United States dollar.  The Australian price remains fixed, while the United states dollar value changes with the monetary exchange rate.  It does take a couple of days for an order to be completed, so your final price in United States dollars may not be quite what you see initially, but sometimes it is actually better.

The Perth Mint offers a number of themed coins, and these themes seem to run three years.  This makes collecting an entire set easy, and closes a set so you know it is complete in a reasonable amount of time.  Perth does sell backdated coins provided they are still available.  This makes catching up in a theme you like easier than having to rely on a secondary market.  This year the new Dreaming Series has been launched, and you can find our what is coming over the next two years.  Perth is truly a customer friendly mint.  Click our fast access link and see for yourself!

The Royal Australian Mint offers Australian coins, but not those exclusive to the Perth Mint.  However, they have unique coins to offer.  The shipping is a minimum of about $20 United States dollars at the time this is being written, or thirty Australian dollars, which well exceeds the shipping for one coin by Perth.  A typical coin from Perth is $7 - $8 for shipping and about $2 - $3 for a second coin, and so on.  We recommend a purchase of at least six coins at a time from the Royal Australian Mint.  Their online store only shows Australian prices, so you need to do the conversions.  We do have a link to a monetary conversion site which will give you conversion rates free on our Australian page.  Just click the button on the left when you wish to go there.  One nice feature of the Royal Australian Mint’s offerings is the fact that they have $5 silver coins that have 1 & 1/7 troy ounces of fine silver.  The idea the coin has more than a troy ounce is a plus, especially with today’s metal market.  Another coin that is highly desirable is the silver kangaroo.

The Royal Canadian Mint also understands the value of variety.  The Royal Canadian Mint makes many high quality coins.  Their colorized Maple Leaf, Hologram $20 silver coins, and gem encrusted silver snowflakes are particularly desirable.  Their holograms are offered in themes.  Their multitude of coins available to numismatic collectors merits our strong recommendation.  The one thing we do not understand is why the 2006 Wolf was not continued.

                 We recommend you  peruse all three online stores yourself.  Then you will have the same problem we have, deciding which of these beautiful coins to acquire.

                 There are other mints, but these three seem to provide such a wide range of interesting coins that it is easy to get into their online stores and browse for hours.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

Buying Coins on Ebay: Finding Bargains while Avoiding Disaster

                 When we first started selling on Ebay, we also bought coins to resell.  In order to make a profit doing this it is necessary to find coins at bargain prices, while avoiding many pitfalls.  Having found a number of such pitfalls, we are offering some insight to assist you with not making those mistakes so many other s make.

This article is a service to the coin collecting community from Blackspanielgallery, in an effort to help collectors make intelligent decisions when buying on Ebay.

How do I figure out the value of a coin?

We cannot recommend the Ebay button “What’s it worth?” because some sellers price high and make no sale, while others sell similar, but  different, coins at a price well out of line with the coin you are interested in.  Some coins have different denominations, and that may or may not appear in the title.  Instead, you really need to invest in a coin book and look prices up, if possible.  Foreign coins may not be so easily looked up, so in the case of foreign coins “watch” several.  The price often changes in the last seconds, so you need to have the watch feature of Ebay active to assure your being able to determine the final price.  And with coins, do add the sale price plus the shipping.  You will find many coin buyers are astute with regards to money, and consider shipping part of the cost.

How can I find a bargain?

While it may not always work that you find a bargain, you can enhance your success rate by doing the following:

Look for new sellers and be willing to give them a chance.  Bidding on their coins is usually lower than on coins from established sellers.

Find coins coming up late at night or very early in the morning.  Bid at the last minute before signing off for the night.  Competition is less then.

Bid on coins coming due on Sunday morning.  Fewer people are bidding on Sunday morning, so if you bid late Saturday or very early Sunday you might just get a bargain.

Bid on coins coming due during a major sporting event.

Look for a flooded market.  Some sellers buy several rolls of the same coin and run them over an hour or two.  This extra supply may reduce the price.  Look for successive, identical coins and bid.

Look for coins in a category fewer people check.  Many people check bullion, but not so many check foreign commemorative coins.  A coin fitting both may sell much lower in the foreign commemorative category.  And a few people run coins as antiques.

Look for “false” low ratings.  Read the rating comments.  If someone takes a week to ship, and that is not an issue with you, ignore those comments and take advantage of the fact others look only at the number.  Some low ratings are undeserved.  Read what happened and figure out if it was a difficult customer or not.  Some negative ratings arise from shipping costs, but if you can see the shipping and determine you still have a bargain, so what?

Bid on Dutch auctions.  These are different, so know the rules, but many people are afraid to bid on them.

What should I avoid?

Look past the rating numbers.

· Certainly, look at the poor ratings closely, or set a limit where you avoid buying.

· Look at the wording on good ratings.  If there are vague comments, or you see something like “technically as described, but not as expected” think about this one carefully.  Too many simple “thanks” comments may be more politeness that true feedback.  Read between the lines.

· Check for “stale” ratings.  One seller had a 100% feedback with hundreds of feedbacks reported.  However, the site looked almost identical to another site with a similar name where the same coins with the same pictures were available.  The second site had a horrible rating.  Upon checking closely we found the 100% site had only six feedbacks in the last year, and those from previous years were equally bad as those on the other site.  The percentage is based only on the latest year’s feedbacks, and sellers with very bad ratings often let their account go dormant until the year passes, while using a different site.

· Watch for counterfeit coins.  We once observed a trade dollar with a date for about a hundred years before the coin came into existence, and this was not a typo, the coin had the wrong date in the picture.  If the coin was not made during a year, do not buy it.  And this one was not a very high grade.  The counterfeiters are making lower grade coins!

· See where and what the seller buys.  It is not illegal to make counterfeit U. S. coins in China, according to Chinese law, and apparently many are being sold.  There was an article in Coin World recently discussing this problem.  What we conclude from the article is the counterfeit coins are being sold on Ebay as weights to hold cards down to a table.  If your seller is buying coin shaped items from China, and you buy coins from that seller, you may indeed fall into a counterfeiter’s trap.

· Watch the shipping cost.  We once found a coin with shipping of $89.99, and the seller had shipping of $8.99 on many other coins.  We asked if this was a typo, and was told no well after the auction ended.

Watch for vague descriptions.  We bought a coin that had the claim “may be uncirculated, I don’t know” that was in such bad shape the “I don’t know” part had to be a lie.  If the wording looks like just enough to avoid getting kicked off of Ebay, it may indicate a problem.

Remember coins sealed by the mint may be uncirculated, but can still be toned.  COAs are important, but can be bought on Ebay.  Original boxes indicating proof coins are also available, and a high grade uncirculated coin can easily be substituted.

Is free shipping always better?

No!  With coins, you should always consider the shipping as part of your cost.  Coins with free shipping may get higher bids.  What you lose is the ability to combine shipping.  Buying multiple coins with shipping discounts from the same seller may be more advantageous than buying a coin with free shipping.  In fact, that word “free” can actually cause the price to rise during bidding.  People like to get something “free” even if it costs more.

While you may not be able to determine if your seller has a legitimate Ebay account, we have observed both Ebay and Paypal accounts available on iOffer.  So, while this article may help, please understand there are other problems that can occur.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

COLORIZED COINS Choice Collector Items/Undesirable Collector Items

                 The desirability of a colorized coin depends, quite simply, as who colorized it.  If the color is added at the mint that issued the coin, it is considered an official issue and has numismatic value depending on its rarity.  If the colorization was applied by a private mint as a means of raising the price of the coin the collectability is seriously reduced.  A simple perusal of any online auction site shows that the bids for colorized American Eagle coins is low compared to identical coins that were not colorized.  Australian lunar coins bear about the same final price as their uncolorized versions, because while they are colorized by the mint they are produced in such abundance that their value is not enhanced.  Coins colorized by the Royal Canadian Mint, such as Maple Leafs, and produced in reduced number, hence are priced well above their uncolorized counterparts.  In fact, both the Royal Canadian Mint, and the mints of Australia, the Royal Australian Mint and the Perth Mint, produce some highly collected colorized coins.

                 Simply put, avoid coins colorized after production if you are hoping the colorization will add to their value, but do add colorized coins to your collection if they are produced that way by a mint.  Generally, mint produced colorized coins are not general circulation coins, and are usually sold with a case and a Certificate of Authenticity.  Those are very important in having your coins retain their value.

                 Of course, if you want your collection only for your personal enjoyment, collect whatever makes you happy.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

Perth Mint Exclusive Coins

                The Perth Mint’s gift shop, including the Online gift shop, exclusively releases certain coins.  Since not everyone knows of this wonderful source, these coins often go unpurchased.  This enables collectors to obtain uncirculated coins directly from the mint from past years if availability permits, since those minted are often left at the gift shop and made available.

                 Some of these exclusive coins are quite desirable.  They are usually minted in low, limited quantities, adding to their numismatic value.  Take a few minutes to click on the banner and browse the Perth Mint gift shop.   And to add to these coins’ desirability, many come with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

How Much Silver or Gold Does that Coin Really Have?

The best way to find out is to check with the mint that produced it.  All mints have specifications on their coins.  Another is to get a book, but finding foreign coin specifications in a book is not always easy.  Finally, check reputable dealers who sell the same coin.  If they have one in stock, or occasionally have one available, they probably keep the specifications posted.

                 Do not rely on sellers who may or may not know what they are selling.  Precious metals are specified in troy ounces, considerably heavier that an equal number of ounces or pounds.  Some people simply weigh their coins, and unknowingly or dishonestly inflate the weight.  Always look for the word “troy” preceding the word ounces or pounds.

                 The purity also matters.  Many coins are sold as silver or gold, but not all have the same purity.  In silver, for example, the old United States silver coins are 90% silver.  Many coins are minted in “sterling” silver, which is 0.925.  Others have strange percentages, often in the mid 80s.  If such a coin is merely weighed, it may well be a 1.2 ounce silver coin, but that does not mean it have 1.2 ounces of silver.  A similar problem exists with gold.  Both silver and gold are too soft to allow minting 100% coins.  The most pure silver coins are called “fine” silver, and are at least 0.999 silver.  A few are 0.9999, but that extra 9 is insignificant.  In gold, look for 24-kt.

                 The easy way to tell, if you do not have time for a search, is to look at the picture.  If it is fine silver, it will so state, or the purity will be stamped right on the coin.  Gold bullion coins are traded for their gold content, and most dealers will gladly release the coin’s karat value, or purity.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

Casino Strikes

                 Casinos have in recent years released silver coins called casino strikes.  These are becoming more scarce, since most casinos have ceased with the practice.  These are collected by a rather large number of people, and each casino strike has its own value.  Those from closed casinos or from the Nevada area seem to have higher value than those from Iowa, Louisiana a or Mississippi.

                 Casino strikes do carry a mint mark, and several mints have produced them.  They come in $7, $10, $20, $28, $40, $100, and $200 denominations.

A few $5 strikes are in existence, but those are not so widely collected.  The $5 casino strikes usually are brass, perhaps plated with gold, and come in sets of four.  While they are often as beautiful as other strikes, they suffer from the lack of silver content.

The other denominations are often 0.999 fine silver.  However, the lower denominations have a rather large bras ring encircling the smaller silver disk.  The $10 strikes generally have a silver content of no more than just over 0.6 ounce.  They are often advertised as 1-ounce  coins because people do not allow for the brass ring.  The silver content does depend on the denomination, and some of the higher denominations do not have the brass ring, are physically larger, and are highlighted with 24-kt gold.  This gold highlight can really add to the beauty of a $40 casino strike.

A few silver casino “bingo” token exist, and differ from the conventional casino strikes.

One thing to watch out for is that several casinos offer casino strikes that are identical on one side.  It appears at least one mint has made designs and made casino strikes for multiple casinos using the image.  Of course there cannot be a duplication of the side bearing the name of the casino.

The most common casino strikes are the $10 denomination.  The $28 dollar denomination is rarely available.  Occasionally, $40, $7, and $200 denominations appear on Ebay.  Not many casinos used the $20 denomination, but a few do exist.

Collecting these does not mean collecting all that were ever made.  Some people collect those with cars, some horses, and so on.  More so than with coins, theme collecting appears to exist for casino strikes.

This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery at http://blackspanielgallery.comby the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.

Perth Releases the 2009 Dreaming Coins 2010 and 2011 Coins Revealed Latest Part of the Discover Australia Series of Coins!

                 Just released in late January in Australia and in early February for international sales!  The animals represented on these coins may differ on the different metals.

                 The Dreaming Series consists of five coins in 2009.  These are available in platinum in 1/2–oz coins and 1/10-oz coins, gold in 1/25-oz coins, 1/10-oz coins, and 1/2-oz coins, and silver 1-oz coins. All coins in this series are proof quality, and the platinum and silver coins are colorized.  These coins come with a Certificate of Authenticity that is numbered.  These are limited edition coins.

                 The 2009 coins can be ordered in a complete set of five, in any size and any metal, with each set will be housed in an attractive holder. Or individually, also in an attractive holder.

The series will run for three years, and the names of the animals featured in future releases have been published.  It is possible to subscribe to the three-year complete sets.

                 The 2009 coins include:  Dreaming Echidna, Dreaming  Brolga, Dreaming Dolphin, Dreaming Kangaroo, and Dreaming Brown Snake.

                 These coins are quite different from the 2008 Dreaming Coins in many ways.  The 2008 coins were struck on rectangular blanks, these are struck on round blanks.  The series has been expanded to include platinum, and the gold coins are now in fractions of ounces instead of grams.  The 2008 coins had only two animals, the kangaroo and the turtle.  The annual release is now up to five distinct coins!  The coins include beautiful presentation cases, as compared to the cardboard holders for the 2008 coins. Finally, both the platinum and silver coins are colorized starting in 2009, while colorization was not used in 2008.

                 In 2008 the gold coins were available as coins or as pendants.  Beginning in 2009, only coins are being minted.  But that is no problem to a true coin collector.

All coins are legal tender coins of Australia.  The denominations are:

                

Gold	1/2 oz	1/10 oz	1/25 oz
Monetary Denomination (AUD)	$50	$15	$5
Silver	1 oz
Monetary Denomination (AUD)	$1
Platinum	1/2 oz	1/10 oz
Monetary Denomination (AUD)	$50	$15

                 This article is being made available from Black Spaniel Gallery athttp://blackspanielgallery.com by the author.  Links to major English speaking mints are available at Black Spaniel Gallery.